Title: The Continuing Day by Day
Author: Spike Speigel
Rating: PG-13
Classification: Castle/Beckett
Disclaimer: My first Castle fanfic. As usual, these characters don't belong to me. I'm just taking them for a joyride. Many thanks to foreverhopefuloflove for the second set of eyes, and recommending a more believable timeline.
Spoilers: Everything's fair game up to and including Knockout.
Summary: How far will Castle go to protect Beckett?
Author's Note: Part 2 of 14.
Day 8:
Castle leans forward in his chair, the manila envelope on his office desk. To tell the truth, the only reason it's taken him this long to get to it is because of Gina. She's been after him to promote Heat Rises, and Castle does so for a few days, if only to appease his ex-wife. But now he has time. Time to finally open the envelope that Captain Montgomery has left him. His hands are clasped, his elbows on the desk, as he reads his name in Montgomery's handwriting once more. And, once more, his mind keeps on coming back to the same thought. What was so important that Montgomery could only trust Castle?
He shakes his head, a condescending laugh leaving his lips. "You're making this out to be more than it probably is." After all, if it was something dire, wouldn't Montgomery have left it with Esposito or Ryan or...
Castle doesn't finish the thought, realizing that he still hasn't seen her since the cemetery. And while every fiber in his being is screaming at him to get up and just be with her, something else keeps him seated, his hands now gripping the thick envelope.
He pushes the thought away, his hand moving to the flap, tearing it deftly in one motion. His hands push on the sides of the envelope, the top yawing open. Castle reaches in, pulling out the contents and laying them on the desk.
The contents consist of three manila folders. Castle notes the emblem on the top of each and realizes that these are not ordinary manila folders. "Case files?" Castle turns his attention to the other item in the envelope. A solitary sheet of paper, folded in half. Castle unfolds it, seeing Montgomery's handwriting once more. He leans back in his chair, reading the letter that Montgomery has left him.
Castle,
If you're reading this, then I'm already dead. I'm sorry for a lot of things, but I'm most sorry for not being honest with you and Beckett when you convinced her to reopen her mother's case. So, let me do one right thing by you, and be honest.
The deal was I keep Beckett in check. As long as she never actively sought the man that ordered the murder of Johanna Beckett, she was safe. But once you two found Coonan, I knew it was only a matter of time. So I started putting together a little insurance policy for Beckett.
In these files, you should have enough leverage on the man responsible for Beckett's mother's murder. The only thing I've left out is the name of this individual. I can't give this to you, Castle, because then you'll be in as much danger as Beckett is. And also, I need you to pick up where I left off.
I meant it when I said that the only person that could make Beckett stand down is you. I know Beckett. And it takes a lot for her to trust someone. And I can tell just by the way she looks at you that she trusts you. Completely.
So, here comes the hard part. Beckett can never know about the files I've given you. If she does, she'll end up the same way her mother did. I gave them to you because I know you'll know what to do with them. Use them to protect Beckett. Even if that means lying to her and betraying her trust. This is the hard part I was talking about.
I lived with the lie for years. But I shouldered the burden. Because my doing so made sure that Beckett would be safe. So, I'm asking you to shoulder the burden now. And I know you will. Because, I can tell just by the way you look at her, she means more to you than you'd ever admit.
Keep her safe, Castle. I leave it in your hands.
Roy Montgomery
Castle folds the note, holding it in one hand as he remains in silence for a moment. He knew that Montgomery had lied to Beckett. But he would have never imagined the magnitude of the lie. Not until the note, of course.
Castle leans forward, hands rubbing his face as he mutters, "Roy. What have you gotten me into?" Castle's gaze falls on the folders, garnering his attention. He leans forward, placing Montgomery's note to the side as he picks up a folder. Undoing the clasp, he begins to leaf through the documents. Nothing seems to stand out at first. Then, he sees it. He's seen these files before, but instead of the name Napolitano, Montgomery's name was now listed as the officer of record. So, these were the originals that Montgomery had doctored to keep his association with Raglan and McCallister a secret. Castle continues to page through the files, thinking to himself, if Montgomery had replaced his name with Napolitano's, what else had Montgomery replaced? Castle knows that there's something in these files that Montgomery wanted him to see. As he continues to page through the file, he notices something that shouldn't be there. Castle flips back a couple pages, now certain that these pages shouldn't be in the file.
