[12th PRECINCT - 2 DAYS LATER]

Esposito stared at the empty desks where his boss and her writer-boy normally sat. Ryan was walking in as he looked at the empty bullpen.

"Hey Ryan, where are Beckett and Castle."

Ryan glared at Esposito. "I have worst thing to think about. My wife is on her period; do you have any idea how boring my weekend was?"

Esposito laughed at Ryan's misfortune. "Come on Kevin; we have two female bosses, and you haven't figured out when to duck yet?"

Ryan sighed, "But this is my real wife not my work wife!"

Esposito shot him a knowing look, "Hey for me they're one in the same."

The precinct seemed so empty without Castle and Beckett. Esposito looked to his partner, "You think they went after them on their own?"

Ryan drew in a deep breath, "You know how obsessed Beckett was with her mom's case. Things as they are now with Castle; do you think she'd do that again?"

"If they did they sure as hell didn't tell me. Besides do you really think they'd do that again?"

Ryan stared at him, "Jenny and I are trying to get pregnant. It's more of an idea than anything else at this point; but I know how I'd feel if Alexis were my child."

[CASTLE LOFT - SAME TIME]

Martha looked through the photo albums; showing just how much her son had grown over the years as well as her granddaughter.

She looked through baby pictures of her son and her granddaughter, knowing that in less than a year there'd be more.

She sighed and jumped out of her skin as she heard the phone ring. She picked up the phone and noticed the call display indicating it was the 12th precinct.

She could hope that her son and granddaughter were home safe and sound, but when the voice of a Hispanic male filled her ears, she knew it was one of two things: Either bad news of no news at all.

She answered the phone trying to sound as normal as possible. "Martha Rodgers."

"Do you have any idea where Castle and Beckett are?"

Martha almost laughed at the straightforward command that was given to her by the other detectives. She let a smile momentarily grace her features as she thought that even at the worst times some things never changed.

Her mood turned all of a sudden somber. "Richard's not home; and Beckett went with him?"

Esposito shook his head, "You mean not home like he's in the Hamptons, or not home like he went around the world looking for Alexis?"

"I'm not sure I want to answer that, but you have to tell me about Beckett? She said she was going to the precinct Friday and I haven't heard from her since. I thought she just went home for the weekend."

Esposito sighed, "No one has been able to get a hold of her or Castle since Friday..."

Martha knew exactly where Castle, and she was willing to bet that Kate was with him. "If you hear anything more please don't hesitate to call me."

"Will do Mrs. R." He hung up the phone and turned to Ryan. "That's the third time in four years they left us out of the loop. I can't work like this man."

Ryan patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sure they'll come back."

[DETENTION CENTER]

I slowly woke from my daze. The last thing I remembered was getting backhanded for not answering a question I didn't know the answer to.

I attempted to bring my hand down to move the locks of hair out of my face and looked up to discover I was shackled and hanging from the ceiling. "Hello!"

The man I had seen before and who had spoken to me before brutally backhanding me walked into the room.

He stared at me with something akin to hatred. "Well look at this. Sleeping Beauty has awoken."

I stared at him, thinking that he had the upper hand, and spit on the floor nearly missing his feet. An act of contempt and resentment.

The man brought my chin up so I was staring him in the face. "I'd be careful if I were you, I can make marks on your beautiful body that won't be as easily erased: A memory of somewhere that was not to be forgotten."

I just stared him down trying to win the war of wills when all of a sudden I felt my legs leave the ground as the chains were tightened.

All of a sudden my bravado got the best of me. "I wouldn't tell you where Rick is even if I knew where he was."

The man pulled back and once again hit me in the face as I felt my jaw lock. I realized with nothing to brace myself against the pain shot through my body at an alarming speed.

I spit the blood out of my mouth from where I had cut my cheek when gritting my teeth against the pain. "You will never find him, and if you do it will only be because he is attending your execution."

[12th PRECINCT - MORGUE]

Esposito slowly walked down the stairs, looking for Lanie. He saw her finishing the autopsy on the last body they'd recovered.

"Yo Lanie; do you have an idea what's up with Castle and Beckett? No one can get a hold of them."

Lanie stared at her boyfriend, "And you think if I did know I'd tell you?"

Esposito moved closer to Lanie, "Well we can make it pillow talk if you want."

Lanie laughed, "There'd better be a little something something in it for me."

Esposito smiled, "Isn't there always?"

Her lips approached his, "Why do you think I've stuck around for three years."

[FRANCE - SAFE HOUSE]

"You never told me she was that beautiful." He looked down in disgrace, "But you never really told me anything because you didn't know who I was or where I was."

Alexis shook her head, "Dad? Who is that?"

Castle smiled, "That's my dad."

Alexis' jaw dropped open. "The father that you never knew? The one that you've been searching your whole life for."

"That's the one. I probably won't see him again for a while, but at least I got to meet him."

Castle took one last glance at his father before he got on the jet with Alexis to head for home.

[CASTLE LOFT - 0400]

Martha was in a fitful sleep on the couch of the loft. She had been sleeping there for three days now, waiting for information on her son, her granddaughter... Kate. She just needed to know.

She heard the lock open and watched as her son and granddaughter entered. "Richard, Alexis!"

Rick hugged his mom, "We're home."

She shook her head confused, "What about Beckett?"

Rick laughed, "She's probably at home sleeping."

Martha stared at him, "She went after you. I thought she'd come home at the same time as you did. She basically lives here after all."

Castle was stunned, "She came after me? We were both going to go and try and find Alexis but in the end it wasn't worth the risk to the baby!"

Alexis stared at them both, "Baby? Kate's pregnant?"

Rick stared at his eldest and realized that he hadn't told her yet of the baby on the way.

