For starters, I do not own Castle or any of the characters from Castle. I'm just writing for fun, clean and simple.
Holy. Crap. Did you SEE THE KILLSHOT PROMO? I'm dying. We have AGES to wait and it looks so damn good. HURRY UP NOVEMBER 21! Ahem. Anyway. LONGEST CHAPTER YETTTTT! 11 pages in word. ELEVEN! (sorry I'm kind of hyper!) This chapter is going up later than I anticipated. But… I think it turned out okay. I feel like Beckett's getting further and further OOC but we have no precedence for her being in love so… It's kind of… artistic license if you will. Sorry this one's so super long. it just kept growing and growing in my head until I finally just had to END THE MADNESS! Anyway this may be the second (or third) to last chapter. Drop me a review to tell me what you think! Thanks for all the positive responses too. Yall rock. Hope you enjoy!
Thank :)
M
Part 17
I bolted up right moments later. I was lying on a moving bed. Everything was too bright and cold and had a funny smell that I just couldn't place.
"Whoa, whoa there Beckett." I whipped my head around to find out whose hand was on my shoulder. Some of my panic ebbed away. Ryan.
"Ryan," I coughed, as he pushed my shoulders back so I was lying down again, "What… why am… what's going on?" the front of my shirt hung open and I tried to pull it closed but pain spiked when I moved my arms and Ryan very gallantly pulled a blanket up over my chest.
"You're in an ambulance. Darling shot your arm. Well not really shot more like grazed with a bullet. It's pretty much like a big rug burn. But when he threw the pipe it tore all of your stitches. Huge bleed. No good. We're taking you to NY Pres. Espo's already there and we've called Lanie and Castle."
I dropped my head back. Castle was going to kill me. I'd promised to be careful and now I was shot, again, and all my stitches had ripped. Great. Oh man, and Lanie was surely freaking out. Her boyfriend and her best friend… God, I sucked.
"Lighten up, boss. We got him, right?"
A swooping sensation took over my body. Holy shit. We had got him. Thank god. "Yeah, Ry, we got him."
The rest of the ambulance ride was spent in relative silence, Ryan and I each caught up in our own thoughts. Secretly, I felt a little… comforted by the fact that he was riding in the ambulance with me. We really had become a family. I smiled at the thought. It was nice and normal and it felt amazing. God, who was I becoming?
When we pulled into the ER bay, Ryan jumped out and shot me a smirk over his shoulder, "I'm gonna go find Javier."
"Ryan, wait-" I started to ask him where his partner was when I heard a shout.
"You have to let me through. She's been living with me and if she's shot again…" Castle.
"Castle," I rasped as the EMTs tugged my gurney out of the back of the bus, "Calm down. It's minor. I'm fine."
"Kate!" I tried to sit up and find him but one of the EMTs pushed my shoulders down.
"Please lay still, Ms. Beckett." I huffed out an irritated sigh. The panic in his voice was gnawing at my stomach. I hated how worried he sounded and I especially loathed that it was on my account. I was anxious to see him, reassure him that everything was alright.
Finally he came into my line of sight. His eyes were wild, like blue fire, and his hair was sticking up all over the place. God, today had to have been hell for him. Without either of our notice, his hand sought mine and I wove our fingers together willingly.
"Hey, Rick. It's okay, I'm fine. It's just a little scrape on my arm. No big deal. Just give me a band-aid and I'll be good as new."
He laughed shakily, "Don't you try to sugar coat this for me Kate Beckett."
I squeezed his hand but didn't respond. In truth, my chest hurt like hell. Acid dripped into the re-opened wound in my chest and it felt like I'd re-fractured my ribs.
"Sir, you're going to have to step back so we can fix the tear in her chest." I wanted to punch the doctor. Rick's eyes doubled in size and he stared down at me.
"It's okay," I whispered, squeezing his fingers again, "Get back to Alexis. Or go find Esposito for me?"
"I'm not leaving, Kate."
I sighed and pulled my fingers away from his, "Seriously. You gotta go. I'll have them find you when I'm finished, I promise. But Alexis needs you and I can't take you away from her."
"Ashleigh's with her. She wants to spend time alone with him. Don't make me to wait all alone again." He looked pitiful, haggard and tired and beaten down. I couldn't find it in me to push him away. Not anymore.
I sighed and turned to find myself faced with Dr. Carlson, the doctor from my stay in the hospital in the not so distant past.
