Chapter 8

The seconds ticked by into minutes. Castle's body still lay on the floor. The EMTs carefully avoiding all the blood. Alessa's body was being bagged up by officers off to the side. Esposito and Ryan left at one point, but Beckett could not tell when. Her eyes would not leave the body.

She sat on the back of a nearby car, only about ten feet from Castle. An EMT stitched her wound. There were two people working on Castle. She had a strong desire to yell at those EMTs. He was dead. There was no bringing him back. But still they worked. A useless task.

"He'll be ok, you know?" the EMT said. He was a tall man, skinny, with almost no muscle mass. "I've seen it before. Werewolves bounce back. As long as the bullet wasn't silver." He made three knots in the string, hands moving faster than Beckett could see, then cut and moved on.

A wheezing sound came out of Castle as he took one ragged, uneven breath. There was a pause and then another. Before long his chest was rising and falling with some regularity. The two EMTs gave twin sighs of relief.

"See I told you." The small amount of attention the EMT had was gone. Beckett knew nothing but those sweet breaths. Her feet had a mind of their own. They took Beckett to Castle. The two EMTs didn't stop her as she got close. She had a vague sense that one said something, but all words fell on deaf ears.

Her hand found her husbands. She counted each and every breath Castle took. A few tears of relief escaped her eyes, before being wiped away.

The poor EMT could only follow her. Just to finish tending to her wounds as best he could.

"Good as new," the EMT said as he placed some gauze over the stitches and taped it down. The EMT gave Beckett some aftercare instructions. She didn't hear a word of it. Castle was alive. He was going to live.

Someone tapped her shoulder. "Here." The EMTs kind face looked back at her. He held out gloves, paper towel and a bottle of water. "You don't want him to wake all bloody, do you?"

Beckett had had enough of waiting rooms for one lifetime. The same uncomfortable chairs, old magazines and uninteresting TV. So when her phone rang, she was relived. She smiled when she saw who it was. "Beckett."

"What are you wearing? I bet it's something skimpy." Her husbands voice soothed her frayed nerves. Up until this moment, she wasn't sure she would ever hear it again.

"I'm in the waiting room, Castle. There are people."

"So lie to me."

Beckett took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."

"They wouldn't let you. I'm glad they didn't. I... changed again." Castle paused. She could imagine the face he was making, just from thinking about the events of the day. "Anything new with the case?"

"They gave the vials back to Dr. Mancebo and he said something interesting. Apparently in testing, most of the lab rats died."

"It's funny. When I found that vial in Faina's apartment, I thought about taking it. What do you think?" Beckett had thought the same thing. She had wanted to ask if Castle could be a test subject.

"I think I never want to see you further than three feet away from me ever again! That was horrible! And if you ever do something like that to me again, I'll kill you myself."

"I think we started out with a woman so eager to cure her husband she ended up giving her life for it. And the cure doesn't even work. Shakespeare couldn't write a more tragic ending."

"It looks like your stuck like this, Castle."

"I'll get used to it, I'm sure."

"Paul seems to have a handle on it. You'll find yours. I believe in you." Beckett thought that Paul had a big bag of weed, but she didn't tell Castle that. He would want one.

"I don't know if I can. Something is different about me. I'm sorry I don't have your confidence."

"We'll figure this out. Me and you. Together." It surprised Beckett how much she really believed it.

Castle remained unconvinced. "One thing I can't figure out is, why did Esposito handcuff me?"

"He was in shock and on auto pilot." She had called Esposito earlier at the garage and told him that Castle was going to make it.

"Where is he now? Is he doing ok?" None of us will be ok for quite awhile, Beckett thought.

"He is doing better. He told me he's going to be taking a couple weeks off to think."

"They're letting me go home tonight."

"That's great! When are they letting you go?" Beckett looked forward to it.

"Two more hours before they let people in and another hour after that I get let go. I can't wait to see you. I love you." The sheer longing in Castle's voice matched hers.

"I love you, too."

"So after I get out of here, I need to pick some stuff up."

Rick put his bagel in his mouth, and adjusted the dinner bags to sit at his elbow, before swooping down to pick up the mail on his doorstep. Under the junk mail sat a small package.

"Kate," he said. It was almost unintelligible around the bagel. Rick shuffled over to the counter to set down everything. Rather than take the bagel out, he just opened his mouth, letting it fall on the counter. "You're home! I thought you had paperwork to finish."

"I managed to get it done early. I wanted to be here. What's in the bags?"

Rick shook one bag. "Indian." He shook the other. "Thai. We've had too much Chinese food lately. Thought I'd change it up."

"And the bagel?"

"I was hungry! I've been through a lot. I deserve a treat."

"Yes you do." Kate picked up the discarded bagel, tearing off a piece. She had been assured by doctors that kissing and normal interactions with Rick were fine, as long as extra caution was taken with any blood. No sex though. "What's in the box?"

Rick grabbed a kitchen knife and sliced through the tape. "These are contact lenses." He held up the picture on the box. A pair of brown eyes and a pair of blue eyes graced it. "I may have been feeling a bit self-conscious. These will help keep things under wraps.

"And I stopped at the pharmacy. Got my prescription. With a little luck, if I respond well, they said three months before I'm safe to come home." He held up the orange bottle. The side said 'take one by mouth every 4 hours.' "I've taken one already, so I'll be safe tonight." Rick shut his eyes against the intrusive image of hurting anyone he loved.

Dinner was a intimate affair. Everyone kept the conversation light and away from uncomfortable topics. The dinner table was completely abandoned in favor of the sofa. Everyone wanted to be close to Rick. They passed around containers and shared food, chatting and having a good time.

It wasn't to last. Rick sighed as he grabbed his suitcase. The one he had packed earlier in the day. It was time to say goodbyes.

"Mother." Rick hugged Martha.

"You are coming home for dinner tomorrow. No excuses."

"I promise," he whispered in her ear, before parting.

"Alexis." Rick hugged his daughter. "Be good for your grandmother."

"I will." He took a deep breath, before letting go.

"Kate. I love you." Rick said as his wife came in for her hug.

"Don't go."

"I have to. I'm dangerous. I'm sorry." Rick pulled her into him. Pressing her body into his. He wanted and needed to remember this for the long months they had to spend apart.

"I don't care." Kate swayed them back and forth. A few tears escaped her eyes.

"I do."

Rick pulled away. He grabbed his suitcase. He made it onto the elevator, before letting the tears fall. It was for the best, He thought. I'm a danger to everyone around me right now. That knowledge didn't make the feelings of loneliness go away.

The wolf, he could feel, wanted nothing but blood.

AN: I was not expecting people to like this. It's great that someone outside my head likes it. I haven't written anything in years. Thank you for making me feel like I still have it.

I'm sorry I don't reply to comments more often. Adhd means the thought runs from my head the moment after I think it. And if I did I would no doubt spoil you on the story. I can't keep it to myself. Just remember I treasure each and every one.

Look out for the sequel New Wolf Moon.