The Root of All Evil

Chapter 5

"Sheriff Beckett, to what do I owe this pleasure?" General Johnson greeted as he stepped through the flap of his tent, placing his hat on his head as he walked towards them.

Kate nodded down to him as she leaned forward on her horse, her arms folded over Whispers neck, allowing her to rest her forearms on the beast's mane. Castle had wanted to take the buggy, arguing that she shouldn't be riding a horse; it wasn't good for the baby. She had just rolled her eyes and swung herself up on Whisper like always, settling onto the bare back of the girl, the heels of her boots tapping gently into the sides of her stomach as she waited for Castle to mount Bucket. She shook her head slightly. Esposito was never naming one of her animals again.

"Afternoon General," Kate replied. "I don't believe you've met Richard Castle, my fiancé."

The general's brow rose slightly as his gaze shifted from Kate to Rick. "No, I don't believe I have."

He reached out a hand as Castle slid down from his horse, grasping the general's hand in his own. "It's a pleasure, General."

"The sentiment is mutual, Mr. Castle. You're a reporter, correct? From New York?"

"Yes, Sir. Well from Colorado Springs now. James Porter and I are talking of starting up our own newspaper out here. Colorado Springs is growing, a newspaper is just what it needs right now."

"Indeed. I bet you have your hands full with this one." The general joked, his eyes flickering towards Kate as she slid down off of her own horse and leveled the men with a glare.

"You have no idea," Castle replied as he held a hand out to her.

Kate's eyes narrowed more as she studied his outstretched hand with pursed lips, her arms folded over her chest. Castle cleared his throat. "Anyway, Kate and I are here because we wanted to ask you a favor. We were wondering if you would wed us?"

The general's eyes became wide this time as he looked between the pair and a small smile crossed his face. "It would be my pleasure but I am curious, you did not want Preacher Miller to marry you?"

Castle bit back a laugh when Kate's hand snapped out to slap him on the chest.

"Let's just say that we have some creative differences," Kate replied, a placating smile on her face.

The general let out a hearty laugh and motioned for one of his lieutenants to come over. "Why am I not surprised? I would be happy to. When would you like it to take place? I am leaving in a week to go back to Washington. Politicians, you can never make them happy but I will be back in a couple of months."

"Actually, General," Castle started, taking a step forward. "We were wondering if you could do it now."

"Now?"

"Yes, Sir," Kate chimed in. "We're on a little bit of a time table."

The general looked between them for a second before his eyes flickered down to where Kate's hand had unconsciously come to rest on top of her belly. He let out a knowing hum as Kate turned red and her hand snapped down to grasp her other behind her back.

"I see," General Johnson laughed. "Well, why not? Did you have any witnesses you would like to have?"

"Yes," Castle stated, turning around to look back towards town. "They should be here soon."

The general nodded. "Well I will have the cook whip us up something special for tonight. It is not every day I get to perform a wedding. No matter the circumstances." He paused to pin them both with a glare, causing Kate to blush again. "It is a cause for celebration."

He walked away to give an order to one of his men and Castle turned to look at Kate, a smile forming over his lips. "You're embarrassed. I never thought I would see the day that Kate Beckett would blush."

"I am not," Kate retorted, her arms coming up to cross over her chest.

"Yes you are. It's cute. You respect him."

"Of course I respect him. He's a general and a good man."

"Well, if it makes a difference, I believe he respects you, too," Castle replied, his hand coming up to rest on the small of her back.

"Really?" She looked up at him, eyes wide, as she brushed a lock of hair, which was floating across her face, back behind her ear.

"Really."

"So," The general started, as he came back over to them. "How is Colorado Springs fairing? I hear the mine is fixing to open again soon."

"Yes, Sir," Kate replied, leaning back against Castle's shoulder, taking in a sudden breath. "It should be up and running within the next month. Excuse me for a second."

Castle and General Johnson watched as Kate bolted for the tree line, before falling to her knees and heaving.

Castle let out a sigh and brought a hand up to rub his forehead.

"Has she been this ill the whole time?" Johnson asked quietly, taking another step towards him.

Castle's eyes flickered over to him. "Yes, Sir. I'm at a loss for what to do. My first wife never had this problem. Kate is barely eating. I'm worried."

Johnson nodded. "Mint tea. It helped my wife."

Castle let out a relieved smile. "Thank you General. I will stop by the reservation later to pick some up."

The general took a step forward. "Have you heard about Bryant?"

Castle's face fell, as the more serious topic came up. "We have. Kate received a telegram this morning."

The general nodded. "I'll have more patrols out. I can even post some people in town if you would like."

