You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,

She says,

You don't know me and you don't wear my chains…

Rick's POV

She still hasn't come home. Kate's been missing now for three weeks. I don't know what to tell Ellie anymore. I've called Kate a million times, but she doesn't pick up and she doesn't call back.

"Kate, I love you."

"Kate, come home."

"I know you're hurting, but please we can get through this as long as we're together."

"Kate please come home."

Every message I have left her has gone into her voice mail and she probably hasn't even listened to them. In the past, I ran from relationships when things got too involved or too hard, but this is the one time I have stayed in one place and I'm pissed off that Kate won't work through this.

I think that I'm just tired

I think I need a new town leave this all behind…

It wasn't until the one phone call, that I knew how she really felt.

"Castle."

"Rick Castle? My name is Lexie Stevens, I am a family lawyer. I am calling in regards to your wife Katherine Castle."

"Has something happened to Kate?"

"No, she wanted me to tell you to stop calling her and that she is giving you temporary sole custody of Ellie."

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"Tell Kate she has to tell me herself. Because the Kate I know, wouldn't give up all rights to Ellie. She loves her too much. So you can tell Kate to cut the crap and tell me in person."

"Mr. Castle-"

"We're done here." I hang up.

"Daddy?" Ellie's head pops around the corner and all I can see is the bits of Kate in her.

"Yeah pumpkin, what's up?" I say trying to remain somewhat normal so that Ellie doesn't get affected more than she has too.

"Was that Mommy on the phone? Is she coming home?" Ellie's eyes sparkle with the hope of her mom coming home.

"No, that wasn't her, but I was thinking of calling her. Would you like to call her?" I ask hoping that Ellie can get Kate to come home. Her brown curls bounce as she nods. I dial Kate's number and turn the phone on speaker phone.

"Hi you've reached Detective Castle's phone. Leave me a message."

"Hi Mommy! Come home! Daddy and I miss you! I love you Mommy!" I hang up the phone and wait to see what Kate will do.

Kate's POV

All I want is for Rick to let me go. That's why I gave up Ellie's rights, even though it killed me to do. But that's why I did it; I need to punish myself for what happened. That's why I ran and left them. But even though I ran, without fail, Rick calls me five to ten times a day. I know that once he finds out that I gave up my rights, even temporarily, he will do one of two things. He'll either stop calling & give up on me or he'll… I don't really know the other option but I know that Rick surprises me all the time. But I am betting on the first option and he'll hate me for sure. Not that I should care since I'm the one who should be hurt. But even though I don't want him to call, I still listen to every message he leaves for me.

"Kate, I love you."

"Kate, come home."

"I know you're hurting, but please we can get through this as long as we're together."

"Kate please come home."

Every message is usually no more than a minute long at most, but each one tells me that even after I lost our baby, he isn't sending me away. I look at the clock and know that any moment now he will be getting the phone call from Lexie about me giving up my rights to Ellie, which means that I will soon learn his reaction. I sit and wait, dreading the reaction, but at the same time waiting to see what happens. Sooner than I would have hoped, my phone rings saying RICK CELL. He's still not giving up?

I wait through the rings and the moment my voicemail chirps to alert me of the new voice mail, I call to hear the message. While it connects I am mentally preparing myself for yelling, cussing me out, him telling me he couldn't love me anymore… anything really. Everything but what I actually heard.

"Hi Mommy! Come home! Daddy and I miss you! I love you Mommy!"

At that moment I broke down. Even though I left them, Rick still must be telling Ellie that I'll be coming home soon. He's not going to let me run away. I make a decision right then and grab what little stuff I had before getting in my car and driving. I drive the four hours only stopping once to pick up food. During the drive I try to imagine what could happen and have no idea in the end. Once I pull up to my destination I walk slowly and knock on the door.

"Kate…?"

You don't know me, and you don't even care.

Author's Note: Any guesses on where Kate was hiding out at?