A/N This contains MASSIVE spoilers for season three (episode one). Turn back now if you don't mind being spoiled (this contains dialogue from the scene).

Got this from the preview entitled "You're Free to Go".

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Castle. It belongs to ABC and those other people.

Castle was desperate to work with her. "Two victims, one of them an acquaintance of mine, and you're sending me home?"

"You're a witness Castle," she said. "I can't have you involved."

She was starting to break. She'd pretty much held it together until then. But after spending time with him, especially their moments in the interrogation room, she was barely hanging on.

Castle kept pushing. "I'm already involved-"

"Castle," she said forcefully. He was taken aback slightly – her voice had changed. Instead of sounding strong and controlled, she sounded exasperated. Not something he was used to. "Go home. Go back to your Hamptons, your ex-wife, your book parties, okay? I've got work to do." She began walking off, feeling tears prick her eyes. This wasn't something she was used to. It wasn't Castle that usually made her emotional. Sure, he made her want to throw her desk at his face just to shut him up, but upset? That wasn't him.

He made her laugh. He made her job 'a little more fun'.

Until he'd left.

Castle stood there. Now he was angry. He'd gotten their point, they were angry, but why? They were treating him like…he couldn't even think of it. Beckett, Ryan, Esposito, Montgomery…all angry. "What did I do?"

"What did you do?" Beckett whirled around and walked back up to him, close enough so that if she reached out she would be able to touch him. "What didn't you do? It's what you didn't do! You didn't call. You didn't email. You didn't give me a chance to finish telling you what I was saying. You just took off for four months without talking to any of us. Off to have a happy summer with your ex."

"I asked you to finish what you were saying-"

"Like I was going to talk in front of her!" Beckett said. She was getting much more riled up that she'd planned. Scrap that. She hadn't planned this situation at all. "We let you work with us; hell, we even liked you working with us. Then you left, which would have been fine. But you didn't talk to any of us!" She moved closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear her. "You didn't talk to me. My partner didn't even attempt to contact me in four months. Try imagining how that feels, and then maybe you won't be asking such a stupid question." With that, she walked off, this time not turning around.

Castle was stunned for a moment. He went to turn around, but found Ryan and Esposito standing there with looks of absolute disgust and annoyance on their faces. "That's what you guys are angry about?" Castle asked them.

"Partly," Ryan said stiffly.

"What else?"

The two detectives looked at each other before Esposito answered. "You really hurt her, Castle. That's an understatement, but that's all we're saying." They walked off to join Beckett, leaving Castle completely alone.