The detectives engage in their tasks and for hours Beckett tries, unsuccessfully to find a living relative that she can contact to come and pick up the girls. While searching for why Michael was in town Beckett learns that he's a history professor at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and can't help but wonder where his past crossed with Castle's. She glimpses at her phone a few times, hoping to hear from him, until she ends up putting inside the drawer so it doesn't distract her anymore.

Around 8 p.m detectives Ryan and Esposito approach her desk – "Any luck, Beckett?"

"No…" – she replies frustrated – "all I could find is that he was in town for a conference at the NYC Seminar and Conference Cente, but apart from that, absolutely nothing!" – she vents – "You?"

- "Lainie confirmed the cause of death, the bullet was a .45 bullet, she ran it through all the data bases but so far hasn't match to any weapon on the system" – Esposito informs her.

- "Anything else?" – she inquires hopeful

- "They also found, some fibers on the wounds, Lainie sent them to the lab, we should have more details in the morning" – Ryan continued – "the guy had no wallet nor cash with him, so it's possible it was a robbing gone wrong" – he concludes.

- "Any word on Castle?" – Esposito asks her.

Beckett shakes her head, running her hands through her face - "Maybe we should call it a day" – Esposito suggests, and for his and Ryan's surprise she agrees.

- "Yes, we'll get a fresh start in the morning" – she says getting up and grabbing her jacket. Before she leaves she calls him – "Hey guys, thank you!"

- "For what?" – Esposito asks her.

- "Just… thank you" – she says, heading towards the elevator.


Beckett struggles with herself, unsure whether or not she should stop by the loft to see Castle. Their relationship is still private and she knows she shouldn't risk it, but she can't help herself and when she notices, she's already parked at his door. The takes a long breath before knocking at the door, not certain what she's about to find on the other side. As soon has the doorbell rings she hears Castle's voice asking "Who is it?", but it takes him a few minutes to actually open the door.

- "Beckett, what do you want?" – he asks sharply when he finally gets the door open.

- "I want to talk to you" – she answers, once again trying not to let his tone get to her.

- "This is not a good time" – he states, not making a move to invite her in.

- "Then make it a good time" – she replies firmly, as she passes by him and enters the apartment without needing an invitation.

- "We've told you we don't know anything!" – she immediately hears Megan's voice shouting.

The detective turns around to see her, responding softly – "I know, I'm not here to talk to you girls, I just need to have a word with Uncle Rick" – she assures them.

Knowing Beckett well enough to know she's not about to leave him of the hook Castle ends up agreeing. He instructs the girl to sit on the couch watching TV and invites Beckett into the office so they can have more privacy – "I'll be right here if you need anything" – he tells the two girls before closing the door behind him.

Beckett doesn't speak for a moment, she wants to be facing him when she asks the questions, she wants to look into his eyes, she wants to see if he'll give her anything before she has to question him.

- "You have me here" – he states coldly – "what do you want to talk about?"

- "What the hell is going on Castle?" – she asks, frustration and hurt taking over her – "Who the hell was that guy? What's your relationship with these kids? And why on earth are you so mad at me?!" – she vents.

- "I'm not mad at you!" – he shouts immediately, aggressively, and she looks at him in disbelief – "I'm not mad at you, Kate" – he repeats, this time softer.

- "Then why are you treating me like crap?" – she asks him, but he doesn't respond, instead his eyes move from facing her, to face the floor – "Castle, I want to help you with this. Whatever this is, but I need you to let me. I know they're just kids, I know it isn't fair, I don't like this anymore than you do."

- "I'm know…"

- "Do you, really?" - Beckett wonders – "because by the way you're talking to me I feel like you're almost blaming me for what's happening" – she confesses.

- "What? No, Kate, I don't!" – he rushes to correct her – "I'm sorry, I know I've been acting like an idiot, it's just…" – he trails of.

Watching him struggling to find the right words Beckett approaches him and reaches for his hand – "It's just what, Castle?" – she encourages him softly.

- "At the scene I just had to pull away" – he finally tells her.

- "Why?" – the detective asks confused.

- "Because I couldn't believe it was Michael there, I couldn't believe the girls will have to go through this, because I was using all the strength I had to keep it together when all I really wanted was to fall into your arms" – he lets out in a breath – "and I knew I couldn't. All I wanted was to kiss you and let you tell me everything was fine, but I couldn't do that, not there, so I had to pull away."

- "Castle, I'm sorry, I…" – she babbles.

- "No, it's fine, we both agreed to do it this way" – he stops her – "it's not your fault."

- "I get why you did it then" – Beckett starts again – "but then, why did you try to make me leave now?" – she asks the writer – "in case we haven't notice we're alone now" – she hints him.

Castle lets go of her hand and walks to the couch where he sits. She follows him, sitting beside him – "I actually hoped all day for you to come here" – he says – "though I didn't think you would after the way I acted" – he admits.

- "It's not like you never had to deal with one of my meltdowns" – she reminds him, trying to relax him a bit.

"Yeah" – he nods, with a sweet smile on his face, that tells Beckett what she already knows, that despite everything he's happy to have been there for her when she needed him – "anyway, I really wished you would come, but just before you knocked at the door Megan reminded me that Michael had called me last evening."

- "What did he want?" – Beckett inquires, her detective mode back on.

- "We wanted to see me, he invited me to dinner…"

- "… but you had plans with me" – Beckett completes his sentence. Disturbed, she gets up and paces around the room for a while before stopping next to his desk – "that's why you blame me, you could have seen him one last time" – she states without a hint of resentment in her voice, she understands it now.

- "No!" – Castle disagrees both firmly and softly, getting up to meet her on the other side of the room. When he's standing in front of her he continues – "I don't blame you, Kate" – he repeats and he can see she doesn't believe him – "I might have, for a moment, I'm not going to deny it, but I know it's not your fault. I wish… If I had known that would be his last night…" – he starts, unable to finish his thought, his tearful eyes on the floor.

- "It's not your fault either" – she reassures him, caressing his cheek. Castle nods, he knows she's right, but still that doesn't make it easier. Beckett had realized before that this man was someone close to Castle, but it is only now that he is standing in front of her with his guard down that she can really see how much he is suffering – "Who was he, Castle?" – she asks softly, almost in a whisper, but before he can answer a scream is heard from the living room. They immediately run to find the girls, Beckett already reaching for her holster. They find them paralyzed, a few inches from the door.

- "What happened?" – Castle asks kneeling next to them.

- "There's someone at the door!" – Megan explains out of breath, right before they hear a knock.

Castle relaxes – "It's probably just our pizzas" – he tranquilizes them, standing up to get the door.

- "Don't open, uncle Rick, please!" – Mel begs pulling him back down.

Castle looks at Beckett, searching for help and once again she doesn't let him down – "You get behind the counter" - she tells them – "I'll check it out" - she says. The girls look at the detective unsure, but with Castle reassurance end up agreeing. Just like Castle had guessed it was just the pizza guy, so Beckett reaches for her pocket to get some cash and meet the girls and Castle in the kitchen with the boxes of pizza.

- "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about" – Castle tells the girls, though Beckett can tell he's relieved too – "You're safe here" – the writer assures them – "now, let's go ahead and have some dinner, you must be starving" – he suggests.

Megan and Mel agree and sit on the stools around the counter – "You're staying too, detective Beckett?" – little Mel asks her.

- "I.. uh, well I…" – she babbles, trying to meet Castle's eyes to know what to say.