A/N: decided it was time to start a new story, enjoy this first chapter, remember the more you review the faster I write.
Kate stared at herself in the full length mirror, she found herself unable to recognise the reflection that stared back at her, her usual unblemished skin was red with flush that rose not only across her face but also along her neck and chest, her nose red from the constant sniffling and blowing that had kept her up to the early hours, and a pile of tissues to form in her waste bin, and was the main reason that the bags had formed under her eyes.
Kate began to search though her makeup bag, in the hope to find some light makeup that would cover the obvious signs of sickness, finding a tube of concealer, Kate covered her nose and under her eyes, reducing the appearance of sickness and making herself more recognisable to herself in the mirror. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, Kate studied her appearance, dressed in black slacks, a black long sleeve top and a black blazer. Deep down Kate knew they she should still be curled under a pile of blankets, wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants, but she would live to fight another day, it was just a cold she told herself.
That was when Kate began to rummage through her bathroom cabinet on the look out for some Tylenol, to sooth the pounding in her head and the nausea that had began to rise in her stomach, she searched with no such luck as all she found was a box of out dated antibiotics that she had been prescribed after her shooting the previous year.
Foregoing the search for medication, Kate stuffed a fresh tissue up her blazer sleeve, discarding the previously used tissue along with the others in her waste bin. Kate slipped on her navy Burberry coat, and Navy scarf and a pair of flats, not her traditional 4 inch killer heels which gave her the confidence and the stature to face the world, sensing that vertigo would set in later that day, leaving her unable to walk in her traditional killer heels.
Before heading out of her apartment, to her crown vic that was parked out front of her building the bitter winter air knocking the air out her lungs and causing her to erupt into a coughing fit, once it had subsided Kate rested her head on the steering wheel, clutching hard so that her knuckles turned white fighting the nausea before pulling out of her spade and onto the road, her destination the 12th precinct.
...
Castle arrived shortly after 9am, stepping out of the elevator, coffees in hand, Castle saw Esposito and Ryan hovering around Beckett's desk,whispering to each other, so that he was unable to make out what they were saying to each other but they seemed to be in the mist of an argument. It was only when Castle stepped further into the bullpen he was able to make out the sleeping figure of Beckett at her desk.
Her head resting on her cushioned arms, lose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail, circling her face like an angels halo, that was when Castle noticed the flush that crept up her neck.
It was not the first time Castle had discovered Beckett asleep at her desk or on the break room couch during a long case, or when she was emotionally drained after the blowing up of her apartment only a short year into there partnership.
Castle turned to the boys for support, both of them replying with a finger to the lips ordering him to keep quiet but their eyes told him to take her home and care for her. Although she would never admit it Beckett was happy she had those three men in her life that would walk heaven or earth to care for her, they had become like brothers and it was Castles call whether he wanted to potentially risk the bodily harm if he was to wake her, would he be threatened to be shot, or would it be his ear that received the brunt of the damage, one of her favourite moves to keep in in line in the early days of their partnership.
Placing a hand on her forearm, Castle shook her gentle to stir her from her sleep,
"Beckett? Kate... Wake up come on I'm taking you home, you are obviously sick"
Her eyes snapping open and her head rising from her arms she responded
"No I'm fine, it's just a cold"
Castle placed the back of his hand to her forehead, feeling it burning up, it would obvious to him that she was coming down with a fever and the best place for her to be was in bed, resting.
"No detective, I won't take no for an answer, come on get your bag, your obviously coming down with a fever and you didn't do very well at trying to disguise the symptoms."
Slowly Kate stood up out of her chair, to avoid the vertigo setting in and the Nausea that was low in the pit of her stomach from rising again. Castle unhooked her coat from the coat stand, helping her to slip his arms into the coat, he thread her arms through his own, it was a sign that he was there for her and that he was going to look after her, but Kate was especially grateful because it allowed her to steady herself and walk out of the bullpen with her dignity in tact, despite falling asleep at her desk just minutes after her arrival.
Once outside the precinct, Kate willingly gave Castle the keys to her crown vic, on any other day she would be responsible for the driving, and would tell him that she was the cop and it was her job. Instead, Kate climbed in the passenger seat while Castle situated himself in the drivers seat, her head resting on the cold window.
Preparing herself for the journey home.
