A/N #1: This chapter is post 7x15 'Reckoning,' told from Beckett's POV. There will be some repeat dialog from the previous chapter. The song for this chapter is 'Holding Out for a Hero' by Bonnie Tyler. There will be spoilers from the episode.

A/N #2: I love 'Reckoning' although it left me with a profound feeling of terror throughout the episode. What I really liked was the fact that Stana Katic had very little dialog in this episode, but she spoke volumes with her eyes.

A/N #3: There will be snippets of dialog from previous 'Castle' episodes. After all, Kate Beckett is strapped to a table with no means of escape. However, I'm sure she thought about a lot of things regarding her relationship with Castle over the years.

All the Songs Make Sense

Chapter 53: Holding Out Hope

Night One: Late night

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need

Kate opened her eyes to a nightmare situation. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but was stopped by a gag and her hands were restrained. She lifted her head enough to see that she was in a dim room with a bank of computer monitors against one wall as well as a camera in one corner of the ceiling, the red light blinking. There was no sign of either Kelly Nieman, Jerry Tyson, or Amy Barrett, but Kate knew they had to be here somewhere.

She mentally kicked herself for not realizing that the call from Amy Barrett had been a set-up. After all, why else had Kelly Nieman just shown up when she had? She was setting herself up to be Tyson's alibi when Kate didn't return to the precinct. One part of her knew that not allowing Castle to come with her had been a mistake, but the rational part of her also knew that if Castle had come with her, one or the both of them would probably be dead now.

Her eyes widened in fear when she heard a door open to her left. Turning her head, she saw Dr. Kelly Nieman walking into the room, a creepy smile on her face. "Good. You're awake. We can get started?"

'Started?' Kate's heart began to pound in her chest. 'Started with what?' She began to yank furiously on her restraints as the doctor approached the table.

"You might as well stop struggling. It's really pointless. I have to say that I admire your husband's tenacity."

Kate's eyes widened even further in horror, and she mumbled something unintelligible around her gag. "What's that, Detective? I'm afraid that I can't understand you. Did we hurt Mr. Castle, you ask? No. At least, not yet. But, he's been quite busy trying to figure out where you are. His devotion to you is quite touching. He loves you very much."

Kate didn't want to cry. She didn't want to give this sadistic woman the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart, but when Nieman mentioned how much Castle loved her, she couldn't stop the tears that fell from the corners of her eyes. Had she told him that she loved him before she'd left the precinct to meet Amy? She couldn't remember. She just wanted to hold him and feel him hold her. She wanted to put these two assholes in the ground, once and for all.

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life!
Larger than life

Night One: Early Morning

"So, what is it, Rick? Are you here to annoy me?"

"I'm here for the story."

"The story?"

"Why those people? Why those murders?"

"Sometimes, there is no story. Sometimes the guy is just a psychopath."

"There's always a story. Always a chain of events that makes everything make perfect sense."

Kate's eyes shot opened. She had been dreaming of one of the first conversations she'd had with Castle. When he told her that there was always a story. Over the course of the past seven years, she'd discovered that he was right. Most of the murders they'd solved together, there had always been a reason why the murder was committed. Before she'd left the precinct to meet with Amy, they had met with Tyson's stepmother. Had the DNA from the baby tooth proven, once and for all, that the man who was calling himself Michael Boudreau was Jerry Tyson? Kate had been called away before she was able to find out.

Kate knew that she had to find a way out of the situation that she was in. Because, unlike the bread crumbs she'd been able to leave when she'd gone undercover as Elena Markov, this time she hadn't been able to leave any clues as to her whereabouts. This time, she was going to have to rely on the things that she'd learned from Rick over the years. This time, she was going to have to think outside the box.

By carefully testing her restraints, she discovered that, to the best of her knowledge, it felt like her wrists were the only part of her body that had been restrained. She could freely move her legs and she could sit up as far as her shackled arms would allow her to. She knew that her wrists were restrained to a metal railing, something that felt similar to a hospital bed railing. Stretching out her index finger, she could feel a nut and bolt at the bottom of the railing. She thought that maybe she could somehow unscrew the nut and bolt enough to slip the restraint past it.

While she began working on the nut and bolt assembly, she wondered what Nieman had meant when she spoke of Castle's tenacity. Kate hoped that her husband wasn't doing something stupid that could get him killed. While she didn't necessarily think that she needed him to ride in on his white horse and save her, she needed for him to think rationally and clearly. She needed for him to get Tyson and Nieman's stories. That was the only way she knew that she was going to get out of this alive.