Castle looked at his daughter, "It was a surprise. We weren't trying to get pregnant."

She grinned and ran over and hugged her father. "You think I'm mad? After the last two wife's you've had; Kate is good for you." She smiled larger, "And I'll finally be able to be a big sister."

He looked at his mother who wouldn't meet his eyes and he knew that wasn't a good sign. "Alexis, why don't you go upstairs to your room; I'll see you in the morning."

Alexis nodded, "I am tired after the long day I've had."

Castle nodded, "I'll see you later honey."

And Alexis trodded up the stairs and went to get ready for bed.

Castle turned towards his mother. "What happened?"

Martha stared at her son with a disapproving look. "She went after you, that's what happened."

"You can't possibly blame me for his. I left her behind because I didn't want her in a dangerous situation in her condition."

His mother let out a sigh. "Kate Beckett is going to do what she's going to do; but you originally saying she was to come with you probably didn't help matters."

He stared at her, "You're blaming me for this?"

"No I'm saying if you hadn't put that idea in her head, she probably wouldn't have followed you."

Rick stared at his mother, "You can't blame me for this. She will do what she wants when she wants whether I want her to or not."

"You could have stopped her Richard."

"No I couldn't have."

[DETENTION CENTER]

The man stared at me hanging on for dear life. "Where is Richard Castle?"

"I don't know."

The man looked at me once more and looked at the plank of wood that was sitting on the ground. "This is going to get more and more painful for you if you won't tell me what I want to know."

I shook my head, "I can't tell you something I don't know."

He picked up the plank and hit me with it; he hit me in the stomach and I felt the pain. The last thought I had before blacking out was of the child I was going to give Rick.

[CASTLE LOFT – 6AM]

Castle had still not slept. He could think of nothing but losing Kate. He had come too close to losing her on more than one occasion and to lose her because of something that he did – it was inexcusable.

"Mom, I need to find Kate."

His mother had gotten up at the crack of dawn and had made some coffee for anyone who wanted it. "I know dear, but you don't even know where she is."

Castle sighed, "I'm going to try to retrace her steps. Maybe Ryan or Esposito know something she was doing. Where she was going, what lead she was following up on."

Martha looked at her son who was looking more and more lost as the minutes went on. "Does she have any female friends at the precinct?"

"Just Lanie; why?"

"Oh come Richard have you learned nothing from me over the years? She probably has more answers for you then the boys do."

Castle opened his mouth to answer his mother, and then thought better of it. "I'll find her mom."

Martha nodded her head and stared at her only child, "Just make sure you come back and make sure you bring back your future wife with you."

Castle nodded and was gone.

[12TH PRECINCT]

Castle walked into the police station with only one thing on his mind; he had to make sure Kate came back to all of them.

Esposito saw him walk into the Precinct, "Yo Castle. Where's Beckett?"

Castle stuttered, "That's what I was going to ask you!"

Ryan tossed his two worth in, "You found Alexis though right?"

"Yeah but I didn't know Kate came to France to find me, until my mom told me."

"Mom's seem to know everything huh Castle. Too bad most of us don't get the chance to have that advice all the time."

Castle glared at Esposito. "We don't have time for jokes about my living arrangements; and for the record I pay the bills."

"Yeah well I guess when you're a world famous author, that's not a problem."

"Okay, okay I'm loaded alright, does Lanie know anything?"

"Well I tried all the moves last night and she wouldn't tell me anything, so I'm thinking she's not going to open up to you writer-boy."

Ryan looked at Esposito, "Exactly what did you try last night?"

"Nah, nah, I'm not telling you. You want pointers ask Jenny."

Castle looked at the boys, "And on that note, I think I will go see what I can get out of your girl." He paused and turned around to look at the boys, "And by the way, I bet Beckett can do it better."

Esposito and Ryan looked at each other shocked and watched Castle leave.

[CASTLE VEHICLE]

Castle sat in the car, thinking about what would be his next move. He had to find Kate and his baby. He had to make it okay.

He phoned his agent and got his private jet ready to go again back to France.

He would find Kate if it was the last thing he did.

[DETENTION CENTRE]

I awoke from the moment I was in with a pain in my stomach. It was like a period cramp only worse.

I knew what was happening. My pants felt wet and sticky; I knew what was going on the baby was no more. A child's life finished before it had started.

I felt the tears come to my eyes but knew I could not even raise my hand to brush them away.

The man walked in and stared at me. There was another man there too, he looked at my battered body and stared at the blood that was seeping from my body.

"I told you not to cause so much harm to the girl that she would be no good to us."

The other man stared at him. "I didn't hit her that hard."

"Not that hard? Look at the blood!"

I watched a shadow appear from behind and I realized with striking clarity that it was the same man that had been in the sketches that people had given descriptions of at the crime scenes.

I heard a bullet and flinched thinking that this was the end; and saw one of the men slump to the ground realizing I wasn't the target.

The other man turned around in surprise as I watched him get his throat slit and all of a sudden fear encompassed me. "So you're the love of his life."

I watched as he stared at the blood covering my lower body. "If I don't save you he'll never forgive me."

I stared confused at the man. "Why are you do intent on saving me? What's your role in all of this?"

The man smiled, "Let's just say I have a vested interest in all of this."

I felt myself go weak from the blood loss and passed out.

[CASTLE CAR]

Castle stared at his phone as it beeped. He had a text message.

It was from an unknown number. It said one simple sentence. "She'll be home soon."

And that was it.

Castle got out of the car and made his way back upstaires.

[CASTLE LOFT]

"Mother!"

Martha came flying down the stairs. "Oh Richard. You decided to stay a while longer?"

Rick walked up to his mother and showed her the text message. "Mom, I need to know what you know about my father."

[END PART IV]