905. Chapter 905

After I, Witness

Episode 7.13

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Due to a devious plot, I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"I really don't know if I want to do this, babe."

Castle smiled at his wife. "You got a new dress, which makes you look adorable, by the way. You bought new shoes and a new purse. You got your hair done, a mani and a pedi and you've spent nearly an hour on your makeup and now you don't want to go?"

"It's silly, isn't it?" She said softly.

"Not at all. If you don't want to go, then we don't go. It's as simple as that." He began taking off his jacket.

She took a deep breath. "It's just that I went to my tenth high school reunion. Stuyvesant is one of the best public high schools in the US. Everybody goes onto college, and not just any colleges. They go to the best colleges, the Ivy League mostly."

"You went to Stanford. That's one of the best colleges in the world."

Kate nodded. "And I didn't graduate. Instead I became a cop. And when I went to the tenth annual reunion, I was a brand new detective, I was miserable because I had given up on ever finding my mom's killer and my dad was sober after five years of drinking and I didn't know if he'd stay that way. And I knew I'd never have anyone because I was too afraid of being hurt to take a chance. Everyone else was talking about law school, or med school, or grad school. They were starting careers and marriages and I felt like the biggest loser ever."

Rick put his arms around her. "Okay, you were having a tough time then. But, now you're the best detective in all of the NYPD, maybe all of the world. Definitely in all of the world. And a best selling series of novels has been written based on you. And if I do say so myself, you have a pretty impressive husband."

Kate rested her head on his chest. "Yeah, that Castle guy is pretty impressive."

"And you live in a beautiful loft, have a home in the Hamptons, a Ferarri, a Harley and a thoroughly enjoyable life."

"And that's one of the things that bothered me about the first reunion. All those women whose sole accomplishment was snagging a rich husband."

"And if they only knew how hard I had to work to snag you." Castle said, kissing the top of her head. "So, you want to stay home?"

"Not a chance. Let's go."

The ballroom of the Fairwick Hotel was crowded with Kate's classmates. She looked around and saw nothing but happy, prosperous people around her. She decided that she was happy and prosperous as well and started to feel better.

"Kate Beckett? Is that you?"

Kate recognized the woman at once, although she hadn't been close in high school. "Marti? Martina Carrol?"

"Yes. How are you dear? I heard you went to Stanford for pre-law? What firm do you work for?"

"Actually, I dropped out. I'm a homicide detective with the NYPD now."

The smile faded from Marti's face. "A cop?"

Kate did her best to smile. "And I heard you and Mike are with Sutton and Lowe, the brokerage firm."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Marti snapped.

Confusion was clear on Kate's face. "No, not at all. I'm sorry, is there a problem?"

Marti nodded. "My ex-husband wheedled my company computer password out of me. Then when everyone was at the golf tournament the firm sponsored in Florida, he snuck into the office and used the two passwords to transfer over a hundred million dollars of our clients' money to an offshore account, then headed for Brazil with some nineteen year old bimbo he'd met. I was fired of course, but luckily I was only convicted of a misdemeanor so I was able to start my own company. Now please excuse me, I have to find some new clients here tonight or my cheap assed landlord will toss me out." Marti walked quickly away and headed for a prosperous looking couple that Kate vaguely recognized.

"Kate?" Rick called to her. "I've met a friend of yours."

Standing with Rick was a petite brunette who Kate recognized at once. Merilee Cain had been painfully shy in high school and her boyfriend had been, well, an under achiever to put it mildly.

"Merilee! How are you? How good you could come tonight."

The brunette smiled. "Tim and I flew in from LA for a week. We thought we'd revisit the places of our youth."

"You married Tim? How is he?" Kate hoped that he at least had a job of some sort.

"Just fine. He just finished up a picture in LA, you know."

"He's an actor?"

"Well, you know he was never very happy at Stuy, but things changed when he got into college on a baseball scholarship. He was drafted by Atlanta at the end of our sophomore year and spent fourteen years in the Big Leagues as a reliever. He was a knuckleballer, of course. But then he was hired as a technical consultant for the cable series, You're Out! He played the crafty old pitching coach on a minor league team for five seasons. He's been playing basically the same character ever since, you know, the guy who's a lot smarter than everybody thinks." Merilee turned away. "Oh, there's my Timmy now. Gotta run. Oh, and please stay away from that awful Marti Carrol. She's always sticking people with dud investments."

