Enough is Enough

by Castlefan6

Authors Note: This is AU; A different scenario after Rick returns to the Precinct in Episode 3-1. Based on a few quotes I live by,

"Castle, go home! Go back to your ex-wife, your Hamptons, your book parties, okay? I've got work to do." This is what prompted this story

I don't own Castle; I only use the characters for amusement purposes, except the ones I create.

Also, we take liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events to make this more believable fiction, thanks. Remember This IS AU. Timelines, Events, and Outcomes may vary from the Original Script.

WARNING! THIS MAY NOT END AS A CASKETT FIC. If that disturbs you, please delay reading until I decide which ending, I will choose.

**************************************************************************/

"Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble." -Yehuda Berg

"Remember this: You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice."

Chapter 1

12th Precinct

Immediately after Arrest in Season 3, Episode 1

**********************************************************************************/

Courtesy of Dust Jackets dot com

The address is registered to Maya Santori, 32. She's clean, no priors.

BECKETT
417?

RYAN
Yeah.

ESPOSITO
Right there. (warning) It's open.

They all draw guns, cautious. Peering into the apartment, there's no one, but the place is trashed. They enter, making sure to cover their backs. There's movement and glass breaking from the other room; BECKETT sees a shadow through the window. RYAN and ESPOSITO cover her as she kicks in the door to the bedroom.

BECKETT
NYPD!

ESPOSITO
Let me see your hands!

RYAN
Drop the gun!

The man in the room isn't expecting the raid. He ducks as RYAN'S gun goes off.

CASTLE
Woah!

The three detectives pause, caught off guard. They're incredulous at what they see before them.

BECKETT
Castle?

CASTLE
Beckett?

BECKETT
What are you doing here?

CASTLE
I … uh …(he turns to look at the body on the bed, gun in hand)

BECKETT
Down, down! Put it down!

She's back on guard.

ESPOSITO
Drop that gun now! Now!

RYAN
Drop the gun, stupid! Drop it, slimebag!

CASTLE
Woah, okay. Guys, easy. It's not what it looks like.

BECKETT
It never is. (She approaches CASTLE) Turn around. (He hesitates) Castle, turn around. (He does and she cuffs him) Richard Castle, you're under arrest for murder.

One Hour Later at Headquarters:

Rick was trying to make sense of WHY everyone, including Captain Montgomery, was treating him as if he had committed a cardinal sin, or worse. Hell Ryan had almost shot him at Maya's apartment. His explanation of why he was there when they arrived proved to be true when the ballistics were analyzed and the murder weapon was discovered to be a 45 Caliber, he had picked up the 38 Caliber on the floor when he heard a noise coming from the entry of his friend's apartment.

Sure, he had gone away to the Hamptons for the summer, and yes, he left the precinct with his ex-wife, and publisher, but only after getting stonewalled and lied to by Beckett about his invitation for Memorial Day Weekend. The way everyone was treating him you would think he had been the one who lied to Beckett and stood her up, rather than her lying to conceal her new boyfriend status.

What they didn't know was that the exit scene was Gina's idea to help him save face when she found out about Tom Demming and Beckett, and the lie. Gina had her own home in the Hamptons, and they merely shared the ride on his helicopter service to avoid the massive traffic jams that always occurred this time of year. It was a win-win situation, Gina avoided traffic, and he didn't appear to be the loser slumping off after his rejection from the Detective.

His efforts to speak to the boys, Captain Montgomery, Kate, and even Lanie, all treated him as if he was the guilty party, guilty of what he had no idea. Finally, Beckett told him he was free to go, and he wanted to assist with the case. Her response to his question "What's our next move" surprised and hurt him deeply with her outburst.

"Castle, go home! Go back to your ex-wife, your Hamptons, your book parties, okay? I've got work to do."

