Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, just the best friend it gave me.
To Sarah, thank you for being there for me. Always.
Happy 17th Birthday, may it be as amazing as you are!
Description: AU Tick, Tick, Tick 2x17 & Boom 2x18 Episode
It was supposed to be over. Kate was supposed to be safe from the man after his character Nikki Heat. Nikki will burn, that was the threat that has continuously loomed over their heads as they found the marked bullets in each victim. One letter at a time reviling Kate's intended fate.
Finally back at home, after the case was thought to be closed, Castle's imagination and gears were still turning in his head. The writer couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, something wasn't right here. It was his fault, he kept telling himself, if he would have never written the character in the first place, these people would still have their hearts beating. So yet again, with the pictures all lined out in front of him, Castle went over every tiny detail of the gruesome multi-homicide case. The gun, Ben Conrad's hand, the position, suddenly everything clicked. Ben didn't kill himself, someone killed him. Piece by piece, the puzzle put itself together in Castle's head.
"Ben Conrad didn't kill himself," Castle put together out loud, "Ben Conrad was murdered by the man in the window. Ben's not our killer! The real killer was just playing with us."
Alexis chimes in, trying to help her distressed father, "But the evidence,"
"No, it was, it was planted there to lead us to Ben. He wants us to think it's over. He wants us to drop our guard. He wants to make a big scene." Castle rambles on, the edges of the puzzle coming together. He continues after a pause, "Nikki will burn. Beckett."
Martha and Alexis watch as Castle rushes to the phone, his mind racing with thoughts of his partner, his best friend, the love of his life going up in flames. With hurried fingers, Rick dials the phone while explaining to his family, "Montgomery took the detail off her place. She's alone." Ringing of the phone, once, twice, three times, and no answer do nothing to calm his overactive imagination. The flames now only burn brighter in his mind, his always slipping away into the inferno. "She's not picking up," he states, moving towards the door, "Call the precinct. Tell them to get over there right away. Tell them we were wrong! Tell them the killer is still alive!" He opens the door of the loft, just wanting to get to Kate before the killer does. Turning to Alexis, Castle orders, "Lock this door behind me, don't let anyone in."
Why the hell is the damn elevator so slow? Does it not understand the gravity of this situation? Of course not, he knows that elevators don't think, but Castle can't help but be frustrated. Ditching the metal box, Rick raced to the stairs, going down two at a time while grabbing onto the wall handle. Once down to the lobby, Castle ushered a taxi, gave Kate's address, and slipped some extra money the driver's way. He needed to get to her, and fast. If that meant breaking the law, Rick would gladly spend the rest of his life paying for the crime as long as Kate would live.
Kate dying would break him. Rick loved her, he understood that now. He wanted to be with Kate, and possibly have a future full of weddings, children, and grandchildren together, if she would allow.
God, this cabbie wasn't going fast enough to even get that money. Castle jimmied his leg impatiently as the taxi hit yet another red light. Red. Everything was bringing his mind back to the scenario of flames engulfing Beckett.
Finally, the taxi was nearing Kate's apartment building. Rick dialed his partner's number once again, the other end still ringing as the taxi skidded to a halt. "Beckett, Beckett, pick up the phone! Pick it up!" Castle ducked out and through the crowds of people, just getting as near to Kate as possible. He heard the other end of the line click, signaling an answer.
"What Castle?" A freshly showered Beckett answered in annoyance. Couldn't Castle leave her alone to have a relaxing night without him? Well, not totally without him, he would be there through the lines of his book she was planning on re-reading for the umpteenth time.
Kate was pulled from her thoughts as the writer turned partner's voice came through the phone in a fast reply, "It wasn't Ben Conrad! He's not the killer! The killer's still alive! The killer's still alive!" Now on edge, she swept her trained eyes over her apartment.
"Goodbye Kate, Goodbye Kate, Good bye Kate." The automated voice sounded from its unknown placement in her apartment. All thoughts lost, Beckett dove into her bath tub mere seconds before the blast took away her consciousness, sending her into a black visionless dream.
At the same time, Castle wish he could take his vision away, to erase the now burnt in image of his worse thoughts coming true; Kate Beckett's apartment was up in flames, the sound of windows busting and wood crackling echoing into the outside street where he now stood, in shock of what he had just seen. Seconds later, he is throwing all caution into the wind as he runs into the burning building.
The door he kicks down, easy with all of the adrenaline coursing through his blood. The heat, while he would brave any flames for Kate, was a little more difficult, his body automatically wanting to back away from the burns he might receive. Castle shucks up his coat collar then balls his hands up in his jacket, covering as much skin as he can as he slides past the flames. "Beckett!" No reply. He tries again, with the same response. Deciding to not waste any more time, Rick goes from room to room with a quick glance. The red drip coming from the side of the bath tub in the bathroom catches his eye.
