Presumptions
Chapter 5 - Security Detail
Shortly after her talk with Capt Mongomery about her pregnancy, Kate and Rick are ready to reveal her condition to the public. She starts by telling the boys, and then the others on the floor. To their surprise, the revelation goes well, but it is yet to be seen what happens when the general public knows. They know the media will have a field day on this, but it is to be expected.
Taking the Detail
The safe house that DEA had Josh staying at was really a hotel suite. It was a two-bedroom suite and Kate had use of the second bedroom for her security watch on Josh. They shared a common living room area with a small kitchenette.
Kate as chief security agent was to be with him 24/7 until Josh's testimony was given, then another detail would take over. When she called Rick to tell him about the accommodations, Rick was not happy.
"Sounds like Josh is setting up to play house with you."
"Rick, please you know that is not the situation."
"Just saying. Like I said, I trust you. It is Josh that I worry about. But if it helps, I love you."
"I know you do and keep in mind, I feel the same."
"You are it for me Kate and one day you will be my wife."
"Looking forward to that Writer Man."
"Go then and play babysitter."
Toward the end of that first day, the DEA had a guard posted outside their suite. Josh and her were alone together.
"Thanks for taking my request to have you as my security detail lead. There is no one I would trust more than you to keep me protected."
"Josh, there is something I need to tell you."
She brings him up to speed on what had happened after they broke up and he had gone to Columbia on a mission.
"So you slept with Castle after I split and I left? I...how could you..., did I mean so little to you that you sleep with him so soon after we broke up"
"Josh you were right about my feelings for Rick. It took our fight to bring it out. But I told you the truth, I did not cheat on you when I did that L.A. trip. I was faithful to you. I do not cheat on my boyfriends, never have, never will."
Josh realizes he was too harsh in judging her and that he had been hurtful to Kate. In saying all the angry remarks that were uncalled for he had ended it for good. There was now no way of coming back after his outburst and accusation of her infidelity.
"I am sorry for getting jealous like that, and I truly am sorry for the ugly accusations. I was just so out of it when I heard you were with him in L.A. Still, if the child is mine, I want us to raise the child together, as a couple."
Despite Josh's feelings that he could not come back from the breakup, he takes a chance. Josh enters her private space and cups her face with his hands. He slowly brings his lips closer to her preparing to kiss her. But before he could, she backs off.
"Josh, you and I are done! I may have loved you at one time, but your jealousy and absence with your DWB missions drove a wedge between us. I am in love with Castle, and we are a couple now. If the child is yours, I want you and I to raise the child jointly even if the two of us have other partners."
"Kate, please reconsider, I think it would be better for the child if we are together raising our child. I know that subconsciously you want that, but Castle has turned you against me."
"After being back for just about two days you have come to that conclusion?
"No, I thought of it all the time in Columbia. Why do you think I wanted you to lose him as a partner. Castle was seducing you into wanting him, manipulating your affections for him, turning you against me. Don't you see that Castle's being there with you every day allowed him his chance to be with you. So no, I did not come up with this thought after seeing you for this first time in months. I have pondered it all the while that I was away."
She sighs. All his words makes her uneasy. She walks away from him.
"So you think you've got this all figured out, huh?"
"Except for the part about you and Castle"
She stops her walk. She thinks for a second before she turns back to face him. Before she can speak, Josh continues his attempt to win her back.
" You think it is serious Kate? Castle has been with many women before you and has this reputation for sleeping them. He knows how to play a woman into thinking he wants them. He has done that to you, Kate can you not see that?", says Josh trying to fill Kate with doubt about Rick's intentions for her.
She hesitates a second too long.
"Yes, it's serious", she says confirms Josh's suspicions.
But Josh is not deterred by her answer.
"But the truth is you don't really know, after I pointed out my thoughts to you on the matter (he walks closer). Otherwise you wouldn't have hesitated." Josh sees the seeds of doubt in Kate.
"We've talked about it, Rick and I, we have committed to one another."
"So you would raise my child but still be with him. Assuming of course it will last long enough for that?"
"It's – (she looks down to think) – it's just that you are making this more complicated than it should be."
"There's nothing complicated about being with you and raising this child."
Beckett is silent. She is having difficulty convincing Josh that they are no longer a couple. Josh is reacting by trying to convince her that Rick is playing her, just wanting to bed her before he moves on to his next conquest.
Josh sees that he has her thinking about what he has said, there is a seed of doubt. He enters her space and then takes the chance on her confusion. He leans closer and barely touches her lips with his.
