Dropped Call
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: Castle missed his going away party because something unexpected came up and the Castle/Gina/Hamptons thing didn't happen etc. Castle assumes Beckett is with Demming and goes off the grid for several months. Would our favorite couple ever reconnect? From a prompt from Kato769. NOTE: AU not canon
I don't own Castle, I use the characters for amusement purposes only
Chapter 7
Previously
"Well the worst-case scenario has been confirmed, I don't think we could get Rick back here if my life depended on it. It's too bad you had to let your perception take over and not even give the man who had been by your side for two years the benefit of the doubt.
What makes it worse is you used another man to try to achieve whatever the hell you were trying to achieve, it was Stupid, and unprofessional, now get out of my sight Detective, Dismissed"
"But Sir I*"
"I said DISMISSED Detective, close the door on your way out"
12th Precinct
Later the Same Morning
Kate had regained some of her composure and was determined to show them, show them all she didn't need Castle, or any of them. Did she screw up? Yes, and she admitted that, but it wasn't her fault Castle finally got the message and quit, why did Roy and the boys act like it was such a big deal?
They had done nicely before he weaseled his way into their lives, it was just a coincidence that the closure rate went up each month he worked with them. Oh, hell who was she trying to convince, she didn't believe it herself.
She stepped outside and made a call she dreaded and got prepared to hear it all over again.
"Kate, what do you want now? I thought I was clear about Rick's intentions when we last spoke, you're not getting his contact information," the nasal tone of Rick's publicist Paula Haas had never infuriated Kate more than they did at this minute.
"Paula did you know that Rick resigned last Friday. I guess he informed the Mayor by call last week.?"
"What if I did Kate, what difference would it make?"
"Maybe none to you or him but the Captain, Mayor and my team think Rick resigned because of me, particularly the Voice Mail you so kindly forwarded to them."
"I never sent the Captain or the Mayor your voice mail, would have been a nice touch, but Ricky, no matter how pissed he is at you would have my head if I went that far. The poor sucker still cares about you after all you put him through."
"Well, can you ask Rick to call me, please, if he doesn't want to talk to me at least call the Captain to tell him why he left, I mean that was before I called. Look I did a lot of rotten crap, but this is something I didn't do. I used Tom to try to get Rick, another thing I have to live with, but God Damn it why won't he just give me 5 minutes that all I ask. Can you ask him Paula, Please?"
"Kate, I will ask him in a text, but I doubt he will even respond when he see's your name, and I really don't know what to tell you."
"Paula, I'll go camp out outside the house in the Hampton's he has come out sooner or later,"
"Kate, he's not in the Hampton's, no one knows where he is, not even Alexis and I swear if you call her, I will personally come over and stick one of those 6 inch heels up your ass, you got that?"
"What do you mean he's not in the Hampton's you have to know where he is you have his cell phone to call him"
"After working with you for a few years, and the CIA before that do you really think he is going to leave the tracking feature on the phone? In fact, he has changed them twice already, sent me the new phones totally different models, and numbers, whatever spooked him did a hell of a job on him. He's gone off grid before but never like this, ever. It's almost like he wants to disappear from something or somebody completely."
Orion Hotel
Toronto Canada 6:30 AM Tuesday Same Day
"Hey Sleepy head wake up, Try gently nudges Rick, we have some time for breakfast before we have to leave."
"That's not the way you are supposed to wake me, and you know it" muffles a sleepy Rick Castle,
Trey takes his face cups it gently in her hands and kisses him as she looks him deep into his eyes, Green versus Blue, God she was beautiful.
"One more for the road please" Rick whines and Trey smacks him on the arm then kisses him deeper, and longer.
"Thank you Rick, I know I would be going crazy if I were going through this alone, but no matter what happens, I'll be OK, I know and I have you to thank for that."
"Race you to the showers," he says and she laughs, "Use your own mine is all setup with my shampoos and conditioners" she knows he will do anything to make her laugh, it seems like she has laughed more since she was diagnosed with Cancer and met Rick than she has in a very long time.
Rick is just about to stir and go take his shower when his phone beeps with an incoming text from Paula, it simply says,
"All hell breaking lose at the Precinct, Mayor involved, Beckett begging to talk to you, call me when you can"
Rick has not and did not plan to hide anything from Trey, so he shows her the text,
"Sweetie, who is Paula, I know who Kate is, but who is this?"
"She's my publicist who would die before she gave up any secrets, so I can trust her with anything, except, no one but you and Gregg know about my cancer and I want it to stay that way, OK?"
"Of course, Sweetie"
"Do you mind listening in, I mean I don't want to upset you before treatment."
She just glares at him through those pools of Green,
"OK, I'll call and see what's going on, stay with me please?
"Sure Rick, I'm not going anywhere"
Rick dials Paula's number on speaker, and hears,
"Ricky, Sweetie how are you, and why do you have me on speaker?"
"Hi Paula, I'm fine, and I'm meeting with some Russian mobsters, so I thought I would get your input, you said things are gong to Hell, what's going on? Before you say anything, I have Trey Boland here with me, so speak as free as you please but know that there is a lady in the room so watch your potty mouth"
"Well I guess Captain Montgomery raised all kinds of Hell with Beckett once he found out you had resigned, from the Mayor, no less on Monday his day off, and then the Boy Toy's Captain called up on Friday and informed Roy that he would not work with Kate anymore, guess she dumped him right before the party they were going to have for you, and it didn't take a genius to figure out he had been played trying to make you jealous."
