I'm a little nervous about this chapter. I got it to go where I was headed but I'm not so sure about the journey. I have to admit I'm working the story out as I go because this was really just meant to be a one shot thing. Now I have to put things back together.

I appreciate everyone following, favoring, and reviewing. I just ask you be gentle with this one.

Thanks everyone for reading.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Castle and it is becoming quite clear to me that I never will.

"Yes. Yes, Sir. Please come in." Kate moved out the way and made a motion for the Chief to enter. "Rick this is Chief of Detectives Joseph MacCarthy. Sir, this is my fiancé and partner Richard Castle."

Castle walks over to shake the Chief's hand. "We've met. So, Jo MacCarthy? Did your parents like you?"

"All my life. Most people don't even notice."

Kate didn't know whether to apologize or role her eyes, but decided on moving the conversation forward. "Sir was there some issue with my statement? Did I miss something?" Kate couldn't for the life of her think of a reason for the Chief of Detectives to be at her door, but she assumed that it couldn't be good.

"Relax detective, I'm here to offer the formal apologies of the New York Police Department for what happened yesterday and to take full blame for the department." He turned to Castle. "An apology is owed to you as well Mister Castle. As a spouse and more importantly a member of the 12th, you should have been treated better. Much better."

"Wait, Castle? What happened to Castle?" Kate says looking back and forth between the two men.

"You partner should not have been deliberately frozen out of the decision making. He also should have been informed when the operation, and I use that term loosely, went bad. Mr. Castle's calls were ignored and when he arrived he was stonewalled. Then there is the altercation with the head of narcotics. I would really appreciate it if you didn't press charges."

"Altercation?" Kate asked shocked.

Castle looked in every direction but at Kate. The COD answered for him. "During a discussion with Captain Gates he attempted to forcibly remove Castle from her office. Castle knocked him out. He had it coming."

Kate's eyes when wide and her mouth fell open. She turned to Castle "You knocked him out."

"He risked your life and he pissed me off, so yeah. I knocked him out."

"He did risk your life detective. You did to. A well-known homicide detective, who has been in Cosmo and has a bestselling book series written about her should not be under cover. And no one should go under cover with the sliver thin bits of information narcotics had to go on. They are answering for those actions now."

"Answering?" Castle questioned.

"IA is throwing a full investigation of the whole department, front to back. The head detective has already been fired. No pension. No severance. His union delegate didn't even show up to the formal dismissal hearing. He is still facing criminal charges for some other things that are starting to come to light. It's been a very informative twelve hours. Deputy Commissioner Spires is gone as well. The Mayor and the Commissioner jumped on him with both feet. He got busted down to Captain and retired with half benefits and a bad reputation. The Mayors op-ed will appear in the papers tomorrow. Narcotics is being gutted. Teams broken up, detectives and officers moved out, new people moved in. They have a new Captain as well. Former IA, going to go in and clean up the nest of vipers left behind."

"Gates?" Castle asked.

"Yes." COD nodded. "It's her penance for her role in this. The decision should have never made it to you Detective. This was a bad operation from the word go. She should have told narcotics and the deputy commissioner no. She let personal animosity cloud her good judgment. She is being sent somewhere that her personal issues won't interfere with her job."

Kate gave Castle another questioning look.

"That brings me to the reason I'm here. The twelfth needs a new Captain. Detective Beckett you've been a detective almost a decade. You have the highest clearance rate in Manhattan, the second in the whole force. You have skipped both the sergeant and lieutenant exams because your captains didn't want to lose the magic that was and is your team. However, things have changed. Last night should prove that. We need to move the magic to a place we won't lose it. If you become Captain and you still can work the hard cases but keep of the street. You also have experience to protect those who report you. Detectives Esposito and Ryan get moved up a grade and get their own teams. We keep the magic at the twelfth."

Kate was shocked. Completely shocked. Of all the things she though was going to happen when she saw the COD at her door, this wasn't even on the list.

"I, ah, Sir, I am honored. I don't know what to say."

Castle had a smile from ear to ear, "I would start with yes and go from there."

"You're good with this babe?"

The COD interrupted. "I don't need an answer now. Big decision. Take time to decide. You've got some time off coming anyway. Besides, there is still a lot dust settling. More dominos are going to topple before this finally settles down. I just wanted to go ahead and make the offer. Oh, and just to be clear, you have earned this detective. This isn't some pity posting or 'please don't screw the NYPD publicly' job offer. This is the best thing that can happen. This is the right decision. The commissioner and I are both behind it." He stood and headed for the door. "Well, time for me to go. You have a lot to think about and you are still recovering. How are you doing?"

