771. Chapter 771

After Home is Where the Heart Stops

Episode 1.07

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I would steal Castle, though. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Beckett, could you at least try to act like you're having a good time?"

She glared at him. "We're here undercover. We're not here to have a good time."

"I don't want to tell you your job…."

"Then don't." She snapped.

Castle waited for a moment. "People come to these events to have a good time, to let everyone see how happy and wealthy they are and, as a side benefit, to support a worthy cause. Look around you. See all the people happily enjoying the Eradication of Malaria fund raiser?"

Kate looked around. People were enjoying themselves. "Okay, I'll have fun."

Castle pulled her closer to him as they danced. She was wearing the same blue dress that she had worn just a week earlier at the book release party for Heat Wave. His hand covered her bare back. She pulled away from him. "Castle!" She whispered. "What do you think you're doing?"

Castle sighed. "Maybe we should just call it a night? Try something else? You're clearly not into this."

"Maybe you should have brought Detective Bronson from Robbery."

"He's nearing retirement and I don't think his wife would let him wear a dress in public. So, maybe we should just leave and …"

"No." She whispered fiercely. "Somebody is getting access to these charities' bank accounts and robbing them on line. Over a hundred thousand dollars has already been stolen, and since you're the only one in the NYPD who won't look out of place at one of these things, Montgomery asked you to help."

"You don't look out of place here. You belong here."

The music stopped before Kate could reply and Kate led him off the dance floor. "I need a drink." She said over her shoulder.

Castle ordered two vodka martinis, hoping that Beckett would loosen up a bit with some vodka in her. However, he didn't have much faith that she would.

"Hello, dear boy." Said a voice from behind him.

He turned around and smiled. "Powell! How are you?"

"Much happier than your lovely date. She looks absolutely miserable. Perhaps I should take her away from you?"

Castle smiled. "Powell, this is Kate Beckett. Beckett, this is Caine Powell. He gave me some advice on those jewel robberies."

"He's the jewel thief?"

Powell bowed. "I'm a gentleman of leisure now. I occasionally give advice on security and such matters. And you're the lady cop that was with Rick at the MADT function."

"So I don't think we'll be dancing together."

Powell nodded and smiled. "Well, you might not be dancing with Ricky either. Most of the women here have noticed how unhappy you are and are just waiting for me to leave to move in on Rick."

Beckett looked towards the dance floor. There were a half a dozen women looking at Castle and smiling at him. One managed to lean over so far that Beckett wondered how her boobs stayed in her dress. She glared at the women and put her arm around Rick.

"Just what are you doing here anyway, Rick?"

"Undercover." Beckett said quietly.

"Not another string of jewelry robberies? I hadn't heard a word."

"No, another kind of robbery. Someone has broken into the premises of several charities and stolen their security passwords and financial information. Then they go online and transfer the money to an offshore account."

"Is it that easy to break into a computer?"

Beckett shook her head. "Too many people write their passwords down right by the computer. And these are kids that are doing it."

"Kids?" Powell looked at Rick.

"Yes. The transfers take place at places with free wi fi and no security cameras. But we got lucky. They used an internet café that did have security cameras, well, one anyway. But all we got was a shot of some guy in a hoodie, a baseball cap and sunglasses. He was a kid all right. That's why we came here tonight." Castle gestured to the crowd. Half of them were teenagers invited in hopes that when they grew older, they'd continue to support the charities their parents did.

Powell leaned in. "In one way, I hate to turn anyone into the police, but I do detest amateurs in what should be a professionals' game. Do you see the two over in the corner? They've looked nervous all night and they've headed back towards the offices twice and then came back. Lost their nerve, I suppose."

Rick and Kate surreptitiously looked at the couple. The boy was tall and skinny with a bit of acne on his face. The girl was younger, probably not even in high school yet. But they both looked nervous and guilty. Then they began to move ever so slowly towards the offices.

"Thanks, Mr. Powell. We'll give them a few minutes and then follow them."

As soon as Powell left, two women came towards Rick, with smiles on their faces. "Let's dance." Beckett said, pulling Rick onto the dance floor. They moved slowly towards the offices and then when they go to the other end of the dance floor, they moved quickly down the hall to and turned left. There were four doors. Three were open and one was closed. Beckett nodded towards the closed door, then took her badge out from her cleavage.

They walked to the door and threw it open. "NYPD!" Beckett growled.

The two kids froze, each with a hand rolled cigarette in their mouths. They quickly exhaled.

"Pot! You two are smoking pot?" Beckett growled.

"Oh, god. Please don't tell my mom!" The girl wailed.

"It's all my fault." The boy said gallantly.

"Where were you between seven and ten last Tuesday?" Beckett demanded.

"At the Marlowe Prep science fair." The boy bleated.

"You're Charles Owen, aren't you?" Castle said. The boy nodded. "He has an alibi Beckett. His project was right next to Alexis'. I saw him."

"Mr. Castle? Is that you?"

"Yes it is. And if you ever go near Alexis, I'll turn you into the DEA and you'll do twenty years hard time."

"Put the pot you have on the desk over there and get out of here." Beckett ordered.

Castle watched them go, then turned to Beckett. "I apologize."

"For what?" She asked, frowning.

"I don't know, but I did something to really piss you off and I apologize for it. Sincerely. Honestly. And I'll never do it again. If you'll just tell me what I did."

"Do you want to know what you did?" Castle nodded vigorously. "You had your agent call the mayor and arrange to have you follow me around."

"I told you. I had nothing to do with that. It was all Paula's doing."

"You never asked me if it was okay for you to follow me around, Castle. Not then and not the first time. You never asked me. "

Suddenly, the penny dropped for Castle. "Detective Beckett, as I said in the dedication to Heat Wave, you are remarkable. You're an amazing detective and a fascinating woman. I should have asked you for permission to follow you around." Castle dropped to one knee. "Now, I'm asking you, begging you, to allow me to follow you around and help with your cases."

Beckett looked down at him. "Begging?"

"Abjectly."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll think about it."

"Think about it?"

"Yes, Castle. I'll think about it."

Kate shook her head vigorously, mussing her hair and then leaned over and smeared a bit of lipstick on his collar. "I don't want to have to fight off a horde of bimbos while we do our undercover work." She explained.

As Kate walked away from Castle she smiled. She was going to have so much fun with Castle before she finally said yes.