CASKETT: IN DIFFERENT ENDING

(Disclaimer: I do not own the show Castle or its characters.)

This is a product of my imagination.

Staying Alive

"Kate!" Castle runs towards Beckett and they both fell in the ground.

Everyone in Montgomery's burial got panic while Castle was still on top of Beckett a little bit unconscious already. He tried to move his body and Beckett helped him.

"Castle, you're in blood. Castle!" Beckett was already nervous seeing his blood on her hands. "Listen to me, Rick, stay with me. Don't you ever leave me. Please Rick, you're all I got right now who's willing to stand beside me. Please Rick, stay with me. That's an order." She cried.

Castle tried to open his eyes but he is slowly losing his cognizance.

"We need an ambulance. Please call an ambulance. Castle was shot. Please." Kate shouted.

Ryan and Exposito runs immediately to Castle's body and carried him in the car.

"We will bring you to the hospital Castle. You don't give up on us dude. Don't leave us. You need to fight." Expo said while holding Castle's wound to stop the bleeding.

Everyone who cares for Castle arrived at St. Francis Hospital. All of them are hysterical about the shooting especially Alexis, Martha and Beckett.

"Is he going to survive, grandma? Tell me, he will. He needs to." Alexis cries out loud.

Martha hugs her granddaughter. "He will survive this. Your dad is a fighter, a strong man. I'm sure he will beat this tragic incident."

"Martha, I'm sorry. Alexis, I'm so sorry." Kate confronted the two. "I could have been the one who's lying and operated inside. I'm really sorry." She sobbed.

"Hey Kate, it's not your fault. You're not the one who shoots him. What Castle did was bravery. I know how much he cares for you. Anyone will do the same way for people that we care. Don't blame yourself." Martha gives her a hug.

Kate looks Alexis in her eyes both in tears. She hugs her too. "He'll be fine. Your dad is my hero and he's not just going to leave us just like this. We will get through this."

"There's the doctor." Ryan said seeing Josh walking near them.

"Josh, how is he?" Kate asked.

"We already get the bullet out of his body. It's good that there are no vital organs that were affected. He is still under observation. You know, he lost lots of blood and he went flat line and needed to be revived. We hope that would be the first and last until he recovers." Josh explained.

"Does it mean he's out of danger?" Martha asked.

"All I'm saying Mrs. Rodgers, Castle is still under observation. No vital complications. He just need to recover and no more cardiac arrest." Josh answered.

"Josh please, I need him to be alive. I need him to be safe. Please, save him. Save Rick for me." Beckett is in tears holding Josh's hands.

"Don't worry Kate; we are doing our best to save your friend." Josh replied.

"Beckett, we got a call in the precinct. We need to go." Expo said.

"I can't." Becket answered back.

"Hey, I know how much you care for him but we have a job to do. It's a job that will put his shooter behind bars. We need to go not because we have to but for Castle." Ryan tries to convince Beckett who's still shaken up.

"They are right Beckett. We are here for dad. Capture that son of a bitch who shot my dad." Alexis is in her highest note of anger.

"We will update you with the development." Martha added.

Few days passes, still Beckett and the team has no signs of the shooter. The cemetery's janitor was a ghost, no videos and no witnesses. It's all blank except for the rifle that the sniper used.

"If Roy has just told me who the hell is behind this, everything should have never happened. They killed Roy and tried to kill me too. They are after me and I need to find them to seek for justice." Beckett stares in the mother board with loads of questions in her mind.

Exposito put his hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Hey, no matter what will happen we will find the person who's liable to this. We need to have our hopes up and keep seeking for evidence to put everything into rest. We can do it, we always do." He said.

"Thanks for the words of encouragement Exposito but we're out of clue and it's already a week, still we don't have anything to find the bastards." Kate stood up and faces Expo. "I can't accept that the person who shot Castle was still out there doing everything he wanted while my partner is fighting for his life at the hospital. He's still unconscious Javi and I can't do anything even just finding his shooter. I'm useless." She felt disgusted and sorrow.

"Beckett, it's not your fault. Don't keep on blaming yourself. We are doing our best here to look for that felonious and what happened that day is not our choice." Expo eases Beckett's feelings.

