130. Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Kate looked at her two men, so strikingly alike anyway, looking even more so that morning with both of them still in their pajamas, their hair still mussed from sleep, and both of them still looking a little bleary eyed. Her little man was being held by her big one; and before she put her phone in her pocket, she snapped a picture and then walked to them. "I love you guys so much," she said. "Neither one of you could look any more adorable than you do right now."

"You hear that, Buddy? Mommy thinks we're both adorable," Castle said to his son, sounding pleased. Then they turned dual irresistible smiles at her.

"Arrrrrgh! You guys don't play fair. I already don't want to go to work this morning and you're both looking at me like that?" She hugged and kissed each of them, looked over her shoulder as she opened the front door, and said, "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"We love you, too," Castle called behind her.

With that, her day as a police captain began.

Once she reached the precinct, Beckett sat down at her desk, checked the picture she had taken just before she left home, and smiled. She used the time she had before Patton would arrive to organize herself for the day and to go over her talking point decisions from the night before. Then Patton appeared at the door, all angst and attitude.

"Have a seat, Patton. I'll be right back. Won't be but a minute." She walked quickly to the bullpen and took the picture of the victim, a ten year old boy, from the murder board, telling Chen's team, "I'll bring this right back."

"Can we do this fast? Just file another report, dress me down, and get it over with. I need to get to work, not sit in here," Patton said obnoxiously.

Beckett leaned against her desk, half sitting with one hip on the edge of the desk and her arms folded across her chest. "Just so you understand, Officer Patton, repeated incidents like this are the kinds of things that could easily leave you with no job left to do. So rein in the attitude and listen for a change."

The officer stopped just short of rolling her eyes, but she didn't say anything else.

"There were several problems with the situation yesterday afternoon." Beckett told the young woman. "One: Necessary evidence was needed, and you refused to assist. Two: The morale issue is in play again. Do you really want an entire team of detectives, or more, to cringe when they see you assigned to their crime scene, having to wonder if you're going to fly off the handle at somebody and interfere with their investigation? Do you think word of this scene you caused won't get around the precinct? You and Garrett weren't the only ones there, you know. If nobody wants to work with you, where do you expect me to assign you? Three: There were civilians at the mouth of the alley while you were spewing your venom yesterday. There weren't many, and no one actually saw any of them making a video with a phone, but we can't be sure it didn't happen. That means we have to worry about that for the next week or two because loud, public altercations between police personnel is the kind of thing that goes viral on social media. It's bad publicity for the department in general, and the fifteenth in particular. At minimum, some of the civilians will mention it to their friends or families and speculate among themselves about what could have been happening. If it goes public, there's not much I can do to help you. The decision about what happens with your job will likely come from 1 PP."

For the first time, Patton looked somewhat concerned.

"In your own words, Patton, tell me what happened yesterday afternoon."

"Someone else was first on scene, but Mitchell and I were told to secure the crime scene at the street, and we did. Then Garrett wanted to humiliate us by ordering us to search the dumpster for evidence. I told her that was a rookie job and she couldn't order me to do it. She called Kirst to get me into trouble, and Mitchell wimped out and climbed in to start searching. I refused."

"So, in your opinion, Detective Garrett wasn't doing her job. She wasn't interested in the victim, just in finding a way to put you in a bad light?"

"That's how it looked to me. She doesn't like me, and I don't like her."

"So it was all about you? Do you know why Chen's team was called there?"

"It's a homicide team. Somebody was dead," she snarked.

"Do you know who was dead?"

"No. They didn't take us inside," she admitted, finally seeming to recognize something of the seriousness of the matter.

"Did you hear anybody mention that it was a ten year old boy? Someone broke in and stole his mom's purse and several other things. For some reason, the boy got up and went into the living room, and the guy shot him and ran. His mother heard the shot and found her only child in a pool of blood on the living room floor." She held the crime scene photo of the victim where Patton could see it, and the younger woman flinched. "This is who it was all about, not you. The detectives needed to find the items the traumatized mother still had the presence of mind to know were missing. There was no intent to humiliate anybody. The intent was to find anything that might have fingerprints or evidence of any kind that would identify who did this. Checking dumpsters is not a rookie job. I don't know where you got that idea, but get it out of your head right now. I doubt there's an NYPD member in the entire precinct who wasn't assigned some dumpster searches for at least the first several years they were here; and none of us enjoyed it any more than you do; but it has to be done. Some of the detectives will still do it themselves if that's the only option. Hell, I was in a dumpster myself once after I was a lieutenant, so get over it. Understand that any time a detective tells you to check the dumpster from now on, it's your job to do it. Consider it a standing order from your captain." Holding up the photo again, she asked, "Do you want to tell this little boy's mother that we don't have evidence against his killer because you consider yourself too good to do your job?"

