Suddenly he was aware. The pain, the fatigue – it was abruptly not a dream. Except, he couldn't quite feel his limbs. Where his body extended from his torso was just an empty feeling of nothingness. What happened?
The last thing he remembers was Beckett getting right in his face and distinctly telling him to not get out of the car. As far as he knew, he had obeyed the order, too, unlike the several other times she had warned him of the same during their almost eight months of partnership. Something must have gone wrong, though, considering the state he was in now.
Castle let out an involuntary moan as he forced himself onto his side to take the pressure of his body weight off his chest. Despite the shock of pain that flared through his entire being, he was finally able to suck in a full breath of musty air.
He laid there focusing on his breathing and the creeping feeling of his toes and fingers coming back. Time dripped by slowly as he went in and out of consciousness. During one particularly fuzzy moment of wakefulness, it dawned on him – Where was Beckett?
That did it for him, the strength returned to his body and he was able to peel open the lids of his eyes, only to be met with complete, murky darkness. "Beckett?" he called out, struggling to bring himself up into an upright position.
Nothing but more silence met him. He blinked several times, trying to force his eyes to focus in the darkness, but they remained unseeing. His still-numb fingers shot out into the black obscurity surrounding him.
He quickly realized that wherever he was didn't lend a lot of room to stretch out. Finding nothing but cold stone walls around him, he was about to give up his search when during the last stretch, his hand brushed against warm, soft skin.
"Beckett?" he called again as he shuffled his body along the floor in the direction of the body. Castle continued to feel around the unmoving form searching for a pulse or a way to identify who it was. As his palm skimmed its way across a long expanse of flatness, it was suddenly cupping a curve of gorgeous roundness. Well, whoever this was, it was a woman, and if it was Kate, then he was in for a world of hurt when she found out what had just occurred.
Moving on, he finally made it up to the person's face. Castle sighed a breath of pure relief when he felt the brush of warm breath across his hand. She's alive. Running his fingers up into the woman's hair, he found the length of the short bob that Beckett sported. It must be Kate.
He pulled her upper body up into his lap, supporting her head in the crook of his elbow. "Beckett?" Castle gently shook her to help rouse her, "Kate, can you wake up for me?"
After a few minutes of persistent work, he was finally rewarded with a small moan. A thrill ran through him at the sound. "Hey," he gentled as her whole body tensed.
"Castle?" she got out weakly. By the tone of her voice he could tell that she was in just as much pain as he was.
"It's alright, Kate, just relax." He ran his hand up and down her side to soothe her.
Beckett turned her face into him and groaned. "Castle? What happened?" Her hand came up and gripped a fistful of his shirt, seemingly trying to ground herself from the pain.
Castle sighed out a long breath, "I don't know. I woke up a while ago in just about the same state you are in now." He brought up his free hand and coaxed her fist from its crushing grip on his shirt to instead take out her discomfort on his fingers. Realization of just what kind of situation they were in was coming over him, making him long for as much mutual physical comfort as he could get.
"It hurts." Her voice cracked on the end making Castle's throat constrict.
He dropped his chin to his chest, shame coming over him, "I'm sorry, Kate. I'm so, so sorry."
"What? Castle…" Her head shook back and forth against his arm. Suddenly, her weight was lifting from him as she struggled to sit up with him, "Help me?" They worked together to get her up and Beckett settled in his lap, her back now cradled in his arm.
Castle stayed silent as they both relaxed into their new position. "Castle, this is not your fault. Please don't think that this is your fault." Her hand smoothed itself along his jaw.
"You told me to stay in the car and I always get out of the car. I must have botched the sting and..."
"No! Castle, no," Beckett interrupted him insistently, "it wasn't your fault. They jumped me right after I got into the building. They must have gone to get you after the fact. This was definitely not your fault, though."
Castle shook his head against her temple taking in the sweet smell of her, "That's exactly it, Beckett. You should have a real partner who can back you up in situations like that, and I know I'm not your favorite person, so maybe it would be best if, when we get out of here, I wrap up my research with you. Well, if we get out of here…"
Beckett let out a long sigh and she found his hand again in the darkness, "Castle, while most of the time I may not act like it, you've been an integral part of our team, and, I'll admit, you have grown on me quite a bit, too. I'd even consider you a friend now."
"Are you sure that isn't whatever drugs they shot us up with talking?" Castle asked causing them both to chuckle.
"Well, if you ask me again when we do get out of here, wherever we are, I might say that the drugs did have something to do with it, but it would mostly be for Ryan and Esposito's sake." They both laughed a little more, "You are really good for me, though, Castle."
"Not to get all sappy, Beckett, but you've been pretty good for me, too." He squeezed her a bit closer to him in a kind of side hug. The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes longer, just enjoying each other's company and assurance.
"So, partner," Kate propositioned, "How about we put our joint detective skills together and find a way out of here?"
Castle smiled into her hair, "I'd thought you'd never ask."
Will they get out? Well, of course, Caskett can always solve the problem! Please let me know what you think! -RockChalkLove