Life Taking Place Elsewhere

By NickyM96

CHAPTER 1

One week later

SHE tries to smile, but it comes off forced and weak. Her friends let her get away with it, stealing glances every so often to the elevator doors of the precinct looking for the one person who could put a real smile on her face. He never comes.

"She looks like she's going to her execution instead of to a great new job," Javier Esposito whispers to his date, Lanie Parish. "How could Castle bail on her like this?"

Lanie just sighs and looks at her friend. She knows Kate Beckett is miserable, but there's nothing she can do for her.

"I don't know," she shrugs. "Those two never do what's expected. Wait. What are you doing?"

She pulls Esposito's phone out of his hand before he can make the call she assumes he's about to make.

"I'm calling Castle," he says, trying to take his phone back. But she's quicker than he is and keeps it out of reach. "He needs to man up and be here for her, instead of brooding like a kid because he doesn't want her to go. None of us wants her to leave, but we understand that this is a great opportunity for her. We all love her and we want her to be successful. What kind of man would hold her back?"

"I don't know." she shrugs again, truly confused. "But I'm not entirely convinced this is all on Castle."

"How can you say that? I thought she was your best friend?"

"She is my best friend," Lanie insists. "That's how I can say that. I have learned that things are always complicated between her and Castle. They always take the long, convoluted road even when the straight and narrow path is right in front of them."

"What are we going to do about them? I mean, we have to do something. Look at her, Lanie. I can't stand that look on her face. And if Castle is the reason for it, I'm going to beat on him until he looks as bad as she does."

Esposito goes to walk off his mad and to also get a refill on their drinks.

"Oh, Kate," Lanie sighs to herself. "What did you do this time?"

Before the night is over, Lanie is determined she's going to find out. Somebody has to help Castle and Beckett make this right. This is one of those times when some outside intervention will be necessary.

x.x.x.x.x

BECKETT barely makes it inside her apartment before there's a knock on the door. She can't help but wonder who it could be. She just left her going away party with almost everyone she knows. Everyone but one person. For one brief moment, she allows herself to hope it's him.

She pulls the door open with more excitement she's been able to muster all week.

"Calm down, Girl. It's just me. Not Castle."

She deflates and can't stop the look of disappointment from crossing her face when she recognizes Lanie.

"I know it's not Cas ... him," she quickly corrects, not even able to say his name. "We already said our good-byes. I don't think I'm ever seeing him again."

"And who's fault is that?"

Beckett almost can't believe Lanie's nerve. But then again, this is her best friend. She knows Lanie as well as Lanie knows her. And she knows Lanie doesn't beat around the bush. It was only a matter of time before the subject of Castle came up. He was a big part in her initial hesitation to take the job in DC. Lanie knows that. So it stands to reason Lanie would wonder if he had any part in her decision to accept the job.

"What is there to blame? I'm moving, he's staying. End of story. End of relationship."

Lanie accepts the glass of wine Beckett offers her and the two sit on the sofa. Lanie's silent stare starts to unnerve Beckett, causing Beckett to squirm.

"What?" she impatiently asks Lanie.

"I'm waiting on you to tell me what really happened between you and Castle. Because I know it's not as simple as what you're making it out to be. When we last spoke, you were worried about your relationship with him, wondering how this would affect you two. Is that the problem? Did he not want to do the long distance thing?"

"In a way," Beckett admits. "Instead of having a long distance relationship, he offered to go with me. Oh, and he proposed."

Lanie is stunned silent.

"Proposed …. marriage?" she asks, after she's gotten over her shock.

"Of course, marriage," Beckett laughs nervously. "What else would he be proposing?"

"Hold on a second," Lanie interrupts again. "Let me get this straight. You wanted to know where your relationship with Castle was headed and when he tells you he wants to marry you, you turn him down and tell him you're leaving him?"

"He didn't want to marry me," Beckett sighs, shaking her head. "He was just scared and desperate for me to stay."

"I thought you said he offered to go to DC with you."

"He did," Beckett nods.

"And …. ?"

"Lanie, I can't have him there with me. First of all, I'll always wonder if he's there when he'd really rather be here in New York. His family is here. His mom, Alexis. I can't take him from them."

"But he said he'd go, right?"

"Only after I told him I was taking the job," Beckett explains. "It was a complete change from the first fight we had about my job offer."

"You're confusing me," Lanie says, picking up the wine bottle and refilling both their glasses. Start from the beginning and tell me everything. We need to get this straight."

Beckett takes a big sip of her wine and starts from the beginning. She tells Lanie about the job offer that came after the drone case. She tells Lanie about going to DC for the interview and how Castle accidentally found her boarding pass in her jacket pocket.

"Stop right there," Lanie interrupts her. "You didn't tell him about the job interview?"

"I didn't know anything would come of it," Beckett tries to explain. "I needed to know my options. Besides, this job was about me and what I wanted. I couldn't let Castle decide for me. Not when I had no idea if we even had a future."

"Really, Kate? You had NO idea?" Lanie is flabbergasted. "You've been with this man for five years and you had NO idea how he felt about you?"

Beckett squirms uncomfortably under Lanie's questioning glare. When she puts it that way, her reasons are starting to sound more like excuses born from fear, insecurities, and doubt. And that is on her, not Castle.

