791. Chapter 791

After Tick, Tick, Tick

Episode 2.17

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: UCSBdad will burn if he claims to own Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See above.

Castle was shocked for several seconds after seeing Beckett's apartment explode. Then he shook himself out of it and ran into her building, running up the stairs until he got to her floor. He put his hand on the door. It was hot. Steeling himself, he smashed into the door as hard as he could and knocked it open.

"Beckett!" He screamed. No reply. "Beckett! Where are you?" He tried to remember where she left her phone, but the blast had destroyed the living room and he had no idea where anything was. He began in the living room, turning over furniture to try to find her. No luck. He looked in her bedroom. It wasn't as badly damaged and he was sure she wasn't there.

He found her in the bathroom, face down in the tub. He checked the pulse in her neck. She was alive!

Castle reached under her to try to pick her up, but his hand slid over something soft, yet firm. Crap! I grabbed her boob. He thought. He tried again to wake her. "Beckett! Kate! Are you okay?" No reply. He needed to get her out of there. He managed to get her turned over. She was completely naked. She must have been in the tub when the bomb went off. She was also bleeding from a head wound and covered with ash and soot. Castle looked around for something to cover her with, but everything he saw was on fire. He slid one hand under her knees and the other under her shoulders, once again touching her boob. But, he got her up in his arms and headed for the door.

"Beckett? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Are you okay?" Still no response.

Outside he could hear sirens. Either the police or fire department. He got to the door and headed for the stairs. He went down the stairs as fast as he could without hurting her. When he go to the street, he saw the fire engines trying to maneuver around a stalled bus that was blocking them. He leaned Beckett up against a car and took off his coat, holding her up by pressing himself against her.

Suddenly an FDNY paramedic unit was there. "What happened?" A young, slender blonde in a blue uniform asked.

"A bomb. She's a detective, 12th Precinct. Some serial killer tried to kill her. I was outside when the bomb went off."

"Okay, let me take her." The woman wrapped a blanket around Kate and with the help of another paramedic got her into the ambulance. Castle was about to follow them into the ambulance when both Montgomery and Shaw arrived and wanted to know what had happened.

As Castle was telling them what had happened, Beckett came to." What happened?"

"A bomb, apparently. You just stay there, Detective. We've got everything under control."

"How did I get here?'

"Your boyfriend got you out of your burning apartment."

"My boyfriend?"

"Tall guy, dark hair, blue eyes. A real hunk."

"Where did he get the blanket? It's not one of mine."

"Courtesy of the FDNY. When I got there he was trying to get his coat on you."

"His coat? What was I wearing?"

"Just what God gave you."

"He saw me naked?" Kate started to get up.

"Hold on, Detective. You were knocked out. We have to take you in for a full concussion protocol."

"Like hell." She said, still trying to get up.

"Yes, you will, Detective." Montgomery was standing at the back door of the ambulance. "You'll go to the ER and do whatever they tell you to do. Or else."

Beckett glared at him, but finally nodded. "Yes, sir."

The next morning Kate Beckett signed herself out of the hospital against medical advice, stopped to buy some new clothes and head for the precinct. She found Castle at her desk.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"I didn't think you'd mind." He said, surprised.

"Are you out of your mind? Of course I'd mind."

"Okay, I'll move out of your chair right now."

"Not my chair, Castle. You saw me naked last night. Didn't it occur to you to cover me up, or were you too busy ogling me to think?"

"If you recall, which you don't, because you were unconscious, your place was on fire."

"And you couldn't find something in my whole place to cover me with, so you just got an eyeful?"

"Your robe and towels were burning."

"And you carried me out? You touched me? Where?"

Castle remembered touching her boobs, also that his hand had slid over her ass as he tried to stand her up outside. He looked away guiltily."

"You did! You groped me! Castle, don't you ever, ever touch me again! Anyplace! Do you understand?"

Castle nodded. "I understand perfectly. I now know what's important in this case. What would happen if the perp grabbed you and tore your blouse? Why, I might see your boobs. Or if you ripped your pants? I might see your ass. So, to keep any of those things from happening, I should remove myself from the case before I do something that will screw up the important part of this case. "He turned to the two detectives sitting just beyond Beckett. "Espo, let me know how the case turns out. I might want to put it in a book someday." He turned and walked through the bullpen, arriving at the elevator just as it opened. He got in and was gone.

Kate stood up, shocked. "Castle, wait…."

She started to go after him when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. "I think you're the last person he wants to see right now, Detective Beckett. You stay here." Jordan Shaw said, heading after Castle herself.

Shaw was back in a few minutes. "Beckett. Come with me. Now."

Shaw led her to an empty office. "Castle told me that he was afraid he might see up my skirt or something and deeply offend you. Then he pushed past me and got in a cab."

Kate just nodded.

"Let me see if I understand the timeline. Castle figured out that the killer wasn't Ben Conrad because Conrad was shot with his right hand. He then realized you were in danger and tried to call you. Getting to your place a minute too late, he rushed in and carried you out of a burning building. And he saw you naked and touched you. Now, as a cop, which of those facts do you think is the least important?"

"I know. I screwed up. I'm the one who should fix it." Kate said softly, feeling awful.

"Not now. Give him time to cool off. If he doesn't come in tomorrow, go see him. Now, we have work to do."

But, as soon as she could, Kate slipped out of the precinct and headed for Castle's loft. When the elevator door opened, she found herself face to face with Castle.

"I'm sorry." They said together.

They tried again. "I need to apologize." Again together.

"Why don't we go into the loft?" Castle asked.

Once inside, Castle played host. "Would you like some coffee?"

Kate blushed. "Are you sure you want to keep bringing me coffee?"

"Of course." He walked to the coffee maker. "I'm sorry. I should never walk out on a case and I should never, ever walk out on you. What we do is too important. I'm truly sorry."

She shook her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I acted stupidly. You risked your life for me. Without you I might have died or at least have been more seriously injured. What I said was stupid, cruel and unnecessary. I owe you, Castle. Thanks."

"So, we've both apologized and we're okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "We're okay." She smiled mischievously. "At least you got a look at me naked. You must have enjoyed that?"

"Not one bit." He said quickly.

Kate covered her disappointment. "I guess if you've seen super models, Hollywood stars, and such, I'm not that much."

"Beckett, when I turned you over, you had blood all over your face from the cut on your forehead. Your body was covered with soot and ashes and all sorts of crap. I didn't know if you were going to die on me right there or what. I never, ever want to see you like that again." He smiled at her." Besides, I already know that you're an incredibly beautiful woman, even fully dressed."

"So, you'll come back and be my partner, like before?"

He frowned slightly. "Before what?"

"Before Agent Shaw and cool FBI toys. You seemed quite impressed."

"Don't worry, Beckett. Agent Shaw is going to have to find her own writer to muse for." He stopped and looked at her. He slowly smiled. "Unless that's what you're hoping for? That I'll start writing about a brilliant FBI profiler and never write about Nikki Heat again? Is that your game?"

Kate blushed. "I hate the cover art with Nikki naked on the cover, and I'm still not thrilled about the name, but I will admit that Nikki is a good cop. A really good cop. I like her."

"In that case, Detective Beckett, Nikki and Rook should get back to the precinct and catch this dirtbag."

"Suspects, Castle. We call them suspects."

"What a muse."