CH28

It is now 20 weeks later: (July 12, 2000)

The two of them had learned a lot, especially about each other and their abilities. Kate got to watch first hand why Castle had medals for pistol and rifle marksmanship. She had also learned that she might never be as good as Castle is in either; she only came close when using a pistol.

Kate also learned that she was not as good when it came to suddenly adjusting to changing conditions. She preferred to analyze everything before she acted while Castle was far more willing to suddenly spontaneous actions. Castle was excellent at reacting to unexpected events, while Kate was better at analyzing and forming a plan followed by following through.

She was also better in working in a city while Castle was much better out in the open, be it desert, jungle, forest, mountain, etc. Kate got to see Castle acting as a Ranger instead of a potential FBI agent. It opened her eyes to what he had gone through while being a Ranger.

Evaluations were going to take place in three days and only a small number of interns had been asked to remain available so both Rick and Kate had decided to keep their 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment for one more week before driving home.

Kate was busy cooking dinner in their apartment trying to use up the food they still had, while her mind wandered back to an eventful day.

They were at the firing range shooting at paper targets again, getting in some practice. They had finished and pushed the button to pull their targets to them. Rick held his up and there was a large hole where the heart should have been.

Kate held hers up and her holes were in a nice grouping, just not to Castle's expertise. "You used to be better Rodgers, you're slipping," a new voice sounded out.

Rick spun around and Kate watched as Rick dropped the paper target, shook the new guy's hand, and then took him into a hug and patted him on the back. "Casey, what are you doing here? Is the Navy not good enough for you?" Castle sounded happy to see him and the other guy was sporting a large smile.

"The Navy is trying to transport me to a new site, I've got a layover of a few hours till then. I heard there was this him and her team that was making waves in their training here, thought I would see who it was. How are you doing? How is the knee? Why are you here?" Casey had questions and started with these.

"I'm doing better, the knee is better just not great and I'm here to support Kate with her training, which reminds me," Castle turned to face Kate. "Casey, this is Kate Beckett, the love of my life. Kate this is Casey Rybeck. Casey taught me everything I know in hand to hand combat." "He is the premiere teacher in self-defense as well as one hell of a cook. I'm still working on how those two go together," causing both of them to chuckle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Beckett. From what little I have heard, you two have gained a lot of interest, and you, Rodgers, have gotten soft. You used to be much better than that." Casey pointed at the discarded paper.

"Yeah, kinda what happens when you trade in a weapon for a keyboard." Rick knew Casey was teasing, still it made him feel bad about how far his skills had faded.

"Rickey Rodgers the writer, yeah I remember you taking a lot of heat about that. Did you give up writing and decide to be an FBI agent?" Casey knew the Marines wouldn't take him because of his knee.

"Actually it's Castle now, Richard Castle, and no, I'm still writing," Rick corrected him.

"Castle? …Derek Storm, that's you? Those books are selling like hot cakes last I saw. I suppose you're rich now?" Casey was teasing and Rick knew it.

"I do alright, I can't complain." Rick knew he was doing better than most and not as good as others.

"It hasn't been the same without you, they still haven't found anyone to replace you." Casey knew Rick would parachute in and make sure the place was secure before his team transitioned in from a Navy ship.

"Yeah, dumb luck I guess." Rick knew he would still be a Ranger or dead if he hadn't broken his knee cap. "Still I'm teaching Kate here everything you taught me." Rick was proud of Kate and what she had accomplished.

"I heard there was a woman on the base who was throwing men around that were twice her weight. I'm impressed Miss Beckett, I wish I had time to see what you can do and what Rick here has taught you. You just stick close to Rickey Rodgers here and you'll be fine."

"I have a transport to catch, maybe I'll catch up with both of you later." Casey hugged and patted Rick on the back and kissed Kate's hand.

"We live in New York City in case you are in the area," Rick told him, knowing it wasn't likely.

"You two take care of each other, I'm glad I got to see you Rodgers, um…Castle." And Casey walked away.

"What does he do Castle?" Kate was curious since Castle didn't talk about his time as a Ranger much.

"Last I knew he was lead for a Navy SEAL Team; I dropped in and cleared an area for his team to come ashore a few times. Casey is good, the best I know." Rick meant combat and Kate heard that part too.

Meanwhile at the same time in another area of the base:

"Good evening Agent, how can I help you?" one of the instructors handed back her ID.

"I've been ordered to assemble a new team. I already have my second along with a couple of rookies that have finished their training and signed up for the next three years. I wanted to see if there were any interns that might be worth waiting for," she answered.

"What section are you in? We have several that run the gamut of abilities." He needed to know if it was computer based, combat, or something else. Did she need languages?

"Criminal Investigative Division," she told him.

