This is the third and final chapter I'm posting today, so make sure that you've read '3XK' and 'Is That A Hickey' before reading this one. I'll be back with two more chapters tomorrow. Enjoy, and thanks for all your amazing reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, or any of the characters.
Chapter 8 - Scholarship and Always
When Kate woke up after her dreamless sleep, she noticed a shape in the corner of her room. None other than her annoying shadow.
"What are you doing here so early?" She started to sit up to reach the bed controller on the table so she could adjust her sitting position.
"I have some paperwork to do and I figured here was as good a place as any. I get away from my daughter drooling over her boyfriend and my Mother making constant remarks on how I should be writing. It's nice and quiet in here and I get the added bonus of keeping an eye on my favourite Detective." He only looked up to face her at the last part of his talk, sporting a genuine smile.
"Thanks, Castle, but I don't need somone looking after me."
"You just got shot, Kate. I'm not going too far away until you're up on your feet, kicking ass. And even then, I'll be tagging along to make sure you're eating."
She was silently regarding his words. She had a fair portion of her memory back, and she could tell that things had shifted between them in the last year, and she liked it. He seemed more genuine in his words, less childish, athough he certainly had his moments and he gave her a more sincere look that he hadn't given her before. She could only identify it as utter adoration, and she found herself transfixed whenever he looked at her in that way.
She decided to change the subject before it got too serious.
"Have the doctors said anything about when I'll be able to go home?"
At that very moment, her doctor walked in with a clipboard and went straight to look at her vitals. He flipped through them for a few minutes, keeping a stoic face to prevent Kate knowing whether anything was wrong.
"Your notes show that you've shown massive improvement and you've been in here long enough. If you still have no problems in the next twenty-four hours, I'll be able to send you home at noon tomorrow. On several conditions, of course. First, no straining youself. My wife is just like you, independant, doesn't ask for too much help, but you've got to remember, Ms Beckett, that you've been shot, and no one expects to be back on your feet and in perfect health in a couple of days, so go easy on yourself. That means plenty of bed rest, drinking lots of water, eating healthy meals. I'm also only willing to discharge you if you have someone to stay with to take care of you for a few weeks, whether that means staying with a friend or having a friend stay with you. Just think about it. I'll be back in a few hours to make sure you have appropriate arrangements."
He left the room swiftly, and before she knew what was happening, Castle was on the phone.
"Who are you calling?"
He just held up his hand as the person on the other line answered. "Hey, Pumpkin, is your grandmother there?" He paused listening to the other person speak. "OK, put me on loudspeaker."
He was talking to Alexis and his Mother, though she still had no idea why.
"Would you guys be OK if Kate came to stay with us for a while? She needs somewhere to stay while she's healing."
"Castle, no. I couldn't do that to you. I can get Lanie to do it." He ignored her and held his hand up once more.
"Could you prepare the guestroom? Great. I'll pick up some food on my way home tonight. OK. See you later. Love you." He hung up and turned to Kate, preparing himself for a verbal lashing.
"Seriously, Castle, you didn't have to do that. I'll be fine on my own."
"No. You won't, and I want to do this for you and I owe you a lot with letting me follow you around and saving my life every other day. I have a spare bedroom and my place is plenty big enough. Plus, we could play laser tag when you can move around a little more. Get some training in there before you return to work. You know you want to."
She did want to. Very much so.
"But what about you mother and Alexis? They live there to."
"They're the ones who suggested it a few days ago. Alexis loves you, she looks up to you and she wouldn't mind helping you with all the things that, you know, you don't want me to do. Although if you need someone to rid you of your clothes, I'm your man. And my mother would love more female company around the loft. I'm her son, she can't have girly conversations with me and Alexis is from a different time."
"Girly conversations? You probably spend more time in the bathroom than your daughter and mother put together. You're so incredibly metrosexual, it's scary."
"Oh c'mon, Kate. We could brush each others hair and talk about cute guys." He seemed excited at the prospect of spending time with her and helping her heal. And she'd always had a weakness for that pleading look of his. So adorable.
"On one condition. You only help me when I ask for it, and you don't wait on me hand and foot. You have your own life, and more importantly a book to finish. What's this one called by the way. Something else I've forgotten."
"Heat Rises. It's got a few little refernces to some of our cases and experiences over the past year, so I could get an early copy to you to see if it refreshes your memory at all. Plus, I know how much you love my books."
There was no hiding it. Ever since she'd found the work copy of one of his earlier novels in her Mom's draw, she'd been addicted to the stories, and more importantly, the fact that the families of the victims always found closure. Something that she herself wanted. When she'd met the man himself, to say she was disappointed was an understatement, but now she valued him, and she could tell he cared for her and that their friendship was even stronger now than it was a year ago.
