Chapter 3

They got their food, paid and then sat at a table talking softly about Martha's fundraiser she was still working on. A woman with a bright smile walked over to them and Beckett looked down at her food with a little shake of her head. She knew Castle's fans from miles away, and knew he loved getting the attention. She stopped beside the table and Castle looked up at her.

"Mr. Castle I really love your books. I was wondering if I could get an autograph." Castle glanced at Beckett who was watching him. She saw the silent question; he would really turn away a fan if she felt uncomfortable with him signing things in a situation like this.

"It's fine Castle." She told him with a small smile. She really did not mind. It was not as if they were in the middle of an emergency with her father. He looked at the woman and smiled taking the pen and paper she was holding and quickly wrote a note and signed it. He looked back at Beckett who was staring at him.

"What?" He asked confused.

"You would have really told a gushing, die-hard fan no if it wasn't okay with me?" She asked and saw him smirk.

"Of course Detective. I don't want you to get jealous over all the fans who line up for me." She shook her head and went back to her food. "Of course there is the fact you would probably be in that line too." He said as a side note making her head snap up to look at him. "I mean all the books you have and standing in line earlier this-" He was cut off by a plastic spoon being thrown at him.

"I'm not one of your gussied up fan girls who ask you to sign their chests." She said sternly but she saw the mischief in his eyes as he smirked. She looked at their tray, found a fork, and threw it at him. He chuckled and picked it up from his lap where it had landed.

"You know you really shouldn't throw this stuff, it could poke an eye out. And you really wouldn't want your favorite writer injured, would you?"

"You're right, I wouldn't." She said making him smile. "That's why I'm throwing them at you and not Patterson." She added making his face fall as he fained hurt. "Oh get over yourself, Castle." She smiled.

"You know Detective; you can be so mean sometimes." He shook his head. "Maybe my next novel I really will write about Esposito. Maybe I can have Ochoa and-."

"Castle, you keep going I'm going to use the last utensil I have left and I'm not going to just throw it." He looked at her holding the plastic knife.

"For that, I won't give you a signed copy of my next book." He told her making her roll her eyes but he could see the smile tugging at her lips, wanting to break across her face.

"Good, then I'll have more room for Patterson's four new books." He looked at her with his puppy face again making her lose the battle against her smile and she began to laugh at him. He smiled, glad to finally see a real smile on her face and to hear her laugh, even if it was at his expense. Castle's phone buzzed making him look at the name and he sighed. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Mother." He pushed the button and put the phone to his ear. "Yes mother?" He answered, moving the phone away from his ear a bit, as she spoke. "He's okay. The doctors are taking good care of him…" he listened. "Beckett's fine we're actually having lunch…. Yes, I will call you as soon as anything is done. Good bye mother." He smirked and hung up.

"She sounded very upset." Beckett stated.

"Yeah, well she sees you and your dad as family. She can get pretty bad when a family member is hurt."

"She didn't sound all that bad."

"That's because she doesn't know the whole story. Just knows your dad's in the hospital. Believe me she knew anything more than that she would be down here raising hell worse than me last night."

Beckett laughed. "I find that hard to believe." Castle chuckled as they finished their breakfast and went back to the room. They walked in and Beckett's smile fell from her face as her eyes fell on her father still unconscious and battered in the hospital bed. Castle put his hand on her shoulder and she pulled away. She wanted him with her but she still needed to be the strong detective that never took anyone's crap. She walked over to a chair that was sitting beside the bed as the doctor walked in again. Castle walked over to the pull out chair and sat on the edge.

"Well it looks like everything is the same as last night." The doctor told her. "We'll keep an eye on everything and make sure nothing changes for the worse. I'm going to order an MRI and Cat scan for tomorrow to check on his brain and make sure the pressure doesn't get out of control. Everything seems to be good, so we'll just keep our eye on him for now."

"Thank you." Beckett said. The doctor nodded and left and she turned back to her father. "Did you talk to Alexis?" Slowly she looked over at him.

"I'll call her tonight."

"Call her? Castle you can't just keep calling your daughter. She needs her father." She seemed upset that he was just calling and not spending time nor taking care of his daughter. He stood up and walked over to her, pulling his phone out and dialing. Stopping in front of her as he put it on speaker and they could hear ringing.

"Is everything okay?" Alexis answered.

