529. Chapter 529

After Reality Star Struck

Episode 5.14

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Please be my valentine in spite of the fact that I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

After dinner the Gates' sat at their table in the restaurant, sipping wine. Victoria got a sly look on her face as she put the wine glass down. "Did you know you have competition for me?'

Her husband's head shot up. "I'm sure I do. Any man would lust after you. I'm just surprised I don't have more competition."

"You say the sweetest things."

"So who is my competition now?" He asked, actually curious as to where this was going.

"World renowned author, playboy, millionaire and unofficial homicide cop Richard Castle, who is sometimes a giant pain in my behind."

He frowned. "Castle? Really?" He realized he'd made an error and quickly recovered. "Although I would assume that he'd be powerless before your charms, as are all men."

Both of them laughed.

"I'll have you know that Mr. Castle slipped a pair of very expensive earrings into my jacket today and placed a very sweet note inside, all about how I was fierce beauty and intelligence all wrapped up in one, and would I be his valentine?"

"But I thought that Castle was with…."

"Detective Beckett? Of course he is. I knew that as soon as I got to the 12th Precinct. A good looking, rich, famous author spends years following a beautiful homicide detective around through gun battles, bombings and killers of every stripe? Of course they're in love. How could anyone not see it? Besides, when I was looking over Roy Montgomery's files before I officially took over the precinct, there were some cryptic notes in Beckett's files referring to Mr. Castle. At first I assumed that since Mr. Castle had no personnel records, him not being a policeman, that Montgomery was just making notes on Castle and putting them in Beckett's file. It didn't take me too long to figure out that there was more than that to Castle and Beckett. And Roy Montgomery knew all about it. Sometimes I think he helped push them together, but that's just a guess."

"What did you do when you found the earrings?" Now he was very curious.

She smiled. "I called Castle into my office and read him the riot act. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was not his valentine, I was yours. The two of them are so afraid that if I find out about them that I'll kick him out of the precinct. It was so funny seeing him try to pretend that he'd bought the earrings for me as some kind of peace offering, while he was so relieved that I didn't know he had bought them for Beckett, I had trouble not laughing. But Mr. Castle deserves a little chewing out from me for all the trouble he's caused."

"But you're not going to kick him out? Even though you don't like him?"

Victoria Gates shrugged. "I've not liked a number of people I had working for me, but I didn't get rid of any of them just because I didn't like them. Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett are a surprisingly good, if unorthodox, team. I may not like it, but it works so I won't mess with it." She frowned. "Besides, there's more going on with them than meets the eye."

"How so?" Her husband asked.

"Her shooting right after Roy Montgomery died for starters. A killer, Lockwood, with no record of his existence for more than two years back gets put back in general population and kills a dirty ex-cop whose ex-partner was killed by that same hired killer, Lockwood, while he was talking to Beckett. The guard who was paid a great deal of money to let Lockwood, or whoever he was, back in general population gets murdered. Montgomery then dies in a shootout with Lockwood and some goons. Beckett is shot by a sniper who completely disappears, leaving only a sniper rifle lost in Afghanistan years before. The sniper, Marks by name, is killed in an explosion and Castle, Beckett and Esposito just happen to be walking by? And the building they're in just happens to belong to a Michael Smith, who was tortured and put under police guard by Detective Ryan. Then Mr. Smith dies. Please don't tell me that these are just wild coincidences."

Mr. Gates nodded. "It sounds like some kind of crazy conspiracy theory. Actually, it sounds like something out of one of Castle's books."

"It would be crazy if it weren't for all of the dead people. But, if I kicked Castle to the curb, I don't know what she'd do. She resigned once to be with him, and she might do so again. She either can't or won't tell me what the problem is, but Detective Kate Beckett is in a lot of trouble. As long as she stays a cop, she has friends who can help protect her and I can hope that one day she'll confide in me and I can protect her. I do not let bad things happen to my people if I can protect them."

Mr. Gates checked his watch. "We really should be going home. I think we can let Mr. Castle protect Detective Beckett for tonight. Besides," He said, lowering his voice, "I still have to give you my Valentine's Day present."

Castle pulled Kate close to him. "I love your present. It's the best Valentine's Day present I ever got."

"Really?" She asked, giggling.

"No, actually, you're the best Valentine's Day present I ever got. Nothing else even comes close. But, I will spare no expense to make your replacement Valentine's Day gift even better than the one I can't give you. I will come up with something absolutely, gloriously spectacular. Trust me."

She ran her finger down his chest. "Maybe you shouldn't."

"What? I haven't even gone looking for your new gift and already you don't like it?"

"It's not that, if anyone sees me wearing expensive jewelry, or anything else expensive, and it gets back to Gates, she'll know that it has to be from you. And if it's from you…"

"She'll know we're together." Rick finished for her. "And if she knows we're together, I'm gone."

She kissed him softly. "You were right. The best Valentine's Day gift I ever got was you. I know I can't take down Bracken and all of his hired killers without you. And I know I can't do it if I'm not a cop. I resigned once because I realized you were more important to me than anything else. I still feel that way, but I do need to stay alive. And if I leave the NYPD to be with you, I have no gun, no backup from Javi and Ryan, no access to phones and financials, or all of the technical support I can get from CSU and Lanie. Not officially, anyway." She kissed him again. "So, you can't buy me anything at all expensive that might tip Gates off to the fact that we're together. Okay?"

"So, it's matching light sabers, then?"

She grabbed his ear. "Castle, I'm warning you…"

"Just kidding. I will find you something spectacular that Gates will never, ever find out about. Although matching lightsabers would be so cool."

She ran her hand down under the sheets. "I was thinking of a different kind of saber right now."