Notes: I still don't own Castle. Trust me, if I did, the train wreck that is season 8 would have never, EVER happened that way.
There are obviously chunks of dialogue from the show…as there will be throughout this story. The show…or at least most of the first 7 seasons was really, really good. And my hope is to just build on it with my own twist. I am trying to balance the slow-burn with the ridiculous chemistry between them. I also recently realized how much I missed the Lanie/Beckett friendship…so there will be that. I hope you guys enjoy.
Feedback is wonderful if anyone feels so inclined…
Castle sat in the interrogation room silently as he waited. How had he not thought that she might have been a cop? He was at a fundraiser for the NYPD…there had to be cops all over the place that night. His mind went back to the party a year ago, and the way she had looked in that red dress, and he realized–he hadn't thought she was a cop because she was too hot to be a cop. He snorted slightly to himself, knowing how chauvinistic that sounded. He should have seen something…some…sign…some clue. He's a writer…writers are supposed to pay attention to the details. Except, the only details he could remember paying attention to that night had more to do with the way she'd looked stealing his drink, the way her curves had looked as she led him out of the party, the way her chest heaved as he watched waves of pleasure wash over her. He swallowed hard and realized he had to stop this line of thought, or he would tip his hand that he had remembered her. He planned to keep it a secret for awhile, feeling he might get more information that way…especially since she didn't seem inclined to bring it up herself. And his ego refused to let him believe she wouldn't remember him. So when she finally entered the interrogation room, he kept to his rich, playboy act, never revealing he knew who she was.
"Mr. Castle…You've got quite the rap sheet for a bestselling author. Disorderly conduct…resisting arrest…" Beckett began reading the charges casually from his police file.
Castle just smiled at her with a shrug. "Boys will be boys."
She arched an unimpressive eyebrow in his direction. "It says here that you stole a police horse?"
"Borrowed…" Castle corrected. The look on her face as he corrected her was not lost on him. She really does like to be in control…and right, he noted to himself for future reference.
"And you were nude at the time?" she continued to read from the file.
Castle once again offered a smile and a shrug. "It was spring," he explained.
She stopped then and stared at him. "And every time the charges were dropped."
"What can I say? The mayor is a fan. But if it makes you feel any better, I'd be happy to let you spank me," he smirked, his eyes traveling between her eyes and her lips and then back to her eyes.
The response he'd just given her sent both a flash of anger through her and a flash of….was that arousal coursing through her veins? She clenched her jaw, realizing her profiling of him that night had been spot on. He was nothing more than an arrogant, egotistical playboy, incapable of anything deeper than a one night stand. And she knew…with that behavior, she was safe. There was no way she was more than just another notch on his bedpost, and he couldn't remember her.
"Mr. Castle, this whole bad boy charm thing that you've got going might work for bimbettes and celebutantes. Me? I work for a living. So that makes you one of two things in my world. Either you're the guy who makes my life easier, or the guy who makes my life harder. And trust me, Mr. Castle…you do not want to be the guy who makes my life harder," she informed him in a straight tone. She hated dealing with over privileged, rich jackasses like this who thought they could get away with anything.
He studied her reaction slowly. Oh, she didn't like him. Not one bit. But he'd noticed the way she'd reacted with something more than anger, something more primal. She may not like him, but she was still attracted to him, and his comment had hit a nerve. This was definitely going to be interesting. "Okay," he replied with a slightly more toned down smile.
The interrogation continued until she revealed how the crime scenes were staged to look like they came from his books. That's when he realized–she had absolutely known exactly who he was that night when she picked him up a year ago. "Looks like I have a fan."
"Yeah, a really deranged fan," Beckett replied. How could he seriously be enjoying this?
"Oh you don't look deranged to me," he countered with a smirk
Her eyes went wide. "What?" Shit. He couldn't know.
"Hell Hath No Fury? Angry wiccans out for blood? Come on, Detective…only hardcore Castle groupies read that one."
She swallowed hard. She was definitely busted. "Do any of these groupies ever write you letters? Disturbing letters?"
Castle gave a slight chuckle. "Oh, all of my fan mail is disturbing. Occupational hazard."
"Because sometimes, in cases like this, we find that the killer attempts to…" she started, only to have him interrupt her.
"Killer attempts to contact the subject of his obsession. I'm also pretty well-versed in psychopathic methodologies. Another occupational hazard. And do you know that you have gorgeous eyes?" That last bit he had thrown in because one, it was true, but also to throw her off her game a little bit. This was turning out to be the most fun he'd had in awhile.
She had to swallow hard again. Why was he hitting on her? Okay, that one she knew…because he was an egotistical jackass. The real question was why was it affecting her? She really, REALLY hated this whole situation. "So I take it that you won't have any objection to us going through your mail."
