"Do you want me to get you anything Kate?" Rick asked nervously as he stared at the younger woman who was lying in the bed in complete silence, her fingers playing with a bracelet that was around her wrist. It looked old, clearly something she'd had the day she was attacked, but he'd watched her put it on moments ago and it clearly meant something to her.

"I just want my parents," she admitted quickly, not knowing what else to say to the writer as she sat up and looked at him. "Can you call my dad and see where they are? Maybe your detectives couldn't get hold of him and he didn't hear that I was awake," she mumbled as Rick nodded before standing quickly and walking out of the room towards one of the nurses.

"Do you have a contact number of Kate Beckett's father?" he asked as the nurse nodded and went to find it before returning with the number. Dialling Jim Beckett's number quickly, Rick moved away from the busy nurses' station as the phone continued to ring, desperate for the other man to answer. Kate needed someone, she needed a parent and he was the only one she had. Hearing the ringing stop, Rick smiled as he realised someone had finally answered. "Hello," Rick said quietly. "Mr Beckett?"

"What do you want?" a slurred voice asked as Rick shut his eyes, realising that the man who clearly drunk and therefore probably wasn't in a fit state to see his daughter.

"Mr Beckett, I'm calling about your daughter Kate. She woke up today and she keeps asking for you," he admitted, shutting his eyes as he heard the sound of glass bottles down the line. This man was clearly the alcoholic Esposito and Ryan had described earlier and that devastated him. Kate needed someone strong in her life, not a man who was destroying his life because his family had been shattered over the last twelve years.

"I don't believe you," Jim suddenly shouted as shock covered Rick's face. "Why would she just wake up? I don't believe you, Katie is in a coma. She will never wake up," he blurted out before the line went dead, Rick groaning as he realised that the older man had just hung up on him and was clearly not going to visit.

"Shit," Rick whispered before glancing across at the room that Kate was in. He had to tell her something. Moving towards the room, Rick forced a smile onto his face before he entered the small room to see her sitting up, still playing with her bracelet that she was using as a distraction. "He wasn't answering the phone, he's probably out," he declared as she nodded slowly and looked up at him. "So," he whispered before moving to sit down in the chair as she bit into her lip slowly.

"What year is it?" Kate asked quietly as she turned to face him slowly.

"2011," he answered honestly as she looked down.

"It was January 1999 the last time I remember," she whispered before biting into her lip. "I guess I'm thirty two years old then," she muttered after a few moments as he nodded slowly, taking in the tears that were starting to run down the cheek. "I always thought I'd have a career by now, perhaps even a husband and a family. I never imagined I'd be waking up from a coma," she sobbed as Rick slowly moved to sit down on the edge of the bed before finding her hand and squeezing it gently as she glanced up at him. "I was a teenager yesterday and now I'm a thirty two year old with nothing to say about her life."

"I know it's hard," he began before she shook her head.

"You know nothing about this. You haven't been in a coma for twelve years to wake up in a room full of detective's and strangers and your parents aren't even here to support you or hug you," she shouted before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"It's okay, you're allowed to be frustrated about the whole situation." he promised as she brushed her hair away from her face.

"I thought they'd be here. Twelve years I've been in a coma and they're not here when I wake up," she admitted as Rick shut his eyes, hating that he couldn't be honest with her about what had happened to her other. She felt unloved, she felt alone and he wanted to make her understand that her parents weren't here because they didn't want to be but instead because everything had been destroyed the night of the accident. The night of her mother's murder!

"You want anything?" he asked as confusion covered her face. "Do you like milkshakes?" he asked as she nodded slowly. "How about I go and get you a milkshake from Remy's? Whatever flavour you like," he suggested as Kate nodded slowly, watching as he stood up and pulled his jacket on. "What's your favourite flavour then?"

"Strawberry," she admitted honestly before he nodded and walked towards the door. "You don't have any other plans do you? You don't need to be anywhere today?" she asked as he shook his head quickly.

"I'll be back soon, try and relax while I'm gone," he stated before walking out of the room in silence before taking the cell phone out of his pocket. Dialling Esposito's number, the writer slowly made his way to the elevator as he waited for the detective to answer.

"Esposito," Javier quickly responded as Rick smiled.

