A/N: This is my first fic so I hope you like it. I am sticking with the story line. Montgomery is dead, and everything has happened up until Pandora.

Viewer disclaimer I do not own anything of Castle (unless you count season three on DVD than no) if you wanna know what happens well then you just might have to read

Beckett had come home to her apartment late that night from the precinct. She sat on her couch and thought over the day's events. After an easy body drop that took a turn after all of the suspects turned up dead. The last thing she needed was more paperwork. She had been coughing all day and catching more breaks than suspects, Castle having to carry a bag around for the instances when we were walking from place to place.

Gates sent me home with Ryan and Esposito to do all the paperwork. She lied on her couch and grabbed a blanket. She knew Castle was going to come over any minute checking on her so she wanted to at least get some rest before she ad to deal with him. She closed her eyes and was thrown into a fitful sleep images of her mother and Castle flying around in her mind as if waiting to be picked out of the bunch.

She woke up feeling worst than before hearing a trashing at the door she walked over to it and opened it gently with the blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Castle standing there with a bag and she could smell the chicken noodle soup. Her mouth watered at the decadent smell that wafted into her tiny apartment and she opened the door a little more so he could walk in.

"Feeling better detective?" He inquired pulling out the food.

"No, sleeping didn't help either." She replied sounding nasally already and ready for him to laugh at her but he simply smiled and handed her a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"Well if I do say so myself,you don't look any better."

"Gee Castle, I'm glad that you are always judging my appearance." She said through bites of chicken.

"Hey I've got hobbies as well." She noticed he wasn't eating and she looked at what was in the bag. More chicken noodle soup and a few boxes she could distinguish from her angle.

"I ate before I got here. Besides your the one who is sick I can't be eating all of your food." He said noticing that she was looking around curiously. She nodded and continued to eat as he was cleaning up.

"Are you trying to tell me my apartment is dirty Castle?" She asked as he was tiding up his area.

"Now Beckett what kind of man would I be if all I did was judge you?" He smiled his grin and she gently pushed her bowl away from her signaling she was done.

"A bad one I'd suggest. That was good where did you get it," She said smiling putting her head in her hands, "Reminds me of the kind my mom used to make."

"I made it myself. Talented aren't I." He said walking over back to the bag and pulled out a few Tupperware containers and setting them in her fridge. Which by the way was littered with take out from the past few days. She shook her head as he opened it but he simply made room for the savory substance hiding in well made containers. He walked back over and directed her towards her couch.

"Castle I said before I am not sleeping well."

"Maybe because you didn't have anyone to fight away the nightmares" He sat her down and did his best fighter pose which she couldn't help but chuckle at as she lied on the arm of the couch, both feet curled under both her and the blanket.

He relaxed next to her and -being a guy he soon found the remote from it's hiding underneath the couch and turned on the TV.

"How is this supposed to help my recovery?"

"Oh come on Beckett you can't tell me that you have never been sick and sat and watched TV all day?"

"Yes I have but never..." She paused and looked at the ground. His face dropped thinking he had hit a nerve.

"Beckett I'm sorry we don't have to if you don't want to."

"No i-it's just that.." I haven't done that with someone I've loved in a long time. "We can watch whatever you want." She finally said looking back at him with a faint smile. He knew she was hiding something but he didn't want to push her too far. So he simply smiled and flipped through the channels and finally found a movie.

"I don't think I have heard of this. Who is in it?"

"It's called Serenity. Nathan Fillion, and a few other actors and actresses. I've been told I look like Nathan Fillion but I don't see it." She looks from him to the TV and shrugs.

"I think you two could be brothers." She smirks, two of the hottest brothers I've ever see. He looks over at her and he cute smirk and can't help but wonder what she is thinking.

"Castle the movie is on my TV not on my face" She says without looking at him. He smirks and gets up and grabs some medicine and when he comes back she is gone. He has a mini heart attack and then hears her in the bathroom. He puts the medicine down and walks in to her hugging the toilet.

"If the soup was that bad you could have told me. I'm a big boy I can take it." He grabs a wash cloth and gets it damp and as she heaves again he has the feeling to cradle her like he used to when Alexis was just a baby. He kneels next to her and gently wipes her face.

