a/n: well this came to my head. i love dark and depressing.

warning: character death, violence, suggestion of torture, somewhat gruesome stuff.

enjoy

He wakes up not knowing where he is or how he got here. All he know is that he must have been put through hell. The only way he knows this is that he can't seem to find a single part of his body that doesn't hurt. To open his eyes causes the whole of his head to feel like it is caving in on himself. His arms are strapped behind him in the usual extremely unoriginal hostage chair. Slowly, he rolls his head trying to soothe the ache in his shoulders and neck but it seems to make it worse so he lets his head slump to his chest.

That's when a light in the room comes on. Two lights to be exact. One directly above him the other twenty feet or so ahead of him on an empty chair. He squints his eyes finding that it somewhat eases the pain pounding through his skull. Castle closes his eyes though to stop from wasting his strength on an empty chair. He doesn't let his mind wander to what could have happen because his brain is too foggy to even get a good idea out.

"Wake up, Mr. Castle" a voice booms from behind him making him jolt his vision back to the empty chair. "We've got something for you to watch."

That's when he hears her struggles as two other men lead a woman to the chair. Her arms are bound behind her just like his. A black cloth bag that looks drenched with water is over her head. The clothes she wears are torn, left hanging offensively from her body. An eerie sense of familiarity flutters over Castle. The bag is torn off her head and he knows why. Fuck… its Kate.

The hair around her face is matted with blood and water making it hard to see her face. They must have tried to water board her to get information. Her eyes are unrecognizable. Swollen from a beating and her tears and it eats him up knowing he's tied down unable to reach her. Unable to wipe the blood from her face and soothe her injuries, soothe whatever else they did to her. She lets out a strangled yell from behind the gag in her mouth.

He lets his own head fall forward to his chest as he relieves his eyes from the sight in front of him. That's when he hears an un-Beckett like scream come from the other side of the room.

"Watch this Mr. Castle!" the demanding voice grabs his head by the hair and jerks him up to see the woman across the room again. That's when he sees the chair hooked up to a car battery. They're electrocuting her. They're torturing her right here in front of him.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop!" Castle is trying to wrench himself free from the grasp at his head and the ties at his hands. Finding whatever strength he has left to inadequately fight the restraints. "I'll give you whatever just stop. Please just stop." His words come out in a desperate sob now and he has no idea why saying please would ever work.

The chuckle comes close to his ear. A warm, unwelcome breath at his ear. "This is not about bargaining, Mr. Castle. This is about you watching your world burn at your feet." And with that, his head is shoved forward as the man behind him releases Castle's hair.

"Do it."

The men behind her shuffle forward. He prays what he thinks is going to happen next doesn't. A gun is pulled out and the barrel is placed at Kate's head. It's going to happen. And he is completely useless.

So he pleads some more. Begging asking that they take him instead. But it is only met by silence. So he tries the only thing he has left.

"Beckett. Kate. Look at me," he pleads but the women across the room shakes her head. She tries to respond but the gag at her mouth makes it impossible to understand anything. "Listen, I love you. Okay? I love you. I'm so sorry." He's trying not cry, he's trying to look into the swollen shut eyes to find hers and make her understand. Repeating it over and over. I love you Kate. I'm sorry. I love you. But she's shaking her head and he can make out the word no.

He watches as tears stream down her face. Her battered beautiful face. And he starts praying. Praying that whatever deity above is playing some cruel joke on them. He'd be okay with that. He'd be okay with this being some cruel dream knowing that he could escape it anytime he wants. He's praying that the doors will break down right now and they would come in with the whole NYPD force and save them.

Save her. Please just save her.

He tries to plead with the man behind him. Tries to turn in his chair to look behind him ignoring all the pain shooting through his body. "Take me. Shoot me. I'm worth so much more. Don't hurt her. Take me." The chuckle behind him deters any hope that might have idiotically risen up.

"Do it."

With no time to react, a gunshot sounds from the other side of the room. She slumps to the side away from the gun. Lifeless.

He doesn't wake up. He doesn't get saved. He's in a dark room with two chairs, two lights, and a deceased body across from him.

Kate Beckett, his Kate, is gone. So is his world.

thoughts anyone?