Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or the characters used in this story.
A/N: Down below.
.
Turning to face the people in the room, the boss looks at each in turn with a smile. "Thanks for O'Leary. Now, where's my money?"
This new intrusion, following the shocking resolution of Rogan's visit, leaves them all stunned. Their new captor doesn't seem pleased by the lack of an answer.
"Let's try this again," the boss says while turning his back to Rogan's prone form and facing the group. "Where is my money?"
"He was empty-handed when he shoved his way inside," Castle volunteers, trying to draw the attention of the intruders. Beckett, meanwhile, opts to follow his lead. She can't really announce herself as a police officer since she's suspended and has neither badge nor gun, and this crew doesn't seem like it would react particularly well to that surprise right now. But, she's ready to help Castle draw this out until backup gets here.
"Really," the boss says with a raised brow and a clear look of disbelief. "He just stopped by for a social visit?"
"We're not sure why he stopped by," Castle answers, trying to build a flow and perhaps slow things down while stalling for Gates' resources to arrive. "He was frantic, peeking out the door. He didn't say much. He said he needed help, but didn't tell us with what. Then he said he needed to think about something."
Chuckling, the boss shakes his head. "O'Leary, thinking. That's probably too outrageous to be a lie. But tell me this: if all that's true, why is he unconscious and tied up?"
Beckett worried about this during Castle's explanation, but if he's surprised by the question, it doesn't show from his answer. "He tried to get a little … handsy," he explains with a shrug.
"That definitely sounds like O'Leary," the boss confirms. "So, where's the gun?"
"We didn't know where to put it," Castle explains with a wrinkled nose as if the whole notion of a gun is somehow distasteful or foreign. Beckett's not sure that answering straight out was the best strategy, but they're committed to this story and she's going to back up her partner. "It's on the shelf above the washing machine, in the laundry area," he finishes by pointing.
One of the bruisers moves silently and without instruction to retrieve the weapon. The quiet servility of the muscle and the direct efficiency of the boss are increasing Beckett's concern. This isn't a gang of thugs – they're used to working together, they knew where Rogan was, and they got into a secure building. The only lucky break they received was her dad opening the door – they were probably waiting for Rogan in the hallway.
As the helper returns, Beckett's alarm skyrockets. In addition to the gun, the helper also hands over a hammer that he retrieved from Castle's utility drawer.
"I like you," the boss says while looking at Castle, pointing with the hammer after stashing his and Rogan's weapons. "No fuss, no whining. It's a good thing you didn't lie about the gun – old bones break easily," he says with a nod toward Jim Beckett. "But here's my problem – we know O'Leary took our money and it's not in his car. So, where is it?"
"Maybe he checked it at the security desk?" Castle suggests. "He was dressed as a cop so I'm sure Eduardo would have helped him out."
"No," the boss chuckles, "I'm certain that your security guy didn't have it." Something in his tone raises Beckett's hackles, but it's Alexis who speaks first.
"Is Eduardo okay?" she asks while still wrapped in the protective embrace of Castle's arms.
"Depends," the boss says directly. "Does your building use a dumpster or an incinerator?"
Alexis' hand shoots out to cover her mouth, terrified about Eduardo's fate. "We have a dumpster," Castle says quietly while trying to comfort his daughter.
"Then maybe he's fine," the boss says indifferently. Tired of the delay and apparently convinced that they have no information of use to him, the boss points to Rogan and then to the chair. One of his large helpers grabs a handful of Rogan's shirt, lifts him easily, and tosses him into the chair. When the jostling fails to wake Rogan, the boss points to the kitchen and the other helper moves quickly. Beckett's again concerned that the boss hasn't yet had to say a single word to command his troops.
Taking a bowl from the drying rack, the helper returns promptly with the cold water that's unceremoniously dumped on Rogan's head, leaving him sputtering and groggy. Rogan's head is down, so the first thing he notices is his bound hands. Confused, he slowly looks up and his befuddlement morphs into terror as he sees who's crouched in front of him. "Vasil…," he moans quietly.
"Welcome back, O'Leary," the boss, Vasil, says with a smile while tapping the hammer into his palm.
"Vasil," Rogan groans again, "I was just on my way to see you."