"In that case I have two that you might like." He started looking through his files since he had all of them on his desk seeing that everyone had just finished their intern training. "Take a look at these two and let me know. They are both still here on the base at the present time." They had told him they would be there for a few hours still.

"Thanks." She took the files and joined her primary agent just outside so they could go over the files.

It was warm outside so they found a table to sit at after getting a soda out of the vending machine. They both got busy reading.

"What do you think Jason?" She needed his opinion.

"This Richard Castle guy is almost a no brainer. Ex-Army Ranger who is only out of the service because of his broken knee cap, which while not good, doesn't automatically disqualify him from service. It's the fact that he's a writer now that gives me pause." Jason said to her.

"According to this these two are not married yet and have no children. They own a condo in New York together that they only bought a few months ago. Not likely that they will be willing to relocate," she pointed out.

"Shouldn't be a problem if you are willing to only use them for cases in New York City or if you need them somewhere else for a short time," Jason added. "What about the woman?"

"Katherine Beckett. Mother was murdered when she was 19. A few months later she joined the Police Academy and recently graduated at the top ten of her class. However she is too young for them to hire her," she replied.

"She's too young for us too, Jordan." Jason mentioned, reminding her of the need for agents to be a minimum of 23. "She's not even 21 yet."

"If you don't say anything I certainly won't and I know someone who can fix that. These two are better than the rookies we just took on." Jordan remarked.

"They both are going to need to go through the complete training course. Interns only get the basics to find out if being an FBI Agent is for them. They need driving training, computer training; she is going to need combat training if her ex-Ranger isn't teaching her on the side. What about his book writing? I don't know much about writers, but they likely have contracts with publishers, too," Jason said.

"If we only use them part time exclusively in New York, his writing shouldn't be a problem. He will have to understand the no disclosure clause of his contract with us, including what he writes in his books." Jordan solved that issue.

"I think we need to talk to them. They might be just what we are interested in. The FBI training should take her past the age of 21 making it easier to get her age ignored," Jordan commented.

"We need to find them," Jason said.

We move forward to when the FBI agents find Kate and Rick:

"Katherine Beckett and Richard Castle, I'm Special Agent Jordan Shaw and this is my second Jason Avery. I've been tasked by the director to form up a new team. It will be a Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI attached to the BAU that specializes in cases that would be considered serial killers.

Keep in mind that the term serial killer(s), simply means someone or a group of someones that are believed to have killed multiple numbers of people. This can include a single killer that starts killing prostitutes, a high school student that is extacting revenge on his classmates, to someone who is trying to kill someone in each state. The possibilities are unfortunately endless," Jordan remarked.

"I'm not sure why you are talking to us; even the police department won't hire me until I'm 21 which isn't for a number of months yet," Kate said to her. "I'm here because I wanted to keep training so I could advance in the NYPD as quickly as possible after I was hired." She was using the NYPD time to get to the age of 23, so that she could apply for a position.

"That's why we are talking directly instead of letting you apply for an open position. My position allows me to ignore that requirement. At the moment all I have Is Agent Avery here who has been with me for a few years as part of a different team. I also have 2 people that have recently completed the 20 weeks of FBI training. One is a computer genius and the other is a born driver, her skills are amazing," Jordan informed them.

"You are interested in us?" Kate didn't understand, her age had stopped everyone so far.

"Both of you, yes. I realize there are likely conditions or certain parts that might give you pause. However I'm here to answer your questions." Jordan sat there and waited, looking at each of them.

"You are not concerned about my knee?" Rick started off since Kate looked like she was still in space trying to wrap her mind around what Jordan had told her so far.

"We are not the Army Rangers. Combat and parachute drops are not normally part of our scope of work. Though the fact that you are an ex-Ranger intrigues me, I will admit. Your weapons scores are better than anyone we have on record to date for anyone in the FBI," Jordan was forced to admit. "I don't suppose you could expand on what little we know about your record?"

Rick shook his head. "I'm sorry ma'am I'm afraid not, not unless you can show me you have the clearance to know." Rick knew his orders at his discharge.

Kate looked at Castle, remembering all the medals she had found and wondering what he had done to earn them.

"I understand, perhaps one day I'll have the privilege of finding out." Jordan told him.

"What are you offering exactly; I know I'm too young to be hired. I don't see how you can just ignore it." Kate wanted information.

"What I want is for you two to stay here in Quantico and complete a modified version of the full 20 week course. You have each gone through enough of the firearms training to satisfy me. I want you to spend that time in Hogan's Alley, I want you two to be comfortable with going into buildings by yourselves or with a team."

"After that I want you to complete the entire Tactical and Emergency Vehicle Operations followed by the complete Survival Skills. Your Law Enforcement Executive Development is already satisfied by your completing your Police Academy Training."