"Is there any way he can stay? His daughter's here too and I don't want him off alone. Who knows what kind of trouble he can get into when left alone?"
Carlson smiled, pulling my right arm up gently to examine it, "He can sit on the other side. We'll have to take you up to MRI after we get all this taken care of and he can't go there with you but for now, he can stay."
"Thank you," Castle sighed, rounding the foot of the bed and sitting as close to my side as he could without actually being on the bed.
"Hey," his fingers crept up and brushed some hair out of my face, "So… did you catch him?"
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as my head lolled against his hand, the pain was making me tired but I was bound and determined to stay awake and talk to him, "You think I'd be here if we hadn't?"
"Oh my god, Kate, that's… wow. You doing okay?" My stomach flipped at the look he was giving me. All warmth and love. It reminded me of the looks my mother used to give me and I fought a lump in my throat. I didn't deserve for him to look at me like that.
"I'm fine." There was a tug on the other side of my body and I tensed at the sting of the doctors probing around in my cuts but I didn't turn my gaze from Castle.
"Liar," he muttered.
"Hush."
He shook his head at me and opened his mouth to reply but I cut him off, "How're you doing? How's Alexis?" something else poked in my chest and I sucked in a breath. The fingers of Castle's free hand found mine again.
"She's happy Ashleigh's here. When she heard about you she all but kicked me out." My throat felt dry and I choked on my emotions. Castle's 17 year old daughter was the most selfless teenager on the planet. Less than 12 hours ago she'd been shot and she was sending her dad off to fine me. The one who had gotten her shot. She was… unbelievable.
I tried to hide the inner turmoil but either Castle knew me too well or I was rusty on hiding things well… probably both, "Hey, it's alright. She's fine. What's wrong?"
I opened my mouth but then shook my head. This wasn't the time or place for this, surrounded by doctors, our insane day.
"Later, Castle," I managed as something was wrapped around my arm.
"But, Kate," he started to protest, running a thumb across my cheek.
"Later," I squeezed his hand. For a moment I thought he would protest but he just sighed and relented, nodding his assent
"Can I ask you about something else then?" his mischievous grin was back for the first time that day and I'd forgotten how much I'd missed it.
"Sure." I replied warily.
"Why do you got back and forth between calling me 'Rick,' and 'Castle'?"
I laughed and then winced as I moved. Several doctors shot Castle a dirty look but we ignored them. Here was yet another instance where he had noticed something about me that I hadn't even realized. Somehow, amidst this chaos, we were off in our own little world, a safe bubble where nothing could touch us as long as we stayed in the safe waters of teasing and flirting.
"Umm…" I considered for a moment before continuing, "Because I can't decide what to call you."
"How so?" he chuckled.
"Well I like calling you 'Castle' but I know you like it when I call you 'Rick'."
"And why do you like calling me 'Castle'?" he smirked, still teasing. I was fairly certain he knew my reasons, but I think he just wanted to hear them.
"Well everyone calls you 'Rick' or 'Richard' or 'Ricky' but I'm the only one who calls you 'Castle' and … I dunno I just kind of like being the only one." I felt a red flush creep up my neck and into my face. God, it was embarrassing. I was being all girlie and sappy and it was just… not me and I didn't like it, "Don't let this go to your already oversized head, Rick." I closed my eyes and scrunched my nose, not wanting to see the triumph on Castle's face.
I heard him chuckle softly and a finger ran down the bridge of my nose, softening the creases I'd created, "You are adorable."
"Shut up," I muttered, still mortified.
"It's true." I rolled my eyes behind my eyelids and shook my head.
Suddenly our bright, happy, little teasing world was wrenched away and we were plunged back into reality.
"Detective, we need to get you up to take an MRI and make sure your liver hasn't ruptured. It looks as though you have sustained major bruising to your chest and previously injured ribs but we don't suspect that more than one of them has been re-fractured." Dr. Carlson rattled off these facts quickly, looking between me and Castle. Not more than one. Great. That would only add, what, two weeks to my sentence. Awesome.
Instead of rolling my eyes, I nodded, glancing up at Castle to make sure he was handling things okay. Hidden under the control there was some measure of panic but it looked sated for now.
"Mr. Castle, I'll be done with her before the hour is up and then she's all yours," the double entendre wasn't lost on us. We'd been masters at them for almost four years, "I promise I'll bring her to you as soon as she's done. I assume you'd like for her to take the empty bed space in your daughter's room?"
