Title: Price of Fame
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Caskett eventually
Spoilers: everything is fair game
Timeline: set between season two and three
Notes: This is set in my Dustbunnies and Badges universe. Not completely necessary to have read Detectives and Dustbunnies but helpful.
Summary: While Castle's in the Hampton's Alexis is attacked. Can Kate keep Rick sane long enough to find the person responsible?

Even in the early evening the Princeton campus was bustling. It was because of this that Javier Esposito hadn't decked the reporter standing in front of him.
If there wasn't a crowd Javier would've punched the idiot and thrown him under a city bus.
Javier didn't have the time to waste and the reporter wouldn't budge.

"Were there drugs involved?"

Esposito took a deep breath. "I'm going to say this one last time. There is no comment on an ongoing investigation. If you don't vacate the area I will arrest you for interference."

The blond man in his forties and heavy set pushed his glasses farther up his nose before taking a step back.

"Threatening the press….I'm going to need your badge number, Detective."

Javier's right hand balled into a fist but he kept his distance. "Want to file a complaint? Go ahead. If I find that you've damaged that girl's reputation I'll shove that camera so far up your ass you'll have to have it surgically removed. That you can quote me on!"

The reporter backpedaled so fast that he tripped over the leg of a bench and ended up in a flower bed.

Shaking his head Javier took out a small notepad from the inside pocket of his jacket. He checked to see who the next contact was and started walking.
He'd already talked to ten people and everybody had told him the same thing.
Alexis was new to the program. Delightful, helpful and very bright.
Wouldn't hurt a fly.

Javier sighed as he turned right and continued through the courtyard. He didn't envy his partner's duty today. Castle was going to flip.
The writer was over protective on a good day.
If Alexis was his daughter Javier would feel the same way.
She was a good kid.
Which is why none of this made sense.
It had to track back to Castle.

Focusing his thoughts Javier quickened his pace. He knew that in poisoning cases the first twelve to twenty-four hours were critical. If the hospital couldn't manufacture an antidote…..
Javier shook the dark thoughts away. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Reaching his destination Esposito began the same series of questions again.
Hoping against hope that this time there would be a lead.

Kevin Ryan was never so thankful to be on solid ground.
Or a hospital roof.
Either would do.

The helicopter Castle's neighbor had gave new meaning to the word experimental aircraft. Barely big enough for three people it looked like a cross between a dragon fly and one of the helicopters used on the tv series M.A.S.H.
Top of the line or not Kevin didn't want to set foot in the thing again.

However it had done its job and gotten them to Alexis. That was the important thing. By the time Kevin got his bearings and looked up Castle was already at the door leading off the roof.
When Kevin reached the door he followed Castle in.
They'd radioed ahead so there were no security roadblocks waiting.
Just empty corridor and blissfully silent elevators.

"I brought this to her."Rick whispered as the elevator continued it's decent.

"This is nothing you could've prevented."Ryan countered surprised at how calm his voice was.

"Like not write murder mysteries?"

"We don't know that it…."

"Don't humor me."Castle interrupted bluntly.

"I'm not."Kevin replied as he whirled to face his friend. "We don't have enough evidence."

"So you think this was just a random attack on my daughter?"Castle asked each word vibrating with fear.

"Castle…."

"Thought so."

Before Ryan could reply the elevator stopped on their floor and Castle stormed off.

"Shut the door."Lanie muttered to herself in amazement as she stared at the printout of Alexis's tox screen.

The lab techs had nearly tripped over themselves to get it done so fast. Normally it took half a day if they were lucky.
The fact that a toxin of this caliber was used on an innocent child made Lanie's blood run cold.

With a shake of her head the medical examiner went back to her desk and picked up the phone to call Montgomery.

Kate hovered outside the ICU. She couldn't pull her gaze from the sight before her. Rick stood to the left of Alexis's bed. He held his unconscious daughter's hand tightly. Castle's head was bowed slightly and Kate couldn't tell if he was fighting tears or praying.
Perhaps both.

"I still can't believe someone would willingly cause my granddaughter harm."

Kate turned to find Martha standing next to her. The older woman's face was pale and her eyes were red rimmed.

Kevin stood a few feet away his gaze locked on Alexis.

Beckett gently took the actress's right hand. "You have my word that I will find whoever did this and bring them to justice."

"Justice?"Kevin repeated angrily. "This is Alexis, Kate. Some nutcase plotted to….."

"Kevin."Kate cautioned warningly as she felt Martha's grip tighten.

Ryan opened his mouth to reply but Kate's phone rang interrupting whatever he was going to say.

As Beckett stepped back into the waiting room Castle slowly walked out of the ICU.

Martha instantly enveloped her son in a hug.

"You have to be strong for her."Martha stated quietly after a few minutes. "She's going to be just fine. We have to believe that."

Unable to speak Castle nodded his eyes tightly closed.

Footsteps approaching drew everyone's attention. An Asian man in his late thirties wearing a doctor's coat reached the group.

Kate stepped out of the waiting room phone still in hand though it was now closed.

"I'm Doctor Lee. Is one of you Alexis's father?"

Castle stepped away from his mother visibly steeling himself for what was to come. "I am."

Kate had never heard the writer's voice so unsure….so broken. She walked over and stood next to Martha.
Beckett offered her right hand and the actress gratefully took it.

Kevin looked at the sad scene playing out before him and it felt like the walls were closing in.

He glanced once more at Alexis's still form and swallowed hard.

Bad things shouldn't happen to good people.
Alexis was one of the best people he knew.
She had so much to offer the world.
Kevin couldn't bare to think that they wouldn't see what the teen would become.
Would never know what career she'd choose. What she'd name her children.

The doctor spoke but Kevin didn't hear any of the words. He had to get out.
Fresh air sounded wonderful.
Almost completely on auto-pilot Kevin made his way to another set of elevators. Once inside he was never more grateful that the elevator was empty.
The tears were almost clogging his throat and Kevin knew they'd be breaking the surface soon.

On the first floor Kevin quickly found the nearest exit. It was a side door facing the back side of the kitchen. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
Kevin focused on his breathing. A meditation trick Jenny had taught him.
He had to get under control.
Losing it now wouldn't help Alexis.

Memories were crashing through whatever small amount of control Kevin had left. Alexis had quickly become honorary family to him.
He'd failed her.
Protecting Alexis was something Kevin had promised her father.

Being a cop it was something that came as easy as breathing. Take care of the innocent.
Yet some bastard had not only tracked the teen's whereabouts but had gotten close enough to cause harm.
Somebody had sat down and plotted to hurt Alexis.

Kevin couldn't wrap his brain around that concept. He knew there were crazies in the world. He saw it every day.
Sometimes twice a day.
He knew evil existed also.
To target a sweet person like Alexis it would take a special twisted kind of evil.

His breathing slowly back under control Kevin opened his eyes. He had to be on top of his game if they were going to catch this nutcase.
No matter what Kevin would not give up until the person who did this was behind bars.
Or dead.
The latter being the preferred choice.

Finding his car keys Kevin started towards the parking lot. Halfway there the detective realized the keys were useless.
Pulling out his cell Kevin called a cab.