Guys. I need to say a sincere thank you for your reviews on the last chapter, because they meant the world to me, and I feel like you should know why. To explain: I posted that update at just before midnight the other night, then hurriedly headed to work in the morning and didn't get a single chance to stop and check out your responses until about 7pm that night (while on my dinner break, 11 hours into a busy 13 hour shift). I'm a doctor, and right now I work in the Intensive Care Unit– and while having dying patients is a sad reality of the job, the events of that day were just even more awful than usual, about as stressful and traumatic as the job gets. So when I finally sat down alone in the tea room and started reading your reviews- the only bright moment I'd been able to look forward to all day- and saw how lovely and funny and interested you'd all been, I found myself genuinely smiling for the first time in hours, followed immediately by me breaking down and crying into my dinner (and then having to clean myself up before I went back out onto the unit and into the company of grieving families).

And so basically, I just wanted to share that experience with you to show you that, just as mine and other writers' stories reach you, you guys reach us too. And I'm grateful.

Anyhow, on with the story. This chapter is a little different, and might give you a hint as to how this story is going to be told.

Hope you like it.

It wasn't like any other crime scene.

They both knew it; they could feel it in the tense silence that filled the car, consuming them both in its oppressive weight. This, right now– this was that moment, that final second of preparation before opening that car door and facing all that lay beyond.

They'd broken close to a dozen laws simply getting here– Esposito driving with a white-knuckled determination and a blaring siren that had gotten them to the scene faster than any NASCAR racer ever could have– but now that they were here, now that it was really real, it was suddenly as though everything had been thrown into slow motion and they couldn't find their balance.

This wasn't just about solving a crime, righting a wrong, serving justice.

This was family.

This was Castle.

It was a fact that Ryan still couldn't quite get into his head, couldn't make himself believe. Deny it as he might, he'd always looked up to Castle, in the way that a slightly geeky kid looks up to his super-cool, super-popular big brother. To him, Castle had always been the captain of the football team, the homecoming king; the protagonist of a book, the superhero in a movie, the all-round leading man. Castle was simply larger than life.

Castle was invincible.

Or so it had always seemed. But now, Castle was gone, and if they couldn't find a way to get him back– if they failed him now– he would be gone forever.

This time, it was the superhero that needed rescuing, and Kevin Ryan– perpetual sidekick– wasn't sure he was up to the task.

Closing his eyes for a second, he drew a deep breath. I'll do whatever it takes, he swore silently, just don't let us fail him. Don't let us fail them.

Opening his eyes, he looked over at his partner– who still gripped the wheel tightly, almost as if it were the only thing anchoring him to reality– and released the breath in a slow, unsteady exhale. Esposito had gotten them this far; but now, it seemed it was up to him to push them that final step.

Leaning over, he clicked open his partner's seatbelt catch, then did the same for his own.

"We do what has to be done," he said quietly, hearing the rough-edged quality that his voice seemed to have acquired in the score of minutes since that phone call. Clearing his throat slightly, he went on, trying to affect a sense of confidence and conviction that he didn't feel. "We face whatever comes. For Castle, and for Beckett. For them both."

Esposito caught his eyes, then gave the slightest nod, his mouth hard. "For them."

For a second, neither man moved. Then, in a single, fluid action, they opened their doors and stepped into reality.

Due to his vantage point on the near side of the car, it was Ryan who spotted her first– surrounded by a team of uniforms, she stood tall and commanding, directing the group around her like a battle-hardened coach might direct a knot of footballers during a timeout. As he waited for Esposito to round the car, he took a brief second to assess her, surveying her with not only the measured gaze of a seasoned detective, but also the equally perceptive eyes of a concerned brother.

And, though he would never admit it to any other than himself, what he saw frightened him.

Few people knew better than Ryan just how intimidating Detective Kate Beckett could be. She was a woman who had inspired many emotions within him over the years– admiration, affection, respect, pride, awe. But never, ever fear.

Until now.

Because even from here, over a dozen yards away, he could see what none of those around her could– that the Kate Beckett they now saw was not the Kate Beckett she had been a week ago, or a day ago, or even this morning.

She was still Beckett, of course– and yet, she wasn't.

There was a quality to her now that had never existed before; an air of power and fury that surrounded her like an aura, a hardness to her features that made her appear as if carved from granite.

