122. Chapter 122

After A Dance with Death

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: There's no point in dancing around it. I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Kate Beckett sat at her desk, doing paperwork on the Barbra Landau murder. She glanced over at her partner's usual chair, wishing he were here with her. Of course he might be here if I just had the courage to accept what I already know. Rick Castle loves me as much as I love him. I'm so damned close. I know I am. I've been working at changing with Doctor Burke for months now. Kate stopped and thought. No, that's not right. I started changing when Castle came into my life. I didn't like it at first, now I couldn't be happier at how I've changed.

She looked at the photo of Barbra Landau sitting on her desk. Barbra wanted a change. She went from a dancer in a crummy strip club, to a well paid job as Odette Morton's stand in, to being the woman she always wanted to be. She almost made it.

I've changed, too. I was nothing like I am now when I was nineteen. I went from having everything I could want, family, friends, admission to a great university, and a career ahead of me with no limits: Ms. Chief Justice Katherine Beckett. And then in a heartbeat, it was all gone. Only one thing mattered, so I became a cop. And that's all I was until I met Castle.

Kate stared into space. What would my life have been like if my mom had never been murdered? Suppose Pulgatti found another lawyer to look into his case. Suppose my life went on as I had expected…

Katherine Beckett strode towards her office at Beckett and Hamilton, her high heels clicking rapidly on the floor. Katherine Beckett was a woman in a hurry and anyone who got in her way had better watch out. "Margaret, "She barked, "Who's this client I'm seeing?And why the hell am I wasting my time on something as trivial as this."

Margaret took a deep breath. Pay at Beckett and Hamilton was very lucrative, and, everyone said, if you could put up with Katherine Beckett, you could do anything. Most people couldn't or wouldn't do that. "He's Rick Castle, an author of mysteries and a close friend of Mayor Weldon. The mayor asked that you handle this personally. I have his file for you." She handed a slim folder to her boss.

Katherine looked at the file. "I suppose that I have to humor the mayor, but if he's a close friend with this clown, I'm surprised he's gotten this far in politics. All right. Send Castle in."

Margaret squirmed in her chair. "He's not here."

"What?" Katherine erupted. "Does he realize who the hell I am? I cannot, I will not, waste time on some political hack's dim witted pal. I don't care…"

Just then, Margaret's phone rang. She answered by the second ring, as she must or be fired. She looked up at Katherine. "He's in the lobby. He'll be here in a few minutes."

Katherine turned on her heel and walked into her office. Five minutes later, Castle walked in. He strolled over to the chair by her desk and sat down, uninvited. He was worse than Katherine had imagined. He hadn't shaved in a few days which she personally thought made a man look sloppy, not edgy. He wore an expensive blue suit with a red shirt and no tie. He smiled at her, looking at her boobs as he did so. "HI, I'm Rick Castle. You must be Kate Beckett. I can call you Kate, can't I?"

She glared at him. "You may call me Ms. Beckett in our very brief association. You stole a police horse?"

"Borrowed. I had no intention of keeping it."

"You were nude at the time." She said coldly.

"We both were. The horse and I." He said grinning. "It seemed appropriate."

She nodded. "I'll have no difficulty getting these charges dropped. I think we're done here." She pointed to the door.

He smiled at her. "Since you've helped me, why don't we…"

"No!" She said decisively. "No. Not now. Not ever. Never. Good bye."

Castle left and Katherine Beckett hit her intercom. "Margaret, call that idiot DA and tell him that both I and the mayor want those charges dropped. I don't imagine anything more than that will be required. Then call Senator Bracken's hotel and tell him I'll be over for dinner and drinks at six."

Kate sat bolt upright in her chair. No! Not that! I was ambitious when I was at Stanford, but nothing like that. Kate sat back and let her mind wander again….

Kate Beckett edged around her desk to reach a file balanced on the top of a filing cabinet squeezed into her tiny office. "Maggie, is this the file of the client I'm seeing this afternoon"

"The Castle file, Kate? Yes." Maggie replied. Working for Kate Beckett didn't pay well, but working for a public interest lawyer like Kate Beckett was worth it. Maggie was fiercely loyal to her boss.

"Yes." Kate looked through the slim file. "Why are we taking this? Police brutality? Animal rights? It really doesn't look like my kind of case."

"Mayor Weldon asked us to take it, Kate. This Castle guy is some sort of writer and a pal of the mayor's. We need the money, Kate, and we do support Mayor Weldon."

Kate nodded as she read the file. "What kind of writer? Investigative journalist? Exposing wrongdoing? Does he write on politics, foreign affairs, the economy, or what?"

"He's a mystery writer." Maggie replied.

"Kind of a Dashiell Hammett type, writing about a noir-ish loner who takes up the cause of the little guy against the rich and powerful?"

Maggie waited a few seconds before replying. "Um, not exactly. He writes mostly about a guy named Derek Storm who's some kind of a private eye and a hired gun for the CIA. I think. I've never read his stuff, actually."

Kate shook her head. The CIA! She thought. We do need the money and we do support Weldon.

"Ms. Beckett?" Maggie called. "Mr. Castle is here."

Castle walked in without being asked and sat. "Hi, I'm Rick Castle. "He was looking straight at her boobs when he said that.

"My eyes are up here, Mr. Castle." She said coldly.

"And you have gorgeous eyes."

Kate ignored the compliment. "You stole a police horse?"

He shook his head. "Borrowed. I had every intention of returning it."

"Why did you steal the horse, Mr. Castle? Was it being abused? We're you making a statement of some kind?"

"No. I was drunk." Castle glanced at his expensive watch. Kate was sure it was because he wanted to impress him with his wealth. His whole dress and demeanor screamed conspicuous consumption. She hated him at first sight.

"You were naked?" She said, trying to keep the distaste out of her voice.

"I do my best work while naked. " He said with a salacious grin. "If you'd like to find out…"

"I would not, Mr. Castle. I most certainly would not!"

Castle looked disappointed and surprised. Kate assumed that women usually couldn't wait to fall madly in bed with him. "Thank you, Mr. Castle. I see at least three errors the police made that will make the evidence against you inadmissible. You may leave now and we'll send you a bill." Kate put her head down and didn't raise it until Castle was all the way out of her office.

"Maggie, "she called, "I know it's unethical, but bill that clown double for my time." She started to write in her notebook, then thought of something. "Oh, and could you call Josh and tell him I'll be late tonight?"

Kate shook her head. Castle believes in the magical powers of the Universe. I don't. But if my mom hadn't been murdered, I might never have met the man I love. Was that the mysterious power of the Universe in action? Was it karma? I lose my mom, but gain Castle? My mom lives and I never find Castle?

No, there is no mysterious force ruling my life. Mom is gone and Castle is…Not yet with me. Not yet.