498. Chapter 498

After Cops and Robbers

Episode 4.07

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Hand over all of your Castle and no one gets hurt. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This is one of my favorite episodes, but there is a plot hole in it that I've never liked. As I have done before, I'm making some tiny, almost imperceptible changes in canon. You probably won't notice the difference.

With Castle's help, Kate got Sal Martino onto the gurney and started to push him towards the door. But, she found Trapper John in her way, pointing his pistol at her.

"Kate, really?" He said, smiling. "Did you really think that I wouldn't recognize that bedroom voice of yours?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kate tried to bluff.

"Do I have to kill a hostage to convince you people not to jerk me around?" Trapper John walked among the hostages, pointing his pistol at first one hostage's head and then another.

"You don't have to kill anyone. I'm Detective Kate Beckett. You've been talking to me." She said quickly.

Trapper John smiled and put the gun down. "That's better. Now, I'm going to call your boss and tell him to send a real medic up to the door and I'll have two hostages, two female hostages, push our friend out and on his way. And if anyone does anything, someone dies. Am I clear, Kate?"

She nodded. "Very clear."

Trapper John made the call and two women pushed the gurney through the door to a waiting paramedic.

"I assume you came in here to gather intel on us?"

She nodded.

"And to see your boyfriend?"

"I'm not her boyfriend." Castle said quickly.

"Is he your boyfriend, or isn't he?" Trapper John asked.

Kate decided that letting Trapper John know how she felt about Castle would give Trapper John that much more of an edge. "No, he isn't."

Trapper John slowly shook his head. "I really don't believe you, Kate. Tell you what? Suppose I shoot off one of his toes, or just put a round through his foot. He probably won't bleed to death, and I can get a really good idea about how you feel about him from your reaction." He aimed at Castle's foot. "Ready, writer?"

"I want him to be my boyfriend, but he isn't." Kate blurted out.

Castle looked up at her, a look of surprise on his face. Trapper John grinned. "So, what is it? Is he married? Has he told you that he'll get a divorce, but it'll take time? I thought you were smarter than that, Kate."

"He's not married." This sadistic bastard is enjoying this too much. She thought.

"So, tell me, Kate. Does he want to play the field? Does he think he might be gay? Just not into you? What is it? Tell me all about it. I'm a doctor." Trapper John laughed.

Kate blushed. This was not how she had wanted Castle to find out about this and certainly not with four bank robbers listening in. "I was shot about six months ago. I was wounded badly. He thought I was dying and he told me he loved me. But when I was in the hospital, I told him I didn't remember anything about the shooting. I lied to him."

She saw the look of shock on Castle's face.

"So, he loves you, and you want him for a boyfriend, but you aren't together because you lied to him?" The bank robber shook his head. "That's not a very convincing story, Kate." He started slowly aiming at one hostage and then the next. "You can do better than that."

"One of my oldest friends was also killed. I've been seeing a therapist since the shooting, working on the issues surrounding my shooting and…" Kate stopped for a moment. "And issues of intimacy I've had for years." She looked straight at Castle. "I'm getting better. I want to get better and I am. I just have to work through a lot of things before I can be…with him."

"I don't know, Kate. That sounds like something out of a soap opera. Are you sure there isn't an evil twin in there someplace? It's a really bad story."

"No worse than yours." Castle said. "You're pros. You're not afraid to leave fingerprints and some of your faces have been caught on the security cameras. But you make a rookie mistake by taking the bills in the bottom of the cash drawers, bringing the cops. And, there are piles of cash you're leaving sitting here, and worrying about some safety deposit box. None of this makes any sense. What are you really up to?"

Trapper John knelt by Castle. "Oh, I like you. I'm going to kill you and your girlfriend last. I think this would be a very good time for you two to become a couple. Kate, come over here and sit by your boyfriend."

Kate sat by Castle. He looked at her coldly. "You remembered? All this time you remembered? And you lied to me?"

"Castle, please. Let me explain."

"Doctors!" Trapper John yelled. "It's time."

The hostages were stood up and their hands flex tied in front of them. Then they were herded into a cell-like structure.

"What are they doing?" Kate asked. "The bus can't be here yet."

"I don't know, but Sal Martino said he saw C4 explosives. They're going to blow something up."

"C4? Castle we have to…." There was no time to talk, Kate rolled herself over so she was between Castle and the explosives.

"Beckett! What are you doing? Roll over me so I'm between you and the bomb."

"No. Castle I…." Whatever Kate was going to say was drowned by the explosion.

She shook her head. She was still alive, or so it seemed. She checked Castle and then Martha. They seemed to be okay.

"Are you okay?" They asked at the same time. Both nodded.

"Beckett! Castle!" They heard.

"Espo! Over here!" She screamed.

They were helped out of the shambles that had been the bank. Once outside, Castle and Martha ran to Alexis. Kate went to talk to Ryan and Esposito about the case. They soon figured out that hostage Sal Martino was actually Ron Brandt, the former son-on-law of Agnes Gideon. Castle came over to the team and they began to work out what had happened. Once back at the precinct, the evidence quickly fell into place.

However, every time Kate tried to get close to Castle, he'd move away. She tried and tried to get Castle alone so they could talk, but failed. When they were notified that Ron Brandt had been arrested, Kate grabbed her things and left as fast as she could.

She sat in her darkened apartment wondering what to do next. I've ruined what we had. I screwed it up totally. Castle hates me and he has every right to.

She was interrupted by a knock on her door. She ignored it, but the knocking continued. Finally, "Kate, open up. I know you're in there."

Castle. She thought. She went to the door and opened it. "You must hate me." She blurted out.

"I'm angry, but mostly I'm hurt. I know you went through a lot over the past dozen years or so, but didn't you think I'd understand if you told me that you needed some time and space? After all we've been through together?"

"Please give me another chance, Rick." Kate was beginning to cry.

"You only get one chance."

Kate's heart broke.

"You only need one chance, because you're still the woman I love."

"You do?"

"Always."

She leaned her head against his chest. "I do need time, but not space. I need you as close to me as possible. Okay?"

"Okay. So how about dinner at Chez Castle? Martha and Alexis are cooking up a storm."

She smiled up at him and then pulled his head down to kiss him. "Thank you."

"Again, always."