Bodyguards and Biggest Fans
Title: Bodyguards and Biggest Fans (Team Castle, Ch. 3)
Word count: 1,472
Characters/pairings: Kate Beckett/Rick Castle
Rating/Warnings: PG
Summary: It's a good thing Castle has a bodyguard of sorts, because his fans lack boundaries.
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: No infringement intended. I'm not making any money off of this. If I were, I'd be off on a beach somewhere.
It's spring in New York City and the murder rate's increasing. Beckett's wrapping up paperwork on yet another case when she gets a text.
What's the best way to hide a body?
She crinkles up the half-empty bag of gummy bears and drops it in a drawer as she ponders the question. She taps out, Depends. Who do you want to murder, Castle? and goes to file the paperwork.
When she gets back, her phone says, Who says I want to murder someone? It could be for my novel.
It's you, she sends. After a few moments she follows up with, Which doctor is it this time? Short Stuff or Prematurely Balding? Those are his nicknames, not hers, but she's not going to bother typing out their actual names.
There's a pause, during which she reads an email about employee break policy. Her phone vibrates. Slappy.
Beckett winces. "Slappy" is Dr. Yen, the speech-language pathologist who's been working with Martha. Rick took an immediate dislike to him. He thinks the SLP treats Martha like she's a child. Beckett think he's overreacting a bit. Nothing can be too good for Rick Castle's mother. Right now most things aren't.
I'm due for a lunch break. How about I swing by the hospital with some food?
Already ate, he responds. How about coffee instead?
Coffee sounds good. Seeing him-seeing them sounds good. She's been too busy the last week to drop by. Beckett sends an acknowledgement, scoops up her keys and jacket, and nods goodbye to Esposito and Ryan. They nod back and return to talking baseball. She feels a pang; her Mets are in spring training right now, and she hasn't had time to check up on them.
Before she reaches the door, the captain appears from somewhere.
"Out for lunch, Beckett?" he asks.
"Uh, yes ... going to the hospital, actually." She doesn't know why she feels the need to tell him. Maybe it's because she's been taking longer lunch breaks this month to see the Castles, and that email felt like it was targeted at her.
But Montgomery smiles a little-as much as Montgomery ever smiles-says, "Good work. Keep it up, Detective," and disappears back into his lair.
Beckett blinks and goes to get her car.
* * *
She finds the way to outpatient. Alexis told her Rick takes Martha to the hospital a few times per week now for speech and physical therapy. Beckett suspects being at home is therapeutic as well.
She pauses outside the waiting room. A few kids are playing quietly in a corner under a woman's watchful eye. Rick's sprawled in a chair across the room, glaring at nothing.
"Hey," she says when he looks up. "You're scaring the children."
He forces a smile. "My goal in life."
Beckett hands him a cup of the flavored milk he tries to pass off as coffee and sits down. "You look like you've been here a while."
He sips at his concoction. "A little too long. Mother'd better be able to recite the alphabet backwards when she comes back."
Beckett's fingers itch, like maybe they want to rub the pent-up anger from his shoulders. She keeps a firm hold on her cup. "Alexis says she's doing surprisingly well."
"She did? Who told her that?"
"Dr. Yen."
"Huh. Did he give her a gold star too?"
"Castle," Beckett reproves him. "He's just doing his job and being patient."
"Hell, give me an hour; I could find three people who are five times as good and ten times less condescending, and who would see her at home."
"Castle. She likes going out, even if it is to here. Don't take that away from her. Besides, she seems to like Dr. Yen."
Rick's scowling again. Beckett represses a sigh and gets up to throw away her cup. She has a hard time dealing with him when he's like this. She tries to cut him some slack, because he's been surprisingly mature under a great deal of stress, but when he gets this crabby there's not much to do but ride it out.
She pauses at the wastebasket. There are two teenage girls peering around the corner. Her head swivels as they make a beeline past her ...
... right to Castle.
"Richard Castle?" the bottle blonde says. "We heard your mom's, like, in the hospital, and we just wanted to come down here and say how sorry we are."
Rick is looking bemused. "Thank you."
Emboldened by his response, the blonde continues, "We made you some cards and a little care package with some cookies and stuff." She nudges the brunette. "Mel, give him the stuff."
"Oh! Right!" says the brunette. She pushes a large shoebox at Rick.
"That's very, uh, thoughtful of you."
"I'm Tanya, and this is Melanie," the blonde chirps. "We're your biggest fans, right, Mel? Rook is so hot! He's totally based on you, isn't he? What'd you do to get in the mindset for writing those super-hot sex scenes?"
Beckett's had about enough.
"Excuse me," she says, striding toward them. Two heads turn to look up at her.
Melanie whispers, "Omigawd, Tanya, it's totally Nikki Heat!"
"Omigawd!" says Tanya. "We're totally your biggest fans! Can I have your autograph?"
