A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I had a ton of homework, and it's hard to write in English when you're surrounded by Spanish and living in a foreign country to immerse yourself in the culture and language. Sadly, I leave to go back home in about 15 hours. But, in between shopping for gifts and packing for home, I've been writing. No more homework afterall.

Some people have been frustrated by the slow pace of this story. To be honest, that's purposeful. I've read a lot of fanfic since I joined in August (almost all Castle of course) and I hate stories where there is a buildup of suspense and then suddenly the situation is resolved within a paragraph or two. The whole premise of this fic is the kidnapping of Beckett and the process of finding her...if they do [insert evil laugh/]. However, we are close to the end. Promise. Probably just 3 or 4 chapters after this one. So thanks for sticking by me and know that we're almost at the end of the journey. Love you guys and all your reviews!

"Castle, we've got a problem."

Rick sighed heavily, placing his heavy head in the hand that wasn't holding the phone as he sat tiredly at the kitchen counter.

Espo was waiting for a response, so Rick grunted. There was a problem. And that problem was that Kate was missing. Nothing else really qualified.

"Ryan and I have been looking at the list, but nothing is popping out. None of them have anything in their history that even remotely suggests they would be capable of something like this."

Rick knew it had been a long shot that one of the ten women on the list would be the one.

"Thanks for trying Espo. I know you guys are doing your best."

Something in his voice must have sounded more defeated than usual.

"We're not giving up Castle. Maybe she hasn't approached you yet, or maybe we aren't looking at the right information. We're gonna find her. Don't even think for a minute that we aren't."

Rick wanted to believe it. He was just so tired tonight, after the long day of flirting with women he had no interest in. He kept seeing her face in his mind and it felt like cheating even though it was all in a quest to find her.

Even worse was that he was dreaming of her every night, but it seemed like she was getting further away and not closer. He was wondering what it would be like if they didn't find her. Would he forget what it felt like to hold her hand? Hear her voice? The smell of her?

His head had sunk to the counter now as he lost himself in the despair of her being gone from him. When his phone rang again, he physically jumped, startled by the ringing.

He almost didn't answer when he saw it was Gina. But at the end of a horrible day, it was the perfect topping. A phone call from his tyrannical ex-wife was just the thing to make him feel even worse about the day.

"Richard, I've got papers for you to sign."

It was his next book deal. They'd discussed it at the meeting and the dinner he'd had with her earlier in the week, but he'd been so worried about Kate at the time he'd not really paid much attention.

"Just fax them over Gina. I'll sign them after Thomas looks at them."

Thomas McElwaine, his lawyer, always looked over his contracts first. He was a little puzzled why Gina was calling him. She and Thomas had worked together (through him) for years.

"He's already signed off. Really Richard, haven't you been paying attention to anything I said to you this week?"

"Do you want an honest answer?"

She was quiet, for Gina. It didn't last long. It never did.

"Your breakup with her has affected you far more than the breakup of our marriage ever did."

He could never compare how he felt about Kate to what he'd felt with Gina. It was like comparing nectar, ambrosia to a twig. They weren't the same thing and weren't even in the same lexicon.

"Look, I'm coming over tonight. These need to be in first thing in the morning and you don't have time to waste. Fran and I will be over in 20 minutes."

Whatever.

"Fine."

"Fine!"

So she was mad at him. It didn't deserve any merit or even register as an event in his life.

He'd been thinking about bed when Gina had called. It was still relatively early, but the day had worn him out and the lack of progress frustrating the boys exhausted him.

Leaving the kitchen where he'd taken her call, he returned to his room. He wanted to wear something more comfortable and he didn't care if Gina saw him in sweats. She'd seen him all before and he certainly didn't need to impress her.

When he re-entered the living room, he wasn't surprised to see Alexis, Martha and Lanie still sitting there comparing notes from the day. They'd sat down to sort things out while he'd lost himself to depression in the kitchen.

He'd already told them about Espo's call. Now they were going over things again to see if they could key in on any odd behavior. He felt a strong rush of affection and love for them. Everyone was trying so hard.

"Richard, you look like you need to go to bed."

His mother was peering at him closely. She could tell he was teetering on exhaustion.

"I was headed that way mother, but Gina called. She has to have some paperwork signed tonight and told me she was on her way."