***CCC***

"Most people come up against a wall, they give up. Not you. You don't let go. You don't back down. That's what makes you extraordinary."

Day One – Early Morning

Kate was exhausted. Her fingers ached and she could feel the wetness of blood as she continued to twist the nut on the bed railing. But, she felt like she was making progress. It was getting looser, although it was a slow, tedious process. One that had been interrupted several times by the arrival of her crazy captor.

"I thought that you might be thirsty," Nieman approached her with a bottle of water in her hand. Kate instantly shrank back. "Det. Beckett, I can assure you that I'm not going to hurt you. But, you have been here for a long time. I swear it's water. Nothing more powerful than that. Now, if I remove this, are you going to scream?" She smiled when Kate shook her head.

Kate's jaws ached and the corners of her mouth felt raw where the gag had bit into her skin. Opening and closing her mouth a few times to ease the ache, she gratefully swallowed some of the water from the bottle. "Is Castle okay?" She managed to say.

"Your husband is alive. He's chasing his tail, but he's alive."

"You don't have to do this. Let me go and we can work something out."

"Now, why would I possibly want to let you go? Jerry's a man on a mission, and right now, part of that mission involves keeping you right where you are."

"So, he is Tyson? How long have you been helping him? Since the prison? Because we know you were working in the infirmary when he was attacked in prison."

"I found him quite fascinating. I've always found murder somewhat fascinating and when I talked to him, I was intrigued."

"When did you start following him? Was it after he attacked Det. Ryan and Castle in the motel room?"

"I've answered enough questions for the time being," Kate began to struggle as Nieman replaced the gag in her mouth. "Don't worry about Castle. When we're done playing with him, you're both going to know it."

With those parting words, Nieman once again left the room. Kate knew from the banks of computer monitors and the red light in the corner of the ceiling, that Nieman, and possibly Tyson, too, were probably watching her on CCTV from somewhere. She was positive that Tyson wasn't in the same location as Nieman. She knew that Tyson's job was to keep Castle and the boys 'chasing their tails' as the doctor had phrased it earlier. She also didn't think that Amy Barrett was here, either. She was either in a third location or she was with Tyson. She had a sickening feeling that the young woman was being groomed as a protégé for the sick serial killer and his girlfriend.

Closing her eyes and taking a breath, she returned to the task at hand. She had to get herself freed and out of this building. Because, she didn't have much hope for her life expectancy if she didn't get out of here soon. She had a feeling that time was running out.

Day One – Early Afternoon

"Do you know why I used you as the inspiration for 'Nikki Heat?'"

"No. Why?"

"Because you're tall. Now, go in there and do your job."

Kate opened her eyes and smiled around the gag in her mouth. She loved it when Castle would use humor to deflect a bad situation. And this situation was as bad as it could get. Worse than being locked in a freezer; worse than being handcuffed to Castle as an angry tiger attempted to use them as chew toys. Even worse than being water-boarded by Vulcan Simmons. She held her breath when she heard the small nut fall to the floor with a slight metallic clatter. But, when Nieman didn't enter the room, Kate attempted to slide the leather cuff through the railing. She felt like screaming in frustration when the railing remained solidly fastened to the bed frame. 'So much for Plan A.' Now she knew that she was going to have to come up with a Plan B, and possibly Plans C, D, and E, also. Curling her index finger up, she felt for the stitching on the underside of the cuff and began scratching at it to work it loose.

"How can you tell the difference between custom and regular?"

"The leather is too high quality to be mass-produced, and it's hand-stitched."

"No, I mean, how can youtell the difference?"

Kate hoped that these were regular cuffs and not custom-made. 'Castle, if I wasn't in such a predicament, I'd find all of your former quips amusing.'

Kate froze when she heard the door open and Nieman re-entered the room. "This will be all over soon," she walked over to Kate with the bottle of water. "Before I remove this, are you going to remain quiet?" Kate shook her head, jerking back when Nieman softly stroked her face. "There's no point in resisting, Detective. In fact, if you accept that, I'll remove the gag."

Kate stopped struggling, so Nieman slowly removed the gag. "Good. Now please don't scream. It's tedious. Besides, no one can hear you."

"So, you are the only one here," Kate guessed. "Where are Tyson and Amy Barrett?"

"Obviously, not here. You don't need to worry yourself about that right now. Let's just say that we're in constant touch."

