#castle fanfiction

[bravevulnerability]

so i was rewatching rise and the scene when josh and rick almost get into it is crazy good and i wish we could have seen something like that but with kate present if that makes sense? could you write something if you're taking prompts?

A/N: Set during Rise, 4x01, with some AU finagling in place.

-

He sees the glint of light in the distance, practically feels the split second of time stopping as the bullet pierces the air. Pierces her. 

“Kate!”

They’re both down, his body shielding hers atop the grass, his hands cradling her. 

Her lips are parted, a gasp caught there. One hand supports the delicate line of her neck, the other tripping down her side, searching for the point of entry. 

“Oh, Kate,” he breathes, the rest of the world - the screams, the orders, the panic - hushed all around him. He can focus on nothing but her. “Stay with me.”

Her eyes are sparkling with the beam of the sun overhead, the unshed tears clinging to her lashes. 

“Don’t leave me,” he whispers, the panic in her eyes fluttering with her lashes. “Please, you gotta stay, okay?”

A whimper trembles in her throat, escapes into the air between them. 

“I love you, Kate.” The confession is out, slipping past his lips before he can even think to stop them. “Don’t go.”

One of her arms, shaking and unsteady, hooks on his, white gloves snagging in his suit jacket. 

“Yeah, hold onto me,” he whispers, stroking his thumb along the swanlike curve of her nape. 

Her chest shudders beneath him, her eyes crinkling with a wince that ripples across her face. 

“Vest,” she rasps, the word nothing more than an exhale past her trembling lips. 

“Vest,” he echoes, unthinkingly. Then it clicks in his mind, makes sense. His hands shoot to her chest, feel the bulkiness of armor beneath her shirt. “Oh thank god,” he gasps, the tears spilling unbidden down his cheeks. 

“Stay. Down,” she gets out, her eyes blinking fast with the effort. “In case.”

Castle nods, remains kneeling above her, stroking the hair from her forehead. 

“Thought I lost you.”

Her gaze flickers back to meet his and there something more than pain and surprise residing along the edges of her blown pupils. 

“Is that why?” she exhales softly, her voice strained, fading.

His brow furrows. “Why?”

Her throat ripples with a hard swallow, her dark eyes fall to his chin. “What you said.”

Clarity blooms bright and horrific in his mind. Shit. 

“I - no, it's just - it’s why I said it out loud,” he stammers out, glancing around as the world around them begins to filter back in. 

The area is being secured, an ambulance is hurtling towards them from a distance. Esposito and Ryan are bracketing them with guns raised, Lanie watching in horror with his mother and daughter and the rest of the funeral attendees ducking behind their seats.

“Out loud?” she whispers, one of those stray tears pooling in her eyes slipping free. He quickly wipes it away. 

“Yeah, Kate,” he murmurs, thumb following the harsh bone of her cheek. "I love you."

He swears he sees the corner of her mouth twitch, but his attention is torn from any hope as her eyes roll back.

-

Lanie rode in the ambulance with Kate, the only one allowed to accompany her to the hospital. He hasn't been able to see her since he was dragged away from her at the cemetery, allowed to follow the bus to the hospital but then directed to a waiting room. Her father was called back not long ago, but the rest of them are forced to remain.

He just hopes she's okay.

"A sniper." The growl of Josh's voice reverberates through the waiting room as he storms inside. Either someone finally thought to call him or he just happened to be on shift. "At a funeral!"

Esposito is immediately rising from his seat, stepping between Josh and the rest of the group. "We think that the people who sent those guys after Montgomery targeted Beckett-"

But Josh isn't listening to Esposito. His eyes, that fiery stare, are on Rick.

Against his better judgement, Castle steps forward. "I tried to get to her. I tried-"

Josh pushes past Esposito, slams Castle into the wall.

Gasps rise around the room and Esposito is grabbing the larger man by the shoulder, Martha storming up alongside him. "Hey! Man, listen-"

"You did this!" Josh is yelling at him and he feels himself lunging forward, the barely repressed rage in his chest rising. But Ryan jerks him back, stays him with a hand to his sternum.

Alexis is shouting his name, panic rising in her voice. But Josh is shouting too, pointing an accusing finger at him over Esposito's shoulder.

"This is your fault! You pushed her to look into her mother's murder! She was shot because of you and Montgomery is dead because of you!"

Alexis lunges before he can, words ripping out of her throat. "Leave him alone!"

But then someone is grabbing his daughter by the arm before it can swing, lurching her out of the way and taking her place.

Kate Beckett pushes past Esposito and shoves Josh in the chest. Hard.

His back hits the wall and he stares down at her in total bewilderment.

"Back off." The growl that echoes in the suddenly quiet room is fierce, a threatening sound he's only ever heard in the worst of interrogations. "Now."

"Kate?"

Her hands are shaking at her sides, her spine bowing ever so slightly. He can see the trembling line of bones through the thin material of her t-shirt. Oh, oh god, she's in pain.

She was shot. Vest or not, what the hell is she even doing up and about?

"Stay away from him," she snaps, but her voice is losing some of its bite, its strength. One of her hands rises to her chest, cradling the spot he watched the bullet pierce through.

"What the - what the hell are you doing?" he demands, but Kate is turning away from him. Josh grabs her by the shoulder and that's all he needs.

Rick doesn't know how he moves so fast, smacking Josh's fingers from her trembling shoulder with one hand, landing a fist to his jaw with the other.

"Dad!"

Josh stumbles backwards but he recovers quick, arm pulled back and ready to swing. Castle braces himself, ready to take it, but he feels the pressure on his chest first, the weight of her back against him.

Kate stands in front of him, chin up and eyes gleaming as Josh stops short. The other man's dark eyes glance between her body - broken and positioned in front of Castle, shielding him - and Rick's returning glare just above her head.

He scowls, but doesn't come closer.

"Kate, move-"

"Enough," she snarls, loud enough to silence not just the room, but the murmur of surrounding hospital staff. "Josh, it's done. We're done and I'm clear to go. Everyone else, we are leaving."

For a moment, Kate's boyfriend is speechless in front of them, lips parted in utter confusion. But then he is throwing his hands up in exasperation, releasing a disbelieving laugh.

"You know what, Kate? Fine. I love you, but you are not worth... this," he mutters, head shaking as he turns on his heel, shooting one last piercing glare to Castle before disappearing down the hall.

Kate doesn't have time to turn before her knees are giving out.

"I got you," he breathes, catching her beneath the arms.

Castle hooks an arm beneath her knees, the other around her ribs, holding her bridal style.

"She was wearing a vest," Lanie rasps, emerging from the waiting room's opposite entrance, where she and Kate must have happened upon the scene. "She's got bruising to the chest, a fractured rib from impact of both the bullet and the fall combined, but she's stable."

"Oh thank god," Martha lets out, hooking an arm around Alexis.

But he doesn't hear anything past her diagnosis.

"Kate?" he whispers.

Her eyes are open, watching him with her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he breathes, doing his best to blink away the tears. He doesn't want to cry, not in front of his friends and family, and not in front of her. But he... god, Josh was right. "I did this, put you in the crosshairs, and I'm so-"

"No," she groans, pressing her cheek hard against his clavicle. Her eyes squeeze shut for a long moment. When she opens them, they're as shiny as his feel. "He's not right. And how dare you apologize after you tried to die for me."

He can hear his mother and the boys in the background, talking amongst themselves, trying their best to give them an ounce of privacy.

"I wasn't, I just - I couldn't. I couldn't." It's all he can say.

Her bottom lip begins to quiver and she quickly pins it with her teeth. "You can't do things like that."

"Kate," he huffs, lowering his forehead to knock against hers.

"No," she whimpers, the sound soft and pitiful and he hates himself for causing it. "You can't."

"Beckett-"

She swallows hard, practically growls at him. "Why?"

"You know why. You heard why."

The shaky exhale of her breath coats his lips, but then she's nodding against him.

"I need... I need time, okay?" she whispers, but her fingers rise soft and unsteady to touch his chin, to stroke the line of his jaw.

He opens his eyes to find her watching him.

"No rush," he promises, inhaling a quick breath of her scent before lifting his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Her lips quirk, the gentle hint of a smile brewing for him. "Yeah, me neither, Castle. Except maybe back on my own two feet."

"Oh, yeah," he chuckles, easing her back down, but keeping a supportive arm around her. She leans into his side, her torso unsteady with effort.

Their group heads for the elevators. Apparently her dad is waiting at the back entrance for them.

The boys fuss over Beckett in the lift like the brothers they are, teasing her but running anxious eyes from her head to her toes when she isn't looking. Lanie remains close at her side, lecturing her about her recovery process, pushing the visit summary and discharge papers into her hands, along with all of her prescriptions.

Kate hangs back with a hand on his arm as everyone spills through the sliding doors.

"I'm going to stay with my dad for a while, take a few days at his cabin upstate," she murmurs, shuffling with him towards the exit. Alexis is glancing back at them, attempting to be inconspicuous but watching nonetheless. "If I gave you the address, would you-"

"Yes," he says without thinking, earning a huff of quiet laughter from her side.

"Come over," she finishes on a sigh, shooting him a shy smile. "I think we need time to talk."

"To put it lightly," he chuckles. "And if you need an extra escape, from the city, there's always the Hamptons."

Kate purses her lips, cuts a sly look to their friends and family congregating at the double doors that lead outside. Her fingers curl softly at his wrist.

"I'd really like that."

Castle pauses, glances down to her. She's inches shorter than him without her heels.

"Kate-"

But Alexis is striding towards them before he can get the words out. Kate startles at the sight of his daughter, the abrupt stop she makes in front of her, followed by the tentative fold of his daughter's arms around Beckett's shoulders.

"Thank you," she says quietly, her thin fingers at Kate's back. "For defending him."

He watches the woman he loves touch her chin to Alexis's shoulder, a breath of what looks like relief flooding from her chest.

"Nothing to thank me for," Kate murmurs, offering a tired smile to his daughter when she pulls back. "I was just following your lead, killer."

Alexis blushes, but when she glances up at him, her face is solemn. She has more to say, more to lecture them both on, he's certain, but for now, she holds it down.

His fiercely protective daughter. Whom he needs to find a fantastic therapist for, because the amount of trauma she has experienced and witnessed today...

