The lunch with Lara was set up for the following Wednesday, and Kate told her not to worry about a timely return. Lara surmised from that rather lax directive that either Brian or Kevin had blabbed about her fixation on their relationship. Rick tried to ease into the subject by talking about how his role on the team evolved over time into something quite rewarding and productive. Lara half listened and ordered the most expensive item on the menu.
When there was lull, she finally interjected she was aware of all that and wanted to cut to the chase. "I know you and Beckett are an item and not just at work. I am amazed the whole bullpen isn't buzzing about it. I guess it was too slow for them to really notice, but any outsider would see it right away. Given her recent mess with Ann, I don't think Chief Gates would be happy about her having a perk no one else has. My guess is she would kick you to the curb without a second thought. You don't want that? Do you?"
Castle was taken back by her direct and abrasive assessment. The problem was she wasn't wrong. She had laid it out rather succinctly much like Beckett would in the box, and it usually led to a negotiation. He wasn't wrong about that either.
"Look Rick, if you want Gates not in the loop, that can happen, but it will involve a tradeoff with your girlfriend. Right now, I feed the board by doing all the legwork with Ryan. You and Beckett get all the glory time in the box. I am OK with that for now, but it is not my long term plan. Reputations are built in the box not chasing financials or viewing hours of video. That gets you noticed and leads to better things. I want that, and I want Beckett to mentor me to be just like her. Its a simple tradeoff, and everybody wins. Don't you think?"
Castle stopped eating and was flustered by the sheer audacity of his lunch guest. She was a calculating piece of work. This lady had a career plan, and no one better get in the way. Castle promised to relay the deal to Beckett, and she should expect a quick response. Both didn't bother with desert. Small talk seemed pointless now that Lara had blatantly laid her cards on the table. Lara walked back to the precinct quite pleased with herself. She had set the terms for a very rewarding relationship, and Beckett really had no choice but to comply.
When Castle returned to the loft, he called Kate to relay the bargain Lara had proposed. He was also dead sure that Lara had every intention of going to Gates if the deal was not accepted. He went on to emphasize that her new employee was a devious bitch with a streak of hardcore cunning that should never be discounted. "I know training her will be hard for you. You are not a natural collaborator." Summoning all his courage, he laid out the stakes. "If you want me with you, you have to take the deal."
Kate chose to not to respond. She needed time to process this with everything else. Her silence spoke volumes. He guessed that proposing any joint plans for the near future were not a good idea. She was brooding. It was at the core of the Beckett onion, and try as he might, only her dad had a hall pass into that dark world.
What he did not know was that Kate had asked her dad to join her at the cabin that Saturday. She wanted a place where there would be no interruptions. This was so unlike his daughter. He knew it was serious and immediately accepted. He arrived just a tad bit early and felt her bike on the way to the door. It was stone cold so she probably came up last night.
After a faint kiss at the door, he walked in to find an epic spread on the table unlike anything his daughter had attempted before. She noticed his puzzlement and said, "To Castle, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I guess it kind of rubbed off like a lot of things."
"I think he's been good for you, but I wouldn't be here if that was the case right now. I assume you have hit a serious bump in the road, and you are mulling over what to do about it. We have been through a lot, just the two of us, and you value my opinion. Does that sound about right?"
"He has been great - much better than I deserve, but we have it a bump. It involves Mom. We think we know who was behind it, but we have no proof. I let it slide while I was off homicide, but now, I want to finish the job. The problem is he is very powerful, and we now have a truce where I do nothing and he does likewise. Any whiff of a move on him would probably lead to some serious retaliation that could endanger those I care about."
"Katie, what option do you really have. You have no right to deliberately put innocent people in danger. You don't get to make that call ever."
"Dad, this is about mom; its been haunting us forever. This is my chance to rid us of this once and for all. Don't you see? I might never get another opportunity."
"Some things, Katie, are not meant to be no matter how righteous they might be. I know that goes against your DNA, but this is not just about you and your revenge. This involves others like Rick and his family. If you make him choose between you and your crusade versus the safety of his daughter, I don't think you will like the answer. It is the exact same one I would give faced with the same dilemma."
With the skirmish over, they ate in peace before he did some minor repairs on the dock that had been languishing for months. Kate did not join him. She was brooding, and experience taught him to stay away or prepare for an ugly rant. When he finished, he stuck his head inside to find Kate staring at an old picture of the three of them in happier times. Based on past experience, this was a positive sign. He opted for a muttered farewell without any embrace before heading to his car for the trip back to the city.
She barely noticed his appearance. His last point had resonated with her. Up until Castle, motherhood was some blurry thing that was getting less and less likely. Now though, she would by lying if she said the idea had not crossed her mind. He would be a great father. The thought of Alexis raised an ugly question. What if the roles were reversed, and he came to her with a proposition that deliberately put her own daughter in harms way. She wouldn't; she couldn't. The idea repulsed her and laid bare her own selfishness for even suggesting it. Yes, Castle's idea of maybe someday was the right choice, and she needed to profusely apologize for even considering such an awful plan. The call came that night and would be short. He needed to hear her mea culpa in person; it was the best way to restore what she so carelessly tore asunder.
Meanwhile, back in New York, a very happy Vicki Gates was lying next to her very naked husband after about thirty minutes of uninterrupted bliss. Slow and steady was the pace now, but back when the kids were around, it was frantic and scheduled to coincide with their absences. Their solid marriage was bit on a simple premise. She tended to her career, while he nurtured the kids, kept the house, and worked at a non-demanding job. He had accomplished that by hooking up with a local pub as a bartender and never leaving. His seniority gave him many lucrative shifts, and the untaxed tips helped with extras like a super comfy mattress that made bliss even more blissful.
Now though, the kids had grown and flown, and both were struggling a bit with the quiet aftermath. She had risen through the ranks primarily based on merit, but now was at a level where opportunities were rare and competition keen. She was naturally much more ambitious than her husband, but knew she needed bide her time at the precinct before making any attempt to look higher.
After sex, they would often just cuddled in the silence, and so it was, when her phone rang. The number told her it was a conversation not to be shared, and she headed for the great room without bothering to don any coverup "Hello, Senator, how are you on this fine afternoon?"