By the time they left the restaurant Kate still had her arm entwined with Rick's. Since they were at the lower end of Manhattan they decided to take a walk around Battery Park's promenade. As they walked along the Hudson River towards the park the sun was just starting to set and the sky was flooded with hues of orange, yellows, and pinks. They walked for about twenty minutes before they stopped and watched as the sun made its final descent below the horizon regretfully ending the day.
"That's really something to see," Rick comments as he points to the sinking sun.
"What is?" Kate replies.
"Seeing the day end like that. Knowing that this day is almost finished and the prospect of a new day is only a few short hours away."
"I never looked at it that way. I can see your reasoning though. It's like we get a clean slate to work with for the next day. Any mistakes that we made today, we can correct easily with a new day tomorrow."
"Something to that effect."
"Rick tell me something, where do you see yourself in five years?"
"Wow not pulling any punches are you?"
"Nope. Just looking for your thoughts."
"Five years from now huh?"
Kate nodded and Rick thought about her question. He had an answer but he wasn't sure if she'd accept it.
"Five years from now I have the hopes that I will have written at least two more bestsellers, maybe three by then. I see myself becoming a more serious writer."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"To be able to not care about where my next meal will be coming from. Ever!"
"I don't follow?"
"When I was younger and my mother was scrounging for jobs on Broadway, we never really knew where our next meal would be coming from. We were fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs but there were times that we went without dinner. Many times. But by the time I turned thirteen the hard times were just about behind us. There was the occasional missed meal but that was because of things going on in my own life. Now I have the means to stop that from happening ever again."
"So Kate, let me ask you the same question," Rick asks her.
"Five years from now I hope to be moving up the ladder within the NYPD. I have my sights set on becoming a detective."
Kate was not sure what to tell Rick. She didn't want to delve into her personal life but he had done just that only seconds ago. So she decided that maybe he deserved to know the truth about why she wanted to be a detective even though her admission would leave her heart and soul vulnerable.
"My mother was murdered five years ago."
"Kate I am so sorry…."
Kate raised her hand effectively stopping Rick from apologizing. This wasn't the time or the place for his concern. She needed to get this out in one go.
"The detective who investigated her case said it was a wayward random event. And with no new leads, the case went cold. In the end, it was shelved until they could revisit it at a later date."
"I am sorry though. I hope that you have more luck finding her murderer than the detective who worked the case initially. When you become a detective, I mean. And I know that you will become a great detective."
Again Kate was amazed at the praise and hope he had for her. Maybe just maybe Rick could be the one for her. Her soulmate.
Just as Kate was going to say something to Rick, his phone started ringing.
"I'm sorry for the interruption Kate, but I need to take this call."
"It's fine Rick. Answer the call."
"Hello?"
"Mr. Castle, this is Reena. I'm calling because the mom from the sleepover that Alexis is at called me. There appears that there might be a slight problem at the sleepover that Alexis was at. Alexis and Paige were trying to see how high they could jump on her bed. What they did not realize was that the ceiling fan was on and Alexis jumped a little too high. One of the fan blades caught the top of her head and she has a laceration on the back of her scalp.
"Reena, do you know what hospital they are taking her to?"
"They said they were going to be heading to Columbia Presbyterian. The one on the corner of West Broadway and Barclay street."
"Thank you, Reena. I'll head to the hospital now. Just lock up the loft when you leave. I'll pay you for the full time we agreed on."
"Thanks, Mr. Castle, and I hope that Alexis is going to be okay."
Kate overheard the word hospital and was automatically concerned for Rick.
Rick ends the call and slips his phone back into his jacket pocket. He needs to get to the hospital but now he has the problem of how to explain what happened to Alexis to Kate. He hopes that she'll understand.
As he looks at her he can tell that this will be the end of a great date. She is looking at him with so much concern that he needs to tell her what happened with Alexis.
"Kate, there has been an unfortunate accident at the sleepover that Alexis was at. She and her friend were jumping on the bed and jumped a little too high. The ceiling fan was on and Alexis hit one of the blades with her head."
Kate gave him a look of understanding that showed him how much she cared, but at the same token, she was worried about Alexis' well-being. A head injury is very serious and they can bleed profusely making it look much worse than it really is. Her training has taught her that much.
"Rick is it alright if I come with you?" She asks.
Rick is torn. He was all set in going to the hospital alone and waiting for hours in the E.R. to make sure that his daughter was alright. Now that Kate wants to come along he needs to make a decision quickly, so he tries to persuade Kate into calling it an evening. But he'll give her the possibility of having a second date if she is agreeable to it.
