"This guy is a real piece of work. Three counts of assault, one for attempted murder, one for attempted rape and a few DUI's." Esposito informed everyone. Cpt. Montgomery, Esposito, Ryan, Kate and Rick were in the observation room watching the suspect in question through the glass.
"And he has ties to a local biker gang with quite a reputation of kidnap and murder," Ryan continued while everyone kept their eyes on the burly, unkempt and heavily tattooed figure on the other side of the glass.
"Seems to be our guy," Kate commented, her brow furrowing in concentration while she slightly bit her thumb nail.
"How is this guy not in jail?" Rick commented with a disgusted grimace.
"Alright, let's go Castle." She straightened and started to make her way out the door. Rick quickly followed as he usually did. Since her pregnancy, he has once again been a regular at the 12th. Although he has denied on various occasions that he was not there in order to keep a protective eye on his wife, Kate knew that he felt a responsibility towards her safety and therefore tagged along.
"Mr. Jasper, I'm sure you are aware of why you were brought in for questioning," Kate stated as she walked through the door of interrogation room 1.
Carl Jasper, slumped in his chair, suddenly sat up upon seeing Kate. He flashed a predatory smile while slowly running his eyes up and down her body, barely noticing Rick's presence.
"Well, well… I'm not really sure why I'm here, sweetie. But now… I really don't mind," he said with a raspy drawl that made Kate shiver uncomfortably. Leaning forward in his chair, Carl fixated his eyes on her and Rick could only imagine what depravity was going through his mind. At this, his jaw stiffened and he became more rigid in his seat. He was used to suspects treating Kate like this and even though he hated it, Rick could barely restrain himself while a scumbag was mentally undressing his pregnant wife.
"It's detective and you're here for kidnapping, robbery, rape and murder, Mr. Jasper," Kate said unfazed.
"Huh, well how about that? I sure went up the criminal food chain, now didn't I, Detective," Carl said arrogantly sitting back in his seat and folding his arms across his chest.
"Do recognise these people?" Kate placed a picture of the victims, Robert and Shirley McLeod, smiling happily, on the steel table.
"Nope," Carl replied coolly after briefly looking at the picture. "But I sure would like to get to know you better. I bet you are a bobcat in the sack, Detective. Mmm-hmm," he continued in a lowered tone with a sleezy smile. "Your husband is a lucky, lucky man" He had noticed her wedding ring. At this, Rick tensely shifted in his chair, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by Kate.
"Where were you between 21h00 and 00h00 on Sunday evening?" she continued ignoring the lewd comment.
"Ah, here and there. Don't really remember."
"A witness placed you at the same garage where the McLeods stopped at just past 21h00." Kate let it sunk in for a few moments before continuing. "That's quite a coincidence you know, since we found their stolen car in your possesion."
"I have nothing to say to you." Carl's expression turned stony as he watched Kate without blinking.
"What happened, Carl?" Rick spoke for the first time, leaning forward in his chair and clasping his hands together on the table. "You had a little too much to drink. You saw Robert McLeod and his beautiful wife at the garage. And you think 'ah what the hell' a little kidnap, rape and murder should be fun," he continued looking the other man straight in the eye. Carl's jaw stiffened as his eyes darted between Rick and Kate.
"Who's Pretty Boy here?" he directed the question at Kate while nudging his head in Rick's direction. "Like I said, I have nothing to say to you." His voice dived a few threatening decibles.
"We found a lot of DNA evidence, Carl. Hairs, fibres, skin under Shirley McLeod's nails and also semen. I bet my badge that all those belong to you... Are you ready to start talking now?"
Carl remained motionless and silent, just watching her with dull, dark eyes.
"You know what, I can be a patient, but when someone is screwing with me, I get… irritable." Kate was starting to lose her patience. "And that's exactly what you're doing right now."
"You don't want to screw with her. Believe me," Rick chipped in.
"Oh, but I would like to screw you Detective – multiple times. Just say when and where. It could be fun... I promise to be gentle." Carl spoke after a few contemplative moments, his voice coarse. Rick's eyes widened and his heart thumped in his chest. He was balling his hands in fists, trying to control his emotions. '1, 2, 3, 4, 5...'
Kate was quiet for a few moments just coolly watching the notorious criminal. She came across various types of murderers, but Carl Jasper made her skin crawl with revulsion. When she spoke, her voice was calm, steady and icy.
"You don't have to say anything, because we have everything we need... We got you." Carl stiffened at the tone of her voice and set his jaw.
