AN: I know, I know, I know…it's been forever since I last updated but I am pleased to announce that this rewrite only has a few more chapters left until it is complete. I refuse to write anything new until this is complete!

P.S: I have deleted some scenes that I felt were either over dramatic, out of character, or just blah.

P.S.S.: To the guest who has been leaving messages on this story every single day (you and I both know who you are )…thank you! Your persistent badgering has forced me to start writing again!

"Her new what, Castle?" Beckett asks with a confused, disoriented look on her face while she stares at Castle in a way that makes him feel like she isn't exactly staring at him, but through him. He squirms in his seat a little bit, trying to figure out how to respond to this question; with the new turn that everything had just took.

"Her new bedroom Kate, at the loft, Mother and Alexis called me right before you woke up from your little cocoon, and her bedroom is all set up. It's a surprise, I wouldn't tell her what I was going to do, but she's very excited to go see it today. Actually, she was so excited that I could barely get her to go to sleep last night." He answers, looking at her with an anxious look on his face because now he does not know if his plan will be able to go through.

Ignoring the remark, he made about her sleeping habits lately, she answers him with the first comment that comes to her brain and out of her mouth without thinking about it. "Rick? What the heck do you think you are doing? We need to talk, now."

And then his world shattered.

"You were, are, sick, and the hospital needed an answer for as to where Emily was going and your dad wanted to watch her but he has this gigantic case that the firm gave him and…and so I offered, and I…I figured you wouldn't mind since that way she doesn't have to stay another night here, and-" she abruptly cuts him off and puts an end to their conversation. One that should probably stop he thinks as he faintly hears the heart monitor going off in the background but before he can say anything she's talking again.

"Castle," Kate sighed, "I get why you did it and thank you for taking care of my daughter when I couldn't, but it's too much for you to do all of that for her." She held up her hand when he went to go object. "Even if I can't exactly take care of her now." Once she had finished she looked back up and saw the look on his face as his mouth opened ready to object. Of course he was she thought to herself as she turned slightly in her temporary bed.

"Beckett," Castle all but barked while his back straightened, shoulders squaring, and his jaw locking. "I do not think that it is too much to do something like this, even if Emily isn't mine nor if there is nobody else to take care of her. I want to take care of her and you, if you will let me, and I want to help nurse the both of you back to health." He sees her go to shake her head in disagreement as her arms cross over her chest, her unconscious way of protecting both her and Emily. She snaps her gaze back up to his and begins violently coughing while she try's and fails to throw her body up. He runs over to her side and gently guides her into a sitting position while he gets her a glass of water. "Small sips, Kate, small sips."

"Emily…oh, God, what kind of mother am I?! I didn't even ask you if my baby girl was okay! Please tell me that she is safe Rick and that she isn't hurt. Please Rick tell me that my sweet princess is.…" She goes to say "alive" but her throat gets clogged up and the words get caught on a quiet sob, and when he doesn't answer her right away the tears that she had been holding in surface to the corner of her eyes. If anything were to happen to her daughter because of her, or because of her job, she would never be able to live with herself. He finally shakes his head to indicate negativity and she lets out a breath that didn't know she was holding.

"But she isn't exactly out of the woods and she won't be for a little while, Kate." She takes a shaky breath, runs her hands through her hair, and closes her eyes. "Kate, it isn't anything too serious. It's just somethings that we must be on the lookout for due to the smoke and debris. That's all." She opens her eyes to see him smiling down at her and she forces a grimace on to her face.

"Okay…so, what's wrong with her then?" She asks and feels his hand squeezing hers. She didn't even know that they were holding hands and now she's grateful for it, for the feeling of hope and faith that he gives her.

"It's not as bad as you think that it is, Beckett. She has some cuts and bruises, a couple broken ribs, her asthma was slightly affected from all of the smoke, and her back has open flesh wounds on them." Castle knew that no matter how gentle he explained it, it was still going to torture her if she didn't know the entire truth. He watched her reaction very carefully while she digested the information that was thrown at her.

"That's…." That's what? Beckett thought to herself…that's wonderful that she's alive? That's horrible because she is hurt? That's not fine at all because it is my fault?

"None of this is your fault, Kate, none of this. It isn't any more your fault then it is mine." Castle's voice was a mere whisper by the end of his sentence, and oh…oh, God, Castle…. He's blaming himself for writing the Nikki Heat series even though it's not his fault. Because it isn't. It's Dunn's fault.