"Oh, how mundane. But she does keep you on a tight leash, doesn't she darling?"

That wasn't even worth a response.

"Any success on figuring things out?"

"Not really dad. We thought describing how the day went to Grams might help trigger something, but no such luck."

"When is Gina going to be here? I should probably go." Lanie didn't have any new insights and was ready to go home and see if Javi needed any special attention. Which she was certain he needed. He'd been working non-stop on the case and she knew he was exhausted.

"She said it'd be twenty minutes. Have we decided what to do for tomorrow though? Where I'm going and who'll be coming with me?"

"I think we need to do today again, but this time we'll hit some places we haven't already. Like the grocery store you normally go to and a few of the bookstores that you only get to once in a while. And I think Grams and I will trade off morning to afternoon."

He didn't want to repeat today; it had been draining. But he knew he had to throw himself into the whole thing.

They made a few more plans, then just as Lanie was ready to call it quits for the night the bell rang for the front door.

"That'll be Gina. I'll get it." Rick crossed to the foyer and opened the door.

Gina sailed in, barely looking at him. Fran followed more demurely.

"Gina, can't say it's nice to see you."

"Very funny Richard." She wasn't in a playful mood. Come to think of it, he didn't think she'd ever been in a playful mood.

"Fran, sorry she had to drag you over here so late at night."

He took their coats after Fran simply nodded at him. They were both still dressed in office clothes; the prototypical executive stylings of a Manhattan woman.

He gestured for them to proceed towards the office, but Gina stopped to greet the women first.

"Martha, Alexis. Nice to see you again."

"Gina, a pleasure as always." Martha's droll reply did little to hide her dislike of his ex-wife. Fortunately, Gina had never been close to Martha and had never picked up on the subtle tones in her vocalizations that clued Rick into how she was feeling. For Martha, her extensive training in theater allowed her to shade her expressions so subtly it was nearly impossible to recognize them unless you knew her very well.

"I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before." Gina was holding her hand out to Lanie.

"Oh, sorry. Gina, Fran this is Lanie Parrish. Doctor Lanie Parrish. Lanie, this is Gina, my publisher and my second ex-wife. And this is her assistant Fran. Fran, my mother Martha you met. This is Alexis, my daughter." He had forgotten they didn't all know each other.

"Nice to meet you Lanie. I guess Rick's playboy reputation isn't as much as a façade as I thought. Here you are already dating another beautiful woman and you just broke up with Detective Beckett."

Rick was so surprised he was speechless. Lanie was a beautiful woman, but they'd been friends for years and he'd never thought of her as a potential date. She was like a sister to him.

Lanie was equally surprised at how fast Gina jumped to the assumption of Castle dating her. No wonder Kate couldn't stand the woman, she was a complete bitch. She was about to open her mouth and correct the witch, seeing Castle had been stunned into silence, when Alexis grabbed her hand, giving it a tight squeeze as she shocked them even more.

"Yes, my dad doesn't ever lack for female companions. He and the doctor here just started seeing each other, but they seem very happy together."

Lanie could barely keep a straight face. She wasn't sure what Alexis was up to, but decided to play along.

Rick's mouth was hanging open practically to his chest. He had no idea what was going on. Luckily, he was behind everyone and had a chance to recover before they'd seen his look of shock.

Lanie squeezed Alexis' hand in a questioning fashion and the younger girl squeezed hers back hard, reassuring. Hmm, ok.

Lanie walked over to where Castle was standing, now recovered from his daughter's announcement, and put her arms around his waist.

"We've been friends for a long time and now we're just getting to know each other in another way, but I think we're both liking what we see so far, right Ricky?"

Her tone was teasing, light. He looked down at her briefly. She'd tapped one hand on his back when she first approached him, trying to communicate that he needed to play along. So, he kept up the charade. Not unlike what he'd been doing all day. Charade. For Kate.

"Yes. You saw the paper Gina. I'm back on the market, and the good doctor here has decided to try and take me off of it. I might just let her."

"Whatever. I just need these papers signed. Nice to meet you Dr. Parrish, and good luck keeping him in line."

Gina walked to the office, obviously expecting he and Fran to follow.

Fran stood still for a minute, eyes bouncing between all the parties involved, then followed her boss.

Lanie dropped her arms from around Castle and hissed at Alexis.