"Kate, while tonight was fun and exhilarating, I totally enjoyed our time together, I don't think you want to spend the rest of the evening in the emergency room waiting to see if your date's daughter is going to be okay. I'm sure that you have better things to do with your time."
"Rick, why don't you let me be the one to decide what to do with my time. I think there's strength in numbers and she might need to see that she has the support of a new friend. And I'd like to meet Alexis too. If you're okay with it that is."
"I'm more than okay with it. I actually told her about our date tonight. She was very happy to hear that I was going to dinner with you."
The car that Rick had taken them to the restaurant brought them to Columbia Presbyterian.
To say that they were overdressed for the emergency room was an understatement. Neither one of them cared what other people thought when they caught sight of what they were wearing.
Rick walks up to the reception desk and asks the receptionist where his daughter is.
"Hi, I'm Rick Castle. I'm here to see my daughter."
"Mister Castle, your daughter is in with doctor Parish right now. She has a very deep laceration on the side of her head. When the doctor is finished treating her she will be out to talk with you. I suggest that you have a seat until she comes out. It will be a while." The receptionist said firmly.
If it was even possible, Rick felt tenser than when he first arrived. The receptionist had the compassion of a rock. It startled him when a hand took his and the second it did he felt a lot more at ease.
They had already waited about an hour and a half before the double doors to the E.R. department swung open. When both of them looked up at the woman walking through those doors they felt relieved just by the way she carried herself. They both looked at each other then back to the woman walking towards them.
When she got near them she stopped and introduced herself.
"Hello. My name is doctor Parish. You must be Richard Castle, and you must be Mrs. Castle." Lanie extended her hand for Rick to shake as she looked directly at Kate after her comment. But she could tell that the woman was a little flustered by her assumption.
Rick barely registered the Mrs. Castle comment because he was only concerned about his daughter.
"Dr. Parish, how bad is Alexis?" Rick asks.
"Mr. Castle why don't we have a seat in the consultation room over there. It's much more suitable to talk without being interrupted."
All three got up and walked to the room that had a table and chairs set up in it. Once the door clicked closed and everyone was seated Lanie started to explain what was done.
"Alexis presented with a very deep laceration to the left and rear side of her skull. Once the bleeding had been controlled and the area was cleaned. She required fourteen sutures to close her wound. I used stitches that will dissolve in four to five days. She's going to need plastic surgery if she doesn't want a scar. Her hair will cover what happened tonight and unless someone looks closely they'll never know about her injury. But for now, everything is fine. The only drawback that she will face is that she'll have a massive headache tomorrow."
"Thank you, doctor Parish," Rick says.
"You're welcome. And call me Lanie."
"Is it okay if I can go see her now?" Rick asks.
Absolutely. She is in triage area two right now. walk back to the ER and see the nurse at the nurse's station. She'll bring you right to her."
Rich looks at Kate and can tell that something's on her mind. Before he can ask she opens her mouth and speaks.
"Rick, I'll catch up with you. I won't be long I promise."
Rick nods his head in agreement, turns, and heads to the nurse's station. Once they're alone Lanie starts with her questions.
"I know you girl, don't I?" Lanie starts.
"I'm not sure. You're a doctor in a hospital, I don't come across that many doctors in my line of work."
"Oh, this? This is just to keep my people skills sharp. My full-time job is with the OCME. I'm a coroner for the City of New York."
"Okay. That's how you know me. I am a police officer assigned to the 12th."
"So I take it that you're not Mrs. Castle? Is that a fair assumption?"
"You would be correct. Tonight was our first date."
"Just out of curiosity how did it go?" Lanie asks inquisitively
"'I think it went great." Kate answers.
"Second date great? Lanie probes.
"Dr. Parrish I don't think you have to worry about adjusting your schedule to be able to go out with Mr. Castle. I think a second date with me is going to be certain. Sorry to burst your bubble."
"No harm no foul. He is a catch and he's easy on the eyes."
"He is at that doctor Parish. It was nice meeting you and thank you for all your help with Rick's daughter."
"I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."
"Kate. It's Kate Beckett."
"It's nice to meet you, Kate Beckett. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
Kate turns and heads to where Rick is with Alexis. All the way on the walk back to the ER, she can only think about the potential of a second date with Rick but she'll let him ask her and of course, she'll say yes. She can only hope that him being naked on a police horse is out of his system now.
~Fin~
A/N: Thanks to all who followed and favorited this story. This was only supposed to be a one-shot but it was so much more. Thanks for reading!