AN: This is a long chapter as there was no good spot for a break.

For those of you that said in reviews that Rick and Kate are behaving out of character, my only response is 'Have you watched season 8?' This entire season has been one long angst fest with both of the leads acting totally out of character.

And to those confused at why he would have to pay to change his name - Castle's birth name was Richard Rodgers. He changes it to Rodger Richards for his new alias as it will be easy to remember and less likely to be tripped up if someone calls him by his 'new' name.

Chapter Two:

Back in New York, Kate Beckett stared out of the window of the loft that she had shared with 'husband' for ten months. Ten months before she succumbed to her demons and threw away the only thing that should have mattered to her. Two years ago today they promised each other that they would be partners in all things. And now she has nothing. Like a bird in a gilded cage, she had everything, yet nothing that mattered, trapped by the choices she made.

She had every intention of meeting Rick for dinner on their one year anniversary. She knew that it was a small gesture, but Kate really wanted to prove to him that they weren't through. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions', Vikram called with a hot lead that wouldn't wait and she once again put the case before her husband.

Now she sits alone in the loft, wishing that she'd made the right choices, but not sure she'd have the strength even now.

When Rick didn't show at the 12th the next few days after their missed dinner, she simply assumed that he was mad and it would blow over. By the end of the third day, she called his cellphone but got no answer. Kate calls Martha later that evening and learns that Rick had flown to LA for business the day after their missed dinner. Martha confirmed that she hadn't spoken to Rick for a day or so, but was confident that he was fine.

The weekend was quiet and several attempts to contact Rick via phone and even email went unanswered. For the last two months she couldn't seem to get away from him and now that he was gone all she wanted was to see him.

Kate arrived at the precinct Monday morning tired, frustrated and angry. She and Vikram had been out until nearly four in the morning staking out a club where a probable suspect with ties to LocSat was supposed to be. Once again, Vikram's tip failed to produce anything of value. She was frustrated that none of their efforts have led to a single piece of actionable evidence. She was angry at Rick for not answering any of her messages or emails.

Beckett was sitting at her desk reviewing the weekend reports when there was a knock on the door. A young man dressed in a suit was standing outside and she gestures for him to enter. He opens the door and walks to the front of her desk, a large Manila envelope tucked under his arm. "Katherine Beckett?" He asks as he pulls the envelope from under his arm.

"Yes. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, please sign this..." He lays the envelope on her desk along with another piece of paper.

Kate looked at the paper. It was a standard court document receipt form. She'd probably signed a hundred of them over her career as a cop, usually a request to testify at a trial or parole hearing. Usually those were delivered by a uniformed officer working out of the DA's office. She signed the receipt without a thought as her mind was elsewhere.

"You have been served. Have a good day." The man replied as he took the receipt and was out of her office before she could respond.

Kate stared at the envelope wondering at what was inside. She tore the end off and pulled the first document out gasping as the large print at the top - Petition for Dissolution. A yellow post-it note was attached to the front and she could tell the handwriting was Ricks. 'Thought I might as well admit defeat and give you what you really want. I'm sorry that I wasn't enough for you.' The document was littered with little sticky arrows pointing to all of the places where her signature was required. Also included was a copy of the prenup agreement she had asked for before they married. There were several changes made to the document that required her approval. Every one of them giving her more than the original agreement called for including the loft.

At first she thought that this was a cruel joke by Rick to get even with her for missing their anniversary, until she saw the small envelope. The circular raised up spot in it could only be one thing. Kate carefully opened it fighting back tears, hoping that she was wrong. The plain gold wedding band fell out into her open hand as she was unable stop the tears now. The inscription 'Always' inside the ring mocking her. She buries her face in her hands and sobs uncontrollably, all of her hastily constructed plans destroyed.

The warnings of both Rita and Martha come back to mock her for her hubris. But Kate Beckett was a fighter. She'd hunt down Richard Castle and make him see the error of his ways. Make him understand that what she was doing was more important than either of them. That their only chance at a happy ending was tied to her putting away LocSat.

Assuming that she may still have one ally in the Castle household, she picks up her phone and quickly dials Alexis' number. "Captain Beckett. What do you want?" The venom was dripping off of her voice as she spoke.

Stunned by Alexis' less than welcoming greeting, Kate replies. "Have you seen your father? I've been trying to contact him for the last three days and he hasn't answered any of my emails or voicemails."

There was an extended pause before Alexis speaks. "Dad flew out to LA last week for business. Something happened and now he's gone..."

"What do you mean gone? Someone like your father just doesn't disappear." Kate replies before she realizes what happened to him on their original wedding day. Her mind is filled with worst case scenarios that somehow this is tied to LocSat and Rita's warning that any blood would be on her hands.

"This has something to do with why you left dad, doesn't it?" The redhead asks, barely able to contain her anger.

"I don't know Alexis... Can you tell me the last time you spoke to him and where he was staying in LA?" Kate speaks as calmly as she can, trying to reassure the very frightened young woman.

"He called Thursday night and said that he may be gone for a while, but not to worry... He was staying at the Beverly Hills Hilton. That was the last time that either grams or I spoke to him..."

