Castle is one of my many favorite shows.

Please read and review, I hope you like it.

I do not own Castle (although I wish I do ;P)

Richard Castle, the famous mystery writer, sat alone in a table in the hospital cafeteria. There was an untouched coffee cooling in front of him. Castle's eyes were staring blindly at the far door, his mind miles away.

The phone in his pocket rang waking the famous bachelor from his daydream.

"Dad? Grandma just told me. What's happening? Do you want us to come there?" Alexis' voice had a hint of worry.

"It's okay Alexis, stay with your grandma, I'll call you when anything happens." Richard reassured her daughter.

Alexis hesitated before answering back, "Oh, okay. I'll see you later. Give Detective Beckett all my best." The other end of the line hang up and Richard was left listening to the beeping noise of the phone. He placed his phone back into his pocket and stood up.

His legs walked towards the elevator and his arms pressed the button to go up. Meanwhile, his mind was preoccupied to the moment nine months ago where his life started to turn around.

Nine months ago:

"Katie, you know what happened the last time you tried to investigate. You almost died."

Katherine Beckett reached across the table to hold her father's hand, "Dad, this isn't like the last time. We have actual lead to the one who planned it all. This is the person who tried to have me killed, I can't just stop now." Kate vaguely remembered that scene in Captain Montgomery's funeral. She remembered the bullet from the sniper hitting her chest and Rick throwing her to the ground. She remembered Rick whispering 'I love you' to her.

Jim Beckett sighed; he knew he could never be able to convince his daughter to stop. "Katie, just be careful, okay? I can't lose you too. I love you."

"I know dad, I love you too."

The two had their hands on the table; Kate slid her hands away to tuck a rogue hair behind her ears.

"Katie—," his dad started.

Kate looked at her dad. But his next words were drowned out by the loud noise Kate knew all to well. The glass next to them smashed into million pieces, some of it landing on Kate. But that wasn't the cause of the loud noise. The bullet whizzing past struck and hit Jim Beckett in his chest.

Kate stared as blood poured out if her dad's chest. She froze to her spot as the people around her screamed and panicked.

"Dad?" Kate didn't care about the cuts on her face; she had her eyes only to the blood-covered hole in her dad's shirt.

She scrambled out of her seat and brought her dad to the ground. Kate brought her hands together and pushed Jim's chest.

"Keep your heart beating dad. Come on." Kate murmured repeatedly.

"Somebody call 911!" she heard herself scream. She pushed down again and again, murmuring the same words, "Stay alive for me dad. Stay alive."

Her hands were soaked; another pair of gloved hands replaced hers.

"No!" she screamed, forcing to push her dad's chest down again.

"Ma'am, move over, let us do our job."

"He's my dad. He has to stay alive."

"Ma'am, we'll make sure we do everything we can to help him."

Kate finally surrendered and left the men working on her dad. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, her face smeared with blood.

Kate watched as they pulled her dad into a stretcher and brought him to the ambulance. The ambulance drove away with its lights blaring and its sirens deafening, leaving Kate alone in the middle of the destroyed restaurant.

Kate pulled the phone from her pocket and dialed Esposito.

"Beckett?"

"Esposito, my dad's been shot."

There was a moment of silence before Esposito answered back, "What do you mean? By who? Where's he now?"

"The ambulance took him away. Get Ryan, I think the shooter's the same one who tried to kill me in Montgomery's funeral. We were talking about him when he was shot; I think they were aiming for me." Kate choked on the last word. She could not take the feeling that she was the reason her dad was bleeding out. If her dad dies, Kate would be filled with regret, regret that's going to haunt her till her last breath.

"I'm heading over to the hospital; call me when you get something." Kate snapped her phone shut, she was planning to make another phone call but hesitated. Instead, she slipped her phone inside her pocket and ran to her car.

"Jim Beckett, he's been admitted fifteen minutes ago with a gunshot to the chest."

The woman in the counter nodded to the operation room. Kate hazily recalled being wheeled to the same room when she was shot.

"Kate?" Kate froze to her spot. Richard jogged towards her.

"What happened? Esposito told me your dad—,"

"He's been shot, Castle." Her voice trembled and despite the dirt and the blood staining her clothes, Rick leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. Kate leaned her head on Rick's shoulders and real tears started flowing down. She cried on his shoulder.

Kate stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes were red from crying, her face smeared with blood and dirt. Shards of glass still stuck to her arms. Her clothes were ripped and ruined. She turned the tap on and let the warm water clean her hands; her dad's blood flowed and stained the clean white sink.

