A/N: This is where things start to hit the fan. Still not mine.

She was relieved when Rick finally fell asleep and she kept still so he would stay that way. She wasn't tired yet but she knew he'd have trouble sleeping without her or at least that is how it was for her without him. He'd seemed happy to have her with him so she felt that she'd done the correct thing.

Unfortunately, this left her with time to worry. Ever since he had come clean with her she had taken him for granted as some sort of invincible superhero and she felt bad that she hadn't noticed him overextending himself until it was too late. On the other hand, he wasn't invulnerable and maybe he really did need her. He'd been convincing that he loved her but it did her pride a little good that she could help him too. She eventually drifted off into pleasant dreams.

The next day was mostly boring but she did have a brief interesting conversation with Gates about the fact that Simmons was missing. Apparently, the task force found that intriguing and since Kate had brought up something related, she had asked for Kate's opinion on the development. Maybe her new Captain really did respect her after all.

When they returned to the loft, a large envelope was waiting for them and they went through it. There were a series of bank drafts to an account that may or may not be traceable to Bracken and that was unfortunately the most probative evidence of anything criminal. Since a good attorney would come up with some reasonable alternative explanation for the money transfers, it wasn't the goldmine of evidence that she'd hoped for. The only people that would go to jail from what they had were already dead.

That night, they worked off their frustrations together in a much more pleasurable way before finally falling asleep and the good mood still resonated in her as she got ready for work. Her cell rang and when she saw it was from dispatch she was relieved that it would be a more interesting day, despite the fact this meant someone was dead.

"Beckett"

"You have a new case. It's an unidentified male Caucasian at 150 Barrow Street. It's an abandoned building called the Keller Hotel. Go right up to the fifth floor. Esposito and Ryan are on the way."

"Got it, thanks."

The call abruptly ended and Kate gave it an irritated look. She expected professional but that was pretty abrupt. Rick was working on breakfast so she called out. "Better make it a quick one! We have a body!"

"OK! Coffee's ready and eggs and bacon are almost ready!"

He had her cup full and ready for her and she grabbed the plate he'd just finished loading and headed for the table before beginning to wolf down her food. She and Rick were past the point of trying to be polite around each other, sometimes her schedule required speed. They were on their way in her cruiser just minutes later.

When they got there, she saw there was some yellow police tape in front of the door, which was ajar and unguarded. She wasn't sure but it seemed odd but after exchanging a wary look with Rick, she kept right on going. Naturally, the elevator wasn't working so they went up the stairs.

When they got to the fifth floor, they were still alone so she called out, "Espo? Ryan?"

She heard a voice say "Here!" from the left but it didn't sound like either of them. She exchanged another look with Rick and she could see him focusing on their destination. He whispered, "There are three men, none of them familiar, two together and armed and one further back, alone. We were also watched when we arrived by two guys from across the street."

"Ambush?"

"Doesn't seem that way, they are all calm and waiting. I'll act quickly if that changes."

She triggered her recording device and as they came to an open door he muttered "showtime" in her ear. She tried not to look tense but she knew this was it. If Rick sensed immediate danger, she knew he'd have warned her so she tried to play the part of an unsuspecting victim. They entered and naturally looked at the person most visible at the far side of the room. She felt a presence behind her as another man stepped forward with his gun pointed at Castle's head.

A voice came from behind her. "No funny business or your boyfriend takes one to the head." She felt him take her service weapon and she concentrated on glaring at the man ahead of her.

"Hello Senator Bracken."

"Detective Beckett, I'd say it's a pleasure but I don't have time for pleasantries. How did you know it was me?"

"I have my sources."

"I'm afraid I'll need a little more detail. Do you really want to do this the hard way?"

"Did you talk to my mother before you killed her?"

"I didn't kill your mother. You know very well that it was the late Mr. Coonan who did that."

"It doesn't matter whether you did it personally or not, her blood is on your hands. You hired Coonan like you hired these two goons."

He looked at her speculatively before raising a phone he'd been holding up to his ear. "Still clear?"

He must have gotten the answer he wanted as he focused on them again. "I'm a busy man. These two men have drugs that will make you talk. If you make them use them, you get to spend more time with them until the chemicals are out of your system. They can do whatever they want to you that won't involve leaving evidence behind. The man you so impetuously approached is dead and the evidence will come back to you. Don't worry, we didn't make you look like an amateur, we were subtle."

He gave her an unnerving grin that she didn't react to so he dropped it and gave her a glare. "You and your boyfriend here will be a murder-suicide and you'll have enough alcohol in you to make you out as a drunk. Your father will be so disappointed."

She tried not to show it but his mention of her father worried her. She decided to keep silent and not goad him further. She had enough, she wouldn't push her luck.

Bracken appeared disappointed as he turned to address the henchman closest to him. "Make sure you keep things clean and get me whatever intel you get right away. Check them for any recording devices, they seem a little too confident to me."

The man nodded and they pushed Kate and Rick out of the way as Bracken departed. They separated them and the man with Rick kept his gun trained on his head and was more concerned with Kate than Rick. She knew that would just make it even easier for Rick and she looked at Rick as he winked at her as if to say 'it's a piece of cake'.

The man with Kate took her cuffs from her belt and their exchange seemed to catch the attention of the man with Castle as he stared at him. Rick turned to look at the man holding a gun at his head and smiled at him. Kate began to grin too as she knew this whole thing was almost over.

The man with Rick had killed before, that was no big deal to him. He had even killed a cop before, no worries. However, he had never held a gun on a man who just smirked back at him as if he didn't have a care in the world. Was this man crazy or did this man know something that he should know?