Nobody but Castle fans can understand the excitement I felt when I read that there was going to be a season 5 episode set in the Hamptons. Nobody. So here's some angsty/fluffy Hamptons loving, because who doesn't love the Hamptons? I'm going to stop talking about the Hamptons now, because it's starting to sound like I work for their tourist board or something.

It's been a difficult week and the last thing Kate Beckett needs is an unwelcome meeting with Gates on a subject that she has not been informed of. Just a message, telling her to be there first thing in the morning. Worse, she has been waiting at her desk for over fifteen minutes when Gates finally appears. Fifteen minutes in which both her anxiety and her anger have grown rapidly. She jumps up from her seat at the sight of Gates and follows her into her office without waiting to be invited, where Gates is already taking a seat at her desk. She looks up at Kate's entrance, unsurprised.

"Detective Beckett."

"Sir?"

"Have a seat."

Kate hovers for a moment, not wanting to sit down. Sitting down means a discussion. Sitting down means something serious. Something that she will not want to hear. Still, she sits down slowly in one of the chairs opposite Gates' desk.

"I'm sure you know why you're here."

"No, actually," Kate replies, an edge to her voice. She doesn't like being kept in the dark. She feels like a naughty schoolgirl about to be reprimanded by the principal, a strange sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, just like that time she got caught smoking behind the gym when she was fifteen and she thought they were going to call her parents. It makes her angry that she feels like this and she tries to sit up a little straighter, harden her expression so that her feelings won't show.

"It's about the last case you worked on."

Kate's silent. Part of her knows what is coming, but a voice inside her head still argues that she did a good job on that case, considering the circumstances. The circumstances…

"I understand how difficult it must have been for you-"

No, Kate wants to tell her. You don't understand at all.

"-but you must realize that I can't have you working like this."

"Like what?"

"You've been under a lot of strain over the past few months. I understand that."

No! Kate's mind snaps again, but she presses her lips together instead. Don't lose your temper.

"That's why I'm asking you to take some time.

"I'm fine," Kate says automatically.

Gates frowns.

"Given your behavior on the past case I would have to disagree with you on that, Detective."

"I know I wasn't on top of my game," Kate admits (well she can hardly lie about that, can she, when everybody saw how she was), "but I'm okay now. I'm over it."

"You are not fit for work, Detective!"

Kate can tell she is losing this battle rapidly, that Gates' mind is already made up, but still, she has to try.

"Sir-"

"Take some time off. Recuperate. Come back when you're ready."

"I'm fine," Kate insists again, furious that this woman has the audacity to think that she knows whether she is able to work or not.

"This isn't up for discussion," Gates says, in a tone that implies that their conversation is most definitely over. "Do I make myself clear?"

Kate swallows hard, forcing her blind fury to subside, if only slightly. Who is this woman, to come here and tell her that she's not fit to work, this woman who doesn't even know her, who has made no effort to make herself liked or-

"Yes, sir," she manages to say in a calm and measured voice instead.

Castle is standing by her desk waiting, coffee cup in hand, when she gets back. She takes it from wordlessly, barely even looking.

"Kate, what's wrong?"

She ignores his concern because it's easier than acknowledging it, snapping a simple, "Nothing, Castle, I'm fine."

Which is ridiculous because-

"You're not fine."

She risks looking at him and it's not as bad as she thought it would be.

"I…" She falters but she has to tell him. Aside from the fact that it's patently obvious that something has just happened between her and Gates, she suspects that he might question where she is when she stops turning up to work. He's looking at her expectantly and she sighs. "Gates wants me to take some time."

"Take some time?"

"Yeah. Off work…" There, that wasn't so hard to say, she thinks.

"Why?"

"I…" This is the hard part. "I just…after everything that's happened over the past few months. Montgomery's death…my…my accident." Accident. Inwardly she's disgusted at herself. How hard is it to say shooting, for god's sake? Or the word sniper, for that matter? What is wrong with her? Why can't she just get a grip?! "Gates just thinks I need some time," she says again, as if that explains everything.

He's hesitant as he asks her, "Why does she think that now?"

Kate closes her eyes briefly, only to reopen them and find Castle still standing there, waiting for her answer.

"You saw me, Castle. On the Travis case." She cannot say sniper case. "I…it was…"

"I know," he says, to save her from having to say anymore, and she's grateful, so grateful.

"Maybe she's right…" Kate admits. "Maybe I do need to get away from the precinct for a while. Take some time." She manages a smile this time, as she says it, that clichéd phrase that has no real meaning. How can anybody take some time?

"If you wanted to get away," Castle begins, and then stops abruptly.

"What?" Kate prompts, frowning at him.

"Well…I was just going to ask…"

"Spit it out, Castle," she demands, although really she's intrigued.

"I was thinking about getting away for a few days myself, work on the next Nikki Heat novel a bit more, somewhere quieter…"

Kate's frown deepens.

"At my place in the Hamptons," he clarifies. "You…you could come with me? It's off season so there'll be nobody there." He sounds so tentative, so unlike the last time he asked her, that she's taken aback. The Hamptons. She could go to the Hamptons with him. Just like that. Leave New York City. God, does she want to go now that he's suggested it. So badly. The Hamptons will be quiet, he's said. The Hamptons are safe.

"I don't know, Castle," she says doubtfully instead. She can't really go, can she?

"Why not?" He asks, as if he's reading her thoughts. "What are you going to do otherwise? Sit in your apartment all day?"

No. God, she can't do that. Just her and her thoughts and memories in her apartment…she has needed work to take her mind off everything, the perfect distraction to throw herself into, and now she's had that taken away from her. The evenings alone have been bad enough, but days?

"Nothing funny, I promise," he says, as if that's what he thinks might be bothering her. "Scout's honor." He holds up his hand and gazes at her solemnly, and she believes him. For all his teasing and kidding around, she knows Castle would never make her do anything she didn't want to do and he would never take advantage of her. And she wants to go, she realizes. She wants to go to the Hamptons, if only to get away from the city. He's offering her an out and she's going to take it.

"Okay," she agrees, swallowing hard. "I'll come."

"You will?" His whole face lights up as he looks at her with a look of hopeful joy.

"Yes, Castle," she says, suppressing her smile at his obvious delight at her acceptance of his invitation. "Just don't make a big thing out of it, okay? And one clever remark from you and I'll change my mind, got it?"

"I won't say a word!"