Just the Essentials

A Season 7 AUish Ficlet - Set after 7x16

Based on a prompt (which is posted at the end) from inkycoffee, and enabled by ipreferwestside. <3

"What the hell is that?"

Heads have been turning ever since he stepped foot into the precinct with his cargo, but this time the looks – along with Esposito's question – stop him mid-stride.

He's been preparing what he's going to say for the last eight blocks, he's got this.

"What do you mean?" he asks, feigning innocence. Always start with innocence. Never admit guilt until necessary. "Beckett said make a run for food. I'm supplying nourishment to keep us going as we work this case. I got beef lo mein, I got moo shu pork, I got sesame chicke–"

"And a dog," his wife supplies, crossing her arms over her chest, one eyebrow jumping high enough on her forehead to blend in with her hairline. "I'm sorry, two dogs."

"I also got your favorite," Castle deflects, bouncing on his toes. "The spare ribs."

"Castle, the dogs?" Kate prompts, not to be deterred by his sidestep.

"You did say the essentials, didn't you?"

Oh, she doesn't look amused. Not at all. Which is a shame, because he had been hoping the joke would at least merit her usual method of hiding a smile.

"Okay," Rick tries again. "I can explain. Over lunch. Which I have in this bag on my shoulder, if you'll…" he trails off, twisting in front of the detective most likely to be sympathetic to his lack of reach.

Ryan doesn't disappoint. Stepping up, he frees the fabric bag, holding it open so Beckett and Espo can see the takeout containers. Castle thanks him quietly, ignoring his wife's stare in favor of shifting his other cargo. His arms are starting to protest being kept in the same position for so long, but he won't flinch now.

"So yes, here's lunch. And because you asked: this is Romeo, and this one is Rocky."

"Romeo and Rocky," his wife repeats, her voice flat, dry.

"Uh huh. He seems like a Romeo, don't you think? Rocky I'm still iffy on, but–"

"I don't want to shoot you, Castle, but we're rapidly approaching that point. What part of this food run led you to think that scooping up a pair of dogs out of nowhere and bringing them into the precinct was a good idea?"

Castle glances down at the little guys in his arms, melting a bit at Romeo's soulful eyes, Rocky's trusting face. "Okay, I know it seems impulsive…"

Beckett groans, dropping her face into her palm. "Assuming I don't do it first, Gates is going to kill you if she finds out. You were just allowed back, Rick, do you really want to get thrown out again?"

"Who's gonna tell?" he asks. Kate opens her mouth, a retort at the ready, but he jumps back in again, "Just hear me out, please. I saw a pile of boxes on the way to the restaurant, but I didn't realize that these guys were sleeping in them until I was on the way back and I saw Romeo's little nose poke out. I wasn't just going to leave them alone, that would be cruel."

She sighs, lifting her head again. "Of course it would be."

"Look at this face." He lifts Romeo up to his chin, keeping Rocky steady in his other arm. "Would you turn this face down if you saw it on the street? Either of these faces?"

Her eyes narrow. "You realize they could have fleas, don't you?"

"They are not flea-ridden, Beckett. I know because I… kinda took them to a vet on the way back."

"Castle."

"It was just a quick stop to look for microchips. Which they don't have, by the way. And they checked both over for obvious issues while they were on the table. I said I'd bring them back for a full exam later in the day once my wife met them."

He wiggles the puppies.

"Look at them, Kate. You know you want to keep them."

"More than I want to keep you at the moment," she mutters, though it lacks true bite. And from the glances she's throwing Romeo and Rocky's way, she's already on her way to loving the mutts in his arms.

Castle grins, gathering the dogs closer to his chest. Romeo squirms, his tail thumping with an excitement he hadn't possessed a few minutes ago. Probably due to the rapid, hopeful thump of Rick's heart, but if it endears the midnight-colored pup to Kate, he's not going to argue.

"They are pretty cute," Ryan muses, reaching out a hand to stroke the tan specks on Rocky's muzzle. The dog licks his hand in greeting. "May I?"

"Of course." Rick hands the puppy over carefully, watching him adjust to a new person.

Ryan grins, ignoring his partner's groan. "Hey, little guy. You look pretty good for a stray."

"That's what I thought, too," Castle says, following the detectives into the conference room with the lunch bags. "Hence why I took them to check to see if they were chipped. The vet tech said most likely they were part of a litter someone had dumped; they might've wandered away from wherever it was they'd been dropped, or the others could have been picked up already. It happens a lot, they said."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Beckett drag her teeth over her lip. "I'll give animal control a call, have them keep an eye out."