Castle shrugged. "Knock yourself out." He paused then, looking up at her. "Do you mind if I get copies of those?" he asked then, gesturing to the crime scene photos.
Ok, she hadn't expected that. "Copies?"
"I have this poker game…it's mostly other writers. Patterson, Cannel, you know…best sellers. You have no idea how jealous those would make them."
Clenching her jaw again, she took a deep breath. "Jealous?"
Oh, he was getting to her again. "That I have a copycat. In my world, that's the red badge of honor. That's the criminal Cooperstown," he explained proudly.
She just stared at him. Was he seriously excited about all of this? "People are dead, Mr. Castle."
"I'm not asking for the bodies. Just the pictures…" he looked up at her again. He could tell from the look on her face he had successfully succeeded in pushing her buttons. As she told him they were done there, he watched her leave, making no effort to hide the way his eyes followed her ass as she left the room. He stood then, quite pleased with himself, and walked out behind her.
The following evening, she was sitting on a table in the morgue watching Lanie finish up. After finding out that Castle had wormed his way into the investigation, no doubt because of his friendship with the mayor, and then had completely pegged her reason for becoming a cop, basically breaking right through her carefully constructed protective shield while they were looking over his fanmail had gotten to her…he had gotten to her. She needed to vent…and maybe some advice. She couldn't talk to the boys; no this was too personal. The only one she could talk to was Lanie.
"Are you going to actually tell me why you're down here, or are you just going to let your legs swing from that slab all night?" Lanie finally asked. She knew better than anyone that Beckett sometimes needed just a little push to start talking.
Taking a deep breath, she released it slowly. "I slept with him." There. She'd said it. It was out in the open. That hadn't been so difficult.
It was Lanie's turn to be silent now. "Slept with whom?"
Really? Lanie was really going to make her spell it out for her? "Castle," she sighed, running her hands over her face. Seeing the medical examiner arch an eyebrow, Beckett pushed on. "Last year. That stupid fundraiser you made me go to. I decided you were right, I was tired of the self-pity since Will left…I wanted something loud, someone to make me feel wanted again. So I saw him at the bar, picked him up, and we had one night together, and that's it."
"I knew something happened at that fundraiser. See, I told you it was worth going," she smiled. "So…how was it?"
Now it was Beckett's turn to play dumb. "How was what?"
"Don't give me that. You know what. The sex with Castle," Lanie smirked slightly. She'd seen the man in person that afternoon, and he was sexy. If her best friend had details, she wanted to know.
A slight flush crept up her cheeks. "Hot," answered simply after a few moments. "Though I doubt he shares the same sentiments since he clearly doesn't remember," she found herself continuing in a low tone.
A knowing look crossed the medical examiner's features then. "What's bothering you more? The fact that you slept with him and obviously liked it, or the fact that he doesn't remember?" she asked her friend. Getting no response, she continued. "And how do you know he doesn't remember? Have you asked him? Maybe he's just being a gentleman about the whole thing to not embarrass you."
Beckett scoffed at that. "Oh no. There is nothing about that man that's a gentleman." Except that wasn't exactly true, she knew. He had been a gentleman that night a year ago in so many ways…ways that she hadn't expected from a man who didn't know her and who was nothing more than a one night stand.
Lanie seemed to read the look on her friend's face and smiled knowingly. "The look on your face says otherwise."
Beckett sighed again and ran her hands through her hair. "He's just so…infuriating. And he's weaseled his way in on this case because of his connection to the mayor…and he just…he's so…arrogant. He keeps looking at me like he's seen me naked…" she was really venting now.
"Honey, he has seen you naked," Lanie pointed out.
Right. He had. "Doesn't remember…doesn't count," she countered. "He's hitting on me in the interrogations…he doesn't listen…"
Chuckling softly, Lanie shook her head. "And you're hot for him."
Beckett stopped venting and sighed again. "The sex was really, really good…" she murmured.
"Then go sleep with him again! You're both adults…nothing is stopping you! Enjoying some good sex will do you good…help you blow off some steam," Lanie encouraged with a laugh. "Besides, I was at that crime scene this afternoon. I saw him…and the way he was looking at you. Let me put it this way: if a man was looking at me the way Writer Boy was looking at you, I would not be having a conversation with you until after I had steamy details to share," she stated simply.
Staring at her friend, she could not believe this was what Lanie was telling her to do. "Really Lanie? That's your advice? Just go sleep with him again?" she asked incredulously. Breathing in deeply, she continued. "That's really helpful, thanks," she shook her head sarcastically. "I'm not taking your advice. I took your advice a year ago, and that's why I'm in this whole mess now."
