"Alexis, I know it's tough but I need you to tell me exactly what you saw when you came downstairs," the Irish detective spoke soothingly to Alexis who hadn't yet let go of her father.

"I-I just saw the body, lying there, just inside the door. At first I thought maybe it was one of Gram's friends and they'd passed out drunk or something, but then I came closer and I saw the stab wound over his heart, and the... the blood - I'm sorry..." Alexis ran away from the two men and to the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up.

"Poor kid", Ryan mused.

"Yeah", Castle shook his head. "What have I done?"

Ryan's brow furrowed as he took in the writer, waiting for him to continue.

Castle swallowed. "These past four years I haven't stopped to give a single serious thought to how my involvement with you guys is affecting her. Who have I been doing it all for? Myself, and that's the truth. It started off as a selfish game of Richard Castle's next best seller, and then it turned into a deluded obsession, I dreamed about being a hero, I thought I could help people, but the people that are close to me, the people I love... all I'm doing is hurting them " He frowned deeply.

Ryan put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, first of all, you really think you haven't helped people? Man, you saved New York City. Or have you forgotten about that?"

Castle looked at the floor.

"And secondly, yeah some of the people you love, sometimes you hurt them, but that's all part of it. And if they really love you, they're going to forgive you. Just remember that those people that you love: Alexis, Beckett..."

Castle's head shot up.

Ryan gave him a stern look. "Don't even try to deny it because I know you do."

Castle exhaled with a sigh.

Ryan moved his hand from Castle's shoulder to pat him on the back. "Those people that you love, they owe their lives to you."

Castle shook his head. "You've got it backwards Kevin", he whispered. "I owe my life to them. Without their love, I'd be nothing."

"But you are something. You're that hero you once dreamed you could be."

Castle's eyes watered as he gave Ryan a broken smile and nodded his appreciation.

He turned around and saw that Martha and Beckett were sitting on the couch, consoling one another. Esposito approached Castle.

"So the victim is Jack Potter, singular knife wound to the chest."

"This has got to be connected to the shooting yesterday right? It's too much of a coincidence" Castle said, a heavy tone in his voice.

"Yeah but, two totally different methods of killing, and snipers do not deviate, they're too proud of what they do", Esposito told him sullenly.

Castle stomped his foot angrily. "How the hell did they get in here?"

"More importantly, how the hell did they get him in here?" Esposito said, motioning toward the body, now being zipped up in a body bag.

Beckett came over to Castle's side. "Guys we need to talk about this."

The four of them gathered in a small, closed circle. "I think it's obvious that the shooter from yesterday isn't the guy from Montgomery's funeral. The team from ballistics just called and the bullet is not the same as the one they found in me."

"Well it wouldn't be, we have his rifle. You saw it", Esposito told Beckett.

"Yeah, but if this is the same guy today as it was yesterday, or at least the same group of people, which, let's face it, it's too much of a coincidence for it not to be; why would through the trouble to get into the apartment, dump a body and slip out again, while we were sleeping? Why wouldn't he just kill me?"

The men considered this.

"He's playing games. The sick bastard knows me, knows what I've been through and he wants to confuse us, he's taunting me until I break."

"Well we're not going to give him that satisfaction, because we're going to catch him", Castle told her assuredly.

Beckett chuckled bitterly. "Well, at least that would take care of one person that wants me dead."

...

Because Castle's place was no longer secure, and the twelfth was obviously a stationary target for wherever the sniper had the means to fire from, a temporary work station had been set up for the police of the 12th in an underground, covert location, just a little way out of the central city.

Castle, Beckett, and Esposito sat in a dark, cold basement, a lone light, barely lit up the dankness of the room. The three of them stared at the murder board, just trying to work through the cloud of confusion hanging over them. Who was this man? Was he working alone or was somebody else there, egging him on? The team didn't know which was worse, a pair of trained killers, or a solo sociopath on a quest for blood.

"So I searched the database and it appears Mr. Jack Potter is wanted for war crimes and grand larceny", Ryan said joining his three workmates at the murder board.

Beckett sighed. "So I'm guessing his I.D is forged as well. Might have guessed anyway, who takes the time to plant a body in someone's home and doesn't remove their wallet?"

"So this guy knows our victims well enough to have a photo of them to use to make these false I.D's.", Castle pointed out.

"All part of the game, to try and throw us off", Beckett looked downcast.

At that moment, their Captain appeared at the bottom of the dark staircase that ended in their basement.

They all stood to address her. "Detectives, Mr. Castle. Where are we with this sniper case?" Gates asked them.

Gates skipped any form of decorum when addressing the style of killing that nearly took Beckett's life. Beckett was somewhat relieved.

