Lanie was sitting in the E.R the doctors had finished cleaning her cheek where it was busted and they had also given her pain medicine they took X-rays and her leg wasn't injured any worse then it had been previously. She had finished with talking to the police and now she sat on the hospital bed in a hospital gown waiting for news on Esposito. Kate sat in a chair beside her.

"Kate, Isn't there anything you can do?" She begged and Kate shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I know how worried you are"

"Please...just try" Lanie looked ready to cry and Kate nodded. She stood with a sigh.

"I'll go see what I can find out" She promised.

Kate paced up and down the small hallway outside the E.R Castle was leaning against a wall. Finally he pushed away and took her gently in his arms.

"Hey, You're going to wear a hole in the floor. Calm down" He said gently.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so stressed out...Lanie...She's scared and I'm trying to be strong but she should be...I didn't like the looks the paramedics were giving me when I asked about him and the Doctors won't say anything" Castle rubbed her arms.

"It's going to be alright"

"I shouldn't have let her alone. I was there ten minutes before Hayes was we were laughing and she was telling me about her night with Esposito and I told her about our date and now...She could be losing him" She looked away and Castle reached out to catch her chin turning her head to look at him.

"Hey, She's not losing him and we'll reschedule our date" She gave him a weak smile.

"I think we'll have to" He smiled to and leaned down to kiss her just a quick soft kiss that left her wanting more but she held back and he kept it simple.

She leaned forward and put her head on his chest her arms wrapped around herself between them. He pulled her close wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on top of hers.

"Guys?" They turned to see Ryan coming down the hall his right arm in a sling and bandaged but he looked alright otherwise they pulled away from each other and Kate spoke.

"Ryan? are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Any news on Esposito?" He asked and Kate shook her head.

"No, The doctors won't tell me anything" Ryan nodded.

"Lanie? How's Lanie?" He asked and Kate shrugged.

"She's worried about Esposito. Hurting all over I imagine she's scared. The doctors wanted her to lay down a while longer. Her heart and Blood pressure are sky rocketing and she's in shock" Ryan winced.

"Can I see her?" He asked and Kate pointed to the room Lanie was in.

When Ryan went in Lanie was standing in the corner by a small sink. She was crying again and shaking and he could see steam coming from the scaulding water she was running on her hands. He went towards her.

"Lanie..."

"it won't come off" She cried and he moved beside her.

"What won't?"

"The blood...the blood...Espositos blood it won't come off" She sobbed miserably and Ryan looked he shook his head and shut the water off taking her hands in his one good hand despite the dripping.

"It's off. Lanie listen to me there's nothing there" He said softly and she cried harder.

"Come on" He led her back to the bed and she let him help her crawl into it. He sat in the chair beside her.

"Did you...call...Rosie?" She asked through her tears and Ryan nodded.

"They're on the way"

"Why didn't you tell me? That he was hurt the first time?" She asked and Ryan sighed.

"He asked me not to. He didn't want you to know" She bit her lip.

"How bad was it?"

"Bad. Severe lacerations and burns. Doctors said two inches more and he'd have been paralyzed. The muscles are weakened and they said an infection could kill him. Any Re-injury could kill him or paralyze him. The tendons and Muscles were just to weak to take any more injuries...they said in a few months he wouldn't even know but they wanted him to take it easy for at least a month"

"But he didn't" She said softly and Ryan sighed.

"He didn't"

"All from that stupid explosion" She said shaking her head.

"Yeah. A piece of glass and a beam from the ceiling landed on you both after the explosion. He didn't notice until they loaded you up in the ambulance and he just collapsed. Blood loss...is a big worry" She cried.

There had been so much blood at the apartment and she had seen him try to stand and not being able to. What if he was paralyzed? She would never forgive herself. She continued to cry and Ryan simply sat with her. The curtain moved and a doctor came in she looked up at him and Ryan stood.

"Mr. Esposito is awake and asking...well demanding to see Miss Parish" The doctor told her and she sat up. The doctor stopped her.

"I want you to take a wheel chair. I really wish you would wait until morning to see each other you both need to rest, but why bother wasting my breath?" Ryan patted her hand as a nurse brought her a wheel chair.

