Hunting
Nothing's enough. The police are too slow. Good thing I'm not actually one of them. I'm buying a plane ticket and pocketing my passport before anyone can stop me.
"I am going to the precinct." I kiss mother goodbye and then I'm gone, and the cab is whisking me to the airport.
"Detective." Her voice cuts through the haze, that's settled over me as I've been staring at the white board. Hoping for something, anything to jump out at me.
She's standing in the doorway to her office watching me carefully like she's looking for something. "Sir?"
"Go Home. Go check on Castle. Keep him calm." She tells me with a wave of her hand.
It occurs to me that she must know by now and she hasn't said anything but I can't help myself, this is the only place that I can help him. I have to be here. "Sir?"
"You heard me. Go home, hold Mr. Castle's hand and tell him we're doing everything possible."
I move to speak, tell her that to do everything possible I need to be here, but she cuts me off, "Detective he needs his girlfriend for a little bit, not his partner, go home. Tell him you love him and we're doing everything possible."
I can't fight her, she's right I belong by his side. "Yes, sir." I cap my pen and grab my coat.
He's on the ground 20 minutes before he realizes he should have brought her. She speaks french, at least he thinks she does. She wouldn't have let him come though. Well she might have.
When did he become so used to bouncing theories off of her?
It's like he's lost everything he loves. In going after one he left the other half behind.
Stupid man.
It's too late he's doing this on his own.
He has too.
We finally got some information and when I called him I didn't even get the chance to tell him before the line goes dead. It just went dead. There was a loud bang and the line went dead. I tried redialing, it went to voicemail five times. So I pulled up the skype app but he's not logged in.
Panic coils deeper in my gut. What if the bang was a gunshot? What if it didn't just break the phone?
What the hell is going on?
"Who are you?"
"Richard that doesn't matter."
"The hell it doesn't. You just shot three men and my cell phone, and you know my name. Who are you? What is this about?"
"You always have questions. Need answers. I thought that detective would be good for you, but no here you are."
"My daughter..."
"I know they have her. You coming all this way makes kind of a mess of things."
"Who are you?"
"They took her because of me."
"How is that possible we've never met. Alexis doesn't know you. Why would they take her?"
"For leverage."
"But what is she to you?"
"She's my granddaughter."
"You're my... you're my father?"
"Yes."
"And you're CIA?"
"Yes."
"Sofia wasn't lying?"
"No."
"What are we going to do to get Alexis back?"
The bed hasn't been slept in since I made it. I can tell by the way the corners are folded. He always just flips the sheet up, but the corners are folded.
At least they haven't been washed since we last slept here. His cologne is on every thing, mixed with the faint tint of my own perfume.
I want him here now. Or at least be in her own bed, where it's normal not to have him with her. Because being here without him that's just wrong. But Martha insisted I stay here, that I sleep in here because my things were already here.
When did I get so many things here? He must have replicated my bathroom supplies, because I definitely didn't. But most of my favorite clothes are here too.
I really am head over heels in love with him, aren't I? I've known this for years, but the actual manifestation knocks the breath out of me.
He has to come home and he has to have Alexis because neither of you will survive it if he doesn't.
The gunfire stops and the room is deathly silent. Until the one voice I wasn't sure I'd ever hear again pierces the air, "Dad? Dad!"
"Alexis?" I call whipping wildly around as the smoke dissipates, and then I see her. In a cage in the middle of the room. "Alexis!" I scramble to her grabbing the keys off the guard that's slumped at her feet, my fingers feeling absurdly swollen as I try and get the key in the lock, "You're ok. You're ok. Thank God you're ok." I keep stuttering as I get it open.
"Daddy." And then she's in my arms, and I'm never letting her out of my sight ever again.
"Castle? Rick?"
"Kate? Kate! I got her. She's safe."
"Oh thank god... thank god... Are you ok?"
"We're both okay. We're ok."
"Castle don't ever do that to me again."
"I love you too Kate. I love you too."
"Come home."
"We're on our way."
"Give Alexis a hug for me."
"Will do. We'll see you soon."
"Ok. Castle?"
"Kate?"
"I lo... Castle...
"I know Kate."
I shouldn't have expected any less than her to be standing on the tarmac waiting when we taxied to the gate. Her beautiful hair whipping in the wind, tails of the coat catching making her look like something out of a movie, the formidable heroine.
But all of that crumbles as we climb down the stairs and she breaks into a run wrapping her arms around Alexis as soon as she hits the ground. Pulling me into when I'm within reaching distance, holding onto both of us. "Welcome home."