605. Chapter 605

After Deep in Death

Episode 2.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm deep in not owning Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Kate Beckett had changed back into her street clothes and was finishing her report. Castle was sitting quietly in his chair.

"Thanks for saving my life." He finally said.

She didn't look at him. "That's what I do, Castle. I'm a cop. Part of my job is to keep empty headed members of the public from suffering the consequences of their stupid, cruel, thoughtless actions."

"Beckett, I told you…"

"I had to go in there with no gun, Castle. Did you realize that? I could have been hurt or killed. I told Ryan and Esposito to call for backup if anything happened, but knowing them, they would have come running into a room full of armed Russian mobsters. They could have been killed or hurt. But did you think about the pain you could have caused? No, you just wanted to do what you damned well pleased and to hell with anyone else."

"But I got something you couldn't have gotten."

"All you had to do, Castle, all you had to do, was to listen to me and do what I damned well told you to, and you couldn't do that, no matter how much trouble it caused me."

"Beckett, what I was trying to…."

"Castle, just shut up. Shut up or so help me, even if it costs me my badge, I'll start breaking your bones. Do you understand that? Are you capable of understanding one god damned thing I tell you?"

Castle sat quietly until Beckett was through with the report. "Read the report. If it's correct, just nod your head and then get up and get out of my sight.

Castle noticed that Beckett had ended a sentence with a preposition, but decided not to mention it to her. He nodded and sat for a second. One glare from Beckett sent him towards the elevator.

When he reached the street level of the precinct he took out his phone to call a cab. But a hand closed over his and pulled him away from the door.

"Lanie? What do you want?"

"We need to finish the conversation we had in the back of that ambulance before the body snatchers arrived. Come with me."

She led him into the ME's autopsy room and back into her private office. "Talk." She demanded.

"I told you all that I know."

She shook her head. "No, you didn't. I know you don't know enough about medicine or an ME's job to come to those conclusions by yourself. Talk."

"Have you ever heard of a Dr. Clark Murray?"

"The forensic pathologist? Duh, Castle. That's like asking a Yankees fan if he's ever heard of Babe Ruth. Every ME in the world knows about him. He's the guy you went to?"

"He's helped me with advice on the Derrick Storm books. He's never looked into an actual case for me before."

"Where is this report?"

"At my loft."

"Come on. You're going to show it to me."

Once at the loft, Castle took the report out of his desk and handed it to Lanie. "The file on top is Doctor Murray's report. Next is a copy Johanna Beckett's file and the other three are copies of the three files that Murray found."

"How did you get your hands on Beckett's mom's file anyway?" Lanie asked, suspiciously.

"I know a guy." Castle said, not entirely lying.

"I guess being friends with the mayor has its advantages."

Castle agreed, but said nothing further.

Lanie read through the report very carefully. When she was done, she went back and looked over parts of the report that particularly interested her.

"What did Beckett say when you showed her this?"

"I didn't show her anything. I just told her about it."

"What did she say, Castle?"

"She said we were through."

"Wasn't she even curious about this?"

Castle took a deep breath. "She was so angry that I'm not sure she even heard what I said."

"Why the hell did you do this? She put her mom's case behind her years ago."

Castle shook his head. "No she didn't. She has a great poker face, but her mask does slip sometimes. She's in pain every single day about her mom's murder and not being able to solve it."

Lanie looked at Castle through narrowed eyelids. "You care for her, don't you?"

"Sure, she's my muse. And a sort of a partner."

"No, I mean you really care for her. Don't lie to me, Castle."

"Okay. I care for her. But were over. Done. Through. Kaput. Finis."

"Maybe."

The next day Lanie called Kate down to her office.

"What do you have? We haven't had any body drops."

"I talked to Castle last night. I read the report on those murders."

"Lanie, please don't get involved in this. And where the hell do you get off talking to Castle behind my back?"

"I don't need your permission to talk to someone. And I don't need your permission to talk to Captain Montgomery about it, either."

"Montgomery? You can't!"

"I have to. I'm a medical examiner. I have evidence concerning four unsolved homicides. I cannot legally just forget about it because it hurts your feelings."

Kate was trying to hold back her tears. "Lanie, you're my friend. Please, please don't do this to me."

"Sweetie, there are three other families out there who are in the same kind of pain you're in. I can't ignore that. And neither can you.'

Beckett stood there for a long minute. "I'll go with you."

"You know that Montgomery won't let you near a case you're personally involved in?"

"I know. And that's probably a good thing."

Castle came back and apologized to Beckett. As he walked away, he was sad that he'd never see her again. It's been years since I met a woman, since I met anyone, who fascinates me like Kate Beckett does. But I did the right thing. I hurt her badly and seeing me every day would just tear the scab open anew each time she saw me. It's sheer hell for me, but good for her. God! Richard Castle doing the noble thing? I may have to get very drunk tonight.

"Castle?" She said, just as he reached the end of the hallway. "See you tomorrow?"

Much, much, much later.

Rick Castle unzipped his wife's short, black dress and it fell to the floor of their bedroom. Kate stood there in just her red bra and panties.

"You are incredibly gorgeous."

She smiled at him. "Does Reekie love his Tatiana? Sometimes Tatiana is such bad girl. Reekie should spank Tatiana."

"But Reekie loves it when his Tatiana is a bad girl." He teased.

Kate stripped and stood there naked before him. "Ever since we first met, you've always been good to me. Always tried to help me. Make me happy. And I didn't always appreciate it." She glanced at the dress and underwear on the floor, reminding them of the first time she wore them.

He put his arms around her and pulled her close. "But you came around eventually. And as far as a spanking goes, you know I could never intentionally hurt you." His hand strayed to her ass. "But I'm sure we'll think of something.