AN: Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites etc. I know I surprised a few of you of having Kate stand down, but I always wondered if they were together in season 3 if she would have backed down when he told her to think about the people that loved and cared about her. So, I went a different route. Anyways, enjoy this chapter. I don't really want to give away too many spoilers, but with the news this week of Stana being fired and the possible threat of Kate Beckett being killed off, I'm not going to do anything that ABC might do to this character. Enjoy :)

He opened the door to Demming's apartment and saw him packing his things. "You almost ready?"

"Yea. I'm not sticking around for Bracken to send Lockwood after me. I'm not going to be around when he gets rid of us or when someone goes looking into her files to see if they can find anything on who killed her. Bracken isn't going to protect us."

"I tried to get her to run. She wouldn't listen."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Did you take out the money from your accounts?"

"Just about. Left a little in there to make it not look that suspicious. You have your last shift tomorrow night?"

"Yea. I tried to get out of it so we could leave tonight, but it's the ER and we're short handed."

"You can take the doctor out of the hospital, but you can't take the doctor out of the doctor."

"I'd expect something like that from Castle."

"You think he's going to kill him too?"

"If he's there with Kate, I don't think he's going to leave any witnesses. Plus, he did punch Lockwood in the face multiple times the last time they saw each other."

"True. You know, in September I wouldn't care if he killed the writer or not. Now, I'm just hoping that Beckett gets to him before he gets to anyone else."

"Then Bracken is just going to send Maddox on her."

He sighed, knowing Demming was right. "What if you..."

"Fuck no, I'm not doing it. I'm not going into the line of fire with Lockwood. I don't want Kate to die, but I'm doing what she should be doing."

Kate woke up to the sound of her phone going off. It was the middle of the night, but not too late. She and Castle had gone to bed early, due to jet lag and the fact that they had made love after she agreed to stand down. She pulled the sheet over her more, covering her bare breasts, before she picked up the phone. She saw that it was Montgomery. She was confused a bit.

"Beckett?"

"Kate, meet me at the hangar. Bring Castle."

Before she could ask him why, he hung up. Kate looked over to Castle and nudged him. "Castle, wake up." He groaned, not wanting to get up obviously. "Castle, Montgomery called. We need to meet him at the hangar. He didn't say why."

Before he could respond, he heard his phone going off. He saw it was Montgomery. "Speaking of." He picked up the phone. "Castle."

"Castle, I don't know if Kate's going to call you or not, but meet me at the hangar. I need you there to get her out of there when the time comes."

Castle had no idea what he meant by that, but before he could ask, Montgomery hung up. He looked over at Kate. "Did he say why you specifically?"

"No, why?"

"Cause he wants me there to get you out of there."

"Lets go. This sounds like he's in trouble."

They got up, got dressed, and Kate drove to the Hangar. Before they exited the car, Kate gave Castle her spare. "Just in case." He nodded before they got out of the car. They headed into the hangar, where they saw Montgomery there in the shadows.

Everything after that happened so fast. Montgomery told her that he was the third cop, he told her why he brought her here, and he told her that this was his stand. She wanted to stay there with him, but Montgomery told her that she had to go and that was Castle's cue. As Castle dragged her out as she told him that she forgave him. She cried in Castle's arms, as he tried to keep her quiet so Lockwood wasn't aware that they were here. When the shooting stop, she escaped from his arms and ran into the hangar. She was too late though. Montgomery was gone.

Castle was at her apartment, waiting for Ryan and Esposito to arrive. She was looking at a picture of herself and Roy. "Hey."

She turned around and faced him. "Hey."

He wrapped her arms around her and she rested her head against his chest. "I know it's a funeral, but you want to bet on how many times Esposito says, "I hate this hat"?"

She smiled softly as she tightened her arms around him, thankful that he was trying to make her smile on this horrible day. "12."

"19. If you win you..."

"If I win, you have to do that thing you did to me last night."

"The one where I gave you multiple..."

"Yep."

"Deal. And if I win, you have to show me what you do with ice cubes."

"Deal...but not tonight."

"No." He tightened his arms around her. "Not tonight. Tonight we just fall asleep next to each other and remind each other we're right here, that we're both alive."

"I'd be up for a shared bath and maybe some wine."

"I think that could be arranged." He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head before they heard the knock on the door.

"That's them." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips before she pulled away from him to get the door.

"Hello?"

"It's time."

"Where is she going to be?"

"Her captain's funeral. She's going to be saying a few words. Take her out then. The money will then be wired to your account."

"Yes, sir."

"I have to go to his funeral. It wouldn't be right if I didn't."

"And then you'll meet me at the hospital?"

"Yep. Bags packed and ready to go. Did you find your passport?"

"I did."

"Good. I don't know where we'll be going, but we might need it. Even if it's just as a guide for when we make one for a new identity. We're not going to be tied to Bracken and the murders he has committed."

Castle was surprised to see Demming there at the funeral, but he knew he was there as a sign of respect for Montgomery. Kate already told him that Josh and him had stopped watching her, so he knew it wasn't for that reason. He watched Kate as she spoke, letting her know that she was right there with her, that her words were true. He gave her a soft smile when she looked at him and said "to stand by you." He would always be standing by her. Even if she had told him that she was going to not back down that night, in the end, he would still have stood by her.

He looked off into the distance and saw a reflection of sorts. He found that odd. He didn't know what it was, until he saw Demming look back and quickly getting up from his chair. It was a shooter.

"Beckett!" He lunged for her, but before he could make it to her, there was a gunshot.

He looked down at her, looking for the wound. He found it and put pressure on it. "Kate. Hey, it's going to be okay. Stay with me okay."

She looked up at him and cupped the side of his face. "I'm sorry, Castle."

"Shhh, no it's okay. You're okay."

"I should have stopped looking sooner. Should have just been with you."

"No, no, Kate it's me. I opened up the case again. I..."

"Shhhh, Castle." A single tear escaped her eye. "I love you." With that, her eyes rolled back into her head and they shut.

"Kate...no, stay with me."

Lanie came rushing over to him, when they knew it was safe. "Keep pressure on that, Castle."

"Did they find him?"

"Javi and Ryan went searching. Demming is looking too. An ambulance is on it's way."

"Is she going to make it?"

"I don't know, Castle. But Kate Beckett is the strongest woman I know. If anyone can survive a bullet to the heart, she can."

When the ambulance got there, they carefully helped her onto the stretcher and Lanie took over.

"I'm going with you."

They got into the ambulance and as soon as they got in, Beckett's heart stopped.

"No, no, no, Kate." Castle took her hand in his. "Come on baby, come back."

Lanie and the other paramedics in the back of the ambulance helped revive her and her heart started beating again.

"That's it, Kate. Fight." He placed a kiss to her hand. "Don't give up, Kate. Don't leave. Please, don't leave."