I know you all probably hate me right about now, sorry. Just wanted to clarify some things before you read. In case you couldn't figure it out Castle's dad has been behind everything and is the reason all these people are dead. He hired men because he hoped it wouldn't be traced back to him, obviously he never met Beckett, when Beckett's mom started digging into things he had her kidnapped. So I think that should explain it better. I'll let you get on with the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Why were hospitals always so bright, but yet so dark? It's like someone's sick interpretation of life. Yah, that was it.

I thought to myself as I paced in the waiting room. I would do, and think, anything so I wouldn't have to consider the matter at hand. That was proving to be extremely hard. Now I knew how everyone else felt when I got shot.

My mind was like a continuous movie real, all I could do was replay what had just happened over and over. No one was saying anything, it was a dead silence. I wished my mind could be like that. I sat down next to mom, putting my head in my hands, my head was pounding and I felt sick to my stomach.

"I just called Martha, she and Alexis are on the way. He'll be alright Beckett." Esposito said sitting down next to me, laying his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. I looked at him as I felt the tears form in the corner of my eye.

"Javi, what am I supposed to do? I can't sit here and do nothing." I cried. He slid his hand down my arm and took my hand.

"I know, but right now that's really all we can do. He loves you Beckett. You and I know it's not in his nature to just give up." He said reassuring me. How was it he was so sweet.

"Thank you… For everything, not just this." I said giving a half smile.

"It's what friends do. You would do the same for me if I ever needed someone." I nodded and nudged his shoulder. He smiled, rolling his eyes at me.

He was my life, my always, he was the glue that held me together. Yet, it was because of him that I was splitting at the seem right now. I felt dead inside, like my heart had been ripped out of me. It had, I had felt it when I heard that first shot. God, why did he have to always do that risk his life to protect someone else crap? He had me and Alexis and the baby. Did he just not get how heartbroken all of us would be if something happened? I had told him to keep my mom out of danger in case things went wrong. But I hadn't meant for this to happen. Hell, I hadn't meant for any of this to happen but it still did.

I wanted to pull out my hair, scream, hit someone, ANYTHING to get out of my head for a little while. If it had been about 15 years ago I would have gone for something good. Or six months ago I would go for a drink. Instead the most I could do now is to cry to myself. I laid my hand on my stomach, the one reminder that I had a life inside me I was currently committed to.

"Where is he? Where's Rick?" Martha asked hurriedly as she ran into the waiting room.

"Martha, they took him to surgery." I said getting up. Alexis looked at me and ran over wrapping her arms around me. "He'll be alright Alexis." I whispered as I let the teen cry into my shoulder and ran my fingers threw her long hair.

"What happened?" Martha asked when Alexis pulled out of the hug, her arm still around my waist.

"He tried to push me out of the way and he got shot." Mom spoke up, standing up next to me.

"You must be Johanna." Martha commented. "Kate's always said good things about you. I'm Martha Rodgers, Rick's mother." She said smiling politely.

"I wish this was under different circumstances, but it's a pleasure to meat you." Mom said.

"Mom this is Alexis, who I was telling you about." I said, Alexis just smiled.

"I'm so sorry about all of this, I should of stayed out of the way but I didn't and now… this happened." Mom clenched her jay, her eyes jutting to the ground.

"Johanna it wasn't your fault. Richard has the tendency to try and be the hero without thinking first." Martha commented.

"When I got shot he pushed me to the ground, I mean it was to late but it changed everything." I said looking over at my mom.

"I just feel guilty."

"Mom it's not your fault that he got shot. Alexander pulled the trigger, not you." I said, Alexis let go and I took my moms hand.

"Yes, his own father did this. Not you." Martha said disgusted.

"Will you be alright Martha?" I asked, watching her as she slid into a chair.

"Kate, will you tell me something?"

"Yah, of course."

"Did Alexander shoot you at the funeral?" Martha asked looking at me pleadingly.

"Yah, he admitted to that and being behind everything else." Martha laid her head back against the wall.

"Johanna." dad called as he walked into the waiting room. "Are you ok? I saw what happened on the news and then Ryan called me. I thought… I didn't know what happened." He sad as he wrapped her in his arms.

'I'm fine, Rick pushed me out of the way." Mom replied as she hugged him back.

"Is Rick ok?" He asked breaking the hug and looking at me.

'He's still in surgery." I replied sitting back down. Alexis sat down next to me and laid her head on my shoulder.

"He has three people in this room he is absolutely going to continue to fight for. And everyone else here is thinking of him." Dad said pulling mom closer to him.

"Your dad's right, we all want him to pull out of this as much as you do. Besides if Detective Kate Beckett can survive a bullet to the heart then her plucky sidekick can survive this." Esposito smiled, he handed me a coffee and passed around the tray for everyone else.

"No, he's my partner… Plucky sidekicks always get killed. Castle and I established this a long ago." I said taking a sip of my coffee.

'Rather you like it or not I am your plucky sidekick.' he had said to me one night.

'Plucky sidekick always gets killed.' I replied, watching as he took a seat on my couch.

'Partner then.' I looked at him and smiled, that was better than any plucky sidekick I knew of.

I smiled to myself as I thought of that night. It had changed everything I thought I knew. We had changed our entire lives after that night.

The double doors opened and a doctor walked out, his mask down around his neck, his surgical cap still on his head as he wiped a bead of sweet off his forehead.

"Are you all here for Rick Castle?" He asked, Martha stood up.

"I'm his mother, how is he?" I stood up and walked up beside her, everyone was standing now.

"He's stable, luckily the bullet missed any major organs. But he had major internal bleeding that we were able to get under control before it did to much damage." The doctor relayed, we all sighed in relief.

"When can we see him?" I asked. "I'm his fiancé."

"We still need to get him settled in a room but once he's settled you can see him." He smiled kindly.

"Thank you." Martha smiled, he only nodded. I wanted to jump up and down in excitement, he was okay. I ran my fingers threw my hair, smiling.

He's alive, he loves me, were having a baby and HE'S ALIVE!