"I'm glad you had the vest," Alexis whispers, turning her attention back to Kate.

Beckett's hand squeezes his wrist. "Me too."

Alexis nods and glances back to her grandmother, Lanie, and the boys. "We'll wait outside."

They watch his daughter leave them in silence, ushering the group to the doors.

"Speaking of defense," Castle muses, nudging her ever so gently. "Thank you, for taking up for me with Josh."

"You tried to take a bullet for me, Castle. The least I could do was take on a boyfriend," she murmurs, but her hand slides down the inside of his arm, slipping along his wrist until her fingers are slotting into place within his.

They begin to stroll towards the exit, hand in hand.

Castle takes in a silent breath. "We're going to take them down, Kate."

Her hand tightens in his.

"But for now, you need to heal."

"I know," she nods, exhaling a trembling breath. "Day by day."

Relief spreads warm and fast through his chest. Thank god the blinders are off. For now.

"Yes. So in the meantime," he says as they slow to a stop in front of the exit. "I'm going to call you tonight."

Kate turns to meet his eyes, the exhaustion lining every crevice of her face, pain pinching the corners of her eyes, but there's something else there. Something like hope.

"I'll answer." She looks down to their tangled hands. "Be safe. Make sure your family-"

"I will," he assures her, hearing the guilt in her words, the shame. But it isn't hers to bear. He did this. "I'm going to double down on security for all of us, the boys and Lanie included, and then - then I'm going to come to that cabin. Heal with you for a little while. If that's okay."

Her gaze flickers back to his, her lips curling softly.

"Yeah, Castle." Her hand is unsteady in his, beginning to shake, but she draws their laced fingers to her chest, her heart, where the bullet tried to pierce and where he can feel the beautiful, beating of her pulse. Alive. "That's okay."

#castle fanfiction #castle x beckett #castle au #kate beckett #richard castle #castle #3x24 #4x01 #mine

[do-it-for-the-fandom]

"I brought you flowers."

Warning: MCD

"I brought you flowers."

The words had slipped from his mouth - stumbled awkwardly, actually - as if the colourful bouquet he held between them hadn't already told her so.

But her eyes were glistening from unshed tears; tears that he had no doubt she had spent the better part of her day trying to hold back. And the smile she forced as she explained that Josh was on the other side of the world... well, it broke his heart. Shattered it into a million pieces. She was all alone.

He had just wanted to make it better, to fix everything that had ever gone wrong in her life. He knew that flowers were barely a band-aid over the metaphorical bullet hole that made her heart ache, but he didn't know what else he could do. And as she stared at the bouquet - as if it was going to be the thing to break her, to send her toppling over the edge - he had cursed Raglan and his need to repent for the sins of the past.

He should have left his secrets buried; left Beckett in the dark.

If he had, she never would have caught Lockwood. Never would have picked up the scent that led her down this rabbit hole.

If he had, she would have continued on as she had been, blissfully unaware. Unaware of just how deep the conspiring ran. Unaware of just how dark the real world could be. Unaware of the fact that her closest mentor - someone she had always trusted and admired, someone she had always considered family - had betrayed her in a way that she could never fully recover from.

If he had, she would still be here.

Castle knelt in front of the polish granite headstone, placed the brightly coloured bouquet in the memorial vase staked in the soft, sleet covered ground.

He stared at the named etched into stone. Six months later and it still didn't seem real: he had been unable to stop her; unable to save her.

He pressed his fingertips to his lips, bowed his head as tears began to fall. Nothing had ever hurt him like this; like knowing the great love of his life would never be his, never be here. It was an ache that would never dull, a weight he would forever carry.

"Happy birthday, Kate," he whispered shakily.

He pressed a kiss to his fingertips then slowly reached out and touched them to the gravestone. He waited - as he always did - to feel some magical connection to her, for some sign that she was still here with him in some way, but he felt nothing more than the gentle winter breeze as it rustled the fallen leaves.

"I brought you flowers."

#kate beckett #richard castle #caskett #castle #castle fanfiction #writing challenge #tw: main character death #my drabbles

[41319kbex]

Hell Hath No Fury

I apologize in advance for any feelings you have while reading this. I just…had angsty Beckett in my mind tonight. I felt the need to feel the special kind of hurt that only an emotionally tortured Beckett…or more accurately, the special kind of hurt that only an emotionally charged performance by Stana Katic can make me feel. I need to feel that kind of hurt that comes from the uncanny way she can somehow make Kate Beckett a 4D character, making me feel what she’s feeling through the TV screen. So…that’s mostly how this story happened.

This changes the ending of the season 3 finale so that Castle takes the bullet for her. I’m really, really sorry if this story makes you feel things. I only hope my words can do half of what Stana would do with the material.

I don’t own the show or the characters. But angsty Beckett has been in my mind all day, living rent free.

xxxxx

Staring out the window at the hospital, she couldn’t help the tears that slipped down her cheek as she replayed the events that brought her here. She’d been giving the eulogy at Montgomery’s funeral…and before she’d known what had happened, she’d been tackled to the ground as a shot rang out. When she’d heard it, she’d expected to feel the bullet tearing through her flesh, but all she felt was the weight of the man who had tackled her. The man who was her partner.

A strangled sob escaped her lips as she thought of Castle. Castle, who was so innocent in all of this, who was now here because of her. Her mind went back to the cemetery.

“Castle!” she murmured, realizing a second later that he’d been shot. “No!” she moved from underneath him and immediately rolled him onto his back. She saw the blood soaking through his clothes. “No! No, no, no…” she murmured, doing everything she could to stop the bleeding.

“Castle…Castle, don’t do this. Stay with me, ok?” she pleaded with him. “Stay with me…” she murmured as the tears slipped down her cheeks. He hadn’t responded, hadn’t moved. She could at least tell he was breathing…barely.

Another sob escaped her lips. There had been so much blood. Blood that was still on her skin, her clothes. She replayed the ambulance ride…the way her own heart had stopped when he flatlined and they had to shock him back. He’d been in surgery for the past 2 hours. A nurse had come out to let them know the surgery would still be another couple of hours. But Beckett hadn’t been able to leave, hadn’t been able to bring herself to even get cleaned up.

Lanie, Ryan and Esposito were in the waiting room, but all three of them had given her space. They were worried about Castle, of course; but they had never seen Beckett like this.

“One of us needs to go talk to her...convince her to at least get the blood off her,” Ryan said

quietly.

Esposito studied her for a moment before looking at his partner. “You want to volunteer to get your head bit off? Because I'm pretty sure that's what's going to happen the moment any of us go over there. I’m not telling her she needs to go anywhere.”

Lanie took a deep breath. “I’ll go talk to her, since neither one of you want to man up,” she shot them both a look. She approached her friend carefully, knowing this was going to be a tough conversation. She also knew the conversation would get a lot harder if someone came out of the operating room and told her Castle hadn’t made it. She knew her friend could take a lot, but she honestly wasn’t sure if that wouldn’t be the final thing to break her. “Hey, Kate…how are you holding up?” she asked, keeping her voice soft.

Beckett drew a ragged breath, a few fresh tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’m fine,” she stated lowly, withdrawing deeper into herself.

“Honey, you are not fine,” Lanie stated simply, her tone still soft, being very gentle with her best friend.

Swallowing hard, Beckett finally turned her head away from the window to look at Lanie, the heartbreak evident all over her face.

“Oh honey,” she embraced her friend then, her heart breaking for the other woman.

Beckett couldn’t help it. The understanding embrace from her friend broke the dam and she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. “I watched him die in that ambulance, Lanie,” she murmured. “I watched him die…and my heart stopped for a minute too when they almost didn’t get him back…” A sob escaped from her. “This was supposed to be me…he’s here because of me…”

Lanie gave her friend a few moments to get it all out so that she’d be able to listen. Only when Beckett had pulled back from the hug did Lanie release her. “Kate…” she started, trying to find the words to comfort her friend. She didn’t think now was exactly the best time to deal with the can of worms known as Beckett’s feelings for the writer that hadn’t just been opened but had pretty much exploded because of the events that had transpired, so she tried to find some kind of words to offer her some kind of comfort. Though she knew the only comfort that would make any kind of difference would be a doctor or nurse coming out to tell them that Castle was going to be fine. “Castle is going to make it through this,” she started.

“How do you know?”

“The fact that no one has come out with bad news is a good sign. No news is good news right

now.”

“God, Lanie…there was so much blood…” she breathed, a few more tears sliding down her cheeks.

The woman was quiet for a moment, trying to decide how to best go about the task of suggesting her friend leave long enough to get cleaned up. “Speaking of blood…how about we get you cleaned up, hmm?” she suggested. Seeing the look Beckett gave her at the suggestion did cause the medical examiner to pause before deciding to try another approach. “Kate…I’m not suggesting you leave. Just come with me…we’ll find a place to get you washed up…Ryan told me he has a clean set of sweats in his trunk. You can get the blood off you, change clothes…” she took a deep breath. “Castle’s mother and daughter are in the waiting room. I’m sure they’d love it if you joined them…but you need to not have his blood on you when you go over there,” she tried again.

Beckett swallowed hard at the mention of Martha and Alexis. “Oh God, Lanie…they must hate me right now…that bullet was meant for me…”

“They don’t hate you,” Lanie interrupted. “And stop going down that rabbit hole. It doesn’t matter who the bullet was meant for. Now come on.” She placed a gentle hand on Beckett’s elbow and when her friend didn’t push her away, she gave Ryan a nod to go get the extra clothes as she led her friend down the hallway to find a place to help her get cleaned up and changed.

xxxxx

The door to the bathroom had just closed and Beckett had moved to the sink to start washing her hands. That’s when the shock…realization…set in that it was Castle’s blood. She was covered in Castle’s blood. As a homicide detective, the sight of blood no longer phased her…she’d seen more than her fair share in the years on the job. But suddenly the knowledge the the blood covering her belonged to Castle was something she just could not process. “Oh God…God…Lanie, get it off…get it off…get it off…” she started to panic.

Lanie barely had time to get the door locked before her friend was freaking out. “Kate…hey…hey, get what off?” she tried to calm her down.

