a/n: hope you're all doing well! prior to this chapter, i wanted to mention that a few spoilers of the nikki heat series will appear in the dialogue for the rest of the story. i don't know that i can truly "spoil" books that came out around a decade ago, but i only read the series for the first time a little while back, so that could be the case for some of you too! i highly recommend them btw ;)

the night we ran away

"Let's get away for the weekend," Rick says. "The Hamptons, a belated Valentine's Day celebration."

"You don't have to call everything we do in February a Valentine's Day celebration," Kate chuckles.

"I know, but when I do it means we get to be extra dirty," Rick justifies.

"C'mon babe, we never need an excuse for that," Kate rolls her eyes. "Though I do like the idea of getting out of the city, the Hamptons might be a little cold."

"I can make a call right now and someone will be there to turn up the heat and prepare the hot tub."

"A hot tub does sound nice," Kate agrees. "And it's so peaceful there in the off season."

"See, I'm full of great ideas," Rick says.

"Yeah, you're full of something alright." She plants a kiss on her husband's temple as she walks her dishes to the kitchen and grabs her brief case.

"So, should I make that call?" asks Rick as Kate heads for the door.

"Make the call, babe," she says. "I'll pick up Thai on the way home for dinner tonight."

"Okay, honey, have a good day," Castle says. "Call me if you get a cool case."

"In your dreams!" She laughs as the door closes behind her, the latch making a loud clicking sound as it met the frame. And then it was silent.

"That'll be really funny when I go on our getaway alone cuz you didn't want to ask for my help on a case," Rick says out loud. "And I'm talking to myself. Great."

He was used to the solitary lifestyle that often came with being a writer, but lately, he found himself very alone in the silence. That was one of the reasons he loved having Ruby around. She was charmed rather than annoyed by his antics and was more often than not up for spending time with him when Kate was stuck at work. He practically twiddles his thumbs before pulling out his cell phone and navigating to Ruby's cell phone contact. He pulled up their text thread and typed:

Hey, kiddo. Checking in to see how you're doing. How's school?

It was a Wednesday at 8:15AM, so he wasn't expecting a response from her anytime soon. But, the anticipation of hearing from her would tide him over for a while.

Ruby had moved out and started school in New Jersey over two weeks ago, and so far, things seemed to be going smoothly. She texted Rick and Kate regular updates that indicated the girl was adjusting well to her new school and home life with her extended family. They even had plans in a couple weeks to come visit, as Michelle offered to host a game night at their house in Jersey. For now, though, it was texts and the occasional phone call, which didn't feel like nearly enough, but it helped to know that Ruby seemed happy.

After a few minutes of not getting a reply from Ruby or a call from Kate, though that was to be expected, he made the call to the cleaning service that he used for the house in the Hamptons and started planning his relaxing late-Valentine's-Day-celebration-at-the-end-of-February-getaway-weekend for Kate.

"You know, if I was still a Detective, I never would've done this," Kate says. "Skipping town for the weekend with multiple unsolved murders."

"All I'm saying is you could have called me for help," Rick tosses out there knowing it could go one of two ways.

"Trust me, babe, I would've if I thought you'd be of any help," Kate tells him.

"Ouch!" Rick exclaims.

"Not what I meant," Kate chuckles. "There's a back up at the forensic lab from a system update that didn't configure properly, I guess. So, we couldn't confirm our suspect's DNA matches the evidence at the scene, but the guy has all but confessed anyway."

"So, they're not unsolved murders then," Rick points out.

"Guess not, but, you know how I am," Kate shrugs.

"Yes, which is what makes you a good cop," Rick says. "But I hope this won't weigh on your mind too much while we're up here."

"No, no, babe, I can compartmentalize," Kate assures him as he makes the final turn into the shoveled drive way of the Hamptons house.

"Good, because I have plans," Rick emphasizes. "And they don't involve solving a murder."

"Been there, done that," Kate laughs, recalling her first ever visit to Casa Castle a few months into dating that now feels like a distant memory.

"Right, well, believe it or not, I have a few things in mind that we actually haven't done yet, but if you want to dawdle out here in the cold, be my guest," Castle teases as he runs to the front door and unlocks it.

"Richard Castle!" Kate yells as she runs after him, only to stop short of the door when her phone starts to ring in her pocket.

"Oh, c'mon, Kate, I thought everyone knew you were off the grid this weekend," Rick groans.

"They do," Kate says, pulling out her cell and reading the screen. "It's Ruby."