"The camera," Kate nodded toward the ceiling. "They can see me."

"Yes. And, so will Castle. Very soon now."

"They have Rick?" Kate's heart began to pound.

"No. I mean, they will soon. But, not yet."

"He's going to kill you."

"No, he won't. To kill me, he has to find me. And, that isn't going to happen. Despite the situation, I want you to know that I admire you. I always have. It's a crime to cover up such a lovely face."

"You're insane," Kate whispered.

"I consider myself more of a pragmatist. But, you can think whatever you wish. You're the one strapped to that table; not I."

"Kidnapping and murder are crimes. You can still save yourself."

"I've already been saved," Nieman reached down and tilted the table that Kate is strapped to up, and into a beam of green light. Kate realizes that the light is a grid, which the doctor positions along Kate's face. "I used to be ashamed of who I was inside. The things I dreamt about doing. And then I met Jerry and it was like . . . coming home. So, if you think I would ever turn on him, you don't understand me, at all."

"You didn't answer my earlier question. When did you decide to follow him?"

"Jerry's a smart man. He's positively brilliant. But, so am I. These poor women would come to me, wanting to be something that they weren't. But, I soon came to realize that I could help Jerry."

"Castle was right. You were creating victims for him."

"Your husband is also a very smart man. He's been trying to hunt Jerry down for what? Five years now? But, the man that you think is Jerry Tyson is no longer Jerry Tyson. His name is Michael Boudreau. DNA doesn't lie."

"The tooth didn't match. You took a stranger and made him look like Jerry Tyson?"

"I knew that the tooth wasn't going to match. Gretchen Cutler called me and told me that a New York City detective was there going through Jerry's things. She'd been expecting a visit for years, but only because she thought she was going to need those things to identify Jerry's body when he was killed by the police. When she called me, that's when I went to your precinct. Because, I knew that the DNA wasn't going to match."

"But, you called Amy Barrett and told her to contact me; to get me out of the precinct. The two of you had air-tight alibis when I vanished."

"We were in your precinct."

"How did you meet Michael Boudreau?"

"He volunteered to be a bone marrow donor."

"Which is why the DNA didn't match." Kate felt sick inside. Michael Boudreau had given his bone marrow to Jerry Tyson, changing Tyson's DNA, and had more than likely, paid for his humanitarianism with his life. "What do you think Tyson's going to do when you're no longer useful to him? He's going to kill you." Nieman scoffs at the idea. "I am your only chance, Kelly. I can help you."

"And, you're going to."

Nieman picked up a device and began scanning Kate's face. "What're you doing?" Kate tries to shrink back from the device.

"With all the police attention, I'll need a new face."

Kate watched in horror as the contours of her face appeared on a monitor across from them. Although it's not perfect, Kate can tell that it's her face. Nieman turns to her with a sick smile on her face. "And, I've chosen yours."

Kate's eyes widen more when Nieman softly strokes her cheek. "No, no! Please! Please! Stop!"

"All right," Nieman picks up the gag. "I'm afraid that this is going back on."

"Please, no!"

"Shhh," Nieman shushes her. "This is all going to be over soon. I promise."

***CCC***

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

Day Two – Early Morning

Kate had spent a restless night, dozing fitfully between bouts of wakefulness and working the seam loose on the leather restraint. She had no idea how long she'd been strapped to this table. There were no windows in the room, no way to tell the time. Every time she opened her eyes now, she was met with the image on the computer screen a few feet away. The idea that this crazy woman was going to kill her and somehow take her face sounded like something out of a science fiction movie.

She was furiously scratching away on the restraint, feeling like she was slowly making progress when the door suddenly opened and Nieman walked in. She looked at Kate as if she might've suspected that she was trying to get free. But, after a few minutes, she walked up to her computer monitor and typed in a few keystrokes. "Faces fascinate me," her voice was quiet. "The mask we show to the world. I find that clients hope a procedure won't just change their looks, but change who they are in some deeper way. It never does. No more than painting a house can change the things that happen inside of it."

Kate watched as Nieman took the model of Kate's face and digitally removed it; pasting it onto a model of her own face. The realization that time was running out makes Kate work all that much faster on her bindings. She startles when Nieman's phone rings. "Hello? Yes. Do you have him?"

Kate knows that the call has to be from Tyson, and that they're talking about Castle. She turns from the computer monitors to give Kate another sick smile. "Enough. I can do the rest after. I'll talk to you soon. Love you, too." She ends the call and walks over to the table. "It'll be over soon. But, I've so enjoyed our time together."

