I've been thinking about this one for some time since seeing the season finale. I am considering leaving this as a one shot that leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but at the same time looks at the fallout of Beckett's shooting on the people closest to her. Depending on the response, I may do more chapters. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
The small group of people in the waiting room looked at the man who seemed to be solely focused on the doors leading back to the operating theater. All respected him. All loved him. But at the same time none of them knew what to do. One of their small family had been shot while honoring another fallen family member, and it seemed that the seams were falling apart from the bindings that held them all together. Every once in a while one would approach him, but he didn't say anything. Didn't move. Just sat there, eyes riveted to the doors that none could enter.
"What are we gonna do about this, man?" Ryan asked Esposito.
"I don't know, Bro," Esposito shook his head slowly. He looked at Castle worriedly. The man had done so much for all of them, and it hurt to see him so tore up. Yes it was because he was in love with Beckett, and Beckett was fighting for her life in the OR, but it looked like no matter what happened to Beckett, the fun loving man that had proven himself to be a true friend and partner would never be the same. "But for Beckett we need to make sure that he doesn't do anything crazy."
"That's not good enough," a very agitated Martha said firmly as she interjected herself into the conversation.
"It's all that we can do, Martha," Esposito replied. He hated the fact that he was now essentially the one in charge of the team, but he was the senior detective of the group with Beckett in the condition she was in.
"NO," Martha said with a genuine fire in her eyes. She pointed to Castle. "That is not my son," she said to them. "My son hasn't been here since the sick son-of-a-bitch shot Kate. My son won't be here until the maniac responsible for this is found. If you don't help him, Richard will go after them himself. That is something that I cannot accept. I want my son back, gentlemen, and I expect the two of you to help him and keep him safe."
Esposito and Ryan looked at each other. They knew she was right, and that it was going to be up to them to make sure he stayed safe. Beckett would be seriously pissed if they didn't keep him safe, and Martha had enough juice to make their lives a living hell if anything happened to Castle. Before they could say anything the NYPD Police Commissioner strode into the waiting room. They snapped to, and Martha walked over to sit with Alexis, Lanie, and Jim Beckett.
"Any word, Detectives?" he asked gruffly. He was seriously pissed over the whole thing, and what he'd received in his office in box from the late Captain Montgomery had him enraged.
"She's still in surgery, Sir," Esposito replied. "We don't know anything yet."
"Come with me, Detectives," the Commissioner ordered and led them out of the room and into a private room down the hall. When the door closed he faced the two men. "As of right now the two of you are working for me. This is an under the radar assignment, and while you are ostensibly working at the 12th, you report directly to me for the duration."
"Sir?" they asked in unison, stunned at the order.
"Montgomery sent me a set of files that will be enough to hang the fuckers who have been behind all this, but I need you two to do the ground work and button it all up so these bastards get what they deserve," the Commissioner handed them the files. "This is your job now."
"What about Castle, Sir?" Ryan asked, and noticed Esposito nodding.
The Commissioner raised his brows. "What about him?" he asked. He knew that Castle had been invaluable to the 12th, and liked what the man added to the mix, but this was something way outside the norm.
"We need him on this, Sir," Esposito told him. "If he isn't involved, he will go on his own, and considering the contacts and money he has at his disposal, will likely wind up dead, or seriously hurt. Unless he's in, we're out."
The Commissioner looked at the two determined men. He could see that they were deadly serious. He liked that. He liked it a lot. That kind of attitude was going to be needed on this one. He nodded. "Bring him in on it when Beckett's status is known," he directed. He reached into his pocket and handed over a NYPD detectives badge. "Give him this. It was Montgomery's when he was just a detective. He wanted Castle to have it. As of now he's a detective when it comes to any other officers until this is finished. I'm counting on you to train him and keep him alive." With a final nod he left the room.
Esposito and Ryan looked at each other. This was not good, but it was too important to not be in on. They owed Beckett and Castle a Hell of a lot. They walked back to the waiting room and sat with the others. They would talk to Castle later.
Lanie noticed Javier and Ryan coming back in and gave them a questioning look. When they shook their heads, she turned back to Alexis who was focused on Castle.
"Are you okay?" she asked the very mature teenager.
"I'm worried about him," Alexis nodded towards her father. "I've never seen him so somber."
"That's what being in love and worried about the person does, Honey," Lanie replied.
"But what will happen to him if Kate dies?" Alexis whispered. Her dad had always been larger than life and fun loving. Now he was the complete opposite and she was afraid he may never be the same. She could tell her Grandmother was worried about the same thing. She had never seen her Grandmother so serious before.
"I don't know, Honey, but he won't be alone," Lanie replied, placing her arm over the young lady's shoulders.
Jim Beckett had been taking in the whole scene since they had all arrived. He was well aware of the close knit group that his Katie had around her, and now he was seeing it fully. His own mood was one of deep fear. He'd lost the love of his life years before, and he'd sunk himself into a bottle to escape. He'd been sober for years now, and his relationship with Katie was the one positive beacon that kept him sane. He did not want to sink back into the abyss again, but he was frightened that if he lost his daughter in such a senseless fashion, he wouldn't be able to control the dark impulses. He looked at Richard Castle and was deeply grateful that his daughter had such a friend. He chuckled at the memory of a few months before when he had scolded her for being a bit of a fool for having ever taken up with that doctor when the man who truly loved her was right there no matter what. What had convinced her that she knew he was right was when she didn't argue with him over it. He'd been glad when she had told him that she'd ended it with Josh. He went over to Castle.
"She does love you, you know," he told the intent man, not really expecting an answer. "And I know you love her. Don't let her slip through your fingers, Son. Life's too damn short to keep making the same mistakes with the one you're in love with." He was heartened when he saw the man nod. Almost imperceptibly, but he did nod. Jim settled back to wait with him.
Two interminable hours later a scrub clad Doctor entered the waiting area. He saw the group look up instantly and he made his way over to Jim Beckett who he had met just before taking the detective into surgery.
"It was a difficult procedure, Mr. Beckett, but we got the bullet, and barring any unforeseen complications Detective Beckett should be alright," he told the man, and noticed all of the group breathing a deep sigh of relief. "There is one thing. The bullet lodged close to her spinal column and there is some slight swelling, which is to be expected. We won't know what effect it has on her, though, until she's fully awake and we can check her out fully."
"Can we see her?" Jim asked, nodding his thanks for the information, but just deeply grateful that Katie was going to live.
"When we bring her to her room from recovery, but keep it to a minimum, though," the Doctor told him. He handed the man his card with pager and cell phone number on it. "Contact me if you have any questions, and I will be checking on her regularly, as well." He left the room.
Castle turned to face the group, and zeroed his attention on Esposito and Ryan. "Now we can go get these bastards," he said in a tone that spoke of pain, longing, and determined resolve. No one doubted that he was totally focused on the end game. Both with regards to being with Kate, and also to solving this nightmare case once and for all.
"Let's get to work," Esposito said with a nod, and noticed Ryan nodding, too. Castle had once again given the group the proper motivation, and the right attitude. These fuckers were going down once and for all.
A/N: One shot or more? I like this one, but could easily do more. I hope you all enjoyed this one. Gregg.