Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or the recognizable characters who appear in this story. Any other names, for characters or businesses, are fictional.

Also, you'll recognize some dialog in this chapter again. As was the case in chapter ten, some has been borrowed directly while some had to be bent a bit to fit the shape of this story.


Week Twelve (part three)

Alexis is a natural interrogator.

That's what Beckett's thinking as they drive away from Castle's beach house. She's still not sure who produced the schoolmarmish throat clearing noise that finally alerted Castle and her to their audience and she's too embarrassed to ask. Alexis hasn't provided any insights either, instead preferring to give Beckett an insufferably knowing look every time they've made eye contact, occasionally accented with an eyebrow waggle.

But the look is the weaker part of her arsenal. As Beckett herself knows and uses to good effect with her suspects, silence is key. And Alexis wields silence like a stiletto, letting it slip between the cracks of the defenses Beckett's trying to build.

They've been on the road for only ten minutes and Beckett's already wondering if she's going to make it back to the city.

"So," Alexis says in a normal volume, though it sounds deafening after so much silence. The sudden noise startles Beckett, causing their car to swerve in its lane and Beckett to flush in an even greater degree of self-consciousness. Looking amused by her discomfiture, Alexis turns in her seat to face Beckett, who has to keep her focus on the road. "I take it you had a good talk with Dad, then?"

"Alexis…"

"Or did you just skip the whole talking part?" the teen asks with an admirably straight face.

Beckett's trying desperately to remember the last time she was so embarrassed. She can feel the heat radiating from her face as she blushes deep red. And forget her cheeks, this flush merely starts there before coloring her ears, nose, and throat, too. Hey, maybe that's how the otorhinolaryngology specialty got started – abject humiliation. She certainly feels like she needs to see a doctor.

"Remember when we talked about my college applications?" Alexis asks musingly, idly twirling her hair as she watches Beckett nod warily. "What did you say back then – 'it might not feel like it, but your blush looks lovely?'" she asks, laughing gaily when Beckett takes a moment to knock her forehead on the top of the steering wheel. "You were right – you do look lovely. Perhaps we should turn around and show Dad?"

"You're horrible," Beckett complains, then laughs as she blushes an even deeper shade. "I think we'd better keep the car pointed in its current direction, thanks."

"Probably for the best," Alexis nods sagely, still keeping a straight face, but struggling. "We could just take a picture instead?" she asks while pulling out her cellphone.

"Don't you dare," Beckett laughs while she starts to wonder if she'd been working beside the better-behaved Castle.

"Yeah, you're right," Alexis replies, playing with her phone. "As lovely as that picture would be, it still wouldn't compare to the shot from the beach."

This comment prompts another swerve of the car as Beckett's head whips around. "You didn't," she whispers.

Finally losing all composure, Alexis releases a full chiming laugh. Beckett laughs along, enjoying the opportunity to release the stress and nervousness that's built up since her alone time with Castle. Minutes later, they're both wiping tears from their eyes and chuckling intermittently, finally coming down and settling into a calmer, companionable mood.

"Thanks," Beckett says, still smiling. "For a good laugh, but also for being okay with me and your dad. I'm sorry you had to see that, especially if it embarrassed you, but I'm glad you were teasing about the picture."

"I'm happy if Dad's happy," Alexis answers easily, "and he looked pretty happy back on the beach!" she teases, getting an eye roll from Beckett. "You know I've been rooting for the two of you, so I wasn't too embarrassed," she says, though the flush in her cheeks suggests she might've been a bit more uncomfortable than she suggests. "And I wasn't teasing about the picture," she says as she holds up her phone, displaying the shot of Beckett and Castle together on the beach.

Beckett makes a quick grab for the phone, but Alexis happily holds it out of reach. "If you're so interested, I'll text the picture to you." Alexis types for a few moments, then looks a little worried before tapping 'send' with finality, a small smile playing around the edges of her face. "There," she says, pointing to Beckett's phone on the dash. "You'll hear about that in ten, nine, eight…"

"Hear?" Beckett asks in confusion, thinking the countdown drama is a bit much until her phone starts ringing after Alexis reaches the count of 'four.' With brow furrowed, she hits the speaker button. "Beckett," she answers, sounding a little less assertive than usual.

"I'm surprised you can talk," Beckett hears her friend Lanie say. "It looks like your mouth got quite a workout, girl!"

"What… how… Alexis!" Beckett stutters, now hearing laughter from both her passenger and her phone.

"Sorry, Kate," Alexis replies, sounding a little worried about having overstepped. "But Lanie and I might've made a deal earlier today. I owed her from the carwash outing, and she drives a hard bargain. But she promised she wouldn't pass any pictures along."

"You know me better than that, Kate," Lanie assures. "After all the babying I've done over the past few months, I earned some proof that you finally talked to Castle about this instead of me. You did talk, didn't you, or did you two just…?"

"Did you two rehearse this?" Beckett asks in frustration, still embarrassed about having been completely outmaneuvered by her friend and Castle's daughter.

"We don't have to rehearse to be happy for you, Kate," Lanie says earnestly, the turn from teasing to true helping to soothe Beckett's frayed nerves. "And we are happy, right, Alexis?"

"Right," Alexis answers immediately but shyly, apparently worried that she's gone too far. Touched by her effort, Beckett reaches out and clasps hand with the young woman briefly before returning both hands to the steering wheel.

