A Biker's Tale

Chapter 1 - Unrequited

Rick Castle was surprised when he returned after that summer to learn Kate had broken up with Demming. They seemed to have been quite the romantic couple and Castle had caught them doing PDA's here at the Precinct. That was out of character for the ever professional Detective Kate Beckett. Hurt by these PDA's (which apparently they thought no one had seen) and by Kate replacing him with Demming during case interrogations and field work, he left for the summer with Gina. His cover story was that he needed to finish his current Nikki novel and Gina would be there to prod him into completing it. That had lasted two weeks when the arguing and fights began again, reminding them of why they had gotten divorced in the first place. So he finished his novel without Gina, but all the while wondering what had transpired between the two detectives when he had left that summer.

When he returned and learned of Kate's breakup, he felt that once again he had a chance with her. That lasted about a month when Kate's latest beau showed up at the 12th to pick her up for a date. No one knew about him, even Lanie had been kept in the dark. Apparently, besides being tall, dark and handsome, he is a surgeon. He also drove a Harley and prone to wearing bike leathers. Talk about being a bad boy type, he seem to just fit the very persona that Kate had been attracted to in past relationships. Also, as Kate herself drove a Harley, they had that in common.

So for months now Castle had been there for her, like he had been with Demming. Except now, unlike Demming, he seldom saw Josh other than when he picked up Kate for a date, which was few and far between. He also learned that Josh was absent from Kate's life for weeks at a time, the longest absence being a month as he did medical work for the charity 'Doctors Without Borders'. So far Josh had been to Columbia, Africa, and mostly lately had been scheduled for another overseas mission while still in his relationship with Kate.

But all was not well in paradise as Kate revealed during their one case involving a terrorist threat and a possible dirty bomb. Alone with her in a decontamination tent after that case exposed them to deadly radiation, he had started small talk to pass the time and asked about Josh. That is when Kate revealed she just could not compete with Josh's calling for overseas medical work.

"How's Josh?"

"He's on his way to Haiti to do another Doctors Without Borders mission."

"How long this time?"

She remains silent, deep in thought, but responds to Castle, mouthing a 'I don't know'.

Then finding her voice she tells Rick, "I mean, he's out there saving the world, how do I compete with that?".

"You can't, no one can", Castle had replied sincerely and appreciated Kate's dilemma.

"I just wish that I had someone who would be there for me, and I could be there for him, and we could just dive into it together."

That is when Castle, thinking to himself, had heard his mind say, 'Let me be that one'.

Sadly, he had been with Kate now for all more than three years and she still did not see how much he cared for her. Despite his growing affections for Kate, his feelings for her never were returned and Castle knew that he was in a situation of unrequited affections. She had not seen him as a romantic partner, although what they had was beyond mere friendship and yet not enough to make them a couple.

After they had solved that case where he saved the whole NYC from a dirty bomb, he resolved at that moment to tell her how he truly felt. Once back at the 12th, he got the courage to speak, only to go silent, when he saw Josh coming up behind her. Josh had heard on the news about the terrorist threat and had come to see about her and check if she was okay. So as Castle walked away from them heading for the elevator, he sees them embracing fondly as Kate looked at him from over Josh's shoulder as the couple embraced. That's how the case had ended, with yet another rejection by Kate in a PDA with another man. Castle had seen all of this as he left! Seeing Kate with another man seemed to be a constant event for Castle.

Still, here he is, heading for her apartment. Expo had called, they had a case, but he was unable to get hold of Beckett. They had a body drop at the GEM studio on the set of the cast from 'Temptation Lane'. The body found as the camera crew started the preparations early, before a morning shoot. The homicide team needed Kate at the crime scene.

Castle had quickly called a cab to get to her home and pick her up for the case. It was now 6:30 AM. He gets to her place just a little after the sun has risen in NYC. He knocks at her door, but no response. He knocks again, but this time louder. Then he hears the door being opened. Kate appears in just a night shirt, bare footed, her hair in a mess, like she had just awakened.

"Castle", she says, slightly surprised, thru the opening of the door that still has the door chain in place, "what are you doing here?"

"We have a body drop and Espo could not get hold of you. Your cell is turned off."

She lets him in. "I need to get dressed", she says as he enters her apartment.

Just as Castle gets thru her door, he hears a voice coming from her bedroom.

"Kate, have you seen….", but before the sentence can be completed, Rick sees Josh coming out of Kate's bedroom and buttoning his shirt, ".….my jacket? I got an emergency call from the hospital…...", that is when Josh notices Rick, …..."Castle what are you doing here?"

