Dumped

A season 3 AU story where Kate's love life undergoes an unexpected change.

AN: Just a thought that came into my head.

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Kate was trying to concentrate on the forms she needed to fill out on the case they'd just closed when the ding signaling the arrival of the elevator interrupted her. She glanced up, a flash of hope quickly denied, spread through her as she saw her 'partner' Castle step off the conveyance. He was in later than he usually came in, but she'd even made a point of telling him that it would be a paperwork day and there was no reason for him to come in. She really didn't want to see him today.

She followed his progress toward her. At least he did have coffee and a bag, which she assumed had a bear claw in it, with him. He gave her a smile as he set the bag and a cardboard cup down on the corner of her desk that she kept free of 'stuff' so he'd have a place to put them on the mornings that he brought them for her.

She looked over at him as he sat down in his chair. "Thanks, but what are you doing here? I told you that we didn't have a body and it would be a paperwork day."

Castle just shrugged. "I needed to get out of the loft. Mother had decided that it would be a good place for an impromptu rehearsal for a play that she might decide to put on at some, as yet decided time, in the not too distant future. I'd rather watch you do paperwork than be around for that."

Kate took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I have to get this paper work done and I don't want you bothering me every few minutes because you're bored."

Castle waved his hand. "You won't even know I'm here." He pulled his phone out and dialed up the latest game app he had.

Kate looked back to her forms, but she knew it would only be a matter of time before he would bug her about something that would just inflame the bad mood she was already in.

Surprisingly, it took nearly a half an hour before he began to irritate her.

"Beckett?" No response. "Beckett?" Still no response. "Kate, what are you doing now?"

Kate glared up at Castle. "The same thing I was doing before you got here. The same thing I was doing when you arrived. And surprise, the same thing I've been doing since you sat down. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, I'll be doing the same thing once you've left."

"Why are you mad at me?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Because I can't concentrate on what I have to do if you are bothering me. Why don't you call up Gina and see if you can bother her for a while."

Castle looked horrified. "Are you crazy? She'll kill me if I bother her at work. Besides, I don't want to give her any more reason to yell at me than I've already given her."

Kate's brow rose. "What did you do now?"

Castle gave her a petulant look. "She's been on my case ever since… well we broke up."

Kate nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry."

Castle shook his head. "Don't be, it was a doomed situation from the start. There was a reason we got divorced. Now she just jumps on her favorite reason to yell at me."

"How many chapters behind are you?"

Castle dropped his head and spoke into his chest. "All of them."

Kate squinted at him. "What?"

He lifted his head. "All of them."

Kate swatted his hand. "Castle! You should be at home writing, not bothering me on a paperwork day."

"I told you that mother has co-opted the loft. I wouldn't be able to get anything done even if I wanted to."

Kate shook her head. "I understand that, but you could have taken your laptop anywhere. You could go to the library, or, it's a nice day today. You could have gone to the park."

"Yeah, but I just wasn't in the mood."

Kate took a couple of breaths. "Well, that's too bad. I really don't have time to babysit you right now. I have things that I have to do for my job and if you aren't able to help you are just a nuisance. I don't want to have to shoot you, because that would just require more paperwork."

Castle was startled by Kate's outburst. He knew that he irritated her at times. Most often when she was doing paperwork, because like all rational people, Kate hated paperwork. But today she seemed especially irritated at him. Or was this even about him?

He tried humor. "My, aren't you a Miss Grumpy Pants today. What's got you so wound up? I mean more than usual." He cringed, expecting a harsh response.

She didn't answer. She just stared at him for several moments, then went back to her paperwork.

Castle laid his hand over her arm. "Come on, Kate, tell me what's got you so annoyed, besides me. What's really bothering you?"

She slammed her mouse against the desktop. "Castle go home, or go out and do something silly. I don't care. I need to do my job. Can't you just give me some peace and quiet so I can do that?"

Castle leaned back in his chair and stared at his partner and friend for a few moments. "Why don't I offer you a counter proposal?"

Kate shook her head. "Castle…"

"No, hear me out. It's a bit early, but not too much." He had glanced at his phone. "Why don't I take you to lunch, my treat."

