AN: So this is a little stereotypical, I know, but I love a good fluff story! This was originally a one-shot but I was stuck far away from civilisation this weekend with my laptop for company, and I started writing a really fluffy follow-up. Basically, I am going to mark this story as 'complete' - but keep and eye out for another story in the next few days! Thanks readers, I love you :) IBYL
xo
Sirens wailed outside the building, but Kate Beckett could only see one thing. People were talking to her, trying to figure out the events that led to where they were at this very moment. Ryan and Esposito were hovering uncomfortably close, wearing grim looks on their face. A man was sitting in Castle's lounge room, held in handcuffs and being guarded by a uniformed officer. Kate knew all this, but she didn't care. What she cared about right now, what she'd always cared about, was Castle. Keeping Castle alive. Her hands covered the wound that had formed in his lower abdomen, trying to avoid more his blood pooling in his stomach. As she watched him, lying on the ground barely breathing, she willed herself to control her emotions. His eyes flickered gently, before closing them all together. This movement did not go unnoticed by Beckett.
"Castle, keep your eyes open. Don't do this to me, just keep your eyes open." Kate tried to hide the concern in her voice, but she faltered on the last syllables. "Open your eyes." Castle's eyelids flickered again, this time staying open. Kate breathed a little sigh out. Again, she regained control. She looked away briefly from Castle's eyes, before yelling to the men standing stoically next to her.
"Where the hell are the paramedics?" She looked up at Esposito and Ryan only to realise that two uniformed medics were entering the room. She breathed out deeper this time. "Thank god you're here, now fix him!" The paramedics took her spot at Castle's side, and she stood up. Esposito placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the kitchen, encouraging her silently to wash her hands, which she did. He was finally about to speak when she noticed that the paramedics had moved Rick to a stretcher. She looked up at Esposito, conveying her apology in her eyes, before following the paramedics and Rick out the door.
Rick was loaded into the ambulance that had been ready and waiting for him. Kate sat in next to him, taking his hand gently. She leant in close to his ear, whispering softly to ensure that no-one else would hear.
"Rick Castle. You need to fight this, you need to fight for me, because I'm in love with you and you can't leave me like this. You hear me, Castle? It can't happen."
XXXXXXXXXX
Three Hours Earlier…
Kate had just finished her paperwork at the precinct. Her and Castle had, earlier in the day, tricked the ex-boyfriend of their victim into disproving his alibi. Once he realised he had ruined his alibi, he confessed to strangling his girlfriend, after she tried to break things off. With a signed confession in hand, she had uniforms escort him down to holding as she sat at her desk. Castle sat in his chair next to the desk, and began fidgeting with his phone. After about an hour, she had instructed him to go home.
"I'll go home on one condition." He smirked in her direction, and Kate sighed.
"And what is that, Castle?"
"Come have dinner with me."
"Seriously, Castle? Why would I do that?"
"Because Mother is in LA, doing a play for the next two weeks, and Alexis is going to Paige's for the night." Kate glared at him, causing his smirk to light up his face again. "You don't want me to be lonely, do you Detective?"
"You will leave and not bother me for the rest of the afternoon if I come have dinner with you."
"Yes." Kate sighed again, before looking back at Castle.
"Ok."
"Ok?" Castle beamed like a small child.
"Don't make me change my mind, Castle."
"I would never let you change your mind. Is 7 ok?"
"See you at seven, Castle." He leapt out of his chair and, with a sly smile at Kate, skipped off to the elevator. Kate put her head in her hands, realising what she had agreed to. She had tried for so long to deny that she had feelings for Castle – after all, he was a renowned playboy, and she didn't want to risk her heart, or their current relationship. Now, though? She'd just agreed to a dinner alone with the man who had haunted her dreams for the last three years, and she honestly didn't know how much longer she could continue lying to herself.
Kate finished her paperwork in record time, much to the Captain's pleasure. He told her that she should take the weekend off, and she reluctantly agreed to not set foot in the precinct until Monday. "Great", she thought to herself, "what am I going to do all weekend". She then remembered that she had promised to be at Castle's at seven, and hurried home to put on a pair of jeans and a sweater. She put her badge, handcuffs and gun in her purse, justifying it by saying that she would never know when she would need them, before leaving for the Castle abode.