"Everything's okay, Pumpkin. I just have a question for you."

"Dad, if it's about how to get out of a situation, can it wait until after school?" She sighed.

"It's not about my books. I need you to be completely honest okay?"

"You sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay, what's your question?" She asked him.

"Do you want me to come home?"

"Dad…" She trailed off confused.

"Just be honest." He told her.

"It's good to see you at home but honestly it's been quiet. Besides, you need to be with Beckett more than me and Gram. If it were you who was hurt, I would want to have the people I love with me to help get through. I mean I don't think I could make it through you being hurt badly without help, no matter how strong I am."

"I told you last night-." He started.

"I know, I know. I'm stuck with you until you're old gray and have to move in with me after someone steals your money." Beckett looked at Castle who smirked. "I have to go to class. Take care of Beckett. Love you."

"Love you too, pumpkin." He said before he hung up and looked at Beckett. "There you have it. No more trying to use that excuse."

"It wasn't an excuse." She replied.

"You heard it right from Alexis herself. I'm not going anywhere." She could only look at him as he gave her a triumphant smile.

"Don't think you won this. I am perfectly capable of doing all of this without you watching over me."

"I'm not watching over you." He explained before walking away to sit back on the pull out chair. Laying back, he let his eyes slide shut and dozed off.

After what only seemed like a few minutes, he jolted awake to the sounds of alarms. Looking over quickly he saw Beckett looking at her father horrified as Nurses and doctors rushed in. Castle jumped to his feet and was over to Beckett in seconds as the nurses were pushing them from the room. Beckett tried to push away from Castle, never taking her eyes from where the nurses and doctors were working on her father. Castle grabbed Beckett around the waist and picked her up, carrying her down the hall to the family waiting room.

"Castle!" She cried out as she started to try to get loose as he walked. Once in the room he set her down, leaning her against the far wall. She fought to get free and run back to her father but Castle held tight.

"Beckett." He tried to shush her as tears came to her eyes. "Kate." He said as she fought even more. "Kate, they need to do their work. They can't do their job if you're in there."

"Let me go Castle!" She yelled and she started swinging. He held her against the wall, letting her swing as frightened tears fell down her cheeks. "Let go, Rick!" She yelled.

"Kate. Kate, look at me." He said softly smoothing back her hair. "Kate." She looked up at him and he sifted to look directly into her eyes. "They need to work. They need to take care of him, and they can't if you're in there. You know that." She looked at him before she pulled herself closer as he wrapped his arms around her as she cried. For once, she had no control and did not care that she was carrying like a child in front of Castle. She did not care that she was not only letting him comfort her, but that she was allowing herself to be comforted. "It's going to be okay." He soothed, smoothing her hair as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Excuse me." Castle looked to the door and saw the Doctor. Castle looked down at Beckett and pulled back letting her turn to the doctor. "Have a seat." Beckett froze, body shaking as thoughts of what happened to her father came to her mind. Castle put his hands on her shoulders and leaning closer to her to whisper.

"Sit down and listen." He told her softly. She took a step to the side and sat in the chair. The doctor took the seat next to her and Castle stood still watching. He knew she did not want him to be holding her up; she needed her space with a bit of support

"We've gotten him stable. We are running several tests to find out exactly what is going on. Right now, it is very possible that he is bleeding again." Castle looked at Beckett who was just sitting, frozen as the words sunk in.

"Do you know where?" Castle asked making the Doctor look at him.

"It could be from the spleen once again, it could be a new place all together. I'll let you know as soon as we know something." Beckett just nodded and the doctor left.

"Kate?" He asked as he moved to bend down in front of her. "I'm going to make a call. I'll be right outside the door." He told her. He stood and walked out the doorway and started to dial Esposito.

"Esposito." He heard groggily.

"It's Castle." He told him.

"Castle? Bro, you know what time it is?"

"It's almost 2 in the morning." Castle said looking at his watch. "Look can you get a hold of Lanie?"

"Why?" He asked more awake now. "What's wrong?"

"They're rushing him into a bunch of tests, that's all we really know." Castle explained.

"I'm on my way." Esposito said before hanging up and calling Ryan, and Lanie. Castle walked back into Beckett. He sat next to her and grabbed her hand.

"Kate…" He said. She shook her head.

"I can't lose him. He's all I have left, Rick." She turned her watery brown eyes up to look at him. He squeezed her hand.

