174. Chapter 174

After Suicide Squeeze, Again

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Adios, pelota! But I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"So, Detective Kate Beckett is a baseball fan. I would never have guessed."

Kate smiled superiorly. "There are so many things that you would never guess about me, Castle. There's no point in you even trying."

"I'm a fan myself."

"You? Mr. Metrosexual? Isn't baseball too butch for you? Sliding into second with your spikes high. Levelling the catcher stealing home? And those bench clearing brawls?"

"I watch and appreciate the game. Baseball is a very intellectual game, you know."

"I stand corrected." She laughed and shook her head.

"Would you like to go to a game with me?" He asked suddenly.

"A baseball game?" She asked, suspiciously.

"This weekend. The Yankees and the Red Sox."

"The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox?"

"The very same."

"You can get tickets? The game has been sold out since…forever."

"I know a guy." He said smugly.

"This isn't some scalper who prints his own tickets or something, is it?"

"Of course not." Castle tried to sound offended, but he was having too much fun.

"You understand this is not a date." She said, seriously.

"A date? Us? Of course not. The very idea, Kate Beckett." Not that I wouldn't love to have a date with you, but if you'll only go with me on a non-date, I'll accept it.

"Okay, then. But only if it's not a date, Castle." Just for a second, I thought you might be interested in me. And if you are, it's probably only to get me into bed. But you're my partner and my friend, so we'll just go to a ball game together, but not date.

Later that night…

"You're going on a date with Castle?" Lanie screamed.

Kate frowned. "No, I am not going on a date with Castle. We're going to a ball game. I made sure that he understood that this is not a date."

"Why?"

Kate shook her head. "We've been over this a million times, Lanie. He's not what I'm looking for and I'm not what he's looking for. It would never work between us and I'd end up with a broken heart, which is the last thing I need."

Lanie shook her head in disbelief. "You're just going to wait for some guy to drop by with a written guarantee in his hand that he's what you're looking for, and you're what he's looking for, and there will be no broken hearts? Really?"

"Can we just drop this? I'm going out on a non-date with Castle, that's all."

"You know, sweetie, you have to kiss an awful lot of frogs before you find a prince."

"Now there's a metaphor that makes it all worthwhile. Kissing a frog?"

"So, what are you going to wear?"

"Wear? It's a baseball game. Did you think I'd be ordering a new gown from Paris? Pin stripes with my name and number on the back in diamonds? Jimmy Choo cleats? Are hats in or out this year? Should I wear the bill backwards or go old school?"

"You might find a prince if you put some thought into it." Lanie said softly. Kate ignored her.

Saturday night…

Kate stared at her reflection in the mirror. This is not a date! I've told Castle that. I've told myself that. Why am I so damned worried about how I look?

She checked herself. She wore flats instead of her usual heels since going up and down stairs in a crowd could be difficult. She wore skinny jeans and a blue tee shirt with the Yankees' white NY logo on the front. She had pulled her hair back into a pony tail so that her well-worn Yankees' cap would fit properly. She carried a brown leather jacket which she would put on if it got cold.

I look fine! If Castle has any problems with the way I look, who cares? This is not a date. I am not dating Castle.

Kate jumped at the sharp knock at her door. She opened it to find Castle standing there. "Come on in. Let me just get my things and we can go."

She had carefully checked him out. Comfortable shoes, jeans, a 2000 World Champions tee shirt under an open Yankees' home jersey. He wore a Yankees' cap like her own.

She grabbed her purse and turned to Castle. "Whose jersey are you wearing?"

He turned around to show the back of the jersey with the number seven on it and the name CASTLE.

Kate smiled and shook her head. Castle did have an ego. "Number Seven was Mickey Mantle's number, but I'm trying to remember a baseball great named Castle."

"You're looking at him. Shall we go?"

Castle had a town car to take them to the game. When they were seated, Kate thought to ask, "Where are our seats?"

"Right behind the Yankees' dugout. The home plate side so we can see the manager, Joe Girardi."

"I should have known." Kate said. Castle is probably disappointed that he isn't sitting next to the manager. "Do you know Girardi?"

"Slightly. We've done some charity work together."

"What kind?" Under privileged mystery writers? She thought to herself.

"Mostly for kids."

"What do you do?"

He shrugged. "The usual." He changed the subject. "Hey. There's the stadium. We're almost there. It's nice, but I miss the old one."

Kate noticed that he'd changed the subject. And there's the Castle that I wish I knew better. The one who won't talk about charity work. I wish I understood him.

Before they headed for their seats, Castle wanted to stop at the team store. "Need something?" Kate asked.

"Indeed I do." Castle managed to attract the attention of a sales girl. "Richard Castle. I believe you're holding something for me."

She smiled. "It's right here, Mr. Castle." She handed him a large paper bag.

Castle turned around and handed it to Kate. "This is for you."

"Castle, you shouldn't have." She tried to glare at him, but couldn't.

"Open it."

She opened it. It was a Yankees' jersey. On the back was the number one and the name BECKETT.

"Castle, I can't take this."

"You mean I'm going to have to find another Beckett to give it to? Go ahead and take it. Okay?"

She put the jersey on. "Well?" She asked.

"You look adorable."

She blushed. "Thank you."

Their seats were as advertised and Joe Girardi smiled and said "hi" to Castle and Kate.

Kate enjoyed the game immensely. Mark Teixeira hit three home runs against the Red Sox, the first Yankee to hit three in a game against the Sox since Lou Gehrig.

When the ninth inning ended, Kate was happy. She stood up to go, but Castle put his hand on her arm. "Someone wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

Joe Girardi stuck his head up over the top of the dugout. "Detective Beckett? Can you come down here, please?"

Kate was mystified. What was this? She wondered if Castle had some trick up his sleeve. Castle helped her down onto the field. She found herself surrounded by Yankees.

"Detective Beckett, we appreciate you finding the killer of Cano Vega. He was a pal. One of us." Girardi said. "We'd all like to shake your hand and thank you, and we have a baseball autographed by the whole team for you."

Kate stood there in shock as her heroes shook her hand and thanked her.

Girardi shook Rick's hand. "Thanks for letting us know she's a Yankees fan, Rick. It'd be a shame if she was a Red Sox fan." He looked at Kate, then to Rick and back to Kate. "She's a keeper, Rick."

"She is." Castle said quietly.

I'm a keeper.