Solid Ground – Chapter 25

Kate sat on a stump beside the fire in the central square of Haven, poking at the glowing embers with a stick. There was a clash of thunder in the distance, and when she looked up, she could see dark clouds forming on the horizon, slowly making their way towards the island. With the aid of the wind, Kate estimated that the rainstorm would reach them by late afternoon.

Her stomach was in knots. Kate couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. It was one of her gut instincts. The ominous approach of the dark clouds helped add to the feelings of unease. She was worried about Castle, and it was causing her stomach to churn and become upset.

"Here, I found some bananas," Kimberly said, offering her the fruit.

"Thanks," she accepted two bananas with a soft smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"How you holding up?" Kimberly asked as she plopped down besides her.

"Fine."

"Kate," the tinge of warning in her voice forced Kate to cough up and tell the truth.

"Upset stomach," she admitted at length, narrowing her eyes as she glared down at the orange embers.

"Nauseous?" Kimberly asked.

"No," Kate shook her head. "Just anxious. I'm worried about Castle."

"He'll be okay," Kimberly tried to reassure her. "He's tougher than he looks."

"Yes," she concurred with a lopsided smile. "Yes, he is." Kate bit her lip and looked away, removing the peel deftly with her nimble fingers. She chewed on the soft meat of the banana, sliding her lower jaw in a back and forth motion as she mashed it up with her teeth, before swallowing. "He looks like a big teddy bear, but when it matters, there is a viper under that façade. He'll do anything for the people he loves. I've seen it with my own eyes. Have been the beneficiary on more than one occasion."

"I'm sure that's nice," her friend commented, taking a bite out of her own banana. She chewed for a moment, before adding, "having someone there, who has your back."

"It is," Kate concurred. "More so than I had ever thought." She hesitated for a moment, munching some more on the banana. "Once he ran into a burning building to save me."

"Really?" Kimberly raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Rick?"

"Yes," she nodded. "It was before we got together. We were working a serial killer case. This guy… he had a fixation on me. Became obsessed. Kept calling me Nikki Heat—"

"After the fictional detective Rick based on you for his books?"

Kate hummed in confirmation. "Anyway, the night before, Castle appeared at my door, practically barging in and proclaiming it is his duty to protect me from the psycho."

"Ah, I see," Kimberly said, the light of understanding hitting her eyes. "He blamed himself for the killer's obsession with you. Because of his books."

"He felt so bad," Kate said, cocking her head slightly as she recalled the memory. "So, he offered to stay for the night. At first, I thought he was just trying to get into my bed. But then he'd merely said that the couch would do nicely, though he couldn't let the teasing slip by, telling me that he'd be more than willing to give me company if I so desired." She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I won't lie, there was a tiny part of me that thought of taking him up on the offer. He was so cute and worried. But I was still denying things back then."

She knitted her eyebrows together and glared hard at the crackling embers as they snapped and sputtered. "The next morning, the killer had struck again, leaving a body outside the door of my apartment. After following the clues, we found him. At least, we thought we had. But we were wrong. The guy we'd taken down was a patsy. Castle was the only one to figure it out. He called me to tell me that it wasn't over."

Kimberly leaned forward, entranced by Kate's tale.

"I'd just started taking a shower," she continued. "Needing to unwind after a long day. I heard my phone ring, but ignored it… but it kept on ringing. As I climbed out to answer it, that's when I heard a recorded message running on a loop saying, 'Goodbye Nikki'. That was all the warning I had before the bomb in my apartment went off. Luckily, I was still close to my cast iron tub. I was able to dive into it for cover. Save my life.

"Next thing I know, Castle was busting through the door, and braving the flames to find me," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I'd never heard him sound so desperate… so terrified. I called out to him and he came for me." She smirked, and chuckled softly at the memory. "He was still Castle though, and he couldn't resist teasing me about being naked. I told him to not look, but I think he might have peeked." She licked her lips, thinking about how she flushed with arousal now when he would gaze upon her naked flesh. "To make a long story short, he wrapped me up in his overcoat, and carried me out of the burning building."

"You're lucky," Kimberly said. "For finding a man willing to brave such dangers for you."