Kate just scratched harder at the seams on her leather cuff. From listening to Nieman's side of the conversation, she knew that Tyson has Castle. She knew that this was going to end one of two ways. And, she'd be damned if it ended in the favor of this pair of psychopaths.

Kate didn't know how much time passed before she saw Nieman pulling out her cell phone and checking it. "Something's wrong. He should've called back by now." Nieman dialed her phone while Kate stopped working on her bonds.

Somehow Kate sensed that Castle, more than likely with help from the boys, has gotten the upper hand on Tyson. But, she knows that Nieman likely knows this, too. At that moment, Kate feels the binding on the leather restraint give, freeing her right hand. 'Stay still,' she mentally warns herself.

Nieman grabs her bag and her computer, about to leave the room when she stopped and looked at Kate, still strapped helplessly to the table. Instead of leaving, she walked over and grabbed a scalpel from a case beside the bed. "I'm afraid it's time, Detective."

Suddenly, Kate's hand shot up, grabbing Nieman's wrist in a vice-like grip. The sudden movement throws the doctor off her guard, giving Kate time to strike. The slash is quick and lethal, cutting the doctor's jugular vein, and spraying Kate in warm blood. The doctor falls to the floor in a pool of blood, allowing Kate to free her other hand.

She climbs off the table, her legs almost buckling from the shock of what she's just done. It's not the first time Kate had killed to defend herself, but it's the first time she's had to do it so up close and personal. The thought causes her to mentally start to shut down.

She didn't hear the commotion behind her, the sound of voices calling out, followed by the sound of the door behind her being kicked in. All she can hear is the sound of her blood pounding in her ears and all that she can see is the body at her feet, an ever-widening pool of crimson blood flowing out in all directions.

But, out of all that, she hears a voice. A voice that she never thought to ever hear again. With one word, "Beckett," Kate turns and sees Castle. But, at the same time, she's not really seeing him. All she's still seeing is the slash across Kelly Nieman's throat and the woman falling to the floor.

But, she can feel him. She feels Castle's hand come up to touch her bloody cheek, the warmth enough to lift some of the fog that's crowding her brain. She then feels him pull her to his chest, his breath warm in her hair. It's only then that Kate finally begins to feel safe; that this ordeal is over. It's only then that she drops the bloody scalpel she's holding in her blood-covered hand to the floor, the clatter startling her.

"Captain, we have Beckett," she can barely hear Espo's voice through the noise still pounding in her ears. "Physically, she looks okay. Will do," he ends the call. "Gates wants us to call a bus."

"Why?" Kate speaks for the first time. "She's dead."

"Not for Nieman, Beckett," Espo explains. "For you."

"No," she disagreed. "I'm okay."

"Kate," Castle says her name. "Let them check you out. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Beckett, we have some clothes in the trunk of our car," Ryan said, staring at Kate, who was dressed in a white t-shirt and thin pants, all of it now covered in blood spray. "Castle, why don't you help her change clothes? We're going to be here a while."

"Come on, let's get out of here," Castle gently led Kate from the building, bolstering her up when her legs tried to give out.

"Where's Tyson?"

"I'll explain everything later. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I think so."

They walked outside into the cool February afternoon. Castle walked over to Ryan and Esposito's car and opened the trunk, removing a bag from inside. He handed Kate a NYPD sweatshirt and a pair of sweat pants. "I'm sure there's a restroom inside the building somewhere."

"No. I'm not going back in there." Kate looked behind her and saw Castle's Buick. "Unlock your car. I can change clothes in the backseat. What happened to Amy Barrett and Tyson?" She asked after she'd changed clothes.

"Amy Barrett's in police custody. Tyson is dead?"

"Really dead? As in really, really dead this time?" Kate's eyes widened in her face, which was still far too pale for Castle's liking.

"He's really dead this time. Esposito shot him through the heart. Come on, let's get you checked out," he nodded at the ambulance that had just arrived on the scene.

When she'd been changing clothes, she noticed her wedding ring was missing. She was about to ask Castle about it when the ambulance showed up. She thought about once again insisting that she was all right, but one look at Castle's face told her to just go with the program. She got out of the car and let Castle walk her over to the back of the bus. The paramedic took Kate's vital signs and gave her a quick once over. "Your vitals are in a good range. You have some chafing on your wrists."

"I was restrained until I managed to get free."

