Two:
Castle arrived home to a silent loft. Martha had left for her summer theater job and Alexis was spending her last night in the city with her best friend, Paige. His daughter knew that something was amiss with her father in spite of his claims to the contrary. She'd even offered to cancel her planned sleepover with her friend and stay with him. He assured her that everything was fine and was just going to miss her while she was away at Princeton. Alexis knew nothing about his planned departure from the NYPD and assumed that he was upset at the prospect of being alone for the holiday weekend. Castle spent the better part of the evening preparing for his stay at his Hamptons home. Satisfied with his effort, Rick tried to focus his attention on his novel that was growing later by the day. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to mentally separate his fictional character from her all too human counterpart. Rick knew that recent events were effecting his ability to finish the story. Could he give Rook the happy ending that eluded him?
He growls in frustration as he gives in and pours himself a large glass of scotch. Castle was starting to lose himself in a self pity session, when his phone rings. Glancing at the caller ID, he growls again and nearly nearly send the call to voicemail. Instead, he sighs and presses the button to answer the call.
"How's my favorite publisher this evening?" Castle answers in a voice that was far too cheery for how he actually felt at the moment.
Gina can sense from his feigned delight to hear from her that something was wrong. Really wrong. "Okay Rick, what's going on?"
"What! Can't I be happy to hear from you?" Castle replies while trying to maintain his nonchalant facade.
"Unless you've finished your novel, I'd say no." Gina counters, trying to remain calm.
There was an extended pause before Rick replies. "Yeah... About that... I know that I owe you the last two chapters, but things have been pretty hectic around here... You know with Alexis going off to the summer program at Princeton..."
"And you playing cop with the NYPD." Gina adds, her disdain apparent.
"Well, you won't have to worry about that any more... I've decided to take a break from playing cop to focus on finishing up my novel. I've been reminded quite a few times that I'm a writer not a cop." Rick replies emotionlessly.
Gina knew that something bad must have happened for Castle to give up on his work with the NYPD. She knew the real reason why he continued his 'research'. After all, she'd been married to him and knew first hand that Rick would withdraw from a situation rather than force a confrontation. "So what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to head to the Hamptons and finish the book - alone. After that?"
Gina couldn't help but worry hearing that he was going to retreat to his home alone. His history of actions when left on his own was littered with arrests and unflattering stories on Page 6 was all the proof she needed. "I don't have any plans for this weekend... Maybe you could use some company?"
Rick may have been upset, but he wasn't desperate. He knew that the only reason his ex would make herself available was to make sure that he finished his writing while staying out of the tabloids. At least until his novel was done. "No, thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine." He replies with a lot more confidence than what he actually felt at the moment.
"Are you sure Rick? I could be ready to go by tomorrow..." Gina offers again, hoping that he would reconsider.
As much as he hated the idea of being alone for the holiday, the thought of being with his ex, whose sole reason for being there was to get him to work was unsettling. He knew Gina well enough to know that she would do anything, including sleeping with him if she thought that would get him to finish his book.
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine. The time alone will force me to focus my attention on my writing..."
"Well okay Ricky, but if you need 'anything', and I do mean anything, just give me a call..." Gina replies with a purr.
Rick could only chuckle at her not so subtle come on. Much like Meredith, the sex had never been the problem between them. He still cared for Gina, but with hindsight being 20/20, he was never in-love with her. Or at least he never felt about her the way he did for a certain NYPD detective. He hadn't felt this type of ache since Kyra and he was clearly in love with her. Seeing her wed another man months ago had finally forced him to accept that she would never be anything more than a fond memory.
The extended silence confirmed to Gina that Rick had considered and rejected her offer. Deciding to end the call, she simply responds. "I'm sure that you have a lot to do, so I'll let you get back to your work. If you need anything..."
"Good night Gina. Take care." Rick replies as he ends the call before she could respond. Rick returned his attention to the task at hand of preparing for an extended stay in the Hamptons. He just hoped that he could complete his novel to keep Gina at bay. The last thing in the world he needed right now was to be the subject of another woman's disappointment.
X-X-X-X
Tom had just finished dressing and kissed Kate goodbye for the night, citing his need to return to his apartment to prepare for their weekend getaway. She follows him to the door and locks it after he leaves. Leaning against the wall, she rakes her fingers through her hair and sighs in frustration. She enjoyed being with Tom, but knew that their relationship would never progress any further than where they were right now. The fact that he was a cop was what attracted her to him in the first place, but she knew that it would also push her away in the end. Deming was perfectly satisfied to be a cop and had little interest outside of his profession. Not that that was a bad thing, but she wanted someone whose interests extended beyond their career. Someone who would challenge her intellectually. Someone like Castle.
