A/N - Thanks for all the comments and reviews - I appreciate the time you take to jot a message of encouragement :-) To my serial reviewers: hfce, TOROTOSUN & wendykw - Thanks for being there. Special shout out to wendykw for pointing out a device that needed clarification.

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The Castle Wall

Chapter 10

Awakening

Castle opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Darkness and pain. There was faint light filtering through the drapes. Not yet morning. He scrubbed his hand over his face and swung his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up. "Ow, oh God."

"Castle?" Beckett's sleepy voice came from the darkness on her side of the bed.

"Ouch. Sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Where are you hurting?"

He pressed his lips together in a painful frown. "Pretty much everywhere." He tried to stand up, but fell back to the bed, pulling his arms in tight around his ribcage. It hurt to breathe. Kate got up and hurried around the bed.

"Let me help you."

Castle sat there contemplating his options. Finally, he sighed and looked up at her. He put up his hands in front of him and she pulled. "Kate, ow…Kate, oof…Kate" He huffed out her name as he stumbled and tried not to fall again. She grabbed his waist. "Aw!"

"Castle. Just. Stop. Let me…" and then he was still, standing, but leaning on her for support with his eyes closed, shallowly breathing.

"Rick, where?"

"The bathroom, I won't need your help in there." He was stony faced. For someone who craved attention, he sure did not like accepting help when he needed it. They hobbled together the few feet to the bathroom. She left him at the door. After a few minutes, she knocked.

"Castle?" There was no response. "Rick? Are you okay?" She knocked again. The door opened up a couple of inches. He was standing in front of the mirror inspecting his injuries. "Hey."

He looked at her. "Why didn't it hurt this much earlier?"

"Probably the adrenaline and then the pills. You were feeling no pain. You know you can take another now, if you need it."

"No thanks, I'm not sure what was happening earlier, but I don't think it was pretty. I vaguely remember murdering Billy Joel." Kate smiled. There were the self-depreciating, coping jokes.

"I hadn't heard that." She made a mental note to ask Alexis about it.

"What time is it?"

She looked at her phone. "It's only five."

"Jeez. Let's go back to bed." He said it as he eased himself back down onto the soft pillow top mattress. She waited until he was settled and then snuggled into his side. She listened to his heartbeat slowing and his breathing until it evened out, finally back to sleep, content that he was once again resting, she let herself drift into oblivion. It was in that space between awake and asleep when she heard the door open.

Kate instantly tensed. Castle felt her and responded. "Wha?" His sleep heavy voice asked.

"Kate?" Alexis poked her head in the doorway. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. They were all so edgy.

"Pumpkin? Everything okay?" Castle was mostly asleep

"Yeah, dad, go back to sleep. Kate?" Kate slipped out of bed and followed Alexis to the office.

Alexis turned around. "I heard dad yelling. Is he okay?" Kate marveled at the teen's ability to put concern for her father first. When she was seventeen, she was a self-centered, arrogant know-it-all. She honestly did not know how her parents put up with her.

"He woke up disoriented and in pain. He'll be fine." She took the girl's hand in hers.

"Thanks, Kate, I'm just a little freaked out about everything that happened and when he got home and you, with your gun and…" Kate pulled her into a hug.

"Its okay, Alexis. We are all a little over-tired and stressed. As soon as we wrap this case, it'll be better." She released her and smiled warmly.

Alexis took a deep cleansing breath and smiled back. "I think I'll try to go back to bed for a little while. See you in the morning."

"Good idea." Kate went back to the bedroom to come upon the window-rattling snores. She hoped that they were a by-product of his facial injuries and not a permanent addition to their bedroom. Maybe going back to bed was overrated. She snuggled next to him and decided to make the best of it.

Patricia walked up the stairs to her apartment automatically. It was late and there was still so much to accomplish. She walked through her apartment towards the bedroom, sliding her hand across the writer's desk lovingly. She strode across her bedroom to her closet, unlocked the locks, and opened the door. She glanced at the video feed, but at this hour, she'd have been surprised to see anyone there. She flipped open her new copy of Heat Rises and read,

'To Kate, Hang in there. With perseverance, you will get whatever you set your heart on. ~ Rick Castle'

She smiled to herself and put the book on the shelf. He didn't know how right he was. This was her third copy, but the first one he signed to Kate. His whole face lit up when she told him that her name was Kate.

