Author's Note: Ok folks, here is the final chapter! This one took me a lot longer to get through than I'd originally hoped for, it was just being stubborn, for some reason. My deepest thanks to Manuxinhace, as ever, for her patience in putting up with the numerous revisions and alterations to this, and for soldiering on through the angsty bits for me. Thanks also to Karin, for a fresh set of eyes, when both Manu and I were beat. Your thoughts and comments etc are very much welcomed, and will probably go some way to getting me off my lazy backside and working on some of my other, lately neglected, fics. Thank you all for your alerts, favorites and reviews, folks, writing this one has been a blast.

cheers, NevynR.

Warning: Still spoilers for Kill Shot, folks. This chapter also deals with character death, and it is advisable to have tissues on hand, just in case. Trust me though, it's not all bad.

Previously, in Choices:

Kate had a PTSD-induced meltdown at her apartment. Freaking out she called Castle, moments before falling and hitting her head. She was unconscious when he arrived, and called 911.

She woke up, standing on a sandy plain, barren as far as the eye could see, except for two mirrors.

Touching one, she experienced one possible future for herself, a not very pleasant one at that.

Back on the plain, she reached out and touched the second mirror, and was pulled into another alternate future, ending with her stealing Rick's salmon, and realising that they might be hearing the pitter-patter of little Caskett babies in the not too distant future.

And now, the conclusion.

Drawing a deep breath to calm herself, she nervously ran her hands down the shimmering white of her dress, smoothing it over her hips, fingers caressing her stomach for a brief second, the faintest of bumps beginning to show. Letting her breath out slowly, she looked at her father, seeing the tears glistening in his eyes. His voice choked with emotion, he asked her,

"You ready, Katie?" Settling herself, she smiled back at him, still having trouble believing she was here, about to do this.

"Yeah, dad." She blinked rapidly, keeping her own tears in check. "I think I've been waiting for this day longer than I know." Giving her a proud nod, Jim extended his arm to her. Stepping forward, she threaded her arm through his as they paused at the doorway.

A change in the music signalling their cue, they started moving, Kate's movements becoming firmer and more resolved with each step. Rounding the corner, she saw the rows of chairs either side of the aisle, filled with their friends and family. Ahead of her, she could see Lanie's back as she walked ahead of her.

At the far end, Maddie waited patiently, already finished the slow walk down the carpet to the altar. Opposite her stood their counterparts: Ryan and Esposito, resplendent in their black suits, hands clasped behind their backs, cheesy gins firmly in place. Next to them... her heart thudded in her chest, her breathing faltering. Castle was still, as if frozen in place. Rooted to the spot, he waited, stunned by the vision in white that made her way towards him. The blue of his eyes somewhere between the rich, deep blue of the ocean they stood next to and the cloudless sky above, she lost herself in his gaze.

The connection between them pulling her forwards, it felt like the distance was too far, she needed to be there with him, needed to be by his side already. She blinked, wondering where the walk had gone, because she was there, her hand grasped in his as they stood in front of the minister.

Lost in her eyes, he held hers lightly as he spoke.

"I, Richard, take you Katherine to be my wife, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health..."

Hands clasped, they sat in the hard seats of the court: Martha, Alexis, Rick, Kate and Jim. Behind them were their friends, Ryan and Jenny, Esposito and Lanie, all there to bear witness. The wait stretched on as they sat, anxious, the hush palpable.

"All rise." The Bailiff ordered as the judge entered the court, followed shortly by the jurors.

"Please be seated." The judge said, as he sat down and looked over at the jury. "Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" The jury spokesman responded, his voice steady.

"We have, Your Honour." Kate tensed, her hand gripping that of her husband tightly, her lip held firmly between her teeth. As if sensing the gravity of the moment, their unborn child took the opportunity to kick her ribs, hard. Eight and a half months pregnant, Kate winced as she tried to ignore the pain as she focused on the events in front of her.

"What say you?" The judge demanded, solemn, his attention drifting to the man currently standing in the docks, cuffed, and surrounded by officers of the court. Voice steady, the lead juror spoke.