Patton looked away but still didn't answer.

"Fortunately, everybody else there did do their jobs. Mitchell found the purse with usable prints, CSU and the homicide team did their work, and Garrett and Chen are out to pick the guy up right now. You did nothing to bring any justice to the victim and his family. All you did was think about your pride and distract the detectives from their investigation. When the situation started to get out of hand, Detective Vatter recorded it. I've seen the recording, and it isn't pretty."

Patton looked uncomfortable at the last remark, probably because it had included her sneer at Detective Vatter and her shouted question asking if he was making the video to help Captain Bitchett get her fired.

Beckett took a deep breath before continuing and asked quietly, "Why did you decide to join NYPD, Patton?"

"I wanted to do something to help people who can't help themselves," she said quietly.

"Did that happen yesterday?"

She looked away again and still didn't answer, but most of the bluster had eased.

Taking a copy of Jamal's drawing and handing it to Patton, she said, "This was given to me yesterday. This is the look I saw on your face when you turned on me the first time I met you, but the picture is drawn from the memory of someone on the receiving end of your policing methods. I'm texting yesterday's video to your phone. If you doubt the accuracy of either my memory or the artist here, the video should confirm both. I don't want you to watch it now. I want you to take it home and compare what you see there to this drawing. These are not pictures of good police work. These are pictures of pure rage. There are anger issues that you need to deal with if you're going to work here. Tonight, I want you to look at the video and really listen to the voices and comments. And you need to be honest with yourself about how much of it was your own doing. You need to decide if you really want to be the person people saw when those pictures were made…and whether or not you're willing to do something about anger management to get that under control. I'm willing to help arrange something, but you have to make it work."

"You mean like classes or something?"

"That's one option. No matter what you choose to think, Patton, I do want you to succeed. I've talked to a couple of people who have said that, with the exception of the chip on your shoulder and lack of respect for authority, you have a lot of potential. I've seen your academy records and I agree, but you're the only one who can put that potential to work for you."

"Someone said I have potential?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Sure did. Even said that when you're in a reasoning mood, you reason pretty well; so put that to use. Take tonight and do some serious thinking about everything I mentioned. Try to look at it with an open mind and see what other people are seeing…and what you need to do about it. I can't ignore the incident yesterday, and you have my reasons for that now."

Patton nodded and stood.

"Dismissed. Get to work, Officer. See me again in the morning, same time, to sign the report. I won't keep you long."

Beckett sat down and composed herself for a few minutes before making her rounds into the land of the sane and easier to talk to.

xxxxx

When Patton arrived the next morning, Beckett asked her if she had learned anything from watching the video.

"Maybe."

"Are you going to tell me what?"

"I didn't know I looked like that." She was looking down.

"Is that how you were seeing Garrett?"

"Maybe."

"Is that how she actually looked?"

'No.

"How did she look on the video?"

"Surprised…confused maybe, and then angry after that."

"So are you willing to consider some anger management help?" she asked as she turned the paperwork toward Patton to sign.

"I'll think about it. I looked up what to expect in the classes," Patton answered as she signed on the line at the bottom of the page.

"What did you think?"

"You want honesty?"

"Yeah."

There was the slightest upturn of one side of her lips, and she answered, "They look like the kind of classes that would make me angry."

The captain smiled and said, "Officer Rebecca Patton, was that a smile? And a joke?"

The officer tried to hide it, but another tiny little lip quirk happened anyway.

Kate chuckled. "You know, when I was your age, I probably would have thought the same thing." She paused a moment and said, "It's okay to smile, Patton. There was a time I had to be convinced of that, too."

"You don't look like you've ever had a problem big enough to keep you from smiling."

"Beware of judging books by their covers," Beckett said mysteriously. "I'll look into the anger management options available so we know what's out there. When I have something, I'll let you know. Keep tabs on your anger today. And try to use that tiny little smile at least once a day. That's an order. You need to retrain those muscles." She smiled at her officer and sent her on her way.

xxxxx

The following morning, Beckett received a call from Captain O'Conner.

"I have the information you were looking for, Beckett," he said. "Your suspicions were right. A missing persons report was never filed, but Mason managed to match the picture to a Jane Doe found the day after your officer's mother disappeared. She was killed by a heavy blow to the back of her head. There was a grocery bag beside her with milk, eggs, and cereal scattered around, and the cashier at the grocery store around the corner from where she was found remembered her from the night before. He didn't know who she was, though; and her purse was missing, so there was no ID. They caught a couple of older teenagers who it turned out were responsible for three other muggings, but it was the first time they had killed anybody. They were so close to eighteen that they were tried as adults, and they're still in prison. Mason is putting together two reports for you. One is the complete police file, which now reflects the victim's name. The other is simply a report stating the general particulars of the case and the resolution. You should have both tomorrow."

