Prompt: Beckett has really bad PTSD after she was shot and refuses to admit she needs help. One night she comes home from the precinct and has a PTSD attack. She realizes she needs help. Castle just happens to come and talk to Beckett about getting help that night. He walks in and finds her lying on her kitchen floor with her gun in her hand; she's been there for hours. Unable to speak or move

Disclaimer: I can see why they didn't do (something like) this on the show however, in real life I suspect that this probably would happen. They're best friends and there doesn't need to be anything romantic about it. There's no way he wouldn't have gone over in 4x09.

Chapter 1: Found

It had been a hard one; she's only been back a week and talk about being thrown in at the deep end. She still hadn't settled back in at the precinct really, sure she had with the boys however, active duty was still nerving. She honestly thought that she had gotten over having a gun pointed at her after the first case back with the rock star but nope and it had to happen in front of the boys and Castle.

She had run after the suspect, down the alleyway at the back of a derelict building into the loading yard. There were still towers of pallets around as well as a skip which was immediately on the right as they reached the yard, there was now a three meter high gate and perimeter fence stopping his escape. She had stopped running at the end of the alley, bringing the gun up so that she was ready to shoot so when she laid eyes on her man. She moved slowly around, on alert so to be on guard for any attack. The first thing she heard was a crash, looking to where the sound came from she saw nothing nevertheless she approached it in hope that the suspect had accidently made the noise.

No, it wasn't that. He had made it to lure her out which lead her to the point where they were at a standoff; guns pointed at one another.

"Let me go and no one has to get hurt." He said. Kate could give no words; she was frozen unable to move. She was no longer looking at the suspect only past him. Her eyelids closed but now her vision was filled with flashbacks, the sounds of shots ringing out, people screaming and Castle. She was in a trance; completely out of it not noticing that the boys had cuffed the suspect and taking him back to their car. What brought her out of it though was Castle's arms around her bring them down and then taking her gun. She wouldn't cry, not at work, not in front of him especially him. She wanted a relationship with him; she really did just not now. She could barely look after herself so how was she meant to do much more. He loved a strong woman and right now she was anything but.

She had her head still in the crook of her neck feeling as safe as was possible right there. She gathered herself together before removing herself from his embrace; then taking her gun back as if he was holding it while she tied her shoe. She turned to walk back to her car with her writer hot on her heels.

He was watching her every move knowing that there was a lot more going on in her head than she was letting on. It continued throughout the rest of the day, she had momentary freezes accompanied with ghostly looks. The fact that she left the precinct at 4.30 instead of working late set of further alarm bells. She had only said "Bye." No indication of coming in tomorrow or more importantly where she was going. There was only one reassuring fact that was Gates had let her go with no questions asked.

Around 6pm, Alexis rang asking when he would be home for dinner. Oops, they'd made plans to have their favourite followed by lots of ice cream. He really hadn't talked to his daughter as much these past few days so he had to go home. Bidding good night to the boys he set off for home with Beckett still firmly in his mind. Sat in the back of a cab he rang her only to go through to voicemail. Maybe his Mother might have an insight on what he can do to help but by the time he has finished his dinner he has decided he has to go check on her. He let his mother know where he was going and a quick reason why, Martha understood requesting only that she be kept informed. He gave Alexis a hug too with a kiss to the forehead.

That is how at 7.30pm he finds himself stood outside her door; he rings her phone first to make sure she's in or available but when he hears her phone ringing through the door and he's getting no answer is when he gets even more worried. She wouldn't have gone out without her phone at least not in normal circumstances but these aren't normal. He tries to open the door only to find it is locked, taking out his key to try again only to find the keychain has been slid across. Carefully and quietly he puts his hand through the door to slide it out, fortunately he is successful first time. He opens the door and then shuts it quietly. "Kate, are you here?" He walks further into the loft and sees legs on the ground, he jogs up to see her lying on the floor gun in hand with tear tracks down her face. There's glass on the floor too nearer the fridge and away from her. Kneeling down he strokes his hand over her face, pulling the hair away from her face only to see her eyes look up at him with a troubled appearance. "Oh, Kate, please talk to me?" She didn't reply, only more silent tears fell. He reached over to where her gun is loosely grasped in her hands and goes to put it on safety then slide it away.

She hasn't moved at all since he first got here, how long had she been on the floor? He could only think that it had been a few hours, she was so drained of energy. He knew she couldn't be comfortable so he rolled her so he could get an arm around her back and his other under her knees so he could carry her. She was incredibly light for a woman of her strength and height, she had lost weight since her shooting but he was realising that it was probably more than he thought.

He carries her through to her bedroom gently placing her on the bed so he can tuck her in. As he withdraws his arms she takes a hold of his hand preventing him from moving away. She shuffles across the bed to make room for him however he is still apprehensive as he doesn't want to ruin what they have or their chance of a future but one look into her eyes and he knows that this is just about being here. She looks scared and fragile so he takes his coat off and toes off his shoes so he can climb in next to her. He's barely settled and she's shuffling into him getting as close as possible. He notices that she's cold too, she shouldn't be it's still September and the weather isn't abnormally cold nor is her apartment. He decides the only thing to do now is bring her into his arms and hold her tight. Even then she's burying her head in his neck.

For the first time since he arrived she says something, well more like mumbled into his neck "Thank you, Castle." He can feel the tension leave her body as she relaxes into him and drifts to sleep.

He reaches into his pocket to grab his phone to shoot Martha a quick text updating her. "It's not good, going to stay a while." In truth he didn't know how long he'd be staying but he couldn't leave now either. He hoped that when she woke up that she didn't kick him out or pretend like it never happened. She must know that she had PTSD and it wouldn't go away of its own accord. She wouldn't step down from cases as she had to be the strong Detective Beckett at the precinct. Thinking back to her Mother's case in May when her Dad and Montgomery had told him that he was the only person that she would listen to maybe it was the same now.

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