"Lunch tomorrow, Kate?" Lanie asks. She's trying to sound considerate, but Beckett knows what's going on – Lanie's scheduling a time to talk without Alexis around to constrain the discussion. Better to capitulate now before Lanie's curiosity builds to a point where it erupts in public. And, better pick a place for lunch where they won't be overheard. "Maybe Thursday?" she proposes, wanting to save talking to Lanie until after her outing with Castle. "I'll text you."

"There's a lesson for you, Alexis," Lanie complains. "As soon as your friend starts dating someone, bam! Second-class citizen," she complains. "Fine, Kate, just call me when you're ready to use that mouth for talking or eating. Food," she clarifies with a cackle, imagining (accurately) that her last shot has both ladies in the car blushing.

"Maybe I won't text you," Beckett revises.

"Have a nice drive, ladies," Lanie says while laughing at Beckett's idle threat before she rings off. The sudden silence affords Beckett and Alexis the chance to relax and let their embarrassment wane.

"Don't worry, Kate," Alexis offers kindly in an effort to further ease them both. "The picture is beautiful, but it's nothing to worry about. The lighting was low, so really it's the two of you in silhouette. Only people who already know it's you and Dad will be able to recognize your outlines."

"It sounds perfect," Beckett replies happily. "Will you please send it to me?"

"Already did," Alexis answers, again sounding a little shy. "I sent it to you and Lanie at the same time." Recognizing the look on Beckett's face, she offers one more comment. "I haven't sent it to anyone else. Not even Dad – I thought you might want to do that."

"Thank you," Beckett whispers, again impressed by Alexis' thoughtfulness, which she decides more than compensates for the uncomfortable teasing. "I'll do that," she promises, thinking of sending the picture to Castle. And maybe one other person…


"You okay?" Fred asks as she helps Castle straighten the kitchen. He's been quiet since Alexis and Beckett left, but Fred thinks it's more of the 'floating-on-a-cloud' than 'what the hell am I doing' kind of quiet.

"I'm okay," Castle confirms. "Better than okay, I think," he amends as a small grin appears on his face.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asks, watching him carefully but missing any signs of distress.

"Not sure there's much to talk about," Castle replies as he steps to the sink to rinse out a sponge before moving back to the counter. "That went better than I hoped."

"Obviously," Fred says, hip-checking him on her way to the kitchen table.

Castle huffs a laugh as he scrubs at the counter, though Fred thinks it's unlikely he's doing any cleaning, mostly just biding time. "She did to me the same thing you did," he offers, still looking down.

"I'm certain I didn't do what I saw down on the beach," Fred replies with an arched brow and a playful tone. "I definitely would've remembered that!"

Giving up on the counter, Castle chuckles and turns back to the cabinet and pulls out two wine glasses before grabbing a chilled white on the way back to join Fred at the table. At her nod, he pours her a glass and then serves himself, taking a sip before returning to the topic.

"Thank you," he says earnestly, reaching out to cover the hand Fred's not using to sip her drink. "What I meant was that Kate surprised me a bit – she had a different perspective on some of the things that've caused us trouble. If you hadn't surprised me with your take on things in LA, I'm not sure I would've reacted as well as I did."

"Glad I could help," she replies honestly, giving his hand a squeeze. "So, she addressed all your concerns?"

"No," Castle admits, though his smile seems at odds with his answer. "We hit the high points. To be honest, I'm not sure we need to circle back, at least not right away." Noticing Fred's alarmed look, he laughs and pats her hand. "Don't worry, I'm not hiding from a direct conversation or ignoring our past. I just…," he trails off, trying to find a way to describe what he's feeling. Finally, his head snaps up as finds the words. "I have faith in us."

Looking a little confused, Fred cocks her head while setting the wine aside. "What do you mean?"

"Kate came here with no idea what she'd find," Castle reminds them both. "She didn't run when you intercepted her or threaten to hurt you, even though she probably thought about both," he says with a laugh, which grows louder as he sees Fred's hesitant nod. "She endured a lot of open speculation regarding her place here, and she took the initiative to prompt our conversation," he says with a dramatic pause, "even under the threat of vigilant eyes," he says while pointing to both of his eyes before rotating his hand to point at a blushing Fred, who didn't think he'd noticed her parting warning to Beckett.

Noticing her embarrassment, Castle gives her hand another squeeze to let her know that he appreciates her concern.

"But our talk – that was the most important thing," he continues. "It was painful and direct. It touched on several of our worst moments. And even if I didn't always like what I heard, I realized something important – she was trying. I understand why she did some of the things she did, and I can understand how I contributed to some of our issues. But even if there aren't perfect answers for the past, I'm convinced her interest in our future is genuine. That's what gives me faith."

"I'm not sure I'm convinced," Fred says guardedly, playing with his hand and thinking for a few moments. "But," she allows with a grimace, "I'm here for you, little brother," she says with another squeeze. "If this's what you want, then you've got my support. Just let me know how I can help," she offers, looking suddenly sad. "Even if it means dropping out for a while."

"Hey, no," Castle says, catching on a little too late to the undertone of the conversation. "I've made a lot of mistakes in the past, including ignoring my friends when I've started relationships. I know better now," he promises her, using both of his hands to hold hers. "You've become too important for me to let you drift away." Noticing that Fred's looking embarrassed and a little teary, Castle reaches for a little humor. "Besides, you're my sister, right? Can't turn your back on family."

"You're a good man, little brother," she says as she stands and pulls him into a hug. "She'd better appreciate what she gets in you."

