Hi everyone I'm back with the next chapter! I know it's been a while since my last update but things are a bit crazy for me at the moment. Rest assured I will continue to update as quickly as I can. Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! I really appreciate and love reading your comments. Also a big thank you to everyone who has added me and my story to their follow/favorite lists. A special thank you to Detective Rysposito for your well wishes! You are an awesome and kind person!

Chapter Seven

Castle quietly walked across the aged wooden floor, two coffees in hand, and took a seat next to Kate's desk. Without a word the writer handed his wife one of the coffees and followed her gaze to the sleeping figure of Esposito. The Hispanic detective's face was resting on the surface of his desk, though his sleep did not seem to be peaceful.

Castle turned back to Beckett and saw her eyes were bloodshot and encircled with dark shadows. "I didn't hear you leave this morning. When did you leave?"

Kate rubbed her hands down her exhausted face before taking a sip of the coffee and answering. "I couldn't sleep so I figured I might as well be doing something productive."

Rick placed a hand over hers. "That really didn't answer my question, Kate. When did you come in?"

The corner of Beckett's lips lifted slightly. "I came in around three. Lanie was just leaving after having failed to get Javi to sleep for a couple of hours."

Castle nodded absently. "So he's been here all night?"

"Yeah. He fell asleep maybe an hour ago and I don't have the heart to wake him up. I don't have anything new for him."

"So no news on the traffic footage Grant supposedly had?" Rick asked in a defeated tone.

Kate shook her head. "No. CSU ripped Grant's apartment apart like I haven't seen before and they still found nothing. I think our best bet is to wait for Calder to call again."

A few hours passed by agonizingly slow until around ten in the morning on the second day of Ryan's kidnapping when Javier's phone rang. The edgy detective answered the moment Samuel had plugged Grant's USB into the computer and readied the trace, Castle and Beckett hovering close by.

"Calder." Javier growled into his IPhone.

"Javier, wonderful day isn't it? Sorry I couldn't stay and chat last night. Things to do. Though, it's quite the shame about Aaron. I always hoped he would turn out better…more loyal."

"Yeah well we can't all be extremists for the Damon Calder cause." Esposito snapped back.

Calder chuckled, "Come now, Kid. There is no use crying over a dead traitor."

"Don't ever call me kid again, Damon. You have no right!"

"I would say I have every right. I made you what you are today, Kid. You would have been nothing if I didn't pick you for greatness."

Beckett placed a calming hand on Javier's taut arm, reminding him to focus. After a breath Esposito continued. "I want to talk to Kevin." The detective demanded; his eyes fixed on the computer screen as they narrowed in on Calder's location.

The line was quiet for a moment before Damon's voice rumbled darkly. "Ah…well that may be a problem."

Cold crept through Javier's veins. "What does that mean? What did you do?"

The detectives could hear the smile in Damon's voice as he taunted. "Kevin's not really up to talking at the moment. We had a long night of getting to know one another. I do enjoy his stubborn spirit. I may just have to keep him."

The call ended before Javier could respond. Sam swiftly typed across the keys and shouted in triumph. "We got him! The address is just outside the city."

With the news Detective Esposito looked up at his friends with determination shining through his slightly watery brown eyes. "We bring Kevin home no matter what, but Calder is mine."

Beckett clenched her jaw but say nothing against her detective's words. No one wanted Damon Calder as much as Javier, and Kate knew what that felt like.

The drive to the address was filled with anxiety and Castle couldn't sit still. The writer just continued to shift in his seat and drum his fingers on his thigh. Kate took her hand off the wheel carefully and placed it comfortingly on Rick's leg closest to her. Too lost in thought the gesture startled Castle.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Kate said quickly and went to pull her hand back.

Rick stopped her and held her outstretched hand for a moment. "No it's not you. I'm just nervous. This Calder guy really doesn't seem like the kind of person that's happy with uninvited visitors."

