Each day apart is unlike anything Kate has ever experienced. She both agonizes at her longing for Rick and treasures the distance that delivers each new nugget. She spends at least an hour pouring out her thoughts, her history, and her hopes into daily emails. She gives him the saga about modeling that let her buy a Harley motorcycle and the terrible argument that resulted with her dad. The next installment was about her father coming to her rescue when a man named Rogan O'Leary and a drunken Las Vegas weekend made her plead for legal expertise. Dr. Burke motivates her to build a safe haven with her forever mate by using those little pieces of life that she never shared with anyone else. She learns to be open and love unreservedly.
She receives the same precious insight from Rick. He shares a terrifying event from a place called Hollander's Woods that he admits is the origin of his macabre fascination. She feels special knowing a chance encounter in a library put Casino Royale in his hands and made him fall in love with books. She learns the name of the fellow student that encouraged him to be a writer. Martha fills in more of the blanks over a glass of wine in the evenings revealing just how high Rick scored on IQ tests, or that his clown act was a way of trying to fit in since he was often the new kid.
The bulk of communication between the star-crossed lovers is texts. They share snippets from ordinary life. (Love this red wine made from grapes frozen on the vine.) They tease. (Ego stroking account is growing: your fan sites are buzzing with good things about Heat Rises) They try to keep it superficial and light to balance the rest of life that is trying to drag them under.
Alexis is surprisingly supportive of the shift in personal dynamics. She initiates the call to Kate every night before bed giving reports on food eaten and how her dad is doing. Then the older woman insists on hearing all about the fencing tournament, friends, and teenage angst. The bond the ladies share over the love of the same man grows, but it also develops in its own right.
There was a phone call in the middle of the night where Rick just needed to hear Beckett's voice. He wouldn't stay on long- he won't allow her to be a crutch for him no matter how much she'd willingly take on the role.
Kate calls her partner after an unexpected meeting at One Police Plaza. After her most recent round of medical evaluations the personnel office at NYPD concluded she was due a disability pension and removed from the roster of detectives. It is another unexpected twist in her life. She reads him the paperwork: "It is the opinion of the review board that Ms. Beckett has significant and lasting injuries suffered as a result of her employment with the NYPD making returning to active duty impossible." She could appeal and go back by agreeing to desk duty. Her union rep gave her all the options. Beckett asks Castle's opinion on it (their future.)
Her partner won't give her a straight answer, instead trying to draw out what she sees when she looks ahead. He won't let the novels influence her and states he has enough notes to write a dozen books without ever setting foot back in a NYPD precinct. He is patient and finally gets to her deepest thoughts. She admits she's not the same person she was with an obsession to give everything to the job. In many ways it was like being a hamster running endlessly in circles never making lasting progress.
Castle senses there's more to the story and he finally drags it out of her. Mayor Weldon called her to share the whispers. The brass doesn't want Beckett back because she is too high profile to keep in the trenches and too independent for any alliance the with various power cliques. They simply don't know what to do with her so they take the cowards way out and block her return. Her life as a cop is over.
The trial shenanigans continue.
A motion to move the trial to a new location is granted. Prosecutor Robinson gathers the victims' families and listens to their grievances: It will be much harder to attend the trial and the expense will keep many away. The local news coverage won't be as great. They feel it's just plain wrong. Candace is honest and explains this is a set back that favors the defense. DC, the new venue, is inured to scandal by politicians. The new judge is more lenient and will let defense have freer reign.
A few reporters knock on Beckett's door, wanting "Nikki Heat's" reaction. They quickly learn the error of their ways when the former cop demonstrates the speed with which the 12th precinct responds to trespassing and harassment charges. Jim is the spokesman for the Beckett family as the closest living relative for Johanna and as a legal expert who can keep the "heat" off his daughter.
Beckett is expecting another breech of privacy when a flurry of knocks sounds on her door after she returns home from dinner with her dad. She looks through the peephole astonished to find Castle vibrating with evident glee as he impatiently waits for her to open up.
"Rick! What are you doing here? I'm thrilled..." All voice communication stops and is replaced by oral communication that threatens to make her go weak in the knees. He's kissing her senseless, and if it continues it's going to erode all self control and lead to more than just kissing.
He comes up for air, pushes his way in and shuts the door and starts babbling, "Our babies are safe! You got them back. You fought for us! No one ever fights for me. Wow. The boss never stood a chance up against the badass Becketts. The ex-wife came all the way down to Maryland to beg me to call you off. Of course I had no idea what she was talking about so I called Theo to confirm..."
