Beckett's first thoughts are of the excruciating pain she's in. She finds she can only take shallow breaths, otherwise, her abdomen feels like it is going to burst into flames. Kate opens her eyes to see the buttery warmth of sunrise coming through the blinds. The sunlight beam leading straight to two sleeping figures, both curled up on opposite sides of a futon. One is her dad, his eyes look tired and in his outstretched palm he grasps a necklace with Kate's mother's ring on it. Kate squints to see her own wedding and engagement band too. Her father is keeping it safe for her, the thought makes Kate want to smile.

An older redhead sleeps on the other side of the futon, curled up looking vulnerable. Martha's hair not curled and she wears a pair of gray sweatpants. Kate doesn't think she's ever seen Martha without her hair done and in some elegant outfit.

Realization dawns on her. Beckett's breath begins to quicken as she wonders why they're both here—more specifically why Martha is with her and not Rick. Is he alive? The last thing she can remember is Rick yelling and his hand growing cold in hers as they laid on the kitchen floor.

Beckett can't stand it anymore. She has to know if Rick is alive. Thoughts flood her—thoughts of their future, what will never be. Adventure, mystery, children, a happy life. "Hey," Kate rasps, her own voice foreign to her. Kate tries to shift in her bed but is restrained by the pain of her own body. "Dad," she says a little louder.

Nothing.

Kate begins to cry as she frantically looks around, still thinking about her partner.

Kate painfully reaches out her arms to the empty IV stand beside her, and with all her strength sends it falling to the ground. Jim and Martha both wake up with a start.

"Katie! Are you okay?" her father asks, dropping the rings on the floor and rushing to Kate's bedside.

Martha looks equal parts alarmed and relieved as she looks at Beckett.

"Castle," Kate stammers. Jim looks to his daughter and immediately sees her tears—how distraught she is and it renders Jim at a loss for words.

"He's alive," Martha says at once, stealing the words out of Jim's mouth.

"You're here," Kate says to Martha, barely audible.

"He insisted that if I stay that it be with you. Alexis is with him," Martha assures Kate.

"I'm so glad you're awake sweetheart," Jim whispers to his daughter, tears in his eyes.

Kate gives him a small smile. "Is Castle, is he alright?" Kate asks them both.

Martha and Jim share a look; Martha just shakes her head. "Darling, he asked the same about you. Don't you want to know what happened?" Martha asks her daughter-in-law as she comes to take the chair on Kate's other side.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kate asks, finding her voice a tad bit more like her own. She's desperate for answers they don't seem to want to give her.

"He's awake and begging to see you, if I were a betting man, I would say he's going to pull through," Jim assures his daughter. "You on the other hand, you were shot twice. You need your rest."

Beckett shakes her head, letting her eyes fall a little bit. "I know what happened, I don't want to talk about it right now," Kate declares adamantly. The more she wakes, the more she can feel a dull ache all over her body. She wonders how her body will ever be the same.

"We don't have to," Jim quietly agrees.

"I want to see my husband," Kate sleepily announces.

"It's not that easy," Martha tells her, taking her hand, rubbing soft circles on her palm—something her own mother used to do when Kate was scared.

"Castle," Beckett repeats, barely a whisper this time. Kate smiles at Martha's touch on her palm and allows sleep take her once again.

The next time she opens her eyes, it's dark. She must have slept the entire day. Her body feels anchored down. Kate is rolled to the side and in the chair beside her Alexis is sleeping. Beckett has the urge to reach out and touch her face, she has grown such an affection for this clever girl over the years. In a lot of ways, Alexis was a lot like Castle—kind, funny, smart, sarcastic. Kate always hoped that if she and Castle ever had children, they would see the humor in life as Rick does.

As if she felt eyes on her, Alexis' eyes flutter open and a smile makes its way onto her lips. "Beckett, look over," Alexis instructs.

Kate can't look over her shoulder but with painful effort moves her body to the other side. She doesn't remember turning during the day, but the nurses must have moved her to keep her from getting bedsores.

At first, Kate doesn't spot him because the room is so dark but she sees his sleeping figure about three feet away from her. Beckett won't ever grow tired of seeing his side profile—handsome even in the dark, his long nose and broad forehead. Rick's monitor steadily beeping, telling her that he's alive. Tears well up in her eyes as she looks at her husband. Kate can't help herself, "Castle," she says aloud.

Normally, that would not have pulled him from sleep, but Castle's eyes flutter and for a second Kate see's a face of terror. "Rick," Kate says, urging him to look at her.

Castle turns his head and sees that she's awake. Before he can say a word, he's crying. He wants to reach out and touch her, but too much lies between them—monitors, bedrails, bullet wounds. "Kate," Castle whispers her name. "I am so happy to see those eyes," he says through his tears. Beckett wants nothing more than to wipe away his tears and say she's sorry for causing him all this pain.

Alexis stands and walks towards the door, giving Kate and her father a loving glance. "I'll give you guys a moment," she announces, closing the door behind her.

"How?" Kate asks. Rick knows exactly what she means without clarifying.

"I made a generous donation and they found it in their hearts to move us into the same room," Castle answers simply.

Kate laughs but immediately is greeted with pain, a moan escapes her. "I didn't mean to—we don't have to talk," Castle says at once.

Kate shakes her head and realizes she is crying. "I want to hear your voice," Kate assures him.

Castle smiles and turns to better face his wife, despite his excruciating pain, he strategically tries not to put any weight on his right side. "I was so afraid," he gets out.

Kate doesn't have a response; she just begins to cry in a way that Castle has never seen before. She is taken with tears; they stream down her face across her neck. Castle wants nothing more than to get out of this bed and hold her. "I'm sorry," Beckett mumbles.

Castle twists his face in confusion. "Hey, hey, you have nothing—nothing to be sorry about," he assures her delicately, his voice so sweet it makes Kate want to cry even more.

"I—I shouldn't push things; I should not have brought you in harms way. You want a quiet life, one with sunrises and coffee and kids and big Castle holidays—I'm your wife and all I did was put you into harms way," Beckett says between tears.

"Stop, Kate…Beckett, listen to me very closely. I am your husband, your partner I would have died willingly right there on the kitchen floor with you, because we were together, doing this thing together. I'm glad we didn't, but don't apologize for allowing me to share a life with you, however messy it might be," he stammers as he too cries. Castle is unashamed of his tears and so is Beckett.

Beckett goes silent. "I love you," Castle assures her. "So much."

Kate gulps down her tears and thinks on his words. "I want to give you the life you want," Kate tells him adamantly.

"I want the life you want, Kate," Castle tells her.

Kate's tears subside and she gives him a small smile. "I want big Castle holidays, and weird cases that get you excited, I want kids and sunrises, I want you," Kate whispers.

"Then we'll have that," Rick announces, as if it's set in stone. Kate's heart starts to well at the thought and then reality pulls her back. She isn't even aware of the devastation done to her body—maybe they can't have all that.

"Sleep," Castle insists, interrupting her thoughts. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay," Kate replies easily.