Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of the Characters of the series.
(3rd Person POV)
Kate didn't know what to think of the dream she just had. Was it a memory or was that just wistful thinking. It was a fact (even though she didn't want to admit it) that her feelings towards Castle had changed strongly over the recent past(actually, not so recent. She had had hots for him long before she met him). She didn't know when but she had started to see him more than an annoying guy who acted like a 9 year old on a sugar-rush. He was a caring man and an amazing father who was willing to do anything for those he cared about. He had been good for her; lord knew her diet was much better on the days that Castle was at the precinct than when he was not. On the days that he was not there, her diet mainly consisted of coffee. She also knew that if Castle knew this he would stand over her during any and every meal she had.
She was getting distracted just thinking about him. This was exactly what he did to him recently. But now she had to decide what she wanted to do with her new found knowledge. She was not ready. Not when she was already in a relationship with an amazing man.
'But the man is not Castle.' A voice in her head said. She wanted that tiny voice in her head to tell her what to do but as soon as she asked herself that all the voices in her mind shut off and she was left to fend for herself by herself, which was strange even when she said it in her own head. So she was still not sure how to deal with the thoughts about Castle, all she knew was she was not ready and she had to deal with Josh first before anything happened with Castle. But the biggest question was, 'Did Castle really confess his love for her or was that just some facts mixed with wistful thinking to make it seem real?' After all it was just a dream and she was not sure how she could deal with the embarrassment if it was all in her head and Castle just saved her cause he was her friend and partner and that was what partners did, right?
Before she could think about it any further there was a knock on the door and the elderly nurse who had scared her before poked her head in tentatively and asked her how she was feeling. She replied with a smile and a 'fine', the nurse visibly relaxed and asked her much more calmly than before, "Are you up for some visitors, Detectives Ryan and Esposito are her."
Glad for the distraction, Kate quickly agreed and greeted the Detectives but seeing their deflated bodies her mood fell as well and she instantly knew what this was about.
"You didn't catch him." She said. It was not a question.
"No." they answered together in a single syllable and their body started to deflate even more. Kate knew this was weighing very heavily on them and even though their news scared her (a lot) she tried to encourage them.
"Don't worry, you guys will find him, he might be good but he is no match for you guys." She had meant the comment to be light and show the boys that she wasn't angry at them for not catching the shooter but her boys got serious again.
"Yes, we will. Castle is at the precinct trying to find something; He said he would come to see you sometime later today." Just hearing his name had butterflies fluttering in her stomach and also relief. So he was not blaming himself or even if he was, he was working the anger off not just sitting there swallowed in self loathing or worse, drowning in a bottle.
She heard Kevin call her name, quite loudly at that and when she looked at him and Javier with an amused expression on their faces she knew that they had called her name before but she was in her own world which caused her to blush. She had nearly died and mere hours later she was blushing because of a thought of a Man that was not even her boyfriend. She had to have the talk with Joshua real soon.
