Disclaimer : Castle belongs to ABC and the writers of the show. I just like to enjoy myself with what they created. Likewise the character that appears in this that has the same name as a real person is a fictional representation of that person.
Backstage WABC-7 Studios near Times Square
Castle sits in the make-up chair of his dressing room as the make-up artist makes the finishing touches on his face. Just as the middle-aged brunette finishes her work the door to his dressing room opens and, in the words of his wife, his 'bud' Jimmy Kimmel enters the room.
"I'm surprised to find you in here Dianne, this guy hardly needs any make-up to make himself look more handsome," jokes Kimmel as he looks at his friend's face in the mirror.
"Don't listen to him Dianne. You are a miracle worker. The number of times you've made me look good on this show gives me the confidence I need to banter with this joker," shoots back Castle as the woman collects her stuff and with, a smile at the two men, leaves the room.
As the door closes behind the make-up artist Castle swivels in his chair to face his friend who perches himself near Castle on the counter running in front of the brightly lit mirror that runs the length of one wall of the dressing room.
"So you ready Rick? Got some funny stories to share of your time following your wife around? Speaking of whom. Where is your lovely wife? I had hoped to get you on my show together, especially while I'm here shooting these few shows in New York," asks Kimmel.
"Sorry Jimmy, but Kate had to work today. Anyway, I think it would take more than me owing you to get Kate to sit down in front of the cameras. And thank you again, by the way, for rearranging the taping of your shows so you could do the NYPD benefit after all. I really appreciate it," responds Castle giving his friend a grateful look.
"No problem, Rick. You're fulfilling your end of the bargain by being one of my guests today. The night was fun and I'm always a sucker for a good cause. I'm just glad that I wasn't competing for the trophy on the night. Those two detectives that won were really good. I almost booked them to do their routine on my show," says Kimmel as he turns his attention to a book on the counter between him and Castle.
Castle is glad that Jimmy isn't looking at his face at that moment because he would then have to explain the grimace that appears there. Boy, is he glad that Jimmy didn't invite the boys to do their routine on his show. If the bragging they were doing after they won, again, wasn't bad enough and after he and Kate had to pull out, they would be insufferable if they ended up doing their routine on national television.
All through the 'Pitbull' case he had relished the idea of challenging Espo and Ryan at the talent show. Right up to that moment when he overheard Kate with his mother he had been supremely confident that he and Kate would wipe the stage with them. As soon as he'd heard Kate admit to her stage fright and how she was putting herself out there for likely humiliation all for him he'd immediately felt guilty. It had been his ego that had got them into it without properly considering her so instead of calling Espo to up the bet he'd called the man now in front of him and convinced him to change his shooting schedule so that he could do the benefit after all.
When Gates had announced, the next day, that Jimmy was doing the show again and that he and Kate weren't needed the boys had protested. They'd even tried to use the same reasoning that he'd tried before Jimmy dropped out and he was allowed to perform. That as an NYPDA recruit he is a member of the department and therefore eligible to take part. Both times that had been shot down because someone had thought of that before as a means to get some professional ring-ins into the talent show. Apparently, one time, an officer with a famous singer for a cousin had 'enrolled' them as a recruit at the Academy as a way of making them eligible to perform with them in the talent show. The organisers had soon closed that loophole and made it so that only sworn members of the NYPD and the Auxiliary could take part. Cadets and recruits yet to take the oath were not eligible.
"Hey Rick. What's this book here? Something you want to tell the audience today?" asks Kimmel as he picks up the NYPD text book that Caste had been studying before getting his make-up done.
"Maybe, Jimmy. It's not something that would have made the news in LA but I've applied to join the NYPD Auxiliary as it's first Detective. In fact as part of my deal to make it happen the Commissioner would probably insist on me mentioning it on your show. If you think the audience will find it interesting? I don't want to seem like I'm grandstanding," asks Castle uncharacteristically not wishing to be seen as making too much of his accomplishments.
"Ok, who are you and where is the real Rick Castle? The Rick Castle that I know isn't backwards in coming forward and letting everyone know what is going on in his life, especially if it's something that will boost his image or ego. The same man that would flirt mercilessly with any female guests I'd have on," asks Kimmel incredously.
