Christmas Eve

Detective Kate Beckett walked into the twelfth precinct that morning just like it was any other morning. The captain had actually taken off for a few days of vacation with the family. Ryan and Esposito were working diligently at their desks, preferring to take their vacation around New Year's what with parties, dates and bowl games. Technically speaking, all of the detectives had the next day off, only some were on call for the inevitable and unfortunate event of peril for some poor soul.

Beckett was one of those "on call" detectives. She had just wrapped up a case the day before, so today would be paperwork unless a call came in, which being the holidays, wasn't unheard of. She would probably come in the next day as well. The only plans she had were with Lanie to go see "Sherlock Holmes."

Suddenly, a red and gold wrapped box appeared in front of Beckett. She looked at the gift with malice, her mouth set in a firm line. Esposito and Ryan looked up to see her reaction. Castle had obviously not listened to them when they said not to give her anything.

Castle sat down in his usual spot, his black winter coat hung over his arm and a sprig of holly in his lapel. "Merry Christmas, Detective. I figured since I won't be seeing you tonight, I would bring you your gift today. Alexis has something for you, but she wants to give it to you herself."

"You shouldn't have, Castle." She said in a monotone.

"Don't worry about getting me anything. I just wanted to get you something."

"I really mean you shouldn't have. I don't do Christmas, Castle."

"What do you mean, 'You don't do Christmas'? Don't you spend it with your dad?"

Beckett sighed, "He doesn't do Christmas either. He's actually on a cruise to Bermuda."

"So why can't you come to my Christmas Eve Party? I thought you were going to be with family."

"I'm not coming because I don't celebrate. What part of 'I don't do Christmas' do you not understand?" She stood abruptly and grabbed her mug. In the break room she took a deep breath. I hate Christmas. Why is he being so dense about this?

Castle stood in the doorway watching her. Her back was to him and he could see her hands gripping the counter. "I didn't mean to upset you. I get it. I still want you to have the gift I bought for you. If you don't want it as a Christmas gift, then consider it an early birthday gift."

"Castle, my birthday is in April."

"So it's a really early gift. I wish you would come tonight. I know you aren't in the mood to celebrate, but…Wait. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing. I'll probably come here. Lanie and I are going to the movies tomorrow night.

"Here? Ugh. You should come over. It'll be fun. Come spend the day with us."

"Yeah. That's just what I should do. Go over to your place, which is probably decorated extravagantly, and watch you and your family open presents and sing carols and eat…whatever you eat on Christmas. Thanks but I'd rather wait around for a body to drop."

"Scrooge."

"Christmas. Bah! Humbug."

Kate went back to her desk and was faced with the beautifully wrapped gift again. She picked it up and placed it to the side, attempting to go back to work.

"You're not going to open it?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Really? Because…" Castle paused, and stared at the back of Kate's shiny brunette hair for a few seconds, and walked softly up to her. He leaned over her shoulder, and she didn't dare move. "I know you hate the holiday, and I know why, but if you come to my place tomorrow, I bet I can make you like it again."

Kate rolled her eyes, "Really. You can make me like it again. Right. Sometimes, Castle, you are an arrogant ass."

"Well, let's make it interesting then. If I lose you get two shadow-free weeks of work. You pick the dates." Kate's eyebrows went up as she nodded her head.

"And if I lose?" She asked warily.

"You have to come to my New Years' Eve Party." His eyes twinkled. Castle had been looking forward to an excuse to kiss her and New Years' Eve was the perfect opportunity.

She looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "You're on. You're going down Castle. Start planning your vacation now."

"Be at my apartment at 10:30 in the morning." Castle walked towards the elevators, then he paused and turned around. "Oh, and Detective?" Kate looked up at him. "Dress casual. We sit on the floor a lot on Christmas Day."

All day Kate pondered Castle's last statement. Do they play board games? Eat at the coffee table? When she wasn't thinking about why she would be sitting on the floor at Castle's tomorrow, she was sneaking glances at the gift on her desk.

At around four o'clock she stood up and stretched. Looking around, she realized she was the last detective on the floor. Gathering her things together, Kate decided to visit the morgue before she went home.

"Hey Lanie, how's it going?"

"Just wrapping it up, girl. My bag is packed. As soon as I can leave this place, I am off to catch the train to Jersey."