"Gotta be good to mitigate some of my other personality traits," he laughs, the emotion of the moment making him a little more introspective and candid than usual. "Now, come on," he says as he tugs with one hand and reaches for the wine bottle with the other. "Let's leave this for the cleaners. We can go sit in the den and you can tell me everything you're looking for. I might be taken care of, but we still need to see about finding your heart's desire."


Beckett feels so contented after a long hug with Alexis at the door to the loft that she turns and wraps up a surprised Martha, too.

"That must've been quite a wedding," Martha says with raised brows as Beckett releases her.

"It was amazing," Beckett agrees with a nod, trading winks with Alexis. "I'll let Rick tell you about it. Sorry we're late," Beckett apologizes. "Traffic," she explains with a shrug, noticing Alexis stifling a laugh behind her grandmother's back.

"Nonsense, my dear," Martha replies happily. "Thank you for caring for Alexis. Any excuse," she adds with a raised brow, "is welcome if it means we get to see you. Perhaps we'll be seeing more of you?" she asks leadingly.

"Perhaps," Beckett replies with a radiant smile. "But for now, I need to get to bed and I suspect Alexis does, too. Goodnight, ladies," Beckett says as she steps back to the loft's door.

"Goodnight, Katherine," Martha replies warmly, waiting until Beckett's entering the elevator before closing the door and welcoming her granddaughter home.

As soon as the elevator door closes, Beckett whips out her cellphone, anxious to see if there's a reply to the text she sent (with beach photo included) during their pit stop at a gas station just outside of the city. Smiling in anticipation, she sees the red circle that indicates unread messages.

You *so* owe me, Becks.

Short and sweet, just like most of Maddie's texts, Beckett thinks as she leaves the elevator and gives a happy wave to the security desk. Still riding her high from the day, she decides to tempt fate and see if her friend has any suggestions for repayment. The reply arrives before she's even made it back to her cruiser.

Your writer helped me prove my hosting credentials. So, when you two need a venue, I expect a call. Don't forget, we do cakes, too!


"Hey guys," Beckett says in a low tone, careful to not be overheard in the general tumult of the bullpen, "cover for me. I'm cutting out for a bit."

"You're not going to see Lockwood again, are you?" Ryan asks, wondering about the schedule of her weekly trips.

Just as she's wondering if she can pass off her Remy's outing this way, Esposito crashes the party. "Nah, she's got a different kind of meeting in mind," he says shrewdly while watching Beckett. "You callin' this a recruiting trip?" he says slyly to Beckett. "Or you just trying to build relations with the FDNY?"

"Wait a minute," Ryan interjects. "You're meeting up with Castle?!"

"Shhhh!" Beckett reacts crossly, leveling a wicked glare to ensure that no one else picks up on their discussion. "I'll be back by 11:00. It's an early lunch if Montgomery asks," she says while grabbing her purse, refusing to answer Ryan's question.

Oddly, the boys let her go without more questions. Their uncharacteristic restraint reminds her that she's meant to press them about Castle. They've surprised her a bit with their questions about him lately and it makes her wonder what they're up to, especially as she thinks about the possibilities for after Castle concludes his FDNY obligation next week.

That's what's really bothering her, she realizes as she sneaks toward the back stairs, anxious to make her escape. They've talked since the wedding, and texted, but they've both been careful to avoid touchy subjects. Maybe at Remy's they'll be able to discuss what's next for Castle and whether he'll consider returning to the precinct.

Her foot's on the second stair when she hears Montgomery call her name. Dammit! They're cursed. Absolutely cursed, she thinks, as she feels her hopes for Remy's go up in smoke. Again. She just knows he's about to hand her a new case or send her off on another errand for the DA's office. Turning, she's surprised to see that he's approaching her rather than awaiting her arrival in his office. Behind him, she can see apologetic shrugs from the boys.

"We need to talk," Montgomery says grimly as he approaches.

"I was just going to meet Castle for coffee," she admits brazenly, though she downplays the significance of the meeting or how long she'd hoped to spend at Remy's. "He just got off shift and I'm working to make sure he leaves the FDNY behind after next week." When in doubt, she thinks, play up the rivalry.

"As much as I'd like to see him back here," Montgomery says, "that's not important right now. We need to talk," he repeats gravely, "but not here."

Alarm bells ringing, Beckett's curses her luck. Why is it that Montgomery's finally interested in confiding in her when things are in such a tenuous place with Castle? But thinking of him makes her realize that she doesn't need to choose. "I want him to be a part of this," she declares to Montgomery's obvious but impressed surprise. "We can talk at his place. The bar, not the loft."

Montgomery thinks about this for a few moments before giving a quick nod. "You go ahead," he says. "Probably best to move separately. I'll be fifteen minutes behind," he says before pausing and looking at her intensely. "But I want your word, Beckett, that you'll be there. You'll be there and we'll talk."

"Of course," Beckett replies, though now she's really rattled. Why wouldn't she be there? This whole surreptitious event is about confiding in her. Isn't it?

Still troubled, she dials Castle's number on the way down the stairs. She's uncomfortably reminded of the last time she exited this way, when Castle was calling her to postpone their date. Now she needs to do the same thing again. But he's going to be there, so perhaps it's not all bad.

"Hey, Castle," she says shyly when he picks up.

"Hi, Kate," he replies, sounding just as shy. "Are you there already? I'm running a little late – busy night, took me a while to get cleaned up."

"Montgomery caught me trying to sneak out," she confesses. "And now he wants to talk. Can we postpone Remy's and meet with him at the Haunt instead?"

"He wants to talk about us?!" Castle asks, alarmed.

"Castle…"

"We just had our first non-case-related kiss two days ago! We haven't even had our first date and he wants to talk?" he frets.

