AN: Here's the next one! Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews for this story. I really appreciate them!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 14

They resurface a while later, popping up to the dock by his boat.

"Well, that was exhilarating," he remarks, trying to adjust himself to the fresh oxygen since his bubble has popped.

"I've never taken a human on a speed swim," Kate responds as he climbs onto the dock. "So, I don't know what happens. You feel okay?"

"I'm fine," he replies, and he is fine. More than fine actually. He's been pressed up against Beckett for a good while, so he's happy as a clam.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow," she says.

He glances around, noting that it's pitch black It's most likely almost three o'clock in the morning, so everyone is in his or her home.

"Why don't you stay with me?" he offers. "It's late and it'll probably take a while for you to get home."

She purses her lips. "You sure? I don't want to be an imposition."

"You won't be," he insists. He eyes her, realizing that regardless of arm strength, getting to his boat is going to be an issue. "I'll be right back."

Going onto the boat, he rummages around the front closet, and returns with a large towel.

"I'll carry you in." He holds out the cloth and Beckett shakes her head.

"You don't need to do that."

"Do you want splinters in your arms?" he retorts. Her lips form into a cute scowl as she takes the towel and places it on the wooden planks.

"You just want an excuse to hold me again," she teases, pulling herself up and wrapping the material around her tail.

"I won't deny that," he chirps.

He lifts her up, finding her to be light as a feather. He's careful to ensure no one else is around before taking her to the boat deck.

"I don't have anything to sleep in," she grumbles.

"You can borrow my stuff. I'm sure I have a t shirt that's plenty big. Also, I'll throw your clothes in the dryer."

"You have a dryer?"

"Yep." The elderly couple has plumbing in their boat, so they have a washer and dryer, which makes things much easier for Rick on the hygiene end.

Once he escorts her inside, he deposits her on the couch, letting her dry off her tail. Soon, she morphs back into her human form, which leaves her in a light blue t-shirt and jeans.

"No shoes?"

She shrugs. "I left them where I took off from earlier."

He nods before entering his bedroom and pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of boxers.

"Here you go." She shoots him grateful look before going into the bedroom. While a little disappointed, he knows there not at that level, yet.

Returning a few moments later, she smiles, pirouetting in front of him.

"So, how do I look?" she jokes, hands on her hips.

"Absolutely divine," he murmurs, eyes roaming her frame. Beckett in his clothes is one of the sexiest things he's ever seen.

The shirt is an old navy blue thing he keeps for sleep wear. The piece of clothing goes down to her mid thigh, almost flowing. There's a hint of the black boxer peeking out from underneath the shirt. To add to that, her hair is adorably tossed. He takes in the sight, committing it to memory.

Reaching his hand out, he invites her to step closer and she obliges. Tugging her to him, he places his chin on the top of her head.

"I believe I promised a kiss," she states, voice muffled by his chest.

He chuckles. "Indeed you did."

Tilting her head up, he grins before gently placing his lips against hers. She reciprocates, their kiss becoming more passionate each second.

He leads her to the couch, pressing her body up against it, relishing in the soft moans that escape her lips in-between as he moves to her neck. Before they go any further, however, he's somehow able to restrain himself.

"As much as I would love to continue this," he breathes into her neck. "I would much prefer to do this in my very spacious loft." His hands trail down her torso, stopping at her hip, his fingers tapping the small indent in her back. "In my very spacious bed, where I can explore every inch of you without any type of hindrance."

She releases a small whine, but seems to agree as she pulls back from him. Resting her forehead against his, she smiles softly.

"I think that might be a good idea," she mumbles. Straightening herself up, she stands, grinning. "Well, good night, Castle."

"Until tomorrow, Beckett," he answers, gesturing for her to go to the bedroom. She's about to protest, but seems to think better of it. Good.

Once she's off, he lays himself down on the couch, adjusting himself until he's as comfortable as possible.

Soon, he drifts off to sleep, dreaming of the woman in the next room.

Kate wakes the next morning, the scent of pancakes, chocolate chip to be exact, and her favorite coffee, hitting her nose. She sits up, remembering she's not in her own bedroom.

She glances at the desk next to the bed and she spots her clothes from the previous night. A wide smile stretches across her face, and she bites her lip. Castle can be so sweet.