The tone of her voice was more bitter than he had ever heard, she practically spat the words at him, not caring who was around. She turned on her heel sharply and strode down the hallway. She wasn't sure where she was going, but it had to be away from him, this was too much, she couldn't face him. She knew he was taking the brunt of the reaction because of her lie, but at this moment, she didn't care.

"What did I do?" He called out to her; her response was just the clicking of her heels taking her away from him. She didn't turn around, so Castle turned to Ryan and Esposito and repeated the question, "What did I do?" They merely glared at him, then turned and walked away in the opposite direction from Beckett, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the precinct. Castle sighed, then hurried after Beckett.

"Beckett, wait!"

"For what?" She called out, her voice thick from holding back tears.

"For me, can you at least tell me what I did to cause everyone in the precinct to act as if they hate me?" Castle said softly and sincerely. She stopped but didn't turn to face him. Castle stopped a few feet behind her. They were alone in the hallway, and he spoke succinctly in a very hushed tone.

"Do you really want me to go? If that is what you want, if it's what you really want, then I will go…but I just need to know if you really mean it."

She spun around on her heel to face him, her eyes flashing with anger. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I don't know Castle; do you think I mean it? Do you think I would just be okay with you waltzing back in here and acting as if it were yesterday when you sat a cup of coffee on my desk? You've been gone all summer, with your ex-wife, you've been back in town for weeks, you have a book signing scheduled, and yet not one phone call? In fact, all summer not one phone call, text, or email, and then you still don't call when you get back. And you thought it would be okay to just come back as if we just spoke yesterday?

Castle studied her face for a minute before responding. She was angrier than he had seen her in a very long time. Even through her anger, he could see the tears pooling in her green eyes, Beckett never cried about anything, and to see her like this surprised him.

"Beckett, may I remind you that it was you that lied, not me, when you wanted to pursue your relationship with Demming, and when you asked, we did agree that I would see you in the fall. Technically,"

Her face flushed, with anger and embarrassment, and he knew instantly that his attempt to make her understand had been the wrong move. She tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes as she glared at him. Then, she went from looking like she wanted to kill him, to looking sad. She uncrossed her arms and ran one hand through her hair then looked down at the floor, sighed, and looked back up at him.

"Castle…just go home." She turned and stormed down the hallway.

"Beckett…wait! I just-"

He was cut off by her flinging her hand up over her shoulder in a "talk to the hand" motion as she continued down the hall. He heard her go through the double doors into the conference room and knew he couldn't follow her. Judging by how upset Ryan and Esposito were, hell the entire precinct, whatever he did, it was common knowledge, and everyone was treating him like last week's lunch left out to rot.

He knew when he was defeated, he turned and walked back down the hallway passing Ryan and Esposito's desks as he left, neither of them even looked up at him. He walked to the elevator, pushed the button, then turned to look at the room as he waited. This had been like a second home, and he had considered the people here practically family. He shook his head sadly, finally accepting his fate as he stepped into the elevator and watched the doors slide shut in front of him for what would probably be the last time.

He waved to the desk Sargent as he passed by his desk and stepped out into the sunshine. The sun may be shining but his heart felt like he was going through a tropical storm, with people he knew and cared for, rather than the winds ripping him apart from the inside.

Ten Minutes Later

Kate was almost positive that she would have privacy in the conference room, the boys knew to leave her alone, and from the look on Castle's face, it appeared he finally got the message. Her phone rang with a familiar ring tone,

"Hey Lanie, let me guess you talked to Espo?" she said, with a sad tone in her voice,

"I'm not revealing my sources, but I did hear that you were in the conference room trying to wear a traffic pattern out with your pacing back and forth. "Do you want to share with the rest of us what you are muttering and pacing about?" Lanie asked

"No?" came the barking reply from Kate, even though she knew eventually that she would need to confide in her best friend.