Castle quickly ushers Kate and their overnight bags into the house as she answers the call.

"Hello," she says. "Ruby, is everything alright?" Once Kate was satisfied with the girl's response, she puts the phone on speaker.

"Are you guys doing anything fun this weekend?" Ruby asks.

"Actually, yes," Rick says. "We are at our house in the Hamptons for the weekend."

"What are you guys rich or something?" Ruby mocks with a chuckle. "But that does sound fun."

For the next twenty minutes, Ruby recapped her week, her current school drama, how her cousin Clare hogs the bathroom in the morning, etc, etc. Then, she very suddenly changes the subject. "Hey, Rick, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Castle replies.

"Did you actually get shot?" Ruby asks.

Rick and Kate shoot each other puzzled glances, before Rick answers. "Yes, once."

"Oh," Ruby sighs. "I'm sorry that happened."

"Thanks, kiddo," Rick says. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just finished Heat Rises and I know Rook is sort of based on you, so, I was wondering," Ruby explains.

"Oh, wow, you're getting through those books pretty fast," Rick says.

"Just remember that if you have questions about anything, we're here for them," Kate adds, knowing that the books that follow are a little raunchy at times.

"Yeah, I appreciate that," Ruby says. "That's why I was wondering about this."

"Well, truth be told, kiddo, Rook getting shot in book 3 was actually completely unrelated to when I got shot in real life," Rick says, Kate shooting him an uncertain look before she nods, almost like giving him permission. "But, uh, it actually was around when Kate got shot because of her work."

"Woah, really?" Ruby asks in intrigue. "Kate, I'm so sorry you got shot. Did it...what was it like?"

"Um, well, that time, I got shot in my heart, so it was really serious. I was basically in shock when it happened, but afterward I was in a lot of pain for a long time," Kate says.

"In the heart!? And you lived!? Holy crap!?" Ruby exclaims.

"What, you didn't know she's practically made of steel, huh?" Rick says.

"What was the other time?" Ruby asks.

"What?" Kate asks.

"You said "that time", so there must've been other times," Ruby says. "Unless you don't want to keep talking about it. That's okay, too."

"No, it's okay. There was one more time. We both got shot that time," Kate says.

"Right, a little more than a year and a half ago," Rick says. "I got shot in the shoulder, and Kate was shot in her lower abdomen. We were able to call for help before we both passed out. We're...uh, we're all healed up now though."

"Wow, that's so crazy," Ruby says. "Thank you for telling me."

"Sure thing, kiddo," Rick says.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Kate asks, hoping to shift the subject a bit.

"When are you guys coming to visit again?" Ruby asks.

"We will see you in a week from tomorrow, Rubes," Kate responds. "And you better be ready to get your butt kicked at Uno."

"Okay, yay!" Ruby cheers. "Can't wait. But it's you two who will be getting their butts kicked."

They said they're goodbyes and hung up, both feeling a little emotionally blindsided after talking about their shootings.

That night, the conversation with Ruby still weighed heavily on their minds.

"Hey, you, uh, you doing okay? I know you don't particularly enjoy talking about your shooting," Rick asks.

"I mean, I don't know that many people enjoy talking about getting shot," Kate shrugs. "But, yeah, I'm okay. You know, Ruby weirdly makes talking about anything a little bit easier."

"Yeah, she has that affect on me too," Rick sighs.

"I checked in with social services again yesterday," Kate says. "Just to reiterate our intention to potentially adopt her. Didn't know how you were feeling about that still."

"Kate, I still resist the urge to abduct her about a half dozen times a week," Rick chuckles.

"Okay, good, so it's mutual," Kate smiles. "It just doesn't seem to matter much now that she's with family."

"Yeah, well, at least we know she's safe and happy," Rick offers.

"I just can't help but wonder if we're setting ourselves up for more heartbreak," Kate sighs. "She's worth it, though."

"She is," Castle agrees. "You know, her questions today kind of got me thinking..."

"Oh no," Kate chuckles. "That's never good."

"Actually, I was wondering what you thought about...trying to make a baby," Rick says.

"Oh," Kate says, thoroughly caught off guard. "I mean, it's not like we're particularly careful."

"I know, but, I was more wondering where you're at with that topic."

"I mean, you know what my doctors told us. That hasn't changed."

"Yes, I know, but it doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant," Rick says.

"So, you want to make a baby?" Kate asks.

