Potential spoilers I suppose but really the press release announcing Adam Baldwin's guest star spot just spawned this.

I don't own Castle.

Missed Signals

Beckett's going to kill me, were the last words that ran through my head as my knees hit the concrete, and then there was nothing.

The warehouse looked pretty empty as we pulled up; the detective I was riding with however assured me that this was where we needed to be. The target of the entire operation was on the other side of the building and the easiest way to get there without detection was through the dark building looming in front of us. "You still good, Writer?" The leather-clad detective driving asked me.

Adrenaline, crossing through me I patted the vest I'd snagged from Beckett's cruiser earlier. "I'm good."

"Well then let's go. Show you how the big boys do it." His partner grinned, extricating himself from the car leaving the two of us to follow him.

There were about a dozen members of the gang unit with us. Most of them I'd never met, Detective Slaughter was talking over strategy with a few others by the door, and mostly it was a group of wound up men that had made their bones bringing down gangs. Not necessarily in the manner that I was willing to follow but it had been one hell of a ride.

Slaughter signaled for everyone to join him and we all gathered around. There was a wrench in my gut, I didn't know any of these guys, there was sense of distrust that I'd never felt before. Beckett wasn't here, Ryan, Esposito, any of the uniforms I knew, they were all back at the precinct working on the homicide that was peripherally related to the bust I was on. Instead of solving the murder though, this time I'd decided to tag along with the gang unit.

The direction complete, the detectives moved into place, Slaughter coming up next to me, "You ready Castle?" I swallowed the panic I was feeling and just nodded, "Ok keep your head on your shoulders. I do not want to have to explain to your partner if you do anything stupid."

"She'll kill me first," I tried to joke.

He nodded with a wry smile before directing his attention to the others, "Let's go."

Stealthy they filed in ahead of us, clearing the space in the tactical manner they are trained for and I followed them in, the rookie coming in behind me making sure the team wasn't surprised by anyone appearing suddenly.

It was half way across the warehouse when all hell broke loose. I couldn't see what was happening, I could only hear gunfire, and shouts echoing around the building. I turned to ask the rookie what to do, but he was gone. There was no one in sight but just towers of wood pallets illuminated by my flashlight, even though I could hear people amongst the stacks of abandoned debris.

Beckett's going to kill me. Were the last words that ran through my head as my knees hit the concrete, and then there was nothing.

"He's got a pulse." Her voice pierced through my consciousness, as she yelled to an unknown accomplice nearby.

The voice was softer now, "Come on Castle, wake up." I felt fingers slip through my hair gently. "Come on Rick."

A groan finally escaped my lips and caused gasp from her, "Kate?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, "Hey there big guy." The hand that she wasn't brushing through my hair softly took my hand, "The paramedics are going to be here any minute."

Opening my eyes her face swam in front on me, not really coming into focus. "What happened?"

"You got hit on the head." She squeezed my hand.

"Why are you here?"

"Later." She promised

I had more questions floating in my brain, but I couldn't quite get them out. "I'll tell you later but the paramedics are here and you have to go to the hospital."

"You're coming?"

Another squeeze to my hand, "Of course I'm coming with you." But that was all I got before I passed out again.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A heart monitor. That is what that sound had to be. Not opening my eyes, I tried to take stock of my surroundings. The heart monitor was beeping inscently, there was an IV taped to my arm, the bed was at an angle and everything was itchy and scratchy in a manner than only hospital linens can be.

A snuffle came from next to my bed, and I lifted my eyelids open, finding the task akin to lifting dumbbells that were really twenty pounds to heavy to work with. I was rewarded with the sight of Detective Kate Beckett curled up in an uncomfortable chair reading an ancient copy of People.

"Kate?"

Her head snapped up, "You're awake?" she lunged out of her chair coming closer to me.

"I appear to be," the words felt slurred on my tongue.

"How do you feel?"

I closed my eyes cataloging the feelings in my body, "Like I got hit by a two by four and collapsed onto a concrete floor."

That earned me a giggle, "That's what happened."

"What actually happened?" I asked, looking around for water, or ice chips, whatever it was that hospitals supplied patients with, my throat and tongue felt like the Mojave Desert.

She turned retrieving a glass of the table behind her wiping at her face quickly before coming back to me. "Here," She handed over the glass. Casting her eyes to the bed, she didn't know whether to sit or stand.

With a little effort, I managed to scoot over on the bed, patting the space next to me. "Sit Kate."

