Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading my story, I hope you enjoy it.
This story is a reposting of one I did on another Castle FanFic site.
By all means, please leave me feedback/reviews on this or any of the other stories I've posted here.
This is all a first for me and I'd like to know what's good and what needs improvement.
Story Notes:
This story takes place some time after the beginning of Season 5.
(aka PC - Post Connecting, as opposed to BC - Before Connecting)
Disclaimer:
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
"What the hell was I supposed to do?" he asks holding his arms out wide in frustration.
"I don't know!" Beckett says to him, also holding out her arms.
"For a change I did exactly what I was supposed to!"
"Why did you pick this time to do what you were told? You never listen to me!"
"You told me to! You said this was going to be a bad situation so I stayed in the damn car!" he says emphasizing it by smacking the back of one hand into the palm of his other.
"You're impossible, you know that? I wonder if you get it, Do you really understand the dangers we're dealing with here?"
"Yes I do! Absolutely! There's a ton of broken window glass all over me to remind me!"
"You could have been wounded or god forbid, killed!"
"Do you think I'm stupid? I know that!"
"Then what were you thinking? Or were you even thinking?"
"Augh! I was trying to do the right thing! I was trying to stay safe!"
"Well, you did a pretty crappy job of it! I just got you and now you're trying to get yourself killed?"
"No! I did what you told me! I was trying to be good!"
"And what about Alexis and Martha! I'm not going to try to explain to them how you got wounded or killed!"
"Don't you think getting wounded or killed will ruin my day too?"
"Do you think this is funny?"
"No I don't! I'm serious!"
"Castle, we can't do this now, go home. NOW! I have to mop up this scene!"
"Fine! Call me when you get done!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Taking off his 'Writer' vest and throwing it into the back of her car, he grabs his jacket sweeping off the glass from it and starts to walk up the alley to the main street the entire time mumbling to himself angrily.
"Oooofh!" She vents her frustration. "That man is impossible!"
Turning to the crime scene she begins the job of 'clean up' after the chase and shootout.
Still mumbling to himself "She makes me so damn crazy! I swear that woman is impossible!" reaching the street he yells "Taxi!" and continues mumbling to himself "She acts like I tried to get into the middle of a shootout." Climbing in he gives the driver the destination address and sits back with his jaw clenched tight to, as some would call it, stew in his own juices.
"Hey Ryan, did you find what that guy tossed?" she asks.
"Esposito went after it, he says he found it. He's waiting for CSU to arrive to photograph it before moving it."
"Do we know what it was?"
"No, not for sure, Espo said it was a paper bag and it looks like it had a baggie of white powder and a gun in it."
"Good. That will help."
"Hey Beckett, where's your shadow?"
"I sent him home."
"Was that you two yelling in the alley?"
The withering look she turned on him told him to drop the discussion.
"Karpowski is at their room, she's got two of them there."
"I'll go check on her now, can you keep an eye on my suspect? I'll get some help sent out here to relieve you."
"Sure, no problem. He and I need to have a chat about our philosophical viewpoints on the penal system."
"Make sure you read him his rights again with a couple of witnesses, just to make sure. I read his jacket, it says he's a smart-ass who tries to weasel his way though the system."
"Will do. Come on dirt bag, you need to have a seat outside." he says dragging his suspect out of the small hallway and into the alley.
"Thanks Ryan!" she calls after him.
Turning back to the tasks at hand, she makes a mental note of the things she sees in this storage room where suspect number three was hiding. With that she turns and heads further into the building to the primary crime scene.
"Okay mac, we're here." says the cabbie startling Castle from his funk.
"Thanks, here." he says passing the driver some money while opening the door.
As the taxi leaves, he heads for the building, head down and still mumbling to himself. "There are times that woman can get me so ticked off!" unconsciously holding the door open for the woman leaving the building then going in after her. "She acts like I caused this."
"Hey Karpowski, how's things in here?"
"Beckett, so nice of you to join us." Karpowski laughs "These two rocket-scientists are arguing with each other about who owns those guns over there." pointing "It seems that they both say they belong to the other guy but they both claim they were holding this paper bag over here with the baggies of white powder. I've had to tell them 'again' to shut up. I can't write down their confessions fast enough."
"Ah good. Thanks. Do you need anything right now?"