"Of course. Alexis would kill me otherwise." He forced out a smile and looked down at me. I felt a bubble of panic rising in my chest.
"Castle, I don't want to bother Alexis and she probably wants to be alone with Ashleigh and you and-"
"Stop it, Kate. If you have to be here, she wants you there." He glared down at me with the blue flames in his eyes and I backed off, nodding reluctantly.
"Alright, Detective, shall we?" Carlson didn't wait for my response but started to roll my bed out of the trauma room and into a hallway.
Castle's fingers tightened on mine momentarily and then slid away. I glanced back and he squeezed out another smile for me before he was blocked from my sight.
…
What felt like years later I was wheeled back down some marginally more familiar hallways to Alexis' (and now I guess my) room. Every with my liver was fine, it was regenerating healthily, my rib was only minorly fractured, and my stitches had been re-sutured without a huge to-do. The MRI had been 20 minutes of pure torture after today (a tiny, cramped space where I couldn't move full of strange noises) but I'd managed to make it through without breaking down.
Inside the room, Castle and Ashleigh were huddled around Alexis' bed. She looked better than I had hoped. Her cheeks were pinking up again and her blue eyes had regained a spark of life. Someone had washed and braided her hair so it was no longer a tangled mess of tainted hair. You'd never have known that she'd been shot except for the huge, white bandage peeking out from under her down and the sling holding her left arm aloft. My stomach turned over.
There was silence for a moment until the nurses and Dr. Carlson left. The four of us glanced back and forth at each other before Alexis finally spoke.
"You never came in to say hi," she observed, sounding somewhere between amused and disappointed.
"I know… I'm sorry, Alexis, something came up and… I'm sorry." I looked down at my hands, twisting them together hard.
"Well I'm glad you're okay at least." She shot me a small smile that I returned with some trepidation. The room was quiet again for several minutes. Alexis and I stared at each other before I looked away, unable to meet her eyes anymore.
"Well, girls," Castle broke in, trying to dispel some of the awkwardness that had crept in, "I'm going on a food run. What do you want?"
"I'm not hungry, Dad," Alexis sighed, leaning back against her pillows and wincing. I clenched my fist around my blanket and tried to stave off the desire to run away and let them live their lives without my interruption. I hated what I'd done to them.
"You will be later, Lex.' They were the first words I'd heard Ashleigh speak. His fingers trailed tenderly over her arm though he kept glancing at Castle, as if he was afraid of some retribution for touching her. He didn't need to worry. All of Rick's attention was focused on his daughter.
She sighed roughly and grabbed Ashleigh's hand, "Uh. Chai tea and a muffin then I guess. Thanks Dad."
"No problem, Baby Sparrow." He leaned over and kissed her forehead and then came to stand by me.
"What about you, Kate?" he brushed a hand over my cheek. My bottom lip snuck between my teeth and I shook my head.
"Come on, Kate. You need something to eat. I think the last thing you ate was that waffle this morning and it wasn't even all of it. Please. I hate to see you all laid up like this again and it'll just be worse if you don't eat something." He somehow, in the space of about half a second, shifted from caring father to 12 year old, puppy. And I was unhappy to say it worked.
"Wow, you do know how to guilt a girl, Castle."
"I know," he shot me one of those smile that made my heart speed up just a little and I was suddenly very thankful that I wasn't hooked up to a heart monitor. He ducked his head in close and I felt his breath play across my cheeks. My eyes traitorously drifted half shut and I could feel his lips barely brushed against mine, his breath in my mouth. NO. God, how had he gotten so under my skin with a kiss?
"Is it working?" Oh God was it working. Wait. No, he meant guilt trip. Food. Right.
I took a cleansing breath and leaned in closer, staring up into his eyes, "Nope."
"Bullshit," he laughed, turning his head to kiss my cheek, "Bearclaw and coffee?"
I wouldn't get him off my back until I acquiesced so, " Yeah, sure."
"Thank you," he whispered, kissing my cheek again. I turned my face and pecked his lips.
The smile I got in return was bright enough to power the city for weeks. He leaned back in and pressed his lips firmly to mine. Mindful of the fact that his daughter and her boyfriend were feet away, I pulled away quickly.
"I can't believe you let me do that," he whispered, "I was preparing myself to get smacked."
I rolled my eyes, "Blame it on the pain meds. And give me a week. I'll have you handcuffed for something."
