Lightning Flashes - Chapter 7
She's beyond glad he isn't holding the baby when the door swings open because Rick takes one look at her and goes pale.
"Oh my go – Jesus, Kate, what happened to you?"
She snorts, hoping – and finding herself disappointed – that the gesture won't send waves of agony through her bruised body. "I would say that you should see the other guy, but I think that might make it worse for you."
His mouth opens and closes a couple of times before he steps aside and motions for her to come inside. He closes the door behind her as soon as she crosses the threshold, his hands hovering uncertainly over her back and arms.
"I mean it, Kate. What happened? You look like – well, you look like crap."
Beckett rubs a hand over her forehead, careful to avoid the largest of the bruises (she manages to hit a smaller one instead). "Remember the case I told you about? The one that we were working as part of a joint task force with Narcotics?"
Rick nods, leading her to the couch and helping her sink to the cushions without hurting herself. He offers her pillows silently, tucking them beside her and under her arm to support her ribs.
"Well, suffice to say, it went south. We got our killer, but it almost got our UC made. I went in to try to help him salvage the operation; got the crap beat out of me as a purity test –"
"What?" Rick hisses, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of her.
She exhales. The painkiller she'd popped on the way up has to start kicking in soon, right?
"It had to be done; they would've killed him if they found out he was a cop and feeding information to u–"
"They could've killed you, too!" Castle insists. "You're a cop, Kate."
"Rick," she murmurs, shaking her head. "We both made it out. He's going to be fine and I'm going to be fine. It's all okay. And if we ever have to use the covers again, they're intact. So that's a win, too."
Her friend grapples for her hand, studying the bruises on her knuckles.
"I fought back at first," she explains, watching his face to make sure she's not making this worse. "Then Ryan told me I had to stop if I was going to earn their trust."
Castle tilts his head, looking as if he's fishing for the name in his memory. "Ryan…"
"Yeah, from my team. Turns out when we loaned him back to Narcotics a few months ago, they sent him undercover again. He had intel we needed, but in the process of getting it from him, the officer they sent for the meet almost blew his cover – the kid was green and should've never been the one to come to the drop, but… it wasn't my call. So when it looked like Ryan would take the heat for it, I went in. It was the only thing I could do."
Rick nods, though from the way his mouth opens and closes, she can tell he has more he'd like to say. She's grateful he doesn't, though, grateful for the gentle squeeze he gives her hand instead.
Tears prick her eyes, relief spiking her blood. "Sorry… it's been a weird couple of days," she whispers, clearing her throat after a second. "How are you? How's Alexis?"
He surges over to the spot beside her, drawing her into a loose embrace. She feels his lips brush the scrape on her forehead and fights the urge to sob. There's no way she's going to tell him how close it really had been; he would lose his mind.
"We're fine," he says, his voice gruff. "She's fine. God, Kate, should you even be here? Do you need a doctor?"
"Just left the hospital," she says, knowing he's not going to like that she didn't get in touch with him sooner. "Scrapes, bruises, a cracked rib or two. They couldn't do much other than tell me to take it easy – and give me good drugs; I got good drugs, too."
He huffs. "They didn't keep you longer? Why didn't you call me?"
"Knew you'd be a mess if I did."
"You're damn right I would be – I'm a mess now. But I would've been there, Kate. You were in the hospital alone?"
She shakes her head. "I was in the hospital with a bunch of doctors and nurses, a very nervous junior detective, and even better drugs than the ones I got when I was discharged."
Rick's arms tighten as her joke doesn't land the way she had hoped it would.
She stretches as far as she can manage, pressing her lips to his cheek. "I'm okay. I'm going to be okay."
He sighs, touching a hand to her temple. "Do you need anything? Can I get you anything?"
She starts to shake her head but thinks better of it. Mother Hen Rick will be appeased far sooner if she gives him a task and lets him take care of her a little bit. That's why she'd come to him, after all, some subconscious desire for him to do just that.