She thought back to the afternoon. It was a beautiful day. There were larger crowds than expected for the Mystery, Mayhem, and Murder Convention. It had been amusing. Patricia and Thomas had gone together. She was waiting in Richard's line. It was a long wait, but there was a clear view of the table, some women were flirting with him. Actually, all of the women were flirting. They were all just wasting their time. The line moved slowly. She saw the detective go up to the table. Then the two of them, Richard, and the detective went into a trailer. While they were all waiting for him to come back out, fans started talking to each other. 'Have you read it? What did you think of the plot? Or 'Have you been over to check out the new writer Buchanan?' Others, 'What was taking so long?' The conversation that caught Patricia's ear that afternoon was that of a young woman and her friend.

"Mandy, the guy's not even here. Why are you still in line?"

"He said he'd be right back, Laura. Have a little patience."

"I don't like his books. Too many sub-plots, twists, and subtext that you need to decipher. I like a straight forward mystery that I can solve from the evidence presented."

"Boring," she said waving her hand in front of a manufactured yawn. "Richard Castle's books are amazing. He totally draws you in and you genuinely care for his characters and what happens to them."

"Patterson's stories have some decent twists, but he doesn't much of a line." Laura gestured to James Patterson's display.

"Yeah, I like the Alex Cross books, but seriously, have you seen Richard Castle? Oh, my, gosh, I could die in those eyes. I just have to meet him. I want to tell him of my plan to teach using his stories." She shyly looked at her friend, "maybe he needs to do 'research', "she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "I would be a willing participant in that endeavor."

Patricia was twisting the schedule she held in her hand as she listened. Thomas had just come wandering up to her. She waited patiently.

"Where the hell is he?" Thomas derided. He made a repulsed face. He knew he would always be second to the great Richard Castle, whom he vehemently hated. Thomas' passion for Patricia matched her passion for the writer. She just did not see it. He knew she used him for sex and other services and that was usually enough, but being here with the guy made his resentment surface. "We've got to wait in a line for God knows how long and he's not even here?" He whined at her. Patricia just stared at him, her lips thinning out as she controlled her anger and her hand.

Richard emerged from the trailer looking, um…not refreshed or rested, but disheveled. Oh, she thought. She ground her teeth together. What the hell was she thinking? Of course, he was with her. Her anger intensified as she continued to eavesdrop on Mandy and Laura.

"Oh my gosh, Laura, there he is." Patricia overheard. "Handsome, rich and talented. I need me some of that!" The girls giggled. It was too much for Patricia. She kept her eye on 'Mandy'.

The line was moving again. Patricia watched as, one after another and another, the women melted before him. It was almost too much to take. Her heart was racing against her ribs, her hands and face became sweaty. She was having trouble catching her breath. She watched the interaction between that Mandy girl, and Richard. She was talking to him. He was listening, smiling, and talking back to her. Patricia was desperate to eavesdrop but between the pounding of her pulse and Thomas' whining she only caught Richard wishing her good luck and…

He kissed her hand.

She felt her heart rate drop. She calmed down. She turned to Thomas. He wasn't surprised to see the coldness in her eyes and he knew what it meant. He would have to prove himself, his worth, and his love to her, again.

"That one. She's too close." She said in his ear, nodding her head in Mandy's direction. "Make it quick, away from people, don't leave any witnesses, but don't hurt him."

Thomas nodded his understanding and followed Mandy down the bank to Turtle Pond to wait for his chance.

Patricia's heart jumped again. She was next. Her eyes flashed anger again as he smiled at the woman ahead of her in line. She took a breath and moved forward.

Rick looked up at the next woman and gave her his best affable smile. She was a nice looking young woman. He appreciated the fire in her eyes. He chuckled to himself as he thought that she might have been the type of woman who would have gotten a private signing before Beckett. It wasn't even a consideration now. It couldn't be.

"Hi. Thanks so much for coming out today." He stopped and really looked at her, curiosity, and recognition in his scrutiny. "Have we met before?"

Patricia couldn't contain her excitement and gushed. "No. I mean, not officially. I've been a fan for a long time. Your entire career. You're just so great."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "Well, it couldn't have been as long as I've been writing," his eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement, "you don't look old enough." Charm dripped from every word. "Are you okay? You look a little pale." He made an apologetic face, indicated the line, and continued. "I'm sorry you had to wait so long."

Patricia was beside herself. She had never had such a long conversation with him before. Furthermore, what was that? He was concerned about her. She controlled her breathing. "I'm fine, but thanks. I'm working on something and I'm not sure if I can get it finished. There's always something that gets in the way." Her smile exuded adulation.