"Castle- Rick," she tries for his first name instead. "This is not your fault, okay?! Do you hear me? This is not your fault! She squeezes his hand harder than he did hers and sees a little bit of the light shine back into his eyes.

"Okay." He says as she repeats it back to him.

"Anyways, how are you?" She completely forgot to ask him how he was and yet here he is, worrying himself down to a thread about her and her daughter.

"I'm fine." At the eye roll that she gives him, he goes on. "I was worried sick about you and Emily, but I'm so much better now that you're awake. I promise Kate, okay?"

"Okay." They both take a moment to look at the other, letting them physically see and reassure themselves that they are okay and that it will all be okay. She breaks the silence first.

"If you really don't mind," she knows that she's blushing now, feels the heat on her cheeks and neck. "Then yes, Emily can stay at your place." She watches the smile that spreads across his face and let's a matching one appear on her face too. "Thanks, Castle."

"Always." She laughs at that and it's going to be okay…they are going to be okay.

"Mommy!" Emily shrieked when she walked into Kate's hospital room and tried to let go off Castle's hand.

"Wow Emily hold on for a second, okay?" Castle grabbed the girl from behind and swung her up into his arms as he held her closely to his chest, still mindful of the injuries to her ribs and back. "I know you want to see your Mommy and trust me I want to see her too," he said, while whispering the last part and looking over to Kate with a grin that caused her to blush as Emily giggled and continued to squirm in his arms. "But, Mommy has a lot of boo boo's too so we have to be careful, alright? We don't want Mommy getting hurt anymore then she already is, right?"

"Of cors' not, Caswel," Emily replied back while wiping at her eyes. "My no hurt, Mommy." Rick had not meant to make her cry, just simply be firm and warm with her however, when he saw the tears in her eyes he could not but help to kiss the crown of her head and rock her close to his chest while whispering sweet words of nothing to her.

"Jesus Castle! Just give me my baby girl already, please!" His head whipped up to where Kate was sitting up on the bed with her arms open motioning for him to bring Emily to her. He did so within a second. He gently set Emily down on the bed and then helped Kate to scoot Emily up into her arms while grasping the two-year old to her chest. She began to silently cry and rock the both of them side to side as her daughter wept out loud.

Castle looked on at mother and daughter and couldn't resist taking out his phone and capturing a quick picture of the scene going on in front of him. It was of a mother and daughter reconnected after an unbearable time apart, a special bond that could not be broken no matter what. He thought back to Alexis and the bond that she has with her mother, Castle wanted nothing more than for Alexis to have a chance to feel that special bond with a motherly figure in her life. If he was being honest with himself, then he wanted that special bond and motherly figure to be Kate. He wasn't about to deny that he had feelings for a certain brown-curly hair, and green-eyed detective, but to what extent did those feelings go to?

"Hey Castle, are you just going to stand there all day or pull up and take a seat? Or you can come join us on the bed?" Kate's voiced pierced through his thoughts but then his feet had taken over before his mind and he was walking forward to sit down on the bed next to the both of them.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, guess wat Cassel taugt mew?!" Emily jumped up excitedly on the bed and turn to face her Mom as she was giggling and placing her hands over her mouth to try and stop herself. To this, Kate looked over at Castle while narrowing her eyes at him and responding to her daughter.

"What did Castle teach you, baby girl?" Kate asked, her gaze never once leaving Castle's.

"TEXAS HOWD DEM!" Emily all but shouted at the adults causing them to wince at the loud noise.

"Castle, you better pray to any God that is out there listening right now that my two-almost three-year old-did not just say that you taught her how to play Texas Hold 'Em." Kate seethed in the direction of her partner.

"What? All we had was a deck of cards, and let me inform you detective, it is not that easy to entertain a little kid with only a deck of cards." Castle replied back grinning at Beckett.

"What about gold fish, Castle? Or, I don't know, maybe old maid? Crazy 8's? A child friendly game?!" Kate retorted back within a second while trying to keep her "Beckett-look" steady, but failing miserably with Castle smiling at her like that.

"Oh, come on Beckett. She would have learned eventually in her lifetime, why not start now?" He was aggravating her again and doing all of his little Castle antics that drove her to insanity.

"Because maybe I wanted to be the one to play Texas Hold 'Em."

"Well, we could always play Strip Texas Hold 'Em if you really do want to play a game." Castle whispered while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively in her direction.

"CASTLE! My two year-old is right here." Kate whispered yelled and then rolled her eyes at his dirty mind. "You are such a child sometimes."

