AN: Over the years I found that I had several stories that were abandoned because to give them a CasKett ending required a total suspension of disbelief. I decided to finish them anyway when I hit a roadblock with one of my other stories. All of these stories start off based upon canon events from many seasons and they all share a non CasKett ending, hence the title.

The first story is from season 8.

All recognizable characters belong to ABC and Andrew Marlowe.

One: Best Laid Plans

It was Monday morning. Kate was reviewing the incident reports from the night before by her direct reports while sipping her now ice cold coffee. It was a routine that she was still struggling to adjust to, as the job seemed to be nothing more than a never ending series rules, regulations, and mind numbing bureaucracy. She was tired, another wasted night sitting in her cruiser with Vikram, hoping to catch a glimpse of a low level criminal that could give them the name of the man who was on the next level of the food chain.

Or at least that was what Vikram had claimed. Six weeks and she was no closer to the identity of the person(s) responsible for the deaths of Rachel McCord, her team, and William Bracken than she was the night she ignored the warnings of Castle's stepmother. The warnings to let the woman she knew as Rita and whatever covert group she was working for 'handle it'. That to pursue this case, she would have to put as much distance between not only her husband and his family, but everyone else she knew as well.

She had been so sure that while they would find the people behind the mysterious organization known only by the code name LocSat, that she only took enough clothes to last her a week or so. After two weeks, she realized that maybe she had overestimated her ability to identify these people, leaving her no choice but to return to the loft to get the remainder of her belongings.

Kate wasn't surprised when two days after she moved the last of her things out of loft that she was served with divorce papers. Martha had given her an ominous warning that 'even Richard has his limits' as she left her office a few days earlier. If she was honest with herself, Kate was surprised that he waited as long as he did.

As she had insisted on a prenup before they married, there was nothing to settle as far as property went. Other than her clothes and a few personal items, she had brought nothing into the loft. With Rick and his family out of the way she could focus all of her attention on bringing down LocSat.

But with each passing day no closer to finding these people, her frustration grew and her willingness to cut corners with her 'real' job started to be noticed. At first, it was only her direct reports who saw how she had withdrawn from virtually everyone in the precinct. Everyone except Vikram, who seemed to be with her constantly.

By then everyone knew that Castle had filed for divorce and soon the rumors began that she was having an affair with her subordinate. When Lanie confronted her with the rumors, Kate merely laughed them off, assuring her friend that they weren't true, yet offered no reason why Rick had filed for divorce.

Between the rumors and her divorce from Rick, her relationships with not only Lanie, but Javi and Kevin had become strictly professional. The camaraderie that she once felt with the two detectives was non existent and they were both requesting transfers to other precincts, hoping to get her attention. Instead, she approved the requests without speaking to either one. Upon learning of her decision to allow their transfers from Javi, Lanie cut off all contact with Kate as well, convinced that the rumors were true.

Last Friday would have been their first anniversary. Instead of a celebration of what should have been the happiest day of her life, she receives a registered letter from his attorney along with the final divorce decree. Included with the letter was a cashiers check for $545,321.67. A note explains that this was one half of the estimated increase in value of Rick's assets in the last year for the loft, the house in the Hamptons, The Old Haunt, and his detective agency. All of them sold with no explanation as to why. Inside the larger envelope was a smaller one. The slight bulge in it provided all the evidence she needed to know what was inside, yet she tore it open anyway just to see it for herself. She stares at the ring for a moment and then tucks it back inside the envelope. There was nothing left. It was over.

Returning her thoughts to the present, she is working through her emails when there's a knock on her door. She doesn't even bother to look up as it seems no one besides Vikram tries to approach her office unless by her request. Especially, if the blinds are drawn, which they are most of time anymore. She calls out for them to enter, still looking at her monitor.

Vikram enters, but he is not alone. Following him is Deputy Chief of Detectives Victoria Gates, Commissioner Seth Wilson, and a middle aged woman that Kate did not recognize. Rising to her feet, she tries to mask her surprise and gestures for them to take a seat. The grim looks on the faces of her 'guests' tells her this is anything but a social call.