"I'll hold you to that," he growled in my ear. I turned and kissed him quickly before he pulled away. Oh did I hope that he did.
"I'll be back soon."
"Okay." I squeezed his hand gently and he stood up.
"Ashleigh, would you care to join me?" The teenagers' heads snapped up. Alexis looked utterly shocked, Ashleigh, a little scared.
However, Ashleigh nodded, "Yes sir, Mr. Castle." I almost laughed at the boy's formality. The kid didn't notice. He leaned over, pecked Alexis on the cheek (whispering something in her ear that made her blush and murmur something back), and then trotted to the door. Castle winked at me and was out the door behind him, leaving Alexis and I alone together.
"How're you doing Alexis?" I sighed, turning a little to look at her.
"I'm fine."
"I'm serious, Lex. It's been an insane day. And on top of that-"
"Okay. I get it. I just… I don't know how I am. Ask me tomorrow?" her voice was almost strangled to my ears but when I looked over her eyes were dry. Maybe I was being paranoid or projecting or something.
"Okay. But know you can talk to me about anything, okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Kate." There were several more moments of silence between us before she asked, "So did you catch him?"
"Hmm?"
"The man that killed your mom. Did you get him?"
"How'd you know about that?" I had wanted to keep her as innocent, as uninformed as it was safe for her to be.
"I hear Dad some, and you, and I pieced a lot together." Right. She was a smart girl.
"Oh… Yeah, we got him." The cut on my arm tingled as I thought of it. The jump of my gun in my hand as it went off, drilling through his leg, ending his career and my search for justice.
"Did you shoot him?" she whispered, and she looked younger as she peered over at me, seemingly innocent.
I nodded, "In the leg."
"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"
"Sure." I owed her that and so much more.
"Why didn't you kill him?"
"Because… it was too easy. Too good for him. It's not what my mom would have wanted. He needs to know all that he's done, everything he's caused. I want him to feel all of it." I sounded bitter to my own ears, too heavy for her so I tried to lighten the mood, "Besides, there'd be a lot of paperwork involved plus some explaining so…" I forced a laugh and Alexis knew enough to fake one too.
"I'm glad you got him."
"Thanks Alexis," after a pregnant pause I whispered, "Something she would have
loved though would have been you."
"Me?" she seemed surprised.
"Yeah. You two would have had so much fun together. You remind me of her
sometimes. Gosh, you guys would have just talked and laughed and …you two just would have got along really well." I felt a lump growing in my throat so I just cut myself off.
"I wish I could have met her," she whispered.
"Me too, Lex."
There was another strained pause before she said something that surprised me
more then it should have. Frankly I should have been expecting it.
"Is it okay that I'm a little bit angry at you?"
"Of course. I'd be angry at me. Hell, I am angry at me. I'd be a little shocked it you weren't. I mean, I put you in the hospital and through all sorts of unnecessary pain. And for that I am so s-"
"If you say 'sorry', I might scream," she mumbled.
"Um... What?" I was thoroughly confused.
"I'm not angry at you for that! Not at all. It's not your fault and if you think it is then… well it's just stupid if you do." I stared at her disbelievingly.
"Oh… Then why are you angry with me?"
"Because of what you put my dad through today by leaving." She stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Oh right, that, "Alexis I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt your dad or anything like that. It was just… I had to do it."
"And he understands that, it's just… he was a wreck when you were gone and he was flashing back to when you were in the hospital last time and it scared the hell out of him. And then when Detective Ryan called and said you… it scared us both. And I'm just… I'm angry because of that I guess. You can't keep acting like you're on your own anymore because you aren't. We all have a lot to lose if something happens to you. You're important to all of us. Dad wouldn't survive if he lost you and it wouldn't be much better for Gram and me."
My throat constricted at her speech. God, I'd had no idea that she felt that way… I had no words. There were none to convey the warmth and equal terror that was coursing through me. Maybe Castle could have thought of some but I doubted even he had that wide a vocabulary.
"I'm so sorry Alexis. I never meant to put any of you through that."
"If you're going to be around more you just need to know that." She muttered.
"I do now."
"So you are going to be around?" there was new light in her voice. Less downtrodden by seriousness and nerves.
"I… I hope so." I felt myself flush.
"Don't hope so," she teased, "I saw you and my dad earlier."
I barked a slightly painful laugh, "Are you okay with… you know…"
"YES!" she laughed, "Of course. It's taken you guys long enough!"