"Not at this moment, we've got uniforms closing off the area and then we'll get these guys processed and the CSU in here." looking around" I think they're going to need a lot of film for this job."
"I think you're right. This is going to be a long mop-up. I'm going to check on the perimeter."
"Great, thanks. Hey Beckett, where's ... " starts Karpowski, trailing off when she sees the look on Beckett's face.
"What!?" Beckett glares at her.
"No... I ... was going to ask where ... ah ... Esposito is." she says trying to cover the awkward situation.
"He's out back." she snaps turning and heading out the front door.
As the elevator doors open, still mumbling to himself he reaches into his pants pocket for his keys. Then he starts to search his jacket pockets. "Oh great! They must have fallen out when I dove into the back seat of the car." looking skyward "Did I really deserve this?" standing in the middle of the hall he reaches for his phone only to find it not there either "Great, that's just icing on the cake!" he turns and leans against the wall next to the door and slides down so he's sitting on the floor. "I'm not leaving here, I don't know where she is and I'll get in trouble for returning to the scene to get my keys and phone." Starting to look around he says half out-loud "I guess I'm just ... " he sighs heavily and rests his head on his knees "so very very screwed." Unaware the whole time that instead of heading to his loft, he's now sitting in front of her apartment.
"Hey Beckett, we found the land-lord, he's on his way over!" calls a voice.
"Thanks!" she calls in reply not even knowing where the voice came from.
Surveying the crime scene she sees an area unprotected, turning around "Hastings, when you're done taping off that area where you are, go over there" pointing "and tape off that section? We don't need surprises today."
Looking around Hasting acknowledges the instructions "You got it Beckett!"
Pulling out her phone Beckett instinctively slides her thumb across it and hits the speed dial for CSU and puts the phone to her ear. Nothing. "What the heck?" she looks at her phone. It is dark. "Great, just what I needed..." she then sees the crack across the glass of the phone "Looks like it cushioned my fall. I can't wait to do the paperwork on this one. Let me use your phone Cas..." realizing he's not there and the fight they just had she looks around to make sure no one heard her, thinking to herself" This is just going spiffy, I wonder what my horoscope would have said today 'Stay in bed with the covers over your head you fool!'"
"Hastings, can I use your phone for a second? I broke mine."
"Sure, here." she says pulling out her phone.
"Thanks." Dialing up CSU Beckett gives them orders and begins the process of supervising the evidence collection. She hangs up the phone and hands it back to Hastings.
"The way today is going, I'm not leaving." he thinks to himself "I need to talk to her and I need my own keys and phone. With my luck, if I leave, I'll miss her and I won't be getting my stuff back until I find her. So, I'll just make myself comfortable right here. This is the best place to catch her. She's going to have to come home soon, she's been going for almost an entire day without sleep."
"Hey Beckett!" calls Ryan from the back of the crime scene.
"Yeah Ryan, I'm comin'." as she heads over to him.
"We've got uni's taking these guys in now, do you want us to do anything else here?"
"No, why don't you and Espo head back, get that cut on your forehead looked at first."
"Yeah, it's just a scratch but I'll have them look at it."
"You do realize that you're going to hear about this for a few days right?"
"Don't I know it. And Jenny's going to be all crazy about it when I get home. Oh but wait until you see Espo. You'll forget all about this." he says smiling.
"Why?"
"Never mind, just wait." He turns and heads off.
She looks around and goes down the alleyway where Esposito caught his suspect. "Hey Espo!" as he turns around "What the hell happened?" she starts to laugh.
"Great, thanks Beckett. The idiot decided that he needed a weapon to throw at me so he chucked that can of paint at me." he says pointing to the small can of paint on the ground with the cover off and the red paint spreading around the ground.
"You look like a piece of modern art! Wait!" she reaches for her phone "Damn! I can't take a picture. I want Lanie to see you like this."
"Oh good, thanks. Just what I need, her to think I'm covered in blood."
"Do you know how hard that is going to be to get it out of your hair and scalp? Oh this is too funny. Cast..." she says cutting herself off.
"You were going to say?" Esposito says, verbally poking her for laughing at him.
"NOTHING! Make sure CSU gets a photo of all this and of you so you can get reimbursed for the clothes. I'm leaving to go back and start the paperwork." she says coldly, shifting back into her 'strictly business' mode.