Before Kate can speak, Gates begins. "Captain Beckett, I'm sure you know Commissioner Wilson, but you may not know Christine Collins." Gates gestures towards the woman who simply nods in acknowledgement of the introduction, making no effort to greet Kate. "Christine is a Special Investigator in Internal Affairs..."

Kate shares a quick glance in Vikram's direction who has the same fearful look on his face that she was trying desperately to mask. Before she can ask why they are there, Gates continues. "As you are aware, all new Captains have to serve a mandatory probation period. Normally, this nothing more than a formality, but it provides both parties an out if the job appears to be too much for one to handle."

Collins extracts a voice recorder from her purse, presses a button and sets the device on Beckett's desk. "You both understand your Miranda rights and that anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You may demand to have council present before continuing if you like. I will however warn you, that you both will be arrested beforehand. It is your choice."

Kate is stunned into silence as she gives a fearful look at Vikram. She had never considered that anything she had done was illegal. She knew the rules and regulations as well as anyone and always felt that the ends justified the means. So what if she misused NYPD resources to conduct her covert investigation? She was trying to bring the people responsible for the deaths of McCord, her team, and others to justice. Wasn't that more important?

When she finally finds her voice, Kate replies. "I didn't understand. What could I have done that would merit being arrested?"

Gates sighs, while Collins and Wilson give her an incredulous look in response. "I was assigned to investigate this case immediately after the shooting in the precinct. In a very short period of time it became obvious that there were several red flags raised by what I and others witnessed occurring." Collins offers as she opens the folder she had carried into the room. "Once again, I will ask for the record if you wish to have an attorney present?"

Knowing that a lawyer might be the only thing that keeps her out of prison, she nods and replies. "I think that it would be best that I seek legal counsel before saying any more." Knowing what comes next, she reaches into her jacket, extracting her shield and credentials. Kate then rises to her feet, slipping off her hip holster and service weapon, sliding them across the desk to Gates.

"Katherine Beckett, you are under arrest for conducting an unsanctioned investigation using NYPD resources. Others charges may be added." Collins then turns to Vikram. "Vikram Singh, you are being charged as an accessory to the crimes that Ms Beckett is being charged with and illegally accessing secure Federal data servers."

Gates looks at first Beckett and then Singh before remarking. "I trust that the last thing you want is to be led out of here in cuffs..."

Vikram rises to his feet, barely able to support his weight as the gravity of his present situation becomes clear. Beckett had convinced him that hacking the FBI databases was justified if they were going to bring down LocSat. He trusted her. She had saved his life. But he would not go to prison for her.

One glance at Vikram and Kate knows that he will say anything to avoid doing time and realizes that she truly on her own. She had been so successful in alienating everyone that was once close to her, that the only person she could turn to now was her father.

Collins takes Kate's badge and service weapon off of the desk and places them into her oversized purse along with the voice recorder. Opening the door, Wilson exits the office first followed by Gates, Collins, Singh and Beckett last. Two uniformed patrolmen that had been standing just outside her office followed behind the group as the eyes of every person on the floor followed the entourage walking towards the elevator.

Kate sees the shocked looks on the faces of the people that she had worked with, some for more than a decade and wonders if she will ever see them again.

No a word was spoken by anyone as the group exited the elevator and made their way past the desk sergeant and out the door of the precinct. The two patrolmen led Kate and Vikram to the back of their cruiser as the others got into their vehicles. The ride to 1PP was spent in total silence. Kate knew that there was nothing she could say to Vikram that wouldn't sound like an excuse, or a lie. Granted, he was a willing coconspirator, but she was the one making the decisions, not him.

No, this was all because of the choices she made from the moment she took that fateful phone call.

Upon arrival at 1PP, the two were immediately separated, taken for fingerprinting and booking like anyone else charged with a crime. She was finally allowed to make her one phone call. A call she dreaded making, wishing she could speak to anyone other than him.

Nothing in her life could have prepared her for the disappointment she could hear in her father's voice as she tells him about her arrest. What hurt more than she thought was possible, was the fact that he never once asked if she was innocent. It was almost as if he was expecting this call. After she apologized for getting him involved, he agrees to contact one of the better criminal defense attorneys in the city for her.

