Dinner Date

by Castlefan6

Authors Note: Thisis my AU version to the events when Demming has dinner catered by Hung's China Sea, complete with the candle light. Sometimes, a candle provides the light that is needed to get you out of the dark. Based on a prompt and request from mbeckettcastle or JC. This is for you, I hope I do it justice.

I don't own Castle, I use the characters for amusement purposes only

Chapter 1

Previously Courtesy of Dust Jackets Dot Com

INT - TWELFTH PRECINCT WORKROOM

DEMMING has fashioned together a date situation. They have Chinese takeout, but he's lit a candle for ambiance. BECKETT can't hide her smile.

"This food's amazing. Where did you get it from?"

"Hung's China Sea." Demming replies

"Oh, get out. Hung's doesn't deliver."

"Well, he delivers to me.

(She gives him a look) Mr. Hung had this medal- a 15th-century Chinese medal, Ming Dynasty. It was passed down through the generations, right? Well, last year it was stolen along with some cash and some kitchen appliances and whatnot. The only thing that mattered to Mr. Hung was the medal. So, I got it back for him. And because I delivered, now so does he."

"Really? Hmm. Well, then maybe I should get you to figure out why our victim was carrying a backpack full of cash."

"Well, maybe you should. You know, I got some guys on the street. If you want, I can put out feelers, see if anybody knows anything."

"Yeah, sure."

RYAN and ESPOSITO open the door.

"Excuse me, Detectives. "Espo says

"Hey, guys." Kate replies trying to hide her annoyance

"Wow. Nice candle. "

She smirks at them.

"Come on in. What'd you find?" Clearly showing her irritation

ESPOSITO
Well, we checked the sign-in log at that building where Jennifer Wong dropped off Wolf.

BECKETT
Mm-hmm.

**************************************************************************/

Realizing they were messing up a private moment, Ryan pulls his partner back, "this will wait Beckett, Sorry to bother you."

Tom and Kate resume their small talk with the flirty banter going back and forth all through dinner, till about 30 minutes later, just as they were about to kiss, the door flies open again with a breathless Castle exclaiming "I know who the Killer is" all excited.

"And who might that be Nancy Drew?" Tom says clearly annoyed by the writer's presence.

"Yeah Castle who's the killer, and don't say some Spy or I'll personally throw you out this window", usually said with humor but there was venom in her voice tonight.

Rick goes through the scenarios as he has written the murder stories out for each of the possible suspects, and as he explains that it's the half-brother, Tom sneers and begins to laugh.

"You base your conclusion the victim was murdered by his own family by your writing your play stories?" Tom laughs

"It's far fetched to say the least Castle, what was the motive if the brother killed him?" Kate spews not happy that her dinner was once again interrupted.

"I didn't get that far in the process, I wanted to share the news like we used to do, but I'm sorry to interrupt you. I didn't know you were on a Dinner Date." Rick says quietly as he begins to back out the door and leave the two for their hanky panky, even as much as it was killing him to do so.

"Put it on the board Castle as possible, I don't think you're right, but we can check it out once the solid leads go cold"

"You've got to be kidding Kate? I'd bet a year's salary that this is just a plot of a book Nancy Drew has been thinking about writing" Tom jeers

Rick was used to the barbs from the Robbery Detective, it had become the norm over the last several weeks, what he wasn't expecting was the reaction from Kate,

She laughed, loud, long and sincerely. "Maybe you're right Tom, but like I said once the solid leads are gone, we can check it, but it does sound more like Castles book than a viable suspect."

Rick backed out, slowly and quietly closing the door. He knows neither were aware he left, and the way they were looking at each other, doubted if either cared if he was alive or dead. They seemed to only have eyes for each other.

He had walked about 10 blocks before he realized, that this had to stop, for his own mental health, if nothing more. He had his share of heartaches, but this situation of hot one day, thrown in the trash the next, type of treatment was new to him. He hadn't felt such rejection since his youth in boarding schools, always the new kid, always the oddball who never fit in.

The pattern repeated over and over till he met Damian Westlake and learned how to write, truly write like a published author would. Suddenly it didn't matter what others said about him, especially after his first best seller and all the perks, girls included, that came with his new status. Suddenly the oddball no one wanted to associate with, was the envy of all the popular kids, male and female.

The pain he felt as a youth was just as real years later, even as popular as he was, he wasn't insulated from hurt, especially from matters of the heart. Demming's words rang in his head, over and over, but what hurt the most was the laugh, that distinctive and usually lovely sound of Kate Beckett's laughter. Each replay seemed more painful than the last.

He looked up and found himself at the entrance of the park, a place he often visited as a youth, the loner who spent most of his childhood alone. As he walked, he thought what actions would be the appropriate ones.

His intentions were not to hurt anyone, but it had become clear to him that he truly was just someone Beckett tolerated because of orders. His connections got him into the station, but that didn't mean it could help him crack the armor that the Detective seemed to have surrounded any sense of a heart she had. She had feelings for the Robbery Detective, so the gentlemanly thing to do was step away and allow them to be happy.

He had considered the offer of taking over a certain British Spy series in the last few weeks, but had felt he was needed here, that he truly was making a difference in his home city. Now, he knows that perhaps it was just the opposite, maybe he did get in the way and cost the team valuable time. He had been told repeatedly by Beckett, Esposito, and most recently Demming that he wasn't a cop, that he didn't understand, and things were different from their side of the badge.