"Brave," Kate laughed, shaking her head. "It was stupid. Foolish. And I told him so. But," she pursed her lips and smiled fondly. "It was an incredibly selfless thing for him to do back when I thought of him as nothing but an egotistical selfish jackass."

"You two amaze me some times," Kimberly said, shifting to rest her chin in her palm as she leaned forward. "I… it's just kind of fascinating how you hated him at the start."

"Oh, I never hated him. I just found him an annoyance… and he's still sometimes an egotistical jackass," she smirked. "But now he's my egotistical jackass."

"I wish I could be as lucky," Kimberly said. "Unfortunately, in my line of work, most of the guys I meet are doctors. You wanna talk about egotistical jackasses? I should tell you about my last boyfriend."

Kate laughed, and pursed her lips ruefully. "I dated a doctor… for about a year," she admitted. "His named was Josh. I liked him, and we had fun together… when we actually had the time. We both had hectic schedules and were very career oriented. And for a time that's exactly what I needed. He'd go off for months at a time on relief and humanitarian missions in Africa or Haiti, and I'd miss him, but I wouldn't miss him. I didn't love him. I didn't really need him. I just liked him. And that was enough. Took me longer than it should to realize that I was just using him as an excuse, a reason to keep Castle at arm's length. I had to get shot before I finally did what had to be done."

"Wait," Kimberly blinked, shaking her head. "I'm confused. Are you saying that you dated this guy after you'd met Rick?"

"Yeah," Kate said. "Castle and I had known each other for about two years before I started dating Josh."

"Wow," Kimberly sat back, a little stunned. "And Rick actually stayed there and waited for you to come around? Boy, must have been hard on him to watch you with another guy."

Kate took in a shaky breath, remembering how bad it had been for her to watch him with Gina. "Yeah," she agreed. "I feel bad about that. I caught his anguish look once or twice, and it really got to me. I don't really think I knew entirely what I was doing to him at the time, but I do now." She sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair. "I can't be thankful enough that he waited for me. I certainly didn't make it easy."

She paused, exhaling a long breath, a little astonished by the sudden weight that seemed to lift of her shoulders. She hadn't been aware of just how much she'd still been carrying around, even after all this time. In the course of her therapy with Dr. Burke, they'd discussed her past relationships, why she thought they had failed, and why they never went beyond a year.

"This is the longest relationship I've ever been in, Kimberly," she said. "Before Castle, the longest had been with Josh… and near the end of that one, I knew that it was a relationship of convenience. Sometimes, I felt guilty, because when Castle was finally free again, I'd openly flirt and tease him all the while I had a boyfriend and couldn't act on my hidden feelings. I think that might have been cruel of me, doing that to him. I'm not particularly proud of myself back then. In a way, I sort of strung both of them along. Though I feel worse about Castle, since I was probably already in love with him while I was dating another man." She paused, inhaling deeply. "I was just using Josh to hide. Castle had even called me out on it a couple of days before I was shot. He told me that I hid in relationships with men I didn't love, that I should be happy, that I deserved to be happy. And there I was, hiding in a relationship and pretending I was happy when I wasn't. When all I wanted was the very man I was then kicking out of my apartment and yelling at him that we were over."

Kate let out a breath, and frowned. A silence descended, with only the noise of the fire crackling between them. Kimberly shifted and reached up to tuck some of her blonde curls behind an ear.

"Wow… you… you guys really have a complicated relationship."

"You have no idea," Kate smirked ruefully.

Kimberly eyed her for a moment. "Not that I don't mind the talk, Kate, but why are you telling me all this?" her friend asked.

Kate glanced up, noticing the confused crease on Kimberly's brow. "I… I don't know," she stammered out, searching for an explanation for the reason behind her sudden need to unburden herself onto her friend. "I guess I'm just worried, and it's making me remember past mistakes, rethinking things that can't be changed. I wasted so much time in denial. Rick… I've only been with him for a year and a half, but he could've been mine for a lot longer if I hadn't been too stubborn to admit my feelings."

"Don't wallow in the past, Kate," Kimberly asserted, reaching a hand out to squeeze her arm. "Maybe you guys just needed to be ready for each other, and that time before was just time spent preparing to be together. And if this whole crazy situation has taught me anything, it is to cherish the moments you have and make them count."

