Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters

Kate quickly, yet silently, jumped off the last few steps and kneeled down to retrieve her Glock that had fallen between the cracks. She could feel the thud of her heart beating hard against the inside of her chest. He was after her again. His loud breaths echoed off the walls in the stairway and his light footsteps grew closer to where she was standing. Kate retreated further away from the steps with her back against the wall as she looked up into the dark staircase. She cursed under her breath as her foot loudly banged against a row of boxes, giving the man a clue to where she was hiding. Damn this empty and hollow staircase! Every move and every sound reverberated off the walls. She crouched down behind the tower of empty brown cardboard boxes that were left near the basement door, intended to be discarded later.

How could she have been so stupid, so careless. She had been warned repeatedly by the Captain and Castle that there was a madman after her, but she had insisted on returning home to her apartment. Castle kept nagging her, asking her to stay with him, but she refused his company. she watched him sulk away and flag down a cab. She was still mad at him. He spent weeks refusing to speak to her and dated any bimbo that set eyes on him. Kate never fooled herself, never thought she was together with Castle in the slightest, but still felt betrayed by his behavior and expected more from him. Later, she finally cornered him and confronted the feelings she felt towards him only to have it blow up in her face. She wasn't the only one keeping secrets and she still needed time to adjust to his secrets.

If there was a man out to get her she didn't want Castle to get caught in the middle of it. He had a family and other people who loved him, including herself. She was already responsible for him during the day and she didn't need to be responsible for his life after work too.

This was one of those few times where she wished she wasn't so stubborn because now was a good time to have some backup. She had sent back the police surveillance car that was outside her apartment as soon as she reached her apartment door. She didn't want, nor need, a cop car to babysit her. She was fully capable of taking care of herself. She had done it for years and this night wasn't any different. Kate claimed that she was safe since she had made it inside her building unharmed.

There was no way to anticipate what happened next. As soon as she slid her key into the keyhole she heard a noise from inside her apartment. It sounded like glass shattering all over the floor. Kate quickly pulled out her Glock and slowly opened her apartment door.

xxxx

She heard his breathing growing louder and quickly returned her attention to the stairs above her. The stairs hid him perfectly and no matter how hard she strained her ears the only hint was his erratic breathing getting louder and louder. There was nothing she could do but wait until he made a mistake or showed himself. Kate looked over her shoulder once more just to be certain he hadn't snuck up behind her somehow. She raised her gun so that it was leveled to her chest. She squinted out into the dark and crouched down as she peeked out from her hiding place. She knew he was moving closer, but the sight of him remained a mystery. When she still couldn't see him she skulked back behind the box and leaned her head back and sighed as she waited.

xxxx

With her gun drawn, she opened her apartment only to have it slammed back into her face, making her fall backwards and drop her purse and gun. The man took advantage of Kate's off balanced state and he kicked her in the side of her stomach, hit her in the face, and fled to the stairs. Kate instantly recovered, wiped the blood that was dripping down her nose, grabbed her Glock and chased after the madman. She didn't know what he was doing in her apartment but she knew that she had to track this man down before he escaped. Kate skipped some steps as she descended hoping to catch the guy. She wiped her nose in her sleeve once again as she felt more blood drip freely. Temporarily distracted by her current situation, she didn't see the man come from behind her and slam her into the railing. She involuntarily dropped her gun and watched in surprise as it fell out of reach, all the way to the basement. Kate gave the man all she had. She kicked him hard in the side and attempted a punch but he stopped her before contact, grabbed her hand and flipped her over on her back. He tried punching her but she easily blocked his attack. She threw a kick of her own causing him to tumble backwards. Kate used those few seconds to gather herself up and she sent a few harsh blows to his stomach, making him curl up in pain. She wished she had grabbed her phone from her purse. She needed some backup and oh no! Her gun. She quickly flew down the steps to retrieve her gun, hoping the man would remain immobile until she was back but she had no such luck. As soon as she reached the bottom she could hear him teasing her and yelling angry threats.

"I'm gonna find you. You can't hide from me forever," The man's teasing voice rang out from somewhere on the steps above.

