Chapter 3 – Truth

'She's my daughter'

Both Castle and Montgomery stared at her as though she had just spoken a different language. Castle had his mouth hanging open in shock; 'wah' was all he could manage top say. If the situation had been different Kate would have laughed. But she couldn't, she just stared at them desperately. Montgomery simply stared at her. Then he snapped into action and told Castle to drive her back to the precinct before he pulled put his phone again and began to shout orders to whoever was on the other end.

Castle didn't say anything, as he drove her to the precinct and neither did she; it was hard to tell who was more in shock. Kate just stared out the windows fighting not to cry, she had to remain strong so that she could find her daughter. Once they arrived at the precinct they went straight to Montgomery office and waited for the Captain to return, when he finally showed up he looked a bit pissed off now he had got over the original shock.

"Ok" he said, he looked like he was trying to treat this like any other kidnapping case, not the kidnapping of one of his lead detective's daughter "Kate, start from the beginning, don't leave anything out got it". Kate nodded and began

"I had Livie 13 years ago, her father walked out on me when he found out I was pregnant, but I didn't care; he was a bully anyway, he hit me and told me to kill her, but I couldn't; I couldn't kill a baby. I never spoke to him again. I decided we were better off without him, I barely even remember who he is now.

Livie or Olivia is all I really have out of the office, I have raised her from birth as a single mom and it has always been just me and her. She is my life. Everything I have ever done has been for her"

"Why did you not tell anyone about her" Montgomery asked, Kate shrugged "I didn't want people to see me as a single mum and sympathise me, I am perfectly fine on my own, Lanie knows, she has known Livie since she was tiny and I first joined the police force. She helps me when I have to work and she is not at school."

"I have a question" Castle said suddenly from where he had been leaning on the counter "when your apartment blew up, where was she, and why have I never seen her when I have been at your place" Montgomery frowned at that but let it go and looked at Kate waiting for her to answer the question. Kate lowered her head "I saved up and sent her to a boarding school, a really good one; she often spent the holidays with my father because he lives close to the school. With this job, I felt that I didn't spend enough time with her as a child so I thought it would be better for her to go to boarding school. She is back now because she has started a new school, she wasn't 100% happy there due to problems with the other kids and I missed her so I brought her back"

Kate felt water in her eyes and she blinked furiously trying to prevent the tears. The Captain asked for a photo and she pulled out her most recent photo from in her wallet; it was of Livie only a couple of weeks ago, sitting in the grass laughing at something, a big grin on her face as she smiled at the camera. Kate had taken that on her day off and they had gone shopping before going to Central Park where they had just sat and laughed, it had been a perfect mother and daughter day.

Castle smiled at the picture of her smiling daughter and said "I can't believe you're a mom" just as Ryan and Esposito came in.

"Who's a mom" Ryan asked

"Kate" Castle replied looking at them

"What about Kate's mom" Esposito asked confused

"No Kate is a mom" Castle said thrusting the picture of Livie under their noses. They both stared at the picture before looking up at her and saying together "you're a mom" both of them now seriously confused.

"Whoa, since when" Ryan asked

"13 years" Kate whispered feeling guilty that she had never told them "since she was born"

"So that kid" Esposito said slowly as a look of realisation slipped across his face "she was yours"

Kate's head snapped up as she remembered what they had been doing "did you find her" she gasped desperately, all hope was crushed as she saw their sorry faces.

"We are so sorry Kate" Ryan said looking horrified now he knew who the abducted girl was "we chased them all over town, but they were smart, we lost them at one point where they switched van, the original van is being brought in now for the forensics to look at. We found this though" he held out an evidence bag containing a bracelet she had given Livie when she was 5, it was a simple bracelet, with a variety of charms hanging from it; it was one of Livie's most prized possessions. She blinked again looking away. Montgomery then asked about the phone call and she told him everything she could remember. More questions were asked, followed by more, she wanted to go home and let loose, cry.

Finally they were done and Castle followed her down to her car. She was surprised when he got in to the driver's seat, momentarily forgetting that he still had the keys from when he had driven her to the precinct. 'In' he said and she did quietly. Again neither of them talked, neither of them knew what to say. Kate wanted to say something, to say she was sorry that she had kept such a huge secret from him when he was always so open and honest with her. It wasn't until they were parked and she realised they were outside his house that she spoke. "Castle" she began but he cut her off "I don't want to hear it Kate, the last thing you need right now it to be alone at home, where there is so much of your daughter's stuff. It will hurt; you are staying in our spare bedroom until we have Livie back ok" she looked into his honest eyes and realised that although he was shocked, he wasn't angry at her. He was just concerned. She gave him a small smile before leaning forward and hugging him "thank you" she whispered.

She picked up her stuff, glad of the small bag she now kept in the boot for emergencies. It was late, Alexis and Martha were already in bed asleep, Castle showed her where everything was before retiring to his room.

Kate emptied her bag stopping when she found a jumper of Livie's, she lay down smelling it and ended up crying herself to sleep, whilst hovering on the landing Castle listened, angry that there was nothing he could do to help her.

