A/N: I'm still alive. I'm truly sorry that I haven't updated like I promised. At first, it was that my weekends were crammed with projects that I had to do. Then, my word document wasn't working, and I barely got it fixed today. So, I thought I'd try something different for this update. I hope you enjoy this and that it's worth the wait! Reviews equal sooner updates. Also, a big thanks goes out to my Tumblr buddies, stanakaticfillion, brokenlikeapromise, and castlefreak005. Without them, this chapter wouldn't exist. (Okay, I'll shut up now.)
Chapter 28
"Damnit!" Ryan exclaimed, throwing the laptop across the room. The trace was unsuccessful. "Hey, it's okay," Jenny stated, attempting to comfort her husband.
"No, Jenny, it's not okay. First KidCastle goes missing, and now I can't find Beckett," he snapped back before he buried his face in his hands. Jenny waited patiently before speaking as she knew Kevin long enough to know that he's not finished.
"Beckett has always been and always will be one of my best friends. I love Kate more like a sister. I feel obliged to protect her at all cost, same goes for Javi. With Alexis, she's like that sweet little sister everyone loves. Kate's more of the badass one that everyone respects. When she comes to visit Castle on her lunch break, Javi and I always like to tease her like the older brothers she never had. Beckett gets along with Alexis too, but it's more of a motherly/older sister love. I know we'll find Beckett eventually, but what if we can't find Alexis? What if we do find her, but she's already dead?" Ryan ranted on.
Jenny smiled at her husband's concern. It was so sweet how he cared for his colleagues as if they were family. It was one of those things that attracted him to her.
"You'll find them, Kev. Beckett will be safe, and together along with Javi, you'll track Alexis down and bring her home. Meanwhile, you'll make sure that Castle is okay and that he isn't without hope. I know you can do this, Kev. You just need to believe in yourself. Now, pick up that laptop and track down your boss," Jenny stated.
Ryan lifted up his head to meet the gaze of his wife. He smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Jenny. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Yeah, well, don't stay up too late," she whispered before pecking his cheek. She then left him to do his job and headed for bed.
Ryan reluctantly reached for the laptop that somehow managed to survive the throw. He re-entered Beckett's number and waited for the system to trace her number. He pulled up a picture from his library and managed a smile. This was taken at the precinct one day when all they were doing was paperwork. Castle had taken them to this awesome place where everything was from the medieval times. Javi, Castle, and he were dressed in fake chainmail. Castle wore a plastic crown, but the three men each wore a red cape. Kate and Alexis each wore dresses, and Kate wore a fake crown similar to Castle. Half of the picture was them with a serious face, but the other half had the friends bearing silly faces. Kevin's grin grew as he remembered that day, and he closed the window. That was when the trace finished, and he got a hit…
Esposito knew something was bothering her. She barely spoke or touched her food at dinner that night. Instead of wanting to go to a night club for a while, she just wanted to go home. As soon as they were in her apartment, he finally asked, "What's on your mind, Chica?"
Lanie looked up at him from her position on the couch. Esposito saw the tears in her eyes, and he immediately went to sit by her. He wasn't sure of what to do without over-stepping the line between whatever this was and boyfriend. Then she buried her face into his shirt and sobbed, so he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and whispering soothing things into her hair.
"I'm worried about Alexis and Beckett," he heard her choke out. He waited patiently for her to continue, knowing now from experience that it wasn't a good idea to interrupt her.
"I know Kate is safe somewhere, but I hate not knowing where. We've been roommates since she enrolled into the academy. She's like a sister to me. I wish she'd stop disappearing on us like that. I'm hoping that she finally got her head out of her ass and is making babies with Castle right now, but I think that's highly unlikely," she rambled.
"I've gotten to spend so much more time with Alexis ever since she started her internship. It's nice to have someone to talk to in the morgue who isn't Perlmutter. She's got Castle's eagerness to learn about everything, and she has a lot of dish on Castle that can be used against him. She's like a little sister," Lanie continued.
"Look, Lanie, I care about Beckett and Alexis too. They're like family. Ry and I tease Kid Castle all the time when she comes to visit Castle and we protect Beckett like older brothers," he said. "Javi, you've worked in Special Forces, right? What are the chances of a hostage surviving in a kidnapping case?" she asked.
His look told her everything she needed to know. "Look, Lanes, we'll find Beckett first. Then, our kick-ass girl will find Alexis with our help and bring her home. I promise you, Lanie, we will find her," he said. "I feel so useless being a medical examiner. I have no authority to help with the case," she whispered. "You do have a job. You stay strong and make sure Beckett is okay emotionally. Only then can we bring Little Castle home," Esposito finished.
"Thanks, Javi," she whispered, smiling up at him. He smiled back and just held her there in silence. That's when his phone rang. It was Ryan.
His little girl was missing. His little girl could be hurt or worse. Here we go again.
Kate had distracted him from worrying with…well you get the picture. He sure as hell won't be forgetting this anytime soon. She was right when she said he had no idea when they "parted ways" on their first case.
He turned his head to look at her. She looked even more beautiful in sleep. Wrapped in nothing but the white sheet, she looked like an angel. Her hair covered the pillow, and she looked year younger (not saying that she was old). She curled into his side, fitting perfectly.
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He watched her sleep for a few minutes with the knowledge that she wouldn't call him out on how creepy it was. He squeezed her hip before he returned to his original sleeping position.
Only now could he allow himself to let it all fully sink in. His little girl was kidnapped. The person who murdered Kate's mother hired Kate's sniper to kidnap her, so that means Kate was in danger too. He failed both as a father and a partner.
He wondered how Alexis was doing right now. He hoped she was sleeping safe and unharmed. That's all a parent could hope for in these kinds of situations.