“The blood…his blood…” she breathed, completely falling apart then as her back slid down the wall and she sank to the floor. “His blood…I’m covered in his blood…Lanie…he can’t…he can’t…he has to be okay…” she was sobbing now, struggling to breathe through the pain in her own chest.

“Oh Kate…honey…just breathe…” she murmured, feeling completely helpless to help her friend. She started getting some paper towels and wetting them with cold water to start cleaning the dried blood off of her hands, hoping that washing the blood away would help at least some. She

had never seen her friend like this; even when she knew Beckett had issues with certain things, or when something bad had happened to her; she’d definitely had her share of needing to comfort her friend, like when Will had left her. But Lanie had never seen her break like this.

It took almost an hour for Lanie to get Beckett cleaned up; it had taken over 25 minutes for her to be able to get her friend breathing normally again after she’d completely fallen apart. And now, the woman who walked out of the bathroom in a set of NYPD sweats had managed to pull it together. It was still obvious she’d been crying…it wasn’t like she had makeup to be able to hide that, but she wasn’t going to break at the moment. At least as long as no one came out with any kind of bad news.

Slowly, cautiously, Beckett approached Martha. “Martha?” she kept her voice soft. Seeing the older woman stand, she wasn’t sure who embraced whom. “I am so, so sorry…” she apologized as she held the other woman tightly.

“It’s not your fault, Katherine…” Martha stated as she clung to the detective. Finally releasing the embrace, she knew all too well the look in the younger woman’s eyes. Fear. Love. Fear that the man she loved wasn’t going to come back to her. She’d seen those emotions mirrored in her son’s eyes as well regarding the woman in front of her. “No one blames you, dear.”

Beckett knew she needed to seek out Alexis. She knew better than anyone the pain Alexis was feeling right now. She’d been in her shoes when she’d been just a few years older than Alexis. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, she was determined to be strong for the girl. Her need to be there for Alexis had currently pushed away the crushing weight of her mother’s case, how similar this was to what had happened to her mother. “Alexis…” she approached softly.

Alexis had adopted a stance at the hospital window, much the way Beckett had at the other end of the hallway before Lanie had come to talk to her. She didn’t say anything, didn’t even acknowledge Beckett’s presence; she simply stared out the window.

“Alexis…he’s going to be okay…” she started softly, echoing the words Lanie had told her not even a full hour earlier, and managing to make herself sound much more confident than she felt.

“How do you know that?” Alexis spun on the older woman then. “You can’t know that, because you’re not a doctor! You’re a cop…a cop who my dad has been following around…a cop who was supposed to keep my dad safe…” she started in on her.

Beckett said nothing, just let the girl vent. She knew more than anyone how she was feeling. The hurt, the fear. She’d prepared herself for this. “I know,” she stated simply once the girl was done. “I was supposed to protect him. He’s my partner…and I didn’t hold up my end. And I’m sorry,” she apologized. “But he’s going to be okay,” she insisted again. Why couldn’t she just believe those words yet, though?

“My dad was only there because of you.”

Those words cut through her like a dull knife. “I know.” She swallowed hard. “And that’s something I have to carry with me for the rest of my life.”

The detective’s words caused Alexis to soften slightly. She took in the older woman’s appearance; she’d been crying. She looked like she was trying to be strong, but Alexis was mature enough to see the worry in her eyes, the guilt that was there. She was mature enough to realize that blaming Detective Beckett for her father’s situation was not going to help anyone; if anything, it would make matters worse. This was hard for her too. It was then that she moved from the window and pulled Beckett into a bone-crushing hug, letting her tears of worry fall.

Beckett just held her tightly. Quite honestly, she wasn’t sure if the hug was more for her benefit or Alexis’s. But she knew the girl was feeling lost, scared, hurt…the emotions she’d felt the day a detective had informed her and her father of her mother’s death. Castle had once asked her to look out for Alexis if anything ever happened to him; that was a promise she was going to keep. After another few moments, Martha joined the two younger women, wrapping them both in her arms as well.

Lanie, Esposito and Ryan watched as Beckett insisted on remaining strong for Castle’s mother and daughter.

“She gonna be ok?” Esposito asked Lanie after a moment.

She was quiet for a moment before answering. “Not if he doesn’t make it,” she answered quietly.

It was at that moment a nurse came through the doors. “Who is here for Mr. Castle?” The entire group moved over to her in answer to the question. “The doctor will be on his way out momentarily to talk to you.”

Beckett felt her heart drop. That didn’t sound like good news. And a moment later when the doctor came through those doors, her heart dropped again for a different reason when she saw it was Josh. Her boyfriend. The boyfriend she hadn’t thought about, hadn’t even remembered was working today in this hospital. Of course he had to be the doctor. The only relief she felt was from the fact that she knew he was damn good at his job.

“Josh…is he okay?” she asked.

The doctor studied the group, including his girlfriend…the look on her face; he could tell by the way she looked, whatever was between her and her partner was more than she felt for him. “Mr. Castle is alive. He’s as stable as he can be at the moment. He’s not out of the woods yet, but

he’s being moved into the ICU and you’ll be able to see him soon.”

Kate’s eyes met those of her boyfriend and knew this had told him everything he’d needed to know, everything she’d been denying for months about Castle. He was more than her partner. “Thank you,” she breathed.

He nodded and after giving her a long look, headed back through the doors.

About half an hour later, a nurse came back out. “Mr. Castle is in a private room in the ICU. You can come back, but no more than three at a time.”

“You guys go ahead. We’ll wait right here,” Ryan told the three women who were most worried about him.

Beckett gave them a grateful look, and Ryan nodded his head with a small smile before the three woman who cared most about the man followed the nurse back to his room.

xxxxx

She sensed the relief in both Martha and Alexis as they saw Castle in his hospital bed, still sedated and hooked up to machines, but at least alive and with a steady heartbeat. It felt like a punch in the gut to see him there, knowing it was in her place. She watched as Alexis and Martha moved to his bedside, both moving chairs closer to him. It was only after an encouraging look from Martha that Beckett stepped closer to stand at the other side of his bed. She was silent as she studied him, her fingers absently running ever so lightly along the top of his hand. “See, Alexis…I told you that he was going to be fine,” she offered the girl a small smile…a smile that she had perfected in her line of work.

“Thank you, Detective Beckett,” Alexis told her softly.

“Kate. You can call me Kate.”

Alexis nodded and offered a smile that looked like it mirrored the one Beckett had given her. “Kate.”

After another couple of moments, Beckett took a deep breath. “I’m going to give you guys some privacy with him. Please text or call if you need anything…or if anything happens before I make it back,” she told them, giving each woman a gentle shoulder squeeze.

Alexis didn’t really notice, but Martha knew enough stories from her son to know what the detective was most likely going to do. She stood and pulled her into a hug. “Take care of yourself Katherine. He’s going to want to see you when he wakes up,” she said lowly, just loud enough for Beckett to hear.

“I will.” And with that, Kate headed out of the room, her jaw clenching as soon as she was through the doors of the ICU. The boys and Lanie saw the look in her eyes and the way she was walking; Beckett was back…and she was on a mission.

“Beckett! Hey!” Ryan called.

“Where are you going?” Esposito asked, though judging from the look on her face, he had an idea of what her general plan was.

When she met the eyes of her friends, they saw the look of determination. “I’m going to hunt down the son of a bitch who shot him. And then I’m putting him in the ground,” she said lowly, her voice carrying a dangerous edge that they had never really heard before. She didn’t even give them a chance to say anything as she strode out of the hospital with determined, angry strides. She wasn't going to just find the shooter and bring him to justice; she was going to kill him.

xxxxx

So I can leave it there…this can be a one shot. Or I can revisit this and add more. What do you guys think? Feedback is everything!

I also don't know how active Castle fans are anymore. I've been off this site for years...so...if anyone reads this at all, I'll be happy!

#castle #caskett #beckett #kate beckett #richard castle #rick castle #castle fanfiction #caskett fanfiction

[bunysliper]

Fic prompt: s5 pillow talk 💛

I know it's been forever since you prompted this, I hope you like it!

Talks in the Dark

"What'd you want to be when you grew up?"

The question comes out of the blue, a complete non sequitur to the last words they'd spoken (which had been more breathless pants than an actual conversation), but Kate just laughs, reaching back for his hand and bringing it around her body to bring his chest flush with her back.

"When you were really little, I mean," he continues, dusting a kiss to the skin at the back of her neck. "I know you told me once that when you were in college you were pre-law, and then you became the greatest detective in the world, but when you were your little, tiny, feisty baby Beckett self, what'd you want to be?"

Kate strokes her fingertips over the back of his hand, using the gentle rhythm to help herself think. She knows she'd wanted to be something different back then, all kids did even if it was something absolutely absurd, but she can't for the life of her remember what it was.

"I really don't know," she says. "I guess maybe I always kind of wanted to be like my mom."

She feels him smile against her skin, shivering when he brushes his stubble along her shoulder.

"I could see that," he agrees. "You do stick to your guns when you know what you want."

Kate exhales, clutching his hand a little tighter. She's trying not to be so rigid, but she knows he's seen that side of her too often.

"My dad used to joke that 'stubborn' should have been my middle name."

Castle chuckles. "Katherine Stubborn Beckett; it does have a ring to it."

She smiles. "Not the worst name in the world, anyway."

He hums.

"Come to think of it, though, I feel like I did once tell my parents I wanted to be a groundskeeper in a cemetery after we went to a funeral."

Castle's head tilts on the pillow. "I need to know. Tell me everything. How did you go from lawyer to groundskeeper in a cemetery, and back to lawyer?"

"I remember seeing the care they took in making sure the graves looked nice, and it was quiet and peaceful there."

"And you didn't think, even for a second that it might be haunted?"

She snorts. "Not even a little bit."

"Party pooper."

Kate hums. "What about you? What'd you want to be before little Ricky Castle decided the life of a writer was for him?"

Castle's fingers twitch in hers. "Oh, I definitely wanted to be a ghostbuster who patrolled a cemetery. Zap a few poltergeists with my proton pack before they can terrorize people? The best."

She doesn't believe it for a second, but she laughs anyway, giving him that.

"And then I'd fall in love with an unbelievably, unrealistically sexy cemetery groundskeeper and we'd be together forever, making sure the army of the undead never rose to terrorize the city."

Kate snorts. "No really, Castle. What'd you want to be?"

