Quiet in my house is very rare. Tonight the parrots aren't screaming and the cats are not fighting over the best spots to sleep. I love this little zoo.


"I need to get out of here!" Kate pleaded, the hard edge of her voice indicating exactly how desperate she was to leave.

"You can't," Esposito countered over the phone, "We're close, unbelievably close, to him."

"It's not enough; I hated this idea from the start. Let me out. This is prison."

"HEY!" Jake countered from the kitchen, "I'm not that bad." Kate waved him off in agreement as she moved around the rented space that had become her enclosure.

"Have you talked to Castle?" Kate paced, "Because I'm going to kill him."

"You're not going to kill him." Her coworker reminded, "He hasn't done anything wrong this time."

"That's the understatement of the year."

"What did he do?"

"Never mind," She closed the topic.

"Okay." He treaded lightly, "Listen I've got to go, but we're close and we'll spring you the moment we can."

"If you don't," Beckett promised, "You're my second stop." The line disconnected with the sound of Esposito's laugh.

She tossed the disposable cell down with a little too much force, sending it spinning on the counter.

"Progress?" Jake asked.

"They won't tell me much, but he says it's close."

"That's a good thing."


Castle had spent the morning in and out of the torn up kitchen, trying to figure out who had been placed there. None of them seemed to notice him and none of them seemed unsure of the job at hand. He was fooled and relieved at the same time.

The project lead asked him a few questions about the angle of the flooring and if the counter color was okay since the exact color he'd selected had been discontinued.

At lunch, one of the men finally approached him and they discussed the two vehicles that lingered in the area watching for Castle, hoping he'd lead them to Beckett.

"They've deemed you not at risk. They've picked up nothing on the wires and taps about them wanting you out too. It's just her." The man revealed as he ate from his bucket lunch. Castle ran his hands over his face, trying to wipe the stress away.

"That doesn't really help me."

"Sorry," the officer explained, "It sucks. They've left up to you, if you'd like to stay here or go back to the city."

Castle milled on this for a little while. He missed his daughter, but he wanted to be near Kate. He was useless anywhere he went really.

"Can't you get rid of that guy out there?"

"It's two guys and they know the loitering laws, neither sits long enough for us to remove them by force. We could send a uniformed car by, but in all likelihood that will just let them know they're onto something. It's probably best you spend your usual visit here, supervising the construction, doing your rounds before heading home like nothing is going on." Castle mulled this thought over again.

"Alright, it's Friday, typically I come up on Thursday or Friday and head home on Sunday when I spend the weekend." Castle explained and with a wave about the kitchen, "I came up here to talk to the crew. I'll give it the usual span and head back to New York."

"You just have to discuss it out in public a little. So if they question any of your contacts they'll give the proper explanation." The officer finished his sandwich and returned to the kitchen with the other crew, filling in for a missing crew member who was out 'sick'.


She was in the kitchen snipping out her own stitches when Jake caught her.

"They needed to come out. We can't have anyone coming in now," She silenced his protest.

"Be careful." He told her, but stepped away so she wouldn't feel under such scrutiny. They came out easily, though two pulled slightly through the flesh healing around it and sent a sensation between a tickle and scrap up her spine.

Her first order of business without the horrible pulling material free from her scar, was to shower and examine the scar in the mirror. Part of it completely lacked a scab it had healed so well outwardly, the rest was scabbed tightly. She was thankful it hadn't grown any tighter to the stitches. The muscle still ached inside as it healed back together, reminding her of the scream her muscles gave for a few days after she'd lifted a heavier set of weights than normal in the gym. She suspected it would be like that for a while, but took comfort in the healing.

Castle was taking control of her thoughts, so she tucked her hair into a ponytail and plopped herself back on the treadmill.

She walked for a while, before pushing him from her mind with a jog.


By Sunday, she could run. But it no longer helped her shed him from her thoughts.

She was furious really. He hadn't called. Even though she rationalized that he was under strict orders not the blow the security of the phone lines, she was still mad. Everything about the situation reminded her of last summer. Only this time she was in the Hamptons, and she was alone. She pushed the idea from her head before she thought of him and Gina, not alone, but together.

Beyond him not calling was the fact that he was living his life as if nothing was wrong. He'd stormed out like a child over this situation, and gotten a reward.

Couldn't he see everything she'd tried to tell him over the last few months? Couldn't he grasp the concept that despite her fears, she'd gotten rid of Josh?

It was just like last year.

She kicked the speed up until she had a dull ache in her side and slowed it back down.


By Sunday, he was insane. He'd figured out who the two alternating tails were, and he'd made a show of being the famous writer in front of them. He'd visited all his regular haunts, talked to all his regular friends. He'd explained about the kitchen and horrible counter top mix up. In reality it really didn't bother him, he'd closed his eyes and pointed to one of three colors that were all in the same tone and temperature.

On Saturday night, he'd complained loudly that he couldn't survive up here until the kitchen was done. Then he'd proceeded to explain his S'morelet to a group of friends who'd laughed, but all agreed they'd never eat it.

This morning, he's paced. His keys had felt incredibly heavy in his palm. He wanted to leave and wanted to stay.

He made a call into the station. Both Ryan and Esposito's extensions went unanswered. He hoped that meant things were coming to an end and weren't becoming more complicated.

Still not ready to leave, he walked down to the George's place. It was early, too early for lunch even, at 10:30 and too early for them to be open, but he found the front door open anyway.

He had to smile when he came around the entrance way and found the two of them wrapped up in each other again. He waited, while they kissed into oblivion. Finally clearing his throat as George's hand disappeared from view.

"Sorry," Castle apologized and the pair had laughed as they parted and she ducked into the back to finish opening prep.

"'Should be happy it was you and not someone who actually pays me." George reminded Castle of the night he'd brought him the blank paper slip rather than running the card simply on gut instinct.

"I assume you tabbed me for it."

"Of course."

"Are you going to tell me about it?" George asked as he flicked the sign in the window to glow its red 'Open'.

"Someday, when I'm sure someone isn't about to follow me in."

"It's not a boyfriend hell bent on revenge?"

"Didn't hear that from me." Rick acknowledged, "Hell, you didn't hear that at all."

It was near 11 when a small family came in for lunch. Like clockwork, a few moments after the first customer, and one of the tails came in as well. Finishing a sandwich and paying his tab and bill from today, Castle promised to see his friend again before the summer had finished.

"I'll be up again as soon as the remodel is done." He explained, and left with a wave and a genuine smile.

Rick walked back, and marveled how short the walk seemed when he was sober and not completely terrified for his life and hers.

He finished a load of laundry, putting the clothing away so he wouldn't have a stinking pile of clothes waiting for him the next trip out. His disposable cell had died yesterday, but he couldn't risk stopping to pick up a charger. The tails had both seen him on his normal phone and they'd immediately realize there was a second phone from the mismatched charger.

Keys in hand, his hands skimmed his pockets to be sure he had his phone. He still felt as if he was missing something with the laptop stuck back at the rental.

It felt weird to leave without it and without her.


"If you so much as move, I will take it as you going for a weapon. I will shoot you." Esposito growled as Ryan stepped forward. "And you won't be as lucky as she was."

"It won't end with me."

"It already has." A female voice promised despite the shake in tone. "We've got your other two buddies as well." It was clear Jenkins hadn't worked the intensity of the field, but they'd used her again in the end.

"We're pulling in the two tails from the Hamptons as well; I bet they squeal before they even sit down." The man glared as the cuffs clicked on tightly and he was pulled from the floor roughly. His eyes connected with Ryan as he spoke one cold word.

"Three."