AN: Will start posting three chapters a day until we get to the end.

Don't own Castle or any of the characters. The belong to Marlowe and ABC.

Twenty-five:

The limo ride to Rick's bar was spent in near silence. Vaughn had given up trying to make small talk with Kate as her only responses were either non-verbal nods or head shakes with an occasional one word answer. Erik really didn't care, in fact he hoped she was upset. It would be so much easier that way.

The car arrived and they were walking to the entrance as Kate spotted several patrolmen from the 12th that were serving as security for the party. Due to the limited space in the bar, only those people with direct involvement in making the movie and their guests were invited. A man she recognized as Mike, the head bartender was serving as the gatekeeper, checking the names provided against the list he had. Mike sees Kate as she approaches and breaks into a huge smile. "Kate! It's so good to see you." He walks up to her and gives her a hug. "How long has it been? Seems like a year."

Kate can't help but smile seeing a person truly happy to see her. "I'm doing fine Mike. And for the record, its only been seven months. How's Debbie and Mike Junior?"

Mike was a bit surprised that Kate remembered the names of his wife and son. "Everyone is doing well. Thanks for asking. How's life as the Federal agent? Is it as exciting as you thought it would be?"

Kate had to ponder the question. How was her life now? Especially compared to how it was exactly a year ago. And no, if she was honest with herself, the good feelings she got doing her job now were few, and far between. "It's going pretty well. I'm still learning the ropes and the way the Feds do things."

Mike could see the disappointed look on Kate's face as she answered. Wanting to cheer her up he replied. "Well, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you're running things there. What ya' think?" He gestured around the bar. It was decorated up like the speakeasy it was back when the infamous former mayor Jimmie Walker held court there. The piano player played songs from the period and everyone looked to be enjoying themselves.

"Looks like the place is jumping Mike. It's a shame that it's happening on Christmas eve and you have to be away from your family." Kate commented.

"You know how Rick is and Christmas. I volunteered to be part of this. Besides, with what he's paying me for working tonight, my family is going to have a very merry Christmas tomorrow." Mike replies as another couple approaches the door. "Well, I best get back to work. It was good to see you Kate."

"Yeah, you too Mike. Give Debbie and junior my best." Kate turned and walked past Mike into the bar, a silent Erik Vaughn following behind. They made their way through the crowd to the bar where Erik ordered their drinks from a bartender she didn't recognize. She scanned the room to Rick's booth. Alexis and the blonde were sitting there having what appeared to be a lively conversation. Alexis appeared to be at ease with the woman and was laughing at something the blonde had said.

Kate was sipping her champagne while wishing she could read lips and know what was so funny being said between the two women that she was staring at without thinking. "He's hiding out with Larry in his fortress of solitude, probably searching to see if he can find a couple bottles of Jimmie Walker's 'good stuff'.. How are you Kate?"

Beckett nearly jumped hearing the familiar voice from behind. "Sherry, it's so good to see you." Kate replied as the two women hug. "You're working Christmas eve also?"

"Wouldn't miss it. How often do you get to be in a room full of celebrities? Besides, with what Rick is paying me for working tonight, I can pay for my vacation to Florida next month. Here." Sherry grins and places the green object in her hand.

"What's this?" Kate inquires as she examines object in her hand.

"Mistletoe. You know what that's for. Rick came up with the idea that we countdown the final seconds until midnight and everyone kiss under the mistletoe." Kate glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 11:59. Sherry quickly walked away passing out the pieces of mistletoe as she went through the room. The crowd was enjoying the idea and had begun the countdown. Kate was looking around the room taking it all in as Castle emerged from his office, Larry following behind.

Vaughn saw Castle first and decided to take a chance. Pulling Kate around to him he kisses her passionately as the revelers count down to zero. Caught up in the emotions of the moment Kate kisses him back with equal passion as the crowd cheers Merry Christmas!

Across the room, Rick stood there and watched like one would a train wreck unable to look away. Any hope that he held for them ever being together again was destroyed in an instant. Trying desperately to mask the pain, he hurried away from sight.

Kate happened to open her eyes just as the kiss ended and saw the look of utter betrayal on Rick's face. She pulled away from Vaughn's embrace feeling as if she had made the single biggest mistake in her life with an audience watching her actions. She scanned the room to see who else had watched her kissing Vaughn. Luckily, most of the couples were locked in kisses of their own with one of the two holding the mistletoe above their heads.

Alexis however, was not one of them. She had been scanning the room looking for her father as the countdown started. There was no way he was going to miss this. She saw her father coming up from his office with Larry, the bar manager. They were both laughing and smiling. She then saw her father stop. Alexis saw the look on his face go from shock, to betrayal, to utter devastation in a matter of a few seconds. Alexis quickly turned her head to see what was having this effect on her father. She saw Beckett returning a passionate kiss to Vaughn just the crowd was cheering Merry Christmas. Little Castle's emotions went from shock and betrayal to a nearly blinding hatred for the women she saw.