He exhales. "A journalist, I think. Television, print, either. I wanted to report facts to people and keep them up to date about what was going on in the world. I used to sit Mother down and force her to watch my nightly news reports. Which I wrote myself about events I almost completely made up."

His lips pucker against her skin. "It turns out fiction is much more fun."

Kate laughs. "Now that I believe."

Behind her, Castle hums.

"I am glad to know that about you, though," she adds. Pulling her hand out of his grip, her fingers trail down his arm, making soothing strokes. "Thanks for telling me."

His foot brushes hers. "Thanks for telling me about yours, too. You would make a pretty hot groundskeeper, you know."

Laughter bubbles in her chest. "Thanks, Castle," she drawls. "I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to change jobs."

He grins against her skin. "Good."

Quiet settles, blanketing them in warmth. Kate sinks deeper into the mattress, allowing herself to drift. She's on the cusp of sleep when she hears her name again.

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

A smile works its way over her lips. "I know."

He chuckles, pulling her closer, rearranging the tangle of limbs they've created until they're both comfortable.

"Hey Cas'le?" she says a second later, peeking an eye open and twisting her head as far as she can. She can't see him, but it's the thought that counts.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

#castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #caskett #caskett fanfic #fluffy friday #my fanfic #prompt responses #Season 5 Fic

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

Hell Hath No Fury (15/?)

No M-rated parts in this chapter! You can thank Jim for throwing ice water on our favorite couple, lol. Seriously, though, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

I still don’t own Castle.

xxxxx

Jim kept his eyes trained on his daughter’s face, an almost amused expression in his eyes. “I see you managed to get Castle to come,” he added with an arched eyebrow, the innuendo and double meaning in his tone evident. It was obvious Kate got her sense of humor from her father.

Kate winced slightly at her father’s words. Her eyes traveled to Castle, who looked like he wished the floor would just open up and swallow him whole. “Can you…maybe…give us a few minutes?” she asked, forcing a small smile.

“Of course, Katie. I’ll be right outside when you two are…dressed…” he agreed, his eyes shifting to her shirt on the floor near where he was standing before stepping back outside.

Kate released a slow breath, her forehead dropping to Castle’s shoulder when she heard the door close. “Shit.”

“Castle…” she started softly, her hands gently squeezing his biceps to try to get him to look at her.

“How much do you think he saw?” he asked her, trying to decide if he was more panicked or embarrassed at the whole situation. He finally slid out of her, taking a step back and bending down to pull up his pants.

“Well, he and I have a similar sense of humor, so considering his comment and exactly when he showed up, I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume he witnessed a little more than just us catching our breath,” she commented, running her hands through her hair as she slipped off the counter.

He breathed deeply and worked on getting his belt refastened. “I thought you said he wasn’t coming up until tomorrow?

“That’s because he wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow!” she replied, picking up his shirt and pulling it on so that she could look for her clothes.

“Hey, that’s my shirt!” he protested.

She simply gave him a look. “And I’m wearing it until I can find my clothes,” she stated simply, no longer comfortable in her nudity since her father was literally waiting on the front porch for them to put clothes on. He at least had his pants on now; she had nothing. “If you didn’t have the need to dramatically throw my clothes everywhere and could just drop them to the floor like a normal person, I wouldn’t need to borrow your shirt to get them,” she grumbled.

“You’re seriously mad me now?” he asked, crossing his arms as he watched her.

“Having sex right here was your idea. I told you to get in my bed and wait for me. If you could follow directions, this wouldn't have happened,” she stated pointedly. “Castle, where the hell did you put my underwear?” she asked in frustration when she couldn’t find them.

He started trying to help her look in the general vicinity he thought he tossed her underwear. “Yeah, well, I didn’t know your dad was going to walk in,” he shot back, finding them and holding them up to her. “Besides, since when do you listen to my bad ideas? You are supposed to be the responsible one!”

She narrowed her eyes as she took her underwear from him and quickly pulled them on and then her pants. “I didn’t know he was going to walk in either!” she hissed at him, moving to grab her bra and shirt from where they had landed near the front door. She threw his shirt back at him, hitting him in the face with it once she was dressed.

Running her hands over her clothes and through her hair, she tried to make sure she had everything. Spotting her shoes by the counter, she moved to slip them on before facing Castle with a soft sigh. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you,” she told him, taking his face in her hands and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “Don't worry. This is not the first time my dad has caught me in a compromising position with a guy…not even the first time here at the cabin…” Of course all the other times she was a teenager and not actually in the actual act.

“Why doesn’t that make me feel any better?” he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. “We’re consenting adults. And my dad likes you. It might be a little awkward at first, but it’s fine,” she told him, giving his cheek a soft kiss and his chest a gentle touch before separating from him and going to get her dad from the porch.

“Hey, Dad,” she greeted him softly when she stepped outside. “Sorry you witnessed…uh…that…” wrinkling her nose as she moved to sit next to him on the top step.

Jim chuckled softly, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him in a half hug. “You’re an adult, Katie. I should have told you I was coming up a day early,” he smiled.

“Yeah, I guess I could have told you I was too,” she smiled.

“On the plus side, you can’t dance around my questions about dating Castle anymore,” he added with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes and laughed softly, nudging him playfully. “No, I guess I can’t. Still…I didn’t mean for you to find out like that.” Hearing her father’s laughter, Kate raised an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“I already knew. I told you before, Katie. You’re not very subtle when you like a guy. You never have been,” he told his daughter. “I know your tells.”

She gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Whatever, Dad.”

He stood then and offered Kate his hands to help her up. “Help me carry the groceries in so I can say hello to Castle,” he had a playful look in his eyes.

“Dad…don’t mess with him too much. He’s…kind of mortified right now,” she told him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Katie,” he said innocently.

“Yeah…I’m sure,” she rolled her eyes, loading up her arms with grocery bags from her dad’s car.

While Kate was outside with her father, Castle had gone to the bedroom and changed from his more casual t-shirt to one of the blue button-down shirts that he wore when he worked with Kate at the precinct. When he saw the door open and the two came inside with their arms full of bags, he came over and immediately took some from Kate to help them inside.

“Mr. Castle, it’s nice to see you again,” Jim greeted him with a handshake once their arms were no longer full.

“Rick, please. It’s nice to be seen by you…uh, see you again too,” he stumbled over his words as he took the man’s outstretched hand. “I’m doing your daughter,” flew out of his mouth next. “Dating! Dating. I’m dating your daughter…not, not doing.”

Kate simply closed her eyes at his words, her fingers running up the bridge of her nose to her forehead to hide her face as Castle seemingly lost the ability to form coherent sentences.

Jim watched the man stumble over himself with amusement in his eyes. “I figured that out, son,” he chuckled, moving to help Kate put the groceries away.

“Why don’t you and Kate go catch up?” Castle suggested then. “I can make dinner. I’m quite talented in the kitchen.”

“I saw your talents in the kitchen, Rick,” Jim quipped easily with an amused smile.

Kate had to hide her face in the fridge that she’d just opened and bite back the laugh that threatened to escape. This wasn’t what she’d meant when she asked her dad not to mess with her boyfriend. “Dad!” she managed to hide all amusement and put a little bite into her tone as she shot her dad a look.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“You know what,” she sent her dad another pointed look.

“Katie, your boyfriend is doing a fine job of sticking his foot in his mouth all by himself. He doesn't need my help with that,” he chuckled before turning to Rick now that the groceries were put away. “I’m sorry, Rick. Father’s prerogative. Katie tells me you have a teenage daughter, I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”

Castle laughed nervously. “Father’s prerogative. Yes…I…I am familiar,” he nodded. “And I do have a teenage daughter. Alexis is 17.”

“Well as a man who had a 17-year-old daughter once upon a time, you have my sympathies,” he smiled.

Kate laughed softly. “Castle doesn’t have anything to worry about. Alexis is nothing like I was at 17.”

“Then you are a lucky man. Katie at 17 is the reason my hair is gray,” he chuckled.

Castle’s eyes lit up slightly at that. “Oh yeah? What did she do?”

“More like what didn’t she do?” Jim answered.

Kate’s eyes widened at that. “Okay…” she interrupted. “Dad, how about you get your things from the car and settle in upstairs, I’ll make some lemonade, and then we can catch up…outside…while Castle fixes dinner?” she suggested quickly, already guiding her father toward the door before he could spill any stories about her as a teenager.

Castle frowned at that, but Jim did as his daughter suggested. He and Castle would have plenty of time to talk later, and while he wouldn't reveal many of his daughter's secrets, he would humor the man with a couple of stories. He'd earned that after what had just happened.

xxxxx

Throughout dinner, the conversation was relaxed, but Kate could tell Castle was still nervous. Every time she touched him, he was jumpy; he either dodged her or immediately found a reason to shift and pull away. Even on the couch when they watched a movie after dinner, his body was stiff as she leaned into him, and his arm was on the back of the couch instead of around her. She did understand to a point…he’d been completely mortified when her father had caught them, so she was willing to give him a pass in front of her father for a little bit. But Jim had excused himself about halfway through the movie to go to bed, and he still hadn’t loosened up or touched her, though she reasoned with herself that he was probably afraid her father might come back down for something and “catch” them.

Once the movie was finished and they turned off the lights, she took his hand and gently tugged him toward her bedroom. Her arms slid around his waist as she looked up at him with a smile once the door was closed. “You okay?” she asked him softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he assured her.

“Right…so fine that every time I tried to even hold your hand or even brush up against you, you pulled away.” She raised an eyebrow, trying to snuggle into his chest, but he was standing as stiff as a statue. “Rick…you can relax. My dad is upstairs, probably already asleep,” she tried to soothe him by rubbing his back.

“Yeah, but he could come down for a glass of water or something.”

Rolling her eyes, she gave up and released him. “He’s not coming into my room to look for a glass of water.” She started to pull off her clothes. Maybe seeing her flash a little skin as she got ready for bed would shake him out of it. Instead of watching her as she’d hoped, he’d simply stepped into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. When he returned, she had pulled on his t-shirt from earlier to sleep in and then disappeared into the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed herself, closing the door a little harder than necessary in her frustration.

