A/N I didn't abandon this. Sometimes the muse goes into hiding, much like winter hiatus.

Thanks Laura, for the read-through and feedback.

Castle. His left wrist felt a small tug as he heard, "Castle. . ." He just laid there with his eyes closed. He heard his name again. "Castle, wake up." He opened his eyes to see his partner laying beside him. Kate. Some mildy inappropriate things filled his mind. God, she looked beautiful. Her long brown locks were curled and hung down past her shoulders. That blue turtleneck she was wearing accented her eyes. He knew there were certain things he was supposed to notice about women. (To compliment them.) Also, he noticed Kate had been wearing her hair up the last few weeks – he knew she was hiding something – but now she was back so hair was back down. She was beautiful all the time.

He'd been worried about her. He knew that sometimes he just has to step aside and let things happen. He loved her that much he knew. He wanted to tell her, again but this brush with death wasn't exactly the ideal moment for the love talk to happen. He knew that he'd have the chance again. For now, he'd take these little moments. He knew that living like this was better than not having her here at all.

Beckett. Unconsciously, she turned her head and rested her hand on his chest. As she felt warmth radiate from him, she also felt something cold against her skin. She woke up and looked at her partner. "Castle. . ." Her partner whispered "Don't get up. Stay in bed." She looked over at her partner again. She was trying to reconstruct how this happened. It was going to take awhile, but they had nowhere else to go.

She loved him. She liked waking up next to him, even if it was because of drugs and she couldn't remember it. She knew she had to work on herself, her demons; the things she thought defined her. She need to stand alone, be brave and re-learn who she was but this man. . . this man next to her resting his head on her arm, the man cuffed to her, the man trying to recreate the last night would always be there. She could yell or give him the silent treatment, she could try to ignore him, she could disappear down a hole of despair – none of it mattered, really. Because even without the cuffs they were bound by for the time being, she didn't want to share her cuffs with anyone else.

Castle and Beckett. Cuffed. Of course, they worked great together, they were partners. They often are in close proximity to each other. But this experience, this was new. Trying to escape from a dungeon hole while handcuffed together. And why weren't they cuffed right hand to left hand? When they were tranquilized did they land in a way that made it easier? Was Castle holding onto to Beckett to make sure she was alright? Answers always lead to more questions. Day by day they would find them.

Thanks for reading!