Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Castle, ABC does.
The Elephant & Castle, corner of Pennsylvania Ave and 12th St, Washington DC
Supervisory Special Agent Jordan Shaw sits at her table in the mock English pub at the base of the modern office building and takes another bite out of her toasted chicken sandwich. She likes coming here for lunch sometimes when she is in DC when she feels like something other than the fare available in the cafeteria in the J. Edgar Hoover Building a couple of blocks back down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Besides the food, which isn't bad, she also likes to come here so that she can sit, away from work and eat her lunch in peace. That is when it isn't summer because the place can get a bit crowded at lunch time then as the tourists that have visited the nearby National Archives or Newsesum, not to mention the National Mall itself and the surrounding Smithsonians, find their way here. Fortunately for her the tourists, while always present in this city, are thinner on the ground at the moment so she only has to deal with the usual business suited lunch crowd from the surrounding office buildings.
Then again, she thinks, maybe she isn't that lucky as she pauses from taking a sip from her sparkling water as a young, dirty blond haired woman in a navy pants suit appears in the doorway of the pub, looks around briefly and, upon spying Jordan, strides purposefully towards her. Sighing Jordan wipes her mouth with the napkin at her elbow and sits back in her chair as the woman arrives to stand at her table, looking down at her intently.
Jordan regards the woman for a few seconds and can see conflicting emotions playing across the young agent's, for this woman is an FBI Special Agent, face. Respect is battling confusion and a little anger as the woman stands there looking at Jordan but obviously struggling to come up with the words with which to express herself.
Taking pity on the woman she waves to the empty seat opposite her and says, "Please, sit down Agent Douglas don't just stand there glowering at a superior agent some people might think you are being insubordinate."
With a huff but also a slight colouring of her tanned cheeks Agent Alice Douglas takes up Jordan's offer and flops into the chair indicated. Once she is seated the woman looks at Jordan in the eye and again it doesn't take her years of experience as a profiler to tell that this woman isn't happy. Jordan has a pretty good idea what it is that has this woman so upset.
"Would you like something to eat or drink, Agent Douglas or would you prefer just to get to it so that I can get back to my lunch?" asks Jordan with just a hint of severity in her voice just to let junior agent know that while she'll hear her out she'll only accept so much from her.
The woman pulls down on her jacket to both angrily pull it into place and give herself a moment to gather her thoughts before she finally asks in an accusatory tone, "Why did you recommend me, ma'am?"
"Because you are perfect for the job and I think you might just learn something doing it as well," supplies Jordan honestly.
Douglas arches an eyebrow at that and says incredulously, "But you were on the panel that interviewed me for the vacancy in the BAU. I've dedicated my career to becoming a profiler and yet you decided that while I'm not suitable for the BAU I am suitable to be shunted off to New York to hold the hands of a bunch of local LEOs."
"Agent Douglas, while I know that you are supremely self-confident in your own abilities it was mine and the rest of the panel's decision that you need a little bit more experience, a little bit more seasoning, before joining the BAU. Rest assured you will get there we just thought you weren't ready just yet," responds Jordan seriously.
"But you recommended to the Deputy Director that I be posted as the agent liaison to this new multi-state taskforce being run by the NYPD instead? How is that supposed to give me the experience I need to join the BAU in the future?" presses Douglas.
"Alice…Ali, I know you like being called Ali, this is not a bad thing. I suggested you for this post because I see the potential in you to be a great member of the BAU in the future. I am confident that time working with the people in this taskforce will hold you in good stead when you eventually do," Jordan tells her frankly.
"Phffft…what could I possibly learn from some newly promoted homicide detective and her rich, connected writer husband that has somehow become an NYPDA Detective himself?" exclaims Douglas in derision.
Jordan fixes her own glare at the woman and the young agent has the good grace to look uncomfortable at the expression on her superior's face as Jordan replies forcefully, "Agent Douglas, let me tell you that Captain Kate Beckett-Castle and Detective Richard Castle have more experience putting away killers than most your graduating class at the Academy. Together those two are responsible for ending the careers of four of the longest operating and most dangerous serial killers on the books. Hell, one of them wasn't even on the books until Castle and Beckett brought him down. While some might say they were lucky I've seen them both work up close and it's more than luck. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be sitting here today and a lot of other agents would have their photos on the memorial wall as well. I think that just a short time working with them and their team might just show you that you don't know it all, Special Agent, and that sometimes people outside the bureau might just be better than you at bringing killers to justice."