"He was shot because of me. The case that we're into was about my mother's case. Everything is all about me Javi. He tried to stop me but I did not listen to him. He told me that we will never win this one but still I move forward not thinking what can happen to me and to all the people I cared about. It's my fault." Beckett acknowledges her flaw.

Exposito realizes that anything that will come out from his mouth will meant nothing to Beckett. He knew she's is too much pain and nothing can eases that pain. She has her point. "Just let it out Beckett. You and Castle are both strong and I know you can go through this." He smiled and hugs Beckett.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you two but I have a call from Mrs. Rodgers. Good new, he is already awake." Ryan smiled.

Beckett and the team hurries to the hospital. They are all excited to see their man who rose from the dead. When they arrived, the room was already full of visitors; his poker friends, cowriters, surprisingly his ex-wives, Martha and Alexis.

"Hey. You're here." Josh hugs Beckett.

"Yeah. We just got the message. Thank you for saving him." Beckett replied.

"It's our job. By the way, can we talk for a minute? Well you can't go inside yet while lots of visitors are still inside." Josh requested.

"Sure. Excuse me guys." Beckett said and walks along with Josh to a distance from Expo and Ryan.

"I haven't seen you in days. Martha mentioned to me that you're here every night visiting him but our paths never got the chance to meet because I was there in your apartment. I left you messages but it seems that you're busy." Josh starts a serious conversation.

"I'm sorry Josh. Well, at daytime I was in the precinct looking for leads and still we did not find anything. We follow tracks but it is always a dead end. I don't want that criminal to escape and never pay for what he did to Roy and Castle. I'm burning my time at the precinct to figure things out." Beckett explains.

"So still got no leads?" Josh asked.

"Sad to say, yes and I'm so upset." Beckett answered.

"Well you could have called me to help you deal with these things that upsets you." Josh held Beckett's hand.

"I know. But," Beckett did not finish her thoughts.

"But you can't do that. That's why you visits him at night and tell him how disappointed you are, for not finding his shooter." Josh looks straightly in Beckett's eyes with doubts in his eyes.

"What are you trying to say? Yes Josh, I come here every night to visit him, to see how he's doing. Would that be wrong for me to do? Would that be unacceptable for a person to visit someone who saves her life?" Beckett asked.

"No Kate. It is not wrong. But it is also not wrong for you to confide your feelings to your boyfriend. Whatever it is or how painful this incident brought you. Don't push me out of the loop Kate." Josh answered.

"Hey. I'm not pushing you. I'm just too preoccupied of the whole thing. You know that the bottom of this is me. I need to be there for him as he was always for me. He's someone who's willing to dive into every situation that I'm into. I owe that to him." Kate clarifies how she feels towards Castle.

"I just want a chance Kate to comfort you. I know what is he to you but I was hoping for that chance as your boyfriend. Castle was your partner and your friend and I get that. You visit him here and it is very acceptable. I don't know but I can't avoid thinking and asking myself, when are going to need me to be there for you when Castle was always there for you and same as you are to him. See, he's unconsciousness and still you choose to disclose to him your emotions even you don't get any response." Josh takes few steps away from her.

"What are you trying to say now?" Beckett moves forward to get near to him.

"I love you Kate and you know that. But we can go on like this. It is not enough that we love each other but not needing each other. I can see that having someone as your boyfriend is not what you need right now. All you need is Castle." Josh responded.

"You're breaking up with me?" Beckett asked.

"No. It is not breaking up with you. It is more on giving what you deserve or what your heart desires more." Josh answered and kisses Beckett's forehead. "I wish for your safety and happiness, Kate." He added.

"I'm sorry Josh and thank you." Beckett replied.

"Uhmm, excuse me. Sorry to disturb you guys but Beckett we can already go inside." Expo interrupts.

"I'll follow you, Javi." Beckett said to Expo. "So this is it. Goodbye Josh." She hugs Josh and gives him one last kiss in his cheek.

While approaching Castle's door, Beckett's heart beats fast. Josh was right that every night she's sitting beside Castle's bed to tell him how she feels badly not capturing his shooter and that how much she wanted him to wake up and helped her solve the case.

"Hi everybody." Beckett greets. "Hey superhero." She grinned to Castle.

"Stranded?" Castle jokes.

