Ryan knocked on the break room door some time later, peering around it. Kate flashed him a small smile and motioned for him to come in.
"You don't have to ask Kev, it's the break room, not my office." Ryan shot her a soft smile and started the coffee machine.
"Where's Castle?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation as light as possible.
"Calling Alexis. She's coming down in a few hours but he uh, he needed to call her." Kate replied softly, fallen and building tears making her voice slightly deeper than usual. Ryan nodded, ignoring the broken quality to his boss, and set about making them both coffee.
"Here." He murmured, passing her latte to her once it was finished, and sitting on the table in front of her.
"Cheers, Kevin." She murmured back, taking the cup and cradling it to her chest. They sipped in silence for a moment before Kate built the courage to ask. "Have you found anything?" Ryan sighed.
"We will Kate." She nodded quickly, staring at her cup, blinking rapidly.
"But you haven't yet." She summarised. Ryan shook his head.
"Sorry." Kate shook her head.
"No, don't be silly. This isn't your fault."
When Ryan didn't say anything back, Kate moved to look at him.
"You know that, right? You know that neither of us blames you for, what happened?"
Ryan steadfastly avoided her gaze.
"Oh God, Ryan, no." She leaned forward and, after putting her cup on the table, took his spare hand in both of hers. "Kevin Ryan, you listen to me, okay?"
She waited until he nodded before continuing.
"Neither of us blames you for Nevaeh going missing. It wasn't your fault. You let her out of your sight for half a minute and there was nothing you could have possibly done to stop it. Jeeze Ryan you're family. Mine, hers and Castle's. We couldn't blame you for this." Ryan nodded but still wouldn't look at her. "Ry, have you actually gone home yet, at all?" He flicked his eyes to her quickly and shook his head. "Maybe you should take a break? Phone Jenny, have a lie down, eat something." Ryan chuckled.
"The Great Kate 'I have no time for lunch, there's a case to be solved' Beckett is telling me to eat?"
Kate shot him a half hearted glare.
"Okay, so do as I say, not as I do."
Ryan shook his head with a smile.
"You're not actually my mom Beckett." He reminded her wryly. Kate smiled softly.
"No, you're right, I'm not. But I do care about you and I won't have you burning out for me Kev, no matter how much this matters." Ryan smiled tenderly.
"I'll rest when I find your sister Kate. I'll rest when I can look you in the eye again and not doubt my right to do so. I'll rest, when Nevaeh is tucked up safe at the loft."
Kate pulled the younger detective quickly into a hug and held him tightly, him holding her back just as tight.
"You know how much I love you right?" Kate asked shakily, fighting tears valiantly. Ryan chuckled brokenly, his own tears flooding his vision.
"I love you too Beckett."
It was late, really late, when Ryan stumbled into the break room, an exhausted but almost hysterical smile on his face. Kate looked up from where she'd been laying with her head in Castle's lap while he wrote, and locked eyes with the detective.
"Kate." Ryan breathed, his voice cracking with both fatigue and emotion. "I've found her." Kate sat bolt upright, as Rick followed suit.
"Kev..." Kate whispered not sure her heart could handle it if she was dreaming. Ryan nodded.
"We got her Beckett, come on, we're heading out, Captain said you wanna come with." Kate nodded frantically and jumped to her feet, slipping her shoes back on as Rick put his phone in his pocket; he'd been texting Alexis with news after he'd sent her home a few hours before until she'd fallen asleep.
They both ran out the door, following their colleague, as half the floor flooded into their cars.
It was time to bring their lost member home.