Thanks a lot for the reviews and attention this story is getting, I really appreciate it! A special thanks to Speechless, whose reviews really made my day.
Note: the story's synopsis have changed, but the story itself hasn't. I just decided it didn't fit as much as I'd liked, so new only it is.
Lanie let herself in Castle's apartment using the key the man had gave her the night before, not wanting to disturb him if he was writing or if Beckett was sleeping.
"It's oddly quiet in here." Ryan commented as he and Esposito followed the woman inside, glancing around the empty living room and kitchen. "Do they know we were coming?"
"Yes, Javi, I told Castle this morning. He's probably writing in his study if Kate's still sleeping." The M.E. answered him, taking off her coat and nodding towards the study. "You guys get the food ready on the coffee table, and I'll go check on them."
"Hey, Castle," Lanie started but frowned when she found the study empty. The door to the man's bedroom, where Kate was staying, was ajar though so she walked quietly into the room and froze at the sight before her.
A wide, toothy grin lighted the woman's features as she took in the writer's arms wrapped around her friend, keeping her close as she slept, cuddled on the man's chest. Lanie noticed that the detective had changed as well or, as she smirked, half changed.
It soon turned out the injured woman wasn't sleeping as much as resting her eyes because sleepy, sienna orbits were suddenly on Lanie. "Hey there, girl."
"Oh, God." Kate answered with a start. "Castle." The detective whispered as she pushed herself up, forgetting about her sprained wrist. "Shit."
Castle was awake in an instant at the gasp and frowned when he saw Lanie next to them. "Lanie?"
"Castle. You okay, sweetie?"
Lanie reached and put a hand on Kate's back as Castle sat up, bringing the detective up with him. "Castle, why don't you go greet the guys, they're setting up the food in the living room."
The man nodded and stood, glancing at Kate before leaving. He expected being ignored at best, but he grinned happily when a set of sleepy yet warm eyes met his. "I'll go make coffee."
Kate smiled gratefully and braced herself for whatever Lanie was going to do and say as soon as the bedroom door would close. "Lanie, I-"
Instead of some naughty remark Lanie surprised Kate when she all but jumped on her and kissed her cheek, her hands coming up to cup them as ebony eyes bore deeply into sienna's. "Please tell me I am not hallucinating, and that won't become some sort isolated episode when you go deep in denial once you're back on your feet."
"I...no, Lanie. We're not...I don't think we're even close to that yet. But..."
"But something did happen. I know you, girl, and I know that look. You can swear all you want that nothing happened, something did." Lanie pushed, wanting Kate to say it of her own. Her eyes roamed briefly over her friend's body before meeting the other woman's gaze again, a knowing look lighting up her face.
"I...I showed him."
"You showed him..." Lanie repeated curiously, not sure where her friend was getting at.
Kate rolled her eyes, having the feeling the medical examiner was being dense on purpose. "I showed him my scars, Lanie."
"And?"
"And?" Kate echoed incredulously. "And...nothing. He, he didn't freak, or cringe, or ran away. On the opposite, he...he thanked me and hugged me."
Lanie suddenly wanted to kiss Castle for doing exactly what the woman had needed. But then again, he had been doing it for years now without her realizing it. "I wish you'd stop doubting him, sweetie. Didn't I tell you it wouldn't be a big deal for him?"
"Yes, but-"
"No, no but. He cares about you, Kate, and deep down you care about him too so stop putting your head in the sand and go for it! Come on, there are two people in the next room that really want to see you so let's not make them wait anymore, okay?"
Kate looked unsure but she nodded and pushed herself to the edge of the bed. "Hey, Lanie?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Thank you. For...this, for everything." Kate surprised her friend when she hugged her. As Lanie laughed softly and wrapped her arms around her as well, the detective decided that she could get use to the whole hugging thing.