"Remember my face, Carl, because I'm the one who is going to put you away," Kate said, speaking slowly and making sure the words sunk in. "Because of me, you will rot in jail."
"Careful Detective, don't make promises you can't keep," he said, his eyes turning black with simmering rage. He shifted in his chair, a clear sign that he was cornered. Kate sensed this and continued.
"Oh, I intend to keep them" Kate leaned closer, meeting his threatening stare. "In fact, I'll make sure you die there."
"Is that so?" Carl responded quietly, his black eyes narrowing slightly. There were a few silent, tense moments where everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
In a blink of an eye, Carl rushed up across the table and harshly grabbed hold of Kate's neck in a fit of blinding rage. "You think you can threaten me, bitch!"
Rick immediately sprang up and leaped over the surface of the steel table and tackled him to the ground. The two men wrestled on the ground for a few seconds with Carl yelling obscenities at Kate and punching Rick in the face.
After a few seconds Esposito and Ryan crashed through the door, going on to restrain and drag the criminal kicking and screaming out the door. It all happened in a matter of thirty seconds. Rick got up panting from the floor and immediately turned his attention to a visibly shaken and wide-eyed Kate.
"Katie, are-" He quickly moved towards where she was now standing against the glass of the observation room. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern, taking her face in between his hands.
"Uh... yeah," she replied, her hand resting on her neck where Carl had grabbed her. He moved her hand away from her neck to see if she was injured.
"You sure?" he dipped his head in order to meet her eyes.
"Mmmm, yes. I'm okay, sweetie. Really." She gave him a tentative smile before Rick drew her into a close embrace for a few moments.
"Ow." Rick touched his right eye with a grimace.
"Ooh, that's going to leave a mark" Kate commented, gently touching the injury.
"Is it going to become black?" She nodded absent-mindedly while studying his face.
"Cool!"
"Cool? You have got to be kidding me," Kate said in disbelief.
"What? This is only my second black eye... ever," Rick said. "And, well, an injury gained while protecting my wife," he continued in a softened tone.
Her expression softened as a smile spread across her features.
"My hero." Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned in for a kiss.
"What about your no-public-displays-of-affection rule?" Rick asked pulling back slightly.
"I think I can make an exception."
________
"Well the bastard just got an extra charge for the assault of an officer added to the list. He's gonna sit for a long time," Captain Montgomery said as he approached Kate's desk. She was applying an ice-pack to Rick's eye and he was milking the attention as much as he could, wincing frequently in so-called pain and demanding that she should 'kiss it better'. Unsurprisingly, Kate did not indulge her man-child husband."Castle, you okay?" Montgomery asked.
"Yeah, nothing the good doctor here can't fix," Rick replied, glancing up at his wife who just rolled her eyes with a smile.
"And you Beckett?" Everyone continued to call Kate by her maiden last name and Rick by his.
"I'm fine, Sir." Kate reassured her concerned boss.
"Yo, what do guys say to a round of drinks?" Esposito said in greeting as he walked towards them with Ryan following closely behind.
"Sounds good to me," the Captain responded.
"I have a black eye, so I think a deserve a drink," Rick said, before turning to his wife. "Honey?"
"Yeah, sure." Kate nodded with a smile.
"Hey Castle, what about we all go The Old Haunt for drinks?" Ryan said.
"Just what I was about to suggest," Rick replied hopping off from Kate's desk. "We have a lot of celebrating to do," he continued smiling broadly, looking at Kate who returned his broad grin. They still had to tell the boys and the Captain that she was pregnant and this provided the perfect opportunity for them to share the news.
"Am I aslo invited to this little rendezvous?" Lanie asked causing everyone to turn around. Esposito had in fact invited her in person a few minutes earlier when he went down to for a 'visit' - a.k.a make-out session - after taking Carl Jasper to holding.
"Only if you're prepared to play a drinking game with me," Esposito quipped flashing her a sly smile.
"I'm gonna smack you," Lanie retorted, arching one of her eyebrows. "In addition to beating you at that drinking game," she continued with a sultry smile.
"Alright enough talk people, let's get going!" Montgomery ordered.
Draping an arm around Kate's shoulders while walking towards the elevator behind the others, Rick whispered into her ear.
"You know what I like best about your pregnancy?" Kate only shook her head, her brow furrowing slightly. She expected Rick to say something deep and sweet.
"Your breasts. They're getting bigger... and I love it," Rick said with a smirk causing her to blush crimson red. "Rick!" Kate exclaimed quietly while gently slapping his chest.
