The End, or the Beginning?
Chapter 1
Kate's life had gone to hell. No, make that the entire world had gone to hell.
Flashback
"Ryan, Esposito, Beckett, my office. NOW!" Roy was furious, and he had good reason to be. He retreated to his desk and waited for them. What this presented him with was a problem, one he hadn't yet had time to solve.
He watched them enter his office. "Close the door," Roy ordered the last one in. "Do not sit down. None of you rate the right to sit down," he told them as Esposito started to sit down but quickly stood back up.
"I'm disappointed in the three of you. I partially blame myself for letting it go on this long. I'm receiving heat from above over the actions of you all."
Kate began to say something. "Sir, I..."
"SILENCE!" Roy thundered at them, but at Kate mostly. "You will speak only when spoken to. Is that clear? IS. THAT. CLEAR?" He emphasized the last part. He heard a "Yes, sir," from each of them.
"Have any of you wondered where Castle is? Do any of you even care? Well, I'll tell you where he is. He resigned from the NYPD."
Kate tried to say something, which was a mistake. "Sir..."
"SILENCE! What part of silence escapes you, Detective?" Roy glared at Kate. She was smart enough to keep her mouth closed from there on out.
"Now, as to why he resigned. You'll recall the latest case, the one where you froze Castle out. Didn't allow him to get in a single word. You, Esposito, took it upon yourself to insult him at every possible chance.
"Beckett, you paraded Demming around here like he owned the place. Demming had no business being here on this floor, let alone involved in this case. His place was Robbery. You listened to every wild theory he had, and you froze out Castle.
"Whose partner is Castle? He's yours, Beckett, yet you froze him out completely. I've heard that you were caught kissing on the homicide floor, and it wasn't Castle.
"I've already dealt with Demming. He's been fired. He's no longer your partner, Beckett, or anyone else's. Nor is Castle, thanks to your actions." Roy paused to let that sink in.
"Now, what do I do with you three?" Roy looked from Beckett, to Esposito, then Ryan. "Ryan, you're suspended one day without pay. Get out of my office." Roy waited for him to leave.
"Esposito, because of your action, you've been suspended for two weeks without pay. Place your badge and weapon here on my desk. Now, Esposito." He waited for him to do just that. "Get out of my office. Right. Now."
Roy waited for him to leave, then turned to Kate. "Beckett, I'm deeply disappointed in you. I made you lead Detective. It would appear that was a mistake. Castle was your partner, not Demming. Yet you made him your partner. Worse, you were caught kissing him on the homicide floor. What you two do in private is none of my business, but you brought it to the homicide floor. You froze out your partner so completely that Castle felt he had to resign. If it were me, I'd have resigned in his place, too.
"You leave me little choice; you must be disciplined." Roy hated to do it, but he was left with no choice. "You're suspended for 30 days without pay. Further, when you return, you will be demoted to junior homicide detective. Someone else will lead your team.
"Place your weapon and badge on my desk. Now, Detective." Roy waited for her to comply. "Now, get out of my office." He watched her turn to leave but stopped her. "Beckett, I expected better of you. You let me down." Roy watched her leave without saying a word.
Roy opened his drawer, pulled out Castle's resignation letter, and read it again. Castle didn't place the blame on Demming or Beckett, but Roy could read between the lines. He started to crumple the letter and throw it in the trash but stopped. He refolded it, put it in his desk drawer again, and closed it. Then Roy pounded his desk.
He was now short three homicide detectives. While one was for only a day, the other two were for much longer. It was one more problem he needed to deal with, but homicide detectives wouldn't be just waiting around the corner.
No, he had a real problem. He pounded his desk in frustration for being placed in this position.
ʘ ʘ
Dejected and angry, Kate cleaned out her desk and left. She was mad at Castle for causing this mess she was in.
She made it home and dropped her box. She was still angry at Castle. She pulled out a bottle of vodka and poured herself a drink, drinking it in just one swallow. She refilled her glass and moved to the sofa, where she sat to think about things and drink her vodka.
Demming got fired. Castle had resigned, and Montgomery suspended her. It was all her fault, which only made her angrier at Castle. She drank her drink and calmed down. Maybe if she apologized to Castle. If he came back, perhaps she wouldn't be suspended.
ʘ ʘ
Kate found herself standing outside his door. She hesitated to knock but ultimately did, and Alexis answered the door. "Detective Beckett. What do you want?" Her tone of voice suggested she wasn't happy with her at all.
"Is Castle here? If he is, I would like to talk to him, please."
"I'm not sure he wants to talk to you. But he's in his study. Make it quick, and then get out." Alexis stepped aside and let her enter.
"Thank you, Alexis." Kate headed for his study. She knew exactly where it was since she had been in the loft numerous times.
She knocked on his open door before entering. "Hey, Castle."
"Beckett? What are you doing here?" Rick didn't sound at all happy to see her.
"I came to apologize."
"Words, Beckett, just words. Your actions speak far louder than your words ever could."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have frozen you out the way I did."
