Chapter Eleven


A/N: First of all I would like to apologize for the chapters getting all muddled up. I'm planning on deleting 8-10 then putting them back on in order. Sorry if that creates any inconvenience for anybody. Anyways onto the chapter itself now. I sorta kinda like this one. I've created a little side plot featuring Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie. Since Castle and Beckett don't want to get along I had to write something cute and fluffy. Enjoy.

~Rose


"And I will try to fix you"

Castle:

The door slammed behind me as I entered the loft. I hoped my family wasn't home; I wasn't ready to see them yet. I was unbelievably frustrated with Katherine Beckett at the moment. She didn't understand how much I cared about her. I wasn't trying to be intrusive by getting involved in her mother's case; I was just trying to solve it before she got herself killed. She told me not to care about her. How could I ever stop caring about her? I loved her; I would take a bullet for her.

"Alexis?" my mother called out.

"No Mother," I said reluctantly, "it's me."

"Richard?"

"Yes Mother?" I asked more than a little afraid of how this reunion would go.

"You've been gone for two months and now you come back and say 'Yes Mother'! Where have you been?"

"I was in Philadelphia," I admitted, "I found the brother of the ME that was on Johanna Beckett and her associates cases. Turns out the ME didn't die of a heart attack; he was murdered."

"Richard I hope you know that this is far bigger than you can handle."

"I have to try Mother."

"You can't win this one kiddo."

Her words reminded me so much of the ones I said to Kate during one of our fights. I had told her we couldn't win this one and I was right. Montgomery had died and she had gotten shot. This was far from over and I wasn't going to give up but I didn't want anyone else I cared about to get hurt in the process.

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of."

"It won't help her if you get yourself killed," the older red head said looking concerned.

I didn't know what to say to that. My mother was right but if I told her that she would just try to get me to stop working on the case. I wasn't a cop; it wasn't my job to solve murders but I couldn't let this one go.

"Have you seen her?" my mother finally asked.

"Yes. I don't think she ever wants to see me again," I said truthfully.

"Oh Richard, she'll come around," Martha said setting her hand lightly on my shoulder.

"I know. Where is Alexis?"

"At Paige's eating a couple gallons of ice cream."

"Ice cream seems like a good idea right now."

"Count me in."


Esposito:

"Hey baby," Lanie said brushing past me.

"Hey," I said giving her a peck on the lips then pulling her in for more.

"Mmm. Dead body on the table," she reminded me, breaking away.

"Right." Since Beckett was forced to take the day off Ryan and I were on the case today. "What's the COD?"

"Well he has a fractured clavicle and contusions on the neck and shoulders but it was a gunshot to the heart that killed him."

"So he was beaten and then shot?" I asked. I looked down at the gunshot wound in the man's chest and remembered that only two months the woman who was like a sister to me was covered in blood from a wound similar to this. Luckily Beckett survived it unlike this man.

"Actually he was beaten, shot, and beaten again; his clavicle was broken post-mortem."

"Hmm. Ryan has his ex-wife up in interrogation; I'll go see what she has to say."

"Mmm, okay baby." I gave her another quick kiss before I went to find Ryan.

"Good thing Castle isn't here," Ryan said when I got up there.

"Why?" I asked. Castle was kind of a taboo subject when Beckett was around, but since she wasn't here we were free to talk about him.

"Because that was one of the dullest cases I have seen in a while. The crazy ex-wife confessed to beating the victim with a hammer, shooting him in the chest, and then beating him some more."

"She actually confessed?"

"And then laughed maniacally about it."

"Wow, Castle would have had a field day about how simple that was."

"Yeah. Do you think he's coming back?"

"With that lead he has about the ME? Yeah, he'll be back," I told my partner, "Plus he wouldn't leave Beckett."

"But he did; twice."

It was true; he had, but he had a good reason both times. "Yeah, but the first time was because he couldn't see her be with Demming, and the second was to protect her."

"Yeah. Hey Esposito didn't you have somewhere you needed to be?"

"Right. Whatever you do, if Lanie asks where I am tell her I'm—," I drew a blank. I had no clue what my cover story would be if Lanie asked. I hated sneaking around behind her back, but sometimes it was necessary.

"I'll come up with something if she asks," Ryan said.

"You suck at lying bro."

"Do you want her to know what you're doing or not?"

"Good point. Thanks man."

"No problem."

I exited the precinct, got in my car, and drove off to do one of the most important things I would do in my life.


A/N: What do you guys think Esposito is up to? Any guesses?


Jim:

I had been watching some old home videos of Katie and Jo when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hi Dad," my daughter replied.

"Katie! How are you?" I asked happy that she called.

She didn't answer. Instead she just said, "He's back."

If Rick was back in town that would explain why I was hearing from my daughter for the first time in ages. "Do you want to meet me for lunch?"

"Yes. That would be perfect. Remys?"

"Sure. I'll see you there soon Katie."

"Thanks Dad."

I hung up and headed over to Remys as soon as possible. I could tell how much she loved Rick; it was written all over her face every time she talked about him. I liked Rick but I hated how he left for two months. It had killed her. She started pulling away from everyone. I had talked to her friends from the precinct; they told me what was really going on. She talked to Kevin and Javier about cases during work hours, but that was it. She still talked to Lanie but that was only because the forceful little woman would bang on Katie's door until she was forced to let Lanie in. She didn't phone me anymore either. Rick coming back could be good or bad. She could stay angry at him and pull away from everyone even more, or she could let him back into her life and everything could eventually straighten itself out. I loved my daughter and wanted everything to turn out for her. She needed to be happy again; it had been far too long. I only knew one person who would be able to make that happen: Richard Castle.

When we were seated in Remys and eating our burgers I finally asked her what she felt about Rick being back.

"I don't know Dad," she answered honestly, "I'm angry at him for leaving. Especially now. I found out the reason he had left is because he was working on Mom's case."

"Oh Katie," I said sympathetically, "you know he is only doing it because he cares about you."

"That's what he said too."

"I think you should forgive him Katie. Maybe not right now, but eventually. He loves you. He shouldn't be doing these things behind your back, but he is only doing them because he is afraid you will get hurt again. He knows you're a cop and it is a dangerous job, but he almost lost you once and it would kill him if that happened again. I know he hurt you Katie but you need to give him another chance."

She was close to tears now, which is not something I see often. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I can't," she finally said. She was done her burger by this point and stood up. "I'm going home. I need to be alone."

"Katie wait. Just give me one more minute," I pleaded, "Katie you've always been there for me when I need a hand. You fixed me after I broke when your mother died. It's my turn Katie, and now you have to let me try to fix you."

"I'm not broken!" she snapped.

"Just talk to him," I said softly, "he deserves at least that much."