AN: Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews for this story! I really appreciate them!
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.
Jim and Johanna Beckett arrive home after sitting in a restaurant for two hours, both of their faces conveying worry.
"You don't think she ditched dinner, do you?" Johanna asks her husband, who is already shaking his head.
"No. She would've said something. Besides, she told me she was looking forward to it," he says with a sigh. The last thing his daughter told him before he had left that morning was that she was looking forward to some family time with them before leaving for school.
"I'll call the Quellers, she might still be there." His wife goes for the phone as he paces.
Katie's snuck out in the past after dinner, sure. But completely abandoning them for her friends, particularly without any sort of notice? It's not her. The thought causes Jim's stomach to feel unsettled as he flops into his armchair. Meanwhile, he hears Johanna softly conversing with Maddie's mother.
After a moment, the sound of the phone returning to the hook reaches his ears. He turns his head, seeing his wife bite her lip, her eyes filling with panic.
"That was Maddie. She said Katie left her house three hours ago to go to the restaurant." Her voice breaks as he stands up, wrapping his arm around his wife.
Oh, Katie, he thinks, where are you?
Kate sighs as she curls her legs further into her body. A book is splayed open in front of her, one of the ones she would read when she had needed a source of comfort. However, as of right now, it's not doing the trick.
She stares at the pages in front of her, her mind barely registering the words printed on the paper, her brain more focused on what's going to happen to her.
It seems Alex doesn't have any say in regards to how long she'll be here. He's a pawn in this game, just as she is. That is, if he's telling the truth. She's pretty sure he is, but she knows she has to reserve judgment, for now. Whoever the mysterious man was that visited earlier, he's running this whole thing. And from the way he had talked, he's dangerous. How dangerous? She really doesn't want to find out.
The sound of the door unlocking snaps her out of her thoughts. Alex enters, balancing a plate of what appears to be a burger and fries.
"It's probably not as good as what you would've eaten tonight, but I think it'll do," he states, setting the plate and a can of soda in front of her.
"Thanks," she mumbles, the sight of the food making her realize how famished she feels.
He hesitates for a second before asking, "Do you mind if I eat with you?"
She blinks, surprised he's asking her permission for anything. Shrugging, she nods, gesturing for him to go get the food as she takes a bite of her own. He bounds back upstairs, not bothering to lock the door. She won't run, this time.
He returns with a similar plate, starting to munch as soon as he sits down.
They eat in silence, which is fairly comfortable.
Well, as comfortable as a meal between been kidnapper and captive can be, she thinks
"So, what's next?" she asks, finishing her burger.
Alex stops his chewing, looking at her with uncertainty. "I assume he'll make demands. My guess is he'll let your parents stew for the evening and then call them tomorrow, probably from a payphone or something."
She holds back a shiver at his cold, calculating tone. Then again, he's done this before, so he's used to the mechanics.
"What if my mom says no?" Kate doesn't even want to entertain the idea of her mother choosing a case over her, but the brunette knows when her mother is stuck on something, she doesn't stop until she finishes the job.
Alex sighs, wiping his hands on his jeans. "I think my boss doesn't like the idea of people saying no to him." A chuckle falls from his lips as he says this, as if there's some sort of joke there.
"Yeah, he seems kind of-" she starts.
"Sadistic? Anal? Demanding?" he finishes.
"Yeah," she mutters.
His expression morphs into a grimace as he replies, "Yeah, when I initially agreed to this job, he wanted the whole nine yards." Raising an eyebrow, she urges him to explain. "You know, abandoned warehouse, video taping, you tied to a chair, probably have a few bruises. That kind of stuff."
"Right." The discomfort must show on her face because his expression softens.
"Sorry, sometimes I forget that I've done this longer than I should have and the normal person can't really fathom it." Shaking his head, he purses his lips. "I do want a real job, one that doesn't involve all this. But as long as medical bills exist." He shoulders lift in defeat as she turns away, gazing at the bookcase.
"How long has she been sick?"
He's quiet for a moment before deciding to divulge his past. "She was diagnosed two years ago, but we didn't have the money. I actually had been doing this type of thing already. I had planned to quit the business all together, but my mother's diagnosis just gave me more motivation to stay in this line of work."
"What made you do it before she got sick?"
He sighs, and in her peripheral vision, she sees him run a hand through his hair. "Money, of course. We didn't have much growing up and I dropped out of college. One day, I answered a newspaper ad for some agency. Looking back on it, I thought it was worded kind of strange." His hand strokes his chin. "Anyway, I contacted the number, showed up at the place, trained, obtained a handler, and the rest is history."
She senses there's more to the story than he lets on, but she won't push, for now.
"Thank you for dinner," she says. "It was delicious." And it was, surprisingly. The burger had tasted fantastic and the fries were nice and crispy.
"You're welcome." Taking her plate, he goes to leave. "If you want to wash up, I left shampoo in the shower and towels are on the rack." He glances around, frowning. "Get some rest, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."
She nods as he closes the door and locks it again.
Looks like she's alone for the night.
She wakes the next morning to the sound of her door being thrown open. She bolts up, frowning as she notices the melancholy expression on Alex's face.
"What time is it?" she asks, her brain still hazy with sleep.
"He called your parents two hours ago," he answers instead. "And, he's going to give your mother time to think it over but-" No.
Mom, you didn't, she begs internally.
"I'm sorry, Kate. She said no. She threatened she was close to finishing this thing and that she'll close it within the next few days."
"She said a few weeks the other day," Kate croaks.
"Apparently, my boss is feeling generous and is allowing her to rethink her answer. She has until tomorrow, then she'll be 'forced to witness the consequences of her decision'." Alex walks to her, taking her hands in his as he sits down next to her on the bed. "Kate, listen to me, I will keep you safe. I don't care if he busts the door down, guns blazing. I will make sure he doesn't lay a hand on you, okay?"
Her gaze locks with his and she sees the sincerity floating in his blue irises.
"Okay," she murmurs.
"Good." Reaching up a tentative hand, he gently brushes away a tear from her cheek. "I'm going to make you some breakfast. Blueberry pancakes sound fine?"
She only moves her head in affirmation, her head swirling with a myriad of emotions. Confusion, Sadness, but mainly anger.
How could her mother say no to saving her own daughter?