The rain was still pouring down on the streets of Manhattan as Castle debated on which flowers he wanted to buy. Alexis waited in the car, texting her boyfriend. Castle picked up some daisies, but set them back down. Then his eyes met with the perfect bunch of flowers to give to Beckett.
"I'll take these." Castle smiled at the florist. He gave the florist cash and grabbed the colorful bouquet.
"Those are really pretty dad, she'll love them." Alexis said, as he got into the backseat of their car. He smiled in return, and the car pulled away towards the hospital.
Hospital…
The hallways of the hospital were quiet, except for the occasional nurse or doctor walking by. Beckett's doctor had just informed Beckett that she could go home the next day, but had to stay on bed rest.
"You'll be back to work in no time boss." Esposito smiled. Lanie was sitting in the chair, wearing a red blouse with dark jeans, next to Beckett's bed, and Esposito leaned against the wall with his arms folded wearing a black polo shirt with dark denim jeans. Beckett was sitting up straight in an Indian style position.
"Tell that to the psychologist I'll have to have clear me, so I can come back." Beckett replied. Beckett looked at her cell phone for like the twentieth time that hour. Lanie watched her.
"Honey, I'm sure he's coming." Lanie comforted. Beckett looked up at her and nodded. This all felt so familiar, like when Castle left for the summer and didn't bother to tell any of them he was home.
"Do any of you guys know what happened to Josh's face? He wouldn't say exactly…" Beckett asked, changing the subject. Lanie looked over at Esposito signaling for him to be the one to tell.
"A...I don't...Lanie you're the doctor, what does it look like happened?" Esposito said, passing it back to Lanie. She smirked at him with a look of 'just you wait until later.'
"Hey guys!" Ryan smiled, as he walked into the room in his usual dark suit with a matching vest, and blue tie. Lanie and Esposito felt relieved that Ryan had interrupted.
"We were just about to tell Beckett about Josh and the accident…" Esposito hinted to Ryan. Ryan looked confused for a moment, but then smiled.
"If you call Castle's fist running into his face an accident." Ryan laughed, Esposito shook his head. Lanie looked at Beckett smiling nervously. Beckett's green eyes popped out.
"What? Castle punched him in the fa…when?" Beckett exclaimed. She couldn't believe it. She had only seen Castle angry enough to ever hit someone when someone had threatened her.
"You… didn't know?" Ryan asked, and looked at Esposito with a look of 'whoops' on his face.
"Do you know why?" Beckett asked them more calmly. They all shrugged.
"I don't know, that's something you'll have to ask him sweetie." Lanie replied, resting her hand on Beckett's.
Twenty minutes later…
Beckett sat in her hospital bed, trying to finish buttoning up her shirt. Her left arm was sore from the needles, and IV bags, and also from the hard fall to the ground in the cemetery. She flinched as she bended her arm to button the third button. Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan had left to go get some dinner together and meet up with Jenny, Ryan's fiancée. The doctor had just been in to check on Beckett's stitches again, and a nurse helped her change into a hospital gown for the quick exam. Everything seemed normal and the doctor instructed her to take it easy for the next few weeks. There was a big chance a scar would be left, as if she didn't have enough to be reminded of what had happened.
Just then there was a knock on the door. Beckett without thinking, quickly whipped her upper body around. She yelled out in pain. And Castle quickly ran over to her, dropping the flowers on the floor.
"Kate!" Castle said, as he let her grab his arm. She winced, as she turned forward towards the window and she let her three fingers touch her chest. She didn't want to show how vulnerable she was, but it was too late.
"I'm…okay Castle, thanks." She said softly, looking up into his kind blue eyes. He kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Oh! A…" Castle said as he got up and picked up the bunch of flowers. He walked over and handed them to her, she smiled. She loved how thoughtful and sweet he was.
"That's so sweet Castle, thank you." She smiled, her eyes watering. There were already many bouquets of flowers, balloons, and cards in her room but these stood out the most to her- because they meant the most. He smiled at her. On any other day he would've noticed right away that Beckett's shirt was revealing some cleavage, but it took him a while until he glanced down and saw her black bra.
Beckett wasn't aware either, and she looked down to see where his eyes had stopped and she immediately turned red.
"Oh my Gosh…that's embarassing" Beckett exclaimed, as Castle's eyes looked towards the window even thought he was really wanting to look.
"You have nothing to be embarrassed about detective." Castle smiled, still staring out the rainy window. Beckett smirked at him. She tried to button up the next button where the middle of her stomach was shown, but she gave out a small sign of struggle.
"Do you want me to help you?" Castle offered. She looked up and contemplated, but finally nodded- she was in so much pain she didn't mind. Castle turned to her, their legs touching each other. Castle placed his hands on each side of her blouse and buttoned the button she had struggled with. Beckett watched him as he leaned, she could feel the hairs on her arms and neck stand up- and not because it was cold. She could feel the warmth of his hands near her chest as he worked his way up. She watched him, and he was on the next button. Castle tried not to show how nervous he was feeling, he was trying to be careful.
"Who would've thought I'd ever be letting you button me up?" Beckett joked.
"Who would've ever thought I would be helping a hot woman get into her clothes?" Castle replied with a flirtatious grin. She shook her head. She loved the banter, and flirting with him.
Castle was on the last button, when he saw it- the stitches covering just above her bra. He stopped and Beckett noticed this, she looked down at his hands. His right hand had a light bruise on the knuckles. She could tell this was the hand that he used to hit Josh. She decided not to bring that up now. She placed her hand on his.
"The doctor said it should heal up in the next few weeks pretty nicely, but it'll scar." Beckett said looking down at it.
She removed her hand from his, and he finished the last button. He looked up at her with a sad look.
"I'm sorry." Castle admitted, looking at her. She creased her brow.
"Castle, you didn't do anything. If anything you saved me…again." Beckett smiled, she put her right hand on his left knee. He was wearing dark denim jeans and a dark gray, plaid button-up shirt. She could smell his cologne, and it gave her the chills again.
"I mean for before…the argument. I was out of line." Castle replied. Beckett looked at him with her concerning eyes. She remembered their fight. Castle had come over to her apartment trying to stop her from going on any further with her investigation. He was trying to protect her, and she didn't want to hear it.
"Me too... I'm sorry too Rick."
"They have stuff for scars- lotions and creams." Castle suggested, changing the subject. Beckett tilted her head slightly.
"And I suppose you want to help with that too?" She flirted with a grin. Castle raised his right eyebrow and laughed. Just then Alexis entered the room.
"Hey guys." Alexis said, smiling as she set her purse down in the chair by the window.
"Hey, Alexis." Beckett smiled, as Alexis gave her a light hug- trying to be cautious.
"I was in the bathroom, and Gram called me." Alexis said, as she sat down in the chair in front of them.
"Well there's nothing to do really in here…there is a deck of cards in the drawer over there." Beckett offered, pointing at the drawer as Alexis opened it and took out the deck.
"I call dealer!" Castle said, grabbing the deck.
"I've become quite the pro, thanks to my dad." Alexis boasted, patting him on the shoulder.
"Let's just hope you don't bluff like him." Beckett joked. Castle squinted his eyes at her.