So yeah...here's the next chapter :) Hope you like it. Thanks for the great reviews on the last one's and enjoy!
"Erm…" Rick had been standing there trying to think of something to say. "It's from…paintballing?" He sounded unsure of himself. He stood there talking to himself. You are on the new York's best seller list and that is the best you can do! He said shouting at himself.
Kate stared at him her arms crossed across her chest. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"
Rick looked at Esposito and Ryan and then stared back at her. "Yes." He said.
She looked at him in the you have got to be kidding me stare.
"It's true." Esposito said jumping to his defence.
"Yeah." Ryan agreed. "It's this new place that has just opened up near the park."
Kate looked at all three of them. "So you're telling me that one of you-" She pointed to Ryan and Esposito. "Hit Rick in the head with a paintball."
They stared at Kate. "It was him." They both said simultaneously pointing to one another.
Kate then turned to stare at Rick. "So they hit you and you don't have a headache? Or feel slightly dizzy? Or experience any other symptoms from being hit with a paintball?"
"What can I say?" Rick said shrugging it off. "I took some Advil and was fine."
"Come on Beckett would we lie to you?" Ryan said.
She looked at them. "What's he bribing you with and I'll tell you."
"You amaze me." Rick said. "Why would I bribe them?"
"That's true, they'd do anything you asked of them."
Ryan and Esposito stared at her shocked. "I can't believe you'd think that." Esposito said.
"Yeah you hurt us Beckett." Ryan added.
"Oh please you are upset when he's not there." Kate said laughing slightly. "It's like he's joined this little bromance thing you've got going on."
Esposito and Ryan decided to join the women in the kitchen choosing to ignore what Kate had said and walk away.
"Oh don't be like that guys." Kate said as they went into the kitchen.
"Must you drive my friends away." Rick said looking slightly sad.
"Well they are your only ones." Kate said thinking out loud. "I guess I could tell them I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted." They both shouted from the kitchen."
Kate laughed and rolled her eyes at them. "So anyway back to the paint. What exactly went off?"
"Just like they said, we tried out this new place and wow it's great." Rick said. "They had these really awesome guns, and it's a really wide open space. Of course I naturally won both of them."
"In your dreams Castle!" Esposito called out. He then walked into the room with some Chinese and a beer. "We totally kicked your ass."
"Yeah in YOUR dreams Esposito." Rick said back.
Kate laughed at them, they were getting so caught up in this little game they had going on that she almost believed them.
The next day had gone considerably fast and before Kate knew it she was being dragged off by Lanie.
"Where are we going?"
"The spa." Lanie said none to enthusiastic.
"I can't." Kate started to protest. "I have all this paperwork on the last case I need to get done."
"Honey I have dead people in my morgue waiting to be seen but do you see me rushing?"
"Point taken." Kate said. "But I really do need to get it done."
"No come on." Lanie said. "Jenny and Alexis are going to meet us there."
Rick watched in amusement as Lanie struggled with Kate until they reached the elevator. "I guess I'll see you later then Kate." He shouted to her.
She glared at him before the doors shut leaving Rick grinning. He stood up and clapped his hands together facing the boys.
"Okay so I'll see you at my place in-" He checked his watch. "Half an hour."
"Why where are you going?"
"Well the guy is coming in about that time so I'm going to clear the room."
"Okay Castle." Esposito said.
"You'd better have drinks." Ryan said as Rick headed out the bullpen.
"I will don't worry."
Rick headed back to the loft and cleared the paint from yesterday's little fiasco up and placing it in the cupboard downstairs. He was just removing the covering on the floor when the doorbell rang, he raced downstairs to get it and opened the door.
"Hi." He greeted the men at the door. "The room is just upstairs I'll take you up." He smiled, the two men who carried the carpet followed him inside and up the stairs. "So how long we looking at?"
"Oh shouldn't be more than 20 minutes." One of the men replied while the other got to work bringing the old one up off the floor. There was then another knock at the door and Rick moved downstairs to answer it. He smiled at Ryan and Esposito.
