AN: So, yesterday I chose going to the beach with one of my best friends over updating. Personally, I feel I made the right decision. In an attempt to make up for it, this is one of my longer chapters so far. Also, special thanks to White Pawn for your story ideas, as you can see from where this chapter is headed, I like them! Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed and alerted – keep 'em coming.

Chapter Nine

She withdrew it, found the number she was seeking and dialled, pressing the phone to her ear with a menacing –

"Back off!"

Dissatisfied with the turn of her phone call, the madwoman ended it by flinging the phone into the nearest trash can. She groaned with passion, but quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't matter what his stupid detective thought, she was the one who had Richard Castle all to herself. All the detective had was empty threats. Placated by the reality of the situation, she slipped a smile back onto her face and set off to instigate the next piece of her plan.

Castle awoke to an empty room. The candles had fizzled out and despite his restless sleep he felt rather renewed. He tested the bonds that restrained him to find that his wrists had only swollen more overnight making it increasingly difficult to pull his hands free. He let out a frustrated sigh. He was sure that if he managed to free himself from his bonds, the rest of the escape process would be incredibly simple during a period of the madwoman's absence. He was kind of tempted to begin gnawing his wrists off – however, he didn't think the situation had become quite that desperate yet. After all, he had the best detective in New York looking for him. He knew all too well that once Beckett was set on solving something, she wouldn't stop, and in this circumstance that facet of her personality would work to his advantage.

He heard the door open and feigned sleep, hoping that perhaps she would leave him to his own devices for a bit longer. As hopeless as it was to sit, bound helplessly, it beat with certainty moments spent in her ever so unenjoyable company. She placed something, a jacket Castle deduced, over his shoulders – apparently, asleep or not, he was not to left in solitude any longer. Still, he kept his eyes tightly screwed shut attempting to delay the conversation – the insanity – for as long as he possibly could. After situating the jacket as best she could over his somewhat awkwardly positioned shoulders due to his arms constraints, she fastened a tie around his neck, her fingers playing lightly on the planes of his chest as she tightened it. Finally, she leaned into his ear, her breath on his neck.

"Honey, it's time to wake up. We have a big day ahead of us. The biggest of our lives," she whispered, her tone sickly sweet. Castle wondered if he could convincingly play dead. It didn't sound like a promising day in his opinion. As the madwoman began to gently shake his shoulders he knew faking dead would be futile and let out a soft sigh. "That's it, baby, wake up," she wasn't bothering to whisper anymore, her breath still caressing his ear. He wished his hands were unrestrained for the sheer joy of clamping his ears shut with them to drown out the drone of her voice. Really, it was the little victories that would satisfy him for the moment. However, that wasn't to be so he settled for the exaggerated opening of his eyes and stereotypical morning dopiness.

"Huh? Mother? Is that you?" He internalised a giggle with that. He kind of hoped that the madwoman was insulted. Apparently not, she let out a disturbingly high pitched cackle as she withdrew from his ear to look him in the eye.

"Good morning," she crooned. "It's me. Your bride," she stepped back and twirled. It was then Castle noticed her change of outfit and his stomach dropped, dramatically. She was wearing a worn wedding dress, it looked – and smelt – like it was from the eighties. The fabric was yellowed and stained, and the pattern was all ruffles and puffs. As she twirled he noticed the dress was ill-fitting, the zip only reaching halfway up her back, revealing a little too much skin for Castle's liking. "So, what do you think?"

"It's lovely," Castle lied through gritted teeth. It really wasn't – in the slightest. But she beamed at him, satisfied with his response.

"I'll just go get the minister," she giggled. "This is so exciting!"Castle panicked. A minister? There was no way in the world this could be legal? Maybe she'd kidnapped and coerced a priest as well? Scary as it may be, she seemed capable of such a feat. Surely he couldn't be forced to actually marry her? Pretend to marry her? Sure. But actually? Not a chance. Before he could dissolve into a full scale panic attack she had bounded back into the room with an old television on a rickety wheeled stand. Castle wasn't ashamed to admit he was very, very confused.

She plugged the television into a power outlet and stood it directly in front of Castle, turning it on as she came to stand beside him. An old home movie of a wedding burst to life on the screen and Castle recognised the dress instantly.

"You've been married before?" He asked gently, turning to look at the woman beside him.

"Oh yes," she replied without hesitation. "But so have you," she added.

"Yes," Castle acceded. "What happened to your husband?" He somehow felt he had misjudged the madwoman holding him captive. From the moment he'd met her, he'd assumed she was some crazy cat lady who'd never had a family. The lack of wedding ring and the dowdy demeanour had led him straight to that conclusion. If she'd suffered some great tragedy, it would explain so much, add eons to her story, not to mention fuel her insanity. Now that he was closer, he could make out the faint tan line of a ring on her wedding finger. But there was no real tragedy to her story. Her reply was simple, devoid of the makings of insanity –

"You know how it is; we just drifted apart over the years. I left him," she said with a shrug. "Enough questions, pay attention to the ceremony."

