Disclaimer: I own nothing!

The next few days went by quick for Rick and Kate. They went on yet another date, and it ended with Kate feeling just as flush and high school teenager as the last time. The morning after their second date, Kate's phone rang at around six in the morning, only giving her about five hours of sleep.

"Beckett," She said into the phone once she retrieved it.

"Hey we got a case." Esposito's voice rang through the phone.

"Alright. What's the address?" After Esposito texted Kate the address, she got up, took a shower, and was out the door in less than thirty minutes.

xxxxxx

Kate arrived at the scene and after scoping out the place, her and Esposito discovered the .45 gun that was thrown into the trash near the body and knew the case would be wrapped up soon. There were prints all over the gun and they'd soon arrested the victim's co-worker, who claimed he needed the promotion the victim had just gotten to pay for his daughter's school.

Kate, Ryan and Esposito were happily leaving the precinct around five o'clock that day, and Kate had gone home and treated herself to a few glasses of wine and a warm bath. Walking into her room and throwing a DVD in, Kate wrapped herself up in her blankets and was asleep before the movie had finished.

xxxxxx

"Beckett," Kate answered the phone in a groggy voice.

"Maybe I should start calling you Beckett. I don't think you would even notice." Kate laughed and pushed farther into her bed.

"I would notice. Only people at work call me Beckett."

"Well then why do you answer the phone 'Beckett' when I call?" Rick laughed.

"I was sleeping and I didn't check the caller ID, thank you very much."

"Just this once I'll forgive you." Kate giggled and bit her lip. She was about to ask if Rick was doing anything today when she heard another call coming in. Glancing at the ID, she saw that it was Esposito. Really? We just had a case. She thought.

"Hey, Esposito's calling on the other line, give me a minute." Kate switched lines and got the address for the new case. Switching the line back to Rick, the line was dead. Kate rolled her eyes and stood from the bed, waiting for a text from Rick, knowing he was too impatient to just wait. Sure enough, it came a few seconds later.

'Call me when you're able to do something. Rick.'

Kate quickly responded that, of course, she would call him the minute she was available. After quickly getting dressed, Kate locked her apartment and was on her way to the address Esposito had given her.

xxxxxx

Kate knew that the minute she arrived at the crime scene something wasn't right. The position of the victim made her stomach churn and it took a clearing of her throat to finally talk to Esposito and Ryan.

"Did anyone see anything?" They shook their heads and Kate kneeled in front of the woman, now asking what her cause of death had been. The stab wound. Of course. Kate stood and called Esposito and Ryan to where she was. "I'm going to head back to the station, see if I can pull anything up on her. Financials, jobs, anything like that."

"Alright, call if you need us, boss." They knew it had been hard for her to arrive today. They weren't going to protest her going home because of something like this.

Kate took one last look at the brunette woman slumped against the brick wall, a stab wound in her stomach and walked to her car. Halfway there, her phone rang.

"Beckett," Kate answered, not taking the moment to look at the caller ID. Again.

"Daddy," The voice she heard was quiet, "I don't think it's the right number." Kate smiled, recognizing the voice of Alexis Castle.

"Alexis, it's me, Kate, it's not the wrong number."

"Who's Beckett?" The girl asked still quiet, but no longer whispering.

"I'm Beckett. My name is Kate Beckett and the people that I work with call me Beckett, not Kate." Stepping into her car, Kate connected her phone with the Bluetooth, and then attached it to her ear.

"Why?" Alexis asked. Kate turned on her car and pulled out of her spot, starting towards the station.

"I.. Don't know," Kate's brows furrowed.

"Okay." She dropped it quicker than Kate would have guessed. "You wanna come over and go to the park? Daddy says he'll take us." Kate laughed when she heard a muffled 'I did not!' come from Rick. Listening to the girl, Kate could tell that she was smiling. She could hear it in her voice.

"I can't sweetie, I'm so-" Kate's words were cut off with a loud scream and her phone disconnecting, flying from her ear as her head crashed into the window.

xxxxxx

"Okay. Wanna come over and go to the park? Daddy says he'll take us." Alexis was bouncing on her father's lap and the phone was on speaker phone in her lap. Alexis' face fell at the next few words that came from Kate.

"I can't sweetie, I'm so-" Kate's scream was heard through the phone and then the phone lit up as the words 'Disconnected' flashed back at Rick. Alexis looked up at her father, who was still staring at the phone and she put her hand on his cheek.

Martha walked down the stairs a few seconds later, her smile dropping when she saw the fear on Rick's face.

"Richard?" Rick jumped up and put Alexis on the ground, going back a few text messages before he found the one he was looking for. She'd sent him the location of the crime scene and he was now extremely grateful that he asked when she told him she had a case. Grabbing his keys and wallet and shoving them into his pockets, he ran out of the house, asking Alexis to explain to his mother.

He felt guilty leaving Alexis, felt even more guilty leaving her with his mother, but he had to know what happened. Sure, they'd only known each other for around a month, and they'd only been dating for a week or so, but he was worried nonetheless.

xxxxxx

Rick pulled onto a street near the scene, rechecking his phone quickly to make sure he had the address right and his mouth gaped when he was stopped by a police officer, standing in the way of an accident. A car accident.

Rick stepped out of the car and walked as close as he could to the cars. One of them was a silver truck, its bumper hanging off the front. The other cars driver's side window was smashed, and there was a large dent in the door. Blood trailed along the steering wheel and the hubcap from the front wheel was about two feet from the car.

Rick's breath caught in his throat and his blood chilled when he recognized the car. Kate's car.

A/N: I'm so so so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been super busy and this is the first I've had my laptop all week! I promise I'll try and update sooner! As always, enjoy and review! c: