"He's going to blame Roy," her words are barely above a whisper and she's looking right at him as she says them, "He's going to say that Roy ordered the hit on me as an alternate theory of the crime."
"I don't understand, that doesn't make any sense . . ."
Langley interrupts, "Mr. Castle, you are the only other person that can verify the events of that evening, to confirm that although Roy Montgomery had an opportunity to kill Kate, he didn't, that he even protected her from getting killed by the same people who killed him."
She's come around to step closer to him, "they didn't know we were there, Rick. They have no idea what happened in that hangar and they want to persuade a jury that Roy was at the heart of this whole thing, that he ordered a hit on me but it wasn't carried out until after he was killed in the commission of another crime."
"Shit."
"If you don't testify, Mr. Castle, it comes down to Kate and why she might lie about the events of that night. It will make it sound like a conspiracy against Cole Maddox. Like Kate has something to hide." Castle appreciates this guy's drive, but he isn't sure about his motivations. Greg Langley isn't going to lose this case.
"Of course, I'll do whatever you need me to do," he pulls out a chair to sit at the table. Kate watches him a moment and then slides into the seat next to him, putting a hand on his thigh, he threads his fingers through hers.
"Let's start with your recollection of the events leading to the shooting."
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxox
It's grueling and he suddenly understands her compulsion to be alone after these meetings. It's like going to a therapist with all the pain and none of the comfort.
What goes unsaid is all of the business between Kate and himself. Their argument. His hands forcing her out of the hangar, her momentary hatred of him. Not a hatred for Roy, the one who had caused this, but a hatred for his overwhelming adoration for her that stopped her from sacrificing herself. Their distance at the funeral. His words to her as she lay on the ground both lifeblood and confidence draining out of her.
It's such a short story without all those emotional entanglements.
Roy had called him that night with no details, but Rick had trusted him, had no reason not to believe him to be the fatherly figure he'd always portrayed himself to be in their presence. He showed up at the hangar in time to fear the gun the man displayed, the words of betrayal he'd spoken. And then he was bearing the casket at the funeral, and then, Kate was dead.
He felt her tighten her fingers over his in his very brief, very un-Castle-like description of the events of that day. There was no discussion of the setting, no plot, no character development, simply the facts, as though that was as much as he could handle.
"Okay," Greg finally says, "I think that's enough for today. I will want to go over this for some details and potential defense questions next time I come. Trial preliminaries start next week, I'm going to estimate the time line for this at another three weeks before we start setting up the testimony schedule. You should prepare yourself for a long stretch on the stand, Kate. Don't expect it to be just a day, we've got far too much to present."
It's Castle's turn to squeeze Kate's hand.
"Our crew has finished the security work on your apartment Mr. Castle, and we should be able to install you both there at the end of next week, after we've finished vetting the other residents and staff in your building. I will warn you though, once we've moved you, you won't be able to come and go as you please, the apartment or the courthouse, no other places."
"How long?" Castle has just realized the magnitude of their situation.
"Months at the very least, depends on the trial."
Something about saying it out loud makes it real. It's like someone has just hit the gong, the vibration from the statement continues to ring around the room. Castle looks at Kate, her face is tight. If he didn't know her so well, he might not know that face means she's worried.
He slides an arm around her, traps her neck in the crook of his elbow, and pulls her in to kiss her temple.
"I can't tell you what to do," Langley says nonchalantly, " but I am going to say, it would look a lot more professional to a jury if they don't know you two are a couple. I'd ask you to keep your affections outside of the courtroom."
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
He feels bitter-sweet closing the door behind Greg Langley and his dark-suit entourage. He can see Alexis in ten days. On the other hand, Kate's condemned to dependence and reliving her nightmare. Yeah, there's no way his imagination can write that sunny.
He finds her in the kitchen cleaning up the coffee mugs they used. When he goes unacknowledged, he moves closer and puts his hand in her line of vision, pinky outstretched.