"I'm asking if you want to make a baby," Castle replies.

"I mean, it's certainly been on my mind lately," Kate confesses. "But I can't tell if it's because I actually want to, or if I'm just thinking about kids because of Ruby."

"What does your gut say?" Rick asks.

"My gut is saying that if we do this, we'll just be setting ourselves up for more heartbreak," Kate sighs.

"Right, so...obviously these issues are intertwined for you," Rick says.

"Well, I mean, they are intertwined," Kate says. "When I envision our family in the future, it has Ruby in it, and it has other kids, too. Our kids, Ruby's younger siblings."

"That's what I see, too, honey," Castle smiles.

"Yeah?"

"So clearly."

"I just don't know if I can deal with the pain if this doesn't work out, if we can't adopt Ruby, if we aren't able to conceive..."

"Kate, if this is too much right now, maybe we can revisit..."

"No, no, I want to...I want to try, but I don't want the pressure that comes with "trying", especially since it's a long shot anyway," Kate tells her husband.

"Agreed. No expectations, no pressure. How do you propose we go about this, then?"

"Okay, how about this: We have a lot of unprotected sex and see what happens," Kate says.

"Yeah?"

"Is that a question?" Kate squints.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting that," Rick says. "But no, I mean, yes, sounds like a great plan. I love it. Having lots of sex, yes, great. And then we'll just see what happens. No, that's good. Yes, great plan, honey."

"Rick?"

"Yes?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Weeks later, Kate fondly looks back on that weekend in the Hamptons as a pivotal, much needed reset for her and Castle. They both realized how much they'd been stressed about Ruby, about the possibility of adopting her, about the possibility of growing their family. Since that weekend, though, they chose instead to just appreciate their time with Ruby and let the rest work itself out. The texts, the phone calls, the slightly inappropriate questions, every interaction they had with the twelve-year-old girl was a gift, and they treated them as such.

The greatest gift was two weekends ago, when Rick and Kate drove to New Jersey for dinner and games with Ruby and her family. Of course, it was Ruby who ended up kicking everyone's butt at Uno, but Kate felt like the biggest winner of the evening because she felt a veil of relief cover her when she got to see for herself how well Ruby had been acclimating to her new life. And she felt like a winner again when she got to go back home to her beautiful home with her ruggedly handsome husband.

This week, while her husband was away for a book signing trip, Kate once again noticed how much lighter they felt since they ran away for the weekend. She could bear spending a few nights without him because she knew it would make his return even sweeter. They took extra care to check-in, to ask about each other's day, to appreciate one another more than ever before. It was like the honeymoon phase all over again, and Kate wondered if they'd finally achieved "marital bliss".

"Hey, I was just calling now because I am going to be at that charity event tonight, so I might not catch you before you go to bed," Castle says when his wife answers her phone on her way home from work.

"What's this one for, again? Monkeys with cleft palate or something like that?" Kate jokes.

"Childhood literacy," Rick reminds her.

"Right. I'm an ass," Kate laughs.

"No, no, monkeys with cleft palates is a very noble cause, too, honestly," Castle chuckles. "But this is actually one of my favorite charities and one of my favorite galas."

"Yes, which is why I hope you have an amazing time. Do you want to practice your speech one more time?" Kate asks.

"I think I'll spare you this time," Rick says. "I am pretty sure I could recite it backwards at this point."

"Good, good. It is a very nice speech, babe," Kate tells him.

"Thank you. Alexis did mention to me recently that my material was getting a little stale," Castle sighs. "So I appreciate that."

"You are anything but stale, Richard Castle," Kate says. "Don't you forget that."

"Don't you forget it when I pull the same pranks on you for my birthday this year," Rick threatens.

"Whaaaatever, babe," Kate chuckles. Just then, her phone buzzes with a second phone call. She glanced at the caller ID and says, "hey, babe. Michelle's calling me, so I gotta go. I love you."

"Love you, too, Kate."

Kate clicks her phone screen and the call switches over to Michelle's line. "Hi, Michelle," Kate says.

"Kate? Are you still at work?" the woman asks.

"I just left, why?"

"Have you heard from Ruby today?"

"No, I haven't. Is everything okay?" Kate asks, a pit forming in her gut.

"I'm not sure," Michelle says. "She didn't come home after school and she isn't answering my calls."

"Oh, god," Kate gulps. "Do you want me to try calling her?"

