462. Chapter 462

After Overkill

Episode 2.23

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: What we have here is failure to communicate. So, I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Lanie and Castle.

"How's everything, Castle? Come slumming to the morgue?"

"How do you know I don't miss all the fun and glamor down here?" He replied with a grin.

Lanie gave him a long, hard look. "So, how are you with Beckett and Demming?" On the one hand. Lanie hated to ask that question, but for a number of reasons she had to know.

"Fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?" He chuckled. "And even if I wasn't okay with it, what difference would it make?"

"You like Beckett." It was a statement, not a question.

Castle shrugged. "So I like Beckett. It's not like she likes me."

"She likes you."

Castle laughed. "You have a hopelessly romantic soul, Lanie. I like that in a person. But, if you think Beckett likes me, your romantic soul is losing touch with reality."

"I'm serious."

"Me, too." He thought for a moment. "Look, I've actually known women who liked me. I know what a woman who likes me is like. I know how they treat me. Hell, I even married two women who liked me." He smiled. "Then again, maybe they didn't like me as much as I thought, all things considered. I also know what Beckett is like when she likes someone. Alert the media: She doesn't like me."

"She's been in a shell ever since her mom got murdered." Lanie said patiently, hoping to get through to Castle. "It got worse after she failed to find the killer. It's just started to get better since you showed up."

Castle shrugged. "Coincidence is not causality."

"I think you should say something to her."

Castle took a deep breath. "I do say things to her. And she says things to me. These are called conversations. Look, I'm here because the mayor forced her to take me with her. She found out that I have some talent at solving murders. And that's why she tolerates me. But that's all it is. Kate Beckett is all about solving murders. Aside from that she has no real use for me. None. Zero. Zip."

"Castle…" He stopped her by holding up a hand.

Castle smiled to himself. "About five years ago I was helping out at a charity function for the New York Public Library. I was partnered with a young lady, who, for reasons we need not discuss, couldn't stand me. But she was civil to me." He frowned slightly. "Icily polite would be a better description. Everything was, "Could you please hand me the seating chart, Mr. Castle?", or "Mr. Castle, can you please pass me last year's donors list?". Beckett can't even manage that. She doesn't seem to be able to get through a day without making some snotty crack about how much she hates having me around."

"You're wrong. Just listen, please, Castle."

Castle shrugged. "I doubt I'm wrong, but I have no intention of getting myself in any more trouble with Beckett by trying to see if you're right. I know the answer already."

Lanie and Beckett.

"Was Castle just down here? I thought I saw himgoing down the hall."

"We were just talking about the two of you." Lanie said.

"There is him and there is me. There's no two of us."

Lanie laughed. "Sweetie, it's not like it's a big secret that you can't stand Castle. I know it. He knows it. I assume everyone else knows it."

Kate was taken aback. "What do you mean, I like Castle. Where did you get the idea that I didn't?"

"From you, of course."

"I don't know how you got that idea."

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Is that why you insult him at every possibility?"

"I do not." Kate said forcefully.

"When you had that murdered archeologist case, didn't you refer to Castle as some kind of curse inflicted on you?"

"Well…yes."

"Did you wonder out loud why Castle was here not so long ago?"

"Lanie, I'm just teasing Castle. He knows that."

"Do you tease Demming like that?" Lanie shot back quickly.

"Of course not."

Lanie smiled. "Of course you don't. Because you like Tom and you don't like Castle."

Kate shook her head. "Just the other day I told Castle we made a good team."

"Exactly the point Castle made. He's here because the mayor forced him on you. He's a good homicide investigator, which is why you tolerate him. But you certainly don't like him."

"I do. I told him so after I had to shoot Coonan."

Lanie looked at her disbelievingly. "You said, "Castle, I like you.", or words to that effect?"

"No, but he knew what I meant."

Lanie shrugged. "Perhaps. But he certainly doesn't think you have any use for him now."

"Nonsense. He's just upset because Tom was so involved in a couple of our cases. He's used to being my partner, which he is."

"Like I said, sweetie, he's here because he's your partner. No other reason. "

Kate looked at her watch. "I have to get back upstairs. I don't know what your problem is, or what Castle's problem is, but if you two think I can't stand him, you're wrong."

Kate.

She sat at her desk, going over paperwork, but not really seeing it. Instead, she thought about her conversation with Castle after Coonan's death. I told him I wanted him around when I found the bastard that paid for my mom's killer. He's a famous author. He could easily have taken that to mean I wanted someone to write a great true crime book about how I caught Mom's killer. That wasn't what I meant, but he could well have taken it that way.

I also said I'd gotten used to him hanging onto my pigtails. I meant that I liked having him around. But, it was vague enough for him to have assumed that I meant I could tolerate having him around. One semi-compliment and a million complaints about Nikki Heat? No, he wouldn't have assumed I was saying I liked him.

And then I told him if he told anyone, I'd shoot him. Obviously, he thought I meant that I'd be embarrassed if anyone found out I'd said something nice about Castle. There's really no other way for him to have taken that, is there?

I did tell him we made a good team. Of course, when he said that to me, I told him he reminded me of the dog Hooch. So, we make a good team translates as "I can put up with you, Castle, because you're useful to me." Shit! Of course Castle thinks I can't stand him.

Okay, so I have to try to explain things to Castle without giving him the wrong idea about what that means. But, my priority now is Tom. I'll handle Castle later. I've got lots of time.

Montgomery and Castle.

"Can I see you for a moment?" Montgomery had waited until the bullpen was almost empty before calling Castle to his office.

Castle walked in and sat. "What's up, doc?"

"I've heard you were a little…competitive with Demming on the Damian Wilder case."

Castle nodded. "We had different ideas on the case, but in the end, we got the killers. Is being competitive a problem?"

"No. But I have noticed Demming and Beckett are involved."

"Me, too." Castle said, smiling.

"I hope that's not going to be a problem."

Castle shook his head. "No problem. Anything else?"'

Montgomery shook his head and Castle left.

There'll be no problem for you, Roy. The problem is all mine. And I have a way out of my problem. Not a good one, I'm afraid, but a way out. All the way out.