"Castle…"

"Guess I can kiss the precinct goodbye," he laments, and Beckett's so happy to hear that he's thinking about returning that she's not upset about being unable to disrupt his flow.

"Castle…"

"And what a terrible omen! If he's upset I can just imagine what your father's gonna say…"

"Castle!" Beckett finally manages to interrupt. "Relax," she says with a chuckle. "He wants to talk about what we discussed in LA."

"He knows about our talk in LA?!" Castle squeaks. "He's omnipotent!"

"Not that talk," Beckett answers quickly with some embarrassment. "About what was on TV – you know, after the earthquake," she says with a smile as she recalls Castle's protective measures.

"Oh. Right," Castle replies as Beckett wonders if it's possible to hear a blush. "Yeah, sure, we can meet at the Haunt. It's not open yet, obviously, but I've got keys. If you're still at the precinct, I should get there before you."

"Okay, I'll see you there," Beckett replies as she unlocks her cruiser. "After we're done with Montgomery, we can talk about Remy's, okay? We'll figure out a time that works. And Castle?" she says as she hears his sounds of agreement. "Here's something I was saving for our talk there, just to whet your appetite. You know, give you something to think about."

"Based on your tone of voice, this sounds like something I'm gonna like."

"I hope so, but I guess that's something we'll need to talk about," she answers coyly. "But here you go: I asked Montgomery if you could come back to the precinct if you and I were seeing each other. Last week, before the wedding," she clarifies, feeling like it's important he knows she braved her boss' wrath back before their talk in the Hamptons.

"You did?!" Castle marvels. "What'd he say?"

"No, no, no," Beckett teases, breaking into a beaming smile even though Castle will figure it out on his own. "One more reason to make sure our Remy's date finally happens. See you at the Haunt!"


Nervous anew, Beckett wonders what prompted Montgomery to deviate from the plan since he arrived at the Haunt just minutes behind her. She would've appreciated a little private time with Castle, and now she's worried about the urgency he's attaching to this meeting.

"You can use my office," Castle offers, picking up on the tension. "It's a little early, but it's well-stocked if a good, stiff drink will help."

"You're coming with," Beckett says resolutely, reaching out to grab his hand. "I need you there," she says in a low voice, her words surprising him more than the physical contact in front of her captain.

"Well, this is different," Montgomery notes as he walks by, then stops to offer a brief smile. "Office's this way, right?"

"Follow us," Castle offers, pulling Beckett along and leading her to the stairs.

Moments later, they're ensconced in Castle's office, recently refurbished with comfortable leather furniture, a top-of-the-line sound system, and an impressive security system. As he sets the locks and types a code into the keypad, he turns to see both Montgomery and Beckett looking at him in astonishment.

"Rough neighborhood?" he justifies hopefully. When neither of them seems to accept his initial explanation, he shrugs and tries again. "This is where I've spent my downtime."

Beckett realizes immediately what he's saying. This was his retreat, his refuge during the confusion of the last several months. And when she needed a place to talk, he invited her in without hesitation. Despite the dire overtones of this meeting, she stands and approaches, silently reaching up and pulling him in for a quick but meaningful kiss. Then, after taking one last moment to touch foreheads, she returns to her seat, patting the spot next to her.

Castle joins her, leaving Montgomery to pull the desk chair around so that he can face them from the other side of a low, mahogany coffee table.

"I want a promise from you before we get started," Montgomery says sternly, focusing on Beckett. "You listen to everything, then we figure out what to do. Everything," he repeats.

Looking increasingly concerned, Beckett pauses for several long moments before nodding hesitantly.

"Good," Montgomery nods before turning to face Castle. "And I want you," he says, just as sternly, "to keep the promise you made to me two months ago."

Like Beckett, Castle takes several moments to think about Montgomery's words. Unlike Beckett, however, he shakes his head.

"I promised," Castle recalls, "that I'd protect her," he recalls, ignoring the shocked swivel of Beckett's head. "And I will. But that means backing her play. Where she goes, I go."

Montgomery meets his eyes, and the two men stare at each other until Montgomery looks down. Reaching into his coat, he pulls something from his pocket. Photos, it appears, as he sets them on the table face-down.

"We're here to talk about two people," he says somberly to start as he flips one of the photos to reveal a portrait of an attractive, young black woman. "Janelle Jackson," he says, before looking at Beckett. "Recognize her?"

Surprised by the direct request, Beckett picks up the photo and wracks her brain before huffing, shaking her head, and placing the photo down again.

"You were still a uniform when you canvassed on her brother's homicide case. Gang hit," Montgomery supplies, as Beckett's ashamed to admit this triggers no recollection. "It was her second lost brother. When you worked the case," he says with a nod to Beckett, "she still had one left. He died ten months later, same way."

Montgomery pauses, letting his eyes roam as he collects himself. Castle nods towards the liquor cabinet, but the captain waves him off.

"We're not supposed to get involved, not supposed to get attached," he says in a low voice. "But sometimes you just can't help it. A little older, she could've been my sister. A little younger, my daughter. So, I got involved. We helped her, Evelyn and I. Made sure she didn't fall the way her brothers did. Got her into a school program, helped her get her first job. That would've been right after you made detective," he says with a nod to Beckett.

This time, when his glance lands on the cabinet, Castle doesn't ask. He's back with a bottle and three glasses in a blink, pouring one for each of them, though only Montgomery partakes.

