AN:Just in time for the S4 Premiere. Don't read if you don't like spoilers. I got most of this inspiration from watching all of the sneak peaks of Rise and reading spoilerific interviews with Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic. Of course I won't tell you which parts of the story are real and which ones come from inside my head, you'll just have to work that out. Please Review, Enjoy :-D

Three Little Words

Catherine Beckett walked down the stairs of the NY 12th Precinct wrapped up in a black coat and grey turtleneck skivvy. She looked very fragile and very unlike the Detective Beckett that everyone had come to love. The six inch heels had vanished for sensible flat shoes. Her hair was pulled back off her face, and she looked very gaunt. She had no badge. She had no gun. For now she was simply Kate. The new Captain, "Iron" Gates, had enforced that Beckett take three months leave. As much as Kate wanted nothing more than to be back at work she knew it was standard procedure, and cared far too much about her career to go against it. The sooner she was resting, the sooner she would be back at work and could catch her mother's killer; could catch the person that shot her. Captain Gates was strict, there was no way she was going to let Castle back in. Why was she thinking about Castle; she scolded herself. She had to think of herself right now.

Kate tried to walk home, tried to think about what was important right now. Inevitably she wound up on the steps of Richard Castle's apartment building. This conversation was going to be about as painful as her bullet wound. She rode the elevator up and when the doors opened Kate came face to face with Alexis. It surprised them both of course but Beckett was struggling to identify how the younger woman was feeling about the encounter.

"Detective Beckett." She addressed, polite as usual. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm managing thank you. Still sore, but I'll be fine."

"Good." Was all Alexis could manage, with a slight smile.

Sensing her hesitation; Beckett asked, "Is your father home?"

"Yes..."

"Alexis? If you have something to say, you can tell me."

"Whatever it is that you two have to talk about, just go easy on him, please."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't mean any disrespect but, he's been through a lot too."

With Alexis's words ringing in her ears, Kate carried on to Castle's door but before she could knock the door opened and she could her Rick calling out "Alexis, you forgot your..." He stopped in surprise to see her standing there; "coat... Beckett." It was a statement, not a question.

"Hello Castle."

"When were you discharged from the hospital? No-one called me."

"Yesterday." She answered simply, giving no explanation as to why he was kept in the dark. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Castle looked very flustered. Why had no-one let him know that Kate was out of the hospital. "Take a seat."

"Thank you."

They sat for a few moments, just looking at each other.

"I've just come from the station. The new Captain has ordered that I take some time before I can go back to work. I've handed in my badge."

Castle nodded. Beckett continued. "I talked to Lanie. And Ryan, and Esposito. Castle; I don't blame you. What happened wasn't your fault. "

Castle's head was bowed; he couldn't look her in the eye. "Montgomery is dead because I pushed you into re-opening your mother's murder. You were shot because I couldn't push you out of the way fast enough." She reached for his hand and took it. He looked up and straight at her.

"You told me to stand down. You told me we couldn't win this. I didn't listen to you." Beckett emphasised the word "I". "You didn't do this." She put her other hand up to his cheek, and held it there. "I never thanked you for carrying me out of that airport hangar. After the way I treated you, you were still there for me. You still saved me." His eyes locked onto hers.

"Always." He moved his head forward very slowly wanting to kiss her, but he waited to see how she might respond. She closed her eyes, bit her bottom lip, and with a pained expression pulled away from him. Beckett still wasn't ready for this. She settled back down into her seat on the sofa. "How is Alexis handling all of this?"

Castle sighed. "She wants me to walk away from this. From you. She's upset." He reasoned.

"Can you blame her?"

"She said that I'm a writer, not a cop. To stop "pretending"."

Beckett jumped on this opportunity. "She's right Castle. You're not a cop. Maybe you should listen to her."

"What?"

"Walk away." She told him firmly.

"Where's this coming from? I said I was your partner, and I meant it."

"Being a cop, I expect to get shot. I brace myself for it every single day. I won't be responsible if something like that happened to a civilian. What if it was you Castle?"

"Stop hiding behind the badge Beckett."

The last thing Beckett felt like doing was arguing. "If you want to come back that's up to you. But you'll have to convince the new Captain to let you in and I'm telling you right now that it won't be easy."

"I'll be there the day you walk back through those doors, I promise."

"And I can't promise that if there's a breakthrough in my mother's case that I won't go after it."

"You're shooter's still out there. What if they try again?"

"Then I'll deal with it." Kate winced. She had only just had her chest tube removed, and it was scarring up nicely.

Castle didn't miss a beat. Not when it came to her. "Are you in pain?"

"I'll be fine. I just need a minute. I'm short of breath, that's all."

He saw straight through her. "I'm coming to stay with you. Until you've recovered."

"No that's not necessary." Beckett argued.

"I insist." He paused for a moment. "Or has Josh got that one covered?" He added coolly.

"I've broken up with Josh."

"Oh." Was all Castle could manage. "What happened?"

"It wasn't fair to stay in the relationship when I've got feelings for someone else." There would be no more lying, not when it came to the important things. She looked straight into his eyes as she said it. There was no mistaking who she was talking about. Castle searched her face, waiting for what came next. It wasn't what he was hoping for. "But I need space. Rick, I..." Kate hesitated. "...need you to give me that. Please."

"Anything. The last thing I want to do is pressure you." He took her hand.

"Don't call me, Castle; don't turn up to my apartment unannounced. I'll call you. "

"Kate, I know I'm going to regret asking this, but, what's changed?"

"Why does it take a bullet for you to say how you really feel?" She answered his question with a question. And it was a hurtful one, intending to take the heat off of her.

He sighed. So she had heard those three little words. The scene played in his head over again. Kate bleeding out in his arms as he whispered to her not to leave him and that he loved her. Kate stood up from the sofa after kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I'll call you; Rick." Little did he know, that call wouldn't come until Kate had her badge back.

As the door to his apartment closed behind her, Rick Castle poured himself a drink and lounged back into the sofa. It was going to be a long three months.