There is silence for a moment as the young agent sits there, stunned at the dressing down from her superior. As Jordan watches the emotions war across the woman's face again she wonders if she made the right decision recommending her for the position on Beckett and Castle's taskforce.
When Jordan had heard through her sources about the multi-state taskforce to be commanded by, now, Captain Beckett-Castle and to include recently qualified NYPDA Detective Castle she had been surprised yet pleased for the couple. Then those same sources had revealed that the SAC of the New York field office wanted a piece of the taskforce for himself so he'd suggested to the Director that pressure be put on the NYPD for an agent liaison to be embedded in the taskforce. It was therefore to help both her friends in New York and the young woman in front of her that she'd used her own not inconsiderable influence within the bureau to recommend Special Agent Douglas for the post.
The woman sitting across from her is intelligent, motivated, confident and possibly the best candidate to join the BAU to come out of Quantico in years but she isn't lying to the woman. Jordan can see that she is a little too intense. A little too driven and perhaps over-confident in thinking that she is always right. In her opinion spending time with the married partners in New York might just give Special Agent Douglas the missing pieces she needs to become a truly effective profiler. If only she can make the young agent see what an opportunity this is for her. Not to mention she honestly thinks that Agent Douglas will be an asset for Beckett and Castle. Jordan is going to give it one last try to convince the woman opposite her.
"Look, Ali, this is not a punishment. This is not the equivalent of sending you to the Anchorage field office. This is a great opportunity for you. If I know one thing about the people in this taskforce is that they have any uncanny knack at finding interesting and unusual cases and solving them. If there is one thing my experience as a profiler tells me about you is that you can't walk away from a challenge and the work that the taskforce will be doing will be very challenging," she tells the agent sincerely.
There is another pause as Agent Douglas considers her words. Then with a sigh and determined look that is still tempered by some scepticism towards Jordan, Agent Douglas says, "Ok, ma'am. I'll do it." She then shrugs her shoulders. "What the hell. I've never been to New York before."
The New Jersey Pine Barrens
Detective Sergeant David Kent of the New Jersey State Police sits in his Ford Crown Victoria cruiser next to his partner, Detective Sergeant Jake Maloney, as they stake out what they hope is a meeting place for a gang of interstate smugglers. A confidential informant had told them that the gang, who use a freight trucking company as a front, meet here, in a remote part of the Pine Barrens to swap their contraband between trucks.
The pair of them have been sitting here for a couple of hours now and it looks like they have more than a few hours ahead of them. Kent takes a sip of black coffee from the metal cup from the thermos at his feet. Just a sip. God knows when he'll be able to take a leak next because it would be just his luck that their targets would turn up just when he's watering a nearby tree.
As he lowers the cup the car rocks slightly as his partner shifts in his seat and the man then decides to break the comfortable silence that had fallen in the car for the last half hour, "So, Supe, what's this I hear from the Captain that you've applied to leave the finest police force in the Garden State to join those stuck up Manhattanites in the NYPD?"
Kent rolls his eyes at both the question and the use of the nickname that has followed him everywhere during his career with the State Police. With his surname combined with his over six foot, muscular frame, short black hair and square jaw it had taken all of ten seconds for him to be tagged with the nickname of 'Superman' or 'Supe' when he was at the Academy. He'd been stuck with it ever since. He'd been partnered with Maloney for three years now and they got on well but they weren't really friends as evidenced by the man insisting on using his comic book moniker even though he knew or because he knew that Kent disliked it. That he has no special ties with his partner was one of the reasons why he'd applied to join the multi-state taskforce based in New York. He also is itching to do more, work more interesting cases than he and his partner have been lumbered with recently.
He has a good record and knows he has the highest clearance rate in their unit so he figured he has a good chance at getting the NJSP post on the taskforce. His Captain, though sorry to lose him, had supported his application wholeheartedly and had given him the word the other day. He'd got it!
"I'm not joining the NYPD, Jake," he tells his partner patiently. "I applied for that multi-state taskforce that there was that bulletin about a few weeks ago. While it may be run by the NYPD there will be officers from three other state forces as part of the team and I will remain a member of the NJSP."