"She was doing so well," he recalls, eyes looking inward. "Promotions. A new job. Her own apartment. Then, suddenly, she was gone. No more calls, no texts. By the time I reached out, she'd left her job. They found her body two weeks later. She fell hard – drugs, booze, God Himself only knows what else. And while I had my suspicions, I never knew why," he trails off, leaving Beckett with the uncanny impression that her boss knows far more about unresolved loss than she thought.

Montgomery surprises them then, looking up suddenly with a fierce expression. "Until you left," he says to Castle. "Until the mayor sent you away because the DA was going to challenge him. Then, people started digging. Then, word of his treatment of his employees – including a beautiful, damaged, young legal secretary – came to light. And there was my confirmation. Everything she fought for, everything she overcame, all of it gone," he says as his hand slaps the table, startling Castle and Beckett, "because that irredeemable bastard abused her. He died that day," Montgomery says as if making a vow, "even if he didn't know it. His life was forfeit. He was going to give his life for taking Nelly's."

Lurching from his seat, Montgomery grabs his drink and begins to pace. "I never bought your bullshit, Rick," he says with a harsh laugh. "Karma, serendipity – how many times did you try to convince me over drinks and a few hands of cards? Well, it turns out you were right. Turner made himself expendable just when I needed a tool. A weapon." He stops pacing, looking contemplative, then offers one more option. "A means of salvation."

Then, slowly, Montgomery lifts a hand and points to the remaining picture on the table. Suddenly feeling sick, Castle turns to watch Beckett reach out hesitantly, hand pausing atop the picture. Castle reaches out, too, not for the picture, but to clasp her free hand. Emboldened, Beckett flips the picture and stifles a gasp as she finds herself looking at her mother's portrait.

"Remember when we talked, Beckett, about Turner running for office despite his sins?" Montgomery ruminates. "About the ego of people who do terrible things but try to ignore them?"

With their eyes riveted on him, Montgomery slowly walks back to the chair and lowers himself into his seat.

"Hal Lockwood died this morning," he offers in what seems like a shocking non-sequitur. "He'd just shanked Gary McAllister, but he died the same way moments later."

Shock, anger, and bitter frustration course through Beckett as she drops Castle's hand and takes Montgomery's place pacing around the office.

"How?!" she yells. "He was in Ad Seg for a reason! How'd he get out? How'd he die?!" she demands.

"It's too soon to know," Montgomery answers. "That's the official answer. But the real answer?" he pauses, looking first at Beckett and then at Castle. "The real answer is that the man who killed your mother is cleaning up, getting ready for his next big step."

"You know?" Beckett moans after freezing in place. "Who?" she demands. "Who's responsible for my mother's death?"

"Who's responsible?" Montgomery repeats the question. With a gesture to the sofa, Montgomery indicates his willingness to keep talking after Beckett reclaims her seat.

As she reluctantly perches on the edge of her seat and clasps Castle's hand in a death-grip, Beckett leans forward in anticipation of the answer to the question that's haunted her since she was nineteen.

"I am," Montgomery confesses in a low, clear voice. "I'm responsible for her death," he repeats as a keening moan leaks out of Beckett. "I'm the only one left," he continues in a haunted voice. "Just me and the man who killed her."

As a latecomer to this scene that's been more than a decade in the making, Castle's in a unique position to intercede. Montgomery looks vacant, lost inside the terrible memories in his head. Beckett looks almost catatonic, sitting in shock as she tries to reconcile the discordant ideas that the mentor who sheltered and taught her is also the one responsible for all her pain. "Perhaps," Castle says loudly to shock them both, after wrapping an arm around Beckett, "it would be best if you explained."

"Joe Pulgatti was an innocent man," Montgomery starts, before releasing a grim laugh. "Forget that. Pulgatti was as dirty and violent a thug as you can imagine," he adjusts, "but he didn't kill Bob Armen. I did," Montgomery confesses, shocking Beckett and Castle anew with another confession. "We were fighting over my weapon when it discharged. We let Pulgatti go down for it," he recalls. "Ironic, since we couldn't nail the bastard for the murders we knew he committed."

"Roy," Castle interjects again. "You're not making much sense. Start at the beginning."

"You're the storyteller," Montgomery answers with a shrug. "You know that's why I let you stay, right?" he asks, seeming to drift off track. "You walked into a hell of a story, Rick. Maybe you can do something with this mess." Montgomery looks down, apparently lost in thought, and Castle curses himself for interrupting the flow of the narrative. He's just about to prompt Montgomery again when the captain starts speaking.

"I was a rookie when it happened, Kate," he offers slowly, before raising his eyes to meet hers. "McCallister and Raglan were like heroes to me – just like Royce was to you," he adds. Suddenly, Beckett understands why he went so easy on her when she returned from LA.

"I believed in what we were doing," Montgomery continues. "We'd pick up those bastards and they'd be back on the street the next day. So, we started holding them ourselves instead of taking them to Holding," he says with a small smirk and a shrug. "A small fine and they were back on the street. That night," he says, drifting back again. "That terrible night… we were just going to snatch Pulgatti that night. Bob Armen wasn't even supposed to be there. Armen reached for my gun. That's when I heard the shot. I didn't even know it was my gun that went off 'til Armen went down," he says quietly, haunted.

"McCallister and Raglan tried to drown it, but not me," he offers, before ironically draining his glass and reaching for a refill. "I put it all into the job, Kate. I became the best cop I could be. And then when you walked into the Twelfth, I felt the hand of God. I knew he was giving me another chance, and I thought I could protect you the way I should have protected her."