After the call ended, she was taken to a holding cell where she remained until her attorney arrived two hours later. Caleb Brown introduces himself and assures her that he will do his best to get the charges either reduced, or dropped. Kate had heard about Brown by reputation, getting several high profile criminals acquitted that made him an enemy of the NYPD.

He went on to explain that before he would take her case, she had to be completely honest with him, assuring her that anything she said would remain between them. Feeling she had no choice, Kate agrees, trusting the lawyer-client relationship.

An hour later Kate has finished confessing everything that had led her to this moment, once again placing her trust in a total stranger. Caleb is taking notes and asking specific questions regarding how Bracken was tied to LocSat. Questions that should have concerned her, but she failed to notice.

The relief that she felt telling someone about what she had done and why, was cleansing in a way. While he repeatedly asked for specific details regarding what evidence she had on LocSat, he never asked her why she did it, or if she felt any remorse for her actions. Seemingly satisfied, he puts his notes away and advises her that he wants to talk to the investigators alone, just to find out exactly how much evidence they actually had against her. He would then advise her on what their next step would be.

Caleb calls for the guard and Kate is returned to her holding cell while he meets with the IA investigators. She wondered if Vikram had hired a lawyer as well, hoping that they didn't offer him a deal in exchange for testimony against her. She curses herself for allowing things to digress to where they were at this moment. Kate had been so sure that she and Vikram could identify the people behind LocSat that she was willing to cut corners, ordering him to hack Federal databases and accessing other secure files.

After what felt like an eternity, but was actually two hours, the guard returns to take her to the interrogation room where her lawyer awaits. One glance at the grim look on his face as she enters the room and takes a seat puts all of her defenses on guard. He opens the Manila folder before him and extracts a multiple page document, but doesn't let her see it.

He sighs and rakes his fingers through his hair before speaking. "It appears that IA cut a deal with Mr Singh in exchange for his testimony implicating that everything that he did was the result of a direct order from you. That you and he were more than coworkers and that you used sexual favors to assure his compliance..."

"That's a lie!" Kate nearly shouts in the soundproof room. "I would never do such a thing." She remarks defiantly, hoping to convince Caleb.

"I believe you Ms Beckett, but that's not the point. It's what would a jury believe. Given the fact that the DA has already accepted his plea deal, your case just became that much harder to defend. By your own admission to me, you're not denying any of the charges they have against you. I can tell you that they have a strong case with a great deal of photographic evidence of the two of you together after hours entering and exiting your apartment..." Caleb remarks and slides several surveillance photos taken just outside her SRO, complete with time stamps.

She knew exactly how a jury would react to the combination of Vikram's claims and the pictures of the two of them together and it wasn't good. Kate can't help but feel as if this has all been some sort of elaborate setup. A setup to take away everything she had of value. Her husband, her friends, her career, even her freedom were all about to be taken away and she had no one to blame but herself.

Brown then slides the document across the table to her. "Given the evidence and Mr Singh's testimony against you, this was the best deal I could get. You can always take your chances with a jury trail, but the DA specifically stated that if we go that route, she will seek the maximum sentence - five years. If you'd like, I can leave you alone to read it before you decide."

Kate shakes her head and begins to read the document before her. It was a boilerplate confession, similar to ones she had presented to suspects. Her admission to every crime that they had charged her with. She continued reading, stopping when she sees what her punishment will be in exchange for the signed confession.

Not surprising, the first item called for her immediate dismissal from the NYPD with the loss of all benefits and any accrued pension. While disappointing, she knew from the beginning that her job would be forfeit if discovered.

The next item was her inability to secure employment with any local, state, or Federal law enforcement agency for a period of five years. It was in effect a blacklisting, leaving her only employment in options a job with private security, or a bail bondsman.

The final item was what made her gasp as she read it. 90 days in a minimum security women's correction facility in upstate New York and five years probation, or 30 days in a state approved psychiatric facility and 5 years probation.

"They wanted to give you a year in prison, but I negotiated it down to 90 days. I also may have suggested they offer the psychiatric facility as an option. I was planning on using it as a defense if we went to trial." Caleb offers calmly, hoping she understands.

