596. Chapter 596

After The Last Seduction

Episode 8.07

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Let's not get into seduction and just say I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Would you like some more tofu, Javi?"

Esposito was about to decline when he saw Ryan staring at him from behind Jenny's back. He could tell exactly what his partner was thinking. If I have to eat more tofu, then you have to eat more tofu.

He did stop a bullet for me. Espo thought to himself.

Espo smiled at his hostess. "I'd love some." He said with all the mock enthusiasm he could muster. He noticed that his tofu seemed to have an extra helping of the little green things that had been getting stuck in his teeth all night. "And what is that green….garnish?" Espo was proud of remembering the word garnish, a word he rarely used.

"It's baked, crushed kale."

"Kale?" Javier said. "I never would have guessed." What the hell is kale? "You know, this is so nice, I'll have to have you two over for dinner some night soon. At least then I'll know what I'm eating.

"Oh, that would be so nice, Javi. Tell you what. I'll write down the recipe for my tofu for you."

Luckily Jenny didn't see the expression of Javi's face. "Oh, that's okay. I'm not much of a cook, but I can barbecue a really great steak."

"Oh, this is so simple, you'll have no trouble at all. " Jenny turned to her husband. "Kev, can I have your notebook please so I can write down the recipe?"

The look on Ryan's face immediately told Jenny that something wasn't right. "Kev, is something wrong? With your notebook?"

"It's in evidence." Ryan blurted out.

"Why would it be in evidence?" She asked, not understanding.

"It's nothing." Espo said, trying to cover for his partner.

"If it's nothing, why does Kev look so upset?" Jenny turned to stare at Ryan. "Kevin? What's going on here?"

"My notebook got shot."

Esposito shook his head at the way his partner was blurting things out.

Jenny frowned in puzzlement. "Why would someone shoot your notebook?" Then she realized what had happened. "You were carrying your notebook! You were shot! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to tell you. When the time was right."

Jenny glared at her husband. A very respectable glare. She might have even been taking glare lessons from Kate. "The right time to tell me was the second you walked through the door." Jenny started crying and ran to the bedroom.

Ryan went after her and found her face down on their bed, crying. "Honey, I've told enough people that someone's been shot to know there is no right time." Ryan sat down on the bed and Jenny rolled over and put her arms around him.

"I worry about you so much, Kev. Are you all right?"

"I have a bad bruise, nothing more."

"Tell me what happened. All of it." Jenny demanded.

So, Ryan told her all about the scheming divorce lawyer and her plot to break the prenuptial agreements of rich couples by having a man seduce their wives and how Lindsey Trent had got the drop on Espo. "She was just about to shoot when I threw myself in front of Javier. I just got hit in the notebook. That's it."

"That's why Javi is here tonight?"

Ryan nodded. "Are you mad at him? Or me?"

"Mad? Of course not. He's your partner. He's watched your back just as you watch his. I'm certainly not…"Something occurred to Jenny. "Oh my god! We've left Javi sitting out there all alone. He'll think we're terrible hosts." Jenny rushed to her makeup table to repair the damages her crying had done, then the two went back to the dining table.

They found Espo playing with Sarah Grace, telling her that she was going to be a cop one day, just like her Auntie Kate.

"I'm sorry, Javi. I shouldn't have rushed off like that. I'm sorry."

"No problem. Finding out that your husband's notebook took a round has got to be stressful."

"It would have been worse if he'd taken a round." Jenny replied. "Let me get you your ice cream for dessert. And would you two like some beers before the UFC bout starts?"

Jenny came back with the dessert and the beers quickly. "Javi, I want to thank you for being Kevin's partner and taking such good care of him. And I'm very happy and proud that he takes good care of you. I'm sure you know how devastated Kevin was when he accidentally shot you. He's felt just awful, even though it was an accident."

"Devastated?" Espo said, quickly catching himself. "Absolutely. Devastated. That's my boy, Ryan, all right. He's been miserable about the whole thing. Right, bro?"

Ryan nodded. "You bet."

"Kevin?" Jenny asked suddenly. "You weren't wearing your new blue suit, were you?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes."

"Oh, dear. I'll have to see if I can fix it."

Later as they sat on the couch while Jenny changed Sarah Grace in the bedroom, Espo leaned over to Ryan. "Devastated? Really?"

"You try shooting your partner and see how it feels sometime."

Espo shook his head. "Never. Not going to happen, bro. How would I ever explain that to Jenny?"

Meanwhile, Castle sat on the floor trying to figure out the meaning of the message that Beckett had gotten. She needed to get somewhere private so that someone could tell her about something urgent. What's going on here? If nothing else, tonight has convinced me that Kate hasn't fallen out of love with me, anything but. So what's going on here? I need the story. The right story this time. So Kate doesn't want me to know about something she's working on. Why? Does it involve me? No. I haven't done anything. Martha? Alexis? Gina? Dad? Oh, god! Not Meredith? Please don't tell me that Meredith has screwed her life up so badly that Kate is trying to…what? Help her? Find her? Arrest her? Castle shook his head. If my family was involved, Kate would tell me. She'd want my help. So what kind of a case could Kate have that she'd want to keep me away from? Something top secret? Something need to know? Castle nodded and smiled to himself. Maybe she's under orders not to let me in. He stood up, grabbed his clothes and headed for his office. I'm just going to have to figure out this story and help Beckett. I can't let them deprive her of her very best investigator. Castle got out his laptop and got to work.

Kate sat outside of the loft and thought about their night together. I almost couldn't leave tonight. I love Castle so much that it just kills me to be apart from him. And I love him so much that I'll do anything, no matter how much it hurts both of us, to keep him safe. I hope this is the break I've been looking for. I have to get this over with as soon as I can. I need to make this up to Rick. I need to make up a lot to Rick. I haven't been the best partner, friend, lover or wife that I could be. That has got to change. And I will change it. She smiled to herself. And after last night, I can't wait to start changing.

She started her car and drove off into the breaking dawn.