CASTLE

Flowers For Your Grave - Chapter 13

Neither did Kate get any sleep last night, nor did she find  a potential lead to prove that Kyle Cabot was innocent. On her way to work, she picked up a bagel and her usual, Grande skim latte two pumps sugar free vanilla coffee.

As she entered the precinct, she wondered if she would find a new case. She did not want to give up on this case. She knew that they were wrong but the D.A. wouldn't listen to anything without solid evidence.  So that's what she had to find.

Moreover, now that Castle was gone, she thought she could finally get some work done without having to constantly check if he was creating chaos. No more babysitting, she thought.

Considering the fact that she didn't want him and he was finally gone, she should have been a lot more happier than she was. Then why was that not the case? she wondered as she got off the elevator.

NO.

OH, NO.

She ran towards her desk and slammed the file in Castle's hand shut. "What are you doing?"she asked angrily.

"It's a novelist's habit--poking through other people's mail, checking their medicine cabinets.." he joked trying to justify the fact that he was going through her stuff out of plain curiosity and not because he wanted to find the real killer.

"Why are you still here?", she asked shaking her head.

He stood up from her chair and turned around to find something. "I just came by to give you this.", he said as he gave her a wrapped present. "It's a little something to memorialize our brief partnership."

She knew this would be another one of his many pranks. She rolled her eyes and narrowed them, looking up into his clear blue eyes. Standing close, she now realized that he was taller then her even in her heels.

"Don't look so suspicious. Go on. Open it." He gave her a small smile.

She let out a breath, puffing her cheeks as she took the box from his hands and removed the lid, all while never breaking eye contact with him.

She looked down to see it was the new copy of "STORM FALL". Her eyes widened. Kate was awestruck. She had already decided she would be going to the bookstores at the earliest opportunity to get her hands on that novel.

Rick was loving every second on his moment. He was glad to know that he was the reason her eyes were shining brighter than they did.

"I got you an advance copy. I even signed it to you." she barely heard him. 

All of a sudden, she did not know what to say. This was an amazing gesture on his behalf. She flipped to the first page to find that he had indeed signed it to her. 

It read: "Kate, I could not think of a better partner in crime." Those words were enough to choke her with emotions. It definitely affected her more than she let on.

"Not that you're a fan." he added, successful in tearing her gaze away from the book.

"Thanks, that's actually kind of.." she trailed off not knowing what to say. "Sweet." she said with a tight smile, not meeting his ocean blue eyes, knowing full well that she would go weak in the knees.

Richard was elated. For two reasons. Firstly, because she loved the book more than she was trying to express. And secondly, because they were going to meet very soon.

He bent down to pick up his satchel and looked up at her once again. "Well.." he said

"Well.." said Beckett too, knowing it was goodbye.

"It was nice to have met you, Detective Beckett." he smiled at her with a slight tilt of his head, as if he was trying to memorize her features.

She smiled at him but her smile soon faded away when he leaned closer to her, only to kiss her on the cheek. Why did she feel disappointed? Wasn't he just another acquaintance?

When he withdrew himself upright, she looked at him in shock as he walked away.

Her jaw was almost hitting the floor as she realized what just happened. When did she become such a softie? she asked herself as she stared at his retreating figure.

As he made his way to the elevator, Rick smiled. He had seen the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks and was happy with himself to elicit such a reaction from her.

When he was out of sight, Kate put down the book she was clutching on to on her desk. Why did she feel something was fishy? She sat at her desk with her brows furrowed. Richard Castle was an adamant and curious man. He was definitely up to something. 

No. She corrected herself and smiled. What he just did was extremely cute and she was just being her usual detective self. 

Just as fast as that smile appeared on her face, it disappeared. 

NO.

No no no no, oh god no.

"He didn't!" she muttered as she realized what he must have done.

She immediately looked through the box containing the evidence of the last two cases. Tisdale and Fisck. The files were gone. 

"Oh, he did!" she whisper-screamed to herself as she realized he just stole the files and shot out of her chair to find him.