Rick registered the look. He had seen it before. He glanced at the security guard at the end of the table. Patricia handed him a new copy of Heat Rises. "Wow, hadn't seen a copy of this today. So, to whom shall I make this out?"

Patricia bit her lip and watched him carefully as she quietly said, "Kate."

His head whipped up, his whole face alight. "I love that name." He opened her book and wrote. She watched his every move. After a moment, he handed her the book and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, again, Kate. Enjoy the rest of the convention." He smiled at her again and looked to the person next in line. She stared into his eyes for just a minute too long. She felt someone take her arm. She looked up at a man. It took a second for her to register, through her euphoria, that he was security and he was asking her to leave. She snatched away from him and disappeared into the crowd.

The memory of her dismissal from his table brought her back to the present. She reached into her bag and took out her camera. She opened her laptop, pushed the SD card into the slot, and uploaded today's pictures. She had gotten so many. She loved days when he was at a public event. She scrolled through the files. She had managed to take photos of Alexis, Paula, and the detective. She printed several. He was glorious today. Laughing, meeting people, he truly looked happy. She continued to scroll. She had several photos from the reading. She caught her breath as she remembered his voice. She closed her eyes and could almost hear him. She inspected the pictures closely and was annoyed that she couldn't use them. Although Richard had tried to cover it up, Patricia could see the bruising left by Thomas. She gritted her teeth. "Buffoon." She would not have to worry about him any longer. She put any thought of Thomas out of her mind. She had printing to do.

Patricia finished printing her candid photos and hung them on her wall. Some she cut out and some she left intact. She paused at the picture of Richard with the detective. She opened the table's drawer and pulled out a red sharpie marker. She circled the detectives face, repeatedly. She was breathing heavily as she marked up the photo when something in the monitor caught her attention. Patricia's eyes flicked to the video monitor. She strained to see. "Who is that?" Someone she did not recognize was there. She thought she knew everyone who visited his apartment. He was becoming harder and harder to control. She watched as the person, who was dressed in jeans, a baggy hoodie and a jean jacket, bent down and slipped something under his door. The person rose and turned to leave, but did not use the elevator. They took the stairs.

Somewhere there was a noise. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was insistent. It stopped, but then it started again. Kate slowly recognized the sound as her phone. She raised her head and fumbled to answer it.

"Mm, yeah…Beckett."

Esposito smirked. "Hey boss, you up?"

"Um, yeah, yeah. What's up?"

Ryan picked up the conversation. "Ya know, if eleven is too early for you, we could call back at a more civilized time."

"Eleven?" She heard sniggering on the line. "All right comedians, what's this about?"

"Actually Beckett, "Javi continued seriously, "Wagner is dead."

"What?" Kate bellowed it out, instantly awake. Castle limped in from his office, concern etching his features. Kate held up her palm and shook her head at his unasked question.

"Yeah, we got a call from Demming early this morning." Ryan picked up the ball. "Apparently someone clobbered a nurse, stole her clothes, ID badge, and keys, made their way to his room, and smothered him."

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Espo added.

"He was our lead." Frustration poured out of Kate. She ran her hand through her hair. "Video?"

"Yes, but she is turned away. No face shots." Kevin supplied.

Espo said, "She knew exactly where the cameras were, but Beckett? Same build as our Patricia."

"Where the hell was the guard? Wasn't that the secure ward?" Kate could not believe this was slipping through her fingers.

"Central Park. Budget cuts. Hires a private firm for overnight gigs."

She shut her eyes. "Do you need me to come to the hospital? Because frankly, I think I would kill Demming."

Espo chuckled, "No boss. We got this."

Ryan added, "The investigation, not Demming's murder."

"Right. Let me know if anything helpful turns up." She hung up and looked over at an inquisitive Castle who had sat down on his side of their bed while she was on the phone.

She exhaled and explained to him that their only lead was dead. She brought him up to speed on all of their findings from last night: including the connection between Mandy's killer and Gina.

He put it together. "Oh crap! Then it does tie back to me." She could see the realization of the implications in his expression. His eyes registered shock and then remorse finally followed by determination. "Who is Patricia?"

"I think we've got a picture from the alley where Gina…" She let the rest drop. He was so prone to shouldering the guilt.

"And she and Wagner were working together? Why?" He was puzzling it out. She loved watching his mind work.