Rick... kissing...babies... wife! What the hell? She's still a little senseless and trying to process. "Rick, I have no idea what you are talking about. I need to know so I can do it again and be better prepared to kiss you back. They're still locked in a tight embrace and she's studying every feature. He looks good. Really delightfully, sexually good. Like drag him to the bedroom right this minute kind of good. His eyes are bright and his face is fuller. The goatee and new hair style with this lean body is doing wicked things to her desire and she's contemplating stripping naked and using sex to keep him here.
He gives her a quick peck and drags her to the couch and pulls her close. "You never said a word. You just went into battle for our babies and kicked ass and I love you so much." More kissing. Deep kissing. She moans.
She forces herself to break from the lust, "Rick, are you on medications that affect your mood or cause hallucinations?" All this talk of love and babies has her suddenly worried because she won't seduce him if he's under the influence.
The endearing lopsided grin is replaced by a more genuine, relaxed smile, "No alcohol or medications are interfering with my mental abilities. I'm talking about our literary union, our babies: Nikki and Jamison. The battle against Black Pawn. The monumental lawsuits that has their legal department scared shitless. Did you know they're going to fire the current CEO and are considering offering Gina the position? She has been trying carefully to reign in the power hungry boss and not let him drive me away. Now that the full weight of the lawsuits are understood, everyone is listening to her. Gina said the monetary damages are more than the liability insurance covers and just paying legal fees could bankrupt them. Why didn't you say anything?"
Oh, that. This is going to be a long discussion. She's worried, "Are you mad? I did try to bring it up a few times but the conversation always took a turn. I thought maybe we could help you out for a change. Did I miscalculate? Have I overstepped into your professional life where I have no right to be?"
OH, this kiss is arousing and sensual and leaves her in no doubt that he's a very happy author. Wow, the man can kiss. Since that was his answer he waits with a bright, happy face for his story. Kate takes a breath trying to clear the hormones beating through her body. "Okay, first disclosure: dad is the mastermind - not me. You two were playing chess and you mentioned the problems. Dad was really mad about them 'wanting to do things to Detective Heat' that would reflect badly on me so he asked permission to talk to your lawyer?"
Rick nods, "I wasn't thinking or I would have realized an attack on your literary character would be an attack on you in your father's eyes. It's another instance of how off my game I was."
She wants to make sure her partner understands, "This was the perfect distraction for him. You were helping me and he could help you. He talked to your guy and then dad and I talked. You also had Ryan come visit him so dad had Kevin spilling his guts about how the books affected everything at work. He told dad about the comments, the time he got in a fight to over Nikki being a slut, about him being called 'Roach' and 'Honeymilk,' the way the public sometimes interfered with investigations, and more. Dad consulted with Mr. Milmar and they came up with a plan. By the way, my dad really likes your guy. Said he's smart, he's good, and most of all, he's willing to do anything for his client."
"Excellent. I sometimes pick people to work for me because they're good people and don't consider if they're good at their jobs. My business manager tried to get me to remedy that several years ago with a mass 'reshuffling' of people, but I refused and said their loyalty was more important than profits." He waves it away and keeps that adoring gaze focused on Kate, "Keep going. I can't help but love a story where the publisher who gave me so much grief over the years is having some headaches."
"Our side made certain that you couldn't be held accountable because dad targeted marketing which is solely under the publisher's control. It started with a simple lawsuit. Black Pawn called me 'the real Nikki Heat' repeatedly and publicly, so we claimed violations of privacy and defamation of character since Nikki is slutty."
"I learned very quickly to never publicly refer to you as the real Nikki unless I wanted my ears mangled, but all joking aside, I never allowed that moniker on my website or during Q&A sessions. I never knew Black Pawn didn't moderate their message board. It's one of Paula's duties for my online presence. Alexis makes me stay off the sites, but I should have checked in occasionally. I'm disgusted at some of the comments and appalled at how directly that affected you at work. Calling it a hostile work environment is an understatement."
"Dad is proud of the research he did for that one because it's a new take on a familiar issue. The suit alleges Black Pawn is responsible for creating a hostile work environment even though I'm employed by the NYPD who is unable to control the pervasive disruption to my professional life and investigations. It's a lawsuit that has huge implications." She shrugs it off, still minimizing it.
"Tell me everything. I want to hear every juicy detail so I can really enjoy having Black Pawn grovel at my feet!"
"Dad tried to be reasonable when he presented the initial suit. He made it clear if your dispute was resolved to your complete satisfaction then our lawsuit wouldn't be hostile. Instead he was rudely dismissed as an opportunist. He was really pissed off so he immersed himself in finding as many ways as possible to hold Black Pawn accountable. All of them have the potential to set presidents and are full of subtle legal entanglements."
