Chapter Eleven: Revenge
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: Ain't mine. Rating: M. Time: Before 47 Seconds
Kate could smell the food before she opened the door to the loft. Once inside, she could see that both Martha and Alexis were still in the kitchen although the dining room table was crowded with dishes.
"What have you two been doing?" She asked, looking over the food already on the table. "We're you planning to invite the whole block to dinner?"
Martha rushed to Kate and hugged her. "Welcome, Katherine. We're celebrating Richard's return to us. Tonight, we feast."
"We may have gone just a bit overboard." Alexis said, smiling. "But we wanted to do something nice for you after all that you've done."
Kate blushed. "But I didn't do anything. For some reason they released Castle. I had nothing to do with it."
"How do you know?" Martha asked bluntly. "Perhaps you were getting close and they decided to cut their losses and run?"
"I doubt it." Kate said. "That's just not the way violent criminals think."
"Anyway, Dad's back and he'll get better." Alexis said." That's cause to celebrate. And there'll be plenty of leftovers to take into the precinct tomorrow for everyone. We even made a few things especially for the people there."
Kate took off her coat and hung it up. "So, what can I do?"
"Appreciate what we've done for you, dear." Martha said.
"I will, but I'm going to help."
Before Martha could say anything, Alexis spoke. "You could fix the garden salad. Over at the end of the island."
Kate had to admit that it had been one of the best meals she had ever had. And when she went to bed that night, she was happier than she had been in years. He's back and we'll be together. I know this will work.
The next morning, Alexis went with her to the precinct. Kate needed extra help to bring all of the food into the bullpen.
"What is this?" Ryan asked, inhaling deeply.
"Something from the Castle family to let you know how much we appreciate all that you've done." Alexis said cheerfully. "We hope you like it." She held up a very large bag. "And I know it's a cliché, but Kate stopped and got six dozen donuts at Donut Delight."
"So, this is from the Castles and Beckett?" Espo asked.
"Same thing." Alexis said, and then blushed. Kate blushed as well, but no one said anything.
"We have some news. "Ryan said around a mouthful of donut. "We had some uniforms talk to Sarah Goldman's friends, Chen and Summers. They pretty much confirmed her story, except for one thing."
Kate perked up at that. "And?"
"They both said that Sarah left her backpack for a good ten or fifteen minutes, not the minute or so she told us. We called Sarah and she confirmed that. She said she didn't want her dad to know how long she'd left her back pack alone. Apparently he's mad enough as it is. And we called Conroy's, the store they were in. They don't keep any surveillance videos for more than a month. Anything they had is long gone."
"Another damned dead end." But, now that they had Castle back, she wasn't as unhappy as she had been. "I'm going to put Alexis in a cab and then I'll work on seeing if we can find any connection between anyone Castle and I arrested, and any loan sharks."
"Kate?" Alexis spoke up. "Can I stay? And help you that is? I might recognize a name or something that you wouldn't. Please? I want to help."
Kate thought for a second. "Let me ask Captain Gates."
To her surprise, Gates liked the idea. "I have to admit, Detective, that I'm more impressed with Miss Castle than I have been with Mr. Castle." Gates stopped for a moment, then continued. "Although I'm beginning to see some of what you apparently see in him."
Kate decided it was best to thank the Captain and leave before she had a chance to change her mind.
"You're in, Alexis." Kate said. "We've been going over police reports for arrests that Castle was involved in, hoping to find some kind of connection between him and someone out there. I know it's a long shot, but it's all we have."
Alexis unknowingly sat in Castle's chair by Kate's desk. Kate found that she didn't mind. I want a Castle in that chair and now I have one. And I'll have the one I want sitting there soon enough.
They had been sitting there reading reports and Kate was about to suggest lunch when Alexis spoke. "Kate…"
Kate looked up. Alexis was clearly upset. "Did you find something?"
Alexis quickly shook her head. "No. It's just…My dad has been doing a lot more than just following you around, hasn't he? In this report, a jewel thief had him on the ground and was beating him until you got the guy off of Dad."
"Don't worry. That jewel thief is in prison. We've checked."