"On the charges of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant: guilty on all counts. On the charges of conspiracy to commit murder, we find the defendant: guilty on all counts." Kate let her breath out in a loud whoosh as she leaned back, feeling the weight she had carried around since her mother's death finally lift. Elated, she looked around her, tears making their way down her cheeks as she slipped her arm around her father's shoulders, hugging him tightly.

"It's over, dad, it's finally over..."

Standing outside the court rooms, they took turns hugging, shaking hands where appropriate as their friends and family shared in the congratulations. They all knew how long it had taken to reach this point, how hard they had worked, and how much they had lost.

Throwing her arms around her husband's neck, Kate kissed him soundly, the unrestrained joy that filled her transmitted into him, grins firmly in place despite the intensity of their embrace.

Shifting slightly to ease the pressure on her stomach, she felt wetness run down her legs. Pulling back from the kiss, she gasped.

"Oh god, Rick..." His startled eyes met her own. "I think my water just broke..."

Tired and sore, Kate lay back on the pillows. Despite her fatigue, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. Gazing tenderly at the bundle in her arms, she stroked the tips of her fingers across her daughters face, marveling at the way her tiny hands sought hers out immediately. Gripping her mothers finger tightly, Emma nuzzled against the warm chest, seeking comfort and food.

"Hey there, baby girl..." The soft voice of her husband distracting her from the bundle in her arms for a moment, Kate fixed her eyes on him, so full of love she couldn't contain it.

"Rick, she's perfect..." She smiled, her face suffused with joy.

"And hungry..." Her husband replied, quietly, his hand caressing her hair, smoothing the chestnut locks displaced by her labor. Kate's eyes dropped once more to their daughter, hands going to the hospital gown. Oblivious to anything else in the room, she eased Emma's face closer to her breast, Kate's mouth fell open in a small 'o' of surprise as the baby's lips latched on, suckling immediately.

"Soon as you've finished your lunch, there is a whole bunch of people outside who want to meet you, little one." Rick murmured, easing his arm around his wife's shoulders as he joined her in watching their daughter enjoy her first meal. "You and your Mom are in demand today..."

Kate nestled her head into the crook of his neck and sighed happily. Her husband, and now their daughter... They were a family, and she couldn't be happier.

"You know what? I don't care. I'm done." The sounds carried down the hall clearly, jerking Kate from her peaceful afternoon reading. Frowning, she slipped a bookmark into place and left her well read copy of Naked Heat on the coffee table. Standing up, she glanced at the clock and realised that Rick would be home any minute now, arms full of supplies for the party.

"Crap..." She muttered, under her breath, hoping that whatever had caused the outburst from Alexis room was fixable soon. The stunning red-head had been nervous all week, since her boyfriend of three years proposed. The engagement party was only a few days away, and she was having trouble balancing the planning with her studies.

Not the best timing, perhaps... Kate mused. College finals the same week as a party won't be pretty.

Kate headed down the hall and paused at the closed bedroom door. She drew a breath, calming herself down slightly. Shaking her head, she raised her hand and knocked softly on the door. There was silence for a few seconds, and the sound of what might have been muffled sobs, before she heard a voice within.

"Come in..." Alexis said, choking the words out. Pushing the door open slowly, Kate entered her step-daughter's room. Lying on her side on the bed, curled in the fetal position, the red-head was wiping her nose with a tissue, the sodden mess flung across the room with a ferocity that the detective had never seen from her before. Following the arc of the tissue, she saw it hit the wall and fall into a pile that was already there. Obviously, something was up with Little Castle, something major.

"Honey..." Kate asked quietly, easing herself onto the bed next to Alexis, stroking her hair gently. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?" Her breath hitching, Alexis pulled another tissue from the box, dabbing at her eyes for a moment. Turning her head, she looked up at Kate through reddened, puffy lids.

"Why, Kate...? Can you tell me why?" Her hand stilling for a second, Kate thought frantically, trying to see where the question was coming from. Giving up, she asked

"Why what, Lex?" Wrapping her arms around the detective, Alexis let out a soft keening sound, her chest convulsing again with the strength of her emotions. Forcing the words out between sobs, she explained.

