Chapter Twenty-Five

A/N: I wasn't overly happy with this chapter when I put it on yesterday but I read through it again and added a few things that hopefully clears some stuff up. I'm still not too crazy over this chapter because it is supposed to be the most crucial chapter of the story and I don't think I did it justice (but then again I'm my own worst critic.)

~Rose

"Tears stream down your face"

Castle:

I looked at my phone and saw the time was two minutes to midnight. It was almost time to face my destiny. I should have been scared out of my mind, but I wasn't. I could very well die tonight, but if I did I was sure as hell going to take the dragon down with me. Time seemed to drag on as I waited for midnight to approach. I knew I couldn't prolong the inevitable any longer and I stepped into the alley way and waited for the dragon to reveal himself.

The second the time changed to midnight the dragon stepped out into my line of vision. He was a tall man with gray hair and a smile that anyone else would think loving, but I found sinister. Although the gray haired man looked like he could be a loving grandfather, Jeff Callahan was anything but a jolly old man. Jeff Callahan had been the chief of police at the time of Johanna Beckett's death, but he retired seven years ago.

"Hello Richard," Callahan said.

He didn't know I knew who he really was to me, so I put as much venom as possible into my voice. "Hello Father."

Beckett:

His lips were on mine. He was driving me crazy with those lips. My hands were travelling up and down his back and his were in my hair. It was so much like our undercover cover kiss, and yet it was so vastly different. His eyes were soulful and full of passion; they were also hungry for more. He reached for my cheek and softly whispered, "Kate I love you. I love you Kate."

Suddenly there were shots and Castle crumpled to the ground .I quickly looked around but no one was in sight. I looked back at Rick, my Rick; he was deathly pale and loosing blood quickly. There was so much blood. He was fading underneath my hands.

"I love you Rick. Stay with me," I begged. This must have been how Castle felt when I got shot. I couldn't pinpoint one emotion: sadness, anger, shock; they were all swimming around my head.

I was covered with his blood and my tears. There was a banging in the distance; it got louder and louder…

I woke up with a start. It had all been a dream; well most of it, there was still something banging. I realized that it was someone at the door and I went to answer it. I grabbed my gun and opened the door.

The man on the other side was one I may not know personally, but Castle knew quite well. I started to ask him why he was here when he grabbed me. I tried to scream but he shoved his hand over my mouth. Restraining me he almost whispered, "Shh Detective Beckett, it will all be over soon."

Castle:

"You know I'm your father," Callahan said, almost chuckling, "did dear old Martha finally tell you?"

"Yes," I lied. Mother didn't tell me at all, she didn't even know I knew. I found out years ago from an old friend of mother's but I never felt the need to do anything about it until I found out my father was behind Kate's mother's murder.

"I suppose you want to know why your darling Kate's mother had to die before I kill you son."

"I know why you did it," I said my voice thick with anger, "You got greedy. Your gambling addition was getting the best of you. You ran out of money so you started to steal from the state. People started to notice and you knew you had to pay it back. You came up with a plan to kidnap mobsters and hold them for ransom. You couldn't do it yourself; if you were caught your reputation would be ruined. No, instead you blackmailed Raglan and McCallister, who got Montgomery involved." He smiled and I knew I was right. "Then when Johanna Beckett started looking into it you hired Coonan to kill her to shut her up. Along with that you also got Coonan to kill her associates. Then when Sam Barker, the ME on those cases was going to talk you had Melling kill him too. Between those and the three cops you got Lockwood to kill, one of which was my friend, you were responsible for a lot of deaths over money because you got too fucking greedy for your own good!"

"Very good son. I see you got my intelligence." I wanted to snap back that my mother was extremely intelligent, but it wasn't the time. "You see why I have to kill you, you are the only one who knows everything other than me," he explained calmly, " I can't let you ruin my life."

"You mean like you tried to ruin mine when you had Kate shot," I snapped back, anger surging through my body. Memories of Kate laying there dying in my arms flashed through my head. If I had lost her I knew I would lead an empty life; I couldn't be truly happy without her.
"That wasn't personal towards you son."

I wanted to cringe every time he called me son. He wasn't my father; he was a monster. "The hell it isn't personal Callahan," I spat. I was going to continue, telling him that I loved Kate and anything that harmed her felt personal to me, but if I died tonight and Callahan lived I didn't want to give him more reason to go after her.
"You are in love with her aren't you?" He asked with a smirk.
I didn't respond but I knew my expression must have given the answer away.

"Prepare to say goodbye."
Prepare to say goodbye, I thought, how cliché is that?
I heard more footsteps. I turned to see who it was and my breath caught in my throat. The man standing there was one I knew, trusted, and considered a friend. Never in a million years would I have guessed that my friend Bob, the mayor of New York, was involved with all this.
It wasn't just the betrayal of someone I thought was a friend that bothered me now: it was Kate. Bob had brought her here. He had a dark pillowcase over her head and she was restrained. She was struggling to get away but it was a losing fight. I didn't have time to deal with the mayor's betrayal right now; I just had to save Kate.
"Let go of her Bob," I warned.
"Or what Ricky?" He took the pillowcase off Kate's head and wrapped it around her neck instead. He started pulling it tighter and Kate looked more frightened than I had ever seen her before except for when she got shot. I lunged for Bob and Callahan came between us, pointing his gun at Kate.
I didn't have time to think, I just pulled out my own gun, aimed for Callahan, and pulled the trigger. It was a clean shot in the head; his death came quickly.