"Your father is a part of my homicide team, Alexis. He's my partner in every sense of the word. I'm sure that upsets you. I can understand that, but…"
Alexis smiled. "It's just it's so not like Dad. I know he's different since he's met you. I'm just realizing how different. I'm really proud of him. And you."
"I'm proud of him, too."
Before Kate could go on, the phone rang.
"Beckett."
"Hi, Detective Beckett? This is Dr. da Silva. Mr. Castle is awake, but he's in a lot of pain. However, he won't take his pain meds because he says he wants to talk to you about the case. Can you come over, or have someone drop by. We'd like to get him back on his pain meds as soon as we can."
"I can be there in half an hour."
Alexis had been listening in, her head next to Kate's. "If Dad's refusing his pain medications, I shouldn't go. He needs to talk to you and not be distracted. You go alone…."Alexis looked around to see if anyone was near, and then added, "Mom."
Kate grabbed her gear, hugged Alexis and head for the hospital.
When she walked in to Castle's room, he turned his head around and saw him grimace. "Castle, how are you?"
"Much better now that you're here." He smiled, showing the gap where his tooth was missing. "I guess I'm more rugged than handsome now, though."
She smiled back. "No, you're still ruggedly handsome."
"Look, I need to tell you what happened, so let me tell it my way, okay."
Kate nodded and took out a notebook.
Castle stared at the ceiling and cleared his mind. "I went to get your coffee at Java Joint just like always. I didn't see anyone out of the ordinary, although it was crowded, and nothing was out of the ordinary. I was walking to my car, got out my keys and put the coffee on the roof of my car and bang! It was like being hit with a baseball bat or something."
Kate interrupted. "The doctors said they found a healing electrical burn on you. Probably from a cattle prod or something similar."
Castle nodded. "When I woke up, I was kind of woozy, like I had been knocked out by a sedative or something. I was hanging by my wrists and my legs hurt like hell. The doctors say they broke my ankles first thing, probably to make it harder for me to run. I had my eyes covered the whole time and never saw a thing. Not even light or dark. It was always dark. And they put ear buds in my ear, taped in I think. They had an IPad, or something playing loud rap music the whole time. And then they started beating me."
"They?" Kate asked. "More than one person?"
He nodded. "I could tell from the way they hit me. It was a big one and a little one, or maybe a strong one and a weak one. Anyway, I could tell from the way they punched, or kicked me." He craned his neck around so he could look at her. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help."
"Castle don't you dare apologize for not being more help. I'm the cop here. I should be apologizing for not getting you back sooner or catching the bastards." Kate thought about that. "So maybe a father and a young son? Father and daughter? Older and younger brother?"
"Young criminal and his muse?" Castle added.
"Don't use that word with those bastards, Castle."
"Speaking of bastards, how is the hunt for them going?"
Kate quickly told Castle all that she had found out since he had been kidnapped. Castle thought carefully about each and every person they had talked to and didn't recognize any of them.
"One thing I don't get, Beckett. Why didn't they ask for a ransom? Or kill me?"
Kate had thought about that and had no real good answer. "The most dangerous time for a kidnapper is when they pick up the money. They're vulnerable to being spotted by the police. This isn't about money, it's about you. But why they let you go, I have no idea. I'm just thankful they did." She thought for a second. "Esposito had a theory. Sometimes torturers will let their victim think that he's being released to get his hopes up, then start up again. I just don't know."
"Me, either."
Kate checked her watch. "I'm keeping you from getting your pain meds. I should leave. But first I need to…""
"Before you go, I wanted to tell you something. I had a dream about you last night. I dreamed you were here in the hospital. "
"What happened?" Kate asked with a sly grin.
"Nothing. You were just here."
She leaned over the bed and looked him in the eyes. "Castle, you know I can tell when you're lying to me. Now what really happened in the dream?"
"Nothing. I told you."
He sighed exaggeratedly. "You're still lying, Castle. So I'll have to tell you what happened in your dream. She bent down and gently brushed her lips over his. "I kissed you and then I whispered, "I love you, Rick." Isn't that what happened in your dream?"
