Hello,

I'm blown away by the great response of my last chapter. I love you, guys. I wasn't sure of the style of it, but apparently you loved it. It took a load off my mind. Thank you for anyone who reviewed, followed or/and favorited this story.

This chapter was much easier to write. It's purely Rick again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 10

With his bag hanging over his shoulder Rick entered the firehouse at the beginning of his shift, seeing his friend and coworker Dan already in his work clothes, staring at his ringing cell phone. "Good morning. Won't you get that?"

Dan hit the decline button and looked up annoyed at Rick. "No," he growled and stood up, following Rick to the locker room. "That's Stacy again."

Rick whipped surprised around. "The Stacy? The one I…"

"The one and only you had a date with, yeah." Dan confirmed, leaning on a locker while he waited for Rick to get changed and put his bag away. "She's calling me since yesterday. I answered once, letting all of her following calls unanswered. I don't know much about her myself, but I know now one thing for sure."

Rick frowned. "What's that?"

"She's stubborn. Annoyingly stubborn."

Rick threw on his work shirt and put his bag into his locker, looking back at his friend with sympathy. He'd got to know Stacy at their date, and while he may not know that much about her, Rick knew enough to feel bad for his friend. "What does she want?"

"You." His friend stated.

"Me?! It's been weeks since our date, and I'm quite sure I made it clear to her that I'm not interested."

Dan huffed, shrugging helplessly. "Well, she thinks that it's been some time now and that you'd be surely open to the idea of another date with her. And since she doesn't know how to contact you, my friend gave her my phone number. After that one call and the dozens of missed ones, I'm actually inclined of giving her your number so that I can live on without having to speak to her again."

"You wouldn't dare." Rick replied, holding his breath and narrowing his eyes as he stared at Dan. The last thing he needed was Stacy having his contact information. As sorry as he was for his friend, he wasn't that sorry.

Dan took a deep breath before he answered, taking his time before putting Rick out of his misery. "No, I wouldn't. Having spent ten minutes on the phone with this woman makes me wonder how you had been able to survive a whole date with her. You honestly have my deepest respect for that. I'll just keep ignoring her calls. I mean, she had to get it sooner or later, right?"

"Aren't you a real gentleman and great firefighter? Ignoring the calls of a desperate woman."

Rick and Dan turned around as a female voice entered their discussion, glancing surprised at Dr. Samantha Chase whom stood at the entrance of the locker room with a smile on her lips. "Sam?!"

"Hey!" Rick walked over to her and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"Captain Harper hasn't said anything to you?" Sam replied as she hugged Dan, putting her bag onto the ground. "I'm filling in for Adler."

"So your temporarily back at the 55th?"

Sam nodded. "For now. But it may look like it won't be just temporarily. Adler asked for a transfer to a firehouse in Phoenix. Apparently the condition of his dad is worsening."

"Damn. Poor Tony, things like that are just bad. Hopefully his dad will pull through." Rick said, hoping that Adler's dad would survive his cancer.

Having gotten the news that Tony Adler wouldn't continuing his work as an EMT of the 55th firehouse and moving back to Phoenix to be with his dad had made everyone sad. Tony had been with them for six and a half years, and had become a reliable colleague and a good friend outside of work. Their unit were a family, making Tony somewhat of a brother to all of them, and they all felt with him as he had gotten the news of his dad's sickness.

However, having Sam back at the 55th made their situation a little better. They had been wondering who'd fill in for Adler for weeks now, hoping to death that it wouldn't be a rookie. Sam had a lot of experience. She knew the ins and outs of their work, knew her way around the firehouse, and she could definitely hold her own out there, having seen enough of crazy and horrible things to not get scared off. Like Adler, Sam was someone they could count on.

Another advantage was that almost every one of their unit knew her. Sam had begun her career as an EMT here at the 55th. She and Adler had worked together for a little over a year before Sam changed the firehouses due to some personal problems. But while they may not have been working together didn't mean they hadn't seen each other, having often met up for a drink or other things.

"Yeah, cancer's a real pain in the ass." Dan nodded.

Sam hummed and walked over to her new locker. "So, who's the poor woman you two are ignoring?"

"Stacy O'Laughlin. A very good-looking – and different kind of – pain in the ass. She and Rick had a date a few weeks ago."

"Are you talking about Rick's groupie from the night of the apartment explosion?" Sam asked, glancing back at the two.

Dan stared surprised back at Sam. "You know her?"

"I wouldn't say that I know her. I just saw her standing behind the police line." She remarked, closing up her locker. "But if she and Rick had been on the date together, why is she calling you?"

"Misfortune follows me wherever I go." Dan replied drily, staring pointedly at Rick.

But the lieutenant just shrugged. "I think it's karma."

"Karma?"

"Yeah," Rick nodded, the trace of a smile danced on the corner of his lips. "Serves you right. Teaming up with my mother and arranging dates with a woman like Stacy."

"Be careful, Rick. Otherwise I might tell Stacy a numerical order that might lead her to you." Dan warned him, but the sound of his voice betrayed the serious look on his face.

