A/N: This one is set sometime after 'Boom!' (Ep. 2x18), the second part of the Season 2 two-partner.

Jim sat next to his daughter on her new couch, reveling in the sound of her voice, the sight of her face, the warmth that radiated from her. Jim had tried to make his peace with the inherent risks of Kate's work, but at times like this, it wasn't easy. Scott Dunn, the crazed killer who had plotted Kate's death, had been apprehended, and Jim knew that he should take comfort from that, draw strength from knowing that the maniac would probably spend the rest of his life behind bars. But he couldn't help but wonder how many more Dunns were out there.

Kate reached out to touch Jim's hand. He knew she could see the worry in his eyes. "I'm okay, Dad," she said softly. "Really. I'm fine."

Jim recognized the truth of her words. Kate was resilient – she always had been, always would be. But he also knew that his only child was good at hiding deeper emotions behind a tough exterior. "Have you been getting enough sleep?" he asked.

Kate shrugged. "Pretty much the same as always."

"So not much, then." Jim knew how brutal his daughter's hours could be.

"Maybe," Kate conceded, "but it hasn't been too bad either." She looked around her at the room that was still mostly bare, still missing the small touches that would make it a home. "Adjusting to a new apartment has been a little weird," she confessed. "I loved the old place. But surprisingly, I'm learning to love this one too." She squeezed her father's hand. "Thanks for coming to help me settle in."

Jim shook his head. "No need to thank me, Katie. I only wish I could've done more when this whole thing started."

Hearing about the explosion that had destroyed his daughter's home had been harrowing for Jim, and his relief that she hadn't been seriously hurt had been monumental. But harder still had been the period between the bombing and Dunn's arrest. Knowing that the suspect was still out there, that there was nothing Jim could do to protect his child from the risk of another attack had been sheer torture. He hadn't been able to protect Johanna, and it had almost destroyed him. If anything had happened to Kate…. Jim had to swallow a lump in his throat before going on. "I'm just… I'm really glad you're okay."

"Me too," Kate said, squeezing his hand one more time before releasing it. "You know, Dad," she said thoughtfully, "as… crazy as the case was, I learned a lot from it, especially working with Jordan Shaw."

"She seems like an impressive woman." Jim had been struck by the respect in Kate's voice whenever she spoke about the accomplished FBI special agent.

"She is," Kate agreed. "You know cops usually aren't thrilled when the Feds pop up on the scene. But even I have to admit that Shaw really knows her stuff – she has that quiet authority and confidence. She's fair, she doesn't play games, she stays focused. She's razor-sharp, perceptive, calm, level-headed under pressure. She follows her instincts and her training – she doesn't leave it all up to the FBI's fancy toys, and she doesn't send her people anywhere she won't go herself. She earns their respect."

"Hmm… you know who she sounds a lot like?"

"Who?"

"You. In fact, I think you've just described yourself in a nutshell."

Kate averted her eyes. "That's sweet, Dad, but I don't think I'm there just yet. That's what I aspire to be." She paused. "Strangely enough, Castle agrees with you. He described Jordan Shaw as the 'Federal Me'."

"Castle's a smart man," Jim said.

"Well," Kate said, "he did prove his worth on this case. He was a step ahead of everyone, the first to realize what Dunn was really up to."

"It can't have been easy for him," Jim said, "knowing the part that his books played in Dunn's plans." Jim didn't blame Castle for Dunn's insane obsessions – how could he? He was just glad that Kate was okay.

Kate nodded thoughtfully. "I think he struggled with that. But Castle has his coping mechanisms – I think he dealt with it by working hard on the case until we cracked it, coming over to my apartment to make sure I was okay, letting me stay at his loft after the explosion, saving my watch and getting it fixed –"

"Really?" Jim cut in, and he couldn't hide the disbelief in his voice. "You think Castle did all that out of guilt?"

Kate looked away again, studying the design on one of her new throw pillows. "Well, not guilt, exactly. But some feeling of responsibility. Besides, Castle's part of our precinct family now. Trust me, Dad; he would do the same for Javi or Kevin if they ever needed him. And we'd do the same for him. We all look out for one another – you know that."

Jim thought he knew a lot more than that, but he decided to let it go. "Well, whatever his motivation was, I'm just glad he was looking out for you. Please tell him how thankful I am."

Kate nodded. "I already have, Dad. This is only about the tenth time you've expressed your gratitude."

Jim thought to himself that a hundred times wouldn't be enough. Kate's friends and colleagues – the 'precinct family' she'd just described – played a pivotal role in her life. And Castle was part of that picture now. He had stepped in to care for her when she needed support, with her home destroyed and a target on her back. He'd warned her of impending danger, helped get her out of the burning apartment and to safety. He'd offered her a safe place to stay when she needed one.

Jim was thankful to Castle and all of Kate's friends and colleagues. Sometimes he wished Kate would turn to him when she needed protection. But he understood all the reasons – practical ones related to her job, as well as deeper ones related to his alcoholism – why she couldn't always do that.

Kate's next words broke through his reverie. "You know, Dad, it's weird. I thought staying at Castle's loft would be awkward, but it wasn't. They made me feel so welcome. It almost felt like home."

"Castle does seem to have a great home life – he's a lucky man."

"Yeah. And you know who else seems to have a pretty great home life? Special Agent Shaw. When I met her, I guess I just assumed that her job was her life. It turns out she has a little girl. She called home a few times to check on her, and it was amazing to see this hard-nosed investigator turn into a sweet, mushy mom."

Jim nodded. "Being great at your job – even a job that's difficult, or demanding, or dangerous – shouldn't mean that you can't have a family if you want one."

"Of course – but that doesn't mean it's easy. It's got to be hard for Shaw, leaving her daughter at home to go catch bad guys halfway around the country."

"True," Jim conceded, "but trust me, no matter how much time you spend with your child, it's never quite enough. And life is full of risks – more so in your line of work than in others – but I'm sure Agent Shaw is home as much as she can be, and that she cherishes every moment when she is home. That little girl might not have her mom with her all the time, but she knows that she's loved. And I'm sure Jordan Shaw thinks it's more than worth it, even when it's hard."

Kate nodded slowly, and Jim could tell that she was deep in thought. "Well, it was definitely… interesting to see that side of Shaw."

"Seems like you found her interesting all around," Jim commented. "Castle says she's the 'Federal You' – are you thinking she might be the 'Future You'?"

Kate shot her father an amused look. "Come on, Dad. So I thought Jordan Shaw was impressive as law enforcement professional and a mother. That doesn't mean that I'm suddenly contemplating becoming a Fed and getting knocked up."

Well, not yet, anyway, Jim added silently. He was glad that Kate was thinking about the future in some way, whatever shape that future might take. He knew that she had grown cynical about the future after losing her mother. So had he. Sudden loss had a way of doing that, but now it seemed they were both making progress. "So what did Castle think of the great Agent Shaw?" he wondered aloud.

"Exactly that," Kate said. "He thought she was The Great Agent Shaw, law enforcement legend. I've never seen him be so bowled over by anyone. And he loved all the fancy toys she brought with her. He was like a kid in a candy-store, going ga-ga over all of Shaw's gadgets." She rolled her eyes.

Jim wasn't surprised by the unconscious jealousy he could hear in Kate's voice. He was growing used to it now, just as he was growing accustomed to certain other things that had slowly become evident since Castle had entered Kate's life. Kate wasn't the only one who had learned a lot from the Dunn case. As far as Jim could tell, despite Kate's constant attempts to pretend otherwise, her life was already inextricably linked with Castle's, and Jim felt sure that they would be in each other's lives for a long time to come.

A/N: As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it more than I can say.