AN: I guess I'll start by apologizing for the delay on this chapter. I had a really busy week, so I didn't get a lot of time to write.
But, never fear, I have returned with a new chapter! Not to mention, I'll be starting the next chapter as soon as I post this. I wanted to include a few more events in this chapter, but it got away from me a little bit. This chapter is pretty much just a transition from the last chapter to the next one.
Hope you all enjoy the TENTH chapter of this story! Wow. Has it really been ten chapters already?
Disclaimer: I still do not own Castle or any of it's characters! If you recognize it, it's probably not mine.
P.S. Bonus points to anyone who finds the song reference!
Beckett walked through the door into her apartment, flicking on the lights as she did so. After locking the door behind her, she dropped her keys on her counter and toed off her shoes. She sighed and looked around the room, amazed at how normal everything seemed. She knew that there was no reason anything should have changed, but she almost expected something to be different after everything that had happened.
She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do for the next couple of hours. After all, it was only seven thirty, and there was no way she'd fall asleep any time soon if she went to bed now.
Beckett found anything she could do to distract herself. She cleaned her apartment, organized her closet and her drawers, then sat down on her couch with one of Castle's books, until she finally fell asleep.
Kate paced back in forth in her apartment. It was four in the morning and she had only managed to sleep a few hours, every moment of unconsciousness riddled with images of someone lying bleeding on a tile floor. The only details that she could remember were around the body, everything else left hazy.
What scared her the most was that it wasn't even Castle's body this time. It was everyone else: her dad, the shooter, Esposito, Ryan, her mom, Lanie, Montgomery, even herself, but never Rick.
She knew some of them were caused by her shooting of the killer, but she couldn't fathom how everyone she cared about, other than Castle, had found their way onto that white and blue checkered floor.
She knew if she went to the hospital now, there was no way they would let her in. Every bone, every muscle, every nerve, every vessel in her body screamed for him, for someone, anyone. She should call someone, they would understand, but she knew it wouldn't help.
She needed him, and only him. He was the only person keeping her grounded, the only person that could show her the light when everything else was pitch black. Kate had never realized just how much she needed him until now, and she was beginning to understand what it meant to truly love a person.
They hadn't talked about what she had said while she had knelt over his body, and neither had ever spoken those few words that had already changed everything since. She knew she loved him and had for a while now, even if it hadn't always been so clear. It had seemed like the clarity of a diamond. People can call a diamond crystal clear, but if one were to look through, it would seem like looking through broken glass.
Before she knew what she was doing, she was dressed, hair haphazardly thrown into a bun, and standing in front of the door, keys in hand. She didn't care if they wouldn't let her in. She was going to the hospital, even if she had to sit in the waiting room for hours on end.
Castle awoke slowly, his eyes squinting against the light. Someone was shaking his shoulder, trying to rouse him.
"I'm up, I'm up," he murmured, thankful that the person shaking him stopped as soon as he spoke. When he finally opened his eyes all the way, he saw that it was his nurse that had woken him.
He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of one hand and yawned as he sat up carefully, propping himself up with the other hand.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"About seven thirty," the nurse answered. "You just need your dressings changed one last time before you leave."
Rick heard a movement coming from the corner of the room that was farthest from the door. When he turned to see what it was, he was met with the sight of Kate, curled up in the chair she had sat in yesterday. He wondered when she had arrived here, and the nurse answered his question before he had the chance to voice it.
"She got here a few hours ago. Technically, she's not allowed in here until eight, but she looked almost desperate to see you. She could barely even get a sound out to tell me why she was there, but I recognized her and brought her here."
He didn't know how he was supposed to respond, so he simply replied "Thank you."
The nurse shrugged. "It was the least I could do, considering everything you two have gone through." The nurse paused a moment to look between Rick and Kate. "Are you two married?" Upon seeing that Rick was momentarily at a loss for words, she was gave a small smile. "I'm guessing you'd like to be?"
Rick gave a small chuckle. "I mean, I certainly hope we get there some day. We've only just started seeing each other." He paused a moment, thinking to himself how odd it was that it had only been a little over a day since they'd become a couple. They hadn't even taken the time to discuss labels yet. "But we've been partners at work for about two and a half years."
"Well I hope that works out for you," the nurse said sincerely. "You two seem to be awfully close already."
Their conversation must have pierced Kate's consciousness because she started to stir, her limbs stretching out as she woke. Much like Rick had done only a few minutes earlier, she rubbed at her eyes and yawn, her eyes immediately shooting to Castle, then to the nurse. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to find the right words.
"Morning," Castle broke the silence, trying to give her an easy way out of an awkward conversation.
"Morning. I… uh…" She trailed off, not knowing how to phrase what she wanted to say. I dreamed about everyone I care about dying in the exact same way you got shot, so I came here so I could watch you sleep to make myself feel better. There was no way she was saying that, especially with the nurse standing right there. As far as the nurse is concerned, she was just worried about him and wanted to make sure he was alright.
"I just needed to see you." She knew he could tell there was more to that story, but he seemed to understand that it was a conversation for another time.
"Yeah, I got that. I was told you got here a few hours ago."
Kate yawned, then furrowed her brow. "What time is it?"
"Little past seven-thirty," the nurse answered. Kate nodded, surprised it had already been that long.
"I just need to change his dressings, and then he's all yours." The nurse smiled at her, and Kate couldn't help but smile back.
"Well, I'm going to go get myself a coffee," Kate said after a moment, standing up from the chair. "Then we'll see what we can do about getting you home."
She stopped at his bed to kiss the top of his head before leaving the room, and Rick couldn't help but smile at the gesture. His eyes followed her as she left the room, watching her until he could see her no longer.