As Esposito joined him, a single glance at his grave expression told him that his partner could see it too. Without a word, both started moving, their strides long and swift as they made their way over to her.

As they drew near, a single word entered Ryan's head, one that made his eyes widen slightly, his stomach tightening in trepidation.

Adrestia.

It was the name he had sometimes called her in his mind; Adrestia, Greek goddess of revenge and balance, daughter to the god of war and the goddess of love and beauty. To the people of Ancient Greece, she was known as the punisher of human injustice, or 'she whom none can escape'.

It had always been an affectionate nickname, a joking comparison that he had never voiced to anyone– knowing that it would only bring yet more embarrassment and teasing upon himself– but right now, he could see that the comparison was more apt than he'd ever dreamed.

Because, right now, the woman before him seemed more like Adrestia incarnate than the friend and sister he'd known.

When he and Esposito reached her side, only the slightest of nods indicated she was even aware of them at all. Bodies tense and minds worried, they waited as she gave her final orders to the waiting uniforms– all of whom were staring at her with a sense of hushed solemnity which almost bordered on fear, a silent tension infecting all those around her.

Once dismissed, the beat cops swiftly moved out, following their every order with a half-fearful urgency and determination, multiple teams working in a more serious and coordinated manner than many had ever seen.

For a brief moment Beckett simply watched them go, her eyes seeming far away, before turning to focus on Esposito and himself, taking a deep breath as if drawing herself back together again.

"Beckett..." Esposito began, and Ryan could practically hear the words of comfort and optimism like "We'll get him back" and "we're going to nail these bastards" that were undoubtedly on the tip of his tongue– because they were the truth, or what both he and his partner had to believe to be the truth– but Beckett held up a hand, halting him before he could even get a single word out.

"I know, Esposito. What's the status at the precinct?"

The two men shared a brief glance, then quickly masked their concern, adopting their partner's all-business attitude.

"Full-force. Gates has everybody that can be spared working on it. Passive phone trace already up and running, traffic cam search, the works."

Beckett gave a short, hard nod, looking darkly satisfied but far from pleased.

"What about here?" Ryan asked carefully, trying not to let his apprehension show. "Anything we can do?"

For a fleeting moment, her face softened, and he could once again see the woman he had long counted as family looking back at him from behind those hazel eyes. Then she blinked, and again Kate was gone, the hard-eyed Adrestia once more in her place.

"Nothing left to do," she answered, then proceeded to fill them in on the current status of the situation. Her briefing was short and to the point; her statement had already been clearly and precisely delivered to the appropriate uniforms, the obligatory health-check done– treatment of an apparent small scalp laceration was firmly declined, and a suggestion to go to hospital point-blank refused– and now there was nothing more that could be done here.

Which left the next logical step; the precinct. From here on out, everything depended– he refused to think the words 'Castle's life depended'– on finding the van, and they had the greatest likelihood of doing so by working with the rest back at the 12th.

Once the agreement to return to the 12th had been reached– a swift consensus, given that Ryan was pretty sure he and Esposito would have followed her wishes even if she'd suggested crossing the river Styx straight into the Underworld– Esposito turned, passing him the car keys before holding out his hand to Beckett.

"Keys?"

Beckett looked at his outstretched hand, her eyebrows drawing together. "What?"

"Our car's right here. Ryan'll take you back to the precinct, keep your hands free to make calls and whatever you need to do. I'll follow in your car. Where is it?"

Beckett paused, frowning, but seemingly couldn't fault his logic. Digging into her pocket, she handed him the keys.

"Two blocks south, parked in front of an old brick building."

Esposito nodded, his eyes meeting each of theirs briefly. "See you at the precinct."

And then he turned on his heel and strode off, dodging between uniforms and crime scene personnel with the ease of long practice. For a moment Ryan watched him go, then turned toward Beckett– only to find her already gone, her long legs having already carried her halfway to the car, leaving him standing alone.

Come on, Kevin, he thought to himself, giving himself a mental shake before jogging to catch her.

Time for the sidekick to step up.

So what do you guys think of the multi-perspective thing? Was this an accurate 'Ryan', and what stage of grief do you think he stands for? And in case you're wondering- yes, the whole team gets a chapter :) Any comment on who you're looking forward to hearing from?

Thank you all again for reading,

Laura