Disclaimer: I would walk 500 miles.. Oops, Disclaimer, not Proclaimers. Yeah right. I don't own Castle.
A/N: [If anyone does review: please no spoilers.] This is a short chapter (it was shorter when I wrote this note!), not just filler though, has an important (to me) punch line... Heads up to the few remaining readers of this story (I appreciate all of you!): there should be 4 more chapters after this one.
The debriefing had turned into a night of drinks at The Old Haunt, just laughing and relaxing together in a way they hadn't done in years. Their coffee get togethers were no substitute for this kind of togetherness, they both realized things had been strained, but only in the relaxed environment of the bar did it become clear how strained even the most minor of their recent conversations had been. Such a simple thing, that handshake, could make all the difference; they cut a deal that night with no small part of laughter involved, no handshakes like that for anyone else. They shook on it, and laughed again into their shot glasses.
No conquests were made, nothing either of them could regret later by rushing now. That's what Kate told herself the next morning at least; at this point she was beyond ready for some conquering, either by her or of her - she wasn't picky. Again though, Rick seemed hesitant in that regard, failing to even do more than kiss her on the cheek at the end of the night. Still, that was the first kiss of any sort they'd shared in years, and she embraced it, memorized it, and looked forward to more.
C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C
The following few weeks flowed by, and it seemed to Kate that for every step forward in her personal life there was also a step forward in her professional one too. Two weeks after the the cat burglar case, Gates once again called her: there was a junior spot available in homocide. Not with her old team. Did she want it? Did she want it?! Of course she wanted it. She was assigned, with a start date the following week.
She was back. Well, half her goals were met at least; unfortunately, she understood now that the professional ones were the lesser half.
Things with Rick had moved forward, but Kate had to admit it was not quite as fast as she'd hoped. For all she'd been patient, taken things slow, after the that first handshake she'd been hoping for a bit more vigorous movement on his part.
They'd progressed though, no longer just meeting for coffee in small cafe's, but dinner, drinks, and a movie occasionally. To Kate this was edging toward dating, but she couldn't quite convince herself that Rick thought so too. After all, well back before they were together, they had done all those things - while she was in a relationship with Josh. She didn't want to think of herself as a cheater, and if she wasn't then all these recent nights with Rick were just friendly company, not dates. She certainly didn't shake Ricks's hand back then with the lingering touch they now shared, but frankly that was more intimate that the few kissed cheeks they'd shared. Friends who shook hands, was that what they were now?
A month after the first handshake and kiss on the cheek, all she had was more of the same. She was torn, she wanted more, ached for a hug even; but she had made herself promise that she'd be patient. She worried though, that her promise to herself was starting to fray around the edges, her ability to remain patient starting to slip away. Wondered what his reaction would be if she pushed.
C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C
Castle honestly didn't know what has gotten into him with that handshake, he'd practically groped her in front of her team and Demming, at least that's what it felt like to him. Didn't seem like anyone else notice much out of place, but they were too busy patting each other on the back.
Kate had definitely noticed though, with her offer for a debriefing. It was too much though, too much too soon, he'd gotten carried away in the moment. There was no way he way ready to move further yet. He'd been too elated by learning that she'd wanted to go with him to the Hamptons, that she'd picked him over another man. He won a contest in her heart perhaps, thou he lost the last contest in her brain: when faced with an choice between him and a job, she'd chosen the job.
From what he'd learnt about her job from their conversations it really was life consuming, she rally did have no time for him, no time for more in a relationship. I that regard he supposed, at lest she as honest in turning down his unconditional proposal - unconditional so long as more was in the tabes from both of them.
Almost the first thing she did she back in the city as start the process of getting her job back, re-establishing herself in another career she had once buried herself in before.
Would the job come between them again? He wasn't sure, and he couldn't push forward while he was confused, a handshake was all he could offer right now. He was willing to be patient, give himself time for everything to process.
While he let his thoughts continue to percolate, he headed back to his office, cracked open his laptop and continued where he had left off.
C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C
Monday had come, it was time for her first meeting with Detective Irons, the senior investigator for her new team. It did not get off to a auspicious beginning.
"Beckett. Here's the deal, I know your reputation, I know your close rate from when you were here before. Let's be real clear though, this is my team, you answer to me first. Got it?"
Beckett had expected a bit of a speech, a bit of territorial marking, but that went a little further than she'd expected, "Sure Irons, I get it. I do have some valuable things to offer occasionally though, you willing to listen?"
Irons cracked a smile at her, "Look, maybe that was a bit over the top, bottom line I want to close cases. Find killers. You help me get the close rate up anywhere near where yours was before you dumped all us cops for the Feds and we'll be getting along great in no time."
She slowly broke into a smile, a thoughtful smile. She could potentially kill two birds with one stone here; her team had been responsible for that high close rate, not just her. One member of that team was actually still available. She'd only been seeing him one or twice a week for their quasi-dates, and well she thought now that a little bit more time together might just be the push needed to speed things up again.