Throwing her clothes on, she looks at the clock on the nightstand, seeing it's still fairly early. She swears, realizing her phone is at home. Hopefully no one's been looking for her.

She saunters into the main area of the boat, which is a living room and a very small kitchenette. Her thoughts briefly wander to how Castle is able to stand the small space, given his height. Guilt courses through her at the thought of how uncomfortable he must've been sleeping on the couch. She'll definitely make up for it, soon.

"Morning, my dear detective," he greets as he places a stack of pancakes on a plate. "I figured you'd be up early." He pushes the plate toward her at the table, indicating for her to eat.

"Thanks, Castle. You didn't have to do this." She sits, licking her lips at the delectable looking food. It has been a while since she's had pancakes.

"Nonsense." As a mug appears in front of her, her eyes widen at the heart shaped foam in the middle of the beverage. "Just a little something for your morning."

"Thank you, really." Sipping, a contented sigh escapes her. Whatever he does to the coffee, it's heavenly.

"So, Ryan and Esposito texted, said they couldn't get a hold of you." He raises an eyebrow.

Great. "I left my phone at home. What did they say?"

"They might have figured out who that lawyer works for. They wanted you to come in and just corroborate the information with them."

Relief fills her as it seems the case might finally be coming to an end.

"Did they say who?"

He shakes his head. "No, must be someone big if they won't say over a text."

She nods, taking another bite of her pancakes. "I need to go home first and change and grab my phone."

"I'll drive you because as I recall you don't have any shoes."

Right. "Okay then." She knows there no use in protesting.

He looks a little too satisfied, a smirk on his face, one she wishes to kiss off. She'll do it, later.

Once she's finished and they both clean up, they head out to her apartment, Castle at the wheel. She hates other people driving, but for him, she'll make an exception. She pouts, noticing how lenient she's become lately. Stupid mermaid influences.

"Everything okay, Beckett?" he inquires.

"Yep," she replies. "Just eager to close this case."

"Same here. The sooner we catch this guy, the sooner there's one less potential death."

She nods, grateful that they're on the same wavelength in regard to justice. Though, they're in sync about many things. It's remarkable.

When they reach her building, she exits and tells him to stay in the car.

"I'll meet you at the precinct."

"Afraid to be seen with me?" he asks good-naturedly, eyes twinkling.

She rolls her eyes. "No, just need some time to myself." She may like him, but she still needs some time alone to think.

He tosses her a wry smile, understanding. "I'll see you then."

Giving her a little wave, he drives away.

She walks into her building, ignoring the stares of people who notice her bare feet.

At least she has clothes on.

She walks into the precinct about an hour and a half later. Castle's already sitting in his accustomed chair when she arrives at her desk.

"Yo, Beckett," Esposito announces, striding toward them. "We think we have a hit on who this Alex guy is working for." He holds out the iPad, letting her browse the information. As she reads, her eyebrows raise, lips pursed.

"You sure about this?" She peers at him and Ryan, both appearing certain.

"Yeah, it took us a while to remember where we saw that lawyer, but then we realized he was from those press conferences a few years back that dealt with those bribery allegations in District Attorney's Office."

"The ones where the ADAs were supposedly bribing the judges in some cases?" Castle asks.

"Yeah, those ones," Beckett responds. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Well, this guy has been there since the eighties, and was hired by then DA, and now senator, William Bracken, who has his own skeletons."

"Okay and?" She knows full well about Bracken's supposed skeletons. Her mother and father weren't fans of him and her mom didn't trust the former DA.

"That aside, he seems to have a high interest in marine life. Been to a lot of the grand openings for aquatic stuff around the city. Also, he's partnered with some of the diving centers to expand the areas in which citizens can dive around the city," Ryan says, appearing surprised. "Who knew the guy was into that type of stuff?"

"Huh," Castle remarks, glancing at her. She knows what he's thinking and she agrees. Thankfully, no one's found any of the colonies. "Have any old pictures of him?"

She performs a quick search of Bracken and finds several old pictures, most of them comparing him to what the senator looks like now, which isn't much different. His face is still full of youth from over twenty years ago, not a wrinkle or gray hair in sight.

"Wow, he must have a really good plastic surgeon and stylist," Espo jokes. However, the images make her stomach turn and she sees horror in Castle's own expression.