Beckett folds her arms. "I don't generally give out autographs. And I'm sorry, but I need to ask you to leave."
"But he hasn't opened our package yet!"
Rick starts to say something. Beckett holds up a hand and he subsides. "While Mr. Castle appreciates your ... enthusiasm, I have to ask that you respect his privacy at this time. I'm sure you understand."
Tanya shoots him a coy glance. "Oh, we like privacy too."
Rick clears his throat. Beckett rolls her eyes briefly. "Then we won't have a problem. The exit is that way, ladies." She points, in case they're as dense as they seem.
But Tanya's smart enough to realize that Beckett is the enemy. "This is a public place. We can stay if we want." She looks at Castle again. Technically Tanya is correct, but the detective's not having any of it. Beckett steps between the girls and Castle and puts her hands on her hips, incidentally exposing her badge and holster.
"I'd really rather not call security," Beckett says evenly. "It'd be more fun to handcuff you myself." She looks down at Tanya ("down" being a considerable distance). The blonde's bristling like a tiny lapdog. Beckett wants to laugh, but it would ruin the moment.
Melanie's tugging on her friend's arm and looking mortified. "Come on, Tan," she says. "Let's get out of here."
"Fine. But we're only leaving because we want to leave," Tanya spits. Beckett keeps staring her down until the two disappear beyond the corner. After a moment, she turns back to Rick.
Who's laughing silently, almost doubled over in his chair. Beckett gives in and chuckles too.
"I'm glad you enjoyed that, Castle."
"Oh, I did. I surely did. Wow." He wipes his eyes.
"That sort of thing happen often?" Beckett wonders how Tanya and Melanie tracked him here.
"Not in a hospital, no. I'll tell you this: fangirls, God bless 'em, are unstoppable. And have friends in many places, and far, far too much time on their hands."
Beckett grunts. "Maybe you should switch SLPs after all."
Rick gets to his feet, takes her hands, and plants a quick celebratory kiss on her right there in front of everyone. "That, my dear detective bodyguard, is exactly what I've been saying all along."
Beckett stares at him. Why does he keep doing that? "Castle-" she begins, but Martha's being wheeled out to them. As Dr. Slappy starts to medi-babble at Rick, Martha beckons her closer with her good hand. Beckett leans down.
"Saw that," Martha slurs.
Oh, crap.
Author's note: Poor Castle; the fangirls are everywhere. Good thing he's got Nikki Heat I MEAN BECKETT to watch his back.
Word count: 1,472
Characters/pairings: Kate Beckett/Rick Castle
Rating/Warnings: PG
Summary: It's a good thing Castle has a bodyguard of sorts, because his fans lack boundaries.
Spoilers: none
Disclaimer: No infringement intended. I'm not making any money off of this. If I were, I'd be off on a beach somewhere.
It's spring in New York City and the murder rate's increasing. Beckett's wrapping up paperwork on yet another case when she gets a text.
What's the best way to hide a body?
She crinkles up the half-empty bag of gummy bears and drops it in a drawer as she ponders the question. She taps out, Depends. Who do you want to murder, Castle? and goes to file the paperwork.
When she gets back, her phone says, Who says I want to murder someone? It could be for my novel.
It's you, she sends. After a few moments she follows up with, Which doctor is it this time? Short Stuff or Prematurely Balding? Those are his nicknames, not hers, but she's not going to bother typing out their actual names.
There's a pause, during which she reads an email about employee break policy. Her phone vibrates. Slappy.
Beckett winces. "Slappy" is Dr. Yen, the speech-language pathologist who's been working with Martha. Rick took an immediate dislike to him. He thinks the SLP treats Martha like she's a child. Beckett think he's overreacting a bit. Nothing can be too good for Rick Castle's mother. Right now most things aren't.
I'm due for a lunch break. How about I swing by the hospital with some food?
Already ate, he responds. How about coffee instead?
Coffee sounds good. Seeing him-seeing them sounds good. She's been too busy the last week to drop by. Beckett sends an acknowledgement, scoops up her keys and jacket, and nods goodbye to Esposito and Ryan. They nod back and return to talking baseball. She feels a pang; her Mets are in spring training right now, and she hasn't had time to check up on them.
Before she reaches the door, the captain appears from somewhere.
"Out for lunch, Beckett?" he asks.
"Uh, yes ... going to the hospital, actually." She doesn't know why she feels the need to tell him. Maybe it's because she's been taking longer lunch breaks this month to see the Castles, and that email felt like it was targeted at her.
But Montgomery smiles a little-as much as Montgomery ever smiles-says, "Good work. Keep it up, Detective," and disappears back into his lair.
Beckett blinks and goes to get her car.
* * *
She finds the way to outpatient. Alexis told her Rick takes Martha to the hospital a few times per week now for speech and physical therapy. Beckett suspects being at home is therapeutic as well.
