Alexis Castle let out a scream that would have sent a chill of horror through anyone that heard it. Detective Beckett quickly put her arms around the terrified girl and held her tight. Alexis, sobbing, struggled to break free pounding her fists but Beckett wouldn't let her go, knowing that running away wasn't going to help.
"He promised he'd be safe", Alexis sobbed, "He said nothing would ever happen, he said you'd always be there to protect him". Beckett let go, feeling like Alexis had just slapped her in the face. Her own eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could do, it's just..." She was interrupted by the sound of keys in the front door and Alexis ran and collapsed on the couch. Martha had returned home. She hugged Beckett and then turned her attention to Alexis. Beckett knew she needed to leave, Martha would take care of Alexis for now and she knew nothing she could say would ever make it better.
Alexis and her grams cried together for a long time. After she finally fell asleep in her arms Martha got up quietly, leaving Alexis on the couch. She returned with a blanket and lovingly placed it over her.
Alexis woke suddenly, her eyes swollen from crying, "Dad?" she sobbed, as the words she never wanted to hear repeated in her mind. She struggled to come to terms with hearing that her dad, her whole world, had been kidnapped and killed. How could it happen, how could he be gone? It couldn't be true. He promised he'd never leave her. How could he break that promise? It wasn't fair.
She was startled. The door to her room opened and in the dark she saw the silhouette of someone standing there. "Are you ok?" He moved towards her seeing how upset she was. "Alexis? Are you ok?"
Whimpering now Alexis looked up, feeling confused. Rick quickly grabbed hold of her, putting his arms around her hugging her close realizing she'd woken from a nightmare. "Dad, I thought I lost you, I thought you were killed." She cried openly and tears filled Rick's eyes too. He held her tight, comforting her, feeling her pain as if it were his own. "I'm here, I'm ok." he said. "I haven't left you, I'm right here."
For the first time Richard Castle seriously started to question himself. Maybe it was time to stop putting himself at risk. Nothing meant more to him than Alexis, was he being too selfish? Was it fair to her? Right now it didn't matter. Right now what mattered was that he was there. She needed him and he was there.