Castle One Step Forward Scenes.MMSW
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CASTLE "One Step Forward" F0501 (scenes) Written by CJ Carter This document is fan-produced fiction based on the television series "Castle". This is done in the spirit of fan fiction - to have fun and enrich the total fan experience beyond the limitations of the official story vehicle. In that spirit, and holding to the long tradition of free support and promotion that fanfic brings to a fictional "universe", this story is being made available for entertainment purposes of the loyal fans of the show for as long as the powers that be don't object. Lastly, my heartfelt thanks to the Muses, without whom many of the best bits of this fanfic would have never arisen. Those of us who try to create are blessed indeed when touched by a Muse. INT. CASTLE'S BEDROOM - DAY KATE BECKETT sleeps on the bed -- a subtle, satisfied smile on her face. The smile widens as she wakes and stretches. Kate sits up, a sheet providing modest cover. She glances around. KATE'S POV The room looks like it could use a maid. And maybe some reconstruction. BACK TO SCENE BECKETT Castle? Kate sniffs the air. BECKETT (CONT'D) (to herself) Coffee. Kate looks around the remains of the room. She stands, wrapped in the sheet, and looks around on the floor. She's irked. Then she spies one of Castle's shirts draped over a chair back. INT. CASTLE'S APARTMENT - DAY RICK CASTLE stands behind the kitchen counter, cooking breakfast. ALEXIS CASTLE stands opposite him, looking like she just got home. BECKETT (O.S.) Castle? Have you seen my-- Kate enters from Castle's bedroom -- dressed only in his mostly-buttoned dress shirt. Kate stops short when she sees: BECKETT (CONT'D) --Alexis. Alexis is stunned/bemused/questioning/confused... CASTLE And THAT'S why I'm cooking breakfast at eleven-thirty in the morning. Kate is like a deer in headlights but looks over to see: BECKETT (CONT'D) Coffee. 2. Beckett immediately retreats to pour herself a cup. Alexis has recovered and faces Rick. ALEXIS Dad? CASTLE Hmm? ALEXIS Detective Beckett? BECKETT Kate. It's just Kate. Beckett almost takes a drink of coffee, but instead... BECKETT (CONT'D) I resigned. Alexis is stunned, but that's nothing compared to Rick, who turns toward Kate. CASTLE What? BECKETT Yeah. CASTLE Why? BECKETT It's complicated. Castle and Beckett exchange a look that makes it clear they'll talk about it later. Which is good, because... MARTHA RODGERS makes her entrance through the front door. MARTHA Oh! I didn't expect anyone to be... Kate! CASTLE Perfect. There is no way Martha isn't enjoying this. ALEXIS Gram! Martha and Alexis hug warmly. 3. MARTHA Hello, my darling. Did you enjoy your graduation night? ALEXIS Yeah. But I don't think as much as Dad did, though. As Martha and Alexis bask in tweaking Castle, Rick looks besieged, and Kate looks like she wants to escape -- which Rick notices. CASTLE Your clothes should be dry by now. It's around... BECKETT Thanks. Taking Rick's direction, and with a weak smile directed at Martha and Alexis, Beckett beats a hasty retreat. Rick turns back to his loving family. CASTLE Her clothes were wet. Last night. It was rain-- I'm just going to make sure she finds... Castle exits after gesturing for the pair to finish cooking breakfast. Martha and Alexis move to behind the counter. MARTHA Tell me all about your evening. I want all the details. Alexis smiles as she grabs a spatula. INT. LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY Rick pauses before entering. CASTLE You decent? BECKETT Come on in, Castle. Castle enters the room that's dominated by a large washer and dryer. Beckett is mostly dressed, just finishing fastening her belt. 4. CASTLE Sorry about that. I was kind of hoping to ease everyone into.... You resigned? BECKETT Remember when I said I had things to work through? That wall? CASTLE Yeah. BECKETT Yesterday, it all came crashing down. Dangling off that ledge, I realized that it's not enough to be willing to die for a cause. You also have to have something to live for. CASTLE Kate--- BECKETT Wait. There's one more thing. Something I have to make absolutely clear about last night. Rick braces for the certain-to-be bad news. BECKETT (CONT'D) I love you too, Rick. I have for a while, but I've been too...me to tell you. Whatever else happens--if that guy finds me again, if we