"Your father is brilliant. Of course I already knew that since you are his offspring, and Alexis gushed about the man's legal reputation, but I'm impressed about the multitude of ways he went after them."
She ticks off the legal attacks she's already explained, "Violation of privacy, defamation of character, and hostile work environment was followed by Appropriation of Likeness. My father is really enjoying going after the people who put a naked woman on the cover of a best-selling book that everyone thinks is me."
"I swear I had no idea they searched for a model of your height and with your dimensions right down to the length of your hair. Beckett, I didn't know how much negative shit I put you through because of the books. Instead of making you famous for your unsung stellar career, I made you infamous and turned an already difficult working environment into an a more sexist environment." He loses the joy and reverts to the beaten down sidekick.
She strokes his cheek, using the contact to jolt him out of the remorse. "Hey, don't go portraying me as a weak female who can't bust balls. Remember you also lightened up the darkness. Back to your story. Dad wanted to keep the pressure building on Black Pawn so he decided to go big with a class action suit for all the people that became major characters in the story. Black Pawn never printed a disclaimer or asked for a release from the real life people affected, so the suit holds them accountable."
"The legal department always inserts itself during the editing process. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through in the Storm novels to have Derrick to like Ford vehicles. I had to take out a background story about a Chevy conking out on him and... never mind. The point is once I became a best selling author Black Pawn insisted on due diligence and total legal oversight. It was a point of contention for a lot of earlier contract negotiations. My first few books had the standard clause printed in the front: 'This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.' The current books don't have it. It's up to the legal department to get a disclaimer signed if needed. I don't know how they missed getting the people at the 12th to sign off."
"It's not surprising. Look how many times a cop doesn't do the Miranda rights correctly. According to dad, Black Pawn's legal department is two young guys who specialize in copyright infringement and contract law but do very little about risk management."
"Kate, I can't tell you how much this means to me. You guys went to battle for me. No one has ever stepped up to fight for me like this." He's like a little boy who thought no one remembered his birthday and just found presents and cupcakes on the table.
Kate gives him another loving caress. Their legs are tangled up so they can face each other on the couch and still be touching. "I'm just being your partner, having your back, and it hardly compares to what you did for us. You pursued justice for my mother, but I remember agreeing not to express it as a debt so the same condition applies to this."
He wants to argue because this is huge to him, but that would only diminish both efforts. After an adoring gaze that leaves her no doubt about his feelings he agrees. "Gina brought me a letter from the board of directors apologizing for the recent actions taken against me and pledging to go to great lengths to restore my faith in them. Since your efforts play a significant role in getting them to negotiate, what do you think I should do?"
Beckett would never presume to weigh in on such a matter, but Kate reminds herself she wants to be his partner in life. "Off the top of my head I'd say the CEO has to go because that's what started all the problems. Then I think all the Nikki Heat lawsuits should get settled for a reasonable amount of stock. That way as stockholders we can keep an eye on the management and the direction they take the company. Um, you have a big heart so I could see you asking for a guarantee to publish a novel written by an unknown author someday. It would be like a golden ticket for someone down the road that you think has real talent and needs a lucky break." She's a little nervous getting in his business affairs and waits for his reaction.
"Kate, that's brilliant! All of it! It asks for just enough to tweak their nose but still an easy way to clean up the mess. Wow. We're going to be so good together."
"Okay, enough about Black Pawn. How are you?"
"The ulcer is under control and my white blood cell count is back to normal. As for the rest of it, I'm not 'fixed' by any stretch of the imagination, but I am better. I've had ten days of intense therapy in 90 minute sessions. I've done the homework he assigned. I've got my runaway thoughts and feelings back under control. When I come up against something, I exhaustively research it. I've read autobiographies of a military veteran and secret service agent who both had PTSD. I talked to others with the diagnosis and found what works for them. I read papers on brain chemistry and talked to experts about triggers. I'm confident I can manage my PTSD so it's no longer a roadblock. How are you doing?"
"Like you, I feel that I've learned positive skills to manage the PTSD. It's everything else that I'm trying to deal with. I'm getting stronger with physical therapy but still reeling over being dismissed from the NYPD. I used to feel like I contributed to making the world a better place. Now I'm unemployed and drifting along. It's something I'm talking about with my psychologist." She hangs her head like it's a failure on her part.
