a.n. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed over the last day! You guys are amazing. No really.

This one is a little (okay a lot) fluffier than the last. For my beloved angst lovers out there, have no fear, I will return to it swiftly I'm sure. It's also shorter than normal though not absurdly so.

Disclaimer: Nope.

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Chapter Fifteen

Previously…

Martha sat down next to her and put a hand on Kate's knee. "He's going to be alright. He's a fighter. He wasn't supposed to survive the stabbing either, but he did. He'll make it this time too. He's been happier since he met you, dear. He has something worth living for again."

Sobbing, Kate grabbed Martha's hand and gave it a squeeze. She knew that if Castle died, her reason for living would cease to exist right along with him. She wouldn't get another second chance.

xxxx

"Hey Lanie, how are you feeling," Kate asked as she entered Lanie's hospital room. Castle was still in surgery, but she had been allowed to come back to see the ME. Kate needed someone to talk to and she wanted to make sure her friend was okay.

"Oh, I'm great," Lanie said, sarcastically. "How's Castle? Have you seen him yet?"

"No. He's still in surgery. Nurse said it could be a couple more hours. I'm so sorry, Lanie. I should have had the boys tail you."

"Hey, honey, you couldn't have known," Lanie soothed. But I did, Kate thought. I did know. But I forgot and now…

"So did the doctors say?" Kate asked, changing the subject.

"A mild concussion, a broken wrist, and burns from the air bag. Lots of bruises, and a couple bruised ribs. They're keeping me overnight."

"We called you mom," Kate said. "I don't know if she's going to come."

"Let's hope not," Lanie said, laughing. Kate smiled. Lanie severely disliked her mom, and had never really gotten along with her. It had only gotten worse when her father had died. "So…You going to tell me what's going on between you and Castle?"

Kate groaned. They hadn't told anyone about their change in relationship, and they hadn't planned on it until they were both more comfortable with it. "Nothing," Kate said, not meeting her friend's eyes. She really needed to learn to be a better liar.

"Uh-uh, girl. I'm strapped to this bed all night. Now spill."

"It's nothing, Lanie, really," Kate pleaded.

"Kate," Lanie said, aiming a death glare at the detective.

"Fine. We're dating. You happy?

"Getting there. Details, girl."

Kate sat down in the chair next to the bed and sighed. If she was being honest with herself, she could use some girl talk. She just had to be careful to not let too much slip.

"We've been dating for a month."

"A MONTH!" Lanie shouted.

"Quiet down, Lanie. Yes, a month. Right after the Angela Candela case. During, actually."

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"We didn't tell anyone. Only Martha, Castle's mom, knows. My dad doesn't even know."

"Alright. So how is it?"

"How is what?"

"Kate," Lanie whined.

"We haven't done it."

"WHAT! You've been with the man a month and you haven't jumped his bones? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We're taking it slow," Kate hedged. She didn't want to go into why they were taking it slow. She didn't want to say that she was in love with him, and that she was pretty sure he was in love with her. She didn't want to explain that she wanted this to work, why she needed it to work.

"Slow? Why?" Kate groaned. She should have known that Lanie would want to know everything. She never had been able to hide anything from her best friend.

"He's…He's like I used to be in a lot of ways, Lanie. Closed off. We're both broken, and we really want this to work."

"You're in love with him, aren't you? Don't deny it, Kate, I see the way you look at him."

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

"Fine. I'm in love with him." They were interrupted by the sound of Kate's phone going off. Picking it up she found that the call was from Esposito.

"Beckett."

"Doctor's on his way out."

Kate hung up and looked at her friend. "The doctor is coming out to give news about Castle. I've gotta go." She stood, patted her friend on the shoulder and told her she'd come back later. Then she rushed out of the room and towards the waiting room to find out if the love of her life was okay.

xxxx

"Richard Castle's Family?" The doctor, an African American woman in her mid-40s, stood just outside the double doors leading back to the OR suite.

"That's us," Martha said, standing up. Kate stood beside her with Ryan and Esposito off to the side.

"Mr. Castle sustained severe injuries during the crash. Our most major concern was the internal bleeding caused by some sort of sharp instrument. It must have impaled him during the crash. Whatever it was, it caused a lot of internal damage to the stomach and intestines. We were able to stop the internal bleeding, and stabilize him, but not before he lost a lot of blood. He made it through surgery, and is going to be moved to a private room in a couple hours, which is when you can see him. We expect he should make a full recovery. We set both of his legs, his right arm, and wrapped his head. He has a concussion, but surprisingly given the severity of his other injuries, it seems to be mild." The doctor looked around at them to see if they had any questions. Kate felt so relieved. He was going to be okay. He was alive. She hadn't lost him.

"I'll send a nurse to come collect you when you can see him," the doctor continued before turning back and heading through the double doors.

Kate stumbled over to the chair she had been sitting in, and collapsed into it. Breathing heavily she wiped the tears from her eyes. He's okay. He's okay. He's okay.

xxxx

She had been sitting by his side for six hours. The longer she sat there, the more worried she got. He needed to wake up. She needed to see his eyes.

"Come on, Rick. I need you to wake up, babe. Please," she begged.

Eventually the events of the day caught up with her and she slipped into a troubled sleep, resting her head on their intertwined hands. She just needed him to wake up.

xxxx

She was woken up when she felt pressure on her hand. Sleepily opening her eyes and lifting her head, she looked towards Castle's head and found two beautiful blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hey," he said, his voice rough from disuse.

"God, Castle, you scared the crap out of me," Kate said in a rush, as she stood up and ran her free hand over his cheek. "I was so scared," she whispered.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here. I'm going to be fine."

Sobbing, unable to hold back the tears of relief, she bent down and captured his lips with hers. The kiss was short but passion filled as they both reaffirmed their connection.

"I love you," he said, cupping her cheek with his hand. She blinked at him through the tears. They hadn't said the words. Sure, he had said that he was falling in love with her, but to say the words. For a minute she didn't even know what to say.

Shaking herself, she said, "God, Castle, I love you too, so much. So much." She leant back down and kissed him again. When they finally had to break apart for air, Kate said, "I'm so sorry, Rick. This is all my fault."

"What? No, Kate. You didn't do this."

"If I hadn't been so snippy with you, you would have been with me. You wouldn't be injured. That reporter…" She caught herself, not really wanting to break that news to him.

"What about the reporter, Kate."

"She…she died, Rick. In the crash."

"Oh, God. That's…that's…" He squeezed her hand, trying to find the words. She could tell he was coming up short. There were no words. "It is not your fault, Kate. She was riding in the van because of me. Not you. Did you find whoever did this?"

"Karpowski's team is handling it. Montgomery wanted us to be here with you and Lanie."

"Lanie! What happened to her? Is she okay?" She could see the panic in his eyes.

Putting a calming hand on his shoulder, she said "She's fine. A concussion and a broken wrist. She'll be out of here tomorrow."

They were interrupted by the sound of the doctor coming into the room. She knew that this ordeal was far from over. Both of them felt immensely guilty over the death of the reporter, and that guilt wasn't going to go away quickly. But he loved her. And she loved him. She knew that no matter what happened, they would get through it together. Always.

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a.n.2. One of the things I missed was having Kate's friends and colleagues comment on how different she is. She is definitely acting different, and they surely would have noticed. But it's too late now. Just assume they had that conversation off screen.

a.n.3. Let me know what you think by leaving a review! Reviews keep me motivated. The more I get, the more likely it is you guys get the next chapter tomorrow instead of next week. Hint. Hint.