A/N: The basic idea for this story was 'stolen' from an author of much greater skill. I changed and tweaked it to suit my needs, hopefully making it original. Reviews will determine the future of this fic.
Castle : Detective Lessons - Chapter 1
Rick Castle looked down at the book sitting on his desk for what seemed like the hundredth time and asked himself the same question…what had he done to warrant this woman's interest? Before he could begin going over his mental list, the intercom on the desk sparked to life.
"Dad?...Miss Swinson is here to see you…should I send her in?"
"Sure thing, Lexi." He answered before looking down at the book, yet again. He looked up when the door to his office opened and his eleven o'clock appointment walked into his life. 'So' he said to himself as he glanced once again at the book on his desk, 'the author's picture is as phony as the rest of the author's blurb.'
"Mr. Castle…so very nice to meet you" his visitor said while extending her hand.
"Uh…" he started after standing and then froze up. He wanted to say more but something about the woman standing before him chased all other thoughts from his head. He knew he should say more… hell, say anything, but he couldn't. The woman standing on the other side of his desk, a desk he had just realized was too wide, was messing with his speech process. It wasn't her fault, he told himself. The eyes, the cheek bones, that cute nose…that beautiful expanse of unbelievably soft looking neck…that plunging neckline that pointed to…and that was all it took for Richard Castle, gentleman, to regain control. "Please, won't you have a seat?" he asked after giving her hand a quick squeeze.
"Dad…uh, Mr. Castle…would you like some refreshments brought in?" the intercom spoke, allowing Richard Castle a moments respite to reclaim his 'center' and slide back into his seat. He watched as the vision in front of him slowly sank into the chair on the other side of his now, impossibly wide desk. Reaching out, he thumbed the open switch on the intercom.
"Sure, Lexi…I'd love an Iced tea…Miss Swinson, is it?...would you like anything?"
"Why, thank you, Mr. Castle. An iced tea would be delightful." She replied with smile.
"Did you catch that?" he asked towards the small box at the corner of his desk, hesitant to take his eyes off of the woman in front of him.
Yes dad…er, Mr. Castle…two iced teas, coming up" the disembodied voice answered cheerfully.
"It will be just a few moments" he offered as he watched her get to her feet and walk over to the wall at his right side. She was looking at the photos hanging there.
"You went to the police academy?" she asked after pausing in front of one of the photos.
"Ah…yes ma'am, I did. I also served with the NYPD for almost five years."
"What happened…to make you leave the force…if you don't mind me asking."
Before he had the chance to offer an answer, a young red head walked into the office, a tray in one hand. She stopped at the desk and waited. Her entrance had captured the other woman's attention and she turned from the photo and stepped back over to the chair she had been seated in just moments earlier. She reached for one of the offered iced teas as she sat back down.
"Thank you very much" she offered with a smile after taking the glass.
"Yes…thank you very much, Lexi" Richard Castle added, taking the second glass. "that will be all."
"Ok da…Mr. Castle" the young woman answered with a bright smile before she turned and left the office, gently closing the door behind her.
After watching the door close, he turned his attention to the beautiful woman seated across from him. 'Well, might as well get this dance started' he told himself, glancing down at the book and then focusing his eyes on his guest.
"So...Miss Beckett…how can I …"he started, only to be interrupted by a Three Stooges worthy spit-take from the woman sitting on the other side of his desk. 'Maybe my desk isn't wide enough, after all' he silently told himself, correcting his earlier, now clearly wrong, impression…the iced tea dripping down his face a silent testament to his error in judgment.
"What…I…uh… um…" his guest sputtered, confusion and embarrassment fighting for dominance on her face…with embarrassment finally winning. "I'm so very sorry, Mr. Castle" she offered as her eyes swept the surrounding area, looking for anything that might aid in the clean-up.
Richard Castle actually smiled as he reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a box of Kleenex. He watched as the blush rose from the bottom of the plunging neckline until it seemed to disappear into his guest's brunette hair. Grabbing a handful of the tissues, he began wiping the tea from his face as he tried to figure out what to say next.
"So, Miss Beckett…I'm guessing that you're not here because of your drinking problem?" he offered with a smile that turned into a laugh as his guest snorted and then tried to hide her smile behind her hand. "So, Miss Swinson/Beckett…would you like to explain this?" he asked as he picked up the book on his desk and after giving it a good wiping, opened the back cover and pointed to the author's picture.
"Well…I…Uh…Mr. Castle…I…"
"Mind if I give it a try?": he asked before continuing, "…you always wanted to be a serious writer. In college, after getting a few manuscripts rejected, you picked up a roommate's romance novel and after giving it a quick read, you told yourself that you could do better. After receiving a check and a contract offer, less than two weeks after submitting your first 'bodice ripper' manuscript, you figured you just 'crank' out a few of the 'awful' things and then use the money to take some time off so you could work on your 'great American novel'. How am I doing so far?"
