Disclaimer: Castle and its characters are not mine and I'm not obtaining no profit from this! I just like to have a little fun with the characters!

A/N: So my head went all brainstorm on me and I had to put this into writting 'cause its such a good idea. At least I think it is.

Kate woke up startled by the shrilling sound of her annoying phone. She glanced at the alarm clock.

For God's sake, it was 4 a.m. Killers should have the consideration to kill people in decent hours. She had barely slept last night between closing a new case - some old lady had killed her neighbour with a frying pan because he had runned over Mr. Fluffers, her cat, with his car. Human kind was deffinitly going insane - and doing the mountains of paperwork that came with it she didn't got a chance to sleep.

She lazyly picked up the phone and pressed the green button.

"Beckett!" she said sleeply.

"Detective Beckett, we have a dead body. We think you should call Mr. Castle and come here as quickly as possible." the alarmed tone of the officer in the other side of the line woke her up a little bit more.

Wait. Had he said that she should bring Castle?! Why?!

Sheseched her head for an answer logical answer. One that didn't set all the alarming bells inside her head in a panicky symphony.

Beeing a homicide detective made her jump to the worst case scenarios. Maybe his mother or his daughter had been murdered and-

No, No. No, no, no, no, no. They were okay. It was 4 in the freacking morning. She had given Castle a ride home and she had seen both his mother and daughter in the loft. Everything was probably all right. She jumped off her bed and headed for the bathroom. She had to hurry.

Then she remembered that she was still on the phone and dispatch was probably still waiting for an answer.

"Okay. We'll be there as soon as we can." with this she hung up the phone and pressed number 3 on speed dial to call Castle.

Castle startled so badly by his phone that he fell off his bed, hitting with is head on the corner of his nightstand. Somehow he had managed to grab his phone in the process of falling. He answer it with a groan.

"Castle!" he lifted his hand to his head. Oh, great. He was bleeding. "Shit!"

"Castle? You okay there?"

"Beckett? Hmm... what?" he asked a bit desoriented.

"I asked if you're okay."

"Oh, yeah. Never better." he lied to no use. Beckett was able to pick the pain in his voice.

"No you're not! What appened? Did you fall off your bed again?"

"I have no idea what your talking about."

"So, that's a yes. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Did you call me just to make me fall off my bed or there is some disgusting dead body waiting for us?"

"You know, those things aren't mutualy exclusive." he heard her chuckle through the phone and couldn't hold back the grin that appered on his face.

It was so good to hear her laugh like that. Soft and open and sincere.

"Are you done laughing at me?"

"Not quite, but I'll let it go." he sighed in mock relief "For now." she added.

He had to smile at that. Oh, the teasing. He could work with the teasing. But before he could give her one of his clever come-backs she was all business and giving him the adress of the place. Then she hung up on him saying something about shower and hurry up.

The adress sounded familiar, but he wasn't realy sure why. It wasn't his part of town. Oh, well he'd figured it out when he got there. Castle glanced at the clock on his nightstand. 4:47 a.m. Honestly, why did killers murdered people this early?!

Kate parked her car directly in front of Castle's building. She knew that he probably wasn't expecting her, but she liked to drive with him riding shotgun. And the officer on the phone especified that she needed to bring Castle with her, and what better way to bring him with her than pick him up?!

She stopped her train of thought. Had she just made up an excuse to justify her picking up Castle instead of him meeting at the crime scene?!

Before she could overanalyze the situation Castle came out of his building with two steamy cups of cofee in his hands.

Did he made that heavanly coffee himself?!

Interesting! And kinda sweet.

She got out of the car, once it was obvious that Castle hadn't seen her car, and called out for him. Well called out was a freely used term. She shouted, really.

Nice Kate. How classy of you!

Castle didn't seem to mind, though. When he turned around he had the largest grin on his face.

Kate looked him head to toe. He was looking good has always, apart from the cut on his forehead.

It seemed like it had stopped bleeding just a couple of minutes ago. It was fresh. Where did he hit his head?! She had never been in his room, so she had absolutely no idea what it looked like, but her best guess was that he probably had hit his head on his nightstand.

All her train of thought stoped when he gave her his heartbreacking smile. Eyes crinckling and pure joy shinning trough them. Nothing to hide in the deep blue of his eyes as he handed her one of the coffee cups. She couldn't help the thankful smile that appeared on her facy, warm and happy.

"Hey!" he said.

"Hi. Where did you hit your head? Have you been fighting Joker or something Batman?"