"Yeah, but the Captain tells me that I've got to start looking for a new partner because it looks like you've got the job. Now I have to go through the effort of training up another wet behind the ears detective whose momma just gave him his badge just when I've got you trained up to just where I like it," grumbles the older balding and slightly overweight man.
Maloney is a veteran of the State Police but has remained a Detective Sergeant for the last ten years and is likely to retire at that rank. Not that he wants to be any higher. Kent knows that Maloney is happy where he is and despite his curmudgeon like personality Kent has come to respect the knowledge his years of experience has given his partner. There is actually some truth in his words about Maloney training Kent while they've been partnered. He's learnt a lot while working with the experienced detective and he is thankful for that.
"Oh, quit your belly aching, Maloney, you know you love to take some rookie detective and show him what's what. And I will admit that your 'training' may have helped me get the job so for that I thank you," says Kent sincerely, glancing over at Maloney.
"Ah, it wasn't me, kid. It was all you," responds Maloney good-naturedly. "Of course they want you. Partnered with you I've cleared more cases than I cleared during the rest of all my time in put together."
"Thanks, Maloney," responds Kent honestly.
Maloney sees something over Kent's shoulder indicates with his head, "Looks like they're here."
Kent turns and can just make out through the surrounding trees a pair of trucks nosing their way into the clearing that their informant told them was the transfer point. Looks like the CI is right. He picks up the digital camera that is resting on the dashboard and tries looking at the newly arrived trucks on the camera's screen.
"Damn, I can't get a clear shot from here," declares Kent in frustration as the camera's screen shows more out of focus trees than the trucks that are now stopping just where they were expecting them to.
"Well, let's get out and get a bit closer," suggests Maloney.
With a nod of agreement the partners quickly and quietly get out of their cruiser and crouching low make their way towards the trucks. Reaching a thick tree several feet closer to their targets Kent takes another look through the camera and is pleased to see that he now has an unobstructed view of the activity in the clearing. He looks over to his partner who has taken position behind another tree a few feet to his left and gives a thumbs up to indicate that he can now get the shots they need.
Kent then turns his attention to the activity that is now happening around the trucks parked about three hundred yards away. As he presses on the shutter button repeatedly to capture the evidence they need he looks at what is happening in the camera's screen. On the screen he sees four men, two from each truck, go to the back of their respective vehicles and open the rear doors on each one.
Clicking away he watches as one pair of men man handles a long black case out of their truck and carries it towards the now open back of the other truck. Kent is slightly surprised because their CI had indicated that drugs was the likely contraband that was being transported. That case, however, looked more like the type of tough case that would carry guns.
He follows the men until they load the case into the other truck and he then swings the camera back to the other pair of men just as they start carrying another case towards their truck. Kent has to stop tracking with his camera as the men in his screen stop and it is with concern that he sees one of the men looking in his direction, seemingly looking straight at him through the screen of the camera.
"Uh, Maloney, they might have spotted us," he tells he partner.
His partner remains silent and Kent watches as the men in the camera screen lower the case they are carrying to the ground. They open the crate and disappear behind the open lid, which is blocking the view of what is inside, but that quickly becomes apparent. Both men reappear from behind the open lid and they are holding some very lethal looking military grade automatic rifles.
As the image on the camera screen shows one of the men raising his rifle to look through the scope on top of it Kent decides that he's seen enough as he quickly lowers the camera and ducks fully behind his tree.
"Take cover, Maloney, they're on to us and they're armed," the whispers urgently to his partner.
Dropping the camera Kent draws his Sig Sauer from his hip and he looks over at Maloney as sees that like him his partner has his back pressed against his tree and has drawn his own weapon. Just as Kent thinks of reaching for his cell phone to call for back-up there is the chatter of automatic gunfire and he cringes as several bullets hit the ground and trees near him.
"Shit," exclaims Maloney. "What are those guys packing?"
"I don't know but whatever it is its some serious hardware. I just wish we weren't at the receiving end of it," answers Kent desperately.
"Well, stay down, kid, I'll call for the cavalry," says Maloney as he pulls his own cell phone from his jacket pocket with his free hand and presses on its screen to make the call.
As his partner calls for assistance Kent risks a look from behind his tree as there is a lull in the gunfire. What he sees has him bringing up his gun as he spots two heavily armed men making their way through the trees off to his left. The men are obviously intent of flanking his and Maloney's position. What adds to the concern this sight has for him is that his partner is between him and the men he can see approaching.
