Castle was sitting alone when he woke up and the doctor told him all the fiddly bits about his injuries. To his disappointment, he most definitely wouldn't be leaving in a week or two. In fact he would be lucky if he could leave in a month. "A month!" He yelled at the doctor. "I don't have that kind of time." He was frustrated. Maddox was on the lose and there was nothing he could do about it. Just sit here in this hospital and go crazy.
"Mister Castle, please calm down. That first bullet passed dangerously close to your heart and damaged several arteries. You put yourself at risk otherwise." The doctors tone was very serious and so Castle was defeated.
He slowly sighed and calmed himself down, realizing the severity of the situation. Castle nodded "Okay." He said quietly, then let the doctor continue.
"The second bullet passed through your stomach missing your spleen, liver, and intestines. Mister Castle I hope you know how lucky you are." The doctor continued. "Now, a stomach wound is very dangerous because of infection so we have to keep an eye on you till you heal. Unfortunately that's going to take at least a month. Try not to move as much as possible in that time and with a little luck, you'll heal quicker." he finished. There was nothing that could be done. If Castle behaved, the sooner he'd heal and he could get out of here. But there was a problem. He couldn't stay here in the Hamptons a month.
"Can't I at least be moved to New York? I need to be there." he asked. There must be some way.
The doctor turned on his heel as he was exiting at Castle's question. "Under normal circumstances this would be impossible however we are aware of your celebrity status. I'm sure for a fee, something could be worked out for you in a few weeks. You must try to be still as possible mister Castle. We can't even hope to move you yet. Try and rest." The doctor told him and finally left him for the night.
Castle leaned back against his pillows and he winced at the movement. It's amazing how much is tied to your stomach muscles. Every little move, a chuckle, even breathing at times ached. He was wide awake and the pain bothered him. Time for more drugs. He hated how dependent of this little machine he was becoming for salvation but it hurt a lot so, oh well. You do what you gotta. He reached beside him to press the little button that would cue more the release of more medication. It gave him a certain amount so often and if he still hurt he could tell it to give him more. There was a limit set of course so he couldn't kill himself. A few minutes later he found himself adrift again. Pain fading and he fell back to sleep.
Kate walked in back from dinner shortly after. She leaned against the door, her arms crossed as she watched him sleep. There was fire in her eyes. She wouldn't be able to truly have a proper relationship with him till this was buried. A fact she had to accept. Instead she made it a mission. She may have "woke the dragon." but what they awoke in Kate Beckett that day was a monster and it was unstoppable and determined. She would find a way.
The FBI was now interested in the case and everyone's favorite special agent was heading the team, Jordan Shaw. "You really have a pension for attracting trouble don't you Miss Beckett." she said as she had entered the small hospital room in the Hamptons a day after the shooting. It seemed their work on the Dunn case impressed her and the fact they were being hunted again, this time by an even harder to find killer, only made her want to take the case more and so she did. Of course their assistance would be essential.
When she found out Kate had resigned from the force, like always she had little to say, but what little she did, always struck home. "It's a pity Miss Beckett. The world needs more defenders of justice with minds like yours. You were a great asset to the city of New York. For the good of the people I hope you reconsider." and having already given them her card with her number, she left.
It had been three weeks since the shooting and everyone was back in New York city. Even Castle who was deemed safe enough to be moved and happily paid a small fortune to do so. Kate spent every minute of every hour of every day by his side, leaving only when her body or Castle command her. She would mostly read to keep her mind off things. A constant battle between whether to leave him for the better or stay constantly running through her head and so she would stay too busy arguing with herself to leave. There was another reason she didn't want to leave but this reason she wouldn't even admit to herself. Fear. The thought of that weakness, of hiding like a scared animal from the dragon disgusted Kate Beckett and to admit she was doing it would be admitting that weakness. That was something she would not stand for.
She was pacing, having worked herself up in an argument again. She wanted out of here. Not for any guilty reason at the moment other than to be able to feel the breeze on her face and the sun on her skin. Kate Beckett wanted to live again and she was getting antsy. Well, maybe a little bit of guilt had seeped in too. Sitting next to Castle in this room for weeks, Kate even found herself longing to stare at the murder board. Every wince he made only drove her to fix this and end this madness once and for all. But how to get back on the case. Hell, how to even get back? Could she even think of going back after what Gates said to her. For this and this alone she would have to, for him. But how? She finally sat and bit her bottom lip and her brow furrowed, deep in thought. How? Was it even safe to leave the hospital or would she be sniped the moment she stepped out into daylight? No, can't think like that. She was startled from her inner turmoil when she heard his soothing voice speak.
