This is one of the lighter memories and of course, one of the best loved. Gonna make Kate have a few brief flashbacks to Set Up and Countdown over the next few chapters which gives her and Castle something to have a serious talk about.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or any of the characters.

Chapter 5 - Alexander

Ryan and Esposito visited that night and brough a bunch of case files with them. They were ones she'd worked in the past year, but so far, she was remembering nothing.

"This is the last one. Let's see. Oh, I loved this one. A psychic was murdered and found stuffed in a sofa. She even predicted her own death! How cool is that?" Castle was almost bouncing out of the chair as he retold the case to her.

"You seriously believe in psychics, Castle?"

"You said that last time, but Penny told you somthing and you looked kinda unsure when I asked you about it."

Penny. The name Penny rang a bell in her head.

"Was Penny the victim's daughter?" The boys nodded, hoping she could recall something. "Did she claim to have 'the gift' as well?"

"Yeah. Apparently she had insightful dreams from time to time." Beckett had mentioned his middle name. He hadn't known in what context and he never got the chance to find out, but it was nice to think the psychic talked about him. At least he hoped it was him. "Can you remember what she said to you?" He showed her a picture of the daughter from the file hoping it would bring something back to her.

Kate laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. Something was there. She could see the girl she believed to be Penny in her mind.

"What's wrong? Did you remember something?" Beckett was talking to Penny, the daughter of their 'psychic' victim, whilst closing the doors to the room to give them a bit of privacy.

"No... It's not that." Penny was confusing her now. Her mother had been murdered, and yet she was asking to speak with her for different reasons?

"I'm afraid I wasn't completely honest with you the other day," After a questioning look from Beckett, Penny continued, "The fact is, I have a little bit of what my mother did. Sometimes I have dreams that are meaningful. Last night I had a dream about you."

Beckett was interested to say the least, but this was a little weird. "Ok..."

"And I can't really explain why, but I feel very strongly that I'm supposed to tell you something. Something important. Are you ready?"

"Uhh, I'm ready." Now she was getting kind of creeped out. She didn't believe in psychics but it didn't mean she was intrigued by what Penny had to say.

"Alexander," Penny replied, without missing a beat.

"Alexander?"

"Alexander. I don't know who he is, or what he means to you."

She couldn't think of anyone of anyone with that name from her past. "I don't know any Alexander."

"You will," she continued immediately. "You will meet an Alexander, and he will be extremely important to you. At some future date, he may save your life."

"Ok... Good to know." Now she definitely not believe in psychics. Alexander? Pfft. Yeah, right.

They'd just solved the psychic's case after a long day. Beckett started to move towrards the conference room, before hearing Castle turn round, asking, "Oh. Before I forget. What did Penny say about Alexander?"

She was facing him now. What was it with him and believing in ghosts and predicting the future? "Oh, nothing. Just some silly stuff that didn't really make any sense." Castle looked a little downhearted which failed to catch Beckett's attention. "Why?"

"Because my middle name is Alexander," he said, looking up to face her.

"I thought your middle name was Edgar."

"Been perusing the personal section of the Richard Castle website again, have we? No, I changed my middle name to Edgar, for Edgar Allen Poe, back when I changed my last name to Castle. My given name is Richard Alexander Rogers. What a coincidence, huh?" He smiled knowing that the piece of information he'd just revealed had affected her somehow. She watched him turn his back and walk to the stairwell, biting her lip with excitement...

"After she spoke to you, you said that she told you a name and an some stuff that made no sense. Can you remember it?" He was fishing. He'd been curious as to what Penny had said as soon as Beckett opened her mouth to speak about it.

"She told me about an Alexander. Apparently he's very important to me and will save my life at some point. I can't remember much else apart from Castle mentioning something about the name."

Castle's eyebrows were raised at her.

"I never told you that last time, did I? You tricked me into telling you." Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" He had a smug grin on his face by this point.

"Sorry, but it was totally worth it. You can't tell me you don't believe in pychics now, Detective. I've proved her right several times now."

"You're Alexander. Richard Alexander Rogers. Not Edgar."

That meant Castle would one day save her life. If he hadn't done so already. "Have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Saved my life?"

Castle paused and considered his answer carefully before continuing. "I'd like to think so. And you saved mine plenty of times too." He was looking at her with a sincere expression, which made the boys feel a little awkward.

