A/N: I promised you a good chapter next time, but it might have to be TWO in a row. Hope that's okay with you guys… this chapter is a little OOC, but you will find out WHY, in the next chapter. And you get to see a different side to Castle… :)

Ps. THANK YOU Eliza. C. You are INCREDIBLE and now the FF world knows it too! LOL! And thank you to ALL those you took a look at my THORNBIRDS FF, it's greatly appreciated. This chapter is for you!

Beckett rushed through the double doors, the K-9 gripped tightly to her chest, as she rushed to the front desk. Her eyes were wide and worried.

"I need help!" she stated. "My dog ate chocolate!"

She felt a hand come down on her shoulder, and jumped, spinning around to face the intruder. Relief washed over her face when she saw Castle. With high emotions running, she crushed herself gently against him, the dog in between the two.

"He's not going to die, is he?" she asked as if he were the expert with animals.

He titled his head and smiled at her. "No, Kate. Malcolm will be okay… come on," he placed a hand at the small of her back as he followed the vet into the exam room.

Castle took the dog and placed him on the steel table, he visibly shook.

The vet instantly began to examine him.

Castle stood by Beckett's side, an arm around her shoulder. She would have thought it sweet, if her mind wasn't focused on Malcolm. Her eyes never wavered from the dog, and as she watched the Vet concentrate, she leaned in to Castle as if she expected the news to be bad.

The vet finally looked up. "He's had a lot of chocolate… that is NOT good for a dog, as I'm sure you already know. We're going to keep him over night," she told Beckett. Beckett trembled beside her partner and felt the air trap in her lungs. "It's nothing to be too alarmed about. We are going to pump his stomach, I'll do that with a hose that goes down his throat…" she explained. "He'll be sore for a while and so we have to keep him here to watch… but if all is well tomorrow, he'll be as good as new."

Castle smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "See, he'll be fine."

"You can give the receptionist your information, and discuss payment, and then go home. We will call you in the morning," she explained.

The thought of leaving the dog made her chest tighten. "NO!" she stated.

"Ma'am…"

"I'm not leaving!"

"Kate…" Castle warned.

"No," she snapped. She looked up at him and shook her head. "I'm NOT leaving him! Castle, I will not-"

"Okay," he assured her. "Alright, the two of us will stay, it's okay, you and me… we'll stay."

She nodded feeling instantly relieved.

Castle took her up to the reception desk and sorted the payments and her details, before they reassured her, her animal was in safe hands. Still she refused to leave. "I won't leave Mal!"

The receptionist looked slightly annoyed. "I'm sorry ma'am, but there will be no one to look after you."

"I don't need you to look after me; I need you to look after MY dog!"

"Calm down, ma'am!"

She rolled her eyes, looking tired. "I am a police officer in this City and I will be treated with some-"

"KATE!" Castle barked. His tone was strong and firm. "This is their field of expertise, like yours is fighting bad guys and mine is writing books, they know what they're doing and they will make sure Malcolm is safe. Tomorrow, we will come back here and pick him up. I promise," his eyes locked on hers and he was telling her he was in charge.

She sunk against him in defeat.

"Come on, I'll take you home…" he suggested.

She nodded vaguely and he led her out of the VET. In the car, the drive home was quite and when he pulled the car to a stop.

"Come up?" she asked.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Ooooh, could it be love! Hehehehe. How will Castle handle this one?

Review and find out!