"Why my mother-" She spat the word with such venom that Kate almost recoiled in shock. "thinks that working on some Indie movie in California is more important than coming to my wedding!" Stunned, Kate's mouth dropped open. She knew that Alexis mother wasn't the most stable of women (she'd heard her husband describe his ex-wife as 'a few fries short of a Happy Meal' once, and the phrase seemed to sum the woman up very nicely in Kate's opinion), but surely she couldn't be that stupid... could she?

One hand rubbing soothing circles on the crying young woman's back, the other weaving through her step-daughter's hair, Kate Castle was at a loss. She knew that on her own wedding day, as perfect as it had been, she had still felt her mother's absence keenly. To not have her mother there, watching as her father walked her down the aisle was hard, but this? To stand there, in front of her friends and family, knowing that the woman who gave birth to her would rather pursue her career than be there for her daughter on one of the most important days of her life...? Words failed her. Wordless shusshing noises slipped from her lips without thought, the same rhythmic, calming tones she had used only a few short years ago whenever Emma had woken from a nightmare, or just refused to settle.

Initially worried about her mothering abilities, Kate's concerns had been more than eased in short order by her husband, who calmly insisted that she was a natural. Their daughter was growing up (far too rapidly, if you asked Rick) a happy, well adjusted little girl, and despite the fact that Alexis was not her own flesh and blood, she was family in every way that mattered.

The movements eased the sobs gradually, and Alexis clung to her tightly as she let out her disappointment and hurt at her mothers rejection. Eventually, she let out a slow, shaky breath and reached for another tissue. Wiping her eyes again, she sat up, her arms still around Kate's waist. Her face determined, Alexis looked the detective squarely in the face, saying

"Its her loss, Kate. If she can't be bothered gracing us with her presence, I don't want her there, period." She swallowed, her face losing some of it's resolve. "Will you..." She dropped her eyes to her lap, staring at her knees for a moment before meeting Kate's eyes again. "Please... You have been more of a mother to me than that woman ever has."

"Of course I will..." The response came automatically as Kate enfolded her in a tender hug. Resting her cheek against the mane of red hair, she had to blink away tears of her own.

"Kate?" Alexis asked quietly, her head still snuggled against Kate's chest. Humming her acknowledgement, she let Alexis work through her thoughts in her own mind before voicing them. "Is it okay that I don't actually like my mother? I mean, she is my mom, and I am supposed to love her, but she's never been there for me, not when it mattered. Shopping trips to Paris, and crazy stuff like that, yeah, but for crying with me over ice-cream when boys are being stupid? Dad has had to do that... although I know a lot of his advice has come from you since he started following you around." Kate could hear the smile in her voice at the last part.

"He may have mentioned an issue or two..." She murmured.

"Thanks..." Alexis replied. She let out a sigh, exhausted by the torrent of emotion. "I guess I never got over her leaving us..." She admitted. "It was years afterward that I actually found out what happened. Dad never lied about it to me, but he tried to gloss over it as much as he could. I guess he was just trying to protect me from it, from hating her for it." Kate pulled back slightly, looking her full in the face, saying

"Maybe he was just trying to make sure you still had some kind of relationship with her, even if it isn't the kind you want..." Alexis nodded, a frown forming.

"I get that, and believe me, I'm grateful to him for it..."

"But...?" Alexis sighed before responding.

"But I am big enough to make decisions like that myself now. If she can't spare the time to come, then she's not worth my effort, Kate." She clenched her jaw, her expression rock solid. "I'm done. She has bailed on everything that has ever mattered to me, and I'm sick of it." Alexis looked her step-mother full in the face, her words shockingly blunt. "You know, if it wasn't for dad, she'd have just had an abortion the day she found out she was pregnant? The only reason dad knew about it was because he found her in the bathroom with the test in her hand."

Kate gaped at her, unable to fathom how Meredith could have come to that decision, let alone so quickly.

"How did you-" She started, before the red head cut her off.

"I pieced it together from one of the arguments they had a few years back. The only reason she didn't was because dad proposed. She never wanted me, it was always about her." She crossed her arms, anger filling her face. "Dad gave up so much, taking care of me all the time. She was always off at auditions, parties, living the high life, and he was home with me. Even back then, I knew things weren't good with them. She'd come home later and later, or sometimes not at all."

