Private Life
by Castlefan6
Authors Note AU: Beckett and Castle have reached their first If Only moment, which forces Rick to leave the precinct. The episodes Cops and Robbers and To Live and Die in LA have been rearranged to suit this Timeline; please go with it.
I am taking a Literary License to fill in the blanks.
I don't own Castle; I only use the characters for amusement, except the ones I create.
This is COMPLETELY AU and May or May Not Wind Up with a Caskett Ending.
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Chapter 7
Hidden Hills, California,
Later Same Morning
"Becks, if we're going to talk, you're going to have to take the lead. I'm not going to guess what's on your mind, I'm not playing those games with you anymore. Before you ask, I will tell you that things between Rick and me are private and none of your business, so what do you want to talk about?" Maddie Repeated, after giving Kate a few minutes to sit with her mouth open,
"Maddie, I didn't know that you and Rick, I mean, did it start that night at the Q4?" She mumbled,
"Kate, if you recall, I asked you if you were interested in Rick. You told me, and I quote, "No, absolutely not. Castle and me? It's never going to happen, Maddie. Go for it."
"Yeah, I remember that, Maddie. I mean, I had Tom."
"You didn't know that Rick overheard what you said, so that's when he asked if I would like him to accompany me to the food-tasting event. We went to dinner afterward, but you know how that ended, and I still think in your heart you want to make babies with him, Becks." She said, this time, she was on HER home turf and pushed the issue.
"Maddie, why would you say something like that? Any fool can see you two are really into each other. I mean, what chance would I have even if I did? He hates me, and well, I can't say I did anything not to earn it. We did go at him pretty hard the last week he worked with me." Kate finally admitted to someone other than Dr. Burke.
"Kate, it wasn't the put-downs—well, not as much—but if you haven't learned this about Rick, you're slipping in your GUYDAR. You used to be able to pick up the slightest details about guys, even those you didn't like.
"Rick despises lies, and you weren't honest with him on more than one occasion. The last one blew up in your face when your boyfriend wasn't clued into it. When he invited you to the Hamptons, he and I were already an item; all you had to do was answer, "I have a boyfriend, or allow him to explain that most of the 12th precinct would be there, but you assumed he was after your body and lied.
"We didn't publicize it because, well, I didn't want you to get hurt at me again like in high school. We both have our versions of what happened back then, and it isn't worth going another decade without you talking to me by reliving it." She said, closing off any reminiscing about the good old days.
"You're right, Maddie, and I apologize. I did break up your date because I was jealous of you being with Castle. I know, I know, I had a boyfriend and had given you clearance to go after him, but I don't know why. It bugged me.
"It's nuts; even my shrink told me I had to make up my mind. Did I want him, or did I want him available if I ever got over some things?" She confessed,
"Becks, we've known each other long enough to know when you're lying, and you are lying again. When the hell did you start that? Hell, you were the one friend I could always count on to be brutally honest, even when I didn't ask for your opinion.
"Maddie, what do you mean? I'm not ly."
"You can stand there and HONESTLY tell me that you don't have one ounce of regret that I'm with Rick, and you're on the outside? Becks, he has been your Mom and your favorite writer for as long as I can remember.
"Hell, your dad even said if there were one man he had to worry about breaking his marriage up, it would be the writer. Please, I'm not the fool I once was." She was getting upset with her now,
"Maddie, I mean, I didn't give him a chance to show his real side to me. I just judged him for what I read. You saw the stories, out screwing a different starlet every night like he lived his private life on page six of the daily news." Kate backtracked and tried to defend herself,
"Yes, I saw those stories Kate, and do you know what I did about them? We sat down and talked. He allowed me to ask any question I wanted, and not that it's any of your business, but that was before we made love. I would have slept with him anyway, but it was important to him that I know the REAL Rick Castle, HIM, Becks, not me." She raised her voice once again,
"Becks, let me ask you a question. You know he's been divorced twice, so who do you think messed up those marriages?" She was on a roll now and not backing down.
"I have no idea, but"
"I asked you who you thought, not who did?" She interrupted her.
"Given his history, as I know it, I would assume it would be Castle," Kate replied, looking a little miffed at Maddie for asking such an obvious question.
"Well, congratulations, you just proved the old adage when you assume you make an ASS out of you and ME, and I don't appreciate being lumped into that category. Don't you remember when I told you that Rick and I talked?
"That he allowed me to ask any question about his history? What the hell do you think I asked him when he lost his virginity?" Maddie was steamed now; she hadn't seen her this upset since the night she broke up her date with Rick.
"No, I didn't forget, but all of the evidence points to,"
"Evidence? Becks, you read the Entertainment Section of a daily paper, and you consider that evidence? I thought you were a better cop, hell, a better person than that. You used to try to find out the entire story before you made up your mind, but what the hell happened to you? "She continued,
"I'm not saying anything other than for you to do some research, and not police records but public domain information, and you'll see how wrong your assumption was," Maddie said,
Kate hung her head, knowing Maddie was correct, that she had taken the convenient way out to explain why she could treat Castle like a playboy trying to get into her pants. She didn't know at the time of the invitation that Maddie and he were an item, well friends with benefits at a minimum,
"Maddie, are we still friends, I mean."