"I don't see anything wrong with you that a little rest won't cure."

"Thank you."

After the bus left, Castle opened the passenger side door of his car so that Kate could sit down. He then opened the glove box and removed a package of wipes. "Your face," his voice caught.

She removed a couple of wipes and scrubbed them across her face, her motions manic and frantic. "Kate, hey. It's okay," Castle finally stopped her. "You got it."

She looked over his shoulder at Espo and Ryan, who were exiting the building. "Gates wants us back at the precinct when we're done here. ESU will be here soon. So will the M.E. Are you okay?" Esposito walked over to Castle's car.

"Yeah. I'm just having trouble processing everything. He's really dead?"

"Yeah, he's dead. We watched Perlmutter zip him into the body bag ourselves."

"How much longer?"

"An hour, maybe a little longer. ESU is en route. Just sit here and take it easy with Castle."

After ESU arrived, the boys went back inside with them to give them the run-down on what had taken place. Castle couldn't take his eyes off his wife. He knew that she was still in a profound state of shock. He hoped it would dissipate once he was able to get her home where she could relax. "Are you cold? I can turn on the heater," he offered.

"I'm okay. Where did you find her?" She asked, referring to Amy Barrett.

"You know what?" He crouched down so that he was at eye level with her. "I'll explain everything to you when we get home."

"Will you do something in the meantime?" She asked. "Can you kiss me?"

"That, I can do," his eyes crinkled and he moved forward, his lips brushing against hers. "You have no idea how much I missed you. How scared I was."

"Me, too."

It was almost an hour before the boys once again came out of the building. "Gates wants to see us back at the precinct. She wants to see for herself that you're alive and in one piece. It shouldn't take too long," Espo reported.

Kate's eyes shifted between the boys and Rick. She could see that he wanted to go home as badly as she did. They both needed to decompress. The last thing that she wanted or needed was more questions. She was tired of trying to hold herself together when she wanted to scream and cry; to have Rick hold her or even cry with her. But, she knew that was going to have to wait. "Then, I can go home?" Her voice was like that of a child.

"Then, we'll go home," Castle promised her. "We'll be right behind you."

"Roger that," Espo said as he and Ryan went to their car.

Kate turned in her seat so that Castle could close the door before he walked to the driver's side and got in. It was only then that her missing wedding ring hit her hard and she began silently sobbing, hot tears falling down her face. She didn't even know that Castle had got back out of the car until she felt cool air hitting her; felt Castle's hands on her arms. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"My ring, Castle! She took my wedding ring!"

"It's okay. It's in the M.E.'s office. I'll get it back for you. It's okay," he repeated.

"Oh, god, Rick! I thought I was never going to see you again!" She turned and threw her arms around Castle's neck, crying into his neck.

"I know. Me, too," he held her tightly, his hands caressing her back. "But, you're okay now. It's over and they're gone. They're never to hurt anybody ever again. We should get to the precinct."

"Yeah, I guess we should," she reluctantly released him and wiped at her face.

When they arrived at the precinct, Castle parked behind Espo's cruiser. He looked over at Kate. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door, stepping out before she happened to spot two uniformed officers escorting Amy Barrett between them. Castle could visibly see her mentally shutting down and quickly slipped his arm around her.

"Focus on me. Okay? You're okay. You're safe. Just focus on me."

She looked up at him and nodded as he followed the boys and the two uniforms into the building. Ryan hit the button for the elevator and waited for the two officers to enter with Barrett before they stepped in, followed by Castle and Kate. Castle could feel her trembling against him as the elevator rose slowly to the fourth floor. He gently rubbed her shoulder, squeezing her against him. She looked at him, knowing that no words needed to be spoken. He knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling. For that, she was grateful.

Lanie was standing by Gates' office door when the elevator door slid opened. She let out her breath when she saw Castle getting out first, guiding Kate toward the bullpen. That was when every detective in the room rose to their feet and burst into applause at her safe return. She saw a small smile flit across Kate's face at the support that was being shown by her colleagues. That was when Lanie knew she couldn't wait one more second to see her best friend. She ran out, briefly startling Castle, who released Kate. "I was so scared!" Lanie hugged Kate tightly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she looked at Castle for confirmation, seeing his answering smile.

"I thought that you might want this back," Lanie reached into her pocket and took out a small glassine evidence bag.

"My ring," Kate's voice was barely audible. "Right now, I don't want to know details of why . . . thank you," she reached out and embraced her friend once again.