Her thoughts returned to the conversation she had with Ryan and Espo just before she left for the day. Kate knew that she had been deliberately mean to Castle as some sort of punishment for him flaunting his brief affair with Ellie Monroe. She knew that she had no right to be jealous of his actions, yet couldn't help but feel some satisfaction when she learned that Rick was being used by the starlet to get a role.
But then Tom came along and although she was attracted to him, her initial goal was to make Rick as jealous as she felt. Instead of being jealous, Castle seemed to withdraw, as if he was condoning her relationship with the robbery detective. As much as she'd hate to admit it, the attention from Deming was good for her ego. Castle's apparent indifference only seemed to push her closer to Deming. Kate knew that Tom was jealous of Rick being with her all day long, so he looked for any opportunity to visit. When he started his verbal assault of Castle, ridiculing his theories and berating him for not being a cop, she knew that she should say something in his defense, but wanted Rick to defend himself. Instead, Castle withdrew even further, spending the majority of his day with Ryan and Espo at their desks.
By the time they picked up what would be Rick's last case, she had already made plans to go away for the Memorial Day weekend with Tom. Kate was surprised when Rick made the offer to come to his home in the Hamptons for the holiday. So much so that she nearly forgot about her planned getaway with Tom. Rather than give him a definitive answer, she deflects, deciding to tease him by saying that all he wanted to do was see her in a swimsuit. And there for a moment the old Castle that she had known was back, flirting with her and making innuendos.
Back at the precinct, he makes the offer again and she knew that she had to tell him something this time. For some reason she couldn't explain, she was embarrassed to admit that she and Tom were going away together to Rick. Instead she decides to lie, telling Castle that she had used up all of her vacation time hunting for a new apartment after hers was blown up. Rick seemed to accept her explanation and everything appeared to be fine.
That was until he came upon her and Tom the next morning and overheard Deming discussing their plans for their weekend together. She watches as the look on Rick's face morphs from shock, to anger, betrayal, and finally acceptance all in the span of time it took to approach her desk from the elevator. Deming and Castle exchanged awkward greetings and then the detective left to return to his floor leaving her and Rick together in an extremely uncomfortable silence. Caught in her lie, she offers another one about 'not wanting things to be awkward' between the two of them rather than admit the truth.
The real question was 'what was the truth'? Was she really embarrassed being with Tom? Kate knew that judging by the comments made by Ryan and Esposito that neither man thought that he was right for her. She had to admit that the last two years working with Castle were her most enjoyable and it certainly helped boost her ego knowing that she was the inspiration for the main character in his novels. Rick had suffered her wraith for looking into her mother's case, but was able to provide the evidence that ultimately lead to the capture of the man that actually murdered Johanna.
She finally crawled into bed, mentally spent, knowing that she had to make a decision that may effect her life forever...
Kate woke the next morning after a fitful night of sleep. She was no closer to making a decision now than she was when she went to bed. She liked Tom, she really did, but she knew that they would never be anything more than what they were at this moment. He was handsome and a good cop, but she needed someone that would challenge her.
She needed someone like Castle, but was afraid of him. Between his two failed marriages, his arrest record, and the Page 6 stories, the prospects of Rick being more than what he appeared were slim. She knew that at least part of his persona was an act. With the exception of his romp with his first ex wife and his tryst with Ellie Monroe, Castle had been celibate since he started working with her. He had proven to be a wonderful father and a loyal son as evidenced by his actions with Alexis and Martha. Castle had given her $100,000 in an attempt to catch the man who murdered her mother, refusing to consider any form of payback in return and had opened his home up to her when hers was destroyed.
She'd made her decision during the drive to the precinct. Tom was out working a case and she and the boys were stuck doing paperwork to wrap up their case. Castle's last case. He was taking Alexis to Princeton this morning and promised to appear for his send off so the bullpen was much quieter than normal. Kate texted Tom asking him to meet her as soon as he returned to the precinct. She didn't elaborate as to why.
The shift drug on and the lack of her morning coffee from Castle was starting to make her irritable. Kate went to the break room and attempted to extract a cup of java from the beast that Rick had bought for the precinct. "He always makes this seem so easy." She mumbles to herself as she tries to make a cup for herself.
Tom didn't get back to the precinct until nearly four o'clock and had to take care of some paperwork before he could see her. Rick arrived at the precinct a few minutes before five and stopped by Beckett's desk where she sat nervously awaiting Tom's arrival. Castle greeted her as if everything was normal and started to sit down in what he used to consider was 'his' chair beside her desk. Before he could speak, Rick was quickly whisked away to the break room by Ryan where the others were awaiting his arrival. The two stopped just outside the doorway and Kevin turned back to Kate asking if she was going to join in the celebration. She told the detective that she had something to take care of first, but that she wouldn't miss it. Castle simply shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal as he turned and walked to the room joking with Ryan.