"You 'protected' her?" Beckett asks in a tone soaked with confusion and betrayal. "She died! Who killed my mother?"

"I don't know how," Montgomery continues in his lost tone while ignoring Beckett, "but somehow he had figured out what we had done. And he could have turned us all in. Instead, he demanded the ransom money. He took that money to become what he is and God forgive me but that may be my greatest sin."

"Give me a name," Beckett demands. "You owe me that, Roy."

"No, Kate," he replies, seeming to come back to himself. "I give you a name, I know you. You'll run straight at him. I might as well shoot you where you stand. Better that than find you a day later, stabbed and bleeding out in an alley. He's a big one for symmetry," he says and pauses to let that imagery sink in. "No, Kate, I don't owe you a name. I owe you the man."

Beckett looks like she's ramping up for another charge, maybe physical, when Castle interjects. "Roy, it's time to tell us what's going on. Time to share this burden. Then we'll figure out how to bring him in while keeping everyone safe."

"Safe," Montgomery laughs sadly. "I doubt it. I've already made my play. Within the next week, probably two at the most, one of us will be dead."

"No!" Beckett shouts, launching to her feet again. "I don't want him dead, I want him to pay! I want him to lose his future, to watch his family and dreams disintegrate. I want him to realize…," she trails off, swiping at her cheeks. "I want him to realize that he's not enough to hold it all together."

"He might be there already," Montgomery replies, before taking another drink. "Hear me out, Kate," he implores, ignoring the baleful stare from Castle. "It'll be your choice. If that's what you want once you've heard everything, that's how we'll handle it. But you need to understand everything before you make your call."

"So tell me!" she rails. "Stop all this moralizing and rationalizing and just tell me who killed my mother."

"William Bracken," Montgomery answers, freezing Beckett in place. "Then ADA, now US senator."

"What… how…," Beckett trails off, stumbling back to the couch and collapsing next to Castle. "Senator Bracken?" she asks in a bewildered voice. Castle wraps a protective arm around her, but she's already getting over the shock, detective instincts already coming back to the fore. "This is why you pushed me to investigate the DA's office – it wasn't about Turner, it was about Bracken!"

Montgomery shakes his head, disappointed. "Think! What happened to Turner? Run off the road by an operative from a defense contractor with ties to Bracken. Remember Lockwood? He wasn't a two-bit thug, he was a pro. So was Coonan. You don't go at someone like Bracken directly, unless you want to get dead real quick."

"No," Castle suggests in a low voice, "you aim another demon at him, hoping that one will mortally wound the other before dying himself."

"Exactly," Montgomery nods, satisfied that this part of his method is understood. Then, with a heaving sigh, he turns back to Beckett.

"I met with your mother, Kate. I begged her to drop the case, told her what would happen if she went in head-first. I even gave her a tape of Bracken planning to have her killed!" he says in anguish. "But she just wouldn't back down."

"So this is her fault?" Beckett asks in a low, dangerous voice. Suddenly, Castle's arm around her becomes one of constraint rather than comfort.

"Get over yourself and open your damn eyes!" Montgomery yells in reply. With his own wide eyes, Castle can't help but wonder about the captain's moxie. Meeting Beckett's anger with more anger is a pretty risky strategy. With any luck, they won't all be killed in the resulting explosion.

"You know the dangers of drinking too much after what happened to your dad," Montgomery goes on, and Castle just shakes his head, wondering how many of Beckett's triggers the captain's going to pound. "Do you not recognize the same risk from adopting your mother's obsessive behavior? What's been the constant theme in our relationship, right from the very first time I found you reviewing her case with a flashlight in the records room?" he demands, eyes boring into her. "Restraint – working things the right way without getting lost. All this," he says with an expansive sweep of his arm, not coincidentally including Castle, "isn't worth shit if you haven't learned that."

"You keep talking, but all I'm hearing is excuses," Beckett lays into Montgomery, ignoring his advice and reference to their early days. "All I hear is that my mom wouldn't have died if you hadn't broken the law," she rails, "and that bringing down Bracken would've been a hell of a lot easier when he was an ADA than when he's a senator!"

"You think I could've brought him down, even then?" Montgomery asks, avoiding the issue of his own culpability. "The only evidence – and there wasn't much – pointed at us, not him. He was the silent partner. We'd have gone down, probably by his hand. And don't think he was any less lethal then. He might be using mercs now, but he's always had muscle. Think of who an ADA might encounter in the course of his job. Think about the opportunities for a corrupt ADA."

"This all sounds like hypotheticals, like conjec…"

"Think about anyone who also had something to lose because of your mother, say someone down in Washington Heights…" Montgomery suggests as he overrides her.

"Simmons?" Beckett growls, bringing her hands to her face. "Simmons and Bracken?"

"Now you're getting the picture," Montgomery nods sadly. "We provided his seed money, and he invested it well. Bracken's built a corrupt empire. He's nearly untouchable to us."

"Bullshit," Beckett returns immediately. "He's just another criminal. Someone we're supposed to arrest, in case you've forgotten," she spits witheringly.

"So call me selfish," Montgomery fires back. "I want to live. I want my family to live. I want you and your team to live. And I can guarantee one thing – arresting him will prove lethal for someone."

"So what's your solution? Send an inept, abusive DA after him?" Beckett asks incredulously.

"I pushed you to look into the DA's office so that Turner would know we were investigating him," Montgomery explains after taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Remember? I wanted him to reach out to me. When he did, I let him think we were investigating at Bracken's insistence. I wound him up and set him loose."