Castle was shocked. "That wasn't a dream."
She brushed her lips over his for a slightly longer time and whispered in his ear, "I love you Richard Castle and I have for a very long time. I'm so sorry I took so long to tell you."
Castle grimaced and groaned.
"What happened?" She said, frightened that she had done something to hurt him.
"I wanted to put my arm around you. I forgot I've got so damned many things wrong with me. But, I love you, too, Kate. I love you more than anything."
"I know." She said without thinking.
"You do?" Castle was surprised.
Crap! I almost told him that I heard him there at the funeral. She laughed to cover her embarrassment. "Castle, I'm a detective. People have been figuring out were a couple for years. Didn't you think that I'd even figure it out? I've been in love with you since our first year together, and I figured out you loved me a long time ago. I was afraid of loving you. I never thought you'd really love…"
"The remarkable Kate Beckett? You're not as good a detective as I thought. But we are a couple now. We love each other and we know it."
At last. She thought. She leaned closer to him. "I'll be back tonight. I'll be sleeping in the bed next to you. I'm your police guard. And I'm going have a couple of uniforms outside the loft so Martha and Alexis are okay."
"You're just doing that now?" Castle asked.
She blushed. "Martha didn't like the FBI agent that was assigned to your case. Neither did I, for that matter. And, Martha was afraid that whoever had you might come after her and Alexis. Martha asked me to stay with them. I've been sleeping in your bed except for the night I was here."
Castle grinned. "How was it?"
"Lonely. Very lonely. When you're better and can come home, I want to be in that bed with you. Is that okay?"
"Always. And that's how long I want you with me. I love you Kate Beckett."
"I love you, too."
"And you both love each other." Came a voice from behind them. Kate whirled around, somewhat embarrassed. Then she decided she had nothing to be embarrassed about.
"That we do?" She replied. Another nurse had joined them, from her ebony skin and her accent, Kate decided she was from the Caribbean. "And you are?'
"Nurse Patty O'Connell. And you would be that Detective Beckett who's been keeping my patient from getting the medicine he needs, aren't you?"
"No, she's the detective who's trying to find the people who saw to it that I need pain killers."
O'Connell laughed. "Mr. Castle is not going to let me push you around. He won't let anyone push him around either. Are you sure you want this very difficult man, Detective?"
Castle beat Beckett in making a reply. "You don't know what difficult is until you've met Kate Beckett, Patty."
The nurse nodded. "She does have a gun and handcuffs. They will be much needed in dealing with you, Mr. Castle."
He nodded. "She's already had the cuffs on me."
"Sounds like fun." The nurse said.
"She was arresting me. It was when we first met."
"Aha! You got off on the right foot with Mr. Castle then?" Patty said, laughing.
"I think we're on the right foot now." Kate said, deciding that Patty and Castle were friends.
She turned to Castle. "Now take your meds like a good boy and I'll be back tonight."
Castle winked at her. "Promises, promises."
Once back at the precinct, Kate found that Alexis was still there, diligently going through a pile of police reports. "How's she doing?" She asked Esposito.
"Detective Castle found us a lead, but it didn't turn out."
Kate turned to look at Alexis who was blushing at being called a detective. "What was it?"
"A loan shark named George Keith was interviewed for two separate cases. Ryan and I did one interview, and you and Castle did the other. Both times a guy who owed Keith a pile of money went away, leaving Keith very unhappy."
"How unhappy?"
"Hard to say. Keith slapped around the twelve year old son of one of his customers who was behind in his payments, and the customer took offense. He used a twelve gauge to express his displeasure with Mr. Keith. Keith is dead. A year ago. And he has no relatives or even close friends. Loan sharks don't make friends for some reason."
Kate slowly shook her head. "Damn. We've gotten no place with this case. Why the hell can't we get a break?"
Espo lowered his voice so Alexis couldn't hear. "You did get a break. You have Castle back."
Which reminded Kate of something. "Do you have any idea why they would just release Castle like that?"
