For now the chapters are kinda long, I am unsure whether or not they will stay that way. :)
Chapter 1
Kate sat alone at her desk in the quiet precinct. She could feel the small pregnancy test she had wrapped up in a paper towel in her pocket. She was absent mindedly toying with the two rings on her left hand, while gazing mesmerized at the screen of her desktop. The picture covering the monitor was of her and Rick holding their daughter Lizzie between them. The picture was taken when Lizzie turned one, nearly two and half years ago. Kate's eyes dropped to her left hand and the two rings, she and Rick had just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary. Kate looked up from her hand and glanced at her computer, but her eyes quickly traveled over to the two male detectives, who at the moment playing rock, paper, scissors. Kate gathered up her keys and phone while turning off the monitor, she stood and grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. She had already waited too long. She wanted to get home and tell Rick about the pregnancy. But she didn't want to look to suspicious to Ryan and Esposito so she sat and waited for God knows how long.
As she passed Detectives Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito now sitting dumbly at their desks, Esposito called over to her.
"Lunch at home again Beckett?" Kate had taken Rick's last name personally but not professionally. She could hear the smile in his voice before she stopped and turned around to meet it with her own.
"My husband and daughter don't have a double shift down at the morgue, so I think they're free for lunch." Throughout the first year of Kate and Rick's marriage she never referred to him as her husband to her co-workers, but then Lizzie came along and it felt wrong calling him Castle all the time.
"That hurt." Esposito said, looking mock wounded as Ryan laughed.
Kate smiled, "I'll be back later. Text me if anything comes up." She continued to the elevator, her heels clicking lightly as she went.
A half hour later Kate pulled into her usual parking spot beside Rick's red Ferrari. She walked into the building. Stepping onto her floor from the garage something was off, her senses were tingling . She walked carefully to her door. Kate had moved in with Rick before they got married. As she pulled out her key she looked over shoulder, she felt like she was being watched. She stuck the key into the lock, turning it waiting to hear it click, no click came. Rick never leaves the door unlocked. Especially when Lizzie's home. She thought as she turned the knob and pushed the door open.
"Rick!" She called, "Lizzie!" There was no answer, no sound from anywhere.
"Rick! Lizzie!" She yelled again running up the stairs. The door to Lizzie's room was ajar, she walked to it, pushing it open she felt her jaw drop as her left hand flew to her stomach and her right to her mouth.
X-X-X-X
Rick was lying on his side in a pool of blood, as Kate rushed to him she dropped to her knees. She pushed two fingers on to his neck, beneath his jaw line; there was faint but slow pulse. Rolling him over so his head was in her lap, Kate looked down at his shirt. It was stained crimson, but the darkest ring was around a small hole just below his rib cage. She tore open his shirt.
"Stay with me Rick." Kate said compressing the wound in his abdomen, she pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance, after hanging up she looked down at the writer, she noticed his hand clutched around something. Prying out the small crumpled paper from his firm grip. She looked at it in blood was smeared on the coloring page, but what was written in pink crayon read, Lizzie kidnapped!
When Kate was finally able to breathe again she stuttered, "Stay with me Rick." She stroked his hair.
"Don't leave me, okay." She pleaded. "An ambulance is on the way."
Minutes passed, she could feel Rick becoming weaker in her arms, his color was draining fast, and his heart rate was slowing rapidly. Finally there were sirens, moments passed, there were footsteps downstairs.
"Up here!" Kate shouted. "Quick I'm losing him!"
Two paramedics rushed to her side, as they took over from where she was, she fell back onto her feet, tears she didn't know she was holding in rolled down her cheeks, she shuddered as she let out sobs, she was covering mouth with a sticky red hand. Kate had checked the loft once she was able to stand; Lizzie was gone just like Rick had said. The trill of her phone caused her to jump. Without looking at the caller I.D. she picked up.
"Hello." She muttered.
"Mrs. Castle, this is David Pearson. I have your daughter."
X-X-X-X
Kate felt her breath hitch in her throat, her knees buckled, she could feel her fingers clutch at the phone as if it were a life line.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" Kate asked frantically.
"Lizzie's fine, but she won't be for long."
"You sick bastard! Where's my daughter?"
"Now Kate don't speak like that in front of children." He said calmly.