"So you think I'm crazy?" Kate sarcastically questions.

"Look, I only had them offer that as a way for you to stay out of prison. You know how cops are treated there, even if it's only 90 days. To be honest, your behavior since you took the job as Captain has been so out of character that a psychiatric issue would have been our best defense. In fact, it might have been our only possible defense given the evidence that they have. Besides, if you take the offer, I'll suggest one of the places that is more like a resort than a mental facility. I trust that you'd be willing to pay for it?" Her attorney counters, hoping that she sees this is her only viable option.

Kate understood what he meant about cops in prison and the thought of it scared her to death. The idea of thirty days in a psychiatric facility seemed attractive in comparison. She could spend that time figuring out how she could continue her pursuit of LocSat. There was no way she would give up now that it has cost her nearly everything. Looking at the places requiring her signature she frowns, but takes the pen that Caleb had laid beside the document and quickly signs her name.

Her attorney takes the document and examines it to make sure that she has signed in all the appropriate places. He takes the pen and places it back into his pocket while remarking. "Sit tight. I'll see if we can line up a judge that will accept your plea today and get you started on your thirty days."

Kate simply nods in understanding as he gets up from his seat and calls for the guard to let him leave. Thirty minutes later, Caleb returns to his seat with a frown. "I have bad news and some not so bad news... It appears that the earliest we can get you before a judge that can accept your plea and the terms of this deal is 10:00 tomorrow morning. I tried to get them to release you on your own recognizance, but they said you were a flight risk. I was able to talk them into letting you stay here in the holding cell rather that have to go to Rikers for processing. I know it's not what you wanted to hear..."

The notion of going to Rikers for processing had her thinking about Castle and how he had arranged for his escape while being transported there. She remembers asking him how he pulled off the feat, how he gave her a sly grin and replied. "What can I say... I have a really good lawyer." And in spite of everything that Caleb was able to do for her, she wished she had Rick's lawyer right now.

She thanks him for everything he has done and he promises that he will meet her at the courthouse before she is to appear in front of the judge. The guard takes her back to the holding cell and advises her that he had put in a dinner order for her that should be there by six. She thanked him for his courteousness as he locks the door behind her.

It was a few minutes after five the following morning when she finally gave up any pretense of trying to sleep. Every sound seemed to put her on alert, making sleep almost impossible. The desire for a cup of coffee was nearly all consuming at the moment, but knew it was not to be.

Two uniformed patrolmen came to her cell a few minutes before eight to transport her to the courthouse. The silence in the cruiser during her trip was oppressive. She could tell from the way that they looked at her, they knew who she was, and what she had been accused of. A cop that thought she was above the law.

True to his word, Caleb met her in the prisoner holding room adjacent to the courtroom. He had brought some toiletries in a baggie so that she could make herself as presentable before the judge as possible. She thanked him and then stood in line awaiting her chance to use one of the restrooms for the prisoners.

As cleaned up as she was going to be considering her situation, she returned to where Caleb was sitting and waited for she and the others to be called into the courtroom. The group of prisoners who were to appear before the judge today were led into the courtroom while their attorneys entered through another door.

The bailiff calls the court to order as the judge enters. Kate curses to herself as she sees that it's Walter Markbright, one of Castle's oldest friends and poker buddy. She was actually grateful that she already had a plea deal now as she wasn't sure that Markbright could be unbiased with her.

Kate's case was the first one on the docket and the DA opened with a review of the charges, what her plea was, and their recommendation for punishment. Markbright looks at the documents before him and then at Kate. The disappointment on his face as he looked at her made Kate wish there was a rock nearby that she could crawl under.

He then looks at Caleb and inquires. "Mr Brown, I trust that you have discussed the terms of this plea agreement and that final judgement will be rendered without a trial?"

"Yes, your honor. My client is aware of these facts." Caleb replies with the respect that the judge deserves.

He then looks directly at Kate. "Ms Beckett, do you understand the charges against you and that you are waiving your right to a trial by your peers?"

"Yes, your honor, I understand." Kate replies in a small voice.