"Come on, Jimmy. You know the real me. You know that was all part of the 'playboy' act that my publicist had me play to help boost book sales. Ever since I met Kate I'm not that man anymore, especially the flirting part. With a wife like mine why would even look at another woman. As for my self-promotion, I'm taking on this new part of my life as a NYPDA Detective very seriously. I'll still do what publicity I have to do for my books but since my disappearance and being burned by a recent web-mercial I don't do as much as I did," confides Castle.
"Yeah, about that. You know I have to ask you about what happened last year? I saw that ambush that you were subjected too after you got back so it won't be heavy, I promise. I'll keep it light but this is the first time you've been on since it happened so I've got to ask. So, between the two of us, what happened Rick? Where were you for two months? One minute I'm with all the other guests waiting at your wedding and the next your mother comes out and says there has been an accident and the wedding's been postponed," asks Kimmel, genuinely. Friend to friend.
Castle scratches the back of his head as he answers, "Honestly, Jimmy, I still have no idea what happened to me during those two months. I have no memory of it. Oh, I get the occasional flashes in my dreams that might be something but I can't tell if they're real or not. Frankly, particularly now that I've married Kate, I just wish I could put that whole time behind me, but I can't. I have to know what happened to me and why I was taken from my family and friends for all that time."
"Ok, when I ask you just say you don't remember and I'll make some lame joke about wishing I had amnesia about some of the bad stand-up routines I've done over the years and we'll move on," offers Kimmel.
"Thanks, Jimmy. I appreciate it. I might just reiterate for the audience that I would never willingly leave my wife, daughter, mother or friends with no word for two months. I don't want to make it a downer so if we could move on quickly. Ask me about my recent stint as a PI. I've got a great story about my first case where I was following a guy and he pepper sprayed me," suggests Castle.
Kimmel laughs at that, "Seriously Rick? If that's what happened to you when you were a PI then I hate to think what will happen to you when you become an Auxiliary Detective. Are you sure about that? Sounds like a bit of a commitment?"
"It all comes from the same commitment I made when I married Kate. Oh, and sorry again that you weren't invited to our actual wedding. After all that happened Kate and I just wanted an intimate, family affair," Castle pauses as Kimmel waves away his apologies. "Anyway, I'm partly doing this because of Kate. Over the years I've really loved working as her partner. Loved her but also loved getting justice for real people and not just those I write about in my books. Then I was kicked out of the precinct at Christmas for 'appearances' so I'm also doing this to try and make sure that never happens again."
Kimmel nods in appreciation of his friends explanation and then looks at his watch, "Well, save that for when I bring it up during your segment. Anyway, only twenty minutes before we start taping and I've still got to go over some changes in my monologue. I'll see you out there, Rick," and with that Kimmel leaves the dressing room.
Castle turns his chair back around so that he is staring seriously at his own reflection in the mirror. This will be good opportunity to publicize the creation of the Auxiliary Detectives. While there is no avoiding mentioning his training to become the first one and his role in their creation he will try to downplay it somewhat. If for no other reason to avoid more negative attention from people like Tomkins in his Auxiliary recruit's class.
Since his run in with the man on his first day of class the man has continued to make his disparaging opinions clear to anyone that will listen. Fortunately there aren't many that do and, in fact, most of the class have welcomed him like Carlotti and Parker did on that first day.
Coincidently, he hopes that this taping doesn't go too long. He's got another class at the Academy tonight and he doesn't want to be late.
That evening at the NYPD Academy at Gramercy Park, Manhattan
As Castle stands in one of the several gymnasiums at the Academy he is thrilled. Thrilled that he is wearing his first piece of officially issued NYPDA kit. He and the rest of his class are standing in the gym all dressed in newly issued grey sweat pants and top that have the initials NYPDA in bold black print across their chests. He can't wait until he gets the rest of it, especially his uniform. Not that he'll be able to wear it until he graduates. He just likes the idea of hanging it in his closet, right next to his wife's dress blues.