"You know, it's so hot when you make references like that!" he smiled. Sincere and amused while she gave him her famous eyeroll wich only made him smile more.

Wait. When did he started enjoying the eyerolls?

"No, thanks to you and my all too loud phone I fell off my bed and hit my head on my nightstand, but it's okay. I'm all good. And btw, how did you knew?"

"Knew what?"

"That I'm wearing Batman boxers today?!" her eyes grew a little wide and her mouth hang open for a bit.

Proud of himself, he passed by her and torwards the car.

Kate recovered quickly and entered the car, starting the engine and setting her eyes ont he road has they drove, although every now and then she steeled glances at Castle. Was he serious?! Batman boxers?! She should've been expecting something like that.

Castle just stared out his window taking sips of his coffee, cocky smile in place and amused eyes twinkling.

As they got out of the car they saw multiple officers trying to keep reporters from passong the yellow tape that surrounded the crime scene.

They couldn't get a good view of the actual crime scene, because the sea of officers and reporters were blocking their view.

"You think our victim is famous or something?" Castle asked.

"Don't know Castle. The officer on the phone only told me to bring you, so by this point I already think everything is possible." Castle's eyes became concerned. His grin turned into a press of his lips together and a frown appered on his face. "But it could be nothing, you know. Don't worry. I'm sure everything is fine." he nodded but didn't seem very convinced.

As soon as they aproached the scene the reporters were all over Castle.

"Mr. Castle what do you think of the fact that someone has killed Martin Stark like in your book?"

"Mr. Castle do you blame yourself for the death of Martin Stark?"

"Mr. Castle will you assist the NYPD in this specific homicide?"

Rick looked at the multitude of reporters and took a deep breath to calm down. The torrent of information and questions raining down on him were making him feel a little suffocated.

Where the hell was Paula and why hadn't she informed him of this? Luckily Kate was there to rescue him.

"It's too early to jump to any conclusions. And like all of you know, I can't discuss an on-going investigation. Now if you excuse me." she grabbed Castle by his elbow and dragged him to the other side of the yellow tape, getting him away of the reporters.

"You okay Castle? You kinda froze back there." he opened and closed is mouth several times and then pointed to somewhere behinde her. She turned around.

"Oh God!"

She could see a man, or what was left of him, on the ground, where Lanie was knelling. This wasn't good. Kate wished upon a star that this wasn't other psycho that had an obsession with Nikki Heat.

She looked at Castle and the panick in his eyes.

"It's okay. Maybe it's justa weird coincidence or something..."

"You don't believe in coincidences Kate." The use of her first name wasn't a good thing.

"I'm sure it'll be okay." she gave him a small reasuring smile "Come on. Lanie is waiting for us." he nodded and followed her. Lanie looked up at them with a concerned look. "So what've we got Lanie?"

"Apparently the vic was shoved from there" she pointed at the top of the building behinde her "and then fell all the way down." Lanie said, not meeting Kate's eyes.

"What are you not telling us?" Kate knew Lanie like the palm of her hand. She could tell when she was hiding something.

"The vic had something in his pocket. I gave it to Ryan to take as evidence. You should go and ask him."

Kate nodded and glanced around, looking for the rest of her team.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He went back to the precinct..." Lanie glanced at Castle with something in her eyes that Kate couldn't quite identify. Something was realy off here.

"Castle, do you mind to go wait in the car? I want to give Lanie a word."

He looked a bit confused and she could see that he was about to protest, but then he seemed to think better of it.

"Hmm... okay. See you in the car then." he turned and went to the car. When he was out of earshot Kate turned to Lanie again.

"What is this all about?" the look in Lanie's face was scaring her more than just a bit.

"The vic's name is Martin Stark and someone shoved him off the building were he lived and he was a businessman."

Kate just stared at her, waiting to see if she had some sort of point. Then it hit her. The realization punched her in her guts so hard that almost made her sick.

"You think that this murder was dedicated to Castle. Realy, maybe it's nothing and-"

"Kate, you're in denial. Also we found a recorder on the dead guy. Apparently after shoving him the killer came back down and putted a recorder in his front pockett." Kate's eyebrows shoot up. "You should listen to it. It has a message to Castle..."

