Disclaimers: No, I don't.

Title: That is True Love

Summary: Kate suffers a seemingly minor in the line of duty injury that turns out to be far worse than anybody could imagine. Set in Season 5 between 'Still' and 'Watershed.' Rated M for adult content.

A/N #1: I'm still working on 'A Year in the Life.' I refuse to be one of those authors who starts something and leaves it unfinished. But, the people who know me well know that fluff isn't my specialty. Angst is my specialty; the darker, the better. In my other fandom I torture my female character unmercifully. I promise not to do this to Kate Beckett. After all, she's far different than my other female character. But, I'm just issuing a warning. I write angst. If this isn't your cup of tea, you don't have to read it.

A/N #2: This first chapter is M-rated because I start out with a sex scene. I hate the term smut.

A/N #3: The title comes from something Martha tells Rick in 'Anatomy of a Murder.' The line was originally met for Gina, but we all know how we feel about Gina.

Chapter 1: Touch

"When it comes right down to it, would you be willing to break her out of prison? Because that, my boy, is true love." Martha in 'Anatomy of a Murder'

She loved touching him. It had started that first night. She had discovered that there were so many textures to his skin. In the early morning and late evenings, his face was rough and stubbly. She relished the roughness on her breasts and between her thighs when they made love.

His hair was soft and feathered through her fingers when she ran them through it. One of her favorite things to do was to run her fingers through his hair. She smiled as she realized that Richard Castle was the only man she'd ever known who probably spent more time on his hair in the mornings than she did. If she let him loose in the hair care aisle at the market, it could be hours before she saw him again.

She trailed her fingers down to his chest, loving the softness of his skin. His chest was broad and solid, perfect for snuggling when the weather was cold or when she was feeling down. She stopped with her fingers when she saw that he was showing signs of waking up. It wasn't often that she got to explore him and watch him while he slept. She didn't like it when he did it, although she knew that he did it every chance he got.

Soon his breathing once again deepened, so Kate continued her exploration. She spread her fingers over his stomach, feeling the way his muscles flexed under her fingers. While far from toned, Kate loved the way that Castle looked naked. She loved being pressed against him in the shower as the water streamed around them, the steam mingling with the heat of their bodies.

Biting her lip, she cautiously moved her hand further down, brushing against him through his boxers, instantly feeling him twitch and harden under her fingers. She wrapped her fingers around him and slowly stroked him, feeling him get even harder. "Kate, what do you think you're doing?" His sleepy voice stopped her touching.

"Touching," she gave him an impish smile, her lips coming down to his.

"Funny. Touching always seems to get me in trouble," he pulled away to smile into her eyes. "Did you really expect me to sleep through all of that?"

"Well, not all of it," she kissed him again, her tongue tracing his bottom lip as he opened up for her. Meanwhile her hand continued stroking his now rock-hard erection.

She slowly pulled his boxers down his legs before she pulled the covers off of him. Flashing Castle a 'cat that ate the cream' look, she moved down his body before taking him into her mouth. He groaned at the feeling of her warm, wet mouth licking and sucking on him, taking him into her mouth as deeply as she could before moving back up. "Fuck, Kate," he moved his fingers down to weave them into her hair, gently stroking her scalp as she continued moving up and down his hard shaft. "Come up here," he begged her.

"Uh-uh," she hummed around him, reaching her hand down to gently caress his balls in her hand, feeling him twitch in her mouth. She loved the feeling of him in her mouth. She slowly licked the underside of his shaft as he groaned and arched his back. Suddenly he gave out a loud cry as he came, holding her head tightly against his groin as he emptied himself into her mouth.

"I think that I'll let you touch me more often," his chest was still heaving when he felt the warmth of Kate cuddling against him. "Do we have time for round two in the shower?"

"Unfortunately, no," she showed him her phone. "But, you can touch me all that you want tonight."

"I'm looking forward to it."

***CCC***

They were still incredibly touchy feely even as they got into the elevator to go up to the fourth floor of the 12th precinct. "We need to stop," Kate warned him as the elevator inched upward. "Remember, professional demeanor."

"Hey, who was touching who this morning?"

"That was at home. When we're at home, we can act like that. When we're here, we can't. Gates' ass is on the line here too, Castle."

Even though Gates was aware of their relationship, there were too many other people in the department who didn't and wouldn't be happy if they were to learn of it. Before Castle had a chance to respond, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and they stepped off. "Yo, Beckett!" Esposito called out to her. "We've got a possible location for Angel Mendoza. Ryan and I are on our way now. Do you want to come with us?"

"Hell, yes!" Kate said as she and Castle turned and immediately got back on the elevator.

They had been searching for 30-year-old Angel Mendoza for almost two weeks in connection with the murder of a notorious drug dealer. So far he'd managed to stay one step ahead of the homicide detectives due to members of his former gang as well as family members supplying him with places to hide out. Now he had been spotted in a house in TriBeca, not far from Castle's loft. "What is a low life druggie doing hiding out in TriBeca?" Castle wondered out loud when they arrived at the location and strapped on their Kevlar vests.

"Who knows?" Kate removed her Glock and checked it before looking at her team. "This guy is armed and dangerous, so be sharp. Let's go."

They stood outside the front door of the townhouse as Kate looked at Esposito and gave him the signal. "Angel Mendoza! NYPD! We have a warrant!" When there was no response, Kate signaled to Espo to kick in the door.

