She is back before the four weeks of unpaid leave she had requested are up.

Back in the City ahead of schedule for her appointment with Deputy Chief Gates.

With pretty much nothing to show for it.

First she had dropped everything to chase Castle to DC and try and prevent him being mired in this.

She failed.

Again.

Then she spent the rest of the time trying to investigate in DC.

And failed.

Again.

Then she is told that it was all over.

And that she had failed.

Absolutely.

So here she is again, meeting with her former boss, although this time the meeting is in Gate's new office at One PP.

Not the Twelfth.

Not her precinct.

Not that it is anymore.

Probably never will be again.

Not since she choose to compound her issues with her request for a sudden leave of absence.

One that was accepted all too eagerly by the NYPD.

Never a good sign.

She had been warned.

Rita. Gates. Rick.

Her choices.

Alone.

All her choices.

So she's back in the City and the first place she goes is to see her employer (for now).

Not Rick. She dare not call him husband even in her head. Too afraid of the disappointment. Of the finality of one last failure. To be fair she had tried phoning him, Alexis, Martha and even the doorman's number. Only the last answered and still she had nothing. Eduardo had been the soul of courtesy but had not seen any of the family in days.

There wasn't time between her plane landing and her bought-forward appointment with the Deputy Chief to divert to the loft to try first hand.

So here she is waiting outside Gates' office like a naughty child.

"Come in Beckett. You can leave your luggage outside."

"Sir." She rises and follows her boss inside and takes the proffered seat as Gates closes the door.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me ahead of schedule."

"Beckett, quite frankly I am a little surprised to see you back here. Especially so soon."

"Sir?"

"Well you have hardly been a paragon recently in terms of fulfilling your duties and being where you are meant to be."

Her mouth straightens slightly as she bites into the inside of her lips and resolutely does not respond to the very direct observation and part taunt. How can she?

"I would ask where you have been but that really does not matter I think. Never-the-less is there anything you wish to disclose?"

Her lips stay pressed together. It is heady brew of a desire not to drag someone into this along with humiliation at finding nothing despite employing every skill she knew, every connection she had, and it wasn't enough. Except to make her doubt herself. She had nothing to justify why she was here.

"You are not going to tell me. Very well. I know enough to read between the lines."

Beckett shifts uncomfortably but Gates pushes ahead. "It is federal in nature. Most likely national security. It has ties to your former job with the Attorney General's office and the death of a number of their agents. A gather some of them were former team mates from your brief fling at being a Fed."

She pushes her glasses down and looks directly at Beckett as if gauging her.

"But you were no longer a federal agent, back in the employ of the NYPD with all the responsibilities and duties of a Precinct captain. So this – whatever it is – really didn't need your attention. But off you went. But your presence here, and your demeanour indicates that you didn't solve it. So what did it achieve?"

"Nothing." Squeezed out between gritted teeth. "Nothing."

"Actually you're wrong Beckett." She is?

"I've seen Mister Castle. He has continued to assist on one occasion with an investigation with the Twelfth. But perhaps we will return to that in a bit. But I've seen him and I have fairly good idea what you have achieved with your relationship with him."

Well that's one better than her. She hasn't seen him in weeks. Or heard from him.

She told herself that she was getting closer. Tried to make the implausible convincing. But she didn't and it wasn't. What few leads she had turned into dead ends. Turns out there is very limited authority for a stood-down NYPD captain especially in DC and the other cities her fruitless hunt took her. Especially where her own department has effectively disavowed her. And being sacked from a federal agency for breaching confidentially. Well that was a killer blow to her efforts.

Then there was Rick. She had wanted to call after watching him get torn apart on that late night show. Damn Paula for putting him in that position. Wait that's not exactly right. Damn her for the decisions resulting in him being there. Feeling the need to go on TV to explain the fact that his marriage of less than a year looks to the public, and quite probably those who know them better, to be over. Well shit that was one record she never expected to be at risk of beating. Lasting far less time than either Meredith or Gina. She's seemingly also failed at both 'one' and 'done' to add to ignominy.