They drove to the precinct in an awkward silence. Kate had no idea of what she could say.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Hmm?! No, yeah- just fine." he looked at her with his bright blue eyes full of concern and fear. "Kate. What if this is like that crazy serial killer guy? What will we do? What if he has a thing for bombs too and tries to blow you up like the other almost did? I can't- I just- Kate, I can't do that again. If you're life is at risk because of me and- I just- I can't lose you again." his eyes were filling with tears, but he wouldn't cry. Not in front of her. Images of that day when her appartment blew up until it was nothing but ashes, when they were both in that damn freezer and she was so cold and he could pratically feel the heat and the life leavinf her body, and the one that still gave him nightmares, when she was shot at Montgomery's funeral. She couldn't do that to him. He couldn't take it again. It was too much. Way to much...

Kate made a sudden movement with the car and parked it with the front tyre on the sidewalk.

"Get out of the car Castle."

"What? What did I do?" a wave of pannic come crushing down on his head. Maybe it was too much for her. He was supposed to be waiting for her. Giving her time. Not making declarations in the car.

"Just get out." she opened her door and got out of the car. His sudden wave of panick calmed down. She was getting out as well. They were okay.

He opened his door and did as he was told. Kate threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. The sudden weight of her against him made him lose his balance, but he quickly recovered and hugged her back.

She was reassuring him. Promising him that it would be okay. Everything would be just fine. He rested his shin on the top of her head and breathed her in.

After a couple of minutes simply hugging him, Kate took a step back and grabbed his hand. Very calmly she landed it on her chest, over her beating heart.

"Can you feel that Castle? It means that I'm alive. I'm okay. Besides I have a pretty great partner that is always there for me. He can save my ass if I get into trouble." she gave him a reassuring smile, open and thruthful and full of promises. "Got it Castle? Now get your Batman covered ass inside off my car or you'll be walking to the precinct."

This was the Kate that he knew. He nodded and felt a bit of the weight that he had on his shoulders desapeer.

"Yes m'am as you wish." Kate smiled at the changed of his humor.

"Good!"

The elevator's doors dinged announcing their arrival to the homicide floor.

When they were reaching Kate's desk, Ryan poked his head out of the conference room and called Castle over.

Oh, this couldn't be good.

Ryan's face was shocked and concerned. That was never good. Castle threw an unsure look at Beckett and then all but dragged his feet to the conference room.

"I think you should hear this, bro!" Esposito was holding a small recorder. The kind that was designed just to record the voice of people on tape. No flash drive or memory card. Actual tape, like they used back in the day.

"Is that the recorder that Lanie found on the vic?"

"Wait, there was recorder on the vic!" Rick claimed looking at her.

"Yeah, about that. Lanie told us to bring and analyse it so we could see what it was. Apparently is for you."

"Me?!" Castle's voice rose a few octaves.

The boys changed a look with Beckett and after she nodded ever so slightly they played the recorder.

A giggling woman's voice come from said recorder, filling up the room.

"Hi! Oh my gosh! I can't believe THE Richard Castle is going to hear this! I love you so much! You have no idea! You're so nice and you smell like coffee and books and you're perfect. I can't wait to meet you! You liked my present? I made it happen only for you. I even found a Mathew Starr. I can't believe you're really going to hearing this. You know, most men are just disgusting. I didn't have to go to much trouble to get that guy up to the roof. But most men aren't you, right? You'd never take advantage of a girl like 're charming and a true gentleman. You're my prince charming. Can you imagine that? Just you and me and all of our kids running around in a big house. Out of the city. We could have a dog and name him Sherlock. And you could carry him around and trane him to carry a magnifient glass. I know that that muse of yours doesn't let you have one, but I would let you! For you I'd do everything. That's why I gave you that present. You like mysterys and I like you! Don't worry, I'll talk to you soon. We could go to Remmy's and have some luch. I can assure you that I'd be a better company that detective Beckett. I don't understand what you see in her anyway. I'd be so much healthier for you. Alexis and Martha would like me too. Oh, gosh. I feel that I already know you all so well. Don't worry. I'll give you another present and then you can hear the sound of my voice again. I'll do it fast so I don't let you hanging on for long. Maybe next time I find a way of you talking to me too. Miss you already. Until next time!"

Castle's face was paller then the dead bodys in the morgue. His knees felt week under him, like suddently his weight was too much for him to handle.

"Bro, you okay?" Esposito asked as he placed a chair behinde Castle, so he could sit down for a second.

The thing that most bothered Castle wasn't the deranged voice on the recorder or even the underlying threats to him. It was the fact that that creepy voice had mencioned Alexis and Martha and Kate. His family. And that putted a fear in him that made him want to murder whomever was behinde that voice...

A/N: So, any thoughts?