Over the last two weeks, he must have imagined hundreds of different scenarios that could've happened today. They ranged from mean-spirited judges, to police officers who'd been paid off to lie, to the courtroom being invaded by aliens who altered the memories everyone who'd witnessed the events of the evening in question (and there might have some sleep-deprivation involved in the creation of that last one). But he had never once considered that IA would basically ignore everything that had happened that night and focus instead on Beckett's partnership with him. Had they really been watching her since the incident with Dick Coonan? He understood than any shooting inside of a police precinct would've been looked into, but for that to launch into a personal investigation on Beckett that lasted more than a year seemed... extreme. And why had it focused on... him?

Maybe Gates was right. Maybe he was holding back her career. He'd never really put any thought into that. He just knew that he loved tagging along with her and the boys, theorizing and catching bad guys. He'd never really thought about how his presence might have been affecting their work. But whether she was right or she wasn't, if all it would take for Beckett to get her badge back was his absence, he couldn't deny her that. It was such a simple thing. Not easy, but simple.

As he left the courthouse, he was struck by the idea that, after spending two straight weeks with Beckett, seeing her almost nonstop, he now didn't know when the next time he'd see her would be. If Gates had known about their trip to the Hamptons (how had she known about that, by the way?), she could probably find out about pretty much any other time they were together if she tried hard enough. And she had seemed quite determined.

He knew that he should probably just go home... but Alexis was out of school for the summer, so she would probably be there, and his Mother's presence was predictably unpredictable... and it wasn't that having his family around was a problem, he just felt like he needed a little bit of time to organize his thoughts before he was barraged with their best intentions. So, somehow, he found himself back inside the coffee shop from earlier. But this time he sunk into a table in the back corner, blending into his surroundings. If he'd been in a frame of mind to care, he would've been horrified to learn that he could easily have been mistaken for one of the many boring, suit-clad businessmen.

He tried to let his mind go blank, to not think about anything so that he didn't over think everything, but that turned out to be easier said than done. It was an occupational hazard of both writing and detective work that he'd learned not to let anything go. The case was still unsolved. The story unfinished. Puzzle pieces floated across his consciousness, their jagged edges prodding him to look closer - to put them together, or at least try to sand them down a little.

When Beckett and then Montgomery had tried to convince him to go home earlier... had they known that this was going to happen? Had they wanted him out of the way so that they could attempt to convince the judge that he really wasn't that big a part of her life? Certainly they'd known something he hadn't. But where had they gotten their information? Especially Beckett... had she known whatever it was that she'd known when they'd talked the night before? And why hadn't she said anything to him? Hadn't she thought he'd like to have some sort of warning, to be at least somewhat prepared for this? Not that anything could have prepared him, but he really didn't like the idea that he was the only one who'd been quite as blindsided as he had.

But, obviously, this was about Beckett's life and her career. Not his. All he had to do was get used to the idea that the former couldn't necessarily include the latter anymore. Simple.

He'd been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice her until she sat down across from him. Immediately he checked his watch. It had only been five minutes. She still had fifteen before she had to be back at the courtroom. But still... "What are you doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you think I'm doing here?" She slid him a cup of coffee. "Here. You look like you need it."

"Thanks," he mumbled. He sipped it tentatively, but then looked up, frowning at her. "You shouldn't be here. You need to be back at the courthouse."

"Funny, I was gonna tell you the same thing."

"'Funny,'" he quoted, "but I seem to recall you telling me to go home."

"Yeah, I did. And now you know why."

"No, I don't think I do. Did you know that the case IA was building was about me?"

She sighed. "It wasn't about you, it was about my partnership with you. And no, I didn't know, exactly... but Montgomery had his suspicions."

"And you didn't feel it necessary to share these 'suspicions' with me? All that time in the Hamptons when we were planning for this, and you didn't say anything?"

"No!" Her expression was caught somewhere between pain and frustration. "I didn't know then, or of course I would've said something. Montgomery called me yesterday and said that... he thought the hearing today was going to go badly. That... IA knew that I didn't do enough things wrong on that night to warrant disciplinary action, but that they were... 'determined'... so they were planning on presenting their case from a 'broader perspective.' One that he thought was going to involve you."

He sighed. "Well, he was right. But how did he know that?"

"I think he launched his own investigation while we were in the Hamptons."

He nodded. That shouldn't have surprised him. The captain had always been a little protective of his favorite detective. If she was in trouble, of course he would try to help.

"I wanted to tell you, but he asked me not to. He thought that the best move would be to convince you not to come today. I told him it wouldn't work, but he wanted to try. He said it was better not to give them more ammunition than they already had."

"He doesn't trust me. He thought I was going to say something stupid and make everything worse. And so did you."

She didn't deny it, but looked straight at him. Serious. No nonsense. "Tell me you didn't want to interrupt even once during Gates's speech."

He broke her eye contact with a growl. "Even Montgomery did that!"

"Yeah, he did. But after how long? If he hadn't told you not to, your first objection would've been...?"

"As soon as she started talking."

"Not good."

"Why?"

"It's not how it's done. It would've made you look bad in front of the judge, and ultimately what happens is his decision. Not Gates's. Not IA's."

"But I didn't. I didn't interrupt."

"No, you were good. But you know that Gates saw you, right? She knows you were there."

"So what?"

"So she can still use that against us."

"Not if I leave. Which I did, by the way."

"Yeah, I noticed that." She checked her watch. "We should head back. It probably wouldn't look good for me to be late."