He frowns and begins to speak. "Very well, Katherine Houghton Beckett, you have been charged with misuse of NYPD resources and illegal access of State and Federal databases. You have plead guilty to all charges and agreed to the terms as outlined by the District Attorney. Let the record show that your plea has been accepted and you have been found guilty as charged."

He pauses for a moment to look at the document again before continuing. "The terms of this agreement are as follows, dismissal from the NYPD with all accrued vacation, sick leave, and retirement forfeited." He pauses to look at her waiting for a response. She simply nods and he continues. "That you will be banned from seeking employment with any law enforcement entity in the United States for a period of five years."

Once again, he pauses for Kate to acknowledge what he has said before continuing. "You will be on probation for a period not to exceed five years. If you are charged with any crime during that period of time, you will void your probation and serve the five years in prison. Do you understand?" All she can do is nod in response as the weight of it all finally starts to hit her.

"The last item here is a bit puzzling..." Markbright remarks before continuing. "You have the option of 90 days in a minimum security women's prison, or 30 days in a psychiatric facility for evaluation. Have you decided which one you want Ms Beckett?"

"Yes, your honor. I think that it would be best if I sought psychiatric help." Kate replies, confident that she would use the time to prepare a plan for her continued pursuit of LocSat.

"Very well then. Mr Brown, I trust that you have an approved facility in mind." Markbright comments.

"Yes your honor, I do. The Sandusky Institute is on the approved list and is only about an hour away from the city. My client has agreed to cover the costs of her stay there."

Markbright frowns. He knew all about the Sandusky Institute. It was the place that the rich and famous went to whenever they did something stupid and needed to clear their image with the public. More like a resort than a treatment center, it somehow made the list of approved facilities and he wasn't in the mood to debate the choice.

He then looks directly at Kate before speaking. "Katherine Beckett, you are hereby ordered to serve a period of no less than thirty days at the Sandusky Institute for psychiatric evaluation. Other than your attorney, you will have no contact with anyone other than the staff and doctors there. You will have no cellphone or Internet access while you are there unless approved by your doctor. After thirty days, your doctor will submit a document to the court, advising us of your mental health. If they feel that additional time there is needed, you will do so, or violate the terms of this agreement. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your honor, I understand." She replies, fighting back a sob.

"So be it. Bailiff, take the prisoner to the holding area until someone from the Sandusky Institute comes to pick her up. That is all." Markbright bangs the gavel on his bench signaling that the case is closed.

Kate manages a handshake and a thank you to her attorney before the bailiff led her away to the holding area. Caleb quietly exits the courtroom and makes his way out of the building. After making a quick call to the Sandusky Institute to confirm that they were sending someone to pick her up, he dials the number of the person who had arranged all of this.

"It's done. Sandusky as requested." Is all Caleb says before ending the call.

Carlos Ramos smiles as he puts the phone into his pocket and finishes the last of his espresso. The man once known as William Bracken looks out from his balcony and out onto the ocean. He liked it here in Belize.

The staff at the Institute where Kate Beckett would be remanded to had several members that owed him for favors rendered during his time as a politician. They would make sure that she was diagnosed with a mental disorder that will require the judge to order her to stay for an indefinite period of time. Possibly, the rest of her life.

There was a symmetry to it all. She had taken away everything from him. But unlike her, he still had people that owed him. Powerful people that could fake his death and provide him with a new identity. People with the resources required to pull this plan off. People like Caleb Brown, and those that she knew as Vikram Singh and Rita Hunt.

He'd like to think that it was his ingenious plan that evened the score, but in reality, all he did was set the stage. Kate Beckett had been an willing participant in her own destruction.

A plan that hinged on his confidence in knowing how to manipulate her by preying on her ego and ignoring NYPD regs after taking the call from Vikram...

X-X-X-X

Richard Rodgers was enjoying his second cup of coffee at the oceanfront cafe as he kept an eye on the man standing on the second floor balcony. If his sources were correct, he was looking at a dead man. A man that really would be after he confesses his sins to Rick. Pretending to be looking at his cellphone, he is able to use the zoom feature and capture a picture that confirms his suspicions.

