Disclaimer I do not own Castle. (sorry for delay in updating.)

Here With Me?

Kate had a very strange feeling that she was just laying in a hospital bed waiting for trouble to find her. The visit from Captain Montgomery followed by Ryan and then Castle had her thinking something was going on and she wasn't being told what. Even Martha had been evasive. She stared at the ceiling and swore under her breath before throwing her legs out of bed and grabbing her jeans and t shirt. If noone would tell her what was going on she was just going to have to find out herself.

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"Hey." Castle smiled as Alexis walked in.

"Hey." She sat on the stool next to the breakfast bar and rested her head on her hand.

"What is it?" He watched as his only child shrugged her shoulders. The bruise on her cheek had become more prominant since the day before. "Alexis?"

"It's nothing, daddy."

"Now I know it's something. Come on. Talk to me. I have mint choc chip ice cream." He raised an eyebrow as even the mention of her favourite comfort food failed to raise her spirits.

"It's nothing really."

"You know? You keep saying that and I keep thinking you don't mean it."

"Ashley and I had an argument."

"About what?" He watched as she sighed. "If I can ask?"

"School. He said I over reacted when Jenny said Kate was going to die." She looked at the bowl of ice cream her father had put in front of her.

"She is not going to die." He picked up his own bowl and sat next to her. "You know that. And as for Ashley he should be supporting you, not this Jenny."

"Which is what I said. Dad, she called Kate a skank. And me."

"Well, she is wrong again." He smiled as his daughter met his eyes. "You are smart, intelligent and incredibly beautiful. Just like Kate. Neither of you are skanks. What exactly is a skank?"

"You don't wanna know." She smiled.

"Thanks Castle." Both spun on their stools as Kate closed the front door behind her. "Well, thats not exactly the reaction I was hoping for."

"Kate!" Martha hugged her as Castle did an exellent impression of a goldfish, just as Martha appeared.

"Kate, darling! Welcome home." She airkissed Kate's cheek. "Richard, close your mouth. It's unbecomming."

"I." He shut his mouth as Kate smiled. "What?"

"The doctor said I could come home." She lied as Castle raised an eyebrow. Alexis couldn't help but smile. It seemed Ashley had been wrong. Her family was going to be fine.

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"So." Ryan looked up as little Max hopped onto the couch beside him. "You were with your mom?"

"Yeah." The little blonde boy nodded.

"You like shopping?" He glanced at the child psychologist, Ellie that was sat opposite him.

"Sometimes. Mom takes ages when we go. I get bored."

"What about when you went to the cafe?" He watched as Max handed him a toy train. "Thanks, I like trains."

"Me too. That's a steam train. They had them in England in the old days. My daddy told me." Ryan nodded. Keeping a young child like Max focused was not his strong point. He wasn't used to kids.

"Max? Honey." Ellie watched as the little boy yawned. "You went to the cafe?"

"No, we were going but we didn't go."

"Why was that?"

"Mom got upset when the man was shot." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you see the man get shot?" Ryan asked as Max frowned, as if deep in thought.

"No." He shook his head as Ryan sighed heavily. Max had been the one chance they had at a credible eyewitness.

"Mommy grabbed me and hugged me real tight. Like this." He hugged himself "But I saw a man run away. He was real fast!"

"You did?" Ellie smiled. "Can you tell me what he looked like?"

"Old." He frowned before turning to Ryan. "Like you."

Ellie couldn't help but smile as the detective pulled a face. "Anything else? Did he have blonde hair like you?"

"No. Black. And a coat like yours." He touched Ryan's jacket. "He was running really fast."

"Thanks Max." Ryan had a feeling talking to the little boy was the best lead they were going to get.

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"I dunno." Esposito stared at the desk. There had been no sign of the Captain for hours. He knew his wife was worried sick and he had to admit that while he had stopped trusting the man he didn't want anything to happen to him. He listened as Mrs Montgomery asked him to call the moment he heard anything. Sighing heavily he dumped the phone back on his desk. It was going to be a long night and all he really wanted to do was go and see Laine. He picked up the phone once more, he may not be able to see her but he could talk to her.

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"Kate." Castle sat on the couch next to her.

"I'm fine." She curled her legs up underneath her. For a moment it struck him how small she actually was. He had missed having her in the loft but had focused on her getting well. Now she was there next to him he really didn't know what to say.

"You weren't discharged. Kate, talk to me. Alexis and Mother are in bed. It's just me."

"I discharged myself against medical advice. The doctor was not happy." She rested her head on his shoulder as he sighed.

"You should go back to the hospital."

"No one is telling me anything. I need to know what is going on. I need to find out who the gun man was. What was I going to be told about my mom. I need answers Castle." She met his eyes as he nodded.

"I see that." She took a deep breath as he spoke. "And you will get them, but less than a fortnight ago youu had emergency neurosurgery. They cut a tumour out of your head." He touched her long brown hair, relieved that they had only shaved a little off. She still looked like his Kate.

"You don't understand." She made to get up as he rested a hand on her forearm.

"I do. I understand that I nearly lost you. Again. That we lost our baby. And it wasn't some creep with a gun, it was natural. Illness. And I can't protect you from that. And that scares the Hell out of me. You may need answers, but Katherine Beckett, I need you." The words all came out in a rush. Kate wasn't sure that he had even taken a breath. He held her arm tighter as her gaze softened. "I need you."

"I'm here Castle." She sighed as he kissed her cheek. "I'm yours." She kissed him back as she felt his tear escape.

"Don't cry." He wiped a tear away as he kissed her.

"Ok, but."

"No buts, Kate." He rested his forehead on her shoulder as she held him. "Just be here."

"Ok."

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A/N Not a great place to end. I'll update soon, please review.