ALL'S NOT FAIR IN LOVE
Chapter 11 - Forging Ahead
The Morning After
Kate is the first to awaken. She is entwined with Rick, her back fitting the curve of Rick's front and she feels his chest on her back as Rick breaths. Rick's arms hold her in an embrace and Kate felt so comfortable and safe there with him. She senses Rick come to and turns with some effort to face him. As she does, she sees him opening his eyes. She would be the first vision to come to him when Rick awakens.
As Rick's eyes open, he catches her face with his sight. She is so beautiful in the morning and Rick realizes his dreams have come true. He wakes up with Kate there to greet him as he comes out of his sleep.
"Morning Kate. How do you feel this morning."
Kate normally avoided the morning after contact. With Wil, either he or she would be gone to work by the time the other awoke, so they had avoided that contact. On weekends, when there was no work to go to, the first one to wake up was normally already in the shower. So again they avoided the morning after intimacy.
This time with Rick, it is different. This time it seemed so right to wake up in each other's company wrapped in each others' arms.
"Last night was awesome! You were amazing", Kate says.
"No Kate, we were amazing. We are meant for each other, and this is what I have wanted all along, waking up with you in bed."
She has no words to respond to him. She simply looks at him and realizes that what they had could not be expressed in words. So Kate pulls into Rick and plants a long and lustful kiss to his lips. Rick responds in kind.
When they break their kiss, Kate starts to get up as if to leave the bed, but Rick pulls her back.
"Just a few minutes more please, I still have not had enough of you."
Kate's heart softens with his request. So for the next 15 minutes they are in bed cuddling, until they realize they had to get up and back to the marina at the Hamptons. As Kate walks away from him heading for the head and a shower, Rick takes in her view. She is simply gorgeous. Her naked body beautiful and perfect as she walks away from him to the shower.
"Oh Castle", she says in a teasing voice, "are you coming?"
Rick immediately jumps out of the bed and goes to share a shower with Kate.
Later, at the helm station, Kate is standing handling the wheel. Rick is at her back, with his hands coming around her from behind her. They are steering the wheel together. This is how they navigate back to the Hamptons until they reach the entrance of the marina where Rick takes over to dock the boat. It is now early evening just before sunset. They tie up the boat as the colors of the setting sun brightens the early evening sky. For both, it has been an eventful and life changing boat trip. The future is bright for the couple and life is now filled with lots of expectations soon to be realized. Kate and Rick had finally become a true couple in all aspects of a committed relationship!
A Shocking Case
After that first night together their new dynamic is clearly evident. Weeks passed by quickly and those who did not know the couple would have not seen the difference, but their close friends had noticed. They were now even more comfortable than before with each other. There was a new confidence in the two, as if each now knew theirs was clearly a union meant to be. As if the universe had deemed it so.
They continued to act almost as one mind that made them so unique as partners. They still would do things for the other without a word being spoken and sometimes separated by distance and time. Rick had gone on a two week book tour in the Chicago area, but had arranged for their favorite coffee place to deliver a cup and pastry to her each day of his tour. The treat would no sooner arrive when Rick would call and ask her if the coffee was prepared like she wanted it. He knew when she was ready to take her coffee, despite their separation.
On yet another day of Rick's tour, Kate got busy with a case and had forgotten to eat lunch. Around 2pm a delivery man comes in with a lunch for Kate and a message coming from Castle that she should eat. Before she can take a bite of the lunch, Kate's phone rings, "I'm eating", she says into the phone when she answers knowing it was Rick calling.
It was spooky action from a distance, as if the two were telepathically joined.
Their banter was even more teasing now, but they seemed to enjoy it that way. On case celebrations at 'The Haunt' they often were at each other's side during the whole event.
Still their case solving remained the same; their mind meld even more apparent. Each coming to the same conclusions at the same time and then relating their findings out loud, each completing the other's sentences at times, even before the other could finish.
This was a dynamic that all who knew of them would always comment this is their main strength when it came to solving cases. Both were quick to see the dots and connect them, sometime together simultaneously, or by helping the other see the clues so as to bring them back on track. The boys continued to marvel at their abilities to solve a case quickly and with details that often would escape others on the case.
Then they got a tough one that turned out to be the worse case they had ever taken on. It started as a robbery-homicide and then lead to evidence that their Captain had been involved in a past extortion scheme, along with two other cop buddies. The rising ADA at the time, one William Bracken, found out about the extortion and demand kickback for his silence. Bracken had used that money in his bid for U.S. Senate and that former ADA is now indeed the current U.S. Senator for the state of New York.
