Part 1

It's been five days since Kate Beckett went missing. The case had started innocently enough, but after two days, the team had followed a solid lead. That lead had led them to a penthouse apartment one evening, where Kate Beckett, Javier Esposito, Kevin Ryan, Richard Castle, and reinforcements stormed in. The apartment was massive, almost like a penthouse, so the team split up: Esposito and Ryan went upstairs with some members of the team, Beckett stayed on the first floor with Castle, and they searched the rooms separately... until Beckett suddenly didn't show up anymore. When Castle called for her, there was no response. Panic set in as he checked the room she had been in—empty, the window wide open. Without hesitation, he called the team and scrambled through the window to search for any trace of Beckett. Esposito and Ryan quickly called for backup, and the area was searched by helicopters and patrol cars, but to no avail. Beckett had vanished without a trace.

Since her abduction, the 12th Precinct team had been working tirelessly, frustrated and exhausted. Castle hadn't slept in days. Ryan and Esposito were constantly working overtime, but no new leads came.

Then, in an afternoon shift, finally, a breakthrough—new video footage showed Beckett being forced into a van by a man, unconscious. The van had been tracked and they called up their team and made themselves on their way where the van could be found – at an old warehouse, closed for 6 years.

-On the road -

Castle (voice tight with concern): "She's been missing too long. What if she's—what if something happened to her? We should have found her by now."

Ryan (glancing over at Castle, trying to stay calm):

"We're doing everything we can. We just need to keep following the leads. She's tough, Castle. Beckett's not gonna let anything keep her down."

Esposito (eyes on the road, his voice low but steady): "Ryan's right. We'll get to her. We just have to stay focused."

Castle (shaking his head, frustration leaking into his voice): "I don't care how tough she is. I care about her—she's my partner. We need to get to her before it's too late." He cares about her, he is in love with her and now it might be too late for him to ever let her know.

The car speeds through the streets, the city flashing by as they approach an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. A sense of dread fills the air, but Castle's gut tells him that they're getting close.

Esposito (slowing the car as they pull up): "This is it. The address checks out."

„Let's go", Ryan says, as they leave the car.

The team stood in front of the abandoned building then, preparing themselves to enter it.

Esposito and Ryan led the way, with reinforcements following, Castle bringing up the rear. The building was massive, and they moved quietly, checking room after room, but no sign of Beckett. Hours passed, and hope was starting to fade—until everything changed.

Esposito and Ryan stormed into a room, then froze. There, lying on a mattress, was Beckett—tied to metal bars with her hands above her head and her legs restrained. She was bruised and unconscious. But what shocked them wasn't just her condition—it was the way she was lying there. She was exposed, wearing only a black bra that had been cut down the middle with a knife, leaving her chest bare. Her lower half was covered with black underwear, but that was all.

After a brief moment of shock, Esposito and Ryan quickly composed themselves.

"L.T., cover us up. And everyone stays out," Esposito ordered to his colleague as he and Ryan rushed toward Beckett. Ryan knelt first, immediately checking for a pulse. Esposito stood beside him, but he couldn't bring himself to look directly at her. "She's breathing," Ryan said, relief clear in his voice. Espo looked back up in relief and started to cut her bonds. Ryan gently shook Beckett's shoulder. "Beckett... Hey, Beckett... it's us. Wake up... Beckett, are you awake?"

Slowly, Beckett's eyes fluttered open, her vision blurry. She looked around, disoriented, until she locked eyes with Esposito and Ryan. For a split second, they saw the fear in her eyes before recognition kicked in.

"Hey, don't worry, it's really us," Ryan said softly, his voice full of relief.

"We'll get you to safety. It's over," Esposito added, his voice thick with emotion as Ryan quickly covered Beckett with the cups of her bra, folding them over her chest as a modest covering.