Just as Maloney finishes his call for help Kent yells to him because he can see the approaching men raising their automatic weapons, "On your left, look out!"
Maloney swings to his left in response to Kent's words just as the heavily armed men open fire. Kent lunges to the ground, gun outstretched towards the attackers and rolls trying and get a clear shot. His sights come to rest on the chest of one of the armed men at the same moment he hears a grunt from his partner. Kent loses of two quick shots and sees his target fall. He then looks over at his partner and sees him slumped against his tree with a blossom of red in his shoulder where he has obviously been hit outside the vest under his clothes.
Kent's concern for his partner ratchets up but is slightly relieved as he watches as Maloney raises his gun and fires at the remaining attacker. With satisfaction Kent sees his partner's shots hit home as the remaining man falls. Quickly getting to his knees, Kent holsters his weapon and scrambles over to his wounded partner.
"Maloney! Are you OK?" he asks anxiously.
"No, I'm not OK. That bastard shot me," responds Maloney angrily.
Kent inspects the wound in the man's shoulder, quickly strips off his jacket, balls it up and presses it into the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Before he can do anything else more bullets start impacting around them and he drops the jacket, draws his Sig and looks up in the direction the fire is coming from.
In a handful of seconds his mind, racing on adrenalin, registers that the two remaining suspects have used the diversion of the other two to move closer to the detective's position and are now barely a fifty feet away. On instinct Kent raises his gun and returns fire and time seems to slow as he tracks the sights of his pistol first over one and then another of the criminals his trigger finger rapidly squeezing off rounds.
In the seemingly slowed time he watches red bloom across the chests of both men as his sights fall upon them and then time seems to resume its normal pace as the men drop to the ground. Rising to his feet, keeping his weapon trained on the prone men he advances towards them. Upon reaching them he kicks their weapons out of their outstretched hands before reaching down twice to check their pulses. Finding no pulse with either man he stands back up and turns to look in the direction of where the other two men fell. Seeing no movement from them he looks back to his partner and what he sees has him rushing back to his side.
As he skids to a halt on his knees at his partner's now crumpled body he can see a new blossoming of red in Maloney's side where the second pair of attacker's shot caught him before Kent put them down. He turns the man onto his back and the closed eyes, slack and pale face he sees has him saying frantically, "No, no, no, Maloney, don't you die on me old man!"
Kent rummages through his balled up jacket on the ground next to his unconscious partner and fishes out his cell phone. With a shaking hand he taps rapidly at the screen until his call goes through.
Then with the phone to his ear he almost yells down the phone, "This is Sierra 59, Detective Sergeant David Kent, I have an officer down. I need paramedics to the Pine Barrens, we're on a track five miles down Williams Road….I need them NOW!"
Major Crimes Squad Room, Connecticut State Police Troop H – Hartford
Detective/Trooper 1st Class John Kaminski sits at his desk in the bullpen finishing the report of the homicide case that he and his partner had just closed. He types the last few keys on the computer keyboard in front of him and then pauses to review what he's written.
It had been a tough one. A sixteen year old girl had been found stabbed to death in a dumpster at the back of an office building here in Hartford. It had taken him and his partner, Detective/Trooper 1st Class Janice Volk, two weeks to track down the estranged ex-boyfriend of the girl's mother and get the evidence to crack the scum bag in interrogation.
Apparently the sick so and so had become fixated on the girl when he was dating the girl's mother, which was one of the many reasons they broke up. He then stalked and abducted the girl and when she refused him he killed her in a rage and dumped her body.
Kaminski leans back in his office chair and runs a hand back and forth over closely shaved blond hair. He's had the haircut since his time in the Marines and hadn't let it grow even after leaving the Corps. Now thirty-five years old he'd done two tours in the sand pit before cashing in his papers and coming home. An uncle who is a Captain with the CSP suggested he join and so here he was a detective putting away filth like the guy currently rotting in holding.
With guys like that he sometimes wishes that he was in a different time. A time when cops would teach murderers of young women like him the true meaning of justice and with his five foot seven muscular, fighter's frame he's just the person to show that guy the true meaning of justice. He sighs, but no he's not in that time so he has to be satisfied with making sure all the evidence is in a nice neat package therefore ensuring the guy spends the rest of his miserable life in prison.