"If that's true, then you're not nearly as good a detective as people give you credit for. That man loves you. He has loved you almost as long as he's known you. He's been waiting patiently for you to give him even the slightest hint you're ready for what he's offering. Now you're going to sit there and pretend you don't know how serious he is for you? I mean, for God's sake, the man proposed marriage. Did the ring not give you a clue as to what he wanted?"

"Lanie, I don't want a desperate proposal of marriage. I'm sure he bought that ring right before coming to see me. And now, I'm stuck with it."

Beckett moves to a drawer and pulls the ring out, handing it over to Lanie for her to see.

"He told me to keep it, that he didn't want it. Then he walked away from me. That was a week ago. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

"This is the ring?" Lanie asks, looking at the ring in her hand. "The ring he proposed with?"

"I'd take it back to whatever store I'm sure he got it from if I could. It's only been a week. I'm sure it's not past the return deadline."

"He got it from Tiffany's," Lanie tells her. "And he didn't get it a week ago. He's had it since just after Valentine's Day."

"How do you know that?" Beckett eyes her suspiciously.

"If you bothered to try it on, you'd see it was a perfect fit. Castle knew you and I wore the same size ring, so he asked me to go with him when he picked it out. He wanted it to be perfect," Lanie explains.

"You were with him when he got this ring?" Beckett asks incredulously. "Months ago?"

"Months ago, Kate. He wants to be with you. And now you've made it clear you don't want to be with him."

"It's not that," Beckett says, covering her face with her hands. "That's not what I meant. I was just so sure he was proposing out of desperation and then he got so mad and left …"

"You made assumptions that weren't true," Lanie finishes for her.

"And now it's too late," Beckett sighs. A tear drips down her face and she doesn't even bother to wipe it away. "I've ruined everything. He'll never understand now."

"Try him," Lanie says, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. "He loves you. I'm sure he'll forgive you and if you asked, I bet he'd happily meet you at the airport with his bags packed."

"It's more complicated than that."

"It always is with you two," Lanie groans, shaking her head. She throws up her hands in defeat. "I give up. If you want to let a good thing slip through your fingers, then I can't do anything about it."

"Lanie …"

"No, I mean it, Kate. I came, we talked, and I tried. You made your decision. Maybe one of these days, the true consequences of your actions will hit you and you'll see what you're giving up. It's clear to me that Castle isn't making you choose between him and this job. That's all on you."

"Don't you think I know that, Lanie?" Beckett cries in frustration. "I just don't know how to fix this. It's going to take everything in me to survive this move and this new job. That's why I can't have Castle coming with me. I have to know I can do this. I have to know that I can still do the work on my own and not because Castle is there with me."

"You two make a good team," is all Lanie says.

"We do," Beckett nods. "But he can't be my partner in DC."

"Not on the job, no," Lanie agrees. "But I don't think that's the job he was signing on for. Kate, he wants to be your partner in life. Maybe you should think about what that really means."

Lanie finishes her wine and sets the glass on the table.

"Okay, your flight leaves tomorrow, so let's do this now."

Lanie stands and pulls Beckett to her feet. She throws her arms around the woman and holds on tight for a few precious moments.

"Go knock them dead in DC like I know you can," Lanie says, barely holding in her tears. "I love you, Girl."

"Love you too, Lanie."

Lanie manages to leave before they both start crying. Tears can wait. Lanie has one more stop to make before her night is over.

x.x.x.x.x

LANIE gets to Castle's and has to knock several times before he answers. She takes one look at him and wonders if her visit will be in vain.

"You're drunk," she says pointedly.

"Probably," he nods, hanging on to the door to keep his balance. He lifts the bottle of scotch in his other hand, nearly hitting his head in the process. "Been drinking for awhile. Want some?"

"No thanks. I'm good." Lanie frowns when she gets a peek inside his penthouse. "Maid's week off?"

"I think I yelled at her the last time she was here. That was yesterday … or the day before or … whenever," he shrugs. "What day is it?"

"The day before Beckett leaves for DC," Lanie tells him, watching his eyes go dark with pain. "You missed her going away party, by the way."

"Not much in a party mood." He takes a swig of the scotch, scowling when Lanie rips the bottle out his hand. "Hey, give that back!"

"You need to stop this," she scolds him. "Get sober and go say good-bye to her. Neither of you will ever forgive yourselves if you don't."

"Don't wanna forgive her. I just want her to go far away and leave me alone. That's what she wants anyway. Maybe then she can finally be happy," he sighs, his mood turning broody. "All I ever wanted was to make her happy. Why couldn't I make her happy, Lanie?"

His sad eyes break her heart. Lanie can see how this man child wormed his way into Kate Beckett's heart. Even now, Lanie is finding it difficult to keep up with the tough love act when all she wants to do is cuddle him up in her arms.

"You did make her happy, Castle," she says sadly. "She was just too blind to see it and too insecure to accept it. That's why you have to go say good-bye. After all you two have been through together, it can't end like this. Go get your closure. You'll never have any peace if you don't."

He seems to consider her words for a moment, but in the end, he simply reaches out and takes the scotch bottle from her hands.

"I don't need peace. I have my scotch."

He turns his back on her and she realizes she's done all she can here. What happens next is up to the two of them.

x.x.x.x.x

A/N … things really do get better soon. I just had to show how miserable they'd be without each other. I think this is the last sad chapter … I think :-\ ... maybe?

Thanks again for reading. Feel free to comment. I'll try to take the good along with the bad :-) ... NTM