"That's pretty cold, captain," Castle interjects, looking at Montgomery in a new way.

"No, 'cold' is Nelly's grave," Montgomery answers grimly in return. "My only concern was that the idiot wouldn't make enough noise before Bracken took him out. So, I had to make sure he was primed to go public with anything he found. You saw the press conference, you know what happened."

"But Turner's out of the picture," Beckett pushes. "Who're you gonna send next?"

"No," Castle disagrees before Montgomery answers. "It worked, didn't it? Because someone new is making moves. If Lockwood was Bracken's, then his death means that someone else is in the game."

"My hope back then," Montgomery answers, again ruminating, "was that Bracken would go on to be a moderately successful politician. That way, he'd be gone and stay gone. If his career crumbled, he'd have thrown in with Simmons and tried to leverage me. If his career took off, then he'd eventually need to clean the skeletons out of his closet. I knew time was running out when he started doing well in Washington," he confesses, reaching for another drink.

"You know what's funny?" Montgomery asks rhetorically, getting confused looks as neither Castle nor Beckett find anything about this remotely humorous. "He actually has to run for higher office. I suspect he uses his political campaigns to launder his money. If so, then he's got a kind of reverse-Ponzi scheme going – he's got more and more money to process."

"But not enough," Castle answers, eyes alight with conspiracy theories. "He's been adopted, hasn't he? That'd explain his success as an Independent, his grooming. Someone's playing kingmaker…," Castle ruminates before jolting and looking directly at Montgomery. "That's what you're doing, isn't it?" in a tone of awe. "You crazy, reckless bastard," Castle says, running his free hand through his hair. "You're turning their asset into a liability."

"Not reckless," Montgomery denies. "I've got it all mapped out, though I've had to adjust. Lockwood went sooner than I thought – he was my canary in the coalmine. I didn't expect any moves until after an upcoming story about Bracken's campaign financing."

"A story that draws heavily on an anonymous source, I assume?" Castle asks with a raised brow, shaking his head again. "Good thing Bracken doesn't play cards with us. You've got a terrible poker face. He'd have seen your play coming a mile away."

"Why do you think I sent Turner?" Montgomery replies with a shrug and a hint of a smile. "But you're wrong. Bracken knows what I'm doing now. He's already tried to kill me."

"What?" Beckett rejoins the conversation suddenly. "When?"

"Last week," Montgomery offers with another shrug. "He was rattled, tried to force me to find out what the DA knew. When I told him to get lost, he detonated the burner phone I was using. Had it been next to my head, instead of in the blast box I borrowed from the bomb squad, there'd still be bits of me all over my office."

"Seriously?" Castle asks, more intrigued than afraid. "An exploding phone? Seems kind of far-fetched. Still, I'm gonna tuck that one away in case I bring Storm back. Seems like a good way to end a hostage situation."

"Focus, Castle," Beckett chides. "If Bracken's so fearsome, why are you still alive? He would've known immediately that his attempt failed."

"Of course he knew," Montgomery replies quickly. "But I knew as soon as I answered that call that he'd try to take me out. I thought a sniper was more likely, but he probably figured I was ready for that after Raglan," Montgomery explains, getting a nod from Castle. "So, I compromised myself in the conversation. I told him I recorded it all, including that parts where I incriminated myself."

"Brilliant," Castle marvels, getting a quick head spin and glare from Beckett. "It's a perfect defensive play – he knows you can't prosecute him with it or you go down, too. But if he takes you out…," Castle trails off, thinking. "You've got copies of the conversation that'll go public if you die, don't you?"

Montgomery answers by reaching into his coat again and withdrawing an envelope that he extends to Beckett. She stares at the envelope for a moment as if worried it's an illusion before slowly reaching out and taking it from her captain.

"That's a copy of everything," Montgomery says quietly. "The recording I just mentioned and anything I've collected on Bracken, including some of the campaign finance stuff you'll see in the Ledger by the end of the week. While it might not meet the standard of 'evidence,' it's enough to end his career. And we might be able to get it admitted as evidence," he says while looking directly at Beckett, "with corroborating testimony."

Beckett knits her brows as she thinks about what Montgomery said, testing her understanding of what she just heard. Recognizing her confusion, Montgomery draws his confession to a close.

"This is the choice I mentioned when we started," the captain says earnestly, staring at Beckett. "How we go from here is up to you. Leave things alone and I think Bracken will be gone soon – his keepers can't use damaged goods and are unlikely to tolerate loose ends. Lockwood's already gone. Bracken's days are numbered."

Beckett doesn't speak as she contemplates this possibility, nearly doesn't move. If not for the thumb that strokes the envelope in her hand, she'd be a statue.

"The alternative," Montgomery offers with a clear voice, "is that you go arrest Bracken. I'll testify. No deals, no conditions – I'll pay my debt to you."

That choice stills Beckett entirely. The three of them sit in silence as Beckett considers her options. And the likely repercussions from her potential choices.

"You'll die, won't you?" she says quietly. "If you testify." Montgomery's about to answer when Beckett interjects again. "And if not you, then Evelyn. Or Mary. Or Rebecca," she speculates, watching Montgomery flinch at the reference to his wife and daughters. "If this goes higher than the Senate, then you wouldn't be safe in WITSEC or anywhere else, would you?" she asks. "And so another young girl would lose a parent to this monster. Or a sibling. Or her life."

"I can do it," Castle interjects, grasping for a solution. "I'm not the government and I've got money – I can set his family up somewhere else, somewhere out of the country. We could…"

"No," Beckett and Montgomery reply in unison, each sounding fierce.

