Happy Monday! While things are going to pick up some speed this chapter, I am attempting to remain in line with the reality of the situation. Enjoy and have a great day!


The weeks flew by and Mia grew stronger every day. Soon she was released from intensive care and relocated to a room in the pediatric unit. It was a milestone that was celebrated, with Lanie and the Boys, Martha and Alexis, Castle and Beckett able to join her.

They decorated her room, made it feel more like home and removed some of the hospital stigma from her surroundings. In no time the room looked like a miniature gift shop, complete with flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, magazines, books and crossword puzzles.

Emmanuella stopped by several times, her older sister Marina dropping her off to spend afternoons with her friend. They chatted and Mia was eager to hear about the positive changes in Emanuella's life. The young girl was happy with her sister, was back in school and was making friends. It seemed that the hardships were behind Emmanuella and Mia was relieved that her little bird would be safe and sound.

She looked around her hospital room, taking in each individual. There was Kate, her new-found mother. What amazed Mia the most was that she was still around. In any of her other foster homes an accident such as this would have landed her back in state custody. She realized that she would likely be alone in a much smaller, much colder and much more impersonal room; only the medical staff to keep her company. However, with Kate Beckett that was not so. Despite having made the decision to give Mia up for adoption, a decision that the young girl realized was made out of love and with her best interest at heart, it appeared as if Kate was completely committed to being a mother now. Mia had no choice but to trust those intentions, as she was helpless and hurting.

She then looked to Rick Castle. He was a more difficult puzzle for her to solve. Why was he by her bedside day and night? Surely he had his own life, his own family to care for. While it was clear that the writer was in love with her birth mom, love for her alone couldn't explain why he stuck around. Why is he here with me even when Kate steps away? She wondered as she contemplated him. He was too busy playing with an app on his phone to notice her scrutiny. The odd part was that given Mia's past, any man who would have shown as much interest in her would have raised a red flag. She'd met those men, predators. Yet the author made her feel anything but threatened.

The clincher for her was the way he treated Alexis. Clearly, he was a family man beyond any image that the press had provided him. Alexis, she thought as she shifted her attention to the young woman who was currently nestled into bed beside her, watching whatever was on the hospital television. Much like the way Mia had adopted Emmanuella, Alexis appeared to be supportive, loving and protective. She cried with Mia in times of pain and rejoiced over small successes, such as when she was able to gain more use of her arm and leg. She was by no means healed, as she couldn't even bear weight yet- but she was moving them on her own, a greater range of motion with each passing day.

Martha was just as devoted, as if Mia were her very own grandchild. The teen continued to consider the people in the room, realizing that they had taken her in- all of them. They'd accepted her into their family and were committed to her. It gave a feeling of security that she'd not had since the death of her adoptive parents. Even the boys and Lanie appeared to be invested, as surrogate aunts and uncles who provided her with gifts, entertainment, concern and support. Through the fear and the pain, through the needles and countless medical tests, despite the complete loss of dignity that came with the reliance on others to care for her, Mia couldn't ignore the warmth that spread through her as she took all of them in- her family.


The hospital room continued to transform. Soon a DVD player was hooked into the hospital television and movies were enjoyed. Nobody questioned how Mia had been given what appeared to be a private room. There was no need to question, and judging by the nurse's willingness to accommodate them, it was clear that the staff was well taken care of as well.

Psychologists, physical therapists, nutritionists were brought in to aid Mia in her recovery and Kate stood by, once again in awe of the generosity that Richard Castle possessed.

Meals were provided, baked goods passed around during every change of shift and chocolate to supply a small army thanks to Martha. They kept the food on the down low, However, as Mia's diet was still quite restricted and her appetite lacking.

As Mia engaged more with her new-found family, Alexis spent more time visiting. The girls talked about anything and everything to keep Mia's mind off of her injuries. Her progress was slow and painful, but gradually the girl gained some mobility.

Although her leg was still immobilized most of the time, the top of her foot was bare, so Alexis spent time painting her nails. Once she was able to remove the bandaging on her head and the wound was healing to the doctor's liking, Alexis was also able to help Mia do her hair. A good portion had been removed to gain access to her injury, but what was left was cleaned, combed and styled to the teen's liking.

Both Castle and Beckett were thankful for Alexis, and for the bond that the girls seemed to share. It was obvious that the red-head had taken Mia under her wing, treating her as a long-lost sister. Despite being stuck in a hospital, Mia's eyes always lit up when Alexis visited.

Considering her injuries, it was music to Kate's ears to hear her daughter complaining about itchy casts and unsightly hair styles. At one point Castle actually laughed to hear her complaining about needing help to get to the bathroom. She reminded him so much of Kate that he couldn't help but grin.

His reaction earned a glare from Mia, but there was nothing behind it. All in all, the people who frequented Mia's hospital room were becoming a family.

The room was soon supplied with another hospital bed, and despite the close quarters, Castle and Beckett slept there nightly. Neither had any desire to leave Mia and although they did not speak of it, both needed the security and stability that their closeness once again provided.

In the beginning it was Awkward, and Castle tried to insist that he could sleep upright in a chair.

"You need your rest, Kate." He whispered, the lights in the hospital room low and Mia sleeping peacefully.

"And you don't?" She countered, sitting upright on the twin-sized mattress of the hospital bed the nurses had been kind enough to supply. She wrapped the standard issue blue blanket around her, trying to hide that she was actually quite cold.

"Look," She spoke softly as she scooted herself to the side of the mattress, patting the spot she'd created next to her. "You've dedicated your time, money and energy to being here, and I'm so grateful for that." She explained.