He recalled the discussion he had with Alexis when the overtures of the offer first surfaced, he would need to spend at least 6 months, perhaps longer in England, but could take as many trips home as he wanted, as long as he was current with the deadlines for the book.

Alexis was excited, and now that she was a Senior, he barely saw his little girl anymore anyway. She came out and told him that it was time for him to find someone and make himself happy, plus there was nothing stopping her from coming over to England, it would earn her extra credit and also let her see the culture before she had to make a final decision between Stanford and Oxford Universities.

Rick thought long and hard, was there anything else keeping him here in New York, and if he were being honest, he had to say NO. Anything that needed attention could be done so remotely, his property management team could look after the loft, even if he had to hire a Senior Sitter for Martha, to keep her from going completely crazy with power.

Alexis would be here, and as she said, it was just an 8-10-hour flight to reach him, shorter in time than some stops on his book tours. He had sandbagged Gina, the next Heat book was complete, well it would need revisions, but it was done and the final Heat Book was over 60% complete, now that he knew which direction to take the characters he could knock it out in less than a week.

He would start his lawyers negotiating the end of his contract with Black Pawn. He was free contractually to write for anyone under any name but Richard Castle until his contract was completed at Black Pawn, so using the phantom author name Ian Fleming suited him just fine for the first three books the contract provided for.

He had to admit, it was a hell of a lot of money and perks they were offering, so why not? He could write and recover from a broken heart at the same time. He would talk to Alexis when he got home, but unless something big could block it, this was his course of action. He had to admit it felt better to at least have a plan, and he wasn't running away from Beckett, he was running to an opportunity of a life time, now if his heart would only believe it.

He made his way home, stopping to buy a special pizza, Alexis's favorite, from her favorite pizza shop, to open the conversation with. As he opened the Loft door, his daughter was coming out of the kitchen,

"Hey Dad, we were starting to get worried, I called Detective Beckett said you left hours ago, something on your mind, you look like you've been through one of those mental wrestling tournaments again"

"Well actually there is, remember the offer for that particular British Agent, I've been thinking I would like to do it after all. I know we talked about it before, but I want to make sure you're still OK with it.

"Of course, Dad, provided it's what YOU want to do, what changed your mind, I mean you thought you were needed here"

"Well apparently my opinion was just that, an opinion, Beckett has teamed up with Demming from Robbery, both professionally and personally so it seems I really am a third wheel for sure."

"I'm sorry Daddy, I know you care for her, but really do you want to keep getting your heart broken by someone I really doubt knows how to love anyone. I'm sorry that sounds rude coming from a High School Senior, but, really Dad, I see you hurting, it's time, Move On, please."

"You're right Pumpkin, as usual, and I can't do that being here, I'll get sucked right back into her web the minute she needs me. Enough, time to think of me, I'll make the arrangements if you're sure. You know you can't tell anyone where I am or what I'm doing, even your Grams, I'm afraid of too much liquor will sink my ship.

Only you and Paula will know so I am trusting you both. I can't give out my cell number to anyone, not even Gina, so if she needs to get in touch with me, have her call the burner cell and leave a message. I can't think of anything she would need to discuss that wouldn't involve Paula anyway."

"Daddy, what about your friends at the 12th, I mean there's more than Beckett there, is there any message you want me to tell them?"

"Well, I plan on letting Roy know first by phone, then a special delivered letter, and also sending gift cards to them all, thanking them for their help. As far as Espo or Ryan, no, they're Kate's friends, not mine. Roy will know all he needs to know when I'm finished with the letter."

"How about Uncle Bob, are you going to tell him, or should I just play that you're on a fact-finding mission for your next series of books, and play dumb from there?"

"As much as I hate to lie, I think that's a good plan Pumpkin, thank you. Let me know when you want to come over for your first visit, hopefully your Grams will be on tour, and you won't have to explain to her where you're going."

"Got that covered already Daddy, I told her we may take a field trip to Europe, but if we go, it had to be on the Down Low because other students would revolt and cause problems. I told her I would leave her a note a date I would be home, not to worry and you had already approved it."

"Thanks Sweetie, well I have some work to do, letters to write and I need to call Paula and my legal team. Interrupt me if you need me but looks like I will be locked away for the night. If you're home and your Grams comes home, do your best to keep her away from the office, I know she listens in when she can try to find out the scoop."

"I will Daddy, and Dad, I know this is going to be hard but like you said, you'll never get over her as long as you are here, she's got you under her spell. I'm proud of you Daddy, it'll be OK, you'll see."

"Thanks Baby, now get some rest, I love you."

TBC

A/N Dates, Ages, and some events have been manipulated to fit this story and thanks to JC, for the prompt,

While Beckett and Demming were eating Chinese takeout at Beckett's desk as in the show, Castle comes rushing in. Castle knew who the killer is. Unfortunately, Castle was not expecting to see Beckett and Demming having a "dinner date". Nonetheless, Castle explains who the killer is while he was agonizingly feeling pain within him. The following early morning Castle calls Roy Montgomery at the precinct and says something came up and he will no longer be able to come to the precinct. For Roy to just tell the boys and Beckett.