"That's funny," Vasil replies. "We've been following you since you left town last night. You've stopped at law firms, apartment buildings, and here. It doesn't seem like you were very anxious to talk to me."
"I was looking for help," Rogan chokes out. "I think Williams – the deputy – was going to sell you out. I needed some help to plug the leak."
"Oh, O'Leary," Vasil laments. "No imagination. Williams is a known commodity. In fact, he told us an interesting story about the information you were willing to provide in exchange for assistance with your current legal difficulties."
"He's just trying to frame me!" Rogan exclaims. Oh, Rogan, Beckett thinks, not even I believe you and I don't know any of these people.
"Happily, there's an easy way to prove your loyalty," Vasil says silkily. "Where's my money?"
"What money?" Rogan asks with wide, innocent eyes.
In response, Vasil gives a curt nod. One of his helpers stands behind the chair and grasps Rogan's shoulders, pinning him down. The other kneels in front of the chair, using one hand to pin Rogan's bound ankles to the chair front while using the other to unlace Rogan's sneakers. Rogan struggles, but his efforts are futile; it's not clear that the muscle even notices his attempts to wiggle out of his situation.
While his helpers setting about their business, Vasil turns to Castle while still slapping the hammer into his palm. "You see, honesty served you well. O'Leary here, he's going to demonstrate what happens to liars."
That's another lie, of course. Whatever Rogan's mixed up in is serious enough to have enraged a professional crew. They're planning to torture Rogan right here in case the money is nearby and they've taken no steps to mask their identities. Praise for honesty aside, Beckett knows that Vasil has no intention of leaving witnesses behind. It's what stops her from telling him that the police are on their way – rather than flee, Vasil seems like someone with the sociopathic reserve to cover his tracks before making a calm retreat. Catching Castle's eye, she suspects that he's figured things the same way. All they can do now is be ready to move with any opportunity that Rogan provides and hope that reinforcements arrive soon.
"No!" Rogan shouts before his own grimy sock is crammed into his mouth. Vasil approaches and kneels down in front of the chair, staring at the head of the hammer that he's slowly turning back and forth to play with the reflected light from the window.
"I'm going to ask you again, O'Leary, where you put my money. With each lie, you lose a toe. Then we'll move to your knees. Do you think you can hold out until we reach your hands?" Vasil ponders, still turning the hammer in hand and not looking into Rogan's wide, panic-filled eyes. "You'd be the first. But, before I ask, you already owe me a toe for your first lie."
Vasil's lining the head of the hammer up with the big toe on Rogan's right foot when a noise at the door distracts them all. Again with the door? It's too early for the backup to have arrived. Beckett's heart plummets at the sound of a key working the lock. Martha wasn't supposed to be back until next week! Looking quickly at Castle, she sees her own confusion and fear reflected back at her.
With a flick of his wrist, Vasil directs the man pinning Rogan's feet to attend to the door. The large helper's just managed to lift his enormous bulk when the door opens.
But it's not Martha who enters. Instead, the first thing they see is the petite derriere of Castle's maid. She's backing into the loft while struggling to hold a loaded bucket in one hand and pulling a cleaning cart with the other. The woman can't be taller than 5'2'' and the high ponytail in her dark hair makes her look about 20, though she's really probably closer to 30.
The sheer incongruity of a little maid backing into a torture scene seems to freeze everyone in place. Everyone except the maid, who slowly continues her struggle into the loft while wrestling with the bucket and the cart. Her appearance certainly seems to have fractured reality a bit, because all Beckett can manage when she looks at the maid, in spite of the seriousness of their situation, is the petty thought that if she and Castle are going to start dating, this gorgeous maid with a key to his apartment has got to go. The confident little smile that she sees on Castle's face doesn't change her mind, nor does the upturned brow he shoots her way.
Shaking his head to refocus, the large helper assigned to the door moves to intercept the maid. As he does, the maid lets go of the cart while panting a little bit, using both hands to lower her heavy bucket to the ground.
But the bucket never settles. Instead, the maid spins in place, the whirling bucket building speed for nearly a full arc before it meets the side of the strongman's head, knocking him off his feet with a sickening crunch that might be the bucket or might be his head.
