666. Chapter 666

After An Embarrassment of Bitches

Episode 4.13

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Rock, paper or scissors, I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Dad, you are so soaked." Alexis said as Rick came in, dripping water everywhere. "And you have….?"

"A puppy." Castle said, wrestling his soaked jacket off and putting it over a chair to dry. The puppy, a small brown bundle of wet fur, jumped down from his arms and shook himself, adding to the water on the floor.

"I'd better get some towels to dry you, the dog and the floor." Alexis headed for the linen closet.

"Where on earth did you get the puppy, Richard?"

"I found him. I was trying to get a cab, but with the storm, every cab in Manhattan was full. He just walked up to me and started whining. I looked and he doesn't have a collar. I checked the area, but no sign of a mommy dog and no sign of anyone looking for a lost puppy." Rick rubbed the dog behind his ears. "He's hungry and cold and wet and I just couldn't let little Cosmo stay outside, could I?"

Martha shook her head. "His name isn't Cosmo."

"What do you mean? Of course his name is Cosmo. I just named him."

Martha stared at her son. "Anyone can see that his name shouldn't be Cosmo. He's…."Martha stared into the middle distance. "With that littler tummy on him and that look in his eye, he's obviously Falstaff."

"Falstaff?" Rick frowned, not liking the name.

"Hi, Falstaff." Alexis said, handing Rick a fluffy towel and wrapping another one around Falstaff. She carried the other towel to the puddle by the door and managed to dry both the dog and the floor.

And so Falstaff came to live with the Castles.

Rick arrived at the crime scene carrying a shopping bag, hoping that Kate wouldn't notice. "Where's Beckett?" He asked a uniform.

"First floor apartment, on the left. Can't miss it."

Beckett, Espo and Lanie were all gathered around the body of a young man. Beckett looked up at Castle and smiled, then frowned. "Did we interrupt your shopping, Castle?"

Before he could reply, he felt the shopping bag move and Falstaff leaped out of the bag, intent on doing his business. Although just a puppy, he did head for the door of the apartment. He made it through the doorway before peeing. Right on Ryan's brand new shoes.

"Is this the vic's dog?" Ryan asked, looking disgusted.

"No," Kate said, suppressing a smile. "I think the dog is Castle's."

"I'll pay for the shoes." Castle said, hoping to forestall any complaint by Ryan.

"But for the rest of the day I'll be walking around in wet, smelly shoes."

Beckett took Castle aside. "Why did you think it was a good idea to take a dog, a puppy at that, to a crime scene? He could have contaminated evidence."

"I found Falstaff yesterday and I needed to shop for a few things, but then you called me about the body drop and…." He noticed the way Beckett was looking at him.

"When are you going to get to the part where you tell me why you brought him to a crime scene?"

Castle did his best to smile. "Maybe I should just go home and drop Falstaff off? You look like you have everything under control here, right. I'll just…I'll go and….I'll see you back at the precinct."

"I love you, Rick." Kate said, walking towards his bed. "And tonight I'll show you just how much I love you." The nightgown fell from Kate's shoulders and Rick saw her in all of her glory, from her long, toned legs, to her slim hips, her flat, muscular stomach, her perky boobs to her magnificent face. Kate laid down on top of Rick and began kissing him passionately.

"Kate, what kind of mouthwash did you…" Rick came fully awake and saw who was kissing him. "FALSTAFF!" He screamed and the dog ran.

It was three months before Falstaff returned to a crime scene. This time he was on a leash.

"Castle what did I tell you about bringing Falstaff to a crime scene?" Kate asked, trying to suppress a smile.

"Don't worry. I'm meeting my dog walker here. It'll just be a second."

"Is that Falstaff?" Ryan asked. "If he peed on my shoes now, I could drown."

Falstaff, who had been such a cute little puppy was nearly one hundred pounds of solid bone and muscle, but he was a friendly and gentle dog. Castle hadn't ever heard Falstaff growl at anyone.

"Do you know what breed he is, bro?" Espo asked.

Castle shrugged. "Something big. The guy at the pet store thinks he might be some sort of a mastiff, but he's really just a mongrel." Castle nodded toward the street. "And here's my dog walker, right on time."

Everyone followed Rick's eyes. Coming towards them was a tall beauty with long, shiny black hair, very tight running shorts and a tee shirt that fit her like a second skin and left no doubt she had nothing on under it. Kate had an instant desire to tell Castle that she'd be happy to walk Falstaff. Anytime he needed it. She did not want that dog walker anywhere near Rick.

However, the woman walked past without saying a word. As everyone's eyes followed her, even Kate's, a burly man walked up to Castle. "Is Falstaff ready, Mr. Castle?"

"Ready to go, Mike." Rick handed the man Falstaff's leash and the two walked off.

Kate let out a sigh of relief. I cannot keep this up. I have to do something about my relationship with Castle, or I will end up watching him walk off with some other woman.

Falstaff was just short of his first birthday when he went to his next crime scene, however, neither Beckett nor Castle was expecting it.

"Thanks for agreeing to take care of Falstaff tonight, Kate. I really appreciate it. There are problems translating the Nikki Heat books into Japanese, and since Japan is on the other side of the world, we'll be trying to work this out when it's night here in New York."

"Just make sure you get back to the loft as soon as you can. I like Falstaff, but he's no Rick Castle.

Before Rick could reply, they got a radio call that every cop dreaded hearing: officer down.

"Were only a block away." Kate yelled as she hit the lights and siren. They pulled up across from a squad car with one officer firing at someone hiding behind a car and another officer down behind the squad car.

"Stay here!" Kate screamed at Rick. "Get out and behind the car and stay there." Kate leaped out of the car and started to move to where she could get a shot at the gunman behind the car.

She was perhaps fifty feet from Rick when a motorcycle pulled up right by her car. The driver began shooting at her. She ducked behind another car and watched in horror as Rick stood up and yelled something at the motorcycle rider. She saw the man turn and fire at Rick and Rick went down. Then a flash of brown fur leaped from the car to the rider. Kate heard the man scream just as the uniform shot the first gunman.

She ran as fast as she could to Rick. "Castle! Castle?"

Rick sat up and looked at her. "What?"

"Are you okay?" She knelt beside him and hugged him, then quickly inspected him for wounds.

"I'm fine. Falstaff knocked me down and…"

They noticed screams from the street. Falstaff was chewing on the man's gun hand. Kate kicked the man's gun away and cuffed his good hand to the motorcycle, then went back to Rick.

That night, Falstaff had steak with the Castles and Beckett. And he was petted and congratulated by everyone.

"We now know one thing." Beckett said.

"What's that?" Rick asked.

"We don't know what his mother was, or his father, but Falstaff is a police dog."