"What the hell are you playing at Little Castle?"

"I'll tell you when they leave, promise. Just play along. And when dad comes back from signing the papers, could you two act really affectionate before they leave?"

Rick just stared at his daughter.

"Trust me dad. This is important."

He still didn't have words, so just nodded his head. What was more playacting at the end of a day full of it?

He entered the office and found Gina had already set out everything. Fran was standing awkwardly by the door and he wondered for a minute why Gina had forced her to come along. Probably to make the poor assistant go back to the office with the papers so Gina would be free to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Rick saw that Thomas had read through everything and signed off on the parts he'd needed to. So, Rick hastily signed his name then waited to see what else Gina wanted from him.

"Thank you Richard." She studied him closely. "Look, I know you had feelings for that detective. Are you sure you should be jumping into another relationship so quickly?"

He wasn't sure how to answer, though he knew Alexis wanted them to believe Lanie and he were going at it hot and heavy.

He shrugged as if to answer and hoped she wouldn't press.

"It's my life Gina. You've not had a say in my personal business for years and that isn't going to change now."

"I just don't want to see you distracted again, that's all. You owe me more chapters."

"Don't worry about your chapters. You'll get them. I always come through don't I? Wait, don't answer that."

He exited the office, knowing the two women would follow. As soon as she caught sight of him, Lanie stood and sashayed to his side.

"There you are Writer-Man. I was missing you."

She reached up and put her arms around his neck, pulling his head down for a kiss.

Once again shocked by the women in his life, Rick was motionless for a minute. Alexis had said be affectionate, but kissing? Lanie?

Lanie gave the back of his neck a hard pinch and he gasped at the pain. She immediately took advantage, slipping her tongue into his open mouth.

God, it was so weird to be kissing Lanie like this. But he got into the spirit of things once he was over his initial shock. He was the child of an actress after all.

Alexis finally interrupted.

"Ok, you two lovebirds need to tone it down for a second. You do still have guests to consider here dad."

They broke apart to see Gina and Fran staring at them.

"Right, sorry. Got carried away. Well, Gina, I'm sure you and Fran both have better things to do tonight."

He walked the women over to the closet area and helped them both into their coats.

"Thank you for bringing the papers to me Gina." He gave them both quick pecks on the cheek and held open the door.

"Get me more chapters and you won't have me breathing down your neck Richard."

"Yes mother. I mean Gina."

He smirked at her irritated expression. She'd always hated it when he called her his mother, but she deserved it when she treated him like a baby. Though, he had to admit, he wasn't always the most consistent writer in the world.

The women finally left. As soon as the front door was closed, Lanie grabbed Alexis' arm and steered her back into the living room. Rick followed quickly.

"Alright Alexis. Spill. What was that all about?" The ME was intense in her questioning.

"We have another name for the boys!" Alexis was practically bouncing in her excitement.

"Oh, darling, I hardly thing Gina has any interest in having Richard back in her life at this point, beyond the books that is. They've had their chances."

"I have to agree mother. In the office she did question why I was jumping back into a relationship so quickly after my supposed breakup with Kate, but she didn't act interested in me personally. I think you're overanalyzing things here."

Alexis was shaking her head as they both spoke.

"No, not Gina. Fran!"

All three stared at her in shock.

"Fran, the mousy assistant? She didn't even speak that I remember." Lanie was not buying it.

"And when Richard and I were at the Black Pawn offices that day she never did or said anything out of the ordinary." Martha was dismissive as well.

"No, you don't understand. I was watching her face when you introduced everyone and when she first saw Lanie too. She masked her face really well, so it was fleeting, but I'm telling you she was angry you were here Lanie. Once I saw that, I kept watching her. She likes you dad. The looks she was giving you were more than just an assistant publisher."

Castle was skeptical, but he knew he needed to keep an open mind about everyone.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have the boys run her name. I think you're imagining things that aren't there, but I trust you Pumpkin."

"I'm telling you dad, there was something off about her. I know she's quiet, but isn't it the quiet ones that sometimes have something to hide?"

"Good point. Definitely my daughter, coming up with theories like that. I'll call Espo with the info."

Lanie sighed. So much for plans to get Javi to relax tonight. But if it was going to help bring Kate home, she wouldn't argue.