His thoughts are interrupted by a candy bar landing with a thump onto the desk in front of him. He looks up at the smiling, red haired framed face of his partner and she says, "Don't say I never give you anything, Kaminski."
As she sits down at her desk, which is against and facing his he picks up the chocolate covered treat and waves it at her, "Thanks, Volk, I need the sugar."
"Don't mention it. Just remember that you owe me when you're hanging out with your fancy taskforce buds in big bad New York," she teases.
"Volk! Don't say that, you know I haven't heard whether or not my application's been accepted. You'll jinx it," he complains. For all his tough, ex-Marine attitude it doesn't stop him being superstitious.
The stocky, thirty-something woman waves away his fears, "Oh please. You're sure to get it. I'm just waiting for all those beers you're going to be buying us all down at Kelly's when it's announced."
At that moment the familiar voice of their Lieutenant sounds out across the bullpen from where he is standing next to the assignments board on the wall next to his office, "Alright people, gather round."
Kaminski and Volk share a look as they rise from their seats and join the group of detectives that is forming a semicircle around their superior. The tall, grey haired man with almost thirty years in the CSP waits until the last detective joins the group before moving to the board and tapping on one pair names written there.
"McCall, Swanson, what's the status of your armed robbery?" he asks of a pair of detectives to Kaminski's right.
Over the next few minutes the Lieutenant goes through all the current cases being investigated by the squad. When new information is mentioned he adds it to the board against the relevant detective's names. When told a case is closed he uses an eraser to remove the notation of the type of crime next to the detectives, congratulates them and assigns them a new case.
Eventually the Lieutenant turns his attention to Kaminski and Volk and asks, "Ok, Kaminski, Volk, what about your homicide?"
"Closed, Skip! Got DNA evidence of our suspect off the body and he wrote out a full confession when we confronted him with it. I just finished the report. It should be in your inbox," Kaminski tells him confidently.
"Yeah, the guy folded quicker than a bad poker hand. Should be an easy prosecution," adds Volk smugly next to him.
The Lieutenant arches an eyebrow at Volk before turning around and erasing the words, 'Homicide – Stabbing, 16yr old female' from next to their names. He then turns back around and looks directly at Kaminski and says, "Well, it's a good thing you've closed your case Kaminski. I just got a call from headquarters. Everyone," he announces to the group around him. "I am pleased to announce that Detective Kaminski is to be the CSP's representative on the multi-state taskforce being run out of New York."
The group of detectives break out in applause, those immediately next to him pat him on the back and shoulders and his partner lets loose a piercing whistle through two fingers. His Lieutenant steps forward, takes his hand and shakes it, "Congratulations, Kaminski. We're sorry to lose you."
Kaminski feels a swell of pride as he responds, "Thanks, Skip."
"And drinks at Kelly's tonight are on Kaminski," announces Volk which garners cheers from the surrounding detectives.
Kaminski doesn't mind. He's got the job. He's sorry to be leaving the squad but he is looking forward to working with the taskforce and the types of cases they are going to handle. It's a big step but it's a step he is ready to take.
The 12th Precinct – two weeks later
Investigator Lisa Gibson of the New York State Police virtually leaps out of the cab that has stopped in front of the 12th Precinct so excited is she to have reached her destination. She takes a half step towards the precinct's front doors before stopping herself and whipping back around and leaning back into the back of the cab for the banker's box resting on the back seat.
She gives an embarrassed smile to the cabbie who just gives her a look that indicates that he really doesn't care and that he just wants her out of his cab so he can go looking for his next fare. The box now secure in her arms she uses her foot to push the cab's door shut and the car immediately pulls away back out into traffic.
Whipping around the young African American woman now strides towards the entrance of the police station. She can't believe she's here. She thought it was long odds that she would be chosen as the NYSP's representative on the taskforce so when she got the call to report here she was both surprised and thrilled.
Sure she knows she's a good cop. The youngest woman to be made an Investigator in the NYSP and with a great clearance rate and glowing performance reviews she just thought that a job like this would be given to someone with a lot more experience.
As her tight pony tail of long black hair swings behind her and pushes her way through the front doors of the building she also can't believe she's here because of who she'll be working with. Like a lot of New Yorkers, especially those in law enforcement, she knows about Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett, now Beckett-Castle. Knows, hell, she's freely admits to herself, but no one else, that she's a fan.