Kate looked past Lanie's shoulder into the eyes of her captain. Lanie released her and stepped back into the bullpen. "That was the stupidest, most reckless, most irresponsible stunt you've ever pulled, Mr. Castle," she watched as Castle looked at the boys, who cast their eyes downward. "Thank you," she reached her hand out for Castle to shake, laughing in stunned embarrassment when the writer picked her up in a huge bear hug, laughing at the joy of having his wife back. "Okay! All right, all right! Okay!" Kate laughs at Castle's over-the-top reaction. "There's still the matter of the assault charges."

"Assault charges?" Kate looks at Castle, wondering just what in the hell happened while she was gone.

"Ah . . . it's a . . . it's a long story. But, Captain, you can't be serious."

"Serial killer or no, you threatened an unarmed man with a gun. The D.A. takes that very seriously. But, in light of your outstanding work on this case, he's willing to drop the charges if you agree to a thousand hours of community service."

"A thousand hours?" Castle was incredulous.

"Yes," Gates smiles when she looks at Beckett. "As a consultant to Det. Beckett and the Twelfth Precinct."

Castle was stunned. This was the best news ever, outside of getting Kate back safely. "I'm . . . I'm being unbanned?"

"Welcome back, Mr. Castle," she laughs when he hugs her again. "Okay!"

Castle turns to the boys, who are delighted that he's back before he turns to Kate, who has her arms out to him with a huge smile on her face. He picks her up off the floor and hugs her tightly.

"Det. Beckett, could I have five minutes of your time? I promise that it won't be longer than that."

"It's okay," Castle urged her when her eyes darted between him and her boss. "I'll be at your desk."

Kate reluctantly followed Capt. Gates into her office, closing the door behind them. She turned to look for Castle, watching him accept greetings from the other members of the homicide team. "Are you okay?"

"She kept me restrained, but she didn't physically hurt me."

"Take as much time as you need to decompress. I don't want you back before you're up to it. That's an order."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, go home to your husband."

"Yes, sir," Kate grinned before leaving the office and walking over to her desk, where she found Castle chatting with the boys. "Castle, let's go home."

When they walked into the loft half an hour later, Kate was surprised by the silence. She'd expected to be greeted by her mother-in-law and stepdaughter. "Where are Martha and Alexis?"

"I sent them to London until this was over. I'll call and let them know that you're safe." He walked over and tentatively touched her cheek, smiling when he felt her press against his palm.

"You look exhausted," she commented, noting his bristly jaws and the lines under his eyes.

"That's because I am exhausted. "Why don't you take a shower and get ready for bed while I call Mother to let her know that you're safe?"

"Okay," she pressed up and kissed him.

Kate went into the ensuite and stripped out of the clothes she'd borrowed from Ryan. She then turned on the water and stepped into the shower, pressing her hands against the wall as the water poured over her body. When she got out, she dried and put on one of Castle's old shirts and a pair of flannel pajamas pants before going into their bedroom and climbing under the covers. But, her mind couldn't rest. Instead, she kept reliving those last few minutes of Kelly Nieman's life. The shock in her eyes when Beckett had grabbed her wrist.

"Spoke with my mother and Alexis," Castle said, returning to the bedroom from his office. "They said they're on their way home, just as soon as they do some shopping." He slid into bed beside Kate, noticing that she hadn't acknowledged him. He knew that she was probably inside of her head right now and he also knew that he needed to bring her back to the present, otherwise it was going to be a very long night. "I don't know how you did it."

"What?" Her voice was dull.

"Kept it together for the two months that I was missing. Two days I didn't know where you were and it almost killed me."

"She told me that you were tenacious."

"I learned that from you," his voice was soft.

"I can't believe that you threatened him with a loaded gun."

"Well, an unloaded gun wouldn't have done me any good," he deadpanned, smiling when she rolled her eyes. "I would've done anything to get you back, Kate. Anything."

"I know," she reached up and touched his face. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"Always," he smiled before kissing her softly, and then kissing her once more.

"You'll tell me everything tomorrow?" She asked, resting her head on his chest and feeling his arm come up to protectively hold her against him.

"Tomorrow," his voice was drowsy as he reached up to turn off the light. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

A/N #4: One thing that I had to correct from the episode was the fact that Kate would've been covered in blood spatter after slicing Kelly Nieman's throat.

A/N #5: One of my muses was the one who explained to us the only possible way for the DNA not to match.

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