She closes her eyes a moment and when she opens them she tentatively wraps her pinky around his, "give me a moment, okay?"
"'kay" is all he says and leaves her alone despite his overwhelming desire to do the opposite.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
She knows he's still secretly watching her. He could sit in any chair in the living room, but he's chosen the one with the view toward the open kitchen. She's certain that, although he is trying to feign interest in his i-pad, he really wants to have a conversation.
"Okay," she starts, not even fully in the room, "we are going to do this. We are going to testify and they are going to convict and Maddox is going to give us the dragon. What's a few months if it finally gives us justice?"
"Oh, hello, Determined-Kate-Beckett, haven't seen you in a while," he smiles, "and I really like that you used the word 'us' in that last sentence."
"Ugh," she says flopping into the couch adjacent to him, immediately covering her head with her hands, "I said that, but I'm not that optimistic!"
He laughs at her. He can't help it, she really is adorable. "Are you not optimistic about catching this guy or about us?"
"Oh good, you can laugh about that, now who's the optimistic one?" She swats him on the leg and he takes the opportunity to grab her hand and hold it.
"Now, tell me, for real, what scares you most about this?"
"I told you already, I didn't want to drag you into this." She's sandwiching his hand between hers.
"I'm already in it, it's too late, but that's not what scares you most."
"Okay Mr. Optimistic, what scares me the most?" She's trying his trick of being funny while avoiding the real issue. Too bad he's already an expert at that.
"You're scared of the stress of being together twenty-four-seven during the trial of your life is going to ruin us."
She's a little stunned. "Geez Castle, way to be blunt. I believe I've told you this before, but sometimes for the sake of a relationship it is better not to share."
"We'll work it out, it's going to be okay. It doesn't have to ruin anything, but we do need to try to head -off some of the tension so that it doesn't affect us."
"How'd you get to be so smart all of a sudden?"
"Lots of mind-blowing sex with the girl I love." He waggles his eyebrows at her, wraps a hand around her knee and pulls her forward to peck her lips.
"You know I was thinking . . ." Their faces are still inches from each other.
"I already told you, I don't do costumes, Castle."
"Ha. And you don't do costumes yet, Kate." She smirks and he continues, "I was thinking that we should take this opportunity to go out and do something, we could see if they'll let us take a little vacation."
"Castle, we aren't doing anything now, I think this is a vacation."
"You know what I mean, go somewhere fun, to the mountains maybe or stay on the beach, close to the ocean, would you like that?"
"Yeah, anywhere with you," she can't help it, he's just too sweet to her, she leans forward to kiss him again.
"Got a preference or do you want me to surprise you?"
"You know I hate surprises."
"Let me see what I can do."
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
As it turns out, Greg Langley is not a fan of any of his suggestions. No, they cannot go to Paris. No, they can't go to Disney. And absolutely no, they are not going to be seen out in a casino. Langley is adamant that he take more precaution with their safety.
"The only reason I let Beckett leave our direct custody is because she wasn't going to make it to trial at the rate she was deteriorating. I let you in on this little venture Mr. Castle, and it wasn't to make our jobs more difficult."
"I have one more suggestion," Castle prods.
Greg Langley sighs.
"I want to rent a yacht."
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
He's behind her in the bathtub, helping her by using the soapy puff on one long leg as she lifts it up.
She sighs contentedly and leans back on his chest. She's already told him that she really likes that he can participate in her hobbies.
"So I've got a little field trip plan that Greg approved, do you want to hear it or do you want me to surprise you? Because I really . . ." he's kissing her neck, "really . . ." his hand has moved to the top of her leg, and it isn't the part that's visible above the waterline, "want to surprise you."
She's gasping over what he's just done to surprise her. "I guess not all surprises are bad," she manages breathily.
"Okay then, we need to pack up and clean up this house starting tomorrow, because Katherine Beckett, I have a lovely surprise for you and then, we are finally going home."