"So, let me get this straight. You are trying to get your steps in for the entire first quarter of the year, obviously upset and rambling about someone being stupid and inconsiderate, if I heard you muttering to yourself correctly as you answered your phone, and you think you're not going to tell me what's wrong?" Come on Kate, you know you will need to talk, do it now while it's fresh in your system" Lanie pleaded

Kate let out a sigh of resignation and said, "I don't understand why he thinks he can just waltz back in here like…. like it's okay to just come back as if nothing had happened." She spouted,

"Who are you talking about?" Lanie asked,

"Castle. We arrested him this morning for murder, but he was holding the wrong caliper gun, he claims that the victim was a friend of his and she had called him for help. I mean he's been back more than a few weeks, scheduling book signings and guest appearances. He acted like he hadn't been gone all summer...in the Hamptons...with his ex-wife. He acted like we could pick up where things ended last summer, I mean" Kate was ranting,

"Did you call him this summer? Or when you knew he was back in town?" Lanie asked her direct questions,

Kate hesitated, stopped pacing then replied,

"Well...no. But that's not the point. I'm not the one who left all summer with my ex."

"Hm, no you weren't but you were the one who lied to him about having to work rather than telling him the truth about you and Demming. Hell for all he knows you've been with Demming all summer and perhaps still are." Lanie interrupted her, driving home the owner of the lie and who orchestrated the movements of both Demming and Castle.

"Yea, well, I haven't. That was probably one of the stupidest things I did." Kate spewed, still angry with herself for acting so immaturely.

"Hey, now, you don't mean that. You had...and still have judging by how upset you are...a reason to break things off with Demming. You need to let Castle know how you feel about him Kate...you can't expect him to wait forever. What did you tell him this morning?"

"To go home...back to his ex-wife, Hamptons, and book parties..."

"Oh Kate, that was low," Lanie said sadly

"What? Why?" Kate questioned

"Didn't you see the paper last week? He isn't with Gina anymore; some are questioning if they ever were anything more than a writer and publisher after the divorce. "Lanie said,

Kate quickly googled it, and sure enough, the top story was listed as,

MYSTERY NOVELIST RICHARD CASTLE IS BACK ON THE AVAILABLE BACHELOR LIST

Kate quickly scanned the article that told of how Richard and Gina announced they had split up again once he was back in town because he stated the relationship "wasn't what he was looking for right now." The writer of the column added that it was a convenient time for this to happen with the launch of his new book, all publicity was welcome, as well as the generic excuse for a breakup. In his words, it was the same as irreconcilable differences in a divorce filing, or whatever the hell that really meant.

The reaction in her stomach told Kate that perhaps the feelings were still there, and perhaps there was still time to make things right with Rick. It was no secret that it had crushed her when Gina had come walking into their conversation at the end of summer just as she was about to tell Castle how she felt. She had already ended her relationship with Tom, a good safe, albeit somewhat boring one because of her feelings for Castle, but it had been too late.

Lanie knew her friend well enough to know what she was doing, "So did you find the article online Detective? I'd be willing to bet money that you had more to do with that breakup than you think. You know he cares about you Kate, and anyone with eyes can see that you care about him. This is your second chance, Kate, don't waste it."

"Lanie...I can't...I don't know..."

"Don't tell me you can't Beckett. You put serial killers in jail. I've seen you in that interrogation room taking on some of the most ruthless people on the planet, don't tell me you can't."

"That's different Lanie, and you know it."

"Of course, it's different, but I still don't want to hear that you can't. I'll accept your confession of I'm scared, I'm nervous, or anything remotely like that BUT I won't listen to I can't, not from you Beckett."

Kate sighed. She knew what she needed to do; she just didn't know if she had the strength to do it. She was scared and nervous, but despite what Lanie thought, she wasn't really sure if she actually could say how she felt. Hell, she wasn't even entirely sure that she knew how she felt.

"Thanks, Lanie, I need to get back to work."

"Don't hide in a case Beckett, he may not be there the next time you look up." Lanie offered,

Kate smiled softly, knowing her friend was right, "I know Lanie, thanks."

