Chapter 2
Victoria Gates answered her phone late in the afternoon and was shocked at what she heard. Not only were Beckett and Castle shoved off a dock and into the water, again in a life and death situation, but a reporter had gotten wind of it. Reporters were like rats as far as she was concerned. Where you could see one, there were probably ten more lurking in the shadows. The circumstances in general would have attracted enough attention, but the fact that a well-known author had been involved would certainly bring the media out of the woodwork.
She was on the phone with the Chief of Detectives' secretary in seconds, hearing herself saying, "I don't care who he's in a meeting with, I need to talk to him now!"
"Captain Gates, I…" the woman started in a haughty tone.
"My best detective was a victim of an attempted murder this afternoon; we nearly lost Beckett and a civilian who was allowed on the same assignment; we have a police vehicle at the bottom of the Hudson; at least one member of the press already knows about some of it; and the civilian is Richard Castle, which means even the entertainment reporters will be out. Two of my people almost died today because they were on a need-to-know assignment, and we didn't know how to provide them back-up. They weren't free to call on the people they trust. Now, whatever that man is doing, tell him to drop it long enough to let me in on what's going on, because I need to know! And if somebody doesn't tell me something right now, I'm sending every reporter who contacts me to you…with a detailed set of directions right to your office door."
"Let me see what I can do," came the annoyed reply.
In a few minutes, the Chief of Detectives was on the line telling Captain Gates that he would fill her in on as much as he could if she would meet him at his office. She agreed to come directly there, and left the precinct immediately. The secretary had no trouble identifying her as the angry woman who had just called, because she entered the office with all the social charm of an active thunder cloud. "Captain Victoria Gates," she announced. "I have an appointment."
"Yes, ma'am," the middle-aged woman answered, finding the captain even more intimidating in person than on the phone.
After an enlightening but not entirely satisfactory discussion with her boss, Gates called the station to give instructions about answering reporters with, "No comment," until she was available the next morning.
Leaving the parking garage, she turned her car in a direction she never expected to be going that night.
xxxxx
When they heard the doorbell, Castle and Beckett had been at the loft just long enough for Alexis to have found clothes for Kate to sleep in and for Martha to have put together something to eat.
"Go ahead, Castle told them. I'll get it. He opened the door and was amazed to find Captain Gates there.
"Captain?" Castle asked in surprise. "Come in. We were about to eat. Would you like to join us?"
"Thank you, but no. I'll be brief. Are the two of you all right?" she asked brusquely, looking across the room to see Beckett rising from her place at the table to meet them at the door.
"As all right as they can expect to be after nearly drowning in the Hudson," Martha remarked drily from where she sat.
"The hospital released us," Kate assured her. "No lasting problems that we know of."
"Cuts, bruises, sore muscles, exhaustion…relief to still be breathing...worrying about nightmares?" the captain answered much more quietly, actually seeming to be sympathetic.
"That about covers it," Kate admitted.
"They left you in a bad place. Ryan and Esposito have been cleared to back you up if you need it. They know not to ask too many questions. You only need to tell them enough that they won't have to go into something blind. They trust you."
"How did you manage that?" Kate asked, surprised.
"I gave the Chief of Detectives a piece of my mind and threatened to send all the reporters to his office. I still don't know exactly who your orders come from, but I got enough concessions to give you better back-up from the twelfth. Nobody should withhold information I need to keep my people safe when somebody is trying to kill them."
"Does that mean I'm included in your people?" Castle couldn't help asking.
Gates looked at him as she usually did. Her voice sounded grudging, but her eyes gave her away before she finished saying, "If I'm stuck with you, I'm not letting you get killed on my watch if I can help it."
"I appreciate that more than I can say," Castle answered.
"I've been promised help with the publicity problems, but tomorrow, Mr. Castle, if you have any additional advice on handling the press, I wouldn't be opposed to hearing it. I'm sure they'll be swarming the precinct like insects."
"I'll get in touch with my publicist and do what I can to help," he promised.
"I appreciate that enough not to dwell on why Detective Beckett is here instead of at her own apartment tonight. That was where I started."
"I…" Kate began hesitantly.
"We have plenty of room here," Castle cut in, "My family cares about Detective Beckett, too, and I didn't want my partner to be alone after the ordeal we went through today. We might even try to keep her another few days…until things settle a little more."
"Very chivalrous of you. I'm sure she appreciates that," Gates responded, and to their surprise, not at all accusingly; then she reached out and gave Beckett's upper arm a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you're all right, Kate. I'm sorry the two of you were left on your own. It's inexcusable." Giving Kate's arm a little pat in parting, she glanced back and forth between them and added, "I'll say goodnight now. I'm sure all of you could use some rest. These things are stressful for the family, too."
"Thank you for taking the time to do this in person, sir," Kate answered.
Castle opened the door for the captain and set the alarm and dead bolt after she left.
"I'm her people now? You think I'm finally growing on her?" he asked Kate with a smile as they returned to Martha and Alexis in the kitchen.
"Maybe you're an acquired taste, Castle," she teased. "It took a little time before you grew on me, too, remember?"
"But I did, right?" He bumped her shoulder with his.
"Yeah, you did." She bumped him back.
Martha and Alexis watched how natural the action between the couple seemed now, and they both smiled. Things were changing.
Rick and Kate seated themselves at the table, finally getting around to eating. Hardly a word was spoken by either of them until they had finished the meal, neither of them realizing how hungry they were until they had taken their first bites. Alexis and Martha had cleaned up their own dishes and the cooking utensils while Kate and Rick ate, giving them a little quiet time to settle down after the captain left. Their backs were turned, putting things back in the cabinets.
Kate looked up at Rick across the corner of the table, obviously exhausted. "You okay?" he mouthed, trying to keep any further concern under his family's radar.
"Getting there," she barely whispered just before the rest of Rick's family turned and joined them.