Naturally drawn to the movement of the flying body, Beckett wrenches her eyes back to the maid. She's already on the move, hurtling towards the chair holding Rogan. The second thug releases his hold on Rogan's shoulders and moves into her path, only to see her execute a near-perfect slide that easily puts her below the reach of even his long arms. Using her momentum, the maid springs up again on the other side of the giant, rising with an open-handed strike that catches a shocked Vasil under his chin. Head snapping back, Vasil's knocked onto his back where his head makes a sickening thud as his body collapses to the floor.
Turning where she stands from having delivered the blow, the maid catches the hammer that had flown from Vasil's hand. With a predatory look on her face, the maid slips into a lithe fighting stance, hammer at the ready and smile in place.
The remaining thug slowly surveys the room. After looking at both of his colleagues for several long seconds, he looks back at the maid with an appraising stare. Then, to everyone's surprise (and the maid's obvious disappointment), he abruptly kneels. Crossing his ankles while lacing his fingers together behind his head, he finally speaks. With a surprisingly high, reedy voice he asks "Do me a favor? Please tell 'em you pulled a gun on me."
He continues to kneel docilely while the maid stands behind him with the hammer. "Rick," she says, calling Castle into action. While he walks to her cart and rummages around to find a set of cuffs beneath a cleaning rag, Beckett moves to secure the guns from Vasil's inert form. After handing off the cuffs, Castle moves to the kitchen, returning with two plastic bags for the weapons and another for the hammer.
"You must be Debbie," Beckett says as the maid secures the other two conspirators.
"Debbie Delmonico," the maid confirms as she draws the zip-cuff on Vasil's ankles. "Detective Beckett, I'd like to thank you for this assignment."
She'd normally assume this to be a sarcastic remark, but remembering her reaction to the thug's surrender and Fitz's comments about Debbie's exuberance, Beckett decides that Debbie's comment must be genuine. "Glad you're enjoying yourself," Beckett says with a smile, extending her hand while hearing her father blow out a stress-relieving huff.
To her surprise, Castle steps forward and pushes down on Beckett's forearm to move her hand back to her side. "The police are already on their way. We can hold the fort for a few minutes if you want to change before the cavalry arrives," Castle offers to a smiling nod from Debbie. Retrieving a small duffle from the bottom of the cleaning cart, Debbie trots into Castle's room and closes the door.
Thinking that this familiarity is even worse than a cute woman prancing around in Castle's place while wearing a maid's outfit, Beckett rounds on her partner with eyebrow cocked.
"She doesn't like being touched," Castle offers to cut her off, "at all. That's why I pushed your arm down. She doesn't shake hands, or high-five, or fist-bump. In fact, if Debbie touches you, it means she's looking to hurt you. Bad."
Motion in the corner of her eye catches her attention, and Beckett's surprised to see Alexis nodding along to Castle's explanation. There must be an interesting story here if Alexis is in the loop, too.
Before she can ask any questions, the door to Castle's room is already opening and Debbie emerges wearing yoga pants and a thin sweatshirt, her hair down around her shoulders. Her attention, as well as that of everyone else in the room, is captured by Rogan's muffled sounds and squirming in the chair. With a look of distaste, Debbie steps forward and yanks the sock from Rogan's mouth.
Rogan takes a few gulping breaths before he looks at the woman to whom he owes his toes and probably his life. "Hey!" he exclaims as he looks at Debbie in her new clothes, finally recognizing her from the arrest that started this whole mess for him. "You still owe me dinner!"
The sock is back in his mouth when back-up, led by Esposito and Ryan, arrives five minutes later.
As they arrive at the precinct, Beckett escorts her group – Castle, Alexis, Debbie, and her father – to the lounge on the homicide floor. In deference to Beckett's situation, Gates is using Esposito, Ryan, and Karpowski to take statements in order to limit the embarrassment that flows from Beckett's connection to Rogan. It's almost certainly a lost cause, but Beckett still appreciates the effort.
Leaving her friends and family in the lounge for a moment, Beckett walks down the hall to check in with Gates. Ushered into the office where the Captain is talking with Karpowski, Beckett approaches and sets the duffle bag on Gate's desk.
"What's this?" Gates asks.
"A big bag full of cash," Beckett says blithely, enjoying the sight of Gates' widening eyes as she draws the zipper to confirm Beckett's explanation. "It's apparently what O'Leary stole on his way out of town that led the second group to track him down."