"There is a body drop and the precinct could not get hold of Kate, her cell phone is off?

"That's my fault, I turned it off just before we got to bed. I did not want us to be disturbed like what is happening now. Is it selfish of me to want some private time with my girlfriend? You, Castle, get to see her more than I do. Is it wrong to want some alone time with her after returning from almost a month away? I know that I ignored the fact she is a homicide detective and gets calls at any hour of the day, much like myself. Blame me for her cell being off", Josh explained in an annoying voice showing his irritation.

"I'm sorry for disrupting your morning, I should go. Kate can meet up with the team at the 12th later", realizing painfully now why Josh did not want them disturbed.

"No stay Castle, the morning is already been ruined and not the 'welcome back' moment I wanted. Anyway, I am just leaving. Besides, Kate has the squad car and I'm sure your plan was to get a ride with her to the crime scene."

"Castle, it will just take just short time for me to get dress, so stay", Kate says as she hands Josh his jacket that he was looking for, so he could depart for the hospital.

As Josh takes his jacket and then puts it on, he gives Kate a quick kiss to her lips, and then says in parting, "Thanks for last night, really enjoyed it. I'll call later."

Josh then gives a glare back to Castle as if to warn Rick. He had intruded on Josh's time with Kate and the man was making it known to Rick. As a final gesture to emphasize Kate was his, Josh embraces her tightly, his hands roaming over her body, as he grabs a final feel for her.

Seeing this display of primal possessiveness by Josh is too much for Rick who has to turn his eyes away. He could not look at them with Josh being so aggressive in this way to Kate all in Castle's presence. He had not expected to see Josh with Kate at this quite early hour in the morning. Rick had thought Josh was still in Haiti, but apparently he'd come back early. As Josh exits her apartment Kate feels humiliated by Josh's reaction to mark her as his own and by his rudeness to Castle.

Once Josh is gone, Rick speaks, "Sorry Kate, I did not mean to barge in on you this way?"

"It's not your fault Castle. Josh surprised me last night by showing up. He cut his mission short as he wanted to get back to me," trying to explain Josh's mean behavior toward Castle and somehow needing to make amends for it with Castle.

"What's that mean for you Kate?"

"It means Josh still wants a chance for us", then quickly changes the subject, "but let me get dressed and we can get to the murder scene"; Kate replies as if trying to convince herself of her own words.

As Kate heads back to her bedroom to change, Rick is left with an emotional storm brewing inside him. He had thought the couple were in a decline in their relationship, but apparently he is wrong. Seeing Kate answering his knock in just a night shirt with nothing apparently on underneath was a shocking intimate view of her. This, as revealed by her bare profile so seductively poking out from under the shirt, outlining the sensuous curves of her body and revealing her obvious nakedness beneath that night shirt. It was an erotic enticing view of her, meant not for Castle, but for another man. So then seeing Josh coming from her bedroom Castle knew instantly what had just happened that night before. He had caught them on their 'morning after', and it tore him apart emotionally. Josh's contemptuous reaction to the event only help to amplify Rick's growing angst on the matter.

Rick knew they were sleeping together all this time, but knowing and seeing were two different things. He now had an eyewitness account affirming the status of their carnal joining. Though unintentional, it hurt, it was a deep cut to his heart, the deepest cut yet from Kate. He knew now, however, that any chance he thought he might have with Kate was just wishful thinking. He needed to get away from it all. This time he would not return. This time he would move on from her.

Rick just needed time to figure out how he would go about this. It was a repeat of what had happened the previous summer with Demming. One such event was enough, twice was unbearable. and he now would not let a third such rejection occur! He was finally done with Kate Beckett, he would put her behind him and move on.

They did eventually solve the case. Much like the series, 'Temptation Lane', the actual murder was a story of deceit, jealousy, betrayal, and coverup. The victim had been murdered to hide a plagiarism by a young writer who killed the victim in anger. The vic found out about the stealing of the script by the killer who took credit for it as the author. At the close of the case, Castle had gifted an autographed picture of the Temptation Lane cast to Kate upon learning she was a fan of the series. Little known to Kate at the time, was that it would become a farewell gift from Castle. She was soon to find out about him leaving their work partnership, without a word or tell tail sign from him. This ending to their work partnership would allow Rick to forget about Kate and move on with his life.

Rick had decided it was easier not to tell of his decision to leave. He had not wanted to be asked to stay, particularly from Espo and Ryan, or Roy Montgomery. Also, if he said goodbye to Kate, he might lose his resolve to leave, especially if Kate were to plead for him to stay for the sake of the team. No, it was better to rip off the bandage in one quick move and get the pain up front and then be done.