How long does it take to make coffee? Beckett had been waiting fifteen minutes and he still wasn't back from the break room. Debating with herself, she finally decides to go and find him. Almost at the door to the break room, she hears him talking to the boys.

"Private access to the beach, swimming pool, a kitchen that has everything you could possibly want to eat. Jealous guys?" She could picture the looks on Ryan and Espositos faces, particularly Ryan's; pure looks of awe and disappointment that they weren't going with him.

"Castle," came the hidden voice of Esposito. "You've been bragging about your house in the Hamptons for like… fifteen minutes now. You're spending all this time talking, are you actually every going to leave?"

Castle smiled at the two detectives in front of him. "I think you are jealous. I'm leaving really soon, and I'll be out of your hair all summer. Don't get me wrong, I'll miss you guys, but I'm so far behind writing the latest instalment of Nikki Heat that Black Pawn is actually threatening to drop me." He stops talking and she could hear him fiddling with the coffee machine he'd bought. Guessing he wouldn't be much longer, she headed back to her desk, pulling some paperwork towards her with the idea of making it look like she'd been there all along.

Back in the break room, Castle was putting the finishing touches to Becketts' coffee. Esposito, being the gossip that he was, drilled Castle about his offer to Beckett. "So, bro, what's happening with you and Beckett?"

"Nothing?" Castle answered. As much as he would love there to be something, nobody got everything they wished for.

"Come off it." Ryan said, looking around to see if the woman in question was anywhere around. Lowering his voice, he continued. "We know you asked her to go away with you and we know she has the weekend off."

Castle sighed. "Yes, I asked her to come with me for the weekend, but she turned me down. I think her and Demming are sort of serious…"

"Yeah, but Lanie told me that Beckett called things off with Demming after you two spoke, and that she was actually considering your offer. Lanie said that Kate was gonna talk to you about it before you left, with the hope that you still wanted her to go."

"What? Are you sure?" Espo nodded to Castle as the writers face paled dangerously. Shit. Fuck. No, no, no this can't be happening. She was adamant that she wasn't coming! Castle couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to get out of here, get back to Kate and talk to her. Talk to her before…

"I… um… need to get this to Beckett…" He darted out the break room, almost crashing into the door frame. Ryan and Esposito looked at each other and headed towards the door, both with serious looks upon their faces. They watched Castle approach Beckett before heading towards their own desks. Seeing how flustered the writer was, Ryan was the first to voice his opinion. "Either he really, really wants Beckett to go or-" Espo finished the thought for him. "Or he's already made other plans."

"Thanks, Castle." Kate said graciously with a bright smile as she took the steaming mug form him. Castle, who had decided to remain standing at the end of her desk, gave a tight smile. "You're welcome, Detective."

Putting down her mug, she gets up to stand next to him. Together, they stand staring at the now empty murder board. She decides it's now or never. He'll have to leave soon and she wants to make sure she leaves with him.

"So, Castle, still off to the Hamptons tonight?" She's looking at him but he won't look at her. Finally, eye still focused ahead, he answers. "Yeah, yeah I am, Beckett. Listen, about that, I-"

"Good." She interrupts. She can hear the faint 'ping' of the elevator but it doesn't occur to her to glance around. If she had, it would have saved her the embarrassment. "I wanted to let you know. I've changed my mind, Castle; I would love to go with-"

"Rick, are you ready to leave?"

The detective and the writer both spin round. Beckett, speechless, turns to a guilty looking Castle and even Esposito and Ryan look up from their desks, shocked. Gina? What the hell was Gina doing here? Was Gina going with him now? In the thirty seconds it had been since Castles ex-wife had stepped out of the elevator and crushed Becketts hopes, a million questions had run through her mind. She had basically opened up to him, told him she'd changed her mind, that she wanted to go the Hamptons with him after all. She had regretted saying no to him the moment she said it. He had looked so disappointed, she just wanted to put her hand to his cheek, but not only would that be inappropriate for the workplace, she had been in a relationship with Demming. That had changed however, as soon as Castle had left to meet Alexis for lunch; she'd gone to see Demming and broke it off with him. He knew of course, he must have done, he'd hugged her and told her that he hoped it all worked out for her. She realised now that she should have told Castle that she would think about it, that she would get back to him later, not give him a straight out no. Maybe that was the last straw for him… Maybe he'd finally given up waiting…

Still staring at Castle, Beckett face was full of emotion. "Castle, Rick?" Kate whispers to her partner. Castle could see her confusion at why Gina was there. He could barely look at her; hurt had started to lace her eyes as she started to realise exactly why Gina was there.

