Well then. Still. Bloody brilliantly done episode. With the original schedule placing this episode before the annoying 'Squib & the quail' the spoiler warnings for this episode tag fic don't include that one.

I get the horrible feeling this maybe the fluffiest episode in a while. (curse you Marlowe)

disclaimer - don't own Castle or the characters in the show.

God he was too old for this shit.

His knees crunched with every stride, his hamstrings pulled as his chest ached in about four places with each breath. With a grunt of pain, Jim Beckett all but crashed through the entrance doors of the 12th precinct, his phone firmly in his grasp. He'd realised he'd missed a call from his daughter after exiting out of the subway and had been stopped in his tracks by the voicemail message she had left.

She was saying goodbye.

Realising he was only a few blocks away from the 12th, Jim had instinctively taken off at a sprint he would have been proud of a few years before. Darting around the crowded sidewalk, Jim was nearly been taken out by a handful of cabs before he'd made his not so quiet entrance to the building.

Later he would wonder why he hadn't just called her back, or even rung Rick's number. His mind slipping into a single task, get to the 12th as fast as his knackered legs would take him.

This was the call he dreaded, the knowledge that his little girl, even in her early thirties she was his little girl, was going to die and the terror that she had had enough time knowing her fate to decide and send her father a goodbye message before she died.

Punching the lift buttons, Jim danced from foot to foot. Muttering a curse Johanna would have slugged his shoulder for, Jim gave up with the slow machine and bolted to the stairwell door. Glancing up Jim cursed again and started the tortuous ascent to the bullpen. Each step becoming more difficult than the previous, Jim only had one focus. Find Kate.

Stumbling around the turn of the stairwell, Jim almost fell to his knees as he spotted his daughter laughing across the open plan Bullpen before him.

'Katie!' Jim shouted, causing all to turn in his direction. Feeling a new burst of energy in his legs, Jim managed to break into a stumbling run, knocking into a couple of people as his eyes locked in his daughters.

'Daddy,' Kate whispered as her father crashed into her, nearly knocking the two to the floor.

'God Katie,' Jim cried, 'I'm sorry I didn't pick up.'

'It's okay dad,' Kate found her own tears rising, 'I'm okay now Daddy.'

Swaying Jim nearly collapsed on the floor had it not been for his daughter's quick reflexes and Castle's foot shoving a chair his way.

'Dad,' Kate sounded terrified to Jim's pounding ears, 'What's wrong?'

'I'm too old to sprint three blocks and up those stairs,' Jim wheezed.

'Just sit down and relax dad,' Kate fussed over her father in front of the entire bullpen, 'I'm okay now, the danger has passed and I'm okay.'

'What happened?' Jim watched Kate give Castle a wary glance.

'Your daughter stepped on a pressure plate to a rather big bomb,' Castle's voice hitched as he gently spoke.

'WHAT!?' Jim started in the chair. Kate leapt forward to keep her father seated.

'Dad, look at me. I'm safe now.'

'A bomb Katie?' Jim dropped his head into his hands.

'It was a pressure plate Dad,' Kate crouched beside her father, a hand rubbing gently up and down his arm, 'All I had to do was stand still for a few hours, but the bastard put a timer on the thing. Castle and I managed to work out the deactivation code before it blew,' Kate glanced at the small crowd around her with a look of 'Don't you dare tell him how close it really was', 'I just hit a bad moment and I needed to hear your voice.'

'I'm sorry I didn't pick up Katie,' Jim pulled his hands from his face.

'It's okay dad,' Kate smiled, 'Just hearing your voicemail was enough.'

'I love you Katie bear,' Kate turned a deep shade of red as her father's nickname rang out in the bullpen and she knew it would take a while to live it down.

'I know dad,' Kate self consciously tucked a loose bit of hair behind her ear, 'I love you too.'

'I was so scared when I heard your voicemail Katie,' Jim slumped back in the chair, 'I thought I was going to lose you too.'

'Not if I have anything to say about it Jim,' Rick answered sincerely, 'After all, I did make you a promise a couple of years ago and I aim to keep that promise till I die.'

'We'll tell you later Katie,' Jim smiled at the confused expressions being sent to both him and Rick by the group that had gathered around the visitor.

'You are going to be the death of me one day sweetie,' Jim chuckled a moment later, 'Why do you always seem to attract the damned dangerous calls?'

'Her beauty draws in the loonys,' Rick smirked.

'Explains how she got you then, eh Castle?' Ryan fist bumped with Esposito as Rick gave the two a half hearted glare.

'Mr Beckett?' Gates appeared in her office doorway, 'Are you alright?'

'Just forgot how old i was and decided to have a brisk jog over three blocks and up about five flights of stairs,' Jim dismissively smiled at his daughters boss.

'It's my fault Sir,' Kate admitted, 'I left my father a voicemail when i was in a bit of a unconfident moment. I did try calling him after the situation was resolved, but his phone was still not reachable.'

'There's a second message?' Jim picked up his phone from the desk beside him.

'Yes Dad,' Kate replied with a typical daughter's tone to their parent, 'There was a second message telling you I was alright.'

'Damn.'

'I think I understand what your father was thinking Detective,' Gates smiled, 'So you might want to cut him some slack.'

'I will Sir,' Kate laughed.

'So what are you all doing here?' Gates looked at the group and crossed her arms over her chest, 'I have your incident reports on my desk and I thought I had ordered you all home for the rest of the day?'

'I think the lovely lady is trying to politely tell you all to bugger off,' Jim shared a warm smile with Gates and swayed to his feet, 'That being said Katie, I might need some assistance in buggering off with you.'

Before he could blink, Jim found himself with his arms around both Ryan and Esposito's shoulders, 'I may be old, but I'm not that old yet boys. Just don't go too far till we get downstairs.'

'Yes sir,' the duo replied in sync as they took a step back.

Jim turned to his daughter to speak, but froze when he realised she had slipped under Rick's arm, 'Um, Katie?'

'Relax Mr Beckett,' Gates smiled, 'they know that I know about the two of them.'

'At last,' Jim watched the two blush, 'It's about time they got their heads out of their butts.'

'Dad!' Kate turned red as she glared at her father with a grin on her face.

'Looks like I must take my leave Captain Gates,' Jim shook hands with the shorter woman, 'It seems I have reached the embarrassing dad stage of a workplace visit.'

'It was a pleasure meeting you,' Gates gave the group a nod and turned back to her office.

'So?' Rick bounced on his feet, 'Who's up for pizza?'

'I know a lovely little place that serves the best pizza in New York,' Jim stated as the group headed to the lift, 'My treat.'

'Hear that boys?' Kate smirked as the lift doors opened, 'Free pizza!'

Gates laughed softly to herself behind her desk as the answering cheer rang out across the bullpen.