Dinner was casual, everyone helping themselves out of too many Chinese takeout containers. Esposito and Ryan each took place on a chair while Castle let Lanie sit next to Kate on the couch, the man taking the remaining seat beside the medical examiner. As he looked appreciatively at the assortment of food, Castle noticed with a grin that the food came from Beckett's favorite restaurant, and that the guys had picked out most of her favorite items on the menu as well.
Kate had a few bites of her plate before regretfully pushing it away with a sigh. "Stupid jaw hurts too much to eat." She mumbled in apology when they all looked at her, grabbing her coffee and nursing it in her good hand. Wordlessly Esposito took one last plastic container out of the bag and handed it to Castle, who opened it curiously. "Chicken noodle soup?"
"Chinese chicken noodle soup. Old Sam Ming's secret recipe, just for you, detective."
"He made soup for me?" Kate asked curiously. "Why?"
"Because he likes you, and you're one of his most loyal customer." Ryan chuckled just as Castle came back with a bowl and pour the soup in it. "There you go."
"Thank you." Kate shot Castle a shy grin before diving in, but the sense that she was being watched stopped her. "What?"
Esposito had a knowing smirk on his face as he glanced between the two of them. "Did you just blush, detective?"
"Shut up, Espo." Kate rolled her eyes. "Do you have any news about the kid?"
"He has a broken leg and a bump on the head. He was discharged before you did." Ryan said around a bite of chow-mein. "His...alibi checked out too. He was with his parents all night the night of the murder."
The surprise and sudden anger emanating from Beckett almost made her drop her bowl. "What? Why would he run away like that otherwise?"
Esposito exchanged a look, silently deciding who would have to break the news to their boss and sister. "His friends kind of dared him to bolt when they saw you approaching." The blonde detective finally ushered quietly.
Suddenly both detectives were extremely glad the death glare they got from the woman wasn't really directly at them. "He bolted and almost got us killed on a dare?"
"He said he realized it had been a bad idea when he saw us draw our guns but he was too scared to stop." Esposito supplied the information somewhat irritatingly, mad at the kid's lack of judgement as well.
"So he thought it was a better idea to trip me with his freaking bag." She whispered as she pushed her food away. "That's just great. So, how long before Gates kicks me out?"
Esposito glanced at Ryan, frowning. "There was no such talk, Beckett. Why would you even think that?"
Kate stared at the Latino detective as if he had grown a second head. "Why? I've barely been back for two months after being on disability for three, and now I won't be fully reinstated for at least a month. She's been looking for a way to kick me to the curb since the day I got back so this is the perfect timing for her."
"Sweetie, Gates will in no way kick you out, or fire you or anything else for that matter. You're her best detective, pigheaded as you may be." Lanie soothed her, reaching for the woman's arm.
Tears of frustration pooled in Kate's eyes and she tried to blink them away, but when it failed she shot Lanie a miserable look. "Guys, do you think you could give us a minute?"
There was a short hesitation after Lanie's request as the men all stared at the female detective in concern but all got up and grabbed their jackets. "We're gonna go and get some beer."
Castle was the last to leave, wanting to touch her or comfort her, but he wasn't sure how she would take it in front of the others. He settled on letting his hand run through her long wavy locks for a second, his fingers grazing her neck as he let go.
The first tear fell just as the door closed. Kate jumped when she felt Lanie inching closer but let her take her hand, the contrast of the detective's frozen hand in her friend's warm one sending shivers all over her body. "It's those damn pills, they keep messing up with me."
Lanie stared worriedly into the detective's eyes as her persona switched from best friend to doctor. "How much messing around are we talking about, have you noticed other side effects?"
Kate shrunk under her friend's inquiring gaze and sunk deeper into the couch, only to cringe when a cushion poked her cracked rib. "I don't sleep as much anymore, and sometimes they give me stomach aches."
"Have you talked to Dr. Burke about it? You could try something else...it takes a while to find the right dosage, maybe they're too strong."