"Castle saved the lives of everyone in Manhattan, never mind your life. Thousands of people owe him their life and they don't even know it." Ryan nodded towards the man in question, whilst Castle blushed.

"How did that happen, huh?"

"That's a story for another day. I'm kinda hoping you won't have to remember. We went through a lot in those two days. We almost died three times in 48 hours."

She could tell he was reliving the events he was talking about. She'd get it out of him eventually, but she decided to respect his wishes for now.

Castle stood from the small chair at the side of the bed. "You must be getting tired. We'll leave you to sleep for the night and I'll come see once I've sent Alexis off to school in morning. I think my mother will probably be joining me as well. She's been asking after you."

"Yeah, us too. I think Lanie's going to be coming down tomorrow to see you. She was working pretty hard yesterday, helping track down leads." Esposito and Ryan turned to leave, but turned again on hearing her voice.

"Guys. Thanks."

"No Problem, Becks." They left, leaving Castle looking at her cautiously.

"You gonna be OK? I know this must be tough on you but-"

"Castle, go. Go be with Alexis and your mother. They need you more. Come back tomorrow." He nodded slowly. "Oh, and try to sneak in a milkshake. From Remy's if possible and make sure it's-

"Chocolate flavoured, I know. I promise. Now rest, KB."

Lanie stood at the door of Castle's loft waiting for him to answer. She'd asked him if she could come over so they could discuss Josh and helping Beckett. As she was thinking, Castle swung the door open and greeted her.

"Lanie, hey. Come in and make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks, Writerboy."

She handed him her coat and sat on his sofa. This was the first time she'd been here and she was impressed. The place was big, fancy and most likely expensive. She'd picked the wrong profession.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Got any of your nice wine?" She wasn't the kind of girl who held back and she needed the alcohol if they were going to be talking about Kate's supposed boyfriend.

He returned with a glass of wine and a bottle of water for himself. He sat down to face Lanie and waiting for her to start the conversation.

"I told Kate about Josh. She didn't remember anything about him and she asked me what he was like. I told her and didn't hold back about him always leaving her. She looked as though she didn't know how to take it and I felt so guilty, but I just get angry when I think about him. He should be here with her, even if she doesn't know who he is. She lost her Captain and got shot within four days and all because of her mother's case and he's in Japan, the asshole. When he turns up, I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold back. Might just slap him."

"I'll hold him in place for you. He almost left her for 6 months to go to Haiti without even thinking and the only reason he's still around is because she almost froze to death. Wait until she remembers, she's going to ask why we didn't tell her. He'll be back in 6 days which most likely means she'll know more about him. I propose that we talk to him first. Tell him about the amnesia and then you can beat on his ass if you like."

"That's probably best, but don't tell anyone else or it'll make it worse. She needs us right now and we're not going to let her down."

"Well she'll be out of the hospital by then. Did she tell you where she plans to stay after she's discharged? I've got a spare bedroom here. I could sleep in there and she could sleep in my room so she doesn't have to tackle the stairs. She knows her way around..."

"Does she now..?"

"When her apartment blew up, she stayed here a few nights until she found her new place. She didn't mind then, but this time she's going to need my help and she won't accept it readily."

Lanie sighed.

"I agree, but she opens herself up to you more easily than anyone else. You know what makes her tick and she told you things about her private life quicker than she told me. I'm glad she has you, Castle. She needs someone like you in her life."

"She has me for as long as she wants me." He was playing with his water bottle, fiddling with the label.

"I heard what you said in the cemetary. I wasn't far away from her after you said it. I was trying to get closer to her but by the time I got there she was unconscious. But just think about it this way. She heard you, which means that she might remember eventually.

He was still messing with his waterbottle as he spoke. "I don't know if I want her to remember. She pushes me away all the time and I don't know if I could take it much more. You say she needs me, but it's the other way around. I just..."

"I know, Castle." She stood, put her glass on the table and turned so she could put her hand on his shoulder. "Give her time. I'll let myself out. And don't forget to sleep. You look exhausted."

He heard the door close and her footsteps down the hall, but what his ears missed was the creak of a floorboard at the top of the stairs as Alexis made her way back to her room, absorbing everything he'd just heard.