"Water?" she asks. "And maybe a snack? The pain pill might upset my stomach. It took it when I was on the elevator up here."
He snorts. "Yeah, you're totally fine."
She finds his hand again, giving his fingers a squeeze. "Thanks, Rick."
"You're welcome," he says, releasing her back to the pillows and getting to his feet. "And I hope you know I'm not letting you go back to your apartment alone when you're like this."
"Tired?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah," he huffs. "We'll go with that."
She sinks back into his couch, grateful for the warmth of his place. The hospital had been cold and not the least bit restful, but Castle's loft feels like home, a haven of safety and peace.
"Where's 'Lexis?" she asks after a moment, realizing for the first time that the girl isn't on a mat in the center of the room or in her swing.
"She's upstairs asleep. We're trying her room again for naps instead of the office."
"Good plan," she hums, feeling her eyes slip shut.
Rick's fingertips brush her chin after a minute – she thinks it's only been a minute, anyway. She'd started floating, though, so she can't be too sure.
"Sip," he orders quietly. "I've got the glass, you just sip, Beckett."
She does, feeling the sweet slide of water on her throat. It's cool and refreshing, and exactly what she'd needed.
"Thanks," she breathes when she's had her fill. Her ribs hurt a little less than before, giving her hope that the painkillers are working. "Won't stay too long tonight."
"The hell you won't. You're staying until you can sit up without pillows. Can you shower on your own? Wash your hair?"
She swats him away. "I can do all of that," she insists, though if she's honest with herself, she's not sure that's actually the truth. "But if you make me pasta, I'll stay for dinner tonight."
Rick's lips touch her temple. "I'll start cooking in a little bit. Why don't you sleep first?"
She nods, already drifting away.
The brightness of noon fades into evening while she's asleep, and she takes a moment to blink and stare at the darkness through the windows of the loft when she drifts back into consciousness. She hears Rick's voice behind her in the kitchen – not in his office like she might've expected – but his words are mostly indistinct.
At least until the singing starts and then he's carrying on a full conversation – albeit mostly one-sided – with Alexis.
"And then we stir the sauce into the pasta, yes we do. We'll put some lemon juice on it, too, yes we will."
"Shouldn't that be 'yes we do'?" she calls, easing herself up and turning her whole body to see him.
A smile touches her lips at the picture they make. Rick has Alexis in a highchair or bumbo seat or whatever the thing is called – she can't remember exactly what he'd said it was – and he's making a point to narrate everything he does. The baby seems captivated, though Kate has to wonder if her attention is on the elaborate play by play, or the hand Alexis has stuffed in her mouth.
"Don't mock my rhyming, Beckett," he says without missing a beat.
She grins a little wider. "All I'm saying is that it's probably for the best that you're not a poet."
Castle shakes his head. "Awake for less than five minutes and you're already roasting me. Are you sure you and Alexis aren't related?"
Kate chuckles, bringing a hand up to hold her side. Jesus, that hurts. "She's giving you that look again, huh?"
"All the time. My skeptical, serious baby," he says, leaning over to kiss Alexis's cheek. "Dinner's almost ready. You up for the table or want to eat on the couch?"
Beckett drops back, hiding a wince. "Couch, probably. I'm not sure I can get up."
"Okay," he agrees. She can see the effort it takes for him to hold his tongue. "Do you need anything? Want anything?"
She eases the pillow at her side into a more comfortable position. "Just food. And maybe another year of sleep. That'll probably do it."
Her friend offers a sympathetic smile. "And you think you're going home tonight," he says after a moment, shaking his head.
"Shut up." The order lacks bite, though, because he's right and they both know it. She can barely move, let alone take care of herself in any meaningful way right now.
"I don't have any clothes," she says, though it's a weak protest at best.
He snorts. "You say that like you haven't left things here and like I won't loan you anything if you don't have it."
She rolls her eyes knowing he can't see her.
"Also, Alexis and I ran to your place to get you some things while you were asleep. So now you have even more stuff here."