The extortion had involved accepting money from the Mob for release of members whom they had kidnapped with threat of arrest and imprisonment if money was not provided to drop the action. These police officers had rationalized their actions as hurting the mob in a way that was not allowed. The fact that they profited financially from their actions was the icing on the cake for them. Their Captain Montgomery had even been part of this extortion which resulted in the murder of Kate's mom, Johanna Bracken. Kate's mom had discovered the extortion when she was counsel for one of the officers falsely arrested for the crime. Johanna Beckett had been killed to coverup the corruptions by police and ADA Bracken.
Things finally came to a head when Montgomery tried to stop the people behind the coverup who now were eliminating anyone who knew of the crime. This to include Kate Beckett who had discovered evidence of the extortion. It seems Bracken was making a run for the U.S. Presidency and was now cleaning house. Thus the cleanup so that none of this corrupt activity could be brought out during his presidential campaign. For Montgomery's efforts to clean up the mess that he had participated in, he had forfeited his life. A life that he had knowingly surrendered trying to make amends for his past bad actions. After Montgomery's death for trying to prevent the coverup of that past corruption, the team met at Kate's apartment.
"No one outside this immediate family ever needs to know about this. As far as the world is concerned, Roy Montgomery died a hero. We owe it to him. All of us", Kate had told her team.
Days later, the official Funeral of Capt. Roy Montgomery was held. Castle and the boys were Pall Bearers and Kate delivered the eulogy.
The Funeral of Roy Montgomery
The NYPD spared no expense for his funeral. It was full-on, fallen officer. There was even a fly over by NYPD helicopters doing the missing man formation. Everyone is there – Mayor, Police Commissioner, DA, ADA's, ME's and everyone at the Twelfth. They are all joined by significant guests like Martha, Alexis, and Jim Beckett. Montgomery's family were seated in the first row of the assembly to receive the American Flag which had been draped over the Captain's coffin. The local NYC news covered the event.
Kate is delivering her eulogy, "Roy Montgomery taught me what it meant to be a cop. He taught me that we are bound by our choices, but we are more than our mistakes. Captain Montgomery once said to me that for us, there is no victory. There are only battles. And in the end, the best you can hope for is to find a place to make your stand. And if you're very lucky, you find someone to stand with you."
She gives a sidelong glance to Castle as if seeking reassurance from him on her speech.
Kate continues, "Our Captain would want us to carry on the fight. And even if there is ….."
Rick is distracted by something glinting in the distance. He sees it once, twice, and on the third time he realizes it's the scope of a gun, trained right at Kate as she is delivering the eulogy. A shot rings out and Rick has a split second head start, running towards her, he attempts to take the bullet for her, but he's not in time. She's hit. She lurches backwards as Castle catches her, and lays her down gently on the grass.
"Kate!", he is stunned. He sees what is happening, but it is an out of body experience.
The mourners at the funeral all scream as they realize what's just happened. Lanie is horrified for her friend but she's held back by Espo.
Ryan is the first to speak out after the shot, "Where'd that come from?"
"Lanie! Get down!", Javi yells at her, and covers her with his body.
"Beckett's down! Beckett's down!", Ryan says as he draws his backup gun from his ankle holster. Ryan's searching, looking, so as to return rounds if more are coming, but none come.
Rick has got Kate. He's trying to keep Kate calm, keep her with him.
"Kate, shh… Kate. Stay with me, Kate. Don't leave me, please. Stay with me, okay?"
She's trying, focusing as hard as she can on him, but it's too much. She's been shot and she's scared and she can't stop the tears from escaping her eyes.
"Kate, I love you. I love you, Kate", he is cradling her in his arms.
Rick is desperately trying to get her to do something, respond, anything, to let him know that she's going to be okay. The tiniest smile passes over her mouth as she realizes what he's just told her, but she's in shock and her body can't handle any more. Her eyes drift closed. Castle still holds her, trying to process how this can end okay and willing her to come back to him. One lone tear runs down Rick's nose as he tries to grasp what just happened.
Everything is a blur. There's blood and hands and screaming and lights. Everything is mixed and indistinguishable, blurring together to form one mess of a memory. The long beep of a heart monitor is heard in the distance, Rick not aware he is in the ambulance with her, heading to the nearest hospital.
At The Hospital
EMTs are running, pushing a gurney with Kate Beckett on it down a long hallway. Lanie is riding on the side, compressing the bullet hole in Kate's chest.
"C'mon Kate. You do not die on me! Stay with me! Stay with me!", Lanie is heard telling Kate.
