I thought about this after watching a promo for the upcoming 47 Seconds. I wondered what would happen if Castle tried severing the partnership and friendship in the aftermath of what happened. This is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates knocked on the door of the apartment that she had come to that afternoon. She still couldn't believe that she was doing this, but she was honest enough to admit that something had to be done or the NYPD would likely lose one of the best detectives it had, and the team that had developed around that detective. That simply couldn't happen. Before even a minute had elapsed the door swung open.
"Captain Gates!" Rick Castle said, stunned at who was at his door. He had figured that either Espo or Ryan were there to try and find out what the Hell had happened and why he was bailing on the team.
"May I come in?" Gates asked.
Castle was not overly fond of Gates, but she was being polite and she had earned the right of his courtesy, so he ushered her in.
Gates took on the very nicely appointed loft, and wondered, not for the first time, if this is what it meant to be wealthy. Nice home, good clothes, and not a care in the world. She knew it wasn't all there was to it, by far, but Castle made it seem so easy. She turned to face the man.
"If you don't mind I'd like to talk to you," she told him, noting that even at home the man was dressed well, as if he was always in such high end clothes. She could see what women saw in him when it came to looks and appearance.
Castle raised a brow. "Of course," he replied. "My office?" he suggested, in some ways loving that as he was able to finally have the home field advantage with this very domineering, but effective, woman. He may not like her too much, but he could respect her as a good Captain.
Gates walked into the office behind him and whistled in appreciation. "Now this is an office," she admired. The walls lined with books, a flat panel screen hanging down in one corner, a large modern style desk, laptop, and pictures of his family in very obvious spots.
"One of the perks of making a living at home," he quipped.
Gates took a seat after Castle sat down behind his desk. She noted the change in posture as she was the one in someone else's domain. "May I ask you a question and get a straight answer?" she asked.
Castle was pretty sure what was coming, but the fact that it was Gates asking and not Lanie, Esposito, or Ryan was what was shocking him. "Alright," he nodded.
"Do you plan on coming back?" she asked.
"Honestly? I seriously doubt it," Castle told her honestly. He'd put a lot of thought into this, and while he loved Beckett as much as ever, he was too hurt and bruised to feel like making the effort again. He'd tried after last summer, but Beckett had made a fool of him after all the hard work of getting to where they were just a few short weeks ago. His trust was shattered and he didn't know if he could get it back. "Frankly, Captain, I'm surprised you're even asking, given how you've been entirely negative on my being there from the first."
"You think so?" she questioned. It wasn't surprising that he thought so as he didn't know her real motivation, but it stung nonetheless. "My top three homicide detectives are floundering without you involved as a part of the team, Mr. Castle. It's true I was not sanguine about the idea of you being a part of my precinct, but I'm not so hidebound as to not realize what it was you bring to the table. I was giving you the chance to prove yourself, Mr. Castle, without the safety net. Everything you got this past eight months by way of being allowed to stay and contribute you earned. I may wonder sometimes about you, but you've earned the right to be there as a civilian consultant. Roy Montgomery was ordered to make room for you, but I made you earn it, even if you got the foot in the door because of the Mayor."
Castle was floored at that one. It seemed to imply that Gates didn't mind him being a part of the team after all, but her tone had been grudging, as if she had done it out of fairness, but not necessarily because she wanted to. Oh, well. "Thank you," he replied, "but I'm still not seeing why you're here."
"Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan need you, Mr. Castle," Gates got to her point. "You make them see outside the box, and have made them better detectives since they see the usual boundaries, which they're taught, and commanding officers like myself insist on. You, however, don't think that way. The job gets done quicker and more efficiently, even if they have to finish crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's afterward. The one thing they need is you, and you're not there. So I'm going to ask you something personal, and as it affects everyone I'd appreciate an answer. What has happened between you and Detective Beckett? What has caused you to turn your back on your friends?"
He sighed, letting his eyes roll back. He didn't want to discuss it. He wanted to be able to wallow in peace, but that wasn't going to happen. "Last year when Beckett was shot I told her I love her, but when she woke up she said she didn't remember," he replied. "I accepted her apology for shutting me out for three months, but she told me to my face she didn't remember what had happened at the shooting. Three weeks ago I came by the station to ask Beckett if she wanted to go to a show. She was in the interrogation room and I went into observation to wait for her. She got upset at something the suspect said and told him I got shot and remember everything. I believed her Captain Gates when she told me she didn't remember. Now I don't know what to believe and have a difficult time trusting anything or anyone."
Gates leaned back and looked at the man. She didn't like what Beckett had obviously done, but at the same time she had a precinct to run. Ordinarily she didn't like the idea of office romances, and would put the kibosh on it quick, but the case of Castle and Beckett called for bending the rules as they were much better together than apart.
"I'm going to be perfectly honest, Mr. Castle," Gates said finally. "Grow up. Beckett has some serious demons to work through, and there may be a damn good reason for what she did. It doesn't excuse it, but it sure as Hell allows her some latitude. At the very least she deserves to be heard. You aren't under my command when you're out of the precinct, but I think you respect the work that we do too much to let petty pride get in the way of doing some real good for the community. I am asking you to hear her out, and to come to the precinct and help us. You may be a civilian, but you give us a fighting chance to get the job done with the least damage to the people we serve."
Castle was surprised at the tone. And the words. But he couldn't argue with them. The truth was that he missed everyone, including Kate. If it was to end, then it needed to end with the whole mess aired out. "Alright, I'll consider it," he told her.
"I can't ask for more, but don't take too long," Gates said as she stood up. "I need my best people on top of their game."
Castle walked her out and then went back to his office and clicked on his murder board containing the information he was working on. He was still pursuing Beckett's Mom's case. Damn! The cold hard reality was that he still loved Beckett. He was also miserable without seeing her everyday, or talking to her on the phone, or texting her. After the first few days she had stopped trying to get a hold of him and was leaving him alone. Tomorrow. He'd go in tomorrow. He was going to face this tomorrow, but he definitely was not looking forward to the conversation with Beckett.
A/N: There will be one more chapter to this one in which he confronts Beckett, and possibly another chapter after that. I hope you enjoyed this one. Gregg.