A/N: Thanks for your reviews! This is another outtake from the chapter 35/36 arc.

Deleted Scene – The Promise – from Ch 35/36

Johanna crossed the loft at the sound of a knock at the door, calling out "Who is it?" as a precaution even though Kate had sent her a text telling her that Ryan and Esposito would be stopping by to check in on her.

"Your favorite adopted children," Esposito replied.

"In that case I guess you can come in," Johanna said as she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Has everything been alright?" Esposito asked as he and Ryan stepped inside.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Where's Mr. Beckett?" Ryan asked as his gaze scanned the loft.

She smiled. "You can just call him Jim; he's never been one to stand on ceremony."

Ryan smiled and nodded. "Beckett said he was here with you."

"He was and he'll be back. He went out to get us some lunch."

"Doesn't Castle have anything good in the fridge?" Esposito asked as he walked through the kitchen.

"I don't know; I don't go through other people's refrigerators."

He grinned. "Rumor has it that you went through Beckett's and almost had a stroke," he said as he grabbed a soda from the fridge.

"That's true but it's also different. Katie's my daughter; being her mother, I feel obligated to make sure she has food. I'm surprised she told you about that."

"She didn't," Ryan replied as he too grabbed a soda. "Castle told us. Now the real question is, are you telling us that there's no treats for us?"

Johanna gave them a smile. "Sorry, boys; there probably won't be any treats until I'm back at Katie's. I don't like to help myself at someone else's house unless they're a relative who has given me permission."

"We give you permission," Esposito told her. "Castle can afford to buy more groceries."

"That may be but I'll hold off. I'm glad the two of you are here though…I've been wanting to talk to you."

The boys shared a worried look. "What's wrong?" Ryan asked. "Did something happen?"

"No…let's sit down."

They followed her to the table and sat down. Johanna toyed with her rings as she tried to figure out how best to broach the subject.

"What is it?" Ryan gently prodded.

She tore her gaze from rings and looked into the concerned faces of the two detectives sitting across from her. "Things seem to be escalating in regard to this case," she stated.

"Things are a little amped up right now, Esposito agreed. "But don't worry; we're going to get to the bottom of it."

Johanna gave them a small smile. "I'm sure you will but I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm not foolish enough to believe that they intended for Katie and I to walk out of her apartment that night they sent bullets flying through the windows. I survived because I knocked the remote on the floor and leaned down to pick it up at the right moment. Katie survived because there was the space of a heartbeat between the first shot and the second, giving her just enough time to react, thank God."

"You're afraid that's going to happen again," Ryan remarked.

"I'm afraid of a lot of things," she admitted. "Most of all I'm afraid that Katie will get hurt again."

"Nothing's going to happen to Beckett," Esposito replied.

"I want to make sure of it," Johanna stated. "And that's why I need the two of you to promise me something."

"What?" Ryan asked.

She eyed them both. "I want you both to promise me that if it ever comes down to it, that you'll save Katie over me. She comes first. You have to save her. I don't matter…she does. I can't let her die for me…I'd never be able to live with that. I'd never be able to face Jim again. Katie has to make it through this, you have to save her."

The detectives were silent for a long minute, digesting what she was asking of them. "Nothing like that is going to happen," Ryan finally said.

"It could," she replied.

Esposito shook his head. "Not on our watch."

"Some things are out of your control," she reminded them. "You need to save her first; she comes before me."

"Our job description says 'protect and serve'," Ryan said. "We're supposed to protect the civilian…which would be you."

"I don't care about the regulations of your job. I care about my daughter. If the chips are down, I know you two can save her. I don't want anyone worrying about me, you take care of her."

"Beckett can take care of herself," Esposito stated. "She has the same training we do and she's very good with a gun. We always have her back…but she rarely needs us to save her. She's going to be fine, so will you."

"Promise me," Johanna pleaded. "Promise me that Katie comes first."

"We're always going to have her back," Ryan replied. "But if it comes down to it, we're going to save you both."

"That's right," his partner agreed. "There are two of us; we can take care of both of you."

"Please…promise me. I can't take that chance…please."

