Last Chapter. Thanks for all those that have favourited, followed and commented. For the prompter at .com - I hope looks like what you wanted!

2/2

When he wakes up for the fifth or sixth time, he still believes she's a mirage. He's not quite willing to put stock in his eyes, his ears or his touch receptors. She has a hold of his hand still and he wants to reach out and touch her hair, her skin - anywhere really to make her real. But he's scared. As soon as he does he feels as though she'll just fade away.

He doesn't remember much. He does remember some things though. Vividly. Being held in a room, handcuffed to his bed (not as sexy as it sounds) and being moved to a dank cell and being roughed up a bit. The rest of the time is vague haze of drugs and concussion. Not fun and time he'd like to stay forgotten. He also remembers the voices. Mainly the one that tells him that Kate's dead.

'She's dead Mr Castle. Stop calling out for her. She's not coming for you.
'She's gone Mr. Castle.'
'Ms Beckett is dead.'

He opens his eyes again. She's still there. She's breathing too. When she looks up will it be her face or the face in his nightmares where she asks why he didn't save her? His breathing quickens, and he closes his eyes tightly.

If she's real maybe she'll respond to him squeezing her hand.. Maybe that's where he can start. He peeks through one eye and focus in their hands.

One finger. Two fingers. Squeeze.
Again.
One finger. Two fingers. Squeeze.
Breathe.
Wait.
Response..
She moves and he clamps his eyes shut. Please let it be real kate not dream kate.

"Rick?"
"Castle?"
"Babe? Open your eyes?"
He shakes his head, eyes still closed.
"Castle, open your eyes?" She implores, "It's ok babe. Everything is ok."
She rubs the back of his hand with her fingers and brings his hand to her lips. He feels it. It feels real. His breathing speeds up again. If he opens his eyes and she's not there, what is he going to do? But if he opens them and she is?

He can still hear her taking, he's gotta stop doing that. Not listening zoning in and out, but sometimes it's so hard to hold attention.
Ok. Crunch time.
Taking a deep breath he opens his eyes.
"Hi." She whispers. "I've got you."
The sob that leaves his chest is so involuntary that he almost chokes.
"Hi." He can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks and he would blame it on the drugs but he doesn't know if he's on any. Come to think of it he doesn't even know why he's here. "It's really good to see you."
And suddenly she's crying too.
"You too."

-
Two days she's been waiting for him to come to consciousness. Two days since she contemplated turning and hiding in her apartment instead of staying by his side like he would for her. Like he did for her almost two years ago.

She's so tired. The first day was almost a 24 hour shift. With breaks only for the toilet- which he has in his room she hasn't been anywhere. Martha and Alexis relieved her on the second day as she hadn't seen daylight. She knows that his injuries aren't serious and their putting his lulls in consciousness down to drugs and his body healing itself, she just wants him awake. Maybe a small part of her just wants him to stay asleep and have everything status quo.

She's so tired. Her eyes keep closing and there's nothing she can do to stop it. She wishes. She doesn't know what she wishes, but if only things weren't so hard. She rests her head on the bed and takes his hand in hers.

Martha and Alexis have left; (Alexis to sort out school and Martha to sort out the Loft) so if course this is when Castle decides to wake up. She feels slight changes in the movements on the bed, and then she feels the squeeze, beat, squeeze of her fingers. She could cry. And then remembers she should respond.
Taking a firmer grasp of his hand, she calls out to him.

"Rick?" Nothing. If anything his eyes close tighter. She can see the creases tighten.
"Castle?" Come on. Come on. She's running out of ideas. They've been through this a couple of times but usually the awake period hasn't involved him initiating the contact.
Once more. With feeling. Maybe a directive will help.
"Babe? Open your eyes?

He shakes his head, eyes still closed. Oh crap. She feels like there's something deeper her. Something she's not quite understanding. Why isn't she better at this?

"Castle, open your eyes?" She implores, "It's ok babe. Everything is ok." Rubbing the back of his hand in what she hopes is a comforting gesture, she can't help but take him in and be so thankful that he's alive and here and the hope that has been sitting on her chest and heart is fit to burst. She brings his hand to her lips and hopes that it coveys everything. She's never been good at this. She feels his breathing speed up, placing a hand on his chest and feels his heart rabbiting.

"Castle. Open your eyes. I'm here, it's ok, you're ok, I'm ok." She's babbling and she knows it but it works. It works.
His eyes open.
"Hi."
Her hand moves up to his cheek.
"I've got you."
The sob that come from him nearly breaks her heart and then the tears that come after actually do and she breaks with them.
Finally she hears his voice.
"Hi," comes the low rumble of a voice she's dreamed of. She closes her eyes sighing deep. "It's really good to see you."
She feels the tears roll.
"You too."