"I won't jeopardize you or your family, Rick," Montgomery declares. "These are my sins and I'll pay for them."

"Maybe," Beckett replies, catching the attention of the others in the room. "Maybe you will," she repeats, "but not by my hand. We'll play it your way for now," she says quietly, shoulders slumping. "I've dreamed of seeing my mother's killer behind bars. But I can accept your alternative." Castle gives her a squeeze and Montgomery looks confused until she drops the hammer. "With two conditions."

Castle gives her another squeeze while Montgomery shifts from confused to wary. "What conditions?" her boss asks.

"First," she declares, resolute, "two weeks. If Bracken's not gone in two weeks, then we meet here to discuss how we'll bring him down."

Looking nervous that two weeks won't be sufficient, Montgomery still nods.

"Second," Beckett replies, "you're gone."

"Kate…," Castle moves to intervene, worried about protecting Montgomery and his family if he severs ties with the Twelfth.

"For now," she clarifies, giving Castle a squeeze. "It's not safe for you to be exposed right now. Castle," she asks while turning to him, "the tunnels out of here still work, right? You think you could arrange something to get the captain out of town, get him and his family hidden for two weeks?"

"Of course," Castle answers immediately, impressed by her pragmatism and anxious to set plans in motion lest she change her mind.

"Well?" she asks, turning to Montgomery.

Looking at her intensely, Montgomery offers a slow nod. It appears that he's going to remain silent until a heartfelt exhalation surprises them all. "Thank you," he whispers, suddenly looking like a man who was strapped to the table before the governor issued a reprieve.

Now it's Beckett who can't speak. Instead, she stands, pulling Castle by the hand as she makes her way to the door to his office. Casting a look at Montgomery, she's frustrated that they're afforded no privacy. Noticing her look, Castle disengages the locks and ushers her just outside the door to the bottom of the stairs. There isn't room on the landing for both of them, though, so Beckett stands on the first step and recognizes the rare advantage of height over him with a fleeting quirk of her lips.

"Can I ask you a favor, Rick?" she whispers as his hands reach out to bracket her hips and her eyes drift closed. "Will you… deal with him?" she asks. "I don't want him hurt, but I just can't… I just need some time to think about all this."

Despite their recent attempts at direct communication, they're both still well-versed in subtext and Castle thinks he recognizes the message here. "Of course," he offers bravely. "I'll take care of it. Just be safe, please."

"What?" Beckett asks, eyes shooting open again. "You're going with him?"

"No," Castle fumbles quickly, "of course not. I just thought you wanted to deal with this on your own," he shrugs, eyes falling as he tries to hide his disappointment that they've not come farther than this.

"I do," Beckett says earnestly, "for as long as it takes you to sort out Montgomery. And then I'd like to think about it alone," she says, lifting her arms to rest on his chest, "with you. Would that be okay? I'll be horrible company, but I'd feel better if you were nearby."

"That'd be okay," he replies, his attempt at understatement foiled by the smile that blossoms across his face. "I'll take care of Roy and then be right over."

"Actually," Beckett says nervously, hands toying with the placket of Castle's shirt, "can I come to the loft?" she asks with a blush. "Despite everything else we were dealing with back then," she prefaces with a huff, "I felt safe when I stayed there. I'd like to feel that again," she confesses, lowering her head to hide behind her hair.

But she can't hide, since she's standing a stair above. Instead, lowering her head moves her forehead toward Castle, who graces it with a kiss of benediction. "I'll make up your room," he promises, ensuring that they're not moving too quickly after their recent troubles. "Wake me, please, when you get there? I'd stay awake if I could but last night was rough," he admits, while Beckett kicks herself for forgetting that Castle's already put in an intense 15-hour shift before this discussion and has another tonight, "but I'll sleep better when I know you're safe."

"Thank you," she says, returning a kiss to his forehead. "I need to go," she says, "and you need to take care of him so you can get some sleep. But, Rick?" she prompts, getting his blue eyes focused directly on her, "I didn't know what Montgomery was doing with Bracken or that he was even working on mom's case," she admits. Castle nods along, since her reactions to Montgomery's confessions were readily apparent.

"If this is it, if I finally get some measure of peace for her, I want you to know something," she says while patting his chest, directly over his heart. "I never thought I could be happy, that I could really love someone, until mom could rest in peace. I know we still have hurts from our past, that you might still resent what happened or how we got here, but Castle – you were something I couldn't wait for any longer. You know, better than anyone, what my mother means to me. So you know what it means that I didn't wait," she whispers as she leans in for a kiss. "When it mattered most, I put you first."


A/N: There you go – a dollop of intrigue to complement a budding romance. Montgomery's naivete about what would happen when Bracken ran for office always struck me as inconsistent with his personality. For as smart a cop as he appeared to be, he must've known that his past would catch up with him. Yes, he had his file, but that neither worked nor offered any particular protection to his family. So, I've pushed him into a more active role.

The sad thing about this chapter is that it still didn't get as far as I'd like. But no more – three chapters is enough for week twelve. I'll bump the omitted bit into week thirteen.

As you can tell, I'm back from Alaska, though getting back home was a fair bit of the adventure. I managed to get some writing done, but I'm lagging in reading and reviewing, so my apologies to my fanfic friends who deserve more diligence. I'm hoping to slowly dig out and catch up. I might not be quick, but I'll get there!

Finally, for the guest reviewer who asked if this will head into M territory, I'm afraid I'll leave that to your imaginations, which will surpass anything I could write in that regard.