Monday, November 17, 2014.

Kate and the boys have just closed a tough case, and Captain Gates has ordered that they take 48 hours off to rest after they finish their paperwork. Around 5:00 that afternoon, Kate looks up to find that Ryan and Espo are nowhere to be found. Figures. Leaving me to do the paperwork. She notices she has an email from Rick—who had a meeting with his publisher during the day but is taking her out to dinner this evening to celebrate her birthday—and reads it before returning to her paperwork.

My Dear Kate,

I love you so much, and I can't wait to celebrate your birthday with you tonight…if you know what I mean. ;-) ;-)

Always,

Rick

Kate can't help but roll her eyes at the not one, but two winky faces. Of course she knows what he means.

By 6:00 she is finished with her paperwork, has grabbed her things, and is on her way to the elevator. She sends Rick a quick text message, letting him know she is on her way.

Kate opens the door to find the loft completely dark, except for a light coming from Rick's study. As she switches on the kitchen light, Castle emerges from the study, greeting her with a kiss.

"How was your day? I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

"It was fine. We closed the case." She leans into his embrace and kisses him again. "How was your meeting?"

Rick growls. "Let's not talk about that right now."

"That good, huh? Well, let me go get changed, and we can head out."

"Need any help?" Rick wiggles his eyebrows.

She rolls her eyes. "Not if we want to make our reservations."

"We've got plenty of time."

As much as she wants to make love to her new husband, Kate knows they will be late for dinner. "Castle!"

"What? I called and pushed the reservation back 30 minutes when I got your text. We've got time." With that, he follows Kate into the bedroom they have shared—as husband and wife—for only 8 weeks.

They make it to the restaurant with 10 minutes to spare and are led to the private dining area in the back. Rick holds back and lets Kate enter the room first.

"SURPRISE!" Kate is stunned to not only see Martha, Alexis, and her father, but also Ryan, Jenny, Espo, and Lanie are joining Rick and her for dinner.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to celebrate! Obviously." Lanie rolls her eyes at her best friend.

Kate makes her way around the table, thanking everyone for coming.

"So this is why you two left me to handle all the paperwork this afternoon," she teases Ryan and Espo.

"Well, part of the reason," says Ryan.

"What's the other part?" Kate asks with some trepidation in her voice.

"We just hate paperwork." Esposito deadpans. He dodges a playful smack from Beckett, only to receive one from Lanie—for which Lanie earns a high-5 from Kate.

After dinner, for which Rick insists on paying, the group makes their way outside. Jenny and Ryan say goodnight and leave to pick up their 10-month-old son, Jack, from the babysitter.

"I just hate to leave, but I'm sure my son has some more, ehem, private, celebrating in mind for tonight. I'll see the two of you tomorrow night." Martha hugs a blushing Kate and tells her happy birthday once more. With that she is off into the night.

Alexis hugs Kate, telling her happy birthday, and the two agree to go shopping the next afternoon. Alexis needs a new outfit for a concert she and her new boyfriend are going to the following weekend.

Lanie and Esposito both tell Kate happy birthday and leave—together—a fact that does not go unnoticed by Rick and Kate. Kate makes a mental note to call Lanie the next day.

"Happy Birthday, Katie," Jim Beckett tells his daughter as he pulls her into a hug.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you could make it."

"Me, too. You two take care of each other. I'll see you next weekend."

"Bye, Dad."

Rick pulls Kate to his chest and kisses her. "Happy Birthday. Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did. Thank you for planning this." She hugs him closer.

"Always."

The valet brings their car, and Rick opens the door for Kate, closing it once she is safely inside.

They are five minutes from the loft. Their light has just turned green when Kate hears the worst sound she's ever heard in her life—screeching tires, squealing brakes—and braces herself for the impact. The next thing she knows, their car is facing the opposite direction on the opposite side of the street and smoking. She looks over at Rick, and he is unconscious.

Kate immediately undoes her seatbelt and reaches over to feel for his pulse. It's weak, but it's there. She gets out of the car and calls 9-1-1. They tell her help is already on its way, so she hangs up the phone and calls Alexis.

"Hello."

"Alexis?"

"Kate! What's wrong?"

