52. Chapter 52

After Reality Star Struck

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I own no Castle! I keep saying that, don't I? Rating: K+ Time: See above.

Snuggling in Kate's bed, Rick slid his hand along Kate's shoulder. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"What's the term from The Right Stuff? Screwed the pooch?"

He laughed. "That works with Gates on so many levels."

"Well, at least she can't hate you any more than she already does."

"Oh, I'm sure her capacity for hate is limitless. I just hope she didn't think I was coming on to her. That would be…difficult? Embarrassing? Horrifying?"

Kate smiled. "Well, you are ruggedly handsome. You have a reputation for signing women's boobs. Plus you have some money, don't you? I'd think you'd be just Gates' type. I don't really know anything about her husband, but she didn't make detective and then captain by putting work second."

Kate began to stroke Rick's chest. "Just imagine poor, lonely Vicky having to watch you walk by her office. Looking at your broad shoulders, your muscular arms, your rock solid abs, and when you bend over she sees your…"

"Stop!" Rick cried. "I'm getting nauseous."

Kate laughed. "She calls you into her office. She closes the door. She closes the blinds, then she tells you to sit down and make yourself comfortable. She has you trapped."

"Then I gnaw off my arm to escape the trap. I run to the remarkable Kate Beckett for help. I scream, "Help! I'll do anything, Beckett, just help me." At once, Super Beckett springs into action, not even bothering to go into a phone booth to change into her superhero costume. Super Beckett versus Gates. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, even the Toxic Avenger are in awe of your strength, your courage, your…"

"Hotness?" Kate prompts.

"Absolutely! Wonder Woman, Elektra, Barbarella, Max Guevara, even that ass-kicking blonde from that Joss Whedon show, what's her name, cannot match Super Beckett. And she saves her comic sidekick and lives happily ever after." Rick looked pensive. "I'll have to write that down. Mild mannered cop by day, superhero by night."

"As long as it's not a hooker by night." Kate said.

"Oh, no. Hooker on weekends, I think."

"Or perhaps Super Beckett stands back and lets you get out of the mess you made? After all, you're responsible for me not having a Valentine's Day present."

"I will so make that up to you. I will scour the jewelry stores of Manhattan until I've found something ten times as good as those earrings."

"You're sweet." She reaches over and kisses Rick. "But you don't have to do that. I'm not sure jewelry is such a good idea anyway. Where would I wear it? I can't wear expensive jewelry at work. Some thief would try to grab it. Or people would wonder how I could afford something like that on a cop's salary and think I was bent. Worse, Gates would figure I got it from you and start asking about our relationship. And it's not like I'll be going anyplace with you socially where I could wear expensive jewelry. Given that we need to keep our relationship a secret, I'm not going anyplace socially with you other than maybe to Remy's for a burger or something like that. That's not exactly where you go wearing high end jewelry."

"And that just sucks. I want to take you out to the finest restaurants in New York, to Broadway shows, to the symphony, everyplace. I want to show you off."

"Oh, show me off? Like a new toy?" She teased.

"No!" Rick said, raising his voice. "No like that at all. I want everyone to know that the Remarkable Kate Beckett is the woman I love. I want every man in the world to see you and envy me. I want everyone to see how happy we are. I want everyone to know just how special you are."

"Thank you, but that's not going to happen any time soon, you know."

Rick looked up at the ceiling. "There's got to be a way. I want you to have fun. I want the very best for you." He thought for a moment. "We could go out of town."

"Where?"

"LA. There's plenty to do there."

"Right. No one's going to notice the world famous author Rick Castle in LA and post photos of him and his mysterious date all over the internet for any interested NYPD captain to see."

"Hawaii?"

"You do know it's a state, right?"

"We could rent a condo somewhere out of the way and stay to ourselves?" He suggested.

"We can do that in your loft."

"Australia? Hong Kong?"

"Tibet?" Kate suggested. "You are world famous, and I'd rather stay here in the loft with you than risk someone finding out about us and losing you."

"You'll never lose me."

Kate smiled. "Same here. But I don't want to lose you as a partner. Besides, I like being alone with you in the loft."

"I know. We could wear disguises. A mustache and mutton chop whiskers for me and a blonde wig and sunglasses for you."

"And that would show me off how?"

"Good point."

"I could wear a red haired wig, get a pushup bra and call myself Meredith."

"Please don't go there."

Kate just laughed.

"Anyway, I could never give you anything as great as your Valentine's Day gift. I admit. You won. Nothing I could possibly ever give you could equal your Valentine's Day gift. It's perfect."

"You could always give me my own drawer in the loft."

"Pointless. You already know you can have all the drawers, the closets and anything else in the loft and in the place in the Hamptons. I'd cheerfully buy you a whole building filled with nothing but drawers. I'm putty in your hands."

"Does that mean you'll do some paperwork with me?"

"Have you ever seen putty do paperwork?" He shot back.

"Somehow I knew you'd find a way out of that." She said with a smile.

"Kate, I swear to you, I won't rest until I find a replacement Valentine's Day gift that's good enough for you. I'm serious. Ever since I first met you, I've wanted to take all the pain I see in you and replace it with joy."

Kate smiled at him and leaned up to kiss him. "Then maybe you should just consider what you've already given me?"

"Such as?" He said, curious.

"The best partner any detective ever had, for one. My best friend. My lover. And, most important of all, the man who brings me coffee every morning. That's you."

"I'm all that?"

"And more. But don't think that this gets you out of buying me a Valentine's Day gift."

"Never."

"But there is something you can give me right now." Her hand headed south.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kate."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Rick."