"Castle you don't have to stay. I can handle myself."

"The hell I will. I'm will stay here until you are well and you can't get rid of me." She looked up at him and had the urge to kiss him right then and there but knew that wasn't going to happen with her looking like this. He stood up and ran into the living room and came back minutes later with a glass of water and some pills. She was shaking violently in her hands and tried to steady them, her energy drained.

"Here this will help." He kneels down again and hands her the items in which he was holding. She grabbed the pills first and downed them easy then taking the water same spilling at her shaking hands.

"Thanks Castle."

"Always." She smiled and dry heaved having nothing left in her stomach. He gently stood her up and walked her to her couch and grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. He held up his finger to her and headed for her bathroom to grab her trash can. He filled it with maybe an inch of water and came back and set it next to her on the floor. "Those pills should kick in soon." He looked down at her and smiled his eyes sparkling. He had seen her at her most vulnerable moments and yet he had never shied away from the challenge. She knew then -or at least then and there that he was the one for her never giving up to help her no matter what has been said between them. He came back with a delicious smelling drink.

"Alcohol so soon?" He shook his head and gave it to her.

"It's a drink I used to make for Alexis when she was sick. It helped." She took a sip and it smelled way better than it tasted. But it was just one of those tastes that you hated but still wanted to have more of the less you had it. They kept looking at each other. Each content with the blissful silence. Then a knock on her door sounded and they both looked up but Castle was faster to the door and he opened it slightly. He looked back before he looked at who was there. She had no idea who it could be. He looked at the face and welcomed it immediately.

"Hey Castle what are you doing here?" Said the voice pondering.

"I was just visiting."

"Hey Beckett you feeling any better?"

"No Espo I'm not." Esposito gave Castle a look before he stepped back to let Ryan speak.

"Well we got all of the paperwork done and there was another body found just four blocks from here so we thought we might check on you." He and Esposito gave Castle the same look when the y stepped back.

"Thanks guys, but I don't think I can make this one I know you two got this." They nodded waved and headed out as Castle shut the door and came back and grabbed her cup to get her more.

"Castle why did you come? You could have just gone home and yet you came here first. Why?" She looked up at him as he looked down at her.

"Because I know you would have tried to shrug it off and come back into work tomorrow. Besides who better to take care of you than someone with a daughter."She smiled again this time attempting to get up, but he gently knelt in front of her ad gently put his hands on her shoulders but she shrugged them away.

"No, I..." She gives in, she doesn't know why maybe because of the lightheadedness from her empty stomach or the ingredients affecting negatively to her body but she had to do this. She had to know that it was he she wanted not just his act he tried to pull off as himself. But she needed this she shoves herself on him connecting each other her left hand in his hair. Her free hand on his shoulder. She could tell by the way he was holding back he was surprised but soon he was right along with her. Both tongues fighting for dominance. His hands gently roaming her back pulling her closer. Surprisingly he was the first one to pull away.

"Beckett. No, I don't-" But she interrupted in the middle.

"But I'm not going to regret this i promise. I need you. I hate that I hadn't realized this earlier, but when we had to go under cover as the drunk couple and you kissed me I knew I needed more than that." She looked at the ground his eyes feeling like a jury and she was being judged. He lifted her head with is finger and smiled.

"I was going to say that, I'm blaming you if i get sick." He leaned down and now it was his turn. He pulled her closer to him and also pulled her up. She held his head and slowly granted him access to her mouth. She moaned in his mouth making him play with her hair and sliding his other hand under her shirt. She needed breath so she starts making a trail of kisses along his jaw and neck. He closes his eyes and fiddles with her bra straps and she nips his jaw making him pull her yet even closer. He needs her now but knows that if he pushes her she is going to runaway. She stops and looks him in the eyes. His blue eyes like giant pools of trust and love. If only she could have that must trust and love as she say in his eyes right then and there.

She put her head in the crook of his neck, "I'm sorry for everything."

He just held her, feeling her heartbeat underneath all of her clothes. Her faint smell of cherries in her hair. And the way she fits so perfectly in the crevice of his neck.