CH6

Rick is the first to break from the kiss, but only because he needs air. And even then he proceeds to softly kiss her lips in various places. Drawing them out and making them even more swollen then they already are. Finally he softly bits her bottom lip and pulls it out towards him, only to let go and then wash the pain of it with his tongue.

Pulling his head back and breathing heavy he looks into Kate's eyes. Well tries to since they are still closed. She seems to be reliving the kiss in her mind, he thinks. Or hopes.

Kate finally opens her eyes and sees Castle staring back at her. She still can not seem to form any words to say and is for the moment satisfied to just be drawn in the blueness of his eyes. Finally she comes out of the dream she was in and her mind begins to function. She is in Castle's arms. She can feel his body up against hers. She can see straight into his soul thru his eyes.

'Wait! Why is Castle in my personal space? Why are his arms around me? Why are his lips only an inch from mine? Why do my lips tingle?'

'What the F… . Why are my arms locked around Castle's neck?'

'And more importantly. Why am I starting to get damp between my legs?

Kate quickly removes her arms from around Castle. Escapes from Castle's arms and steps back a couple of feet.

"Castle, I, …. I, …. I need to go!" and turns to leave. But only makes it a couple of steps.

"Castle, I, …. Someone will be back to take Jessica to the hospital." Kate tells him. And starts to hurriedly exit the bedroom and down the stairs to the front door.

"Detective wait!" Rick yells at her. Moving over to a small duffel bag and picks it up.

"You'll need this."

"What's this?" Kate asks. She has only made it another step or two before stopping, again.

"I really wanted to clean her up when I got her here, but knew if the guy who did this to her was going to get caught. You would need evidence."

"So I took everything off of her I could find and put it into bags, and marked them. Her clothes are in here too."

"I even did a rape kit." Looking disgusted at himself.

"Castle, it would need to be done by someone certified. Or at least witnessed by someone to be of any use." Kate tells him.

"Well I also took photos and made a video of what I did. I described every process I intended to do and then did it. It's all on the DVD. That's in there too." Rick tells her.

"I've also contacted my lawyer and sent him a copy of the DVD already. And i had an MD available during the entire procedure. She just, ... something about insurance coverages." He lies, hoping she doesn't notice. The truth of who this MD was would be so much harder to believe.

Kate takes the bag. "Thanks, Castle." And strides for the bedroom door after taking the bag.

At the front door she grabs the uniform officer and practically drags him out to the car in a hurry. She wants to get away from Castle so she can process that kiss and what it means. And wants to get to the hospital to check on Espo.

Upon reaching the car she yells at him as she opens the passenger door to get in, "DRIVE!" Kate not trusting her mind to function properly and drive at the same time.

Rick has followed her and makes it to the front door just as she gets into the car. Closing his front door he turns and puts his back up against it. "Way to make a first impression, Rick!" Wondering if he'll ever see her again.

Some time later, "Detective? … Detective? We're here." The uniform is telling her.

Kate turns to look at him. She has not said a word the entire trip. Hell she doesn't even remember the trip. All she remembers is the kiss.

'It was just a damn kiss' She tells herself. Only to have it answered by some other voice 'Yea, What a kiss!'. 'Oh, Shut up!' is the response.

Getting out of the car and striding toward the Emergency Entrance she is still lost in the kiss. 'Damn it Kate, get a grip. It was just a kiss. You've been kissed before.' 'But not like that' the voice answers.

Inside she is immediately spotted by Ryan, who calls her over.

"How's Espo?" trying to get over the kiss and sound worried. But it is weak attempt and she hopes Ryan does not pick up on it.

"He took 2 shots in his chest." He tells her. Hearing her suck in her breath and hold it.

"He was wearing his vest. We both were. I don't really know how bad it is. No one has told me."

"How'd it happen? " She wanted to blame him, but would wait for him to talk.

"We entered the Apt. and found him gone. So, we started searching. We found something in the bedroom and Javi took out his cell phone to call in CSU and walked out into the living room."

"Next thing I knew there were 2 shots and Javi was laying on the floor. I moved to the door way and saw him trying to make an exit with a weapon in his hand. We both shot together. His hit the door frame near my head." As he motions to the wound on his head that Kate had not seen yet.

"I hit him in the leg. Then I chased him down the stairwell and out the front door. He was firing at me the whole way. Once outside I lost him."

"We've got uniforms searching the area for him or the weapon, if he dropped it. Maybe there is a blood trail. I don't know."

"It's not your fault Kev." Kate tries to reassure him.

"Yes it is! He's my partner." He says with a pained face.

"I'll get someone to start calling hospitals and clinics in the area. If he's hit, he may seek medical treatment. We'll get him Kev." Kate tries to tell him.