"Why didn't they just take the money and O'Leary and leave?" Gates asks while Karpowski looks a little dreamy, probably imagining the possible uses for all that cash.
"O'Leary hid the money before he forced his way into the loft, so they didn't know where it was," Beckett explains. "In fact, no one knows we've found it," she says while turning to Karpowski, "so you can use that as a lever in your interrogations."
"Where'd you find it?" Gates asks, intrigued.
"Castle found it," Beckett admits proudly. "O'Leary pushed up the service panel on the elevator on his way up to the loft, so the bag was just sitting on the top of the elevator car."
"Why'd he look there?" Karpowski asks.
With a shrug, Beckett guesses at the answer. "The crew had followed Rogan and searched his car in Castle's garage, so it wasn't there and he didn't have it when he came into the loft. He had to have stashed it on the way to Castle's door, so there weren't many options."
"Huh," Karpowski replies. "I would've guessed he'd use the garbage chute."
"Wouldn't that have been interesting," Beckett muses while Gates and Karpowski cast her curious looks. "The crew tossed Castle's security guard down the chute," she explains. "Would've been ironic if he'd landed on the money they were searching for."
"Is the security guy okay?" Karpowski asks.
"I think so," Beckett replies. "Ryan's getting an update from Officer Larson at the hospital."
"I'll take care of this," Gates says of the duffle bag as she takes it off her desk and sets it on the floor out of sight. "You'd better get moving on statements," she says to Karpowski, who rises from her chair with a nod and joins Beckett.
With Karpowski waiting for her, Beckett stops by the lounge to see Castle and Alexis, who are sitting close to each other on the couch. Kneeling down and placing a gentle hand on Alexis' knee, Beckett apologizes. "I'm sorry about this. We need to take the statements of everyone separately. But I've asked Kevin to take yours, so at least you'll know him. If you need anything, please let him know or come find me?" Beckett asks. After Alexis' brief nod, Beckett rises and rubs Castle's shoulder before leaving to give her own statement.
Beckett just catches a glimpse of the elevator doors closing on Debbie as she emerges from giving her statement. Done with Debbie's statement, Esposito has decided to take Castle next. From the sound of his voice as Beckett and Karpowski approach the lounge, Esposito's not happy.
"Dude, you and I are going to have serious words. I can't believe you were holding out on me. She is hot hot hot!" Esposito exclaims to Castle's chuckle. "Did she really take out the big guy and the boss man by herself?"
Castle confirms her story with a laugh. "In about five seconds flat. But don't waste your time, Javi," Castle consoles, "she's not interested in that kind of thing. Plus, she'd whip your ass for even looking at her the wrong way."
"Just because you're afraid doesn't mean that a braver man won't prevail," Esposito taunts as Beckett and Karpowski enter the room to see her father looking amused at the conversation that's taking place.
"You're welcome to try," Castle says with a dubious smile as he stands and prepares to follow Esposito to the conference room. "Just let us know what kind of flowers you'd like for your hospital stay."
"See, that element of danger just makes it spicier," Esposito exclaims as he performs a complicated little dance step on the way out of the room, followed by a chuckling Castle.
Shaking her head at the ridiculousness, Beckett introduces Karpowski to her father. As they're leaving to take his statement, Beckett sees Ryan opening the door down the hall for Alexis. Seizing the opportunity, Beckett joins them.
"She did great," Ryan says with a gentle pat to Alexis' shoulder. "As well-spoken as her father but with an ability to stay on point that she must have learned from someone else." After pausing to make sure that his comment was taken in good fun, he turns to Beckett. "I've got to go take Sachs' statement. Then, as soon as Espo and Karpowski are done, we're going to start on the interrogations. Well, the two we can do," he clarifies, saying nothing more about the hospitalization of the bucketed thug. "You can't participate, but you can observe."
"Maybe," Beckett says vaguely. Not only does she trust her colleagues, she's not sure she wants to wallow in the mess that this whole situation has become. Her time might be better spent with her father and the Castles.
"There'll be enough room," Ryan says with a sly grin.
"What do you mean?" Beckett asks, starting to dread the answer.
