Beckett

The night had been a complete bust. Her date with Will was supposed to help her deal with angst that she was feeling. Angst, that was a Castle word, if ever she heard one. It simultaneously made her smile and also brought back the pain of his betrayal. She had to admit that Castle was the real problem. He tainted everything he touched. He was the reason that Will was being so difficult.

"Look can we talk about the 300 pound gorilla that's in the room?" Will asked during dinner

"I am not sure what you mean." Beckett replied.

"Come on Kate, I can feel that damned Writer-monkey just standing over in the corner."

"Will…."

"It's been almost three months since he left. You still carry him with around, and I, for one, am sick and tired of having to compete with him. He is gone Kate. Good riddance, he was a distraction to you and is damned lucky that he did not get himself or someone else killed. He does not belong in our world."

"Our world, Will? What do you mean our world?"

"Kate, he was a playboy. You said yourself that he could not take anything seriously. He is a lightweight. He doesn't belong with real people who work real jobs."

"Real people, that's shallow Will." she could not believe that she was defending Castle after all he had done. "I hope you remember that it was Castle that broke the kidnapping case we worked on"

"Yeah, everybody gets lucky, once."

"It wasn't just once. He helped me solve almost dozen cases. Not to mention he saved my life. What makes our lives any more real than his?"

"I can't believe that you are defending him, Kate. He made your live miserable for what, six months. He was no good for you." Will spat back. He took a deep breath and began again." Kate I know that his books meant a lot to you during your grief. I can understand that you feel a certain connection to his books. Hey, I even get that you might have been flattered that he based a character on you, but you would never have had a future with him."

"A Future? Will… What…?"

"Look, Kate, I have been offered a job in DC. It's a great opportunity. It has steady hours; the pay is great I would really like it if you would come with me."

Needless to say the dinner had gone down hill for there. They ended their date in silence and did not talk on the drive to Kate's apartment building. Will left her with a vague 'think about it' plea, and drove off. She did not need to think much. She would not leave her home for anyone, not Will, not Castle, not anyone. She moved off the elevator and toward her apartment.

Opening her front door, her mind flashed back to the night of the Metropolitan Dance Company benefit. She vividly remembered her anger at Castles manipulations to get her to go. Then the dress had arrived and her anger turned a girlish glee. There were times during that night that she could have almost forgotten the reason that they had gone to the fund raiser and just enjoyed the night. Castle did cut a suave figure in his tailored tux. His look of utter embarrassment was priceless when his mother began the auction for his book and a Date. At last she had to admit to herself that regardless of what he had done she could not stay mad at him. She resolved that she would call him in a week or two and bury the hatchet.

Her cell phone rang. For a moment she hoped it would be Rick so they could talk.

"Beckett." "

Beckett" it was Ryan "Castle has been shot. Meet us out in front of his building ……"