Oneshot Collection

Till Death Do Us Part {Castle}

Alexis just stepped out of the elevator and put away her phone when she heard shots. She stood still for a moment before walking to her dad's apartment. The door wasn't fully closed.

"Dad? Kate?" She got no answer. The young woman fought with herself. Should she enter or call 911? Finally, she got out her phone and dialed Kate's precinct. Maybe she wasn't even home with her dad yet. But her call stayed unanswered. She hung up and dialed Beckett's colleague Ryan. Lucky for her, he answered.

Alexis took a big breath of relief. "Thank god, Ryan... Is my dad or Kate in?"

"No, they went home an hour ago. They should be there by now. Why?" The detective looked at the clock on the wall behind his desk.

"The door's open and I can't hear anybody. And just minutes earlier I heard shots." Alexis walked up and down the hallway, but not going far from the door. Meanwhile, Ryan shot up from his desk, the phone still to his ear. He gave his partner a signal. "What should I do? Should I go in? Maybe dad and Kate need help."

"No, you don't go in. Stay where you are. Do not enter the apartment. Esposito and I are on our way." Ryan and Esposito left the precinct in a hurry. They just got into the car when Alexis announced that she was going into the flat.

"But they could be injured. Sorry, Ryan. But I'm going in." The woman entered the apartment and looked around. At first, she didn't see anything out of place but then she found blood on the floor. Alexis followed the trail of blood. She gasped and then screamed. The phone dropped to the floor and the call broke off.

"Alexis. You still here? Alexis!" Ryan looked at his partner. "Step on it."

Minutes later they stood in front of Castle's apartment. Ryan and Esposito got out their weapons. They stepped into the loft. "NYPD!"

Alexis gasped. She peeked out from behind the kitchen counter. Her hands were bloody. "I need help. Call 911. My phone's busted up."

"They're on their way. Esposito... Everything clear?" Ryan got another towel to press down on Beckett's wound. Alexis was next to her dad and trying to just somehow stop the bleeding or at least slow it down. "My god. What happened here?"

"If you're asking me... The shooter over there got in, shot dad, then Kate before he got shot himself. Kate's gun is under the couch. Probably slid over after she fell to the ground. You don't have to be a Sherlock to that." She swiped over her eyes with the back of her left hand. The redhead started to tremble. "Where's that ambulance?"

"Everything's going to be okay, Alexis. They're both tough. Nothing's going to bring them down. It needs more than a bullet.

The paramedics entered the apartment. Alexis still sat next to her dad and pressing down onto the wound. A paramedic came over to her. "Can you give us space to work?"

Castle's daughter didn't move. Ryan came over after Kate was under the care of a team. He put his arms around her and moved her away. Alexis struggled against his grip. "No, I want to stay with him. Don't make me leave."

Kate's colleague tried to calm her down. "Sh sh... We follow those ambulances and I won't leave you waiting alone." He hugged her and looked over his shoulder to his partner.

"Go. I stay here and take care of everything. Keep me in the loop. As soon as I can, I come over." Ryan nodded in agreement.

"Will do. Come on, Alexis. Let's go." He put Alexis's coat around her and left the apartment with her. They got into the car and followed the ambulances with Kate and Castle in it. Nobody said anything. Ryan turned off the radio so Alexis didn't hear any callouts that could scare her more. "Like I said earlier. They're both tough. It's going to be fine. Believe me."