a.n. So here's the next chapter. I am a little worried about the amount of reviews I got last chapter. IDK if the low number means that the previous chapter was terrible or if you guys are getting bored with this. Please let me know. If you're getting bored I'll wrap it up within the next five chapters. If not, we'll visit some other canon cases. Review and let me know.

Disclaimer: Nope.

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Previously…

The females got out of the SUV, and as they were approaching the building's entrance, the suspect appeared around the corner, saw them and took off towards where they had parked the SUV. Unfortunately for him, he got too close to it and Castle opened the door and the suspect ran head first into solid steel, falling to the pavement unconscious.

Castle looked down at the fallen suspect, and back up at the two women then back to the suspect and said with a small smile, "I think he might have hurt the door."

xxxx

The suspect, Donald Salt, had sold his finger online. Even hearing it for a second time had sickened Beckett. How could someone willingly cut off their finger for a little bit of money? To her it didn't seem worth it, but then she liked her fingers.

Also like the last time they found a secret code on Salt's finger, and Castle solved it again. It did lead to a different clue than it had before. Looking out at the printout that the FBI had passed around, Kate read,

"I am going to kill Nikki. But first we're going to have some fun. Midnight tonight is the beginning of the next chapter."

A chill ran down Kate's spine as she read the message for what seemed like the hundredth time since they had cracked it over an hour before.

She and Castle were sitting on the edge of her desk looking at the murder board, trying to figure out where to go next. Like before, Kate shunned the fancy toys of the FBI, even though she knew that they were helpful. There was just something about her old-school ways that made the process more comfortable for her. Castle hadn't commented on it, but he had also been very quiet since they had cracked the code.

"Something wrong, babe," she asked, after looking around to make sure no one was listening in.

"He's going to come after you, Kate," Castle said softly, looking at her. She could see the fear in his eyes, and she knew that he was reliving some of his worst memories.

"Hey," she said, reaching out to him. "It's going to be okay. And if it makes you feel better, I'll not leave your sight until we solve it. You'll protect me, right?"

He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace when he said, "Not that I'm any good at protecting those I love." He looked back at the board, his eyes full with unreleased emotion.

She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the break room. She glared at a couple of uniforms, letting them know that they needed to vacate the premises, then shut the door and the blinds.

"You listen to me, Richard Castle. I love you. But sometimes you're a bit thick. What happened to Alexis was not your fault. And if, God forbid, something happens to me, it won't be your fault either. We'll get through this together as always, alright. You and me."

He looked at her gratefully and hugged her. Kate wrapped her arms around her man, thinking that she was glad she was here to support him. She was amazed at how much different this timeline had turned out to be. She had gotten together with her Castle, so she had succeeded with eliminating a lot of her regrets, but there were still obstacles that she had to overcome. She knew the biggest one would be making sure this version of Rick Castle was strong and happy. She hoped she was strong enough to help him.

xxxx

One of the differences she had noticed in this case as they got closer to finding the patsy (for she still suspected the real killer was setting someone up to take the fall before coming after her), was that Castle hadn't overshadowed her as he had the first time around. She could remember him clicking instantaneously with Jordan Shaw, and how jealous she had been when they had built theory together. This time while they did built theory together, they included Kate, which made he feel better. She knew she would still have to ask what his relationship was with Shaw when they were in college. Not that it mattered to her, but she could sense that there had been something between them, though she wasn't sure what it was. She knew that she didn't have to worry now as the FBI agent was apparently happily married with a young child.

They had come up empty when searching for employees of mortuaries that fit their profile, which Kate knew would be the case. The time before, they were briefing the captain when the killer had called again. This time they were just about to shut it down for the night when they got the call.

"He's calling again, Beckett," Ryan said. Kate had been in the breakroom cleaning out her coffee mug. She placed the mug on the drying rack, and rushed out to her desk.

"We're tracing detective," and FBI tech said. Kate picked up the phone.

"Beckett."

"You're not a very good detective, Nikki. You were supposed to catch me. I wanted you to catch me. That's how this chapter is supposed to end."

The killer put the phone down, but didn't hang up. After they had traced the call they ended up in a parking garage just like last time. This time, instead of finding no body, the body of a young woman was propped up against a far wall. Kate wondered why this time it was different. Before this body had shown up outside her apartment after Castle had spent the night.

She remembered that night fondly, though it still held the tint of regret that all her memories from the last time line brought her. That was really the first time she came close to being with Castle. She, of course, wished she had acted on her feelings that night. Perhaps things would have been different.

Styrofoam temple, Kate thought, trying to hide her smirk as she remembered. Smiling while looking over a dead body was not appropriate. At least this time Ryan and Esposito won't catch us in our sleepwear, she thought.

