Hello! Um hand holding last night! Well that was awesome.
Before we go on I want to just address a couple of things that have been popping up in the reviews. They timeline on this story isn't canon. The James Bond offer came in episode 5 of season 2 so Castle and Beckett were only partners for approximately 15 cases. For me this drastically changed their relationship. At this point in the story they've known each other outside the precinct for 8ish months. I cover most of this as we go along but I know we all read bunches of these and for me clarifying timeline every now and then can't hurt. Second this chapter is fluffy but we will deal with some of the many issues Castle and Beckett have coming up I promise. They are different though because for me a lot of the issues on the show have to do with their relationship and with a different history the issues are different.
And finally I clearly don't own Castle because I have a comma problem, but I encourage you to see the forest for the trees.
Chapter 13 – Camera Flashes
The flash from the cameras were the first thing to greet us as he opened the door of the limo they'd picked me up in. The noise was overwhelming and the onslaught of flashes from the cameras. My heart clenched unexpectedly, and I closed my eyes trying to get my inexplicable reaction under control.
I heard the grin in his voice as I he exclaimed, "Here we go." He clapped his hands before scrambling out of the car to offer a hand to his mother and daughter who both expertly extracted themselves from the black leather confines. Before I had a chance to breathe, he was extending his hand to me, helping me out of the car.
If Martha hadn't told me to lift the hem of my dress before I tried getting out of the car he probably would have had to scoop me out of the seat. I hadn't been thinking about climbing out of the car when I'd stood staring at myself in the mirror of Lord & Taylor. Truth be told the only thing that I'd been thinking about, as Lanie clapped her hands in excitement, was what his reaction would be when he saw it.
The deep blue dress hadn't disappointed, clinging to my silhouette when I opened the door earlier. "Stunning…" had literally fallen from his lips as his eyes ghosted up and down my body, from the sparkles adorning one shoulder to the soft float of the dress at the floor hiding the sliver heels I couldn't resist purchasing despite the fact that there was probably a perfectly suitable pair somewhere in my collection.
The thought disappeared from my head as he closed the car door behind me so it could slip off into the night leaving just us facing a crowd of reporters and a mile long red carpet. "You ok?" He asked softly ignoring the press for just as second, as he slid his hand into mine.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Good because all we have to do is make it to the door without someone trying to steal you away from me and then we're home free for the rest of the night." He grinned.
Regaining some of my wits, I looked at him, "Well lead on Mr. Castle. You are the man of the hour. I'm just your arm candy." I gave him a dazzling smile.
He released my hand and wrapped the arm around my waist, "You my dear are far more than arm candy." With that, he guided me down the runway, pausing every few steps angling my body into his, posing for the camera. He looked so happy, so in his element that the grin stayed on my face even as the reporters blurted out questions from all around us.
"How's it feel to be done with Bond?"
"What's your next project?"
"Are you going to try and work more with Bond?"
"Will we be seeing new work from you soon?"
"Who's your date?"
"How long have you been dating?" and every variation of those questions were pelted at us, but he took it all in stride just smiling, posing, and waving.
For a carpet that was probably only fifty feet, long it took us at least 5 minutes to get to the middle and then he finally decided to answer the questions. "Thank you everyone. It was a quiet and adventure to be part of the life of double-oh-seven, but it's time for him to move on and let another author spin his tale. New work takes time and development so I have nothing for you now but I promise that James Bond was not the end of Richard Castle's work. I have many more stories to tell."
He stopped and looked at me, "As for my date, the extraordinary Katharine Beckett kindly consented to join me here tonight." His smile was just radiant that I couldn't help myself I just stretched my neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. The effect was instantaneous, the camera's flashing like crazy against my closed eyelids.
Just when I thought he couldn't look any happier, when I opened my eyes I found the kid that found out he was going to Disney world for the first time in front of me. Dropping his voice, he hitched me closer the warmth of his palm radiating through my dress, "Let's go inside shall we."
"Sounds like a plan." I agreed, partially disappointed when he released my waist, but he grabbed my hand and actually began walking towards the door and more questions rained down on us.
"You mean Kate Beckett?"
"Wasn't she the inspiration of Nikki Heat?"
"Are you bringing Nikki Heat back?"
"How long have you been dating?"