"Er, yeah." A nervous chuckle emanates from her lips. "So, maybe we should pay him a visit?"

"Right," Ryan says. "Would you rather us go? If Alex has warned him, seeing you two might spook him."

She bites her lip, unsure. She wants to bring this guy in herself, craves it, but she knows it would be more practical to send Ryan and Espo.

"Okay yeah, you guys go. Bracken has a local office nearby. See if you can get in and question him."

The two boys leave, eagerness radiating off both of them.

"How many do you think he-" Castle starts to ask, but she shakes her head.

"I don't know, I've only heard stories. It's said one mermaid alone could sustain someone for several years." It's supposed to be old folklore, something to keep the merchildren from swimming up to the surface. Now, she's not so sure.

"So, why the screw ups? I mean, if he's done this before, why are there errors?"

She sighs. "The website is probably more of an experiment. Who knows? Maybe with enough misses he'd stop using it. But then he'd move on to something else."

Castle nods, thinking. "I think I have a feeling of the answer, but out of curiosity, how is the immortality gained?"

"The seeker is supposed to kill the merperson and extract some of their blood during the full moon and inject it, or drink it, or something. I don't know the exact details, but it's pretty brutal for the merperson."

"Wait, I thought you couldn't get hurt?" His eyebrows furrow in confusion and she shrugs.

"There's something about the full moon that makes us weaker, more susceptible to attack. So, yeah, we can die on a full moon." She's never paid much attention to the old tales, just what her parents told her as a child. Detachment has always been key with her when it came to the underwater world, with the exception of the occasional report to Mathias. However, now she's starting to question her choices with remaining separated from that part of her life since her mom died.

"We have what, another week and a half? So, hopefully, this guy caves, if it is him."

"Given how far this has gone, I don't think so."

"You can charm him," he jokes. She snorts, shaking her head. That was such a stupid move and she's positive Alex caught on to what she was doing. "Alright, anything we need to do in the meantime?"

"No, not really. We've gone through everything we can and as far as we know, Alex is in the wind, for now." She hates these moments, where there's a dead end and not much to do. "We just have to wait for Ryan and Esposito to return. I do have paperwork to do."

Castle pouts, of course, but remains in his seat nonetheless. Whipping out his phone, he plays whatever the latest game is now, leaving her to concentrate on work.

Time passes and the boys still haven't returned.

"Where are they?" she mutters, sending a text to Espo. He responds back quickly.

The senator is taking his precious time meeting with us. We're apparently next in line.

Of course. Bracken is most likely taking a power trip.

"Looks like they're stuck," she grumbles to Castle.

"Even I don't think I could get in," he offers. "I have friends in high places, just not that high."

She just shakes her head, returning to the file in front of her.

After another hour and a half, the boys finally return, each wearing a disappointed expression.

"I'm assuming it didn't go well," Castle surmises.

"The guy all but laughed in our faces," Esposito grouses.

"Yeah, 'How dare you question me. I'm a main pillar of this community. What an asinine thing to accuse me of.'" Ryan mocks.

"Great." Kate runs a hand through her hair. "So we have nothing, absolutely nothing."

"Oh, not exactly nothing," Espo chirps. "He took a call when we left, from the lawyer."

"Hear anything interesting?" she quizzes.

"A lot of the conversation was along the lines of something getting taken care of soon," Ryan answers.

She slumps her shoulder in dejection, wishing to bang her head on the desk.

"Sorry, boss," Esposito apologizes.

Waving a dismissive hand, she sighs. "It's okay, we'll figure something out." What it is, she doesn't know.

"Hey, why don't I go on a coffee run, cheer everyone up?" Castle offers. It make her smile, knowing that he wants to boost morale. He may have only been there a few weeks but he does feel like part of team.

They give him their orders and he leaves, but not before asking Captain Montgomery if he wants anything.

"I'll miss him when he's gone," Espo says.

"What do you mean when he's gone?" Beckett demands.

"Come on, do you really think he'll stick around? I mean he's interested in you, sure, but this has to be boring him."

Taking a deep breath, she tries to calm herself. He wasn't there when Castle made his promise last night.

"You never know, he might stick around," she hedges.

"I like him, I'm hoping he stays," Ryan chimes.

