Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all ownership of everything.
They moved silently towards the address that they had. No sirens on.
The country house where they had traced back the phone was truly in the middle of nothing. There was a dirty old path that led to the house and that was the only indication that there was any type of life in this part of the country. Everything around them was planting fields and woods.
The big downside of having a dusty path full of rocks was that the cars made a lot of noise traveling it, somewhat stealing them the element of surprise.
She had four squad cars with her and an ambulance with paramedics waiting outside of the line of fire. Just in case.
It was a little one story house with white walls and a cute blue roof, well-kept considering its location.
Two squad cars went to the back of the house while the remaining squad cars stayed upfront with her and the boys.
The cars were parked sideways so it blocked the dusty path to the house.
She got out of the car and cocked her gun, reading it to fire.
Kate looked back at the boys and saw that their guns were also ready to go.
Everything was set and ready as they advance to enter the house, but before they could reach the porch, the front door swung open and Castle came stumbling out, tripping over his own feet and having difficulties in focusing his eyes.
"Castle." she breathed out lowering her gun.
His eyes immediately flew to her, gaining focus and consciousness. He blinked a couple of times and looked around, before focusing is eyes back on her and taking a step forward.
"Not so fast, darling." a woman spoke from behind him, making Beckett tense again and raise her gun.
Castle was much taller and larger than the woman behind him, making a perfect shield. The woman, that Kate deduced had to be Harmon, peeked her head from behind Castle like a little kid, taking a long hard look at her and then scanning the view painted with cops.
"I see you brought your friends with you. I brought a friend with me to." she said showing partially a knife that was being held to Castle's back.
Kate clenched her teeth.
"Drop the weapon and let him walk away." she barked.
Harmon laughed, making Beckett's grip on the gun tighten and her trigger finger get itchy.
"How cute." Harmon continued "She thinks it's going to be easy." Harmon stood on her tiptoes and stage whispered in Castle's ear, making him flinch slightly "I'm not letting go of you that easily."
Castle seemed now much more alert of everything around him, his blue eyes open wide and his face in a frown of pain.
His eyes focused on her and stayed on her face.
She was this close to having him back. If she played this right she would get him back within minutes.
It was funny how in so little time your life could turn around and change completely.
"Harmon." she started again, this time softer but still not quite managing to take the bite out of her tone. "Let's just solve this peacefully. If you just let him go I'll put a good word with the D.A. and they'll shorten your stay in prison."
"No, no, no. I'm the one with a knife in Rick's flesh. I'm the one giving the demands here. And my first demand is for you to put down your gun and walk over here. The three of us can have a long, nice talk inside without so many curious ears around."
She was actually considering it, but Rick was shaking his head no and putting a hand up as if he could stop her.
By the frown on his face the knife had already gone a little deeper and she was already lowering her gun, but he raised his hand again and asked her for a minute. For just a minute, his eyes pleaded with her.
She gave him his minute.
"Harmon," he started softly, his voice sounding like smooth velvet "I know that you think that you can get your happiness like this but you can't. I can't be your old boyfriend. I could never take his place and you know that. Deep down you know that. I'm not going to make you happy." Rick gasped as the knife went deeper and she had already placed her gun on the hood of the car and was going to move towards them when he motioned for her to wait. "And maybe you should keep looking for someone that will truly make you happy. I mean, look at my past. I have two divorces, a daughter and a crazy mother living with me. That means that I'm not much of a husband. I screw everything I touch. My father didn't even want me. I make people around me die and go to prison. One of my best friends and mentor went to prison because of me. I'm nosy in a way that makes me dangerous. I stuck my nose where I shouldn't and suddenly people started dying around me. The Captain at the 12th died because of me. Dick Conan to. I got detective Beckett shot. I made her break up with her boyfriends. I'm no good. You shouldn't want me. I mean yes I write books, and yes in books boys are always amazing. That's because you have to be really no-good to recognize good and put it on paper."
Kate was almost in horror.
What?! He really thought that?!
How could he even- That made no sense.
And all she wanted to do was say no. No, no, no. What?! Rick, no.
Harmon seemed thoughtful now, loosening her grip on the knife. Kate could see she was not quite convinced, though. And she knew Castle knew that as well.
She was almost afraid of what he was going to say next.
"Seriously, look at me. I've been following detective Beckett around like a love sick puppy for four years now and I told her I loved her and she did nothing about it. Meaning that I'm not good enough for her. Do you think I would really be good enough for you? Come on, you can do so much better!"
Oh, God! He knew. He knew she knew and this was such a mess!
But it seemed to work. Harmon took the knife out of his back.
"You're right. You're not nearly good enough for me. You're of no use to me now." she said seeming bored.
And then, with a swift move, she buried the knife in Castle's back.
His mouth fell in an 'o' of shock and for a moment everything froze and stood still. And then he was crumbling to the floor, falling with a loud thud.
And then everything sounded like she was underwater as a sob escaped her lips and the cops fired against the woman, making a symphony of gunshots echo in the air.
She ran to Castle then. Kneeling beside him and pressing a hand to his back where the blood just kept coming out. It just kept coming out. It was to much for her fingers to stop.
"Come on, Castle. You can't die on me." she sobbed "Please, don't die on me."
He turned glassy eyes to her, looking without really seeing. She could feel him trying to focus on her. The effort he was doing to stay awake.
He blinked a couple of times, finally focusing his eyes on her and opening his mouth to say something. She leaned closer, keeping her hands pressuring the wound.
He opened his mouth again but no sound came out. He looked at her confused, like he couldn't understand why his voice didn't work.
The paramedics arrived and pushed her off of him, getting hands to work and trying to keep him alive while the blood kept pouring out.
She stood up and unconsciously wipped her bloody hands to her pants, then running her hands through her hair, smearing it with blood.
Castle's eyes were still open and the paramedics where getting ready to put him in the gurney. When they lifted him it must had been too much pain, because his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.
They led him to the ambulance, leaving Kate standing there in the porch.
She faintly registered Ryan and Esposito coming over, looking shocked and defeated and in panic.
She remembered that they called them mom and dad. Just to tease. But now she realized that they weren't only her boys anymore. These were Castle's boys to, these two had taken Castle in their little cop family and accepted him as a brother, as one of the boys.
She looked down, only because she couldn't deal with them right now, and saw Harmon's body on the floor with over a dozen wholes. She couldn't find it in herself to care. She just couldn't.
So she stepped away and got in her car. She was going to the hospital. She had to go be with Castle.
She had been stupid enough not to get in that ambulance with him.
She started the ignition and was ready to leave when the door of her car swung open and Esposito lightly pulled her out of the seat, leading her to the back of their car, silently saying that she would go with them, whether she wanted to or not.
She was grateful for it, really. She wasn't sure if she could drive. This was better.
Esposito turned the ignition and drove them away from that house. Away from the cops organizing everything to take Harmon Strike's body to the morgue.
They were all silent during the ride, the only sound was the car flying through the highway and into the nearest hospital.
Beckett leaned back, resting her head in the seat and closing her eyes.
It was funny how in so little time your life could turn around and change completely. But that's how it always goes. It's funny until it isn't. And right now it wasn't.
A/N: This chapter is shorter than the others for cliffhanger purposes. And my next update will be only next week on Friday due to the three tests that I'm going to have next week. If I fail any of them I'll get grounded, meaning no computer, meaning no writing.