379. Chapter 379

After Murder He Wrote

Episode 5.04

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Even if I was threatened by a red shark, I wouldn't claim to own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Detective Kevin Ryan stood at the window watching his partner leave the precinct to pick up a subpoena from Judge Markway. Then he carefully checked Captain Gates' office to make sure she was really gone, even checking under her desk, just to be sure. Then he scanned the bullpen. No one was near Castle and Beckett. He walked over and sat beside Beckett's desk.

"So, you two are really together?" He asked, softly.

Rick and Kate exchanged a nervous glance. Rick nodded almost imperceptibly to Kate.

"Yes, Ryan." She said firmly. "Castle and I are together. We have been since the beginning of my suspension. But you can't tell anyone. You know that the NYPD has recently restated their policy on colleagues dating. They mean it now."

Ryan frowned. "Why would that come into play? Castle isn't a cop. He's no more a colleague as far as the department is concerned than any other concerned citizen who helps us out."

"Do you think Gates would see it that way?" Kate shot back. "Even if we fought it and won, Gates would never forgive us. She'd be even worse than she is now."

"Assuming that's not beyond the realm of the possible." Castle added. "She's pretty bad as she is right now."

Ryan shook his head. "I've known a couple of bad, really bad bosses in the NYPD. Put them all together and they'd be worse than Gates ever was. Believe me, she could be a lot worse."

"And Kevin, I want you to know just how much I appreciate you not telling anyone about this. So, if you need any Knicks tickets, maybe the use of the Ferrari, anything at all, just say the word, okay?"

Ryan looked insulted. "Castle! Asking you for Knicks tickets or the Ferrari for doing work that the Hampton PD should be doing is one thing. We deserve a little something extra for that. But this? You're both my friends and I'm very happy you two finally got together. I'd never do anything to put your relationship or your access to the 12th at risk."

"Besides," Kate said with cold smile. "Kevin knows that his life would become a living hell if he was the cause of me losing my partner." Kate took Rick's hand for a few seconds, squeezing it lightly and getting a squeeze in return.

"That, too." Ryan said. "So, does anyone else know about this?"

Rick and Kate exchanged another look. This time Castle answered. "My mom knows. She, um, sort of, that is…When we…Sort of…"

Kate rolled her eyes. "The first time we slept together, Martha found out. She walked in on us. And Alexis knows. Since she's now in college, but with her still in the city, Rick figured that it would be better to tell her than have her walk in unannounced and find us. They both know how important it is that no one find out about us. They won't say anything."

"Lanie doesn't know? When Espo and I talked to her about…Um, who Beckett was with, I kind of got the feeling that she knew."

"We haven't told her, but she's my best friend. She picked up on something that had changed about me the first day back on the job. She probably suspects that Castle and I are together, but she doesn't know. And she knows better than to say anything."

Ryan nodded slowly. "It wouldn't surprise me at all that Lanie knows."

"She suspects, Ryan, she doesn't know." Kate said.

Dr. Lanie Parish sat at her desk in the morgue. Kate and Castle are finally together? It has to be. But why are they keeping it a secret? Lanie looked over at one of her customers. "No, you don't know and I don't know. But there's a change in the two of them. Now if Castle had found a new girlfriend, he'd be telling everyone. But he hasn't dated anyone since he broke up with his ex-wife, years ago. His ex-wife? Now what kind of a man goes back to his ex? Then he got back on the Blonde Bimbo Express, and just as quickly got off."

Lanie stared at the ceiling, concentrating. "Before her suspension, Kate told me that she thought that she and Castle were getting closer and closer, but then he started to pull away from her. She hasn't dated anyone since Josh, over a year ago, but now she's back with Castle as her partner and she hasn't looked this happy…in years."

Lanie thought some more. "Gates! That has to be it. That woman hates Castle, the more so since he broke those stupid dolls of hers. She'd use anything she could to get rid of Castle. If she found out they were together, she'd complain that Castle was a distraction to Kate. That's got to be it."

"Should I ask her, or him?" She asked the customer on the metal table. "No, of course not. If they thought I needed to know, they'd have told me. And what I don't know can't get back to Gates. Still, I wonder if Martha or Alexis know?"

Alexis Castle stuck her head inside the door and called loudly. "Dad? Beckett? Are you here?"

"No, dear. Just me." Martha called to her. "I was just about to make lunch. Would you like some?"

"Sure. Can I help?"

Later, over tuna salad sandwiches, Alexis looked at Martha seriously. "Grams, what do you think of Dad and Beckett."

"Alexis. I think they waited years too long to get together. I love your father dearly, and I always have, but Kate Beckett has changed him and changed him for the better. He was a good father to you, of course, and a good son to me. But he was immature, childish even. Now he's more serious, without losing his sense of joy. And I'll tell you something Alexis, even though your father always showed his happy go lucky side to the world, he wasn't really that happy. He's always wanted what Kate can give him that your mother, Meredith, nor Gina, nor any of those other women could give him. A happy, stable family. As he's proven with you, dear, your father is really a family man."

Martha looked at Alexis. "How do you feel about them, dear?"

"I've decided I'm happy for them. For a long time I didn't like Beckett at all. I thought she was just using dad as her partner and didn't care at all for him. I mean how could she not see how he felt about her? For a while I thought she was just deliberately hurting him for some sick reason of her own. But since they've been together, Dad's been happy, really, really happy. And I think Kate is happier, too. I know she's hard to read, but I know what losing Dad would do to me. She wasn't that happy before, but now she is. I think it must be very, very hard to be Kate Beckett."

Martha hugged her granddaughter. "And I think we should try to make sure both of them stay happy, kiddo."

Detective Javier Esposito sat outside Judge Markway's chambers while the Judge refereed a shouting match between two sets of lawyers. Espo couldn't tell what the argument was about, but he expected the bailiffs to be called at any moment. The shouting died down for a while and Espo went back to considering his problem. Beckett is not with Sorenson, Demming or Josh, but she is with someone. Castle isn't with anyone, but he doesn't have that hangdog look he had when Beckett was with Demming or Josh. Conclusion, they're together. And it's about damned time. How could two smart people take that damned long to see they belonged together? So, if they were together, why the big secret? That's easy. One Captain Iron Gates. There's no doubt that Gates would use anything she could to get Castle kicked to the curb. I can't let that happen. Aside from what it would do to Beckett, it would be no fun in her team without Castle. And where would I get Knicks tickets?

Esposito sat up straight as something suddenly crossed his mind. Ryan! He'll keep digging to find Beckett's boyfriend and if he does, he might just alert Gates. I can't let that happen. At least it's just Ryan. He's the least likely person to figure out that Beckett is now with Castle. It shouldn't be too hard to steer him away from Castle and Beckett.

Esposito smiled to himself as the doors to the judge's chambers opened, and Judge Markway headed to him.