Quiet

It was really quiet around the precinct without Castle. Sure, phones were ringing, people were talking, someone was making coffee, but it was quiet for her. She just looked at his empty chair, wondering what he was doing right now. She knew he was at The Hamptons, with his ex-wife, and with that thought in mind she didn't want to think about what he was doing. How could he get back with her? She was his ex-wife for a reason! Did he suddenly have amnesia and forget that?

She broke up with Demming because of him, because she wanted to be with him and see where their relationship could go. She hated that he broke her heart and didn't even know it. She was tempted to call him, tell him that he was the biggest asshole she had ever met, but it wasn't his fault. He didn't know and she should have told him sooner. She should have never started dating Demming when she had these feelings for Castle. She wasn't even sure why she did that. Sure, he was attractive and charming, but he wasn't Castle.

Now, she was left without a boyfriend (not that she need one to live her life) and staring at an empty chair.

"Beckett," Ryan said knocking her out of her thoughts. "We've got a body."

"I'll meet you there."

He nodded and walked off with Esposito.

"Do you think we should do something?"

"Like what? Call Castle and tell him what? That Beckett is missing him and that he should dump his ex-wife to be with her. He needs to see that by his own."

"But Javi, she just keeps staring at that empty chair by her desk."

"Then we'll move it."

"She'll kill us. She glared at the Robert for bumping into it when he was cleaning the other day."

"Why do those two have to be so stupid?"

"Like you and Lanie?"

"Hey, Lanie and I are different," he said as he walked into the elevator.

"Oh?"

"Yea, we both know that the other likes the other and we've had a few booty calls."

"Sounds like you've got everything under control," he said sarcastically.

Even though she knew that Ryan and Espo were on their way to the murder scene, she hadn't got up from her seat yet. Her focus was back on the empty chair. She went to pick up her cell phone, opened her contacts, and hovered her finger over his number. Before she could press it though, she turned off her phone. She had no idea what she was going to say to him and she knew he was with Gina. So, she got up from her desk and went to meet Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie.

That was the last time that she thought the precinct was quiet, until today. It was her first day as captain and Castle wasn't there. He was taking care of their baby girl. Gates had retired and she had recommended Kate to take her place. She accepted and they worked it out to where Gates would be present until Kate came back from maternity leave. She was back at staring at the empty chair, next to her desk.

She had brought it in, considering that that was Castle's chair and she wanted it close to her desk. She played with her pen as she just stared at the empty chair, wishing that he was there with her. The knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Becket, you okay?"

She gave Ryan a soft smile. "Yea, I'm fine. It's just quiet."

He laughed. "Well, we got a murder. You want to come along?"

"I'll meet you there."

He nodded before he exited her office. She was getting up from her desk, about ready to put on her jacket, when she heard a knock on her door again. She turned around and smiled brightly when she saw it was Castle and their daughter.

"Babe, what are you doing here?!"

"It's too quiet."

"Castle, you're with a three month old, how can it be quiet?"

"Cause you're not there."

She smiled and walked over to place a kiss to his lips. "It's quiet here too, for the same reason."

He smiled and extended his arms, offering her their daughter. "You have time to hold her or do you have to go somewhere?"

She took off her jacket. "Ryan and Esposito can handle it. I'll send them a text letting them know that I won't be joining them." She placed her jacket on her desk before taking their daughter from him, who gave her a soft smile when she was in her arms.

He went and sat down in the chair next to her desk. He placed his hand on her knee and smiled at her. There was silence for a moment...before their daughter started to fuss (it was her lunch time). "Well looks like your quiet moment is over," he said as he took out a bottle from the diaper bag.

"I'm perfectly okay with that. I prefer this any day over quiet."

"I'll remind you of that when you complain that we didn't get any sleep last night."

She gave him a glare before she took the bottle from him, giving it to their daughter (who gladly took it into her little mouth). She preferred this, having her daughter and her husband with her. She didn't need quiet in her life, she just needed them.