She washed her face and wiped it with the white towel next to her. Kate knew she needed to shower but she had to go back to the precinct as soon as possible. Kate stripped her ruined clothes off and put on a clean white shirt and jeans. She threw her wrecked clothes in the bin and drove back to the precinct.

"Oh sweetie." Lanie wrapped her arms around Kate.

"Has there been any news?" Ryan came up from behind her.

"N—," the word got stuck and Kate had to clear her throat, "No, there's no news yet. The surgeon said he'll let me know as soon as anything new has happened."

"Where's Castle? I thought he was with you in the hospital?"

Kate nodded, "Yeah, I went home first to get changed. I thought he went straight here afterwards."

Esposito came up from behind Lanie and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What did you find out?" Kate asked, she tried not to look at the sweet embrace of her two colleagues and friends and turned instead to Ryan.

Ryan frowned, "Not much. We got the bullet from your dad, it was homemade, and whoever did this was a professional. We're trying to make a match but so far, no luck."

"If they were professional, why'd they miss? Why'd they hit my dad instead of me?"

"They're not trying to kill you; they're trying to hurt you." Richard walked up to them, his eyes was wary without its usual gleam of excitement.

"Your dad's out of the surgery, he's in a—," Richard paused and stared directly at Kate's eyes, "he's in a coma, Kate."

Everybody froze; Kate felt her breathing speed up.

"What happened?" the words struggled to get out.

Richard looked uncomfortable to be the one giving the news, "He wasn't hit in any organs but he bled out."

Kate blinked and a drop of tear rolled down.

"You have to go home." Richard placed the coffee on Kate's desk and sat on his usual chair. Kate looked up from the computer, "I'm not resting until whoever did this is dead."

Richard nodded, "You'll never finish this if you're tired."

Kate took the coffee and sipped without looking at Richard, she turned back to her computer.

Richard sighed and stretched his legs; he stretched his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"What do you think? I'm sleeping; wake me up when you're ready to go home." Richard replied without opening an eye.

"I'm perfectly fine to get home myself."

"Yeah, but you're staying in my house. I won't let you out of my sight until this is over." Richard looked at Kate, "I won't let them get to you."

"Gates already set up security around my building, so our place is the safest place in all of New York."

Kate opened her mouth to argue but sighed, "Fine, let's go. I can't think anyway." Kate stood up from her chair and grabbed her jacket. Richard smiled and followed her to the elevator.

"Where's Alexis and Martha?" Kate asked as soon as Castle opened the door.

"Alexis is sleeping over her friend's house and my mom is in Los Angeles for an audition." Richard locked the door behind Kate.

Kate followed Richard to the empty kitchen. "What would you like for dinner?" he opened the fridge and took out the spaghetti Alexis made this morning.

Richard set the plates and poured red wine for two. He offered the glass to Kate who shook her head, "I'm working; I can't drink."

Richard sighed and placed the glass in front of Kate, "You're not working, and you need to rest and what best to help you relax than a glass of red wine."

Kate rolled her eyes and took the glass; she lifted it up to her lips and sipped.

Richard Castle lay on his bed wide awake; his arms were stretched behind his head, his eyes staring at the ceiling. In the other room, Kate was sleeping.

Richard sighed; he knew he couldn't get any sleep. He rolled to his side and grabbed his laptop. The document to his manuscript was open. He was writing this afternoon when Esposito called about Kate's father. Richard stared at the last word wondering what to write next.

The doorknob turned and Richard looked around alarmed. He closed his laptop and placed it into his bedside table. He wasn't a real cop so he didn't have a gun or any kind of protection.

The door opened and Kate stepped in. Her brown hair was hanging loose; she was wearing Richard's t-shirt which was too big for her.

"Kate?"

Kate looked up at Richard; her eyes were red again, tears continuously pouring down from it. She walked towards his bed and sat at the side; Richard turned and sat next to her.

"I'm the reason he's dying." She turned to face Richard and leaned her head on his shoulder. Richard wrapped an arm around her, the other smoothed her hair.

"I remember what he said last were, I can't lose you." She sniffed, "Instead, I'm the one who's going to lose him."

Rick lifted her face up with his hands; he was going to say something when Kate pressed her lips to his. Richard felt her soft lips kiss his and even though he knew this was wrong, he let it continue. He loved Kate, and even though she won't admit it, she does too. Richard knew she loves him too.

They fell on the bed. Kate's hands felt its way up to his shirt and pulled him closer. Richard had his hands on the small of her back.

Richard has slept with lots of women. They've had their fun and twice, he got married. But none of them stayed. There were only two women in Richard's life, his daughter and his mother. When he met Kate, somehow he knew this was different. He even said 'I love you' to her. She confessed after she almost died that she cannot be with a man until she solves her mother's case.