She's been a fan of Richard Castle's books ever since high school and the characters of Derrick Storm and later Nikki Heat inspired her own sense of justice. It was that sense of justice that had her choose a career in law enforcement despite the protests of her parents who both have an ingrained distrust of authority despite both being law abiding citizens living in the Bronx. Her father a plumber and her mother a nurse's aide.
That she chose the State Police over the NYPD was a surprise even for herself but when that State Police recruiter came to that career day at NYU in her final year of Criminal Justice he made a compelling case for her to apply to them. It also helped that the rep from the NYPD on that day was the stereotype of a bigoted, chauvinist idiot who, she now realises, had been shunted to recruitment duty on his way from being booted from the force. To this day she can't understand why the NYPD would do that but their loss was the NYSP's gain. Then again here she is in the foyer of arguably one of the most renown of the NYPD's precincts and she's about come under the command of one of the NYPD's best officers. Boy did she wish that Kate Beckett had been the recruitment officer that day because she's sure she would now be an NYPD Detective if she had.
For it is not only Richard Castle she is a fan of but also his kickass wife. When the Nikki Heat books came out Lisa lapped up the new series because the character of a strong, smart female cop spoke to her as she made her own career in the NYSP. Then reading the reports on how the character is based on a real life NYPD Detective that Richard Castle works with for 'research' peaked her interest even more. The beautiful and accomplished detective gave her a role model to follow and aspire to.
Over the years, like a lot of Richard Castle fans, she's followed the media reports, gossip and rumours surrounding the writer and his 'muse' and on how close they really were. Therefore it wasn't a surprise to her or to a lot of other's on the fan forums when the two revealed they were a couple, became engaged and then, ultimately, married.
A year ago she'd come close to working with Kate Beckett. Gibson had been shocked to learn of the disappearance of her favourite writer on the way to his wedding and the NYSP was one of the many agencies involved in the investigation. Unfortunately her pleas to the Lieutenant in command of her Bureau of Criminal Investigations unit based here in Manhattan to become a part of the investigation fell on deaf ears.
She was relieved when the author resurfaced and that, eventually, the couple finally got married. Then the opportunity to become part of the taskforce that was both commanded by her personal hero and also had newly minted NYPD Auxiliary Detective Richard Castle as a team member had come around and she just had to apply. Deep down she hoped she would get the job but didn't really hold out much hope that she would because something like that would normally only happen in her wildest dreams.
Now as she clears the security checkpoint and moves to stand at the closed elevator doors she can scarcely believe she is here. She shakes her head as she thinks to herself, get a grip, Gibson, you can't go all fan girl when you get up there. No, you are a cool, calm, highly professional investigator and that is the face you are going to show the writer and the Captain. Not the blushing, giggling and awestruck young woman that she was when she stood in line to get her copy of Frozen Heat signed by the man just a few years ago.
Just as there is a ding and the elevator doors open in front of her she senses someone else move to stand beside her. As she steps into the elevator she sees a man of average height, with a thick, muscular build, shaved blond hair and like her carrying a banker's box with his personal effects peeking out of it join her in the car. Her investigator's mind, the man's haircut, demeanour and build screams ex-military to her, maybe a Marine given the buzz cut. Before she can he pushes the button for the fourth floor and that, the box and the Connecticut State Police Badge on the man's hip she can tell he is here just like her to join the taskforce.
He sees the man give her a once over and when their eyes meet he gives her a nod of recognition as he obviously makes the same conclusion about her. They both turn to face the doors of the elevator and there is silence between them during the short ride to the fourth floor. Gibson is on the verge of introducing herself when their journey comes to an end and the elevator doors ding open.
Eagerly she steps out onto the floor and the Connecticut Detective is close behind her. Her eyes scan the room rapidly as she takes everything in not wanting to miss a thing. Then, despite the personal pep talk she just gave herself, her brain freezes at the sight of the man walking towards her.
Her inner fan girl is screaming as Richard Castle, in black jeans, blue button down shirt, charcoal sports coat, with a star shaped badge on his hip and holding two coffee cups steps in her direction. With slightly wide eyes she watches as the man almost walks past her before he is stopped by words from the man that accompanied her up to the floor.
"Hey, brother, could you direct me to Captain Beckett-Castle's office?" asks the man gruffly. Gibson suspects that the other Detective doesn't know who Castle is. He only sees the badge on his hip and must think he is just another cop.