"They're not, and I'm not changing." An irritated glare met Lanie, warning clear in the detective's eyes. "It's bad enough that I have to take them in the first place."
"Honey-"
Kate shook her head and closed her eyes. "Drop it, Lanie."
The M.E. exhaled deeply, partly annoyed, partly concerned for her friend. "Fine. So, you and writer boy. And don't you dare tell me there's nothing going on."
"There really is nothing going."
"Nuh uh. I come here and find you in bed half dressed in the man's arms, that is not nothing. You better spill now, Katherine Beckett, or I will make Castle dish instead."
"Lanie," Kate pleaded her quietly. "I just didn't want the guys to see me in the pajamas you picked me and I knew he would want to see them one day or another, so I thought I'd get it out of the way."
"Two birds with one stone."
"Yeah."
"You wanted to give him a way out, didn't you."
Kate shot the doctor a surprised look, but the eagerness with which she looked away confirmed the woman's suspicion. "Katie..."
"He's all in, Lanie. He so wants in but I, I don't know how to let him."
Lanie smiled sadly at her best friend and wrapped an arm around the taller woman's shoulder, gently bringing her to her. "Sweetie, you already did."
Castle all but dropped the beer he was carrying when they got back upon seeing Beckett laying on her side on the floor, with pillows piling up in her back. He didn't even have the time to shout in worry that Lanie was waving and shushing him. "What is she doing on the floor?"
"Her back hurt and she didn't want to go to bed, she said the floor felt better." Lanie ushered from her spot next to Kate, although her back was propped up against the couch.
Ryan snickered at the comment but coughed to hide it, exhaling roughly when Castle shoved the beer in his arms to go to the living room, and crouched beside Kate. "I'm going to ignore that last comment," He declared breezily, "How can she be comfortable in that position?" He questioned incredulously, only now noticing that the detective was sound asleep.
Lanie pushed herself back on her feet and slumped back on the couch now that the writer was with her friend. "Don't know, she just did. I massaged her shoulders and back, I think that's what put her to sleep."
"Well, comfortable or not, she's going to regret this if I leave her like this for too long." Castle argued. He shot a look upwards when he didn't hear Esposito or Ryan coming back. "Guys?"
Esposito came into view, a small frown on his face. "Hey bro, listen, we think maybe it'd be best if we headed out, letting her rest. We've been upsetting her enough for tonight."
"Nonsense, it's barely six-thirty, you don' have to leave now." Castle looked at them almost eagerly, observing them closely to see if they really wanted to leave or if they were only being polite. "There's a game on tonight, or we could just hang out too." He offered them when they didn't seem too eager to leave either. "Besides, she'll probably sleep for an hour or two before she wakes up again, and she'll feel bad for making you leave early."
"That's low, bro, playing the Beckett card to keep us here." Esposito mock-glared, Ryan coming up beside him and staring as well.
"Is it working?"
"Yeah, it is". Ryan admitted as he handed Esposito a beer and held an extra one for Castle. "Castle?"
Castle nodded for the coffee table as he examined the sleeping woman's position, searching for the best way to left her off the floor without hurting her. Looking at the pillows again he gently lowered her back onto them, and waited as her face scrunched up and her eyes fluttered open briefly. She sighed softly and turned her head toward Castle but didn't wake up.
As gently as he could Castle wrapped his arms around her shoulders and knees and lifted her off the floor, stopping a second when she let out a faint whimper and tensed in his arms. "Just make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." The writer glanced at his guests once she settled in his arms, heading slowly for his bedroom.
"Ow!" Esposito and Ryan were staring at Castle's retreating back when a hand slapped the back of their heads. "Lanie, what was that for?"
"You were thinking if what you just witnessed meant you had won the pool. They're your friends, and one of them is hurt so show a little compassion!"
"But, for your information, the pool is still open. They're not there yet." Lanie added with a smirk, relishing into the guys' shocked expression.