Castle spent the entire afternoon pottering around in the kitchen. He had decided to make Beckett his world famous Lasagne. When he got home, he'd immediately began cooking, hoping that he could impress the dear detective with his domestic skills. He'd known forever that he felt something for Kate Beckett, he just couldn't quite figure out what it was and how to approach it. They had both had other relationships since they started working together, but for the first time in ages they were at a really good place in their relationship, and they were both currently single. It was time to make a move, consequences be damned. He pulled the Lasagne out of the oven, to let it rest before Kate arrived, and then returned to his blissful daydreams.
Castle was broken from his daydreams by the doorbell, indicating Kate's arrival. He opened the door with a smile, expecting to see Detective Beckett. He was greeted, however, by a gruff man in a balaclava. He stood for a moment, stunned. The man looked up, and smirked through the slit in the balaclava. His low voice reverberated around the quiet loft.
"Richard Castle. How nice it is to finally meet you after all these years."
"Who are you?"
"A loyal reader, and a loyal fan. At least I was."
"You were? Why aren't you anymore?" Rick stuttered, trying to keep the man talking. He knew that Beckett was only minutes away, and he was hopeful that she could help.
"I can't say I'm fond of this new series of yours, Mr Castle. I don't like Nikki Heat." The man glared at Castle for a second, before continuing. "You killed off Derrick Storm. I don't know why you would do that, but you did. And I am not happy, Mr Castle. Derrick was like a brother to me, and you had to 'let him go' because you were bored."
"The story just wasn't there anymore. As a fan, didn't you notice? Everything was the same." The man balled his hands into fists at that comment.
"It should have stayed the same! You killed Derrick, and he can't defend himself anymore. So I will defend him." The man moved his hand to his jacket pocket, and pulled out a handgun. Rick, however, hadn't noticed this. He was too busy trying to convey the situation to the lovely Detective, who had just stepped out of the elevator. She was instantly drawn to Castle's face, but didn't see the smile she was expecting. She then realised that the man in front of him was clearly not a friend of Castle's. She was watching him carefully, and saw that Castle's eyes were drawn away from her, to the man's pocket. She saw the butt of the gun, and instantly dived into her purse for her gun and cuffs.
The next seconds were a blur of activity. The man pulled the gun, Kate pulled hers, and a loud shot rang out through the loft and the outside corridor. Kate saw Castle crumple, and saw the man lower his gun. Blinded by rage, she roughly cuffed the hand that held the gun, causing him to drop the weapon in surprise. When the man was cuffed, she forced him to the ground, and pulled out her phone, immediately calling 911. She then put in a call to the precinct. Esposito knew immediately that something was wrong by the panic in her voice.
"Castle's been shot." Kate held back a sob.
"Where?"
"The loft."
"I'll be there in 5. Tell him to hang in there, ok."
"Yeah."
She pulled off her jacket, and searched Castle for his wound. His blood was everywhere, and the sight of him made her throat catch. She knelt next to him and pressed her hands into his abdomen, trying to stop the bleeding. She stayed there, holding his wound, and tried to keep him conscious. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but continued anyway. She heard footsteps, and looked up to see Esposito by her side, and Ryan standing forcefully on top of the cuffed man. She recognised sirens outside the building, and prayed that Castle would be ok. She honestly couldn't afford to lose someone else she loved. As she followed the stretcher containing Castle into the elevator and then into the waiting ambulance, she considered her last thought. "Wait, loved? Yeah. I love him. I really love him." She sighed to herself, before leaning down to the now unconscious Castle, and repeating this little thought to him. He looked so helpless on the stretcher, and she touched his hand gently to let him know she was there.
XXXXXXXXXX
The white walls of the waiting room were of no comfort to Beckett, who was impatiently pacing around the dull room, waiting for news from the operating theatre. Esposito and Ryan were sitting quietly nearby, contemplating the events of the evening. While Kate had come to the hospital with Castle, they had questioned the man that Beckett had cuffed. He confessed immediately, and was currently under arrest for the attempted murder of Richard Castle. It remained to be seen whether or not the charges would be upgraded – that all rested on whether or not Castle pulled through this surgery. Esposito looked up at Beckett and realised that while he had been pondering, the tears that had threatened her all night had finally spilled over onto her cheeks. Esposito got out of his chair, and stopped her in her tracks.
