So this is the last chapter, although I might do an epilogue at some point if people want it.
I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing ad sticking with this story. I also want to thank CFPromoter on Twitter for promoting my work on Twitter for the last few chapters.
Kate rode with Rick in one of the ambulances while Mrs Reed went in the other. Kate kept a hold of Rick's hand the whole way, willing him to wake up soon and show her that everything was ok, that he was going to be ok.
When they arrived at the hospital Rick was wheeled away so they could perform some tests, to see if there was any long term damage that was easily detectable before he woke up and they could talk to him and see if he knew who he was, where he was, and who Kate was.
Kate sat in the waiting room, having done all the necessary paperwork for Rick's admission, and staring at her hands.
She looked up when someone came to stand in front of her. "Beckett," McCord greeted, sitting down beside her, "Parker's secure and Mr Reed is in with his wife. She has a concussion but will otherwise be ok."
Kate just nodded her head in response, refusing to look up from her hands.
"Any news about Castle?" McCord tried again to get a response.
"Not yet no," Kate answered, talking to her hands, "They took him to run some tests before he wakes up to see if he remembers everything."
McCord nodded. "Henderson went to pick up his family from the airport. He found their flight time and when it got in and said that he'd go and get them and bring them right here from the airport. They should be landing any time now."
"Thank you," Kate answered.
McCord remained silent but stayed sitting beside Kate, offering her silent support while she waited for news.
A few minutes later Kate's phone went off and she pulled it out of her pocket. She saw the caller ID and took a deep breath before she answered it. "Martha," she greeted, aware her voice was shaking as she spoke.
"Katherine," Martha replied, "What's going on. There's a man here who says he works with you and that he's going to take us to the hospital. What's happened?"
"His name is Henderson," Kate answered, "Just go with him; I'll explain when you get here."
"Katherine," Martha asked, her voice soft, "What's happened?"
"I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as you get here Martha," Kate promised.
"Alexis wants to talk to you," Martha responded.
Before Kate could say anything to stop her Martha had handed her phone over to Alexis and Kate heard the young girl say, "Kate, what's going on? Grams wouldn't tell my anything; all she said was that we had to come to DC, as soon as possible."
"She doesn't know anything," Kate answered, "I didn't tell her anything. She told you what I told her."
"Kate what's going on?" Alexis begged.
"Please Alexis," Kate replied, her voice starting to shake even more as she felt tears building up, "Just get in the car with Henderson. You need to get to the hospital and then I'll tell you what's happened ok. I promise."
"Ok Kate," came Alexis' whispered reply before the line went dead.
Kate let the phone drop away from her ear as she took deep breaths, refusing to let the tears fall. Beside her McCord reached across and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
The two agents remained silent until Martha and Alexis appeared, Henderson following close behind. The two red heads came rushing towards Kate, their expressions full of worry and confusion.
"Katherine," Martha muttered as the two came to a stop just in front of her.
Kate didn't say anything just stood and pulled both Alexis and Martha into a hug, pulling them both close. The two remained frozen in shock for a few seconds before they returned the hugs. Kate had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when they did pull apart she could see that Martha and Alexis were waiting for their answers.
Slowly, hesitantly, Kate began to explain what had happened, and why she needed then to get to DC so quickly. She glossed over the details of the case, they didn't need to know everything, but she explained to them that Rick had been exposed to a toxin that hadn't given him long to live. She had been quick to add that he'd been given the antidote and was now in the capable hands of the doctors. She had also avoided telling them what the toxin had done to Rick, they didn't need to know that he had had become lost in time, even though they both asked what the toxin had done to him. Kate knew she'd have to tell them if there were any lasting effects but she was hoping that it wouldn't come to that, that Rick was going to be completely and totally ok and back to normal.
Kate had just finished her explanation, leaving both Martha and Alexis looking shocked and confused as they processed everything that Kate had said. McCord and Henderson had left quietly not long after Martha and Alexis had arrived, telling Kate that they were going to go and talk to Parker and asking her to let them know how everything went, they'd both grown to quite like Rick in the short time he'd been with them.
Kate could see that Martha and Alexis were full of questions and was about to get ready to answer them when a doctor came over. He cleared his throat to get all their attention, and once they were looking at him he began. "Family of Richard Castle?"
"Yes," Martha answered, "I'm his mother and this is his daughter and fiancé."
The doctor looked at all of them. "He's asking for you all. Alexis, Martha and Kate."
"He's ok?" Kate asked.
The doctor looked at her and smiled as he began to nod. "We can't be sure that there is no damage at all until we have someone who knows him talk to him but it looks like he knows who he is, where he is, and when it is."
Kate let out a sigh of relief. Martha and Alexis also both looked relieved although not quite as much as Kate. They didn't really realise just how good it was to hear that he was in the present; they didn't know how bad it had gotten at the end.
"Can we see him?" Alexis wanted to know, asking the question that everyone wanted to know that answer to.
"Yes," the doctor answered. "But you're going to have to take it easy until we can be sure that there are no long lasting effects from the toxin," he cautioned.
The three all nodded and then the doctor led the way through a few doors and to a room. He opened the door and lead the way in. "Mr Castle," he started, "I've got some people here to see you."
Rick looked towards the door and smiled. Alexis rushed forwards and hugged him hard, while Martha moved in and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Kate hung back by the door, even though he looked fine she felt responsible for putting him in here.
When Rick let Alexis go, and she sat at his side on the bed, he looked towards the door at Kate. He smiled at her, "Hello Kate," he greeted.
Kate beamed and rushed towards him. She sat on the other side of the bed to Alexis and leant in towards Rick. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her temple. Kate buried her head in his shoulder and took a deep breath. "You're ok," she muttered over and over again, more to reassure herself that this was really happening than anything else."
"I'm ok," Rick whispered into her hair after a few repetitions of Kate's words, "Thanks to you."
Kate pulled back. "So you know where you are, who you are, who I am , and what happened?"
Rick nodded his head. "I do yes. The last few days are a little foggy but I do know who you are," he paused before continuing to say, "And I want to say sorry for what happened, I hope that I didn't hurt you."
Kate pressed her palm against his cheek as she shook her head. "You didn't know any different," she reassured him, "I don't blame you, you couldn't help it."
Rick looked at her face and saw that she meant it, she really did forgive him.
"We caught the guy who did this to you," Kate stated, wanting Rick to know, "Henderson and McCord are with him now."
Rick nodded. "Good," he muttered, "Although I don't blame him, I would want revenge too if someone did that to you. But right now I don't care, I'm just glad that I'm back and I have all my family around me."
Kate, Alexis and Martha all smiled at him, they were all glad he was ok too.