A/N: Hey guys!! Myself (@AbsentiaCastle) and Tharsi (@greysloverx) are back after almost two years with a new fanfic!We hope you guys enjoy! Make sure to leave a comment :D
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The operation had been going smoothly without a hiccup for the past month. It was almost too good to be true. The assignment had come down directly from One P.P. with regards a murder that had been committed related to a gang somehow involved in political financing fraud. But she was not used to being an undercover cop, this was not her forte. She was thrown in the deep end without as much as a life vest, and it came back to bite her.
Kate Beckett had been sent into the field to get intel on the gang and how they operated. There were only three things gangs like these wanted around them and those were drugs, money, and girls. She was the one female cop with sufficient training in UC operations to pull this off, so she posed as the wife of a gang member who cooperated with the NYPD. The aim of her mission was to infiltrate the gang by whatever means necessary and figure out where the money laundered by the gangs was going, what political campaign it was funding. But things went sideways when her cover was blown.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Kate Beckett said standing in the doorway of her captain's office.
"Have a seat," Montgomery gestured. "The undercover gangs case was a tough one, risky to say at the least. It had an adverse effect on all of us, specifically you."
"Yes it did," Beckett said failing to relax in the chair.
"You did a fantastic job gaining intel. You stepped up and volunteered your assets for a case fit for a gangs cops, which I highly commend. But these people you were running around with aren't exactly low-lying criminals."
"Sir?"
"We got the guys who assaulted you," Montgomery assured, "but like you said some of these guys made you out to be a cop. And considering we have no idea where they are and how many of them there are, we need to make sure you're kept safe."
Beckett sighed, aware of where this was going. "Sir, I know I experienced a slight threat during the undercover op. but I'm fine."
"Slight threat?" he repeated in a sarcastic tone. "Kate, they were inches away from shoving you in the back of a van before our guys pulled you out. These guys aren't messing around. You've seen their faces which means you're a threat to them and their operation. I'm not taking any chances here."
"So, what? You want to put a protective detail on me?" she berated. "Go ahead, but I think this is a bit of an overreaction."
Montgomery scoffed. "Oh, I'm not putting a detail on you." He watched as her face went from defensive to relieved in a split second. "You'll have a top-of-the-range bodyguard with you at all times until these crooks are caught and or proved not to be a threat to your life."
"Wait…" Beckett rose out of her chair in disbelief of what she had just heard. "You hired me a bodyguard?" She cut over her captain as he tried to defend his decision. "No, no! Don't try to justify this. And here I thought a detail would be an overreaction. I do not need a bodyguard, okay? There has been zero indication since the UC op. that I'm at risk."
"I'd rather not wait until you're on the far end of a rifle to make this decision," he exclaimed defensively.
Before Beckett could snap back a response they were interrupted by a deep, gravelly voice at the door. Captain Montgomery beckoned the man to his desk where they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
"Detective Beckett, this is Mr. Richard Castle," Montgomery said introducing her to the man she had never seen before. "He will be escorting you wherever you need to go for the duration of this investigation."
Castle extended his arm to Beckett who simply glanced at him before getting defensive once again. "Roy, this is out of line. I don't need a babysitter!"
The man retracted his hand and observed the strange dynamic between the detective and her captain. It was obvious to him that this wasn't just your ordinary subordinate / superior relationship, there was something more here. A familial or parental feel to the relationship. Not only that but he could see the detective was not one to back down easily which could make for a difficult client.
"Detective Beckett, this is my final decision," Montgomery said in a raised voice. "You will follow Mr. Castle's instructions. That is an order."
There was no point in arguing beyond that point. Montgomery had put his foot down, she was defeated. No amount of arguing was going to change his mind.
"Fine," was all she said before storming out of the office into the bullpen.
Castle watched her leave before looking back at Montgomery with disbelief on his face. Gesturing to her behind him with his thumb he said, "That's who I'm supposed to be protecting?"
Montgomery smiled at him with genuine concern for his undertaking of this case. "Good luck."
Ryan and Esposito were sitting at their desks when Beckett hurried towards them. "Did you guys know about this?" she asked with a mad look in her eyes.
"Know about what?" Esposito replied playing the innocent card.
"Oh! The bodyguard…" Ryan chimed in.
"Right… we may have heard something about you needing a little extra supervision." The smirk on Esposito's face said it all.
Beckett rolled her eyes and made her way to her desk where she grabbed her jacket.
"Hey Beckett?" Espo yelled from across the bullpen. "At least he's easy on the eyes."
"One more smart comment from you and you'll lose yours," she snapped back with a fake smile.
Kate arrived at her apartment building, still seething from the events that unfolded in the precinct. She knew she did not need this level of protection and that her captain was being paranoid. Montgomery had always been protective of Kate, after all he trained her to be the homicide cop she was today. There was somewhat of a parental bond between the two that even they did not quite understand. But they trusted each other immensely which meant deep down Kate knew he must have a valid reason for his actions.
As she turned the corner in the hallway, she came to a halt. There was a tall, shadowy figure standing outside her apartment with their back to her. Unfamiliar to her, she placed her hand on the gun in her holster and cautiously approached her apartment.
"I thought you'd never get here," the voice said as the figure turned around.