Chapter Seven
Heat of the Moment

When Kate Beckett returned to her apartment, Alexis was nowhere to be seen. Kate was nervous, apprehensive and her anxiety level was heightened by the fact that there seemed to be no trace of the girl downstairs. As she neared the first step leading to the second level where the bedrooms were, she heard a loud, authoritative knock on the door, and nearly jumped out of her skin.

When she got back to the door and opened it, she was met with the wide eyed, angry visage of Lanie Parrish. The fire in her eyes, and the stiffness of her posture were the first signs that this was not to be a casual social call between best friends. That Lanie appeared livid would have been a gross understatement. Unnoticed by both Kate and Lanie, Alexis had appeared at the top of the stairs, drawn by the loud knocking on the front door.

"Girlfriend, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Lanie hissed at her.

Kate visibly paled. Her anxiety level had already been elevated by a particularly grueling and emotional session with Dr. Burke, which had her feeling more jittery and on edge than the workout with her physical therapist could overcome. It didn't help that a car backfiring on the walk to the subway entrance, had set her on the track to an anxiety attack.

A subway car full of ominous looking strangers had her looking over her shoulder almost constantly, and she began seeing the glint of sniper scopes in every reflection off of glass. (there is a LOT of glass in Manhattan) She practically ran the last one hundred feet to the door of her building, taking the stairs because she was too paranoid to get into the elevator.

"Do you have any idea what you've out us all through?" Lanie's voice began to get louder as the door slammed shut behind her. "What you put me through?"

Kate retreated backwards, nearly tripping over the corner of the coffee table, as Lanie continued to advance on her, not giving her any room to retreat as she was backed to the wall. Her anger over what Kate had done to them all blinding her to the subtle cues that something was seriously wrong with her friend.

"Don't even get me started about the unmitigated hell you put Castle through! That man was an absolute wreck after you disappeared! Would it have killed you to pick up a phone, or even send him a text message to let him know you were alive?"

Kate kept trying to say "please, stop.." but though her lips could form the words no sound came out.

"Did it really have to take him nearly being stabbed to death to get you off your self centered ass?"

Kate began to hyperventilate and her eyes glazed over. Visions of Castle lying comatose in the ICU swam into her mind as she broke down, overwhelmed as the panic attack consumed her, she slid down the wall until she was curled in a near fetal position shivering on the floor as Alexis flew down the stairs.

"Stop it!" she shouted, in a thundering bellow no one had never known she possessed. A voice of absolute authority who would not be defied. "You're hurting her! Leave her alone!"

Lanie snapped around, prepared to fight for dominance of the situation, until she was met by the wild eyed fury of Alexis Castle, her fiery red hair, billowing behind her as she strong-armed the medical examiner out of her way forcing her backwards onto the couch.

Alexis knelt beside Kate, gently cradled her head as she pulled her torso into her lap. Gently combing her fingers through Kate's hair, rocking her gently back and forth like she would a small child, she made soothing noises as she cradled the woman she probably would have gladly left to suffer not three days ago.

"Shh, Kate, shh...it's all right, you aren't alone. It's me...Alexis...I've got you...you're safe...shh"

As her ministrations began to have their desired effect on the stricken detective, and she began to relax, Alexis head snapped up to lock eyes with Lanie, pinned in place by the girl's icy stare. Her own expression softened as she took in the truly damaged state that her friend was in as if for the first time.

"Let me help, I'm a doctor..." she began but was cut off by an angrily arched eyebrow from Alexis.

"I think you've done just about enough...Doctor Parrish, so kindly just help me get to her bedroom and then get out. Come back when you can at least try to be civil."

One look at Alexis told her that she wasn't going to get any further with Castle's daughter, oddly enough she was rather impressed as she and the young woman helped Kate to her feet and walked her up the stairs to her bedroom. After removing her shoes button down shirt and her bra, Alexis slid a sweat shirt onto her, then they tucked her into the covers. Once finished, Alexis unceremoniously walked Lanie back downstairs and without further comment, showed her the door.

As she walked out of Kate's building to her waiting car, Lanie couldn't quite stifle a small smile. She dialed Javier Esposito's number, and when he picked up, merely stated the obvious.

"Javi, it looks like there's a new sheriff in town, and her name is Alexis Castle."