Disclaimer: Don't own them :(


"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity."
―Gilda Radner


Kate juggled the tiny velvet box in her hands and tried to keep the shattering heartache from flooding her voice. "You can't..." she started, a deep ragged breath the only barrier to the sob trying to make it to the surface. "You can't ask me if you don't," she paused, the final words catching in her throat, ''if you don't wake up," she finished quickly, hoping the small twinge of humor would keep her sane; a small piece of him she needed to hold onto.

She took a step forward and raised her eyes from the box to the face before her, hoping to find a classic smirk and a twinkling eye looking back at her, perhaps even a bandaged hand reaching out to take the small black box to do just that, but his features remained still, and his hand stayed at his side.

Kate turned her attention back to the object in her hands, running her thumb over the course fabric, as the first signs of her broken resolve trailed down her cheek. Taking a seat on the side of the bed, she reached out for the still hand and tucked the jewelry box into his palm, closing his fingers around it.

''I love you," she continued softly, holding the closed fist in both of her hands. "But, I guess you already knew that," she added, running a finger over his knuckles. "Just like you to get ahead of it all."

Kate returned her focus on the quiet face, feeling the tears starting anew. ''Damn it, Rick, I'm not the one who is supposed to be using humor right now, that's your coping mechanism." Her voice broke and she dropped her gaze back to her hands, shivering as a tear dropped onto her skin. Leaning forward she kissed his lips, placing every ounce of hope she held into it. ''Please," she whispered, placing a second tender kiss. "Please...please pull through, Rick. Please, don't leave me here alone." She lowered her head gently under his chin and curled up as best she could beside him, avoiding any possible harm she could cause.

Closing her eyes, she tried to drift asleep to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Her heart splintered and broke as sobs wracked her thin frame. No arm wrapped about her, no gentle murmur met her ear. She buried her face into his chest, crying, cursing, pleading. Tears soaked her cheeks, her hair, the material beneath her. She gripped the cloth of the hospital gown into her fists as her shoulders shook, an attempt to muffle her cries with the thin cotton fabric.


24 Hours earlier-

The room was still, the only sounds filling the spaces were the even strokes of fingers against a keyboard and the occasional honk of a car from the streets below. Moonlight filtered in through the study through the window. Stretching slightly stiff muscles, Castle turned his attention from the computer screen to the silent figure propped up amongst the cushions, her head lulled to the side in a deep sleep, the book she'd been reading flopped open on the seat beside her. He smiled quietly to himself as he pushed back his chair, saved his current chapter, closed the laptop, and made his way to the couch. He paused at the slight ache at the back of his skull, wincing against the pressure until it subsided as quickly as it had come. Shaking it off, he continued forward and knelt before the slumbering form.

Castle gently eased his arms beneath Kate and slowly lifted her from the cushions, cradling her against his chest, wincing at the loud thud as the book met the floor. Opening a single eye, he watched for any signs of wakefulness in her face and breathed a sigh of relief as she barely shifted in his arms. With practiced precision he carefully pulled himself back to his feet and started for his room, doing his best to keep from jostling her as he crossed the threshold and made for her side of the bed. He placed her upon the covers and slowly worked to get her under the blankets. He bent low, brushed aside a loose strand of hair from her face, and placed a soft kiss upon her temple, lingering long enough to drink in all that was her. "I love you."

Returning to the study, he picked the book up off the ground and returned it to the shelf before heading to turn out the light. He stopped at the edge of his desk and reached for the top drawer, casting a glance up at the doorway before pulling it open and digging around a dozen or so mini notebooks and multiple pens, seeking the small square object in the back. Removing his hand he held up the velvet ring box and opened it, casting another quick glance at the door. A single day more and it would be hers. Until then, no one would know it existed…except for him, and maybe their closest family and friends with whom he'd been planning and plotting this for the last few weeks.

He smiled, imagining the details of his grand scheme as he removed the simple yet elegant ring from its silk bed and watched the light play off the single diamond at its heart. It was perfect; he would invite Kate to an "impromptu" dinner date on their anniversary. He would take her out to dinner and dancing at the restaurant he had booked a month ago. And, as he kept her attentions solely on him, their friends and family would slowly trickle into the shadows of the tables around them. Once one the waiters secretly signaled everyone had arrived, he'd pluck up the courage, get down on one knee and ask the love of his life to be his wife. After which, his dreams coming true, their "impromptu" dinner would become the engagement party it was meant to be all along.

Castle returned the ring to its box and returned the box to its hiding place, his hands shaking as he closed the drawer. He took in a deep breath, his heart already hammering away as if he stood before her right now. Rubbing his moist palms against his robe, he tried to calm his nerves but instead found himself picturing her smiling face beaming down at him as he placed that ring on her hand. His heart beat jumped up a notch and he was forced to swallow and count backwards from ten. Hastily turning out the light, he returned to the bedroom and carefully climbed into bed, inching slowly next to her. He gently wrapped his arm around her and snuggled in close, his heart finding rest in her presence. She turned in her sleep and snuggled even closer, burying her face into his neck and sending his heart into an overflow of warmth. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, grateful for the woman in his arms.


A/N: I'm baaaaaaaack, again, lol. Just wanted to give a big thank you to my newest beta Dmarx. You're help has been much appreciated :) You totally rock :) And, a big thank you to all my readers you guys totally rock, too :)

Until, next chapter. Happy reading