"Have you been keeping your relationship a secret for years?" His brow wrinkled just briefly the last one but we'd made it to the doorway and I didn't want any of the stupid questions to haunt him on this night that was supposed to be a party in his honor, so I tugged him to a stop and kissed him gently knowing that it would make a spectacular picture: the author and the detective framed in the doorway sharing a kiss.
He pulled back, keeping the arm he hand looped around my waist just where it was. "You could give Paula a run for her money on publicity events."
Squeezing the hand he still held, "I believe there is a party inside just waiting for the man of the hour." The response was instantaneous as he tugged me inside happily leaving the heckling press behind us.
Together we made our way across the crowd, stopping to shake hands and say hello to a variety of people. Most of who were delighted to meet me before we made it across the room to where his mother and daughter had stationed themselves.
"Well I was beginning to wonder if you two were going to make it inside at all." Martha pressed a champagne glass into my hand.
"Yeah, I thought the reporters had kidnapped you." Alexis grinned.
"It seems that showing up with Detective Beckett caused quiet the stir." He winked at me with a happy smile, "They couldn't get enough of her."
"Here I was thinking that they were trying to get the last gory details of your life before you were completely forgotten by the literary world," I teased him.
Hands over his heart, "You wound me detective."
"Well someone has to keep your ego in check." Martha laughed.
He slipped his arms around me, pressing fully against me, and he lifted a glass. "To the three beautiful, funny, and smart women without whom I would be lost in a mess of incomplete plots, bad grammar, and uncontrolled ego." He lifted his glass to us all before downing half of it. "Speaking of ego, I do believe I need to go sign some autographs, and have dozens of women hit on me even though I have no interest because I already have the prettiest three."
I gave him a sharp elbow in the gut, "Go flirt and promote your withering career. We'll be here when you're done."
"Save me a dance?" He asked, softly.
"I'm counting on at least one." I replied earning me a soft kiss, before he disappeared into the crowds. Leaving me to chat with his mother and daughter.
It was over an hour though before he found his way back to me. Just in time to join me in what had become a rather caustic conversation with Gina, his editor, or maybe his ex-wife given that the conversation was laced with jealousy. It had started off as a harmless conversation between her and Alexis before she shifted her attention to me. Turning to me martini in hand and lifting one perfectly groomed blonde eyebrow, "So what are you two doing?"
"Excuse me?" I asked my eyes flitting to Alexis who just gave me a perplexed look.
"You and Rick? Is he telling tales about you again?" Gina spat.
"Telling tales about me?" It was my turn to lift an eyebrow, "No, I'm just his date tonight." I told her simply.
"For just a date he's been spending an awful lot of time with you."
"I don't see how this is any of your business," I steeled my tone feeling as if I was dealing with an uncooperative witness.
She let out this shrill laugh, as if I was the one being ridiculous. "If he's spending time with you then he's not writing and his writing is my business."
"Dad has been writing. He writes all the time." Alexis stated calmly, hoping to redirect the woman's attention.
Unfortunately, the blonde just looked at me, "Really because I haven't seen anything from him yet."
It was at that moment his arms slipped around me from behind as he pressed the full length of his body to mine, "That's because it's not ready for you yet." His voice rumbled through my body, warm and soothing. "And you won't get it until it is ready."
"Whatever you say Richard. If I don't see something soon your witting career is over."
"Gina go do something useful and leave my family alone. In case you forgot Kate is a badass detective and she's used to dealing with the actual scourge of the earth so a jealous ex-wife is the least of her worries."
"I. Am. Not. Jealous." She ground out between her teeth looking affronted that he'd called her on it.
"You're a terrible liar when you've been drinking. Go talk to someone who wants to talk to you." She glared at both of us for a moment before pivoting on her extremely expensive shoe and making her way back out into the party.
"Sorry about that." He said softly to both of us.
Alexis just shrugged, "She's never been my favorite."
"Well still, that was inappropriate of her."
I laughed softly now, "Like you said Castle I deal with actual bad guys a work you think your ex-wife and publisher is going to rattle my cage?
That's when he spun me around so that we were chest to chest, "That is one of many reasons I like you my dear detective." He leaned in and captured my lips in a kiss that was too long given that his daughter was still with us. But I heard her mention something about needing the bathroom and she slipped off.
"I think we managed to traumatize your poor daughter." I whispered against his cheek, when I pulled away.
"She'll live." He replied, and I could hear just the hint of smugness in his voice, "She's going to college in the fall and has kissed plenty of boys by this point that Dad kissing his date, who she really likes isn't going to scar her."