XO

Livie was laughing; she was walking down the corridor of her school with her friends Megan and Laura. It was the end of the day and she was hurrying to her locker so she could go home. She hadn't been back in New York for very long but she was enjoying living with her mom again and was eager to make the most of it. She said goodbye to her friends after grabbing her stuff and walked out into the car park looking for her bus, she was so busy looking she walked straight into someone.

"Oh" she said "sorry I didn't see you there". The man she had walked into smiled at her; he was a very tall man, rather bulky, with ragged black hair, pitch black eyes that seemed evil to Livie. He was smiling at her with a smile that made her step away; it was freaky. In his hand was a mobile phone. "That's quite alright my dear" the man said smoothly "are you Livie Beckett?" Livie frowned, she didn't know this man; due to her not being in New York that long she didn't know many people. And she also didn't like how he knew that she liked to be called Livie. "Yes" she replied uncertainly remembering her mother's many warnings about talking to strangers. She began to step away, but he simply moved towards her maintaining the little distance that there was between them "who are you" she asked now confused.

Just then much to her relief her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw her mother's number. "Um excuse me for a sec" she began but the man lunged for her, she gasped then let out a shriek that was muffled by his hand, clamping over her mouth. As his arms wrapped around her the first thing she wondered was why he was doing this, but then as panic began to set in that changed to why nobody had seen this? But then she realised that most people had gone home and they were standing in a very secluded corner of the car park. Then all her instincts kicked in and in a panic she lifted her foot up and jammed it up into his groin. The man cursed and grabbed for her as she yanked herself free but she was running dropping her bag and running for her life. Her phone was still ringing, and fumbling she answered it, "mom" she gasped.

Her mother's voice came from the other end sounding panicked "Livie are you ok? What happened?" Still running she told her mother what had happened "Mom there's a man he grabbed me, but I kicked him and got away" she cried out as she heard pounding footfalls from behind "he's still after me mom" she gasped. "Livie hang on I'm coming, don't stop running, go to the park and I'll meet you by the south entrance." She heard her mother shout something in the background, but she wasn't paying much attention any more. She ran as fast as she could weaving in and out of people; she was small for her age and this gave her an advantage as it made it easier for her to duck around people. The whole time she kept the phone to her ear listening to her mother who was trying to reassure her but it wasn't really working as panic took over her body.

She made it to the park and ran to the south entrance, gasping for breath she spun round looking. Her chaser was pushing his way into the park and he looked angry that she had escaped; he too now had a phone out and was shouting angrily into it. Frightened Livie ducked into a bush she had done when she was small. He stopped nearby and began to look into some bushes close to her hiding spot, she pressed her phone closer to her ear and whispered "I can see him; he's still looking for me" then she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her head into them, listening to her mother talking to her. He was peering into the bush next to her when she saw her mother's car come speeding up stop in a no parking zone and her mother jumped out running into the park whilst saying frantically into the phone "Livie I'm here where are you?"

She didn't dare answer; her chaser was to close. But as she held her breath praying he wouldn't see her he looked sideway and saw her. As Livie froze in fear he smiled at her before lunging for her again. She shrieked and scrambled past him bursting out of the bushes and hurtling towards her mother who ran towards her pulling out her gun shouting.

She felt relief flood through her. She was safe now; her mother was here. She ran at her, desperate to feel safe once again. She saw her mother glance sideways but she didn't. As she almost collided with her mom she felt her mother push her before she leapt sideways. They both fell out of the way she now noticed of a white van that screeched to a stop. As she rolled over to scramble to her feet she looked up to see men in masks leap out. The next thing she felt was them grabbing her roughly yanking her upright dragging her towards the dark belly of the van. She cried out in terror before beginning to kick and scream determined not to make their job easy.

When they tried to subdue her she clawed at them with her nails, and biting them. Cursing one of them cuffed her over the head sending her head snapping back and she felt blood trickle down her face. Then suddenly she felt a small prick in her arm, and she froze glancing side ways to see a needle in her arm, a clear liquid being pushed into her arm.

She looked back at her mother who was staggering upright and stumbling towards her horror written all over her face. Suddenly she heard a loud bang and her mother dived to one side; one of the men holding her had drawn a gun and was shooting at her mom. Desperate to stop them she began to fight again, but it was getting harder and harder to move, everything felt strange. Again she looked at her mother desperate for help, trying to call out to her but she couldn't find her voice. Her mother was moving forward but more bullets fired from her kidnappers were forcing her away.

There was more shouting to the side and police cars came rushing to the scene shouting with more weapons drawn. The men began to fire at the cops who didn't fire many back, confusing her. Her limbs felt too heavy to move now, her legs buckled and she fell though she still tried to fight. The world was getting darker and darker as her head began to swim. The last thing she remembered was being thrown into the van, the sharp bit of zip ties as her wrists were bound together and the sight of her mother running towards her screaming to her. Then the world went black.

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Mysticgirl