Lanie couldn't help but laugh a little more. "Kate, this isn't a mess. You are not the first woman who had a one night stand come back to bite her in the ass. I'm just saying…if the sex was that good, then go enjoy it a little. He's more than willing, I'm sure."
Hopping down from the table then, she shook her head. "I'm not sleeping with him again," she shook her head. "Thanks, Lanie," she called sarcastically as she headed out of the morgue then.
"I'm just saying…some hot sex with Writer Boy would do you good!" Lanie called after her. "Orgasms release tension!"
"Shut up!" Beckett called back down the hallway. That was certainly not as helpful as she had hoped, though if she were being honest with herself, she should have known that Lanie would encourage her to explore something more physical if she liked it so much. She was always trying to push her to cut loose out of her comfort zone a little. But no…right now she just wanted to wrap up this case…thankfully they had solved it, and now her problem would be going away. She hadn't even really thought of that night in the last year…well…barely. And with the case closed, he could just go away, and she could go back to not thinking about that night…often.
When she walked into the precinct the following morning and saw Castle sitting at her desk, touching her things, something inside of her snapped. "What the hell are you doing?" she approached angrily.
He quickly dropped the files, actually afraid of what she might physically do to him. She was carrying a gun. "Writer's habit…sorry," he held his hands up in surrender.
She glared at him until he moved from her chair. "What are you still doing here?" she asked simply. The case was over. He was supposed to be gone.
"I came to give you this," he offered her a box with a smile. "Go on, open it," he encouraged with the excitement of a school boy. Inside the box was a copy of Storm Fall. "I got you an advanced copy. I even signed it to you," he grinned, quite pleased with himself. "Not that you're a fan, or anything," he finished with a smug smirk.
She was…surprised. That rarely happened with how well she read people. "Thanks, that's…sweet," she found herself admitting.
"It was nice to have met you, Detective Beckett," he said then, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek before grabbing his bag and walking away.
What the hell just happened? She stood there shocked…and to her dismay slightly aroused from the kiss he'd just left on her cheek. Another moment and embarrassment set in, considering he had just kissed her cheek in the middle of the precinct where she worked. She sat down in her chair, unsure which emotion to really feel at the moment. And then it clicked. "He didn't…" she looked through the papers on her desk. "Oh, he did!" The only emotion she was feeling now was anger. Anger that he had stolen her file, but mostly anger that he had played her, and she had fallen for it. This would not have happened if I hadn't already slept with him, she told herself. She was going to kill him.
Castle was sitting at a table in the public library with the files spread out reading them when he heard the sound of her heels hitting the floor. He could tell it was her just from the angry way they tapped the tile. He couldn't even help the smile as she told him he was under arrest.
"For a minute there, you actually made me believe that you were human. Cuff him," she stated.
He almost swore he saw the slightest flash of…hurt?...in her eyes. That hadn't been his intention; he never wanted to hurt her. Maybe he had gone too far with the kiss on her cheek, but he hadn't been able to help himself. He remembered how electric they had been all those months ago, and call him selfish, but he just wanted to touch her one more time. "Oh…bondage. My safe word is apples," he found himself saying with another of his trademark grins.
"Oh, no need to be gentle," she said, practically through clenched teeth. The jackass was enjoying this. If she hadn't been surrounded by so many witnesses, she may have actually shot him at that moment. What the hell was wrong with him? What the hell was wrong with her for still being attracted to that…man-child? The fact that he was insisting the guy they had arrested for the murder was innocent was only serving to make her more irritated, because what he said made sense…the why made sense. And now, she had a feeling she wasn't really done with his involvement in the case after all.
She had been right. She wasn't getting rid of him so easily now that the case was reopened. And he was so…annoying…so…so…right. She hated that he was right, hated the smug look of satisfaction on his face. And then when he had found his way out of the handcuffs she'd used to try to make him stay in the car…because the man just could NOT listen or follow instructions…she would have been ready to shoot him if she weren't more interested in getting the killer. But when she'd seen the killer actually holding a gun to him, she'd had to force herself to take a breath. Because he could not get hurt in this. No…the only one allowed to shoot Richard Castle was her.
And then it was over. She'd taken out some of her frustration at Castle on him by shoving him...hard, but she had to admit that she wasn't as agitated at him as she had been before he'd had the gun pointed at him. And she hated admitting this, but…Castle had actually helped. She even managed a real smile as she strode up to him a little later. "Well I guess this is it."
Castle studied her, watching her long legs, made longer by the heels she wore, as she approached him. "Doesn't have to be," he replied. "We could go to dinner…debrief each other," he suggested.
