14. Chapter 14

After the Third Man

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: How much Castle do I own, you ask? None. Rating: K Time: See story title.

For the second time in a week, Kate Beckett found herself eating with Castle. A burger, fries and a strawberry shake was just what she needed after her "date" that evening. She made a note to herself not to ask Lanie to set her up in the future.

She peeked over the rim of her milkshake at Castle. He was busy eating his fries, carefully dipping one at a time into ketchup before eating it. She smiled to herself. He looked up and caught her looking. He smiled and she braced herself for a Castle remark.

"This is eating, right?" Was all he said.

She smiled back at him. "Beats Drago's, all right."

He went back to his burger and she concentrated on her fries. This was the Castle she was comfortable with. Oh, he still had an endless supply of silly theories he trotted out, and he could be vain and self-centered at times, but she didn't find him nearly as obnoxious as she once had. It suddenly occurred to her that this was almost like a date. She had even allowed Castle to let him pay as he claimed that his insights had caused her to miss the rest of her date at Drago's.

As if he could read her mind, he said, "Sorry that your date got interrupted by work."

She shrugged. "I'm a cop. Odd hours come with the territory. I'm sorry yours got interrupted. You're not a cop after all."

"Oh, no problem. I was just as happy to leave Number Three anyway."

She frowned. "What was wrong with her? She's attractive, sophisticated, moves in your same social circles. I would have thought she'd be perfect."

He shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with her, it's just there was nothing right with her." Seeing her confused look, he explained. "I don't run into very many people who share my fascination with discussing a nice, juicy murder over dinner."

Kate was surprised. That was either the most bizarre pick up line she'd ever heard, or Castle was just being totally honest with her. She was probably the only person who would sit and discuss a murder over dinner with him. She was not sure where this conversation was going, so she decided to change the subject. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

He looked up. "Yes."

"About Nikki Heat. I still think it's a stripper's name, not a cop name. But I do like the character. She's a good cop and you got the dynamics of the precinct and the homicide squad just right."

He smiled at her. "Nikki should be good cop, after all, she's you."

She blushed slightly. "Thank you, but I think you idealized me for Nikki."

He looked at her seriously for a minute. "You have no idea how remarkable you are, do you? You were right at the book release party, Nikki Heat does need a better writer. Nikki's good, but you're better. I didn't really capture you."

"Castle, I don't want another writer." She said softly, then realized what that might sound like. Quickly, she added, "I don't want to break in a new writer."

"Oh, no problem. I think I'm more of less housebroken now."

Kate put her head down and attacked her burger. She could not let anything happen between her and Castle. He was her friend and her partner, but he would never be her one and done. If she let it become anything other than that, she'd end up a damaged, heart-broken mess. She would not let that happen. She had a goal in life, after all.

Castle looked over at Beckett. She had been absolutely gorgeous there in Drago's. He knew she was a beauty from day one, but her level of sophistication was surprising to him. And not just beauty, but brains, compassion, drive. Her life had changed forever when she was still a teenager. He knew he could never have handled anything like that at nineteen. She was tough, just like Nikki Heat. She had to be.

He thought about her. He could never have a one night stand with her, he respected her too much. It would probably destroy what they did have. A long term relationship? How long? She said she was a one and done girl and he was sure that was all she was looking for in life. Could he do that? He honestly didn't know, and since he didn't know, he had no right to try with her. So, he'd be her friend and partner. No more than that.