860. Chapter 860

After Reality Star Struck

Episode 5.14

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Happy I Don't Own Castle Day! Rating: K Time: See above.

"Dad, that was horrible!"

Castle nodded. "But it could have been worse."

"How?" Alexis asked, skeptically.

"Gates could have agreed to be my valentine." Castle shuddered at the thought. "Imagine her smiling at me and re-reading the note to me, then putting the earrings on and…" Castle shook his head wildly. "I can't. I just can't. Even thinking about it makes me nauseous."

"Well, imagine how Detective Beckett feels. Her boyfriend buys her a nice Valentine's Day gift and then gives it to another woman? Complete with a romantic note. You're lucky Beckett will still talk to you."

"Alexis, you're going way overboard on this. Beckett knows this was a mistake on my part. It's not like I'd ever ask…." Castle shuddered again. "Just thinking about that makes me want to hide under my bed."

"I know if a guy I was with screwed up my Valentine's Day present that badly, I would be a long time in forgiving him."

"Pumpkin, Beckett has already forgiven me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He paused. "I think."

"You do say that you're never quite sure where you stand with her, don't you?"

As soon as his mother came home from her acting school, Castle grabbed her, gave her a glass of wine and explained the whole mess.

"Richard, that's awful. Giving Katherine's Valentine's Day present to another woman, and Captain Gates at that. I'm sure she's just humiliated."

"She is not humiliated!" Castle said, raising his voice. "I made a mistake. She knows I made a mistake. The important thing is that Gates doesn't know that the earrings were for Beckett, so she can't use that to kick me to the curb."

Martha shook her head. "The important thing, Kiddo, is that you did not give Katherine a Valentine's Day present and she gave you one. She didn't just give you some run of the mill present, she's inviting you into her life. That was a very big step for Katherine. She's a very private person, usually. Now you have to give her something equally valuable."

"I know. I know. But she knows she can have all the drawers and closets that I have. She can move everything she has here, although I have no idea where we'd put all of those shoes with the four inch heels or those coats she has. I might rent a warehouse for her?"

"Richard! Be serious!"

"I am being serious. I will scour the jewelry stores all over the island of Manhattan until I find a gift that's ten times as spectacular as the earrings. I'll go to England and sneak into the Tower of London and steal the Crown Jewels for her. I dig up South Africa to find the largest diamond in…. "He stopped.

Martha shook her head. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"What?" Castle was frightened, thinking he'd violated some mysterious woman's taboo, unknown to the male sex.

"The earrings, while spectacular, were not a good idea. Where would Katherine wear them? Certainly not at the precinct. To lunch at Remy's? Here in the loft? She's a cop, Darling, and you're trying to keep Gates and the rest of the NYPD from figuring out you're together. If she starts showing up to work dripping diamonds from every limb, Gates is going to figure it out. Plus, Gates is a woman. I'm sure most male cops couldn't tell a cheap knock off Gucci bag from the real thing, or a cheap pair of Jimmy Choo's shoes hecho en Mexico from the genuine article, but a woman can."

"Calling her a woman assumes she's human." Castle grumped.

"I'm just saying that you have to be very careful with what you buy Katherine, Dear. You don't want to give her something that will just sit in a drawer for….Who knows how long. You're going to have to not go all out and not pay a mint for her present, as difficult as that may be to you."

"But it should still be something she'll love?" Castle asked.

Castle admitted he was stuck. After two days of surfing the web, he had zero ideas. He needed help. First he thought of Lanie, but he was positive that whatever they said would quickly get back to Beckett and he didn't want her to think that he thought so little of her that he'd go to her best friend rather than come up with something himself. Next he went to Ryan, who was a happily married man.

"Kevin, can we talk?"

"About the case?"

"No, about the great Valentine's Day fiasco. You heard about it?"

Ryan nodded. "You asked Gates to be your Valentine? Everybody heard about that one. We were sort of sadistically hoping she'd…." Castle's glare cut him off.

"Look, I need some help in getting a gift for Beckett. I got her an expensive pair of earrings, but she can't wear something like that here. If Gates sees them, she'll figure she could have only gotten them from me and I'll get kicked to the curb. What have you given Jenny?"

"Sexy nightgowns?" Kevin said at once.

Castle shook his head. "She likes to be comfortable when she sleeps. She wears shorts and tee shirts." Castle didn't mention how many times the shorts and tees ended up on the floor. "What did you give Jenny this Valentine's Day?"

"Just a box of chocolates. We're trying for a baby so we're trying to save up all the money we can for then. You have no idea how expensive baby things are these days. My oldest sister and her husband….Okay, you don't want to hear about that. Really, I have no idea what you should get Beckett. Unless you just got her a box of chocolates."

Castle had little faith that Esposito would be any help, but he asked anyway.

"Something for Beckett? You came to the right place, bro. Have both of her Glock's modified, Get her custom grips molded for her hand, with a textured grip so it won't slip in her hand. And tactical sights. An extended magazine is good, too. And a under barrel rail for a laser sight or a light. Oh, and a custom holster and some ammo pouches, too."

Castle looked unconvinced. "Is that what you'd get for Lanie?"

"Of course not. But this is Beckett."

"I'll think about it."

Castle was stuck. It was a week past Valentine's Day and he had nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Bupkis.

"Any ideas, Dad?"

"Not a one. And I hate to disappoint Beckett."

"Maybe you won't have to." Alexis said with a mysterious smile.

When Kate got to the loft from the precinct, she found Castle had made surf and turf for dinner, with a bottle of her favorite wine. "What's this?"

"This is the start of the Valentine's Day you should have had. Complete, with a gift. Um, I didn't write you another card, just in case."

Kate just laughed as he handed her a small package.

"Open it."

She did, and smiled. "A charm bracelet?"

"Not just any charm bracelet. There's a tiny NYPD detective's badge, and if you look at the book under a magnifying glass, it's Flowers For Your Grave, commemorating our first case. There's also a tiny Glock and a pair of boots with very high heels, another book, this time it's Heat Wave and on the back I had it engraved "Remarkable." And there's a champagne bottle, commemorating the first time I saved your life. And a deck of cards, commemorating the time you saved my life. And I added…."

Castle didn't get a chance to finish before Beckett kissed him.

"You like it?"

"I love it." She said happily.

"It's not as good as your present to me. Nothing could match that."

"This does, because everything on it means something. It means something to us."