"I need Jim Beckett's address," Rick immediately declared before he heard Javier groan. "I called him and he doesn't believe me that Kate is awake and he sounded drunk and she desperately wants someone here, she wants her parents," the writer explained as Javier remained silent. "Javi she's woken up in 2011 when all she remembers is 1999 and she's now thirty two but she feels like she's a nineteen year old girl who's woken up from a nightmare," he declared, stepping into the elevator as he shut his eyes. "I just want to go and see him, try and persuade him to visit, and then I'll go back to the hospital, I promised her a milkshake."

"Castle don't get too involved in this case and don't get too involved with her," Javier warned before agreeing to give the address to him, reciting it from memory as Castle nodded slowly. "I know you want to help her..."

"She was nineteen years old when she watched her mother murdered and then was attacked and put into a coma. She was three years older than my daughter is now when all of this happened and all of a sudden she's woken up and is thirty two years old and her mother is dead and no one is allowed to tell her that," Rick declared. "She needs a friend, she needs someone to be there for her at the moment, at least if her father's not ready yet," Rick said, mainly trying to explain to himself why he was going to such lengths for a woman he'd only just met and didn't know anything about.

XXOXOXOXOXOXOOX

Walking towards the apartment door, Rick bit into his lip before he knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Hearing the sound of glass smashing, Rick waited patiently before he heard the sound of locks being undone quickly and the door slowly creaked open to reveal the face of an older and exhausted looking man who was now staring at him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he immediately asked as Rick forced a smile onto his face.

"My name is Richard Castle, I called you about your daughter," Rick admitted as Jim continued to stare at him in silence. "Mr Beckett, I know it's been a long time but your daughter really is awake and she's desperate to see you. The doctor has advised that we don't tell her about your wife yet so she thinks you're both alive and you're avoiding her," the writer blurted out, desperate for the older man to come to the hospital and visit his daughter.

"She's really awake, Katie's awake," Jim slurred as Rick nodded, watching as the other man clung onto the door slightly tighter. "She won't want to see me, not like this," he finally muttered as Rick stared at him.

"I know about the case, I know about your drinking and I know it'll upset her but she needs to see you and you need to see her. You need to know that she's getting better. Please, just have a shower and change your clothes and come and see her even if it's just for an hour," Rick begged as he nodded slowly, not knowing what else to say as he opened the door more to allow Rick into the apartment. Stepping inside, Rick took in the various bottles that covered the floor as Jim shut the door and breathed out.

"I'll shower," Jim yawned before walking towards the bathroom while Rick entered the living room to see a duvet and pillow on the couch and numerous pictures covering the surfaces. Staring at the family photograph, Rick smiled at the sight of a teenage Kate Beckett with her proud parents. She looked so young and happy and now, now all he could think about was the woman who was crying because she was thirty two instead of nineteen! Hearing the water running, Rick sighed as he sat down on the couch and looked at the photographic shrine Jim had created for his wife and daughter. He clearly loved them and he clearly had got lost after his wife's death! Hearing the water turn off and movement for a few moments, Rick turned when he heard a door open and watched as Jim walked out in smarter clothes than before with exhaustion covering his face.

"I need to go and buy some milkshakes before we go to the hospital though," Rick admitted as they moved towards the door and silently left the apartment.

XOXOXOXOXOXXO

Approaching her hospital room in silence, Rick smiled as he slowly opened the door to see Kate lying in the bed with her eyes firmly shut. She looked exhausted but he wanted her to see Jim before he decided to leave.

"Kate, I brought your milkshake," Rick stated, watching as her eyes opened and she stared at him in amazement before she sat up and took the milkshake from him. "I also brought something else with me," he admitted, watching as Jim Beckett slowly entered the bedroom in silence, Kate's smile growing as he walked towards her and allowed her to tightly wrap her arms around his body, tears running down her cheeks in happiness.

"Katie bug," Jim whispered as she sobbed into his neck, smelling the strong alcohol on his breath. "I love you, I love you my beautiful girl," the older man whispered as Kate practically clung to him, not wanting to let him go as Rick watched them in complete silence. "I can't believe you're awake, they told us it wouldn't happen, they said you'd never wake up because it had been too long," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead as tears began to run down his own cheeks. His little girl was okay; his daughter was going to be okay! He still had Kate. "Twelve years Kate."