Seeing him already in bed under the covers when she came out of the bathroom, she released a slow breath, reminding herself that this was new for him, and she’d had longer than he had to adjust to PDA in front of immediate family members, not to mention the fact that he’d been the one her dad had gotten an eyeful of naked when he’d walked in.

She slipped into bed and turned the lamp on her nightstand off so that the only light in the room was from the moonlight shining through the windows. Sliding down in bed, she turned to face him with a smile. “My dad likes you, you know,” she told him softly.

He remained on his back, staring up at the ceiling with one arm folded underneath his head. “Does he?”

She smiled a little more, moving closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder and drape her arm over his waist, her hand resting flat against his chest. “He does. He told me that you’re much better than other boyfriends he’s met,” she told him, thinking that maybe stroking his ego a little bit would get him to relax. When she snuggled a little closer, she hoped he would put his arm around her and frowned when he didn’t. “Castle…why are you suddenly afraid to

touch me?” she finally asked.

“I’m not afraid to touch you,” he insisted. Seeing her look, he sighed. “Your dad already got an eyeful of us touching earlier,” he ran his hand over his face.

She took a deep breath and pushed herself up to look at him. “Listen to me. With all the things I did as a teenager, all the boys I snuck in here, I promise you that my dad had absolutely no illusions that I'm still a virgin…even before he walked in and saw us," she told him bluntly. "It was a complete accident; neither he nor I knew the other was coming up a day early. You and I are consenting adults. Yes, it was a little awkward, but you have got to let it go.”

“A little awkward? Kate, your legs were wrapped around my waist and I was still inside you.”

She sighed softly. “Ok, maybe more than a little awkward,” she admitted; she could give him that, especially without knowing exactly how much of the final act her father did see. “I apologized to my dad about him having to witness what he did, but I love you, Rick. I’m not going to apologize for making love with you, nor would he expect either of us to. As long as you are good to me, which you are,” she gave him a smile, “and as long as I am happy, which I am…that’s all he cares about.” she told him honestly. “Now will you please relax?”

He remained silent for a few more seconds before finally putting his arm around her, but his body just wouldn’t relax. ”I’m sorry, I don’t know if I can.”

She sighed but took his arm around her as a baby step. “Maybe I can help your body relax,” she suggested softly, pressing her lips against his jaw, her hand sliding down his chest, across his stomach toward the waistband of his boxers.

“Kate!” he squeaked, grabbing her wrist. “Your dad is upstairs!”

“Yeah…sleeping,” she told him. “We are completely alone…” she murmured in his ear, letting her lips tease his skin. “I promise, he’s not coming through that door,” she hooked her thigh over his. When he still didn’t respond to her advances or touch, she pushed herself up to look at him. “Seriously, Castle? I have sex with you with your mother and daughter upstairs when we are in the Hamptons, and you can’t even let me try to get you to relax,” she pointed out.

“That’s different.”

Her eyes narrowed and she leaned back from him slightly. “Exactly how is that different?”

“Because it’s my family,” he shrugged, the words coming out without him even thinking. Even in the low light, he saw the fire flash in her eyes and realized that was not the right thing to say. “I mean, I am always around them,” he tried to explain, but that wasn’t the right thing to say either. “I just mean…they’ve never caught us…you know…”

“Having sex,” she supplied the words he suddenly couldn't say, her tone making it obvious he had dug himself a giant hole.

“Exactly.”

She clenched her jaw and pulled away from him to her side of the bed, creating as much space as possible between them with her back facing him. “If you’re so uncomfortable sharing a bed with me, the guest room is right through the bathroom,” she stated angrily.

“That’s not really necessary…”

“Are you sure? Because I would hate to accidentally touch each other while we’re sleeping with my dad upstairs,” she fumed quietly.

“Kate…” he tried. When she said nothing else, he sighed. “Do you want me to go to the guest room?”

“I don’t care. Do whatever you want, Castle. You always do anyway.”

He closed his eyes at her words. He had two ex-wives, a mother and a daughter. He knew from experience those words from a woman were never good for the man they were directed to. No matter what he did or said from this point, he was screwed. He thought about it for a few moments, trying to figure out which decision would make her less angry at him and finally pushed himself out of bed. “Goodnight, Kate,” he whispered before heading through the bathroom and into the guest room on the other side. Maybe they both just needed to have a night to cool off and let things settle between them. Surely she wouldn’t still be that mad at him in the morning.

xxxxx

I hope you enjoyed this update! There will be at least 1 more chapter up at the cabin, but probably 2, because I think with the conversations I have planned, fitting it all into 1 will probably make it longer than I want to have it.

I look forward to hearing the comments you all have for me on this one.

#castle #caskett #kate beckett #richard castle #castle fanfiction

[lordofkavaka]

UPDATE!

SNOWED IN - She was only there to help her Aunt Theresa while her Uncle Herb recovered from a mild heart attack. But then a blizzard hit and Kate Beckett found herself stuck with an irritating yet ruggedly handsome novelist. Caskett AU Meeting. For Castle Ficathon Winter 2023. Rated T.

CHAPTER 19

#castle #castle fanfiction #caskett #au meeting #castleficathonwinter2023 #update #fic in progress #mine #my fic #snowed in

[castleficpromoter]

CastleFicPromoter’s Castle Ficathon 2024

Greetings!

This “contest” isn’t a competition against others, merely a fun way for the Castle fandom and its talented fanfiction writers to generation some awesome stories over the summer season.

Participating stories should be posted on Fanfiction.net (or Archive of Our Own). Stories posted on FFnet will be included in the “favorites” list on the CFPromoter FFnet account. Links will also be tweeted through CFPromoter’s twitter account and blogged/reblogged on tumblr.

Word Count Goals:

Mini-Ficathon – 25,000 words

Ficathon – 50,000 words

Maxi-Ficathon – 75,000 words

Ultra-Ficathon – 100,000 words

Submissions will be accepted starting Monday, May 6, 2024 and ending at midnight on Friday, September 6, 2024. You can start writing at any time, but only fanfics posted within the timeframe will be accepted as part of the Summer Ficathon challenge.

Anyone can join, experienced and new fanfiction writers alike. Everyone is welcomed. The main point is to have fun!

Stories are to be posted on your own FFnet account, but should have “Castle Ficathon 2024” somewhere in the summary, so that readers know the story is a participant. Stories posted on AO3 are also acceptable this year and, just as with stories posted on FFnet, should have “Castle Ficathon 2024” somewhere in the summary. (sidenote: If you are posting your ficathon story only on AO3, let me know, otherwise I might miss it - Thanks!)

If you post a link to the story on Twitter, feel free to tag @CFPromoter in your tweet, so I’m aware your story is posted. I’ll be using the hashtag “CastleFicathon2024” and “CF2024” on Twitter (and tumblr) when I do tweet promotions.

Every participant will receive an individualized digital badge of participation at the end of the challenge. Participants will receive an additional badge for the word count level achieved at the end of Ficathon. Those who break 75k will also receive a personalized wallpaper based off the Castle Ficathon 2024 key art.

Need help coming up with ideas? Feel free to check out the prompt list on our tumblr page, or the many prompts to be found on the Castle Fanfic Prompts tumblr.

Don’t stress if you have trouble with updating regularly, the main point is to have fun, so… no pressure.

Questions? Concerns? Contact me!

Message me on tumblr, PM us on FFN, or tweet me.

Have fun everyone, and happy writing!

- Travis (aka @lordofkavaka​)

#castle #castle fanfiction #castle ficathon #CFPromoter #castleficpromoter #castleficathon2024 #fanfiction challenege #summer ficathon #CF2024 #PSA

[shmaptainwrites]

Pay It Forward [Richard Castle]

Pairings: Richard Castle x GN!Reader

Characters: Richard Castle, (mentions of) Kevin Ryan, Javier Esposito, Kate Beckett, Martha Rodgers, Alexis Castle

Summary: Reader jumps in between Castle and a suspect before a fight and ends up spending the night confronting her feelings for the bestselling author

Warnings: descriptions of injury (non-graphic), insecurity, hospital mention

Note: And yet another Castle fic, again honestly most of this was written a few consecutive late nights in a row so I don't really know if the progression makes much sense, but I like it so who cares ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ this has been in my drafts for months wtf is wrong w me

Getting hurt in the line of duty was something in the back of the mind of every law enforcement officer. Even author Richard Castle suspected there would be an occasion or two where he’d bite the bullet (figuratively and literally). 

What he didn’t expect however was when following a lead an officer would jump between him and a suspect right before an altercation began. 

To be honest, you didn’t expect to do it either, but there was something about reflexes that you just didn’t have any control over. 

Castle tried to get in and give you a hand, but you yelled at him to stay back even though you knew you were in over your head. Your body was hopped up on so much adrenaline that it took you a moment to register when you were down. 

It wasn’t the worst you had been hurt, but you knew each of the small injuries added to one another would mean you’d be benched for the foreseeable future. 

“Shit!” you cursed as the suspect managed to get away. “Castle, call Ryan and Esposito I’m in no shape to go after this guy, make sure-ow,” you gripped onto your side as you sat up. “Make sure they have uniforms canvassing all the spots he might have gone to.” 

Castle nodded and quickly made the call for you before hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket. 

“Hey, you don’t look too good,” he bent down next to you, noticing your split lip and a few other cuts you had around your face. Not to mention what looked like it could be a sprained ankle and a few bruised ribs.

“Been through worse, Castle,” you tried to push yourself up without much success. 

“I should take you to a hospital.” 

“No hospital,” you shook your head adamantly. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Like hell you will be,” he placed a hand around your back and helped you up, confirming his suspicions of a sprained ankle when you winced at the pressure you placed on your right foot. “If you won’t let me take you to a hospital, at least let me patch you up. I must have some things lying around at home we can make use of.” 

“Castle-,” 

“Don’t even try arguing with me on this,” he gave you a stern look. “I signed my papers, you didn’t have to jump in like that.” 

You sighed, “I know, it just sort of happened.” 

“It’s okay,” he assured you. “Just let me pay it forward.” 

You nodded your head and Castle supported you as you limped to the car. 

During the ride to Castle’s place, Ryan and Esposito called to inform you that just as you had suspected your perp had gone to one of his usual hideouts and had been intercepted by uniformed officers. Not without a fight, of course. 

