AN: Here's the next chapter. Thank for all the follows, favorites, and reviews for this story. I really appreciate them!
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.
Chapter 13
Rick loiters in the doorframe of his mother's hospital room, attempting to clear his expression of any pensiveness. Sighing, he walks in, plastering a smile on his face.
"Hello, Darling," his mother greets from a chair. She gives him a grin as her fingers play with the thread on a tray.
"Hello, Mother." He gives her a quick kiss on the top of her head before examining her. Her eyes are brighter than usual and she's out of bed. She must be having one of her good days then. "What are you up to today?"
"Trying my hand at finger knitting." Lips forming into frown, she holds up a tangled mess of purple thread. "I don't think I'm quite getting it." She shrugs, turning her attention toward him. "So, what have you been up to?"
"The usual, working, living, all that good stuff," he jokes. "So, has the doctor been in recently?"
"Oh yes, he says that I can finish the treatments. Apparently, the insurance came through or something."
Internally, Rick breathes a sigh of relief. He had to pay the remainder of the chemo costs in cash, so he'd been informed that it would take a while to process and authorize the payment.
"That's fantastic," he says. "So, how many more do you have left?" He hadn't really checked that part, just paid the bill he'd been given for the remaining sessions.
"Um, four because I decided to go for more chemotherapy instead of radiation. So, I'll be here a bit longer." His mother closes her eyes, leaning back in the chair. "As nice as the people are here, I can't wait to go home."
Placing his hand over hers, he squeezes it, understanding. He longs to see his mother outside of the sterile hospital room. As she squeezes back, she opens on eye, tossing him a knowing smile.
"So, what happened to that girl?"
"Girl?"
"The one you seemed so enamored with the other day, did you pursue her?"
"Ah, no, she had to go away." He wasn't lying, really. Kate had to leave and go back home.
"Oh, that's a shame," the matron murmurs.
"Yeah," Rick mutters, his chest clenching at the thought of not seeing the brunette again. However, he knows Kate is better off without him. "Anyway, I have some errands to run, so I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, Darling. Don't work too hard." She smirks as he rolls his eyes, giving her a wave as he departs.
He's tempted to linger at the hospital, but knows there's no use prolonging the inevitable.
Time to have a meeting with the agency.
A half hour later, he sits in an office chair, staring at the man who runs the whole organization the young man has worked in for almost a room appears to be a normal, one where a boss and his underling would meet, but Rick knows it's anything but. This is the place where cases are assigned and agents are inducted. It's basically the heart of the organization and the man at the other side of the desk runs it all.
"So, what can I do for you, Rick?" the man inquires with a pleasant smile. Despite the man's friendly demeanor, Rick knows he needs to tread carefully.
"I know I've discussed this with you before, Gerald, Sir," Rick starts. "But I'm here today to see how I can depart the agency, with as little trouble possible, of course." He gives a tentative smile, his heart pounding.
"Would this have anything to do with your last assignment?"
"No, I just feel that it's time for me to leave. I think I've fulfilled my purpose here."
The older man sighs, studying the younger man, his brown eyes piercing. "I understand your concern, Rick." Oh boy, here it goes. "But I'm very worried. Your last assignment didn't exactly end well, did it?"
"I'm not quite sure I understand..."
"The man who hired you ended up in handcuffs, did he not?" Silence. "Also, there is a target out there somewhere who's seen you."
"But, most other targets have seen me at some point," Rick points out.
"From what I understand, she's not only seen you, but knows who you are, where you live, and both of her parents are lawyers." Gerald casts a pointed look at the brunette, who shakes his head.
"She has no intention of saying anything, I swear. I made sure of that before she went back home."
"How can we know that?"
Pursing his lips, Rick inquires, "What is the worry anyway? That was a freelance job, not something through the agency. Your reputation's not on the line, as far as I can tell." Then another question pops in his mind. "Also, since this was a freelance job, how did you become aware of what happened?
"Our reputation matters when one of our own becomes careless in handling a case." Gerald narrows his eyes. "As for the second part, some departed agents inform us if someone has...misbehaved and put the agency at risk. It's one form of ensuring their loyalty."
Rick attempts to keep a poker a face, internally vowing to kill Mark the next time he sees his former mentor.
"Look, as I said before, you have nothing to worry about with her. She has no interest in turning me in. Hell, she would probably vouch for me if needed."
"And what if her parents are able to turn her against you? Plant the seed in her head that all of the people who hurt her need to go away in the name of justice?"
"I think her mother did more damage with her actions than I did," he mutters, still holding some resentment toward the elder Beckett for not taking Bracken's initial offer. "But no, Kate stands on her own and I doubt her parents could make her change her mind that easily."
The older man sighs, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "If you asked me earlier if you could leave the agency, I would have said yes with no hesitation. You've been loyal and your record's been near excellent since you went out on your own. However, this little incident has me deeply troubled."
"You're afraid my feelings for her will interfere with my loyalty to the organization." Gerald nods and Rick can's blame the man. If she asked him to testify to help put Bracken and the other guy away, he would, without question. His stomach turns as the next question leaves his lips, "How can I prove my loyalty trumps everything else?"
The older man studies the brunette, an answer already on his mind. "Given that you have a little more of a conscience than others here, I will not ask you to kill." Rick can't tell if he should be grateful for that or not. "However, I need to be sure that she stays silent about whatever you've told her."
Rick nods in affirmation. "Of course. I'll go find her, rough her up, make sure she understands the consequences of speaking out." Internally, he rolls his eyes, knowing none of that will not be necessary and has no intention of doing it.
"Unfortunately, I can't trust you to do that." Shit. "She needs to be brought here to go through examination. I need to see with my own eyes that the girl will not be our downfall."
Rick feels his stomach lurch, his own experiences with examination going through his head. It's an ugly never-ending interrogation, one that has even the best members struggling to follow through with at times. It's designed to test the strength of the agent and his or her skill under questioning. There is no way an untrained person could withstand it.
"I'm assuming she'll receive a modified version?" he asks, hopeful. "Given her experiences, her mental state may be a little weak."
"We will adjust the question as deemed necessary." Gerald examines him carefully. "If you must wait a few days, I understand, since the hubbub of the investigation will be at its peak. However, I expect her here in no more than a week. Understood?"
"Yes." His mouth feels dry and he wants to retch, badly.
"Good. You're dismissed."
Rick stands and shakes Gerald's hand before leaving the office. He walks straight to his car, leans against the headrest, and sighs. There's no doubt that is Kate strong, but he knows she couldn't handle questioning, not the kind she'll be subjected to, in her current state and after everything that's happened. God knows what they'll do once they get into questioning, since there's no way he'll be allowed in with her.
He needs to find another way out, fast.