"Why did you put banking statements in here?" Castle leafs through the statements, unable to make heads nor tails of the numerical jargon. But he has a good idea who might be able to help him. Castle wonders if the other two files are the same, and quickly unsnaps the binding on the second. He hurriedly thumbs through the pages, stopping when he sees the same header in the upper left. "Bank of Dubai."
No longer thinking this a coincidence, Castle reaches for the third folder. But as he begins to unsnap the binding, a small business card falls out onto the desk. Castle places the folder to the side, picking up the card between his thumb and index finger. Bringing the card closer, Castle flips it over between his fingers, the blank side making way for a solitary image. One that Castle recognizes immediately.
"An ouroboros?" A serpent eating its tail stares back at Castle as he flips the card back over, thinking that he maybe has missed something. But sure enough, the other side remains blank. He ponders the symbol for a moment before sliding the card into his shirt pocket. Then he turns his attention to the final file, flipping through the pages until he comes across the bank statements once more.
Castle leans back, realizing that he'll have to be more thorough with the files. But three sets of files with similar bank statements. Castle leans back, wondering what the Bank of Dubai has to do with this so-called leverage that Montgomery alluded to in his note.
The sound at the entrance to his study startles him, bolting Castle upright from his chair.
"Dad?"
Castle closes the file as casually as he can, standing up as he does so. "Alexis. What are you still doing up?" Alexis begins to walk toward her father, but Castle moves in her direction, wanting to keep the files out of sight of his daughter. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I couldn't sleep. I can't stop thinking about the cemetery."
Castle instinctively wraps his arms around his daughter, Alexis looking up at her father. "I know. Me neither."
"Did you just come back from the hospital? I didn't hear you come in."
He shakes his head as he speaks. "I went to see Captain Montgomery's wife." Partly because of the guilt. No, entirely because of the guilt, he corrects himself.
A small frown graces Alexis's face. "How is she?"
Castle knows better than to lie to his daughter. So he doesn't. "She's coping."
"And his daughters?"
"I didn't see them. They were in their rooms when I was there."
His daughter's response takes him by surprise. "They must be in so much pain."
Castle smoothes Alexis's hair, his voice gentle as he speaks. "What makes you say that?"
"Because I know I would be if I lost you."
Castle smiles at his brilliant little girl, placing a small kiss on the top of her head. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Because I'm not going anywhere."
Alexis's voice is solemn at this point. "It could have been you." Castle looks at his daughter, puzzlement on his face. "What if you had gotten to Detective Beckett sooner?"
"Then she wouldn't be in the hospital."
"And you would."
"Alexis, what are you saying?"
Alexis pulls herself away from her father's embrace, stepping backward as she looks up at him, contemplating his question. "You just ran out there."
"What?"
"You just ran out there when you heard the shot. Because you wanted to protect her."
Castle gauges his daughter's tone, realizing that she's upset with him. "That's right."
"And you didn't even think about me or Grams." It's definitely anger that Castle hears in her voice now. "What if there was another shot?"
"But there wasn't."
"You didn't know that!" Castle can see that his daughter is on the verge of tears, the light glinting in her eyes. "You ran out there and you didn't even think about us!"
Castle closes the distance, enveloping his daughter into his arms. She tries to push him away, but this time he holds her close. "I'm sorry. You're right." Castle can feel Alexis beginning to relent, her sobs rending his heart. "I didn't think."
"It could have been you, Dad."
Castle begins to rock his daughter in his arms, finally appreciating the scope of his actions in the cemetery. "I'm so sorry, Alexis. I didn't think."
"But you did." Castle looks down at his daughter, the tears beginning to flow freely down her face as she speaks between sobs. "You thought about saving Beckett."
He realizes that he could never hide the truth from his daughter. So he remains silent as he holds his daughter, trying to comfort her with his actions. Because, at the moment, he's failing with his words.
Continued