Rick nods, shifting Romeo and reaching one-handed into the bag for their food. Espo takes his carton and cutlery first, flopping down in his usual spot. Beckett reaches for her food a moment later. She eyes Rocky and Ryan, but takes her seat without comment.

"Ah, Castle, were you planning to just put them down in here?" Ryan asks, looking between the puppies and the table.

He twists, scooping the dog from Ryan's arms. "Right. Right. I'll figure it out. Sit. Eat," he insists, rubbing Romeo's ear. "I've got him."

Esposito snorts, shoveling a bite of lo mein into his mouth. "Do not tell me you're going to hold both of those dogs while you eat."

"I've done it before with Alexis."

"Who was a baby, not an animal. And not two animals," Beckett says, shaking her head. "Get some newspaper from the recycling bin and spread it out in case they pee, then come and eat your lunch."

He takes his spot beside her a few minutes later.

Lunch is anything but quiet. Before he even sits down, word has apparently spread through the precinct that they're harboring visitors in the conference room, and every so often the door opens and someone steps in 'just to see what's going on,' which is usually followed by a few minutes of fawning over the puppies. By the time the food is gone and Ryan and Espo prepare to retreat to their desks to get a head start on their next lead, they've been visited by what feels like every officer and detective in the building.

Instead of looking annoyed by the interruptions or concerned about the potential that it'll get back to Gates, he finds Beckett watching him with undisguised tenderness.

"What?"

Her smile deepens. "Nothing," she says. "Just seeing how much fun everyone's having with them. It's sweet."

"You know, they say having dogs can help reduce your stress levels." His hand drops, beckoning Rocky closer. The smaller puppy skids toward him, nuzzling his nose into Rick's palm.

Castle is quick to smother a smirk as Kate holds out a hand to Romeo, but not fast enough, judging by the warning look she gives him.

"You know we can't keep them," she murmurs, lifting the dog onto her lap. "Not both of them. Not as crowded as it is at home."

His stomach sinks a bit. She's right; with the two of them, his mother and Alexis, and their friends and… acquaintances… it's tight. Even with his mother's declared intention to move out in the near future, it's still crowded right now.

"Not both," he agrees, latching onto her careful wording. "But… maybe one of them?"

Kate hums, glancing at him from under her lashes. "Maybe."

That's a yes. He pitches forward, stealing a kiss from her lips. Her mouth curves under his, pleased with his happiness. "Best wife ever."

She smirks. "Yeah, I know. But don't think this is going to happen again."

"Duly noted." He sneaks another kiss, this one a little more salacious than the first. "Okay, so which one are we keeping? Do we decide now and then see if someone else here in the precinct will take the other? There are shelters; I remember Ryan saying Jenny knows someone who works at one, but–"

His wife laughs, biting her lip. "Well, I was thinking… Ryan did seem to bond with Rocky earlier. So maybe Sarah Grace would like a puppy? And we keep Romeo?"

Rick nods without hesitation. "Jenny might kill us; Kevin might help her."

Kate grins, stroking a finger down Rocky's nose.

"What's the fun in being the cool aunt and uncle if you don't give the kid a dog occasionally?"

Oh, he loves this woman. "Very true."

"Okay," she says, getting to her feet. "In that case, take these guys back to the vet, get them completely checked out, and then take them home. I'll make sure we get out of here with enough time to take Rocky over to Ryan's before Sarah Grace falls asleep."

He nods, taking Romeo from her arms. "Done. We'll hit the pet store, too. Get all the supplies and some food."

"Good choice," Beckett agrees, tossing the rest of their lunch garbage. "And Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Just the essentials this time."

He chuckles, looking between the dogs. Yes, he's heard that before.

"I mean it," she insists. "Only buy what we need. Because if you come home with a litter of kittens…"

She trails off when he laughs harder, offering a glare that's punctuated by the amused purse of her lips. There it is, the Beckett tell.

His lips skim her cheek. "No kittens, promise."

"Thank you," she sighs, patting his chest. "Now get out of here."

Rick turns to leave, securing the puppies in his arms. "See you at home."

"See you at home," she echoes, affectionate even in her attempts to feign exasperation. "You and the dogs."

Castle grins, slipping into the bullpen with a spring in his step.

That went better than he could have ever hoped.

A/N: I just can't resist puppy!fics! Prompt: bunysliper dot tumblr dot com slash post/ 158012865071 slash castle-ficlet-just-the-essentials-11