A little smile graced her face as she picked up my hand and perched herself on the edge holding my hand in her lap. Her thumb rubbing gentle circles on the top of my hand, she took a deep breath and looked at me, "They were gone, except for a couple of newbie's trying to earn their stripes by taking out the cops."

She squeezed my hand, and then patted my chest with her free hand, "Your stupid writer vest probably saved your life, because it made it clear you weren't a cop."

I smiled, wincing as my head throbbed in response. "I knew it'd come in handy."

She shook her head, "God, Castle…" her fingers curling into the fabric of the hospital gown, "What the hell were you thinking going with them."

"I go with you all the time!" I protested.

"You don't go in when there's swat teams. You don't go in when there's supposedly a gang waiting for you. I've made you wait before," A tear escaped and she did nothing to wipe it away, "I don't make you wait to tease you, I make you wait to keep you safe."

She looked so heartbroken, I'd never fathomed that my adventures with Detective Slaughter would cause her so much turmoil. It hit me rather hard that I had not been giving her enough credit this last year for all the steps that she had been making. I'd seen the looks, the brush of her hand even though she already had my attention, the shoulder bump to bring me out of a mood and remind me that she was there, "Oh Kate…"

"Rick, if you die what am I supposed to say to your mom, to Alexis." The tears were following freely now and I reached up with the un-tethered hand and tried to wipe them away, but she just leaned her cheek into my palm. "What am I supposed to do if you die? Her tear-laden eyes met mine.

"Kate I'm right here. I just got hit on the head."

"And you're now in the hospital. Because you went where you shouldn't have. I told you that they did thing differently, that the gang task force works different than homicide. And you didn't listen, and now you're in the hospital."

"Kate…"

"Castle…" she shook her head, "Rick, god damn it, I love you and the thought of you going into a warehouse with unknown bad guys, without me to look out for you… I just, I can't… You could have died." She rattled on, oblivious to the fact that I'd frozen under her.

"You…" I swallowed hard, "You love me?"

A watery smile graced her face, "I'm terrified of you dying because you were acting like an idiot, and that's what you latch onto." She leaned over resting her forehead against my chest. "I love you." She mumbled into my chest.

I sat stunned, trapped in a hospital bed by cords, tubes, and a NYPD Homicide Detective. Coming back to myself, I moved run my hand through her hair for a moment. "You heard me didn't you?"

She lifted her head, settling her chin on my chest to look at me. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I just watched her, her eyes changing rapidly as her emotions flitted across them. "I should be mad."

"You're not?"

I thought about it a little bit longer, "No, you told me where we stood last fall, and I didn't realize it until now but you've been showing me how you felt all year." Cradling her head with my hand, I rubbed my thumb along the back of her ear. "Plus you're a horrible liar."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I couldn't be sure. I couldn't do anything but wait for you to be in a place that I could tell you again." She blinked slowly, "Kate come up here." I pleaded. Her brow wrinkled as she untangled herself enough so that she could stand and lay down next to me.

"Is this better?" She asked, just a little bit of sarcasm layered in her tone.

I smiled, noticing that the pain in my head wasn't getting any better, but chose to ignore it. "Yes much better but I'm going to need you to look at me."

I could hear the little huff as she pushed herself up so that she could look at me, "Demanding aren't you."

"I'm the one in a hospital bed."

"Which you wouldn't have ended up in if you'd listened to me in the first place."

I huffed, "Quiet will you." I growled, "I wanted to tell you something."

"Sorry."

"I love you."

She smiled just a little bit and her eyes sparkled in the quiet of the room, the moment only interrupted by the beeping of the heart monitor. After I beat I lifted my head just far enough to press a kiss to her lips and when I pulled back she followed kissing me again, before tucking her head into the crook of my neck and just breathing.

"We should get some sleep." She says softly and I can hear her fighting sleep in her voice.

"What time is it?" I managed to ask.

"After 3 am." Her eyelashes fluttered against my neck. "They're letting you out in the morning." She yawned.

Suddenly the beeping wasn't so annoying, the needle in my arm wasn't uncomfortable, and the lines weren't so scratchy because Kate was pressed up against me. And my eyelids took on the leaden feeling again, "Ok. Just stay." I asked, but she couldn't have said no because she was already out. Wrapping the arm on the edge of the bed around her waist I finally let myself drift off.

Thoughts?

Babyrose