Beckett's gaze flicked to Castles and back to the road. "I know. We just have to be quick. Give Calder no chance to react."

"How bad do you think Ryan will be? No…I don't want you to answer that. I've just been thinking about it since the call. He…he could be dead already, and we could be walking straight into a trap." Rick's voice wavered in and out with his statement.

"He's not dead. He can't be so he's not. Okay Rick?" Kate snapped.

Castle looked back out the window as they arrived. "This must be it. Very secluded. Alright then let's go get our boy back."

The writer reached for the door handle but Kate's stopped him. "Rick, I'm sorry. I'm just…everything you said has been going through my head, and I sure Espo's too."

Castle smiled. "I know."

Not wasting anymore time Beckett and Castle jumped out of the car and met up with Javier who was checking his weapon. Slowly, the group made their way to the entrance, but their footsteps suddenly halted as Javier's phone rang again.

Hesitantly, Javier accepted the call and was greeted with Damon Calder's furious voice before the detective could even say a word. "Well I must say I am extremely disappointed in you, Javier. Did you honestly think I wouldn't have cameras all around my hideout?"

The Hispanic detective looked up in horror. "He knows we're here."

Chaos erupted as Beckett began shouting orders to their backup units and they ran towards the building as fast as their legs could carry them. Javier dropped his phone to the hard ground and sprinted to save his partner's life. So it was because Javier dropped his phone that he never heard Damon's final words. "Nice try, Kid."

The building suddenly exploded, sending all of the NYPD to the ground hard. Javier's head connected and his vision blurred. There was a slight muffed screaming coming from his right only barely heard over the ringing in his ears. Rolling over with an effort Esposito saw Beckett helping Castle sit up; the writer's complexion and the way he swayed lightly indicted the possibility he would pass out if pulled all the way to his feet.

Shaking his head clear and blinking several times Javier stumbled to his unsteady feet and stared into the flames completely engulfing the building believed to be holding his partner. At the very moment Detective Esposito thought of his best friend what little breath that had returned to his lungs left him. Determined Javier stumbled toward the fire screaming Ryan's name.

Kate rushed to her friend's side and held his bicep firmly, holding Javier back. "Javi? Javi, stop…STOP! We have to wait for the fire department. We can't just go running into a burning building!"

Javier yanked his arm away from Beckett and continued forward not listening to her words. Detective Beckett tried again to get Esposito to listen, and when that didn't work she stepped in front of him raising her pistol. "Espo I am ordering you to stand down now."

Esposito glared at Beckett. "What's the matter with you, Kate?! Kevin is in there and he needs our help. Step the Hell out of my way!"

Kate stood her ground. "We don't know for sure if he's in there, Javi. And if he was…he would have been killed in the explosion."

"Don't you dare say that! Kevin's alive! Now get out of my way so I can save him."

Beckett lowered her gun and her voice. "Espo, if you go in there you'll die. Please…please just wait for the firefighters."

Javier looked as if he was going to run into the flames anyways, not caring what Beckett said or asked, but before he could Castle placed a strong hand on his arm. Closing his deep brown eyes Javier waited with Beckett and Castle until the fire department came to put to fire out.

After the firefighters arrived they quickly and efficiently stopped the flames, and entered the building to make sure it was completely out. With care they swept through each room and radioed back their progress. Since the detective's no longer were in control, and wouldn't be until the fire was entirely contained, they gathered around the fire chief listening.

"Looks like the first floor is clear. Should we proceed to the lower level Chief?" An unsure voice crackled over the radio.

The fire chief, an older man with a full head of grey hair, looked his company over before answering. "Yeah Louis, we need to clear the entire building before letting NYPD in. Put a rush on it will ya? I'm getting scorch marks from the glares I'm receiving here."

"You got it Chief."

Javier bounced from foot to foot, trying to decide if he should just run into the building and take whatever punishment he may get from the action. Captain Gates watched him carefully, reading his thoughts, and raised an eyebrow halting the Hispanic detective's actions.