"Amazing" she whispered, her eyes wide in shock.
"May I show off some more?" he asked with a slight smile.
"Please, continue to dazzle me."
"Ok" he said with a quick shrug of his shoulders, "You too a pen name because you were worried about anyone taking you seriously, what with your real name attached to these 'sterling' works of prose so you created a new you…an older, more worldly, well traveled and, most importantly, classically romantic woman who could still talk dirty…especially when it helped your books sell…and they did, like hot cakes. And, you used a photograph of an older woman, most likely a relative, because, after all, who would believe that such a young woman could write with such a feel for 'old' romance and, let's be honest…experienced lust" he finished, still busy mopping up his desk.
"Bravo, Mr. Castle…you really are the best. You're hired."
"Miss Beckett…I did that with three phone calls and twenty minutes with Google…that hardly makes me the 'best', as you so kindly put it. Now, why do you wish to hire me?"
"First, Mr. Castle, despite your humble protests, I also did my research…which led me to believe that you may be one of the best private detectives in New York…no, please let me continue. I checked with dozens of firms and after they all told me that they were the best, almost all of them named you as the 'next best' if I couldn't afford their services. I could've but the fact that almost all of them spoke so highly of you…well, that led me to believe that you are the detective that I need."
"Miss Beckett…"
"Please, call me Kate."
"Alright…Kate…if you're doing research for your next 'romance novel'…I require fine dining and maybe a movie or two before we can…"
"Please…Mr. Castle…I'm not looking for a …a…"
"Miss Beckett, you blush beautifully. I was only teasing. Now, what service can I provide…in my capacity as a 'private dick', as it were". He smiled as the blush deepened.
"Please, Mr. Castle…remember, It's Kate…"
"Oh, don't worry…I could never forget that your name is Kate."
"…and I just want to hire you to read a manuscript" she said as she pulled a thick stack of paper from her shoulder bag. "No work will actually be required, outside of your office. All I need is your time, however long it takes you to read the entire thing…and then I would like your opinions…and any insights you could offer" she finished as she passed the stack of paper across his desk, carefully avoiding the few drops of tea that he had missed while mopping.
"Well, Kate…how about a trade…allow me to take you out to dinner and I'll read your manuscript and offer my insights, free of charge."
"Mr. Castle" she answered with a sudden chill in her voice, "I wish to hire you for your expertise in the field of detection…not for your expertise in romance, however vast I'm sure you believe it to be."
"My mistake, Miss Swinson" he answered, all of the lightness gone from his voice and the smile gone from his eyes. "Five thousand dollars for my time. Come back on Friday and I'll give you my opinion and answer your questions about being a 'dick'…since it seems that you have that opinion about private detectives." He dropped the manuscript in the middle of his desk with a thud. "If that isn't acceptable, please don't settle for 'second' best…hire someone else…someone who won't offend you with a simple dinner invitation. You can either pay on the way out or you can take this with you" he gestured to the manuscript while getting to his feet and then turning to exit through his office's side door.
Kate Beckett sat stunned, not sure what had just happened. How had their light, almost fun conversation suddenly crashed and burned in such a spectacular fashion? Thinking back, she realized as she stood and reached for her document that she had insulted him when he had made a simple to offer to share his time and insights in exchange for a dinner date. She snatched her hand back, realizing that she had basically accused him of trying to get into her pants when all he had done was offer to help her save some money. She wasn't sure why she suddenly felt tears threaten her eyes. Blinking them away, she turned and walked out into the reception area. She paused at the desk and looked into the startling blue eyes of the pretty redhead seated at the desk.
"Will a check be alright?" she asked, trying to smile.
"Sure…I guess…Miss Swinson. Did da…ah, Mr. Castle give you a total?"
"Yes…Lexi, wasn't it?...he said five thousand for the week."
"Wow…he's giving you a discount…did you ask him out or something?"
"Discount?" Kate Beckett asked, confused.
"Oh yeah…he usually gets two thousand a day for exclusive services."
"Really?...well, I'm sure I must have misheard him" she answered as she pulled her Checkbook from her bag. After filling out the check, she tore it from the checkbook and handed it across the desk. "Thanks, Lexi. Please tell Mr. Castle that I'll be here Friday afternoon so we can go over what he thinks about my…um…case. See you then?" she offered with a hesitant smile before turning and walking out the door.
Lexi Castle watched the door close , wondering what her father had said to his newest client that had left the woman looking so confused and, even stranger, a little bit sad. Shaking her head, she took the check and slid it into the file with Miss Swinson's name on the cover.