Kate shook her head as Merilee walked away. "I never would have expected that of those two."

"And she didn't look down on you for being a cop, either."

"I never got a chance to tell her what I did, babe."

"Rebel Becks! Freakin' psychedelic, man. Freaking psychedelic."

Underneath the beard and hair, she vaguely recognized Brad Allen, voted most likely to succeed. "Brad?" He wore sandals, baggy jeans, a tie dyed tee shirt and an American flag headband.

He shook his head. "It's Buzz, now babe."

"I heard you graduated at the top of your class at Harvard Law School. So….?" Kate didn't go any further.

"I just got sick of the whole ridiculous corporate, establishment, power trip and I dropped out. We're squatting on Federal land in Eastern Washington and growing our own. It's a trip. If you need some, I've got my stash around here. It's primo weed."

"Um, Brad…er, Buzz. I'm off duty but I'm a cop now. So no primo weed around me, even if it is just a misdemeanor, okay."

"Kate Beckett, Rebel Becks, is the heat now? Major bummer. I'll have to tell my old lady, Moon Shadow. That's her in the tie dye mini." He said pointing.

Kate looked and was shocked. "Buzz, she's just a kid. A teenager. She can't be more than…."

"She's seventeen and we were married by the local Buddhist bonze, so everything is cool." Buzz walked away.

"Far freaking out." Castle said. "You have such interesting classmates. I had no idea."

"Neither did I, babe. Neither did I."

They circulated for a while and Rick got to talking to a man who wrote historical murder mysteries, set in Renaissance Italy. Kate wandered away while the two writers talked shop.

She felt an arm slide around her waist and pull her close. "Rick!" She said.

"Who's Rick?" A man said. "It's me, your main squeeze, Davey Michaels."

Kate turned around and pushed her old boyfriend away. "How are you, Dave."

"Ready for some action. What do you say we blow this pop stand, baby?"

Dave looked much the same. Well dressed, in good physical shape and arrogant. She thought of him as a better dressed Rogan O'Leary. "Sorry, I'm married now, Dave." She said as politely as she could.

He held up his left hand to show wedding ring. "Me too. But the old ball and chain is out of town tonight, so what do you say we boogie?"

"Dave, I'm a cop now, so I carry a gun. And now I'm going to go over there with my husband." She walked away.

"You're no fun anymore, Katie."

"You're wrong. I'm great fun with my husband. Ask him."

Kate stood with her arm around Rick and heard all about Renaissance Italy, which was more interesting than most of the conversations she'd had that night.

"Kate Beckett?" A male voice asked.

She turned to face a vaguely familiar face. "You're…."

"Pete Stockwell. I'm the managing partner of Stockwell LLC, a brokerage firm. Someone said you went to Stanford for pre law. I'm always looking for good legal talent. All that my lawyers ever want to do is tell me I can't do something I want to do. What firm do you work for?"

"I'm not a lawyer, I'm a cop."

Pete frowned. "You're that Kate Beckett?"

Kate was confused. "I'm what Kate Beckett?"

"The one that arrested Senator Bill Bracken?"

"Yes, he ordered my mom's murder."

"But did you have to arrest him?"

Kate took a step back. "Yes. Why wouldn't I?"

"I was a lock on a cabinet position when he was elected President. Commerce Secretary for sure, maybe even Treasury. Thanks a lot, bitch." He walked away, shaking his head.

"You're welcome, asshole." She said after him.

Later that night Rick pulled Kate close to him in their bed. "Do you feel better about your high school reunion?"

"I don't feel like the miserable failure I felt like at the first reunion I went to. Some people are happy and others are not. All together, I think I'm as happy as anyone there."

"I'll have to see when Faircroft Prep is having a reunion. Maybe Audra Dobson will be there."

"Looking up your old flames?" Kate teased.

"Not at all. I just want everyone to see how happy I am."

"Good answer, babe."