A/N: So, in a fairly usual re-watch of the '47 seconds' story arc, something struck me. Most of the major cast have something to say about Castle's…less-than-savoury behaviour, be it to Beckett or to Castle or just to each other – except Gates. Why? Maybe she didn't really care at that point. Or maybe she didn't feel on friendly enough terms with the Gang to butt in. Who knows?

Anyway, whilst I was supposed to be writing a 6000-word Creative Process Log for Wednesday – of which, I've only got about 500 words…gulp – my brain, in its usual zany fashion, started providing distractions. Namely, this little thing which I humbly present to you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, and on a lifeguard's salary, I can only ever dream to.

Kate Beckett thought that it couldn't get any worse after Castle had walked out of the precinct for a rendezvous with an obtrusively busty blonde, leaving her heart to wilt and die under her desk like a sad bit of unwanted lettuce. The fact that her brain was coming up with these ludicrous metaphors clearly proved how dire her situation was; the irony being, of course, that as soon as she starts to cave in to the crazy, he's not here to witness it.

"Detective Beckett," a voice calls out, and her heart sinks even lower. "A word, please?"

Apparently, she was wrong about the worse thing. Gates, strongly reminding her of a meerkat, retracts her head into her office, ready to dole out all kinds of fresh hell. Well, maybe she's overreacting. Gates has certainly warmed to her since she took over the Captaincy of the twelfth, but she doubts she's pulling her in for a chat over coffee. Then again, Kate certainly has the right to be a tad melodramatic. The love of her life has just walked out on her for another woman – wow does it feel odd to admit that to herself – and she's getting nasty déjà vu from a few summers ago, when he walked out on her with another well-endowed blonde.

Granted, that was half her fault for not ending it with Demming sooner, and for not admitting to herself that what she really wanted was not the robbery detective after all. Him moving straight on to the next available woman didn't exactly inspire trust – in him, or in the strength of his feelings towards her. Was that what was happening now? Was Lanie right - had she, once again, waited too long? She prayed that she hadn't. It was beginning to feel like some sort of Groundhog Day, where she just kept making the same mistakes, over and over.

Slowly levering herself out of her seat, where she probably would have given Colin Hunt a call in a fit of self-pity if Gates hadn't asked for her, she stumbles upright and reluctantly makes her way to the Captain's office. Laying a heavy hand on the door-knob, she twists it, and gingerly steps into the proverbial danger zone. Under Montgomery's leadership, the place was certainly less daunting than it is now.

"Take a seat, Detective." She does. Gates levels her one of those looks, the ones that laser you from over the top of her glasses. Kate can't help but draw alarming similarities between her and her Captain, which probably explains why they tend to clash.

"What did you want to see me about, Sir?" She nearly winces at the raised eyebrow, but manages to hold her ground, suddenly realising what this could be about. Isn't it always about him?

"Your…partner," she says reluctantly, as if it's a struggle to get that particular word out when it pertains to Castle. To be fair, she had the same problem a few years back, which really doesn't help her when it comes to finding differences between herself and Iron Gates.

"Sir?" She's almost hoping to prolong the moment, as if she can stop this conversation from happening. She doesn't really want to sit here while her boss questions his attitude or tries once again to get him out of here for good. On top of everything else, it's just one thing too many, especially when she's asking herself similar questions about his behaviour. Questions she doesn't have the answer to.

Gates, though, seems to be taking a different track to the one Kate had envisioned. She takes her glasses off and wearily places them on her desk, at a right angle to the file in front of her. Relaxing in her seat slightly, she looks at Kate again, a lot of the sternness leeched from her gaze.

"Beckett, whilst I have…reluctantly ceded that Mr Castle aids your team," she admits with an imperceptible twitch of her lips. "I'm beginning to worry that…" she pauses, as if searching for the right words to say. With a shake of her head though, she changes track. "I'm not blind. I'm aware that his demeanour has changed somewhat in the last few weeks, and frankly, I'm not one to butt in on minor disputes. I think you and I both agree, however, that his attitude reversal has gone beyond a minor one."

Kate looks at her boss with only a touch of the surprise she feels at the soft tone she's being addressed with. Gone is the hard-nosed Iron Gates, and in her place is someone who could even be approachable.

"Again," the Captain continues, steepling her fingers in front of her as she leans forward and places her elbows on her desk. "I don't like interfering in working partnerships, as it tends to do more harm than good, but it becomes my problem when such disruptions could endanger the lives of my people."

"Sir," Kate starts, frowning. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by-"

"You know exactly what I mean, Detective." Kate closes her mouth, because of course she knows what she means. Castle's distance, his preoccupation with flight attendants and dates and jackassery – all these things have thrown the both of them off. They're out of synch, a broken clock, and it's affecting their ability to work together. Not to mention her brainpower as she frantically scrabbles for the answer as to why he's so mad at her. She hasn't found one yet, and that makes her even more upset, because how can she fix it when she doesn't know the cause?

Gates leans back in her seat again, sighing and closing her eyes as she absently massages her temple with her left hand. Suddenly, the woman looks weary in a way Kate hasn't really seen in her before, and an odd sense of concern catches in her throat, not quite making it to a verbal worry.

"Take tomorrow off, Detective, and use it to sort out whatever is troubling Mr Castle." Her eyes open, as if sensing Kate's utter shock, and her laser-like gaze tightens on her. "I expect the both of you to be as back to 'normal' as possible by the next day, because if he can't have your back, Kate, I will pull him off the team." Pulling her glasses back on, she picks up her pen and focuses on the files on her desk. "Dismissed, Detective."

Before she even has time to process the use of her first name, or the care that Gates addressed her with, she's mumbling a yes, Sir and stumbling back to her desk to collect her coat. Gates gave her time off just like that? Not only time off, but time off to specifically see Castle? Either the world is ending, or…well, there isn't really an 'or', but maybe, just maybe, she'd judged her Captain a little too harshly.

Steeling her resolve for what she knows is going to be a difficult twenty-four hours, she strides to the elevator that will take her from the Homicide floor to her car. Pushing the button anxiously again and again won't make the decrepit thing move any faster – it's purely a psychological thing, she knows – but it sure helps her feel better. She just wants to get out and go, because if Gates is actually giving her the time off to let her sort things out between them, she's damn well going to use it.

The second part shouldn't be too long in coming, although it will probably have to wait until after that paper is due…

Please feel free to tell me what you think!