For the record, this is the second to last as well as a dark chapter.
Enjoy!
The next morning, Kate woke up thinking about the kids. Realizing she was in Castle's room, the woman immediately went toward the play pen. Corbin was gone. The detective went into the living room about to ask Castle what happened, when she saw he was serving breakfast in the kitchen.
"Morning." Castle responded cheerily. "Sleep well?" He questioned. Kate merely nodded her head before heading toward the island.
"Hi Kate!" Cassie and Lanie said simultaneously. She smiled at the girls.
"Hi! What are you eating?" She asked.
"We don't know. Rick made it for us!" Lanie told her. Kate eyed Rick suspiciously.
"It's okay Kate." Alexis assured, "I talked Dad out of making his notorious S'morelettes."
"I'm hurt Alexis." Castle stated feigning shock before saying, "Besides, I'll have you know my S'morelettes are not notorious, but famous."
"I'd have to agree with Alexis on this one." Kate said. "From what I've heard they are notorious."
"Spoilsports!" Castle said. The teenager and adult rolled their eyes at the man. Alexis looked down at her cell phone.
"Hey Dad, I gotta go!" She said before kissing her father good- bye.
"Alright see you later." He told her.
"Bye Kate!" She called as she left.
"Bye Alexis!" Kate called. A few minutes later she looked at what the girls were eating.
"What exactly are you eating?" Beckett asked debating on taking a bite of Castle's food.
"It's a new creation!" Castle stated. "It's this egg with—"
"Okay." Kate stopped him.
"It's good Kate! Take a bite!" Lanie said holding her fork up for the detective. Kate took a bite before coming to a conclusion.
"That is good!" Kate said, "Just don't tell me what it's made of." Castle grinned and saluted her with his spatula.
"Looks like someone's done!" The man said looking at the oatmeal clad one- year- old. Corbin grinned from his seat as Castle took him out of the highchair.
"I'm gonna clean this little guy up." Castle announced before cooing at the baby about how he was dirty and needed a bath. The girls asked if they could help to which Castle wholeheartedly agreed. Kate shook her head at the group before deciding to clean the kitchen. She was in the middle of cleaning Corbin's highchair when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" She called knowing Castle and the kids probably were unable to hear her anyway. The detective answered the door and stared at the man in front of her. His face was haggard, his hair unkempt, he smelled of weed, but most of all, Kate could see he had a gun at his side.
"Are you Detective Beckett?" The man asked. Beckett stayed silent. He repeated his question with a little more force.
"Yes." She replied cooly.
"Can I see him?" He asked wearily. Kate looked at him squarely and decisively said, "No."
"Please? I just want to see his little face one more time." The man pleaded. "I promise I won't do anything." He told her as he walked slowly into the room. Kate looked back at his gun.
"Mr. Sanchez," She said, "Before you do anything, I need you to hand me the gun." Sanchez shook his head.
"I can't." He said vehemently as he reached for the gun at his waist, "You'll put me back! I can't go back!"
"Calm down Mr. Sanchez." She said. Kate could see the man's hand shake as he wrapped his hand around the stock of the pistol.
"I just want to see him!" He cried bringing the pistol away from its holster. Kate could see Rick out of the corner of her eye. Sensing something was wrong, the writer went back to his room with the kids. Quickly the man called the precinct to get back up. Kate, knowing Castle and the children were safe, stared at Sanchez.
"Mr. Sanchez, you are in no state to see your son." Kate said.
"Who decides that?" Sanchez yelled. "I should have the right to see my own son!"
Now the man had Kate pinned against the gun and the piano with no way of escape. Images of her shooting crossed the detective's mind as she stood there.
"Is this how your sister and brother- in- law died?" Kate asked feeling a surge of adrenaline. She could tell the man was wavering a bit. She continued.
"Your sister standing against a crib wanting to keep your son safe?" The detective questioned, "Is this what you wanted for your son?" The man's resolve was crumbling. She knew she had him, she just wished she could record it.
"Shut up!" The man finally screamed putting the gun back up to Kate's face. "You have no right to talk about them like that! I was trying to take my son back! He was taken from me! Me! If Ariel hadn't given him to my sister I could still have him!" He yelled. Kate braced herself for the inevitable when she saw a glimpse of an officer's uniform by the door. Mantaining her composure, the detective grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it.
Crying out in pain, the man was unable to notice the cops come in the room. Kate watched in a daze as Ben Sanchez was taken away.
"You okay Beckett?" Esposito asked once the attacker was gone. The detective merely nodded.
"I'm fine." She stated. Ryan and Esposito gave each other a quick glance. "I'm fine." She asserted. Knowing she would be okay, the detectives went to the other room.
"You guys can come out now." Ryan said opening the door. The door knob turned and Castle walked out carrying a tear stained Corbin with Cassie and Lanie following him. The girls immediately ran to Kate and hugged her. She hugged them back as tightly as she could before looking up at Rick. His eyes displayed the same concern she had for him when washed been held hostage.
"You sure you're okay?" Castle asked putting his hand on Kate's shoulder. She nodded before taking Corbin from him.
Esposito and Ryan decided to give the agents a little privacy and headed for the door.
A few hours later, the adults were watching a movie with the kids, when Kate's phone rang.
"Beckett." She answered. A few minutes later, she hung up.
"Who was that?" Castle asked.
"Ryan and Espo. Sanchez was put in jail." She told him. Castle sighed in relief. He looked back at Kate when she said, "I'm gonna call their grandparents to tell them what happened." Castle nodded knowing she needed to do at least that one thing since she was unable to interrogate the murderer how she would have liked.
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