May be a bit AU here, especially post-shooting Beckett. I felt that she needed a really good reason to want to help Booth. And since both Beckett and Booth have both been shot, it was a perfect place to go. Not 100% pleased with how this chapter turned out, may alter some of it later.

Castle didn't have a lot to go on after the phone call from Beckett. She had asked him to fly a friend back with them, and she wanted himself and her to examine a case this mysterious friend was bringing with him. Castle of course was stumped and was about to ask questions until Beckett stopped him. "Rick, trust me." The pursuit of information reached a standstill because Castle did trust her, to hell and back. But once they board Castle's chartered jet, Castle went back to thinking. Booth had fallen asleep in the back seat rather quickly and Castle saw this as his chance to gather at least some information. He had obliged her request, after all.

"So, how do you know him?"

Beckett knew the question would come up eventually. But she was surprised that Castle's tone was not accusatory, just curious. She had to admit...she was expecting some jealousy out of the novelist. "About 6 years ago, a set of decomposed remains were discovered in an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx. I tried to run with the case, but there really wasn't much to work with. Lanie recommended an anthropologist in DC by the name of Temperance Brennan..."

"As in the crime novelist Temperance Brennan?" Noticing the irritated expression gracing Beckett's face, Castle waved his hand for her to continue.

"Anyways, Lanie recommends this Dr Brennan to me. I place a few calls, only to discover that she consults with the FBI."

"And I assume this is where your friend comes in."

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI Liaison to the Jeffersonian Institute." A sigh. " My dislike towards the FBI was worse then than it is now, but since my case was at a dead end I made the call. With most feds I have worked with, they tend to push local PD out almost immediately. We 'get in the way' of things. So Booth and Dr Brennan show up, and commandeer the crime scene. But instead of shooing me away, Booth starts asking me questions, trying to get a feel for a neighborhood. Once he was finished, he asked me to stick around, said he wanted someone who knew the lay of the land. Here I was, ready to tear his head off merely for being there, and he throws me into the case. The crime itself wasn't anything special but Booth and I have been friends ever since."

"Friends, or friend-friends." Ahh, there's that jealousy.

"Friends, Castle. Besides, I think Booth was pining for his partner at the time...he sure wasn't real good at hiding it." Beckett had thought it funny at the time. A lot of stolen glances towards Brennan. And course, Brennan was oblivious. Beckett figured that's what people had spent years observing between herself and Castle.

"Okay, so just friends. But for someone who just resigned from the force recently, you sure are eager to jump into the fire again." Castle was quick to notice the look on Beckett's face. "I'm not trying to upset you here Kate, I'm just trying to understand."

Beckett took a deep breath before continuing. Castle, seeing her tension reached out and took her hand, rubbing soft circles over her knuckles "When I was shot, I pushed a lot of people away...especially you. At the time, it was easier for me just to distance myself than to deal with everything the shooting brought up. The sympathy, the concerned looks, your confession...I wasn't ready for any of it."

"And where does Agent Booth fit into this?" He was starting to get some understanding, but he wanted Beckett to finish.

"Talking to Booth was easy because he'd been exactly where I was. Being shot, nearly dying, and seeing people we...care about hovering over us as we blacked out. He came up to New York a couple of times during those months, just to talk. Convinced me that talking to a therapist was worth doing. He convinced me to search you out as well."

"Really?"

"Well, he more or less threatened to shoot me if I wasted any more time." Beckett suppressed a small chuckle.

"Sounds like a persuasive individual."

"Booth helped me put my life back together and I want to repay that by putting his life back together. I owe him that."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you Kate for explaining it to me." Castle did understand, and suddenly found himself grateful for the mysterious fed. "But how does solving this crime help him?"

"His partner, and their daughter are fugitives on the run because someone is trying to pin a murder on her. Booth said that their team had reached a dead end"

"I've met Temperance at several book functions. She's an extremely rational woman. Are we sure it wasn't her."

"I have worked with Bones for over 8 years." At some point, Booth had awoken from his nap and his voice had taken on a quiet, dangerous tone "I have stood over death with her, I have faced down death with her. She didn't do it." A moment of tense silence passed before Booth spoke again. "Sorry Mr Castle."

"Just Castle, or Rick."

"Okay, call me Booth." Booth rubbed a tired hand over his face. "Rick, let me ask you this. Would you be capable of accusing Detective Beckett of murder."

Castle noticed the subtle shift in Beckett's expression with the mentioning of her former title but he decided to ignore that for the time being. "No, I couldn't."

Booth was quick with a response. "Why?"

"Because I've spent nearly 5 years working with her, and I know what she is and isn't capable of." Castle could see the truth in Booth's logic. "Okay, point taken Booth. I apologize if I offended you." Castle felt for the agent. He could only imagine the anguish Booth was feeling, and he fell just a little bit more in love with Beckett for her desire to help a friend,

"No, I shouldn't have snapped."

Beckett turned around to look at Booth. "We will prove her innocent, Booth. You will get your family back"

"Thanks Beckett. For everything." And Booth drifted back to sleep.