Castle stops abruptly at the man's words, almost causing the hot liquid in the cups he's carrying to slosh over the rims as he turns to regards the speaker and herself.
"Ah, new members of the team, welcome," Castle says to them pleasantly giving them a charming smile that she recognises from his book jackets. "I'm just heading that way myself, follow me."
Holding his charming smile and indicating with his head for them to follow Richard Castle leads them both into a bullpen holding several desks, some occupied, some not. Gibson looks around the work area eagerly but her inspection is interrupted by the deep voice of the writer come detective.
"So from your octagonal badge and your eagle topped badge I take it you are our colleagues from the New York and Connecticut State Police forces?" he asks them pleasantly as he leads them further into the bullpen.
Given her current star struck state all Gibson can manage is a, "Uh, Huh," in assent.
The man in step beside her does better and answers with a "Yep, that's right."
"Well I'm….," starts Castle, obviously intending to introduce himself but is interrupted by a low whistle from the Connecticut detective.
"Woah, who is that hottie?" the Connecticut Detective whispers to Castle confidentially and Gibson sees who he is referring to.
For the second time in five minutes she feels awestruck as she recognises Captain Kate Beckett-Castle standing next to a pair of desks talking to the two Detectives seated there, one a muscular Latino man and the other a three piece suit wearing Irish looking guy. Even Gibson can admit that the Captain is looking hot as she stands there in a black suit top with a plunging neckline and a knee length black skirt that shows off her mile long legs. However she wouldn't go as far as express that to the man in front of her, the woman's husband. Further proof that the Connecticut Detective doesn't know who Castle is or even who Captain Beckett-Castle is. Seriously! Has this guy been living under a rock?
Castle stops and turns towards them and Gibson thinks that the mystery novelest is going to let the indiscreet Connecticut Detective know who he is, who the woman he just objectified is and put the man in his place. She sees a flicker of something in Castle's eyes that might be anger for a moment before he gives a smile that, to her looks, distinctly crocodile like.
"Oh, yes. She's definitely something to look at," responds Castle in a mirror of the other man's conspiratorial tone.
The man looks eagerly over Castle's shoulder as he asks, "So is she seeing anyone because I'm sure I could show her a good time, if you know what I mean?"
Before Castle can add anything more or Gibson can say something to try to get her soon to be colleague to stop from putting is foot further into his mouth there is the clack of four inch heels on the linoleum covered floor and the woman in question appears beside her husband.
"Castle! Where's my coffee? It seems like an hour ago you left to make it. What'd you do? Grow the beans yourself?" the woman teases as she takes the blue ceramic mug from Castle's hands and raises it to her lips while appraising Gibson and the other Detective over the mug's rim.
"Ah, Captain Beckett-Castle, I found the New York and Connecticut State Police members of our team and was just bringing them to you. Let me introduce you to…?" says Castle, indicating with his now free hand and leaving the sentence open with an almost audible question mark for the two people in front of him to finally introduce themselves.
Eagerly, perhaps a little too eagerly, Gibson tucks her box of belongings under her arm as she thrusts her hand out for the Captain to shake "Investigator Lisa Gibson, NYSP, it's an honour to meet you, sir!"
With a charming smile that matches her husband's Captain Beckett-Castle takes Gibson's hand and shakes it as she replies, "Welcome, Gibson. I was very impressed with your record. It reminded me of my own. Oh, and I prefer not to be called sir. Captain or ma'am, at a pinch, will do but we are pretty informal here so I'll even answer to Beckett sometimes."
The Captain, because there is no way she'll think of her as just Beckett, then turns her attention to the man next to her as does Gibson. There she can see that the man obviously, upon hearing the names of the people in front of her, has put two and two together and come up with this being a really embarrassing introduction to his new superior officer and her spouse.
With a pink tinge on his neck showing the man his close to blushing he stammers then gathers himself to say, "Ahhh, Detective John Kaminski, CSP, Captain!"
Captain Beckett-Castle takes Kaminski's hand and shakes it while giving a curious glance to her husband at the man's reaction, "And welcome to you Kaminski. Your experience both before and during your time with the CSP will be invaluable to us." The Captain releases Kaminski's hand and then cocks a thumb at the man next to her and says mischievously, "And I take it you've both met Detective Castle here. He's the junior Detective on the team so be sure to give him all your grunt work."
