Hi guys. This a bit bigger than usual, but you have been great so you deserve it :)
Keep those reviews comming. They're much appreciated! Hope you enjoy. Have a great day!
Beckett is barely out of the elevator when Esposito and Ryan intercept her – "Where were you? Gates was looking for you? Did you find anything?" – they question without even notice Simon's presence.
- "Actually we did, guys meet Simon. Simon, these are detectives Ryan and Esposito, they work with Castle and me." – the boy nods, barely looking at them, like he doesn't want to be recognized - "Simon was at the subway station when Alexis was attacked, he saw a man fleeing the scene" – she informs the rest of her team. The guys nod, approving it, Beckett continues – "What did you tell Gates?"
- "The usual, that you were following a lead" – Ryan says.
- "And she felt for it?"
- "C'mon Beckett, have a little faith in your boys here" – Esposito asks pretending to be offended.
Beckett offers them a smile, appreciated for their loyalty, though she's worried she won't be able to keep Gates in the dark for much longer. She walks Simon inside where they look for Andrew to perform the sketch.
- "Who's Gates?" – Simon dares to ask.
- "Our captain."
- "Why can't she know where you were?"
- "Well, I told you that I'm a detective, what I didn't tell you is that I'm a homicide detective." – she explains – "Alexis wasn't murdered, in fact, this case is already being investigated by a different department, so according to the rules we shouldn't be looking into it."
- "But you don't trust them to solve it" – Simon assumes.
- "It's not that I don't trust them, it's just…" – she hesitates, trying to find the right words – "Castle is my partner, he has been by my side everytime I needed him, so I need to make sure we're doing all we can."
Simon nods, understanding her point of view and imagining how great it must feel to have someone to stand by you like that.
- "He really cares about her, doesn't him?" – he asks a bit jealous, since he never experienced that kind of love, not that he can remember at least.
- "She means the world to him" – Beckett confirms.
- "And you really care about him, don't you detective?"
Beckett feels a heat wave taking over her, as her cheekbones start to blush. She's careful with her words, she means to say he means the world to her too, instead she simply agrees – "I do."
Beckett leaves Simon with Andrew, the sketch artist, while she goes back to her desk to take care of some paper work. She takes a look at the case file Esposito left for her to be aware of what's going on with the case just in case Gates decides to ask about it. Just when she's about to finish with it, she hears the captain's door open and she sees her coming towards her. At the same time, by the corner of her eye Beckett can see Simon coming to join her too, Andrew must have finished the sketch, why the hell did he have to be so quick, she thinks. Trying to prevent their encounter Beckett stands up to meet the captain half way – "Captain Gates" – she says, a little bit louder that she needed to, hoping Simon could hear it. Luckily the boy is smart and understands her clue, stopping before reaching the two women. – "You were coming to see me, captain?" – Beckett asks glimpsing at the boy and calming herself down when she sees him leaning against the wall.
- "Actually I was, detective Beckett. – Gates says following Beckett's look – "How is the case going?"
- "Still pursuing some leads" – the detective replies vaguely – "I though Ryan and Esposito had already filled you in."
- "They did, but they also said you were investigating some people of interest" – the captain hints.
- "Oh yeah, it was a dead end" – Beckett lies – "I'll let you know when we have something" – she promises.
- "I'm sure you will" – Gates replies ironically still looking at Simon who, though trying to pass by unnoticed, can't stop starring at them. - "Can I help you, young man?" – Gates eventually asks approaching him.
Beckett can see the fear growing in his eyes when he looks at her for help – "This is Simon, sir, he was just helping us with some information about the case" – Beckett explains following her.
- "Which one?"
Beckett can feel the captain closing on her – "I thought we only had one" – she pretends to be confused.
- "Funny, detective, so did I" – Gates reply – "but for some reason it appears that your team has been requesting information about a rapist-murder case. Wouldn't you know anything about this, now would you?"
- "Sir, I can explain…" – Beckett tries realizing that she has lost the battle.
- "I'm sure you can, and you will, but not here. In my office, now!" – Gates orders walking away from her.
Beckett rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh – "I'm sorry" – Simon offers her.
She smiles at him – "It's not your fault" – she assures him – "Look, I have to go talk to her before she gets even more pissed off. Why don't you just sit at my desk over there and I'll give you a ride when I'm done?"
Simon nods and walks towards the detective's desk, sitting on Castle's chair.
Beckett knocks twice before entering the captain's office. The woman is sitting behind her desk, her glasses on the tip of her nose, starring at her, waiting for an explanation Beckett knows she won't even care to listen.
- "Sir, I…"
- "Have a sit detective" – Gates interrupts her. Beckett knows it's her way to show who's in control, but she obeys, she's in no position to fight. – "Care to explain me why you're so interested in a case already being investigated by our colleagues in SUV? Don't you have enough work here?" – she insinuates.
