A few days passed by. Now with not only her therapist, but also Castle at her side, Beckett realized she couldn't move forward until she confronted the memories she'd been burying.

Taking her courage, she asked Espo and Ryan – the two who had found her in her most vulnerable state – to meet her in the break room at the precinct.

She sat there, cradling a mug of coffee that had long since gone cold. Ryan and Esposito stood by the doorway, their expressions a mix of concern and patience.

"You sure about this?" Esposito asked after a moment, his voice low but steady. "We can wait until you're ready."

Beckett glanced up at him, her fingers tightening around the mug. "I'll never be 'ready,'" she admitted. "But I trust you both, and I need to say this...even if it's hard."

Ryan nodded, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her, while Esposito leaned against the wall, crossing his arms but keeping his focus on her. They didn't rush her, didn't press her to start. They just waited.

Beckett took a deep breath, her gaze dropping to the table. "When he took me," she began, her voice low but steady, "I didn't think I'd get out. I didn't know if you'd find me in time." Her eyes flicked up to meet theirs briefly before lowering again.

Ryan's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Espositio shifted but didn't interrupt.

Beckett hesitated, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her mug. "The first time he came in, I tried to fight him. I kicked, screamed... anything I could think of. But he overpowered me so easily, like it didn't even matter. I managed to hit him once. And he laughed, like it was amusing to him." Her voice faltered but she pushed on. "He told me I was 'spirited,'" she continued bitterly. "And then he hit me. Over and over. My head, my stomach, my chest..."

Esposito's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists by his sides, but he stayed silent.

Beckett's voice grew shakier as she went on."Then he started cutting my clothes, and I..." Her voice broke, and she paused, squeezing her eyes shut.

Ryan's voice was soft but steady. "You don't have to push yourself, Beckett," he said.

"We're here."

She shook her head. "I need to say it."

Espo's tone was calm but encouraging. "Take your time. We're listening."

Beckett swallowed hard, her gaze was fixed on the table. "He... he held me down, and I couldn't stop him. I couldn't do anything…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "And then it started. He...euhm...he raped me."

The silence in the room was heavy. Ryan's hand gripped the edge of his chair tightly, and Esposito's head dropped slightly, his face tight with emotion.

Beckett looked up at them. "I hate that he made me feel so powerless. That he made me doubt myself. I keep replaying it in my head, wondering if I could've done something differently. And when you found me…" Her voice wavered and she took a deep breath. "I was glad you did – you saved me- but… I hated how you had to see me."

Ryan and Espo both looked at her, their concern evident, but they didn't speak, giving her the space to continue. "Tied up, exposed…. I felt stripped of everything I am. And you had to see that."

Ryan leaned forward, his voice steady and calm. "Beckett, we didn't look at you like that. All we cared about was getting you out of there. You were alive – that's all that mattered to us."

Esposito nodded and took a step forward. "That's all we saw, Beckett. You. Not what he did, not how he left you – just you."

She nodded faintly, her tears still falling. "I don't know if I'll ever forget how I felt in that moment. But hearing that...it helps. Thank you."

Espo offered a small, reassuring smile. "You don't have to thank us, Beckett. We're family. That's what we do."

"And we're going to get him, Beckett. You have my word", Ryan added.

A faint smile touched her lips as she wiped her eyes and she felt a flicker of relief, of hope.

She didn't have to carry her weight alone.