468. Chapter 468

After A Deadly Affair

Episode 3.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine and I don't own Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See above.

Author's note: This is awfully familiar. Have we done this before?

"Castle, go back to your Hamptons, your ex-wife, your book parties. I have work to do." Beckett walked away from Castle and when she turned and sat at her desk, he was gone. For the whole summer I sat here and thought about that man. I thought about him and his ex-wife in the Hamptons. He invited me to the Hamptons, dammit. Kate lowered her head and took a deep breath. Okay, I'm being unfair to the man. I lied to him about using all of my vacation days and I told him I was with Tom, but he should have called me. He said he'd come back in the fall. Oh, he came alright. I had to cuff him and drag him back. That's how much he wanted to see me. That's how much he cares. And then when I interrogated him, he acted like it was a big joke. He even flirted with me. Then he had to remind me that he's in a relationship. He couldn't wait to rub my nose in it. And he asked about Demming. I should have told him we were having wild, passionate, wet, sloppy sex every damned night. Not that he would have cared. And the worst part is that I'm still sitting here looking at his damned chair and wishing he was in it. Why can't I get over that man?

Castle was hurt and confused. I'm a gentleman. Well, most of the time, and I do try. When a lady indicates she doesn't want my company, when she makes it very clear that she is very interested in another man, I do the right thing. I graciously depart, wishing the couple every happiness. Okay, I did wish that Demming would get trampled by a runaway circus elephant, but that's what Beckett does to me. Did to me. I need to…I need to what? I know I need to do something, but what?

His reverie was interrupted by his phone. He saw Martha's face in his phone and smiled. "Hi, Mother. Um, just a second, let me get somewhere I can talk." He ducked into an unoccupied office. "What is it, Martha?"

Detective Kevin Ryan stopped outside the office when he heard Castle's voice. After what the writer had done to Beckett, and the whole team, for that matter, he had no desire to have to see or talk to him. But, curious, he listened in.

"I'm at the precinct. One of my friends, Maya Santori was murdered. I was just helping out a little but I'm done now."

"No. It doesn't look like I'll be coming back to the precinct. Beckett told me to leave. For some reason she's mad at me. Yes, I know, Mother. She's always mad at me. But, she's more mad at me this time. And Ryan and Esposito are mad at me, too. And Captain Montgomery, too. I didn't bother to canvass the rest of the precinct, but I'd bet on all of them being mad at me."

"No, I have no idea. Beckett has never wanted me around and once she got together with Demming, the detective from Robbery, she couldn't shove me out of the way fast enough. So I did the right thing. I left. I had no desire to see Beckett and Demming…" Castle sighed. "From day one, I have never had any idea where I stood with that woman. Sometimes I think that if she found me on Lanie's slab one day, she'd do handsprings, and other times I think….Never mind."

There was a long pause while Martha spoke.

"You're right. Gina is my ex-wife for a very good reason. And, yes I do know this is unfair to her and no good for me, either. But after watching how happy Demming made Beckett, I just couldn't face heading up to the Hamptons by myself. I just didn't want to be all alone for the summer. Yes, yes. I will deserve whatever Gina does to me. Can we just change the subject now?"

"Sure, Chinese will be fine for tonight. And ice cream. Don't forget the ice cream." There was another pause. "All three flavors, of course."

Castle hung up and left by the other door. Ryan peeked in, making sure Castle was gone. Then he went straight to Beckett's desk.

Castle took the elevator down. It stopped on the third floor and a familiar Robbery detective got on. Castle was determined to be polite, which was easier knowing that his relationship with Beckett hadn't lasted.

"Demming." He said with a smile.

"Castle." Demming's smile was more real. "I heard you were back in the city. I got a great deal of enjoyment out of what you did to Beckett."

Castle frowned a little. What did I do to Beckett that would make Demming smile? "Oh?" He said noncommittally.

"It was pretty funny that after she dumped me, you came in with your ex-wife and left her all alone for the summer. My friends in Robbery got a good laugh out of that."

Castle didn't feel at all like laughing, but he kept his cool. "I see."

"And it's not like you lost anything. The skinny little bitch wasn't anything special in bed."

The elevator opened and Demming walked out without another word.

Crap. Castle thought. She broke up with Demming to go with me. And I showed up with Gina. I should have called her the second I got back to the city. And since I didn't, she's mad at me. They're all mad at me. And now I'm with Gina and not with Beckett. Can I get Beckett back? At least as a partner? Does she even want me around? What am I supposed to do now? How do I get out of this mess? A smile formed on his face. With other women, I'd use flowers, candy, candlelit dinners and nights on the town. But the way to Kate Beckett's heart is through murder.

Kate was staring at Castle's chair again when Ryan pulled his chair over to talk to her.

"I overheard Castle on the phone with his mother. I think you'll be interested in what he said."

When Ryan was done, Kate smiled slightly. He does like me. He wants to come back and be on my team again. Kate thought about that for a second. No matter who I was with, he should have called me. He should have come to the precinct. If he wants to come back, he's going to have to prove to me that he really wants to be with me. Kate smiled.

Later.

"Tomorrow, you can tell me about how Castle got your gun." Montgomery said.

Once he walked away, Castle spoke. "Don't worry. I'll work on that tonight. By the time I'm through with the report, you'll get the Nobel Prize for Crime Fighting for lending me your gun."

Kate rolled her eyes. "There is no Nobel Prize for Crime Fighting, Castle."

"There should be and you should win it."

That night, Kate sat thinking about the events of the day. He came back to me. Not when or how I would have liked him to come back, and I did have to cheat a little to get him back, but he was only a little bit slower than me in figuring it out. Close enough.

Oddly enough, Castle was thinking about the day as well. I'm back with Beckett and she cheated to get me back. The extraordinary Detective Kate Beckett couldn't figure out it was about counterfeiting before I did? That would never happen. But I'm back. But, what do I do now?