Rick has to chuckle at the arrogance of Bracken. His 'disguise' consisted of nothing more than a beard, crew cut, and a bad grey dye job on both. Much like his ex-wife, his hubris would be his undoing as well. While Bracken had powerful friends, Rick had better ones.

It was the day Kate called and asked if he would vacate the loft long enough for her to gather up the remainder of her belongings that Jackson Hunt reappeared into his life. He had been assigned to take down a drug cartel that was using US military aircraft to ferry heroin from Afghanistan into the country. The cartel had ties to the military, the CIA, and several politicians, one of which was William Bracken.

The revelation that Bracken was tied up in something like this came as little surprise to Rick, who suspected that there had to be a reason for Vulcan Simmons' loyalty to the former Senator other than his political influence. Bracken was his supplier.

The disgraced former politician's taunting remark to Rick when Bracken spoke to him in the prison the day Kate disappeared, should have been enough to alert him of what was about to happen. While Bracken may have studied Kate, he was just like all of the others that saw Rick as nothing more than a rich, pseudo celebrity. That would ultimately be his undoing.

Rick had trusted that her feelings for him would keep her from going down the rabbit hole again. But as she stood at the door of what had been their home, telling him that there was something she had to do, alone, with no idea when she would return, Bracken's taunt became a prophesy.

When Hunt explained that Bracken's death had been faked, Rick didn't think twice. He agreed to return to the agency, but only if he got the task of watching Bracken take his last breath. Hunt knew what his son was capable of. He had recruited him straight out of college and into the CIA and watched as Rick became a very good agent.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Rick had other skills as well. His ability to write, combined with his desire to have a family, soon made the Agency lose its appeal to him and he quit. In less than a year, he was married with a child due any day. Once Alexis was born, any chance for his return to the CIA vanished, especially after he assumed sole custody of the child.

Hunt and the Agency kept tabs on Rick, but for different reasons. Jackson would have continued this arrangement forever, but fate stepped in and forced him to reveal his identity when Alexis was kidnapped by one of his enemies. How the Russian mobster found out about her relationship to him was something he took to the grave with him.

Their adventure in Paris put Rick back on the Agency's radar again. They saw him as a valuable asset that could use his celebrity status to gain access where others couldn't. But Rick had no interest. His budding relationship with Kate Beckett was the only thing that mattered to him besides his daughter.

It was the CIA that arranged for her recruitment by the AG's office, thinking that if she took the job, it would end her relationship with Rick and he would return to the Agency. While they were right about her, willingly accepting the offer, once again they underestimated Rick, who instead of breaking up with her, proposed.

As the saying goes, 'you're never free of the CIA, until you are dead'. Rick learned that on his wedding day, when he was 'recruited' against his will to help bring in a terrorist hiding out in Thailand. A case of Dengue Fever was his reward for a successful operation, landing him in an Agency approved medical facility in Los Angeles.

What happened after that still was unclear to him and after all this time, the only things he knew for sure was that he was in Montreal for some reason, was shot by somebody, and was found in the Atlantic weeks later, adrift in a rowboat. Whatever happened to him was not the handiwork of the CIA, or at least the parts of it that he knew. The simple fact that his last clear memory was of being in Montreal pointed to someone else being responsible.

The appearance of Haley Shipley into his life at the same time as the start of Kate's 'adventures' should have been an omen to him. He had been so caught up in trying to figure out was going on with his newly estranged wife that he had taken her presence there for granted. It wasn't until his father decided to reappear in his life that the former MI6 agent explained why she was there as well.

Needless to say, her explanation was an eye opener for him. She had been assigned to 'keep an eye on' Rick once Jackson had learned of his son's abduction by the CIA. He didn't trust anyone, especially those with the Agency, but he trusted Haley. She told Castle a fantastic story of how he had stumbled across a vast heroin trafficking operation that was using military aircraft to move the processed product from the Far East to the US. How the CIA was part of the operation.

At first, her story made no sense to him. Even if it was true, why would he care? Haley then went on to explain how he had overheard a conversation between two agents on the flight back from Thailand discussing the operation. Specifically the fact with Bracken in jail and Simmons' death, they would have to rebuild the entire East Coast network.