"Just in time." Rick said.
"Oh that's great then." Ryan said walking in. "Where's the drinks?"
Rick laughed at him. "In the fridge."
"Awesome." Ryan moved into the kitchen while Esposito stood in the middle of the room and Rick closed the door behind him.
As promised the men had lay down the carpet in 20 minute and were on their way with a generous tip from Rick. Ryan and Esposito sat on the couch a beer in their hand as Rick answered the door yet again. This time it what the furniture for the room that had arrived flat packed.
"Just place it anywhere in the room." Rick said letting them in. They nodded their heads and placed the boxes near the stairs. One of the men handed Rick a clipboard and asked him to sign it to say everything had been delivered.
Rick signed the sheet and then handed him the board back and handing them a tip and thanking them for their help. They both walked out and Rick shut the door turning back to the men on the couch.
"Come on then let's go." He said to them.
"Can't we just like sit here for another minute?" Ryan asked staring at the screen.
"Look we pull this off I'll get you both a TV as big as that."
"Seriously?" Esposito said.
"Yes." He said honestly.
With that Ryan and Esposito were up in a flash, both trying to take up more than they could handle.
"Guy's would you chill?" He said laughing. "Just take it steady."
Ryan took the heaviest boxes up, while Esposito followed behind him. Rick was just heading up the stairs when Ryan and Esposito headed back down for the rest.
"Right Castle where's everything going?" Ryan asked ready for anything.
"Right I want the dresser over in the corner, the chair over there and I'll deal with the cots."
"You sure you can deal with something like that?" Esposito laughed.
"Hey keep talking and I'm downgrading your TV." Rick said warning him but smiling.
Esposito with that walked and picked the box that held the dresser, quietly mumbling something and getting it all out. He opened it up and stared down at it, he tried to look in his head what needed to go where but wasn't having any luck.
"There are instructions you know?" Ryan said watching him struggle.
"Instructions are for women and men who are just lazy."
"That or men who are in a rush to get something done before the woman who can kiss his ass get's home."
"Gotcha Castle." Esposito nodded his head reluctantly reaching for the paper and then getting even more confused. "Why can't they ever give instructions in English?" He said holding it upside down and then looking at the back. "Either of you speak Polish or Chinese I'm thinking?"
"Just look at the diagrams or use your own intuition." Rick said already halfway to putting up the first cot.
"How do you do that?" Esposito said as he watched Rick tilt a piece of wood raise and eyebrow and then screw it into another piece.
"I shut up, stop complaining and get the work done." He said picking up another piece and looking at Esposito. "Also it helps that I've done it before now get to work."
Esposito grumbled and then looked at the diagrams. If all else fails just go with it. After an hour of struggling he had managed to put up the dresser and had put all the clothes into the draws. He had even found a bag of teddies that Rick had bought and put them in a nice little pile on top of it.
Rick had just finished checking the room making sure everything was in place before placing the last of the toys inside the cot when he heard the door go and Kate shouting for him.
"Rick?"
Rick stood up and look startled everything had been done apart from one thing. He handed Ryan and Esposito a box each.
"Esposito over the cot that side, Ryan over that one." He said pointing to the one's each side.
They both looked at him confused as he ran out the room before they stared in the boxes that were in their hands. They both looked at each other before shrugging and heading to the walls they were designated.
Rick raced downstairs and smiled at the women in his living room. "Good afternoon guys."
Kate stared at him, something was going on now. Rick was out of breath had changed clothes yet again and was looking nervous. She was a trained detective and couldn't figure out what was going on and what he was doing. But then a thought came into her head, what if he had gone back to his old ways? There might have been a woman up there waiting for him. She looked at him and shook the thought out of her head. No Rick was the faithful type always had been and always would be, so what was it?
"Hey Castle." Lanie greeted. "What have you been doing?" She asked.
"Oh you know just hanging out with the guys." He said casually.