He frowned. "What do you mean 'we'?"

She shrugged. "You're the writer."

"I know what 'we' means, but -" He sighed, frustrated. "You didn't want me there in the first place, and my being there obviously isn't doing you any good, so I'm out. I thought I made that clear when I left."

"I never said I didn't want you there. I said it would probably be better if you weren't there."

"Same difference."

"No, it's not. Do you really think that after everything we've gone through, with this case and this hearing and the Hamptons... that I'm just gonna let you walk away?"

"She said that if you agreed to stop working with me-"

"I don't care what she said. It's not her decision. Now come on. Let's go."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Whatever happens next... I want my partner there with me. Anyway, the worst is behind us. Next is my turn to speak, and I think you'll want to hear what I have to say."

He narrowed his eyes. "You hate speaking in front of big groups of people." He knew it was true. She'd do it when she had to, but even addressing the homicide division at the Twelfth made her a little uncomfortable.

She shrugged. "But I was expecting to, so it's okay. Even if what I need to talk about is a little different from what I anticipated... this will be easier."

That didn't make him any less confused. "What will be easier?"

She cracked half a smile and stood up from the table. "Come on, Rick. Let's go."

When he went back in to the court room this time, he sat in the front with the rest of the team, between Beckett and Esposito. He figured that she must have spoken to Montgomery, because he didn't seem surprised at the relocation. Beckett was on edge, that much was obvious, but she didn't say anything, not to him or anyone else.

It seemed strange to him now how little attention he'd been able to pay to her during the first part of the hearing. He'd wanted to, had kept looking at the back of her head as if it held the secret of life, but all that had done was leave him wondering how she'd managed to get her bun to stay the way it was: so tight and precise, without a single hair astray.

The whole time they'd been together in the Hamptons, he'd been studying her. Making sure that she was okay, that she was dealing with everything that was happening. He'd imagined today going similarly, if not to the same extent. But so far today, he'd done nothing but get in the way. Beckett had this covered. He wasn't needed. And while intuitively he knew that this was a good thing, that didn't necessarily mean that he liked it.

When the judge cleared his throat, she tensed visibly. His hand reached for her, but she shook her head, a gesture so small that it was almost imperceptible, but he caught it. And she was right. That probably wouldn't have been the best way to convince the judge, or Gates, that they weren't in a relationship. Even though they truly weren't. They'd talked about it, sort of... really they'd just talked about talking about it... but now he wasn't even sure if that conversation could ever happen. It didn't seem likely.

"The bench recognizes Kate Beckett," the judge said.

At that she stood, a little shakily, and approached the bench. She spoke slowly at first, but clearly, and with enough volume that the whole courtroom, although it was small, could easily hear. "Sergeant Gates has expressed her concerns about my relationship with our consultant, Mr. Richard Castle." It felt a little strange to hear her refer to him as Mr., but he smiled as she made a gesture toward him, making it quite obvious that he was present, and proceeded. "I would like to state for the official record that Mr. Castle is my partner. At several different points in the three years that I've known him, he has proved himself indispensable. Without his insight and his assistance, James Carson would never have been apprehended. Your honor," she said, turning to face the judge more directly, "I believe that I still have plenty to offer this city, and it is my desire to continue to work for the NYPD. However, I believe that my best police work has been done with Mr. Castle's help. He and I are not, nor have we ever been, romantically involved, but we are friends. The same thing could be said of many of the best partnerships I have come across during the course of my career." She glanced as Ryan and Esposito. "If you were to separate every set of partners who still consider themselves friends during off-duty hours, the quality of the police work in this city as a whole would surely decrease."

He could see that she was losing steam, so he tried to catch her eye. You're doing great, he tried to convey in the glance that they shared for a fraction of a second. Keep going.

She took a deep breath and continued. "Every decision that I have made during the course of my career has been mine. Not Castle's. Not anyone else's. It is my badge at stake today, and my choices are the only ones that should be viewed as relevant. It was my choice to to go after Carson with only Castle backing me, and it is my choice to consider him my partner. I stand by both decisions. And the only other choice that remains to be made, your honor, is yours." She nodded, ending her speech on a decisive note, but he couldn't help but notice that she was trembling slightly as she took her seat. It took everything he had to stop himself from trying to comfort her and sit still, keeping his hands folded in his lap. It helped a little when he saw Montgomery rest his hand on her shoulder in a paternal manner. It served as a reminder that he wasn't the only one here whose support she could rely on.

When she sat down, the judge stood. "Given the information presented today," he announced, "combined with my own knowledge of the case, my decision is clear. Detective Beckett has succeeded in finding and bringing James Carson, inarguably a very dangerous and unpredictable criminal, into custody. Regardless of her unorthodox methods," he glanced at Castle, "she should not be penalized for this service. Beyond this, my experience working with the NYPD has led me to believe that the bond between two partners, traditional or otherwise, is a vital component of some of the most accomplished police work. I would not think of disturbing that relationship without a very clear reason, which in this case I have not seen. However, Detective Beckett should remember in the future that protocol is not something to be taken lightly. My order is that she be reinstated, but with six months' probation. The exact terms of the probation can be determined by her captain, but any infractions that occur during this period will not be easily forgiven."

The judge sat back down, and Beckett let out a long stream of air. That was it. It was over. And everything was okay.

A/N: For the record, the hearing might be over, but the story isn't. Not just yet. :) Stay tuned, and please review!

Thanks for reading!