Hi everyone!
CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR 2x13, 3x13, 3x24, 4x01, and any other episodes before 4x08 that talk about Johanna Beckett's murder!
So... this idea's been bugging me for quite a while, I'm going to try my best, and we'll have to see how it goes! I never intended to write a story that was more than three chapters, so this will be interesting. I tend to lose interest after a while, but I think I can finish this one! I'm deciding to challenge myself by really going in depth in Johanna Beckett's murder... we'll see how this goes. I'm planning on making this around 6-15 chapters, and I've got the basic storyline down, but I have the feeling this might just kind of go rogue and get out of my control! Also, after 4x08, I will most likely not be following any moments from Castle episodes or developments the Caskett's relationship, Beckett's mother's case, or anything else,
Also, the inspiration for the title was Marhchin On by OneRepublic, a good song, and reminds me of Caskett!
Your reviews will be my motivation! I LOVE reviews! Funny thing is, I don't even need nice reviews. I'm just trying to get better at writing, so if you think my story is crap, let me know and why you think that! ALL suggestions are much appreciated! Thanks!
We'll have the days we break,
And we'll have the scars to prove it,
We'll have the bonds that we save,
But we'll have the heart not to lose it.
For all of the times we've stopped,
For all of the things I'm not.
We put one foot in front of the other,
We move like we ain't got no other,
We go when we go,
We're marching on.
There's so many wars we fought,
There's so many things we're not,
But with what we have,
I promise you that,
We're marching on.
Marchin On by OneRepublic
"Here's your money." Richard Castle offered to the Taxi cab driver, handing him a few bills before pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket and discreetly revealing it to the driver. "And there's another five hundred for you if I was never here."
The pale, slim-faced cabby nodded slightly before slipping the money out of Castle's hand.
Castle climbed out of the Taxi Cab, eyeing the street nervously. Considering the late hour, it was very busy. Several couples wandered the sidewalk; a drunk or two was stumbling across the road.
Castle pressed his arm against his side, finding some comfort when he felt the concealed hand gun hidden under his jacket. If Beckett found out, he knew she'd kill him. He didn't have a carry permit, let alone a concealed weapon permit. If he ran into the wrong person, he could be facing a couple years in prison. For the first time, Castle really thought about the potential consequences of this decision. He couldn't tell anyone about this trip, so there was no way for the mayor to get him out of this one, nor his relations with the police. And Alexis, the idea of her having to come and visit her father in jail because he was found illegally armed and wandering through the bad parts of the Bronx, unable to explain himself was unthinkable. That is, if he even made it to prison. There was a reason he was walking through a bad neighborhood at night, illegally armed with a gun.
Richard turned and started walking down the street, towards his destination, a small diner on the corner. It was an old brick building layered with apartments above it. The front door was painted white. The years had not been kind to the building, the door handle was rusted, the paint was chipping, and the bricks were crumbling. Castle liked the place; it kind of reminded him of the Old Haunt. A classic gem in a city that had long forgotten it.
As Castle approached the door, he brushed his coat back slightly, fingering his gun, and used his other hand to pull his baseball cap down further over his eyes. He knew what was supposed to be on the other side of the door, but what was really there, he had no clue. Carefully, he turned the handle and the old door squeaked open.
The restaurant was vacant except for an old drunk, a couple kissing each other passionately in the corner booth, and a man sitting alone at a small table for two. He was older, balding, and wore a beige trench coat. Carefully, Castle made his way over to the table. The lone man glanced at him, pulling his coat back to reveal a handgun, and raised his eyebrows at Rick. Castle took off his baseball hat, before reaching out and offering to shake the man's hand. The older of the two merely stared, before turning to take another drink of his beer.
"Sit." He demanded. His voice was deep and quiet, and one that Castle instantly recognized. It was the voice of the man that had called him a few months ago, warning him that Kate needed to stay away. A gift and a blessing, all in one. It finally gave Castle the courage to stop her, but if she ever knew that he pushed her away when he had new information, she would never speak to him again. But for Richard Castle, the latter was bearable if she was still alive.
Castle sat himself at the table, pushing the chair in as close to the table as he could. He strategically placed his right hand on his gun, preparing himself for anything. He didn't have Beckett to watch his back right now. The thought caused him to jump. What if she had followed him here? Could she have someone watching him? Maybe she wanted to make sure he stayed safe and had a security detail on him... if she found out... he knew what would happen. She'd run from him, refusing to let him explain (not that there was an excuse for his behavior), and jump right back into the line of fire, only this time, she wouldn't make it out. The thought was unbearable, and he instinctively glanced around the bar, trying to figure out where a hiding spot could be. He listened for her, after all, he knew the sound of her breathing- possible the sweetest noise one could hear- like he knew the back of his hand... not that he knew the back of his hand very well. Really, who made up such a silly simile? At what point in time would one spend hours memorizing the back of their hand? The idea was ridiculous really; a much better example would be-
"Would you like anything to drink?" The grim-faced man across the table asked, interrupting Castle's anxious thoughts.