"Let's get your head looked at."

"I'm fine! It's just a scratch."

"Yea, a scratch that doesn't need to get infected. Come on, let's find someone to clean you up."

After finding a nurse to clean up Ryan and finding that she can't see Javi yet, since he is still being looked at, Kate pulls out her phone and calls the 12th, to talk to her captain about checking hospitals for gun shot victims.

When that is done she arranges for an ambulance to meet her at Castle's house to pick up Jessica later.

Finding Ryan with his head bandaged. 'Kate snickers a little because he kind of looks like he is wearing a Fez.' And together they head off to look for Javi.

Finding him with his doctor, "How is he?" Kate asks. While showing him her badge.

"He took two gun shots to the chest. Thankfully the majority of it was absorbed by the vest he was wearing."

"Still they did penetrate all the way and did minor damage, that did not require much work or stitches to close."

"They impact however has given him two light fracture's, one more serious than the other and some bruising. The main fracture has managed to scratch his left lung without deflating it. He is going to find it hard to breath for a couple of days."

"Also anything above walking in terms of exercise is out for at least 1 week. We are keeping him over night so we can monitor that his lung does not collapse from the stress that has been placed on it."

"Hopefully around noon tomorrow we can release him. But he will need bed rest for the next 2 days. I'll give him a prescription for the pain. But he should be fine."

"If he wasn't wearing that vest. We would be having a totally different conversation."

"Thanks Doc!" Kate tells him.

"I'll be by to check on you later tonight before I'm off shift." He tells Espo. Then turns and leaves.

"So, you just had to give me more paperwork. Didn't you?" Kate teases him.

"You can't fool me Beckett. We both know how much you love paperwork. Don't we bro?"

"Javi, I'm sorry?" Ryan tells him looking crest fallen. "I should have been there. I should have remembered that we left the front door open."

"I shouldn't have lost him. I shouldn't have even left you behind to chase him down. I don't know what i was thinking."

"HEY, bro. It's not your fault.! I let my guard down when I left the bedroom. I don't know what I was thinking."

"If you hadn't been there he might have finished the job." Javi tells him.

It doesn't appease Ryan, and he is still looking at the floor, but doesn't say anything more.

"Ryan, I want you back at the 12th. You shot him. I want you to see if he seeks medical attention anywhere for it. I'm heading back to Castle's to get Jessica."

"Castle? Who's Castle?" Ryan asks.

"The guy who picked up that girl on the security camera, was Rick Castle. The girl's name is Jessica."

"Richard Castle? As in Richard Castle the author?" Ryan asks with his mouth hanging open.

"Is he good looking, Beckett?" Javi asks.

"I didn't notice." Kate tells him. Lying thru her teeth.

"Uh-Huh." Javi mumbles.

"Shut-up! Or I'll wait for you to come back and let YOU do the paperwork."

"Better yet, I'll start telling you jokes!" Kate threatens.

"Right Beckett. Whatever you say Beckett." Javi says in a non-believing tone.

"Augh." Kate spouts and leaves. While Ryan does a fist bump with Javi before also leaving. Both with knowing smirks on their faces.

Kate, Ryan and the uniform drive back to the 12th. Ryan heads up to the bullpen to start looking for the guy he shot in the leg. While Kate heads down stairs to take the bag Castle gave her to Lanie.

"Hey Lanie. I've got something for you."

"What's in the bag? Girlfriend."

"Someone that may be involved with this case was beat up by someone. She ended up at Castle's house and Castle says he did a thorough job of taking evidence off of her. He says he even took pictures and made a video of everything he did."

"Can you take a look at all of this for me, and tell me what you find?"

"Who's, Castle?" Lanie asks.

"Richard Castle." Kate tells her in barely a whisper.

"Richard Castle, the author? The one you have every book he has ever written in your Apt. That Richard Castle!?"

"Did you jump him?" Lanie asks her all excited."

"What? No I didn't jump him!"

"Well, what did you do?" digging a little deeper.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Honest, I didn't do anything." Waits a second then lowers her head. "Much."

"What did you do Katharine Beckett?"

"I'm telling you, I didn't do anything. He, kissed me."

"And what did you do?"

"I may have,….. kissed him back."

"Girlfriend!" Lanie squeals in her face, loud enough to break glass. Though none did, somehow.

"It was just a kiss, Lanie." As Kate turns to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I have to go back to Castle's and get this Jessica to a hospital. Tell me what you find in that bag."

"Are you going to jump him?" Lanie asks excited for her friend.

"NO, I'm not going to 'Jump him'." Kate is growing irritated with this topic.

"You should jump him while you still have the chance." Lanie tells Kate as Kate is fleeing the room.

"SHUT, … UP!" Kate drags out the two words as she leaves.