228. Chapter 228

AU After Headhunters

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Look, Sherlock! I don't own Castle and if you say I do, you'll get hurt! Rating: M Time: See above.

Author's note: This is a different alternate universe from the preceding alternate universe of AU 47 Seconds. In other words, the events of 47 Seconds happened as they did in the canon series. Okay?

Slaughter began to walk away from Castle and Beckett, there in the darkness under the overpass. Then he turned around and strode back. "You know, sweet cheeks, you ought to be careful hanging around in dark, lonely places like this. You could get hurt." Then he smiled. "Then again, you might enjoy it."

Kate pushed her face into Slaughter's. "Are you threatening me, Slaughter? In front of a witness?"

Slaughter laughed again. "In front of the witless, here? No, of course not. How could you think that, detective? I'm just pointing out the obvious. You could get hurt doing this. Understand?"

Kate nodded. "Oh, I understand all right."

"You know, you could get hurt, too." Castle said softly.

"What?" Slaughter turned to face Castle. "Are you threatening me, Sherlock? In front of a witness?"

Castle shook his head. "Of course not. It's just that, being a writer, my mind runs to situations like this. Suppose a guy like you managed to piss off a really rich guy. A multi-millionaire. And suppose this rich guy knew some people?"

"Like who?" Slaughter asked, sarcastically.

Castle shrugged. "Oh, like a Family guy. Say, someone like Sal Tenor. You heard of him?"

"Yeah. He's mobbed up. So?"

"So suppose this rich guy knew someone like Sal. Suppose the rich guy got a brief case full of hundreds, say a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Suppose he went down to where someone like Sal hangs out, at Coles, and puts the briefcase down and tells Sal it's to go to anyone who puts a bullet in the head of this guy like you. If I were writing this, and I might, the guy like you would be dead in twenty four hours."

"You think so, Sherlock?"

Castle nodded. "You're smart, Slaughter. You must have checked me out. And if you haven't, you will, if just to satisfy your curiosity. Think about it."

Slaughter looked back and forth at Castle and Beckett. Then he laughed and turned away, heading towards his car. "Good night, girls." He called over his shoulder.

Once Slaughter was out of sight, Beckett turned on Castle. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing?" She barked.

"He threatened you, so I threatened him."

"Castle, I can take care of myself."

He shook his head. "No you can't. One thing of the things I've learned with you is that no one can take care of themselves. Neither of the Coonan brothers, armed professional killers, could take care of themselves. Mike Royce, your mentor, couldn't take care of himself. I've see dead people from here to Staten Island who couldn't take care of themselves. In fact, I saw you die, although it didn't take."

"What are you going to do if Slaughter makes good on his threat?"

"Just what I said I'd do." Castle said quietly.

"Are you nuts?" Before he could answer, Kate added, "No, don't bother answering that."

"It's what partners do. They take care of each other. They have each other's backs." Castle shot back. At least I have my partner's back. I'm not stabbing my partner in the back.

"You haven't been acting much like a partner lately, Castle." Kate was starting to lose her temper.

"Neither have you." Castle snapped at her. He knew he'd made a mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"I haven't! Then tell me, what the hell have I done? We used to be partners. We used to be friends. And all of a sudden that's changed. Did I do something? Why aren't we partners and friends?"

"We never were and you know it." Castle decided he didn't care anymore. If he had it out with Beckett here, at least no one else would see it.

"I know it? What do I know? Tell me, Castle, Damn it, tell me?"

"Okay. When you were interrogating that pickpocket about the Boylan Plaza bombing. What did you tell him when he said he had amnesia?"

Kate went back over the case trying to remember what she had said when the meaning of Castle's question hit her. "How did you know…" And she knew how he knew.

"I was watching through the glass when you told him that you remembered every second of your shooting. Every damned second. So, Kate, if your memory is so good, what did I say to you? Tell me!"

Kate could hardly get the words out. "You love me." She said in a whisper.

"Yeah, And now we know that we don't have some meaningful partnership or friendship. We have nothing." Castle started walking back to the car. "I think we're done here. In fact, we're just done."

He got in the car and waited for Beckett. She got in the driver's side, but just sat there. She gripped the steering wheel, but made no move to go. "I'm so damned stupid. I'm so damned stupid. I'm just so damned stupid."

Castle nodded. "Agreed. I could understand you not being in love with me, but did you have to keep me hanging on like that? What was it? We're you embarrassed that I loved you? Did you think it would screw up your reputation as a tough detective? Did you think it was funny? Did you have some laughs over a glass of wine with Lanie or your boyfriends? What was it? Just what did you want?"

"I just want you."

Castle wasn't sure he had heard her properly. What she said made no sense. "What?"

"I just want you. That's all I've wanted for years. Just you. No one else. Nothing else. Just Richard Castle." She began to cry.

Unsure of what to do, Castle decided to put his arm around her shoulder. She responded by crawling into his lap and resting her head on his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Castle. I'm so sorry." She said, between sobs.

"Why?" It was the only thing Castle could think of to say.

"A lot of things. I needed time to heal, both physically and mentally from being shot. From finding out about Montgomery and how the man who made me the detective I am had betrayed me. But mostly because I could never believe that Richard Castle would ever really love some…stupid…insecure…obsessed…badly broken cop." Kate made an effort to control her sobs. "I just don't see us ever working. I'm so terrified of losing what we have that I was terrified that we'd get together, but that you'd leave. I lost my mom, Castle, and it almost destroyed me. Losing you would be more than I could handle."

Castle gently stroked her neck, making little circles with his thumb. "I do love you, Kate. I'm not happy about how this has gone so far, but we can make a start now, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"And don't worry too much about being insecure and broken. You have company."

"What?"

"I got married to Meredith. I thought she was my one and done. And she ended up screwing some producer and serving me with divorce papers. She has no real use for Alexis, who I adore, and only comes to see me when she needs something. Having something like that happen is a really crushing blow, believe me. I've wondered for years what was wrong with me. As for Gina, the less said the better. The only reason I can think of that I married her is that she's the anti-Meredith. I had two shots at what I thought was happily ever after and screwed up them both. Believe me, I want us to work more than you know, Kate."

She twisted in his lap and kissed him, running her tongue over his teeth until his mouth opened and gave her entrance. She took his hand and slid it under her sweater to caress her boobs.

Suddenly he pulled away.

"What?" She said, her insecurities flooding back.

"We have murder to solve." He said. "Just like before. With the woman I love."

She sighed. "So we do." She slid off his lap and got out of the car, He followed her. She reached over and took his hand. "When we get done tonight, come to my place. There's so much I want from you."

He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I'll be there."

They walked off into the night, hand in hand.