FOUR HOURS LATER

Kate had busied herself with paperwork for the rest of the day and did her best to avoid everyone. She normally worked late and arrived early but today she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts, and not at home, she had too many summer nights there alone with her thoughts. She was just about to leave a few hours after Ryan and Esposito had left, standing rubbing her eyes, and slipping on her jacket when she heard the elevator door ding,

She stopped just past her desk and unconsciously her hand drifted towards her gun. It was unusual for anyone to be coming upstairs this late. Most people had gone home. The elevator doors slid open, and Castle stepped out. He looked surprised to see her.

"Beckett...you're still here..."

"Yes Castle, I work here. I have no idea what the hell you are doing here."

"I know...I came to leave something on your desk, I didn't think you would be but...you're still here."

"Yea well, I was just leaving, so feel free to leave whatever it was. Just pretend I'm not here, that shouldn't be hard, I won't get in your way."

Her tone was harsh and bitter, and her eyes were still full of tears she refused to let go free as she started to walk past him. He reached out and put his hand on her arm as she passed, stopping her.

"Kate...can we talk?" he asked, almost pleading with her.

Kate stopped and looked at the ground, trying to find the words to say. She wasn't ready to talk to him, at least not yet. She needed time to sort through her feelings and figure out how to put all of her jumbled thoughts and emotions into words. If she talked to him now, everything would come out wrong. When she looked up at him, he immediately moved his hand off of her arm.

"We can Castle, but not right now, okay? I need to...think."

Castle looked relieved and sad at the same time.

"Okay, I mean sure, take all the time you need. Call me when you are ready?"

"Yea...I'll call you."

Kate turned and walked to the elevator, leaving Castle standing by her desk. She held her composure until the doors slid shut in front of her, as she leaned back against the wall of the elevator and ran her hand through her hair. She stepped out of the elevator and heard the doors slide shut behind her, knowing it was probably Castle on his way down, she hurried out the door and to her car.

She got in and pulled out of the parking lot without any specific direction in mind. She still wasn't prepared to go home, not after the summer memories haunted her every night. She drove to a local coffee house; a place she was sure Castle wouldn't visit and sat at a table nursing a cup of coffee and thinking. God, she had come so close to telling Castle how she felt about him, she even broke up with Tom just before he left for the Hamptons.

Then Gina walked up, staked out her territory and they left arm in arm to spend an entire summer at the Hamptons. She had been his wife so there was no doubt about the sex, of course, she was going to screw his brains out. That thought made her almost vomit, she thought she was going to die.

When they arrested Castle and subsequently cleared him of the crime, it had been almost too much for her to process. She didn't understand why he would want to come back if he hadn't bothered to call or text all summer. She knew he wasn't coming for research, as Javi said, he had done enough research to write fifty more books.

She never questioned why he continued to show up because she had come to enjoy his company. She would never admit that to anyone; she would hardly admit it to herself for a while. Once she did, she knew she would have to face the realization that somewhere in all their crazy moments together, she had started to fall in love with him.

That realization scared her. It was Lanie that had convinced her to say something that night, and she ended up being too late. Then while talking to Lanie, finding out he wasn't with Gina anymore had come as a huge shock. Part of her was happy, and part of her was scared again. If he wasn't with Gina anymore, there was no reason why she shouldn't make her feelings known, other than the fact that she didn't know if she was ready to tear down all of the internal walls, she had erected to protect her from getting hurt.

She tried to imagine working without him now that he had become such a fixture in the team. She had a hard time imagining solving murders without his quirky insights, that were sometimes more right than he intended them to be. The memories of some of his outlandish theories, mostly mob hits and or spies, made her smile.

She realized that she wanted to see him, she didn't want him to go home and not come back, that would mean she would never see him again. She also knew she had to resolve the tension between them, and there was only one way to do that, what she had tried to do before, tell him how she felt.

TBC