CHAPTER 2

Jim Beckett had been waiting hours to see his little girl, he waited until her boyfriend left but he told Castle that she wanted to see him, so he chose to wait and let them talk because they've been through a lot these past few days however it's been almost an hour and a half since then and he still hasn't seen his Katie. He figured since it's her partner and not her boyfriend 'yet' his brain corrected, he wouldn't want to bleach he's eyes out later for seeing something no parent wants to see. He walked into his daughter's hospital room to see her partner asleep with his head resting her bed facing her and her head turned facing him like they fell asleep watching each other, her left arm was folded over her body reaching to the other side of the bed and Castle's right arm is resting under his head, Jim stepped closer to get a better look and when he did he saw they were holding hands and her right hand was resting just inches away from his face. Jim Beckett stood there shocked for a second then he broke into a big smile when he finally looked at his daughter's face and saw a small smile, the last time he saw that was when she was 16 and he and her mom told her that if she could come up with the money herself she could get a motorcycle, that was the last time he ever saw his little girl smile in her sleep, he turned and slowly left her room 'I could wait a little longer' he thought.

Castle woke up shortly after Jim left the room; he opened his eyes to see the sleeping detective with a smile grazing her lips he smiled at the sight that the tough detective smiled in her sleep after a kiss with him, 'what was she dreaming about?' he thought as he sat up to stretch his aching back, Castle looked down at their joined hands and smiled even wider he slowly stroked the top of her hand with his thumb as he stared blankly at her sleeping face taking it all in. Kate's brain slowly started to register the feeling of someone stroking her hand and staring at her. She slowly opened her eyes and instantly her eyes locked with Rick's bright blue eyes glazed over in deep thought, she let out a small laugh when she noticed he didn't even realize she woke up yet. her laugh got his attention in an instant and he was smiling at her, his eyes now sparkling with glee another laugh left her lips and he huffed out a laugh at her behavior and shook his head as his smile got bigger; Rick let go of her hand and stood up the smile on her face leaving at his actions, Castle took a step closer to the head of her hospital bed and slowly lent over and placed a small kiss to her lips then whispered

"Good morning, beautiful. You want anything to drink? Maybe some breakfast, what time is it?"

Kate laughed at him again and he glared at her for a second then he sat back down in the chair by her bed then checked his watch his face scrunched up for a second like he was trying to figure something out then he let out a sigh, Beckett looked at him questionably then she asked,

"What is it, Castle?"

He looked over at her and let out a small laugh and replied

"It's six o'clock; I guess you should be getting dinner right about now. I'll go check with one of the nurses to see when you can have food, if you're hungry that is?"

"That would be great, Castle, I could really go for some food right now, I'm suddenly starving."

"I'm on it."

He kissed her on the forehead then left her room to hunt down a nurse. On his way to the nurses' station he ran into her dad. He smiled at the older man,

"Sorry, sir, I didn't see you there."

"It's okay Rick. How's Katie? Is she awake yet?"

"Yes sir, I'm just going to find a nurse to see when she gets food because she's starving"

Jim let out a huff of laughter as he thought of his little girl possibly eating hospital food, when she came to the hospital as a kid to get her appendix out she glared at her plate of food as she pushed her green beans and scallop potatoes around on her plate and when she finally went to take a bite her lip quivered at the near thought of eating it, that went on for about a half hour until her mom came with a large cheese pizza and a bottle of ginger ale earning the woman a chorus of cheers from the young girl. Jim smiled and shook his head at that thought then said,

"I see. Would she mind if I went to go see her?"

"Of course not, Mr. Beckett, she'd love to see you."

"Alright then, Rick, I'll see you when you get back to her room."

Castle nodded his agreement then made his way down the hallway in search for a nurse.

Jim knocked lightly on his daughters hospital room door then poked his head in the room, Kate was staring at her feet under the blanket as she tapped them to a random beat, she was gnawing on her bottom lip well she played with the ends of her hair. She looked really happy for a girl who just got shot at her captain's funeral and nearly died. She looked over at her dad standing in the doorway, smiled then motioned for him to come in and sit down, he smiled back at her then said,

"Hey, Katie, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, the drugs really help the pain I guess because I don't really feel it anymore it's kind of like I'm numb."

Jim walked over to his daughter's bedside then took a seat in the chair that Castle occupied just minutes ago.

"You look happy sweetheart, may I ask why because most people don't glow after being shot?"

Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes at her dad's question.

"Way to be blunt, dad; I really sorry about what happened, I should have listened to Castle and everybody but I was just too stubborn to listen. I so sorry you were there to see it happen."

A couple of tears fell from her eyes but she didn't bother to try to catch them, she just stared at her dad and reached her hand out to take his, when he held hers she continued,

"However dad I am happy but not Cause I was shot but because I finally got up the courage to tell Castle how I feel and he did the same and honestly I've never been this happy with anyone, Daddy, I think he's the one. I hope to marry him one day, have little Castles running around the house, spend the holidays with his family, and be at least a friend to his daughter, I love every one of them with all my heart dad and I would die trying to protect them."

A few more tears fell from her eyes as her dad smiled at her with his own tears shining in his eyes he replied,

"I know sweetie, I felt the same way about your mom and I feel the same way about you Katie. And I know for certain that he feels the same for you, I'm pretty sure he's chasing the nurses around driving then crazy right this second just trying to find you some food, that you will more than likely not touch with a fifty foot pole, and I'm darn sure that his family loves you just as much."

"Thanks dad, I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course I do, sweetheart. No matter how many times you said 'I hate you' as a child I always knew you loved me, and I still do."

Kate smiled at her dad then reached up to wipe the tears off her cheeks.

A few minutes later Castle came in the room with a huge grin on his face, he stood in the doorway bouncing on his feet. Beckett looked at him and broke into a booming laughter that filled the room, her dad smiled at his little girl's reaction to the other man's actions. Castle fast walked to Kate's bed planted a kiss on her forehead then continued to bounce on his feet, Kate let out another laugh then said,

"You act like such a kid sometimes."

And started to laugh again when he tried to look hurt by her comment,

"Castle, stop making me laugh, I'm going to pull a stitch!" she said between her fits of laughter, concern covered Castle's face in a spilt second after her statement registered in his brain and he moved quickly to her bedside and put his hand over her mouth and said in a calm sincere voice,

"I love you"

Kate's eyes turned soft looking into his then she kissed his hand that he placed over her mouth to stop her from laughing, Rick's hand moved to stroke her cheek, she placed her hand on top of his, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Rick stared at her and continued to stroke her cheek forgetting all about why he was so happy in the first place.

Jim sat there and watched his daughter and her partner's interaction; he smiled at the sight of love on both their faces. The way that the thought of causing her any pain by making her laugh to hard could knock to goofiness right of his face and replace it with concern and make him jump into action was downright amazing and the way he can make her laugh and be so happy on a day like this was incredible, if he could make his Katie this happy he would give the man his blessing right this second.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter :) please Review! I love to hear from you all :D

-Angeii