Missing: Part Two
Kate watched as the burner turned red.
Silence had long since descended over the house of Castle. Martha had resigned to bed, shortly after Rick and Kate arrived at the apartment, taking a large dose of a sleep aide as she walked up the stairs. Kate had then dismissed the uniforms that had been staying with the older woman, knowing that Castle didn’t need anyone extra around to clutter his apartment. She could have easily assigned a random officer to be the one to stay at the apartment tonight, in case something was to happen. But Kate didn’t want the task to go to just any officer. She would take care of it and see it though. And Castle had claimed to have gone to the bathroom. But that was twenty minutes ago and he had yet to come back down.
Kate took in a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled, letting her eyes wander around Castle’s home. A large recording system had been set up on the table, next to the phone, to record and hopefully locate whoever was making ransom calls the next time the kidnappers called. She thought it looked horribly out of place in the sleek dining area.
Pictures adorned the room here or there, and Kate’s attention was drawn to the one closest to her; hanging on the refrigerator. It was of Alexis and judging by the looks of it, the photo probably wasn’t more than a year old. Kate felt her heart sink as she stared at the face of the smiling girl.
In the time that she had worked with Castle, Kate had become close with his daughter. She was a good kid and surprisingly easy to talk to. With a maturity that was more surprising than anything else, given her father. The young teen had confided in the detective on the occasion and Kate felt privileged that she was trusted enough to even be considered.
Kate sucked in a deep breath as she felt tears well in her eyes. Where was she? What had happened? Where her kidnappers harming her? Kate knew the sorrow and ache she felt extend farther then the realms of a detective. This one was personal. She supposed that this was as close as she had ever come to the feeling of what a parent would feel in a situation like this. What Castle must feel.
A loud whistling interrupted Kate’s thoughts. She jumped and quickly turned off the stove, pouring the steaming water out of the kettle and into two large mugs. She opened the chocolate packages and watched the powder swirl with the water.
Ever since she had been a little girl, a hot cup of Swiss Miss was all she needed to warm her thoughts and comfort her soul. And she hoped it would do the same for Castle.
Kate picked up the mugs and carefully treaded through the apartment and up the stairs, having a feeling that Alexis’ room would lead her to Castle. She found him sitting on his daughter’s bed, his hair askew, holding a small stuffed monkey in his hands. “Hey,” she said, quietly, hoping not to scare him.
He slowly looked up as if he had expected her to be standing there. “Hey,” he rasped quietly.
“Thought you might want this,” Kate said, walking into the room. She sat on the bed next to him and handed over a mug, which he took gratefully.
“She never went anywhere without it,” Castle spoke again after a moment’s silence.
“Monkey Bunkey?”
Castle nodded. “I know it’s silly, but I can’t help but think that if she had him with her right now, she would be safe.”
Kate smiled. “It’s not silly. I think it’s sweet.”
Castle smiled sadly.
“Come on,” Kate said again, patting Castle’s knee. “Being in here will make it worse, let’s go back down stairs.”
Castle nodded and slowly stood. Tucking Monkey Bunking under his arm his followed Kate from his daughter’s room; closing the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“You know, you really can’t leave the apartment until we get this all figured out,” Kate said, as the two settled themselves on the couch; hot chocolate in hand.
“What?” Castle asked, looking perplexed. “I can’t just sit around. I bug you to let me help on other cases I have no relation to, if you think I’m not going to help with my own daughter’s---.”
“Castle, you need to stay here incase someone calls again. I shouldn’t have even let you go to the library tonight. If a kidnapper calls for ransom, they are going to want to talk to you and no one else.”
Castle sighed loudly, staring into his cup of hot chocolate and Kate could tell she had won. “Why haven’t they called again? The first call didn’t even give the amount they wanted.”
Kate shrugged and took a sip of her cocoa. “People who do this, they like to instill fear in the people they want money from. The less you hear from them the more frightened for your loved one you’ll be and the more willing you’ll be to meet their demands.”
Castle sighed again and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to get any rest tonight.”
Kate stared at the man for a moment, debating whether or not she should do what she had the urge to. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but it just wasn’t… “Come here, Castle,” she said, making up her mind. She set her hot chocolate on the coffee table and sat back into the cushion.
“What?”
“Come here,” she said again, motioning towards herself. Castle placed his own mug on the table and did as he was told. “Lie down, on your back, with your head in my lap.”
“I---.” Castle looked beyond perplexed. “Really?”
Kate nodded, patting her lap. “We haven’t got all night; the sun will be up in a few hours. You want my help or not?”
Slowly, Castle did as he was told, shifting until he was lying comfortably enough. When he was settled Kate brought her hands to either side of his head and began to slowly rub his temples.
“What are you---oh,” Castle said, his whole body instantly relaxing. “Where did you learn this?” He asked, his chin brushing against her wrist with every word he spoke.
“I once dated a masseur.”
“Learn anymore tricks?” Castle asked his lip quirking slightly as he did so.
“Enough to give Nikki Heat a run for her money,” said Kate, as seriously as she could. If only he knew just how serious she was being.
Castle chuckled and Kate was happy to see that just for a moment, Castle’s carefree, debonair attitude had returned despite the horrible turn of the day.
They fell into a silence, letting the serene of the house wash over them as the detective continued her ministrations.
“Kate?” Castle spoke quietly, his voice already half gone to sleep.
“Yes, Castle?”