"Empty words." Rick got up from his desk. "Allow me to show you to the door, Beckett." He walked to the front door and opened it for her.
"But, Castle..." Kate sighed and went out the door.
"There's a saying: I'll call you, you don't call me. I don't think you need to worry about me calling you, Beckett. Not ever." He shut the door in her face and locked it.
"What did she want, Dad?"
"She came to apologize, or so she said."
Alexis frowned. "A little late, isn't she?"
"Far too late." Rick returned to his study, and things went quiet for Kate, who was listening.
ʘ ʘ
"Alexis," Rick called.
She stopped at the doorway. "What's up, Dad?"
"How would you like to go on vacation?"
"I had planned on a summer project, but a vacation does sound nice. What've you got in mind?" Alexis might be in, maybe.
"Come around here and see for yourself." Rick waited for her to join him.
"An RV!?" Alexis was shocked. She was thinking of flying to a location and staying in a hotel.
"It's an Entegra Aspire. It has bunk beds, each with a TV. There's a washer/dryer and even a dishwasher. It's 45 feet long with a large TV upfront hidden in the ceiling. It has solar rooftop panels and an inverter, so we won't always need hookups. It's a Diesel pusher, and it's easier on gas mileage. It has a 150-gallon fuel tank, a 100-gallon water tank, a 62-gallon grey water tank, and a 41-gallon black water tank. There's a 65,600 BTU heater. It even has a satellite TV."
"Camping," Alexis said flatly.
"We wouldn't be roughing it. Here are the pictures." Rick showed them to her and did his best to try to sell it. "There's a full-size refrigerator/freezer. The shower is full-size, and there's lots of storage space. It even has a half bath way in the back."
"How long are you thinking?" Alexis asked, already considering it.
Rick gave her his best "Please don't shoot me" look. "All summer."
"All summer? We would need to do a lot of grocery shopping."
Rick's eyes lit up. "So you'll do it? All summer long, just you and me?"
"What about Grams?"
"We can ask her, but I doubt she'll want to come. Besides, it'll give her a chance to rule the loft." Rick's voice trailed off. "I can't believe I'm saying that! My poor loft,"
"Grams isn't that bad," Alexis insisted.
"Oh no? Are you forgetting the time when she…"
Alexis stopped him right there. "Point taken, but she still isn't that bad."
"So, you're in?" Rick waited eagerly for her reply.
"Yeah, Dad, I'm in."
"GREAT! You won't regret it, Alexis. I promise. It's going to be so much fun!" Rick could hardly wait to start.
"You have to buy the RV first, Dad. Then, load it up with everything, from plates to glassware and pots and pans. It'll need sheets, blankets, electric heating pads, pillows…"
Rick stopped her right there. "Don't ruin this moment for me, please?"
"It's going to be a lot of work." Alexis patted him on his shoulder and left him to plan.
"Oh, boy," he told himself.
ʘ ʘ
First things first. Rick needed to buy the RV. Then he had to get it home and park it on the street in front of his building. Every time a car left, Rick left a cone to leave space for him to park. The day he bought it, he had Alexis out front guarding the cones and making sure no one moved them so they could park. He arrived and watched as Alexis gathered up the cones, allowing him to park it. The next challenge was parallel parking that thing. Even with a backup camera to help, it took him five tries to park it.
Then Alexis entered the RV and looked it over. "It's nice, Dad. Maybe a little bland, seeing that just about everything is in the beige color family, but it's nice enough."
Rick showed her around. "This is the sofa, it pulls out into a bed. The dinette can also turn into a bed. The kitchen is here, and this is the dishwasher. The wine fridge is over there. I didn't even know there was one. The one thing it doesn't have is an oven. But this is a combo microwave and oven.
"These are the bunk beds." Rick opened them up. "Each bed has a TV and a light. Here's the primary bathroom, complete with a full-size shower."
"This is the master bedroom with all this storage." He opened drawers and cabinets. "Back here is the half bath and the washer/dryer. And if you lift the bed, there's even more storage."
"That's it. Oh, I almost forgot about the driver's position. It has a backup camera and a trip computer, and right up front is your seat. The chairs swivel and recline, and the overhead TV is up here." He powered it down to show her. Then he powered it back up to its hiding location.
"All you need to do now is furnish it," Alexis told him.
"About that. I was hoping you would help with that. You handle everything for the kitchen while I get everything else. Things like sheets, pillows, cleaning supplies, BBQ grill, chairs and other things." Rick looked at her pleadingly.
"Okay, Dad. I'll help you. Anything to get you to stop with the puppy dog eyes."
Rick hugged her. "It'll be great. Go anywhere we want and stay anywhere we want all summer long."
"It'll be an adventure, all right." Alexis was willing to admit it was possible.
ʘ ʘ
"Thanks for seeing me, Dad," Kate told him as she slid into a booth. She was interrupted when a server came up to her. "I'll have coffee." She watched her leave.
Kate took a deep breath. "I screwed up, Dad, really screwed up this time."
"Let me guess. It involves Castle, right?"
Her jaw dropped. "Why would you say that?"