"Daddy," Kate whispered as he nodded slowly, brushing her hair away from her face as she bit into her lip again nervously. "I should have my milkshake before it goes horrid," she immediately blurted out as the two men nodded, the brunette realising that she'd ignored the drink Rick had bought her in order to be held by her father. Taking a sip of her drink slowly, Kate smiled as she glanced across at the writer who was watching her in complete silence. "They're better than I remember."

"When you get out of here I'll take you for a burger as well," Rick blurted out before falling silent, a laugh leaving Kate's lips as she nodded slowly, noticing the embarrassed look that was covering his face.

"I'd like that," Kate admitted, falling silent when she heard a loud ringing noise. "What's that?" the brunette questioned as Rick dug out his cell phone and stared at the smiling image of his daughter that was appearing on the screen. "What is that?" Kate asked quickly, staring at the object that he was holding in his hands in complete amazement as he smiled at her reaction.

"It's my cell phone and that is my daughter calling," he explained, her shock growing as he stood up and excused himself from the room, knowing he wasn't supposed to be on the phone in the hospital anyway. Answering it quickly, Rick turned away from the nurses before holding the phone to his ear. "Hello pumpkin," Rick greeted, listening as Alexis questioned when he would come home. "I'll be home at some point Alexis it's just there's been a case and…" he began before falling silent, not knowing how to explain this to his daughter. "There's a girl, well a woman Alexis and no not like that. She's just woken up from a coma after being attacked twelve years ago when her mother was murdered and I didn't want to leave her alone," he explained, smiling at his daughter's immediate concern. "I promise I'll be home at some point tonight Alexis," he announced before he said goodbye to her and moved back into the bedroom to see Kate and Jim sitting separate while the brunette rested back in the bed, clearly tired.

"I'm going to go Katie," Jim immediately announced as Rick opened his mouth to speak, knowing that if Jim left he would feel bad about leaving for the night and would probably end up staying with Kate.

"Will mom come and visit tonight dad?" Kate asked quietly, her voice filled with exhaustion as Jim looked down for a moment. "I understand if she's working a big case or something but it would just be nice if she'd call or something," the brunette explained as Jim felt the tears running down his cheek. "What's going on?"

"Kate, you should try and get some sleep," Rick suggested, desperately trying to stop Jim from going against what the doctor had ordered.

"You don't know me so don't think you can tell me what to do. You just turned up this morning with some cops wanting information and have stayed, you don't know me at all," Kate immediately snapped before looking at her father. "Something's wrong and none of you are telling me what's going on," she stated as she moved to sit up, her anger building up as she stared at her father and the writer who were watching her. "Dad, you're drinking and by the smell of you you're drinking a lot," she blurted out in anger as the two men fell completely silent, staring as she began to gasp for air, clearly stressed by the whole situation.

"Kate," Rick said quietly as he moved towards her and found her hand as Jim remained completely silent, not knowing what to say as he watched Rick hold his daughter's hand. "Breathe; you need to calm down Kate and you need to breathe."

"Where's my mom? I want my mom," Kate sobbed as Jim shook his head and stormed out of the room, shock covering Rick's face as he felt Kate lean against him in exhaustion. She was tired and sick and he didn't know what to do to make it easier. "Where's my mom?" she whispered as Rick slowly moved her to lie down properly on the bed.

"Would you like me to stay until visiting hours finish Kate?" Rick asked as she remained still in the bed, practically in shock as she shut her eyes slowly and yawned. "I can leave if you want to be alone, it's your choice."

"Stay," Kate mumbled as he nodded and felt her tighten her grip of his hand. "Is my mom okay? She was there the night I was attacked, is she okay?" she questioned as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the writer who'd entered her life today and seemed to be the only person who was being honest to her, who was treating her to some extent as a normal person rather than a coma patient. "Was she hurt too?"

I'm not sure about this chapter but again, it depends on what you think and everything. Your response to the first chapter was amazing and I love hearing from you, you make me want to write.

I'm not happy with Jim Beckett in this so far but he will develop as the story goes along and Kate will become more like Beckett we know in the show but she still believes she's nineteen, knows people are keeping things from her and has a lot to learn about herself and what happened to her as well as about the world around her. Anyway, please review…