Since things don't really start to make sense until this chapter, I decided not to wait to post this. I'm hoping to post a chapter a day until the story is finished.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.

"Dad, come see what I found!"

Relief flooded Kate at the sound of Alexis' voice. Anyone could have found her. In her vulnerable state, things could have turned out badly. Because something was horribly wrong. Kate felt fairly clear-headed, but her body felt like it was twisted at an odd angle. She was scared to move, worried that the slightest change in position might just make the problem worse.

Kate opened her eyes to see…Alexis' feet?

What?

Kate didn't feel like she was lying down, but she must have been. Or she was hanging upside down.

From her limited field of vision Kate could tell that she was still outside, although she wasn't entirely sure where. She focused her gaze upward and saw what looked like the underside of a wood bench.

Again, what?

"Isn't she cute?" Kate looked over to Alexis again. The teen was now crouched down and looking directly at her. Spotting Castle's familiar designer shoes out of the corner of her eye, Kate turned her head and watched as Castle squatted down and gave her a smile Kate had never had directed at her before. It was the look he reserved for babies and puppies and other small, helpless creatures.

Kate was neither small nor helpless.

"You're right, she's adorable," Castle agreed. "I'll bet she's a real snuggler."
What?!

Kate wasn't surprised that Castle had thought about 'snuggling' with her. But to mention it to his daughter?

She opened her mouth to yell at him. But that's not what came out.

"Meow."

Kate whipped her head from side to side. Where had that come from? It felt like it had risen out of her own throat, but that was impossible. So now she had lost her ability to speak and there was a cat close by?

Or maybe she just couldn't say his name very loudly and the feline had drowned her out. She opened her mouth to try again.

"Meee-ooow!"

What was with that cat?

Although…

Kate shook her head at the Castle like theory that popped into her head. She hadn't been turned into a cat. Things like that just didn't happen outside of fairy tales.

There was a logical explanation.

She just had to find it.

"It's okay, baby, we won't hurt you," Alexis said in what Kate was sure was meant to be a soothing tone.

She might have felt a little more relaxed if it hadn't been for the fact that Alexis had just called her baby!

"You don't think she's hurt, do you, Dad?"

Kate tried to roll her eyes. Of course she was hurt. And somehow she'd lost the ability to roll her eyes!

"I'm not sure, pumpkin," Castle said. He inched closer to her, holding out his hand, palm down. When the tips of his fingers were almost touching her nose, Kate tilted her head. Before she realized what she was doing, Kate poked her tongue out and ran a quick swipe up his index finger.

Startled, she drew her head back.

Why had she done that?

"She likes you, Dad!" Alexis was beaming at Kate now.

Kate quickly opened her mouth to refute the claim. She didn't want Castle's daughter getting the wrong idea about her and Castle's relationship.

"Meow!"

"See?" Alexis said.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Those sounds weren't coming from some nearby cat.

They were coming from her!

But why?

Wait. A. Minute.

That weird position her body was in…

Kate slowly flexed her body, from her head to her-

Tail?

Crap!

She had a tail!

A tail!

"MEOW!"

That would have been a swear word, if she'd been able to voice it.

"Meow! Meow! Meow!"

More swear words.

That she couldn't give voice to.

"Dad, she is hurt!" Alexis cried.

"You could be right," Castle said. "Maybe we should take her to a vet and have her checked out."

She wasn't hurt!

She was freaking out!

And there was no way anyone was taking her to a vet.

Kate shot out from under the bench and ran to the edge of the sidewalk. It felt like a cross between a speed crawl and a weird gallop, but it worked. She spun around and headed back to Castle, whose eyes were wide with shock.

An idea had only half-formed in her mind when her body carried it out. Without slowing down, she jumped onto the bench and using the solid surface to give her an extra bit of inertia, Kate leapt.

Right on to Castle's shoulder.

No vet! The thought went through Kate's mind as she let out an insistent 'meow' and swatted Castle's ear with her front right paw, glad that her claws were sheathed. She didn't want to draw blood, just make sure that Castle wasn't taking her anywhere but up to his loft.

"Whoa!" Castle's voice was a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"I don't think she's hurt, dad," Alexis said, her eyes brimming with barely suppressed laughter.

Castle's hands gently lifted Kate from his shoulder and held her out in front of him, looking her directly in the eyes. "You okay, little one?"

Kate let out a little 'meow,' not even sure what she was trying to say.

"Yeah, you're okay," he said and settled her against his chest.

And that's when Kate started to purr.