The New York air was crisp and sharp. Nearly biting the woman as she marched down the sidewalk. Faint traces of snow flurries danced around her head. Mocking her.

She had opted to walk tonight. She needed to clear her head, get him off her mind. She almost felt sorry for the leaves breaking beneath her step.

Almost.

Her husband was out of town. He had taken their son to a hockey game in Jersey. She still wasn't sure why, but, hey, she thought, boys will be boys. And with the two of them gone she didn't know what else to do. She didn't want to go home to be alone. That would only allow her mind to conjure up more crazy theories.

It was late, so she couldn't go bother any of her friends. They all had families to attend to. The smartest thing for her to do, she thought, was to head into the office to get some work done. She knew that there were a few files on her desk that needed tending, and she had some new research results that she wanted to study.

Then there were the animals. How Jeanine loved the animals. As she neared the building she ran a list in her head of who was staying the night.

Thinking, she recalled that there were nine dogs, 4 cats, an iguana, a snake, a pot-bellied pig, and a monkey. Of course, this was assuming that no one else checked their beloved pet in for the night.

Yes, she reaffirmed her plan to herself, she would go in, do a little work, and care for those who couldn't care for themselves. She didn't think the nurse on duty would mind a night off either.

She slipped her key into the lock and rushed in, out of the bitter cold. Jeanine nearly missed the young girl sitting at the desk.

"Dr. Michaels! What are you doing here?" The nurse practically jumped from her chair, a shiny copy of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo falling to the floor in a slump of paper and ink.

"Oh! Beth. Yes, I, uh…my husband and son are out of town, so I thought I'd come in for the night. Let you head home." Her voice was rushed, unsteady. Jeanine could feel the stabbing at the back of her throat, and fought to swallow it back.

The nurse, still shaken by her boss' sudden arrival bent to pick up her novel while she spoke. "That's too bad. I know how much you love Jake. You must miss him."

"Yea," the older woman spoke, running a hand through her long brown locks, "I do. You don't mind do you? I mean, you're welcome to stay if you want, but I can handle everything on my own."

"That depends," she cracked a smile, "do I still get paid?"

Jeanine allowed herself the comfort of a giggle. "Of course you do. Really, you deserve a night off, and I haven't gotten to work the kennel in a while. Go on home."

"Only if you're absolutely sure."

Jeanine walked over and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Beth, I am absolutely, positively sure. Trust me. Now, I know you have an adorable fiancé at home, who I'm sure would love to see you tonight. Go!"

"Alright, alright! But I'll be back first thin in the morning," the girl called over her shoulder.

Jeanine smiled as she watched one of her best nurses walk out the front door. As soon as she had rounded the corner, the doctor let out one of the heaviest sighs she had ever held in, and turned to her office.

She dropped her purse down on the floor, and peeled off her coat and scarf, tossing them on a chair on the opposite side of the large wooden desk that occupied her small office. She slowly walked along the wall, letting her hand linger on the frames of her degrees, before dropping herself into her own chair.

Scrubbing her hands over her face, she found that her mind was not at all clear. And when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into the eyes of a little boy. Five years old in the t-ball picture that graced her desktop.

"Shit."

What was she going to do? What could she? There seemed to be no decent answer to any of the thousands of questions running through her mind. She had asked them all multiple times on her walk, and each time came up with more of nothing than before.

If that even made any sense.

She let her head fall back to rest on the chair and closed her eyes. Who was she kidding? There was no way she could get any work done tonight. It was just at the moment when she was starting to relax that she heard it.

A faint clash of metal, followed by the muffled barking of the dogs in the kennel.

Slowly, she rose from her seat and walked out into the hallway. The dogs could still be heard, though all else was silent. Her stiletto heels clicked against the newly cleaned tile floors as she stepped through a pair of double doors, and started past the four exam rooms.

The door to the fourth was open.

She was tempted to go in, but the barking of the dogs pulled her further back into the office.

A concerned voice escaped her lips. "Hello," she called. "Is anyone there?"

Finally she came to the final set of doors before the kennel. Through the thin windows she could see that the lights were off, save for the children's night light that they left on for the animals.

Jeanine was never one to fully believe in those horror stories that she heard on the news, but her husband was. He was always the one telling her that it was a big city and anything could happen. She always countered by telling him that it was a big city and the odds were ridiculously low.

It was now, in the seconds that it took for her hand to touch the metal plating on the door, that she was starting to believe those news reports.

Shakily, she pushed the door open, and stepped into the kennel-turned-jungle. The barking reduced to a combination of whimpers, as the animals recognized her as a friend.

On the floor, even in the dim lighting, Jeanine could see that the floor was wet from traces of the frozen precipitation outside. Looking up, she saw only a dark figure, and the glint of light bouncing off of the metal in its grip.

The last thing Jeanine Michaels saw was the image of her little boy, Jacob, six years old and excited for his first big hockey game, the sound of ferocious barking throbbing in her ears.

FINALLY! This is the sequel to "Fast Track To Us" and "A Murder In Haste" that I had promised. I am so sorry that it took me so long to get going on it, but good news! I've got the entire story planned out, it's only a matter of writing it. Pretty impressed, eh? I'm impressed with myself. I'm really excited about working on it!

Now, I know this chapter probably isn't what you were expecting, but I have my reasons. This is quite possibly the darkest scene I've ever written, and I wanted it and the victim's story to stand for itself before we bring in our favorite crime-solving team. It was interesting writing this, I hope you enjoyed it! I promise, those characters we know and love will be making their enterance in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Here's my claim that I don't own Castle. :(

Let me know what you think? Good opening? Bad opening? Whatever you feel, and I'll try and update as soon as I can.

Love,
Tappin