Mindy caught a glimpse of the event and the reaction from Alexis. She started to get up from her seat, her entire body shaking with rage. Mindy grabbed her arm and pulled her close to her. She wrapped her arms around Alexis and tried to calm her by saying that this wasn't the time or the place for a confrontation. That she needed to be here to comfort her father. Alexis relaxed a little as she glared at where Kate was standing.

Beckett saw the look of utter contempt that Alexis was giving her and wanted to be anywhere but where she was right now. She turned to face Erik and told him. "Let's get out of here.. Now!"

Vaughn smiled and nodded his head in agreement. His work here was done. Any chance the two of them had came and went with the kiss and he knew it. He had to stifle a smile as they made their way to the door. They had nearly made it out the door when some acquaintance of Vaughn's stopped him and asked him a couple of questions about an investment he recommended. Kate's anxiety level was rising by the second as they stood there. She couldn't shake the feeling that everyone in the room was looking at her with the same contempt Alexis had shown her minutes ago.

Beckett had watched as Mindy led Alexis from the booth where they were sitting to the ladies room. Their eyes briefly met. Instead of anger or contempt, Mindy gave her a look of pity, as if she knew what a huge mistake Kate had made.

Paula had watched the whole disaster unfurl before her and nearly clapped with glee, convinced that the dagger had finally been driven through the heart of the soul-sucking relationship between Kate and Rick. She wanted to feel bad for Rick, but she had warned him years ago that he should take Beckett to bed and get it out of his system. If she had her way, he would be living in England writing novels about a never to be named secret agent. It wasn't like Castle was some sort of hack writer before he 'discovered' Nikki Heat. He had over twenty best selling novels as evidence that wasn't the case. Paula knew that he needed a clean break so that he could start doing what he did the best writing best selling novels.

Rick had retreated to his office after he saw Kate kissing Vaughn. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was have to face her as she proved that she had moved on without him and was doing just fine. He just hoped that Alexis didn't see it. The last thing he wanted to do was face her pitying looks if she did. As badly as he wanted to drink himself into a coma, he had responsibilities to his family and his date. It certainly seemed like fate delivered him the cruelest of Christmas presents, but he needed to rise above it. There would be time for pity and self-loathing later.

A knock at the door pulled Rick from his thoughts. He simply called out for them to come in. Mindy slowly opened the door and stuck her head inside asking if she could come in. Rick offered her a pained smile and gestures for her to come in.

"How are you doing?" Mindy inquires.

"I don't know. Don't worry, I was just about to come back up to the party. After all I am the host. I can wallow in self-pity some other time. After all, it is Christmas."

"Alexis is pretty upset. I've never seen her as angry as she was up there."

"Alexis has always had a rather strained relationship with her.. My daughter never understood why I kept going back to her after everything she did to me.." Rick finished the drink in his hand and got up from his chair as he extends his hand to Mindy. "Let's go. I won't let her ruin anyone's Christmas – even mine."

Mindy smiled and took his hand in hers. She gives his hand a reassuring squeeze as they ascend the stairs into the bar. The room was filled with happy noise, the rest of the crowd oblivious to what had happened.

Vaughn cut off the conversation with the man who had stopped him, politely saying that he had an early flight and needed to go. Kate was getting more anxious by the second and looked as if she was ready to run out of the place with, or without him. He called his bodyguard who was waiting outside to have the car come up. Placing the phone back in his jacket pocket he turned and asked Kate if she was ready to leave. She gave him a relieved look and nodded her head.

They were nearly at the top of the stairs when Mike called out to Beckett. She had left her wrap on the bar and Sherry spotted it sitting there. Kate hurried back down the stairs and took the wrap from Mike, thanking him. Vaughn had continued up the stairs and was standing beside his bodyguard, waiting for the limo to arrive when there was a crash in front of the bar. A minor rear-ender, both drivers got out and started arguing with each other making quite a bit of noise and bringing traffic to a stand-still. The two off-duty cops that Rick had hired for security immediately ran out to the street to try to calm the situation.

Running down the sidewalk from the shadows, two men with ski masks approached Vaughn and his bodyguard who were watching the events in the street. The first shot dropped the bodyguard before he could get to his weapon. The second shot was a clean headshot, killing the billionaire instantly.

Kate had made it to the top of the stairs just as the shots were fired. She watched in horror as the two men were gunned down, their assailants fleeing into the night. The two men hired for security turned as the shots were fired ignoring the men fighting in the street to give aid. One of the cops ran to where the men lay, while the other ran after the two men while calling for backup.

Once the assailants were out of sight, Kate ran to where Vaughn lay. There was so much blood. It was obvious to her that Vaughn was dead. She then focused her attention to his bodyguard who was still alive, but losing a lot of blood.

The men who had been fighting in the street, got back into their cars and sped off during the confusion. The first car went in the same direction as the two assailants stoping just around the corner of the alley the two had ran into. Knowing that the two men were armed, the lone off duty policeman kept a safe distance away as he followed them while talking on his phone. He could only watch as the assailants ran out of the alley and jumped into the car that was waiting there for them. By the time the cop made it to the car, it sped off. Someone had obscured the license plate number, but he knew that it was one of the two cars involved in the 'accident' in front of the bar.

