The warm sun filters in from the shades onto Kate's cluttered desk. It is piled high with paperwork but she has been making a good dent in it over the past few hours. Being captain of her own precinct definitely has its perks, more time with Castle, watching her child grow up, but this, however, is not one of them.
She is filling out a form for Ryan and Esposito, who just closed a difficult case, when she hears a knock on her door. Beckett finishes writing one last thing then looks up from her work to see a smiling Castle with a bag full of food and an excited little two year old girl who is the perfect combination of her parents.
"Hey, thought you might be in need a break so Jo and I thought we'd stop by and visit," he says.
"Thank you, Castle. This is wonderful," she replies as a smile breaks across her face. She stands up from her chair and takes a few steps over to take her squirming baby girl and place a light kiss on her husband's lips.
"Hi sweet princess," Beckett coos. The girl plops a wet kiss to Kate's cheek in response which in turn elicits a laugh from her mother and father.
"Yo, Beckett, Ryan and I caught a murder so we're heading out," Esposito peaks in to inform the captain.
"Okay," Beckett replies, not really listening because all of her attention is on her daughter. At least until her child catches sight of her uncle.
"Uncle Javi!" The toddler exclaims.
"Hey princess," Esposito greets as Beckett passes her kid over.
"Jav, you coming?" Ryan grabs his jacket off the back of his chair and he walks over to where Esposito is standing.
"Yeah, just getting my toddler fix in first."
"Hi Uncle Kevin!" Johanna gives an over exaggerated wave to get Ryan's attention.
"Hey there Johanna. What're you doing here?" Ryan walks closer to the pair so he can place a kiss to his niece's forehead.
"Daddy and I bringed mommy lunch bacuz daddy said that sometimes mommy forgets and that's not good." Kate blushes and Castle moves closer to place a hand on her back and a soft kiss to her head, a gesture which is not lost on her.
"Oh well aren't you the best?" Ryan replies with a huge grin on his face. Johanna just eagerly nods her head in response.
"Okay give me my baby back. Go solve a crime." Kate stretches her arms out and waits for Esposito to place Johanna back into them.
"Later," Esposito says as he and Ryan head toward the elevator and then to the crime scene.
Kate immediately focuses her attention back to her family. "Alright you little monster what'd you bring me."
The Castle family walks out of Beckett's office sometime later full and happy. Johanna is asleep on her daddy's shoulder and Kate and Rick are mid conversation when Kate suddenly stops and does a double take to look at the murder board.
"Is that your victim?" Kate stands dumbfounded, eyes locked on the picture of the young girl whose life was taken too soon.
"Yeah. Why?" It's Ryan who pipes up and starts towards the board.
"Beckett, what is it?" Castle asks with increasing worry.
"I know her." Kate reaches to take the photo down and study it further.
"What? How?" Esposito joins the conversation as he also comes over to join the group in front of the board.
"Castle, it's Anna. Anna O'Donnell." Kate hands him the picture and he studies it for a minute before he realizes who the victim is.
"The girl who won your mom's scholarship?"
"Yeah." She takes the picture back and places it up on the board. She then turns her attention to her detectives. "What happened to her?"
"She was found stabbed to death in alley this morning," Ryan answers.
"Who would do that? She was such a good kid." Kate looks forlorn and in turn the look of worry on Castle's face increases tenfold.
"That's what we're going to find out," Esposito says.
After a few moments of solemn silence, Beckett's phone rings.
"Beckett," she answers.
"Hey it's Lanie. I have something you need to see. And bring Esposito and Ryan. It's related to their case."
The doors to the morgue swing open as Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan enter, Castle having left to take Johanna home.
"Lanie what's up?" Beckett gets right down to business.
"I found this in the stomach contents of our victim." She hands Beckett a piece of paper in a plastic evidence bag. It's worn by the stomach acid but the ink on it is still readable.
"'Her time is up because of you. How long to go until you go too?'" Beckett reads aloud. "It's a threat."
"Yeah but look who the note is addressed to." Lanie turns the paper over in Beckett's hand. It reads 'Kate Beckett'.