Suddenly the entire world stopped.

The almighty boom ensnared all other sounds, even as the shock wave rocked everything in its path.

Beckett's hand dropped, from where she'd been holding her phone, as her heart stopped and her stomach tumbled.

This couldn't be happening.

She had to have fallen asleep. This had to be some terrible, vivid dream.

There was no way that the building behind her just exploded and took her partner from her.

It wasn't possible.

It was like walking through molasses.

The world had slowed down to a heart stopping pace as she pushed open the door of the command centre, and slowly made her way down the steps, her shaking legs barely able to hold her up.

She turned to look at the devastation and it was suddenly all too real.

The dust and smoke choked her lungs, while the utter devastation tore her soul apart.

No one could survive that.

She stood, open mouthed, for half a second more before her knees gave way.

The rest of the team flooded around her, like a stream around a boulder, shouting orders that didn't permeate her fogged brain, moving far too quickly for her to keep up.

The only thing she could process was that her entire world was now darker.

And suddenly she couldn't breathe.

Castle sat forward the moment he heard shouting.

People were coming for them, shouting, trying to look for survivors.

He called out to them, bringing them over. But something was missing.
"Where's Beckett?" He asked the uniform currently cutting the ties around his wrists.

The uniform ignored him, moving swiftly through the other hostages, setting them all free.

"Where's Beckett? Has anyone seen Beckett?" He begged even as they were all led through the rubble that had once been the bank.

Castle took half a second to look around and he knew then, how miraculous it was that no one had been hurt.

His arms were suddenly filled with a red-headed blur the moment he stepped clear, and he embraced his daughter like he never had before. It felt like weeks since he'd seen her. Years since he'd held her.

He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply as he held her as close as he possibly could.

"I'm okay, Pumpkin." He murmured, noticing her deflate at the sound of his voice, as if she could finally relax. "Me and your Grams are safe, don't you worry."

"Daddy. I thought I'd lost you." She whispered into his neck.

"We're here, baby. It's all okay." He squeezed her before he felt her pull away.

"You need to go see Kate." She murmured, her eyes downcast, shy.

"Is she okay?" He asked urgently, his earlier worry returning tenfold.

Alexis shrugged. "She wouldn't respond. I told her I could see you, but she didn't even look up."

Castle squeezed her shoulder gently, before passing her gently to her grandmother.

Castle rounded the van, unsure what he'd find.

Alexis had said unresponsive but his girl was smart, she would have said if it was something serious.

Rick's heart sank, though, when he laid eyes on his detective.

Beckett was slumped against the side of the command post, her knees drawn into her body, her arms banded around her waist. Her long curls covered her face but anyone could tell she was crying, sobbing.

"Kate?" He murmured, trying not to startle her.

When she didn't reply, he took a step closer and another, until he was stood in front of her.

"Kate?" He tried again, but still no reply.

Her breathing was fast, and shallow, and had an awful, painful, rasp to it.

"Beckett?"

His detective was hyperventilating, on the dirty ground, at the thought of having lost him, and that made his very soul ache.

Slowly, Rick crouched down before sitting cross legged across from her.

"Kate, sweetheart, I'm gonna touch you now." He warned quietly. He got no response, hadn't really expected one, so he cautiously set both of his hands on her bent knees, squeezing gently. "It's okay Kate." He whispered. "It'll pass. I'm here. It's all okay."

Kate's sobs, if anything, only intensified. "No, no, no no no." She murmured, over and over, her shoulders shaking, her every muscle trembling, as she shook her head from side to side.

"Kate." He murmured beseechingly. "It's okay darling, I'm right here. It's gonna be okay. Just gotta breathe for me, honey." He squeezed her knees gently as he exaggerated his own breathing, trying to get her to match it.

"No. No you're dead." She whispered, barely enough voice behind it for him to hear her.

"Kate?" He asked softly.

"You're dead!" She screamed, her entire face crumpling. "You're dead and I couldn't save you." She murmured again before dissolving into tears.

"No." He shook his head, his heart breaking for her. "No, Beckett, Kate, baby, I'm right here." He murmured desperately. "I'm right in front of you."

Kate shook her head harder, her hands slipping into her hair, gripping hard as she sobbed, open mouthed. "I didn't save you. Shoulda kept you safe. Didn't. Dead." She muttered between heart wrenching cries.

Castle slid his hands up her thighs until they cupped her hip bones and squeezed hard. "I'm here Beckett." He told her firmly, waiting for her to look up. "I'm here."

She tilted her head marginally, leaning forward just slightly, her eyes widening. "C-Castle?" She whispered, awed and disbelieving, her hand reaching out to touch her fingers, in a butterfly touch, to his jaw.

"I'm here, Kate." He promised softly.

"Oh god, Rick." She cried, throwing herself into his chest, gripping the shoulders of his shirt as she sobbed into him.

Rick pulled her close, holding her tightly. "I've got you. It's okay. We're safe now." He murmured softly into her ear as he held her trembling body. "It's okay. I'm here now, baby. I've got you."

"I, I thought I'd lost you." She sobbed, seemingly unaffected by the intimate moniker.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." Castle joked quietly.

Kate pulled back on a sobbed laugh before pushing into him and kissing him desperately.

Rick didn't let his surprise show, simply cradling her skull as he held her close and slowed down their kiss to something undeniably tender.

Kate pulled back after a long moment and leaned her forehead against his, sucking on her lower lip gently.

"Sorry." She whispered, self conscious, eyes downcast.

"Don't have to apologise for kissing me, Kate." Rick smiled softly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." She murmured, harsh and desperate but it was the fear and love pouring from her eyes that had him captivated.

"Kiss me like that again, and I'll never leave your side." He promised lightly.

Beckett giggled, the desired effect, before nodding. "Deal." She smiled, leaning in to kiss him once again.