The April Fools' Day follow-up to Irish Lass

Note: None of these characters are mine

Joke's On You

"You bought seat covers?" Castle was peering through the window of Beckett's car.

"After that kid puked in here on the way to the station last week, I figured better safe than sorry," Beckett shrugged, clearing papers off the front seat.

Castle opened the passenger side door and leaned in to examine the seat covers. "Eeewww, but Beckett, they're vinyl," he whined. "Let me buy you something in leather?"

"Get in the car, Castle. We have a murderer to arrest."

"I'd like to murder these seat covers," Castle grumbled as he climbed into the car, eyeballing the seat covers skeptically.

As they pulled up to the curb where Ryan and Esposito were waiting, Beckett turned to Castle. "Castle, this guy is dangerous. I want you to stay in the car."

"Yup, sure. I won't move a muscle," Castle said, as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. He started to swing his legs out of the car, only to find himself tugged back into the seat. He tried again, using the doorframe to pull himself up. He made about two inches of progress, struggled for a moment, and then flopped back into the seat.

Confused, Castle glanced up to see Beckett standing next to his door watching him with amusement. "I told you to stay in the car." Castle gaped at her, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"You glued me to the seat," he said, with a hint of awe.

"Happy April Fools', Castle." She threw him a wink and sauntered off towards Ryan and Esposito, leaving him to watch her walk away.

Twenty minutes later, they were headed back to the precinct. In the time it took Beckett to catch a murderer, Castle had twisted his body in every way he could think of, and had only succeeded in freeing one corner of the seat cover. As they pulled into the precinct, he turned to Beckett.

"I'm very impressed, Detective. I especially liked the a-kid-puked-in-my-car-so-I-bought-hideous-seat-covers backstory. That was very sly. Now will you please help me get out of here?"

"Giving up so soon, Castle? What would Jameson Rook do?" With a grin and one more wink (Castle was pretty sure he'd stay glued to her car forever if it meant she'd keep winking at him) Beckett climbed out of the car and headed into the station.

Beckett had just barely sat down at her desk, when the elevator pinged. She looked up to see Castle proudly parading through the precinct, with her vinyl seat cover still firmly adhered to the seat of his trousers.

"Hey Castle! That's a nice look for you bro! It really suits you," Esposito shouted at Castle as he walked by. Ryan was clutching his chest, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

Castle stopped at Beckett's desk. "Beckett, can I talk to you for a second in the break room?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, Castle," Becket said, worried that she'd taken her prank a little bit too far.

Beckett grabbed her coffee mug, and moved to stand. Her chair moved with her. Understanding instantly, she slumped back in the seat and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She should have seen this coming.

"Detective," Castle's deep voice rumbled in her ear and her eyes snapping open. "You didn't honestly think you were the only one with a tube of superglue, did you?"

"Castle," she said quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself. "How am I supposed to get out of this?"

"I don't know, Beckett. What would Nikki Heat do?" Castle whispered (Beckett thinks she'd happily stay glued to her chair forever if he'd keep whispering in her ear). He grabbed her coffee mug and headed towards the break room, the vinyl seat cover still trailing along behind him like a bridal train.

Thanks for reading (and for kindly overlooking the liberties I took with the physical and chemical properties of superglue)!