834. Chapter 834

After Dial M for Mayor

Episode 4.12

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Call me some time. I'll tell you I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Now.

"Mayor Castle, your daughter is on line three."

Rick picked up the phone at once. "Hi, Pumpkin. Do you need your friendly, local mayor to abuse his powers and lean on someone at Columbia? Maybe the guy who listens to Celtica full blast all night long?"

Alexis giggled. "Actually Scottish punk isn't that bad. I just wanted to tell you that I will be able to go to the fundraiser tonight after all. Jennifer actually has a date for tonight, so we won't be studying."

"Good. I'm counting on you to bring in the youth vote for the coolest dad and mayor in all the land."

"I'll be there. Bye."

One year ago.

He heard the knock on his door and went to answer it, having a pretty good idea who it was. "Hi, Beckett." He said, opening the door. "Come on in."

"Have you heard the news?" She asked.

He nodded. "The talking heads are just now starting to discuss what it means now that everyone is tired of watching Weldon's press conference re-runs."

"Why did he resign? We proved he had nothing to do with the murder of Laura Cambridge and the so-called embezzlement is all part of the conspiracy. He's innocent."

"Not quite. Now, Jordan Norris and his attorney are insisting that Weldon gave Norris that bank account information so he could have someone else embezzle the money on behalf of Weldon. His lawyer is saying that Norris was coerced into saying otherwise by Richard Castle, the head of the mayor's secret slush fund and…" Castle stopped when he suddenly realized where this was going.

Kate finished the sentence for him. "And Mr. Castle's mistress, Detective Kate Beckett."

Castle felt awful. "Kate, I am so sorry. I would never…"

"I know you wouldn't and I don't blame you one bit. But, I have to tell you something."

"Gates?"

She nodded. "She called me into her office before Weldon was done with the press conference. You're barred from her precinct. And, you can't come to crime scenes or interview witnesses, talk to anyone or….God, I feel awful about this."

Rick took her hand. "I'm sorry, Beckett. I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss working with you. It'll be like…" He just couldn't finish.

Kate had thought long and hard about what to do on the way over. Castle loves me. I've known this since way before he told me. I thought I had plenty of time to sort myself out, to get better before I had to do anything. I know better now. I could have lost Castle when the bank exploded and now I've lost him as a partner. But I know what to do now.

"No matter what Gates says, I'm not giving up my partner. No way."

Castle smiled at her. "I don't see that you have any choice."

"I do have a choice. I can resign from the NYPD."

"What? Kate, you're a cop. You have your mom's murder to solve. What would you do?"

"Go to law school. Rick, I've given this some thought. It's been thirteen years since Mom died and we did get Coonan but we're no closer to finding who paid Coonan than I was when I entered the academy. I think it's time to take a different tack. Being a cop hasn't found Mom's killer, maybe being a lawyer can." Kate looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I could use a partner to help me study, you know."

"That's the least I can do. In fact, I'll do everything I can for you, but please don't resign without us talking this over. Okay? I just want what's best for you. "

"Okay, but I'm not going to let you take care of me. I can pay my own way."

"You've been helping me pay my way since we first met and we made Nikki Heat. Now I owe you and I intend to pay up."

"Castle…."She shook her head. This had all the makings of an argument she couldn't win.

Eleven months ago.

"Mr. Castle, am I to understand that Detective Beckett intends to quit the NYPD and go to law school to find whoever is behind her mother's death?"

"Yes. She'll need to finish her pre-law studies, then law school and then she'll have to get a job somewhere so I think the deal will still stand. She won't have the resources of the NYPD to help her."

"Mr. Castle, our deal was to keep Detective Beckett from ever looking into her mother's murder. If she keeps it up, the deal is off and I cannot protect her."

"I don't see any way to change things. We're together now, but I haven't told her about the deal. So unless the new mayor suddenly wants Rick Castle back in the 12th Precinct, we're in trouble."

"Perhaps not, Mr. Castle. Perhaps not."

Ten months ago.

"Run for mayor? Are you nuts? I don't know the first thing about politics."

"Which can be a plus, Mr. Castle. There is an anti-incumbent mood in the country. Running as an outsider could work for you. Some people will be calling on you. Political and financial experts. We already have some serious money lined up for you."

"If it's serious money, why is it lined up for me?"

"As I told you before, there are forces at work here that you don't know about. But there are men who are willing to oppose those forces. Just talk to them, Mr. Castle. It could save Detective Beckett's life."

"Look, I'm just not…." Rick stopped. Hell, I'll run for Pope if it'll save Beckett's life. "Okay. I'll be expecting them."

