356. Chapter 356

After Eye of the Beholder

Episode 4.05

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Eye don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

Doctor Carter Burke went over his notes on Detective Kate Beckett. One thing he'd learned about working with the police, you never knew what was going to happen. She had originally come to him after being shot in the line of duty. Most cops adopted an aggressively macho attitude and were insulted that anyone would think that they might have been damaged other than physically. When he had first met Beckett, he had wondered if a policewoman would act differently. To his surprise, she certainly had. Whatever problems she had with aftermath of her shooting, he was now helping her with her love life. Burke shook his head slowly. Who'd have thought it? Kate Beckett was a beautiful, intelligent, knowledgeable and very driven woman. She should have had no trouble attracting and keeping a man like Richard Castle. Burke thought back to his brief on-line research into Richard Castle. The man that Kate Beckett described was nothing like the playboy that Castle seemed to the world to be. Their odd partnership as a homicide team seemed to work fine and should have led to a happy, romantic partnership. But, as Burke had noted, she was driven. Her mother's murder drove her. It drove her to push her feelings for Richard Castle to one side, even if that meant risking losing him.

Burke put the case file away. I wish I could meet with Castle. I'm sure that the way Beckett has described him is accurate. I'm sure he really is the good person that she describes. But if I could just meet him, perhaps push him to open up to Beckett…He couldn't do that, of course. In talking to Castle he'd have to discuss the private details of a patient of his, which would be against medical ethics, as well as against the law.

Kate was jealous of Serena Kaye, even after giving Castle "permission" to pursue her. But she can't admit to me, and perhaps to herself, that she cares that much for Castle.

Doctor Burke picked up a notebook and jotted down a few ideas to bring up to Beckett on her next visit.

Kate Beckett was mad at Richard Castle. She was mad at Serena Kaye. She was mostly mad at herself. Should I pursue her? What was I supposed to tell Castle? No, because I actually heard you say that you loved me, and then I lied about it, but I so badly want to love you, but I can't because I have to put my mom's murder ahead of everything else in my life. Why did he have to ask me? Couldn't he just have….Just have what? She asked herself. Acted like he didn't care what I thought or felt? That's what Doctor Burke is trying to warn me about. I've pushed Castle away for years now. There have been a dozen times when I could have told him how I feel. A little of how I feel, anyway. And we could be together. Is he tired of waiting for me? Does he want to move on? What can I do?

Serena Kaye sat in the empty interrogation room waiting for Detective Beckett to confirm her alibi got the time of her murder. She had indeed done her homework on Detective Kate Beckett. I can't figure her and Castle out. I did get a good briefing on her, but no one, including me, thought that I needed to know anything about the celebrity author that was shadowing Beckett. Castle was obviously just a good looking playboy with a gift for words. I missed what one. Which made me interested in him. But, obviously, it didn't make him interested in me.

They should be a couple. The attraction is there and it's so strong, I can't understand how they manage to ignore it. As far as I can tell, she's driven by the murder of her mother. That's why she became a cop and not a lawyer. That's what got her shot if my sources are right. Is she pushing Castle away to protect him from whoever is trying to kill her? No, if she is, she's doing a lousy job of it. Why does she push him away? It has nothing to do with my case, but I like to know what's going on around me. Besides, I'm not used to having a man that I'm interested in date me just to distract me.

Castle smiled to himself. She doesn't steal things that belong to others. Well, I'm sorry, mother, but it looks like everyone knows that I'm with Beckett. I don't know if your student could tell that as well as Serena Kaye could, but I'd know it.

He put his hands in his pocket and felt the bill he had received. How the hell does the museum feel that I owe them for that piece of art? It was nothing but a bunch of TVs. It belonged to our murderer. Like she'd want to sue me for breaking her art to find evidence that she's a murderer. I don't understand a word of the legal double talk their lawyers put into this. I'll have to have my lawyer send some legal doubletalk right back at them. See if that does any good. I wonder who gets custody of all those TVs if I end up paying for it? It would make a nice conversation piece. I could tell everyone how I'd solved a murder by kicking a piece of modern art.

"I don't steal things that belong to someone else." When Kate heard that, she couldn't help but smile. She hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but she had. And she was happy. Castle isn't going to be seeing her. He'll be with me. Okay. He'll be with me as my partner, but at least he'll be with me. But for how long? No man is going to wait forever. Or will he? No, of course not. I have to do something.

The news that Castle was being billed by the museum gave Kate an opening. "The least the NYPD could do is take you out for a burger."

Castle accepted and they headed for Remy's.

He's still with me." She thought. But I have to be careful. The next beautiful woman who throws herself at him might be the one who he leaves me for. I can't let that happen. But how do I prevent it?

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