"You better not be holding out on us because you want the pool, Lanie." Esposito hissed but all he got in return was a sly smile. "Come on, let's clear everything so writer boy won't have to deal with it later."
Esposito and Ryan's phone rang an hour later with dispatch giving them the coordinates of a body that had been found, Lanie's remaining silent since she wasn't on call.
The M.E. helped cleaning out the beers and empty bowls of snacks that remained on the table, and headed to the writer's room to check on her friend before leaving while Castle went to take a quick shower.
Kate was lying down on her back when Lanie came in, an arm draped over her stomach and her eyes staring at the ceiling. The blanket Castle had covered her with was halfway on the floor and her legs were bent in what the doctor recognized as a defensive position. "Kate, honey are you okay? Why didn't you tell us you were awake?"
"I didn't want to disturb you guys." She admitted with a frustrated sigh. "My back hurts again and I didn't feel like getting up."
Worried lines crossed Lanie's face as she sat next to her friend. "Javi and Kevin are gone, they got a call a few minutes ago but it seemed that you heard it, don't you?" At the woman's silent nod, Lanie continued. "You're going to be sore for a while, you know that. How much hurting are we talking about?"
"I, it feels like I pulled something." Kate rephrased her thoughts when she felt her friend's hands slowly stretch her legs before they were on her hips. "You do realize I'm not one of your dead bodies you can prod and grope as you wish, right?" She told her dryly as she cringed.
"Shush. I didn't hear you complaining when I was giving you a free massage earlier, now do you?" The shorter woman chided her as she helped her turning over on her stomach. "Nothing's out of place, you probably just moved wrong in your sleep." The M.E. reassured her after a more thorough examination of the detective's back and cramped muscles. "I'm going to head out as well, sweetie, I'm pulling a double shift tomorrow."
Kate echoed her friend's long face and nodded. "Okay. Thanks for coming, and tell the guys I'm sorry, okay?"
"You have nothing to be sorry about, but I will relay the message anyway. Do you want to lie back on your back again before I leave?"
Lanie chuckled when a mumbled 'no' came to her ears, and she bent one last time over the bed to kiss her friend's cheek. "Bye, sweetie."
"Bye." Kate was dozing again but the sharp twinges in her back kept her from falling back asleep. She sighed in annoyance, debating if she should try to turn over to her side, when a hand on her shoulder startled her.
She opened her eyes quickly to see Castle crouching next to her, his warm blue eyes observing her attentively. "Hey."
"Hey." She answered back, too tired to roll her eyes. "Everyone is gone?"
"Yeah. Lanie said you back hurt again?"
Kate silently cursed the doctor, wishing she hadn't said anything to worry the man even more. "A little."
Castle frowned and did a more cautious check over of the woman. Somehow he knew that behind her neutral expression, there was more pain than she was letting on, especially if her clouded eyes were any indication. "A little? Come on Kate, you were lying on the floor when we got back because it was hurting too much, that is not a little."
"Do you..." Castle hesitated, not sure where they were standing even with the moment they had shared earlier. "I could give you a massage if you want?"
Everything is Kate was telling her to say no. She had opened up to him earlier and, frankly, she was still freaked out about it and there hadn't been much physical contact involved. She wasn't sure she could handle having the man's hands on her for an extended period of time without giving away into the temptation. "Lanie already gave me one."
The excuse was thin and lame but Beckett had convinced herself it worked, until she saw the dejected look on the writer's face. It was too late to take it back and to accept his request now because it would seem forced on both parts, and it would end up being an awkward experience for them. "Oh, okay then. I'll let you sleep and wake you in a few hours for your medication."
Kate cringed at Castle's voice, and she was suddenly desperate to find something to bring back the kind eyes that were on her just minutes before, but her mind was coming up empty. "Castle, no wait."
She forced her eyes open again and focused her gaze on the man's eyes and not on his hands that were now resting barely two inches from her head.
