Reality Star Struck post-ep: the following day at work. Because let's face it, Captain Victoria Gates deserves more credit than everyone has given her. And this team needs to talk.
They arrived at work together, convinced that Gates would never know about them if she hadn't figured it out at this point. Coffees in hand, smiling faces on display – evidence of last night's celebrations – they made their way towards Beckett's desk, ready for a day of paperwork, before being stopped by the guys.
"Nice of you two to show up today," Ryan teased.
"Yeah, must be hard to leave the love nest after a party like last night," Esposito chimed in.
Beckett turned to them, smile still on her face. "Tell me about it. I don't think I'll be doing much walking today," she quipped. The two detective's mouths hung open. "You're catching flies, boys." Turning around with a smirk on her face, she gave Castle a high five before sitting down at her desk.
An hour later, no work had been done. In fact, the stack of paper on her desk may have gotten bigger. Castle sat in his chair, focused on a game of angry birds, occasionally butting in to Ryan and Esposito's conversation. He was just about to shout out that no, buying Jenny maternity clothes before she was pregnant was not a good idea, when a sharp voice rang out through the bullpen.
"You four," Gates gestured to the team, "I need to see you in my office."
They all glanced worriedly at each other. "What did you guys do?" Castle asked the boys jokingly. Gates poked her head back out of her office door, "I meant now. Unless that game of angry birds is more important than what I have to say, Mr. Castle." They all got up, reluctantly, and filed into her office without saying another word.
"Now, I realize that you all see me as a force not to be reckoned with," Gates began, "and I thank you for the… respect. However, it is very disrespectful when you keep secrets from your own captain. I have been here for a year and a half now, and I think you four should trust me enough at this point to tell me the truth."
Beckett looked wide-eyed at her team. It seems they all had the same thought. What was she talking about? They had kept many secrets from her over the year and a half period that they had known the captain, and no one wanted to come clean about any of them.
"Uh, what exactly is it that we need to tell the truth about, sir?" Ryan tentatively asked.
She chuckled. Gates, Victoria Gates, actually chuckled at them. "Okay, I see none of you want to talk. So, let's just start from the beginning shall we? First of all, let me just address the elephant in the room and say that I know you two are together." She gestured between Castle and Beckett. The team just stared at her in shock. Beckett was about to say something, when the captain cut her off.
"You're not in trouble Kate." The detective paused, slightly alarmed by the use of her first name. And then Iron Gates herself cracked a smile. "You two obviously belong together. It's sickeningly cute mostly, but then I'm reminded of my husband and I back when we were both on the force."
"S-so this is okay? We're okay?" Kate asked. Gates nodded, and the four sitting down collectively let out a breath. Castle, who had been quiet throughout this whole discussion, intertwined his fingers with Kate's and kissed the back of her hand, quickly flashing her a smile. He looked at Gates, who then gave him a pointed look. "Let me make it clear, though, that you need to keep it in your pants while in my precinct." The boys immediately started laughing, before quieting when Kate gives them one of her trademark glares.
"So why are Ryan and I here?" Esposito questioned. "We already knew about those two, so is there something else?"
"Yes, actually, there is. It seems you've forgotten that I'm a detective. I know that's not the only thing you've been keeping from me. Captain Montgomery, whatever he was a part of, for one thing, but there's something else as well."
"What else?" Beckett asked.
"Senator Bracken." Gates stated plainly. She knew. Kate could tell from the look on her face. A mixture of confusion, anger, and pity. She knew that Bracken killed her mother.
Kate turned to her partner, a question on her face. He answered before she could open her mouth.
"She was in observation. When you interrogated McManus."
She turned back to her captain, with a slight look of horror, but Gates gave her a gentle smile. "Castle tried to cover for you, said it was an interrogation technique. But I knew. What I don't know, however, is why you all tried to keep it from me."
There was silence. What could be said about Bracken? They knew, then, that they would have to tell her everything. Kevin Ryan began talking.
"When he was a rookie, Montgomery got dragged into some corrupt business with two other cops. They were kidnapping mobsters and holding them for ransom. One of the kidnappings ended in an undercover federal agent getting shot with Montgomery's gun, and one of the corrupt officers tried to cover it up, blamed it on the mobster, Pulgatti. Bracken was Assistant DA at the time, and he found out about the cover up. He blackmailed Montgomery and the other cops, and used the money to finance his career. A few years later, Pulgatti contacted Johanna Beckett, she was a lawyer, and wanted her to look into the case. When she got too close, Bracken went after her."
Once again, silence.
"And how do you four fit into this?"
Esposito answered this time, while Kate sat quietly, squeezing Rick's hand tighter and tighter.
"Bracken killed Beckett's mom, and Montgomery… and almost Beckett. Who knows how many others? When we got too close to figuring out who was behind all of it, he went after Kate. Hired Cole Maddox to do his dirty work. When we found out who Maddox was a year later, Beckett and I went after him."
"So, Montgomery was a dirty cop? Caused all this?"
A sudden flash of anger ran through Kate. She looked up at Gates.
"Roy Montgomery was a great man. He was like a father to me! He was a rookie when that happened, and I forgave him when I found out, we all did."
By then tears had made their way down Kate's face, and Rick quietly leaned over to brush them away. He took her arm and led her out of the office, to the break room. Gates dismissed the remaining detectives, and then followed the detective and writer into the break room.
"Kate," she called after them. The two turned around. "I know he was a good man. I wasn't implying that he wasn't. I understand why you all didn't tell me, but I'm your captain now, and we're a family. We can't keep things from each other anymore."
"I know. I'm sorry. I lost my head for a minute. Big discussion."
The captain nodded her head. "Well, Mr. Castle, I think you should take your detective home for the day. Let her rest." She gave him a pointed look. He smiled, "I'll try." He wrapped his arms around her, and she let out a small sigh of contentment, burrowing into his chest. Victoria Gates turned to leave, but before she could, Kate had reached out and hugged her.
"Thank you," she whispered in her captain's ear.
"You're welcome. Now, I don't want to see you in my precinct again until tomorrow morning."
Kate nodded her head, and eagerly took Castle's hand, leading him to get their coats, and then to the elevator.