"I don't know."

"I mean, I would do almost anything for you Kate, but I don't think you could get me to murder someone. Did he say why Mandy Griffiths?"

She shook her head. She took his hand. "Don't let it get to you. C'mon, I need some coffee. She got up and led him to the kitchen.

Rick headed to the coffee maker and Kate sat down on one of the stools. Alexis, who was had been curled up on the couch, enjoying a lazy Sunday, got up and walked over to the breakfast bar. "Good morning, Kate. Dad, how're you feeling?"

"Better, pumpkin, thanks. It was a memorable night. I mean, look at these badges of honor all over my face. Yep, your old man's a bad ass now." Alexis performed a very Beckett-esque eye roll. Castle frowned and said, "Nnoooo. Wow." He shuddered, raised an eyebrow, and then grinned at her. "That was just like Kate's."

He kissed her on the top of her head. "Da-ad."

He pursed his lips. "You started it," he called and she headed up the stairs.

The front door opened and Martha stepped over the threshold with the newspaper. She stopped to pick up an envelope and breezed over to the kitchen. "Good morning, darlings!"

"Hi Martha." Kate said while leaning over to accept Martha's air kiss to her cheek.

"Kate, you're looking lovely," she raised an eyebrow and knowing humor danced in her eyes, "and sleepy." Kate lowered her gaze.

Rick, who had been pouring himself another cup of coffee, came to her rescue. "Mother," he began as he was turning around, "You look lovely today. May I get you a cup…?" She cut him off.

"Richard!" She shrieked, "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing, really, I was jumped in the park."

"Oh, my poor dear." She came around the counter trying to comfort her son. He waved her off.

"Mother, I'm fine, just a little sore."

Martha looked at Kate. "I'm assuming it was a mugging?" Then turning to Rick added, "He probably beat you up and took off…"

Rick closed his eyes and pursed his lips. It was his long-suffering look. He had perfected it. He would need it as long as his mother was around to 'keep him grounded' as she put it.

"Actually Martha," Kate interjected before the older woman could say anymore, "Rick put the assailant in the hospital." Castle heard where Beckett was going and started shaking his head and crossing his hands in the air behind his mother's back.

"Richard?!" She turned to face him. Now he looked guilty. Another Martha Rodgers inspired look.

"Mother, he was a murder suspect and I was only defending myself."

Martha closed her eyes and executed what Rick referred to as the 'Rodgers stealth eye roll'. Eyes closed, but rolling, nonetheless. She opened her eyes and looked right into his. "Well, despite the man being a brigand, I hope that he does recover, for your sake."

Rick looked to the floor.

"Oh goodness." She looked at Kate. "He's not going to?" She left the question dangling in the air.

"It's complicated, Martha. Someone murdered him last night. It didn't have to do with any injuries that Rick caused."

She looked back and forth between them. Apparently, convinced, she pulled Rick into a hug. "Oh my son, my son." He contorted his face at Kate over his mother's head and grunted in her embrace. He hissed a sharp intake of air and said, "Ribs," as he spun his way out of her ministrations.

He turned around to get her coffee.

"Here, I brought in your paper." She hefted the bulky Sunday New York Times onto his counter top. The plain envelope was sitting on top of it.

"What's this?" He asked as he delivered her drink.

"I'm sure I don't know kiddo. It was on the floor with the paper." She took a sip of her coffee.

Castle looked at the envelope. He scowled: his name was written on the outside in ink. If it had been from the paper, it would have had a label or it would have been directly printed onto the envelope. Actually, he thought, they would have mailed it. He dropped the envelope back onto the counter. Kate caught the sudden movement and stopped looking at the front page of the paper.

"Rick is everything…" She let it drift; he had run to the office. She started to follow, but he emerged putting on latex gloves. "Castle?" He explained his reasoning to Beckett and picked up the envelope again. He held it up to the light, but couldn't see anything except a piece of paper.

Martha discounted his precautions as being overly dramatic. "Really, Richard, aren't you being a little, oh, I don't know, over-the-top?" There it was. Her son's expression signaling she had reached his tolerance level of maternal annoyance. She backed down, "Never mind, I didn't say a thing."

He looked at Kate for assurance and began to open the envelope with a paring knife. He slid the knife along the fold. He peered cautiously into the envelope and pulled out the paper. He opened it and began to read.

Dear Richard, it began. He looked at Kate, swallowed, and continued.