~ For Curly Cheese ~

A/N: Thanks for all the support for this story. I will update as often as I can but I have exams soon so I need to study XD Also a huge thank you to Thre3 for her help :) Enjoy this chapter and I hope I got the characters right :D

Fix You – Chapter 2

Six months later…

Richard Castle, the man who has had his fair share of woman, would have never gone through this much trouble for a girl. But this was no ordinary lady. This was Katherine Beckett.

A couple of days after she disappeared once running into the rain, he went back to the twelfth precinct. However, this time he enrolled at the academy as an accredited profiler. This meant he had unlimited access to all NYPD resources and the Captain could not kick him out. He was officially a member of the team.

So far he managed to find out that she had resigned from the police force and went rogue in search for her mother's killer. The last anyone saw of her was six months ago. And that was when Castle saw her at the swings. The only thing she told him was that he, as in Jim Beckett, her father, was shot and the man that tore apart her family 14 and a half years ago was responsible. And there was also that declaration of love, but he decided to keep that quiet. That was just between the two of them.

She'd left her apartment and all its contents. Her rent wasn't paid for months so the place was being emptied. Castle was written as an emergency contact so he took all her belongings and stored them away. He went through all her belongings for any clue of where to start looking for her. But there was nothing much there. He did let a small smile grace his face once he found all copies of his books, most of them signed by him. Yet he could never picture the stunning face that must have been standing in front of him so many years ago, nervously asking for his signature.

He'd been through her financials with a fine tooth comb, but it appears hours after running away she emptied her bank accounts. But nothing since. He'd been tracking her sim for any phone calls, but once again, nothing. He found the phone and accompanying sim a few weeks ago and there was only record of the call she made to him six months ago.

Jim's funeral was four months ago and there was no sign of Kate. He stood there and gave the eulogy and was filled with tears at the mention of why Katie was not present. He had no explanation.

While Jim appeared to be murdered the case was going cold fast. The only people who knew the truth was Castle and Beckett. Castle couldn't make an accusation as he was still unclear of the exact circumstances. And besides he still didn't know who the dragon was.

Ryan and Esposito also worked on the case nearly ever free minute they had. But as suspected, it was just a bunch of dead ends.

All three men also worked on finding Beckett. Her safely was their number one concern. They just wanted to know that she was alright.

However a couple of hours ago, Castle caught a break. He was canvassing local bookshops for any sign of Kate. As egotistical is it sounds, his book was released yesterday and he knew that if she was still alive, she would check it out. A man in New Jersey remembers seeing a woman pay cash for his book before leaving very quickly. Security camera's picked up on the taxi she got into and hence found the location where she was staying.

It was a motel just outside the city. He figured his presence would not be all that welcome, but he needed to know she was alright.

He walked up the spiral stair case to room 317. He acquired the room number with ease after realising the receptionist was a fan. She was under the name of Nikki Heat.

He brushed his knuckles against the door. He listened intently to any sound that someone was in the room. He heard the sound of glass shattered so reached to pull the gun that was tucked into his pants. He had recently acquired a permit, one of the perks of being an accredited profiler who goes into the field. His finger coiled on the trigger and readied himself to fire.

He kicked down the door in one swift motion, another skill he had learnt in the last couple of months of police training.

Castle couldn't believe his eyes. There stood a blood-shot eyed Beckett that looked as if she had drunk at least several bottles in the last couple of hours. She was curled up on the floor with shattered glass surrounding her.

The initial shock wore of and Castle reached down to grab her hand and pulled her off the floor but she moved away and in the path of the shattered bottle.

"D-don't touch me Castle." Her voice was much louder than he expected. Her speech was nearly inaudible.

This was not the Kate he knew. The Kate he loved.

"Kate, what are you doing to yourself?"

"Castle leave me alone…go be with that slut."

"Kate" he said more forcefully this time. "Why ever happened to you? Don't you remember what your dad went through after your mother died?"

"Don't" slurred Kate as she unsuccessfully tried to pull herself up from the ground, "Talk about my mother. She's dead. He's dead. Nothing else matter."

"Kate" his voice was laced with so much anger and frustration. "Listen to yourself."

"Just…shut up Castle!" Her voice was full of anger. Full of raw emotion

"No! You are worth so much more than to be left to rot in some sleazy motel."

"Castle. You weren't there. You didn't have to look into his eyes as he pulled the trigger. You weren't there as the colour drained from his cheeks. He was crying out my name, yet I couldn't do anything about it."

"Kate, I know you are hurting at the moment. But this…" he gestured to the surroundings of the room. "…is not going to fix any of your problems. I know what you are going through…" Castle regretted the words immediately after they left his mouth.

"The hell you don't! You don't know what it feels like to have no-one love you!" she shouts in anger as she walks over to the table to grab another bottle. Before she can take another sip Castle takes the bottle away and pours the contents down the sink.

"What about Lanie? Even Epso and Ryan have spent months trying to find you Kate. These people care all love and care about you."

"What about you?" The word was barely whispered but Rick understood perfectly. He knew he needed to answer carefully for fear of driving her away. Again.

"We all do." He let out a shaky breath. "Listen Kate" he had had enough by this point. "You either come with me now and you can stay here and become another statistic."

The words hit home. As much as she didn't want to hear it, it was the truth. She was just waiting around for the other shoe to drop. For them to find her. The last person left connected to the case. For them to pull the trigger on her.

"What am I supposed to do now? He won. He took everything from me. I might as well do what he has wanted all this time and just drop dead."

"Kate, are you seriously going to just give up like that. You see every day how families are torn about by death. Would you really want to put your friends through that? Do you really hate me that much now that you would do that to me?"

"Castle, you can't tell me what to do."

"Kate, how could you be so gutless to not show up at your father's funeral. To not stand there with the others mourning the loss of a great, well respected man."

Kate turned her head, away from his eyes. He was right. She hated to admit it, but he was right. But she couldn't face it then. You couldn't face it now. Castle ran his fingers through his head in frustration. He might be the only person left in her life that can help. They can perhaps mend her broken life.

"Do you remember, Kate, when your father started drinking after your mother's death. You gave up your entire life to make him sober again. You saved his life. And now it's my turn to save yours."

Kate silently nodded her head. She knew better than anyone else that drinking was not the answer. But what was? She packed up her entire life and left in the hope she could just forget. Forget that nothing happened and that her dad was still alive somewhere. Still silently mourning his wife's death, but still managing to live each day.

"Kate, let me take you home with me. I'll help you get back on your feet. You can't keep living like this."

She surrenders the bottle in her hand forward before stumbling to her feet. She tried to take a few steps but her legs give way and she is seconds before landing on the floor when Castle catches her.

He gently caressed her forehead, before placing a sweet kiss on her temple.

"You'll get through this Kate."

Thoughts?