Kate wrapped her arms around Alexis, her cheek pressed against the mane of red hair, trying to keep her own tears at bay, her heart breaking as she sat quietly, listening with horrified attention as the young woman let loose a lifetime of pent-up bitterness, years of missed birthdays and school performances, occasions too numerous to recall individually where she had dragged her daughter to social functions to show her off, only to forget about her when she caught the attention of whichever casting director or producers was there. Kate thought she had seen the worst of it, but she was wrong.

"Did dad ever actually tell out what the final straw was between them?" Alexis asked hesitantly. Kate shook her head slowly. The issue hadn't come up, and she still found even thinking about with of his ex-wives got her hackles up. She knew that he loved her, and he had proved it for years. She had no reason to distrust him, his prior history was just that: prior. Kate had seen how much he had changed since he waltzed into her life. Thinking back on it, she realised that perhaps he hadn't changed, so much as shed the persona, letting the man he really was out once again. He hadn't asked her about her boyfriends, probably for the same reason if the expression on his face was anything to go by every time he happened to cross paths with Demming at the precinct.

Curiosity aflame, she waited, unsure if she really wanted to know. Alexis looked her full in the face, the pain still visible in her eyes.

"Dad had taken the afternoon to write, went out to clear his head and Mom was supposed to be looking after me for a couple of hours. He must have gotten into a creative streak, because he got the chapters done early, and came home to find her on the couch with the slime-ball directing her latest production. He damn near had a coronary, but it wasn't because she cheated on him." Alexis looked almost proud of her father as she shook her head, still amazed at him. "He threw them their clothes, then tend told then to get a room elsewhere." She closed her eyes briefly, still able to recall the fury in her fathers face that day, despite how young she had been. "That was the last time I saw her for a couple of years. Dad says the divorce paperwork was sent to him less than a week later, from California." Alexis sighed bitterly, looking back on the incident for the first time in years as an adult instead of through the eyes of a child. Her mouth showing her distaste, she went on. "So that's why I don't care any more, Kate. My own mother couldn't keep her clothes on long enough to take care of her baby girl for a couple of hours. Couldn't sort out lunch, couldn't change a nappy because she was too busy cheating on dad, in their own house. Dad might have even been able to get past it, the first time, but once he did some digging and found out it wasn't the first time, or even the third or fourth...? She beat him to the punch with the paperwork."

Kate sat back, her arms still loosely wrapped around Alexis shoulders, stunned. She knew her husband's playboy reputation, and as much as she knew he'd changed, she had held a niggling suspicion that that had been at least part of the cause of his divorces. Her mind spun as she tried to wrap her head around Meredith's decisions. She tried to picture herself in Meredith's position, her husband out of the house, and then... Even just thinking about cheating on Rick filled her stomach with bile. She couldn't do it, couldn't even imagine it. Thinking back on it, she realised the sick feeling even pre-dated them getting together. She'd felt... uncomfortable when she was with Tom, not able really put a name to what she had been feeling, or why. He was cute, and a cop, intelligent and charming, and she had practically thrown herself at him to avoid facing the possibility of opening up to Castle. After that, the feelings were swamped by the bitterness and rejection that had followed when Castle had left for the summer, Gina on his arm. The sickening feeling had returned in full force after the freezer incident, as she stood in the precinct with Josh's arms wrapped around her as he murmured into her ear, her eyes fixed on her partner as he walked out, disappointment and hurt written clearly on his face, with her words still unsaid hanging in the air between them.

"Commitment has always been his problem..." Alexis spoke softly. "But never lack of it. Kyra left him, Mom cheated and left him. Gina was... different. I think he spent so much effort trying to make sure I wouldn't get hurt if she left that it was self-fulfilling, at least the first time around. He just never seemed to open up on that level to anybody, it was always about the appearance, the millionaire playboy after that except with Grams and I... and now you." Alexis smiled softly, he face calmer after being able to vent her feelings. "Thank you, by the way... I'm not sure if I ever actually said that before, you know..."

"For what?" Kate asked, still absorbing her step-daughter's revelations.

"For being there... for making him happy again."

