Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Castle. If you recognize something, it's not mine.

AN: Since this is my first fic, I ask that you be patient! I haven't written much, but I started writing this one day and decided I really liked it, so I decided to continue it.

I have tried to look over this and correct any mistakes, but it is possible I missed some. After all, nobody's perfect!

If you see something that is off or you have any advice, I'm all ears!(Well… eyes, technically...)

"Castle! No!" Beckett screamed as the shot went off, watching her partner crumple to the ground, clutching his side. She fired a round at the shooter, hitting the man in the throat.

Kate fell to her knees at Castle's side, pressing her palms over the wound in his right flank. The blood gushed between her fingers, her own tears thinning the red liquid.

"Dammit, Castle. I never should've let you come in, not without your vest," she mumbled under her breath as she tried to stop the bleeding.

"No, no no no no no. Please, Rick. Don't die. You can't die on me. I need you, Rick. I can't lose another person I love. Not again. Not like this. Come one, Rick, stay with me. Please." Her tears started to fall faster, but she didn't care. This man; this childish, self-centered, egotistical, frustrating, wonderful man deserved her tears.

She could hear commotion in the background, could hear Esposito yelling things into the phone, the ambulance's sirens coming closer, but none of them mattered. All she could focus on was him. She watched as his eyes fluttered closed, felt his breathing stop for a moment, then waited fearfully until his chest finally rose once more.

"Ma'am." Someone placed a hand on her shoulder. "You need to move so we can help him." She whipped her head around to look at the young man.

"No. I'm not leaving him."

"Ma'am, we have to-"

"No. I'm coming with you. And if I move my hands, he'll bleed out."

"Beckett-" Esposito started.

"No, Javi!" she snapped. "I won't leave him. I can't leave him."

He held up his hands in defeat. The paramedics, seeing that she wasn't going to move, picked Castle's limp body up and laid him gently onto the gurney. Kate moved with them, making sure she kept pressure on the wound.

The ride in the ambulance seemed to last an eternity. It was quieter than she would've thought, but perhaps that was because the only thing she could focus on was the man lying on the gurney in front of her. Kate didn't say a word, her tears streaming silently down her face. All she could do was hope that he would live, that the bullet hadn't hit any of his vital organs.

Her world seemed to stop with the ambulance. It all happened in a blur; one moment she was waiting for him to respond, move, anything; the next she was rushing out of the vehicle and towards the hospital doors. Soon the doctors were taking over the job of the paramedics, telling her to step aside.

"No, I said I wasn't leaving."

"Ma'am, you have to move, or we can't get him to surgery."

"No. I'll come with if I have to."

"Ma'am."

"I said no!" She nearly shouted the words.

One of the security guards was forced to physically pry her off of his body, kicking and screaming. Luckily, Ryan and Esposito came in at that exact moment. Kate tried to run towards Castle the moment she had both feet on the ground, only to be stopped by Esposito wrapping his arms around her.

"Let me go!" she screeched. "I have to be with him! I-"

"Detective Beckett!" Alexis Castle yelled as she ran up to where the woman was struggling against Esposito's grip. With trembling hands, she grabbed Kate's arm the moment Esposito let go of her.

"You can't do anything now. You can't help him," she nearly yelled at the woman.

"No, Alexis. I have to. It's all my fault he-"

"You're right. It is your fault. You're the reason he's back there fighting for his life! You're the reason he risks his life everyday! You're the reason he plays cop, when that's not his job. It's your job to keep people safe, but all you do is-"

"Alexis!" Lanie interrupted her as she walked up to them, tears streaming down her face. She looked from the girl to her best friend, who she could see was starting to break down completely.

"I'm so sorry." Kate whispered through her tears. "I'm so sorry."