Author's Note: Ok, devoted readers! next chapter done. Sorry this one is so short, but it just seemed like the best place to leave this chapter. After all the awesome reviews and feedback, the plot bunnies actually gave me some good ideas for continuing the story. I have a rough plot, and a couple of scenes written in my head, I just ask for your patience with me as I try to get it all written down in some semi-coherent form. Feedback is welcomed, as this is probably the biggest story arc fanfic I have ever written, and I don't want to wander too far off the beaten path.

NevynR

8:50am, 12th Precinct.

Castle strolled back into the bullpen coffee and bear-claw in hand, but before he could sit, Beckett stood up.

"I'll eat on the way, Castle, we've got a body. Ryan and Esposito are on their way already, I was just about to call you."

"No worries. Any idea what we have on the body yet?" He held her coffee out to her as they walked to the elevator. Taking a big drink from the cup, she gave a happy sigh as the hot drink settled her.

"Not much so far. All we know so far is that it's female, and messy. Should only be fifteen minutes to the scene though." Having no further information relevant to the case, she leaned up against the back wall of the elevator, silent for a few seconds before saying "Oh, I think I really should apologise about before too… I really enjoyed our workout, I guess I wasn't thinking when the others walked in, and it didn't even occur to me that you might not have been ready to share your… skills with them…" She looked down slightly, embarrassed that she had pretty much forced the issue into the open. A serious look settled onto Castle's face as he considered his reply.

"Hey…" He waited until she raised her eyes and looked him in the face. "It's ok… I told you it was probably time I started dealing with it all, and it wasn't exactly unpleasant…" He smirked, remembering the feeling of slamming Demming into the mats. "It was a lot of fun, actually…"

Seeing the amusement sparkling in his eyes, Beckett couldn't keep the silly grin from creeping into her own features.

"Well, at least we got dinner out of it." She said, teasingly.

"That we did, Detective… Mind you, you have no idea how hard it was to drag it out that long with Demming… You think he'd be game for a rematch at some point?" He chuckled. Still a little surprised by how quickly Castle had taken down his opponent when he started actually trying, Beckett realised just how much he had been holding back when he was sparring with her. Never giving enough to let her win, he had made her work for it the whole time, never giving her an inch. Recalling the second match, and how he and Esposito had fought, she knew he certainly hadn't been pushing himself sparring her. She thought back to the night he had thrown the poker match to save her from being embarrassed, pleased that he remembered not to let her win just to save her feelings.

"Castle?" She paused, feeling slightly foolish and vulnerable for no real reason that she could name, but pushing ahead regardless. "Thanks…"

"For what?" He replied, a little confused.

"For not letting me win. I was serious when I told you Demming was as good as I am, and you took him apart without even thinking about it. I guess what I am trying to say is… I know you could easily have wiped the mats with me, and I know you were tempted to go easy on me, to let me win like you did at poker the first time… I just… thank you for showing me the respect of making me work for it." She blushed slightly, still trying to put into words how much she appreciated it.

"Kate," he replied softly. "I made the mistake of patronising you once. I wouldn't do that to you again. You are good, and with practice, you can be even better. You won't learn anything if I let you win, and you'd probably learn even less if I went all out, so I keep myself just a little better than wherever you are with your skills, because that's the best way to teach. If you want to learn, I will teach you everything I can, and hope to hell you never have to use it." His eyes sparkling, he went on. "And besides, if you keep betting on me winning against Demming, we're going to need to work off an awful lot of dinners…" They made their way to the car and headed out to the murder scene, both feeling more relaxed than they had all day.

9:00am, Murder Scene.

Pulling up near the yellow crime scene tape, they got out of the car and made their way towards the body. Passing a trash can, Beckett drained the dregs of her coffee, and dumped it, before they ducked under the tape.

"What can you tell me, Lanie?" She asked, addressing the ME, who was crouching next to the body, mostly hidden by the dumpster in the narrow alley. Standing up, Lanie replied.

"Caucasian female, early to mid-teens, no ID as yet. I'd say preliminary cause of death would be repeated blunt force trauma to the head." She indicated the bruising evident on the girl's hands, and then rolled the body over and stepped back. Beckett heard the gasp from her partner as he saw the mangled ruin that was all that remained of the poor girl's face. Lanie continued. "From the shape of the contusions, I'm guessing something like a tyre iron, or small crowbar. Poor girl tried to defend herself, but all she got for her trouble was a pair of broken arms. From the bruises on the rest of her body, I'm betting she sustained most of them pre-mortem. Somebody worked her over good, looks like both arms, most of her ribs, and at least one leg were broken, but it was the blows to the head that finished her off."

A little taken aback at the brutality of it, Beckett shoved her emotions to one side, operating on auto-pilot.