"Are you sure? Because the last thing I want is for you to be uncomfort-"
"Oh my, God, Kate are you trying to get out of being with a relationship with my dad thorough me?" She sounded almost mad. I backtracked quickly.
"Whoa, no! I'm just making sure. I love your dad," Mentally I was reeling. Had I really just admitted that to his daughter? Willingly? That was… big for me, to say the least, "But, honestly Alexis, you are the most important thing in his life and I don't want to get between you guys or anything like that so if you ever don't' want me around or whatever just tell-" I was cut off when she got up, came around to the left side of my bed and wrapped her uninjured arm around my neck. Reflexively, I put an arm around her slim waist in an awkwardly returned hug.
"And that is why you are far superior to any other woman my father has ever even looked at. None of them have ever talked to me like that. I was just… there. A force to be reckoned with for my father's attention. But with you… You love him and you're willing to give him up for me? That's… You're… There's room for you in our lives. There's actually an empty space that's been waiting for you."
I blamed the lump in my throat and the sting behind my eyes on the stress of the day but that didn't stop them from coming.
"Thank you, Alexis." I managed. The hug ended naturally and I shifted over on my bed, patting the space beside me. Alexis clambered in and I put my good arm around her shoulders, careful not to touch her bandage.
"Let's see what's on the hospital net work," I muttered, flipping on the TV. It bloomed to life and I bit back a smile. Temptation Lane was on.
"You okay with this?" I asked, nodding at the TV.
"Yes! Don't tell Dad, but I've been watching this since your case with that screenwriter." She smiled up at me from her position against my shoulder.
I smirked, "Your secret's safe with me."
An hour later, Alexis was passed out against my side, after succumbing to the exhaustion from her day. I knew we'd both come down off our respective highs but for the time being, I was content to watch Angela Cannon and Joseph Fox try to work out their issues and run my fingers over Alexis' silky braid. Curled up on my hospital bed like this took me back to moments with my mom when I was sick. We'd snuggle up under a blanket and nurse huge mugs of hot chocolate and conjecture about future plot lines. It was just our time and it was nice.
My head was drooping to rest against the crown of hers when the door creaked open and Castle stuck his head in. The previously hard lines of his face softened as he glanced at the scene. Alexis and I curled up together, watching his closet-favorite show… the look on his face as he watched us could only be described as adorable. The love (paternal or otherwise) shining in his eyes made my chest tighten with… joy.
"Hey," I murmured, fighting off a blush and biting my lip as he and Ashleigh came in.
"Hi." He leaned over and kissed my forehead and then Alexis'. She stirred at the contact and opened her eyes blearily.
"Hi Dad." She said sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"Hey pumpkin. You hungry yet?" he asked, affectionately running a hand over her cheek.
"Mhm." She swung her legs over the bed, adjusted the sling with a wince, and stood up, tottering over to her bed where Ashleigh held her tea and muffin. She clambered up in her bed and then tugged Ashleigh up next to her, snuggling against his shoulder. Her boyfriend looked half terrified, but when he saw that Castle wasn't coming after him with a turn-of-the-century pistol, he relaxed, wrapping his arms around her and placing a gentle kiss at her temple.
I smirked at the torn look on Castle's face as he watched them. To distract him, I took his hand, "Let her have her moment with him. He's more than proven himself."
Castle sighed, "Yeah. He was anxious to get back as soon as we left. I felt the same way so I figured he must feel at least a fraction for her of what I feel for you."
My face was hot all over again and I turned away, "Come on, Castle. That's a little corny."
"And you love it," he leaned in. Oh no, not again. But my heart was beating erratically, painfully against my stitches.
But I wasn't scared suddenly, "Yeah… I do." I closed the space between us and pressed our lips together. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth and I pulled away.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to you doing that." He breathed. Another slightly corny line but it was so true that I didn't care.
"I don't think I will either," I smiled easily and then added, "At least I hope not…" he pulled back looking affronted.
"Well then I'll just go and we can find out." He started to walk away but grabbed his arm. I was momentarily seized with a fear that he was going to leave, really leave and I would be alone again. As soon as he turned back to face me, I tried to hide it but from the look on his face, I didn't do a good enough job. Shit. This was going to be a long road…
"Hey," he whispered, sitting down on my bed, "I'm not going anywhere."
