I know, I know... I should be working on the next chapter of my other Castle fanfic, The Bulletproof Vest. But after that finale...and God, what a finale it was, this story just wouldn't get out of my head! This is one of the many takes on the events immediately following the end of Knockout (Episode 3 x 24). I've got a pretty good outline of where I want this story to go. I'm envisioning eight chapters. The first few will deal primarily with the medical side of Beckett's injury, with Castle refusing to leave her side for a second (although Beckett will also have a bit to do with this as you'll see in upcoming chapters). The story will also focus on the growing relationship between Castle and Beckett. I have a sneaking suspicion that Andrew Marlowe may have Beckett not be aware/not remember that Rick confessed his undying love to her due to passing out or the trauma of being shot and all. But in my version of the events, Kate will most definitely remain aware of what Castle said and will eventually have a confession of her own to make. The future of Caskett will most definitely play a big part in this story, particularly in the later chapters. I obviously don't own Castle, but if I did, here's how the first episode of season four would play out. And bonus - you don't have to wait until September to see what happens next :)

Stay with me, Kate. Don't leave me, please. Stay with me, okay? Kate? I love you. I love you, Kate.

"It's different when it happens right in front of you...close enough to watch the lights go out."

That's what Beckett had said after Castle witnessed Detective Raglan die on the floor of the coffee shop. And it was different. It was so much harder than writing about murders for all those years or even witnessing death close up at crime scenes. At the time, Castle had been shaken, and not just by having a front row seat to Raglan's death.

"When I saw the blood on your shirt, I thought you'd been shot..."

Castle had trailed off as he said this, unable to finish the thought. But in that moment when he thought Kate had been shot? His heart stopped beating. The world stopped turning. All of the oxygen went out of the atmosphere. And now, when he'd actually seen the blood on her gloves? Had seen the confirmation in the paleness of her face, had heard it in the way her breaths turned to shallow wheezes? Numb. He felt numb. This couldn't be happening. It was some kind of hell. A nightmare. His greatest fear realized.

And all of these thoughts? They had occurred to him in the seconds it took to register what he'd lost. What he could still lose. What he'd regret forever if he didn't say. Which lead him to...

"Kate? I love you. I love you, Kate."

Those were the last words Beckett heard before her world went black.

And there was Castle, holding Kate's head in his hands, close enough to watch the lights go out. Hopefully not for good.

Sigh...that last scene in the finale was so beautifully played by Nathan and Stana. Just pitch perfect. I immediately thought back to Knockdown (Episode 3 x 13) and the line Beckett had about watching the lights go out and thought it applied beautifully to this scene. This is just the prologue. Chapter 1 is already written and uploaded. Do you want to read more? Please read and review!