"You're not going to lose him. You're going to have him with you for many more years."

"You can't know that."

"Kate, he loves you more than anything in the world. He is strong and he is smart. He's not going to leave you." He reached out with his free hand and wiped a tear from her cheek as their eyes locked. "You're not alone. Kate, you have a lot of people who are with you."

"He's my only family. I don't have my mom, I don't have siblings or anyone else. If he…" She trailed off with fresh tears in her eyes as she looked away. "Rick…"

"Everything will be fine, just wait and see." He pulled her closer to him and they leaned back into the seat together to wait for news. After half an hour, Beckett was sound asleep against him. An hour later he heard someone knocks on the doorjamb making him look up and see their friends. "Hey." He said softly.

"Is she asleep?" Lanie asked concerned as the boys looked at the two surprised at how Beckett was a sleep leaning against Castle.

"Yeah she fell asleep about an hour ago." Castle shifted and gently slid out from under Beckett's head, laying her on the chair gently before walking closer to their friends. "We're still waiting for results, but all they said was it's a possibility that it's bleeding again."

"How is she asleep?" Ryan asked. "You have to drug her or something?"

"She was worn out." Was all he told them, making them looking at each other. They turned as the doctor walked into the room.

"Family?" He asked them.

"You could say that." Esposito said as Lanie walked over to wake Beckett.

"Kate." She said as she reached out to wake her. "Sweetie, wake up."

Beckett began to stir. "Castle?" She asked making him turn and look at her as she opened her eyes. "Lanie. What? What are you doing here?"

"Writer boy called and told us what happened." Lanie explained as Beckett sat up. "Come on the doctor's here." Beckett was on her feet and at Castle's side looking at the doctor.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked.

"We ran as many tests as we could. We found a large subdural hematoma and are taking him into surgery right now." Beckett looked at Lanie who took a small breath.

"How large is it?" Lanie asked.

"It is very large and it is growing fast because of the Coumadin he has been taking." The doctor answered.

"What's that mean exactly?" Ryan asked making the Doctor turn to look at him.

"It's bleeding on the surface of the brain." Lanie answered. The doctor looked at her. "I'm a coroner for the city." She glanced at Beckett.

"What exactly is going to happen now?" Beckett asked

"We're going to relieve the pressure and stop the bleeding if we are able to. And then we will continue to monitor his condition as we were before." The doctor explained.

"Is there a chance this could happen again?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Beckett ran her hand through her hair as the fear returned to her face. Castle had seen it before but the others were shocked to see it. They had never seen their boss, their friend, afraid of anything before. "We will keep a closer eye on his condition. I will be ordering more frequent testing to make sure we catch it at the first sign of anything going on."

Beckett nodded and turned away making Lanie follow her off to the side while the three men stood together and thanked the Doctor for telling them what was going on. Esposito and Ryan looked at Beckett talking to Lanie softly in the corner. They turned their eyes on Castle who walked to the side to sit in a chair making them follow.

"How has Beckett been holding up?" Ryan asked looking over at the two women.

"She's been holding it together." Was all Castle said not wanting to give too much away about how Beckett was losing her control. He knew she was determined to remain the strong detective, the strong wiled woman they all knew. The two men continued to look at him, waiting for more. "She's doing well under the circumstances." He added making them sit back and wait for news.

Castle felt a hand on his arm making his eyes open quickly and he sat forward quickly. Lanie stood looking down at him. "It's only me. Kate's exhausted but she refuses to sleep, let alone get anything to eat." Castle looked over at Beckett sitting in the seat they had been in earlier with her head drooping. He stood up, glancing at the two men who were sound asleep before he walked over to sit beside Beckett.

"No, Castle." Was all she said as she felt the cushion dip.

"I didn't say anything." He said softly as he sat back in the seat. She looked up at him and he could see every emotion flash across her face. "I just figured Lanie might want to be the one Esposito drools on for a while." He smirked making her glance at where Lanie sat leaning her head on Esposito's shoulder.

"You shouldn't have called them. There's no reason to have them sitting her all night to be exhausted for work in the morning. You should have just let it be. And you should have gone home." She told him making him sigh.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe they should have stayed home and not come up. Maybe I should have gone home." He said making her head snap to look at him. "You want us all to leave, you want to be alone, just say the word." She stared at him. Was he really going to leave and make the others leave too? After she remained silent, he turned his head to look at her and he put his arms across the back of the seat. "Then let us help you for once." He told her before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, making her lay her head on his upper chest. "Rest." He was surprised when she did not pull back and fight more. He felt her move slow to wrap her arm around his middle and readjust her head.

