This is something that came to me after watching the latest episode, the one with the much speculated upon kiss between Castle and Beckett. I wanted to see about using that episode as a vehicle for Beckett to see a bit of reality with regards to her feelings about Castle, and what Castle's are towards her. I hope you enjoy this one. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Esposito knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He knew that he was taking a big risk, and would likely be facing some serious penance soon, but he had to say something. This last case had been one that had made a few things extremely clear to him, and he wanted to keep Beckett from making a serious mistake. He'd tried to do so the precious Spring, but had been a bit too late. He hoped that this time it wouldn't be. The door opened and he looked into the face of his boss, and good friend, Kate Beckett.
"Esposito?" Beckett asked, wondering why he was here.
"Yeah, is it okay to come in? I'm not interrupting anything am I?" he asked, hoping that no one was there, especially her boyfriend Josh.
"No, I'm alone," she said, allowing him to come in. "Want anything? Coffee, soda, beer?" she asked.
"Beer would be cool," Esposito said, taking in the apartment. It was open and very nice. He took a seat on the couch and nodded his thanks when Beckett brought him a beer and sat in a chair across from him.
"So how are you and Ryan?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Ryan has a bit of a lung infection from what happened, and I'll cop to being a bit shook up, but we're okay," he replied. He didn't mention the nightmares of the last few nights, or the fact that Ryan had been having trouble sleeping, too. Beckett had enough on her plate about the case and its history to be worrying about them.
"So what brings you by?" she asked. Not that she minded Esposito, or any of her team, coming by, but except for Castle, it was not very common.
Esposito sighed. "Look, I don't wanna get you mad, but there's something I wanna say, and it's because I care," he told her.
"Okay," she said slowly, trying not to get nervous. Esposito wasn't normally one to intrude on anything, and the last time was last Spring. Her eyes widened slightly, but she tamped down her nervousness. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear this.
"Beckett, you're my Boss, and I respect that, but you're also my friend, almost like a little sister," he told her. "You're making the same mistake you made last year with Demming."
"I think you better stop before I do get mad," Kate held up her hand, trying to keep control.
"I'm not saying Josh isn't a good guy, Beckett," he continued. "And I never said Tom was a bad guy, either. But you flaunted him in front of Castle, and you're basically doing the same thing with Josh. It's not right, and Josh, like Tom, isn't the guy for you. You know that Beckett."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Beckett tried to shrug it off. She didn't mean it, but she was not comfortable now that she was thrown into confusion once again after that kiss.
"Then why is Castle still hanging around and helping us after two and a half years?" he asked. "Why do you think he broke up with Gina? Why do you think he bought that bar? Why the hell would he get involved with what was happening when you guys saved Ryan and me? It's because of you, Beckett."
Kate was trying to keep from reeling. None of this was anything she hadn't been thinking about since that kiss before knocking out that thug the other night. Rick may have given her an out by passing it off as a distraction, but that kiss was real, and the passion behind it on both their parts was real. She'd been so angry when she'd blown it last Spring, and then when she met Josh she went for it because she needed someone, a warm, hot someone, to keep her mind off of what she had thrown away so carelessly.
"Castle shouldn't have been anywhere near there, yet he was and he risked it all in a situation he has no training for, to keep that bastard from killing you," he continued. "Could you say with a straight face that Josh would do the same?"
Kate slumped. "No," she said quietly. Josh was a great guy, but she couldn't imagine him putting himself out there like Castle did. Castle had come by and when she'd tried to keep him out of all of this he'd refused. He'd made it clear he was here for her no matter what. No one in her life had ever shown her that kind of devotion. Maybe it was time to face facts and quit trying to avoid what she'd essentially used first Tom, and now Josh for.
Esposito stood up and set down his now empty beer bottle. "You can decide whatever you want, Kate," he told her. "And no one is going to give you any grief. But ask yourself something. Is avoiding being with Castle worth losing him when he can't take it anymore? You waited too long last Spring and look what happened and how you felt. Do you really wanna go through that again?"
Kate watched as Esposito left and she continued thinking about what he'd said. The range of emotions was there, and it wasn't something she'd ever wanted to have to face. But he was right. Castle may be impetuous, and childish, but he had over the last couple of years proven himself to be the best friend she'd ever had. He had also, by his actions, shown how deeply he felt about her, and that kiss the other night had eliminated whatever doubts she may have had. All the things that caused her to end up seeking a distraction with Tom and then Josh had simply been Castle reacting to her own mixed signals. Agent Shaw had been right all along, and Kate had foolishly let that advice slide by without really pondering it. Josh wasn't going to be getting back for some time, but she was going to have to talk to Castle and see if she could possibly make this right. It was time that she went forward now that her eyes had been opened to a dose of reality.
A/N: I wanted this one short, and this is what I came up with. It still leaves things open for her to have time to deal with her emotions, whether she remains with Josh for a while longer or not, but still make the right choice in the end now that Esposito had given her something to think about like he had last season. I hope you all liked this one. Gregg.