"You always treat."

"Whatever, why don't we go have a relaxing lunch at Remy's. Once there we can just forget about your paperwork day for a while and you can tell me what's really bothering you." She glared at him "Or not. It will just be an hour away from all this" He waved his hand around.

"Fine." The word sounded forced. "I'll go on one condition." He nodded his agreement before he heard the terms. "You promise that, after lunch, you'll leave the precinct so I can get my work done."

He smiled. "Deal."

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They took a cab to their favorite spot. Neither spoke during the short trip. Castle watched Kate surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. There was something going on with her. She was never one to share much of herself and she didn't open up all that much, but if and when she did, it was usually to him.

She kept her face guardedly blank. He worried that it was something very serious. Could it be something with her father? Was he sick? Was she sick? He knew she'd never go see a doctor unless forced. She believed that double pneumonia was 'just a cold'.

They entered the busy diner and quickly found a place to sit. Luckily they found 'their' booth open. It said something that they actually had a booth that they considered theirs. Ruby, one of the wait staff who was familiar with the pair, just called out "Regular Order?" toward them. They both nodded.

Kate had decided that she wasn't going to start any conversation. He was the talker, and he was the one who wanted to come here, so he could start any conversation. She would just deflect and mumble one word answers. He would tire of her reticence and allow her to return to the station and he could go… where ever he wanted to.

Castle waited for several minutes in silence. She refused to say anything. After about ten minutes he realized that if he thought he could out wait Kate Beckett they'd be there until the weekend.

"So, what's the matter?"

She looked up at him. "Nothing."

"Really. I've known you long enough to read the signs, to read you. Whatever is bothering you is not nothing."

Her brow rose. "So, you're an expert on all things Beckett, are you?"

His smile was crooked. "If anyone is, it would be me."

"Do tell."

"Okay, I will." He smirked at her. "Whenever something bother's you your default reaction is to shut down, and pull it all inside you. If someone tries to ask what's wrong you either lash out to drive them away, or you refuse to say anything. You dismiss it as nothing."

Just then their order suddenly appeared on their table. "Your cheeseburgers, fries and shakes. Chocolate for the gentleman, and Strawberry for the lady, enjoy folks."

"Thanks Ruby" came the response in unison.

Kate used the interruption as an excuse not to answer Rick. She quickly attacked her burger as if she were starving. She gradually slowed to a normal pace. Alternating between her burger, the fries, and her shake. She knew he was waiting on her. For all that he seemed like a nine year old, no make that a twelve year old now, on a sugar rush he could be a patient man when it counted. When he cared.

Kate shoved a single fry into her mouth and slowly chewed. She knew he was going to wait her out. She set her half eaten burger down on her plate.

"I got dumped."

Castle fumbled a fry. "What?"

"I talked to Josh last night and he broke up with me."

Castle just stared at her, his mouth open.

"Close your mouth Castle, you'll attract flies… or a dentist."

Castle just shook his head. For some inexplicable reason he was upset. He should be giddy that Josh was now out of the picture. But, Kate was his friend and he didn't take any pleasure in her pain. That's what Castle had been seeing in her this morning; anger and hurt.

"I thought you told me that Josh was an intelligent guy."

Beckett let go a weak laugh. "I guess we'll have to change that to well educated."

Castle reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry Kate. I know you though that you guys had a real chance when he stayed recently rather than going off to Haiti."

Kate sighed and ran a hand through her hair, then tucked a long lock behind her ear. "Yeah well, I guess I was wrong."

Castle squeezed her hand. "You don't have to tell me, but if you want to I'm willing to be a supportive ear."

Kate chuckled softly. "Come on Castle, I can see you practically shaking in anticipation. So, for the sake of your mental health, I'll tell you what happened." She took a last bite of her burger and a quick french fry, then turned her face toward him.

"I called him last night because we had a dinner date for this Friday, but I had that conference for lead detectives. It had been scheduled months ago so I had forgotten all about it. I called him to tell him I couldn't make it that night and asked if he had an opening another night we could go out instead."