"Don't worry, I'll find him and we'll get this straightened out... Trust me."

"I'm sorry but I don't trust you. You promised to keep him safe after the last time he disappeared..." Alexis ends the call before she bursts into her own tears. She had suspected that her father's disappearance had something to do with Beckett and now after speaking to her she was sure of it.

Kate could only stare at the phone in disbelief. Castle had disappeared again and this time it was her fault either directly or indirectly. She walks out of her office and out to the bullpen where Kevin and Javi are doing paperwork. "I need to see both of you in my office now." The tone of her voice left no room for debate.

The two men stared at each other in confusion and then at her as she turns and walks back to her office without another word. The two detectives scramble to their feet and follow behind her entering the office.

Kate sighs and gestures to the door. "Close it and take a seat."

The two men comply and Espo speaks. "What's up Cap? Haven't seen Castle around here in a while..."

Kate forgets that all of the legal papers were still scattered on her desk along with Rick's wedding band. Kevin Ryan was a good detective and had seen enough of what was scattered on her desk to know that things between her and Castle had digressed much farther than he suspected.

Kate sighs again hoping to find the right words to say that will keep her from feeling even more guilty than she does at the moment. "Castle flew out to Los Angeles last week for business. No one has spoken to him since Thursday..."

"So you're telling me that Castle's been gone since last week and you're just now starting to look for him?" Espo asks incredulously. "Too busy hanging out with Vikram to notice your husband was missing?" He was practically seething now. Both of the detectives have felt like they have been relegated to the 'second team' since the arrival of the mysterious Mr Singh. Both had seen how much time the two spent together, especially in the evenings as they were done with their shifts.

Kate rises from her seat hoping to use her height and position of power to intimidate her detective. "My personal life is none of your business." She growls at Esposito.

"Is this an official police investigation Captain? Or is like your other 'off the books' work that seems to take priority around here?" Kevin inquires as he makes air quotes as he says off the books.

"Forget I said anything. I'll find him myself." The Captain replies as she gestures to the door. "You're dismissed."

"No. Castle is, or was our friend. Give us whatever information you have and we'll see what we can find." Espo replies with a look of conviction.

Kate proceeds to give them what little information that she has about his last known whereabouts and thanks the two for their help and discretion. They both rise from their seats and started towards the door. "Don't worry, we'll find him. I mean, he's just a writer." Espo comments as he walks out the door. Kevin stands in the doorway hesitating.

"Can I talk to you? I promise to be quick." Ryan asks, sure this is the not the time, but feeling it cannot wait any longer.

"Sure Kevin, what do you want?" Kate responds, but really not in the mood at the moment.

"Uh, I'm not sure how to say this, and I'm sure that the timing sucks..."

"What do you want to say?" Kate asks trying to remain calm in spite of everything that has happened since she arrived this morning.

"I thought that you ought to know that I've requested a transfer to the 23rd precinct. There's an opening over there and it puts me closer to home..."

The captain is stunned. Kevin and Javi have been like brothers to her and now he wanted to leave? "Does this have to do with Espo's promotion to Sargent? Javi's not going anywhere for quite a while as there are no openings right now."

Kevin stares at the papers on her desk again and this time she catches him looking. Deciding that he has nothing to lose he continues. "Things have been off around here since you took over as Captain." Ryan quickly holds up his hands to stop her from speaking. "This has nothing to do with your promotion as Javi and I have always taken orders from you... The first day on the job, you disappear and we search the city trying to find you... The next day you return and act as if nothing happened yet you move out of Castle's loft... Then Vikram shows up as your new tech analyst and Javier and I are suddenly moved to second string..."

Kevin sighs in frustration and wipes his sweaty palms on the legs of his trousers. "I've watched Castle try to find ways to work with us just to be near you... It's obvious that he's just as much in the dark about why you've changed as Javi and I are... This is your precinct and you can run it any way you want..."

Beckett is ill-prepared to defend herself to Kevin at the moment and decides to say nothing. Kevin can tell that this conversation is over and starts to the door. Once again he stares at the pile of papers on her desk again, this time gesturing to them. "I'm surprised that he held on as long as he did. If I pulled a stunt like you did on Jenny, she would have filed for divorce the very next day..." He opens the door and stands in the opening. "Did you ever think that maybe he doesn't want to be found?" Ryan is out the door, closing it behind him before she can respond.

Beckett sits there wondering if this day could get any worse as she again scans the legal documents before her. She carefully gathers them up and places the papers back into the envelope. Kate had decided that she will not sign the papers until she has a chance to speak to Castle, still convinced that she could get him to change his mind. Her hubris simply would not allow her to believe that she was wrong. Kevin's closing remark about Castle not wanting to be found was mocking her as she picked up his wedding band from the top of the desk. She reaches into her blouse and pulls out the chain containing her mothers ring that she had started wearing again. Slipping it over her head, Kate unhook so the clasp and places his ring on the chain beside her mothers.

