324. Chapter 324

AU After A Deadly Affair

Episode 3.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: As many times as I've written an After story for this episode, you'd think everyone would understand. I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: Most of this takes place during A Deadly Affair. So?

"What did I do wrong?" Castle asked after being rudely sent home by Kate Beckett. He turned to see Esposito and Ryan glowering at him, then turning away. "What did I do wrong?" He said to himself, heading for the elevator.

No! I didn't do anything wrong. I need to find out what's going on. He turned about and followed Beckett back to her desk.

Seeing him, she looked up and glared at him. "Castle…" She began.

"I want to know why everyone is so mad at me. What did I do that was so bad? Or did I just wander into the Twilight Zone, or something?"

Beckett's glare increased in intensity. "Castle, you have no business in this precinct. You've been interrogated and cleared. Now do what I told you to do. Go back to your Hamptons, your ex-wife, your book parties. I have work to do." Beckett picked up a report from her desk and began reading, ignoring Castle.

"I have something to do as well." Castle said. "For nearly two years I had to listen to you bitch about having me shadow you and get in your way. I had to listen to you bitch about my book. I had to listen to you bitch about the name of the main character. I had to listen to you bitch about the god damned art for the book cover. And, then I had to listen to you bitch about my personal characteristics. But, in spite of having the attention span of a Cocker Spaniel, and being a ten year old on a sugar rush, I managed to help you, I believe. I seem to remember that I helped to solve a case you had given up on."

Beckett had kept her head down through the tirade, but her head shot up when he mentioned her mother's murder.

Castle kept speaking. "I admit, you helped me as well. I wrote a best selling novel while I was with you. I made a lot of money. I actually thought, wrongly, it would appear, that you had, at the very least, accepted me, however grudgingly. Hell, I occasionally thought you might even like me. How stupid is that?"

"And then one day, I found that I really wasn't needed around here. I wasn't needed to bring you coffee in the morning. I wasn't needed to interrogate suspects. I wasn't needed to build theory. And then you lied to me. Oh, you didn't want things to be awkward. Did you think that things weren't already awkward? And had been for a long time?"

"I'm not entirely stupid, I can tell when I'm really not wanted. So I did what you had so badly wanted for so long. I left. I went on my merry way leaving you to do the same. And now I find that you're mad at me, and the Bobbsey twins over there are mad at me." He pointed to Ryan and Esposito, then turned to point at Captain Montgomery's office. "And the Captain is mad at me as well. If I were to poll the entire NYPD, would I find they are mad at me as well?" He asked sarcastically.

"I did promise to come back in the fall. It is the fall and here I am. And seeing that I don't seem to be able to do anything right around here, whether I stay or go, I'm going to leave." He headed for the elevator. "Have a nice life, everyone. You are again happily Castleless. Enjoy it."

Beckett was shocked by his vehemence. As the elevator door closed, she called to him. "Castle?"

She looked around. Everyone in the bullpen was looking at her. She saw Ryan and Esposito look quickly away.

"Detective Beckett?" Captain Montgomery was motioning her to his office. She walked in, sat down and Montgomery closed the door.

"Castle was way out of line, Beckett."

She shook her head. "No. He was right, up to a point. I did insult him and belittle him. But I did accept him, and not grudgingly, and I did like him. I do like him." She slowly shook her head and smiled slightly. "You know why I became a cop, Roy."

"Your mom's case."

"Who was really responsible for solving part of the case? The extraordinary Kate Beckett? Not at all. Castle found evidence I didn't find."

"You didn't have his resources." Montgomery argued.

"And what did I do when he found that evidence? I got mad at him. Do you know that after I killed Coonan, he apologized to me? He wanted to quit following me. He felt responsible. Do you know what I did? I told him that I wanted him around for when I caught the people who'd sent Coonan. I told him I'd gotten used to him hanging onto my pigtails. I told him that I'd deny it if he told anyone that. Like I would be embarrassed if anyone found out I'd said something nice to Richard Castle. I never even said thank you to him. I don't remember ever saying thank you to him for anything. Maybe for the coffee. But not for anything important."

"Beckett, you could…"

She stood up. "Sir, I have two murders to solve." She left.

Ryan and Esposito were waiting at her desk. "Beckett, Ryan and I think that Castle was…"

"Right, Espo. He was right. If anyone had treated me like I treated Castle, I'd have complained long and loud to Montgomery. If I had treated you that way, you'd have complained." She looked up at Ryan who was about to speak. "Don't deny it. You know you would have. So, pull phones and financials for both vics, see where their lives intersected. I'm going to see Lanie." Kate left quickly.