"I know you're exhausted, Castle. We both are." Her eyes were piercing, unwilling to allow him to avert his gaze. It was a technique she used with suspects during interrogation, shifting herself to maintain the complete attention of her target. "and I don't know about you, but I would sleep better tonight if you were next to me." She admitted.

He smiled to her, sharing a moment of openness and honesty amongst the chaos and devastation that had been the recent weeks. He shifted himself from the chair and moved to join her on the bed. Once he was parallel with the wall, he opened his arms for her.

Kate smiled and whispered, "Thank you, her words giving them both permission to allow this moment of intimacy. She joined him in the bed, allowing herself to be wrapped up in his arms. She shifted herself against him until her head was nestled on his chest.

The steady rhythm of his heart beat and the soothing rise and fall of his chest blanketed her in a warm sense of security and soon Kate was asleep. In those last minutes of twilight as she sank deeper and deeper into a sleep state she could feel herself sighing, filled once again with all of her guarded affections. I love you, Castle. She thought contentedly before finally succumbing to her exhaustion.

He wasn't sure if she was awake, and was certain she wouldn't have spoken if she were, but he was filled with warmth as he heard her soft words, "I love you, Castle."

He kissed her forehead softly, prompting her to snuggle deeper into his embrace, whispering against her ear. "Always."


Sharing that bed became a normal exchange between them, neither directly discussing it during their waking hours. Still, the subtle gestures of physical contact between them increased once again. Fingers would brush over coffee cups and gazes were held just a moment longer than necessary.

It felt to Kate as if she was falling in love with him all over again. She wondered if she would ever truly stop falling in love with him.

He would rub her back, squeeze her hand, offer his warmth and she would do the same. Their interactions became softer and any strain that was once between them gradually disappeared. For all intents and purposes, they were partners at work, in life and now in the parenting of an injured, frustrated but very grateful teenage daughter.


As Mia's recovery settled into a routine so did the lives of those around her. While Castle and Beckett remained at the hospital, Ryan and Esposito continued their investigation into those who were responsible for Mia's injury, and her friend Sara's death before that.

A major break came in the case the following week, as news spread of the NYPD finally bringing Tony and the Kitty Cat Club down.

"You'll be relieved to know that we got him." Ryan offered with a smile on his face as he spoke in low tones, not wanting to distract Mia from her movie time with Alexis.

"How?" Kate questioned, relieved to hear the news.

"Well, Rodger Fickwell, the crazy ass SOB that he is, wasn't giving anything." Esposito began. "Despite the fact that we knew he set the bomb."

"That was until we told him that Tony was taking the credit for the explosion, that he said it was his best work." Ryan added.

"Evidently, arsonists tend to take pride in their work. The mere thought that someone else took the credit sent him over the edge. He began to sing like a canary, all about how Tony hired him to build, plant and detonate the bomb." Esposito boasted.

"As it turns out he was supposed to be on the look out for a red-head, but he messed it up." Ryan interjected.

"A red-head? You mean Amber?" Castle questioned before answering himself "that would make sense. Amber was a witness to Sara's death. If they took Amber out than there would be nobody to testify."

"So Mia was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kate spoke with a hint of regret and irony in her voice. The boys simply nodded their confirmation, knowing that it was hard to process.

"The good news is that we found Amber and she's safe, in protective custody and willing to testify. She was more than happy to do so when we told her about what they'd done to Mia." Esposito spoke.

"What's even better is that we've got Roger Fickwell so pissed that he's willing to testify against Tony in court too, and best of all- Butch rolled over on his boss." Ryan jumped back in.

"How did you manage that?" Beckett was stunned, although they knew the burly bar tender was Sara's killer, and they had evidence to show it, they didn't think they would get to his boss. Kate let out a sigh of relief.

"So Tony is in jail now? Mia is safe?" Castle pressed on.

The boys nodded, looking to the teen, chatting with her new-found friend. At least from the outside world, Mia was safe and sound. Time would tell if her body would give her the same guarantee.


Any hope of leaving the hospital anytime soon was lost for Mia. Although her body was healing rapidly, the doctors were not pleased with the continued irregularities in her blood work. Her fluid intake was high but her urine output was low. Things appeared to be getting worse, not better as the days passed. As the doctors monitored her with concern, a shadow of doubt crept back into Kate's mind.

It was a Saturday afternoon, filled with the regular visitors when Kate finally broke down and pressed Lanie for any details that she could offer.

"What exactly is going on? I understand that her blood levels are off and they're not happy with her urine output." Kate held a breath before asking the one question that she didn't want answered.

"Is there something wrong with Mia's kidneys?"

A round of dialysis had been discussed, while nutrients and electrolytes continued to be pumped into the girl.

"Kate," Lanie began, "Many of her levels have returned to normal, but they're still seeing abnormalities."

"Namely, her Creatinine levels are high, they were stable for a while and things were looking good, but her doctors tell me that they've started to increase again." Lanie continued, "In a normal and healthy kidney, Creatinine will be filtered out and treated like the waste that it is. However, when levels become high in the blood it is an indicator that her kidneys are at the very least compromised." Kate took a deep breath and nodded.

"So they think that Mia's kidneys might be failing."

Lanie simply stared back at her best friend, unable to offer her any type of assurance. It seemed like Mia's recovery was about to become much more complicated.


AN: Yes, I did wrap the case up in a pretty red bow. However, the case was just a plot device, as was the bomb in the building...all to get our characters where they will be going in the next several chapters.