"As good as can be expected Sir."

"We aren't in the office you can call me Jo."

"Yes…Jo."

"Good progress. Kate. Castle. I hope the next time we meet things are under better circumstances. I'll see myself out." With that the COD walked out the door.

Kate just sat there processing everything. Castle turned and looked at her. "You weren't going to say yes? Why not?"

"After everything that happened? I was going to quit."

"Quit? Why would you quit?"

"To show you I'm serious about us. We matter. We are important to me."

"Ok. Maybe I should be clearer. I want you to put our relationship first and think about it when you make decisions. I'm not asking you to jettison your life's work. This isn't an either or thing. You've been a cop on your own for years. Now you are cop in a serious, committed relationship. You just need to change your outlook a little. I don't want or expect you quit your job. Besides, you did that once, it didn't work out so well."

"So, I say yes and move myself out of the direct line of fire…"

"…and don't do undercover work anymore."

"…and don't do undercover work anymore."

"It's still going to be awhile before things go back to normal. I can't propose and fix this. This one is on you."

Kate leaned over and hugged Rick. She considered it a small victory that he hugged her back without hesitation. "I know. How about if I propose?"

"Too late, beat you to it."

"It was a thought. But in all seriousness, I will gain your trust again. I will heal your heart." Kate leaned back and looked him in the eye. "You punched out the head of narcotics?"

"Oh, that reminds me." Rick reached over and picked Kate's phone off the edge of the coffee table. "You have 15 missed calls from Lanie. Might want to deal with that."

"Oh crap!" Kate yelled picking up the phone. "We aren't done with this conversation Castle. I want to know what happened with Espo and Ryan too. I'm going to go in the office to get yelled at and then I'm coming back out here and you are going to give me the complete story."

Kate walked into the office sat down in one of the chairs by the window and hit the return call button on her phone. She didn't even get a chance to say hello.

"Kate, are you alright? Did you sleep alright? How's Castle? Do you want me to come over?"

"Lanie, I'm fine, all things considering. The worst damage was done by me."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't tell Castle about the undercover operation. I was keeping secrets again. It's going to take time for me to fix things this time. I just made the decision to fast not thinking about how my life had changed. I called him and said I would be home for dinner. It was supposed to be simple. I didn't want him to worry, and then everything fell apart. Even given everything that happened, even almost dying, knowing that I lied hurt the most."

"Girl, I'm smack you next time I see you. I swear, did everyone in the precinct take extra stupid pills yesterday. I already smacked Javi for ditching Castle's calls. I knew more about what was happening then he did."

"Oh…so nobody told Castle anything until he showed up at the precinct?" Kate put her hand over her face. She had the overwhelming urge to crawl in a hole and hide.

"Yes. You didn't tell him. Javi and Ryan ducked his calls and then when he shows up, Gates tells him what happened. He, obviously, freaks out. She tells him it was none of his business. That's about when the head of narcotics got knocked out. After that Javi and Kevin came up with a bunch of really pathetic excuse as to why they didn't say anything. After that the COD showed up. When he left is when you called and everything became a roller coaster getting to you."

"Wow. Lanie, this just might be worse than my summer of stupidity and year of denial. To make matters worse, my first instinct was to say no and go home. I decided to do the job. I decided to do the job and completely ignored the life I'm trying to build here. The happiness I have. One of these days I'm going to run out of chances and he isn't going to forgive me."

"Ok. You need to take a deep breath. One major catastrophe at a time. Get yourself together, mentally and physically. Then you take care of your boy. Everything else, you worry about later."

"Thanks Lanie. It's getting hard to talk. Ice water in the lungs and all. We'll talk later. I have some other more positive news."

"Alright girl. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Kate hung up the phone and looked up "Castle!" He was standing in the doorway to the office. "How long have you been there?"

"I will always forgive you as long as you try. Everyone makes mistakes, especially under pressure. Just, you know, do better next time. Or better yet, don't have a next time."

Kate stood up and walked over to Castle and stretched up to give him a light kiss. "Right. No next time. We can put it in the vows." She came back down to the flats of her feet. "Now, what happened at the precinct? Everything, please? Gates, the narc detective, Espo, Ryan."

"Start at the beginning?"

"Just like all your stories."

So, everyone's favorite ME made her mind known. I hope I did her justice. Said I was a Caskett believer. I'm getting them back there.