"It's one of the things that you like best about-"

"Mommy! My wanna plwy Texas Howd Dem. Can we plwy pleze?" Emily asked Kate, shifting in her mother arms so she was facing her as she placed her small, fragile hands (which Kate almost instantly noticed to have been all cut up and wrapped in bandages) on her mom's face. It was Castle who answered her first.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea; your Mom needs to rest and we have to get you out of here before the nurses realize that I snuck you out of your room before filling out your discharge papers." Castle whispered and placed a finger to his lips, acting in a gesture to show that it was a secret, causing for Emily to giggle and mimic Castle's actions. "Tell your mom goodbye and that you love her and that you will see her tomorrow morning bright and early." Castle stood up from the bed to give the two girls space to say their goodbyes.

"Bye momma, my lowve youl." Emily threw her little arms around Kate's neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek while Kate simultaneously did the same.

"Bye my baby girl. I love you, and I will see you tomorrow morning." Castle could see the tears gathering behind the detective's eyes. But before Kate could register what was happening Castle was walking over and scooping Emily up into his arms, kissing her forehead and whispering something that made her laugh into her ear.

Kate would be lying if she denied that she was worried about her only pride and joy staying with somebody else and their family, even if it was Richard Castle. She mostly didn't like the fact that she was away from Emily when she should be with her, holding her, comforting her, and oh God, what if Emily's has nightmares about this and Kate's not there for her? However, as if sensing what she was thinking, Castle walked back to his partner's side and lent down during a moment of confidence and gave her a kiss on the side of her temple while leaning down so his mouth was right next to her ear.

Kate could feel his breath right next to her ear so close to mingling with her own if he would just move a few centimeters down further….

"Kate, I am not going to let anything happen to Emily. I know that she may not be my daughter, but I care for her as if she was my own and look how Alexis has turned out. Plus, I will have Alexis and Mother at the loft with me constantly and we will be right back here in the morning, I promise. I promise you, Kate, nothing will happen to your baby girl. Always." With that, Castle looked into her eyes one more time and gave her his signature Richard Castle smile before turning on his heel and walking out of her hospital room.

A few minutes later after Castle and Emily had left Beckett laid on her, surprisingly not uncomfortable, hospital bed letting her mind rethink and over-analyze all that Castle had just said and shown through his actions and words.

"I care for her as if she was my own."

"…gave her a kiss on the side of her temple while leaning down so his mouth was right next to her ear."

These were the words and actions that she was still trying to wrap her mind around. She ran a hand through her hair trying to calm her racing mind down and her rapid breathing. She can still smell his distinct Castle smell, a wonderful mix of his cologne, coffee, and something else that she still could not put her finger on after-almost-two years of working with him.

Almost two years of working with Castle, her partner, coffee buyer, and best friend. Kate thinks that maybe she should do something for their two-year partner anniversary, but what do you buy the man who is rich enough to buy it for himself? Plus, she should really get him a thank-you gift for his hospitality of letting Emily stay with him and for caring for her own daughter when she could not herself. It would have to be something that her daughter would agree with and could help with…. She is just about screams "GOT IT!" when there is a knock at her door and her nurse walks in.

"Hey there Detective Beckett, how are you feeling right now?" Nurse Julia asks as she walks over to Kate's bedside and messing with the monitors.

"I'm fine." Kate replies back shortly and looks away from the nurse; she has never been one to like doctors and nurses.

"You know, it's too bad that your boyfriend and daughter left already, we just got some test results back and the doctor should be in any second now to talk to you about them."

"What do you mean 'test results back'? I thought that you guys already did all of the testing that needed to be done and I came back fine, besides just some soreness and smoke that got into my lungs." Kate does not even bothering correcting when the nurse calls Castle her boyfriend. At this moment, she is more concerned with the "test results" that have suddenly come back.

"Well, we did for all of the basic testing however, for the more extensive testing we received the test results about five minutes ago and Doctor Parsely said for me to come in here to take your vitals." Nurse Julia explains while she grabs the chart located at the end of Kate's bed and begins to write something on it. Kate goes to speak more but is quickly interrupted by the sound of her hospital door opening.

"Detective Beckett, how are you doing on this fine evening?" Doctor Parsely walked further into the room and Kate sized him up just as her training had taught her too. He looked the same from when they had spoken earlier in the morning, with Castle, and he had said that she was fine and that her all of her test came back fine. The only thing that was wrong with her was the soreness throughout her body and the small amount of trouble breathing because of the smoke from her burning apartment.