Beckett drives back to the precinct, fuming at herself and Castle for the day's events. She's not even going to put away his vest in the backseat. She's too mad at him right now. "Next time I talk to him I'll give him another piece of my mind." she thinks.
At the precinct, she and the other detectives settle down to work typing up their reports and recording the evidence taken at the scene. Suddenly a cheer goes up and everyone's standing and clapping at something she looks up to see Esposito coming off the elevator and walking down the length of the bullpen with everyone applauding him, still covered in red paint. Holding up his hands like a superstar telling the adoring fans to sit.
"Hey Espo, You made Ryan very happy."
"Thanks Beckett, Why?"
"Because we're going to forget about the little cut on his head, you're going to be months living this down!" laughs Beckett smiling wide.
"Hey Beckett, where's ... " he stops speaking suddenly when he sees the look on her face change from smiling to scowling. "Sorry, never mind. I have to go change."
Sitting down, she glances at the empty chair next to her. "How can anyone be so damn annoying?" she wonders to herself.
"Detective Beckett"
Looking up surprised, "Oh Captain Gates, I didn't hear you come over."
"It looks like this got handled quickly and efficiently, congratulations."
"Thank you sir."
"When you finish your preliminary paperwork, I want you to go home and get some rest."
"I'm all righ..."
"That wasn't a request Detective. The other members of your team can handle things from here. You've been up for about twenty hours I'm guessing and I need to have you here mentally tomorrow morning when we sit down with the D.A. to review the charges. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day with this case."
"But..."
"Detective, you just closed six murders by capturing four suspects after a shootout with no one hurt and it seems you've also closed off a major heroin trafficking route. Tomorrow you've got to work with narcotics to help them with their side of the case. You've done enough for one day. Now go home."
"Yes Sir."
"Good. Where's Esposito?"
"Um... Changing his clothes."
"Changing... what happened?"
"He got covered in red paint." she snickers, trying to hide her laugh.
"Oh, that's got to be a good story. Okay, you go home. I'll talk to the team when... um... Detective Esposito... rejoins us here."
"Yes sir. Thank you." she says as Gates turns and heads to her office. Standing up and grabbing her coat and keys she turns to Ryan, "Go tell Espo to go down to see Lanie, she's got solvents that will take that paint off easily but don't make it sound like he looks like hell, I'll call Lanie and warn her, she can play it up."
"That's a great idea!" Ryan says as he gets up, grinning like an elf and heading to the locker room.
Picking up her desk phone and hitting speed dial "Lanie? Hi. Yeah, we're all okay. Listen, we're sending Javi to see you. No, really, he's fine, not a scratch on him but, and this is the funny part, he's covered in red paint! ... I know, it looks like he's got a head wound but he doesn't! It's all in his hair, eyebrows, everything ... The suspect threw it at him ... We've been laughing since it happened. ... I didn't think of that, yeah it must have gone down his neck, it must be on his chest or back. We're sending him to you saying that you have solvents to get it off of him ... I thought you'd like this. Now have fun. We're going to be busting his chops on this one for weeks!" suddenly her face turns serious "No, I sent him home." she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath "No, I don't want to talk about it. Good bye." and she hangs up her phone.
The stress of the day already begins to subside as she presses the button on the elevator but now she has to deal with her anger at Castle and she feels that knot in her shoulders beginning to tighten up again. As the elevator opens and she steps in, she notices how lonely it feels without her shadow.
"Aw crap, this day gets better and better. I can't take my car, it's all shot up." she sighs and hits the button for the lobby "I'll have to take a cab."
Walking on 'auto pilot', she leaves the building and hails a cab. Climbing in she gives the driver the address. She sits back now, fuming "What the hell am I going to do with him? He drives me crazy! There are times that I wish Montgomery had stayed out of my life." these thoughts further fueling her anger, she stares at her feet, furious at what he'd done and how close he came to being shot. "I just get started with him and this crap happens, what would I have done if ... "
"Here ya go babe!" says the driver.
She ignores his use of 'babe' and gets out passing him the fare. She walks, absent minded to the building, not even aware that the doorman has opened the door for her. Reliving the moments in her mind when she saw the gunman shooting at the car she presses the button in the elevator and the doors close. Her heart leapt when she saw that. She returned fire diverting his attention while Esposito got behind him. She looked at the car, she didn't know if he was hurt or not. "This is one hell of a time for him to do what he was told!" she remembers yelling at him in her head.
