Sorry it took so long….

Chapter 16

He was standing by the emergency room doors when the ambulance pulled up. She was pale again but at least she was conscious. Grabbing her hand he began speaking to her as her eyes locked on his. "You hold on Kate. I love you. You hold on."

"Sir you're going to have to step back we need help her."

"Sorry. Yes." Castle released her hand and allowed them to take her. Esposito walked through the doors moments later. "Espo, what happened?"

"They shot her again. Man we were too late. She was bleeding so much." He looked down at his hands still covered in her blood. "It hit her square in the chest again." Javier was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He sat down hard in one of the waiting room chairs and Castle sat beside him.

"Detective?" A man in scrubs, covered in blood, approached.

"Yes" Esposito and Castle stood up.

"That is one lucky woman. We've taken her to surgery. She's lost a lot of blood, but I believe she will be just fine."

"Wait what do you mean? The bullet hit her in the chest."

"It did. In the exact spot she'd been shot before. The initial gunshot did so much damage to the bones that the surgeon was forced to put in a titanium plate to bridge the area that was shattered by the bullet. Today's shot hit the titanium plate and was redirected. It came out right under her arm and looks like it did minimal damage. Again, she's one lucky woman. I've go to get up to surgery."

"Thank you Doctor." Esposito watched him go before turning to Castle. They both just smiled. "Two gunshots to the chest. Man I hope you know what you're getting yourself into to."

"What do you mean?"

"Castle, I saw you talking to her. I heard you say 'I love you.' And I have to say its about damn time." He slapped Castle on the back as they walked up to the surgery waiting room.


The car pulled up to the curb and Castle jumped out and ran around. Reaching into the back seat he lifted Kate from the car. Turning around the driver had her wheelchair waiting. Setting her down gently she kissed him. Juan the doorman had the door open, waiting."Good to see you Detective, Mr. Castle."

Inside Kate quickly noticed the loft was empty. "Where are Alexis and Martha?"

"They decided to give us a little space this weekend and Alexis needed to go and visit the campus again. Mom has a friend whose husband is a professor there so they are spending the weekend with them. Checking out the campus and stuff."

"Shouldn't you be there with them?"

"And miss bringing you home? Nope this is where I belong." Kate smiled.

"OK so we've made a few changes." He wheeled her into his office and she immediately saw the ramp that had been installed over the small step leading to his bedroom.

"Castle you said one of the guest rooms."

"I know but I decided that I wasn't going to spend another night without you in my arms. Plus there is no way for you to get up there by yourself and its too high for a ramp." Not waiting for any more disagreement he pushed her up the ramp into his bedroom. "Welcome to the bedroom. To our bedroom."

She started to object but remembered the conversation they'd had when she'd been in the rehab facility. The doctors had agreed that she had made significant progress and could go home. The only problem was with the still limited use of her arm, from the broken wrist and the exit wound, she couldn't go home without help. It had taken a lot of talking on Castle's part but she eventually agreed to let him take her to his loft while she recovered. Still thankful that he wanted to have anything to do with someone as broken as her she swallowed the objection and smiled instead.

"OK the physical therapist suggested that you keep up with the afternoon nap. Especially as hard as he's been working you the last couple of days." Kate was exhausted and shook her head in agreement. Castle wheeled her to the bed and pulled back the sheets. Gently lifting her he laid her down and tucked the sheets around her. As he did he noticed her foot moving under the sheet. Pulling the sheet back he startled Beckett.

"Castle what the hell?"

"Kate your foot moved!"

She struggled to pull up a little to see for herself. Watching, her foot was moving. "Castle, sorry its just spasms." The look of elation slowly washed away from his face. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. "They've been doing it for a couple of days."

"Maybe it means things are healing?"

"Castle please don't get your hopes up. The spasms aren't a sign of healing. They're just the nerves sending the wrong signals. The doctor said that some people continue to have them forever, but never have any real healing. Others have them for a while then the signals stop all together." Castle noticed the tears forming in her eyes.

"Kate" he took her chin in his hand so that she'd look at him. "We have to have hope. Hope is what will keep you fighting. While I would be fine with carrying you to bed every night, helping you dress, and bathe." A sly smile broke out on his face as he knew that he would be in heaven being able to touch and hold her like that. The smile left as he continued. "Kate you on the other hand won't be truly happy again until you can walk. I might wish that I was enough, but Kate I know you. Look at how hard and how fast you fought back after the first shooting."

"Castle, last time I knew that with enough work it would get better. This time there's no way of knowing."

"That's exactly where hope and faith come in."

"I've never had much faith in anything other than myself."

"That's all you really need. Have faith in your body and your will to stand again. Then you fight this one day at a time."

She began to smile knowing that he was right. "You really do have a way with words don't you?"