Kate attempted to head upstairs but Rick stopped her. "Where are you going?"
"Upstairs." She said. "Why is there something wrong wit that?"
"Yes." He said.
"What would that be?"
Rick looked at her and then to the rest of them for help. "Erm…me and the boys made a mess up there? I don't want you to see it."
"Seriously you expect me to believe that?"
"Speaking of messes." Rick said. "Lanie? Jenny? Can you go check on the boys?"
Lanie and Jenny nodded their heads and quickly ran up the stairs, Rick hated the fact that they were going to see the room before Kate but he had to do something.
"Rick this is getting past a joke now." Kate said getting frustrated. "What are you hiding from me?"
Rick sighed and then looked at her. "Okay Kate I've been trying to hide it from you but I can't anymore."
"What?" She asked.
"Come with me." He took her hand and led her up the stairs followed by Alexis. He stopped short of the closed door. "Okay stay here for a second."
Kate watched as he walked and opened the door peaking his head inside. "Everything ready?" He asked them. They must have nodded because he then reached for Kate again.
"Close your eyes." He said.
"I don't think I want to." Kate said approaching the door.
"Please Kate." He said.
Something in his voice told her that he had worked really hard so she closed her eyes and let him guide her to the room.
"Okay." He said as he put his hands on her shoulder. "Open them."
So that's exactly what she did and when they were open she couldn't believe what she saw. She didn't know what to do so she just stood in her spot not saying a word taking it all in.
"Kate?" Rick said. "I'm really going to need your opinion here." He said.
She turned to look at him and smiled, she couldn't say anything because when she did nothing came out. She then turned to look at her friends who stood in the room waiting for her to say something and then to Alexis who was grinning at her wildly.
"Really Kate anything at all would be good." Rick said again.
"I love it." She said taking a breath to control the tears that she was sure was going to come any moment now. She stared again at the room before slowly taking a step in and getting the full effect. On either side of the room there was a cot and above them in wooden letters were the names Malcolm and Johanna. Next she noticed that there were mobiles above the cot, for Malcolm it was a rocket's and starts for Johanna it was a range of animals. Lion's, horses, zebra's and even an elephant. She looked into the corner and there was a dresser filled with an assortment of stuffed animals. It was covered with unicorns, lion's and tigers. She guessed that one of them had put clothes in the draws and then looked to the other corner. There was a bookshelf filled with plenty of books and a chair by the window. There was then a table that held baby monitors, baby supplies from bottles to nappies and then next to the table was a changing mat.
"I honestly don't know what to say." She said when she had managed to get her voice back. She looked around again to make sure she wasn't dreaming before turning back to face Rick.
"You did all this?"
"With a little help from the guys." He smiled. "It was meant to be a surprise but no you had to go getting all suspicious." He said.
She walked around the room noticing the Scooby Doo teddy in Malcolm's cot and a pony in Johanna's before turning back to her friends.
"Why did you do it?"
"We were offered plasma's screens." Esposito said. "He bribed us."
Lanie hit him. "Shut up Javier." She turned to Kate and smiled. "We love you and just wanted to see you happy. Also being chosen as god parent's help." She laughed slightly.
Kate chuckled slightly. "I'm just amazed you guys." She said. "Thank you." She walked to Rick again and leaned up giving him a small kiss. "You are really one in a million."
"I know no need to remind me." He smiled. "But I couldn't have done it without these guys. Lanie, Jenny and Alexis for dragging you off for the last couple of days. Ryan and Esposito for showing their feminine side for once." He laughed slightly.
Just then they heard the doorbell ring and Alexis jumped from where she was. "I'll get it don't worry."
She raced down the stairs and opened the door, her smile dropping from her face and momentarily losing the ability to do anything. She simply turned around and shouted. "Dad someone's at the door for you!"
So yeah i'm sure you might all know who's at the door and come for a visit. Next chapter up tomorrow earlier hopefully, also are you all voting for Nathan, Stana and the gang in the shorty awards on Twitter? :D