He's chatting amiably with Parker when Sergeant Andrews walks into the gym and addresses them all loudly, "Good evening, people. Gather round," he calls and then he holds up two loops of plastic that are joined together. "Here I have two zip ties that together make a crude pair of handcuffs," he pauses and hold up in his other hand a pair of metal cuffs. "And here are a pair of standard issue handcuffs. Tonight you are going to learn proper methods to take down and secure a suspect using both of these devices. But before we start that can anyone tell me why we only use zip ties as a last retort and never leave a suspect that is secured with them, unattended?"
There is about thirty seconds of silence as the various members of the class look at one another to see if anyone knows the answer. Eventually Castle puts his hand up.
"Speak up, Recruit Castle. This isn't kindergarten. You don't have to raise your hand to speak," instructs Sergeant Andrews.
"Well, Sergeant, the reason why you don't leave a suspect that is secured with zip ties unattended is because it is possible for a suspect to break out of them. In fact my partner and I were both able to do just that when we were both recently secured with zip ties," explains Castle with maybe a hint of bragging.
"Your partner? Don't you mean your smoke'n hot wife? And I don't think we need to know what you two get up to in the bedroom, Castle," scoffs Tomkins from the back of the class.
Castle rolls his eyes and responds to the man's jibe, "We were on a case. A suspect got the drop on us and tied us up with zip ties but we were able to break free. We caught the guy in the end. Breaking out of them was a trick I learnt when I was a PI."
"Ok, Castle. Why don't you step forward and show the class how it's done," instructs Sergeant Andrews. "And Tomkins, to ensure that he is properly secured, why don't step forward and be the one to use these ties to do it."
Castle steps forward, faces the class and puts his hands behind his back as Tomkins steps behind him and slips the zip ties, that Sergeant Andrews hands him, over Castle's wrists. Castle winces as Tomkins pulls the ties as tight as he can.
"Not too tight for you there are they writer-monkey?" asks Tomkins in a low voice in Castle's ear maliciously.
"Nah, the suspect I was telling you about had them much tighter," laughs off Castle despite the lack of blood flow to his hands.
Tomkins takes a step back and then he and the rest of the class start sniggering as Castle proceeds to crouch down and then jump up and down in, to their eyes, a vaguely ridiculous fashion. Everyone except Sergeant Andrews that is, who is watching Castle's efforts shrewdly.
"Oh look, a bouncing Castle," declares an amused anonymous voice from the class.
Their amusement is turned to disbelief when on the next 'bounce' there is a very audible snap and, with a cry of triumph the same as when he broke free in those woods, Castle holds up his now free hands. The circles of plastic hanging loosely from each writs evidence of his success.
"Very good, Castle," congratulates Sergeant Andrews. "Did everyone see how, by exerting repeated stress on the ties by striking them against his backside, he was able to weaken them and break free?"
Seeing a blank look on a majority of the class' faces Sergeant Andrews shakes his head and announces, "All right then. We'll cover that at the end of today's class and I'll have Recruit Castle run though it all for you again. Castle, step back with class..., but not you Tomkins," instructs Sergeant Andrews as Tomkins moves to follow Castle as he goes to stand with the rest of the class. "Recruit Tomkins is going to help me show you some of the techniques we use to subdue and secure a suspect. He will be the suspect and I will be the arresting officer."
Castle then spends a very enjoyable few minutes watching, with the rest of the class, as Sergeant Andrews repeatedly wrestles Tomkins to the ground and, none too gently, twists his arms behind his back as he handcuffs him. After running through the main techniques that NYPDA officers are required to use, a very sore Tomkins re-joins the rest of the class and Sergeant Andrews has them pair off to try it amongst themselves.
Castle initially finds himself paired off with Carlotti but Sergeant Andrews breaks them up saying that as they both have experience taking down suspects it is better if they are paired with more inexperienced recruits. Castle then finds himself paired with an open faced young man of obvious Irish decent, called O'Brien, that reminds him of a younger Ryan. At a word from the Sergeant the class then spends the next half-hour tossing each other to the floor as they take turns in 'arresting' their partners. Sergeant Andrews prowls around the room observing and offering pointers from time to time.