Images, sensations, the impression of memories flickered through Kate's consciousness like the turning pages of a calendar marking the passing of years:

Seated in the church, watching as her husband walked Alexis down the aisle, then returning to her side, hands clasped together, Meredith nowhere in sight.

Trying to hide her amused grin as she watched Rick put the fear of god into the trembling young man who turned up at the loft to collect Emma for her senior prom.

The tears of happiness threatening to spill free as she held Alexis' first baby, then looking over to her husband. The baby already had her grandfather wrapped around little finger. Grandparents... huh.

Kate let out a shaky breath, memories of her most recent day swimming to the surface of her mind. They had been heading home from their anniversary dinner, and stopped at Remy's for a quick burger for old time's sake.

Her arm looped through his, she rested her head against the lapel of Rick's dinner jacket, the taste of her shake still fresh on her tongue. Kate slipped her arm free, wrapping it around his waist as she pressed a kiss to his jaw. Stopping in the middle of the footpath, he turned, cupping her face in his hands. Lowering his face to hers, he kissed her as tenderly and passionately as he had done in front of their friends and family, thirty years ago to the day.

Engrossed in each other, neither of them paid any heed to the people walking past. Breaking off slowly, he rubbed the tip of his nose against hers for a moment before opening the door of the waiting town car. Offering his wife his hand to steady herself as she stepped into the vehicle, Rick pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles before joining her in the back, the door closing behind him.

The car pulled away from the curb, heading for home. Kate ran her eyes over her husband, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. His hair more grey than dark these days, he still had that boyish twinkle in his eyes that never failed to bring a smile to her face. The years had been kind to him, still able to pull off 'ruggedly handsome', despite the crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and the extra couple of pounds he was carrying. Her own hair had more than a few streaks of white through it, she knew. Thankfully, both of them had been kept on their toes enough to not put on much weight since she retired from the twelfth precinct the year before, the second female captain to serve there, and by far it's longest serving and most popular.

Rick leaned in close, a naughty grin crossing his lips as he trailed his fingers up her thigh.

"So, Mrs Castle, can I-" His words were cut off as the car was slammed violently sideways. The shrieking of rubber on the road mingled with the twisting metal and shattering glass raining down on them in the back. The car lurched sickeningly sideways, its path brought to an abrupt halt as the tyres hit the curb and flipped the vehicle. Barely noting the spinning of the car, the last thing they felt was the roof connecting with the street-light, and then everything went black.

The steady beep of machines dragged her mind from the blackness, fog still clinging to her thoughts. The scent of disinfectant only served to reinforce her initial assumption: hospital. Again. The feeling that her body was wrapped in cotton wool told her that she was on some pretty heavy medication, a fact which told her that the deep breath she was about to draw was probably a bad idea.

Kate's mental analysis of her injuries was cut short by voices talking in hushed whispers.

"Does she know?" Alexis, she realised. Kate could hear the tears in her step-daughter's voice, throat raw from crying.

"No, not yet..." Esposito's voice was hushed, tight with control. Finally, Kate managed to turn her head, forcing her eyes open. Seeing the movement, Alexis rushed over to her bedside.

"Mom!" She took Kate's hand in her own, warmth spreading the instant their fingers wrapped around. "I'm so glad you are okay..." Relief evident in her voice, the red-head blinked back tears.

"Rick?" Kate asked, her eyes darting around the room, seeking her husband. From her limited viewpoint, she couldn't see him, hers was the only bed in the room. Starting to panic, she met her step-daughter's eyes, and saw the pain there. "Lexi?" She asked, hoping like hell she was wrong.

Alexis swallowed hard, biting her bottom lip hard to stop it trembling. Her eyes filling with tears again, she blinked, the grief spilling out of her again as she moved closer to Kate.

"I'm so sorry mom..." For Kate, the world lurched sickeningly. Suddenly adrift, she felt everything spin, her heart shattering in her chest, the broken shards seeming to slice her anew with every shuddering breath she took.

