You guys are the best, seriously. That's why tonight (or whatever it is where you are) I give you the next chapter. And I hope you'll like it. It sounded a little weird to me but then I thought "What the hell! Let's do this and we'll see." I know, it's kinda short again and I'm sorry buuuut It's easier to me, to write several short chapters. I can try to make it longer next time but I can't promise.

Btw, A big thank you to Caitlyn for correcting me , really.


Chapter 2 : Travel to reality

White. Everything was so white and his head was hurting like a bitch. He was standing somewhere, god knows where, alone. Where the hell was he? Was he dreaming ?

"Hello? Is anybody here?" He said without really expecting an answer. He was so confused right now.

Ok Ricky, think. What's the last thing you can remember? Montgomery's funeral. Light. A shot. Kate. Not good.

"Rick? What are you doing here?" He turned suddenly his head to a woman he barely recognized and then...

"Whaaa- Oh god, I'm dreaming, right? Please, tell me I'm dreaming." His voice started to go crazy. "Wait! Am I dead? Oh god, tell me I'm not dead because-" His eyes were wide open and the woman in front of him cut him off.

"You should try to calm down, then we can talk."

"I- yeah." What the hell was going on? He was wearing something like a white toga and that woman. She couldn't be her. AH! What if he was transported to a parallel world where he was a Roman? How's that?!

Drop it Castle.

Weird how those words sounded like Kate. He smiled. Kate.

"Wh-Where I am ?" He returned to look at the woman whom he still couldn't believe was in front of him.

"Somewhere where you aren't suppose to be...yet."

"You mean heaven? I'm dead?! That's it? Oh god, I can't believe I'm dead! That's pretty weird to say. I'm...dead. I'm not feeling so dead, you know?"

"For god sakes, stop talking!" The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"Sorry." He said with a low voice and pouted like a nine-year-old child.

"No harm done, but you have to calm down. You're not dead. You have to focus and go back to the people you love. The more time you spend here, the less your chances are of waking up. And you have to wake up. People are waiting for you." Her voice was almost begging, insisting.

He couldn't chase the feeling of fear rise in his body. That was not good. Not good at all.

"I-Okay! But how? How am I supposed to wake up ? I- look, I don't know how to do this. Why am I here anyway?"

"You tell me." She raised an eyebrow to him, intrigued.

"Erm. I'm not sure. I'm kinda confused up there."

"Yeah well, focus then."

"You know, when I hear you speak, I feel like it's Kate talking. Oh!" He said suddenly as he realised something, "Nice to finally meet you even under these circumstances."

"Likewise. But Rick? Do you heard me? You have to focus. You have to get back there or they're going to lose you. I can't let you do this to my daughter. Think of your own daughter, you can't leave her alone! You can't leave either of them alone!"

His eyes went wide and he shook his head. "No, no, no, no. That's not what I want, I won't leave them alone. I can't. I love them way too much."

"Fine. Now tell me what happened. It may help you."

He licked his lips and cleared his throat. "I ehh..We..were at Montgomery's funeral and Kate was doing her amazing speech and she looked at me and then I saw that light flash, once, twice and I jumped on the ground with her. And everything was so loud, everyone was screaming and running around us but all I could feel was her gaze on me, so intense but she looked fine. So where was the bullet? I saw her, watching her hand all bloody but it was not her blood, it was mine. She raised her eyes to me, she looked shocked, breathless. But it was weird, I was not in pain. I felt weak but no pain at all. Nothing was hurting but her gaze on me. I- She started crying and begging me to not go, not leave her alone. She framed my face and I couldn't speak. I couldn't even move. I wanted-I wanted to touch her, tell her everything will be fine, make her stop crying because this, this was hurting me more than that fucking bullet in my body and..." He took a deep breath, ignoring the single tear rolling on his face.

"And then what ?"

"And then I told her that I loved her." At this he placed his hand to his mouth with surprised look on his face.

"Oh please, we've all known that for years now."

He opened his mouth but closed it quickly.

"She loves you too, you know?" She was gently looking at him with a small smile.

"I-I'm not that sure."

"You changed her. The first time you saw her, she was not my Katie. She was that girl so broken with all that anger and the hard times she had before meeting you. She was never smiling or laughing. The flame inside her that I loved was gone. But then you changed her and step by step she was her again. I know she's not easy, but she is worth it and I know you know that too. Don't give up on her, she'll let you in when she's be ready. And who knows? Maybe she is already more than you expect her to be."

"I-I don't! I will not give up. I can't."

"Fine. So, go back to her. Go find her. You didn't take that bullet for her just to let her cry over your dead body, right? "

"No! But how? How can I go back to me? How can I wake up?"

"Close your eyes. Try to hear, feel, move. You can do this. It'll be easy. Just think of your daughter and my Katie. You'll be with them again soon enough."

He was on his way to speak but suddenly she was gone, like the ghost she was.

And he felt weak again.


She was of waiting, too tired to let her eyes release her tears. Three days she was in that damn chair. Three days and nights. The doctors had tried to make her leave but she couldn't move. She was stuck to her chair. Her fingers were glued to his. She wouldn't leave him. He was going to wake up. He was going to open his eyes and he was going to be just fine. They were going to be just fine. He needed time, that was it. She could give him time.

He loved her, so he was going to come back. For her.

But, what if he wasn't ? What if he had left her alone ? No. She couldn't think about that. She shouldn't because he was fine. He just needed time to figure things out.

She was staring at him, waiting for a movement. Something - anything - because she couldn't lose him. He was her partner! She needed him.

"I swear Castle, if you do that to me, I'm gonna to kick your ass. Hear me?"

For the hundredth time in three days, she wiped her wet cheek with her hand trying to regain her composure. She usually wasn't like that. She was a strong independant woman. But when it was about that man, she wasn't that woman anymore. She was someone else and she liked being that person. She needed to be that person.

Then, she seemed to hear a groan and she felt a weak pressure on her fingers. Her heart jumped in her chest and she saw him move. Oh thanks god he was alive. She felt all the tension leave his body and she squeezed his hand a little more while a smile appeared on her face.

"Ka-" Well, in his head , it sounded better. His head was pounding, his whole body felt like jelly and all he could feel was her warm hand in his. He wanted so much to squeeze it back but he couldn't. It was like he was stuck in the bed by a huge weight.

She laughed, gently stroking his cheek.

"Welcome home Castle."