"Can you give me a time of death?"

"Based on lividity, ball-park time is 9pm to midnight last night, I'll be able to narrow it down once I get her back to the lab."

"Thanks, Lanie. Anything else you can give me?"

"Yeah, actually... Whoever did this... it wasn't their first time. The regularity of the bruises... they are evenly spaced, and appear to have the same amount of force used on each. This was done methodically, not in a rage."

"Dear lord..." Castle breathed, finally taking in all the damage. As Lanie's words sank in, he continued. "Is it worth running the autopsy report through the other jurisdictions when you are done? If it's not the first time, he might have done work out of town..." He swallowed again as he looked between Beckett and Lanie.

"I'll send it off as soon as I am done." Lanie turned and headed away from the crime scene, leaving Beckett and Castle to do their job.

Beckett looked at Castle, seeing his discomfort. Placing her hand on his shoulder briefly, she squeezed once and let go, silently offering him her understanding and support, before saying "Come on, Castle. Let's go give Ryan and Esposito a hand with canvassing for any witnesses."

10:15am, Beckett's Police Cruiser, en route to 12th Precinct.

Hanging up her cell phone, Beckett glanced over to her partner, who had spent the drive so far in withdrawn silence.

"Hey, Castle." She said, trying to bring him back to earth gently. "Ryan just called, they found the girl's bag in a trash can a few blocks away, we have an ID. They have contacted the next of kin. The father should be at the precinct by the time we get there. Will you be right to sit in for it?" Castle blinked rapidly, dragging himself back to the conversation at hand.

"Yeah, I should be fine, Beckett. Thanks though. This one just gets to me, you know?"

"I know... I can only imagine what it must be like for you."

"You know, this is one of those times that having such an active imagination isn't a good thing." He ran his hands through his hair, and made an effort to clear it from his mind, at least for the moment. "So, what was her name? Is there any reason the father was able to be in so quickly? I mean, not that I wouldn't get down there as fast as I could if something happened to Alexis, but for him to be there before we get back is a little... odd, don't you think?"

"Her name was Melissa Johnson, and she was only 13..." She paused for a few seconds. "It is a little strange, but not the first time it's happened to me, Castle. Sometimes it's nothing more than they happened to be down town for some reason when the call came through. We're more likely to do house-calls if we get the ID after hours, the daytime ones, it just depends, I guess."

"God, only 13? What the hell did she do to deserve that?"

"That's what we have to find out, and who did it to her, Castle, so he can't do it again."

Silence fell in the car, and neither of them felt like breaking it for the rest of the trip back to the precinct.

10:30am, 12th Precinct

Beckett and Castle left the elevator, their mood still sombre. Esposito saw the pair, and wordlessly indicated a man standing next to the visitor's chairs, his hands clasped behind his back. Without breaking stride, they headed over. Hearing the sound of Beckett's heels on the floor, the man turned to face them. He glanced at Beckett for a second, noting the badge on her belt, before he looked at Castle. A slight frown creased his forehead as he took in the author, and before Beckett could introduce herself, he clicked his heels together and saluted, an amused grin on his face. Momentarily thrown, Beckett paused, and was about to introduce herself when she realised that the man at attention in front of her was not looking at her, but instead had his gaze focused over her shoulder, on Castle.

Holding the salute for a split second, he stepped forward, offering his hand to the author, saying,

"Alex Rodgers! When the hell did you become a cop?" Stunned for a second, Castle scanned the face in front of him before recognition kicked in.

"Tommy? How long has it been?" He grasped the offered hand and grasped it, before pulling the other man in for a brief slap on the back. Returning the gesture, the man stepped back and looked him over.

"It's been nearly twenty years since you were shipped State-side, Corporal. When we heard you took a discharge after rehab, I never thought you'd wear a uniform ever again..." Castle grinned at him, oblivious to Ryan and Esposito, who were walking past, files in hand. Hearing the other man address Castle by rank, and by another name entirely, they halted, stunned.

"I'm not. I'm consulting with the NYPD." Castle replied. "Damn, where are my manners...?" He gestured to Beckett. "Tommy, this is my partner, Detective Kate Beckett. Beckett, this is Lance Corporal Thomas Johnson..." He trailed off, as the surname of the victim hit him, and he remembered Esposito's earlier silent gesture towards Tommy. Johnson reached out and shook Beckett's hand briefly.

"Actually, ma'am, it's Sergeant Johnson now, although Rodgers here wouldn't have known that, since I only got the extra stripes after he left." He said. "Any chance you can explain why I was called down here?" A little disconcerted by the casual way he referred to Castle as 'Rodgers', she gestured for him to sit down.

"Sergeant, there is no easy way to break this to you, but it's about your daughter..."