So Castle and the madwoman spent the next half an hour watching her old wedding video. Castle found the moment immensely saddening, the woman beside him seemed unaffected. She mouthed along to the vows and made Castle do the same. That was that, they were married – in her eyes and thankfully not in the eyes of the law. Naturally, she had brought rings for the occasion which she slipped onto her own and Castle's ring fingers. When the kiss came, she plied her mouth to his, but Castle refused to open his lips to her, he was drawn to the image on the screen that was at least twenty years old, of the madwoman and her husband locked in a passionate embrace.

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Castle?" Beckett repeated into the phone. At the reply, her face was ashen, any trace of hope diminished. "Like hell," she hissed into the phone, turning it to loudspeaker so Alexis could hear the conversation.

"I said back off," the madwoman repeated her demand, menace in her voice. "I have Richard Castle. He's my fiancé," she emphasized the last word, satisfied the detective would get the message. Beckett struggled to choke back the laughter building inside of her. Oh Castle, he'd been plucked off the street by some woman intent on having her wicked way with him. Of course, Beckett knew the severity of the situation, she was just innately glad to finally have a lead. At least they now knew why he'd been taken; it was a place to start. Now that they had an answer, they could finally make some serious headway on the case. In a sense it was incredibly relieving. She couldn't really tell if the woman was dangerous which meant that Castle was still in imminent danger – but she was reassured that he was alive and she could work with that.

"No," Beckett asserted. "He's mine," she added coolly, with a glance at Alexis. Looking his daughter in the eye, blush rose steadily on Beckett's cheeks as she continued, "Richard Castle is mine."

"I don't think so," the woman trilled. "He swore to me that he would never talk to you again," she added with glee.

"Sure. Now listen to me. If you so much as lay a finger on him I will destroy you." Beckett ignored the twinge in her heart with the madwoman's words. She knew it couldn't be true, but still, it stung somewhat. What if she made Castle wait too long and he just gave up on her? She couldn't let their moment pass them by just because she was too scared to be the person she wanted to be. Her mother's case unsolved or not, surely she could be more for Castle. The madwoman merely huffed at her in response and Beckett heard a dull thud as the call was cut off.

She turned to Alexis with a tight smile. "Well that gives us something to work with. We know we're looking for a woman, probably with a car or van, on the security footage." Alexis was ignoring her.

"His phone, his phone, his phone," she was mouthing to herself over and over again, a pensive expression on her face. "That's it!" she gasped, continuing with a bright smile. "A while ago Dad uploaded this app onto my phone, it's a GPS tracker that you can use if you lose your phone. I'd bet anything he installed in on his phone as well. Wouldn't surprise me if he'd added it to yours while you weren't looking," she finished with a wry grin at Beckett. "God, I wish I'd thought of it sooner…"

"Alexis! You're a genius. My goodness, you are without a doubt your father's daughter. Don't tell him I said that, it'll only inflate his ego," Beckett grinned. It suddenly seemed like the case had been burst wide open. "How do we activate this GPS tracker?"

"We need to go home, it's on his computer," Alexis took Beckett's hand and tugged her back onto the street. She made to hail a cab but Beckett halted her.

"C'mon, we'll take the cruiser." They drove in silence for a minute or two. Beckett was driving with the same determination as earlier in the evening, sirens blazing, laws disregarded. She couldn't stop thinking about what the madwoman who held Castle captive was subjecting him to. The possibilities caused her to shudder. She hoped he was okay. But merely knowing he was still alive had changed everything, the weight bearing down on her shoulders had lifted and there was a quiet joy holding her together. She would get him back, and she would repeat to him everything the message she had left on his phone earlier had said and more. There would be no more wasted opportunities, no more waiting. For crying out loud, there were strangers out there – like this madwoman – who were willing to take the plunge with Castle quicker than she was, it was becoming ridiculous.

"You know, I thought it was sweet what you said on the phone," Alexis soft voice drew her from her thoughts. "I get that you care about him. I just hate how often he – both of you – ends up in danger."

"So do I, Alexis," Beckett practically whispered. Alexis regarded her with a flash of surprise running through her gaze.

"You do? The way Dad talks about you in high pressure situations, it kinds of seems like you crave the adrenalin rush," she admitted. Beckett let out a low, throaty chuckle.

"Believe me, I'm sure that's more about your Dad's storytelling embellishment than reality," she paused, worried about how honest she should be with the girl. "I'm petrified, Alexis. Especially since I was shot. I can barely handle it sometimes. Your Dad, Ryan, Esposito, they help me hold it together. That's why I keep him round at work. I feel like I can't do it without him. It's selfish of me, right?" She bit her lip sharply, quickly soothing it with her tongue.

"I…No, not really. It's not selfish, not when you know how badly he wants to be there, by your side. You do know, don't you?" The girl queried hesitantly. Beckett nodded.

"Of course…and you need to know that I feel that same way about your father," she admitted, with her eyes focussed on the road. She almost missed Alexis nod gently beside her.

"I can see that now. I'm glad he has you to fight so hard for him. Without you I don't think we could get him out of a situation like this."

"Without me he wouldn't get into situations like this," Beckett groaned.

"That's not true. At least, not in this case. From that phone call, it sounds like he only has himself to blame this time," Alexis grinned quickly at the detective.