Her arms wrapping around the woman in front of her, she cradled her close, hands soothing on auto-pilot. Ignoring everything else, Kate hugged Alexis, united in grief, unaware of the frantic beeping of the heart-rate monitor next to them, her vitals off the charts. Gone was the confident young woman she had watched grow and mature, the mother of three Castle grandchildren, replaced by a heartbroken little girl who had just found out that her daddy, the cornerstone of her existence was gone, never to return. No more animal pancakes, or late-night laser tag, never again an over-the-top Halloween party, or comforting hug and gentle "It's okay, Pumpkin".

Her mind detached, Kate felt the weight of her life hit her squarely, filling her. Sadness, wrenching sorrow for the loss of her other half. She had had nineteen years of happiness, and then her world had been shattered. Until he came.

Face twisting with the strength of her grief, Kate drew a shuddering breath as tears mapped their way down the contours of her face, soaking into Alexis' shirt. The frantic beeping that echoed around the room stuttered for a second, and then stopped, replaced by the long, drawn-out whine of a flatline.

Alexis pulled back from Kate's arms, her head darting from the woman in the bed to the machines and back again. She saw the lines of pain and loss from a moment before had faded, the faintest hint of a smile on Kate's lips.

As everything went grey around the edges, the blackness swallowing her whole again, Kate held the memory of the first kiss she shared with Rick firmly in her mind: adrenaline, fear, love and lust all mixed together in a torrent of emotion, outside a dingy warehouse.

Still the best stupid idea ever, Kate thought. Thirty years, they had been married. More than half her life she'd known him, loved him and been loved in return. It was worth it, She thought, weighing her life up. He was worth it, and so much more...

Kate staggered, her knees giving way. Her hands hit the silvery sand as she fell to her knees, torso pitching forward. Breath rasping in the back of her throat, heart hammering, she felt the tears still streaming down her face as the loss washed through her.

Gradually, her senses returned and she realised that she wasn't in pain, the aches and pains she had dealt with over the last thirty years falling away. Steadying herself, she rocked back on her heels and ran her hands through her hair, scrubbing them down her face. Standing slowly, she placed her hands on her knees, still not quite trusting her legs.

Finally forcing herself upright, Beckett rolled her shoulders as she looked around, running her eyes over the shards of glass still clinging to the mirror frames. Walking forward slowly, she reached out, trailing her fingers over the carved wood, her mind still reeling from the memories she had felt, the two distinct lives she had lived through. One hand resting on each frame, she felt them begin to vibrate, a soft, gentle humming that built steadily until she could feel her teeth rattling.

Reaching the point of pain, the noise ceased suddenly, the absence of it ringing in Beckett's ears for an instant, before she felt the voice that greeted her when she first woke up on the plain, the words searing through her with the force of a tsunami.

"Choose, Katherine Beckett... Nothing in the future is fixed, but choose you must."

The words echoed through her, fading slowly, the throbbing in her head easing as they did. Before they faded completely, she felt the wood beneath her hands warm. Flashing to scalding hot, the wood exploded into splinters. Flames licked out, wrapping her in their warmth, not burning, but holding her close, comforting her even as her vision faded out. Spiralling into the blackness again, she wondered where she would wake up this time.

Trapped inside the blackness, Kate... drifted. Not aware of her body at all, she floated in the warm darkness. Gradually, she became aware of sounds intruding on her peace. Voices, she realised. Struggling against the temptation to just let go, she fought to put names to them.

"Any change?" Inside, Kate smiled, knowing her father's voice anywhere. She paused, a frown creasing her non-existent forehead.

I remember... the plain. She thought. And then... nothing. Am I dead? Was the second dream real? Thoughts whirling, she realised that if so, her father was years dead. A heart attack took him one night, ten years after her and Rick were married.

"No, still nothing." Her concerns increased as she placed the second voice: Rick. It did nothing to disprove her earlier theory. Nervously, she held a breath that she couldn't feel, waiting, hoping for more. She heard Rick sigh, certain she could almost hear the sounds of him running his fingers through his hair in frustration. Amusement washed through her briefly as she remembered his nervous habit, stretching across all their life together.

Silence flowed through the darkness, lulling her towards rest. The grating sound of a plastic chair on the hard floor snapped her out of her lethargy. The interruption was followed by Rick speaking again.

"Esposito stopped by at lunch time, said they caught the sniper." She heard her father let out a long breath, sighing as his tension dropped a few notches.