"No," Castle whispers to himself, quickly moving towards the tub, "Beckett… Kate." No reply. He peered into the tub. The first thing he saw was the detective's naked body limp, blood seeping from a cut on her head. If Kate was conscious, surly she would have tried to cover up by now. Quickly his jacket was shucked from his body to cover hers. Castle reached down into the tub, one arm under her knees, another under her neck.
Kate's limp body was put onto the floor, "Oh god no," Castle's strangled cry came out. His hands grabbed the sides of her face, thumbs circling to try and draw her back to consciousness. Sirens sounded in the not so far off distance, but Rick could only focus on the brunette, "Kate, come on Kate, wake up for me. Please, please wake up," tears began to form in his eyes as she gave no signs of recovering. Castle leaned down, his lips coming in contact with the ashy skin of Beckett's forehead, "I love you so much Kate, please, please wake up for me. Come back to me Kate, you do not get to leave me now. Not yet, please…" Castle trailed on relentlessly into her skin, lips brushing her head randomly, until he was pulled away by Montgomery, urging the writer to let the EMT's take her to the hospital.
(Flashback)
The first time Kathrine Beckett had ever blacked out was on April 26th, 1997. Her mom had been gone now for a few months, and she had finally turned to the bottle. Hell, she thought, if her father could chose that path, what was there to stop her? 1:39am and her she was, crying and downing a bottle of vodka.
Leaning against the door of her apartment, Kate slowly drank her thoughts away. The picture of her mother lying against an ally way, bloody and tattered, faded away to a black nothingness.
The next thing Kate saw was her ceiling when she woke up on the floor, passed out on top of an empty glass bottle.
(End of Flashback)
Castle sat in a chair located in a corner of the waiting room. The boys, Lanie, and his family had been updated on Kate's condition. The doctors were doing something, Rick was too worried to even comprehend, but he knew they would come get him when he could see her. Rick didn't want the support of others, he wanted to be alone in his thoughts.
After some time, the doctor approached a jittery, forlorn looking Castle, "Mr. Castle, Miss. Beckett is awake and is wanting to see you. She can be released in the morning, we have to keep her for observation after the fall she suffered. I will let her give you details if she pleases." Rick stood to shake the doctor's hand, thanking him as he followed the doctor to Kate's room. The detective and writer were soon left alone, Castle sitting beside the hospital bed, waiting for Kate to wake up again. She had drifted back to sleep while the doctor was away, apparently.
When Beckett awoke she felt two warm hands wrapped around her own. Slowly blinking the sleep away, Kate's eyes fell on the writer leaning his head onto her bed. Adorable. Her hand lightly moved in his when a raspy, "Rick" came from her lips.
Her partner's head shot up, one of his hands moving to cup her cheek, "Kate, oh thank god. Let's not go through that again, okay? You scared the hell out of me."
Rick just kept staring at her, his blue eyes taking in all of her conscious form, until she broke the silence, "I promise to never accidently have my apartment blown up by a serial killer if you stop staring. How many times do I have to tell you how creepy it is, Castle?" Kate's voice was still groggy, but now laced with playfulness participating in their usual banter. She stopped smiling when his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, "Castle, what's wrong? I'm okay, just a little bump on my head."
He stayed silent for a few more moments, "It's just… I just never through I would see you again. I saw the blood on the tub, I thought you were gone. Kate, I held your limp body, alone, thinking that I would never hear your voice again," Castle cleared the lump forming in his throat, then continued, "That I would never see the way your eyes light up when I bring you coffee or tell a stupid joke ever again…"
The writer was cut off by a hand on his cheek, mirroring his before, "Shh, Rick, it's okay. I would have thought the same if I were in your situation," Kate pulled him up when she saw a tear run down his face. They were never touchy feely like this, at least not anywhere but her thoughts, but he needed this. He needed her. "Come here," Castle looked at her in a confused manner, "sit next to me." He moved to her side and sat still, another tear escaping his eyes. Beckett slowly guided his head between her shoulder and chest, wrapping her arm around him, where Castle finally broke down, just as he had over her unconscious body. Kate stayed quiet, knowing that he just needed to let it out, and rubbed circles through the fabric of his dark blue shirt.
A while later, when the cries stopped and the silence kicked in, Rick got up to move away, figuring Kate needed space. Instead she grabbed his hand, "Stay, just for a bit longer. I'm tired, and you're a better pillow than this hospital one." She lied smoothly. Kate just wanted him close. She had a feeling she wouldn't be holding her feelings back from him for much longer. After all, he did brave the flames for her.