"Where's my daughter?" but the only answer Kate got was a click then dial tone. She slowly pulled the phone away from her ear. Looking at her hand she realized just how badly she was shaking.
Kate stood in the center of a chaotic circle; CSU teams were walking around carefully and examining everything, lights from police squad cars were licking the sides of buildings, uniforms were taping off the front door. Kate jumped when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, she turned and met the grey eyes she hadn't seen in years.
"Kate, I know it's hard, but I need to ask you some questions." Will Sorenson said.
Kate nodded and walked slowly and shakily to the bar stools in the kitchen.
"Can you please tell me everything you know?" The FBI agent asked after a minute.
Kate nodded again and replayed the events of her leaving the precinct to the phone call with David Pearson. She would occasionally glance over her ex-boyfriends shoulder and look at the door that was currently propped open, allowing CSU guys, uniforms, and detectives' entrance and exit. As Kate was finishing she saw Ryan and Esposito enter, they both nodded at her, she returned it as she stood.
"Thank you Kate. We're going to do everything to get your daughter back."
"Thank you Will." Kate said. Will watched her carefully for a minute until Ryan and Esposito came up to her and stood on either side of their friend and team mate. Her back was to them, they stood a step away from her.
"I'll keep you posted." Will said walking away.
"Thanks." Kate muttered inaudibly. Ryan nor Esposito spoke or moved first but watched her.
"Lanie's at the hospital, along with Martha and Alexis." Ryan said.
"We called your dad, he's on his way. Should be there in a few minutes." Esposito added.
Kate nodded, holding back tears.
"Come on Kate I'll take you to the hospital. Ryan can stay here." Esposito said placing a hand on Kate's shoulder.
X-X-X-X
20 minutes later Esposito pulled the car into park. He walked with Kate to a hallway. Lanie was standing with Alexis, while Martha and Jim were whispering a few feet away. Lanie ran over and hugged Esposito. Kate moved like a zombie to her father. Jim met her half way, he wrapped his arms around her Kate, before she could collapse to the floor, she melted in his hold. Shuddering as she tried to breathe, crying into his shoulder. Jim stroked her hair and held her close.
"I can't lose them like mom." Kate stammered in a whisper.
"I know Katie." Jim chocked out. Even after 17 years the subject of his murdered wife was still raw and he got tense when brought up.
Kate clung to Jim for a minute longer, when she pulled away from her father she could see Esposito and Lanie standing in the doorway. Martha and Alexis were sitting on a bench that had been pushed against the wall. Kate could see the fresh tear tracks on both women's faces. Kate's eyes traveledback over Esposito, he was telling Lanie something Kate couldn't hear, but when he was motioning good-bye to Kate, Kate stepped away from her father and jogged to the detective.
"Javi. Wait. I need you to run something as soon as possible."
"Does it have to do with Castle and Lizzie?"
"Yeah." Kate stuttered.
"Anything Beckett."
"David Pearson. I want to know everything."
"Who is he?"
"The guy who called me and said he had Lizzie."
"I'll call you when I have something." He said and before turning he added, "I'm guessing you'll be here if anything comes up?"
Kate nodded. "Thanks Javi."
"Just keep Ryan and I posted." He shrugged.
"I will. Do the same please."
Esposito nodded. "David Pearson. Everything. ASAP." He said more to himself as he turned to leave the hospital.
As the detective left Lanie turned and looked at Kate. She knew the female detective saw her, but Kate didn't let on.
"They came out about 5 minutes before you came and said everything was going fine."
"Thanks Lanie." Kate said, turning to meet her friends gaze. Kate's eyes burned with unshed tears.
"Anytime Kate. Just as long as Castle doesn't end up on my table." Lanie hugged Kate. "I have to get back though. Lanie continued pulling away from her friend. "Call me when Castle's out of surgery."
"I will Lanie." Kate said, hugging her friend. "Thank you." The medical examiner smiled and turned. Kate watched her friend turn the corner and disappear. As Kate called after her she heard her voice crack.
"Lanie!" The medical examiner reappeared as Kate rushed to the corner.
