Apologies for the chapter delays people, it's been crazy. You know, Deathly Hallows 2 being out and all, I've been on a Harry Potter kick! I'm back though! MY GOD writing through the hiatus is hard, but they are FILMING AGAIN! CASTLE IS COMING BACK TO US! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY! Okay, enough with my weirdness, on to the next chapter. Please PLEASE continue to review, it helps me out a LOT! I love your reviews, they are my nommy candy The more I get the more I'm inspired to write! Truly!

Love you all, and hope you enjoy!

Xx

KE

His eyelids twitched slightly, fighting against the fact that they felt too heavy to move. He squeezed them shut and blinked. Everything was fuzzy, out of focus...he saw big blurry spots of light, shadows...

Like the manual focus on a camera everything slowly came into focus. Castle blinked again and the shadows became clearer. Two redheads and two unbelievable detectives. He smirked, painfully.

"Hey." He said hoarsely. Woah. Hard to believe how much your throat dries out when your unconcious for a while... He coughed. "Could I get some w –water please?" He had barely finished his sentence before Alexis spun around and rushed towards the nurse's station. Martha sat down beside him and grabbed his hand.

"You're-you-" Her voice seemed to stick in her throat and her eyes were red. She wiped at her cheek with the back of her hand. He had never really seen his mother cry before. Not like this. He was overwhelmed by more emotions than he could deal with. More than anything he just felt...bad. His stomach felt like someone had dropped a stone inside it and then swrung it out like a wet towel. His chest was tight and to top it off he was pretty sure he'd broken at least one finger and maybe a rib. He also had a killer headache, which was no doubt attributable to his concussion. He gave his mom's hand a soft squeeze, trying to reassure her, to let her know he was there...or something. Family moments hadn't really been there thing up until this point. They had somehow managed to just, glide on through them and live out their lives without much need for them. They'd had fun, or arguments, but never this. Never trouble like this.

"I'm alright." He said quietly. He could hear Alexis'footsteps getting closer. She slipped through the doorway with a glass of water and handed it to him. He took it with his good hand and downed it. It seemed to provide his insides some temporary relief. The tightness and pain in his stomach lessened as the cool water trickled through him...and then returned almost immediately afterwards. He set the glass down on the side table louder than he had expected.

"You both should make sure you're safe. He was close." Castle said to his mom.

"I told her, Castle." Ryan stepped in. "I went and got them. If they're going to be somewhere it's going to need to be better than the Hamptons. Somewhere we can make sure no one will get to them, or at least, catch whoever it is before they try anything." Esposito nodded.

"What were you thinking?" Castle inquired. Esposito gestured North.

"There's a place about an hour or so from the city we use as a safehouse sometimes, for C.I.s, witnesses in serious and threatening cases, people who's lives are at risk...we could go there." He offered.

"Won't they expect that?" Castle asked. It seemed to predictable.

"Yeah, but what else have we got? It's the best protected. It's our best shot." Esposito replied. This time it was Ryan who nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's get that set up then. Make sure that-"

"WAIT!"

Everyone in the room stopped and looked at Alexis.

"Don't we get an opinion?" She looked so conflicted, it hurt Castle to look at her. He felt like the worst parent...the worst person on the planet.

"Alexis, I'm sorry I brought you into this. I didn't – I never wanted you to be part of this. If I had known that this was what was going to happen I wouldn't have gotten in so far. This could've all been avoided, and it's my fault...everyone's here and if I had just.." His cheeks were hot and his eyes were stinging but he didn't care. The one person who deserved nothing but the best, the best daughter any parent could ever want...and he had put her in the worst kind of danger. "I'm sorry...for being me, Alexis. I should've been a better dad, I should've taken better care of you and not been such a-"

He had to stop as Alexis came flying at him. Her cheek was pressed tightly against his chest and his words were lost. She had her arms wrapped around him so tight it hurt, but he didn't care. Her pressed his cheek against her hair and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. He remembered when she was small enough to fit in his arms, when she was a baby...and now here she was all grown up, but still his little girl. It terrified him. She said something that he couldn't quite hear, her voice muffled against his hospital gown.

"What did you say?" He pulled his head back to look at her. She pulled away and looked at him, holding his hand.

"I said I wasn't arguing about a safe place. I just had a suggestion...and don't you ever try to tell me you're a bad father again. Don't even think that." She said in responsible tone he hated to admit that he loved. "You're the best dad in the world. And you're mine. So stop it." Castle couldn't help but let a smile cross his face.

"You telling me what to do?" He laughed. Alexis smiled back and rolled her eyes at him.

"Always." She laughed, giving his hand a squeeze. "You'll be 80 and I'll still be helping you out."

"I hope so." He replied. "What was your suggestion?" He pulled on her hand so she could sit close to him on the edge of the bed.

"Well I was just thinking, they're going after everyone close to this case, right? So that means they'll probably go after Mr. Beckett too." Alexis started. Castle's heart jumped into his throat at the thought. He hadn't even considered that, and he wanted to smack himself for forgetting. Ryan slipped out of the room again, making what Castle assumed was a phone call to Jim. "I was thinking that we should get him too, and then we could all go somewhere safe together, but not somewhere they'd expect." Alexis continued. "Mr. Beckett was telling me about his summer cottage he has in the Catskills. We could go and bring, well...some sort of security. We'd be away from the city. It would give you guys time here to sort out what's going on."

Castle didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how he felt about going to a secluded cabin. Generally that's how people in horror movies died. Of course, this wasn't a horror movie, it was his life, and she was more likely to be killed sitting in her own bedroom. Catskills might be safer. With security. Lots of security. Castle sighed and looked at Esposito.

"I don't like it, but-"

"But it's an option." Esposito said.

"It would be easier for him to get to us if we're all in the city. Smaller target." Ryan added, re-entering the room. "I caught the tailend of the plan."

"We might be underestimating his arsenal. I think he has more connections than you think." Esposito said.

"Well what are the options? Stay at home and risk being killed. Predictable safehouse with security in the city? Unpredictable cabin with security in the middle of nowhere? ..." Castle asked, half for them and half for himself. He struggled for more. Those weren't really good enough. "We know he has connections to the police. I don't think I'm comfortable with security...I mean...I want it, but to be honest, who the hell can we trust?" The room was silent. The truth dropped like an anvil and the options were crushed beneath it.

"We'll go." Esposito suggested. "We'll be the security."

"That's the best option I've heard." Ryan agreed.

"You would have to leave soon. When no one expects it either." Castle told them. Ryan and Esposito exchanged humored glances.

"Don't worry bro, we know how to do this. It's our job, remember?" Esposito laughed.

"Mine too." Castle added. "In theory."

"Tell you what. You come up with the 'theory' and we'll put that into action." Ryan said. "Put both our jobs to good use."

"What about you?" Martha said, looking at Rick. "You're injured. Becektt's injured. You're both on their 'hit list' and you're not in fighting condition."

Castle couldn't hide a small smirk. "Mom, don't say 'hit list'. Ever. And don't worry, I have a plan." He tapped his temple with his blood pressure cuffed finger. "I always have a plan."

Martha raised an eyebrow. "Hoo boy...here we go."