The radio jumped to life again. "Damn! We've got a body, Sir."

Javier heard no other words as he dashed into the building, without a care for himself. They found a body and he needed to see it.

Beckett and Castle were just behind Esposito as they moved quickly across the charred floor not sparring a glance at the blackened room around them. Descending the stairs was a bit harder as many of them were missing, but that didn't stop the detectives. Javier jumped down most of the way and slid out of sight.

As Kate and Rick's feet hit the concrete floor their eyes fell on Javier. The Hispanic detective had fallen to his knees beside a burnt unrecognizable body in the center of the room. Detective Esposito sat there with his hands hover over the body unsure of what to do. In dismay his eyes swept the body from head to toe, trying to find something…anything that would prove this wasn't his best friend.

The morgue has never been so cold, Javier realized, as he stood next to the burned body waiting for Lanie. Lanie who insisted she be the one to work with this body even having an all-out argument with Captain Gates over it. She wanted to be the one to prove it wasn't Kevin, but her conviction wasn't enough to stop the shadow of doubt that slipped its way into Javier's mind. The upset detective couldn't help but scrutinize every aspect of their victim looking for similarities or anything unfamiliar, but his gaze just kept drifting to the melted metal on the body's belt. The mangled metal was his partner's shield, Javier knew it, but Calder could have placed it there to convince them. To convince him.

Finally, the doors across the cold room opened and Lanie stepped through hesitantly. Her face was filled with sympathy and Javier's heart cracked ever more.

"No…it's not him. Lanie, It's not him. Don't even come in here and tell me anything except it's not Kevin." Javier growled in distress.

Lanie's eyes started to tear. "Javi, I…I'm sorry. With all the evidence that we can find and given where we found him…I have to rule the body to be Kevin."

Javier looked at Lanie in fury. "What?! What does that even mean?!"

Lanie placed the folder from her hands on the table. "Javier, the body is too burnt to make any complete positive identification, but I found a small amount of DNA and it was Kevin's."

"Then check dental records! It's not him!" The distraught detective snapped.

The medical examiner stepped closer to Javier and placed her slender hand on his chest. "Calder pulled out all of his teeth and broke his jaw. There is no way to make a positive ID off dental records."

Javier felt sick, stumbling back against the wall he looked at Lanie in betrayal. "Then what makes you so sure it's him?"

"The melted metal we found on his belt looks like his badge right?" Lanie said gently bring Javier's attention back to the mangled metal.

After a moment the medical examiner continued. "So I had a friend take a look to see if he could reconstruct it using a computer program and…it's an NYPD issued badge. My friend was also able to recover a partial badge number as well, and there is an eighty six percent chance that it's Ryan's."

As Javier listened to Lanie's voice his hope slowly dissipated with each word. "How can you give up on him so easily? Kevin is our friend, Lanie. We need to be absolutely sure!" The Hispanic detective barked in refueled anger.

Lanie looked down to hide her rapidly watering eyes and swallowed down the sudden burning in her throat before looking back at Esposito with matching anger. "Don't you think I know that?! I tried to find anything that would prove it's not him. When I refused to make a ruling until I could find sufficient evidence that it's not Kevin Gates replaced me. She said I wasn't objective enough to make this call. It wasn't me; I wasn't the one to give up on him so don't you dare accuse me of doing so, Javier Esposito! You are not the only one that lost him!" Lanie's voice was firm and filled with tears as she spoke.

Detective Esposito felt the weight of the horrible truth crashing over him as he silently watched Lanie fall apart. Numbly he reached out and wrapped his arms around her as she continued to cry; his own tears slipping down his face. Slowly, Javier slid down the wall bringing Lanie with him and together they mourned their loss in each other's arms.

Please don't kill me! I promise not everything is as it seems so bear with me. Review and let me know what you thought of the new chapter and/or what you think may happen next. Thanks for reading! Until next time…