307. Chapter 307

After Bad Santa

Episode 7.10

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Bad UCSBdad! Castle does not belong to you! Rating: K Time: See above.

Kate had laughed and danced all through the party at the precinct and Castle had done his best to enjoy himself as well. He thought he had done a pretty good job, all things considered.

Once back at the loft, Kate put her arms around him and kissed him very thoroughly. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so very much, Castle." She whispered in his ear.

He smiled at the joy that he had so rarely seen in his wife the first few years he had known her. "What are you thanking me for? Have you been naughty? Peeking at your presents?"

"No. I'm thanking you for giving me back Christmas. From the time I was nineteen until we got together, Christmas was just another day for me. In fact, it was worse than just another day. I used to ask myself, how all those other people could be happy when I was so miserable? Why wasn't everyone as cold and dreary as the weather and Kate Beckett? How could they have so much fun when my mom was dead and I wasn't able to find her killer? I was Ebenezer Scrooge with a badge in those days."

"Always glad to make my amazing wife happy." Castle said, kissing her forehead.

"I still miss my mom, of course, but now I can appreciate the joy that Christmas brings to everyone. Especially the joy you bring to me." She kissed him again.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to be the Grinch, though."

Kate looked at him questioningly. "What?" Kate was first shocked, then angry and finally coldly furious at what had been done. When Castle was done, she went to the closet and grabbed her coat.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the precinct. I'm going to have a talk with Gates about this. I am not going to put up with this."

"Kate, that isn't going to do any good. This comes from way above Gates' pay grade. And, in fact, she was sorry I had to leave."

Kate glared at Castle, then her expression softened to a smile. "I'm sorry, babe. I shouldn't be getting mad at you. But, the idea that Gates was sorry doesn't fly. She's wanted you gone from day one."

"Even if she was lying to me, it's still not something she can change. The DA went to the mayor. I talked to Bob on the phone. He's sorry, but Hawken, the DA, was prepared to make an issue of it. And it doesn't sound good. Richard Castle, novelist, but not a cop, gets in bed, metaphorically, with mobster Dino Scarpella whose personal Family doctor is murdered? And McBride, the alleged killer, gets gunned down on his way to booking? It isn't going to take Woodward and Bernstein to put those two facts together. Weldon had no choice."

"McBride was a criminal. A dirty cop!" Kate raged.

"Alleged dirty cop." Castle said soothingly. "And even if he was guilty, he didn't deserve to be murdered." Castle pulled Kate into a hug. "Stay here, sweetie. I need you tonight."

Kate kissed him. "Good idea." She took his hand and headed for the bedroom. "Tonight you're going to get to open one of your Christmas presents early. And it's a gift you'll keep on getting." She was already taking off her top.

The next morning Kate, feeling tired, a bit sore, and equal parts furious and content, walked into the 12th Precinct and headed straight for Gates' office.

As she walked in, Gates looked up. "Close the door and sit down, Kate. I've been expecting you."

"Then you know why I'm here." Kate said, controlling her anger with some difficulty.

"And I understand how you feel, but this is out of my hands."

"Sir, I know you don't like Castle and you've wanted him gone from day one, but he's an invaluable asset to my homicide team. You know what he has done for…"

"I do know. And not just for your team." Gates interrupted. "McGuinness in Robbery told me that Castle was invaluable in solving a theft of a very valuable stamp collection. Whistler in Fraud said Castle gave them some advice that was the key to breaking up a major identity theft ring. I do not particularly like your husband, but I certainly do appreciate the work he's done for the NYPD. That said, there's nothing I can do. The DA, Mr. Hawken, has his own political agenda. Although he and Mayor Weldon are of the same political party, they're fierce rivals. Anything that hurts Mayor Weldon helps Mr. Hawken. Or at least that's how Mr. Hawken sees it. I am sorry, Kate, but you'll just have to learn to get along without Mr. Castle."

Kate nodded. "Thank you for explaining that to me, sir. I apologize for being angry with you."

"Would you like to take the rest of the day off?" Gates asked.

"No, sir. I may as well start learning to do without Castle now."

Kate walked over to her desk. Ryan and Esposito were already there. "Is it true?" Espo asked. "The DA got Castle kicked to the curb?"

Kate just nodded, no trusting herself to speak.

"What do you want us to do?" Ryan asked.

Kate thought for a long moment. "What I'm going to do. Investigate murders."

Espo and Ryan exchanged looks. "Okay." Espo said. "We'll do our best to replace Castle, but it won't be easy."

"It never is." Kate said quietly.

Kate took off from work earlier than usual and rushed home. As soon as she got inside the loft, she walked to Castle's office, sat on his lap and kissed him hard. "I had a horrible day." She said, breaking the kiss. "My partner, my best friend, my lover and my husband weren't there. I hate this."

"All four of them? What a bunch of slackers. You should give them the old heave ho."

"Not funny, Castle." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Not funny at all. I feel like I'm trying to do my job with one hand tied behind my back. I'm not sure I can do this, Rick."

Castle stroked her hair. "Of course you can do it. You are the very best homicide detective the NYPD has. And, you were the best homicide detective before you ever met me. Kate, I know this is going to be hard for you, but you can do this. And you're too dedicated not to do it."

"I don't know if I want to do it, though."

Castle frowned. What was his lovely wife talking about? "What do you mean?"

"I became a cop to solve my mom's murder. I've done that. Once I wanted to be a lawyer, not a cop. I could still become a lawyer. Okay, I'd never be able to get back into Stanford as a pre-law, but I can still get into a good pre-law program and a good law school. My experience as a cop will help get me a job, and maybe by best friend, my lover and my partner could become my partner again. Maybe Nikki could have a career change as well?"

Rick thought for a while. "I'll be behind you one hundred percent no matter what you do, Kate. But two things to think about. One, you're a fantastic cop, the very best. And I'm sure you'd be a great lawyer, but to use your experience as a cop, you'd have to go to work for DA Hawken, move out of New York City, or become a defense lawyer."

Kate frowned and scrunched her nose. "The first is out, unless Hawken is gone by the time I pass the bar. The second option…You were ready to move from New York to DC, but I really hate the idea of moving out of the city and I hate forcing you to move a lot more. And being a defense lawyer is out."

"You wouldn't be forcing me to move."

"Yes I would and you know it." Kate said firmly, brooking no argument. "What's the second thing I should think about?"

"I'm going to be back at the 12th soon."

Kate smiled and hugged him. "How? What did you do?"

"Um, nothing yet. Actually, I have no idea how I'll get back in, but I will. I can't leave you alone there in case you need your husband and you only have your partner, your best friend and your lover around. Those three just can't hack it. At all. "

"But you're going to be with me?"

"What do I always say?"

"Always." They said together.