"My dear detective, I thought I was more to you than a pillow? I mean, I am ruggedly handsome, could that be the reason?" Castle joked, earning a slap to the chest as she lay her head, the good side, on his shoulder, "Admit it, you just want the female doctors to be jealous of you, having such a good looking man in your bed, on display for all to see." Kate giggled in response, nudging in further to the crook of his neck. Their hands were still laced together, neither having any intention to break the connection. Castle's thumb over Beckett's knuckles, back and forth, until he heard her softly snoring. Man that is adorable, Castle thought when he turned to look at her. Careful not to wake her, his lips pressed into her hair. He could have sworn he saw her smile in her sleep.
The next morning, Lanie came into Beckett's room to find her best friend snuggled into writer-boy. Had the two finally gotten their act together? Lanie would definitely make a point to ask Kate later. She made her way to Kate's free side, where moments later Kate stirred and opened her eyes to the bright morning light. "Hey girl, how's that head?" the ME questioned.
"It's good, just feels like a strong headache. Nothing that I should still be in here for." Kate obviously was ready to go home. This bed, even with its cuddly writer, was nothing compared to how the writer would feel in her bed. Kate mentally backtracked, knowing that those thoughts shouldn't be in her head.
Lanie met Kate's eyes, sending her a head nod in the direction of the still asleep writer, silently asking if the nature of their relationship has changed. Kate studied Castle, took in the tousled hair falling in his eyes, his relaxed features, and replied to Lanie, "I don't know Lanie, I mean the man ran into the flames of my apartment, covered me up, and then carried me out to the floor. He's, I don't know, he's just amazing Lanie. He has always been amazing. I mean, something has to change from that, right? I don't know, hell he might not even feel the same. I'm not going to make a move just to be embarrassed in the end." Kate whispered, making sure not to let the writer overhear her.
Lanie could not believe what she was hearing, could her friend really think Castle felt nothing more for her? "Really Kate? If you were not hospitalized, I would smack you. The man loves you Kate, and from what I know, you love him too. From my knowledge, men do not run into flames for just anyone."
"But Lanie, what is it doesn't work? What if it blows up in our faces? I can't lose him." Beckett argued, now rubbing her thumb absentmindedly over Castle's knuckles to sooth herself.
The touch awoke Rick, who turned into Kate's shoulder to shield his eyes from the light, "Too bright," he mumbled, peaking an eye out from its placement, "Oh hey Lanie, um, I just kinda fell asleep here, and, um, yeah, I need to use the restroom." Swinging his legs from the bed, Rick turned back to Kate, "I'll be back." He said, leaning in to kiss her forehead without thinking. Both of them froze there in shock until Rick finally stalked off to the restroom, leaving a pleased Lanie and love struck Kate.
"Oh girl," Lanie couldn't help herself, "I am almost positive it will work, that was too cute! I have to get back to the morgue, but you should be able to get your release papers. Do me a favor and stay with Castle, okay? I'm sure he will offer. Just amuse me and take him up on it. I heard a little rumor that the medics found him saying some things to you while he was crying and holding you, maybe you should ask him tonight, when you're staying with him." And with that the ME was gone, leaving Beckett thinking over her request.
"So here we are, Casa de Castle, well now Casa de Castle y Beckett. Mother and Alexis left early this morning on some spa thing, so we are alone," at Beckett's cocked eyebrow, Castle corrected himself, "Not like that, um, unless you want that, um…" Castle trailed on uncomfortably.
Beckett decided now was the best time to breach the topic Lanie left off with, "Castle, Lanie said that when the medics arrived, you kept saying something over and over, what was it?"
Rick sighed, and stepped towards Kate. Ducking his head to hide himself, bringing his hands to rest at her hips, he whispered, "I love you, Kate." Bringing his eyes back to hers, Castle tried to read her expression. It was out there now, all or nothing depending on her reply.
She was done hiding her feelings, hiding behind her wall. Breaking eye contact, Kate moved closer and framed Rick's face in her hands. Her nose brushed his own as she shyly looked downwards, "I love you too, Castle. I love you."
Kate finished, stepping even closer into his embrace to hug him, only Castle pulled back from her, leaving a confused detective, "Kate, I am going to kiss you now. All you have to say is stop," Rick moved his eyes from hers to her mouth as he inched in, "Kate…" he asked, a breaths way from their lips touching.
"Kiss me, Castle."
A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH! I LOVE YOU! And I know this might be boarder-line OOC, but it is AU, so remember that!