A/N- This started off as a quick one-shot that I previously posted to tumblr, but it took on a life of its own...So here it is :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or anything about it, but all mistakes are mine!


Medical Attention


S1 AU Based on a tumblr prompt from anon: Castle's a doctor, a friend of Lanie's. AU Caskett meeting at Lanie's birthday. *Castle Winter Hiatus 2014 Ficathon Entry*


Chapter 1

"Girl, I can't believe you came!" Lanie called from across the bar. Her surprise brought a huge smile to Kate's face.

"Of course I'm here! It's your birthday! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't show up?" she asked, pulling her friend into a hug.

"Still a great friend, but just your typical anti-social self. I see you actually wore a little lipstick." Lanie was teasing, but there was surprise in her tone. Maybe she did need to get out more.

"Yeah, well I'm not all work," Kate stated with a smile.

"Could've fooled me!"

"And I'm leaving," she joked turning back toward the door, but Lanie grabbed her arm.

"Oh no you're not. I've got someone I want to introduce you to!"

Oh God.

"I didn't come here to be set up, Lanie. I came to celebrate my best friend's birthday," Kate grumbled while rolling her eyes.

"Well then—consider this just an added bonus!" she smirked and tugged on Kate's hand.

Lanie led her through the crowd to the back of the bar near the pool tables. Kate's eyes were immediately drawn to a tall handsome man who was leaning over the table about to take his shot.

"That's Rick," Lanie whispered.

Oh.

"That's Rick," Kate repeated in awe of the man as a smile stretched across his face after hitting the ball perfectly. That man was gorgeous.

They watched as the game finished up and before she knew it, Lanie was waving Rick over to them.

"There's the birthday girl," Rick said with a smile, greeting Lanie with a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"I went to find the friend I was telling you about," she explained.

"You were talking about me," Kate hissed through her teeth.

"She was just telling me that she had this beautiful friend that I had to meet and I have to say—her description was inaccurate," Rick said with a slight upturn to his lips.

Kate's heart dropped. "I see."

"Beautiful was an insult to you. You're extraordinary." He winked at her and she could feel the heat rising against her cheeks.

Sure, he was probably just feeding her a line, but she was falling for it. Of course, she wouldn't let him know that.

"I'm sure you say that to every girl you try to hit on," Kate smirked. Lanie cleared her throat which snapped Kate out of her thoughts.

"Dr. Rick Rodgers, this is Kate Beckett," Lanie said, finally getting the official introductions out of the way while rolling her eyes at Kate.

"Detective Kate Beckett," she corrected which earned her an elbow to the ribs from Lanie. "Nice to meet you." She smiled at Rick and extended her hand.

"Pleasure is all mine," Rick said bringing the top of her hand to his lips.

Wow. He was laying it on thick, but for some reason she didn't mind.


By the time she was ready to leave for the night, three hours and several drinks later, a couple of inches of snow had fallen on the streets outside.

New York was a beautiful blanket of white as she walked out of the bar; a light flurry continued to fall as she looked up at the sky with the smile.

She loved the snow.

"It makes the city calmer I think," Rick said, walking up behind her.

"God, Rick! You scared me!" She had thought she was the only one leaving.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump. I was just heading home." He gave her a quick smile and she was sure that her face flushed in response. Maybe it wasn't so horrible that Lanie introduced her to Rick.

"Me too," she said with a smile but turned toward the street so he didn't see her blushing.

"Why don't we share a cab? The odds of us finding two separate cabs in this weather in this end of town—not that likely…"

His suggestion wasn't the worst thing in the world. Yet she couldn't bring herself to agree.

"I don't know about tha—" Kate started to decline his offer when she stepped forward and slipped on a patch of ice on the sidewalk. She tried to brace herself from the fall, but in the process she ended up landing on her wrist.

Just what she needed.

"Oh shit! Kate! Are you alright?" he asked, helping her off of the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine," she said with a wince.

"You fell on that pretty hard. Let me take a look at it?" He reached out for her arm while running his free hand across her skin. "It's already swelling, Kate. I should probably take you to the ER for an x-ray."

"I slipped on ice. I'll live. Seriously. It barely hurts." She wasn't being completely honest, but this wasn't the first impression she wanted to leave him with.

"Kate…"

"What about the cab? You still want to share?" she asked, trying to take both of their minds off of her clumsiness.

A couple of minutes later they lucked out and were able to wave down a cab. Rick eased himself into the backseat first and then held his hand out to help Kate into the car.

"Are you sure you don't want to get it checked out?" His voice was soft and concerned. He seemed like he really cared, but they had only just met. Was this how he acted with all women?

"Yeah. I'm sure," she whispered.

"You know, I am a doctor."

The cab took a sharp turn and her body slammed against Rick. His cologne overwhelmed her senses, making her drunk from it.

"Hmm. You're a pediatrician and I'm an adult," she teased, moving back to her side of the seat.

"Same principles apply," Rick smirked.

"My bones are stronger than a child's…"

"Actually, bone density starts to decrease—"

Kate reached over with her uninjured arm and covered his mouth. "If that sentence will end in any way that could possible make me feel old, I would advise against it." She smiled at him and removed her hand.

"Noted," he laughed. "So we'll just go home; take a hot bath and go to bed."

Her eyes widened as the words slipped from his lips.

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising an eye brow at him. However in the backseat of the dark cab, she wasn't so sure he could entirely see her face.

"Separately!" Rick clarified with a chuckle and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her own lips. "Katherine Beckett. I never!" he teased in a scandalized tone.

"Easy Rick. I knew what you meant and yes, a long bath sounds great right about now," she sighed, leaning back onto the seat as the cab pulled up to the curb outside of her building.

"Do you use lots of bubbles?"

The glare she shot him shut him up as she stepped out of the cab.

"It was nice to meet you, Rick. Goodnight," Kate said with a small smile.

Her arm throbbed as she made her way up to her place, but she couldn't stop her grin from spreading.

She owed Lanie.


Thanks for reading! I would love to hear what you think.

xoxo

Tumblr prompt: Castle's a doctor, a friend of Lanie. They meet at her birthday, or maybe after an accident, Kate refuses to go to the hospital and Lanie calls Rick to check on her.