Author's note : This was going to be a chapter free of Richard Castle. But I couldn't do it.
Beckett was sitting at her desk in the precinct. Castle's was staring at her as she did paperwork. Again.
"You know I still find that creepy ?" She said out of the blue.
"I'm trying to decipher how Nikki arrests the second suspect. See, she's in this warehouse with Rook and..."
"Warehouse, how original !"
"You can't deny we spent a ridiculous amount of time around warehouses."
She opened her mouth to respond but the alarm on her phone chimed in.
"I need to go", she said, getting up.
Castle jumped up too. "Where are we going ?"
"We. Are going nowhere. I. Have to go pick up Josh at the airport." She addressed Ryan and Esposito : "Guys, call me if something comes up. "
"Don't worry, we got it", Ryan answered as she left.
Castle stood there, unsure. He looked at the elevator, then at the boys.
"You're doing paperwork too?", he asked them. They nodded. "Well... I'll go then..."
When he disappeared, Ryan shook his head : "He never wants to stare at us doing paperwork."
"Dude !", was Esposito outraged reply.
Beckett had arrived at the airport right on time. The first passengers on his flight were just coming out. She spotted him. He looked worn but adventurous. He was still wearing his khakis and he had apparently grown a beard while in Africa. He smiled brightly when he saw her. She threw herself at him. His bags hit the floor as his arms encircled her. They kissed with passion for a while before getting a grip.
"Missed you", Josh murmured against her lips.
"Me too. I don't know if I like the beard, though", she smiled.
Hand in hand, they walked to her car.
She drove him back to his place. As soon as they passed the door, they were on each other. Josh had been in Somalia for six weeks. A trip he had planned with her agreement, he was back just in time for her birthday, in a week. They were working out the kinks in their relationship and things were looking up.
The next day, she had left work early again, leaving paperwork behind, not that she minded. They were cuddled up on her couch, watching the news. A report was on about the famine in Africa. The images of the hungry children, sickly thin with haunted eyes, torned her. She looked up at her clean-shaven boyfriend.
"My god !"
"Yeah..."
They remained silent for a while, absorbed by the news, until Josh cleared his throat.
"About that", he started. "They still need people, doctors." She shifted away from him a bit. "I told them I had to come back to New York. I'll work from here, recruiting, convincing people to go. But I may have to go back in a while. And for a longer period." He awaited her reaction, his eyes showing his worry.
Beckett was trying to stay calm. "Longer than six weeks ?" He nodded. "How long ?" She failed to hide the anger in her voice.
"We need trust over there to.."
"How long ?", she cut, impatient.
"A year..."
She stood up, pushing his hands away as he was trying to keep her close.
"Kate !"
"No, no, no. I thought we talked about this. We're both busy people but we try to make it work by.. by conceding..."
"I know this is not what we planned, but.." She snorted. He walked up to her. "But I would like you to come with me. You can be useful there. You can do security. A year, then you can go back to the NYPD. We will be together. A year, it will be over before you know it."
She had calmed down ; he was so eager.
"It's your dream, not mine."
"It can be ours. I love you, Kate. Tell me you can at least think about it. We don't have to decide now."
Tears were forming in her eyes.
"You will go anyway, won't you ?.." She looked right into his eyes "Be honest."
He looked down a moment. When his gaze met hers again, he was crying too.
"Yes", his throat was tightening. He knew where this was heading and he didn't like it. "Come with me. It's not even now, we wouldn't have to go until later this year." He was grasping at thin air, feeling her drift away.
She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I can't."
He took her in his arms. She welcomed his embrace. They were both sobbing quietly.
"What now", he whispered in her hair. Not a question. He didn't really want to hear her answer. Someone had to say it, but hell if he would be the one to utter those final words.
"We break up", she hiccuped. He closed his eyes.
Author's not bis : So I like Josh. He's a nice guy. But bye-bye, Josh...