He looked at his BAMF, remarkable, maddening, challenging, and frustrating…girlfriend? Is it safe to call her that now? They slept together, so that has to mean that they're together. She wouldn't have a one-night stand with him; she saw it in her eyes that she's in it for the long haul.
That's a topic they needed to discuss in the morning. When he blinked again, he felt tears in his eyes. Damn it, Rick. Get yourself together, he told himself. He reached to the little bedside table and opened the drawer. He pulled out the only object inside before closing the drawer again.
It was Monkey Bunky. The one thing Alexis could never part with when she was little. It looked like road kill now. He'd tried to throw it away, but then she'd threaten him with bodily harm.
He felt Kate snuggle in closer to him as if sensing his parental phobia. They had this weird connection where they'd know how the other was feeling. He smiled and let the tears fall as silently as possible. He usually hid his emotion behind some smart-ass remark or a joke, but right now with just Kate, he allowed himself to let go.
He knew that he would have a bitch of a headache when he woke up, but he didn't care. He grew dreary, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her hair smelled like a mixture of rain water and the cherry scent he loved so much. Soon he shut his eyes with the belief that they'd find his little girl no matter what.
Martha's phone had gone off earlier that evening just as she was heading to bed. She'd sent a text to a blocked number on the burner phone she'd bought. The person had replied and asked her to meet them at a coffee shop on Crosby.
That's where she was headed now in the dead of night. She'd learned from Detective Ryan that Kate was missing but was assured that they're tracking her down now. She thanked him for the update and wished him well.
The coffee shop was deserted as it was almost midnight. She walked to the booth in the corner where she saw a figure sitting there. She slid into the seat opposite of the figure before they finally looked up.
It was a man, around her age, with grey hair and soft brown eyes. He wore a dark green baseball hat to shield his face, and a pair of black sunglasses hung off the opening of his brown leather jacket where he wore a brown collared shirt underneath.
"Hello, Martha. It's nice to see you again after all these years," he stated, offering a smile that was oddly familiar. "You haven't changed," Martha said, offering a smile. "Neither have you. You still look beautiful as you did when we first met, even more so now," he replied, taking her hand in his.
"Did you find her?" Martha asked a few seconds later. "Yes, and I gave her the phone that she called Detective Beckett from," he replied. "Is it true?" she asked. At his puzzled expression, she said, "Is it true that Johanna Beckett is still alive? Are they coming for Richard and Kate?"
"Yes to both. Johanna is keeping Alexis safe, and the man who shot Detective Beckett last summer is holding them hostage. They're using Alexis as bait to lure Ricky and Detective Beckett so that they can eliminate them," he replied.
"What can we do?" she asked. "This Detective Beckett, does she care about Ricky?" he asked. "More than I can say," she replied. "Then we need to let her know. She's the only one Ricky will listen to, and she can protect him as he protects her," he said.
"There's only one problem. Detective Ryan called and said that Detective Beckett was missing-" "I think she will answer if you call her cell phone," he cut her off. "How do you-" "Just trust me on this," he simply stated.
And with that, Martha reached for her cell phone and scrolled through her contact list. She found Detective Beckett and hit the call button. She waited patiently while it rang.
It was her turn to do the creepy staring. The room was lit only by the moon light peeking through the curtains. There was no one in the hotel room except herself and her sleeping partner.
Kate watched the rise and fall of his bare chest as he slept. He looked so peaceful, and he looked years younger. His hair was adorably mushed, and he snored a little.
She reached for his discarded shirt and slipped it on. She then slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to jostle it too much. She slowly walked to the door and slipped out.
She walked over to the little mini fridge and grabbed a pint of milk and some Oreos before she sat down on the couch. She dipped one of the Oreos into the milk before she took a bite. She continued this while she stared into space.
Ever since the case started, she kept up her professional persona. She threw herself into her work, keeping busy so that she didn't have time to show emotion. It was what she was great at.
But now, in the dead of night, she finally removed the mask and let her emotions run free. She allowed herself to let go with no fear of appearing weak.
She couldn't understand why there were tears in her eyes. Sure, she and Alexis got along well. They weren't necessarily close, but they respected each other, and Alexis often came to her for advice. Of course she would be worried about her, she was like family, but the question was on what level was she worried?
The older sister worry just didn't seem to fit. Ryan and Esposito cared about Alexis like they care about her, more of the older brother love. How did she see herself to Alexis?
Like a mother, that annoying voice in the back of her head stated. She seemed startled at this realization. She could deny it all she wanted, but deep down, she saw Alexis as a daughter.
She needed to find Alexis. It wasn't just because she had somewhat motherly concern for the girl, but also for Castle. If they lose Alexis, she loses him. He'll no longer be that immature, egotistical, self-centered jackass that she fell in love with.
She looked down and realized that she'd finished her midnight snack. She got up and threw away her trash. She then made her way back to the bedroom where her sleeping partner lay.
She quickly got dressed in the spare clothes she'd managed to bring, making as little noise as possible. She found her gun, holster, and badge before she slipped the badge to her belt and slipped the gun into the holster that was also clipped to her belt. She stole one of Castle's coats and slipped it on.
She stopped to write a quick letter before she placed it on the pillow she had slept on. She stopped to stare at his sleeping form a while longer. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, gave him a quick kiss, and then left the room.
Her phone buzzed just as she was about to leave. She answered it with the standard, "Beckett", not bothering to check who it was. "Hello, Kate," came the response. "Hello, Martha, how are you?" she asked, now standing in the hallway outside the room. "I'm fine. Listen, could you meet me at the Housing Works Bookstore Café on Crosby?" she asked. Kate could tell that Martha was nervous about something, so she agreed and headed that way.