"Going to your parents' house?"

"Yep. My brother, his wife and his three children will be there too. I'm hoping that my visit will be so short that no one will comment on my singleness." Lanie finished up on the computer and turned to face Kate. Her eyes lit to the gift in Kate's hand. Only Castle would have been bold enough to give her a gift.

"I see writer-boy didn't get the memo about you and Christmas."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Not only that, he somehow conned me into spending tomorrow with him and his family. Said that he would make me like Christmas again."

"Well, if you end up in bed with him, I want details."

"Yeah, right." Kate smiled.

"So are you going to open the gift?"

"I don't know…I'm a little afraid of it. Knowing Castle, it's probably porn or some obscene sex toy."

"Well, let's find out! Open it girlfriend."

Kate set her coat and her bag down on the desk and went to work on the wrapping. Underneath the pretty paper and holiday ribbon was a red box. Lifting the lid, Kate paused.

"So? What is it?" Lanie asked, seeing her friend's hesitation.

Kate lifted a long, skinny, blue box out of the festive red one.

"Ooh, Tiffany's. If you don't hook up with this guy soon, I may have to."

Kate shot Lanie a look and lifted the lid of the blue box. She gasped and handed it to Lanie.

Lanie looked in the box and could not suppress her own gasp. She pulled out a stunning platinum bracelet with round diamonds and links connecting them. "Oh my God. Kate, this is beautiful."

"I can't keep it. I'm giving it back to him."

"Why? Just accept his gift, and enjoy it."

"It's too much, too expensive. I can't accept it." Kate grabbed the bracelet from Lanie, briefly enjoying the feel of it in her fingers. She placed it back in the box and put it in her purse. "I can't believe he did that. What is he thinking? Does he think he can buy me some expensive bauble and I'll just jump into bed with him? Some Christmas spirit!"

"Kate, maybe he just wanted to get you something nice. Return it if you need to, but I would cut him some slack on motive. Interrogate first, okay?"

"Fine. Look you better get going if you're going to make it to your parents' at a decent time. I'll see you tomorrow night, right?"

"Yeah, barring being held against my will by my family. If that happens, I'll demand my one phone call." Lanie gave Kate a hug and wished her luck for the next day.

"I do hope you have a Merry Christmas, Lanie."

On the way home it started to snow. The meteorologist was calling for a white Christmas, and it looked like he was right. Great. Slick, icy roads for people to drive on, that's just what this city needs over a holiday weekend. She couldn't help but notice the excitement on people's faces and the decorations everywhere, but it just made her feel worse. After ten years, you would think she would get over it, but it still hurt. Christmas was her mother's favorite holiday, and Kate couldn't do it without her.

Walking into her apartment, Kate took a deep breath. Finally, a place that did not remind her of Christmas. There were no decorations here. She did have a box of favorite ornaments and decorations in her storage locker in the basement, but she hasn't seen them in years. People would still send her Christmas cards. Some people who knew her well would send New Years' cards. They sat in a stack in the bottom drawer of her desk. She would open them after the New Year. Kate avoided the radio this time of year as well, although she could not go to any store without being bombarded by festive music. Luckily it was rare that she heard her mother's favorite: O Holy Night. Kate remembered the holiday concert in high school. Her mother had tears in her eyes when Kate sang the song.

Shaking the memories off, Beckett made her way back to her bedroom for her nightly ritual of washing off the day, and settling into something more comfortable. Kate reheated some chili that she made earlier in the week and decided she would have a Tom Clancy marathon. Grabbing a beer out of the fridge, she migrated from the kitchen to the sofa, movies lined up ready to go. Her eyes drifted to her purse. Damn. There is one thing that reminds me of the holiday: Castle's gift. She pulled the box out and opened it again. It really is beautiful. What was he thinking? She just couldn't figure it out. Examining the bracelet she noticed the designer, and she knew it probably cost thousands. Goose bumps raised on her skin just thinking about it. Trying it on just to see how it looked, Kate knew she had to give it back.

After watching Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck play Jack Ryan, Kate Beckett retired for the evening. She drifted to sleep watching the diamonds of the offending bracelet glitter in the moonlight. The snow had stopped, and the clouds had cleared. It was going to be a beautiful, white Christmas Day.