Curious, Kate thought frantically. I remember Esposito from the car accident... He was alive, he was there with Alexis. She paused. Maybe I'm not dead after all! Relief washed through her for a moment, before she started running her experiences backwards through her mind, trying to place where in the timeline she actually was.

"How?" Her father asked. Rick let out a short chuckle.

"Alexis, if you can believe that..." He paused, still amazed at his daughter's assistance. "She pieced the artwork together, and we bounced theory at the precinct to find the meaning behind them. Eventually, we clicked that he must have been injured at some point, which explained why he shot from where he did. We caught up with him before he could drop anybody else. Ryan went in, and Esposito had to shoot the guy to save his partner."

His words were quiet, filling the details as briefly as possible, knowing Jim needed to hear it, but keeping the information as short as possible. Shock slammed into Kate as her partner let her know exactly where she was, and when: hospital (no shock there), but the timing hit her like a punch to the gut.

Everything she'd experienced hadn't happened... yet. With that realisation, she felt her original memories start to return, piece by piece: her collapse in the street when the police siren startled her, her freak-out at the precinct, and her melt-down in her apartment. She dimly recalled a nearly empty bottle of alcohol, and grabbing her gun. Thinking hard, she tried to force the memories into place.

Eventually, she remembered a phone call to... Rick, and then nothing. No matter how hard she pressed, that was the last thing she remembered before waking up in front of the mirrors. Her thinking was cut short as she heard the men talking again.

"You should get some rest, Rick." Jim said, his voice tinged with concern. "You've been here three days straight."

"I'll be fine..." Castle responded wearily.

"I can watch her while you get a few hours sleep and a hot shower, you know." He chuckled. "Did me the world of good, let me tell you." He paused, silence filling the air once more. "I promise, I'll call if there's any change, Rick. go..."

Castle sighed, and Kate heard him stand up slowly. The sounds of him moving got louder as he approached her bed, and she felt a flash of shock jolt through her as her hand warmed, moving as he gripped it. Heat blossomed on her forehead as he pressed his lips softly to her skin.

"I'll be back soon, Kate" He whispered. He froze, his lips still only a fraction of an inch from her skin, listening as her heart rate machine stuttered. Pulling back slightly, he turned, his eyes confirming what his ears had heard: there had been a distinct change in the rhythm. Gradually returning to it's previous pace, it kept on, regular and strong. "Kate? Can you hear me?" He asked, leaning closer, his free hand coming up to brush her hair back.

"Rick? Is she-" Jim asked, standing up. The feeling of Castle's fingers stroking her hair so tenderly left a tingling trail on Kate's skin, anchoring her as she swam through the blackness towards him.

Rick glanced at their joined hands, her fingers twitching slightly. Looking at Jim, he let out a relieved smile.

"She squeezed my hand..." His attention turned back to his partner, the machines letting him know that her heart was speeding up again. "Come on, Kate, wake up... We're here for you..." He saw her eyelids flutter, then ease open slowly. Blinking at the sudden brightness, she turned her eyes towards Castle. Her heartbeat slowed suddenly as she sighed, holding his gaze, the corners of her mouth creasing in the ghost of a smile.

"Hey..." She croaked, voice rusty with disuse. Castle grinned at her, never breaking eye contact as he leaned over and hit the nurse call button.

"Welcome back." He murmured, unable to stop himself from lifting their hands and brushing his lips across the back of her knuckles. "You had us all worried there..."

Kate let her smile fill out, her face lighting up as she drank in the sight of him, happy and whole once more. His expression matching hers, he saw her emotions swirling behind her eyes: pain, sorrow, loss, followed by acceptance, then happiness and lastly... love? He blinked, trying to clear his thoughts as he wondered if it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"Couldn't leave you..." She whispered, the ghost of her loss drifting across her features for an instant. Tugging on his hand, she wordlessly urged him closer, swallowing as she kept her eyes locked on his. "Rick...?" She asked softly.

"What is it? Can I-" He began to ask, before she cut him off.

"I'm ready..."

A/N: and there we have it, folks! :-D feedback is welcomed, or if you want to just chat or nag me or something, you can catch me as nevyn_r on Twitter.