"Well, it's a slow day since this isn't actually a homicide," Ryan answers gleefully. "So, our ME has time on her hands and thought she'd like to get a good look at Rogan O'Leary."
"Oh, crap," Beckett trails off while Alexis smiles. Of all the things to worry about today, she's not sure how she'll work in figuring out how to contain Lanie. She'll worry about that later, but it certainly hasn't made her more anxious to watch the interrogations. Time to shift gears. "Any word from the hospital on Eduardo?"
"Concussion and a broken arm," Ryan answers, provoking a sad sigh from Alexis. "I know there's lots going on, and the Castle place is still roped off as a crime scene, but it might do him some good to see some friendly faces. Larson says that he's blaming himself for the whole thing, thinks he should have hit the alarm and stayed quiet even with a gun pointed at him."
"We'll make the time," Beckett says decisively, earning an appraising look from Alexis. "Thanks, Kevin," Beckett concludes, trying to convey her appreciation for his gentle care of Alexis, his discretion for her situation, and the support that he regularly provides even with the teasing.
With a casual salute and a "No problem, boss," Ryan departs to find Officer Sachs. Turning to Alexis, Beckett asks "Will you join me?" in a voice that betrays her frayed nerves.
Alexis nods after a few seconds and Kate leads her to the break room, where Alexis accepts a glass of water. Beckett opts for the same, thinking that more caffeine might not be the best option right now.
"I was hoping we could talk," Beckett starts. When Alexis doesn't reply immediately, Beckett clarifies "Well, perhaps I was hoping that you'd be willing to hear me out?"
Again, Alexis gives a curt nod without speaking. This isn't exactly a rousing start, Beckett worries, but she needs to make an effort here.
"You did really well back at the loft," Beckett compliments. Still frightened by her actions, Alexis gives a little frown and looks down. "I know it's scary. The first time I took someone down in the field I felt horrible. The initial exhilaration of seeing my training at work quickly gave way to a wave of shock that I'd hurt someone. Then I felt guilty about having been excited about my first confrontation and worried that I went overboard. I was a mess, but I didn't want anyone to see it and think I was weak. So, I bottled it up until I could break down in an alley."
Beckett wonders how Alexis is reacting to her story, if at all. She's so uncomfortable talking about this that she's staring at the table at which they're sitting, hoping that Alexis is following along.
"My partner wasn't fooled," Beckett admits. "He waited in the car even though he knew there was no reason for me to be in that alley. When I finally showed up, he just said 'Hell of a thing, that first take-down.'"
Buoyed by this fond recollection, Beckett looks up into Alexis' eyes. "So, hell of a thing, huh? I know you're not looking to be a cop, and I won't say it gets easier, but I will say this: you did well, you acted with only the force necessary, and you protected our fathers. Thank you."
Blinking a bit at the praise and the gratitude, Alexis blushes and looks down. For Beckett, it's difficult to tell if her words have made any headway in helping Alexis feel better about her actions in the loft.
"I also want to apologize," Beckett says. Alexis' head shoots up, surprised that Beckett's being so direct.
"I made a terrible mistake back when I was 19. It wouldn't have been so bad if it just affected me. But, it's snowballed ridiculously out of control. Fitz got hurt. You and your father were threatened. You were forced to protect us. I'm so sorry, Alexis."
Beckett's looking down again, uncertain about where to go from here or how she can repair her relationship with Alexis.
"It wasn't your fault," Alexis says in a tiny voice. This time it's Beckett who looks up in surprise.
"Well, getting married was your fault," Alexis amends, "that was just stupid. But you didn't hit Fitz and you're not a criminal. Your … ex-husband … is a terrible person. The bad things that happened trace back to him, don't they?"
"He's certainly a mess, but I don't think I'm so blameless," Beckett confesses. "Nor should I be. I'm responsible for what I did back then."
"I agree," Alexis says with a raised brow. "But that doesn't make you responsible for his actions since then. I mean, come on. Imagine that you went to Vegas with some girlfriends, got drunk, and married a certain mystery novelist back then. Trust me, Dad's been to Vegas plenty of times. If you showed up at our door looking to resolve an unknown marriage, the only problem you'd have is that Dad would want to try again, right? There wouldn't be any criminal gangs or medical billing scams."
