Chapter Eleven:
Boarding pass on top of her duffel bag in the seat next to her, Beckett drove quickly to the precinct. She didn't have much time before her plane was scheduled to take off from La Guardia, but she had to stop by the precinct first and let the Captain know what she was doing. The adrenaline was still coursing strong through her veins like a drug. She could feel it making her focus. She could feel it controlling her heart. She could feel it making her alert and beyond ready for action. She relished its presence. Adrenaline and Kate Beckett had a very close relationship. It allowed her to do her job in high-tension situations and made her feel alive.
Not that she was an adrenaline junkie. She wasn't jumping out of planes or anything. Although there was a side of her that truly loved the feeling adrenaline brought with it. It made her feel superhuman. That's why she owned a motorcycle. That's why she loved undercover missions. That's why she had spent a year of her life doing every crazy thing she could think of (although that may have had more to do with dealing with her mother's death).
Driving into the parking lot, Kate pulled into her spot and quickly walked into the building. She was not dressed for work anymore. She had changed into jeans and a white t-shirt and a plain pair of navy blue converse had replaced the heels that normally clacked down the hallway when she walked. She had owned them since the 90s and they were well worn and fit her feet perfectly. She imagined it's what Cinderella's feet felt like, if Cinderella had gone through a slightly rebellious phase in her youth.
Striding across the floor to the captain's office, she completely ignored the murder board to her left and the questioning gazes of Ryan and Esposito to her right. Knocking on the glass door, she waited to be invited in.
"Come in!"
Pushing to open, she stepped into Montgomery's office and shut the door behind her.
"Beckett! Where have you been? I've got a murder on my hands, about 30 suspects, and not nearly enough man power to have my best detective MIA!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but something has come up." He stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate, impatience ticking at his lip. "It's Castle. He's…in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" The man's brow was knit together now and his voice had lowered slightly.
"I'm not exactly sure. It has to do with Alexis. I just know that he needs me. Look, he left this note." She handed him the scrap of paper Castle had stabbed into the apple.
"Apples Alexis?" Montgomery read. "What in the hell is this?"
"It's code, sir. I'm sure of it. He and Alexis are in trouble. Their loft was unlocked when I went over this afternoon."
"Have you called him?"
"Of course. He didn't answer."
The Captain looked at her with something akin to pity in his wise eyes.
"Beckett, sit." She hesitated but then sat in the uncomfortable chair across from his desk. "Listen. I'm not one to jump on the rumor train, but the word is, you and Castle had a falling out."
"That's—"
"I'm not here for explanations. I saw it with my own eyes. You've been walking around this precinct like a zombie for the past week. I need more from you, detective. We've got a murder to solve and I can't just send you off on some ridiculous hunch you got from a scrap of paper. I know you miss him, Beckett. I'm not blind. But don't you think you could be reading a little too far into this?"
"No. I'm positive he's in trouble."
Montgomery sighed, leaning back in his chair. He looked older than usual and when he opened his mouth to speak again he was slowly shaking his head and his expression was pained.
"The thing is, Beckett, I'm not. If he were really in trouble he would have found a way to contact you that didn't involve some cryptic message. He would have called or texted or emailed or stopped by. I think that whatever Castle has gotten himself into is Castle's business. You have a job to do. Here. Now."
Kate hadn't really considered the idea that her captain would deny her the time off to go help Castle. It had seemed so obvious to her that Castle needed her that she hadn't thought that the situation may not seem as dire to an outsider.
"Respectfully, sir, I request permission for a short leave."
"Permission denied, Beckett." He saw the betrayed look in her eyes and it almost physically hurt him to decline her request. "Your place is here. You'll see that in a few days when this all blows over."
"My place is with Castle." The words were out of her mouth before she could filter them. Her face the picture of determination.
"I'm sorry, Beckett, but I won't allow it and you're out of sick days. Now get out there and do your job."
Beckett stood and paused, her mind already made up, but her body still catching on. She ran a hand through her hair and then brought it down to her hip where her Glock sat at the ready.
"I didn't want to choose." She said simply. Taking her gun from its holster she laid it on his desk followed closely by her badge. "But I choose him."
She was out the door and halfway to the elevator before her words had even registered fully in the captain's brain. He made it to his door just in time to see the elevator closing with her inside. Their eyes met and he stared after her, her face radiating resolve.
After she had disappeared from view, he continued to stare at the metal elevator doors, her badge clutched tightly in his fist. Esposito and Ryan exchanged wary glances, unsure of what to think about what they were seeing.
"Um boss? Where's Beckett going?"
"Doesn't matter. Time to step it up, boys. This case is all yours."
Ryan and Esposito shared a look of dread. Not from the new responsibility, but from what must have occurred for it to happen. They didn't know what had gone on behind those closed doors, but it couldn't be good.
A/N: It's probably a little OOC for Beckett to quit, but I think she might actually do it to help save Castle and Alexis. She's adrenalined up and feeling guilty for not being there to begin with so all of her reactions are going to be pretty extreme. Stay tuned, I promise things start getting less annoying soon.