-Chapter 6-

At the loft of this dead guy named John everyone did their jobs. Lanie examined the body and some uniforms, Ryan and Esposito were looking through all the closets and drawers of the apartment. There was nothing that could lead to the name of the bus driver so they hoped that his fingerprints were in the system.

"Dammit. Nothing. This apartment looks like he moved in here yesterday." Esposito exclaimed.

"Lanie what do you have?"

"Well, single shot to the chest but I guess the COD was the shot to the head. The first shot missed the heart so he should have survived that but the next one killed him. I can't find any signs of struggle. Really guys sorry but I can't find out any more details until I bring him back to the morgue."

"Oh man! Beckett is gonna kill us! Five minutes ago she asked if we had something. But no… we have nothing!" Ryan said looking at his cell.

"Well then" Esposito said to one of the uniforms while he stood up:"get CSU sweep the area and you all go aroung this place and ask everyone who might have known this guy. We can't let Beckett down. Ryan, let's go and visit Beckett."

Ryan and Esposito left the loft but before he stepped out of the front door Esposito went back to Lanie, kissed her cheek and said :

"Ciao. Chica"

-In the hospital

Ryan knocked at her door.

"NYPD open the damn door!" Ryan yelled and then opened the door.

Kate held up her hands, grinned and said:"Guilty!"

All three laughed for a few minutes until Kate stopped laughing and asked completely serious:" Do you have something?"

"Not really… We know that the shooter can at the cemetary with the bus" Esposito meant.

"So now you should interview the driver?" Beckett partly asked.

"We did his name is John and he is…" Ryan said.

Kate interrupted him:" Does he recognize the guy am I safe again… What is his name is he the leader of the group?"

"- dead… I wanted to say dead." Ryan ended his sentence.

"Awwww. Dammit. Do you know his last name?" Kate wanted to know.

"Nope but Lanie is examining him right now and we hope that he is in the system… something was not right about this guy. He was a bus driver and lived in a huge loft. I mean how the heck can a bus driver afford something like that?" Esposito said.

"Okay, well you guys go home and sleep a while. I mean this guy is dead and for now we have nothing to work with but when I come outta here we will get this guy. Tomorrow you can go and visit Lanie and maybe you could go to Roy's family and ask if you can look through his office. Try to find some files from the time when Roy was with those guys." Kate said:" And you two… don't mention any of this to Roy's wife or kids."

"Sure we won't. So… how are you Beckett?"

"Hm… Fine but I can't move very quickly and I am afraid that it could take weeks until I can work again. Damn it!" she cursed.

"Relax. You have time. Please just get well soon and hey Becks… has Castle been here since you woke up?" Esposito asked while he was heading towards the door.

"Oh Castle…" Kate whispered dreaming of him.

"Kate? You alright? What did you just say?" Ryan asked.

"What? Oh nothing." Kate blushed: "Yes he had been here but not really for a long time then he left again."

"Okay… well then goodnight and get well soon." Ryan said and Esposito waved her goodbye then they left the room.

Kate fell asleep and someone knocked at her door. A few seconds later Castle came into the room and crosed the room trying not to wake her up. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. He really tried not to touch her and not to move and to be quiet and let her sleep but then something flew into her nose and he sneezed very, very loudly. Kate nearly fell out of her bed.

"Wow Castle! You scared… you scared… you… "

Then she stared to sob and at the same time laugh at herself because she was crying.

"Oh Kate… Sorry something… my nose… oh man I really wanted you to get some sleep… wait… are you crying?"

"Yes… but forget that… sometimes I cry when I wake up and sometimes I cry when something scares me just like you did…" She looked at him frowning:" And now those two things came together… I know it's silly but I can't help myself."

By that time she stopped crying.

"Thank god. I thought that something hurt you. And no it's not silly… I think it's kinda cute." Rick said and took her hand as if that was completely normal.

Kate looked at their hands and smiled.

"Thank you! I nearly forgot how that felt. Holding your hand…" Kate said.

Castle kissed her forehead. "How are you?"

"Tired but fine. They say that I could go home tomorrow if I promise to relax and not to work… Castle they don't even let me do paperwork…What should I do the next weeks?"

She really was desperate.

"Come to me… or with me. I want to go to the Hamptons again and write a little and you could relax there and go swimming and those things. Alexis will be at Ashley's for three weeks and my mother has a new job. I would be so alone at home and you can't work so I can't shadow you and then I thought that I could go to the Hamptons… if you wanna join me…" Castle said.

"And the interrogation?"

"We can arrange a video conference every evening and if something important happens we can be back here within some hours… just think about it Kate I don't want to push you. And now you should get some sleep I will be back here tomorrow morning and I want you to be completely awake and relaxed then." He said and kissed her gently.

"Okay goodnight Rick. And I will think about it" Kate said as he went through the room towards the door.

"Night!"

"Night, Kitten!" she grinned and fell asleep again with a smile on her face.