She wished that she wasn't trapped at the bottom of the staircase. There was no other place to hide. He had the upper hand and from his view point she knew that she wouldn't stay hidden in her hiding place forever.

From the corner of her eye she spotted the dark figure. She carefully took aim with her a gun and called out to him, "Don't move or I will shoot!" The asshole refused to listen and she was forced to shoot him. Shooting a real person was never an easy task and she aimed to maim the man. She watched his body crumple to the floor when the bullet hit his flesh and came out the other side. Although the man tried to hurt her, Kate ran to aid the man she shot. She took off her sweater and placed it right below the man's shoulder hoping to stop the man from bleeding out. She sat there shaking as she tried to apply pressure to him. Someone must have heard the firing because sirens were heard wailing in the distance. As the adrenaline wore off, Kate shifted in her place, winced at some of the injuries she received, and bit her bottom lip as pain shot through the lower half of her body.

"Beckett! Kate? Where are you? Are you alright?" A frantic but familiar voice rang out through the stairs.

Kate knew who that voice belonged to and smiled to herself. She was too tired, too hurt to answer him and she knew it was just a matter of time until he found her at the bottom of the steps. She heard the chatter of the ambulance and police approaching and moments later she felt a strong set of arms wrap around her. She took in the smell of his cologne, his touch, and her heart sank in her stomach. She truly loved this man, really wanted to trust him, but she wasn't sure she knew how to do it. He pulled her closer and a cry of pain escaped her lips from the sudden movement.

"You're hurt?" Castle asked, as concern seeped into his blue eyes and voice. He heard her cry and only then noticed her bloody face.

"I'll be fine. I'm just a little sore. It's just a few black and blue marks. Nothing major so you don't have to worry about me," Kate said, trying to reassure him. The concern never left his eyes and she had to get him to stop looking at her like that. "It's nothing a warm bath and sleep can't heal. Just help me to my apartment. K?" Kate asked, hoping to retire to her bed.

"No," Castle said.

"No?" Kate asked confused. "No, you can't help me to my apartment?"

"Exactly. You're going to get checked out first and there is no way you're staying by yourself in your apartment."

"Castle, I'm fine and why can't I stay in my apartment? It's not like there is someone after me anymore," Kate said, exasperated.

"We'll let the medics decide if you are fine and no matter what the medics say there is no way in hell you're staying by yourself tonight with those injuries," Castle said, pushing a piece of her hair out of her face.

She would never admit it to him now, but she was happy that she wouldn't face the night alone. She loved how he wasn't afraid to take over control and it probably helped that she was too tired to fight with him at the moment. All she could do was give in to him, but not without a little attitude. "Whatever! Fine, just get me out of here," Kate said, rolling her eyes at him.

The next day Kate awoke to a strong smell of coffee brewing. Still unwilling to get up, she slowly opened one eye and looked around the room, realizing she was not sleeping in her bed. She moved her body to get a better view of the room but halted when a searing pain struck her side. Suddenly, she remembered everything from the night before. After receiving a strong dosage of pain killers from the medics Castle had brought Kate to his loft and had helped her into the guest room.

Not wanting be stuck in bed Kate retracted the covers and slowly sat up, stretching her stiff muscles. Pain raked through the lower half of her body and she bit her bottom to stifle a cry of pain. Determined to feel better Kate concentrated on moving her legs over to the edge of the bed, letting them dangle and then adding some pressure to one foot at a time as she stepped onto the fluffy, soft, beige rug near the bed.

"Kate? Are you awake?" Castle asked as he knocked twice, opened the bedroom door slightly, and peeked inside. It was already twelve noon and he knew she would never sleep that late on a normal day. "How are you feeling?" Castle asked looking around. "I brought you food if you are hungry," he said, as he placed a plate of pancakes and syrup down on the night stand and put the cup of coffee on the side.

Kate looked hungrily at the food and smiled. "Mhmm... It looks amazing!" She ate quickly and sipped at her hot coffee even before it had time to cool off.

Kate struggled to stand and Castle couldn't watch her struggle any longer. "Umm... need help to the bathroom?"