Kate nodded, releasing a sigh as she smoothed her hand over her small tummy, her thoughts turning to the life growing inside. You don't know yet, little one, but you have an amazing father. He loves me with all his heart and soul, and he's going to love you the same way, just you watch. She laughed softly, shaking her head at herself. She was certifiable. Here she was trying to communicate telepathically with the child growing within her. Then again, he or she would probably believe in such things, just like Castle. Her smile grew. She couldn't be happier that Richard Castle was the father of her child. She could never have hoped for a better man to share in this with.

"What are you smiling about?" Kimberly asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Kate glanced up at her and bit her lower lip, holding in the laugh at the sight of her bewildered friend. "I'm just happy," she said. "And… you're right. Thinking about the past doesn't change it." She reached over and grabbed Kimberly's hand. "Thank you, Kimberly. You're a really great friend." The Blonde EMT smiled in return, and the two shared a silent moment of friendship. "Now," Kate spoke up, grinning mischievously, in need of some good gossip to help distract her from her concern for her fiancé. "Tell me about this last boyfriend of yours."

XXX

"Bind his hands," John ordered.

"I'm not your slave, you do it!" Trishna snapped.

"Bind. His. Hands," the killer repeated, stressing each word with a deadly edge to his voice that left no room for compromise.

Castle flicked his eyes back and forth between them. They made an unlikely pair. Though his name was unimaginative, John matched the build and bearing of the previous hire guns, Lockwood and Maddox. They were obviously cut from the same cloth. He waited, watching as John stared Trishna down. After a tense moment, the exotic flight attendant relented. She walked up behind Castle and tied his hands together using cloth ripped from what had once been John's shirt.

After she was done, John slowly stepped in behind Castle and tested her knot. He let out a grunt of approval, and then grabbed Castle by the scruff of his neck, roughly shoving him forward, the gun's barrel pressed hard up against his side. "Get moving, Mr. Castle. It's time to go see your lady detective."

XXX

"You guys find anything?" Kate asked as she stood up to greet Gervasio and Raymond. They'd gone to the far side of the island to explore the caves, and she was a little anxious to learn what they'd discovered.

"Nothing of import," Raymond gave a shake of his head. "I took us some time to work around the edge, but we were able to get to the opening of the caves. Nothing inside except rocks and dirt."

"Great," Kate mumbled under her breath, raking her fingers through her hair as she exchanged a worried glance with Kimberly. Her friend gave her a reassuring smile.

"We found the other half of the plane, though," Gervasio spoke up after taking a long gulp from a water bottle his wife had handed him. Standing beside him, Ana's eyes opened wide. He looked at her and shook his head. "No survivors."

"It was maybe two hundred yards from the cliffs. We could just barely make out the tail jutting up out of the waves," Raymond explained, letting out a sigh and rubbing his forehead.

Kate nodded absently and slumped back down on the stump. She couldn't deny it; she was a little disappointed that they'd found nothing. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it was more than that. At least now they knew what had happened to the tail section of the aircraft. Thunder sounded in the distance again, and everyone arched their necks to glance up at the horizon.

"I got a glimpse of the thunderhead when we were hiking back down Mount Heat," Gervasio said. "It looks pretty nasty."

Raymond nodded, accepting the water bottle from his comrade and taking a long gulp. "Should be hitting landfall shortly."

Kate bit her lower lip and glanced across at the ferns and undergrowth of the jungle surrounding them. Her chest tightened with concern as she thought about Castle being out there in the middle of a storm. She closed her eyes and sent up a brief prayer to whatever deity was listening to look after him and keep him safe. But that unease she'd felt earlier just wouldn't let up. It stuck to her like a leech, sucking out all optimism.

An hour later, Jeff and C.C. came back with no news. They'd found what appeared to be Trishna's shelter along the slopes of Mount Storm, but they'd found no sign of anyone there. Kate had asked them about Castle and Robin, but Jeff shook his head, telling her that they hadn't seen them.

It was getting late, and the storm was getting closer. Ana and some of the others started to prepare dinner, roasting some wild boar that had been salted using seawater. Beckett sat there and watched while she waited for dinner to be ready, taking the opportunity to munch on the second banana Kimberly had given her.

