554. Chapter 554

After Smells Like Teen Spirit

Episode 6.15

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm using the power of my mind to show you that I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

Rick Castle checked himself in the rearview mirror of his car, then pulled out his comb and ran it through his hair. He got out of the car, checked his suit and started walking to his date's door. Halfway there, he turned and ran back to the car and got her corsage from the front seat. He took a few deep breaths and walked slowly to her door and rang the bell.

"Yes?' Said the older man who answered the door.

"Sir, I'm Rick Castle. I'm here to take Katie to the prom. Um, A Starry Night, at Faircroft Prep?" He said nervously.

Mr. Beckett glared at him. "Richard Castle? I've heard about you, son. I'm not sure I entirely approve of you as Katie's date. But, Katie wants to date you…" He stopped there and glared at Castle again. "Come with me, Castle. Oh, that's my gun collection in the cabinet over there. All ready for…anything."

He led Rick into the kitchen. "I was just making a salad." He picked up a knife with a foot long blade, grabbed a cucumber and sliced it into pieces with easy strokes. "Razor sharp, isn't it?"

Castle just nodded.

"You can cut all sorts of things with this knife." He gave Castle a significant look. "All sorts of things." He dropped the knife to waist level so that it was pointed right at Castle's crotch. "You understand me, boy?"

Castle gulped and nodded. "Yes, sir." He squeaked.

"And remember, it wouldn't bother me to go back to prison."

Rick turned as he could hear Katie coming down the stairs. He fled from the kitchen just in time to see Katie stop at the bottom of the stairs and smile radiantly at him. She was dressed in a blue dress that came to just above her knees and showed a little bit of cleavage. It was tight enough to accentuate her magnificent body.

"You look…"Castle stopped as Mr. Beckett cleared his throat behind him. "You look like you're ready to go." He said quickly.

"Oh, you brought me a corsage, Ricky?" She said.

He approached her to put it on, but one look at her father convinced him not to pin it on her. "Perhaps you could put it on, sir?"

Mr. Beckett glared at Castle as he put the corsage onto his daughter's dress. "Since it's a prom night, I'm allowing Katie to stay out until midnight. If she's back even one second after that, or if I smell any alcohol on her breath…Well, nothing like that is going to happen, is it, son?"

"No, sir. I'll have her back well before midnight and I won't let her have anything stronger than Coke. I mean...Not that kind of coke. A soft drink. She'll be drinking soft drinks."

Katie took his arm and led him out of her house.

Kate made it to the car before she wrapped her arms around Castle and dissolved in giggles. "Castle, I was listening to the whole thing from upstairs. Is that what father's really do to their daughter's prom dates?"

Castle nodded. "Of course. Plus, usually, they'll go through the young man's wallet to see if he has any condoms. And if the dad finds one…Bad news."

"Do you have a condom in your wallet?" She teased.

"Since I know you're on the pill, I decided against it. Are you ready to go to your slightly delayed prom, Detective Beckett?" Castle opened the car door for her.

"Castle? Where did you get this car? I thought you'd bring the Ferrari."

"When I was going to go to my prom, I borrowed a car from a friend of mine, a 1985 Mustang convertible. He'd broken both legs skiing in Vermont and was definitely not going to use it. Since we're trying to recreate our proms, I thought I should get the appropriate ride."

Kate kissed him softly. "Thank you, Ricky. That's very thoughtful."

Once in the car, Kate leaned her head on his shoulder. "Where are we going? I hope you didn't hire a bunch of high school students and fake an entire prom for me."

"We're going to the Retro, a new club in Manhattan. I talked to the DJ and we'll be hearing a lot of mid-eighties songs. But, definitely In My Veins will be played a lot."

"And Old Blue Eyes?"

"Of course."

"The Boss?"

"He couldn't make it, but the DJ will play Dancing in the Dark."

"You didn't actually try to hire…"

"The Boss? Of course I did. This is Katie Beckett's make up prom. It may be a few years late, but I want it to be a night to remember."

Once at the Retro, Rick and Kate danced happily, and in spite of Rick's promise to Jim Beckett, he did buy Kate a few alcoholic drinks. Kate, being a cop, limited Castle to soft drinks since he was driving. Castle, being Castle, managed to pour some rum from a hidden flask into his Coke. Kate, knowing Rick, pinched his ear for that and made him pour it out.

They were dancing to In My Veins when Kate suddenly asked. "You said you don't miss having missed your prom and the ever so hot Audra Dobson, but do you ever wonder what happened to her? Another one of the ones who got away? Or did you connect with her in your wild bachelor days?"

Castle looked away from Kate for a second.

"Oh." Kate said, "I sense a story there. Did you sleep with her after all? Tell me, Castle. "

He shook his head. "She graduated top of her class at Faircroft, went to Harvard and then Harvard Law. She got a job with some law firm in DC where the partners are all either former Senators or Cabinet Officers. She worked day and night, determined to make it to the top. Then one day she walked in and quit. Last I heard from a Faircroft buddy of mine, she's growing pot on a farm in rural eastern Oregon. Mostly for her own use."

They danced for a while as Kate thought. Then, "It's a shame Audra Dobson didn't go to her prom with Rick Castle. Things might have worked out better for her. I knew a girl like her once. All work and no play. She probably should have ended up an old lady in an apartment full of cats, or maybe just stoned all the time on some farm in the middle of no place if it weren't for Rick Castle."

"What ever happened to this girl?" Castle asked.

"She found a wonderful man who taught her that she could have fun and be happy and by helping her with her work, took a lot of the stress out of her life. She fell deeply in love with him and will be forever grateful to Principal Duncan for making sure her fiancé didn't end up making Audra Dobson happy."

Castle laughed. "At least Duncan has one fan."

When Retro finally closed, Rick and Kate, like good prom goers, went to a restaurant that was open twenty four hours a day and had breakfast.

They got back to the loft just as down was breaking. As Castle was getting ready to go to bed, he saw he had a message on his phone.

"Your dad texted me at 12:01 AM. "Katie isn't at home. You're in big trouble, Castle." What should I do?"

Kate took the phone and replied. "Dad, I'm going to bed with my prom date. Don't worry. Remember, I do have a gun. Love, Katie."