"No!", she tells Josh. She pushes him away shocked about his behavior. Rick had warned her. Rick had told her he trusted her but worried about Josh. Seems Rick was right.
As she pushes Josh back, a second later a bullet pierces the window. Beckett jumps and pulls Josh to the floor.
"Get down!"
Two more shots shatter the window but Josh is still alive. Kate shielding him from harm.
Aftermath of the Attempted Assassination on Josh
CSU is sweeping the room. This is an attempted homicide and NYPD has jurisdiction on this. Beckett watches CSU work and gives them details. Castle is allowed into the room and rushes to her.
"Kate!"
"Hey, Rick. I'm fine."
He nods, he had just needed to see for himself, "Okay", he replies once he sees her unharmed.
Ryan is on the phone, "All right. Thanks Captain. (He hangs up) Josh already is at the precinct in holding until they find a new safe place for him. DEA wants to keep him there until we find another, more reliable, safe house .
"Yeah, preferably one without windows that snipers can't shoot through", Kate says.
"Yeah, it looks like the shot came from across the street. Uniforms are canvassing for the clues to the sniper, but so far nothing."
"What I don't understand is how did the sniper even know you and Josh were here?", questions Castle.
"We're dealing with the Cartel and they have lots of resources. Maybe they've been watching us since Josh survived the attack at Santori's place?"
"Hey Beckett, I hate to do this to you, but I need to take your statement", says Ryan.
"No, it's fine."
"So … where were you standing when the first shot came?"
She hesitates and then thinks. She passes by Castle to get to where she had been.
"Uh, I was … right over here."
Castle watches as Kate re-enacts what happened. She knows Castle will figure things out. She knows her partner's skill at connecting the dots.
"Ah … okay. And where was Josh?"
"Right there."
She says it quickly and flippantly.
"Right … (he moves to where she gestures) … here?", asks Ryan.
Castle is observing and looks up realizing Ryan is right in Beckett's space where Josh had been when the shot rang out. He backs up a bit and looks to the hole in the window.
"Why was he standing so close?", asks Rick.
Beckett doesn't answer. She remains silent leaving Rick to figure it out.
"I don't understand. The... (CSU turns on the laser sight thru the bullet hole showing the path the bullet took. It sights onto Ryan's cheek)... wait a minute. If Josh was standing there, then the bullet would have gone right through his head."
Castle waves his hand by Ryan's face, blocking the path of the laser to indicate the trajectory of the bullet as it traveled.
"How did the sniper miss?"
"Well, before the first shot, Josh stumbled", Kate offers up in explanation to Rick's query.
Ryan nods and makes a note. Castle is still puzzled.
"Stumbled", Rick clarifies and Kate nods in agreement, "Kids and old people stumble. How did he stumble?"
"I don't know. He just did", she is being defensive and Castle senses this.
Ryan nods again and makes another note in his evidence book.
"So he stumbled at just the right moment to avoid being shot by an assassin through a window. Nobody's that lucky. What's going on here, Kate?"
Beckett takes a breath, "He tried to kiss me, okay Castle?"
"He what?", now Castle is showing surprise to Kate's reply.
Ryan tries to defuse the situation and says, "I think I have all I need here".
Ryan makes a quick exit, but Castle takes his place.
"Look, I'm not going to lie to you. We were talking about you, we were talking about our relationship, and then he tried to kiss me and I pushed him away."
"Well, when he attempted to kiss you, you just push him away?"
Kate gives him a 'duh' look. Clearly Rick's surprise on the reveal of Josh's attempted kiss has affected his deductive skills.
"Oh. ...(light turning on in Rick's brain} ...Which is why he's not dead! Sorry Kate, I said, I trust you but it's Josh I didn't trust. Now I am proven correct in my thought about Doctor Motorcycle Ma... hm...boy", Rick trying not to address Josh with his made up derogatory name for him.
"Rick, please, don't think like that. I need Josh to support my joint sharing of this child if he is the father. Let's just all try to be civil and get along. You can start by not addressing him as Dr. Motorcycle Boy, at least not directly. I do not need a feud between the two of you and neither does my unborn baby if Josh turns out to be the baby father."
Rick is silent, knowing and realizing where Kate is coming from.
"You're right Kate, I'll try and get along with him", he kisses her softly on the top of her head.
"Thank you, Rick, you're the best!"
"I am doing this for you and the baby but know that I will not enjoy doing so."
Rick is attempting to be as generous and understanding here for Kate and the baby's sake.
"I know that Rick, and I know that any other man would not be as understanding. I truly do not deserve you."
"No Kate, it is the other way round", then he plants a quick and modest kiss to her lips.
The situation is now defused.