The victim was the same as the last time around, and they found that the bullets had the same markings on them as the previous two vics.

Nikki Will Burn

She really could have done without the whole burning thing this time. By the time they made it to the loft (because Castle wasn't letting her sleep alone at her apartment), it was very late. Surprisingly they found Martha at home for once.

The season actress had, as she had done in the previous timeline, been seeing a man named Chet. He'd asked her to move in with him, and the woman was apparently stressing over the decision, if the sight of an empty wine bottle was anything to go by.

"Martha, make a decision?" Kate asked as she hung up her jacket.

The woman huffed. "No." Castle went up to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "I have no clue what to do."

"Well, Mother, I know that you only moved in here to be with me after…after Alexis died, so maybe it'll be good for you to get back out there. Alexis would want us to live. Kate's shown me that." Castle looked up at the detective and smiled softly.

Martha patted Castle's hand, "You're probably right. So how goes the case?"

Beckett walked up and started to rummage around the kitchen for something to eat. They'd been running around flat out since the call had come in, and she was starving. "Three victims, but the FBI has come in to assist in the case. The killer seems to be fixated on me."

"How are you holding up, Richard?" Martha asked. Castle had moved to the refrigerator to look for any leftovers they might have.

He looked at Kate and asked "Spaghetti?" She nodded. He took out a container from the fridge and plopped it in the microwave. Then he turned to answer his mother. "I'm fine as long as Kate says safe."

Kate smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his waist. She loved this man. She would stay safe for him at all costs.

xxxx

Next Morning…The Morgue…

"So Lanie, what do you have?"

"No ID yet," the ME said, looking up as Kate and Castle entered the morgue. They'd went to bed right after a hastily prepared meal, and crashed almost as soon as their heads had hit their pillows. "As you saw at the scene, the last word is Burn. Nikki Will Burn. I also found formaldehyde on her."

"The other victims had that too," Castle said.

"Yeah, but this was under her fingernails and in her hair. She worked with it. I also found traces of clay, polyurethane and animal blood. I don't know who she is, but I can tell you what she does."

"She's a taxidermist," Kate and Rick said at the same time.

"So cute, the way you two do that." Kate just smiled.

xxxx

The third victim was named Sandra Keller. They found the taxidermy shop she worked at, and discovered that she'd had a run in with a guy who matched the sketch they had from witnesses at the second crime scene.

Kate noticed that the case seemed to be leading them to Ben Conrad just like it had in the previous timeline. They were able to find, through a dog that Conrad had taken to that taxidermy shop that Conrad had broken into the shop after Keller refused to do business with him. They found that Conrad had connections to all three victims, just like before. It wasn't long before Jordan Shaw had the entire team ready to go take Conrad down.

It went down as it had before. There wasn't a lot Kate could do about saving Conrad's life since she wasn't allowed into the apartment, and she couldn't find a way to let them know what was going on without trying to explain she was from the future.

Kate knew that Conrad wasn't their killer. She'd talked about it with Shaw and Castle after they had returned from the scene, expressing her concerns that the man who was killed wasn't their man, but there had been one difference she hadn't seen. The man hadn't made the mistake with his hands this time, so there was no proof that the man who was in the window wasn't Ben Conrad. Kate remembered that Castle had noticed how one of them was left handed while the gunshot was on the other side. Since that wasn't the case this time, she had no evidence to support her theory. She could tell that Castle believed her, but he wasn't a cop and could do nothing.

All she knew was that she shouldn't be anywhere near her apartment until she knew for sure. She just hoped the man didn't know where Castle lived. So she and Castle went back to the loft. Martha wasn't home, so they decided that they would turn in early after a shower, which the decided to share.

Kate couldn't fail to notice the similarities of this scene and the one from her previous timeline. She had been in the shower the last time too. The difference was this time she was with Castle. It made her very nervous.

"You believe me right, Rick," she asked as she soaped up his back.

"Of course. The question is how do we prove it? Shaw will be gone in the morning, and it's going to take proof to get her to keep the investigation open." He turned around and grabbed the shampoo that she used. Before he squeezed any out, he bent down and gave her a small kiss. "We'll figure it out, we always do."

Kate grabbed the shampoo bottle from his hand and put it back on the shelf. She leant up and pressed her lips back to his. Their passion was just getting started when they were interrupted by a chilling voice.

"Goodbye, Nikki. Goodbye, Nikki."

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a.n.2. Yes, I know. Cliff hanger. But hey if canon can get away with it so can I. I hope that the end didn't feel rushed. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!