I couldn't believe what I had just done even though I knew I was going to have to do it tonight anyways. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that I had just killed a man, but the fact that it was my father made it even worse. How was I ever going to explain this to Mother?
"It's a sad day when a man has to shoot his own father," Bob said pulling the pillowcase tighter around Kate's neck.

"It's also sad when someone you thought was a friend turns out to be working with a psychopath," I snapped back pointing my gun at the mayor.
I peeked at the time on my phone and saw it was twenty after. They should be here. "Now!" I yelled.
Everything happened quickly from there. Ryan came out from the shadows and took Bob down in one swift movement. I grabbed Kate and held her to me, accidently dropping my gun in the process. Bob scrambled away from Ryan and managed to grab my gun. He pointed it at Ryan and Esposito stepped into view. Esposito pulled the trigger on his own gun and the mayor went down.
With his last breath Bob softly said, "I'm sorry Rick," before closing his eyes for the last time.

"I can't believe that all just happened," Ryan said softly.

"Neither can I," I admitted.

Esposito was clearly worried as he looked at Beckett. "Castle," he said but didn't continue. He didn't need to; I knew exactly what he was trying to say. He was telling me to take care of her; to make sure she was okay.
Both of the boys looked at me sadly before leaving to report what happened to the precinct.
A very shocked Kate was still in my arms. I brushed the hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head. She would bounce back from this; she always did. I kissed the top of her head again. I knew she was a strong woman but sometimes even the strongest of people need a little comfort. I let go of her and we both slumped down to the ground.
I set my head on my knees and struggled for a deep breath. Under no circumstance was Kate ever allowed to know that Callahan was my father. The boys knew but they had been ordered to never tell her. The meeting I had with Ryan earlier had been difficult.
"You have to understand Ryan; you can never tell Kate that Callahan is my father," I told Ryan after I explained who the dragon was.

"Why?"

"My father was behind the death of her mother Ryan; that will tear her apart."

"It won't change anything Castle. Her mother was killed, it doesn't matter who did it."

"Please just don't tell her."

"Okay Castle but I think you should."

"Maybe one day."
"So what's the plan?" He had asked.
"Meet me at the alley way where Johanna Beckett was killed at 12:20 am. Bring Esposito. You'll also have to let him know what is going on. I was going to tell him now but he's with Lanie and she is already suspicious of him because of his sneaking around for his plan lately."
Ryan looked like he had a million things to say but he settled for, "Don't get yourself killed Castle."
I snapped back into the moment and looked over at Kate. She looked so lost and I wanted to touch her cheek. She hadn't spoken since Bob had brought her here. It pained me to see her like this. I wished I could take it all away.

Beckett:

It had been almost been thirteen years since Detective Raglan had told my father and I that my mother was murdered; and now the man behind it had been caught. I couldn't believe that the mayor had been involved in all this; that must be killing Castle. I didn't know what to feel. Of course I was relieved that the man behind all this was finally caught but at the same time I almost felt lost. Castle had been right when he said I was hiding behind my mother's murder. I had been chasing it so long that it had become a part of me.

I looked over to the man sitting next to me and squeezed his hand. He looked up at me with those expressive blue eyes and I finally lost it. I hated feeling weak but we just caught my mother's killer; I think it's okay to cry in that case. The tears, hot on my face, ran down my cheeks. Castle drew me in and held me while I cried. His one hand held my head to his chest while the other one rubbed comforting circles on my lower back.

I pulled my head back and noticed that he had tears in his eyes now too. "Castle," I tried to say but my voice was thick through the tears.

"Shh. Kate, it's okay."

I pulled away from his embrace and wiped a tear that was rolling softly down his cheek. It was like a spark hit me and I moved closer. His breath was hot on my face and I drank in his scent.

"Castle," I moved my hand up to his cheek and moved even closer. I didn't think, I just pressed my lips to his; the quick peck soon became passionate and heated. I had waited far too long to do this. His hands were tangled in my hair and mine were moving down the back of his shoulders. I had no doubt in my mind that I loved this man. He was my one and done.

Castle broke away from the kiss and looked at me with those piercing blue eyes again.

"Castle I lo—" I started.

"Kate we can't do this," Castle interrupted, "we just found your mother's killer. I can't take advantage of you right now."

"Castle. Rick. You aren't," I said heartbroken.

"Not now," he said pressing his finger to my lips, "forgive me."

I wanted to ask what he wanted me to forgive him for. I wanted to tell him he wasn't taking advantage. I wanted to kiss him again. His pleading blue eyes bore deep into mine. I wiped one more tear off his face, and then I did the only thing I knew how to do: I walked away from him, leaving my emotions behind.