She went on to explain before he asked, that the reason they spoke so candidly around him was twofold, the first being that they thought he was unconscious from the Dengue fever. The second being that they had no idea who Rick really was.

He didn't need his memories returned to know why he would pursue the drug trafficking operation on his own. It wasn't heroism or altruism. It was selfish. His fear that Kate would head straight for the rabbit hole again if she knew that the people that Bracken was partnered with were still alive and conducting business as usual.

Unfortunately, all his efforts did was delay the inevitable. Just long enough for him to see how much it would hurt to watch his worst fears become reality as she walked out of his life and back into the rabbit hole. Leaving him with a scar from a bullet he doesn't remember and a hole where his heart once was.

'Happy endings are the stuff of novels. People like you only get glimpses and brief touches. A tease that makes it hurt worse when you realize that it was never meant to be. Kate never changed, no matter how badly you tried.' Rick thought to himself as he watched Bracken reenter his room. Castle checked his jacket pocket for the hypodermic syringe and felt the reassuring weight of his Sig P226 against his chest in the shoulder holster.

The vantage point from where he was sitting gave him a view of both of the exits the condo complex had. All he could do now was wait. It was the part of the job that he had always hated. The waiting.

Rick had changed from espresso to iced tea by now, never taking his gaze away from his prize more than second or two. Nearly an hour passes before Bracken emerges from the oceanfront entrance, dressed in a white linen suit, shoes, and matching hat. Rick drops some extra cash on the table and begins to close the distance between him and his target.

The way that Bracken strolled along the beach, his eyes darting from one of the bikini clad beauties to the next, as if he didn't have a care in the world, allowed Rick to get close enough to make his move. By the time the former Senator realized what had happened to him, it was too late. Bracken slumps into his arms, appearing to be drunk to anyone who might be looking. Castle puts an arm around the man's waist and pulls him beside him as the two move away from the others.

The horrified look on Bracken's face as he begins to comprehend not only what was happening, but who it was that was doing it, made Rick smile. By now the drug had taken its full effect, rendering him paralyzed for all intents. Rick pulls out his phone and makes the call as the two appear to be sitting on the beach watching the world go by.

Five minutes pass before the motorized raft comes to a stop on the beach directly in front of where they were seated. Dressed in a bright red bikini, Haley pulls the raft up onto the shore and waves to Rick. She closes the distance between them and places a soft kiss on his cheek. He gives her a sad smile as the two of them lift Bracken to his feet, each putting an arm around his waist.

They begin the walk towards the raft, nearly carrying him while keeping an eye on anyone who might be watching. Rick holds him up while Haley pulls the raft back into the water. Finally in the inflatable dingy, Haley starts the motor and the three make their way out to where Rick's boat is anchored.

Castle takes Bracken below deck while Haley raises the anchor and fires up the engine. By the time he has 'Carlos' secured for interrogation, they are several miles away from shore. They would be well out to sea by the time Rick was finished with man.

Haley sets course and comes below deck to watch Rick at work. She had heard stories about his 'skills' at extracting information from the time that Alexis was kidnapped. It was said that only Hunt himself was better at it.

Suspended by his arms, his ankles in shackles, the effects of the paralytic are beginning to fade, replaced with a burning sensation that seemed to be consuming his entire body. He sees the tarp on the floor below him and begins to realize his fate. Rick smiles as Bracken starts to struggle against his restraints and remarks. "Good. You're starting to come to. You look a little flush. The techs said that it might burn a tad." Rick chuckles as he lays his 'tools' on the tray before him.

"Look, we both know how this is going to end for you..." Rick calmly remarks as he continues laying out his tools. "You can tell me everything that I want to know and I'll end it quickly... or we do it slowly and you'll just wish that you'd taken my offer. Either way you will talk... and you will die."

It took nearly eight hours for Bracken to finish his confession. They knew enough about his operation to know if he tried to lie to them and it only took a couple of well placed punches to the man's ribs before he decides to cooperate. The corrupt politician took delight as he went into exquisite detail describing how easy it was to get Kate to abandon everyone and everything, ending with her locked away in a psychiatric hospital. Possibly for the rest of her life.

