Castle and The Originals

Chapter 25

"Detective Beckett." Captain Gates' voice cuts through the air. "My office."

Kate dropped the pen she was currently using to complete yet another report. She could see Detectives Ryan and Esposito watching her questioningly; they looked scared. Their hard-nosed leader had that effect on everyone, well almost everyone; Kate despised her too much to be afraid of her.

"Don't ask me?" She said.

Kate shrugged at the boys as she rose from her chair. She glanced at the man sitting in the chair next to her desk.

"Wish me luck?" When all her husband offered was a half smile and a curt nod of the head she huffed. "I guess not then."

As Kate turned she felt Rick's hand on her wrist. "Always Kate, you know that."

She looked back briefly; immediately realizing her mistake. If she hadn't looked back she could pretend he wasn't still mad at her; could ignore the tension that had settled between them over the last two weeks. It had started pretty much like this; she had been called into the Captain's office.

"I just got off the phone with the chief of D's." The Captain looked perturbed, as usual. "Seems they feel that I'm wasting a valuable resource."

"And what might that be Sir?" Kate had trouble maintaining a respectful tone.

"You, of course, I'm pretty sure I don't have to remind you about them keeping score. So you're being reassigned."

"Reassigned?"

"It's just temporary. Vice is looking to raid a drug trafficking ring. They had an undercover officer infiltrate the ranks of some biker gang. Guess he's been under for awhile now; gathered enough evidence to hopefully bring down the whole thing."

Kate knew how Vice worked; she had done a few undercover stints for them while she was still in uniform. It usually required that she wear something very sleazy and hang out on some street corners that even scared the crap our of her.

"Um... they do realize I'm pregnant right?" She instinctively touched her abdomen.

"Of course, they've requested you for your interrogation skills not your waistline; this time anyway."

Kate tried to ignore the contemptuous tone. She really didn't care that her superior seemed to hate her; the feeling was mutual. She took the file she was being handed and listened to her orders.

Apparently the raid was taking place as they spoke. Vice anticipated the arrests of at least thirty gang members. Of those, quite a few were suspected to be high enough in the ranks to have information pertaining to their ultimate target, the supplier. They were hoping that Kate would be able to glean the name out of them. Apparently the Chief of D's felt that an attractive, albeit very pregnant, woman would have more success than the tough-edged members of the Vice squad.

Needless to say the news had gone over like a lead balloon with Rick. The idea of his wife being anywhere near these types of criminals scared him to death.

"What do you want me to do, Castle? It's not like I don't interrogate murder suspects every day."

"These guys are different Kate." Rick said.

They were having this argument in the break room; away from prying ears.

"They won't think twice about hurting... a cop." Rick ran his fingers through his hair. "You should've said no."

"It's my job Rick."

Before he could respond there was a raucous from the bullpen; apparently her suspects have arrived. He could see them being brought in one by one; he watched through the blinds over his wife's shoulder. They were huge; every last one of them at least six-feet-something with the muscles to match. There were piercings and tattoos; too many to count. But it was the filth coming out of their mouths that had Rick blocking his wife's exit from the room. Her back was against the wall, a cup of tea in her hand. He placed his right palm against the drywall to the left of her shoulder; his left hand rested on her belly.