The door flew opened in a crash of splintered wood as the three detectives and Castle entered the two-story townhouse and began a room to room search. Shouts of 'clear' were called out as they found nothing on the first level. Taking the lead, Kate hugged the wall as they slowly made their way upstairs. The first two rooms were empty. Kate had just kicked in the door to the third room when she felt like she'd been blindsided by a linebacker for the New York Giants.

She'd been hit by 240 pounds of crazed meth addict. Angel Mendoza bulldozed into Kate, throwing her off balance and over the second floor railing to the floor below. "Kate!" Castle screamed out, watching helplessly as she flew over the railing.

"Freeze, asshole!" Espo and Ryan yelled at the same time. "Hands behind your head! Castle, check on Beckett!" Espo ordered as Ryan walked over and handcuffed Mendoza.

Castle ran down the stairs and over to Kate, who was lying unconscious on the marble floor, blood pooling under her head. "Kate!" he called out her name.

"This is Det. Javier Esposito!" Javi shouted into his radio as he and Ryan came downstairs with the suspect. "We need a bus at the corner of Broome and Ashby. Officer down! Castle, don't move her!"

"Come on, Kate. Wake up," Castle begged her as he knelt down beside her. After several minutes, he heard a low moan coming from her lips. "Kate?"

"What happened?" He heard her mumble.

"You got knocked over a railing. The bus will be here in a few minutes. Try not to move."

"Did we get him?"

"Yeah, we got him," Castle looked over his shoulder to where the boys were still standing with the suspect.

"Head really hurts, Castle," she moaned as the paramedics entered the room with a gurney.

After checking her over, they loaded her into an ambulance and headed for the hospital, Castle riding with her. "I'll call your dad when we get to the hospital," he told her as she nodded, the slight movement sending lightning bolts of pain through her head and neck.

Kate could never remember hurting so badly, not even after she'd gotten shot. Her head felt like it was going to split apart. The pain radiated down her neck and back. The last thing she remembered was going up the stairs. She reached her hand out toward Castle, feeling comforted when she felt his fingers clasping over hers. "I'm beginning to feel sick," she warned, gagging as the paramedic rolled her onto her side and placed an emesis basin under her chin.

"Is that normal?" Castle asked.

"It's probably a concussion. They'll know more after they take x-rays," the paramedic attempted to console him.

Kate was still throwing up when they rolled her into the emergency room and straight into a trauma room, where they blocked Castle from entering. He pulled out his phone and called Jim Beckett, leaving a message about what had happened to Kate.

"Mr. Castle!" He turned to find Capt. Gates striding toward him, her expression hard and unreadable, as usual. "Det. Esposito called and told me that Beckett had been injured by a suspect. How is she?"

"They haven't told me anything, yet. She was throwing up in the ambulance. I left a message for her father. Now I'm just waiting."

"What happened?"

"She was about to go into a room where we thought our suspect was hiding. He came barreling out and went straight into her, knocking her over a second-floor railing. She fell about 15 or 20 feet to the floor below."

"Did she regain consciousness?"

"Yes, right before the ambulance got there. She was making sense, so I guess that's good news."

"Yeah, I'm sure that it is."

"Family of Katherine Beckett!" A doctor called out.

"We're her colleagues. Her father is on his way," Capt. Gates told the man.

"I'm still awaiting x-rays, but nothing appears to be broken. She's a very lucky young woman. I'll know more conclusively when the x-rays come back, but I'm going to admit her for 24-hour observation."

***CCC***

When Kate opened her eyes, it was hard to focus. But finally her eyes fixed on the person sitting at her bedside. "You and mom always told me that I had a hard head," she slurred sleepily as her father chuckled.

"Yes, we did. But this wasn't exactly what we were talking about," Jim Beckett reached for his daughter's hand, gently kneading her fingers. "You're not Batgirl, Katie. You have to remember that you can't fly."

"I think that guy was a linebacker for the Giants. I hurt all over. So, what's the verdict? Am I going to live?"

"You have a severe concussion. You're also badly bruised up. But, you're very lucky. It could've been a lot worse."

"Is Castle here?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Jim smiled. "Do you want me to send him in?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She threw his question back at him.

"I'll send him in," he planted a kiss on her forehead as he got up.

Kate's precinct 'family' was all waiting expectantly when Jim stepped out of her room. "She's slowly coming around, but she's still pretty groggy. Rick, she's asking for you."

Kate's eyes were closed when Castle entered the room, but they fluttered opened when she felt his hand covering hers. "Hey, Castle," she breathed as he bent down and kissed her softly.

"You've got to stop scaring the shit out of me, Beckett."

"What's wrong? Did you try to tackle me again?"

"I never got a chance. They're going to keep you overnight. You'll be released tomorrow afternoon and then I'm going to take you to the loft."

"Castle, I can take care of myself," she protested weakly.

"Hey, that's not up for debate. The doc doesn't want you being left alone for a few days."

"I am okay though, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you're fine," he smiled.

"I'm glad because right now I feel like I got hit by a truck. I'm so tired."

"Then sleep," he kissed her hand. "I'll stay right here until you go to sleep."

As she drifted back to sleep, she wanted to ask him about the odd tingling in her legs and arms. It felt like everything was asleep. But she was so tired that it was hard to form thoughts. She'd ask him when she woke up.

A/N #4: Things will get much worse before they get better. Please read and review.

I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960. If I'm not bitching about my family, I'm talking Castle with my followers.