DISCLAIMER: The characters of the television show, CASTLE do not belong to me. They belong to the ABC network. I'm borrowing them for a little while, for my enjoyment and hopefully yours as well. I am getting no financial gain from this.

Author's Note: So the days are counting down till CASTLE returns. OMG. I'm so excited! This is the second last chapter you all, so if you want to review, please do so at the end of reading this one! :)

Chapter 10

"What do you mean you're going after Beckett?" Alexis asked, as she watched her dad pick up his writer's bullet proof vest. "I thought you didn't know where she was."

"We don't," Castle confirmed as he doubled checked everything that he had. "But the Mayor is the crook behind almost everything and we're pretty sure that we spooked him. So the boys and I figure that if we follow the mayor we'll find Kate. And if we can find Kate then we can rescue her."

"Yeah but Dad that sounds super dangerous," Alexis pointed out.

"We've been in worse scrapes before I think,"

"No Dad," Alexis argued. "You really haven't."

"Doesn't matter," Castle dismissed as he packed what he needed into a bag.

"Course it does," Alexis said in a tone that made Castle stop.

"Alexis?" he asked. "Something wrong?"

Alexis nodded. "Course there is. You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Now honey,"

"Dad I'm worried for you." Alexis explained, looking as though she was sorry for saying what she was saying, but then again she looked as though she was relieved that she was telling him how she really felt. "Ever since you've been following Detective Beckett around things have just gotten worse, especially lately."

"Now Alexis you know that that's the nature of the job."

"But that's just it!" she exclaimed. "It's not a part of YOUR job. You're a writer Dad. That's what you do. You spend your life clacking away at your keyboard. There's no chance of you getting hurt."

"Now you know that I've had a couple close calls when I've been doing research,"

"But that was just research Dad," Alexis continued. "You haven't been out there risking your life. I'm scared for you."

"Oh honey,"

"Dad I want you to promise me something,"

Castle sighed and nodded. "Anything."

"I don't want you go to after Detective Beckett."

"Alexis,"

"I know that she means the world to you Dad," she interrupted. "But I don't want to lose you."

Castle said nothing, he merely hugged his daughter and pondered how he was going to break this promise that she asked of him. He knew that Alexis had his best interests at heart, but there was no way that he was going to abandon Kate now. And he had to make her see that.

"Alexis, I want you to look at me," he said at last, pushing his daughter backwards ever so gently so that he could look at her in the eyes. "If Ashley was in trouble, wouldn't you do anything for him?"

"Course."

"And why is that?"

"I like him."

Castle nodded. "Well it's the same for Kate and I, only I more than like her."

"Dad I know that you have feelings for her,"

"It's more than that," he interrupted. "I love her."

Alexis stared wide-eyed at her father. There had always been a part of her that wondered if Kate Beckett was just an infatuation that would pass like all the others but the look on her father's face, let Alexis know once and for all that he was not just thinking of having a passing fling with Kate. He really was in love with her.

"I love her," he repeated. "And I'm going to do anything for her."

Alexis bit her bottom lip and tried to think of something to say.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She nodded.

"Good," Castle said as he kissed her on the forehead. "Now stay here, and wait till I come home."

Alexis just sat there as her father picked up the bag and left the room. When Castle got to his front door he saw his mother standing there looking absolutely petrified. He thought for one moment that she was trying to try and talk him out of saving Kate but Martha said nothing. She just kissed her son on the cheek and gave him a hug. Castle took that as a sign that his mother was behind his decision and did not feel all that bad about leaving his apartment.

…

Ryan and Esposito were waiting for him when he got downstairs. Castle climbed into the back of their car after putting his vest on. They had already bugged the Mayor's car and had fed the live results to the GPS on the dashboard. The three men sat in silence waiting until suddenly, the little light that designated the mayor's car blinked and began to move.

Esposito put the car into gear and took off after their prize. After about half an hour of driving they came to an abandoned warehouse in a bad part of town. Ryan and Esposito got out of their car guns drawn and Castle stood behind them.

"Here bro," Esposito said as he offered Castle a weapon. "We'll take it slow."

"Sounds like a plan," Castle agreed as he took the weapon. The Mayor's car was parked in front of a side entrance and there was no sign of him so the three boys assumed that he was still inside.

Slowly and quietly they walked to the door and on the silent count of three Ryan and Esposito opened it up. They met no resistance and so they pressed their advantage.

…

Kate finally came to and saw the one person that she was not expecting to see glaring over her. "Mayor?" she asked groggily as she tried to focus her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"You know I would have thought that Montgomery would have learned," the mayor ranted, he looked dishevelled and worried and a little bit drunk. "I warned him, or rather I got the message to him that if he wasn't careful you'd be dead. And look, he ignored me."

Kate shook her head, trying to clear it. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I was the one behind all those murders!" he exclaimed. "Sure I hired people to do the actual killing but I'm the one who ordered them."

Kate felt her mouth go dry as she realized that the mayor was admitting to killing Montgomery, the others and her mother. "Sir…" she began quietly. "Why?"

The mayor shook his head and laughed like a maniac. Kate took that moment to scope out the room and realized that there was no real chance of escape. A big beefy guy guarded the one entrance, she was tied to a chair and the mayor had a gun on her.

"Why not?" he said at last. "They were in my way so I got rid of them. And now I'm going to have to get rid of you, and your friend Castle."

Kate felt her heart stop at that. "He's your friend too," she wanted to say but she stopped when the guard's walky-talky sounded off. From Kate's vantage point she could hear the words 'intruders' and 'cops' which lead her to believe that the cavalry was here.

"It's over," she finally said. "They're coming for you."

"Oh no," the mayor warned. "I don't think so. Jack, go after them."

The guard nodded and left Kate alone with the crazy mayor.

"Now Kate," he said in a creepy voice. "It's just you and me."

…

They boys got separated. They ran into a gaggle of guards and while Ryan and Esposito went one way, Castle went the other. He really didn't want to get separated, though at the same time he knew that he had to find Kate. Up ahead he heard a door open and saw a big beefy guard exit. Through the crack, Castle could see the mayor holding a gun to a very bedraggled, but quite alive Kate.

"Now Kate," the mayor was saying as Castle slipped through the door, catching it before it closed. "It's just you and me."

The mayor raised his gun to shoot Kate and without even thinking about it, Castle fired. He caught the mayor in the leg and when the man screamed and fell to the side, Castle ran over and started untying Kate from the chair.

"Come on," he stated, as soon as he got her free. "Let's go."

Hand in hand, they raced to the door, Kate slowing them down significantly. A shot rang out and they turned briefly to see that the Mayor had struggled to his feet and was now pointing his gun at them.

"Don't you go anywhere," he warned. "I am not going down like this."

Castle opened his mouth to speak but the mayor shot again.

TBC

Aren't I evil? -cackle-