"You two are something else," Esposito says, shaking his head in dismay before reoccupying his desk.

"Don't worry about him, Beckett. I'm sure he'll warm to Castle, eventually."

She lifts her shoulders, eyes glancing at the paperwork. Even if Espo doesn't begin to like Castle, it's not like he has the final word of the author around.

"Well, let's get back to work," she states, contemplating on what to do next.

As she ponders, she notices her head start to hurt. Huh, weird, she never has headaches. One of the perks of being a mythical creature. She brushes it off, filling out another form.

As she reads, the pain in her head grows, almost throbbing. Her fingertips reach up to her temple, massaging it in hopes of relieving the pain. No such luck.

"Hey, you okay, Beckett?" Ryan inquires.

"Yeah, you don't look so good," Espo comments.

"I'm fine, just a migraine." She grits her teeth. What the hell is going on?

"Maybe the coffee will help. Speaking of, where is Castle? He's been gone for a while" Espo frowns.

She realizes he's right. Castle doesn't take that long to get stuff from the little cafe on the corner, unless he's become side-tracked.

She sends him a brief text, expecting a reply in minutes. However, nothing comes.

"Maybe he went home," Ryan jokes, earning a glare from her. "Sorry."

The pain in her head hasn't subsided, but it hasn't grown worse either. As she tries to alleviate the ache, she realizes that the feeling is similar to having been hit by a blunt object.

"Any answer?" Espo questions.

"No," she grumbles, staring at her phone forlornly. Something's up and she doesn't like it, not one bit. She starts to text him again when the phone pings.

Check your email, Detective.

Her stomach turns at the sentence and she immediately clicks into her email, finding one new message without a subject.

The content of the message is just a grainy video, featuring an all too familiar face.

"Castle," she breathes, heart dropping at the image. He's tied to a chair, blood oozing out of his head. Well, that explains the headache.

The one fact about mermaids she knows is true is when someone's soulmate becomes hurt, their significant other feels it to some degree. When her mother was murdered, her father started feeling pains in his abdomen while they were at the restaurant. He had tried to hide it, but she had known something wasn't right.

"Shit," Esposito swears.

"Hello, Detectives," a recognizable voice greets from behind the camera. "As you can see, I have that writer of yours. Bit of struggle grabbing him, but I have him now."

She clenches her teeth, hands curling into fists. Alex continues, each word filling her with disgust.

"If you want him back, you are to allow Detective Beckett to come alone, tonight at nine o'clock."

"Like hell," Ryan states. She hushes him, hanging on the kidnapper's words.

"You are to come where we met yesterday, understood?" Alex lets out a low chuckle. "Until then, I think I'll enjoy getting to know Mr. Castle a little better."

Alex comes into the screen's view and the sound of something scraping across the floor fills her ears. If she could become ill, she would. It's a tub, probably filed with ice cold water.

"Don't listen to him, Beckett," Castle pleads.

Alex whacks him with the butt of a gun, and she cringes, feeling some of the impact herself.

"I'll see you then." The kidnapper chuckles darkly before the screen goes black.

She about to see if she can track the email, but sees the address is a throwaway, the kind that would be used on the deep web, according to Castle.

"No, no, no," she mumbles.

"Come on, Beckett. We'll find him," Espo coaxes. "Let's go talk to the captain and see what we can do in terms of backup."

"No," she says, shaking her head.

"No? You're not seriously thinking of going alone, are you?" Ryan prods.

"Not alone, but I need to meet this guy face to face."

"I wonder why he wants you specifically?" Espo wonders.

"I, uh, don't know," she mutters, lying through her teeth. "Anyway, we still have quite a few hours until I see Alex. Let's find out if we can get any clues from the video about where Castle's being held."

They start the video again and she tries to concentrate, searching for any type of window or sign or anything to help indicate where Castle is located. However, the pain in her head hinders her focus and she's starting to feel a heaviness in her chest, like there's water in it. It won't actually harm her, but it still hurts. It pains her, both literally and figuratively, to know what Castle is going through right now.

"Do you want to sit this one out?" Espo questions.

"No," she grits out, gripping the desk. She sure as hell isn't going to stand on the sidelines as the man she cares about is put in harm's way.

Alex will have hell to pay.