"That's sweet, Castle. Thank you." She looked down as she blushed, though there was no fooling Castle, but he didn't mention it. He found it incredibly cute when she blushed.
"Always."
Climbing into the ambulance, she could still remember the look of Castle's face after beating the pulp out of the guy who'd tried to shoot her. She'd never seen him like that before, but she couldn't help but remind herself that he's done it for her.
"Hey there, Chuck Norris." She smiled at him as he looked down at his bandaged hand, grimacing at the pain whilst his usually groomed hair flopped on to his forehead.
"How's the hand?" She reached out to take it and undo the bandage he'd been messing with.
"Uh... Excruciating."
She gently wrapped the bandage around his hand, taking care not to cause him further pain than what he was already feeling.
"How's Ryan and Esposito?"
"Mmm. Mild hypothermia. Wounded pride. Guess which one'll heal first?" She shot him a playful look which he returned. He'd missed it since her mother's case had been reopened. He was just pleased to see that she was starting to relax again. She smoothed over his hand with her thumbs and released it, sitting further back.
"Thank you. For having my back in there." She was giving that appreciative look that she only spared for those real moments. He's rarely seen it himself, but he savoured the feeling it gave him every time.
The corners of his mouth quirked up a little before responding.
"Always."
She looked away with a small smirk still on her face.
"Always..." She whispered to herself. It was their word, their way of expressing their loyalty to the other, and she remembered it. His head looked up from his paperwork after hearing her silent exclamation. Their eyes met. Again. They were partners, always.
"So what are you working on, Castle?"
"Scholarship papers. I'll need your input in a few minutes. Need certain details and a date. You'll be OK by September, right?"
"I'm OK now." He looked up at her eyebrows raised. "OK, fine, September. And what scholarship are you talking about? Flashing your cash again?"
He contemplated his thoughts for a few seconds before gathering a piece of paper and sitting on the edge of the bed. She could tell straight away that he was about to get serious, which was rare when it came to Castle.
"On one of our cases, a millionaire was murdered after winning the lottery."
"Ouch." She grimaced. "Bad luck, or what?"
"Yeah. Anyway, I asked everyone what they'd do with a million bucks. Ryan said he'd buy a winery, Esposito would buy a ferrari and the Montgomery said he'd get a boat. You, however, wouldn't tell me what you wanted but I finally figured it out. My mothers boyfriend died and left money to her, so she started up an acting school in his memory. You, my dear Detective, would honour your mom's memory." He held out the paper to her, noticing her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "So I called a few people and before you hit me, I should tell you that you called me sweet for doing it, so be nice."
She looked down at the object in her hands. It was an invitation to a scholarship.
You are invited to attend the
'Johanna Beckett Fundraiser'
To raise money for a scholarship awarded to give young lawyers the chance to be heard.
She couldn't help the tears that feel down her face at the thought of Castle arranging something like this for her mom. She looked towards her partner to see a worried look on his face after seeing her tears.
"Don't worry, Rick. They're happy tears. You're right, it's sweet. How can I show you how much it means to me?" He face visably relaxed, and he didn't even have to think about an answer.
"Come stay with me and let me be there for you, with no conditions. I plan to do everything for you, even if it means running out to the store at 3AM just to get a tub of Ben and Jerry's."
She moved over the bed to make space for him, even if it gave her shooting pains in her chest.
"Woah, Beckett. You'll hurt yourself."
"Sorry. I just wanted for you to sit with me so we can look over the paperwork."
"You only have to ask." He helped move her to be more comfortable and manouvered his way into the bed next to her, placing the paper on the table. They were chatting idly for a few minutes, discussing everything from music to colour schemes when he suddenly stopped.
"Wait. If you forgot that, does that mean you can't remember driving my ferrari?" He looked horrified. As soon as he had seen her enter the car, he'd been amazed at how amazingly sexy it made her look to be driving his million dollar sports car.
"You know, it really doesn't surprise me that you have a ferrari. But if I don't remember, you'll have to take it for another spin when I'm able to drive again."
"Only if I get a ride on your motorcycle."
"Deal."
"You do realise you just agreed to straddle a bike, in leather, whilst I hold on to you for no other reason than to cop a feel, right?"
Oh crap.
The nightmares came again that night, but she couldn't hear anything. She was confronted with images of a white tent, which then morphed into something like snow, which was then replaced with a timer with red numbers, slowly counting down from 16 seconds.