Gates agreed she and Kevin should meet to discuss the future, and a lunch was set for next week at Remys. When she arrived, Kevin was in a combative mood. She started with a long overdue apology. "Kevin, I know what I did to Ann was wrong, have publicly apologized, and am now serving my penance without any complaint. I am sorry I got so carried away with Bracken; it will not happen again. Espo left because he questioned your loyalty to me. He was wrong because I was wrong. I should never have put you in a position of siding with me over procedure."
"Kate, Javi is gone, and it was probably for the best. Working with Ellen Karpowski has been a real revelation. We don't stare at the murder board for hours after everyone else had left because it rarely leads to anything except eye strain. We have families that need us and expect us to come home at a descent hour. She is not reckless, and I will call you on it if any of your old bad habits resurface. You are not the star anymore. People here have had their fill of your attitude and sense of entitlement. Plodding along following procedure like the rest of us isn't flashy, but it gets the job done so we all go home at night. Now, that you're with Castle, that should matter. It does to me, and I am sure whoever joins us will feel the same."
Kate was not surprised by his admonishment. Her recent behavior had put all her past behavior under scrutiny, and Kevin knew better than anyone how many times she went off the rails. She nodded understanding that she was returning to a very different Kevin than the one she knew before her lapse with Ann.
His other point about her vastly different relationship with Castle was something she had not fully considered. He was showing her that a life outside work was not only possible but desirable. She wanted that life, and reckless forays with him in tow now seemed hardly prudent. Yes, she was now grasping that her return to the bullpen would not be as simple as she first thought. Kevin, Castle, and all her coworkers deserved a better leader.
That night with Kevin's critique still on her mind, she broached the whole subject with Castle lying next to her. He listened patiently and said, "I think your dedication to your cases makes you come off as aloof and stern. You don't do small talk with many, yet it just might be the thing you need right now. It demonstrates your humanity and builds comradery. You are not a gregarious person by nature, but I think I can help with a coded warning about any lapses into old habits. When I use the word aliens - no matter how out of the blue - that is your reminder to consider your next words carefully. Simple to implement, and in no time, it won't be necessary."
"You really think that will work?", Kate replied.
"Absolutely, provided you take the hint when it is offered." Kate sighed like the weight of the world had been lifted and quickly threw off what little she had on. Castle liked her as the aggressor, and after a rather loud romp, he added contentment to his mental list of things that made Beckett horny.
After serving more than half of her time with Tracy, it was time to post the vacancy in her team. When it did, Kate was surprised that none of her coworkers even mentioned it in passing even during her window time where pointed barbs were still commonplace. Gates, on the other hand, saw this an opportune time to update the Senator on the posting and suggest a clever way to monitor their problem as he liked to call it.
After few pleasantries on the phone, Gates got to the point. "Senator the position on her team is now posted, and I think it provides us with an opportunity to insert someone at the heart of work life who could monitor things much better than I. I will be interviewing all the finalists, and one thing I will go over is her troubled past with her mother's murder. That creates the perfect opening to set an expectation to report any odd behavior by their lead."
"Yes Vicki, I think that is an excellent idea. I might even have a few names to suggest. I will discuss with my staff and get back to you soon."
"That would be appreciated Senator. Thanks for the help."
The Senator hung up quite pleased with the conversation because he had the perfect candidate in mind. Her name was Lara Flowers back then. Many years ago she had gotten into a spot of bother when she was caught up in drug sting. Her parents were apoplectic and contacted him with their pleas for mercy. They found a receptive audience, and even the arresting officers thought her involvement was so peripheral that it was hardly worth prosecuting. After talking with Lara, he agreed and informed her of his decision later in the day.
She suggested buying him a celebratory at a hotel bar nearby and well, one thing led to another in a room upstairs. She had a beautiful body and was quite willing to please. He originally assumed it was a one-off, but that was not to be. Before she left, she made it abundantly clear that she wanted more. He was happy to oblige, and weekly romps became the norm for almost a year. During that time, she asked for his help with her NYPD application, and he wondered if he had been played rather adeptly by someone much more cunning than her age suggested.
He met Lara's future husband, Dale Ringer, at their wedding about four years later. Her parents were thrilled when he accepted the invitation. When she asked him to dance, he was surprised that she ushered him to a secluded balcony and kissed him full on just like old times. She smiled and said, "I did that so you would have something to remember me by. After you, I went with a jock. He introduced me to a lifestyle that was far from vanilla, and I embraced it with multiple partners. It was a time when I valued experience over connection, but then I met Dale. We click emotionally, and the sex part will improve with time. He is so inexperienced; he thinks I'm practically a virgin. I play along, and that allows me to train him properly. When I am done, he will be the perfect sex partner and think it was all his doing."
Bracken left knowing full well he had been played and wondered if Dale Ringer understood just what kind of woman he was hitching up to. Yes, getting someone as devious as Lara on Beckett's team would be perfect. Such a collaboration might even lead to renewing their sexual relationship. He too had become a fan of kink ever since his wife accepted his dalliances. Perhaps the occasional debrief could be both informative and pleasurable at the sametime.
The next day he directed his staff to check her out with their NYPD contacts for any impediments that might preclude her from consideration. The reports suggested a diligent experienced officer ready for promotion. She had a baby a few years back and told anyone who would listen, there would be no more. Except for her days off and vacations, she willingly came in early and stayed late whenever there was a need. Husband seemed content with her dedication. She was modestly social, but certainly not a cop bar regular who would blab incessantly for attention. Yes, a call to Lara and Vicki would definitely be an agenda item for next week.