"Yes, please. She also stopped sharing her location with me, and Clare doesn't remember Ruby saying anything about staying late at school or going somewhere after," Michelle explains, Kate recognizing the undeniable motherly angst in her voice.

"I'll call her right now. And I'll circle back to work so we can trace her phone if we have to," Kate says, flicking on her police lights and making a u-turn.

"Thank you, Kate," Michelle says. "Should I call the Lakewood police?"

"Let me try calling her first," Kate says. "But you should definitely call her school and her friends parents, in case she just forgot to tell you about her plans."

"Okay," Michelle sighs. "I will let you go so you can call her."

Just as Kate was about to hang up, she thought of something important. "Michelle, can you check something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Are you at your house?" Kate asks.

"Yes, I am."

"Can you go to Ruby's room and see if her medication is there?" Kate hears footsteps and fumbling on the other line as Michelle shuffles through her niece's belongings.

"It's not, it's not here," Michelle says with elevated concern. "Why isn't it here?"

"I will call you right back, okay, Michelle?"

Kate hangs up and frantically starts to dial Ruby's number, which goes to voicemail without ringing.

"Shit!" she mutters as she double parks in front of the 12th precinct building and tosses her keys to Officer Jaquez at the front desk, whom she'd wished a good night just a few minutes earlier.

"Captain Bec–" started one of the uniforms Kate passed in the stairwell without acknowledgment. When she reached the 4th floor, she announced to her detectives that she needed to run a trace.

Ryan pulls up the cell tower tracking software in the media room without question and awaits her next instruction. She reads out Ruby's number and he types each digit with immediacy. "C'mon, Ruby, c'mon, Ruby," Kate whispers under her breath.

As the software attempts to triangulate the phone's location, he asks "is...everything alright, Cap?"

"Uh, not sure," she says. "No."

"This Ruby's number?" Ryan asks. "Kate..."

"She, um, Michelle doesn't know where she is and she's not answering her phone," Kate explains, choking back tears.

The triangulation software completed its analysis with a chime to let the captain and her detective know. Both their eyes fly to the screen, but Kate's heart falls through her chest when she sees the results.

"The cell towers last picked up the phone signal over two hours ago in Lakewood," Ryan says. "Corner of Park St and Decker Ave mean anything to you?"

"That's where Ruby's school is," Kate nods. "But that means she left it or lost it there and the battery died...or she..."

"Turned it off before she went to wherever she is now," Ryan sighs, saying the scary thing out loud.

"Why would she do this?" Kate asks out loud.

"Cap, I hate to say this but there's another possibility here," Ryan says. "Can you think of anyone who would take her or want to hurt her? Anyone connected to her dad's murder, maybe?"

Kate considered that in the back of her mind, too. Honestly, there was no reason to believe that the man who killed Ruby's father even knew Ruby existed. But Kate also knew that sometimes murder cases go much deeper than they originally appear. "I can't think of anyone who'd want to hurt her, no, but that doesn't mean she's not in danger."

Ryan started making calls to the Lakewood, NJ police to coordinate the search efforts, including getting traffic cams and security footage from around Ruby's school. Kate called Michelle to give an update and see if she'd had any luck with calling Ruby's friends. She hadn't. At that point, Kate told her that Lakewood officers would be in contact with her as they sort through video footage and search Ruby's belongings from any indication of her whereabouts. Ruby was officially a missing child.

In the eye of the storm Kate was experiencing, she called Castle to let him know what was happening, and to find the calm that his voice brought her.

"Oh, god," Rick sighs. "I'm going to candle my plans for tonight. I can be back in New York in 3 hours."

"No, Rick, you should stay, go to the gala. We're doing everything we can. We'll find her," Kate insists. "I just needed to here your voice."

"Well, I have been told it's both calming and sultry, so I hope this helps," he says. "Are you sure I shouldn't?"

"Castle, the illiterate children need you. I will update you when there's anything to update you about, okay?"

"I believe in you, Kate. I know you'll find her," Castle says before they end their call.

And then Kate was thrown back into the storm. Phone call after phone call, with Michelle, Lakewood PD, the administration of Ruby's school. She'd lost track of time as she swirled in the whirlwind.

For a brief moment, Kate glances out of her office window, the Spring sun was setting, blanketing the city in a warm orange glow. She takes a deep breath, and then rejoins Ryan in the media room. As she reviews the security footage from Ruby's school, she receives yet another call. The face on the caller ID brought Kate both terror and relief.

"Ruby? Where are you?"