Author's Note: Here it is… I know a lot of you have been really looking forward to this chapter and I truly hope it's good enough to at least please most of you. It turned out slightly shorter than I'd expected but sometimes that's just how it goes. I like the way this turned out and I hope you all do too.

As Castle hurried out the door, Kate tried to come to terms with the fact that she was alone with the all too cunning Martha Rodgers and Castle's own daughter. Of course she loved Castle's family, but talking to them without him was always a slightly daunting idea.

Even though conversation had always been easy and Martha and Alexis had never been anything less than extremely welcoming, Beckett still felt a slight fear when Rick closed the door.

Martha led Alexis to sit at Kate's bedside chair, and Martha pulled the extra chair from the corner nearer to her.

The feel in the room seemed heavier to Beckett than a mere visit would. Martha looked as though she'd been planning something and Alexis sat nervously, fidgeting with her clothes and avoiding eye contact.

"Kate," Martha said with a smile. "How are you?" She leaned towards the detective, her smile fading. "You can't imagine how worried we were. When we heard… Oh, I nearly had a heart attack."

"I'm better," Beckett smiled reassuringly. "Or getting there at least. I'm probably leaving the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Of course, I'll be sore and still taking more medicine than I'd like, but I can't wait to get out of this room."

"I understand completely. Being cooped up, it is the very worst." Martha said.

"Detective Beckett, what happened?" Alexis spoke up without warning. She said the words quickly, as if she'd been waiting forever to say them. After speaking she glanced anxiously at her gram, then back to Kate.

Beckett tried to wrap her head around what the girl could possibly mean. Alexis knew exactly what had put her in this hospital bed. Kate knew Castle would never keep that kind of information from his daughter. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I don't know what you're talking about."

"What my dad said to you or what you did to him… What happened?" Alexis clarified quietly, as if the words embarrassed her.

Kate had no idea how to respond. The question was sudden and unexpected. How had they known that anything had been said? How had they known anything at all had happened? Beckett had always assumed that Castle didn't share much about their relationship, whatever it was, at home, but maybe she had been wrong?

But if they had to ask her, obviously Castle wasn't sharing too much. Kate had no idea how to answer his expectant family. On one hand, telling them the truth about the last words she remembered Castle saying would appease them, and they might have helpful advice.

On the other, telling them would certainly feel too much like breaching Rick's trust. They hadn't even discussed his words yet. He didn't even know she remembered them. It didn't seem fair to Kate to be the one to tell his family.

Martha could tell that Beckett was conflicted. "Dear, I raised that boy. I know him. And Alexis knows him. Something is off. We both see it. He's acting strange; very reserved, almost as if, he's afraid of something. Now at first we thought it was your injury. That would make perfect sense. But it's gone on and there's definitely something more to his behavior. You're the only one I know that can affect him this much, in this way. I know that something's been said, and I'd be willing to bet that Richard was the one to say it."

Martha finished with a knowing look directed at Kate. The detective took a shaking breath. "I don't…" She started, still unsure of what to do. Obviously the keen observational skills that Castle possessed ran in his family. Maybe they should be the detectives…

Alexis shifted in her seat as Kate struggled to find the right words. She clearly wasn't as comfortable with the situation as Martha, who was as cool and collected as ever.

"Kate, you don't need to say anything," Martha interrupted, also seeing that Beckett was getting nowhere. "I just need to you to understand how much Richard cares about you. He truly does. And you're good for him. I really believe that. I've seen Richard mature more in his time with you than he has in his entire life, but he doesn't deserve to be strung along. You and I both know that he deserves more than that. He isn't shadowing you for books anymore, Kate, and I am sure you've figured that out by now. If you don't feel anything for him, well, I wish you would just tell him now because he'll follow you even if you give him the slightest hope. If there's no chance, please tell him directly."

"We just don't want him to get hurt. Don't feel like you have to tell us anything." Alexis offered in a small voice, trying to lighten the protective, almost sharp tone of Martha's words.

She was being a mother, Kate knew. And despite her shock at Martha's words, this was part of the reason Beckett admired Castle's family so much. At the sign of anything at all happening to him, they had jumped to his aid. Even though Castle would never, ever approve of what Martha was saying, Kate knew that his best interest was the only thing on her mind.

The detective could only imagine how wonderful it would be to go home to such a supportive family, instead of her own lonely apartment.

"I'm sorry, Detective Beckett," Alexis continued when Kate didn't immediately answer.

"No, no…" Kate quickly spoke now. She was anything but angry at the girl. "You're protecting your father, Alexis. Both of you, you're just looking after Castle. I'm glad. I'm really glad someone's looking after Castle." She trailed off in thought.

"We'll let you get some rest," Martha said, reaching to give Kate's shoulder a small, affectionate squeeze.

Alexis was out of the room first. She didn't waste any time. As Martha stood to follow her, Kate finally found her voice.

"When I was dying…" Martha turned abruptly at the sound of the woman's quiet voice.

"When I was dying," Kate repeated, mustering more strength in her words. "Or thought I was dying… he was the only thing on my mind. Not my father, not my friends, not my own life, just Rick. It was only Rick. So, yes, I do… I feel something." She said, trying to keep her voice steady.

She was dangerously close to tears. She'd cried more in these few days than in the longest time. Being shot in the chest must do that to a person. Or maybe it was the painkillers…

"I know," Martha replied to Kate's honest, emotional words with a small upward turn of her lips. "I know, dear." She said and followed her granddaughter out of the room and into the hall without another word.

Author's Note: Wow! So there you finally have it. I know a lot of people were excited about this chapter so I really hope that I met your expectations! Please let me know what you thought.

Also, I'm leaving for a trip to Virginia tomorrow to see UVA again (Wahoowa!) so I don't know how often I'll be able to update this weekend. If possible I'll write and post here whenever I can, but know that there is no guarantee. I promise to do my very best to get you guys some Caskett!

Your reviews inspire me! Thanks always.