“Glad that’s over,” you let out a breath and massaged your wrist. You had used it to break your fall when he had knocked you down, but you figured it was nothing that some ice and a tensor bandage couldn’t fix. 

Castle agreed with you as he pulled into the parking of his building and got out to give you a hand. You knew it was better not to fight him right now so you let him. You sent out a silent thank you to whoever invented elevators knowing your trip up would have been much more uncomfortable without it. 

As you entered Castle’s apartment, you noticed it was quieter than usual. You sat down on the couch and looked around, 

“Where’s Alexis?” 

“She’s staying at a friend’s house tonight,” Castle said while bringing the first aid kit and two ice packs to the couch. 

You stayed quiet as Castle examined the cut on your forehead, his fingers carefully brushing the skin next to it. 

He then grabbed an alcohol wipe and gave you the time old warning about it stinging. You scrunched your nose as the wipe made contact with the wound, but as soon as it started it was over and he placed two steri-strip bandages to keep the wound closed.

“You seem like you’ve had a bit of practice with this,” you said. 

“Nope,” he shook his head. “First time.” 

You chuckled a little to yourself, “Happy I could be your first something, Castle.” 

That made him break his concerned face with a small smile before turning his attention to your wrist that was already on ice. 

Similar to your own thinking he used a tensor bandage to wrap it, 

“Are you gonna tell me why you didn’t want to go to a hospital?” he asked. 

You shrugged, “I’ve been ignored in one enough times to know when I can try my luck outside.” 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said while wrapping up your wrist. “I think by this time you know my door is open if you ever need anything.” 

“Yeah, I do,” you smiled. “Thanks, Castle, really.” 

He lifted your hand up to examine his work with a smile at a job well done before pressing a small gentle kiss to the back of your hand. 

“So it can get better, of course,” he winked and you shook your head with a light laugh at his antics. “Your ribs,” he pointed to your chest. “He hit you pretty hard there, do you mind if I take a look?” 

“Castle, I thought you were a writer not an MD,” you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Okay, you’re right I’m not a doctor, but I’ve hurt myself before. Many, many times. At least maybe I can tell you if it’s worth seeing someone about it. Hey, I mean Lanie went to med school you could probably just go to her if you need to.” 

“And deal with Perlmutter if she’s not in? That’s my nightmare,” you shuddered.

“Come on, just give me a look. I promise no funny business,” he assured you and crossed his heart. 

You sighed deeply and winced a little, only prompting Castle to send you a pointed look which you acknowledged. 

“Fine, but not a word of this to Beckett, Esposito, or Ryan. They’ll chew my ear off if they hear I took my shirt off in front of you.” 

“Mum’s the word,” he nodded and with Castle’s help you slipped your shirt off. When you finally caught a glimpse of Castle he wasn’t even looking at your ribs, but instead right at you. 

“Castle, come on you said no funny business,” you whined. 

“No, no,” he shook his head. “I wasn’t-,” 

“Then what were you thinking about?” you raised your brows. 

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “Not important.” 

He then turned his attention to your newly formed bruise and tilted his head a little, curiously examining it. 

“I think you should get this one looked at. Doesn’t have to be tonight, but that’s a nasty hit if I’ve ever seen one.” 

“Whatever you say Dr. Castle,” you sighed and laid back on the couch. 

You looked straight ahead for a while before turning back to look at him, only to see he was staring at you again. 

“Castle, you’re really bad at pretending not to stare,” you chuckled humourlessly. “Honestly, right now I don’t think I could care less.” 

“You make it kind of hard not to stare,” he retorted. 

“Oh yeah, how so?” 

“I just can’t seem to wrap my head around how someone who just got their ass kicked can still look so beautiful.” 

You snorted, “Really, you’re a writer, Castle. I expected more from you.” 

“I’m not lying,” he handed you your shirt back. “Shirt on or off, ass kicked or not.” 

“Tell me why I don’t believe you then?” you took a moment to slip your shirt back on with a little bit of difficulty, but you managed it nonetheless. 

“Maybe I haven’t given you much reason to,” he shrugged. “Can’t blame you there. Or maybe…” 

“Maybe what?” 

“You can’t see it yourself.”

“Can’t see it-Castle, what are you talking about?” you frowned. 

“I’ve been working with you guys for over two years, it’s kind of my job to notice things,” he started. 

“And what did you notice about me?” you ventured asking. 

“You have the capacity to do your job and excel at it like no one I’ve ever seen,” he said. “But not once do you believe maybe your hunch is right. It’s always, no, let's do Beckett’s idea that seems better, you even indulge me more than you indulge yourself.” 

You chewed on the inside of your lip, he wasn’t wrong. 

“I just hope that mentality doesn’t find its way into the rest of your life too.” 

You nodded your head, lips pressed tightly together, what he had said struck a chord with you. Resonated deep inside your heart where you knew he was right. 

“And why do you care so much about me, Castle?” you dared to ask him. “Why did I jump in front of you to just get my ass kicked by our suspect? Do you have an answer to that too?” 

“I might, but I don’t think you’re gonna like it,” he chuckled lightly. 

“Maybe we should save it for another time then,” you whispered. “I think I um…I need to get back home.” 

You pushed yourself up off the couch, but Castle blocked you before you could leave. 

“Just stay here,” he said. “It’s late, you’re hurt. I-I don’t wanna leave you alone.” 

“Castle, I know your mom’s living with you again. I don’t wanna impose-,” 

“It’s not,” he shook his head and put his hands on your arms. “I swear it. You take my bed, I’ll sleep in Alexis’ room tonight.” 

You had almost already had one foot out the door, you were so ready to get the hell out of there, run away from your feelings, but before your mind could catch up your hearts words made it to your mouth and you said, 

“Okay…I’ll stay.” 

Castle smiled and nodded his head a few times, like he was taking in the fact that you had just agreed with him, to be honest, so were you. 

“Just give me a sec, I’ll grab you some stuff to take up with you,” he said before walking off to the linen closet to grab you a towel, a pillow, and an extra blanket. He came around to the stairs and motioned for you to follow him which you did

The door at the end of the hallway upstairs was the one that he led you to, pushing it open and allowing you to enter the room while he placed the things he had grabbed for you on the bed. 

“Um washroom is over there,” he pointed, “Alexis’s room is the one by the stairs. D-Do you need something to wear?” 

“Uh, no I think I can manage in these,” you looked down at the t-shirt and joggers you were wearing, thankful you had changed into your civvies before going out of the precinct. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, no worries,” he nodded, walking back from his bed and coming past you. “If you need anything, I’m just down the hall.”

You nodded your head. 

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he pulled a package out of his pocket. “Toothbrush.”

You smiled as he handed it to you. clearly having thought of everything. 

“You sleep well,” he placed a hand on your shoulder and leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek. As he began to pull away, his eyes met with yours and before you could control your actions you could feel yourself reaching out to him. An arm wrapped around his neck, toothbrush still in hand, one hand holding his face, and before you knew it you had pulled him fully into you, your lips pressed gently against his own. 

At that moment, you didn’t care anymore, you didn’t care about fighting your feelings, about whether or not this would end terribly and whether it was a good idea in the first place. All that mattered is that you knew what you wanted, and you were going for it. 

Castle pulled away after a moment, looking again into your eyes almost asking permission. Giving you a chance to back out in case this was all some mistake. 

But when you leaned in again, he took his cue and met you in the middle. 

His hands were wrapped so gently around your waist, careful not to squeeze or press too hard, avoiding your sore spots. 

The second time you pulled apart it was for air, your foreheads resting against each other, the only sound in the room was your breathing. 

“Would you…would you stay with me?” you asked. 

He pressed another kiss to your lips and nodded. 

“Anything you want,” he whispered, and he meant it. 

You unwrapped your arm from his neck, looking down at the toothbrush in your hand with a small smile. 

“I’m gonna go…” you looked to the washroom and he nodded saying something about getting changed. 

After you finished brushing your teeth, you came back into the room just as Castle was about to slip on a t-shirt. 

“Now we’re even,” he said. “And not a word to Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan,” he teased you. 

“Come on, we both know you would love it if they knew,” you rolled your eyes and made your way closer to his bed. 

“Nah,” he shook his head and slipped on his shirt. “I think I’m okay keeping this one to myself.” 

When you sat on the edge of the bed, Castle stayed where he was, that same knowing look in his eyes.

“What are you staring at?” you asked, pulling your legs up and sitting cross-legged. 

He just shrugged and came to the other side of the bed, it was odd how you’d never noticed that look. Had he always looked at you that way? 

“Rick,” you said quietly and he nodded, showing you had his attention. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” 

He chuckled a little, “I-Well I always thought you kind of hated me.” 

“I kind of hate everybody,” you leaned back against the headboard. “I hate you a little less.” 

He laughed and you did too, until you felt the ache in your ribs, prompting you to stop.

“I’ll take it,” he reached out to hold your hand and you took it, pulling him closer until this time he took the lead and cradled your face, kissing you again. 

“You know,” you mumbled in between kisses. “You don’t have to not say things on my account, ever.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he assured you. “And you know you’ll always have a place here.” 

“I could get used to that,” you nodded, holding his face in your hands and pulling him in even closer, until there was barely any space left between you. 

He used the proximity to wrap one of his arms around the side of your waist that wasn’t bruised and pull you over more towards him, having you practically lean into his chest, until you both sunk down into the plush mattress. 

“I don’t think I’m doing your lip much good,” he murmured while brushing his thumb across where you had split your bottom lip. 

“It’ll heal,” you kissed his thumb which was still resting against your mouth. 

“And so will you, but not if we stay up all night.”

You let out a small chuckle, “Alright, Doctor Castle, I’ll rest,” you conceded, letting your head rest against his chest, just high enough that he could bend his neck and press one last kiss to your forehead. 

Closing your eyes, it felt nice to know that someone would be there to hold you when you woke up. 

#richard castle #richard castle x reader #rick castle #rick castle x reader #castle abc #castle #richard castle fanfiction #richard castle fanfic #rick castle fanfiction #rick castle fanfic #castle fanfiction #castle fanfic

[madaboutcastle1090]

What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work?

I think I would recommend "Coffee Shaped Wrecking Ball." Might seem odd to introduce someone to my work by recommending the longest one, but it's my favorite of all the stories I've written.

