(A/N It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I thought I'd share this clip from the upcoming chapter of "Never Again" with you all. Between being short-handed at work & wedding planning, I haven't had time to do any editing or write more on the chapter. I'll try to get back to it as soon as I can, but for now, please enjoy this bit. And be assured, I'll be back to Never Again as soon as things die down a little, & I can find some inspiration & time to write.
If you intend to leave a review & wanna be a dick, then have the stones to leave a name, so you can be addressed openly. Any anonymous negative reviews will be blocked, so don't bother doing it if you plan to troll.)
Beckett opened the door to her apartment to see Castle standing on the other side. Strangely, he looked subdued, not his usual energetic self. However, Beckett was too excited to see it.
"Castle, we did it!" she exclaimed. "We caught a break in the case! Finally, I can take the damn dragon down!"
"Beckett-" he began, but Beckett carried on.
"I owe it all to you," she said. "You got Coonan to come out of the woodwork, and you never gave up. All this was thanks to you."
"Beckett-"
"And now you'll be there when I can finally close the worst chapter in my life. So thanks," she said, smiling. "Let me get my jacket, and we can-"
"KATE!" he cried out. Kate faltered, as he looked at her. "You need to stop. Right now."
"Stop?"
"This case," he replied. "You need to stop pursuing your mother's case, or you're going to wind up dead."
"Castle, what are you-"
"That was the deal made by Montgomery," he said, as if she hadn't interrupted him. "You stayed away from her case, and the dragon left you alone."
"How do you know this?" she asked, aghast.
"Because I was contacted by a man named Smith," he said quietly. "I was told that if I kept you away from her case, you were safe. That was the price."
"You did what?" she cried. "Castle, how could you?"
"Kate, listen to me-" he started to say.
"No! Why should I listen to or believe anything you have to say?" she yelled at him. "You went behind my back, and cut a deal with the very men I'm trying to bring down! You betrayed my trust, Castle! So why should I give a damn about anything you have to say?"
"No," said Castle suddenly, anger in his voice as he jabbed a finger near her face. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to play the victim here. Not this time. Not with me."
"Castle, what the hell did I do to you to deserve this much hostility?" asked Kate, as she folded her arms.
"Forget it," he replied tonelessly, turning around as he started walking away.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Kate cried, grabbing at his arm. "You don't get to act like an asshole and walk away! I'm sick of your attitude, and your hostility toward me! Goddammit, Castle! TELL ME WHAT I DID TO YOU!"
"YOU LIED TO ME!" Castle roared, whirling around to face her. Kate took a few steps back, fear sliding across her face momentarily at his sudden outburst. "You lied to my face and led me on for a year!"
"Castle, what are you talking about?" she asked, fear licking at her insides. "I never lied to you!"
Castle pulled his phone out and tapped a few buttons on the screen before holding it up to her face. Beckett paled as she watched herself in the video confront Bobby Lopez. "You wanna know trauma? I was shot in the chest, and I remember every second of it! And so do you!"
Beckett lifted terrified eyes from the screen to see her partner's furious gaze. "Castle, where did you get that?" she asked quietly.
"From Karpowski," he replied angrily. "All it cost me was ballet tickets for her. I didn't need to see this to know you lied, though. I just needed it as proof."
"Proof? Why would you-" Beckett's eyes widened as the realization hit her. "You were in the observation room," she whispered.
"I had to stand there and watch you tell a suspect what you couldn't even tell me," he said, as tears began falling down his cheeks. "I may have lied, but I did it to protect you! You didn't even have that decency!"
"Castle, I-"
"I told Smith I'm done protecting you," said Castle, as if she hadn't said anything. "I'm done with this case. I'm done with the 12th. And I'm done with you."
"Castle, no!" she said, feeling her heart break. She watched with sorrowful eyes as he pulled a USB drive from his jacket pocket and threw it on the table.
"That's everything I have on your mother's case and your shooting," he said, wiping at his cheeks.
"Rick, please-"
"I thought we could have a future together, but I can see now I was wrong," he said. The hurt in his voice made tears run down Kate's cheeks. "Nothing will ever come between you and her case." Castle walked over and opened the door, before turning back to her. "Goodbye, Detective Beckett", he said, as he slammed the door behind him. He stood in the hallway, head bowed as the tears continued to run down his face, before setting off down the hall for the elevator.
Kate stood there staring at her door, shock and hurt at Castle's words leaving her feeling broken inside. She sank to the couch, covering her face with her hands, as the first sob broke free. She didn't stop crying for hours.