"We still don't have any proper identities, Sir." Beckett told her.

"Well, I have good news on that front. The photograph we released to the media, came back with a few bites. Victim's wife, Isabel Blake identified her husband as Henry Blake, IT consultant from Midtown, father of two."

"That's good news?" Castle asked, dryly.

"Is there anything that ties him to Brent Tolliver, or any of the Tollivers?" Beckett asked her Captain.

Gates shook her head. "No, not that I can see. However the wife is set to get a pretty packet from her husband's life insurance, so there's a motive, right there."

"The sniper isn't a woman", Castle and Beckett said at the same time.

"And we know this how?" Gates questioned them with a raise of her eyebrow.

"The body in my loft could not have been carried in there by a female", Castle told her.

"We don't know yet that the two cases are connected" Gates pointed out, as if they hadn't already considered that.

"With all due respect, sir..."

Gates cut her off. "Detective, are you holding up OK? This whole, "no where to run, no where to hide" thing must be...unnerving for you. Are you sure you don't want me to hand this off to somebody else?"

Beckett gave her a "Don't even think about taking my case away from me" look.

"No sir, I'm fine, really. I have my boys for support and we're going to catch this guy."

Gates still looked at her seriously but didn't argue. "Good to hear it. I want this guy caught as much as you do. Well, I'll let you three get back to figuring this out, and let Castle get back to... whatever it is he does."

The four of them gave her a slight glare as she climbed the stone steps once more.

"Nobody wants this guy as much as me", Beckett hissed, as she collapsed into her chair, covering her face with her hands.

The three men looked at each other, they all feared she may be burning out.

"Beckett, Gates was wrong to ask you to leave the case, but are you totally sure you can handle this?" Esposito asked her.

Beckett rubbed her tired eyes and withdrew her hands from her face. "I'm being forced to live in a freaking basement." She shook her head. "I'm not sure of anything, anymore."

...

Later that day, Beckett received a call from Lanie. "Hey girl, how you holding up?"

Beckett sighed into her phone. "Honestly, I wish people would just stop asking me that."

"I'm sorry hunny. But you know I'm asking as a friend right? Not just as a professional courtesy or because what I really want to know is how the case is going."

Beckett laughed a little, for the first time in a while. "Well, everything goes through you, so you'd already know all about how the case is going", Beckett said.

On the other end, Lanie chuckled. "True."

Beckett tried to express her smile through the phone. "But, I know that you're a friend and you care about me, which is why you want to know. And I'm doing... OK."

"Well, I don't want to drag you away from your life of blissful "OK-ness", but I was wondering if you could make a little trip down here to the morgue. It's a very secure building with thick stone walls, and a couple o' pretty hunky guards, so you'll be safe here."

Beckett nodded, though Lanie couldn't see of course. "Yeah, sure. I'll get an unmarked to come pick me up."

"Alright. And Kate? Bring writer boy."

Beckett scoffed. "You actually think I could make him stay here?"

"I'm serious Kate. The man has sworn to protect you, and Rick Castle has proven time and again that he's the kind of guy that makes good on his promises."

Beckett glanced over at Castle, who was scowling at the murder board, as if angry at the clues for not piecing themselves together in his mind, quick enough.

"I know he has."

Beckett disconnected the call and walked over slowly to the man in question and touched him gently on the back, making him jump a little.

"Hey. You trying to get the board to speak to you? Because I think it's voice box may be broken."

He raised his eyebrows, keeping his eyes fixed to the white board. "If we had one of those smart-boards we'd have made the connection between the victims and their assumed identities and probably have caught the guy by now."

Beckett smiled, knowing he was teasing her a little, which she appreciated. "Maybe. But would that really be the end of it? We still wouldn't know why. Murder-boards don't allow for logic."

He turned and looked at her with a stoic expression, leaving her question unanswered.

She flicked her head, sideways. "Come on, we're wanted at the morgue."

"Kate..." Castle started, with a strained voice, he stood from his chair.

"Don't worry Castle, I'm going to protect you OK? And I promise I won't worry either. I have no reason to. I'm with you."

...

Castle and Beckett stood opposite Lanie. In the middle of them, on the slab, lay the man identified as "Jack Potter", the 48 year old war criminal and grand larcenist.

"So, why exactly are we here? There is a trained killer out to get her you know."

Lanie threw him a look that told him not to be so insensitive.

"I'm just trying to look out for my partner", he threw his hands up in defense.

The women shared a small smirk.

"OK, well the main reason I brought you two down here was because I wanted to make sure you were holding on to something when I told you what I'm about to tell you."

"Why?" Beckett asked the M.E, feeling slightly panicked.

"Because I just had the victim's wife come in, and she I.D'd Mr. Doe here as-" she glanced down at their hands to make sure they were indeed holding on to something.