"You've finally realised then, huh?" He smiled gently at Kate.
"Realised what?"
"That you and Castle are perfect for each other." Kate looked up at the man she considered her brother, stunned. After a few seconds, she nodded slightly.
"I just realised, and now I might lose him. I can't handle that."
"He's a fighter, Beckett. He'll pull through." Beckett smiled weakly, before a familiar voice echoed across the waiting room. The youngest Castle looked at Kate, tear brimming in her eyes. Kate pulled her into a hug, and they sat together in relative silence, waiting for news.
Two hours later, a man in scrubs appeared in the waiting room. Kate was sitting on one of the comfier couches, with Alexis resting her head on her shoulder. When she saw the doctor walk in, she nudged Alexis gently and stood up.
"Are you the family of Richard Castle?" The doctor inquired gently. He was greeted by a nod from Kate, and continued. "He's out of surgery, he lost a lot of blood but we are confident that we managed to fix the injuries left by the bullet. He's currently sedated, and will be very sore for the next few weeks, but we believe he'll make a full recovery." Kate couldn't help the smile that blossomed across her face, and she pulled Alexis close. "You should be able to see him in a few moments. I will ensure that a nurse comes to find you when he's ready for visitors."
Kate smiled down at Alexis, whose eyes were now brimming with happy tears instead of panicked ones. Within minutes, a friendly nurse had directed the two ladies to Castle's room. Kate stopped briefly outside the door, sucking in a deep breath. She promised herself that she wasn't going to run away, and walked in the door.
XXXXXXXXXX
Castle woke up in a bright, white room. He knew instantly he was in a hospital. He also knew instantly that his stomach apparently despised him. He grimaced, and found the call button near his finger, alerting the doctors that he was awake. Within seconds, a nurse had come in to check his vitals, and asked him if he was up to visitors. He nodded slightly in response, not confident of his ability to talk without hurting himself because everything ached so badly. A few minutes later, Alexis bounded into the room. He smiled at the girl, who took a seat next to his bedside and took his hand, beginning to lecture him about being more careful. He honestly wasn't paying much attention to his daughter. His sights were currently set on the beautiful brunette standing in the doorway. He gestured for her to join him at the opposite side to Alexis, and she smiled gently. He could see that she had been crying, and it broke his heart. She pulled up a chair and sat down, putting her hand in his gently. He squeezed it and smiled weakly, before turning his head towards his daughter, forcing himself to listen to her speech.
About an hour later, Alexis was curled up on the tiny loveseat in the corner of the private room, sound asleep once again. Kate had been for coffee, and had returned moments before the littlest Castle had drifted off to sleep. Rick, however, had just woken up from a small nap, and was keen to talk to Kate. She re-entered the room and he smiled, once again gesturing to the seat next to his bed. She sat down and took his hand. Castle smiled, and opened his mouth.
"You were rather silent through Alexis's lecture."
"She was right. You should have been more careful." Kate looked downtrodden, and Castle suddenly realised why.
"You feel guilty, don't you?"
"Yeah. I do. If you hadn't been expecting me, you would have checked the peephole, realised that it was someone dangerous, and called me or the boys."
"Kate" Rick grinned inwardly at using her first name "I need you to listen to me carefully. This was not your fault. Some crazy fan got a little angry at me, and yeah, something crappy happened, but it is not your fault. Do you hear me? Not. Your. Fault."
Kate looked up, tears once again brimming. Rick was stricken.
"Hey, there's no need for tears. I'm here, I'm ok. We're ok." Kate mumbled inaudibly in response, and Rick squeezed her hand again. "Missed that, Beckett. What did you say?"
"I could have lost you. You nearly died." Kate looked up at him. "You can't die. I won't let you die."
Rick looked puzzled.
"You won't… let me? Kate, sometime you might not get a choice in that matter." Kate looked at him directly in the eye at this.
"I'm getting a choice, Castle. I'm not going to let you die because I love you, and I refuse to lose someone else I love."
Rick was stunned. He breathed in heavily, causing a grimace to flash across his face. Despite the pain, he talked.