Ryan and Esposito glanced at each other, both of them trying to figure out a way to get out of making such a promise. In their minds it would be a failure not to save both of them…and they knew Beckett would never forgive them for it if something happened to her mother that they could've prevented.

"I don't like to put the two of you in this position," Johanna said as silence continued to reign. "But you're the only ones I can ask…the only ones I can count on for this. I just need you to promise me this…it would ease my mind to know that Katie's taken care of."

Esposito gave one last glance at his partner, hoping he'd come up with a solution, but Ryan looked just as hopeless as he felt. He was about to try to reason with her again but as he looked at her tearful green eyes, he couldn't do it. Slowly he gave a nod.

Johanna kept her eyes on him. "Say it."

"I promise," he said quietly.

Her gaze slid to Ryan and his gaze dipped to the surface of the table. "I promise," he murmured.

"Thank you," Johanna said sincerely. "I know it wasn't easy for you both to give me your word, but I appreciate it. I'll feel a little better now…but please don't mention it to Katie or Jim."

"Believe me, we won't," Ryan replied as he shifted in his seat.

She gave them a small smile. "I'll be sure to bake you both something as soon as I can."

"It better be really good," Esposito remarked. "These kinds of deals have to be treated properly."

Her smile widened. "I'll do my best."

"When will Jim be back?" Ryan asked; desperate to get out of there before she asked them to make anymore promises.

"Any minute now," she answered.

"We'll stay with you until he gets here," Esposito told her.

"Okay…but could you both wipe those looks off your faces if you're going to do that? He'll think something's wrong."

They both did their best to paste smiles on their faces as they prayed that Jim would hurry back.

"Don't over do it, he's not stupid," Johanna remarked as she looked at their now smiling faces.

Esposito shook his head and gave a laugh. "You're a tough woman to please, Mama B."

"Not really," she replied. "It just seems that way."

They were spared from commenting as a knock sounded at the door. Ryan leapt at the chance to answer it and he hurried toward it, letting Jim in. After greeting him, the boys said goodbye and made their excuses to flee. They were silent as they boarded the elevator but after a moment, Ryan broke the silence. "We just lied to her," he said quietly.

His partner nodded. "Yeah, we did…because there's no way in hell I'm letting that woman die."

"Me neither…I'll save her, you take Beckett," Ryan stated.

Esposito looked at him. "I'll save her, you take Beckett."

"No; I said I'd do it."

"You've already done your duty with Mama B when Beckett was in the hospital…remember, she threatened to beat the hell out of you."

He nodded. "Yes, I remember, that's why I should be the one to save her…we bonded."

"Oh and you don't think she's bonded with me?" Esposito asked.

"Not like she has with me…she hasn't threatened you."

"Hey, we've bonded!" he argued. "I threatened to run her out of town myself if she wasn't who she said she was when she first came back and she didn't even get mad at me."

"That's because she had nothing to worry about. I had to chase her down and drive her to the hospital and take the threats…she's way more bonded to me than you."

"I drove her to her hotel that first day…I drove her to the DNA test," Esposito remarked.

"So, I was there when the results were read. We both helped her move into Beckett's…and I always ask about her before you do."

"You do not!"

"Do too…she always serves me first too. She likes me best," Ryan stated. "I'll save her."

"She does not like you best."

"I think she does," he said as the elevator doors slid open. "Should we flip a coin to see who gets to save her?"

"No; I've got a better idea," Esposito replied. "When hell breaks lose, whoever you're standing closest to, that's who you save…as long as they both get saved, we're good."

Ryan nodded. "Okay."

"But we're going to do our best to make sure it never comes to that."

"If it does," Ryan said; "Who's going to save Castle?"

"He's going to have to duck," Esposito replied. "The women come first. Johanna wouldn't be able to live with it if something happens to Kate…and Kate wouldn't be able to live with it if something happened to Johanna and she'd hate us for it. And I know I can't live with something happening to either one of them."

"Neither can I."

"Then let's make sure it doesn't happen," the other man stated. "Let's find the slimeball and nail his ass to the wall."

"I'm all for that," Ryan agreed as he headed for the door. He didn't want to have to think about that promise for longer than necessary…and he knew Esposito felt the same way.