Another ten minutes elapsed before Tom appears, his overnight bag in hand. One look at Beckett tells him that something is amiss and he approaches her warily. "So are you ready to go?" He asks with more confidence than he actually felt at the moment.
Kate knew that this was the moment of truth and starts to speak as soon as Tom asks the question. "Yeah, about that... You know that I really like you Tom... And we've had a lot of fun, but I don't think that I'm ready for any type of relationship right now..."
"What are you saying Kate?" Tom inquires, already knowing the answer.
"I can't go with you for the weekend. There's someplace else that I need to be..." Just as she speaks, a roar of laughter can be heard from the break room, drawing both pair of eyes.
Deming gestures towards the break room, the hurt evident on his face. "It's because of him, isn't it?"
"No Tom, it's because of me. I need to sort some things out in my life... You're a great guy Tom..."
"Are you sure Kate?" He inquires as Beckett can only nod her head in response.
"You know he's gonna break your heart." Deming comments as he looks towards the break room as another roar of laughter erupts.
"I'm sorry Tom." Kate replies, knowing that there was every chance that his warning was true.
Knowing that this conversation was over, Deming rises to his feet as Kate follows. They exchange a hug and a brief kiss before Tom quickly walks away. Kate sat on the edge of her desk for a minute or so, wondering if she had done the right thing. Gathering up what little courage she had left, she strode confidently to the break room where Rick was in the middle of an embarrassing story about his efforts raising a child on his own. Everyone laughs as Castle has no qualms about making fun of himself.
Rick spots Kate standing near the doorway and calls out. "Detective Beckett so glad you could join us, or are simply here to say goodbye?" There was no malice in his question and everyone laughs as Espo begins a story about one of Castle's misadventures with the boys during his first year there. Everyone seemed to be having a good time as Kate watches to see just how much a part of everyone's life Castle had become during his time there. Kate grabbed a beer and tried to feign interest in the conversation, laughing at the appropriate times.
To be honest, Rick was surprised that Kate appeared at all. He assumed that she was simply waiting at her desk for Tom to take her away for their getaway. He could see by her body language that she was extremely uncomfortable being there and he wondered how long she would stay before begging off to leave. He feigns interest in the story Espo was telling as he watches she and Lanie exchange glances in unspoken communication with each other.
There was break in the revelry when Montgomery decides to speak. "We're going to miss you around here Castle. You've proven yourself to be an asset to all of us." The tenor of his voice carried a finality to it that scared Beckett.
"But you're coming back in the fall, right?" Ryan asks timidly.
All Castle could do was feign a sad smile and reply. "We'll see Kev." Everyone in the room knew the answer was 'no'. He pauses for a few seconds, all eyes on him expecting a response. "I just want to thank all of you for putting up with me as long as you have. I've been reminded on multiple occasions that I wasn't a cop, yet you guys took me in and made me feel like I was one of you. For that I will forever be grateful. I know that some of my theories have been pretty far fetched, but their purpose was to force us to look at things from a different perspective... I'm going to miss you guys..." Castle holds up his bottle of beer in toast. "To my friends..."
The others hold up their drinks in a similar gesture as Espo calls out. "To Castle, cheers." The others in the room join in with 'here, here'.
"I just hope our closure rate doesn't take a hit." Montgomery comments with a chuckle as he looks directly at Beckett.
Kate's nervousness only increases with Montgomery's comment. She knew that their case closure rate since Castle joined the team was the highest in the city. She'd never considered what impact his departure would have on her job. Beckett knew that there were several cases where Rick's 'stupid' theories directly lead to the arrest of a killer.
She had finished her beer and went to grab another, when Castle teasingly calls out. "Looks like Beckett's finally joining the party. What's that, your second beer?"
"Don't get her started Writer-boy, she'll drink you under the table." Lanie teases as the others laugh.
"Oh, I don't need to drink to take him down." Kate replies, earning surprised looks and catcalls from the others in the room. Castle arches his eyebrows in mild surprise at her comment, but quickly changes the subject with another story. Kate waits anxiously for the story to end as she moves closer to where he was sitting. She closes the last few feet separating them and leans over to speak to him.
"Can we talk somewhere in private?" She asks timidly, surprising herself and earning a few hoots and hollers from the others in earshot.
Rick simply smiles and replies. "Sure thing Beckett." He looks at the others who are now watching the two of them intently and requests. "Will you excuse me?" The others, especially Kevin, Javi and Lanie all nod their heads with huge smiles on their faces as Rick rises up from his seat and follows Kate out of the break room.
Castle is a few feet outside of the break room when he stops and inquires. "So what did you want to say Beckett?"