"There's been an accident. Call your Grams, and meet us at the hospital. The ambulances are pulling up now. That's really all I can tell you."

"How bad is it?"

"I…I don't know."

"Okay. I'll call you back when I get there. I love you. Tell my dad I love him, too."

"I will. I love you, Alexis."

As Kate hangs up an EMT is hurrying towards her.

"Ma'am are you hurt?"

"Beckett. Detective Kate Beckett of the 12th Precinct. I…I'm fine. Please, help my husband. He's unconscious, and his pulse is very weak."

It seems to take forever, but they finally get Rick out of the car and loaded into the ambulance. Kate rides in the back with Rick and one of the EMTs. She leans down next to Rick's ear and whispers, "You do not get to leave me. I love you. Alexis loves you. You do not get to die on me...on us."

When the ambulance is pulling up to the hospital, Kate's phone begins to ring. It's Alexis. "Hey, Alexis. We just got to the hospital. Where are you?"

"We're in the ER waiting room."

"Okay. I'll come find you."

When Kate walks around the corner, she is shocked to once again see her whole family waiting—Martha, Alexis, Jim, Lanie, Espo, and Ryan are all there. Jenny stayed home with Jack only because Ryan promised to call her as soon as there is any news.

"Ma'am?" Kate doesn't pay any attention to the nurse. She is focused on getting to her family.

Martha is the first to reach Kate, with Alexis close behind. "What happened?"

"I…I'm not sure. We were almost home, and I heard this awful noise…I knew what was coming, but there was nothing we could do. And then, the next thing I remember is Rick being passed out, checking for a pulse, and calling Alexis."

"Kate, honey, you need to come with me."

"What? Lanie, I'm not going anywhere!" Kate almost shouts at her best friend.

"Honey, you're bleeding. I think that's what that nurse was trying to tell you earlier. Come on, let's get you checked out."

Kate lifts her hand to her forehead, and it comes away bloody. She resigns to leaving her group for a few minutes. "Oh…okay."

"We'll all wait for you right here," Martha reassures Kate.

Lanie and Kate walk back to the nurse who had approached Kate earlier. The woman leads them to a room, and gives Kate a gown. "You need to change into the gown. The nurse practitioner will be in to check on you in a few minutes."

No sooner does she leave the room and Kate gets changed, than the nurse practitioner enters the room. She cleans and inspects Kate's wound and determines that she does not need stitches. She bandages the wound and says, "It's not a bad cut. You're lucky. It could've been much worse."

"We'll see." Kate isn't concerned with herself at all. She is much more concerned with Rick. "How's my husband?"

"I haven't heard anything. I'll have a nurse go check while you're getting your scans done."

"Seriously? It's just a little cut. I'm fine."

"We need to make sure that it is just a little cut. Someone from radiology will pick you up in a few minutes to have a CT scan and an MRI. I'll go check on your husband."

Kate looks at Lanie. She can't believe the dramatic turn their night has taken. "Why tonight, Lanie? Why tonight?"

"I don't know, girl, but don't get too worked up yet. I'm sure everything will be fine." Lanie was worried about her friend. What if everything isn't okay with Rick? Can Kate survive losing someone else important to her?

Soon after Kate is brought back to her room in the ER, the nurse practitioner returns. "Good news, Kate. It is just a little cut. Your scans look fine. You can go back and wait with your family."

"What about Rick?"

The nurse practitioner looks from Kate to Lanie and back. "Your husband is in surgery. I believe there was some brain swelling. That's all I know right now. Someone treating him should be out to give your family an update soon." She shook Kate and Lanie's hands and left the room.

Kate won't make eye contact with Lanie. She won't even turn her head in her friend's direction.

"Kate?"

"Lanie…I can't lose him." She turns to look at Lanie with tears streaming down her face.

Lanie gets up from her chair and wraps Kate in a hug, rubbing her back to help calm her down. "Shh, Kate. You'll be okay. Let's go back out there with Martha and Alexis and everybody, okay?" She wipes the tears from Kate's face.

"Yeah. Okay."

It seems to Kate as though she and Lanie have been back with their friends and family for a ridiculous amount of time before they hear someone say, "Beckett family?"

A/N: I know that technically it would be Castle family. It is explained at the beginning of the next chapter.