"Lanie, I don't know what to do…" Kate said as she felt the tears she had tried to hide roll down her face. "My daughter has been kidnapped. My husband is in surgery after losing a lot of blood because he was shot in our daughter's room…" Kate swiped the tears from her cheeks. "I need to find Lizzie, but at the same time I need to stay here and wait for Rick. Lanie, I don't know what to do." Kate chocked.
Lanie reached out and took Kate's hands in her own. "Stay here with your family, wait for Castle, because he's going to pull through. He's not going to leave a story unfinished especially yours and Lizzie's. He's not leaving you, Lizzie, Alexis, nobody, Kate. Castle is going to be fine. You understand me?" Lanie waited for Kate to nod before continuing. "Stay with your family. Let Esposito, Ryan, and Sorenson find Lizzie. We all will come by to see Castle and keep you guys posted. Okay?"
Kate nodded as Lanie pulled her in for a third hug.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." The medical examiner added.
Kate nodded as she felt more tears roll down her cheeks. Lanie gave Kate's hands another squeeze before turning to leave. Kate stood a moment longer, composing herself, before she turned to head back to her family. Alexis took her by surprise, standing a step away from Kate.
"Alexis." Kate said, surprised. How long was she standing there? Kate thought.
"What happened to my dad?" She asked, face somber. "Nobody has been able to tell us anything."
Kate nodded, "Come on I'll explain everything over here with Martha and my dad." Kate led the girl back to the bench that Jim and Martha were now sharing.
"Kate, do you know anything?" Martha asked, "Because nobody here has answered any questions."
Kate replayed the events she had so recently reencountered with Sorenson.
"Who would want to take Lizzie that bad that they break into the loft, take her, then when they see dad just shoot him and leave him for dead?" Alexis asked.
"That's what Esposito is trying to figure out." Kate said. "All we know now is that his name is David Pearson."
"Was he related to any cases you worked?"
"No idea, but he knew my name and Lizzie's."
"Creep." Alexis muttered under her breathe. "Kate, why aren't you out looking for Lizzie?"
"For now Sorenson, Esposito, and Ryan have it under control, but after I know Rick is okay I'm going to the precinct." Kate said.
"I thought you said Detectives Esposito and Ryan had it under control?" Jim asked, purposely not mentioning Kate's ex.
Kate eyed him, "And Agent Will Sorenson from the FBI. And yes they do. But dad if something happened to me would you want to wait for someone else to find the bastards who did it or do it yourself?"
Jim didn't respond, his daughter was right as always, just like her mother had been.
"I know they won't let anything happen to Lizzie, but I need to be the one to arrest the son of bitch who took her."
"I know Katie. But don't you think you should stay here until Rick wakes up after the surgery so he doesn't hear what's going on from someone other than his wife?"
"Jim has a point." Martha said. "I believe Agent Sorenson and Detectives Ryan and Esposito can handle searching for Lizzie and this Pearson fellow. Wait here with Richard. They all said they'll keep you posted."
"I can't just sit around and wait for someone to find my little girl." Kate said angrily.
"I know Kate, but right now you're a scared mother and worried wife. If you really want to find Lizzie let the police do it. Sometimes the best you can do is to stay out of the way." Martha continued. "Stay here. Wait for Richard to wake up. Tell him what's going on. Keep him updated, stay in his room overnight. He'll want you there." Martha said calmly.
"He'll want me out there searching for the bastard that took our daughter and shoot him in her bedroom!" Kate snapped. She was on the verge of tears for the fourth time that day. Kate tried to continue but was unable to, more tears were welling in her eyes and the lump in her throat was causing difficulty as she tried to get the words out. Jim stood and held Kate close, for the second time in an hour, Kate could feel her tears land on his sky blue shirt, the warm stain grew larger on his shoulder.
Kate repeated her words from earlier. "I can't lose them like mom."
"You won't Katie." He whispered back, stroking her long auburn hair.
After a few minutes Kate finally pulled away. Jim moved his hands to Kate's shoulders. His daughter moved her hands to wipe away the stray tears. Jim motioned to the bench; Kate sat putting her face in her hands, her elbows balanced on her knees, her back arched slightly. Jim leaned against the wall beside the wooden bench. Alexis was resting her head on Martha's shoulder. The silence fell over the hallway like a blanket, no sounds seemed to be able to penetrate the walls around the group.
Please REVIEW. I want to know what you all think. Thanks so much. :)