“Thanks,” he said, before the last remnants of consciousness left his body and he succumbed to slumber.
Kate looked down at the man she held in her lap and smiled. Though Castle had fallen asleep, Kate continued her massage, until her head finally lulled to the side and she, too, fell into a world that only dreams could create.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rick Castle woke two hours later.
He blinked his eyes open slowly, surprised to find that the sight that met him was not the ceiling of his living room, but the sleeping form of Detective Kate Beckett. Her head was tipped to the side, resting on her shoulder, her mouth slightly agape. For a moment, Castle couldn’t remember how the two had come to be in such a position, but then the night’s events slowly dawned on him.
Alexis’ disappearance. The call. The library. And then talking with Beckett and that massage. Just about the best massage Castle could ever remember having. Even thinking about it Rick could feel Beckett’s small hands rubbing his temples to calm him down. Given the uncomfortable position she seemed to be in, Rick guessed that she must have fallen asleep not long after he.
Her hands had fallen from his temples; the left now rested on the couch cushion while the right. He looked down to find her right hand placed lightly on his chest. And it was then that he realized that his own hand was holding hers.
Beckett moved in her sleep, her leg kicking, jabbing into the back of Rick’s head. He cursed quietly, even in sleep she was freakishly strong. She shuffled and Rick could tell that her unconscious form was trying to get comfortable. Deciding that the only way that would be possible was if she lied down, he knew he had to move.
As carefully as he could, so as not to wake her, Rick sat up. But he didn’t get very far when Beckett’s hand tightened in his. She shifted in her sleep again, her lips moving incoherently. Rick tried to pull his hand free but she held on. Seriously. He thought. Freakishly strong.
Slowly, with only one hand able to do so, Rick lowered Kate onto the couch. When she was settled, he was just about to back away and slip his hand from hers, when her hand jerked and he found himself being pulled on top of her. So as not to completely land on her, he rolled and found himself squished between the back of the couch and her back, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist; his hand cradled in hers.
Rick sighed and wondered what to do. Trying to get up would most likely result with the both of them on the floor while staying could end up with him dead. He weighed his options before finally settling into the couch cushions. He would take his chances with death. Besides, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought of being in this position before.
Tightening his hold on the woman before him, Rick Castle fell back asleep, comforted by the fact that knowing if anyone could bring his daughter back to him it would be Detective Kate Beckett.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kate woke as the sun hit her face.
She was warm. Very warm. She shifted and turned her head to find Richard Castle’s face buried in the back of her neck. She furrowed her brow. How did they come to be in this position? The last thing she remembered was Rick falling asleep as she tried to calm him down. They must have some how shifted in the middle of the night. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of morning fuzz when she realized that she and Castle were not alone in the room.
Martha stood next to the couch, her face twisted in a knowing grin. Kate’s eyes met hers. “Good morning, darling.”
As the older woman spoke, Kate fully realized the position she was in with her son and she jumped. An idea that was not a very bright one. As she tried to disentangle herself from Castle, her arm flew back and her elbow came in contact with his nose. The writer woke with a loud “OW!” his half awake mind pushing away what ever had caused his pain; which resulted in Kate being pushed from the couch and landing, unceremoniously, on the floor.
She groaned.
“Mother, how many times do I have to tell you that hitting me is not my preferred method of being woken?” Castle asked, rubbing his nose.
Martha cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms. “Must you always assume it was me when something causes you bodily arm?”
“It wasn’t you?” He asked, checking for blood.
Martha pointed to the ground where Kate was hidden between the couch and the coffee table. She looked up to see Castle leaning over the edge of the couch. “Good morning,” he said, smirking.
Kate hummed in response, slowly sitting up as she rubbed her head.
Before anyone else could say anything the house phone rang. Castle’s face lost its smirk as he seemed to remember why Kate was even at his apartment in the first place. The three adults looked to each other before clumsily scrambling to the table. Kate put on the headphones and flipped on the computer to record the call before indicating that Castle should pick up.
“Hello?” Castle asked, his voice shaking and for the first time in her life Kate wished the digitized voice of a kidnapper would be there to respond.
“If you want to see your daughter again, get us $50,000 by Monday,” the computer voice spoke.
Stay calm, Kate mouthed across the table to Castle.
“Where am I supposed to take it?” Castle asked.
“What’s going on?” Martha whispered quietly, looking back and forth between her son and the Detective.
“We’ll contact you again,” the voice said. “Wait for our call.”
“Let me know my daughter is okay,” Castle said.
“Wait for our call,” the voice repeated.
“Let. Me. Know. She’s. Alright.” Castle said, standing, his voice turning threatening.
STAY CALM, Kate mouthed again, her face trying to carry the tone she could not speak.
There was a shuffling on the other end of the phone and then: “Dad?”
“Alexis?” Castle asked.
“What’s going on?” Martha asked again.
“Alexis, everything is going to be alright. Are you harmed?”
“Dad, I’m okay I--.”
Alexis’ voice faded. “Wait for our call.”
The line went dead.
Kate took off the head phones, letting them fall around her neck as Castle hung up the phone. “Would someone kindly tell me what’s going on?” Martha demanded.
“They want $50,000,” Castle explained, staring at the phone.
Kate sighed in frustration, taking the headphones off and nearly throwing them on the counter. She quickly pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving Ryan and Esposito their wake up calls,” Kate explained. “Something isn’t right.”
Part Three