"Hey," Castle protests in mock indignation. "Just for that you can get your own coffee in future, Captain!"
The tall brunette arches an eyebrow and turns fully to face her husband as she responds, "Do you really want to be around me without the required amount of caffeine in my system, Detective?"
The couple lock eyes playfully for a moment before Castle gives a slight bow in acquiescence, "Of course, Captain. I stand corrected. I wouldn't want to dare to upset the balance of the universe by depriving you of your coffee."
Giving him a slight nod of approval and a rise of her lips in a smile she turns to the two team members watching, "I think I should make it clear to you both that, as our names indicate, Detective Castle and I are married but don't think that means he gets preferential treatment. Despite our personal relationship Detective Castle is the same as any other member of the team and given that, Castle, why don't you show our newest team members to their desks."
"Yes, dear…I mean, Captain" responds Castle giving her a sheepish smile at his slip of the tongue.
"Welcome again. Once you are both settled in we'll have a briefing and you'll meet the rest of the team," Captain Beckett-Castle tells them and with a nod turns and walks into a nearby office.
Castle turns back from watching his wife walk away and points to a pair of nearby desks, "These two are free so take your pick and get yourselves situated." He points to a desk at the entrance to the bullpen near a set of stairs that has a name plate reading DET. CASTLE on it, "I'm over there if you have any questions."
Before Castle walks away Gibson watches as Kaminski quickly drops his banker's box on one of the empty desks and then reaches out to grip Castle's bicep, stopping the writer from leaving.
"Uhh…Castle….I'm apologise for what I said earlier. I was out of line," says the man contritely looking Castle in the eyes as he does so. The negative first impression the man had given her is countered by how up front the detective is now being about his mistake.
She watches a look of approval come across Castle's face as he responds, "No harm, Kaminski. I could have let you know sooner who we were so I'm sorry for trying to have a little fun at your expense. And, speaking as her very smitten husband and not as her subordinate, I am proud to admit that she is beautiful and freely acknowledge that other men find her so. Just remember that the women you work with here aren't here as candidates for you to date. They are here because they are good at their jobs. I'm sure they would appreciate it to be treated fairly and professionally by people they work with the same as you would any other member regardless of their gender. Wouldn't you agree, Gibson?"
Gibson is momentarily taken aback at being drawn into the discussion but quickly gathers herself as she responds, "Oh…Yeah. I mean, yes. I agree."
Castle gives her a smile then looks back and forth between both her and Kaminski and says, "Well, welcome to you both again."
She watches as Castle turns and walks away towards his desk. With a sigh she goes to the empty desk that is facing the desk that Kaminski has claimed and is now sitting down at. She drops her box of personal effects onto the desk's surface and takes a moment to look around the room again.
It is with a small smile of satisfaction on her face that she contemplates where she is and what she is doing here. She's made it. She's going to make the most of this because, for her, the opportunity this job represents and the people she'll be working with are truly a dream come true.
A/N: An extra-long chapter because I had a lot to get through, new characters to introduce plus I overcompensated for losing my inspiration to write at the beginning of the week for some reason. For those interested the Elephant & Castle is real (seen it for myself) and is at the same address. With the name and being on 12th street it begs to be in a Castle story. Also the outfit that Beckett is wearing in this chapter is the same that her counterpart in the alternative universe in "The Time of Our Lives" is wearing.
Now to the other elephant in the room, 8x02, XX. After this I've decided to stop commenting on new episodes in my A/Ns. I want to keep this about my story which is now definitely AU and a much nicer place for our crime fighting couple.
That said and for the last time in this story, on the episode itself I'll just answer some questions: Am I happy the showrunners and writers have chosen this path? No, as I think this story shows my attitude to Caskett and I am therefore disappointed they have gone this way. Will I stop watching the show? No, of course not. I like these characters too much and I am admittedly interested to see how they keep Caskett together if that is their ultimate goal. What was my reaction to the end of XX? Like a lot of people, visceral. I think my neighbours must think I dropped something on my foot from the loud swearing coming from my apartment that night. What was my reaction to the rest of the episode? Very positive, there was a lot to like in the episode until the end.
If people want more detail on what I thought about the episode and the current state of the show and fandom feel free to PM me.
Otherwise I hope you all continue to enjoy my own little Caskett universe where things aren't so dire for our favourite couple and which, I hope, shows you can do something new and interesting with these characters without the angst.