Castle watched her quietly, giving her the time to voice whatever she had in mind. "I'm not that tired, I don't want to go to sleep already."
"Would you like to go back to the living room? I'm sure I can figure out a way for you to spend some time on the couch without being too uncomfortable...what?" He asked curiously when he was met with an amused set of eyes. "Please read to me?"
The soft request was not what Castle was expecting and, as the words registered in his mind, he found that as this moment, reading to Katherine Beckett was even more tantalizing to him than any other suggestion any of them could have come up with. "Read to you? Really?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind?"
"Of course not," the man beamed, happy to be of any use, "do you have any specific requests?" He asked her, knowing she was an avid reader and already wondering where his Kindle was in case he didn't have the book she'd asked for.
Castle watched with interest as Kate suddenly found the bed sheets fascinating. "What is it, Kate? You can ask me anything, as long as you don't request Twilight. Ask for that and you'll have to read it yourself."
Kate chuckled but shook her head. "No, actually...I was wondering how far along you were for your new book?"
'Heat was running, the desperate clicking of her heels echoing on the concrete as she tried to reach the pier before-' "What?"
"Nothing."
"That was not nothing. That was a Katherine Beckett patented snort, reserved for when I do or say something you find derisive." Castle stared her down with a light sulk, even if in reality he was immensely enjoying their evening so far.
The man had settled on his bed with his back resting on the headboard and his laptop on his lap while Kate had moved back to her side and was currently curled up close to the writer's side and listening intently to every man's words. "Okay, fine. It's just, why doesn't she take off her shoes? She'd run faster that way."
"Oh, you mean like you take off yours whenever you're after a suspect?"
Kate ignored the sarcasm in Castle's voice, too focused on the warmth eradiating from the man next to her to really care about his teasing. "It's not the same. She's not after a suspect, she needs to save Rooks. I'd throw my shoes away if they were keeping me from reaching you in time." She mumbled sleepily.
Castle's eyes snapped to Beckett but she had her eyes closed. Her body was as relaxed as the last time he had checked on her a few minutes before so she hadn't even probably realized what she had inadvertently admitted. "So, you're telling me that she needs to drop the boots and run barefeet in dirty streets, risking shards of glass in her feet, of sharp rocks, or rat bites in order to save Rook?" The idea seemed ridiculous at best, but it suddenly gave the mystery writer a new, more dramatic angle to work on. "Oh."
Another look at the now slightly dozing woman next to him and Castle started debating if he could make it to his study without waking her up. He really needed to write Kate's ideas down before he forgot about them but didn't want to do it in bed in case the incessant typing woke her up. "Kate?"
He whispered his name very softly, knowing she would rouse if she wasn't completely asleep. When she didn't react or move, Castle closed his laptop and slowly slid off the bed. Beckett still hadn't moved so he made his way out of the room before turning on his heels and going back to the bed. Castle observed her for several long seconds, finding comfort in her deep, steady breathing. The swelling of her bruised cheek and jaw had started to go down but, even with the blue and purples bruises coloring her features and body, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world for him.
Castle moved before he couldn't restrain himself and, bending over the woman's slumbering form, pressed a feather-like kiss on her temple. "I love you Kate."
He let the door ajar as he left in case she woke up and need anything and took place at his desk, only glancing once at the bedroom door before turning to his computer. Quick, sharp typing sounds soon echoed around the study and the bedroom as Nikki Heat, in a desperate attempt at saving the man she unconsciously loved, shed her four inch boots, running through debris to get to him before he got killed by a rogue Swedish CIA agent.
In the next room, Kate slowly exhaled and opened her eyes, her fingers reaching to brush against the pillow Castle had softly pressed against her chest before leaving to prevent her from sleeping directly on her ribs. She glanced at the door for a moment before sighing and bringing the pillow closer to her, the writer's warmth still radiating from it.