Mike had started up the stairs when he heard Kate's screams for help. Running to where the two men lay, he watched as Beckett tried to stop the bleeding from the wound in the bodyguard's chest. She knew the feeling too well, being the one laying there bleeding out. The difference was she had someone that loved her pleading with her to hold on before she lost consciousness.

Mike pulls his phone from his pocket and calls Rick. He cursed as he listened to the phone ring once, twice, and finally Castle answered on the third ring. Mike explained as calmly as possible what just happened and that the police were on their way. Castle could hear the sirens in the background getting louder. He also could hear Kate sobbing, telling someone to hang on, help was on the way.

Rick politely excused himself from the two women sitting with him and walked towards the exit, trying to not draw any attention to himself. The last thing that they needed was a room filled with panicked people. He could hear the sirens getting louder as he neared the entrance. Rick saw Sherry as he neared the door and gestured for her to come over to him. He told her that something happened outside and for her to try to keep everyone in the bar until it was safe. She nodded her head in understanding as he exited the bar and made his way up the stairs.

Castle stood at the top of the stairs and took the whole scene in. The first ambulance had arrived and two paramedics were busily working on the bodyguard trying to get him ready to move. The image was far too familiar to him and he shuddered at the thought. He looked to see the body of Erik Vaughn lying in a huge pool of his own blood.

He then saw Kate standing against the wall her eyes looking straight ahead. It was obvious that she was in shock. Despite everything that had happened earlier, he ran to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. She felt so cold and stiff as he pulled her tighter in his embrace trying to share his body heat with her. "It's ok Kate. It's ok" He repeated over and over again as he rubbed small circles into her back with the palm of his hand. Her unblinking eyes seemed to be fixed on the spot where Vaughn's body lay.

Rick notices this and calmly whispers into her ear. "I'm sorry Kate. I know that Vaughn was important to you.." He turns her body away from the wall forcing her to look elsewhere.

Kate's thoughts were a million miles away at the time. She was desperately trying to process everything that had just happened. She realizes that she is being held by Rick and starts to relax in the safety of his arms and his soothing voice. Kate wraps her arms around Rick and buries her head in his chest as she begins to sob.

Castle continues to hold her tightly and offer soothing words to her as he stands there looking at the bizarre scene surrounding him. "Lets get you inside Kate, before you freeze to death. We both know how much you hate the cold.."

She looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but compassion for her and Kate broke into even louder sobs. Releasing her from his embrace, he gently took her hand and led her back to the bar's entrance. Rick called out to Mike that he was taking her down to his office and he would be right back. She followed him down the stairs and into the light by the door. It was then he noticed that her hands and the front of her dress were covered in blood. Taking his jacket off, he draped it over her shoulders as he opened the door. Sherry's smile quickly faded as she saw Kate standing there shaking. "Take her down to my office and wait until I get there. Please?"

Sherry simply nodded and led Beckett by the hand to the stairway and down into Rick's office. Alexis and Mindy were both watching the whole scene unfold and gave Rick a look of confusion. Well, Mindy's was confusion, Alexis' was more of contempt and shock. He walked to the booth trying to give an air of calmness. He leaned over the table just as Alexis hissed. "Whats SHE doing here? I thought she left with her 'boyfriend'."

Rick calmly held up his hand and gave his daughter a look that told her she was skating on thin ice. "There was an incident outside. Erik Vaughn was murdered and his bodyguard was seriously wounded. Kate saw the whole thing happen and she's in pretty bad shape. I need to be outside to deal with the police.." He pauses to see how the women have reacted to the news. "I hate to ask, but I hoped that maybe you two could sit with Kate for a few minutes.."

"You've got to be joking dad!" Alexis blurts out in anger. "After everything she's done to you, to us, you expect me to sit there and make nice with her?"

"Yes I do. You're a better person than that and I expect nothing less." Castle replies sternly.

Mindy has quietly been listening to the whole conversation and reaches for Alexis' hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll do it Rick."

Alexis gives her a look of surprise, then slumps her shoulders and nods in agreement. Rick leans forward and places a gentle kiss on both women's cheeks as he whispers a thank you to both. He extends his hand and helps both women exit the booth as they follow him to the stairs to his office. Rick gently knocks on the door to his office and asks if it was ok to enter. Sherry replies for him to enter.

As he enters his office, he sees Kate sitting on the sofa along the wall facing his desk staring blankly ahead. He smiled at Sherry and thanked her for the help. She nodded and walked out of the room without a word. Castle kneeled down facing Beckett and took her hands in his. "Kate? I need to go outside, but I didn't want to leave you alone.." He gestures for Alexis and Mindy to enter. "Is it ok if Alexis and Mindy stay with you for a little while?" She looked at him, both eyes swollen and red from tears and simply nodded. Rick smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze as he rose to his feet. "I'll be back soon." Rick turns and walks out of the room leaving Beckett with the last two people she wants to be alone with right now..