She pauses outside the waiting room. A few kids are playing quietly in a corner under a woman's watchful eye. Rick's sprawled in a chair across the room, glaring at nothing.
"Hey," she says when he looks up. "You're scaring the children."
He forces a smile. "My goal in life."
Beckett hands him a cup of the flavored milk he tries to pass off as coffee and sits down. "You look like you've been here a while."
He sips at his concoction. "A little too long. Mother'd better be able to recite the alphabet backwards when she comes back."
Beckett's fingers itch, like maybe they want to rub the pent-up anger from his shoulders. She keeps a firm hold on her cup. "Alexis says she's doing surprisingly well."
"She did? Who told her that?"
"Dr. Yen."
"Huh. Did he give her a gold star too?"
"Castle," Beckett reproves him. "He's just doing his job and being patient."
"Hell, give me an hour; I could find three people who are five times as good and ten times less condescending, and who would see her at home."
"Castle. She likes going out, even if it is to here. Don't take that away from her. Besides, she seems to like Dr. Yen."
Rick's scowling again. Beckett represses a sigh and gets up to throw away her cup. She has a hard time dealing with him when he's like this. She tries to cut him some slack, because he's been surprisingly mature under a great deal of stress, but when he gets this crabby there's not much to do but ride it out.
She pauses at the wastebasket. There are two teenage girls peering around the corner. Her head swivels as they make a beeline past her ...
... right to Castle.
"Richard Castle?" the bottle blonde says. "We heard your mom's, like, in the hospital, and we just wanted to come down here and say how sorry we are."
Rick is looking bemused. "Thank you."
Emboldened by his response, the blonde continues, "We made you some cards and a little care package with some cookies and stuff." She nudges the brunette. "Mel, give him the stuff."
"Oh! Right!" says the brunette. She pushes a large shoebox at Rick.
"That's very, uh, thoughtful of you."
"I'm Tanya, and this is Melanie," the blonde chirps. "We're your biggest fans, right, Mel? Rook is so hot! He's totally based on you, isn't he? What'd you do to get in the mindset for writing those super-hot sex scenes?"
Beckett's had about enough.
"Excuse me," she says, striding toward them. Two heads turn to look up at her.
Melanie whispers, "Omigawd, Tanya, it's totally Nikki Heat!"
"Omigawd!" says Tanya. "We're totally your biggest fans! Can I have your autograph?"
Beckett folds her arms. "I don't generally give out autographs. And I'm sorry, but I need to ask you to leave."
"But he hasn't opened our package yet!"
Rick starts to say something. Beckett holds up a hand and he subsides. "While Mr. Castle appreciates your ... enthusiasm, I have to ask that you respect his privacy at this time. I'm sure you understand."
Tanya shoots him a coy glance. "Oh, we like privacy too."
Rick clears his throat. Beckett rolls her eyes briefly. "Then we won't have a problem. The exit is that way, ladies." She points, in case they're as dense as they seem.
But Tanya's smart enough to realize that Beckett is the enemy. "This is a public place. We can stay if we want." She looks at Castle again. Technically Tanya is correct, but the detective's not having any of it. Beckett steps between the girls and Castle and puts her hands on her hips, incidentally exposing her badge and holster.
"I'd really rather not call security," Beckett says evenly. "It'd be more fun to handcuff you myself." She looks down at Tanya ("down" being a considerable distance). The blonde's bristling like a tiny lapdog. Beckett wants to laugh, but it would ruin the moment.
Melanie's tugging on her friend's arm and looking mortified. "Come on, Tan," she says. "Let's get out of here."
"Fine. But we're only leaving because we want to leave," Tanya spits. Beckett keeps staring her down until the two disappear beyond the corner. After a moment, she turns back to Rick.
Who's laughing silently, almost doubled over in his chair. Beckett gives in and chuckles too.
"I'm glad you enjoyed that, Castle."
"Oh, I did. I surely did. Wow." He wipes his eyes.
"That sort of thing happen often?" Beckett wonders how Tanya and Melanie tracked him here.
"Not in a hospital, no. I'll tell you this: fangirls, God bless 'em, are unstoppable. And have friends in many places, and far, far too much time on their hands."
Beckett grunts. "Maybe you should switch SLPs after all."
Rick gets to his feet, takes her hands, and plants a quick celebratory kiss on her right there in front of everyone. "That, my dear detective bodyguard, is exactly what I've been saying all along."
Beckett stares at him. Why does he keep doing that? "Castle-" she begins, but Martha's being wheeled out to them. As Dr. Slappy starts to medi-babble at Rick, Martha beckons her closer with her good hand. Beckett leans down.
"Saw that," Martha slurs.
Oh, crap.
Author's note: Poor Castle; the fangirls are everywhere. Good thing he's got Nikki Heat I MEAN BECKETT to watch his back.