"Let me get this straight. You, the extraordinary Kate Beckett, love me." He blinked a few times.
"Yes, you idiot, I love you." Kate smiled at him, laughing as a giant grin spread across his face.
"Oh, Kate, I love you too. Come here." Kate stood from her chair, and sat on the edge of his hospital bed, careful not to touch anywhere that was tender after the surgery. She leant over and they kissed, sparks of electricity firing through Kate's body. Their gentle kiss became more passionate, and they only broke apart when a lack of oxygen became a problem.
"It's weird."
"What is?" Kate looked almost indignant, and Castle laughed a little.
"I am sitting in a hospital bed, in some of the worst pain of my life, but I have never been so happy."
Kate laughed at that, taking his hand once again.
"You have to get some sleep. I'll leave you and Alexis here, and I'll be back in the morning."
Rick smiled. "Until tomorrow, Kate"
"Until tomorrow, Rick." And with one last little kiss, Kate left so that she could get a little sleep.
XXXXXXXXXX
The next morning, Kate had arrived back at the hospital with a coffee for herself, and a hot chocolate for Alexis, and two bear claws. Castle hadn't woken up yet, so she sat on the tiny couch with Alexis and passed her the drink.
"Thank you, Detective Beckett." Alexis sipped from the cup gratefully and smiled.
"Seriously, honey, you've got to start calling me Kate."
"I'll try. Thanks, Kate."
"Anytime, sweetheart." Kate put her arm around Alexis' shoulders. Rick woke up from his sleep a little dazed. His eyes flitted around the room and landed on the cute little portrait that Kate and Alexis had made, and he smiled broadly.
"What does a guy have to do to get a hug like that from the most beautiful detective in the world?"
"Not get shot and end up in hospital." Kate smiled. Alexis immediately glanced from her dad to the detective.
"What did I miss last night, guys?"
"Whatever could you mean, daughter?" Rick said with a cheeky grin.
"Well, you look all lovesick, and Kate is giggling like a teenager. So, what did I miss?"
Rick looked to Kate, searching for some kind of answer for his daughter. Kate smiled at the panic that had risen into his face, and turned to Alexis.
"Well, kiddo, I'm going to be with your dad from now on. If you're ok with it…?" Kate smiled gently and Alexis pulled her into a giant hug.
"Duh! Of course I'm ok with it, you guys are made for each other!" Kate and Rick smiled at that. "But, I am not going to sit around all day watching you guys being cute. Dad, do you mind if I go home for a while and get some study done? Kate is here to look after you and I have an AP History test next week. Are you going to be ok?"
"Go, honey. Get some proper sleep, and study, and then come back after dinner. Deal?"
"Deal. Later, Dad. Bye, Kate." With a wave, Alexis left.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me. However shall we pass the day?" Kate laughed at Rick's dramatization.
"I have Scrabble, a deck of cards, and some case files. Take your pick."
"You seriously want to take on the writer in a game of Scrabble? But words are my life!" Rick said. "Oh well, if you really want to lose that badly, I'll take you on." Kate pulled the board game out of her bag and set in on the table. Kate helped Rick raise the bed to a comfortable angle, and they began the game.
XXXXXXXXXX
Three hours had passed since Kate had arrived that morning. They'd played four games of Scrabble, and Castle had one each of them by a landslide, but even the competitive side of Kate was happy enough to lose. It just helped her to realise that Castle was still alive. He was here, teasing her about her choice of words, and it made her smile.
"I think it's time to switch games. How about some Texas Hold'Em, just you and me." Kate smiled, and Rick nodded enthusiastically. He was still feeling pretty ill, but he was so happy that he didn't really care. He was on some morphine to dull the pain, but not enough to cloud his mind, which made him more than happy to play a few games with Kate. She sat at the foot of his bed with him, and started dealing out the cards. She'd brought some chips with her as well, much to Castle's delight, but they weren't playing for money. They were just playing because they could. Kate was surprised to realise that they weren't as alone as they thought – Esposito and Ryan had been hovering in the doorway, but they had gone un-noticed by the two lovebirds. After 20 minutes of watching the pair laugh and smile at each other, the boys entered the room.
"I guess you told him, huh, Kate?" Esposito asked.