The nurse pushed her to the elevator and Kate, Castle and Ryan joined her. When they reached ICU they remained in the waiting room. Espositos room was at the end of the hall and it was dim lit but the nurse pushed her inside then left shutting the door. Lanie didn't say anything he looked asleep. He had an IV and was on his back in the bed the curtains were open and moonlight shone through the window. One light from the opposite side of the room was on making it light enough for her to see the bruises on his face. It was warm in the room and he was still except for breathing. He turned his head slightly to look at her.

"Hey, don't just sit over there come here. Please Lane I need to see you" She swallowed and wheeled to the side of the bed.

"Are you alright?" He asked her as soon as she was close.

"Me? Look at you. You're a mess I...I didn't think you were going to make it" She started to cry even though she promised herself she wouldn't.

"I'm fine don't worry about me. He didn't hurt you did he?" She shook her head and he swallowed taking a deep breath.

"Did he...He didn't...touch you did he?" She shook her head again and he visibly relaxed.

"Are you going to be alright?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean I have an infection from over doing it and the wounds re opened but other then that and a few bruises I'm fine" She cried harder.

"Hey. Don't cry for me...Alright?" He sounded stern and she smiled looking away. She moved and his glance trailed to her long bare legs under the hospital gown and he saw more bruises. He was glad the man was dead if he wasn't Esposito would drag himself to the precinct and beat him to death.

"Lane...Look at me" She turned and he reached to take her hand.

"Listen to me, You are not allowed to feel bad about anything that happened tonight"

"I killed a man" She said and he shook his head.

"No, You saved two men. Two officers and yourself. He would have killed me, You and Ryan. You saved us and you thought quick when you saw Ryan was injured. You kept him and me from bleeding out. You did exactly what you needed to" She bit her lip but nodded.

"Come here" He tugged her hand and when she stood he pulled her down onto the bed beside him wrapping her in his arms holding her against his chest. She struggled but not too much.

"Settle down"

"I'll hurt you" She said and he shook his head holding her more tightly.

"Are you kidding? I got so much pain medicine on board I could shoot myself in the foot and not feel it" She smiled and relaxed a little. He held her with one arm his other hand played with her hair.

"I'm sorry I left you this morning if I had stayed none of this would have happened" He kissed the top of her head.

"Yes it would have. He just would have shot you and took me somewhere else" He tensed his arm tightening on her slightly as if he were afraid Hayes would burst into the room and do just that. She took a deep breath and decided this was it. She wasn't hiding her feelings anymore she was going to tell him.

"If I tell you something do you promise not to go over board or read anything into it?" She looked up at him and he watched her curiously.

"Yes, You can tell me anything Lanie"

"Alright..." She took a deep breath.

"JAVIER!" The door swung open and Rosie and Maria rushed in both had been crying and Lanie jumped. She tried to get up and out of the way but when she sat up he tightened his arms and pulled her back against him. Clearly telling her she wasn't going anywhere. Rosie and Maria hugged them both and gave him kisses he held her the whole time.

She felt awkward that his family was seeing them like this but he didn't seem to care and neither did they. They accepted her and whatever she had with him and he was pointedly showing them that in some basic sense she was with him.

"What happened?" Rosie asked when the fussing was over.

"It's nothing Rose. I'm fine." She backed up a little but didn't buy that everything was alright.

"Javier I swear you're trying to put me into an early grave" Maria scolded and he smiled.

"When I got that call from Ryan saying He was shot and you were bad off and Lanie...oh my poor girl" Maria gave Lanie another hug and kiss then proceeded to kiss Esposito again.

"We're all alright Ma" Esposito said clearly emberassed by the fussing.

"Yes, Well I see that now so if you can excuse me I think we will go check up on Ryan we didn't see him yet" Maria smiled and Esposito nodded.

"He's out in the waiting room" He told her and Rosie turned heading out promptly Maria smiled after her.

"I'll come back in a little while you two rest" She smiled and then turned leaving. Once they were gone Esposito relaxed sinking back into the pillows and Lanie lay her head back down on his chest.

"I'm sorry about that..."He yawned and she shrugged.

"What did you want to tell me?" She had lost her nerve as quickly as she got it and she sighed.

"Just, Thank you" He smiled and she could tell he was falling asleep when he spoke.

"Anytime Lane. I would never ever let anyone hurt you"

"I know" She smiled and it wasn't long before they were both asleep.