Any other time, or with anyone else, and she might bristle about the presumptuousness of going to her apartment without her, but she's so tired and Rick's heart is in the right place. His more annoying habit of going full speed ahead just helps her this time, so she lets it go.
"Fine," she concedes, glancing over her shoulder as much as she can. "Fine. Thanks for doing that."
Rick smiles from the kitchen, turning to Alexis and giving her tiny fist a light bump.
"Told you, pumpkin."
Kate huffs a laugh. "You know, it's unfair to conspire against someone when they're injured, right?"
"Not conspiring against you," Rick insists, lifting Alexis out of her seat and carrying her into the living room. Kate watches him look around like he's trying to decide whether to put her on the mat or in the swing and holds out the arm that's on her good – well, better – side.
"Put her with me, Rick."
He hesitates until she growls his name. "I am fine to let her rest against me while you bring our food in."
"Okay, okay, okay," Rick agrees, shifting his daughter in his arms and bringing her over to the couch. He settles Alexis into the crook of Kate's arm, keeping as much of the baby's weight away from Kate's ribs as he can.
"Thank you," Beckett murmurs, resting her hand against Alexis's leg. "Now, go get our dinner."
Rick grins, leaning over to brush a kiss to Alexis's head and then Kate's temple, being careful to avoid yet another bruise. He's gentle enough that she doesn't flinch at the touch.
She exhales, shutting her eyes and accepting the affection until he murmurs that he'll be back and pulls away. God, she'd needed this. The first few hours in the hospital, this is exactly what she'd been thinking about; being here, holding Alexis, letting Castle take care of her like this.
That scares the hell out of her, but damn if she isn't weak enough to bask in it this time.
"Thanks," she breathes, dipping her own head to kiss Alexis. "Hi, sweetheart. How've you been?"
Alexis looks up at her, grinning from around her fist.
"Yeah?" Kate asks. "No complaints? Except for how silly Daddy's been?"
She grins, dusting her lips over the baby's head. "I hear you, he's crazy. Making dinner like this on short notice? You're not even solid food yet, how does he have all the stuff? It's just me at home and I don't even have the stuff in my apartment."
She stops, taking a moment breathe. "I'm really glad he is, though. Not to steal your dad away from you for the night or anything, but the last few days have kind of sucked. I'm pretty lucky to be here with you guys."
She kisses Alexis again, sniffing. It's the damn painkillers making her feel so raw and emotional; she can't help getting choked up.
"Okay, I'm going to assume we only need one tray for this, but dinner is served."
Kate swipes at her eyes, rubbing Alexis's belly gently.
"And Alexis? Has she had dinner, too?"
Rick winks, showing her the bottle beside their plates as he rounds the couch. The girl's fist drops from her mouth.
"We're all eating right now," he says, lowering to the couch and settling the tray over their laps. He offers the bottle to the baby first, holding onto it until Alexis grips it and starts to suck.
Kate blinks. When had that happened?
"She can already hold the bottle?"
He grins, nodding. "Crazy, isn't it? To be fair, she's not entirely there on her own – I still have to hold onto it a little bit, but for the most part she's doing it herself. Mostly I just spot her and keep it from falling and she does the rest."
"Look at you," Kate coos, kissing the baby's cheek, feeling Alexis working on her dinner without a care in the world. "You're such a big girl."
Rick shifts, easing Alexis from Kate's arms and onto his legs. Before she can protest, he nudges the tray closer to Beckett, pointing to her utensils and her plate, supporting Alexis's bottle on his wrist. She watches him pull his plate closer, but he just nods to her instead of diving into his own meal.
"Eat up, Kate. Your pasta awaits."
She smiles, picking up her fork and digging in, savoring the lemon and cream sauce, the comfort of the pasta. It's warm and homey, and everything she's needed since she took that first punch.
I know updates are not the most regular for this story, but I promise it isn't being abandoned. It means so much to me to have your continued support of it and of me. Knowing you're in my corner, even in some small way, helps me keep going during some pretty stressful times.
Thank you, as always, for reading. Until next time!