- "It's not that, sir, I was just… doing a friend a favor" – she tries, though she doubts Gates will leave it at that.
- "A friend? Why? Our cases are not interesting enough for Mr. Castle anymore?" – she suggests, which doesn't surprises Beckett, she knew Gates would try to blame it on Castle.
- "This is not about Castle, sir" – the captain looks at her in disbelief – "fine, it is, but not about the one that you're thinking about" – she tells her leaving Gates confused.
- "What? What do you mean detective?"
- "This is not about Castle's interests, but about Alexis Castle, his daughter" – Beckett elaborates.
- "I don't understand" – the captain admits.
- "Sir, a few nights ago Alexis was attacked and we believe it was the same guy who attacked the victims from that case SUV is working on" – Beckett explains.
- "I took a look at the case file, I thought all the victims were death" – Gates confesses.
- "All expect Alexis, as far as we know" – Beckett says.
- "I read the whole thing I would remember if her name was in there."
- "It's not" – the detective confirms. Gates looks at her, waiting for an explanation so she continues – "all the victims were found raped and dead in subway stations, but Alexis got lucky, a guy interrupted her assault, so it was all just a big scare."
- "Still, they should have managed to link the incidents, the victimology and the MO is the same" – Gates contests.
- "They probably would have…" – Beckett starts.
- "But she didn't file a report, did she?" – the captain interrupts her, reading the answer in her eyes.
- "She was too scared, so the begged Castle not to make her do it and he didn't had the courage to" – Beckett explains.
- "But he told you" – Gates assumes knowing how close they are.
- "Not at first" – Beckett denies – "but eventually, yes."
- "So you decided to investigate it on your own? How can you even do it without knowing what happen to her?"
- "She told me what happened, we chatted and I managed to convince her to get me her statement and get checked by Dr. Perish" – Beckett says.
- "That's a good thing you did, detective" – the captain agrees, surprising Beckett – "but after that you should have provide that information to the SUV team and let them do their job" – she censures her.
- "I couldn't, sir" – Beckett says honestly.
- "Detective, they're trained to do their job, just like you are trained to do yours. What makes you think you are better than them?"
- "I don't, sir. I just know they don't want it as bad as I do, I mean, my team does" – she rushes to rectify.
- "Well detective, either way I have to ask you to step away. If you really want to help, share the information you found with SUV and let them to their job" – the captain orders. She's firm but there's emotion in her voice, empathy almost, that Beckett is not oblivious to.
- "I can't, sir" – Beckett negates deciding that her best shot is to be honest.
- "Maybe you misunderstood me detective, it wasn't a request, it was an order" – the captain reinforces.
- "I heard you sir, I heard you loud and clear, but I'm telling you I can't do it." – Beckett says looking the woman in the eyes, not to challenge her but to make her understand she really means it – "If this was your family, would you be able to walk away?" – she ends up asking.
The woman looks at her in shock – "What are you trying to tell me detective, that you and Mr. Castle are an item?" – she asks, not that she would be surprised with it, she just didn't expected Beckett to be so open about it.
- "What?" No! Wait, why would you even ask that?" – Beckett rushes to deny, though it's getting harder to convince herself she doesn't wish it was true. Gates gives her look that tells her that it wouldn't be a shock to anyone if they would become a couple. – "That's not what I meant, sir. Castle is my partner, this team is my family and I have to make sure they're safe, that the people they care about are safe" – she explains really hoping that Gates can understand her.
- "I told you before this is not a place for personal vendettas" – Gates reminds her.
- "That's not what we're trying to do, sir. We're just trying to get a murderer."
- "And what happens when you do?" – the captain questions.
- "Then he's all yours, or SUV or whoever you want to take care of it" – Beckett assures.
- "Do you think Mr. Castle will let him go that easily?"
- "You don't have to worry about Castle, sir. I'll take care of it, I have him under control" – the detective guarantees.
- "I'm sure you do" – Gates teases her. Then, losing her smile she adds – "If there's something I've learned this past year about this team of yours is that when you're determined no-one can stop you. You have eachothers back, no matter what, maybe a little too much than I would like, I have to admit, but still. I know there's no point in ban you from this case because you won't stop, but I'm telling you, you better to this right detective, I'll be watching."
Beckett nods – "Thank you, sir" – she says, her words full of meaning.
Beckett walks out of the captain's office only to find that Simon is gone. She should have known he would leave, he never wanted to be there in the first place. A police station is not exactly the best place to be when you're hiding from something, which he obviously is. She feels for the boy, he seems like a good kid that maybe just didn't get lucky in life. Maybe she'll find him again, she hopes she will, she would like to thank him for helping her with Alexis' case. On top of her table she finds the sketch Andrew has made with Simon's help, she makes a few copies and has them distributed, hopefully they'll get lucky.