"Because your life revolves around the man. Castle did this, or he did that, or he said that. I thought you liked him the way you talk about him."
"I do, Dad. A little."
Jim snorted. "More like a lot. So what did he do this time?"
"Thank you," Kate told the server when she brought her coffee. "He resigned is what he did. He quit the NYPD."
"Because?"
"That's where I fucked up. I replaced Castle with Demming. I… I even kissed him."
"I see. So you tried a high school move to try and make Castle jealous, and it didn't work out the way you wanted it to."
"No! ...Did I?" Kate hadn't thought of it like that. "I guess I did," she finally admitted.
"Did you try and make it right with Castle, Katie?"
Kate nodded. "I did. I went to the loft and tried to talk to him, but he showed me to the door and shut it in my face."
Jim cringed a little. "Ouch! He must really be mad."
"It gets worse. I got Demming fired and Esposito was suspended for two weeks. My suspension was for a month. Then I was demoted to junior homicide detective when I return in 30 days."
"Wow, that's a lot.! Captain Montgomery must be furious."
Kate didn't even touch her coffee. She nodded once. "Yes, he is."
"So what's next?" Jim waited while she thought about it before answering him.
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. Look for a new job somewhere, I guess. I'll be humiliated if I go back. I got demoted. I'll be the laughingstock of everyone if I go back."
"Don't look to Montgomery for a letter of recommendation," Jim warned her. "I think you've burned that bridge."
"You think so?" She thought about it. "Yeah, I guess I have. I'll have to start all over again somewhere else."
Jim reached across the table and held her hand. "I wish you luck, Katie. I'll help you in any way I can."
"Thanks, Dad. I guess I better get back, put together a résumé, and start looking for a new job."
Jim leaned back and made a suggestion. "You might want to start with the FBI. Maybe you can get a recommendation from your old boyfriend."
"Will? I don't think that's a good idea. He'll rub it in my face," Kate told him. "Thanks, Dad, for everything." She slid out of the booth and kissed his cheek. "Love you." And she walked out.
"Good luck, Katie," Jim murmured as he watched her go out the door.
ʘ ʘ
Rick unpacked the bedding for his king-size bed while Alexis unpacked the plates and stored them. Then they left and returned with twin bedding for the bunk beds, and Alexis unpacked the pots and pans. She broke down the boxes and put them in the trash. After that, they went out for still more. Rick came back with cleaning supplies, and Alexis came back with silverware.
A bit later, they went out for still more stuff. Rick brought back detergent for the dishwasher, laundry detergent, and pillows for all the beds. Alexis put away Tupperware.
Alexis landed with a thud on the sofa in the RV, and Rick sat beside her. "I'm pooped, but I feel like I'm missing something," she told him. Suddenly, she remembered it. "Can opener! And a toaster, orange juice pitcher, what else?"
Rick thought about it for a minute. "Food, lots and lots of food. And all kinds of spices, salt, pepper."
"It's a lot of stuff, Dad. You're sure this was a good idea?"
"We can't stop now, Alexis. We're almost to the finish line."
"Then let's go. Provided we get out alive," Alexis said as a reminder to watch out for people not paying any attention, even though the RV was huge. "BBQ grill and chairs and a table."
Rick moaned, rethinking about this being a good idea.
ʘ ʘ
It took Kate a few days to create a résumé, and she began sending them to all kinds of cities where she was willing to relocate. Then she put them in the mail and waited for a response. She debated the idea of trying to join the FBI.
Kate heard a knock on her door. She looked through the spy hole and cringed. This was not going to be good. Kate opened the door and put on a good front. "Lanie."
"Don't you Lanie me, girlfriend! I had to find out from a new detective that Montgomery suspended you. For a month! Now explain yourself, and you better make this good."
Kate sighed. "I'll get the vodka." She went into the kitchen. She had food now since she didn't have a job, so she might as well cook. She poured herself a glass and a larger one for Lanie.
She went back in the living room, handed Lanie her glass, and plopped down on her sofa. Lanie sat down and waited for Kate to explain. "I screwed up, Lanie. I pulled a high school move to try and make Castle jealous. Instead of being jealous, he resigned. Worse, I got Demming fired in the process." Kate closed her eyes while she sipped some of her vodka.
"I knew you hooking up with Demming was a mistake. What I don't understand is why you did it. I'm your best friend, but there are times I don't understand you. Castle writes an entire book about you, the single largest love letter I've ever seen, and you just blow him off."
"Love letter?" Kate rolled her eyes. She didn't see it that way.
"I don't know what you call it, but that's what it is. A love letter. That man is crazy about you, and you're fighting it."
"He's not crazy about me now, Lanie. I went to the loft to apologize, but he showed me the door and shut it in my face."
"Ouch! He's hurt, Kate. Your juvenile play hurt him. You have to do better than talk to him. It's going to take more than a just simple apology."
"You think so?" Kate looked down at the floor. "You're probably right."
"I know I'm right," Lanie insisted. "You have to do something you've never done before."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"
"You'll have to date him, Kate. Show the man that you care about him."