Shit! Her burning apartment, where were she and Emily supposed to live now? They could always crash at her dad's place, she knows that he wouldn't mind. But on a cop's salary, even if she was a first-grade detective, it would take her a year worth's of her salary in order to buy an apartment for the two of them.

Opening up the door to the loft, Castle could only hope that Emily would like her bedroom and that his mother and Alexis had finished shopping for clothes for both the two-year-old and her mother. His hopes were confirmed when he heard his daughter's light footsteps come bounding down the stairs to meet him at the threshold. He set Emily down and watched out of the corner of his right eye as the little girl spun in circles around his living room in complete awe of the grand and spacious loft. As he let go of Alexis, Castle realized that Emily had probably only ever seen Jim and Kate's apartments and understood why the little girl was acting like she had just been given a magical pony for Christmas. He was brought out his train of thoughts by the sound of a quiet, precious laughter floating through the open living area.

"Hey, Emily," Castle watches as Alexis walks over to the couch where Emily was currently trying to pull herself up on to. "Do you want to see something really, really cool?" Alexis's question was quickly answered by a vigorous nod of Emily's head as she lifted her arms up for Alexis to carry her to this "something really, really cool." He follows closely behind the both of them as they walk up the stairs together with Emily closely secured on his daughter's hip. The thought dawns on him for a second that if Alexis was given the opportunity she would be a great big sister.

"-And this is where my bedroom is, right across from Gram's bedroom. But Emily, do you know whose bedroom this is?" Castle is pulled out of his thoughts by Alexis easily setting Emily down on the ground in front of what he assumes to be her new "temporary" bedroom.

"Uh, uh." Emily replies and shakes her head while grasping on to his daughter's hand and swinging it in between them.

"Well, Little One," it's Castle who is speaking this time before he even realizes it and crouching down in between Alexis and Emily's swinging arms. "It's your new bedroom." He pauses before his next words when he hears her gasp and looks to see a smile slowly spread across her entire face. "Do you want to see it, Emily?" He whispers the last part.

The thought quickly dawns on Castle as to where his mother is, but it leaves his mind just as fast when he watches Alexis turn the doorknob, and Emily pull Alexis into the room with her as she begins to twirl around, yet again, as she tries to absorb the entire bedroom all at once. He really should give his mother and daughter more props on their last-minute abilities to pull anything off.

The room is simple, but extravagant in every Castle fashion. The walls are completely painted pink with every single princess that he could think of painted on all the walls in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree circle. There is also a princess wall paper at the top and bottom of the walls that says, "Once upon a dream" in blue, cursive writing. The first piece of furniture that Castle sees is a pink toddler bed with princess bedding on it and a brown. There is a brown wooden rocking chair in the opposite corner, as well as matching dressers, closets, and nightstands. He takes note of the mini flat screen television hanging on the wall above a DVD player facing the bed and rocking chair. Lastly, Castle sees a toy chest up against the wall directly across from him, under the windowsill, filled with toys and books as Alexis slowly opens it up to show Emily and sits on the soft blue carpet to play with her.

Castle takes that chance to go through the dressers, closets, and nightstands to see how much his girls really did spend on the bedroom for Emily, although, no amount is too big for him when it comes to any of his Beckett girls. He founds them all to be filled with all the essential clothing, footwear, etc. His thinking then wanders back to where his mother is, and as if being the Jedi Mastermind that he taught her to be, Alexis answers his question. "Gram went out to go buy Detective Beckett some more clothing and whatever else she found, and I quote, 'necessary for a girl to have in her life.'" This caused for Alexis to chuckle slightly and for Castle to shake his head and grimace on how much more money that would be causing him. However, price did not truly matter to him when it came to any of his girls.

Suddenly, Castle felt a tiny pair of arms wrap around his legs just as a matching little body slammed into his own. "Thwank ywou, Caswell." He simply looked down and smiled at Emily, who then repeated her actions but to Alexis this time.

Castle walked back over to the doorway to give the girls some bonding time with one and another as he went to go freshen up in his own bedroom yet, when he turned around to inform them of his departure, he could not help himself but take out his phone and capture a picture of the moment that he was witnessing before him. A moment that he could only pray would be occurring much more in the future, he just had to finish convincing a certain detective the same thing and then eventually ask her out to dinner one night. Soon.

Castle turned and as he was walking down the stairs grabbed his cell phone again out of his coat pocket and sent the picture to the detective who was putting a Cheshire cate size smile on his face. No caption, no emoji's, no comments, nothing, just simply the picture.

"A picture speaks a thousand words."

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