She found herself tugging her lower lip between her teeth, mostly out of habit, but also partially because she had remembered the way he'd been affected by that simple gesture that night. She also couldn't remember the last time a debriefing had sounded so…dirty. "Why, Castle? So I can be another one of your conquests?"
Damn it. Why was she tugging on her lip like that. It drove him crazy. She had to be doing that on purpose. "Or I could be one of yours." His tone was only half joking this time, but the smile on his face was still there.
She was quiet for a moment, and the thought did cross her mind. She could easily go…release some tension, as Lanie had put it…with him. It was anything but bad…and they were two consenting adults. But no…no, she had a feeling it was better to just walk away. She didn't do one night stands. She didn't do casual sex. And she knew she would be just another in a long line of women to him...felt she already was. She wasn't interested in that, no matter what her body wanted. It was safer to just…not go. "It was nice to meet you, Castle," she finally said.
"Too bad…it would have been great," he offered a smile. He could take the rejection. He was a gentleman, and if she didn't want to go out with him and have another night together, that was fine. He wouldn't force her.
She didn't know what on earth possessed her to tug her lip between her teeth again and lean in close to his ear, but that's what she found herself doing anyway. "You have no idea," she murmured a husky whisper into his ear.
And before she could pull away, he gently caught her hand and turned his head so that his lips were by her ear now. "Actually, I do…Nikki," he breathed in his own husky tone, revealing that he had known exactly who she was this whole time.
Her eyes flew open wide and her jaw dropped at his revelation. She was too stunned to move as she just studied him. He'd remembered…this entire time he'd known exactly who she was. She knew he was smart enough to have put the pieces together that she had known exactly who he was the night she picked him up at the fundraiser. She couldn't hide the flush burning her neck and face right now. She just couldn't understand why he hadn't said anything...gloated or rubbed it in that he had slept with her…that didn't track with the way he'd been a jackass for this entire case. Unless…unless he really wasn't as much of a jackass after all. Before she could have a chance to say…or do…anything stupid, she somehow found enough brain power to simply turn and walk away.
He watched her go with a smile. Oh…he'd just found his next character, and he couldn't wait to get back home to write–something that he'd been unable to do for months. Somehow, some way, she'd unlocked him.
The next day, Beckett gently tapped on the door to her captain's office. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"
Captain Montgomery knew this was not going to sit well. But, he had agreed with the Mayor to allow it because he'd seen the way the author had actually helped on the case; he'd seen the way he'd…almost lightened the burden of the case for his best detective. And he thought that having the man around might actually be good for her, might be a good influence and get her to lighten up just a little. "I just got off the phone with the Mayor. Seems you have a fan, Detective."
Beckett shook her head slightly, a little confused. "A fan?"
"Rick Castle. Seems he's found the main character for his next set of novels, a tough but savvy female detective."
She still wasn't sure where this was going. "I'm flattered?"
"Don't be…he has to do research."
And there it was. "Oh no…"
"Oh yes," Montgomery had to fight to keep his amused smile at bay.
"No way," she shook her head. No. No, Richard Castle was not about to insert himself into her life, into her job this way. No.
"Beckett, listen…"
"Sir, no. He's like a 9 year old on a sugar rush! He doesn't listen, he's totally incapable of taking anything seriously."
Montgomery shrugged. "But he did help solve this case."
"Oh." Because that's all she could say at the moment. She was about to be forced to work with this…jackass…this…infuriating jackass…who she'd slept with, and now knew that he remembered the whole thing…
"And when the Mayor's happy, the Commissioner is happy. And when the Commissioner is happy, I'm happy," the captain continued.
She swallowed hard. This day…week…month…hell, probably the year…just went to shit. "How long, Sir?" was all she could bring herself to ask.
Montgomery nods over to her shoulder toward the door. "That's up to him."
Beckett turned around in horror then, seeing the smiling face of Castle. She suddenly found herself in her own particular brand of hell. Shit. She really could NOT believe she was stuck with him. And then the anger that she could not properly express because she was in front of the captain and basically being given an order by him flashed in her eyes as her look turned to a glare.
Castle caught the look in her eyes. She was mad at him, he knew. She'd get over it, he knew that too. He just hoped she wouldn't shoot him before then. But he never once let the evidence of his confidence waver on his face. He wanted this, wanted to get to know her. She was…incredible. And he was a little bit smitten, if he was being quite honest with himself. But how could he not be? She'd turned him down flat…something women didn't do, and especially women who had already slept with him. She wasn't like other women; he'd only scratched the surface at that knowledge a year ago, but now…now he knew. She was absolutely extraordinary. And he needed to know more.