"Pause it there Paula, first, there was a letter of resignation on Kate's desk and in the middle top drawer of Roy's, what she did afterward was really surprising to me, but it had no bearing on me leaving. I even told Roy I have some personal commitment to take care of but hope to rejoin him in the future if all works out."
"Well I guess Roy was so pissed at her about using Demming the way she did, he didn't let any of that out, but she has called me 5 times begging for your contact information, she said she was drunk and didn't mean anything she said."
Trey speaks up now, "Well Paula this is Trey, I heard it, and in my experience there is more truth to people who talk when they are drunk than sober, they don't have the fear of hurting anyone's feelings, and she sure as hell didn't."
"Hey Ricky, if she's as beautiful as she is smart you may want to think about keeping her, at le*"
"Paula, you are my publicist, if I want unsolicited advice, I'll ask my mother, so keep your thoughts to yourself."
"I'm sorry Ricky, I was just trying to lighten this load of crap I have to dump on you, what do you want me to do about Beckett?"
"Nothing"
"Nothing Ricky, should I tell her anything, or just tell her nothing?
"Eduardo told me on a voice mail on the home phone she caused a scene at the Building, and she didn't respond well to being blocked on my land line, so just tell her I got her voice mail, and I'm working on a proper response, sorry to have been such a burden on them all."
"She knows you got it, guess she called Gina first before finally calling me, but Gina didn't cut her any slack either, well she doesn't know anything."
"OK anything else Paula, "
"Well can I ask you a question Rick?"
"You can ask, you may not get an answer"
"OK, are you in the Country, Ricky,"
"Paula I'm in A country I gotta go, talk to you in a few days, TEXT not call for crap like this please, Kate's broken heart is not a major concern for me at this point, I have higher priorities. "as the line goes dead
"Well Trey, sorry for you to hear all that, let's get ready to go kick Cancer's Ass, Day Two?
He turns, and she just falls into his arms and kisses him like there is no tomorrow, "I don't know why, but I'm glad you're with me, not them, Lets Kick Cancer's Ass Day Two!"
12th Precinct
Later the Same Morning
Kate's phone chirps with a tone for unidentified caller as she answers "Beckett"
"Well I spoke to Rick, I asked him to call you and his answer was and I quote "tell her I got her voice mail, and I'm working on a proper response, sorry to have been such a burden on them all."
"Is that all he said Paula?"
"Yeah, but I will tell you this, you pissed off another female there with him, wherever he is, she sounded like she wanted to kill you, I don't know who it was, friend, relative, or bimbo, but you're lucky she isn't close to you,"
"Yeah Paula, I'm lucky, so fucking lucky
Thanks for trying"
"Yeah, one more thing look around your desk, Rick put a letter of resignation on your desk and in the top middle drawer of Roy's before he left Friday, not much but it will at least show he had already had enough before you pulled your Award Winning performance."
"Hang on a second, God Damn him, I told him a million times to stay out of my desk drawers,"
"Well I take it you found the letter Kate, use it wisely because I don't think you'll be hearing from Rick for a good while,"
"Thanks Paula, I do appreciate your help, if anything changes please call me day or night,"
"I will Detective, but like I said, don't hold your breath, later Detective" and click as the phone goes dead.
Kate is almost afraid to open the letter, but if she was going to tell Roy, she needed to know what was in it. Slowly she opened the envelope and began to read,
To: Captain Roy Montgomery, Detectives Beckett, Esposito, Ryan and all of the members of the 12th precinct. ME Lanie Parrish
I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you for any kindness you may have shown me during my tenure as the Civilian Consultant, assigned to your precinct. I know at first and to some yet today, my presence was not welcomed, and for that I deeply apologize, but also wanted to thank everyone. I have learned something from everyone I have had dealings with, even if in some cases it's how NOT to handle a situation. I learned the meaning of brotherhood, and also what is was like to put yourself on the line for someone else, even if the other didn't know or care.
I have personal issues in my life that will make it impossible for me to continue in this role, which should provide a great deal of relief to some if not many. I have enjoyed my time, and I leave a better man than I came. I am truly sorry for those for whom my presence offended, it was never my intention. I leave you now to return to the "normal" police business conducted by "real cops".
Since I am leaving the precinct many will think I can devote more time to writing, Sorry to inform you I am also taking a hiatus from writing, and although not dead the Nikki Heat series is officially on hold, a very expensive gesture on my part. I can't write something I don't have passion for, and sadly recent events, personal, professional, and at the precinct have made this decision my only option.
Please enjoy the gift cards that will be delivered to each member next week, and accept them as a token of my gratitude and appreciation, I'm sorry I couldn't get them to you personally,
Respectfully,
Richard Castle
Kate hangs her head, not that she would expect him to continue to write the Heat series, but my God, he had stopped writing anything. The world needed his talent, young women like herself needed to know that justice does prevail, and now they won't because she had broken his spirit. She keyed in on certain phrases such as Real Cop, Normal Police Business, and a sense of being unwelcome, ALL of these were on her, and her alone. What the Hell had she done,
TBC
