158. Chapter 158

After A Death in the Family, Again

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: The last one was Sad Kate. This is Angry Kate. I own none Castles. I'd be….Oh, never mind. Rating: K Time: See above.

"It's about your mother's case."

The last thing that Kate Beckett ever expected to hear from Richard Castle were those words. Especially after what she had told him. She was momentarily stunned by what he had done. "How could you!" She hissed at him. "How could you! What did I tell you?"

He had known she'd be angry. He thought that he was prepared for it. "Kate, just listen to me for…"

"Listen to you? No. Get the hell out of my life, Castle. Get out. Right this minute."

"Kate, let me explain."

"No!" She raged. "Let me explain! This is my life you're messing up. My life. We are done! Over! Now get out."

Castle was starting to babble as she glared at her. She saw a uniform starting to move towards them. She pulled out her badge and stepped past Castle. "Officer, I'm Detective Kate Beckett, Homicide, 12th Precinct. This man is bothering me. I want him out of this hospital. He has no business here."

The officer took Castle's arm. "Sir, you'll have to leave. Come along quietly now."

Castle pulled away. "Kate, will you just listen to me?"

The uniform grabbed Castle's forearm with one hand and his hand with the other and pulled the hand down. "Sir, come along with me." He pulled the hand down enough to cause Castle some pain.

"Beckett!" He yelled as he was led away.

"And make sure he doesn't get back in." Kate called to the officer. She went back into Will's room, but the mood had been shattered. She could barely concentrate and she soon left. When she got to the door, she saw a shadow near her car. "Damn him." She muttered. I don't need to bother a uniform to take care of that asshole. She thought. She walked out into the parking lot and as soon as Castle approached her, she pushed at his chest while hooking her heel behind his. He fell on his ass. She smiled. "You stay down there. I swear if you try to get up, I will run over you, even if it costs me my badge."

Castle stayed down and she saw him disappear into her rear view mirror. But, no sooner was she out of the parking lot than she got a call from Castle. She glared at the phone and declined the call. He called again. This time she turned the phone off.

Once back in her apartment, she had a glass of wine. It did no good. She decided there wasn't enough wine in the world to help her tonight. She strode around her living room, trying to settle down. She wasn't settling down. Not after that.

There was a tap at her door. She knew exactly who was there. She opened the door and found Castle there, as she had expected.

"Beckett, …" he began.

"No! Can't you understand? I don't care. I don't want to know. All I want is to never see you again. Do. You. Understand?"

"Let me…"

She slapped him as hard as she could. It hurt her hand, but it was the first thing she'd done that made her feel better all night. She thought about slapping him again, but decided against it. "We're done! We're over. I am not going to see you ever again. Oh, I know. You're a pal of the mayor's. You think that will help you with me? It won't. I'll file a sexual harassment complaint against you."

"I've never sexually harassed you!" He said, shocked.

"In my opinion you have. And I'll complain to the police union. I'll complain to the city anti-discrimination office. I'll write to the editor of the Ledger! How will you like seeing yourself on Page Six then? Now go!" She slammed the door in his face.

She grabbed her phone and dialed.

"Montgomery. What is it, Beckett?"

"Sir, I apologize for calling you this late, but it's Castle. I want him gone. I want him out by the time I get to work tomorrow. I refuse to let him follow me around."

"What happened?" Montgomery asked tiredly.

"He's been investigating my mother's murder. The one thing I told him never, ever to do. And he did it anyway. Sir, I can't have him around."

"Beckett, this isn't something I can handle all on my own. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Sir, I'm asking you to…"

"Tomorrow, Beckett." He hung up.

Beckett arrived at the precinct bright and early. She was there two hours before Montgomery showed up.

"Beckett. My office. Now."

She closed the door behind her and stood in front of Montgomery's desk. "Sir, I want…"

"It's not always about what we want, Beckett. Castle looked into your mother's murder?"

"Yes, sir. After I specifically told him not to. The one thing in the world that would hurt me the most and he did it. You know what happened to me, Captain."

"Your mother's case is an open murder case. The mayor has this idea that we're supposed to investigate murders. I'm afraid I have to agree with him."

"Sir, this is my mother's murder. You don't understand."

"I do understand. You don't get to ignore an open murder case because it's too painful to you. If Castle comes up with anything useful, he can hand it over to another detective. Maybe even another precinct. But I cannot kick Castle out because he's doing what we're supposed to be doing. He stays here and he follows you. Got that?"

Kate just nodded and walked out without another word. She saw Castle sitting by her desk in the bullpen. He had obviously waited until her talk with Montgomery. She saw a cup of coffee on her desk. She reached over, and dumped it in her wastepaper basket. She looked at Ryan and Esposito. "The DA's office wants us to re-interview the witnesses in the Moretti case. There's a plea deal in the works and they want to be sure there was no premeditation. "He," She didn't even look at Castle, "will ride with you two." She got up and headed for the elevator.

"Beckett! Wait!" Castle called after her.

Esposito grabbed his arm. "You're riding with us because we don't know what she might do after what you did to her. We will not allow you to do something that will cost Beckett her badge. So get in our car, sit down and shut up. If you say one damned word, I swear I'll throw you out of the car. Understood?"

Castle understood.

2015

Kate snuggled against Rick in a large easy chair in the living room of their house in the Hamptons. "In spite of what I'd said earlier, that was the only time I ever really hated you, and I shouldn't have."

"I should have found a better way to tell you. My bad. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Solving my mom's murder with me?"

"No. For hurting the woman I love. No excuse for that."

She shook her head. "But you weren't in love with me. You found me not unattractive, but you were only hanging around me because you were having so much fun playing cop. That was it. That's what you told me."

"Hoist with my own petard." Castle moaned.

"Again." Kate teased.

Castle kissed her gently on the cheek. "The first time I saw you, there in the book launch party, you interested me. By the time I'd spent the next day with you, I was fascinated. At the end of the case, I was hooked on you. And yes, by the time I told you I was looking into your mom's murder, I was in love with you. So you have me. Caught in my own trap, by my own words. But, am I forgiven?"

"Always."

Author's note: I know that after I finished After Watershed, Again I said we'd have a little hiatus, but that I'd watch my favorite Castle episodes and maybe I'd write some more After…stories. So I've watched all ten of Season One's episodes and I've written eight more After…stories. I'm going to start on Season Two. Perhaps I'm addicted to this?