-0-0-0-0-00—0—0-0-0-0-0-0-000-0-0-0-0-
Lexi Castle looked up as the front door opened and Miss Swinson…or was it Miss Beckett…walked into the lobby, the bright sunlight briefly framing her before it faded as the door closed. Seeing a smile on the woman's face, she was hopeful that the news she was about to give her would do nothing to upset her good mood.
"Good afternoon, Miss Swinson" Lexi said as she reached for a large packet that was sitting on the edge of her desk.
"Hi Lexi…actually, my name's Kate…Kate Beckett" she said as she extended her hand towards the younger woman, hoping to exchange a quick handshake. Instead, she found her hand holding a thick, legal size, envelope. "What?" she asked, confused.
"Well, da…Mr. Castle said that everything in there was self explanatory and that, and I'm quoting here, 'even that woman should be able to figure it out'…and that is most of what he said.
"We were supposed to have a meeting …this afternoon…now, in fact."
"Yeah…he said that if you had any questions or if you were, and I'm quoting again, 'confused', then perhaps you should call him…next week."
"WHAT?" she spat out as she struggled to control her anger. Spinning on her heel, Kate Beckett stomped towards the door bearing Richard Castle's name. Not bothering to knock, she flung the door open and finished her stomp at the edge of his desk. "What the hell, Castle?"
Looking up with a phone pressed to his ear, he held up a single finger, hoping it would silence the fuming woman who stood before him…if only for a moment. "I'm sorry" he spoke into the phone, "I know this is important but I have to take care of a spoiled customer…I know…I promise to call you right back…yeah, five minutes…thank you…talk to you soon." Putting the phone down in its cradle, he looked at the woman who seemed to be vibrating with anger as she stood in front of his desk. "Now that I've hung up on the FBI…how may I help you, Miss Swinson?"
"It's Beckett!...Kate Beckett! And what the hell is this?" she yelled, slamming the thick envelope onto his desk.
"Well, Miss Beckett" he answered, obviously struggling to remain calm as he picked up the envelope and dropped the contents onto his desk. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the thickest stack., "this, Miss Beckett, is your manuscript. I read it…twice. I added my notes and ideas in the margins and at the top and bottom of the pages. I also marked any spelling and grammatical errors I happened to catch." He then slid the packet back into the envelope. "This" he continued after picking up a smaller packet, "are some additional notes that I thought might make the technical aspects of your story seem more true to life. I also made some notes on your character…the 'detective'?...maybe they'll help you write him a little more realistically…if you actually take the time to read them, that is" he said as he slid the smaller pack after the first pack. "And this…last but not least" he said as he waved a small slip of paper under her nose, is your damn check! I don't want it! He said as he slid it into the envelope with the rest of the papers he explained. "Now. Miss Beckett…does that answer your questions?"
"You know what? You're an asshole!" she hissed.
Yes, Miss SWINSON…I certainly can be. I just don't happen to believe that I'm being one at this moment. Thank you for jumping to another conclusion…without even knowing me!"
"I…I…uh…"
"And with such a command of the English language, I'm not surprised that you chose to not put your own name on your books. Have a nice day." He reached down and after closing the flap on the envelope, he handed it across the desk before breaking their eye contact. Picking up the phone, he hit the redial and promptly dismissed Kate Beckett from his awareness, swiveling his chair around, one-hundred and eighty degrees before starting to speak. "Gordon Shaw, please…yeah, tell him it's Rick Castle…calling back…yeah…"
Kate Beckett stood in shock…not sure what had just happened and wondering why she was close to tears…in this man's office…again. Turning around, she walked back out of the door she'd stormed in through only moments before, closing it quietly behind herself. Looking up, she noticed Lexi Castle staring at her.
"He's not really an asshole…just so you know. These kidnapping cases always mess with him. I hate it when Agent Shaw calls…they're always the bad ones.
"I'm sorry Lexi, but aren't all kidnappings…well…horrible?" she asked as she struggled to regain her composure.
"Yes, of course they are…it's just, when the FBI calls…when it's about a young child…those cases always get to him. Now, if you have any questions about…well…his notes, just give me a call and I'll see if I can help.
"But…what about…Lexi, how often does the…you know…the FBI call your dad…about…"
"More often than anyone should be called…but he's helped so many times…it's just rough on him."
"Um…what about the check?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"He won't take it, so don't try…it's not my place to say…but, maybe, just maybe…you should've said yes to dinner…that's all it was…I'm just saying."
"Lexi? I'm beginning to think that you're right. I…I'll call if I have any questions."
"Ok…have a nice day. Oh, Miss Beckett…he'll probably be at Finneran's later…having a drink of two…just in case you wanted to…oh I don't know…accidentally run into him…"
"Thanks, Lexi…I just might.