When it was time to eat, and there was still no sign of Castle or Robin, Kate was beginning to lose it. Her stomach was doing flips and her heart was pounding profoundly within her chest. She had to school her breathing, feeling close to a panic attack. The baby seemed to sense her anxiety, because it certainly wasn't helping. She got up and excused herself. Dashing around the trees, Kate doubled over and retched up the contents of her stomach, before dry heaving for a couple of moments.

Regaining control, she brushed her hair back and turned to find Kimberly coming up behind her. Her friend gave her a sympathetic smile and handed her a water bottle. Kate accepted it with a grateful nod and rinsed her mouth, spitting the water out, before taking two more sips and swallowing the refreshing liquid, trying to calm her agitated stomach. She smoothed her hand over the tight-knot of a bump on her stomach, murmuring soft words to comfort and calm her child.

"Mommy doesn't like throwing up, little one," she whispered. "I'm sorry for freaking you out. Just calm down now, okay?"

Kimberly rubbed her back and handed her a strip of the cooked boar. Kate chewed on the game meat, and closed her eyes, working hard to slow her rapidly beating heart. She took another swig from the water bottle and sighed.

"I think I feel better now," she murmured.

"Morning sickness?" Kimberly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kate half smirked. "You mean… 'evening' sickness?" she joked, chuckling softly, before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. Still worried about Castle. They should've been back by now."

Kimberly remained silent, just reaching up to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Let's go back to the fire. It's getting chilly and that storm will probably be here soon."

Nodding, Kate stood up with Kimberly's help and the two walked back to the bonfire, joining the others. Kate smiled sadly when she noticed that Raymond and Jeff had got Chris to come out and join them. She knew from experience that sometimes it helped not being alone when grieving the loss of a loved one. Kate sat down besides Gervasio and Ana while Kimberly retrieved some more food. She was able to eat two more strips of meat before her stomach started to rebel against her again. Kate groaned inwardly and silently reprimanded the baby within for not obeying orders. You are definitely your father's child, she thought. Closing her eyes, Kate inhaled deep and calming breaths and thankfully the nausea past.

Conversation had died down to a soft murmur, when a disturbance on the right side of the camp brought everyone to their feet. The sun was setting, and partially obscured by the approaching clouds, yet the face of the exotic flight attendant was not hard to recognize. Trishna's expression was emotionless as she stepped into the flickering firelight, though Kate could see the defiant look in her eyes.

Standing up, Beckett made a move to step forward, but was stopped when Gervasio grabbed her arm and shook his head. She frowned, and was about to ask him to let go when she saw what he had seen. Stepping out of the shadows was Castle, held hostage by the stranger. The man was standing behind Castle, sort of using him as a human shield, and despite the dim lighting, Kate could see the black shape of the Beretta pressed hard into Castle's side.

"No one move," the man ordered, voice firm and deadly. "Or I'll shot Mr. Castle in the liver and he'll die… slowly."

Everyone stood still, afraid to do anything. Gervasio let go of Kate's arm and she raised her hands up in supplication as she stepped forward. Trishna narrowed her eyes and looked back at her comrade. The man's eyes locked on Kate and a twisted smile formed on his face.

"That's far enough, Detective Beckett," the man said, digging the gun barrel harder into Castle's side, making him wince. Kate's heart leapt up into her throat, but she managed to keep her features schooled.

"Castle?" she questioned in a calm voice.

She watched as he swallowed, his eyes finding hers. Never had their ability to silently communicate been as important as it was now. His eyes were full of sorrow and regret, with the hint of an apology. She gave an infinitesimal shake of her head, willing him to not blame himself for the situation. But from the watery glint in his eyes, Kate knew she was missing something.

"Where's Robin?" Kate asked, finally catching on to the fact that someone was missing.

"Dead," Trishna answered.

"Wha—?" Kate staggered back, unable to keep the tears from leaking out of her eyes. It was a punch to the gut. No. No. Not Robin! She clenched her jaw and willed her tumult of emotions under control. "Why?"

"I needed to make a point to your lover boy," the man asserted, jabbing the barrel even harder into Castle's side. She watched as he silently cried out in pain, grimacing as he tried to stifle a groan.

"Who are you?" she asked, setting a steely gaze on the killer.

"John."

"What do you want, John?"

