Chapter 7

This took way too long. I know. I had my last exams of the 9th grade, and I feel like the year flew by. I haven't been able to write anything since I last updated this story. Everything I write seems bad or just doesn't fit the story.

I'm writing this is a not all to good mood in the car back from vacation, so, I'm sorry if it's not my best. I just haven't felt like writing lately. Lately being a few months now. But I seem to be able to write when I'm sad, especially this story, so… here it is.

Thank you for your patience. I hope what you read was worth the wait.

Kate was so shaken by the nightmare she didn't do anything for at least half an hour. She just sat up, going over the last moment again and again. Her mother had never said that to her. How could she have?... This wasn't a memory. It had been real. It was really her mom, as good looking as the day she died. She was wearing different clothing though. And she looked tired, pale, and she had a glow around her. Kate couldn't believe it. She didn't even get the time to say "I love you" back. She regretted that.

She didn't know why, but she picked up the phone. She dialed the number automatically. She didn't even think before she put the phone to her ear. She had no idea what to say. But she knew she wanted to talk to someone. And since he was the only one she hadn't seen since her fall…

"hello?" his voice pulled her out of her state. She froze up.

"Rick?" she finally managed to ask. Now he was the one who was stunned.

He shook it off and focused on her. "Kate! Hi! You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice."

Kate didn't really know what to say. "Why weren't you here?" it just came out, before she even realized what she said, he was already answering.

"Because I didn't know if you'd be mad at me for being there. I didn't know if you'd want me there when you woke up. I was there, I checked on you, but everyone was mad at me, and I told them I'd go home and wait for you to call. And so, now you called and I'm happy to hear your voice. So happy."

Kate took a moment to process it all. He was there, he just isn't now. So he does still care.

Kate smiled, but that was before she realized what she did right before she fell off that roof. She called him… She told him she loved him… loves. Oh god, what now?

Running away from it again would be wrong. She might not be ready for it, but she needs him in her life. If she had died… she saw what would have happened in her nightmare. She didn't want that to happen, not anytime soon, and certainly not before they had a chance to be just that, them.

"Kate?" Rick asked, seeing as she had been silent for quite a while now.

"Yeah… sorry, I'm here. I'm just… thinking." Kate sighed. She had no idea how to do this.

"About?" he was curious.

She was silent for a moment longer, and then decided. "Rick… could you come here? Could you visit soon? I'll tell you, but I want to do it face to face."

"Of course!" Rick was oh so happy, but composed himself, "When? I can come now if you'd like, but shouldn't you sleep some more?"

"I don't think I can sleep any longer." She said thinking about the nightmare and her mom's face, her words. "Now would be perfect." Kate smiled, a smile that reached her eyes, for what felt like the first time in years.

"Sure, I'll be there soon, I'll leave right now."

"Thank you Rick."

"Always."

Rick arrived in the hospital, but not without a beautiful bouquet of flowers, seeing as she wasn't able to drink coffee. He walked up to her room, but right before knocking, he froze. What is he going to say? What does she want to- oh. Now it hit him. What else would she want to talk about face to face other than the voicemail?

Her words were still in his mind. Her begging for him. His name. Then her apology and demand for forgiveness. I can't die with knowing that you aren't going to forgive me. Those words drained the life out of him every single time he thought of them. But then, the words that still struck him most. Rick… I love you. He wished he'd heard those words for the first time in different circumstances.

What was he going to say to her? What was she going to say to him? He could only hope she remembered enough, that she still meant it, and that the writer in him was still there to respond to whatever she wanted to say.

He took a deep breath, ran one hand over his jacket to straighten it, and placed it on the wooden door. He knocked a few times and took the handle, ready to walk in when he heard Kate's voice say "Come in."

As soon as he walked through the door, she smiled. She was so happy to see him again. Him, the him he is now and not the him he could have been if she had died. But she didn't want to think about that right now.

"Rick." She smiled as she tried to push herself up a bit. Very bad idea. A shock of pain ran through her and she couldn't hold back the groan of pain. It had surprised her.

Rick shot to her side, flowers on the chair. "Kate? Are you okay? Did you get your meds? Did a nurse come and check on you? Did you-" Kate put her hand up, the hand she could actually move because of her shoulder, and he stopped talking.