#castle #castle fanfiction

[novamariestark]

A babysitter, a favour and a Desk

Summary: You used to babysit Alexis 4 years ago but left to focus on your studies. You're now 19, and a simple favour turned into the fantasy you'd dreamt about nightly all those years ago

Warnings: age gap, reader is 19, piv, unprotected sex, babysitter, desk sex, rough, slightly possessive (poorly written by an amateur writer), minors dni

Word count: 1905

Fandom: Castle

Pairing: Castle x former babysitter!reader

Did you plan for this to happen? No. But you’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed you mind once… or a thousand times. But back then, it was just a schoolgirl crush on your boss.

For two years, you babysat his daughter, Alexis, but when your exams started and you began to feel the exhaustion from having too many things piled up on your plate, you had to leave. You still keep in touch with Alexis, often she’d send you a question she was stuck on, or you’d video chat and help her with her homework, but Alexis is a smart girl, you don’t actually believe she needs help but just wanted to talk to you.

You didn’t mind at all. In fact, you looked forward to hearing her voice, seeing her face. She was growing up so fast. She was no longer that little girl you used to take to ballet classes and ice cream parlors.

You hadn't seen him for 4 years when Alexis called you and asked you to stay with her whilst he left the state for a case. You were happy to, of course. And he was more at ease, knowing that his daughter was going to be with someone he had trusted for a long time.

The last time you saw him, he was just a father figure, but now... you couldn't help but notice how good he looked.

The moment he stepped into the room, the air seemed to shift. There was an electricity between you two, and it became more noticeable when he wrapped you in a hug. You could feel his body pressed against yours, and his familiar scent made you shiver.

As he pulled away, he looked you up and down, taking in your appearance. You could see the heat building in his eyes, and you felt a blush creep up your neck. "You've grown up so much, [Y/N]," he whispered, his voice rough and low.

"You look the same," you replied with a nervous, breathy laugh. "Just as good." He smiled down at you, his blue eyes sparkling. You could feel the heat between your legs growing more intense by the second. "How long will you be gone?" you asked, trying to break the tension.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "A few days, maybe. It all depends on how long it takes to crack this case." You nodded, "The card for food and other necessities is in the draw in my study, don't let my mother use it, she doesn't know the meaning of the word necessities,"

"Got it,"

And with that he left. You spent the next few days alone with Alexis, just like old times. You cooked together, watched movies, did each other's hair, and even painted your toenails. It felt so comfortable and natural being there, like you'd never left.

But a couple of days later you heard a noise coming from down the hall. You knew it wasn't Alexis, she was asleep, and Martha had a "date”.

You didn't expect to find him sitting in his study with his laptop on his lap. He looked up as you walked in, his eyes meeting yours. "Hey, [Y/N]," he said, his voice gruff from exhaustion. "I didn't think I'd see you until morning."

"I didn't know it was you," you said, trying to steady your breath. "I just came to... to check on the noise."

Your eyes unwillingly made their way to his desk, which was the object of many of your fantasies over the years. You couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to feel his strong arms wrapped around you, pulling you onto his lap. The thought made your heart race.

He looked at you for a moment. Shit! Had he caught you? Did he know what you were thinking about? Was it obvious? Perhaps it was. Your legs were clenched together to get any kind of friction you could.

He noticed and he wants to help you with that. He stands up and walk towards you slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. He reaches out to cup your face in his hands, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb. "Is there something you need, baby?" he whispers, his voice husky and low.

You feel a shiver run down your spine at the contact. "I-I'm fine," you stammer.

He smirks, "Liar." Then, before you can react, he leans forward and presses his lips against yours. The kiss is soft at first, just a gentle brush of his lips against yours. But as you respond, it deepens, becoming more urgent and demanding. His hands slide down your back, pulling your body flush against his.

You moan into the kiss, arching your back as you feel his hard length pressing against your stomach. You run your hands through his hair, gripping the soft strands as he explores your mouth with his tongue. You can feel the heat rising between your legs, and you're so wet you can barely stand it.

He breaks the kiss, he notices when your eyes trail towards the desk again, your bottom lip sucked between your teeth as you breathe heavily. He smirks and pulls you with him, guiding you to the desk. He lifts you to sit on it, parting your legs so he can stand in between them, his hard length pressing against your center. His hands slide up under your paper-thin shirt. His rough fingertips graze across your silky-smooth skin as they trail upwards, towards your covered breasts. You arch your back, offering yourself more to him. He leans down, kisses your neck, your collarbone, before cupping your breasts in his hands.

cupping your breasts, massaging them through your bra. You moan, arching your back, and he takes that as an invitation, kissing and nipping at your neck as he works at unbuttoning your pajama pants.

You feel his fingers slide along the band of your underwear, and then his warm breath on the bare skin of your thigh. He looks up at you, waiting for your permission, and you nod eagerly, unable to form any words. His fingers slip beneath the lace, sliding over your slick folds as he finds your clit. He circles it slowly, teasing you, making you moan and writhe against his touch.

With his other hand, he reaches up to unfasten the buttons of your pajama top, revealing your bare chest to the cool air. His fingers graze across your hardened nipples, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from you. He leans in, taking one of your nipples into his mouth and sucking gently, rolling his tongue over the peak.

You can't focus on anything but the feel of his lips and tongue as he works his finger in tandem with his thumb, teasing your clit. Your hips buck up against his hand, seeking more contact. He watches you, eyes dark with desire, as you arch your back and cry out, your body tensing.

"God, you feel so tight," he whispers, kissing your neck before moving down to suck on your collarbone. His fingers continue to work, pushing inside you as you begin to lose control. The tension coiling in your belly threatens to snap free at any moment. You can feel it building, building, building.

He leans in, taking your other nipple between his teeth and biting down softly. The pain-tinged pleasure shoots through you. You cry out, arching your back as your first orgasm of the night crashes over you. Your muscles contract, your body spasms, and you writhe against his hand, his fingers still buried deep inside you.

He watches you, his eyes dark with lust as you ride out the wave of your orgasm. He continues to stroke you, his thumb circling your clit until you're spent and gasping for air. He pulls his fingers out of you and gently pushes you back onto the desk, your legs still spread wide.

His lips trail down your chest, over your stomach, and to your navel, where he licks and sucks gently.

"Rich…" You moan, arching into his touch. He pulls your pants down just enough to free his hard length from them, and then guides it to your entrance. Still wet from your orgasm, he slides easily inside you. He groans at the feeling that engulfs him, his hips bucking forward as he sinks deeper.

His hands grip your hips, holding you steady as he begins to move, thrusting in and out of you.

As if you were being pulled to the heavens, your chest rises from the desk, your eyes roll back as his cock brushes that spot inside you.

The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room, mingling with your moans and gasps and his deep, sexy groans. You can feel him deep inside you, his length stretching you, filling you up.

You feel the tightening deep within, the coil of pleasure building, once more. He holds you close, his lips finding your ear, your neck, your cheek, his words hot against your skin. "God, you feel so good," he whispers, his hips still moving, keeping him deep inside you as you ride out the aftershocks of your orgasm.

But apparently, he wasn't done with you yet. He begins to pound into you harder, faster. You're sprawled on the desk, his hands on your thighs in a bruising grip as he pulls your body roughly into his. Your cries of pleasure mix with the pain of the grip, filling the room. He doesn't slow down after your next orgasm. He just relentlessly pounds into you, like he's trying to make up for lost time. Like he's just using you for his own pleasure, your body nothing more than an object to be conquered.

You're not sure if you hate him or love him for it. The way he takes you, the force with which he moves, it's almost painful but in the best possible way. His breath is hot and ragged against your neck, his hands gripping you so tightly it hurts, but you don't want him to stop.

He slows but only to turn you over. Your face now roughly pressed against the desk. He wastes no time re-entering your wet entrance. His hips slam into you with newfound force. Your cries muffled by the wooden surface. He thrusts deep, hitting your spot with every stroke. The edge of the desk strokes your clit with every thrust of his hips, maximizing the pleasure coursing through you.

The desk creaks beneath your weight as he uses it to brace himself, his other hand fisting in your hair, holding you still for his enjoyment. You feel so exposed, so owned, but you can't help but love it. He growls, his breath hot against your ear as he reaches climax, thrusting hard and deep one final time.

His weight comes down on top of you, pinning you to the desk as his hips stutter and shudder with the force of his orgasm. You feel him, feel everything as he empties himself into you, as if he's pouring his very soul out through his cock. You can feel the heat of him, the strength of him, the power he has over you. You can feel his erection soften inside you, but he doesn't move, doesn't pull out. He just lays there, his body still connected to yours, his breath mingling with yours.

@mariechristine00 I'm sorry 😅

#female reader #reader insert #richard castle #castle x reader #x reader #castle smut #castle fanfiction

[writingwell]

20 13 fanfic questions

Thanks to @randomfoggytiger for the tag. I didn’t do all of them, just the pertinent ones, and I modified those just to include ffnet as well. 

1. How many works do you have? 26 on AO3 (for my mature rated Spy Castle stuff); fanfiction.net has 278 Castle fics;and about 300ish archived at Gossamer for X-Files.

4. What are your top fics by kudos/reviews? The Return of Vulcan Simmons, Tempest (not a spy work!) on AO3; ffnet would be One Hundred Days of Summer (co-authored with SandianeCarter) and Dash It All.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yeah, I think if you take the time to contact me, you deserve the respect of hearing from me. It might not be a full-blown conversation, but I’ll do what I can with a full-time profession and a writing one as well. Also, suuuuper sorry, just discovered AO3 has an inbox. 300 days ago, some of you messaged me and I am just now seeing those. Lol. 

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I have a spy fic where the two of them are just so at odds, so grieving with and over each other… okay that’s most of them. But I try not to end on angst, as it’s supposed to be the journey not the destination. (Angst is a twisting of the heart, not a place where you stay. According to me.)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Dash series has the ‘happiest’ endings. Not because life is happy, but because they figured out how to create contentment within what they’d been given/dealt in life. And in ways other versions of the Castle characters hadn’t accomplished. They did the work.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Oh definitely. A while back, I turned off comments on tumblr for about a year as I processed and healed from some targeted attacks, and I can say that I came out more certain of myself and my writing. But I was also an adult who had not been forced to weather these attacks as a vulnerable 13 y-o on social media (as so many of you are unfortunately dealing with). I was able to detach, center myself once more, and rise above because I’d grown up IRL, so to speak. I have a faith in something bigger than me which, while it doesn’t look like what it did, has sustained me and given me the confidence to know my worth even as it spurs me to be/do better. 

