Well folks here is my latest offering, a post Knockdown story. Who knows where this journey will take us. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

Night had fallen over the city that never sleeps not long ago. Someone had turned down the lights of the room, and drawn the curtains blocking out the lights of the city. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, an electronic metronome, a reminder of a life still beating.

Castle was seated in the chair beside her bed holding her hand like he had been doing for most of the day. His thumb slowly stroked her hand, the one tangible way to let her know that he was right here with her. His steady blue eyes were focused on her sleeping form, silently willing her to open her eyes. Hoping and yes, praying, she would come out of this and be all right.

"Dad."

At the sound of his daughter's voice Castle dragged his eyes from Kate Beckett to find Alexis and Martha standing in the doorway of the hospital room. She walked over to him, putting her arm around his neck.

"Grams and I are leaving." She informed him.

Castle released his hold on Kate's hand and rose from the chair to envelope his daughter in a tight hug. He felt a little guilty that he had not been there for his daughter as much as he should have been. She had been there at the cemetery and had witnessed the shooting. He was grateful to his mother who stepped in and took care of the parental duties.

"Have a good night, pumpkin." He said kissing the top of her head.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" it was not the first time she had asked that question.

"I'll be fine sweetheart." He assured her.

Alexis looked up at her father, trying not to let the concern she felt for him show. She forced a smile to her face. Both she and her grandmother had tried to get him to come home and get some rest but he would not leave his partner's side. Both Castle women understood and did not press the matter. They understood there was nothing in the world that would shift Richard Castle him from this room.

Alexis broke free from his embrace and moved over to the bed. She took Kate's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Get well soon, Detective Beckett." Alexis said in a low voice. "We'll be back to see you in the morning."

Stepping back Alexis started to leave the room. Castle escorted her. She stopped suddenly and looked at her father.

"Dad?"

"Yes pumpkin?"

"Remember when I used to get sick you would read to me stories?"

Castle smiled and nodded his head as he recalled to mind those occasions when Alexis was sick in bed suffering from some childhood malady and he would read to her or create stories for her to pass the time and help with her recovery.

"Maybe you should tell her a story?" Alexis suggested.

Castle considered her suggestion and suddenly his smile deepened. It was a great idea. He pulled Alexis into a smothering hug and kissed her.

"Brilliant idea." He declared. "How did you get so smart?"

"I had a good teachers, Dad." Alexis replied looking across to her grandmother with a smile.

Reluctantly Castle released his daughter.

"See you in the morning, Dad."

"Good night pumpkin."

"Richard, try and get some rest." Martha said.

Castle nodded his head as he kissed his mother good-night. Martha gave him a pointed look at his response knowing all ready he would ignore her advice. She could only wonder how much sleep if any, he had gotten in all the time he had been here at Kate's side. If the drawn look on his face was any indication it would not have been much. He had to realise that he needed to rest too. Martha hid her concern behind an understanding smile.

To most of the world he might have been known as the class clown, playboy and page six regular but to Martha Rogers and one or two others, behind the façade he presented to the world there beat the heart of a strong, loyal and caring man.

Castle watched his mother and daughter leave the room unable to hide the pride he had for his only daughter. He returned to his chair and sat down. Once more he took Kate's hand and resumed stroking it. The smile on his face faded as he gazed at her.

The sight of Kate Beckett hooked up to all those tubes and machines broke his heart. She looked so frail laying in the hospital bed, so small. Like a wounded bird.

He could not remember how long it had been, was three or four, maybe five days since the shooting? In all honesty he had no idea how long it had been. What he did know was however long it had been they had been the worst days of his life.

He had been at her side day and night since she had come out of surgery. The only time he had been away from her was when he had to answer a call of nature or to change his clothes with a fresh set that Alexis or Martha had brought from home. He had never been gone from her too long though. He had barely eaten anything in all that time except for what people had brought up from the cafeteria, and he would only pick at the food brought to him.

Lanie, Esposito and even Ryan had all tried to persuade him to go home and get some rest but he refused their entreaties. They too gave up trying. Castle could not put into words to explain to them why he could not leave. He could not go home while Kate lay here. He did not feel right at the thought of leaving her all alone in this hospital room.

At some other time he would have found it amusing to hear him described like a loyal puppy waiting at his mistress's side, waiting for her to recover.

"You really ought to go home, Mr Castle." Said the night nurse as she came in to check on the patient's vitals.

"I'm fine here." Castle replied patting the arm of the chair and giving the nurse a tired smile. He had forgotten her name.

"I wouldn't have thought sleeping in a chair wouldn't be all that comfortable?"

"I've been in worse places."

The nurse did not see the brief haunted look that crossed his eyes when he had said that. She was too busy checking the machines surrounding Kate's bed and made some notes on the chart in her hand. Finishing up the notes she hooked the chart on the foot of the bed. She looked at Castle and gave him a smile. Castle looked up at the nurse.

"Shouldn't she be coming out of the coma?" He asked.

Kate had been put into a medically induced coma to help with her recovery but those medications had been stopped the day before. Yet she had shown no signs of waking up. He wanted to be here when she did finally open her eyes.

"It all depends on the patient, Mr Castle." The nurse replied. "I have seen some patients wake up almost immediately, others may take a couple of days, while others take nearly a week or longer. It just all depends."

Castle nodded his understanding.

"Well if you need anything, Mr Castle, just let us know."

"Thanks Rebecca," Said Castle suddenly remembering her name, "I will."

Castle continued to stroke Kate's hand as he gazed at her pale sleeping face. He felt so helpless. For days now he had been silently reproaching himself for not having moved fast enough to get her out of the path of the bullet. He reproached himself for not twigging soon enough to what that flash of light had meant. When it had clicked in his head and started moving to her it was too late. He felt guilty about that.

Shaking those memories from his mind for the time being Castle focused on the suggestion that Alexis had made. He looked over to the side table to where a small stack of books nestled amongst the get-well cards and stuffed toy animals and balloons. Most of them were his works. He had Alexis bring them in because he knew that she loved his books. Though she was loathed to admit it, he knew she was a big fan of his books. He had not opened any of them yet. He considered picking one of them up now and reading it to her but after several minutes staring at the books he decided against reading to her. What he chose to do was to tell her a Castle original like the ones he would create for Alexis.

A smile came to his lips as he scooted in the chair closer to Kate's bed. As he got comfortable a number of thoughts and ideas began to dance eagerly in his head. He squeezed her hand gently.

"Would you like me to tell you a story, Kate?" He said softly, waiting for a response. "I promise it'll be a good one. You're going to love it, I know you will."

"Once upon a time..." Castle paused to look at Kate, and grinned. "All good stories always start with 'once upon a time'." he told her. His grin deepened at the thought of her rolling her eyes for saying something like that.

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there lived a fair maiden. This maiden was such a sight to behold. As beautiful as the sunrise on a brand new day, eyes as verdant as a spring meadow, with the voice of a nightingale and a smile that could bring warmth to even the coldest darkest night..."

What do you think of the first chapter? I would dearly love to know what you think of it.

Con