Title: If Found

Summary: An accident, a discovery, a revelation. Fluff, shameless fluff. OOC, established Caskett.

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing 'em for a bit.

Author's Note: Erm... yeah. I blame sleep deprivation for this one, and the fact that for some reason, everybody I've seen today has had their shirt tag hanging out. Manu: thanks again, I hope this one cheered you up a bit :-)

Rick groaned, the sound raspy in his dry throat. Forcing his eyes open, he saw... white. Blinking as rapidly as he could, other sensations began to register: the quiet, busy noise of people moving, the distinctive smell of antiseptic.

Ah crap, He thought. Hospital.

Frantically scanning his memory for what had happened, he came up blank. Completely blank. Everything from how the hell he ended up here, to his own name. His movements, however small, attracted the immediate attentions of a nurse, who smiled sweetly at him.

"Hey there..." She pulled his chart from the end of the bed, running a practiced eye over it before glancing at the machines next to him. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Working his lips, he rolled his head on the pillow and saw a small glass of water within reach. Seeing the direction of his gaze, the nurse, reached out and held the glass near his mouth, the short straw within easy reach of his lips. Capturing the plastic, he drew in a small mouthful and let his parched mouth bask in the sweet coolness for a moment, before swallowing. Feeling better already, he greedily slurped down another several gulps, before letting the straw fall from his mouth with a happy sigh.

Marshalling his thoughts, he looked at the nurse.

"So... why am I here?" He asked, figuring it was better to know what had happened as soon as possible.

"You were brought in three days ago by an ambulance. Your car was involved in an accident, Mr...?" Castle winced as he stretched slightly, the urgent messages from his body telling him that yes, he had been banged up pretty badly.

"Yeah, I wish I could help you there..." He muttered. "I'm coming up blanker than the ceiling tiles in here." He frowned, taking the rest of the room. "I can remember... waking up, and that's it."

The nurse, her tag revealing her to be Kathy, gave him a sad look, but brightened when something occurred to her. Reaching to the small table next to the bed, she picked up a mirror, and passed it to him, hoping the sight of his own features might jog something.

Rick took the mirror from her, turning it over in his hands for a moment before raising it, looking at his reflection. Other than the black eye and general pallor being dragged from a car wreck will give anybody, he looked... okay. He ran one hand over his stubble, the whiskery rasp of it against his fingertips feeling soothing, yet somehow... odd.

Huh. He mused. Guess I usually go clean-shaven then... Looking at the man in the mirror, Rick had the distinct impression that he liked the phrase 'ruggedly handsome', the thought teasing the faintest of smiles from the corner of his mouth. Dropping the mirror into his lap, he turned his attention to Kathy.

"Where is 'here', exactly?" Placing Castle's chart back in the tray, she picked up the digital thermometer from her pocket and slipped the disposable cap on. Tilting his head to one side, she eased the sensor into his ear and pressed the button, saying

"You're in Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Centre, in Smithtown..." Something sparked in his memory, something to do with the name, but it disappeared as soon as he thought he had it.

"Why on earth would I be this far out of the city?" He pondered aloud. A frown creased his brow as he realised that he had no idea who the hell he was, but that he could recall where he was in relation to New York without any apparent effort.

"I wish I knew." Kathy responded, her concern written clearly on her face. Giving him a quick once-over, she continued. "Do you think you're up to making a trip to the toilet by yourself yet?" She grinned at his flush of embarrassment. "You've been here long enough that we can take your catheter out." Glancing down his body, Castle did a quick inventory of his various aches and pains.

"I think I can manage." He replied, a wry smile on his lips. Flicking the blanket off him, Rick eased his legs off the edge of the bed, bracing his hands on the mattress as he gently let his feet take his weight. Shuffling forward, he headed towards the door, the short trip seemingly getting longer with every hesitant step.

Focused on keeping upright, Rick didn't pay any attention to the fact that his hospital gown gaped open at the back. Nurse Kathy turned and saw the gap, running an appreciative eye across the exposed assets of her patient. Her smirk froze in place as she saw something that caught her attention. Moving closer, she barely restrained a giggle as she realised what it was that she saw. The moment Castle closed and locked the door behind him, she left the room, heading for the nurses station. Glancing around to make sure she wasn't observed, she picked up the phone book and leafed through it rapidly. Finding the number she sought, she grabbed the phone and dialed, still fighting to keep the smirk off her face.

Castle lay back in the bed, aimlessly watching the television in the corner. For some reason, the daytime soap opera managed to hold his attention. It wasn't anything quite as trashy as Days of our Lives, or the Bold and the Beautiful, thankfully. He found himself smiling as he sat through the latest episode of Temptation Lane, and wondering why the hell he found the show so... comforting.

His reverie was interrupted by Nurse Kathy entering the room again, a gorgeous brunette in tow. Seeing the man in the bed, she rushed over, relief and joy filling her face.

"Rick! Thank god you are okay!" She brushed her fingers through his hair and pressed a fervent kiss to his lips. Pulling back, Kate felt something... off. She looked at him, puzzled. "Rick?" She paused when she saw the dazed look in his eyes, the lack of recognition. "Castle?"

Glancing down to their joined hands, he watched as his thumb absently traced small circles on the back of her hand, operating on instructions from somewhere other than his conscious mind. Their fingers laced together, Rick took a moment to admire the exquisite woman now sitting on his bed, the surge of affection that filled him told him louder than words that she meant something to him, even if he couldn't remember what.

Nurse Kathy spoke up, breaking the slightly awkward moment. "Your..."

"Fiancée." Kate supplied, a grin lighting her face as she glanced towards the ring gracing her ring finger, still getting used to the sight of it there.

"Fiancée." Kathy continued, smiling at the couple. "He was brought in as a result of a car accident, and has amnesia." She glanced between them, her smile fading. "We haven't had a chance to have the doctors do a thorough examination as yet though, so we don't know how bad it is."

Castle looked at the two women, confusion evident on his face.

"So if I have no idea who I am, how did you manage to find my fiancée so quickly?"

Kathy blushed, trying to hide the knowing grin forming on her lips.

"Your tattoo..." Rick's eyebrows raised.

"Mine, or...?" He glanced to Beckett.

"Kate." She bit her lip, an embarrassed grin slipping out despite her best efforts to rein it in. "And I think she means yours..." She whispered, leaning close.

The scent of her cherry shampoo replacing the acrid smell of the disinfectant in his senses, Rick smiled as he asked

"And my oh so distinctive tattoo was enough for you to find out who I am and get hold of my significant other so quickly how?"

Kathy chuckled.

"I've seen a lot of things in my time here, Mr Castle, but this one takes the cake. Your tattoo, which is on your left butt-cheek, by the way, says-" Kate cut her off, saying

"Just so you know, Rick, it was your idea... You said I had a ring, and you wanted something that meant the same..." Kathy laughed out loud, before continuing, the words ingrained on her memory.

"Property of Kate. If found, please return care of the 12th precinct, NYPD."

A/N: yeah, this one came to me as I was pondering one of my other tattoo-based plotlines, no idea why :-P Reviews feed the plot bunnies folks!