AN: Thanks for all the alerts/favs! I really am glad you love this story as much as I do!-)
This time, Martha slept and Alexis was sitting at her father's bed, holding his hand and staring blankly at his face.
"Victoria gave me this." Kate handed her a bowl of porridge.
"With fruits?"
"No, just something to eat to keep standing," she sat down in the armchair the girl had been sleeping in before.
"He will be okay, right Kate?"
"Sure. No one of us will ever let him go. Not after all we went through because of him." Kate gave her one of the Beckett-eye-rolls and smiled reassuringly.
Alexis smiled thinly.
"Thank you for accepting him." It was hardly audible.
"He didn't really leave me a choice," Kate reached out and rubbed Alexis' shoulder. "None of you did in fact."
"Ouch…"
Both women jumped up as they heard his voice.
"Dad!"
"Castle!"
Martha awoke with a start.
"Richard?"
"No' so loud," he mumbled, trying to open his eyes.
"How're you feeling?" Alexis asked, fear and excitement obvious.
"Bad."
"Mister Castle, I'm Doctor Green. Can you understand me?"
He nodded, trying to lift his hand.
"Can you move your right hand?"
He squeezed the one Martha was holding.
"The left?"
His daughter laughed out in happiness.
"Your feet?"
Green lifted the blanket at the foot of the bed and grinned.
"Wonderful. Does is hurt somewhere special? "
He laid his hand on his stomach.
"Can you tell me if it's odd, or are you just hungry?"
Two fingers lifted confirmed the later.
"I'll get you something for your veins to eat." With a more than enthusiastic smile she rushed out the door. From afar there could be heard: "I am the best! I saved Richard Castle!"
Martha, Kate and Alexis laughed.
Not only dad was saved here.
w-_-w
Sleep, eat, hold his hand, talk to his mother and daughter.
That was all Kate did in the next few hours.
When the sun rose, Kate drove to her apartment, took a shower and dressed in something more comfortable. Jeans and t-shirt were easier to sleep in by his side and since she didn't have to work, she didn't care what impression her clothes left.
Sure, she would brief with McCord everyday, but for now she was just the fiancé of the man with the blood of his women in his life.
Rick woke up sporadically, smiling or cracking a few words out.
Alexis was excused from school and Martha had made a few calls to cancel her classes.
Lanie and Esposito were on the way, Ryan had told them he'd do anything necessary to get Kate's old job for her back, because he couldn't travel and so leave Jenny and his unborn child alone now.
The odds were good, because since Beckett was away, no other Detective had taken her place.
Green had gotten the family a more comfortable room, with a couch to sleep on and a radio to drown the silence with some background-noise.
You could tell she was not only happy to have saved a famous author, but a man, loved by these remarkable three women.
w-_-w
What's next? Well, one chapter showing Kate's only human and how the boys fit into her current mess of life. And one last chap giving this whole thing a wonderful finale.
Unitl then- review, please!