"Ow! Hey, careful. I'm injured, remember?" he responed in mock seriousness. She only rolled her eyes with a shake of her head.
"You're such a girl, Castle."
________
The small family of friends came through the doors of The Old Haunt - the bar Rick had purchased a few years before - chatting and laughing merrily. The bar-regulars nodded at the group in greeting, aware of who they were while the employees smiled enthusiastically at them.They went on to their special and private booth, informally dubbed the '12th', which was only reserved for them. They were also the only customers who had the privilege of drinking for free.
"Hey Bobby!" Rick called over to one of the waiters, a young, skinny dark-haired man. The young man directed his attention to Rick and quickly made his way over to the group.
"Mr. Castle, great to see you and Mrs. Castle and your friends here again. It's been a while." The young man greeted with a warm smile.
"Yeah well Bobby, tonight we're celebrating," Rick replied with a cheery smile while placing an arm around Kate who was busy talking to Lanie. "So what are we drinking folks?" Rick turned his attention to the rest of the group.
"Scotch on the rocks." Captain Montgomery always ordered the same.
"Beer," Ryan responded.
"Make that two," Esposito added, holding up two fingers.
"I'm in the mood for a 'Sex on the Beach,'" Lanie said with a smile while covertly squeezing Esposito's thigh.
"KC, what do you want?" Rick asked looking at his wife. Kate usually ordered a glass of red wine or a cocktail, but obviously she couldn't anymore.
"Uh, a virgin strawberry daiquiry," she answered.
"And for me a whiskey on the rocks," Rick quickly said in order for the others not to notice Kate's answer.
A few minutes and plenty of jokes later, their drinks arrived.
"So what are we toasting to?" Ryan asked looking at the group.
"I'll start. Let's toast to... justice," Ryan interrupted himself, lifting his glass with everyone nodding in agreement.
"To... dirtbags rotting in jail," Esposito stated to a chorus of 'hear hears'.
"To the evidence that convict them," Lanie said.
"And the cops who catch them," Rick added and the group toasted again.
"To the writers who follow them around," Montgomery added, causing everyone to laugh.
"To the victims," Kate added quietly after a few moments with a sad smile.
"Hear hear," Rick said while clinking his glass with his wife's. The whole group nodded in agreement and went on to clink glasses with one another.
"I would like to make a special toast," Rick started, glancing over to his wife. "To one of the NYPD's finest, my muse, the love of my life and... the mother of my unborn child." He looked at her tenderly while a small smile tugged his lips upward before leaning in for a kiss.
"Hear hear!" Lanie exclaimed in agreement, already aware of her friend's pregnancy.
"Beckett, you're pregnant?" Esposito asked while a surprised smile spread across his features. Kate simply nodded in reply, smiling broadly at the two men she considered to be her brothers.
"I'm gonna be an uncle... We're gonna be uncles, bro," Ryan said excitedly, turning to his partner. "Congratulations guys!"
"Yeah, congratulations. That is great news!" Esposito joined in. "You knew?" After a few moments he turned to Lanie, slightly taken aback by her moderate reaction.
"What do you think? Of course I knew, I'm the godmother," Lanie replied with a smile.
"Does that mean I'm the godfather?" Esposito whispered the question into Lanie's ear with a smirk. "I think you both are," she replied with a smile glancing towards Ryan.
"Congratulations you two... To Rick, Kate and the lucky person they're bringing into this world," the Captain said with a warm smile while lifting his glass in salute while the other three followed suit.
"Thanks guys," Kate replied, her vision blurry due to tears. "And you." She turned her attention to Rick. Placing a hand on his cheek, she leaned up for a soft, tender kiss. "I love you," he whispered while kissing the top of her head.
Somewhere in the background, Billy Joel's Piano Man started to fill the air. Rick's mouth slowly converted into a smile as he recalled the evening they sang the song in the precint before coming to The Old Haunt.
"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday..." He started, while everyone smiled and nodded in remembrance.
"The regular crowd shuffles in." Esposito joined in.
"There's an old man sitting next to me." Ryan sang, nudging the Captain with his shoulder. "Making love to his tonic and gin," Montgomery added.
"He said son can you play me a memory, I'm not really sure how it goes. It's sad and it's sweet, and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes." The two women belted out.
"Everyone!" Rick exclaimed wrapping an arm around his wife, urging the others to do the same.
"Sing us a song, you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. While we're all in the mood for a melody and you got us feeling alright." The little family of friends sang jovially while swaying to the music; toasting to partnerships that lasted a lifetime, moments of no-bounds happiness and new, surprising adventures.
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