"You," he said, cocking a head and flashing her a wicked grin. "You're a very intriguing woman, Detective Beckett. But you're foolish. You let your guard down, and now I'm here to finish the job."

Trishna shifted and Kate's focus turned on the woman. "But first we need to know something," she said. "Where's the file?"

"What file?" Kate asked, trying to play dumb. She knew exactly what Trishna was talking about. But the problem was that file did not exist. She'd bluffed her way with Bracken in order to make a deal to keep her loved ones safe.

John growled. With lightning fast speed, he moved his arm and pistol-whipped Castle in the back of the head, sending him slumping forward, unconscious. Kate's breath ceased as she watched Castle go limp. Every fiber of her being ached to go to him and ensure he was okay, but she remained still. John gripped Castle's hair and pulled his head back, stretching his neck. The villain's eyes were cold as death as he pressed the gun into Castle's throat.

"Don't play games with us, Detective," John said. "Tell us where the file is, or I'll kill your boyfriend here."

Kate raised her hands in surrender, and tried to restrain her natural instincts to fight back. Everything about this situation was different. Too much was at risk, and she needed to approach with a cool and collected head.

"There is no file," she admitted, proud at how calm her voice was despite the turmoil raging inside.

"What?" John snapped, disbelieving.

"I said there is no file," she repeated.

Trishna raised her eyebrows in shock. "You mean you were bluffing?"

Kate nodded. "It was the only way to protect us."

John shook his head. "Damn. You just made my job a lot easier, Detective. My thanks." He gave her a lewd wink and pulled the gun back from Castle's neck.

An arrow shot out of nowhere and impacted Trishna hard in the chest, sending her rocking backwards. She let out a startled scream and collapsed onto the ground. Kate blinked, gasping in shock as her eyes widen at the sight of the flight attendant bleeding out on the ground. John went rigid. He grabbed Castle roughly and pulled him to his feet, positioning himself behind Castle's limp body, using him as a human shield.

Kate raked her eyes over the scene, in complete and utter shock at the turn in events. John's eyes flashed with murderous rage and he turned the gun back on Castle, ramming the barrel against her fiancé side, once again threatening to shoot him in the liver. It soon became clear who shot the arrow, when Chris materialized from the right side, still holding the bow in his hands. His arms shook and he had tears streaming down his face.

"That was for Irene," he sobbed.

"Stupid boy," grunted John, quickly turning the gun, and with a quick squeeze of the trigger shot Chris in the head.

Kate and the rest of the group cried out in horror as Chris's head exploded and his body tumbled down to the ground. Lightning flashed across the darkening sky, followed by the rolling of thunder. There was but a moments pause before the rain followed. Kate stood there, frozen in horror and despair at what she was witnessing. Four months. They'd spent four months with these people. And now in the span of just a few days they were beginning to drop like flies.

This is all because of me, she thought. Because of my vendetta with Bracken.

Lightning crackled across the sky again, momentarily blinding everyone. Kate blinked, shielding her eyes. When she glanced back up, she just managed to catch sight of Jeff and Raymond as they launched themselves at the killer. They weren't fast enough. The moment of surprise only lasted for a few seconds. John could see them coming, and he was quick. He dropped Castle in a flash and backed away, absently firing his weapon behind him as he ran into the dense foliage, the jungle swallowing him up.

"Let him go!" Gervasio shouted, rushing past her to check on Castle.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity around her. Everyone was moving, shouting, crying. Kate struggled to move. Everything was a blur. Numb. She blinked again, feeling her face pelted by small droplets of water as the storm really started to pour down on them. It was enough to jerk her out of her daze. Searching inside, she found the will and strength to lurch forward, using the momentum to carry her to Castle.

She dropped down beside Gervasio. "Gerry? Is he… is he…?"

"He's fine, Kate," the older man reassured her. "He's just unconscious."

Oh, poor Castle, Kate groaned, shifting on the wet ground to cradle his face in her lap. She gently smoothed the flop of hair away from his forehead and caressed the side of his face. This was the second time in the last twenty-four hours that he'd been knocked unconscious. Thank God he has a thick skull. Her hands shook as she touched his face, needing him to wake.

"Stay with me, Castle," she choked out, ignoring the rain, the shouts, the screams, everything but him. "I need you, Castle. Stay with me."