Thanks again for all the response. I'm glad so many people enjoy the story. Time to start putting things back together, because nobody likes an unhappy Caskett, especially me.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Castle.
Kevin got home a little after midnight. His plan had been to slip into the apartment and get in bed without waking Jenny or Sarah. That plan completely collapses when he turns from locking the door back and sees Jenny sitting on the couch waiting for him. She stands and walks over to him taking him into an embrace.
"Is Kate alright?"
"Slight hypothermia and a bump on the head. The emotional trauma is going to be worse than the physical."
"Rick must have been a mess. I assume he didn't want her to go in the first place and this outcome had to have been is worst nightmares coming true."
Kevin closed his eyes. It occurred to him for a matter of moments to just lie and avoid the conversation, but that had started the mess in the first place.
"He didn't know."
"What?"
"He didn't know. Gates brought Beckett in alone and no one told him about the undercover operation, not even Beckett. No one said anything until he showed up at the station."
"You didn't call and tell him that she was in trouble?" Jenny saw Kevin's eyes dart to the floor at the question. "Kev?"
"Javi and I ducked his calls when he got worried because she wasn't back yet."
Jenny O'Mally-Ryan felt a surge of electricity shoot down her spine "KEVIN RYAN WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!? You ignored Rick's calls? Why would you do that? You are supposed to be his friend, his partner. You just bailed on him when he needed you?"
"We didn't have anything to tell him. We just knew that Beckett was missing. It wasn't even our case, narcotics was running it."
"Not your case? He is your partner. He has saved your life. He is our friend." Jenny started pacing the room as she was want to do when working up a good mad. "What is it with you cops and undercover work? You just throw your whole life away and plunge into the dangerous unknown without any concern about those of us left behind." She whirled on him pointing her finger and jabbing it into his chest. "You…you abandoned him when he needed you most! You tell me why?"
Kevin rubbed his hand together in front of him staring at them like the answer would magically appear if he concentrated hard enough. "I don't know. Fear. Guilt. I knew he would be angry. The operation was poorly planned and executed. I couldn't face him and tell him that Beckett got taken and we weren't there. We weren't there."
"Those are really weak excuses Kev." Jenny followed Kevin around the sofa as he sat down she sat down next to him. "What did he say when he got there?"
Kevin still wouldn't look her in the eyes. "He got into a shouting match with Gates. Punched out the head narcotics detective in her office. Told Javi and me we didn't have her back. That he would never forgive us. That was the last thing he said to any of us. Even during Beckett's debrief he didn't say a word."
"You are going to have to fix this Kev. You owe him that."
"I don't know how."
"You start like you started with me. You apologize and then you wait to see what happens."
Castle woke the next more still holding Kate. He kissed the back of her neck and shimmied out of the bed. He figured that she would want the extra rest. Regardless of his own issues, she still had suffered a trauma. He felt some guilt about dumping his own feelings on top of what had already happened to her, but this issue was important and both of them needed to know where she stood.
He wandered into the kitchen and busied himself making coffee and breakfast. He made enough for Kate even though he wasn't sure when she would wake up. He heard a firm knock on the door.
"Who on earth would be knocking on my door at …" he looked at the clock and saw that is was a quarter past noon. "Wow. I must have been tired." He wandered off to the front door. Upon opening it he saw the last person he expected and the last one he actually wanted to see.
"I'll get Kate."
Victoria Gates stopped him before he could leave the door. "No, Mr. Castle. I'm here to see you. I want to apologize for what I did and why I did it. I shouldn't have isolated you from the decision that was being made. I shouldn't have let my hang ups allow me to push Beckett into a dangerous situation. I froze you out to control the situation and pressure her to accept the assignment to show you who was in charge. That being famous and rich doesn't give a person special privileges in the NYPD. I did and said things that were both professionally and personally wrong. For that I'm truly, truly sorry."
"Where you ordered to apologize?" Castle questioned. He wanted to know how sincere this statement was.
Gates smiled sadly "No. I wasn't. I'm not supposed to be here. I snuck off during lunch when no one was looking." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "The techs found this while going through the compound. I read it because we didn't know what it was. It's a note for you written by Beckett. Mr. Castle… Rick, I'm a hardnosed police detective, but I'm also a woman, wife and mother. Whatever her faults, Kate loves you. More than anything. Don't let what happened here hurt that."
It was in Castle's nature to forgive. Holding grudges wasn't his thing. Gates made a mistake. A costly selfish mistake, but a mistake none the less. It wouldn't be today, or tomorrow, but he would get over it.
"Thank you Captain…"
"Victoria."
"Thank you Victoria. I need time to get by all this. I don't know what happens from here. We will just have to see."
Castle didn't show it, but the fidgety person in front of him was not a Gates he was used to seeing. She looked truly ashamed and embarrassed by her behavior.
"How is she doing?"
"Resting. Healing. Do as best as can be expected."
"Good. Good." Gates stiffened back into the police Captain. "Thank you for your time Mr. Castle. Thank you for listening. It's more than I deserved." With that she turned on her heel and walked back to the elevator.
Kate woke an hour later and made her way toward the kitchen. She found Rick sitting at the bar drinking coffee and reading the paper. She walked up behind them and place a kiss on the back of his neck. "Morning babe."
Rick turned around and brought her in for a bone crushing hung while trailing kisses down her neck.
"I'm alright babe. I'm here." She grabbed his head with both hands and looked him in the face. "Have you been crying?" That's when she realized he wasn't reading the paper like she first assumed. He was reading a note, the note that she had written when she wasn't sure she was going to make it. "They found it. When did they give it to you? I take it you read it."
"Yes, I did. Gate's dropped it off about an hour ago when she came by to apologize."
"Apologize? Why would she apologize?"
"When I couldn't contact you yesterday I called the guys. They didn't answer either so I went to the precinct. When I got there Gates took me into her office and told me what happened. I didn't take it well and asked why I was told. She told me it wasn't my business and I lost it. We had a screaming match in her office and I punched out the lead narcotics detective. In her office." Kate's eyes widened and Rick shrugged his shoulders. "I had a bad day."
Kate decided to let the confrontation with Gates and narcotics go for now. They weren't the important part of what was happening right now. "I meant every word of that letter Rick. Every word. I will fix us. I will."
"I'm just glad you are alright. I was so scared."
Kate just held him and stroked her hands through his hair. She had done damage in her life, but this had to be tied with the worst.
Castle leaned back from her still holding her hands. "I know you did. I didn't question you love for me Kate. I questioned your judgment and ability to weigh our relationship when making decisions."
Kate went to say something. "We aren't fighting this morning. Not today. We have a lot to think about and you have to recover."
There was another knock at the door. Castle rested his head against Beckett's. "I guess it's going to be that kind of day."
Kate kissed him on his cheek. "I'll get it."
She walked to the door and opened. She was so surprised by who was standing there she forgot to say anything.
"Detective Beckett."
"Chief MacCarthy. This is a surprise."
"May I come in?"
I'm not sure if this counts as a cliffhanger or not. If it does, I'm sorry. I had to stop this chapter some where because it just kept going and going.
So, until next time.