"I know," I mumbled miserably, ashamed of my clingy reaction, "I'm sorry. I'm being stupid, I didn't mean to…"
His fingers slid under my chin and forced my face up, "Don't apologize. It's okay. You've had a hell of a… month. And there is nothing for you to apologize for. Okay?"
"But it was a completely irrational reacti-" I started.
His fingers over my lips silenced me, "No. Stop that. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Alright?"
Mutely, I nodded.
"Good." He drew his legs up on my bed and reached over to pick up the cup and paper bag off the tray that sat beside my bed.
"Hungry? I got a pumpkin scone too, if the bear claw doesn't sound appealing. And another muffin if you want that."
My stomach was still twisted in knots and the though of eating coupled with pain-meds and the stress of my day was making me feel slightly nauseous, "Maybe just the coffee?"
"Kate." His pleading tone was back but I was going to stand firm on this one.
"I'll have a bite of… something but I really don't feel like much, Castle."
He sighed, "Fine. Try the pumpkin scone then." He pulled it out and held it to my lips.
"I can still feed my- Mmph!" I started to protest to him trying to feed me when he shoved a bite of scone in my mouth. Out of habit I chewed and swallowed flaky goodness. God, it was good. Maybe I'd rethink this not hungry thing.
I moaned as the food slid down my throat, "Okay… maybe I'll eat that." I reached over and plucked it from his hand, nibbling off another bite.
"I thought you might." He laughed, passing me my coffee cup and pulling his own toward him.
"Bite?" I asked, holding a pinch of the pastry in his direction. He grabbed my wrist and directed my hand to his mouth, plucking the morsel from between my fingers. I rolled my eyes but allowed it.
Suddenly the door banged open and in a flurry of red hair, bright pink pumps and a green scarf, Martha Rogers entered the room. With a strangled cry, she flew across the room at Alexis. Ashleigh, very nimbly, jumped out of her way just before she had taken Alexis in her arms.
"Oh my dear granddaughter, I am so sorry I wasn't here." There was a hitch in her voice and I watched as she held on the younger red head fiercely. Alexis winced horribly but grabbed her grandmother gingerly with the other arm.
"Ouch, Gram. Hi. It's okay. Can you just…"
Castle withdrew himself from my side and hurried to detach his mother from Alexis.
"She's alright, Mother, don't smother her."
Martha hiccupped a sigh and wiped her face, "I know, I just felt like a terrible grandmother, not being here for her after such an ordeal."
The three sips of coffee and half a scone that had recently settled in my stomach were suddenly desperate to come back up. The guilt was back again, except this time it was Martha who was killing me. I tried to breathe around the wave but I hardly felt like I was taking anything in. Castle glanced over his mother's shoulder and saw my expression. He got that torn, scared look on his face again and that was what drew me out of my pit. Castle already had enough to deal with. Me breaking down didn't need to be added to the list.
Shakily I pulled in a real breath, wincing at my broken rib but I got enough control to shoot him wobbly smile which seemed to placate him momentarily.
"It's okay mother. We all took good care of her. The doctors, Ashleigh, Kate. Everything's alright."
Suddenly, Martha turned to glance at my bed, which she had apparently not noticed in her haste to reach Alexis.
"Kate, my dear what are you doing here?"
I ran a hand through my hair and offered a wavering laugh, "It's a really long story, Martha."
…
By the time the story had been explained again, Castle was back on my bed, an arm secure around me and Ashleigh had his head resting on Alexis' lap so she could hold her grandmother's hand. It was the first time I'd really told anyone what had happened in the warehouse and though I glossed over some of the scarier parts, the story left everyone more emotionally and mentally drained than before.
"Mother, why don't you go home? I'll stay here with the girls. You can take Ashleigh back to his house and you can both come back first thing in the morning?" Castle's fingers traced patterns over my arm and the fingers of my left hand played idly with the hem of his shirt.
"In a few minutes, Darling," Martha's quiet reply came. Ashleigh glanced at Rick and spoke up.
"If it's alright Mr. Castle I'd like to stay a little while longer as well." He'd lost some of the fear in his eyes but behind it there was something like blazing determination. My respect for Alexis' boyfriend grew more.
Castle must have seen it to because he nodded. They both relaxed, speaking softly to Alexis.
Castle nuzzled his head into my hair, "I almost lost you today. Again. When are you going to learn?"
There was an overtone of joking but the intent was clear, "I'm sorry," I whispered back, "Hopefully this'll be the last time."
His lips ghosted over my neck, "God, I hope so."