"Not that it's any of your business but yeah, I did tell him. And, when I get back to the precinct, if either of you give me any crap I will put you both on desk duty for a month." Kate felt better to be back to her normal self a little, and Ryan and Esposito shook their heads.
"Fine, boss. No smart-ass comments. What are you doing?" Ryan asked, looking at the cards on the table.
"Passing the time. Playing poker, but not for money." Kate said, by way of explanation.
"Cool. Well, we just wanted to come past and make sure you guys were alright."
"Thanks, guys." Castle finally piped up, having spent most of the time just staring at Kate, watching her interaction with her charges. After the boys left, he put his hand out to Kate's.
"You realise that you just confessed our relationship to them, right?" Rick asked gently, hoping not to scare her.
"Castle, it's ok. Don't look so worried." Kate smiled. "They deserved to know. I'm happy with you and I'm not planning on anything happening to us, so I told them. Simple as that." Kate shrugged, but Rick beamed.
"Katherine Beckett, you make me so very happy." He said with a cheesy grin, and she stood up to give him a little kiss. As they parted, the surgeon walked into the room to check on Castle's progress. Kate took this as her cue to grab them a bite to eat and some more coffee. With a little wave, she left the room.
Kate came back about an hour later. She was going to bring her lunch to the hospital but she was really craving a burger, and Castle was still being fed his vitamins through a drip. She didn't want to tease him. When she came back, however, he was having a nap. Kate wasn't surprised. She remembered what it was like to have surgery, and she was honestly shocked that Castle had stayed awake for so long, and been such fantastic company. When she was injured as a rookie cop, she was crabby and impatient, but Castle had been lovely all day. She took her seat at his bedside again, brushing her fingertips up and down his arm. She couldn't believe how much things had changed in her life, but she always knew they would. Castle had come into her life and flipped it upside-down. At the time, she hated him for it, but they became such good friends. Best friends, even. They went through their bad times, obviously – when Castle started working on her mum's case, especially. But even when they fought, he was always there. She was trying so hard to ignore her feelings, but it was like fighting a losing battle. She was just kicking herself for taking so long to be honest with herself. Before she could stop herself, she was smiling. It took something horrible to happen, but she was happy. She was really, truly happy. She'd never been so happy before, and it made her wonder… had she ever truly loved someone? She closed her eyes and let herself drift into a daydream about her and Rick, and for once, it didn't scare her. It just made her smile wider.
Rick woke from a dream-filled sleep to see Kate sitting at his bedside, wearing the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Her fingers were trailing softly up his arm, and her gentle touch made his heart jump. She was happy, and for once it was highly likely that her happiness was because of him. She opened her eyes a few minutes later and saw Rick grinning back at her.
"Did I wear you out this morning?" Kate smiled, standing from her chair to plant a small kiss on his lips.
"Yes. But it was totally worth it." Rick laughed gently, trying not to upset his wound. Kate smiled.
"I'm glad you think so." She laughed, and leant in close to his ear to whisper gently "but when you're better, I have other plans to wear you out." Kate leant back and watched Rick's face become a picture of excitement.
"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"
"I love you too, Rick."
XXXXXXXXXX
Three Months Later
Rick had recovered nicely from the gunshot wound. Within a week of getting shot he was out of hospital, on the condition that Kate stayed to look after him at home. Kate agreed, on the condition that he would be a good patient. They spent a few weeks together, just relaxing at the loft. They watched bad movies, and ate obscene amounts of popcorn. When Alexis wasn't busy with school, she would often join them. At the end of the two weeks, Kate found herself reluctant to go back to work for the first time ever, because even though she loved her work, she loved spending time with Rick more. He wasn't quite ready to head back to the front line yet, and she was more than happy to keep him out of harm's way for a while longer. Esposito and Ryan refrained from commenting on Beckett and Castle's blossoming relationship. They had no desire to be stuck on desk duty for a month, but mostly they were just happy that their two friends had finally opened their eyes. Lanie was mad at Kate at first, but soon forgave her so that she could catch up on all the juicy gossip about her and Writer-Boy (or, as Kate had started calling him, Writer Man.)