The rest of her day was spent doing her duties as Captain and hoping that Vikram would finally uncover the lead that would allow her to put this whole LocSat mess to rest once and for all. Then she could focus on fixing her marriage. If there was anything left to fix.

It was near the end of the shift when Vikram appears at the door. She ushers him into the office and can see Ryan and Espo both glaring at her. Beckett was sure that Kevin has told Javi about the dissolution papers he saw on her desk by now and his request for a transfer. She could only wonder how much longer Esposito would stay on after Kevin left. Vikram walks around the desk and places his laptop in front of her. His physical closeness to her at the moment, as he starts to discuss some lead he was chasing made her feel uncomfortable. She could feel the others in the bullpen looking at them. Kate had been so focused on her goal that she never gave her interaction with Singh a second thought. She scoots her chair away from him to increase their distance from each other. He moves even closer to her in response, earning an angry glare from her which he seems to ignore.

He drones on and on about some potential informant that he is pursing when there's a knock at the door. It's Javi and he gives the tech analyst a wilting stare as Beckett gestures for him to enter. "Can we speak in private?" Esposito asks, but it's not really a question.

Kate dismisses Vikram and he gives the two cops a puzzled look as he leaves the office. Javier gives Vikram a death glare as he walks out. "Close the door. What did you find Javi?" Kate asks, hoping for some good news.

Deciding to stand, Espo begins. "We checked his credit cards and phone usage. The last time there was any record of Castle was Friday morning when he returned his rental car. He checked out of the Beverly Hills Hilton that morning and returned his rental. There has been no cellphone or credit card activity since them... It's as if he vanished without a trace... Could he be staying in LA with Meredith?"

Kate was shocked Espo would insinuate that Castle would run to his ex-wife, but remembered what happened when he found out about her and Deming. How Gina jumped at the opportunity to reconnect with Rick. Beckett knew that Meredith still had feelings for her husband and wouldn't put it past her to take advantage of the mess that she made. Kate dismisses the thought yet decides to make a call later. "Thank you Javi, I'll take it from here..."

Esposito opens the door. "You know Beckett, I don't know what happened between you and Castle, but I do know that man loved you... For him to give up, things must have seemed pretty hopeless..."

Espo walks out the door closing it behind him, leaving Kate alone again. She pulls her cellphone from the desk and quickly dials the number.

"Hello, Captain Beckett. What can I do for you?" Hayley asks as she answers the call.

"I need your help. Castle's gone missing..."

Hayley laughs out loud at her statement. "The last time we spoke you couldn't seem to get rid of him. What's changed?" The PI inquires.

"I missed our anniversary dinner and the next day he flew out to LA for business... I checked his cellphone and credit card activity and everything seemed to stop Friday morning."

"I'm sure that there must be some mistake, Kate. Unless whatever you're involved in caught up to him..."

There was an accusing tone to Hayley's voice that only increases the guilt that Kate felt at the moment. Rick must have known about Kate's not-so-secret after hours investigation and discussed it with Hayley. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't lie to me Kate. I'm not your husband, so blinded by love that he believed your bullshit." Despite refusing to tell Castle what she was doing, Hayley had conducted her own investigation of his wayward wife's after hours activities. "I know that you and your tech analyst have become quite cozy together at all hours of the night. I don't know what you're up to, but I'd bet that the NYPD wouldn't approve..."

The accusation of her and Vikram somehow romantically involved worried her more than the seriousness of her accusation of conducting her own secret investigation using NYPD resources. "It's not what you think! I'd never cheat on Rick..." She wondered just how much she had told him and if this is what lead to his giving up on their marriage. "How much did you tell him?"

"Absolutely nothing. He came to me with his suspicions and I assured him that he had nothing to worry about. But then I decided to see for myself and was shocked at what I found... I was going to confront you with the evidence and give you a chance to explain yourself before I gave it to Rick. I felt sorry for him thinking that he was to blame..."

"It's not what you think. I was doing this to protect Rick." Kate offers in her defense.

"Bloody fine job you did then!" Haley snorts in response. "So how long was he gone before you even noticed?" She asks sarcastically.

"I spoke to him last Monday. I promised to meet him for dinner. It was our one year anniversary. Something came up and I couldn't make it... I knew that he'd be mad about it, so I decided to give him a couple of days to cool off. By Friday, I decided to call him and see if we could talk. All of my voicemail messages went unanswered and I even tried emailing him... This morning I called Alexis and she told me that she hadn't spoken to Castle since Thursday night. That's when I started to investigate. I've gone as far as I can. Can you help?"

"You're too late Beckett. Alexis called me after she spoke to you and I agreed to fly out to LA to find him. I owe him, because I defended you... If I can't find him, I'll be forced to reconsider what to do with the evidence that I've gathered on your after hours activities... Consider yourself warned Captain." Hayley ends the call before Kate can utter a word in her defense.

The tears that she had been fighting back now broke free. This had become the second worse day of her life. In the span of eight hours, she'd managed to lose her husband, one of her closest friends and possibly her career, all because of her insatiable obsession for justice. Once again she cradled her face in her hands and sobbed.