DISCLAIMER: The characters of the show CASTLE do not belong to me, they belong to ABC.

Author's Note: First, just so you all know, I'm going to update this story every Monday for the rest of the summer (and beyond maybe). This will allow me to take my time with the chapters. Thank you all for the support. I can't believe how many of you are following this little story of mine. And thank you to those of you who are reviewing, I love hearing what you think. Please take the time to review this chapter!

Chapter Three

The moment Jim exited his daughters room, he nearly ran right into Josh. "Son," he began sternly. "I thought I told you to leave."

Josh shook his head. "I'm her boyfriend," he stated, stressing his title. "I have a right to be in there with her."

"Do you?" Jim pressed. "Do you really?"

"Course I do."

"Do you love her?"

"Course I do."

"No," Jim sighed. "I don't believe that you do."

Josh's brow furrowed in anger. "What gives you the right...?"

"I'm her father," Jim answered.

"But I—"

"Care for her," he supplemented. "I realize that."

"Then stand aside and let me sit with her."

"Castle's watching her right now,"

"He has no right to be in there," Josh stated, his voice quivering with anger.

"Richard Castle loves my daughter,"

"She's just his muse."

Jim shook his head. "No it's more than that, and if you can't see it..."

Josh opened his mouth to protest when his beeper went off. After clicking the beeper off he looked back up at Kate's father. "This isn't over."

"Yes," Jim insisted. "Yes it is."

...

Castle sat in his chair, near Kate's feet but after a couple moments of that, he decided that he needed to be closer to her. He moved to the seat near the head of the bed. He could feel his eyes drooping. The last couple days had utterly exhausted him and the emotional drain of the last couple hours had nearly done him in.

But I won't fall asleep, he told himself firmly. I have to stay awake, for her... he paused in his internal ramblings to look down at Kate. Even in her sleeping and semi-stable state, Castle felt nothing but overwhelming love for her. The thought of losing her was enough to make him feel like he couldn't breathe.

"Come on Kate..." he whispered aloud as he took her hand. "You've got to pull through. You're a fighter." Castle paused and absentmindedly brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. He closed his ears and brought his head forward so it was laying next to her face. "Oh Kate..." he begged. "Please."

...

Kate felt herself rising to consciousness once again. There was a gentle pressure on her hand that she couldn't ignore and there was the fact that every ounce of her being was trying to wake up to let her friends and loved ones that she was alright.

Dad, Kate thought to herself as she began to wake up. I need to tell Dad that I'm okay...and Castle. I need—

"Oh Kate," a voice whispered in her ear. A voice belonging to Castle. "Please."

The tone in his voice was pleading, so much so that it nearly broke Kate's heart.

"Please," he repeated. "Don't leave me."

Despite her drugged up state, Kate couldn't help but smile internally. "Couldn't get rid of you, even if I tried." She whispered, or at least tried to whisper. She wasn't sure whether or not she had actually said something until she felt the pressure on her hand increase.

"Kate?" Castle asked more urgently. "Kate? Can you hear me."

"Here," she said, though being more awake she realized that her word came out more like a moan.

"Kate if you can hear me open your eyes."

Kate tried to do as she asked, but found them too heavy.

"Kate," he pleaded. "Open your eyes."

Not wanting to disappoint him. Kate forced her eyes open. Though blurry at first, when they focused she was pleased to see Castle's face before her. His own eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Hey," she whispered as she squeezed his hand.

"Hey yourself," he whispered back.

"Did you guys catch that son-of-a-bitch who shot me?"

Castle shook his head. "They searched, Ryan and Esposito. Before the ambulance arrived but no. Not a trace."

Kate sighed and closed her eyes. She must have left them closed a moment too long because she felt Castle move even closer. "Kate?"

"Here," she assured opening her eyes again. "I'm here."

Castle nodded and Kate could see that he wanted to say so much.

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured. "I have too much to live for. I..."

"Katie?" asked her father as he re-entered the room, stopping Kate from saying what it was that she wanted to say. "You're awake?"

Kate looked apologetically at Castle first before looking at her Dad. "Apparently," she answered. "Though I'm so very tired."

"I'm going to get your attending physician," Castle stated suddenly as he stood up, pulling away from Kate. "Or someone, you know...to make sure that you don't have a concussion or something."

Without saying another word, and before anyone could say anything else, Castle was gone. Leaving Kate alone with her father who just shook his head and smiled as he sat down.

"What?" asked Kate. "What is it?"

"You didn't let him know, did you."

"Let him know what?" Kate asked, suddenly shy and wanting to play dumb despite the fact that she was talking to her Dad.

Jim sighed. "He loves you Katie."

Kate nodded before she could stop herself.

"You know?" he asked. "Since when?"

"Since he told me," she answered with a small smile, feeling like a giddy school girl despite the pain. "I heard him."

Jim nodded. "I'm glad. But you're going to have to let him know. Sooner or later."

"I know Dad," Kate agreed with a sigh. "I just have to find the right time."

...

Castle didn't know what to do. Kate was alive. Really alive. Talking and awake alive. He felt like half the world had been lifted from his shoulders but he realized with a heavy heart that she hadn't let on that she had heard his confession. Castle knew that he had been sincere when he had said it. It was a confession borne out of the paralysing feeling that he would never have the chance to say it to Kate when her eyes were open again.

Now, hours after he had admitted that he loved her, Castle was worried that if Kate had heard him then her silence on the subject was an admission of not feeling the same. On the other hand, if she hadn't heard him, Castle didn't know if he'd be able to work up the courage again to tell her how he felt. The third option, that she did hear him but was just too disoriented to say anything yet did not even cross his mind.

Lost in a haze, Castle wasn't watching where he was going and ended up nearly running right into the one person that he had hoped not to see again for a while. Josh.

TBC