Kate pondered all of this when she walked into the 12th one Wednesday morning, watching the hustle and bustle of the homicide department. Smiling brightly, she sat on her chair, placing her travel mug of coffee in front of her. Rick had to get some writing for the next Nikki Heat book done, and couldn't come to the precinct. He'd made sure that she had coffee before she left home that morning. "Home", she thought, "I'm definitely ok with calling the loft home." She had almost unconsciously begun calling Castle's place home during his recuperation. She hadn't meant to, but she was staying there, and it just seemed right. While out shopping one day, she'd accidently let slip that she'd "see him at home later" and he leapt on the opportunity, asking her to move in. She didn't hesitate to say yes, and gradually she moved all of her most prized possessions to the loft.
There was another reason for her sunny temperament this morning. Aside from another lovely and romantic night with Rick at home last night, she woke up to him this morning. He'd been watching her sleep, something that had become a favourite past-time of his since she began waking up with him every morning. This morning, however, he had a bigger smile on his face than ever before. She laughed at the memory of his beaming face, and recalled the morning's events.
"Good morning" Rick smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. Kate yawned widely and returned his smile.
"Morning. You were watching me sleep again."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry, but watching you sleep is addictive. Like chocolate."
"I still don't understand why." Kate smiled despite herself. He was just too cute in the mornings. She made a move to get out of bed, but was stopped when Rick's hand snaked around her waist and pulled her into a hug. They stayed there together, content in each other's arms for a while, before Rick finally spoke up.
"Hey Kate"
"Yes, Rick?"
"Will you marry me?" Rick grinned a little sheepishly at the beautiful woman in his arms.
"Seriously?" Kate was a little stunned, but she smiled anyway. "Yes, Rick. Of course I'll marry you."
Rick kissed her passionately before pulling a small ring box from the bedside table. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring, with one large stone in the middle. It was surrounded by smaller stones, and they had all been worn down to ensure that the ring wouldn't get caught on anything. It was beautiful, and practical, and Kate couldn't help but beam when Rick slid the ring onto her finger.
They celebrated their engagement with breakfast, as cooked by Rick. As they sat and ate together, Kate was struck by a thought.
"As much as I love that I now get to call you my fiancée, did you seriously ask me when I'd just woken up?" Kate couldn't help but tease a little. "No big crazy gesture involving fireworks?"
"Well, fiancée," Rick's heart swelled a little at the new title, "I did actually have something a bit bigger planned. But when I was watching you this morning, I realised that I was with you, a beautiful woman who doesn't care that I'm famous and have connections. You just love me for me, just as I love you for who you really are. I sat their watching you and realised that all the flash in the world wouldn't change your decision – so I picked a moment that was just about us." Rick smiled warmly, and Kate fought to hold back tears.
"I love you, Richard Castle."
"I love you too, Kate Beckett." Kate rose from the table and kissed Rick again, before heading to the shower to prepare for her day at work.
Kate nearly had tears in her eyes again as she remembered what had happened. She flicked her gaze to her left hand, stopping to admire her ring for the hundredth time already that day. She never thought she'd be one of those girls that were so obsessed with the idea of marriage that they couldn't stop looking at their ring. Then again, she also never thought she'd be engaged to marry Richard Castle. She couldn't help but laugh at the strange path her life had taken. She finished her coffee and headed down to the morgue. She was pretty sure she had some explaining to do to her best friend.
The elevator doors opened to the basement and Kate hurried down the corridor to the morgue. Dr. Parish looked up as she entered, and Kate smiled warmly, heading towards her for a hug. Lanie pulled away from the hug first, eager to find out what had put Kate in such a good mood.
"Why do you have a smile that big on your face. Something good happen this morning?" Lanie smiled.
"Yes, something good happened."
"Was it dirty?"
"What? No, Lanie."
"Then what the hell has you smiling so big this bloody early in the morning?"
Kate laughed and flashed her left hand in her friend's face. She was sure that the squeal that escaped her friend's mouth could be heard three blocks over, and she couldn't help but collapse into giggles.
"Oh my god you're getting married."
"Yeah, I am."
"Mrs Kate Castle. It has a really nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
"Mrs Kate Castle. I could definitely get used to you calling me that, Lanie. Detective Kate Castle."
"Detective Kate Castle."
And with that, Kate knew. The rest of her life was ahead of her, and she couldn't wait.
R & R? You know you want to ;)