Meoooow. The plaintive cry is the only warning as the furry body jumps up on the back of the couch and nudges Kate. She looks up and can't help but smile, "Hey sweet boy, it's okay. I'm not sad." She stokes the long orange hair away from the dark eyes that study her. Oh! Another pair of eyes are studying the scene. She chews her lip in embarrassment as she confesses, "Um, this is Phoenix. He's an emotional support companion. I know he's just a cat but I swear he senses when I get sad or lonely, and he finds me, and I start petting him and he purrs and for some reason it reminds me that there is hope and good can triumph." She stops rambling because it's just making her more embarrassed.
"I know what you mean. I have an emotional support companion with orange hair too, but mine walks on two legs instead of four. She senses when I'm sad and I hug her and I can't help but be reminded that there is good in the world."
She's missed his humor and she's thankful it's making a reappearance. It helps her share more, "An earlier therapist suggested an animal would help with my PTSD. I had a pretty bad case of hyper-vigilance jumping at every little thing, so a cat meandering around a room quickly retrains the brain that not all unexpected movement is a threat. I'm definitely not the extraordinary KB anymore."
"You are more extraordinary than ever. We're both fighting the worst villain - one that attacks from within. I think you are beautiful and have a wonderful future ahead of you even without the NYPD. The magic of the universe didn't put you through all this just to let you languish in obscurity and waste your many attributes."
She looks down at her skinny jeans and green plaid shirt. She's not wearing makeup and her hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail. She's far from beautiful especially now with the ugly scars marring her body. "Hmm. Need to schedule an eye exam for you."
"Oh no, you don't get to diminish the woman I love. I'm done being a superficial playboy linked with shallow women. You're graceful, intelligent, and sexy as ever no matter what you wear." He watches her shake her head at him. "Okay, time for your present."
He takes the small package out of his jacket pocket. It's encased in bubble wrap so it's obviously breakable. He hands it to her and starts explaining immediately. "When you were shot, I went looking for a get well gift. I found this. It was originally made in Russia and since you've been there, I thought the history was appropriate. It's decorated by hand and each one is unique."
She opens the bag and cradles the Faberge inspired egg in her hands. It's hand-blown glass with flowing hues of blue over the majority of the surface with a red river meandering around under a filigree of tiny pearls. A regal veining of gold splits the egg into jagged sections. It's beautiful and intriguing and she hugs it to her chest too full of feelings to speak.
Rick is bursting with the story, "The egg had an unfortunate fall. 'Kinsukuroi' is a Japanese art of 'golden repair.' It is the process of taking something broken and putting it back together, but highlighting the cracks with gold. It is a philosophy that celebrates the scars of life and values them for creating something more unique, resilient and even more beautiful." He's tender and tries to convey the reverence he feels. "It's full of symbolism to me because Humpty Dumpty played with words in Lewis Carroll's book and, considering your wall and my own cracks, I see this as an analogy of us."
She's still cradling it like its their baby. He thinks I'm beautiful, scars and all! This man is everything she could dream of in a partner: strong yet sensitive, funny, smart, fearless, wise, loving and she could go on and on. Instead she initiates the kissing, trying to express to Rick how much this means to her - how much he means to her. They get lost in each other. She comes up for air and wants to know, "Do you have to go back tonight? Does Alexis know you're here?"
He's a little breathless but answers, "As you know our super ninja won all her matches. She is out celebrating with her team and they are under the coach's watchful eye for the night. Tomorrow is the awards ceremony. Alexis and I wondered if you'd like to come back with me and attend it?"
"Really? She wants me there? You two were going to be tourists for a few days after it, and I'd be intruding into your time together."
"Yes, Alexis wants you to hang out with us. I want to surround myself with people who love, support and inspire me. I want to pursue a future with you. No matter what happens with the trial, I want us to be together, and I want to keep working towards becoming a better version of myself. I love you." He initiates a tender kiss to punctuate his words, then goes back to staring at her like she's a goddess.
She's never been the kind of woman to melt at romantic nonsense before, but she's never been this much in love before. "And I love you. I'd like to show you how much." She pulls him up and eases them towards her bedroom.
They cackle with sexual energy and sparks are ready to fly between them but Rick is keeping it at a slow burn, "Kate, once we start this part of our relationship there's no going back for me. I am going to treasure you, worship your body, and someday in the near future, I'm going to ask for your hand and put a ring on it."
Oh this man. She can't wait to show him how much he means to her. "Rick, I'll never be equal to your eloquence but I think I can show you in a thousand different ways that I want us to be together - always."
They slip into the bedroom and shut out the rest of the world. They sprinkle some metaphorical gold dust on broken hearts that are finally made whole by being together.
Author's note: Black Pawn has been reigned in. Castle and Beckett are together. Bracken is in jail. What more could a fan want?! Epilogue to follow. Seriously awed by your support and reviews.