Huffing a laugh, Beckett agrees. "No, no scams or criminal gangs. Maybe just a poker group that wouldn't stop teasing him and the embarrassment that would result from my colleagues learning about my husband's indiscretion with a police horse."
"His what?!" Alexis nearly shouts.
Oh, crap. Apparently Castle's naked impression of Paul Revere wasn't known to his daughter. She must have ignored the related line-item in his will. "Ah, would you believe that I made that up?"
Alexis answers with crossed arms a single raised brow.
"Right. Well, there's a get out of jail free card for you, I guess. Use it well," Beckett grimaces, but Alexis can't stop a small grin from blossoming.
Buoyed by this small interaction and reading maybe too much into Alexis' slight defense of her, Beckett thinks about plowing ahead. It might be too soon, and they're both a bit wrung out from the stress of the day, but things went well last time she tabled her fear and talked to Castle, right? With that meager bit of unaccustomed optimism, Beckett takes the plunge.
"Actually, Alexis, there was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about," she says, and something in her tone wipes the smile from Alexis' face.
"What's that?" Alexis replies in a tone that matches her standoffish posture.
"Your dad," Beckett replies, "and my hope that we can build a romantic relationship together."
"Should you even be talking about that here?" Alexis asks, probably looking for a way to stop this conversation before it starts.
"No, I shouldn't," Beckett agrees. "But we showed some affection last night and I know you weren't happy about it. Actually," Beckett continues quickly, noticing that Alexis was about to cut in, "I know that you have some concerns about me in general."
"Look, Detective…," Alexis starts, but Beckett interjects.
"With good reason," she confesses in a low voice. "I've made mistakes, some pretty big ones. And I'm not great at letting people get close to me. But I'm working to get better. It's like I told your dad – I've been trying to get better, to heal the cracks in my heart. He's already helped me so much. Your dad, Alexis …," Beckett trails off, embarrassed and shy. "Among his other wonderful traits, your dad is a remarkably forgiving man. Thanks to him, we've got a chance, and I'm looking to make the most of it," Beckett says, uncomfortable at the notion of being more clear about her romantic hopes with Castle.
"I don't expect you to be as forgiving," Beckett continues, getting a nod from Alexis. "I mean, no one can be, right? But, I also know that you watch out for him. So, I'll apologize for the times that I've hurt him, and you, but I won't ask for your forgiveness. I'll just hope that I can earn it."
Alexis looks surprised by this declaration. "You're right," she says, "he is a forgiving man. Usually too forgiving. It makes me worry. It's like you said – it puts him at risk. He's good at hiding it, but he gets hurt very easily."
"And I have hurt him," Beckett admits. "I know that. I know …," Beckett trails off, her courage failing her as she looks over the edge of this conversational cliff.
Cautiously curious about where Beckett is going with this, Alexis asks her to continue with a tilted head and raised brow.
"Look, Alexis," Beckett says as she jumps, "I heard your conversation with Rick last night. I didn't mean to, but when I realized that you were there, I heard your comment and it just floored me. You can hate me for my poor manners, too, but before we go there I need to say this – you were right about so many of the things you said. And while I love that your dad showed such faith in me, he was too kind. I wasn't being frivolous when we talked about the cake during lunch – only recently have I really figured out how much better I could have been to him, how much better I want to be."
The silence that follows her confession convinces Beckett to consider the assessing stare from Alexis. It's not unfriendly. In fact, if Beckett squints a bit, she could almost convince herself that Alexis looks – pleased?
"Thank you," Alexis says quietly.
"For what?" Beckett replies, surprised and confused by this reaction.
"For being honest," Alexis answers. "I knew you heard us."
"The second step?" Beckett asks after a moment of shock, referring to one of the giveaways that Castle had mentioned.
Alexis nods in reply. "It's been like that for years. Dad leaves it that way to keep track of us, but I've known to step over it whenever necessary since I was a kid. It still works on Grams, though," she says with an indulgent look. "And visitors, obviously."
"Did you hear me on the way down or on the way back up?" Beckett asks. She's curious about how much of what Alexis said might have been as much for her ears than for Castle's, or if Alexis figured it out the same time as her father.
"I think I'll choose not to answer that question," Alexis replies cryptically, well aware of the different implications depending on when she learned of Beckett's presence.
