This is based on Season 4 episode 9: Killshot.

*Disclaimer* I wish but no I still don't own Castle.

Nightmares

"Kate!" She heard the gunshot before his screams. The next thing she knew he was hovering over her begging her to stay with him. "Stay with me Kate. Don't leave me, please. Stay with me…okay? Kate…I love you. I love you Kate," he was crying now. She could feel the blood pouring down her chest and her life slowly slipping away as darkness overcame her.

She sat straight up in bed, startled, still sweating, trying to catch her breath as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest from her latest nightmare. She clutched her chest, feeling her scarred skin from the bullet. "I don't have PTSD, it's just been a long day," she thought. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and pulled up Castle's number, lightly running her fingers across the screen over his name before deciding against calling him. She snapped at him on more than one occasion earlier today, why would he even want to talk to her? The sniper case they were working was getting to her, it was bringing back the memories of her own shooting she was trying so hard to get rid of. Even hearing the word sniper sent her into panic mode, she remembered falling to the ground at the sound of the sirens at the crime scene and running out of the precinct after debriefing earlier that morning. She couldn't breathe, she needed a drink.

She didn't know how long it had been. She just wanted to sleep, uninterrupted by the nightmares, if even for just one night. So she sat in the darkness of her living room drinking, silently hoping and praying that the alcohol would just make the pain stop. Just as she gulped down the last of the liquor from her glass the flashbacks hit again. She heard a gunshot and jumped, causing her to fall into the floor knocking over the table on her way down, shattering the glass across the living room floor. Kate could hear the doctors yelling as they worked, trying to keep her heart beating and the beeping of her heart monitor turn to a flat line. She felt everything, remembered everything. Panic setting in again, she quickly jumped up and closed all the blinds in her living room when she noticed her gun on the ground. Diving for it, she slid across the broken glass from the table and crawled to the corner, breathing deeply grasping her gun for dear life as tears rolled down her cheeks.

As her breathing finally steadied she noticed the blood still trickling down her arm. She stumbled to the bathroom cabinet and proceeded to wrap it as best she could in her drunken state. She walked back to her bedroom and look towards her phone again. Deciding it couldn't hurt she picked it up and dialed Castle's number.

"Hmmm…hello," came his sleepy voice from the other end.

"Hey," she meekly replied.

"Beckett," he suddenly sounded awake, "it's 2am is everything ok?"

"Yes...no, not really. I just needed to talk to you," she slurred.

"I'll be right over."

"No, no that's not necessary. I just needed to hear your voice. I didn't mean to wake you." He could tell she had been crying.

"Kate, I told you I'm here for you, always. I'm coming over," he hung up before she could argue further.

Fifteen minutes later he was pulling up in front of her apartment. After knocking three or four times and waiting he decided to let himself in with the spare key she had given him for, in her words, "emergencies only."

"Kate?" He saw the shattered glass and blood on the floor, his heart dropped. "Kate, where are you?"

He noticed the bathroom light coming from under the door, slowly he walked over and lightly tapped on it. "Kate, are you in here?" What he saw when he opened the door frightened him. Beckett, the usually tough, ass-kicking detective sat against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest, visibly shaken, blood trickling from underneath the bandages on her arms.

He kneeled down next to her and whispered, "Kate" lightly touching her shoulder. She gasped, startled for a moment and jerked away from him. Suddenly she became aware who it was next to her and grabbed him pulling him close, gripping the back of his shirt so hard her knuckles were turning white. Kate's tears began to fall freely again as he rubbed small circles on her back gently, trying his best to calm her down.

He pulled back and stood after a moment, walking towards the countertop where she left the bandages. He came back and kneeled next to her and gently started unwrapping her arm. "What happened?"

"I didn't hurt…it was the table, it was an accident," she stumbled over her words trying her best not to look him directly in the eyes.

After finishing with the bandages he stood again, "I know you would never hurt yourself Kate. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

She shook her head. "Not tonight."

He nodded leaning down and scooping her up gently in his arms. She laid her head over on his shoulder, eyes already drooping closed. He walked her into the adjoining bedroom and lightly laid her on the bed and pulled the blankets up around her snugly. As he turned to walk out she reached for his hand, rubbing her fingers across his knuckles. "Will you stay with me? Please."

He nodded again and turned to retrieve the chair in the corner, but she didn't let go of his hand, gently pulling him towards her. "No, I mean here." She scooted to make room for him under the covers. He stared for a moment contemplating but decided if this was her way of asking for help he wasn't going to turn her down. He would deal with the consequences in the morning. As soon as he laid down next to her she slid back over, snuggling herself as close as possible into his side and laid her hand across his chest. She sighed, "thank you for coming."

"Always. Just try to get some sleep, ok?" He received no reply. She was already fast asleep. The fear of nightmares gone at least for the night. He was here. She was safe.

So what would you all like to see? Review or PM and let me know! :) Ideas are always welcome.

Thanks for reading!