Comfort Kiss (Caskett Fanfiction) - DISCONTINUED

Chapter 15

Sorry guys but I have had serious writers block and I have finally finished a new chapter and I am working on the next two. So enjoy, fan, comment, vote

When the cab finally pulled up to Castle's apartment building, Castle payed the driver and quickly rounded the front of the vehicle to the passenger side door, graciously opening it for me before he slipped in and carefully picked me up, much to my embarrassment, and carried me into the building. I let my arms lie across me, knowing that wrapping them around his neck could stretch the stitches. I have to admit I did like being in Castle's strong arms, being close to his steady beating heart, feeling his toned chest against me as my head rested against the crook of his neck. I could feel the stares of people as we walked through the lobby, hear the muffled whispers which I had no doubt would eventually make it to the newspaper tomorrow. When we finally reached the solitude of the elevator, the doors agonisingly slowly sliding shut, I let out a sigh of relief, finally letting myself relax, my whole body rippling from head to toe as the muscles slowly relaxed.

"We're almost home, Kate." He whispered, placing a light kiss in my hair.

The elevator ride was almost painfully slow, each floor taking what felt like a minute to reach, but when we finally reached the floor to his loft, and the doors slowly opened, I was shocked to find Lanie standing at his front door with my bag I had packed in her hands.

"Oh, Kate!" She sighed in relief. "Thank god you're ok!" I smiled weakly, suddenly feeling embarrassed again that I was in Castle's arms when I was more than capable of taking care of myself.

Well... Most of the time anyway.

"I'm fine Lanie." I smiled back at her as Castle tried to balance me and open the door. "Thanks for bringing my bag for me." I told her honestly.

"Not a problem. I just wanted to make sure you were ok girl." She smiled, following us in, closing the door behind her. Castle carried me into his office and then to his bedroom, which was still dishevelled from our night before. He gently laid me down and drew the covers over me, carefully holding me upright so he could arrange the pillows behind me.

"Holler if you need me, ok." He smiled, kissing me gently before walking out to talk to Lanie in his office.

"How's she doing?" Lanie asked, carefully placing Kate's bag on the floor next to Castle's desk.

"As well as she can be. She had a lot of stitches and she will be kinda light headed for a while since she lost a bit of blood. The Ambulance guys said that she needs to take it easy for the next few weeks so her stitches can heal."

"Well, just let me know if I can do anything." She insisted.

"Actually..." Castle's eyes lit up as he remembered the prescription in his pocket. "Could you run to the drug store and pick this up for me. I'll pay you back whatever it is, and I would do it myself, but I just don't want to leave her alone at the moment." Castle said, looking back at Kate's sleeping form.

"Sure, I'll be back as soon as I can. Javi and Kev should be coming over soon to take statements."

"I'm not so sure she's up to that yet."

"We'll get her started on the antibiotics and the pain meds and then maybe it will be a different story." Lanie assured him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks Lanie." He smiled, pulling her in for a quick hug, watching as she left before he picked up Kate's bag and quietly placed it at the end of his bed. Walking around the side of the bed, he knelt down next to her, taking in her serene appearance as she rested. Carefully raising his hand, he tenderly brushed a stray hair away from her face and neatly tucked it behind her ear. Letting out a soft sigh, Castle stood up and walked back over to his office, picking up his laptop and walked back in as quietly as he could. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he carefully sat himself on top of the covers and, adjusting the pillows behind him, he set his laptop on his legs and started typing.

Castle jumped when he heard the knock at the door. He ritually saved the document before shutting his laptop lid and placing it on the bed, then getting up quietly to answer the door. When he opened his front door, Lanie was standing on the other side, holding a bag of various bottles and packages. Just as Castle was about to usher Lanie inside, the boys popped their heads into view and stepped behind Lanie.

"She's asleep at the moment, so be quiet." He told them in a hushed voice, a finger to his lips to punctuate his point. The all nodded before crossing the threshold and standing in the living room. Lanie immediately went into Castle's office and began emptying the bag's contents, spreading everything over his desk before taking selective bottles into his bedroom.

"How's she doing?" Esposito asked.

"She's pretty fried." Castle shrugged, letting out a sigh. "She's been asleep for about two and a half hours now." He finished, checking his watch.

"Do you think she would be able to give us a statement?" Ryan asked cautiously.

"Just give me a sec to go check on her and then I'll let you know." He told them. "Make yourselves at home, I'll be back in a few minutes." He assured them, walking back into his room, finding Kate still slumbering peacefully with Lanie by her side, various medications and a large glass of water resting on the bedside table.

"I need to get her started on this antibiotic and give her some pain meds."

"I'll wake her up." Castle told her, swapping places with her, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, placing a gentle hand on hers, softly rubbing his thumb back and forth over the smooth skin. "Beckett?" He whispered softly. He felt her stir slightly and moved in to place a tender kiss on her forehead. "Kate, sweetie? I need you to wake up." Kate's eyes fluttered before slowly peeling open, revealing her beautiful jade green eyes.

"Hi." He whispered. Suddenly Kate's eyes snapped open and she sat bold upright, hyperventilating as she looked around the room in a panic.

"Kate! Kate!" Castle grabbed her shoulders, trying to focus her wide terrified eyes on him. Cupping her cheeks, Castle finally got her eyes to settle on him, her expression softening when her brain registered who he was. "It's ok. You're safe." He told her, pulling her into his chest, wrapping his arms gently around her trembling form. Pulling back, he placed a light kiss on her cheek before looking her up and down. "I'll, ah.... Get you a shirt." He said getting up and walking over to his wardrobe and pulling out one of his tshirts, all the while her eyes were trained on him until he was back at her side, handing her the shirt to cover herself.

"Thanks." She managed.

"Sweetie, I need you to take this. It's an antibiotic and some pain medication. It might make you a little drowsy though." Lanie told Kate, handing her the pills and the glass of water.

"The boys are waiting outside." Castle told her when she put the pills in her mouth. "They want to take your statement." He finished, watching as she swallowed the tablets, her hand shacking slightly. Castle stepped forward and carefully took the glass from her hand and placed it back on the table before her. "Do you feel up to talking to them?" He asked her seriously. Kate was quiet for a long while before she simply nodded.

Stepping out to his office doorway, the boy's heads snapped to him, Castle giving them an indication to come in. A few steps behind him, Castle returned to his spot next to Kate on the bed, shifting his laptop to the end of the bed by his feet. When the boys walked in, Castle quickly took Kate's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know you've been through a lot, Kate." Espo started.

"But we have to ask these questions while they're fresh." Ryan finished. Kate nodded in understanding and, taking a deep breath to collect herself, waited for their questions to start.