Hello! Here we go, my next try on a longer story. Not as long as When Lightning Strikes though. I guess this one will be about 40 to 50k words with 12 to 14 chapters. So you know what you're getting into. It will also have a completely different genre. No angst in this, pure romance, and hopefully a little fun. I've never written anything like this, but I wanted to try something more lighthearted before diving back into angst and drama in the story after this one.
I'll try to update twice a week, but I can't promise. Life is about to get extra busy again. On the other hand, I'm enjoying writing more than ever right now, so we'll see how it goes.
I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. I know, first chapters are difficult to review, but there's nothing more motivating than feedback!
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"I hate this. I already hate this, and I'm gonna hate every second of it." Esposito grumbled as he watched his steps while climbing over a large root and yet getting his shoelace hooked on a splattered part of it.
"I thought you must have seen worse in the military," Ryan answered, slightly out of breath as he passed him. Esposito swore under his breath as he tore his foot away from the root and pulled his backpack back onto his shoulder.
"I did. Still, I've got better things to do than spending my weekend in the damn woods." He muttered.
"For God's sake, Esposito, stop whining," Kate said with a laugh in her voice. She was walking a few steps ahead of them, and even though it would surely be amusing to watch the scene behind her, she didn't turn around. She knew it was better to keep her eyes on the unsteady track they were walking on.
"It's three days camping, you'll survive." Esposito snorted. "It's not about surviving, I just don't want to be here." Kate rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we get it, you're gonna miss your girlfriend. But I can assure you Lanie will manage three days without you."
"Oh, so very funny, Beckett." Esposito hissed back. "I won't be missing my girlfriend. I will be missing the Jets game. That's far worse." Esposito walked by Ryan, who had a little trouble climbing over some smaller rocks while keeping his balance with the huge bag on his back.
"Hey, nothing wrong with missing your girlfriend." He said quietly, while he took the hand Esposito reached out to him, giving him a pull to make the last step over a big rock.
Kate came to a stand and put her hands on her hips, taking deep breaths. She looked around and quickly found her orientation again. "This way." She said and walked off to the right side of the path. Ryan sighed as the pause he needed to catch his breath was already ending again. Both men followed her in silence for a while.
"I wonder where Castle is. Why didn't he meet us at the parking lot?" Ryan asked, his words accompanied by panting breaths. Kate shrugged her shoulders. "He said something about wanting to test some device he bought. Some special compass or other scrap he bought online, I guess."
Suddenly, the bushes to their left side started rustling. Kate stopped and looked to her side, her hand automatically flying to her hip even though her gun was safely stored in the drawer in her bedroom. She already expected some big animal to emerge from between the trees the next second.
But what fought its way out of the undergrowth wasn't an animal. No, it was a grown man with scratches on his face, a ridiculously large backpack on his back, and a beeping device in his hand, which he proudly held into the air as he finally managed to reach the path.
"What do you call scrap?" He said, a boyish grin on his face. "I had my mother and Alexis drop me off at an unknown location four hours ago, and now here I am!" He looked down at the metal device in his hand with amazement written all over his face.
Kate raised her eyebrows in her usual unnerved way, but she couldn't deny it. He looked sweet with his happy expression and the silly cap on his head that made him look like he had just walked out of a children's video game.
"Congratulations, Castle. You mastered the use of a compass." She said, unable to stop herself from making a comment. He looked up at her in shock.
"A compass? Beckett, how dare you! Do you think a simple compass could calculate the exact spot where I would meet you by knowing where you started from and estimating your speed?"
She furrowed her brow. "Well, no. But why the effort? Why didn't you just meet us at the parking lot and walk with us in the first place?" Her hands came to rest on her hips again, one eyebrow arched at him.
He felt the inevitable little jump in his chest. He loved that look. "Firstly, because I won't be parking my one million dollar car at some shady parking lot in the woods for three days." Esposito gasped at the mention of the car's worth, but everyone ignored it. "And second, this way, it was way more fun." He grinned and shoved the device into his pocket.
There it was again, this undeniable feeling that his happiness about things like fighting his way through the woods for hours just for the fun of it made him cuter than irritating. She couldn't stop a small smile from sneaking to her lips. "Yeah, looks like you had fun." She pointed to her right cheek, the spot where a large scrap grazed his face. His fingers shot up to his face and touched the damaged skin.
