Chapter 3:

Kate was standing in his living room, and she finally composed Alexis's number. When she heard the third ring, she thought that Alexis wouldn't answer her, but just a few seconds later, the young girl was speaking.

"Beckett ?" The surprise in Alexis's voice was easily recognizable.

"Yeah... Alexis, can we talk ?"

"What's wrong ?" Alexis asked a little more sharply than she wanted to.

"Nothing to worry about, but... is that possible for us to meet today ?"

Alexis seemed to hesitate for a while, as she considered the idea.

"I just prefer explain you in person rather than by phone." added Beckett, when she felt the hesitation of the teenager.

"Okay. " Alexis finally said.

They agreed on meeting for lunch, and Kate ended the call. She then called Ryan and Esposito who told her about the dead ends. She told them about the threat that was waiting for them at Castle's loft and asked them to come, so they could do door to door and ask the neighbours if they saw anything.

" I'll sent the letter to CSU, they'll maybe find fingertips."

" Do you think there will be any of that ? " Esposito asked.

" No. But we still have to try."

" Yeah. We're on our way. " He added before he ends up the call, and him and Ryan went to their car.

Kate watched Castle as he re entered the room with his bag. She studied him in silence. The tension was all over him.

" I called Alexis and the boys. They're coming. "

" Yeah, yeah... I heard that last part. "

" We will find him, Castle." She said, determination in her tone.

" What did you tell to Alexis ?" He said, ignoring her last statement.

" Not much. I'll meet her for lunch, and I plan on telling her everything about this case... If that's okay with you. "

" It is, as long as you keep her safe and away from the loft. "

" Okay. "

Three knocks on the door catch their attention, and Castle moved towards the door to open, and find Ryan and Esposito.

" So... You guys go see the neighbours, ask if they noticed something unusual today, or these last few days around here. Castle and I are going to take a look at the loft, if anything else is not to supposed to be there. And then we'll go to the precinct with the letter."

He was about to protest, and she knew it, so before he could say anything, she added.

"Or I can go with Espo, and Ryan stays with Castle."

She handed him the letter after Ryan put his gloves on, and she went out of the room and waited for Esposito to go to the first door, at the end of the corridor.

"You okay ?" he asked after knocking on the first door.

"Yeah. I'm fine. "

He knew she wasn't telling the truth, or that she was avoiding the subject, as she always did, but he let it drop when the door in front of them opened. They started to interview all the people living in the same building, but nobody had very useful information to give them.

Once they saw everybody, they decided to go back to the precinct thanks to Esposito's car. He was driving and it was silent. Kate was lost in her thoughts, and he startled her when he spoke after some minutes of silence.

"You know you hurt him."

" Yeah, I know Javi..."

"And not just him." He added, coldly.

"I know that too. I know I hurt Ryan and you."

"Yeah... You should have told us, Beckett." he fell silence, and when she was about to speak it turned the radio on, showing without words that the discussion was over. Kate watched New York City streets passed before her eyes through the window of the car, thinking. She knew that things wouldn't be easy when she came back from DC. The boys were angry at her because she didn't tell them about it, just as Castle had been. She remembers when she told them she got the job and how they felt betrayed she didn't tell them earlier.

She cut off the memory when she noticed the car stopped moving and that there were in front of the 12th .

"That's not going to be easy with Castle. I saw he was kind of ignoring you."

She didn't answer because nothing needed to be said after that. Once in the precinct, Esposito and Beckett briefed Ryan, Castle and Gates about what the neighbours told them, and one hour later, she was leaving the precinct, to go to Columbia.

At the university, Kate waited for Alexis in a corner of the hall. She was nervous about their discussion ahead, and she knew Alexis would be too which didn't help her to calm down. She was thinking about how she would tell her, without worrying her too much, when Alexis made her startle by speaking.

"Beckett, I'm here."

"Hi. Let's go at a table outside."

Alexis nodded in silence, and they choose a table apart from the others, so they could talk without being heard by people who shouldn't be listening.

"So, what's going on ?" asked the teenager.

"Well... Your dad received some threats recently, a letter and a voice mail..."

"What ? When ?" Alexis asked again, without letting Kate finish.

"This morning, and during the night. But, listen to me" she adds, when she saw that Alexis was about to speak again. "He's okay. But he... he won't be staying at the loft, and you and Martha have to not come back home, until we find who is behind this."

Before Alexis could speak again, she handed her her phone, where the photo of the letter was, so that the young women could understand how serious this was.

"So where will he be staying ?"

"My place."

"What ?! " she couldn't hide her surprise at this new.

"This guy thinks I'm still in DC, so we'll take advantage of that to save some time and maybe find something. That's an idea of Gates anyway."

"Okay. But I can come to see him right ?"

"Of course, just don't go back to the loft until one of us told you it's safe, do you understand me ?"

"Yes I do."

"And, call before you come to the city. This way Espo or Ryan or me will stay around and your father won't be worrying the all time."

"Ok, I can do that. "

"Perfect then. " She shyly smiled.

"Promise me you'll keep him safe."

"I'll do anything I can for that, I promise." She honestly answered.

" I know." It was Alexis's turn to smile, and Kate was relieved to see that the conversation was not as bad as she imagined, even if it was still tensed between them.

" We should get something to eat before it's too late."

They went to the cafeteria, took sandwiches, and sat in silence to eat. A moment later, Kate left the university after remembering Alexis to call if she wanted to come.

The afternoon went without new threats and they didn't catch any case to work on. The atmosphere in the bullpen was a little uncomfortable. By 5, the boys left. Castle and Beckett were now alone, but none of them spoke. They went to the elevator, and then to Beckett's car, where his bag was in the trunk.

Once they were in her apartment, she went to the kitchen, to get something to drink, and she said to him.

"Make yourself comfortable. You know where everything is, it shouldn't be difficult."

He nodded in silence, and walk to the guest room where he put some of his clothes in the closet. He then moved to the bathroom and said.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Ok."

They ordered some dinner in and they once again eat in complete silence. She finally put the radio on, so that it was less oppressive. Once the dishes were cleaned, she went to the bathroom.

She was thoughtful for a moment under the hot water. He was avoiding any kind of conversation, but she knew they had to somehow talk, even if it ended in a fight. When she went out of the room he was still in her living room, reading one of her books he picked up on her shelves. It was not the first time he was doing that, but tonight she knew it wasn't just to wait for her.

She took a deep breath, and sit in the couch, facing him, biting on her bottom lip and observing him for a little while, before she finally spoke.

"Maybe, we should talk Castle."

" Why ? There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is."

"You said no Kate, there's nothing else to add to this." He told her sharply.

"I said "not yet" Rick, it's not a "no." And you didn't even let me explain why I would say that."

"It's the same..."

"I thought you were going to break up with me that day and..."

"Well, maybe I should have." He cut her, still coldly.

Wow, that hurts. She felt her eyes filling with tears that she held back and the only word that could come out of her mouth was a surprised "what ?!"

"Yes, maybe it would even have been a better idea, because, we're over anyway." He said, like he actually didn't care. "Right ?"

"Yeah... right." She whispered, before she got up, and went to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She hadn't realised that she was crying until she felt a tear rolling down her cheek, and she was glad she was alone there in her bedroom.