A doctor runs up to meet them. The doctor on duty is one Josh Davidson
"Single GSW to the left chest, initially unresponsive, lost vitals right in front of us.", recounts the EMT to Dr. Davidson
"Stay with me! Do not die! C'mon, girl!", again Lanie is heard pleading still compressing Kate's wound in her chest.
Castle runs behind them, trying to keep up with the gurney. Beckett is still unresponsive.
"Set up for a chest tube, trauma one. (to Lanie) Switch, we've got this!"
Lanie recognizes the attending doctor as Josh Davidson and tells him, "Josh, save her please!"
Lanie doesn't relent on the pressure she's keeping on Kate's chest, until Josh takes over.
"Josh, save her, do you understand me. We can't lose her."
"Then let us save her life."
Lanie can't hold back her tears as the EMTs and the doctor wheel Beckett into a trauma room.
The Trauma Room
Josh Davidson is the on-call trauma doctor. He prepares himself for this newest surgery as they prepare to transfer Beckett from the gurney to the operating table.
"Stop compressions", directs Josh.
The nurse pulls the mask off Kate's face and Josh sees her face for the first time in months.
"Kate, I'm here", then Josh says to the others on the surgical team, " Her breathing is shallow. Let's get her to the table. One, two, three…"
On three they move her to the table. Josh is fairly calm.
"Who is she Doctor Davidson?
"She used to be my girlfriend. But we had a bad split-up. It was my fault. Now I must save her, not just because I am a doctor, but because I owe it to her. This will be redemption for me for the way I ended it with her. I must save her, prepare her for surgery."
Hearing what the doctor just told them, the trauma team proceeds with increased purpose to save the police officer. The team got her to operating table in record time before she could succumb to her injury. It is a grueling three hour procedure. But Josh does some of the best surgery he has ever done. Even his colleagues are impressed by his skill, now at the top of perfection.
After the operation, Josh goes to brief Rick and his family, Kate's father, and her friends and co-workers many of whom had arrived and assembled in the waiting room.
As Josh enters the waiting room he is surrounded by all of Kate's family and friends.
"How's my daughter?", asks Jim Beckett.
"It was touch and go for a while. She flat-lined once and we had to revive her. But I got the bullet out and stop her bleeding."
"Thank you Josh for saving her life", says Rick.
"It's my job to save her, but also, it was my way of making amends for how Kate and I ended. It is redemption for me to bring her back to life. This is my way of telling her despite it all and the way it ended, she did mean something more to me than how we parted."
"I think Kate forgave you some time back Josh. You were just not around to receive it", says Lanie.
"When can we see her?", asks Jim Beckett.
"We have her in an induced coma so she can recover, but once she's out of danger, I will let you all know. For now, go home. Thank the universe that Kate made it. And I will see you all again when Kate comes out of this."
A Talk With An Ex
Josh is there when Kate comes to from her induced coma. He is the first one she sees. At first, Kate wonders if she is dreaming, seeing Josh in front of her for the first time in months since their breakup. Then she recalls her shooting and realizes she is in a hospital.
"Josh, was I shot and did you operate on me?"
"Yes I did. You were shot by a sniper at your captain's funeral and brought here to my hospital. The bullet missed your heart by fractions of an inch, otherwise you would be dead. It was one of the toughest procedures I have ever done. "
"Thank you Josh for saving my life."
"I had too, despite my doctor's oath to preserve life, it was my way of making up for how we ended it."
She starts to speak, but Josh tells her to just rest and listen, and then he will be gone.
"Since the breakup, I have changed. It changed me Kate. I no longer go for the chase, I now look for the one, my one. I will never find another you, but I can be with the one meant for me. I will not repeat ever what I did to you that caused us to end it. I am living up to that image that you had of me when we first met. I want to that person every day and with every date I have had since our split. I may never find someone like you, again, but I will also never regret our time together. I will try to be worthy of every woman I am with and hopefully will find my one. Thank you for that Kate."
She had changed Josh for the better. That acknowledgement re-assures her that her decision to let him go without being jailed was the right choice. It eases her conscience that letting Josh free like she had done had resulted in a good outcome. She had taken that chance on him and here it is; a good ending to a failed relationship. It was indeed all she had hoped for from him since their breakup. A life changing lesson for Josh that had altered his wrong path and set him on his current path.
As Josh starts to leave, before he exits the room, Kate speaks out.
"I forgive you Josh! I have for some time now. You were not around for me to let you know and I thought it wise not to seek you out, but know that you are forgiven. Please let everyone know I am well and that it was you that saved me."
Josh smiles and nods his head yes. Redemption it was for him!
With that final talk done, Kate falls into another recovery sleep shortly after Josh left her.