This is a tag to the end of Valkyrie. I haven't seen any of the spoilers, not even the promo for Dreamworld, so this was written with no idea at all what is actually going to happen.

I think it's going to have a few chapters, hopefully all before Dreamworld airs but I make no promises since I started college last week and it's all been a bit of a culture shock since it's about an hours commute every morning and evening.

Rick stared at her, digesting and processing what she had just told him. Now he knew why she had been so serious when she had come into the room. Kate was still holding onto his hand, tight. It was almost too tights if Rick was being completely honest with himself. But right now he didn't mind, the pressure she was exerting on his hand was doing a very good job of keeping him grounded.

Kate was sat studying him, trying to see how he was taking it. His face however hadn't changed so she didn't know what was going on in his head.

"I'll have to ring Alexis and mother and tell them that I won't be coming home, it'll be easier for all of us if I just stay here, somewhere away from everyone," Rick muttered eventually, "Ryan and Esposito will need to know to. Oh and I'll have to sort out my will, make sure that everything is in order to look after Alexis, mother and you."

"Rick," Kate whispered.

Rick however ignored her and continued speaking. "It's just a pity that Nicki isn't going to get the ending I had hoped for."

"Rick," Kate spoke again, a little louder this time, "You don't have to do any of that, we're going to find a way to fix this."

Rick gave her a sad smile. "No we're not," he reasoned, "Maybe if we had longer than a day but not in the short amount of time I actually have left." He kept his voice level the whole time he was speaking, still not showing anything on his face.

"I'm taking you back to my place," Kate commented, the tone of her voice leaving no chance of being misunderstood, or overruled.

Rick however didn't accept it as quickly as he should have done. "I thought I was in trouble, will they actually let me out of here? Plus I don't want to get you sick too Kate, it's bad enough that I'm going to die, I don't want to be responsible for taking you with me."

"You're not contagious," Kate quickly disagreed, "I wouldn't have been allowed in here if you were."

Rick nodded absentmindedly, her words made sense but he was making a mental check list of things he would need to get done before tomorrow.

"Rick, look at me," Kate commanded. Once Rick had focused on her properly, not looking through her like he had been doing, she started speaking again. "You're not in trouble with anyone but me Rick, and right now that's being over shadowed by our more pressing issues. You were cleared of any involvement. The only reason you're here is so we could run tests and see if you had been exposed."

"Why are you angry Kate?" Rick questioned when she had finished speaking. "You know as well as anyone that anger doesn't get anything done."

"I'm angry because this is my fault," Kate replied, emotion bleeding into her voice slightly, "If I'd been more careful you wouldn't have been anywhere near this case or that car, you wouldn't be dying and wouldn't have to tell your mother and daughter that it's my fault you're dead."

To anyone who didn't know Kate will it sounded like she was upset but ok. Rick however knew differently, he could tell that she was close to bursting into tears. "It's not your fault," he comforted, "I never was any good at minding my own business. I did exactly what you told me not to do and now I'm paying the price."

"The price is too high," Kate disagreed quickly, "I can't lose you Rick. I've lost too many people already. Loosing you would be the last straw."

As she spoke one of her hands drifted up towards her neckline and she fingered the two rings on the chain. The two rings that to her represented the past and the future. Now however that future was rapidly shrinking into the next few hours.

Rick followed the course of her hand and gave her a sad smile. They both remained like that, hands and eyes locked with Kate's hand touching her rings, until a knock at the door interrupted them. Kate slowly let go of Rick's hand before she stood and headed over to the door, running her hand through her hair as she went, a gesture that told Rick how agitated Kate actually was. She gave Rick a small sad smile before she opened the door and stepped out.

Rick watched as the door shut before he started absentmindedly picking at the plaster on his arm and thinking through what was already written on his will, trying to work out what, if anything, needed changing in the next few hours.

He was broken out of his thoughts by the door being thrown open and Kate coming in. "That was quick," he commented, noticing that she looked a little happier than she had when she had left.

"I've been gone twenty minutes at least," Kate replied slowly, coming to a halt beside him.

"Oh," Rick murmured, "Must have been deeper in thought than I realised."

Kate gave him a worried look before she grabbed both his hands and pulled him to his feet. "Come on Castle," she directed, "We've got work to do."

"It's more pleasure than work but if you want one last time then sure thing," Rick replied, getting to his feet.

Kate narrowed her eyes at him. "Funny Castle. But I actually meant proper work, police work."

The confused Rick. "I thought everything you do is classified," he pointed out as Kate dragged him towards the door.

"It is," Kate agreed, stopping walking towards the door and facing Rick once more. "But I've talked my boss into letting you help with the case."

"Because I'm dying?" Rick inquired sarcastically.

"No," Kate answered quickly, "Because there's a cure."

"A cure?" Rick parroted.

Kate nodded. "There is however a catch."

"It was stolen too," Rick guessed.

Kate nodded again, "But there is hope. If we can find them we can save you."

"Do you have any leads?" Rick wanted to know. Kate shook her head sadly. She went to speak, to tell him that they would find something, that they had to but Rick continued to talk instead, cutting off any chance she had of saying anything. "When I was in the car with Bronson he kept talking about Dreamworld."

"I remember you saying," Kate cut in.

"Well I was talking to Ryan and Espo about the whole abduction thing and Espo knew what Dreamworld meant," Rick continued to say, "It's a ghost military base. Bronson had to have been posted there to know about it and he wouldn't have mentioned it if he didn't think it was something to do with the whole thing."