"Thank you, Castle." She whispered.

"Always." He whispered back. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes. Lanie looked over seeing the two laying together and she smiled. She could see the difference between the two of them. It had been happening for a while now and she hoped it would lead where everyone in the precinct had pools on.

Castle opened his eyes to see the doctor walk in. He shifted slightly. "Kate." He said softly. At the sound of her name, her eyes opened and she sat up quickly. Seeing the doctor, she stood and Castle followed suit.

"Your father is out of surgery and is getting settled back into his room. Everything went well. From all of the tests we've run before and after the surgery it seems everything is evening out and looking better than it did before."

"Can we see him?"

"Yes, of course." Beckett looked at Castle.

"Go." Castle said before Beckett left with the doctor and Castle sat back down dozing off. He knew she or a nurse would wake him if he was needed.

Castle was woken up by Lanie. "We have to go to work. Where's Beckett?"

"Her dad came out of surgery and she went to sit with him." He told them.

"Call us if anything else happens. And make sure she gets something to eat." Castle nodded and stood up. As the three friends went one way to head home to change and then to work, he went the other way, towards Jim's room.

He stopped by the door looking in at Beckett lying on the bed next to her father sound asleep. He smiled before walking over to her. Looking down at her face, pushing hair out of her face gently. He took another minute to look at her before he walked over to sit in a chair to the side to just watch her sleep.

Castle could not help but think about what Beckett must be thinking and going through. He could not think of Alexis going through this. His heart clenched in his chest. He loved this woman lying in front of him cuddled up to her unconscious father. He let out a soft sigh watching her sleep. He knew she had a point about Alexis needing to see him and not just get phone calls from him, but he also knew that there was no way Alexis nor Martha would let him leave her, even if he did do what she said.

After five more hours Beckett stats to stir making Castle sit up a bit in his seat, she rolled a bit and rubbed her eyes. "Castle, were you watching me sleep?"

"Um... No." She rolled her eyes and sat up on the side of the bed and look at him.

"Did everyone go to work?" She asked making him nod. The two sat silently, Beckett turning to look at her father and the monitors while Castle sat back in his seat watching her. "This is so unreal." She said softly before looking at Castle. "All of this just seems like it's one big nightmare that I can't wake up from."

"I don't think it's a nightmare." Castle said after a minute making her furrow her brow. "If it was a nightmare you would be here alone. Esposito, Lanie, Ryan they would not have come up here last night and want updates ever five minutes. Alexis and Mother would not be asking about you every time I call to check in. And most importantly, if it was a nightmare I wouldn't be here." He gave her a grin making her roll her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you never leaving is considered a nightmare." She smiled at his pout. She stood up, walked over to the seat beside him, and sat in it. She looked down at her hands for a moment. "Thanks." She said softly making him look over at him. "For... Everything. I would have just been in the way last night and…" She trailed off glancing at him. Castle nodded and looked back at Jim.

"Always." She heard him say softly making her smile. He looked at her making her turn her head, locking eyes. "No matter what goes on, I'll always be there. Whenever or for whatever you need." The two continued to look at each other until a nurse walked in to check on Jim.

"You two need anything?" She asked.

"We're fine. Thanks." Beckett responded. The nurse nodded and left as Castle dug his phone from his pocket. "What are you doing?" She wondered.

"Getting us some dinner, you didn't eat at all last night." He smirked as he dialed and pulled the phone to his ear before ordering Chinese.

"Castle, you can't have it delivered let alone to the hospital." She interrupted him. He only gave her a smirk and continued the order, getting all of her favorites.

"Could you bring that to Bellevue?" He paused listening. "No, no, I'm not hurt. Beckett's dad is here and we're sitting with him." She watched as he explained, she wondered how the man on the other end of the line knew who she was since Castle was the one who always picked up the food. "Thanks." He hung up with a triumphant smile.

"You can't use your name forever."

"As long as I'm a bestselling author I can." He grinned at her making her shake her head but couldn't stop the smile that began to grow across her face as they sat back talking softly waiting for their food.