"Well, I guess that's up to you now, Becks. You can see how crazy I am over Rick, and I know he cares for me as well, not as deeply as I do him. Can you honor that and not try to undermine what we are working towards building?" She said, looking at her straight in the eyes,
"I can give you my word, Maddie, that I won't do anything, say anything, or attempt to disrupt what you and Rick have going on," she said, thinking forlornly at what might have been, If Only.
"Then, yes, we can still be friends, but you step out of line one time, and I swear, you will regret the day you met me." The fire was coming from the calm but emphatic Maddie standing just inches from her nose, almost touching Beckett's.
Maddie's phone made a unique sound, a personal ringtone from Rick to her. Kate could tell before Maddie said, "I have to take this. Excuse me," and walked quickly away from her.
"You're not at the studio, are you, Sweetheart?" Maddie asked,
"No, and I'm sorry I had to tell that lie, Madie. I didn't want the Detective to try anything if she got wind of this, but I'm with Jerry Ora at police headquarters. We have a lead on Gage and his gang." He said,
"Rick, please be careful. I know you know how to handle yourself, but sweetheart, don't do anything for someone who considers you just an ornament. Please come home to the one who loves you, please," as tears filled her voice.
"I will Mads, I promise you, and I love you as well. I'll call you as soon as it's over and I am in a secure location. I have to go now, but no more tears; I'll be home before you know it." He said, not sure who he was trying to convince more, himself or the lady who loved him deeply.
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Same Time Period
LAPD Task Force Headquarters.
"So, Jerry, what do we have, and are you sure it's Gage?" Rick asked the old friend who had served with Roy, Weldon, and himself in the old days.
"Morning Rick, I'm sure it's Gage. We got wind of a heist from a storage facility at the airport. It seems like they were dealing in stolen munitions, and they were willing to kill to keep their secret. Royce never stood a chance against the armor-piercing bullets they were hijacking, and yes, it was an inside job.
"The shipping clerk who forged the shipping manifests has already cut a deal and confessed to everything. The girl he got back to New York safely, who cost him his life, is the niece of the shipping clerk. Gage was trying to kidnap her and use her safety for an even larger shipment of missiles. "Jerry said,
"So she goes to Royce, but how did she know to go to him?" Rick asked
"Before working at Magnum Munitions, Mr. Seth Tolliver worked as chief of pyrotechnics for a band named Kiss and knew of Gene Simmons's affiliation with Mike. I guess his daughter Sophie was a bit of a wild child, like her old man, and had a relationship with Tolliver.
"Simmons hit the roof when he found out, fired Tolliver, and got Sophie into a private school, where Tolliver's niece befriended her.
"When he got in deeper than he was willing to go, they threatened his family, especially his niece, and that's where Royce came in. He managed to get her to an aunt's home in Queens, but Gage tracked him down, and well, you know the rest." Jerry said,
"So, who's handing the Fed charges, Jerry? I mean"
"You don't want to know, Rick. Let's just say the director is making it all look like a local robbery of non-classified material and leaving it at that. We are meeting Gage in two hours at a park for what he thinks will be the final payment for the next shipment of missiles. Are you carrying your hardware, or do you need to borrow a piece?" He asked Rick,
"I'm packing Jerry, so I'm allowed to ride along, but I bet you got your orders to make him stay in the car if he gets injured, Martha Rogers will kill me," he mimicked as Jerry laughed,
"We're only backup; our elite squad with the vests that are equipped to handle that kind of firepower will be front line attack," Jerry said, "But you came close to what Jackson said, and he did invoke your mother's name." He laughed hard
"Two hours, you said, Jerry? When do we leave"? Rick asked
"As soon as you get back from the men's room, we're on our way," Jerry said as he barked some orders into the radio on his shoulder.
TWO HOURS LATER
Rick observed the teams in motion. They were good, but he expected nothing less; it was Jackson's group, after all. Finally, he caught a glimpse of the man he had only seen in photographs and looked towards Jerry, mouthing the word, TARGET Without making a sound," He knew the importance of silence.
Jerry responded with a quick nod of his head, but something was worrying the Captain. It appeared that his squad had been caught in a potential crossfire, a double cross from the intelligence they had been provided.
He said something quietly, and one squad moved out of harm's way. That left an exit lane for Gage, and as soon as he saw it, he fired a few shots and headed for the open road. Jerry ran towards him but was felled by a shot to his leg, as Rick picked up the chase. Gage jumped the small bridge over a creek, trying to evade him, but Rick had been running every day for months and soon was catching up.
He turned to fire, but before he could fire a round, a blast was heard, and Gage fell crumpled on the ground. A moment later, Rick stood over him with his gun still aimed at his head and said, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your scumbag ass away?"