"As who, Lanie?" They both practically screamed at her.

"Carlton Magetti."

Beckett and Castle both leaned in simultaneously to stare at the man that had been dumped inside Castle's living room during the night.

"The insurance magnate?" Beckett squinted up at Lanie.

"Mhm", she nodded.

"Well, that's kinda weird but I don't know if I would consider it so amazing we'd need to hold on to something to hear it", Castle told her, straightening up again.

Lanie held up her gloved index finger. "That's not the amazing part."

"Well, what is then?" Beckett rushed her.

"Mrs. Magetti let slip something veeery interesting about what her husband's favorite hobby was."

"What?" Castle leaned into her, intrigued.

"In his spare time, Mr. Insurance man liked to go around plotting revenge against New York's finest."

"What?" Beckett breathed with disgust.

Lanie nodded sadly. "A few years ago, a dirty cop killed his brother, and since that day Mr. Magetti has had it in for any member of the law enforcement community. And it just so happens, he currently had a sick little thing going for someone in this room."

Beckett's face dropped an inch, and she subconsciously stepped back from the cretin on the slab.

Castle's face contorted with rage. "Creep!" He yelled, making both women jump, and Beckett look at him with raised eyebrows.

"So the sniper who shot Mr. Blake, and made our lives a living hell the last couple of days is lying right here in front of us?" Castle asked Lanie, staring down at the corpse with utter distain.

"Well, his wife seemed pretty adamant that was the case. We'll have to find the murder weapon before we can be sure though, of course."

"Well that's that then. Case solved!" Castle clapped his hands together, and his face brightened.

He thought he saw his partner's face brighten as well, as she looked at him. Lanie shook her head. "Hold on there eager beaver, we may have found the sniper who's been terrorizing our little family, and who took Mr. Blake away from his, but we still don't know who killed the stiff here."

Castle's mouth fell open indignantly. "Oh, come on. Do we really need to seek out justice for this sicko?"

Beckett had a hard time doing it, but she frowned at him. "Castle, there's still a killer on the loose out there. Probably a serial" She reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. Didn't she realize that if the guy who was threatening her life was out of the picture, nothing else mattered to him?

Just then, Beckett's cell phone began to ring in her coat pocket. She pulled it out quickly and answered with her usual greeting. "Beckett."

"Beckett, where are you?" Gates' angry and urgent tone greeted her.

"Uh, Castle and I are at the morgue. We were called down here by Dr. Parish. You're aware that the person that shot Mr. Blake is now lying on her table, aren't you?"

"That's what I'm calling about. I'm afraid there's been another sniper attack."

Beckett's heart dropped, and her face turned as white as the body lying beneath her on the cold, hard examination table.

...

Beckett and Castle were rushed back to the secret basement that would be Beckett's accommodation for the night. Officer Russell sped through town, with his sirens ablaze the whole way.

Descending down the stairs to the darkness of the makeshift precinct, Castle and Beckett felt the spark of hope they'd felt when they had been told by Lanie that their perpetrator had been killed; be completely extinguished.

"Thanks Russ, hey by the way, any word on how Petty's doing?" Beckett asked the young cop who would be keeping watch at the door of the basement overnight.

"He says he'll be fine as long as he gets his donut in the morning" the cop laughed. Beckett cracked a smile. "Good to hear."

She turned toward her partner who was looking expectantly at the cop.

"Hey Castle, thanks for last night and... everything. I'll let you get home to Alexis and I'll see you in the morning, kay?"

"Whoa, what?" Castle chuckled, grabbing her arm. "You think I'm leaving? No way."

Beckett frowned at him. "You need to go and be with your mother and your daughter Castle, I am serious."

"Beckett, Alexis is at her friends house, my mother is out of town at a spa resort, both are exactly where they want to be, and so am I. How many times do I have to tell you this? If there is even the slightest chance that you might be in danger, I. will. not. leave. you. alone" he punctuated every word.

She sighed, defeated and turned around to retrieve the blankets that had been left in a box for her.

Castle turned to Officer Russell. "Thank you Officer, you can 10-19 upstairs."

The officer nodded. "Alright y'all, I'll be just on the top landing."

"Goodnight", Castle smiled, waving him adieu.

The young man climbed the stairs, Castle watched his feet disappear and then turned to gaze upon Beckett as she unfolded a bed sheet onto the cold floor of the basement.

Walking over to her, he spoke out into the dimly lit room. "I realize I probably should have told you my intention to join you, on the ride over here."

Beckett shrugged. "Why? It's not like my feelings about it would have mattered."

Castle winced at her words. "You don't want me to be here?"