The rest of the team, including Castle, was allowed into the room. Castle's heart dropped when he saw Beckett, but he quickly masked his concern. "Beckett! Are you okay?" he asked as he hurried over to her. His eyes widened when he saw her exposed state since he never saw her like that, but he quickly composed himself. "Let me get you a blanket," he said, his voice gentle, hiding the pain he felt inside. One week ago, exactly before this terror, he was finally ready to tell her how he feels. That he loves her. Now he doesn't know whenever he can get the opportunity to tell her.

Ryan gently helped her sit up as Esposito offered his arm for support while Beckett held her bra closed.

"Thank you, Castle," Beckett said, her voice barely a whisper, feeling uncomfortable in her skin around her collegues.

"Wait, we haven't secured the whole building yet," Esposito said quickly. "The medics are on the way and will take care of it. It's probably best if you stay here until they arrive."

Castle nodded in agreement. "You're right."

Ryan looked at Beckett, concern etched on his face. "How are you feeling, Beckett? Are you hurt?"

Beckett hesitated, her voice shaky as she responded. "I... I got beaten up a couple of times..." She trailed off, and the room fell silent. The pain and the fear of having to relive it was still raw for her. "But he didn't make me bleed much," she added softly.

The medics arrived shortly after. They were both male. "We need to secure the building, we'll be back soon and if it's okay take your statement, alright?", Espo said as Beckett nods in agreement. He gives her a quick hug with one arm saying "We're glad you're okay", before heading off with Ryan."You stay here, Castle", Espo calls while they head off." Of course", Castle responds. He doesn't ever want to leave her side again.

Dr. Anton, the lead medic, knelt down beside Beckett. "Hi, we're from Atlantic Hospital. I'm Dr. Anton, and this is Dr. Bricks. We're going to check your vitals first, then we'll figure out the next steps, okay?" Beckett nodded but paused before responding, still feeling overwhelmed. Dr. Anton placed a blanket over her shoulders before beginning his examination.

"Thank you," Beckett murmured, her hands instinctively clutching the blanket around her body.

Dr. Anton gently checked her blood pressure, and Beckett tensed up at the sensation.

Castle watched her closely, his concern growing.

"Is everything alright?" Dr. Anton asked, his tone gentle.

Beckett nodded, trying to mask her anxiety, but it was clear that she was still rattled.

"We just need to ask you a few questions, Kate," Dr. Anton continued, his voice soft. "How were the last few days for you? Did you eat, drink, or sleep?"

Beckett winced slightly at the question, as if it hurt to even think about it. "Not much," she replied, her voice hoarse. "A few cups of water a day."

Dr. Anton nodded sympathetically. "Because of that, we'll need to take you to the hospital for at least a night, just to make sure you get what you need. Now, I need to ask you something important—did you take anything while you were in captivity? Do you know if there was something in your system?"

Beckett took a slow breath before answering. "I was drugged. I can't remember how I got here."

Castle added quietly, "We have footage of her being put in a van. She was unconscious."

"That's good to know," Dr. Anton said. "We'll take a blood sample at the hospital to check for anything."

There was a pause before Dr. Anton spoke again, his voice heavy with concern. "Kate... I'm sorry, but I need to ask—did you suffer any physical injuries?"

Beckett took a deep breath before answering. "I got beaten up a couple of times," she said softly. Her voice broke slightly as she spoke. "He hit my head, my chest, and my stomach. Mostly."

She could feel their eyes on her, and she fought to keep the tears at bay.

Castle's hand rested gently on her shoulder, carefully. She smiled weakly at the warmth of his touch, appreciating the silent comfort he was giving her.

Dr. Anton looked down at his notes before looking back at her. "We'll check everything at the hospital, Kate. If there's anything else you remember, we'll take care of it."

Beckett hesitated, her hands shaking slightly. She wanted to say it—to tell them what had happened. That she was raped. But the words felt too heavy, too painful. She bit her lip, trying to steady herself.

"He... he..." she started, but couldn't bring herself to continue.

Dr. Anton seemed to understand. "It's okay," he said gently. "We can talk about that later.

Right now, let's get you to the hospital.