"I hear you made an interesting arrest today. Want to talk about it."

"Not really, but I should." Kate told Lanie about her meeting up with Castle again. "Lanie, he hates me. He was always so friendly and ever tempered, all that time I was insulting him and being nasty to him. He never said a word. When he found out I had lied to him about having used all of my vacation days and that I was going off with Tom, rather than going with him to the Hamptons, he smiled. I bet he was overjoyed I wasn't going. He couldn't wait to finish his research and get away from me. How could I have been so stupid as to think that anyone would like me at all after I acted like that? And I do like him. I like him a lot."

"Honey, I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He liked you. He does like you. You should call him. Talk to him."

"And say what? Castle, it just occurred to me that you may not like me bitching about you 24/7. Care to try it again? Yeah, that'll work." Before Lanie could say anything, Kate walked to the victim's bodies. "So, did you find anything?"

Castle walked out of the precinct, still angry. Then he thought. Why am I walking away from this? Maya was a friend. A friend who called me when she was in trouble and got killed. I can't walk away now. This is personal now. While planning his next moves, Castle had another thought. It's not just personal because of Maya. It's personal because of Beckett. Just seeing her and finding out she's not with Demming anymore hit me like a ton of bricks. I still like her. I like her a lot. Damn it! I like her and she has no use for me. He went back to planning.

Kate looked up at Rick Castle, standing in the murdered man's apartment. "I regret it already." She said, then turned away. He wants to be with me, but why? He was called by Maya Santori, which is why he's involved in this. Is she an old lover? His current lover? He might have lied. No, he knows I'd find out while looking through Maya Santori's life. Is he here for me or her? And if he's here for me, what does he want? Just more research? Does he really enjoy solving real world cases? Or does he really like me? Maybe just a little? I won't do anything about him until I know. But I can hope…

Castle tried to keep the smile off of his face. She's letting me back on the case. But why? She knows I'm a good investigator, is it just so she can get help, even if she doesn't like me personally? I did know Maya, so I might pick up something she'd miss. Does she like having me as a partner, like we were before? Does she actually like me, in spite of all of the evidence to the contrary? I need to find out. I wonder…

Back in the precinct, Kate looked out the window, ignoring everyone else. Thank god. He wants to come back and be my partner. All he has to do is figure out what connects those three victims and he's back. He's smart and good. Very, very good. He should have no trouble figuring it out. Especially if he has help. She smiled, but quickly stopped before he saw her.

I can get back with Beckett. He thought. I can do this. I've solved tougher crimes before. But so has she. And she's good. Good? She's the best detective in New York. No, the best detective in the world. Is there any way to cheat on this bet? There must be. I have to do this. Where do these people's lives intersect criminally? Where?

Kate sat at her desk after Espo had left her. I couldn't let Castle lose the bet, and he didn't. Well, I did figure it out a little bit before he did, but what's a little white lie when it means I get my partner back? This case was what I needed for the whole summer. Castle sitting with me, building theory, finishing each other's sentences, and saying, "I know who the killer is.", together. And he checked out my ass as well. Maybe this is all he wants. He is still with Gina, after all. And he may never want anything more. In fact, he probably never will, but I have my partner back. For the first time in months, Kate was looking forward to tomorrow.

Much, much, much later.

"And I even know when you figured out the case was about counterfeiting. It was when Lanie listed all the chemicals she found. And just to make sure, you mentioned how they had made a lot of money while we were at the murder board."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Are you accusing me of intentionally prolonging a murder investigation just so you could get back on my team?"

Castle smiled. "And you were adorable doing it, too."

Kate picked up his wine glass. "I think you've had too much to drink. I'm cutting you off."

"Hey! I live here." He complained.

"So do I." She countered.

Castle shrugged. "Whatever. The important thing was that I was back with the woman I loved."

"You loved?" Kate said. "You were not in love with me then."

"I most certainly was."

"I was in love with you, but you? You had Gina." She said.

"I was in love with you way before that case. And Gina? An aberration. I'm known for my bad judgment where my ex-wives are concerned. And for my perfect judgment where my until death do us part wife is concerned."

"Until death do us part wife?" She said, smiling.

"Always."

"We should go to bed." She smiled at him and reached for his hand.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Author's note: In a deleted scene on the Castle DVD, Castle is shown checking out Beckett's ass as she bends over the murder board.