Wincing a little, he quickly shrugged it off and smiled back at her. "Well, some parts were more fun than others."
Kate shook her head, biting her lip to hold her smile back while he walked up to her. "So, how much left to go?" He asked and came to a stand by her side.
Was it possible that she looked even more beautiful in this scenery than in the city? "Why? Didn't your little thing tell you that?"
She regretted the words the second they slipped her lips. Instantly, the mischievous expression she knew all too well spread over his features.
"Well, my little thing that really isn't that little at all tells me a lot of things, but not the distance to the camp. But if you happen to talk about my Road Radar 2200, it surely could. I just figured I wouldn't need it now that I've got you to guide me." He smiled at her, apparently quite satisfied with himself and his joke.
She shot him a sarcastic grin. "You're right. So please, Castle, keep all your things in your pants, for all our sakes."
She heard low chuckling behind her and shot Esposito and Ryan a silencing glare. The laughter subsided, but Castle still looked very pleased with himself. She decided it was best to change the topic before any of them could notice the blush that slowly crept up its way from her neck to her face. She turned away from the three men and started walking again. "About one and a half miles left until we reach the camp, I think."
Ryan groaned behind her as the group of men started walking after her. "Castle, your bag is even bigger than ladyboy's here," Esposito said and nodded his head towards Ryan's backpack.
"What the hell do you've got in there?" Castle smiled at Ryan's grimace, but he seemed too busy keeping up to reply to the comment.
"Well, three days camping don't mean you have to do it without a certain amount of comfort," Castle replied, a sly grin on his lips.
"Ah, and what's that?" Esposito asked.
"Oh, you'll see when we get there." Castle grinned.
"Why go camping if you don't want to miss the comfort of the city?" Kate interfered without turning around.
"You never heard of glamping?" Castle asked, his tone sincerely surprised. Kate shot him a quick glance over her shoulder.
"In fact, no, I didn't. I guess I'm more the basic camper type." She said and looked back at the track.
"I never considered you a camping type at all," Esposito said. "You seem quite a pro, Beckett."
She softly smiled to herself, glad the three men behind her, especially Castle, couldn't see it. "I am, kind of. I used to go camping with my dad all the time when I was young." Her smile grew wider as the countless memories of campfires and marshmallows flooded her mind. "It's been a while, but I guess that's something you can't unlearn."
"That explains why you've got professional equipment," Castle said, eyeing the backpack she was carrying, just for his glance to wander down a little deeper as he looked at her. That didn't make him enjoy the view any less. "I recognize good camping equipment when I see it."
He only realized he had been staring at her backside when Esposito nudged his elbow to his upper arm. He turned to the grinning man with an apologetic shrug of his shoulders. Good thing Kate concentrated on the path, she wouldn't like catching him staring. That didn't make him enjoy the view any less.
The group walked on in silence for a while until another groan from Ryan caused them all to stop and look at him. With sweat pouring down his forehead, he was panting under the weight of his luggage. "God, how much left to go? I think I need a break." He brought out between troubled breaths.
"I think only a few hundred feet more if I remember the map right," Kate answered, walking a few steps ahead and looking around a corner. "Yes, there's the sign. We're almost there."
Esposito padded Ryan's shoulder as the exhausted man forced his feet to take the little distance left. Kate had been right, and after they walked around a second corner, they reached a large wooden arc with "Hillside Camp" written on it. They walked through the arc and entered a big clearing with a big campfire site at the center. On the sides, there were already a few other people starting to build up their tents.
Ryan's bag fell to the ground with a dull thud. "Thank God," he mumbled and walked over to one of the big tree trunks circled around the burnt-down campfire, sitting down on it, his upper body slumping forward.
"Looks like he's already having a blast," Castle said, looking at the exhausted man sitting a few feet away from him.
"I bet we're all gonna be," Esposito mumbled. "I still can't believe the Cap made us do this." He added, shaking his head. "Team building measures, please. As if we need shit like that. And as if spending three nights in the woods would help with that at all." Esposito ranted on.
"With an attitude like that, it surely won't." Kate teasingly smiled at him. "Come on, Espo. Now we're here. Let's make the best of it."
Her attention was suddenly drawn to the largest woman she had ever seen, walking towards them. She had to double-check, but yes, she was a woman, but definitely not one of the feminine kind. Almost two heads bigger than her, the woman, who seemed like the camp ranger telling by how she was dressed, came to a stand in front of her.