Gates' voice brings her back to the moment. "Personal circumstances aside, I do have an update for you."

"Sir?"

"You will not be returning to the Twelfth."

There is no apology with that. Or much of an explanation. She doesn't even protest. Too tired, too beaten down, too lost to fight back.

"But there is a slight possibility of a path back. I will get to that in a minute."

Oh! She wants to feel relieved that there may be hope but she already knows that do not necessarily bode well for her.

"To be honest as this stage you are extremely fortunate to still be employed by the NYPD.

"You have a limited number of you people to thank for that. Your husband naturally. Obviously the man loves you beyond all reason. Why else would he pretty much burn any remaining credit and goodwill with the city administration and the NYPD to try and safeguard your continued employment? For the woman who seemingly has left him and has exposed him to public ridicule and possibly danger."

He what? "Sir?" Is all the question she can brave.

"He visited myself and the Chief of Detectives last week to plead your case. Very eloquently as it happens. The morning after he was ambushed on that talk show. Even so it was not enough to make the difference." But he tried. For her?

"But there was also a phone call placed direct to the Commissioner the day after that. Obviously from a government agency based on the instructions that came out from the Commissioner including some that directly related to you.

"Sir. How?"

"Beckett I am not at liberty to discuss those details, and as for Mister Castle that is clearly not my place. You need to speak to him for that information." If she can. Gates is silent so this line of discussion is clearly over for now.

"So what happens to me?"

"You are being assigned to a new inter-agency task force that will be handling coordination between multiple precinct and various agencies including Homeland and FBI relating to major events.

"You will keep you will keep your rank and pay for the moment, although this is subject to monthly performance checkpoints and a mandatory review in six months. This is not a kindness.

"Quite frankly the Twelfth is a mess Beckett. There was an accidental discharge of an officer's weapon and an injury resulted. Fortunately for all involved it was decided to lay the responsibility with the Precinct Captain and there will be no formal action against the officers involved."

Oh God. Could it get any worse?

"Whatever else he was Roy Montgomery was a good captain, and I would like to think that despite the difference in styles my time there was no less productive. I will not even credit the few moments you have actually managed to spend in the precinct as being in charge.

"You abandoned you responsibilities, you people, your family, to go chasing ghosts. Outside of your jurisdiction and without any approval. This is not the movies or television, or I dare say Mister Castle's books. This is reality. You cannot act like that. Then you ask, actually demand is closer, four weeks leave, unpaid, and somehow expect us to accommodate you."

"Sir…"

"Beckett you have no idea how close you came to not being able to come back at all. Opinion is split. There is a significant minority in favour of sacking you. Similar numbers for demotion. Very few are inclined to be understanding at all. None are willing to be lenient or accept the reasons for your absence. I told you when I granted your temporary leave that there was likely no turning back. Well Kate you have run yourself into a dead end."

"I'll be honest. At the moment they cannot sack you because you are too high profile and then add in the gender issue. But there is a significant percentage of the administration that can and will make you continued employment by the NYPD as onerous as possible with the intention of getting you to resign. You could well end up in Special Services Division."

Well shit. "So this temporary assignment will be followed by another and then another?"

"That is not certain. Perform well, and more importantly don't rock the boat, do not go off reservation, simply put do your job, and maybe there is a way back. But it will be long and not without risks."

"I could go back to being a detective?"

"Although some favored it, demotion is not an option. Makes us look stupid for promoting you in the first place." The clear implication that Gates already feels betrayed. Well she wouldn't be the only person Kate has disappointed.

"You can collect your badge and weapon from my assistant tomorrow, and report for duty next Monday."

"Sir." That gives her tomorrow and weekend to see what she can do to start making amends.

"That will be all Captain Beckett."

Author's note - thank you for reading and following this story. Reviews are most welcome but please keep it polite and respectful. Cheers