Castle is thankful, for once, of the physical training that Espo had been putting him through prior to today. He's noticed the sessions, held every other morning at the precinct gym, have started to become harder and harder as Espo obviously wants to try testing his limits. Again he's proud of himself in that, so far, he's been able to meet every new physical challenge that Espo has thrown at him. Castle can sense that Espo is building up to something. He just hopes he's ready for it. Regardless, the training he has done with the Latino Detective has allowed him to not be totally wreaked as he tussles with the young Irish recruit in front of him.
That's not to say that by the end of the half-hour he isn't starting to feel his forty plus age as his face is mashed into the rubber mat on the floor of the gym, again, as O'Brien presses a knee into his back. It is from this vantage point that Castle spots Kate slip into the gym and lean against the wall near the door with her arms folded across her chest. He sees her wince at the same time he does as O'Brien, a little overzealously, twists his arms behind his back and clicks a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.
At that moment Sergeant Andrews calls out, "Ok people. That's enough for now. Take a five minute break and then we'll continue."
O'Brien releases the cuffs from around Castle's wrists and Castle gives a discontented moan as he rises from the mat, gingerly rubbing the small of his back where the young man's knee had been resting.
"Sorry if I got a little rough there, Castle," apologises O'Brien as he holds out a hand to help Castle off the floor.
"Oh, no I'm fine, O'Brien. I love to get thrown around like a rag doll," responds Castle as he accepts the man's help and pulls himself up off the floor. "It reminds me so much of my last time in divorce court." He quips as O'Brien smiles and offers him the handcuffs as it will be Castle's turn with them when they continue.
As O'Brien heads off to the water cooler, at the other side of the room, Castle turns around and makes his way over to his wife. As he approaches Kate pushes herself off the wall, unfolds her arms and gives him an arched eyebrow.
"You OK there, old man? Looks like the kiddies are getting on top of you there, literally," teases Kate.
"Old Man!" protests Castle. He holds up the handcuffs with a finger through one loop so they dangle in between them. "You didn't think that I was so old last time we used a pair of these," he teases back and gives her his usual, salacious, eyebrow wiggle.
"Ha! Yeah, maybe not so old. But seriously are you sure you're all right? I well remember from my days at the Academy how stuff like this takes it out of you," Kate inquires now with more concern for how her husband is coping with the physical demands of being a NYPDA recruit.
"Oh, I'm fine. I've got to handle stuff like this if I'm going to pass and I am going to pass," responds Castle determinedly.
"I have no doubt you will, Babe," Kate reassures with a slight smile. "Oh, and looking good in those sweats there, Castle."
"Why, thankyou," smiles and nods Castle in playful acknowledgment of her compliment. "Anyway, not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here? Come to see how I'm holding my own with these guys?" asks Castle as he leads the way over to the water cooler in search for some hydration.
As Castle plucks a paper cup from the dispenser on the side of the water cooler and bends down to fill it Kate answers him, "Oh, besides that and wanting to see if you wanted a lift home after class I came to see one of my old instructors and ask for some tips for the Captain's exam."
Castle turns back around and faces her as he takes a long drink from the cup. Drink taken he lowers the cup and with eagerness plain in his voice asks, "An old instructor of yours from your days as a fresh faced recruit? I would so love to meet them and get all the stories from your days as eager young NYPD Recruit Kate Beckett."
"Uh, Uh, Castle, not going to happen. You've still got another half-hour of your class. More than enough time for me to talk to them and then meet back up with you after. Anyway, didn't you get enough stories of my rookie days out of Royce years ago?" asks Kate as discourages him with a waving of a single finger in front of his face.
"Yes, but they were of your days after you left the Academy. I want stories from when you were the one stalking these halls, determined to become the best cop there is. Not to mention I'm sure there has to be a few embarrassing ones from that time," he challenges.
"Well if there are I doubt one of my old instructors knows of them to tell you. No, for stories like that you'd have better luck with one of my old classmates," she immediately sees her mistake at the excited look that graces her husband's face at that idea. "NO Castle! You are not going to start tracking down my old Academy classmates just to get some dirt on me," she declares forcefully, poking him in the chest.