"No, thank you." Castle did not trust this man. He knew too much, whereas Castle knew far, far too little. Right now, he was completely oblivious to what he was up against. He was running into this completely blind. This man could be anyone, friend or foe, and he could do just about anything to Castle, be that shoot him, poison him, stab him, strangle him, torture him, kidnap him... or, absolutely nothing. This man knew exactly what cards Castle could play, which made Rick very wary of the situation.
"You wanted to talk to me." Castle stated blandly. He was a writer; he was used to elaborating, but right now, less was more.
"Yes. You can call me John. Ya know, I like that, a man that cuts to the main point. Too many people these days spend their time running from the issue at hand. They try to fill the world with small talk, but it just makes people stupid. But you, you don't care about any of that, you just want the truth. It's an admirable quality, but one I'd expect to see in a cop, not a writer." He took another sip of beer. "But in this case, all I can give you is small talk. I can't tell you the truth. If I do, they'll kill you."
"Who'll kill me?" Castle asked, knowing what the answer would be, but hoping it would be something different.
"That would mean telling you the truth, and I can't do that, Mr. Castle. I can only give you small talk, I'm sure you can appreciate the delicate position I'm in."
"Of course." Castle muttered quietly.
"So, please, I must ask that you hear me out, and understand that I cannot answer all of your questions." He paused, looking at Castle for a response. Castle simply nodded, which he took as encouragement to continue. "When I received the package from Roy, I was in shock. I never thought this would find him again. You see, he first brought this document to me, after the murder of Johanna Beckett, looking for help in protecting his family and Johanna's daughter, Katherine. I quickly realized, as I'm sure you have, that this is much bigger than the murder of a lawyer. If it was anyone else, I would have turned them away, but Roy, Roy was different. I owed him my life."
"So, you were a cop once, too?" Castle asked, which only got him a slight frown in return.
"No, no, I was never an officer." John offered no further clarification, and continued. "I used my... connections to make sure Roy had the protection his family and Ms. Beckett needed. This thing was put away for a while... at least until a warehouse fire broke out."
"And that, that wasn't an accident, was it." Castle stated, because he already knew the answer, though he had tried to convince Kate that the opposite was true.
"That depends on who you ask. The fire chief would honestly say yes, but you and I, we know better." His eye's met Castle's to make sure that his point had been made. Castle glanced away and nodded. This was far more than he had expected to have been told. Whether or not he wanted to know more he did not know. He felt like he was drowning in his lie, which had been started to protect Beckett, but had now grown into a full-fledged mission for the truth right under her nose.
And she would surely hate him for it.
"And you... you can't tell me who did that, can you?" Castle prompted, hoping for another hint.
"No, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. I don't know who did that. But I have my guesses, which at this time, must be known by myself only." John glanced around the now abandon restaurant before continuing. "Mr. Castle, the source of this is tangled into an intricate web with several other... organizations. Even if you figure it out, you simply can't win. If you bring this thing back to the surface, you will have a gun to your head the rest of your life. The reason I have told you all this is because you need to know some information in order to steer Ms. Beckett away, which based on your actions, you are willing to do. Is that right?"
Castle looked into the man's hazel eyes. They were close to the shade of Kate's. And he could only picture the hurt that would show in those stunning eyes if she ever found out what he had been keeping from her. But then, he thought of what he had come so close to seeing: Kate's eyes, glazed over and lifeless, staring into nothingness, beyond a state of ever being reached again. And that was when he made his decision. The decision that he would much rather have her removed from his world than removed from this world altogether.
"Yes."
"Good. So long as she stays away, she is perfectly safe. I will honor my side of the deal, and they will honor theirs. That is all you need to know for now. I will call you if we need to speak again." John laid money on the table, before standing to leave.
"One more question. Do they know I'm here?" Castle asked, eying the door nervously. Kate wasn't the only person in his life that he loved. His mother and Alexis both needed him, and he needed them safe.
"I would suspect so. They have not been informed nor invited to our meeting, but I think they will agree that it is in their best interest to let you walk out of here alive and let you block Ms. Beckett from the truth." He turned to leave, before facing Castle again. "However, Mr. Castle, it is essential for your safety that you do not seek the truth either."
With that, John left the bar, leaving Castle alone to think about the three spiral notebooks filled with charts, data, observations, guesses, and letters hidden in the safe under the sofa in his office.
There it is, everyone! Chapter one is done! What did you think? Decent? Crap? Whatever it is, TELL ME! I want to know! Thanks for reading, you guys are the best! Chapter two will probably be up in a couple of days.