Kate looked up at him with sparkling, wet green eyes and then leaned on his arm for support. "Thanks for helping me and everything else you've done," she said, trying to hide the pain that coursed through her body as she stood.

"Always," was the automatic response he always had for Kate. As soon as they reached the door of the bathroom he cleared his throat. "If you need any more help just call me. I'll be right here to help you." A deep shade of pink crept across Kate's cheek.

Kate couldn't believe how much of a perfect gentleman Castle was being now and last night. He had helped her out of her clothes with his eyes closed or her back turned away from him and he even gave her one of his oversized T-shirts last night. Knowing how much it would hurt to lift her arms she turned to him shyly and softly asked, "Can you help me with the tub and out of this shirt before you go?"

With a smirk, Castle said, "If you let me I could always join you in the tub." He leaned over the faucet, tested the waters, and stepped back towards Kate as the the water filled the tub.

"Shut up! Forget I asked you for help. I'll just do it by myself." Kate said, swatting his hands away and laughed when he pretended to look hurt.

Castle laughed, grabbed a towel and said, "Don't think you could get rid of me that easily. Turn around and I'll try not to stare too much."

"Castle!" Kate seethed, eyes wide by what he was insinuating. "You know I carry a gun," Kate said. Saying it but not really meaning it.

"Just a joke," Castle said wrapping a towel around her skinny body and modestly taking off the oversized t-shirt he gave her. "I don't feel any gun under here," he whispered into her ear before he turned around and left the bathroom.

Kate smiled to herself when Castle covered her with the towel and when his hand brushed over parts of her bare skin she felt goosebumps travel up her arm. She wasn't sure if he saw what he did to her but if he saw then he was becoming a bigger gentleman every day. Kate lowered herself into the bath and relaxed.

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One Day Later Alexis's POV:

"Alexis, come downstairs!" Richard Castle screamed upstairs to his daughter.

Alexis closed her light green furry diary and tucked it away under her mattress. She knew her dad wouldn't read the diary, but she still felt the need to hide it from prying eyes. The smell of food cooking wafted through the air and Alexis sighed to herself as her mouth salivated.

Slowly she stepped out of her room and made her way down the stairs. Peeking out from the bottom step she stared at the way Kate moved freely around the kitchen. Kate whispered something to her father. It must have been really funny because they were both laughing and touching. Their faces were inches away and their eyes were locked on each other. Alexis loathed the way the woman was standing in the kitchen with her father. She bit her tongue and squeezed her hands into fists as anger boiled up into her chest. Who the hell did Kate think she was to come in here and sweep her dad away?

Don't get me wrong I love Kate and I always liked seeing her with my dad because he's always smiling with her. But now that I'm not so busy with school work I've only just realized how much time my dad spends at the precinct. Away from me. Even when he is around he is usually too exhausted to spend time with me.

Kate has the whole fucking day with him and now she is spending my time with my dad. Dad and I

always cook together or he cooks and I watch, but that's our time together and Kate is stealing it all away.

"Kate has made one of her mother's old dishes and she is really excited to see if we like it as much as she does," Richard said, smiling when he saw Alexis.

It had to be pride or the fact that she wanted to hurt Kate as much as she was hurting at the moment. Instead of joining them like she normally would have, she turned away and said in a menacing tone, "I'm not hungry." She disappeared as soon as those words left her mouth. She walked away fast but slow enough to keep the red flags from flying up. She was upset but wasn't ready to discuss it with her father. She didn't want to get bombarded with questions and fleeing was the best way to avoid it. Alexis smiled inside when she saw a frown appear on Kate's face and heard her say, "oh." Alexis instantly regretted turning dinner down when her door was closed and locked. Her stomach grumbled from hunger and she was tempted to go back down the stairs. She was sure Kate sensed that something was wrong, maybe even knew that the hostility was aimed towards her, but when no one came up to see if she was okay, the little joy she felt earlier quickly faltered. Sitting in her room she knew she was just punishing herself. Her loneliness replaced the anger she held. Her thoughts briefly flew to Ashley, her ex-boyfriend, but knowing that would be even worse to think about, she forced herself to think of other things.

Alexis took out her diary, made herself comfortable across her bed, and began writing on the crisp new page before her.