Castle gave her a sad smile. "I take it he didn't."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. We spent the next hour fighting about how I never made an effort to work around his schedule."

Castle rolled his eyes. "Talk about the pot and the kettle."

Kate nodded. "Oh, I know. For every instance that I had to cancel a date I showed him three that he had."

"I assume he didn't take that very well?"

Kate laughed. "That's putting it lightly. He was insulted that I would bring that up. But when I said that my job could interfere with plans too he basically inferred that when I cancelled I was making a choice, while in his case he was saving a life."

Castle shook his head in amazement. "Does he know what you do?"

Kate threw up her hands. "Truly? I don't think he has a clue. You should have heard him go off on me when I brought up all his trips for Doctors Without Borders. He was furious that I would even bring up his humanitarian activities. The next thing I hear him say is; under the circumstances it would probably be best that we don't see each other anymore."

"What did you say?"

Kate shrugged. "What could I say? I agreed and hung up… loudly. Well as loudly as you can when pushing a button."

Castle reached over and took both her hands in his. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly, I think I'm more relieved than anything. Obviously, at first I was hurt, then angry." She gave him a smirk. "I think you picked up on those this morning."

Castle shrugged. "Maybe just a bit."

"Anyway, now that I've had time to think about it, I can't see how it could ever have lasted."

Castle frowned. "For a 'well educated' man he wasn't too bright. Doesn't he know that there are men out there who would kill for a chance to be in a relationship with you, even if it were only in small bites?" Kate looked at Castle oddly. He was staring off into space as he ran his thumb across the back of her hand.

She pulled on hand away and snapped her fingers in his face. "Hey, Castle, are you with me here?"
"I wish." He mumbled.

"What?"

Castle shook his head and pulled his other hand back. "Umm, what did I say?"

Kate gave him a penetrating stare. "You were muttering something about someone who would kill to be in a relationship with me, even if it were in small bites?"

"I said that out loud?"

"Apparently."

"Oh."

Kate, suddenly feeling brave, grabbed his hand this time. "You know anyone who would fit that description?"

Castle looked everywhere but at her face. "Maybe."

She gave him a coquettish look. "Anyone I know?"

"Better than anyone does."

Beckett chewed on her bottom lip. "Are you serious…Rick? Are you saying that you'd want to be… with me?"

Rick chuckled. "I may not be all that 'well educated' but I'm not stupid. I would love to be your boy toy in whatever capacity you want."

Kate looked confused. "But you're Richard Castle."

Castle reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open to the spot where his license showed through a plastic window. He showed it to her.

"Yep. Does that make some sort of a difference? Kate you know me better than anyone who isn't related to me. You know I'm not the guy on page 6. At least not anymore. I haven't been since I started really being your partner."

Kate was chewing on her fingernail. "Well there was a time that I thought we could have been more than friends, but 'things' got in the way."

Castle rolled his eyes. "You might say that. But those 'things' aren't in the way anymore." He looked her in the eye. "The ball is in your court, Kate. I will follow your lead. We can do or not do. We can be or not be. All you have to do is tell me."

Kate furrowed her brow. "But what do you really want Rick? We are work partners, we are friends, good friends. But it sounds like that's not enough for you."

"If that's all you have to give, then that will be enough for me, for now. But my hope is after some time together we can become an us. I want to get to the place where Castle and Beckett, Rick and Kate, are basically considered as one word."

Kate chewed her bottom lip some more. "That's a lot to take in. I don't know if I'm ready for all that yet."

Castle smiled. "Kate, you control the time frame. We've have our whole lives and as long as we are together in whatever we do, I'll be happy."

She took a deep breath. "Okay, I think the first thing we have to do is date. You take me out to a nice place and we have a good time out." She nods. "And then we do it again, a few times maybe. Then when it feels right you take me to bed and we make love, over and over again."

Castle grinned. "Why Detective Beckett, I like the way you think."

Kate giggled. "Yeah, me too."

Fin.

AN: Come on, who out there really cares how Kate gets rid of Josh, just that she gets rid of him. I appreciate all who read. Review if you wish.