DING The doors open and she walks down the hall, still lost in thought when she looks up and realizes she's standing at his door. "Great, I'm losing my mind!" she turns to walk away and stops. "Oh well, we might as well get this over with now." she rings the buzzer and knocks on the door. Listening, she hears nothing. Again she buzzes and knocks, nothing. "I give up, he's impossible! I'm leaving!" she says softly, almost under her breath, again, she turns to walk away and then thinks for a moment. "If I leave, I'll miss him coming home, I don't know where he is and my phone is busted. We've got to finish this argument. Maybe I'll just wait for him here. He's got to be home, maybe he's in the shower, I'll just listen for him for a few minutes then buzz again."
She sighs a deep sigh, frustrated at how poorly the day has gone in her view. She leans against the door and slides down, resting on the floor, waiting to hear some noise from the loft so they can talk. Quickly the day catches up to her and she falls asleep from exhaustion waiting in front of his door.
A neighbor, walking by, recognizes her and goes to tell the doorman about her sleeping there. He quickly pulls out his little notebook and calls Castle's cellphone. It goes right to voice mail. He calls Castle's home phone and it does the same thing. He sees the note about Kate Beckett and calls the number for her friend.
"Hello, Medical Examiner's Office." comes the voice.
"Hi, this is the doorman at Mr Castle's residence, is this Doctor Parrish?"
"Yes, is something wrong?" panic quickly building in her voice.
"No ma'am. I called Mr Castle's numbers and there were no answer so you were the next logical step. I'm calling to let you know that Katherine Beckett is here, she's sound asleep in the hallway leaning on his door.
"Oh! Okay, let me get in touch with someone, we'll be right over to look after her." Lanie says.
"Thank you ma'am, no urgent rush but we were worried about her."
"Thank you for calling me!" with that she hangs up her phone and calls Esposito at his desk. "Javi, I just got a call from Castle's doorman, Kate's sleeping in his hallway! ... No, really, can you pick me up? I need a ride over there. ... Thank you! I'll meet you out front. ... Right, 'bye." she hangs up her phone and quickly puts her coat on over her lab coat as she leaves, she calls out to her assistant"... I have a family situation to handle, I shouldn't be too long! Can you hold down the fort for me? ... Thank you sweetie!"
Javi meets her outside and they rush through traffic to Castle's building. Jumping out she meets the doorman and thanks him for his concern and actions, Javi and Lanie then run into the building. As the elevator doors open, Lanie sees the sleeping form of her friend on the floor she runs over to her and wakes her up. "Kate! Kate! Wake up!" shaking her.
Slowly the exhausted detective wakes up "What's going on? Lanie, what are you doing here?" then she notices Esposito "Javi, you too?"
"Honey, we got a call from the doorman, it seems you've been sleeping here since you left the precinct."
Still groggy, she starts to stand up with help from her friends "How long have I been here?"
Esposito looks at his watch" I think you left us about three hours ago so it hasn't been a short time."
Running her hands through her hair "Oh god, this is embarrassing."
"Yea, but you weren't covered in red paint." Esposito jokes.
Smiling now she says "This has been one truly crappy day."
"Come on Kate, Javi will drive us to your place." she says pulling her friend's arm.
"No, I have to talk to Castle. We had a fight."
"Everyone on this side of New York knows that, he isn't answering his phone either, he's probably at Remy's drowning his sorrows in a chocolate shake." Lanie says, insistently pulling on her arm. "Let's go, you two can work this out tomorrow, now is not the time."
"Okay, okay, I give. Take me home. Thank you." reaching out she squeezes Javi's arm.
As they arrive at her building, Kate is in the back with Lanie, making small talk and trying to avoid discussing the argument she had with Castle.
"Come on dearie, up-si-daisy!" says Lanie to Kate as Javi opens their car door. "Up-si-daisy?" he says to Lanie quietly, earning him a scorching look from her.
As they approach the building, a neighbor inside sees Kate opens the door for her and says "We were just going to call you. There's a guy sitting in the hall in front of your apartment."
Kate looks at Lanie and Javi and they hurry to the elevators.