"That's fair," Beckett replies while nodding. "I am sorry, by the way. My manners were atrocious, especially for a guest. I can only claim shock as my defense," she says with an embarrassed shrug. "I'm not sure I could have moved if the loft was on fire at that point."
With a smirk, Alexis cuts in. "If the loft was on fire you would have burst in, thrown me over your shoulder, and drug Dad out by the scruff of his neck," she laughs. "It's emotions, not mortal peril, that scare you."
"You're right," Beckett concedes. "I find physical vulnerability much easier to deal with than emotional vulnerability. I'm well trained for the former, but still in counseling for the latter," Beckett says earnestly.
"You're in counseling?" Alexis asks, growing a little nervous about where this conversation is heading.
"Alexis, there isn't an accusation you made about me last night that I haven't made against myself," Beckett admits. "I didn't deal well with my shooting or the feelings that were building between your father and I when that happened. So, I've been talking to someone to try to work out how to get past my mistakes and not repeat them," Beckett trails off as she realizes that Alexis is the first person she's told about this. That doesn't feel right – it should have been Castle. But maybe this path was for the best.
"Is it working?" Alexis asks shyly.
"I think … yes, it is," Beckett amends. "My therapist is very good. I wish I could talk to my dad about some of this stuff, but he's just … he didn't deal well with my mother's death." Beckett huffs out a sad laugh. "Not that any of us did, but we almost lost dad. So, how can I talk to him about my romantic hopes with Castle? He lost the love of his life. How can I talk to him about the frustration of trying to find mom's killer? Doing so might make me lose him. Everyone else I could confide in is too close, too involved in what I need to talk about. So, my therapist helps."
"Does Dad know?" Alexis asks, knowing that she's pushing further than she should but emboldened by Beckett's openness.
"Not yet," Beckett chuckles. "He will, don't worry. After all, most of my sessions are about him these days. It's just that events kind of overtook us in the last couple weeks. Maybe now that Rogan is locked up we can take a breath and focus on the important things."
"Did you …," Alexis trails off, finally hitting a topic where her hesitancy wins out. But, given how much she's shared already, Beckett figures there's nothing left to lose and spurs her on with two raised brows. "Did you really not know about your marriage?"
"I had no idea," Beckett says with a sigh, running her hand through her hair. So, maybe this is at the root of Alexis' concern about her – the thought that she'd been a fixture in Castle's life for years without telling him that she was married? "Your dad came into the precinct one day and just couldn't sit still. I mean, he can be impatient and fidgety, but this was just out of control. He agreed to leave but he visited me that night, gave me the file with my records in it. He knew that I was totally unaware of it and that I wouldn't react well when I found out."
"Wait – Dad told you about this?" Alexis asks in stunned disbelief.
"Yes, it was your dad who figured it out. If he hadn't, who knows when it would have come to light? Maybe when I applied for a marriage license, or some unfortunate time before," Beckett says, thinking of all of the opportunities that Fitz has already outlined.
"But how did Dad find out?" Alexis asks in confusion.
"I'm … not sure that's something we should get into," Beckett vacillates. "I'm trying to be honest with you here, Alexis, but your Dad and I are trying to figure things out right now. That cuts pretty close to the heart of our relationship and I'd like to give us time to find our way. I'll look forward to telling you about it in the future, but we'll let it slide for now, okay?"
Alexis doesn't answer immediately, but seems to weigh Beckett's comments. Finally, she looks Beckett square in the eye. "Okay, Detective. I appreciate that you've been honest with me. You didn't have to be – you didn't even have to seek out this conversation, I get that," Alexis declares. "But you know what means more to me than anything else you've said?" she asks rhetorically, waiting for Beckett to give her an inquiring look. "You're talking about a relationship with my Dad that will still be going sometime in the future. If you're looking forward to telling me the story about how Dad found out about your marriage, then I'm looking forward to hearing it."
"I do see a future for us, Alexis," Beckett confirms. "That's what I want."
"Then I won't interfere," Alexis pledges. "I'll promise you this, Detective: I'll put as much work into accepting you as you put into your relationship with Dad. If the two of you are happy, then I will be, too," she says earnestly. "But if you mess him around, I'll do anything I can, anything I have to, to protect him," she finishes with a fierce vow.