"Not interrupting anything are we?" asks Carlotti at that moment as she and Parker join the couple at the water cooler.
"Oh, nothing Carlotti, just a normal discussion between spouses," responds Castle, rubbing the spot on his chest where Kate just poked him. He turns towards the Carlotti and Parker and with a hand indicates between Kate and the pair. "Kate, may introduce Fran Carlotti and John Parker, two of my classmates and perspective members of the NYPDA. Carlotti, Parker, this is my wife, the incomparable Detective Kate Beckett."
As Kate exchanges handshakes with Carlotti and Parker she greets them both, "A pleasure to meet you both. Castle has told me all about you. Thanks for putting up with him," she says, shooting a playful look at her husband.
"Oh, he's a handful at times. I don't know how you do it, Detective," jibes back Carlotti as Parker gives a snigger in the background.
"Great, as if I don't get enough of this at the twelfth," complains the, in his mind, put upon Castle.
"Suck it up, Castle or I'll tell them about the case where you thought you were cursed by a mummy," admonishes Kate lightly but takes some sting from it by rubbing a hand soothing up and down his bicep.
"Cursed by a mummy?" exclaims Parker. "That sounds like something out of one of your books, Castle. It really is true that you got the inspiration for them from your cases with Detective Beckett."
"Oh, Parker. Only a slight fraction of the unbelievable cases that I've encountered as Kate's partner have made their way into the Nikki Heat books. Sometimes I think that if I put everything that happens to us in my books then people would treat them as fantasy and not mystery fiction," responds Castle jestingly.
"Not distracting the recruits there are we Detective?" chimes in Sergeant Andrews at this point as he joins the group at the cooler.
"Oh no, Sergeant. I was just in the building and arranging to meet up with my husband after class. I figure Castle is the only distraction you need in your class," she replies pleasantly to the instructor.
Sergeant Andrews gives Castle an appraising look before responding seriously, "After some initial star gazing the class seemed to have gotten over there being a minor celebrity amongst them."
Castle mutters, "Minor!" in an aggrieved manner, just under his breath at that.
"Actually, pleasure though it is to meet you Detective, I came over here to ask Recruit Castle here if he was prepared to run through with class again how it is possible to break zip ties. I understand from him that you were both able to do that recently. Care to join your husband in showing the class in how it's done?" asks Sergeant Andrews pointedly and Kate shoots Castle a look. To avoid her gaze he looks around the room innocently as if to say he doesn't know what the man is talking about.
"Uh, unfortunately I have a meeting, Sergeant. I'm sure Castle here is more than capable to run through how to do it," she replies quickly.
Sergeant Andrews smiles and nods in acknowledgment before turning from the group and announcing to the room, "Ok everyone. Break's over. Huddle up again."
After Carlotti and Parker take their leave from the couple Kate turns to Castle, "Well, that's my cue. I'll see you when you're done." She leans in and dusts a kiss to his cheek but before she leaves gives him another look as she says, "And when I see you again we are going to discuss you telling your class about what happens on our cases."
"Yes, dear," grimaces an apprehensive Castle.
She then turns on her heels and strides out of the gym and Castle shrugs his shoulders as he walks over to where the rest of the class is gathering. As he does so he's thinking of what he can do, when he sees her again, to justify to her his loose tongue. He smiles to himself. Maybe his loose tongue is the answer.
A/N : Yes, I went there at the end. Just a bit of fun in this chapter. Nothing substantive happens. With it we move past Habeas Corpse. More serious stuff to come I was just in a light mood when writing this.
Thankyou to a guest reviewer and in response to your 'wish' I may or may not have Castle get injured in this story. You'll just have to keep reading to find out. In the meantime I suggest you try, if you already haven't and you are looking for that, the excellent "One of Us" by KiwiOCD. I admit that reading that story inspired me to write this one.
As ever, thankyou very much to everyone that is reviewing, reading, faving and following my story. Getting those email notifcations after each new chapter is great.