"I think I can help you there Irons. Not just me though. You ever meet Castle?"
A deal was cut, she'd be the one to invite him back this time; he wouldn't need a favor from the mayor. Gates was surprisingly easy to convince, together Beckett and Irons made the pitch, basically playing the close rate card yet again. Now she just had to live up to it, and hope that Castle would actually provide the help, and time she so desired.
When she headed back to her desk, she had a visitor waiting. Esposito was perched on the edge, where Castle's chair would have been if it was her old desk, in her old spot. She'd spoke to Espo and Ryan a few times since being back, but things were still a little personally strained between them.
"Hi Espo, you want to talk?"
"Yeah Beckett. I want to talk. I want to know why."
"Why I left?"
"No Beckett, I get that. Why you said nothing, just sprung it on us." His voice was a little strained, clearly holding some anger inside, "I felt betrayed Beckett. I backed you without question whenever you needed. I put my neck and my badge on the line for you when we went after Maddox. I thought we were more than just professional colleagues, I though we were family."
"You did Espo, I appreciated that.."
"Then why Beckett? You wanted the job, ok, I get that; but not even a heads up? You couldn't even have given me, couldn't even have given Ryan and me a bit of a hint? You barely even said goodbye Beckett."
"Look Espo, I admit I didn't handle it as well as I could, we were, I hope we can be again, more than just work colleagues. You were always loyal beyond the call Espo, and I'm sorry for everything. I've been back a year now though, why didn't you bring it up before?"
He shrugged, "Because until now, I didn't have to face you everyday across the bull-pen, I could just bury it."
Finally putting out her hand towards him, "Can we move on? Let bygones be bygones? Try and start over, be friends?"
He hesitantly shook her hand, and despite that hesitancy it immediately made her feel better, they'd be fine eventually, "Sure, we can give it another go; you know we missed you right? Me and Kev, we really missed you Kate."
C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C
Kate finally decided to make the call to Castle mid-morning the next day, after running scenario after scenario through her head on how precisely to tempt him back.
Unfortunately she got voicemail, "Hey Castle. Call me when you get a minute." She knew he'd pick up on the Castle clue, know the call was work related.
He called back half an hour later, "Detective Beckett, to what do I owe this honor?"
After all her carefully thought, blunt was probably the safest way, less chance of a slip up, "You want back in at the precinct Castle? Want to work some cases?"
His tone perked up markedly at that, "Really? Seriously? Do you have bloody one already?"
"Castle, I only just started back in homocide. Yesterday actually, haven't even been issued my new ID. No cases yet."
He spoke softly now, "Kate, you have no cases, you don't need my crazy theories right now. You don't need me to do the job, but you called me to come in anyway?"
"Yes I did Rick. It was the first thing I did, to start the ball rolling on getting you back here. You help. You make everything about this job more fun. More than any of that, I want you here with me." She winced a little with that last comment, maybe she slipped there, letting that last part out too early.
"Detective Beckett, I look forward to working with you again." He paused then, "Kate, I'll be there for you." Or, she thought, maybe not.
C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C*B*C
Cases has been flowing, justice served, victims given voices; things where looking to Kate more and more like they should have been all along.
One night Castle left early, saying he had a meeting, rather than staying to provide the comic relied that eased the strains of the job. All the detectives in the bull-pen were finishing up paperwork, different teams racing to be done, tomorrow morning's donut order on the line. Or at least the right to get to the donuts first, since Castle would likely be the supplier.
Beckett had finished up her work load before dropping it on Detective Irons' desk for his final signature. She was done, but she honestly didn't want to leave the bull-pen. Stay, or head home alone to an empty apartment - those were her choices. She stayed, ready and willing to wait for the rest of her work family to be done, and perhaps all head out to "grab a drink together.
"Yo Beckett! What you doing?" Esposito yelled and threw a ball of paper at her.
"I'm done Espo, I'm going to wait for all you slow guys, maybe we can grab a drink after?" She dug through her purse to pull out the book she carried everywhere recently: 'Missing Heat', and flipped to her book mark.
"That the last one Beckett? The series is over right?"
"Yeah, this is it, don't give it away, I haven't finished it yet."
"Seriously Beckett? Like I've read it."
She glared across the bull-pen at him for that, "Well then, leave me alone to read, and finish your paper work. Seriously, you guys want to grab a drink after? Castle's busy tonight or I'd already be gone."
"Sure," He stood and cross the bull-pen to lean over her desk, "You asking him to help to give his input on cases, what's that about Beckett?"
Espo laughed a little, but spoke softly to her, "You hoping he'll write another book about you?"
She punched him in the arm for that, "It's about wanting to spend as much time with him as I can. That, and he's actually helpful. Espo, believe me, it's not about the books anymore."