AN: Thank you for all the reviews and alerts, I'm really flattered. GhostWriterLost, I really like those quotes. the one with "too much honesty kills you as quick as too much deception" reminds me of a movie I really like "Rimbaud et Verlaine" - it deals with exactly this scenario. So, thanks again all who read and comment.
Disclaimer: I don't own "Castle," and all the characters belong to Mr. Marlowe and ABC.
Chapter 2 – Ryan and Esposito
Ryan watched Castle storming out of the precinct when Esposito came up to him. Without looking at his partner he asked, "Do you have any idea what the hell is going on between those two?"
Silence met his question until Ryan looked at Esposito, unsure how to interpret his expression.
"Javi...?"
"Sorry, can't tell you anything about it."
"Can't or won't? Do you actually know what is going on?"
"No, not really, just what Lanie told me."
"Lanie? Since when do you have heart-to-hearts with Lanie again?"
Esposito blushed a little bit.
"Uhm, since your wedding actually."
Ryan looked at him flabbergasted.
"Since the wedding? That was months ago."
Esposito just shrugged with his shoulders. Ryan shook his head.
"Okay, not going there right now, but don't think you're off the hook with this one. Tell me what is going on?"
"I don't know any details but it seems like Beckett messed up big time, and Castle just can't forgive her."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember when Beckett told us that she hadn't contacted Castle over the whole summer?"
"Yeah, but just she needed time, that's all."
"Um, no, apparently while Castle was begging her to live in the ambulance, he let it slip that he loved her. Lanie heard him saying it to Beckett again and again."
"Yeah, but Beckett doesn't remember anything from the shooting, remember? I mean, I guess she was slipping in and out of consciousness the whole time."
"In the ambulance – yeah, but Kate told Lanie that he said it before, at the cemetery, and she heard him alright."
Ryan looked at his partner with wide eyes.
"She LIED to him?"
"She lied to all of us." Esposito sounded a little bit angry himself. "And apparently, Castle found out."
"Ouch."
"If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't know what to do. I mean, I love her like a sister, but tossing someone's feelings aside like this just isn't right. I mean, what is he supposed to think?"
Ryan looked pensive and answered: "He thinks she doesn't love him and never will."
"Exactly."
"Then why is he still here?"
"Simple. It's payback."
"And you're okay with this?"
"With the fact that he lashes out at her? I can understand where he is coming from. This lie, and the fact that she kept it from him for so long was a time bomb, and it blew right up in her face. But the way he's acting about it? Hell, no – he's fooling himself if he thinks this is the way to get over her. The only thing he can do if he really wants to move on is leave the precinct and get some real distance."
Ryan bit his lips, and when Esposito saw this he asked: "You don't think he is right to want to move on?"
"Well, it's not like Beckett's the only one with a ticking time-bomb under the table."
Esposito looked confused. "What do you mean?"
His partner took a deep breath.
"Castle is investigating her mom's case, and she doesn't have the first clue about it."
"HE DOES WHAT?" Esposito was dumbfound. "Is he freaking insane? And how the hell do you know about this?"
"Remember the case Mayor Wheldon was involved in?"
Esposito urged him with a motion of his hand to go on.
"Castle asked me to give him the heads-up if anything showed up with a connection to Johanna Beckett's case or Beckett's own shooting. When I asked him if they thought there could be a connection, he told me Beckett didn't know anything about it."
Esposito groaned.
"I can't believe this. He is such a freaking moron. What does he think will happen when she finds out about it."
"Well, since they're not on speaking terms, how would she?"
"Sooner or later she will find out. The worst case scenario is when he gets himself killed."
Ryan shot Esposito a glaring look, and his partner amended with an eye-roll, "Or at least gets in serious trouble."
Ryan said softly, "She won't survive losing another person she loves to this. Captain Montgomery was hard enough, and he betrayed her."
"So, you think she DOES love him?"
Again a glare. Then, "Duh. Of course she does."
Esposito agreed. "Yeah, I know. So what do we do about it?"
Behind them someone cleared her throat.
"Gentleman, I don't think the city pays you to discuss the private matters of your colleagues and friends. I'm sure there is enough to do here for you both to be busy, especially since neither Beckett nor Castle are coming back for the rest of the week. Get moving."
tbc...