"Yeah. Got to fix things." Beckett answered. "Hi Martha, Alexis, Gina and Meredith." She smiled at everyone.

"So you're campaigning for a position?" Castle makes fun of Beckett.

"Funny." Beckett becomes serious staring at Castle.

"What? Do I look that bad?" Castle asked.

"I just thought I could never see you alive again and please you always look bad." Beckett turns to teases him.

"Really. That's all I have to get after you know." Castle said.

"After you save my life? Well I'm very thankful for that but it won't push me to tell you that you don't look bad." Beckett laughs as for everybody else in the room.

"Okay. Okay. Make fun of your patient." Castle pity himself.

"Dad, don't worry. You will always be the most handsome man in my life." Alexis held Castle's hand.

"Do you have a choice for that Alex?" Expo asked that makes everyone laugh again.

"Well, you can all go now. I don't need people who are making me a joke." Castle pretends to be serious.

"That's not normal bro. How you look right now, nah." Ryan reacts.

"Richard, can we leave you for a while. Alexis, come. We need to change and get some stuff in the house." Martha cuts the happy moment.

"Yes mom and bring my laptop when you get back." Castle replied.

"And so are we. We already spent enough time here. You need to rest also." Gina looks to Meredith and gave her a sign to leave with her.

"Yeah, kitten." Meredith walks towards the bed. "But we will come back tomorrow." She kisses him in his cheek.

"Goodbye to you two. I really appreciate that you visit me here." Castle smiled.

The four left the room leaving the A-team behind.

"You are so blessed with hot women Castle." Expo observes.

"Really, Javi. Is all you have observed?" Beckett asked.

"Hey, he is talking to me, Beckett." Castle gives Beckett a wink. "Yeah, I'm so blessed." He said.

"Change topic." Ryan intrudes.

"So how's everything in the precinct? And my case?" Castle asked.

"I'm sorry to say bro, but we got no leads. The entirety of all the angles during that day is dead end." Exposito answers.

"But we're trying our best Castle to find your shooter. I, myself will personally look for him and give justice to what he had done to you and to Captain Montgomery." Beckett sits beside him.

"Guys, can you leave us alone for a while? I know you miss me but I miss Beckett more." Castle looks at Ryan and Expo and smiled.

"We know that already. We will just get us something to eat." Ryan pulls Expo's hand and walks to the door.

"Hey. I know you want to look for that guy but can you stand down, Kate?" Castle asked.

Beckett looks little puzzled. "What are you asking me?" She asked back.

"I'm asking you to let this go, just this one Kate. You already knew how far they can go and what they are capable of. So I'm asking you to let go." Castle answers.

"Don't you want your shooter be put behind bars? Castle, you almost die. I can't stop right now." Beckett stood up not knowing what to think about Castle's idea.

"Yeah, I almost die and I can't get you through that. Montgomery died to keep you safe Kate. I took the bullet that could have killed you because I want you to be safe. Every time we came across your mother's case, something bad happens." Castle tries to use his convincing power to stop Beckett.

"You're asking me to stop looking for justice for my mom, for Roy and for you." Beckett responded.

"It is not to stop you. Until we get hard evidence and all the leads that we needed, then we can seek for justice. Just not now. We don't really know whom we are dealing with. We don't know who the real enemies are. Let's stand down for a while and look for justice for those who can't in the meantime." Castle said.

"Castle." Beckett gives him a sad face.

"I know it's hard for you because what happened that day made you. But you have change and it doesn't explain what person you are right now, Kate. That woman who hides behind her past had already changed. It's not who you are anymore. This, what I can see right now is different; braver, stronger and became more caring and kind." Castle smiled at her.

"Really?" Beckett walks near him and sits beside him again.

"You got to believe a person who's also most likely a hero for you." Castle giggles.

"Thank you for saving my life. Thank you." Beckett held Castle's hand and kisses his cheek.

"Always." Castle grips her hand. "You owe me big time." He added.

"What?" Beckett is a little surprise.

"I'm just saying that, you need to promise me one thing." Castle looks seriously.

"If I can. What was that?" Beckett asked.

"Katherine, promise me first." Castle insists.

"Okay. I promised." Beckett replied.

"Starting today, you will never push me away." Castle said. "That's a promise."