When they arrive at her floor, there's Castle, hunched over in the same pose as Kate was.
"Hey Bro! Whatcha doin' here like that?" Esposito calls out to him.
Startled he looks at the three and gets up. "I lost my phone and the keys to my house. When I realized where I was I just gave up and sat here waiting for you to come home." he says directing his gaze at Beckett.
"Funny thing..." starts Lanie.
"Lanie!" Kate barks to stop her.
"No way honey, he needs to know this." quickly without stopping "Kate was asleep in front of your door, we just picked her up."
Beckett rolls her eyes, knowing that her crappy day isn't over yet.
"My door?" he says softly looking at her.
"You didn't answer my question Castle, how'd you get here? I thought she sent you home?" insists Javi.
"I got in a cab after I left the crime scene, I was furious for the way we fought, I barked the address to the driver and before I knew it I was here."
His anger subsided now, he looked at her "I wasn't going to leave because I couldn't call you and I didn't want to miss talking to you tonight. I figured that sooner or later you'd come home and we could talk."
Lanie smiling now "Kate told me almost the same story, she ended up in front of your door too. Seems her phone is broken."
Sheepishly Kate gives a half smile to Rick. "Let's take this inside everyone." says Kate reaching for her keys and heading for the front door.
"Um... No, I have to get back to the morgue, sorry honey, I ran out of there and Javi's got to give me a ride back let's go Javi... Now." says Lanie, smiling wide, grabbing Javi's arm and backing up to leave the two alone.
"Oh, okay. Thanks for picking me up." she says blushing, looking at her keys to avoid looking at him "Cas... Rick, would you like to come in?"
"Yes. I'd like that very much."
Opening the door she goes in and lets him follow. She takes off her coat and hangs it on the hook. She turns around to take his and he's in front of her, he puts his arms around her and quietly says "I'm so very sorry we fought. I'm sorry for everything I did. I'm sorry I upset you."
"No no no... I'm sorry!" she says looking into the blue pools of his eyes.
Pulling herself tightly to his chest "I'm so sorry I reacted that way. I was terrified that you got hurt. I just reacted. I know it was stupid and childish. I was so relieved to see that you were unhurt."
"No, it wasn't stupid nor childish. I understand it completely." he says cooing to her and holding her tighter.
Crying now into his chest she sniffles and in a muffled voice softly asks "You do?"
"Yes. Every time you put on your vest my heart skips a beat. Every time you pull your weapon I get a chill up my spine. Every time you go through a door, my heart sinks and my stomach knots up. Every SINGLE Time." he whispers.
"I'm so sorry." she says quietly still muffled "I didn't realize it."
"What? You didn't realize you're the most difficult woman to care for?" he says smiling, his anger gone, and his heart full of his love for her.
"I'm difficult?" she pulls herself back from his chest questioning him but still smiling "I am difficult?"
"Good, you admit it." he says as he leans down to kiss her.
"If the paperwork wasn't so bad, I'd pepper-spray you for that." she smiles, putting her arms around his neck and, unable to stifle a yawn, says "As much as I really want to try our first make-up sex, I think it would be smart for us to both get some sleep."
"Yea, there's always the morning." he smiles at her and picks her up in his arms and heads for her bedroom.
"Hey, are you sleeping here tonight?" she asks a little surprised.
"Yea, I don't have my keys, I think they're in the back of your car and my phone is there too. Not much I can do about it until morning. I think you're stuck with me until then." he says putting her down "I'll take the couch if you prefer." he says seriously.
"No. I can use the company of a big strong man who won't mind my snoring."
"Look no further milady, your human pillow has arrived." he smiles bowing slightly, and gives her a peck on the lips.
"We're going to need our energy for tomorrow. The three-musketeers aren't going to let us live this down."
"You think?"
"Absolutely. However, CSU took a picture of Javi. So that will help get us off the hook."
"Why?"
"He was covered in red paint!" the smile returning to her face.
"Now that I have to see."
Pausing for a moment and looking into his eyes "Thank you Rick." she says quietly.
"For what?" unsure of what he did.
"Everything. Just you being you."
"Always." he smiled at her, doing his best to twinkle his eyes. "Now my dear, go get ready for bed!" and with that he gives her a gentle swat on her backside and starts to turn out the lights in the apartment.
### The End ###