"Thank you, O'Conner. Tell Mason I owe him one."

"The case was handled by the fifty-first, so thank you for helping us close that file. If there's anything else I can do, let me know."

"I think this is all I need. Except a way to start this conversation with Patton."

"All I can do there is wish you good luck. I hope it helps her. She's been through too much already."

"Me, too. Thanks again."

xxxxx

After work, Kate got an email from Alexis. True to her very organized nature, after working around her class and exam schedule, Alexis immediately talked to JD and sent her parents a list of the dates when she and her husband would be able to be in the Hamptons.

When the evening wound down to just Rick and Kate, he looked at the calendar Kate was filling out with the dates Alexis had sent and said, "Alexis and I decided the first trip to the Hamptons should be the family, Fourth of July. But I hate to leave you here alone. I hate not having you around, period."

"I really want to go, Rick, but I've been at the fifteenth just under two months, and I've already had to ask for someone to cover me one way or another a couple of times. I don't want to push it, and everybody wants to be off for the Fourth of July. I can go with you later. We'll decide when I can do that after Gates has time to look at the calendar. I'm glad we can do something for her. She's done a lot for us, starting with helping coordinate the Bracken investigation, to say nothing of saving us from Tyson. And I wouldn't be nearly as prepared for this promotion if she hadn't taken it upon herself to mentor me. She's beginning to feel like a friend, and I can talk to her that way now; but I still feel like I should call her, 'Sir'. It's weird."

"It'll work itself out before long. She probably feels a little weird about it, too," he said with a chuckle. "I like Ray. He feels like a friend, too, so it's easy to have them around. Are we considering another adoption?"

"Maybe. I wouldn't mind."

"Me, either."

They talked about odds and ends for a while before Castle stopped for a moment and said, "You know, we might need to start thinking about getting Jamie a bed. I caught him trying to climb out of the crib today. I put the mattress as low as it will go, and that should discourage him for a while, but not for too much longer. He's getting taller and more coordinated. And if our little girl happens..."

"Or our other little boy," Kate reminded him.

"Or our other little boy," he acceded. "We might need to start thinking about a bed as soon as we know. It would make sense to use the same crib since we've already decided she…or he…will be the last one."

"And he might not take well to giving his bed away to the new interloper?"

"See? I told you you'd be a good Mom. You figured that right out. And you're right."

"There's no baby yet, though," she said with a little sigh.

"Then we keep trying. It isn't exactly an unpleasant process, you know." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stole a soft, lingering kiss.

"No, it isn't," she answered with a flirtatious smile. "As a matter of fact, I kind of like it."

"Only kind of? I think my feelings might be hurt."

"Okay. I might like it a whole lot. I might get distracted at work sometimes thinking about it."

There was some suggestive eyebrow action before he said in the same spirit, "Then we should go and try again, Captain Beckett. I'll even let you order me around…put the cuffs on me and everything if you feel the need."

She stood and held her hand out to help him stand. "Come with me, Mr. Castle," she said in her best detective voice. "I may need to frisk you."

xxxxx

Kate had called Meagan the week before and told her she felt the need to work out more. The demands of the new job with less activity and motherhood with less opportunity to get out and run, was taking its toll. So Meagan suggested meeting her at the precinct gym for early morning sessions a couple of times a week.

Kate went to the precinct to meet Meagan at six the first day of their newly planned sessions, wearing her exercise clothes and taking work attire with her. Meagan was waiting in the lobby and talking to the desk sergeant when she came in.

"So your stepmother is your trainer?" the night shift desk sergeant said, obviously enjoying the idea.

"Hey, she was my trainer and a good friend before that. Then my father got involved. What can you do?" she asked with a shrug. "Can't give up a good personal trainer."

"Let's go while you still have time," Meagan encouraged.

"See?" Beckett said to the sergeant. "Already pushing."

"Stairs now! Move it, move it, move it," Meagan ordered with a grin and a shooing motion, and they both laughed as they entered the stairwell.

They started with stretches and moved through a series of exercises, some weight training, and finished with a sparring session. By that time, word had gotten around that the captain was in the gym working with a trainer, and a few curiosity seekers wandered through the gym or past the doors. Kate and Meagan were involved in their sparring and not particularly aware of too many others until the session was winding down and applause was heard from the doorway. At that point, a heavy breathing, sweaty version of their Captain turned to see the appreciative gawkers at the door.

"Damn fine work, Captain," a voice from somewhere among the approximately dozen spectators called out.

"Next time I see you people doing nothing but hanging out at the door, I'll sic Meagan here on you. She used to train Marines, and she can probably still take most of you out. If you get this close to the gym again, you'd better be working out, not observing. Show's over. Now get to work." Her comments were delivered with good will but not entirely in jest.