"Are you the troop from New York?" She asked, and Kate couldn't help but notice that her voice wasn't feminine either.
She smiled up at the huge woman and nodded. "Yes, Detectives Beckett, Ryan and Esposito. And Mr. Castle." From the corner of her eye, she saw Castle casually waving his hand. She had to bite her lip to not grin at his shocked expression as he stared at the Ranger, looking somehow intimidated.
"You're late." The woman with short dark blonde hair stated. "I know, we're sorry," Kate answered, a feeling like being scolded by a high school sports coach stirring in her stomach.
"We had this dawdler with us, otherwise we would have been on time," Esposito said and pointed his thumb at Ryan, who was still trying to control his breathing, his cheeks red while the rest of his face seemed pale.
The Ranger shot him a glare that caused the feeling in Kate's stomach to intensify. "Esposito, I suppose." The rough voice of the woman stated. "Stupid comments on your partner won't make your life here easier. Probably that's brought you here in the first place."
Esposito shut his mouth, his face a mixture of shock and being impressed. Kate had to bite her lip even harder, feeling the flesh becoming sore. But that still seemed like the better option than to burst out laughing right now.
"My name is Susan Coarly, you'll call me Ranger Coarly. The next three days, you'll listen to every word I say, or I'll make a report to your Captain that you didn't cooperate with the measurements he placed on you. Did I make myself clear?" All four heads nodded in unison.
"Good. You can set up your tents over there." She pointed to a still empty spot at the eastern side of the camp. "Hurry up. And when you're finished, you'll meet up with the other participants at the camprife, and I'll tell you what's expected from you to successfully complete this training camp." With that, she walked away, leaving four stunned faces behind.
"Do you think the Cap has any idea about her?" Ryan asked silently as he approached the group, finally able to speak fluently again.
"If he does, I'm gonna kick his ass," Esposito mumbled. "Come on, I don't want to be the last one to get to the meeting." Esposito hurriedly walked over to the spot Ranger Coarly had assigned to them, and Kate looked after him, surprise written all over her face.
"Seems like Esposito enjoys a hard hand," Castle whispered to her as they also started walking over to the other side of the camp.
Kate couldn't help but smile. At first, she had doubted whether it would be a good idea to bring Castle along to this. But now it seemed like he could make their days here at least a little bit more enjoyable. They reached the spot, and each started setting up their own tent. Kate was placed between Castle and Esposito and concentrated on her own tent since it had been years since she had last set it up.
Suddenly, Esposito's voice interrupted her concentration. "What the hell is that, bro?"
She looked up and followed Esposto's gaze over her shoulder and immediately groaned at the sight. "Gosh, Castle, couldn't you bring a normal tent like everyone else?" She looked at the enormous tent, twice as big as hers.
The way he proudly shook his head was a clear answer. "I bought this in a package with the Road Radar 2200 and some other stuff you all will be happy I brought along." He pointed over to Ryan's tent. "And I'm sure I'll be better off than Mr. Bargain Buyer over there." Kate looked over at Ryan and had to admit Castle was probably right. Ryan's tent didn't look ready to stand three days of camping in the woods in September at all.
"You better hope it won't be raining, buddy," Castle said, giving the confused-looking Ryan a sympathetic smile. The other man was just about to answer when he was interrupted by the low voice of Ranger Coarly.
"Can someone please explain what this is about?" She said and pointed to Castle's tent. "This is a camp, not your romanticized big-city boy fantasy." Castle opened his mouth but closed it again. Kate quickly looked up to the sky. Seeing his face would be too much for her not to laugh. And she really didn't want to laugh with Ranger Coarly already seemed to be irritated with them.
"What exactly are you again?" The woman asked Castle.
"I.. uhm… I work as a consoler for the NYPD." He mumbled, and the insecurity in his voice was quite satisfying to Kate.
"So then, why are you here?" Ranger Coarly asked him, her tone sounding rather intimidating. "This is a training camp for detectives, not for some run-along rich kid with fancy stuff." Castle couldn't bring out more than an incoherent stammering. Kate sensed now was her time to interfere, no matter how much she enjoyed Castle being called out.
"He has the spot of my partner at the NYPD." She said, and as Coarly's stare hit her, she partly regretted opening her mouth.