"What's eatin' ya Kate." Castle chirped quietly in the darkness of the night. He had an ever comforting smile on his face. She let a heavy sigh escape her before speaking.
"Everything." She answered to be vague as she figured out what workings of her inner thoughts she wanted him to know and which ones she'd keep secret, a product of the remains of the wall. "I'm sick of being stuck in here, I'm sick of this case and I'm sick of nothing going right. I just want to live Rick." She decided that should satisfy him.
"Kate, don't stay here for me. If you're bored, go outside, go live." He told her. He was going almost as crazy as her being trapped here. Maybe if she went outside she could bring him some news of the outside world later. He could only hope. Kate shook her head.
"I'd love to but you know I can't do that." Her tone was flat and frustrated. She could leave but wouldn't. She didn't need to tell Castle what was going on in her head when she showed him like that. But he knew she would never admit to fear so it was time to take another tactic and let her keep her pride.
"You know if you want to go back to the precinct, I wont be upset. Even if you want to work with Shaw and bury this thing. I won't be mad. Just, we do it right this time." He figured direct and straight to the point would work best in this case. They had danced around each other long enough.
She looked up at him in complete and utter awe. How did he just always know. It was nice to know he backed her and she figured he always would but still. Now this brought her back to how. "How do I go back though?" She asked him, as if he'd know but she was open to suggestions.
"Honestly?" He started. "Grovel." He shrugged. After what Kate had told him of that day there didn't seem to be much. "You could talk to Shaw." He suggested. He knew Shaw liked her and would likely vouch for her. "Or I could always call Big Cheese." Another shot in the dark, anything could help at this point.
Kate shook her head at the last suggestion. "No, don't call the mayor. I'll talk to agent Shaw in the morning though." It did seem like the best plausible idea. Maybe there was a loop hole some where. Castle was good at loop holes. Then it struck her. That was it! Castle! Her back straightened has she suddenly had her epiphany. "Castle, I've got it! You're a genius." She just suddenly told him excitedly. Castle just looked at her not quite understanding what just happened. If Castle had worked as a "Civilian Consultant" under her for years, could she not do the same to agent Shaw right now? All she would have to do is ask. It would be another shot in the dark, but it could pay off. She would do so in the morning. She explained everything to Castle and he beamed at her.
"I'm starting to rub off on you." He chuckled happily. She was figuring things out finally and it made him happy to see the strong independent woman he fell in love with again. He couldn't wait till this was all over.
She chuckled back. "Maybe a little." Then told him to go back to sleep. It was the middle of the night. Everything else could wait till morning.
When Castle awoke she was gone, already back in the saddle. He was glad despite that he would now be lonely and miss her. He still had his books to review though and that should keep him busy for the few more weeks until he was free of this prison.
Kate sat in a small room in the twelfth precinct across from agent Shaw. Gate's observed from her window, eyes squinting between the blinds the whole time and she radiated rage if one needed to talk to her.. When Kate explained to the special agent her situation and plan, all Shaw could do was laugh. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure that one out. Welcome to the team." Shaw told her extending her hand, but wasn't done with Kate yet. "Now I don't know how you ran the investigation beforehand but I am in charge here and what I say goes. No if, ands or buts, or you'll be off the case understood?" She told Kate, gripping her hand firmly.
Kate nodded. "Understood" There could be no screwing around this time. This time they did it by the book. They started to head towards the high tech murder boards and other gadgets that the F.B.I. Had brought with them, ready to dive in. "So what have you found out?" She asked, assuming there must be something found from the Hamptons shooting.
Without missing a beat Shaw answered her. "We pulled a partial off the rifle he used. Confirms it was Maddox." she starting rallying off the gathered facts, bringing Kate back up to speed. They had found Maddox hotel he had hid out in and he made a few phone calls while there. They traced the calls to a burner phone paid for with cash and the trail ended there. These guys were good, real good. But it was this fact that would get them caught in the end. It took a lot of money and power to hire former military hitmen. This narrowed their target pool. The fact that he was willing to pour out so much resources to keep the truth of all this secret said he must be a public figure witch would make this more difficult. Still it didn't take long for Shaw to figure out their former captains involvement and Kate came clean about everything else on the condition that Montgomery's memory would be preserved. This knowledge now in hand they could narrow the pool further. He had to have gained his wealth some time in the 90's and been tied closely to the city. This put them down to only one person. But how to go up against that? They needed real evidence, not speculation. They needed someone to slip up somewhere. Cole Maddox was their man.