have another fight, or whatever; I need you to know that. You're who I want to live for. Rick is stunned. His eyes glisten. MARTHA (O.S.) Well go on. Kiss her! CASTLE Mother! The moment broken, Kate starts softly laughing. She lightly kiss Rick and then hugs him. He melts into her arms. 5. INT. CASTLE'S OFFICE - DAY Kate stands and Rick sit/leans on the desk. CASTLE So what now? BECKETT I don't know. I have to find these people who are trying to kill me. You know they're never going to stop. Not now. Rick considers for a moment. He reaches for his remote and fires up the wall touchscreen. He walks to it. BECKETT (CONT'D) What are you doing? Rick recovers the Beckett folder from the trash and displays its contents on screen. CASTLE I'll help you in any way you need. Beckett joins him. BECKETT How long have you been doing this? CASTLE You know how long. But this-- this I've been doing since you got shot. (off Kate's look) I may have kept you away from it, but-- BECKETT --but you couldn't let it drop. CASTLE No. Kate accepts this. And then becomes Beckett. BECKETT So what do we know? CASTLE Not much. We know these people are powerful. They framed the mayor and made sure he would never be governor. BECKETT That was them? 6. CASTLE It was their way of trying to weaken you by getting rid of me. If I don't have Hizzhonor as a shield-- BECKETT --then Gates kicks you out of the precinct and I lose my partner. CASTLE Exactly. Of course, now you have your partner but lost the precinct. That's a lot of resources we don't have access to, now. BECKETT I thought about that. CASTLE And? BECKETT How would you feel about Nikki Heat becoming a private eye? That puts a smile on Castle's face. CASTLE My publisher would love it. BECKETT Gina, your ex-wife? CASTLE OK, maybe not love love, especially since... but the money an exciting new twist would generate is just as good -- if not better. BECKETT We're going to need an office. CASTLE Why not here? BECKETT No. I don't want Martha or Alexis to get caught in the crossfire. We need a separate base of operations. CASTLE I have the perfect place. BECKETT Yeah? 7. CASTLE The Old Haunt. It'll be just like Casablanca except not in Morocco and with fewer Nazis. I hope. You'll be Ilsa. I, of course, will be Rick. BECKETT Of course. CASTLE I can see it now. On the surface, just a neighborhood bar. But hidden from the regular clientele, a world of mystery and intrigue weaves in among them like the threads of a tapestry or, more ominously, the web of a spider. Beckett's phone RINGS. She thankfully answers it. BECKETT Beckett. Hey, Javi. OK. I'll see you there in half an hour. Beckett hangs up. CASTLE What did Esposito want? BECKETT He said he found a witness. CASTLE So, you're going to the precinct? BECKETT No. Gates suspended him, too. We're meeting up near the apartment. I just have to stop by mine first to get a gun. CASTLE But you resigned. BECKETT I still have a concealed-carry. CASTLE In that case. Castle unlocks a drawer in his desk and pulls out a 9mm semi- automatic pistol. 8. CASTLE (CONT'D) Here. BECKETT When did you get a gun? CASTLE After the third... no, fourth time after I met you that I almost died. Just in case I ever had to protect Alexis and my mom. Beckett takes the gun, holstering it in the waistband at the small of her back as she also leans in to give Castle a quick kiss. BECKETT You're a good man, Castle. CASTLE I've been trying to tell you that for years. Kate smiles as she exits. BECKETT I'll call you in a couple of hours. Kate exits. Castle basks for a moment before getting serious. He opens another drawer, pulling out Mr. Smith's burner phone. 9. INT. THE OLD HAUNT - BAR - DAY Rick dashes in behind the bar. The place is empty except for EMPLOYEES. It may or may not be open at this hour. BILLY, the bartender, is prepping for the night shift. BILLY Hey, Rick. CASTLE Hey, Billy. Castle looks through the stores. BILLY Can I help you find something? CASTLE Um...no, I got it. Castle pulls out a wooden box of Midleton Very Rare. He flashes the label toward Billy. CASTLE (CONT'D) Inventory that for me? BILLY Sure. Castle rushes out, leaving Billy to get back to work. INT. DINER - DAY DETECTIVE RYAN sits in a booth as the lazy mid-afternoon PATRONS take up other stations around the classic eatery. Castle enters with the wood box and sits opposite Ryan. CASTLE Hey. RYAN Hey, Castle.