"If my math is correct you will be only a few weeks short of being 21 by the time you finish. The second you have your 21st birthday and provided you pass the courses, I want to hire both of you," Jordan declared to both of them.

"Agent Shaw…" Rick saw Jordan raise her hand to cut him off.

"I'm aware that you are a writer. If necessary I'll have our lawyers alter any contract you have with your publisher to allow longer periods of time for you to complete each book. Just so long as you understand that you will each be required to sign a non-disclosure form. Meaning if we find anything about any of our cases in your books, you'll spend the rest of your life in prison." Jordan didn't want it to come out like that, but it came up.

"Actually I have a contract at home waiting for my lawyer to finish his review as well as having Kate review it, and perhaps her father," Rick told Jordan, which got Kate to turn her head suddenly to look at Castle. Hearing Castle say he was willing to let her father read his contract made her love him just a little more. "I can simply add that clause and see if Black Pawn will accept it."

"Oh they'll accept it, have no worry about that." Jordan knew the joys of being a team leader in the FBI, even if this was going to be her first team as a team leader.

"Stay here until I'm 21." Kate whispered.

"Where will we be stationed?" Rick knew there were FBI teams all over the country.

"Avery, I, and the others will be based in Chicago." Jordan raised her hand when she saw the look in both of their faces. "I'm well aware you just purchased what is likely a very nice condo just outside of Central Park. The BAU that we are attached to is located here in Quantico; you two would be located in New York.

I'm hoping this will work for all of us. I won't lie, there will be times when I will want to send you to another city. The BAU may get a case that involves someone from a foreign country and it may be necessary to send a team there to do some digging. That may or may not be you. However New York City is a big city so I don't think I'll have any trouble keeping you two busy." Jordan remarked. "Plus adding the foreign languages you each know could prove to be beneficial in whatever case we are investigating."

"We're going to need to talk first." Kate informed her. She really was not looking forward to another 20 weeks of training and spending that time away from their new home.

"I would expect nothing less, however keep in mind that the next class starts in less than a week. So I can only give you three days to make a decision. Here is my number if you have any questions and reach a decision. Ask me or Jason anything. It will be a 3 year commitment so you need to be sure," Jordan warned them.

It was late in the same day with their talk with Jordan Shaw and Jason Avery. Rick had taken them home, where they took a taxi over to Jim's home and invited him out to dinner since they wanted his opinion.

Now they were sitting in a nice quiet Italian restaurant. "How are you doing dad?" Jim had relapsed twice so far, still he kept trying.

"I'm up to 3 months sober, but I won't lie, it's a struggle." Jim told them.

Kate reached across since she was sitting next to Castle. "I'm proud of you dad." She placed her hand in her father's hand.

"We have a project for you if you're willing to take it on," Rick imparted to him and dropped his contract with Black Pawn in front of Jim before their food arrived.

"What's this?" Jim saw that it was a blank binder that had papers inside.

"This is a copy of the contract Black Pawn is offering for the next three books of Derek Storm. I want you to look it over and make comments or rip it to pieces. Study it word for word. You have 3 days to get back to me with your comments." Rick divulged to him seeing the look of shock on Jim's face.

Rick and Kate had already talked about letting her father look it over. "He's going to find out how much money you will be making off of this deal Castle," Kate had warned him.

"I know, and showing my trust in him to be discreet should also tell him something. Plus if we keep him busy, he won't be drinking." Rick explained, earning him a kiss from Kate.

"I'll see what I can do," Jim responded and brought the contact with him when they dropped him at home.

From here they went home only to teleport back to their 2 bed 2 bath apartment near Quantico. Once there Rick started a load of laundry and started cleaning the bathroom while Kate sat at Castle's laptop going over the contract from Black Pawn.

"Has Gina found any of my changes Jill?" Kate asked her since Jill was a lot faster than she was.

"This copy remains unchanged from the one we discovered during our late night visit." Jill informed Kate.

"We are going to need Jack in case Gina substitutes this one for another after Castle signs it." Kate didn't put it past Gina to swap out what Castle had signed.

"We can mark each and every page of the contract that Castle signs. That way if Gina swaps out pages we will know the difference," Jill offered.

"We will need to inform Castle's lawyer of this so that we will have someone who can be a witness to this act," Kate replied to Jill.

"Jack is informing him as this moment." Jill told Kate as she got to work the next day after purchasing the required ink and brush, making the same tiny mark on each and every page. Kate was still at it when Rick finished cleaning and took a beer out of the refrigerator and placed a glass of wine in front of Kate.

Each mark was effectively a "water mark" since it could only be seen under the correct lighting conditions. It was going to be the copy that Rick signed telling them that Gina had done something if they didn't find that mark.