Two weeks later with Castle finally out of the hospital and home still healing, and the fact Beckett managed to sneak her way back onto the case, Maddox scrambled to relay the news. Little did he know they had him bugged. They tracked a slip up when he drew cash from an A.T.M. They normally would have missed it but a mugging took place later that day and the A.T.M. camera was an acting witness. The cop reviewing the tape caught a glimpse of his face and recognized it since the sketch from the description Kate gave to an artist now hung on all most wanted boards. Using a the time stamp they got from the video, they got the bank to give them his banking info and it was easy pickings from there. They found out what hotel he was staying in and bugged the phone in his room. That got them the name of a very liked U.S. Senator but he was just another puppet. It was now like a game of chess. Trying to figure out the other side's next move before they figured out yours. They couldn't just rush in. They had to be more tactful then that. They had to wait again.
"He's so close Castle I can taste it. I just want to pick up the Senator and make him squeal on his leader." Kate told him after a frustrating day of running out of moves. It was the dragon's turn. Castle typed away at his computer. He wasn't allowed to do much else. He was prescribed rest and heavy pain killers for the next month and then the real fun began. Regaining his literal strength. Being stuck in a bed for several weeks really deteriorates your muscles. Kate recalled when he first got out of the hospital and tried to walk on his own refusing help and Ryan and Esposito had to catch him before he collapse. He was starting to do better now though. He could walk around pretty good but bending and stretching was still out of the question.
Castle finally looked up from his computer and responded. "Be patient Kate. If we really are this close it wont take long now." He smiled reassuringly. He was afraid she would try and go rogue and do this herself. This worry was apparent on his face.
"What do you look so worried about?" She asked him. They were starting to get more comfortable talking to each other about everything and though she normally would have a long debate about whether to ask a question as such, now she didn't give it a second thought.
"Just promise me you won't go rogue and try and do this alone, because I know that tone in your voice and that's exactly what you want to do." He sputtered out quickly like he always did when he was worried. Kate laughed at him then got up and gave him a hug and a kiss before answering.
"Don't worry I won't. I do want to, but I know we have to do this right this time." She kept her arms laced around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. "Besides, if I did go rogue, what would I do without my partner?" She asked him, smiling playfully. He smiled back at her remark and kissed her.
"I guess your right." He said. Both of them felt tired from the day for different reasons and so they headed off to bed. Castle wasn't quite ready for bed time fun so they were forced to just snuggle. Kate had pretty much unofficially moved in and spent every night there since he had gotten out of the hospital. She rest her head in the soft crook between Castle's chest and shoulder and let her hand glide up and down his full chest, pausing to draw small circles on his abdomen.
"Oh the things I'm going to do to you once you're better." she started to say to him. "I see handcuffs in your future Richard Castle." she murmured into his neck.
He smiled ear to ear as he realized he would soon get to see another secret side to this woman. "I can simply not wait to learn your safe word Katherine Beckett."He told her. Just as always, she had a quick retort.
"Who said I'd be the one needing the safe word?"Her tone was sexy and filled with lust.
"Oh you're bad." He replied excited for the future. They lay there and chat back and forth for a while in the darkness. About little life stories, their childhood, and to Castle's utter enjoyment, Kate talked about her mom. She told him about how in love her parents were. Or how despite how busy her mom might have been with a case, she would always find time for Kate. Castle learned that Kate's mom had a secret sense of humor that would only come out now and then but when it did it was great. Like a story she told of a time her mother was out back gardening and she found a snake. Kate's father was terrified of snakes and so her mother brought in their new "pet" asking if they could keep it. Her father squealed like a girl and locked himself in the bathroom. To his dismay Johanna Beckett let the small snake slip under the door now cornering him with his enemy. They rescued him after they heard the shower curtain rip and a loud thud as he toppled into the tub.
"I think she would have liked you." She told him as they finally caught their breath from the laughter. "She would have found your charm to be funny and sweet, not that you'd have acted any other way around her I'm sure, but still I think, she'd approve." He chucked at her last comment but beamed with a certain kind of pride. He may not have gotten to meet the woman but hearing Kate say that she would approve of him was comforting some how.
"You really think so?" He asked her, a hint of a blush from flattery on his cheeks. She nodded then rest her head back on his chest. It seemed their conversation had carried on long enough and so they allowed themselves to drift off to sleep.
A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update. My birthday is coming up and my partner decided to get me an early birthday gift of all three seasons of Castle on DVD and promised to get me the fourth when it comes out. So needless to say I've been binging on old episodes. Also a few ideas for one shots have popped into my head that I might write later. As I said my birthday is coming up so I will probably spend this weekend celebrating but updates should pick up again shortly after. Thanks again for the reviews, follows, and faves.