A small chorus of good natured Yes Ma'am's followed the little crowd away from the door as Megan had Kate cooling down before her shower.

A little more than twenty minutes later, hair still a bit damp but presentable, she had almost reached her office.

Eddleman, one of McCade's team members, called out as she passed the bullpen. "I hear you had a good workout this morning."

"Were you one of the gawkers?" she asked with a raised brow.

"No Ma'am. Just ran into a couple of them on my way in…both talking about how they wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of your take down. You must have been impressive."

"Can't get soft around here, can we?"

"No, Ma'am," he answered with a grin and wisely went back to work as she reached her office. After putting her things away, she started organizing information for the monthly reports. About mid-afternoon her phone rang.

"Captain, an officer from the fifty-first just delivered an envelope. Shall I have someone take it up to you?" Wesley asked.

"Yes. Thanks Sergeant."

"Prinz should be up with it in a minute or two."

After checking to be certain the envelope contained what she expected, Beckett put it in a desk drawer to wait until Monday and got back to work. By the time she had completed her end of the month reports, it was nearly time to go home. She checked and double checked her lists then sat for a moment, picking up her phone and looking at the early morning picture of her men from a couple of day before, and smiling. Never losing the smile, she scrolled through a few other family pictures. Then she grabbed her purse, locked up, and eagerly went home for the weekend.

xxxxx

When she reached the loft, Kate greeted her son; and after he was playing on his own again, she suggested quietly to Castle that they take Jamie to the park and plan on dinner on the way home.

"The Patton drama and investigation over the past week was kind of heavy, she explained. "I need to hear my little boy laugh and squeal when he roars down the slide or tells me to push him up high in the swing…and watch my big boy grin with pride over our son. It's beautiful outside. Do you feel like going, or are you too tired? I can take him, and then we can order in."

Castle smiled and kissed her head. "I couldn't turn down an opportunity to make you happy by just letting you see me look proud of our little creation over there. But I reserve the right to grin with pride over his mother, too. And he'll be thrilled about the park. You want to tell him?"

She gave her husband a quick kiss and asked, "Hey, Munchkin. Want to go to the park?"

"Yes!" There was a little Castle-like fist pump as their son got up and ran for the door.

"I think we have his approval," Castle commented and told his son, "Give Mommy a minute to change clothes."

"Hurry, Mommy."

"Fast as I can," she promised, made a show of running for the bedroom, and was back in about three minutes in jeans, a T-shirt, and flats saying, "Let's go."

Jamie ran for the door again with Castle close behind, and they all waited impatiently for the elevator. When they reached the lobby, Jamie excitedly informed Eduardo that he was going to the park another time.

"Another time? Did you already take him today?" Kate asked Castle.

"Well, it sounded like Mommy wanted to go, too. And the kid obviously doesn't mind. Neither does the big kid," he added with a grin.

When Eduardo reached to open the door, Kate insisted that Jamie take her hand. He did and pulled to get her to hurry. She laughed and told Castle, "This is exactly what I needed today. Come on, Daddy, or we might get there ahead of you."

Eduardo laughed and waved at the excited little boy and his parents.

They watched Jamie navigate the slide over and over, taking turns with a group of two other little boys and a little girl, all of whom appeared to be in the two to four age group and equally anxious to slide. Then they watched as he climbed on a metal duck on a heavy spring and rocked back and forth for a while. The Jamie swings were still the ones meant for small children, the seats closed in like the top of a high chair with a strap to make it hard to fall out. But he was happy with them.

"Push me fast, Daddy."

"Okay, Buddy. Hold on tight."

When Jamie had a good grip on the chains, Kate stood in front of him so when Castle pushed him forward, she could push him back; and from the laughing and squealing they heard from Jamie, the new move seemed to be a hit. They let him play on a couple of other playground toys and included another child or two as he played before letting him have two more turns on the slide and leaving the park.

After stopping for pizza, and then ice cream, they took their tired little boy home for a bath and bedtime.

"This was a good plan...wear him out, feed him, clean him up, and he's asleep in no time," Castle said.

"My other plan is putting all thoughts of Patton on hold until Sunday night. Sometime Sunday night I'll figure out how to handle it. I think I can give her all the information I'd want to have if I were her."

"But you want to forget it for a while?"

"I do. Until Sunday night, all I want in my head is our family." She slid her arms around Castle's waist and rested her head on his chest for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not giving up on us when I gave you every reason to. For listening to Lanie and coming back for me. For giving me a life better than anything I ever thought I'd have."

"You sound like I made us work all by myself. I'm pretty sure I remember that you were there working at it, too."

"But you…"

He put a finger over her lips to stop her. "We did this. Both of us. We built our always, Kate, and I won't hear otherwise." He leaned down to kiss her gently, and whispered, "I love you."