"Too many questions. I'm okay, just a little pain, I got them, and yes. And I'm guessing your last question was if I ate breakfast. Yes I did." Kate said as Rick helped her sit up a bit. She couldn't move her legs, she couldn't push herself up, or do anything with her left hand and arm. Only her right arm was just a bit sore. She was glad that the broken ribs, the one that got removed, and the broken one, were on the same side.

Now that she sat up a bit, she saw the flowers abandoned on the chair. "Those for me?"

"Yeah," Rick said as he followed her gaze. "I figured since I can't bring you coffee, I should bring you flowers." He smiled, as did she.

"I like them," she locked her eyes with him as he handed her the flowers. The smile on his face faded a bit as he felt the subject coming up. He looked for a vase or a glass or something big enough to put the flowers in, and took his coat off, that he put over the chair.

"Rick, I… I wanted to talk to you about two things, both just as difficult for me as the other." Kate locked her gaze on her hands on her lap. Her right hand circling around her left hand with cast.

"Why don't I just start with the subject we both know about, because I don't think I know what the second thing is about." Rick said as he took place on the bed, taking her right hand in his. "I heard your voicemail. And you have no idea how sorry I am that I didn't pick up the phone. Hell, that I wasn't there!" Rick started, emotion clear in his voice.

"Rick… It would have been harder if that had been the case. I might not even have said it because-" he didn't let her finish.

"Because you didn't mean it? It was just a spur of the moment thing? I get it…" he let her hand go, but she didn't let go of his. She tugged it, trying to get his attention back.

"Is that what you believe Rick? Because if it is, no. Please don't. If you had been there, I would still be denying it right now, and if you had picked up the phone… I think it would have been worse on you, but I would have still said it because Rick… I love you. I love you with all my heart and I'm sorry that I didn't say it before. I don't get why bad things always have to happen to us before we start seeing things, but.. I love you, Rick. And I don't ever want to take it back."

Castle was stunned, this is what he wanted, but he couldn't believe it. He just looked at her. Straight into those beautiful green eyes that he had once believed to be brown. "Kate, you already know I love you. But I'll say it again because I don't ever want to lose you, and I feel like I should. I love you Katherine. With all my heart."

They smiled at each other, hand in hand on the hospital bed, Kate with a tear in her eye.

After a moment Kate laughed, "What are you waiting for Rick? I've got two broken ribs, I can't kiss you, so you better kiss me."

She didn't have to tell him twice. He leaned in a bit, noses almost touching, her eyes half closed, waiting for him to come closer. When he didn't, she looked into his eyes and brought her hand to his cheek.

"Hey, I'm okay, I'm still here, and I- I love you, Rick." Kate said with all the love she had clear in her voice.

Rick leaned in closer and whispered a "I love you too" as his lips touched hers.

They were soft on his, sweet as sugar. He brought his hand up to her hair as her started to trail to the back of his neck. Their lips starting to move. Kissing each other with sweet passion, both wanting more than just this kiss, because they have waited for so long. Too damn long.

It didn't last long enough for either of them as their tongues touched, and Kate tried to lean in closer to Castle. A pain like her hitting the dumpster shot through her and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The heart monitor beeping just a little harder than normal. Rick wasted no time on pressing the call button as he tried to wake Kate up.

"Please Kate, please wake up." He was shocked. The pain it had caused her was too much for her. He couldn't imagine how it felt, and he never wanted that to happen to her again.

Two nurses ran in and checked everything. "Detective Beckett is doing just fine. Everything is okay. The pain was just too much for her. She's not back to perfect health, and the shock must have made her pass out. But don't worry, she'll be okay. Just press the call button if anything changes, or she wakes up. We'll come to check on her soon again." One of the nurses told Castle who wasn't letting his eyes off of Kate's features for longer than a second. He just nodded and took a few deep breaths.

He went back to sitting on the bed next to her, stroking her hair out of her face, and then took her hand in his again, brought it to his lips, and placed a soft kiss on top of it.

"I'm sorry. This will take a while, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm right by your side to help you. Always" he sighed and settled himself in the chair. Never taking his eyes off of her.

I really wanted to make this longer, but then you'd have to wait long seeing as I'm not sure what to do next. I'll ask my #1 fan and best friend for advice and hopefully, post a new chapter way sooner than you had to wait for this one.

I don't think it's that good, but you can decide on that one.

Reviews are much appreciated.