Nine months and fifteen days ago.

"It's the political silly season again, folks. Novelist Richard Castle has announced he's running for mayor of New York City. Castle, usually better known for naked rides on stolen police horses and appearing on Page Six of the Ledger has been assisting the NYPD's homicide investigators lately. Particularly this attractive detective. We'll be back with more news after these words from out sponsor."

Nine months and fourteen days ago.

"You want to do what?" Gates asked.

"I want a leave of absence to handle security for Richard Castle's mayoral campaign, sir."

"And if I don't allow a leave of absence?"

"Then I'll resign, sir."

"Detective Beckett, do you realize…."Gates looked into Beckett's face. Yes, she does realize what she's doing. "Where do I sign?"

Nine months ago.

Four men sat at a table in the Christian Sector of Beirut, Lebanon.

"Is my idiot son trying to get himself killed?"

The three other men looked at each other and shrugged. "We can't tell, but since the two of them have gotten serious, we've checked into the mother's killing and her shooting like you asked, Jack. We haven't gotten through to the top, but there are a lot of heavyweights involved in this. They could kill both of them."

"Not if I can help it. What about their physical security?"

"We managed to get some people we can trust into the campaign and they say she's damned good at her job. Of course we have other people watching them and the opposition. Completely deniable, of course. But they are running taps, eavesdropping and doing some black bag work, just in case."

"If we have to, we can do wet work as well." Another man added.

Jack nodded. "They'll try some scam like they got Weldon with, too. We need our own political dirty tricks people. Is Jerry Thorn available?"

"You want to use him? Jesus, Jack. You know what he's like."

"I wish there were two of him."

Seven months ago.

"Turning to local news, Richard Castle, who just a few months ago looked like a joke candidate has put together a surprisingly efficient and well-funded campaign. George Warner, who previously worked on Senator Alan's unsuccessful Presidential bid heads a team of political all-stars and a surprisingly large number of Political Action Committees have sprung up supporting Castle. Meanwhile, City Councilman Mayhew has blasted Castle as a rank amateur and further…"

Five months ago.

"Get on it, dammit! I want to know how someone got that picture of Beckett in her underwear in my loft. Get on it now." Castle was through yelling and everyone left the office to try to find the photographer. Everyone except one person.

"I'm sorry, Rick. I shouldn't have stayed the night."

Rick put his arms around her. "You're more important to me than the damned race, Kate. You mean everything to me. I love you." He blurted out.

"I know." She said, leaning into him.

"You do? How?"

"Really, Castle? I'm a Detective. Everyone in the precinct has known you were in love with me for a couple of years now. Eventually, I'd figure it out." She kissed him. "There is one way we could make those photos work to our advantage."

"How?"

"What do people who are in love usually do?"

Fifteen minutes later, Castle's staff came back in. "We have something, boss."

"You found the guy who took the photo?" Castle demanded.

"No, better. Justin Clark, Mayhew's chief of staff was found in a stolen Cadillac, passed out naked, with a sixteen year old naked hooker, drug paraphernalia, heroin and seventy five thousand dollars in cash. The paparazzi are going nuts. Someone called them first. By the time the cops got there, the first photos were all over the internet."

Castle smiled. "I guess the news of my engagement to Kate Beckett should wait until tomorrow, then. We wouldn't want to detract from the stories about my opponent."

Three months ago.

"Just two months ago, political neophyte, Richard Castle was behind Councilman Mayhew by upwards of thirty points. Today's poll, released by the prestigious Ledger Poll, now puts Castle ahead by six points and they also report that the undecided voters seem to be moving to Castle by a margin of three to one." The reporter put his hand to his ear." I'm being told that Mr. Castle and his lovely fiancé are leaving the rally now. Perhaps we can get a word with him. Mr. Castle…?"

Two months ago.

"As you can see, Debbie, things are pretty glum here at Mayhew campaign headquarters. Councilman Mayhew called Mayor Elect Castle about fifteen minutes before coming out to deliver his concession speech. Most of his supporters are drifting away."

"Thanks, Rex. And now we'll switch live to the Castle campaign headquarters where things are a bit livelier. Tammy, can you hear us? Tammy?"

Now.

"I never, ever thought this would ever happen."

Kate nodded. "Mayor Richard Edgar Castle. I didn't see that coming. Congratulations."

"Mayor? Who cares about that? I never thought I'd be married to the woman of my dreams, Mrs. Castle."

"For a while there, I didn't see that coming. But then, it was all I could see."