The broad-shouldered woman eyed her for a couple of seconds, seeming to scan what kind of a cop she had standing before her to accept someone like Castle as her partner. "So that's how they do it in the city now. Good thing I decided to drop out if that's the way of the NYPD now." She looked back at Castle.
"Your precinct paid for you, so I can't kick you out unless you mess up. Better pull yourself together because I'll have my eyes on you."
Castle stood in shocked silence as the Ranger walked off. "Actually, I paid for myself." He mumbled as soon as she was far away enough to be unable to hear him anymore.
"Come on, Castle, let's get ready," Kate said, somehow feeling sorry for him now. She liked it when she was the one putting him in his place, but when others did it, and it ended with him looking sad, she didn't enjoy it anymore.
They set up their tents and walked over to the group of people meeting around the fireplace. Luckily, they weren't the last ones, and this time, it was a young blonde man who had to face Ranger Coarly's rant. The group of about twenty people was so quiet that Kate could hear the birds chirping, and she was sure she heard water rushing somewhere in the distance. The silence was once more cut by the firm voice of Ranger Coarly.
"As I told you when you arrived, I'm Ranger Coarly. I'll be your instructor in the next three days. We have a couple of fun activities planned for you, all focused on strengthening your partnerships. So, your work partner will also be your partner here for every activity."
Kate had to suppress a groan and started second-guessing whether Castles's attendance would really make the days ahead of her more enjoyable.
"The main activities will start tomorrow. Today, you'll be setting up the camp, and all of you will go to bed early so that we can start early in the morning." A low mumble echoed from the people surrounding the campfire but was quickly shut down by the glare of Ranger Coarly.
"First thing all of you are gonna do is collect firewood. That will probably take you the rest of the afternoon. I suggest you take this task seriously. Otherwise, you won't be eating tonight." A few shocked glances were exchanged by the twenty cops. "I won't explain the camp rules to you. I order every one of you to read them and follow them, or there will be a negative report to your Captain. There is just one thing I want to mention." She crossed her muscular arms in front of her chest.
"I've been doing this job for twenty years now, and every single time I have groups of mixed genders here, there are at least two who can't manage to keep it together and start screwing each other. And I honestly don't care who of you is betraying their husband, girlfriend, life partner, or whatever. But I care about these woods. So if you find this time it's you who can't control yourself, I'll warn you: If I find a single condom even near the camp, I swear to God, I'll use my old contacts in the city and track you down via DNA. And what you'll get isn't only a report but also a nice fine I will put to use for keeping these woods clean and healthy. Believe me, I've done it before, and I will do it again."
A low snort came from where Ryan was standing, and twenty pairs of shocked eyes looked at him.
"What?" Ranger Coarly growled. "You think polluting the woods is funny? Do you want to know how many used condoms I had to pick up over the last twenty years? Do you think I'm trying to be funny?"
All laughter faded from Ryan's face. "No, Sir, I uh, I mean Ma'am. I'm sorry." She stuttered.
"Yeah, you better be." She gave him another burning glare, then looked around the circle of people once more. "I'll ask all of you again: I know it will happen, and as I said, I don't care about your personal issues. But I don't want to find any evidence of it. Understood?"
The men and women started nodding, some looking down as if they already felt guilty.
"Have you all lost your voices? I asked if you understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Twenty people mumbled, and Kate felt the corner of her mouth twitching when she heard how firm and clear Esposito's answer was. Maybe there was a little bit of truth in Castle's joke.
Ranger Coarly waved them off and ordered them to return to the camp in three hours with enough firewood for the upcoming days. The twenty people found their partners and slowly started to wander into the woods. Castle came to a stand beside her and shivered dramatically.
"Well, that's one kind of a woman." He said, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Coarly couldn't hear him.
"What Castle, isn't she your type?" Kate teased with a grin on her lips as they started to make their way to the trees surrounding the camp.
Castle picked up the first piece of wood and smirked at her. "I'll happily leave her to Esposito."
Kate walked past him, leaning her head back a little as she laughed. Like every time he saw her doing that, his heart melted a little. No, that woman or whatever she was wasn't his type. And as he watched Kate kneel down to pick up a piece of wood and then get back up again, looking more gracefully than anyone should in tracking clothes, he was convinced there would never be a woman on this earth again that was his type, apart from the one in front of him.