Gage cowered, bracing for the shot that never came, as Rick just said, "Give me the name of the mole, and you live. You have until the count of three, 1,2,"
Gage rose up to a sitting position, and offered up the name of the informant, Sargent Truillio, who was part of the squad approaching them now. Rick just turned and pointed the gun at him and said,
"Truillio, join your friend on the ground or join Royce in the afterlife, I don't give a shit which, but do it before I reach the count of three." The Sargent was disarmed and shoved to the ground forcibly, proving there was no honor among thieves.
"Truillio, Gage has fingered you in the murder of former NYPD Cop Michael Royce, so you're going down for that as well," Rick bluffed,
"Wait, wait a minute, Gage was the one who shot Royce; check the TSA tapes; he flew to New York, shot Royce, and then returned to LA the same day. I had nothing to do with that." He squealed as Royce looked on with disgust, knowing his number was up.
The takedown was complete, including a very illusive leak in intelligence in the LAPD. Jerry's wound was minor, a through and through, and he would be back at work in a few days as soon as they were sure there wouldn't be any infection.
As soon as the sight was secure, Rick slipped away and called Maddie. She answered on the first ring, "Rick, baby, are you OK? There was a newsflash about a cop shooting at the park, I was so worried,"
"I'm fine, Maddie. It's better than fine. You can tell the Detective that Gage is in custody, and she can file the extradition paperwork once she gets back to New York, but it'll be a few years before he is in a New York prison; he has a debt to California, he is going to have to pay first." He said,
"When are you coming home, Love?" She asked
"I should be home in a few hours. Why don't you get ready, and we can go out to dinner and do the dancing you have been wanting to do for the last few weeks?" He said with a smile in his voice,
"That sounds wonderful, Rick, but what about Becks? I mean, you just want to leave her here by herself?" Maddie asked
"She won't be by herself. Rosa will be there to make dinner and finish cleaning. I agreed to let her stay, not be her nursemaid or entertainment while she is out here. I need to spend some time with my lady, alone." He said seductively into the phone,
"I can't wait, but I have to tell Becks we're going out, and she can read any book she wants from your library, not your office; I know that's off limits, but the main library," She said, smiling into the phone. "I have to go. I have to get a bath, do my hair, you know, the girl stuff you don't want to hear about but like looking at." She laughed,
He laughed into the phone, "I'll be home soon, Love, and yes, I did Miss You Too." Her face turned red with blush, and she felt a warm glow go through her body. They were getting closer, and even with Beckett there, he was still paying attention to her needs. She turned to see Kate standing in the doorway,
"Was that Rick? I don't want to push, but I really would like just twenty minutes with him to talk, I mean, I"
"Becks, Becks, finally louder still, BECKS. Yes, that was Rick, and no, he won't be able to meet with you tonight when he gets home; we have an engagement we are attending." She was trying to let Beckett down easily, but she wasn't having much luck.
"Well, maybe just before you have to leave. I mean, I, well, it was a thought," she said as she read the look on Maddie's face. No, it is not happening today, end of story. "Maddie, I know I screwed up, but how can I tell him I'm sorry, I mean, I came all this way."
"Becks, you had no idea of where or who Rick was with when you came to California. You came to avenge your first adult love who rejected you as his wife lay dying during her final weeks. You aren't the only one that has memories, just because I don't bring them up doesn't mean I won't." She said,
Kate's face turned red, confirming to Maddie what she had only thought prior to today. "How did you know? I mean, we never acted on it; hell, I never acted on it. Mike stayed true to Marie until long after she passed." Kate said sadly,
"It doesn't matter how I know, but Rick did ask me to pass a message to you." She saw Kate's face turn all happy and gleeful from the depressed look she had just moments ago,
"What message, Maddie? Don't keep me in suspense." She said,
"He said to tell you that your suspect Gage is in the custody of the LADPD, and once you get back to New York, you could file the extradition papers, BUT he's going to prison out here for a long time." She said as she watched Beckett's face fall.
"I thought you would be happy that the bad guy is off the street, Kate, what is the matter?" She asked an obviously upset Beckett.
"That was my collar, Royce was my friend, my TO, they had no right to"
"To do what Becks? Defend the city that he lived in against a thug who just happened to follow a friend as you call him to New York and murder him in cold blood? I thought you would be happy that Mike got justice, and his case didn't go cold as it sat between New York and LAPD. WHAT THE HELL is wrong with you?" Maddie asked, then turned and blasted her again,
"You know what, never mind, just get your shit together. You leave in two days, so enjoy the warm weather and the facilities. Rosa will see that you have anything you need. I can't be bothered with this petty crap." As she walked down a long haul and slammed a door.
TBC
A/N: Remember I said it would follow the ARC of the Canon story, not all the details. There was a conversation in Los Angeles, and it wasn't easy. It just wasn't between Kate and Rick; Beckett has to come to realize something before she can move forward with any of her friends and associates; the world doesn't give you a free pass when you encounter a tragedy. You need to suck it up and move on. Everyone has their problems but can't act like she did.