Beckett sighed, throwing down a woolen blanket. "I don't want either of us to be here."

Castle nodded, understanding. "Fair enough. You want to run down suspects when you're done there?"

"No, I just want to go to bed, Castle. I hate to say this, but the sniper is not going to disappear during the night."

"Kate..."

"You know what Castle, I can't keep doing this. I am sick of running over the guilt and of feeling the constant pressure to catch the bad guy. These past few months, Dr. Burke has made me realize that I am not the only cop in this city...Sometimes I need to let things go and just... rest." She blinked tiredly and held her hand up to the light switch on the wall beside her.

She raised her eyebrows in an inaudible request to turn out the lights which Castle answered by silently moving to the bed she had just made and lying down in it.

Her breath caught in her throat a little as she took him in, lying there in the soft light, holding the blanket open for her.

She hit the switch and found her way to his side in the dark. The radiance of his unwavering protection for her, the only guiding light she needed, to see by.

...

"Kate? Kate. Kate!"

Beckett groaned sleepily as she was jerked awake by Castle's voice.

"Castle?" She looked around, trying to see but it was still pitch black in the room.

A little paranoid at one of her senses being inhibited, she reached beside her to find his shirt collar. "What is it? Are you OK?" She asked him, bringing her hand up to hold his cheek.

The sweet tone of her concern filled his ears and he lay there for a moment, letting her touch create tingles on his skin.

"Castle?" Her panic came quick, following his lack of response.

"Y-Yeah, sorry... Listen, there is obviously a tag team thing happening here, two or more people bouncing off each other, creating fear in a whole bunch of lives, least of all, yours. At least one of them has some sick personal vendetta against you-" His voice caught as he felt a sudden urge to punch a wall. He counted backwards from ten, before resuming. "Aren't you chomping at the bit to take these bastards down? Not Espo, not Ryan, NOT Gates, but you, taking them out with your own hands. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to think about anything else but watching the life drain out of their faces."

Beckett closed her eyes, she was pretty sure he'd already been thinking that way. But why after he had told her to stop tracking down her mother's killer, would he now be encouraging her to start this kind of chase all over again?

"Ha", he broke her chain of thought with a snap of his fingers. "And that's another thing, why would Magetti's wife suddenly come forward about her husband's involvement when she would risk implicating herself? Is it just me or is this case becoming really, really confusing?"

"Yeah well, trying to figure things out at two a.m will do that to you", Beckett moaned, rolling away from him and closing her eyes.

"Are you- are you going back to sleep?" Castle asked her sounding like a child at a slumber party.

She sighed into her pillow. "I was making an attempt at it, yeah."

"I just don't know how you're suddenly able to be so removed from this", he said after a moment.

Beckett sat bolt upright on the mattress, instantly and shot him daggers, though he could not see. "Castle, you told me to be! I don't know why you are all of a sudden so intent on me being a part of this particular case. Even if it is related in some way to my shooting, or even to my mother's murder."

Castle jumped back, a little intimidated by her tone. He took a moment to run over in his mind, how much of his hand he was prepared to show her right here, right now. "Because, I know that when the time comes that we finally manage to track down the guy that arranged your mom's murder, if you're not the one to solve it, to slap the cuffs on the murderous dog, then that wall that you told me about at the start of the fall, will never come down for you. Sure, it might have a few cracks form in it, but the bricks won't all completely come down. And I don't even know if you realize it Kate, but those bricks are coming down, one by one. And very slowly, I can see little glimmers of light starting to shine through."

There was a long silence as they both breathed slowly in the blackness of the basement.

"Thank you, Castle", He finally heard her voice, or at least he thought he did. For a short while he thought he might have imagined it. Until she continued throatily. "I remember that day in the fall when I told you about this wall I have inside, you told me that we were just going to have to find these guys and take them down. We. As in both of us. Together."

"I did."

"I'd never been more grateful for your presence in my life than I was in that moment. And what my therapist has made me realize over the past nine months is that whether you're there to kick the bricks aside after they fall of their own accord, or whether you have to be the one to take them down by hand. You're the only one that I want there, when that wall is finally demolished."

Castle could hear her sniffling beside him, trying to hold back tears that were imminent.

"I'll be there Kate. I'm waiting there already... But Kate?"

"Yeah?", she choked out.

She shivered as his hand found the back of her neck, and began tracing soft circles on it.

"Just make sure it's that wall that ends up falling, and not you."

Kate reached behind her to take his hand and used it to guide herself into his in-expectant arms. "I'm going to try not to, OK? I promise you that I'm going to try. But if I do end up falling, like you said; you'll be waiting there to catch me... right?"

He tightened his hold on her and rested his cheek on top of her head, feeling more at ease than he had done, in months.

"Always."