812. Chapter 812

After Lucky Stiff

Episode 3.14

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm not lucky. I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"I can't do this."

"What?"

"I can't do this. It's as simple as that."

Richard Castle looked at her quizzically. "You meant to tell me that tough as nails, kick ass homicide detective Kate Beckett can't do something." He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the same Detective Kate Beckett that would say that everything was fine, even if her legs were being gnawed off by alligators?"

Beckett glared at him, which seemed to do no good. "This is different. Tonight the initial scholarships for the Johanna Beckett Memorial Scholarships are being awarded."

"I know. That's why I'm in a tux and you're…" He grinned. "Absolutely adorable."

Kate looked down at her dress. The tight red dress that stopped just above her knees was one of her favorites, but now it seemed too gaudy to wear to a law school function. "I don't know why I let you talk me into wearing this dress." She said grimly.

"Talk you into wearing the dress?" Castle frowned. "I think you asked me on Thursday if that dress would be okay. I said yes. What's wrong with it?"

"I'm going to be mixing with law professors and their wives, all sorts of lawyers and judges and politicians and…."

"Every last one of them will be wearing a blue three piece suit. It's the official uniform of the legal profession. Would you be happier in your skinny jeans, a tee shirt and a leather jacket?"

"No!" She said, horrified at the idea.

"Then please tell me what the problem is? Please Beckett? Do you want me to get down on my hands and knees and beg you for an answer?"

"Of course not." She took a step forward and put her hand on his tuxedo jacket. "It's been just a year since the first fundraiser for Mom's scholarship fund. And now the very first scholarship is being awarded. And they asked me to sit on the committee deciding who'll get the one scholarship. No matter what I do, someone, some deserving law student, will be left out. And who the hell am I to decide about a law school scholarship? I didn't even finish my pre-law studies at Stanford."

Castle ran his thumb along the heel of her hand. "Okay, three things. First, there will be four law professors there. Just listen to them and vote with the majority. Secondly, these are all top notch students. Every one of them could be another Alexis. They'll all get into good law schools, and they'll all do well in life. It's not like they're all going to be axe murderers among them. Thirdly, you're pretty good at judging people, Detective Beckett. Would I have made you the inspiration for Nikki Heat if you weren't remarkable?"

"Thanks." She said with a smile. "I guess all I really needed was a swift kick in the ass."

"A swift kick? Not at all, but if you'd like me to…"

"No! Not at all!" She cut him off. "Now take me to law school, Castle."

Castle had to concentrate on driving as the weather was very rainy and traffic was very heavy. This left Kate alone with her thoughts. Castle told me he loves me months ago and I lied to him. I know I hurt him by not calling him. I've been hurting him by not telling him the truth. One part of me wants to tell him to forget the scholarship presentation and take me to a nice expensive hotel and make love to me all night. And one part of me says that if I let Castle become the most important thing in my life, I'll never find my mother's killer.

"Here we are." Castle said. "We can stop under the awning so we don't get wet."

Castle and Beckett went to the cocktail reception that preceded the award ceremony. As she expected, it was full of law professors, and hordes of lawyers, mostly dressed in blue, three piece suits. Kate was happy to note that some of the female lawyers were dressed in shorter, tighter dresses than she was.

She hung onto Castle's arm as he made his way around the floor, greeting everyone, seeming to know everyone and having a smile and a cheerful line of patter for everyone. She knew she'd never have managed without him.

Finally, it was time. Kate sat with Rick and four law professors at a long table. In front of them was a comfortable seat for the interviewees. Professor Kingman spoke. "We've asked the students to tell us, in fifteen minutes or less, why they deserve the scholarship. We should not be asking them any questions about the law, or other aspects of…"

"Oh, for God's sake, William. We read the damned briefing. Quit treating us like we're morons. "That was Professor Thelma Graham, not one noted for her charm and tact.

The first student came in and sat. Although it was not hot, sweat was pouring off of him. He looked around the room, then spoke. "Good….evening. I'm George….Marlowe. Thank you Miss Beckett and Miss Castle for…."His eyes bulged out as he realized his error. "Mr. and Mrs. Castle and Professor…." Castle laughed at suddenly being married to Beckett, and Beckett looked away from the young man.

He began again. "GoodeveningI'mGeorge…." After running the words together he stopped. He stood up, vomited and ran from the room.

Karen Hiltz came in wearing tattered jeans, a tee shirt with the anarchist logo on it and glared at everyone. "There is so much wrong with the fucking legal system in this fucking country I can't even begin to cover it in the fifteen fucking minutes you assholes gave me." She then proceeded with an obscenity laced tirade against…pretty much everything. When she was done, she stomped out.

Graham laughed. Everyone looked at her. "She's one of my students. Her parents are both wealthy corporate lawyers. She can pay for any law school in the country. She seems to feel badly about white privilege. She's an excellent student, but suffers from the delusion that she's God's gift to humanity and the rest of us are evil pig fascist capitalists. I won't be voting for her."

Ryan Nordstrom was the opposite of Hiltz. He was charming, and appeared to have read every book that Castle and the professors had written and he praised them all highly, claiming that each and every one of them had changed his life for the better.

When he left, Castle whispered to Beckett, "If ass kissing was an Olympic sport, he'd have all the gold medals."

"I heard that, Mr. Castle." Said Professor Bowman, a stern looking African American. "However, this was one of his more subtle performances. He can be far more smarmy. Far more."

Gordon Grant came in and recited a laundry list of his accomplishments in the most boring monotone possible. He began with winning a spelling bee in the third grade and ended with a victory in a mock trial in his senior year in which he was the defense attorney.

The last student came in. He was dressed in khaki slacks, an open necked shirt and a blue sport coat. He sat, crossed his legs and smiled. "Hi, everyone. I'm Jerry Burns and I'm pretty obviously the only candidate for you to pick. If you pick poor Georgie Marlowe, he'll probably die of stress before he graduates. Old Hiltzy is everyone's pick to be the girl most likely to go berserk with an automatic weapon. Once Nordy is out of law school, he'll find he needs to actually know something and not just know someone. And Grant will probably put whichever law school he goes to into a terminal coma from ennui. So, who else can you possibly pick?" He stood up and smiled at everyone. He said, "Have a good evening." And walked out whistling.

When he took her home, Beckett invited Castle to her place for a drink. "Even though you didn't have a vote, you were pretty convincing in getting your favorite student the scholarship."

"Let's face it, Mr. Burns is…"

"As egotistical as you are." Kate finished for him.

"Well, he does remind me of myself in my younger days."

Kate smiled. "I think we picked a good one."