"You're a good daughter," Beckett acknowledges. "A good woman."
Blushing slightly, Alexis mumbles "I'm trying, too."
Nodding, Beckett recognizes Alexis' comment for the olive branch that it is. "If you're worried about me, if you think I'm messing with your dad, you can call me on it, you know," Beckett adds. "I'm invested in this, but I might make some mistakes."
"I don't know," Alexis replies, nervous.
"Whatever you're comfortable with," Beckett soothes. "Just know that if you want to talk to me about what's going on, you can."
"Okay," Alexis replies, slightly more comfortable.
"Now, why don't we go check on your dad?" Beckett says with cheer, trying to rouse them from the serious topics. "I've learned, to my detriment, that it's not always safe to leave him to his own devices."
"You have no idea," Alexis mumbles as they leave the lounge and see Castle relaxed in his chair beside Beckett's desk.
"Castle, you should have joined us. I didn't realize Espo was done with you already," Beckett says, surprised by his patience.
"I've only been here for a few minutes," Castle says with a smile and a shrug. "You two looked like you were having a private chat, so I thought I'd just wait."
Surprised that she hadn't seen him, Beckett goes for levity. "But there's no second step here – you could have gotten quite an earful of girl talk."
Castle's eyebrows shoot up as he looks from Beckett to Alexis, shocked that Beckett referenced her eavesdropping in front of Alexis. He's even more surprised when his daughter swats Beckett on the shoulder.
"Thanks a lot, Kate," Alexis grumbles. "Now he knows that I know about the squeaking stair."
At this, Castle has surpassed looking comically surprised. Learning that his daughter has been sneakier than expected and that she used Beckett's first name, especially after last night, leaves him looking slightly concussed.
"I'm sorry Alexis," Beckett apologizes earnestly, "that was unintentional. But, at least you still have your free pass," she says, referring to Castle's equestrian adventure. "If you need more, maybe we can talk."
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on here," Castle says good-naturedly. "I think I'm happy that you two seem so friendly, but for some reason there seems to be a feeling of doom creeping over me."
"Drama queen," both Beckett and Alexis say at the same time, then look at each other and start laughing.
"The boys are right," Castle mutters, "that is creepy." This only prolongs the laughter.
Rolling his eyes, he reaches out to hook his arm around Alexis' elbow. "Come on, already. We've got to get moving. We need to visit Eduardo and then decide where we're going to stay tonight."
"They might clear the loft soon," Beckett interjects, feeling guilty that Castle and Alexis are dispossessed after offering to host Beckett and her father.
"Even if it is," Castle replies, "I think we could use a break tonight. We'll have the cleaners – the real ones," he says with a smirk, "give the place a good once-over before we come back."
"Can we go to the beach house?" Alexis asks, with Castle nodding before she finishes. "That's a good idea – get out of our heads after a rough day," he agrees. "What do you say, Beckett? Would you like to join us?"
The sense of displacement almost causes vertigo. Here they are again, two years later: in the precinct, Castle extending an invitation to his beach house. Things went so horribly wrong last time this happened. Is it crazy to think that they can get it right this time?
After looking hopefully at Castle, she glances at Alexis before answering. The young woman doesn't say a word, but her eyebrows rise slightly. Whatever it is – challenge, encouragement, question – it isn't discouraging.
"I'd love to," Beckett says happily. With a smile like a beacon, Castle turns on the spot and hooks his free arm around Beckett's elbow. With a physical connection to each of the most important people in his world, Castle eagerly leads them to the elevator, anxious to be away.
A/N2: I inadvertently caused some confusion with the group that appeared at the end of chapter 9. Just because Rogan ran afoul of a biker gang in season 6, it doesn't mean those were the same guys after him in this timeline. Indeed, as it probably clear from what happened above, this crew was a little more subtle and menacing than the bikers. For those of you whiplashed by the displacement, my apologies. I'm also sorry about Eduardo's abuse, for those of you who worried about how the crew got into a secure building. Otherwise, many thanks again for the PMs and reviews as usual. They've been pleasant surprises as life in our home continues to make strides towards getting back to normal.
As for this story, we're almost done. I'm trying to decide about whether to dally with what happens on their weekend or just skip to Monday. I'll figure it out and get the next chapter up soon.