Author's note: This one is a little short, but I wanted to get a chapter out for you guys before I get busy!
OOOOOOOOO
"This isn't the way to my place."
"That's because we're not going to your place."
Beckett frowned, and looked out the window again before looking over at Lanie.
"It's not the way to your place, either…"
"We're not going there, either."
"Lanie…"
"Relax, Kate. You know where we're going. Just stop and think about it."
"Castle isn't going to have time for me," she said, realizing that that was probably where they were going – they were going the right direction, anyway. "His mom and daughter-"
"He's going to have plenty of time for you. Besides, it wasn't even his idea."
"What? Whose was it?"
"I don't know. I didn't ask. All I know is that I was told to take you there once the hospital released you."
"He told you?"
"Montgomery did."
"Castle's on more pain medication than I am," she said. "I don't-"
"Don't you want to spend time with him?"
"Of course I do. But-"
"But?"
"I don't know… I don't want to be in his way, I guess. He's going to be with his family, he should spend time with them."
Lanie looked over at her since they were at a stoplight.
"You know as well as I do that he wants to spend time with you, too. You should know it better than I do since the change in your relationship. Don't make it hard on you – or him. Just accept that and try to enjoy his company. If I had a handsome rich writer in love with me, I'd spend all my free time with him."
"We haven't actually mentioned love…"
"Please…" she wasn't even concerned, and waved that away with a simple motion of her hand. "You can see it when you look at him looking at you. The words aren't there, but the feeling is. Just let him take care of you, and get better."
Beckett sighed, but she didn't argue. She wasn't really feeling up to any argument and probably didn't even want to argue about it if she was honest with herself. Instead she leaned against the seat, her hand protectively over her side
"Fine."
"Good."
The light changed and the car moved forward again.
OOOOOOOOOO
Castle's loft wasn't quiet and peaceful. There were three workmen there, fixing the damage done by the gunfire the day before. That included replacing the areas on the wall with bullet holes, damage done to the doorframe, and cleaning Beckett's blood from the floor. Castle was overseeing things – mainly just sitting on a bar stool and watching them while nursing a cup of coffee. He looked up at the knock on the door and smiled when Lanie and Beckett walked in.
Kate was walking slowly, clearly stiff and sore, but he was glad – and relieved – to see her on her feet. He'd been worried that the doctors weren't going to let her leave the hospital, and had then been worried that they wouldn't let him take care of her. He'd stopped taking the really strong painkillers – he didn't need them, really, when a couple of aspirin would do the trick to dull the pain in his head – and had talked to Montgomery about how he would be able to take better care of Beckett than anyone, since he was able to completely clear his schedule to make time for her. Montgomery hadn't been fooled, but he did agree with Castle, and was willing to let Castle watch her.
Lanie looked around as she walked over to the kitchen with Kate.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked.
"What?"
"How is Beckett supposed to get any rest with all this going on around her?"
He smirked.
"You let me worry about that."
"Castle…"
Lanie wasn't going to 'let him worry about that'. She wanted to know.
"Follow me."
He led them down the hallway and into a door that turned out to be the door to what had to be his bedroom. It was a large room tastefully decorated and dominated by a large bed piled with pillows and a blue comforter. A doorway led to a master bath, but the light was off so neither could see into it. They both noticed, however, that the moment he shut the door behind them, they couldn't hear any of the banging and pounding that was going on in the living room.
"Sound proof bedroom?" Lanie asked, raising an eyebrow.
He had the grace to flush – just a little.
"Let's just say it was a good idea when Alexis was younger."
Kate shook her head.
"I can't stay here."
"Of course you can."
"You're not any healthier than I am," she pointed out. "You need your bed."
"I haven't been shot," he reminded her. "Thanks to you. You need a place to heal and this is perfect. We close the door and you can sleep as long as you need to. And I can take care of you just as well as Lanie can."
"I wouldn't say just as well," Lanie objected. "I'm a doctor, after all."
"Yeah, but you deal with dead people."
Beckett rolled her eyes.
"What about your mom and Alexis?"
"What about them?"
"They shouldn't have to deal with this…"
"It was my mother's idea, Kate," he told her, smiling. "Just give it a try, okay? Please?"
She couldn't say no to him. Well, she could, but in this instance she didn't really want to. She was sore and tired, and wanted to be taken care of, and she wanted him to be the one who did it. She'd given him all the reasons that he shouldn't be, and he'd countered them with reasonable arguments. She looked at Lanie, who made her expression carefully neutral, and shrugged.
"Okay."
His smile broadened.
"Great." He took the bag Lanie had been holding and set it on his dresser. "You get ready for bed, and I'll make you some lunch." He looked over at Lanie. "That includes you, too."
"Nope. Not me. I'm going to lunch with Javier. You two have fun."
"I think we can handle that."
Beckett ignored Lanie's knowing smile and took her bag and headed for the bathroom.