*Since I forgot to mention it on the last chapter. I just wanted to remind the universe at large that the show castle is not mine in an legal way but in fact is the property of Disney, ABC, and it's creators, cast, and creative team in general. Just in case you were wondering.*

Chapter 2

"I don't know who invented the high heel. But women owe him a lot."

- Marilyn Monroe

It's early when she gets to her office. It's a cold personality less room, like the rest of the floor. There's only one personal effect on her desk and it's a blue coffee cup that she takes with her to the break room while the aging government computer boots up. There's a keurig so the coffee is drinkable, but that's all that can be said for it, that and someone has decided that government dollars should be spent on supplying real vanilla creamer. Whoever that person is, she's eternally grateful for them.

The office is always buzzing, but never in the way the precinct did. Here there's a sense of worker bee, people just researching, finishing out paperwork, tracking digital trails, the interesting work happens in the offices and the floors of other law enforcement offices, floors below here around the country and occasionally around the world. There's nothing here that ties her to the work that's happening. It all feels so separate her. It's too clean.

She hates it.

The computer is whirring away when she gets back plugging in the password; it's changed three times since she got here. Outlook opens and there's a slew of emails about the cases she's wrapping up, the ones that they're requesting her on, one from her dad checking in on her, and five in a row from Esposito, followed by an apology from Kevin for letting Javi do things on the computer that makes her smile.

The staff meeting is on her calendar for 10 but she has some time to run down the boys case for them, her own stuff can wait until the search engines are running. She reads over the files, he sent down, making notes of the relevant information, and where they are in the process. Ryan had emailed over a digital copy of the time line for her as well. She grins, happy for them, they've found their feet without her. They're really good at this.

It just makes her miss them more.

She can see the patterns now, no wonder the feds are shutting the boys down at every turn. It's looped into a larger case. One that the Attorney General seems to have been working on for a long time now. They've had her on a few of the periphery cases, she's not sure what the goal is or who they're trying to bring down though.

Now she's got something. Something solid that she can take to the morning meeting and when they're assigning cases. A case that she can use to go home. Go home and work with a team that makes her laugh and solve cases and she knows they're making a difference.

Search engines run, compiling the data that Espo and Ryan need for the case , meanwhile she clears the cases that are sitting in her inbox. All of the paperwork, no excuses for not sending her. She doesn't need to spend another three weeks working out of an Omaha Sheriffs' station. That assignment was bullshit on a level she doesn't appreciate. Hazing by men in black suits that insisted this is where she belonged.

The folders snap down on the table when she strides into the meeting perfectly on time, starling the dick agent that hates her, making him splash his coffee over the rim. She smirks pulling out the chair next to him, not even acknowledging the glare he gives her.

Assistant Attorney General Roth is at the head of the table is at the head of the table, leafing through some paperwork. He always has all these notes that he's shuffling around like he can't keep track of anything unless it's written down. "Alright let's get this started. Agent Bowers where are we on the Caswell Case?"

Bowers starts the run down on that case before redirecting to the other two cases he's running out of DC. Frosh, the dick next to her, runs through his cases making snide comments about how quickly he's been able to close his cases. She can't help but roll her eyes, veteran cops with the NYPD weren't as full of shit as this guy is ever.

"Agent Beckett where are you at with your cases?" Roth turns to her.

"Closed sir." She pushes the stack of files towards him, "Everything has been filed with the appropriate jurisdictions. You'll be seeing the completed case files in the next couple of days."

"Well look at that, new girl is getting stuff done," Frosh breathes.

Ignoring the jackass, she plows on. "I was contacted by my old team on the NYPD about a case they're working on. They seemed to have caught a case that we already have our fingers in, so I offered to run it down for them." Opening a copy of prepared materials she already pushed it across the table, "Sir, I know I've only been in the office for a couple of months but this case looks like it connected to the other cases, that while I haven't been briefed on the full scope of the operation, we seem to be investigating here..."

"This is the case that the 12th precinct has picked up?" He interrupts, poring over the documents that she provided.

"Yes, Sir."

He looks up, "You said your old team?"

"Yes," she nods, "Detectives Ryan and Esposito at the 12th's homicide, under Captain Gates."

There's a kerfuffle as he shuffles some papers around looking for the specific note he wants,

"Yes, we have an official request from Captain Gates."

She steels herself, for what could be a potential fight, "Sir, I request to join them in the field."

"You think we should let them stay on it?" He waves his hands, paper fluttering, "We shouldn't claim jurisdiction, but rather send someone in?"

"Not someone, me." She insists.

"You're the junior agent." Frosh snaps, jealous rearing its head. "I've been on the case, and fully briefed on its details it makes more sense to send me in if we don't just claim jurisdiction."

Disregarding Frosh's attitude she keeps her eyes on Roth, "Sir, this was my team for the last six years we have an established rapport, a known close rate, and I have contacts on the ground."

Roth looks between her and Frosh and back at the file before him. "Give me a couple of hours to go over the details and I'll get back to you. Don't get your hopes up though. We have enough of a presence that taking over in New York would be pretty simple." Closing the folder on his notes, he smiles at them. "Beckett you have some consult requests I'd like you to respond to otherwise we're set for now."

Bowers smiles and follows the boss out. Frosh is seething in his seat, but she couldn't care less as stands pulling out her phone to call Espo. "Who do you think you are?"

She whips her head round to him, allowing the adrenaline to flood her system. She's been looking forward to putting the jackass in his place since she got here and he made a comment about hiring beauty over brains. "Do you have a problem Agent Frosh?" Her tone clipped as she lifts an eyebrow.

"Yeah I have a problem, where do you get off asking to be put on that assignment?" he grouses, "You've been here two months. You don't get to jump on whatever case suits your fancy. Back off." He stands hoping that his height will cow her into letting it drop.

Bastard underestimated her heels putting them at eye level. She's steps into him, "Look I don't know what your problem is with me, but I came here to do a job. That currently involves asking to go somewhere where I know the SOP and the people on the ground because that is what will close the case. You want to go ask for it be my guest, but good luck making a better case for it than I will. Now back off and worry about your own shit." With that she strode out of the conference room lifting her phone to her ear waiting to be connected with Espo's cell.

Thanks for your enthusiasm on the first chapter! I hope this is up to par, let me know.

Babyrose