They've known each other for years and saved each others' backs too many times to count. They have fought, made up, been separated, and got back again. They've been through a lot while hiding their feelings from each other.

They work together; love was a complication and a distraction that Kate couldn't be a part of.

Richard loves her, more than any of the women that have passed his life, except his daughter, Alexis.

And through their kisses and groans in the dark, Richard felt a tiny bit guilty to Alexis.

Kate opened her eyes and saw the light coming out of the window. She looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Kate yawned and sat up; she was naked, covered only with a silk blanket.

Kate has been with many men, but never in life has she slept with one and not remember it. She closed her eyes and recalled what happened the night before, there were tears and a lot of pleasurably kisses shared. Kate opened her eyes and looked around the room.

It was neat, with expensive furnishings, there was no one next to her in the bed. Her eyes froze on the laptop on the other bedside table. She gasped and looked at the floor, a large, black t-shirt lay on the floor. Kate remembered wearing it the night before.

There was a picture on the bedside table next to her and Kate groaned. It was a picture of Alexis and Rick.

Kate slumped back to the silk pillows shut her eyes tight, hoping when she opens them, she'll be in her own room, hopefully not naked. She opened an eye and groaned.

The New York detective, Katherine Beckett slept with the most famous bachelor and mystery writer, Richard Castle.

Kate slipped out of the silk blankets and threw on some clothes, she wondered where Rick was. She walked out of the door and slipped to Martha's bedroom, she felt uncomfortable there and put on her real clothes. The same white shirt and jeans she wore yesterday. Kate grabbed her jacket and walked out of the front door, she didn't pass by anybody to her relief.

She hurriedly got to her car and drove to her own apartment.

Richard Castle woke up at dawn, he stretched and yawned. He looked over at his side and found Kate sleeping peacefully, his silk blanket wrappedaround her.

Rick caressed her serene face with a finger and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He murmured, "I love you", to her ears and stood up. Kate's sweet scent lingered in his skin and he walked to the bathroom to shower. The warm water calmed his tensed muscles; he hoped he wouldn't wake Kate up.

Rick changed to a pair of dark blue shirt and jeans. He walked out of his bedroom, passing Kate in the way, with his jacket hanging over his arms.

Present day:

The elevator door slid open, Lanie was leaning on Esposito. Ryan was sitting in a chair, drinking coffee.

Richard's been in the hospital for almost ten hours. He called Lanie as soon as he got to the hospital, who in turn, called Ryan and Esposito.

"Man of the hour, Richard Castle." Lanie announced. Richard felt his face flush but Lanie was smiling at her. Esposito and Ryan were hiding grins behind the polite smile.

"Thought you went down for coffee?" Esposito asked.

"I like the coffee in the precinct better." Richard walked over and sat next to Ryan.

"Did I miss anything?"

"No. Just screaming and yelling and 'Castle you son of a b****'," Ryan grinned at him, Richard knew he was joking.

"Beckett's used to gunshot pain, any kind of pain actually, she's strong. But this, this is completely new to her." Ryan continued on.

"She's going to hate me for this, isn't she?" Castle asked.

Esposito and Ryan took turns to laugh, meanwhile Lanie answered, "Kate's not a very maternal person. Ever since her mother's death, she's been all for work, she's going to be sulky to be away from it. She's going to have to cope with the changes and you're going to have to help her."

Castle nodded, he already knew that. Which is why, it came as a shock for all of them when Kate announced she was going to keep it.

The yelling from inside the door quietened and a doctor came out.

"Mr. Castle?"

Castle stood up and so did Lanie, Esposito and Ryan.

"Ms. Beckett's asking for you."

It sounded weird to hear Kate being called 'Ms. Beckett'. He looked at the other three for support, Lanie smiled, "We'll wait."

Castle nodded and went inside the room. Kate was lying in the bed, sweat slid down her face. Her face was pale and weak, her brown hair tangled up. However, when she saw Richard, she smiled and brightened up. Richard smiled back and sat on the chair next to her.

He watched as the little pink bundle open its mouth and yawn. She was pink with some blood in her hair, her eyes were closed. She was the tiniest thing he's ever seen and she was beautiful.

Richard remembered seeing Alexis for the first time; it was one of his most glorious days.

"Nicole." Kate whispered touching the pink cheeks.

"Nikki?" Richard asked.

Kate looked up at him, "Nikki Heat did bring us together."

Richard grinned and leaned down to kiss her.

Both their lives were changed. Things have just became more complicated.