I pulled back just a little, "She really likes me?"
"No, she just spent an hour willingly in your company, and stuck up for you with Gina, because she finds you annoying."
I swatted him for the sarcasm, "Not what I meant, she likes me as you're…" I glance up at him and decided to go for it, "girlfriend?"
That earned me a cheek-splitting smile, "You're the only girlfriend she's ever liked enough that she hung out with you at one of these."
"Well, that's just…" I didn't really know what to say to that actually.
"It's just perfect." He supplied releasing my waist to grab my hand, "I do believe that you promised me a few dances before the night was over and as it's already ten we should fit those in." He pulled me out onto the floor settling into the rhythm provided by the bluesy band stationed in the corner.
"This wasn't really what I'd hoped for tonight." He admitted softly into my ear, in the middle of the fifth song. I'd long since given up and just settled my head against his shoulder so now his voice rumbled through me as well.
"What had you hoped for?" I asked without moving.
"To spend more time with you. To not have my ex-wife act like a harpy…" he trailed off.
"There will be other occasions for that."
"I suppose. Next time though, we should stick to the plans or at least do something by ourselves."
An idea sparked, "Next time it's my turn to plan our adventure."
"Oh really?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Yup…" I said stifling a yawn. "And it's going to be a surprise so don't even ask."
He laughed running a soothing hand up and down my spine, "You know I'm going to bug you about it anyway." I hummed, against his shoulder, letting my eyes drift closed. "But I think it's time that I took you home." I felt him looking around the room trying to locate the rest of his family. "Yep, time to go home. If we don't go now I'm going to have to carry you and Alexis and that will not work."
Lifting my head from his shoulder, I followed his line of sight to see his 17 year old, with her head on her grandmothers shoulder, eyes closed, even as Martha chatted animatedly to the gentleman next to her. "Does she have school in the morning?"
He shook his head pulling apart but not taking his hand out of mine, as we crossed the dance floor heading in their direction, "No, she's interning at a hospital this semester except for one class so she asked for the day off."
"Lucky." I said softly wishing right now nothing more to go home with them, and fall asleep in what I'm sure is a massive bed wrapped in his arms.
Like he could hear my thoughts, "I can send them home in the car."
"What about us?"
"We can take a cab to your place and I can walk you to your door and kiss you good night."
"And then what'll you do?"
"Take a cab home, if you want me to." He offered.
I smiled just as we were approaching the pair of red heads, "Send your girl's home, Rick." I squeezed his free hand directing my attention to Martha, whose friend had just departed. "How was your evening?"
She smiled graciously, "It was just lovely dear." Moving to stand up now that Castle had roused Alexis. "I heard yours was interrupted by an unfriendly publisher."
I chuckled, "She was just annoying that's all."
"She was jealous is what you mean."
"I suppose." I admitted as we made our way to the doors.
"She and Richard never made the same splash at these parties as you too did. But then they never were quiet the same sort of couple."
"What do you mean?"
She lifted one sparkling shoulder, "They were expected. Writer and publisher, cliché as that is, nothing they ever did seemed interesting because they weren't really interested."
"Because muse and writer isn't a cliché?" I asked wondering if there was a point, she was trying to make.
But she laughed, "The best kind of cliché. A writer and his muse falling in love. It's wonderful because anyone that looks at you can see it's true." I was silent for what I assumed was to long by her standards as I processed what she said, not thinking for a moment that she was incorrect, "Kate dear?" she said catching my attention, "Don't over think it."
I let myself smile and relax, "I won't. Thank you Martha." I brushed a kiss over her cheek as two black town cars pulled up.
"Take care dear. We'll see you later, Richard?" She asked clearly noting the second cars presence.
"Goodnight Mother." He blatantly ignored the question, helping her into the car, and closing the door.
"I thought we were taking a cab?" I asked as he opened the door on the second car for me.
"It seemed easier to just ask for a second car when I called for the first one," we settled in the car and I rested my head on his shoulder closing my eyes as he gave my address to the driver. "Now the only question is to I tell him to wait while I walk you up."
I could only smile against his shoulder for the time being, but when the car came to a stop outside my building, I opened my eyes and looked up at him to find him blinking away sleep. I smiled, "Send the car away Rick."
Up next angst, but first what did you think.
Babyrose