Here's the next chapter! Updates normally aren't this rapid, but I've been avoiding my laundry and writing instead.

As I said before, no one reads this before it's published, so if anyone notices mistakes let me know.

Disclaimer: Neither are mine.


Kate sighed and let her head fall into her hands. "Well then. Rick, this is my father Jim, and my stepmother Mary. Dad, Mary, this is my husband, Rick Castle."

"The writer?" Mary spoke up, tilting her head at him.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Castle" she said, shaking his hand.

Silence took over the room again as they all avoiding the looks of one another.

Kate coughed a little and then looked up at her father. "Can you guys step out for a minute? I really need to talk to Rick" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Of course sweetie" he said. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and walked out of the room, glaring at Rick as he did so.

Once they were gone, Kate's eyes widened at him as she threw her arms up. "You don't know my parents?" she yelled, her head falling back against the pillow.

"No! I mean, I know of them, but we've never actually met."

"Why in the world haven't you met my parents? I mean, they're my parents for Christ sake! Shouldn't they have been at the wedding?"

Rick sighed and shook his head. "You don't talk to them anymore. Why are they here?"

"Because they're the only people I'm sure of. I mean, you seem like a wonderful guy and all but I honestly don't remember you. I mean, how can I actually know we're married? There's nothing but this ring, which could be given to me by anyone. I just wanted to be sure of something, and they were it. Please don't be upset" she said, noticing the look on his face.

"Oh god no. Katie, I could never be upset with you. I'm just, shocked, that's all. You've only ever talked bad on your family; so seeing them in a room with you is a bit of a smack in the face. I'm not mad, I swear."

Kate sighed and nodded at him. "I can see where that would bother someone. I'm sorry, this is really difficult for me to take in."

"I know" he said quickly. "I- um… I've brought you some coffee. And flowers. Figured you were probably tired of the terrible brew here, so… It's a skim latte with two pumps sugar free vanilla."

"My favorite" she intercepted, and he nodded. "They want me to go with them, back to… well, not Manhattan."

"Please don't" he said quickly, looking up at her. "Come stay with me. The doctor said that if you get back into your normal routine, then maybe you'd begin remembering everything. If you go with then, you might not ever get your memory back. Just come with me."

"Rick, I don't know if I can. I mean, I really don't know you. They're the only people I feel comfortable with."

"What if I prove to you that we're married? Not just a ring, or the fact that I've showed up here every day since the accident. Something more… concrete" he asked.

She looked up at his pleading face and contemplated it for a moment. "Well… I suppose so. If you can bring something to me by tomorrow, proving that I do love you the way I say I do, then I'll go with you."

A smile lit up his once heartbroken face as he fumbled with the flowers in his hands. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Really. Now, go. Before I change my mind." She smiled up at him and snuggled back into the hospital bed.

Rick set the flowers in her lap before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, smiling. "Thank you" he whispered in her ear, running out of the room.

Kate smiled softly and pressed her fingertips to where he kissed her cheek.

"Hmm. Maybe I do love him" she muttered softly to herself.

Her parents came back into the room after Rick ran out quickly. Kim stared at his daughter and shook his head, obviously angry with her.

"You got married!" he yelled, making Kate wince.

"Please don't yell. I guess I did. I have a ring, and he's going to prove it, so yeah. I'm married."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't know" she said, tears pooling her eyes once again. "I have no idea. I don't remember anything from the last 7 years. I just… I want to get out of here. I want to go home."

"Then come with us."

"No!" Rick yelled as he burst back through the door. He panted as he clutch the picture in his hand. "I had this in my car. Look at this first. Please" he said, handing the photo to her.

It was them, gazing lovingly up at one another on their wedding day. His arms were wrapped securely around her waist, hers around his shoulders. The way they were looking at one another symbolized their pure, true love.

"If that isn't proof, then I don't know what is. I do know that I love you more than life itself. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I've been in love with you for 5 long years Katherine Elizabeth Beckett Castle, and this accident isn't going to mess that up. Just, please come with me. Give it a shot. Give us another shot. I promise, if you want to leave, you can. But I'm not going to promise that I wont follow you to hell and back trying to help you love me again."

Kate stared at him, completely astonished. "I… okay."

"What!" Her father exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air.

"Really?" Rick said, smiling happily. "You mean it?"

"I mean it. If I'm looking at you like that, then you've obviously done something right over the years. What right do I have to break this up over some dumb accident."

Kate looked over at her father and smiled. "Dad, I'll be fine, okay? I've apparently been married to him for 3 years. He's taken care of me for that long; you can trust him to do it now. If it get's bad, I'll call you. Okay?"

Jim glared at Rick before looking back at his daughter. "I swear Katie…"

"Dad, I'll be fine. Just, trust me." Kate looked up at him and smiled.

Jim grabbed Rick's upper arm and looked him directly in the eyes. "You hurt my daughter, you're done" he growled before taking Mary's hand and leaving the hospital room.

Kate sighed and closed her eyes for a second, shaking her head. "Sorry about him. It's just… with Mom and all, he's really overprotective."

Rick shook his head. "No, I get it. I promise. So… you ready to go home? I brought you some clothes."

She looked around the hospital room and smiled a little, nodding. "Yeah, let's go."


I know that she should be in the hospital longer and all with head trauma, but I really wanted to get them out of the hospital so... Yeah.

Please review! Thank you all for your response to this story.

~Brandi