Espo and Ryan exchanged glances. "No, but were sure there's a method in their madness. Maybe they wanted to draw our attention away from something or someone, but the murders we've gotten since Castle was grabbed are simple. The other detectives closed them with no problems."
Ryan spoke up. "Maybe someone blamed Castle for a real bad beating they endured. You know, an eye for an eye kind of thing?"
Kate told the boys about what Castle had told her concerning his kidnapping and beating.
"Two people?" Espo said quietly. "So maybe someone got beat up really badly and blamed Castle?"
Kate shook her head. "I don't know. I don't remember anyone getting beat up because of Castle, though. But it's something we can check on. And look into the other murders and make sure we weren't distracted somehow."
Kate and her team went back to reviewing files until Kate noticed that Alexis was starting to droop.
"Detective Castle?" She said, enjoying Alexis's look of pride. "I think it's time we went home." She turned to her other two detectives, "You too. We'll come back tomorrow morning and get a fresh start."
Alexis started to argue but Kate cut her off. "No arguments. I'll take you home now."
"Actually, I can take her home." Espo said.
"You?"
"You wanted a patrol car outside, but we're short-handed as it is. So, I told Gates that I'd stay at the loft tonight."
"We're ordering pizza from this place in New Jersey that Dad just loves. They make the best…" She noticed Espo shaking his head.
Kate smiled and looked at her partner. "I see. Free pizza and maybe a night playing with all of the cool toys at Casa Castle?"
Espo laughed. "Busted. But he has these great video games and he plays them on this giant screen…"Espo realized he might have said too much.
"Don't worry, Detective Beckett. "Alexis said with a smirk. "I'll be gentle with him."
"You, little girl? I'll wax your…"Espo stopped suddenly, then blushed slightly. "I mean, you're going down."
"Oh!" Kate said, raising an eyebrow.
"You have a dirty mind, Beckett. Get your mind out of the gutter."
"Why?" Kate said sweetly. "So you can have more room?"
"I think we should leave before this gets too bad." Ryan said, grabbing his jacket and heading for the elevator.
"Coming, Castle?" Kate said.
Kate arrived at Rick's room in the hospital just in time to hear a small argument going on.
"You really expect me to eat baby food?" Rick said.
Patty O'Connell answered him. "I expect you to eat what the doctors tell you to eat. You have a broken jaw and two missing teeth. Granted, it's only a hairline fracture, but you cannot chew, Mr. Castle. There is a great big, strong male nurse who does not bathe or brush his teeth who would love to feed you. Should I call him?"
Kate stuck her head in the door. "I might have more luck."
"Indeed you might." Patty said resignedly. She motioned Kate towards a tray of food in front of Castle. "Good luck, Detective." She left.
Kate sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you going to be difficult?" She asked sternly, but with a smile.
"Couldn't you sneak out and get me a steak, then cut it up into small pieces, then,…"
"No!" Kate said. "One thing about having Kate Beckett love you, Castle, is that she is going to take great care of you, like it or not."
"Okay, but only if you give me dessert after."
She looked down onto the bowl of beige…something in front of her. "I'm not sure this comes with dessert."
"Dessert is sitting on the edge of my bed."
"Okay, but nothing too strenuous. You've been badly injured."
Castle opened his mouth and Kate began spooning beige something in it. When they were done, Castle smiled up at her. "Dessert now?"
He bent down and kissed him very gently. He tried to lift his head up to kiss her more passionately, but she moved back. "You have a broken jaw and two missing teeth." She whispered.
"It's a hairline fracture."
"No. That's all the dessert you get tonight. I'm not taking a chance that you'll be hurt further. I'm going to change in the bathroom and go to bed."
"With me?"
"In the other bed."
"I won't do anything."
"No!" She said firmly. "For one, I might move and hurt you. Secondly, I don't want the nurses to come in and see us together."
Kate went to the bathroom, washed up, took off her makeup and got ready for bed. She came out wearing running shorts and an NYPD tee shirt.
"You're wearing that to bed?" Castle moaned.
"Here. When you're home and better, I won't wear a stitch."
"You know, you could…"
"Good night, Rick. I love you."
Rick sighed. "I love you too,"
