Disclaimer: nope, definitely dont own them.

A/N: the first version of this chapter was chewed up and spat out - as it should have been. Version two has been reviewed by a competent, non-medicated adult and a fantastic writer. Huge thanks to G, I continue to be in awe of your talent. Let's try this chapter again, shall we?

Overheard

Chapter 5

"Listen, Alexis, I think your Dad and I had a misunderstanding and I want to-" Kate didn't get any further before the girl cut her off.

"Is that what you call it? It didn't sound like that from his side. Of course he's been keeping me away from anything to do with the precinct lately, but I can see that something has hurt him really badly. And again, it has something to do with you. Don't you think you have hurt him enough? Maybe you should just leave him be, Detective." Alexis didn't give her a chance to reply, but hung up.

Kate was at first shocked by Alexis' words, but then acknowledged to herself that it was well deserved. She had hurt the girl's dad multiple times, especially with running away after her shooting and not calling for 3 months, something he himself had confirmed last night had caused anger in his daughter that was only now starting to ease. Or was, until her latest efforts.

Kate was temporarily at a loss. Castle wouldn't talk to her, in fact had actively rebuffed her efforts to talk to him over the last two days, and now Alexis was obviously upset and not willing to help either. She couldn't go to Martha, because her advice to Castle had been to move on, and so she was unlikely to help Kate at all, possibly not even give her the time of day, much like her son. Before she could come up with another plan, her phone rang.

"Beckett." She answered in her usual tone, because the number was not one she immediately recognised. She wasn't on call, so it shouldn't be dispatch, and it obviously wasn't Castle, so she was not too keen on talking to anyone else.

"Hello? Kate, is that you?" Yolanda's voice questioned, and immediately Kate softened.

"Yes, hello, Yolanda, sorry I thought it may be a work call. Is everything OK?" She had not actually received a call from Yolanda before, so she was curious.

"I just wanted to make sure you were OK, Kate, after last night. You seemed very affected by that phone call you heard."

"Yes, I …ah….um" Kate wasn't sure if she should mention Castle to Yolanda, and what she suspected.

"Kate, it's OK to be impacted by what you hear, that was part of the reason Carter wanted you to sit with me, so you would accept that many people have issues that they seek help for. It's not a failure, or a weakness. That man had obviously been in pain, and needed to talk to someone, without being judged or ridiculed. He is a bit like you in that respect, not willing to reveal his true self. But sometimes we do need someone else to lean on, and he reached out to us." Yolanda stopped talking, because she sensed that Kate was not fully focused on the conversation.

"I know him." Kate said, not sure why that particular fact was what her brain chose to share.

"Alex? The man who called last night?" Yolanda asked, not sure if Kate was talking to her, or just thinking out loud.

"Yes. His name isn't Alex, though…"

"That was you he was talking about, wasn't it? When you were shot, right? Oh my God, Kate."

It was almost like Kate had been slapped. She was sitting up straight, a look of pure horror on her face. Since she overheard the conversation Castle had with Yolanda last night, she had been telling herself that while he was obviously upset, he couldn't possibly be suicidal, not her 9 year old on a sugar rush! She wanted to see him, and talk to him, explain that what he thought about her feelings was not correct, and set things right, but she didn't't know how she could get through to him, or what to do once she could, other than taking a few days leave so she could take whatever time it required. Now, with Yolanda's words and her tone of voice, she suddenly realised that this was real, and it was urgent. She had to do something now, otherwise she might well lose Castle forever. And if that happened, she would never forgive herself. If she caused him to take his own life, her life would also end. Oh, God.

"Kate! Kate! Have you seen him since then?"

"No, I haven't seen him, he, uh, he…" Kate wasn't sure how to continue, and blurted out "he won't see me. I tried to talk to him, and he won't talk to me and his family won't help me talk to him and I don't know how to reach him."

"Kate, have you tried to go and find him, and see him, make sure he is OK? Why didn't you say something last night?"

"Because he doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. I tried and he just walked away."

"Kate, you can't judge people by what you see of them in a public setting. He was obviously upset, and had been crying when he called us. Even if he sounded better when the call finished, you don't know how he would feel if you went to talk to him privately." There was a pause.

"It's a risk, Kate, but it's one you might have to take to make sure he is OK. I don't know how you will explain having overheard his conversation last night, though."

"Thanks, Yolanda, I'm on my way now." She hung up without any further words, slipped her phone in her pocket, grabbed her jacket and shoved her feet into shoes, running out the door as quickly as she could, only grabbing her keys and wallet. She flagged the first cab she saw on the street, and offered extra for a quick ride to Broome Street.

TBC