"Not going to introduce me, Rick?"

Castle looked away from Kate and turned to Gina. "Sorry, of course, Gina, this is Detective Kate Beckett. Beckett, this is Gina, my publisher and ex-wife." He watched the two women exchange pleasantries. Gina smiled a genuine smile, but he knew Becketts was forced. "Gina, I'll be ready in a minute, why don't you go and wait by the elevator whilst I say my goodbyes?"

"Okay. It was finally nice to meet you, Detective." With one final smile, Gina strolled towards the elevator, playing with her phone as she went.

Beckett was frozen at the end of her desk. Castle moved to face her and put a hand on her arm. She shrugged him off and moved away, sitting herself back at her desk. When she wouldn't look at him, he chose to try and explain. "Kate, I-"

"You need to leave, Castle." The tears that had built in her eyes were threatening to fall. She was looking at him and he could see how much he had now hurt her. "I think you've done enough research, your character has a back story and I'm sure you've tagged along enough to know how things work. Given recent events, it would be best if you didn't return after the summer. I can't have you here anymore, not now."

She closed herself off, shut her emotions down again. He'd messed up and he knew it. He knew it would be best just to leave, to give it a while and try to talk to her again. "Bye, Kate…" he whispered, not knowing if she'd actually heard him. Giving a sharp nod towards the boys, he left to join Gina, and to leave the precinct for, quite possibly, the last time.

The boys were barely able to return his nod before he walked away. Seeing Castle disappear with Gina, Ryan and Espo look over to Beckett. She had turned her chair, determined not to look at the elevator. They both exchange looks of confusion. "What the hell was he thinking?" Espo spat whilst Ryan shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't." They sit there in silence for a minute before Ryan nods towards Beckett. "You should try talking to her, I'm gonna get us a coffee." He got up and left Esposito pondering how best to approach the impending conversation with Beckett. Eventually he decides to outright confront her. He slides over in his chair, stopping directly in front of her desk.

"Beckett, are you-"

"Don't. Just don't, Javi. I'm fine." Lifting her head, she stared straight at her friend and she tried to will the tears away. Espo left his chair and stepped closer to her, wanting to keep his words private.

"Like hell you are, Beckett. Kate, I know you, you aren't 'fine'! Me and Ryan got things covered here, we'll vouch for you if Montgomery asks. Go take a break, fix your make-up, you don't want people to talk now, do you chica?"

Kate gives a small smile to her friend and nods. "Thanks, Javi. I'll be back in ten." Grabbing her bag, she leaves and heads towards the ladies, placing a hand on Espositos shoulder as she passed.

As Espo watched her disappear, Ryan re-entered the bullpen with their coffees. "Where's Beckett?" his voice was full of concern for the detective."

"Sent her on a break, I said we'd cover for her with Montgomery. Man, what the hell was Castle thinking? Beckett said no to him this morning and he's already jumping back into bed with his ex-wife?"

"Hey," Ryan stops him. "We don't know that he's gonna sleep with her. She is his publisher, maybe she's just going with him to make sure he writes."

"Dude, you see the way Gina looked at him? He had that glint in her eye. I saw them holding hands just as the elevator doors closed, so please, don't try and tell me he isn't going to sleep with her. Bro, if he cared about Beckett at all, he wouldn't have invited Gina to meet him up here. Kev, he's hurt her, and in case you didn't realise, she broke up with Demming for him. I hope he doesn't come back.

Espo headed back to his desk and Ryan soon followed. They sat in uncomfortable silence, and whilst Ryan started with paperwork from their last case, Esposito shot a text to Lanie.

'Chica, we got a problem. Castles ex-wife turned up as Kate told him she wanted to go with. I don't know exactly what was said but long story short is that Castle and Gina are on their way to the Hamptons. Kate's upset, Lanie, real upset. Try and help her tonight? X'

Text sent, Espo settled to do his own paperwork, keeping an eye trained on the door to Montgomery's office.