Castle nodded. "Thank you General, but that is something you would have to take up with the sheriff."

"Of course," General Johnson replied, looking contrite as Kate approached them. "Sheriff, Mr. Castle and I were just talking about Ethan Bryant. Would you like me to post a few patrols to town?"

Kate's eyes flickered between the pair, her first response that she could take care of her town on her own dying on her lips. "I believe that would be a good idea, General. I would appreciate it."

"Of course," Johnson replied.

A buggy came into view and the trio turned to wave at the people gathered inside.

"It looks like your friends are here. Are you ready?" Johnson asked as he turned to a lieutenant who was hovering a few feet away.

Castle bent down to look at Kate, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"Yes," he answered as she nodded in agreement, her smile brightening her face despite the darkened circles under her eyes.

"We definitely are."

"Dad!" Alexis called as she jumped down from the wagon. "What's going on?"

Castle reached out to give his daughter a hug.

"Kate and I are getting married," Castle announced. "General Johnson agreed to perform the ceremony."

Jim Beckett grinned as he reached out to hug his daughter. "Preacher Miller finally got fed up with you, eh?"

Kate glared at her father's teasing, a slight smile playing over her lips. "I finally found his breaking point."

Jim chuckled and leaned over to kiss his daughter's cheek.

"Ahem," the pair turned around to see a wall of women staring at them and Kate straightened up as her eyes flickered over the sight of Lanie, Alexis, Gina, Eustice, and Jenny all standing with their arms crossed over their chests. "You are not getting married in that."

Kate looked down at her outfit following Lanie's declaration. "What's wrong with it?"

"Kate," Lanie began, pinning her friend with a stare. "You are wearing pants and a cowboy hat. You are not getting married wearing that."

"What? Its not like I can wear white," Kate hissed in reply, lowering her voice and tilting her head away from the men.

Lanie sighed and Alexis took a step forward. "I brought you this."

Alexis pulled a pale pink dress from her bag and held it out to her soon-to-be stepmother. Kate's face broke into a smile as a tear leaked out of her eye and she grumbled a 'damn it' as she wiped it away and pulled Alexis into a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Alexis mumbled back into her shoulder.

"Now come on," Jenny ordered, one hand on her back as she grasped Kate's arm with her free one. "We are wasting daylight and we have a wedding to plan in the next half an hour."

Kate shrugged helplessly as she let the very pregnant woman lead her towards an empty tent that a young officer gestured towards.

Castle watched the group with a smile before turning back towards the other men. His smile fell as he looked at them glaring at him, arms crossed over their chests.

Esposito took a step forward. "We have to talk."

Castle's eyes flickered towards Esposito and he gulped before turning his attention back towards Kate who was walking towards him, smiling through her blush as she gripped the bouquet of wildflowers in her hands. Her arm looped through her father's. His eyes trailed down her dress. It was simple, something he recognized of Alexis's from New York. It had been in the trunk he had brought back with him only a couple of days before.

"You look beautiful," he whispered when she made it up to him. Her hair falling in waves around her face, and down to her waist, from where the girls had pulled it out of the braid and forced a brush through the knots.

"So are you," she whispered back as she slid her hand into his. He was wearing the same suit he had been wearing when they left town. His hair was slicked down and combed and his vest pressed with the chain of a pocket watch draped across the front. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"No, not lately. Normally you have been yelling at me." He chuckled and her hand holding the flowers shot out to slap his shoulder.

"Hey now, no hitting the groom during the ceremony. Just hold on until you're married and then you can hit him all you want." General Johnson chided as they turned to him, both grinning uncontrollably.

"I love you," Kate whispered as the general started his speech.

"I love you, too," Castle whispered back, before turning his head to wink at his daughter who was beaming on Kate's other side.

Perfect.

Kate was lounging in her chair in the jailhouse, her hand resting gently on her belly, hat drawn down to cover her eyes when the doors banged open and a man ran filled the doorway, panting as sweat poured down his forehead.

It had been a month since news of Bryant's release. One month since she and Rick had been married and one month longer that she had been pregnant. Her morning sickness had dissipated. Thankfully. And she was sleeping happily through the night, her body curled into Rick's as they shared her, their, bed. Alexis had elected to move to the big house and Kate's father had build a wall inside, making the girl her own room with her own door for when Lanie came to call in the middle of the night or early morning hours to go on a house call. Jenny had given birth only a week before and Lanie had come shouting in the predawn hours for the teenager's help.