The three of them started to leave the locker room and made their way to the common room, Sam being flanked by the two men. "You know, this conversation actually made me realize how much I missed being here with you. Seeing all of you guys again, having strange conversation like this one. I can't say that it's getting bored around you. It's definitely good to be home again."

"Watch it, Sam. With all this sentimental talk we might think you missed us." Dan joked, bumping his shoulder into Sam's.

"I'll probably won't say it again, but I did miss you guys."

"Did you hear that, Dan? She missed us." Rick smirked.

"Yeah, I've never thought I'd hear her admit this to us."

Sam groaned. "Stop it! Both of you."

Dan looked over to Rick, his smile getting bigger by the second. "I think we should mark this day on the calendar."

"Okay, guys. That was definitely the last time I've told you something like that. Never again."

"We missed you, too." Rick smiled sweetly, putting his right arm around her shoulder, tucking her into his side.

"Look who's here!" Mike Brewster announced as he saw Sam walking into the common room with Rick and Dan at her sides. "Did our girl finally find her way back home?"

"Yeah, Mike. I just had to follow the bad smell." Sam grinned as she accepted the hug from Mike.

After having hugged all of the people she had known from the last time she had worked at this firehouse and introducing herself to the two new faces she hadn't known yet, Captain Harper stepped forward, smiling at Sam. "Chase. It's good to have you back at the 55th."

"It's good to be back, Sir."

The happy reunion was cut short as the alarm went on, indicating that their work day had now officially begun. They were called out to a burning building, both the truck and the EMS.

Moving quickly, they pulled on their work trousers and changed into their boots before taking their seat in the truck. There was a little chatter on their way to the scene, but all in all everyone prepared themselves mentally for what was to come.

It didn't take long until they arrived at the location of the burning building. Getting out of the truck, the firefighters grabbed their hoods, pulling over their coats and held their helmets ready. Rick walked over to Captain Harper, Dan hot on his heels. From the corner of his eyes he saw the ambulance pulling up behind the truck, Sam and their other EMS, Michael Morris, got out of the car and stood waiting, ready to take care of any injured person they may encounter.

"Looks like the building's abandoned." Captain Harper stated, analyzing the situation.

Rick sighed, having already guessed as much. "The arsonist?"

"Probably."

"I'm starting to hate this guy with a passion." Dan groaned.

Captain Harper turned and looked at Rick, ready to get started. "Okay, let's move quickly. A search for people, level for level. I want you all out again as soon as possible, do you understand?"

"Got it, Captain." Rick confirmed, putting his helmet on. He wasn't happy to lead his men into yet another building that seemed to have fallen victim to the arsonist they were dealing with. And it wasn't helping that he had a bad feeling about this one. It looked more instable than the other ones. They'd have to move carefully.

He turned around and stared at his men whom waited for his orders. He'd give his life for any of them. They were good men, his men. His family. And it was his job to get them out safely again. He'd never leave one of them behind, and they knew that. Just as he knew that they wouldn't leave him behind. "Dan, Mike, Gerrit, Dave, José. You're with me. We're searching for people. John, Oliver. Keep the aerial ladder ready in case we get trapped in one of the upper floors. Okay, let's move!"

After everyone pulled on their oxygen mask Rick led his coworkers into the burning building, splitting into three different groups to search the rooms as quickly as possible. The smoke was already filling up most of the building, making it hard for the men to see.

It was hot inside, the fire spreading too fast. It was audible how the fire made his way throughout the building, the ground and the ceiling creaked constantly. Rick hoped the building's structure would hang on until they'd be out again.

"Fire Department, anyone here?" Rick called out, but got no answer in return. Unsurprisingly. But they'd still need to search each room in case of unconscious people. "Hello?"

Rick felt Dan tapping on his shoulder, indicating that the room was indeed deserted and that they'd have to move onto the next room. The worked carefully through each room, level for level. The higher they got, the worse their surroundings got. Rick listened intently to the reports of his men as they arrived at the last level. Just a few more rooms and they could get out of this hell hole again.

He and Dan entered the first room, but there wasn't much left anymore. Only the fire which raged through the room, engulfing the walls and the floor. Parts of the ceiling had already collapsed. Stating his location and the state of the level through his communication, Rick followed Dan into the second room.

The room was just like the other one. Empty, filled with one huge fire.

"Rogers, I want you and your men out there. The formation of the smoke worsened. It's getting too dangerous." Rick heard the voice of Captain Harper through the communication in his helmet.

"Copy that." Rick replied. "Okay, guys. Everyone out. Now!"

Rick and Dan were just walking out into the hall again as they heard a hellish noise, however, before they could comprehend what was happening the ground under them collapsed and the next thing Rick heard was the yelling of Dan as they lost the ground under their feet.

I'm mean, I know. I actually meant to write this chapter longer, but when I got to this part I felt like this was a good point to end this chapter.

Kate will appear again at the end of the next chapter.

Please leave a review on your way out. I noticed that reading your response is really encouraging. It helped to know that you're still as invested in this story as in the beginning. It means a lot to me. Thank you.

Have a great start into a new week :)