Satisfied that Bracken had given up everything that he knew, Rick places the barrel of his Sig directly over the same spot on his chest the the assassin's bullet had entered Kate's. Two quick squeezes of the trigger and William Bracken was dead. This time for good. After removing the restraints, they rolled his body up in the tarp that they had laid under him.

Haley checks the GPS to verify their location as Rick pushes Bracken's body off rear deck. The two stand together and watch as the tarp covered body begins its descent to the bottom of the ocean. He climbs back to the bridge and inputs the coordinates for their return to Key West where his new home was. They would make good use of their time preparing for the remainder of their mission and thanks to Bracken, had the names of everyone involved at the top.

The scales would be balanced.

X-X-X-X

Nine Months Later:

Kate was sitting outside Dr Carmichael's office, waiting to be called in for her twice weekly session. At first she only attended because it was part of the conditions ordered by Judge Markbright for her release from Sandusky. It took the staff there less than a week to diagnose her OCD, which Kate vehemently denied. Subsequent conversations with Dr Carter Burke revealed that he had either ignored the signs, preferring to believe that her issues were all related to PTSD from her shooting, or simply misdiagnosed her.

Kate had been so confident that she could bluff her way through the thirty day evaluation period, she ignored the signs that her freedom was not a given. That became alarmingly apparent after she met with Caleb a few days prior to when they were to appear before the judge. He was the one that suggested she should agree to another voluntary thirty days rather than have the hospital staff request it. While she hated the idea, she had no choice but to trust him.

It was sometime during her second thirty days that she received the news that her attorney had been killed in a fiery auto accident on the Long Island Expressway. Due to the unique circumstances, she was allowed to contact her father. Rather than trust someone else this time, he would act as her legal counsel and spoke with the staff about obtaining a conditional release for his daughter.

The terms of her probation were amended to include at least once weekly sessions with a psychiatrist recommended by the staff at the Sandusky Institute for as long as was needed. The doctor would submit a report to the court every ninety days to verify that she was actively participating in her treatment.

It was during a group session with others who had let their obsessive behavior take control of their lives that Kate realized she was exactly like them. She had told herself the lie that only she could bring the guilty to justice for so long she believed it was the truth. That this was her calling in life.

But as she listened to the gamblers that had lost everything including their friends and family, to the women convinced that their next plastic surgery would make them perfect, Kate understood that she wasn't that different from them.

And just like any addict, the first step towards a recovery was to admit that she had a problem. The remaining steps would be equally difficult to accomplish as she begins to understand the things that she lost due to her obsession. The career she will never have, the friends who will never look at her the same way as they once did... the man she considered the love of her life. All gone.

X-X-X-X

One by one the members of the cartel met similar fates to the one that Caleb Brown did. Some died of 'natural' causes, while others were victims of tragic accidents. The culmination being the discovery of Defense Secretary Michael Reed's lifeless body discovered in his office, a victim of an apparent aneurysm.

The body of the man that she knew as Vikram Singh was never found.

Kate simply listened to the news reports or read the stories like everyone else, having no idea that they were all connected. Thanks to the money from Rick, she had enrolled at NYU and was taking the additional courses she needed to enter Law School. She would seek justice for others the way she originally planned before that fateful night in January 1999.

She nearly threw away the mysterious text message she received without looking at it. Something stops her and she gasps as the meaning of it sinks in upon reading. All it said was simply. 'It's over. You're free.'

Rick sighs and shoves his phone into his pocket after he sees the confirmation that his text has been read. He enters the destination into the navigation system and waits for it to plot a course as he steers his boat through the harbor, catching a fleeting glimpse of the Statue of Liberty off in the distance. He wondered if he'd ever see her again. Lady Liberty, that is.

Haley walks up to the bridge where he is standing and slips her arms around his waist from behind, giving him a squeeze. Rising on her toes, she places her lips to his ear and whispers. "Where to, captain?"

He turns and pulls her lithe body tightly against his and replies. "It's a surprise... Mrs Rodgers."

End.