Kate's belly was beginning to bulge and she had almost broken down into tears when Rick had presented her with a pair of his pants he had had Eustice modify for her. They had been hemmed a few inches and the legs taken in but the waist was still wide enough to fit around her belly with some room to spare. A pair of suspenders had been attached to the top to keep them from falling until she grew into them. They weren't the prettiest things but she wore them with pride.

They were still on edge, both of them, but they had stopped looking over their shoulders every couple of minutes, waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows at them. The army men had been patrolling the town, even in General Johnson's absence and Colonel Maynard had even made a couple of house calls, staying for dinner with the small family. Things had been calming in the town, the miners were getting ready to start clearing the debris from the cave in and men from back east had been flooding the town with well-manicured mustaches twitching, custom-made bowler hats and imported cigars. Demming would tip his hat every time he saw her but he hadn't approached her since that day in the Post. He was barely even in town. Most days he was out by the mine, keeping an eye on the hired men. Kate would nod back, she could be civil, but there was something simmering under the surface. She could feel it.

She was happy. Rick was dealing with her mood swings as well as anyone could hope and they were getting ready for the baby. Her father had been teaching Rick the art of woodworking. The men had been making the cradle together. He and Port had also been working on getting their newspaper up and running. The printing press had arrived on the last train and the first issue was going to print in a week. She was proud of him and she was happy. But there was trouble brewing. Between the threat of Bryant and the glimmer of doubt she had about Demming, she could feel something was coming. Something bad.

"Sheriff!" the man panted as Kate bolted up in her seat, her hand tightening over her stomach. "There's a brawl at the saloon. We need your help."

Kate was out of her seat in an instant, gun clipped on her side and her hat set over her braided hair.

The shouts could be heard across the road as they ran across the street and by the time they were at the door, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery were at her side.

"Stay out here!" Espo yelled at her and she glared at him.

"Like Hell I'm staying out here," she yelled back before pushing through the doors, the men trailing behind her.

She glanced over to see her father trying to separate two men near the bar.

A couple of drunken miners jumped one of the town's men in the corner and Kate bolted over to break it up, reaching out one hand to pull back on the collar of the first miner while she yelled at them to break it up. She pushed the first man into the wall, watching as he slithered down to the ground before going back for the second man, she reached out to pull him off the young towny but he twisted in her grasp, spinning around to land a punch to her stomach.

She drew in a gasp and she doubled over, her arms wrapped around her middle as she fell to the ground, drawing herself into a protective ball.

"Sheriff!" she heard Ryan yell from across the room and before she could move or respond her body was being lifted off of the ground and she was floating towards the door.

"You know, Sheriff," Demming said as he set her down on the stairs to the jailhouse. "A woman in your condition shouldn't be anywhere near a brawl."

She sucked in a breath before glaring up at him, her words forced out through gritted teeth. "I'm fine."

He looked down at her with a patronizing smile. "No one would fault you for stepping down. In fact, most people would probably celebrate it: a mother doing what is best for her child. A wife finding her place at home. There is no shame in that."

Kate forced herself to her feet, her arm wrapping around her sore stomach. She was starting to cramp but she ignored the pain as she hissed back at him. "I don't know what you are playing at, Demming, but this is my town and there is no way in hell I am giving it up."

"We'll see about that, Sheriff. I've heard talk of an election. Some of the new men are feeling a little uncomfortable with your standing in the community. Apparently, word has made it out that you haven't been married for as long as you have been pregnant. Some of the more, proper, men aren't too keen on that idea."

Kate opened her mouth to respond when she heard her name being called from down the road. She whipped around to see Rick running towards her and she drew in a breath as pain shot through her abdomen at the sudden movement.

"Kate! What the hell were you thinking?" Castle yelled as he neared the pair.

Demming turned to them and tipped his head. "I should be getting back to that brawl. Take care of yourself, Sheriff. Mr. Castle, you may want to keep a better eye on your wife."

Kate glowered at him before turning her attention to her husband. "I'm fine. We both are. One of the men just got a lucky punch in."

"Fine? Kate! He punched you in the stomach. You need to stop this. You can't be getting into fights. It's too dangerous. You need to step down right now."

"No, Castle!" She yelled back, ignoring the pain. "I'm fine. You don't get to tell me what to do. I am not giving up my job."

With that she turned and stalked towards the edge of town, a hand resting on her stomach.

"You're my wife!" Castle yelled after her. "You need to do what I tell you!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, the anger in her eyes mixing with a sudden flash of hurt. Her lips parted in surprise as she stared at him. A single tear leaked down her cheek.

"Fuck you," she breathed out before turning back and heading towards the tree line.