9. Do you write smut. If so what kind? Oh definitely, lol. It’s on AO3. Usually I like to explore M/F with a third in there for kicks, as the concept of generosity and giving within the sexual relationship/experience is intriguing to me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I objected to the term ‘stolen.’ I’ve had my fics, without my knowledge, posted elsewhere, translated without my knowledge, and changed to other fandom characters to be posted elsewhere. However! I’ve had loads of people ask me too, and I really appreciate being able to go visit them. (Stolen would indicate I somehow own these fanfictions, and I do not, as that would be a legally difficult hill to stand on. I also do not perceive collective fan art in this manner, because the world is all of ours.)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Oh there’s a co-written story that me, carto, and muppet47 started and have NEVER finished. We all know Castle has to go to jail, but we can’t write it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Writing it the first time. Correctly. As in, it comes out the way it should or ought to or how I am seeing it in the moment. I have the right rhythm, I can spell and I have the grammar skills. My first draft is fast and good enough for submission. Of course, I go back and edit, and I have to, but I’m very blessed in not ever going through anything like writer’s block.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Secondary characters. I have a tendency for tunnel vision, where all I want to do is talk about and to and for the main characters. If they have friends or family, I barely include them. I can’t manage to care that they exist. But all of us live in a complex web of relationships and community; no one is alone. My last novel, Taste of Salt, was an concentrated effort to include as many other perspectives as possible, so it was told through the POVs of the two main characters and interspersed with flashback chapters from the POVs of their friends, family, coworkers, chance encounters, medical personnel, kids, support networks… there you go.You have to do the thing that’s hard. Write it out, over and over, keep practicing.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Yeah, sometimes it becomes necessary for the character. But please keep it to a minimum (imo) as it detracts from the reader’s understanding and experience of reading. It ought to be rather easy to understand what the person is saying due to context or just the flow of the scene. If you’re writing in English, and you have a character visiting France, then obviously some of that ought to be in French, but after a while, you can indicate that the language is being used while writing it in English. I say this because most of you are fandom writers who are not writing for literary audiences; therefore, don’t ruin everyone’s fun my making it incomprehensible or inaccessible. Please.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? Don’t ask me to choose between my children! I can tell you that Dash holds a special place in my heart due to the amount of readers who said it gave them understanding of their own sensory issues or their child’s autism, etc. Spy gave me one of my greatest friends, carto, who continues to love and support me and my writing. 

I won't tag anyone, because I deleted so many of these questions, but feel free to answer or share or talk with me about them!

#chezchuckles #writingwell #castle fanfiction #writing advice

[bravevulnerability]

What if 3x13 happens during the 47 seconds arc?

Her knuckles are white around the steering wheel, the binoculars tossed aside in her lap. The tension in the Crown Vic is palpable, the concern for their friends and the discomfort of sitting in the small space together causing a bead of sweat to form on the back of her neck.

They're parked outside the building they traced Maddox to, where Ryan and Esposito are being held, possibly tortured. A guard stands posted outside the entrance, posture relaxed but eyes alert and ready.

"That guy'll spot a S.W.A.T team from a block away. He'll warn Maddox." Beckett sighs, chewing on her bottom lip. "They'll both be dead in seconds."

Castle is quiet beside her and she doesn't have the courage to look at him in that moment, to see his steely blue gaze not just angry with her, but further disappointed too.

"I'm open to dumb ideas here."

A shaky breath exhales from the passenger side. "Good, because I've got one. But you'll have to trust me."

Beckett turns towards him, holds his gaze. For a second, it feels normal again - not like he's replaced her with a shoddy excuse for a detective or a blonde stewardess. In the moment, they feel like partners again.

"I do."

His lips part, as if he's about to say more, but instead, his fingers close around the door handle and he's pushing it open.

"Castle," she growls, reaching for her own door.

"Just play drunk and follow my lead," he hisses, slamming the car door and circling around to her side of the vehicle in a lazy stroll.

The guard notices the second they exit the car, body shifting in their direction.

"Loosen up, lean on me," he murmurs, catching her hand and spinning her into his arms.

He makes a show of laughing loudly and she does as he instructed, staggering with a giggle into his side, snagging her fingers in his coat to keep her balance. Castle's hand is roaming her side, slipping from her shoulder to her waist, dragging her in close, and she tries to ignore the sharp flutter in her stomach.

The guard leaves his post reluctantly, approaching them with a critical eye.

"He's not buying it, Castle," she hums into his shoulder, heart beginning to pound as the guard comes closer. She keeps her smile in place while she shifts in his grasp, continuing the airy laughter even as her fingers graze her gun.

But then Castle is snatching her hand with his own, dislodging it from the piece. His fingers are smoothly moving to the small of her back, pulling her in close, while the other catches her by the cheek.

The laughter comes to an abrupt halt.

The blue of his eyes glows in the darkness of the parking lot, holding her attention as they flicker to her mouth. Her fingers are shaking as they grasp for the sides of his coat, her head nodding at its own accord when he drifts in, touches his lips to hers for the first time.

The electricity stuns her, crackling across her lips. He's tentative, his mouth soft but unmoving against hers, barely a kiss, but his hands roam her back, make a show of having her body pressed to his.

"This okay?" he mumbles, nudging his nose against her cheek, and she feels a tremble of need ripple through her.

She answers with the part of her lips, the sweep of her tongue to the seam of his mouth. Castle startles back for a moment in surprise, but his eyes slide toward the guard, and he's leaning into her, accepting the fuse of her mouth to his once more.

Her heels are high, but she still finds herself rising up, arching into him as she sucks his upper lip into her mouth, laves her tongue over the tender flesh. Castle groans, scraping at her lip with his teeth, digging his fingers into the coat at her back. Her fingers scrape through his hair, nails scorching his scalp, and he grunts into her mouth, sucks her tongue into his.

She's watching the guard, she swears she's devoting some of her attention to the guard, but she can't help the way her knees dip, the way he supports her with the thigh between her legs, the moan he drags from deep in her throat.

The low chuckle of the guard from behind Castle has her eyes fluttering open to see the other man turning away, shaking his head at them.

She sighs, hating herself for wishing he had taken a little longer to fall for the ruse, and then she's snagging the gun from her waistband. She uses her hold on Castle's shoulder and her own momentum to swing forward, knock the guard out cold.

"Holy shit," he's gasping from behind her.

She spins on her heel, finds Castle gaping at her with kiss swollen lips and wide eyes, hair disheveled and chest heaving.

"That was... a lot." Her face flushes, ears burning with heat, and he stares up at her in disbelief. "You - Kate, you didn't have to kiss me like that."

"I didn't?"

"I mean, yes, but the way you - and how you-"

"Later," she stops him, jerking her head towards the building. "The boys."

"Yeah, yes, of course," he nods, blinking furiously and trotting up alongside her as they approach Maddox's hideout.

-

Castle is hidden behind a wooden beam, crouched atop a crate of ammo as Maddox drifts into his line of sight. Rick's had his eye on Kate the entire time, ensuring that she wasn't shot amidst her exchange of fire with the sniper. She's reloading her weapon, hidden behind a beam on the opposite side of the garage, when Maddox situates himself directly below Castle, Kate in his sights. Again.

He doesn't think twice this time.

Castle leaps onto Maddox, tackling him to the ground, knocking the gun from his surprised grasp, and taking a fist to the sniper's face. Over and over and over again. Until he stops seeing Kate bleeding out underneath him.

"Castle!"

He jerks his attention to the call of his name, the sound of her voice.

His knuckles are throbbing, Maddox's face is a mess of blood, and Kate is holding out her hand to him.

"Rick," she says softer.

He releases a shaking breath and takes her outstretched hand, lets her pull him off of the sniper. The guy who tortured Ryan and Esposito, who put a bullet in her chest, upended her entire life.

The S.W.A.T team is swarming in now, shouting commands and racing to the boys, checking pulses of the men Kate took out. She draws him away, off to the sidelines as the team ascends towards Maddox's unconscious form.

"You okay?" she asks, her voice gentle. He tears his eyes away from the activity all around them and looks to her.

He flexes his fingers unthinkingly, winces. "Never better."

"Good," she whispers, nudging him towards a back entrance. He can hear the squawk of squad cars arriving outside, the siren of an ambulance. He reaches for the exit's door with his good hand to lead them out into the night, but Kate is stilling him, catching his shoulder and turning him towards her.

He doesn't have the chance to question her. Too quickly, she's stepping into him, shaking hands on his cheeks and fervent lips bruising against his own. Laying siege to his mouth and taking everything he has, and he lets her.

Castle moans quietly, burying a hand into the thick curls of her hair, clinging to her nape as her chest presses flush against his.

"I'm so sorry, Castle," she breathes, stroking his cheeks, his jaw, with her fingers. "I'm sorry for whatever I did, however I hurt you."

"Kate," he sighs, but her head is shaking, nose bumping against his, every touch of her skin like a spark lit against his own. He can't think straight, can't come up with anything to say to refuse her, can't bring himself to want to.

He's missed her so damn much.

"I just want you." The words whisper over his lips and she seals them there, dusting a kiss to his cheek, the corner of his mouth, hovering over the home of his lips.

"I love you," he mumbles, waiting for her eyes to widen in shock or shame, but she only gazes up at him, her eyes hazel and wide. "If that's not what you want, I can't-"

"It is," she swears, fierce like the kiss she places on his lips. His back is pressed against the door and he uses the leverage to spin them, her hands knotting in his hair as he seals her spine to the metal door.

Her leg curls at his thigh, possessive, and he scrapes his teeth along her jaw, her throat, sliding down the lithe line of her body until he meets the barrier of her turtleneck.

She yanks him back to her, nails scratching at his coat as she sighs into his open mouth, angles her head to deepen the kiss he fits to her lips. He can feel the wild throb of her heart, the way it accelerates when his hands steal beneath her shirt, soak in the heat radiating from her flesh.

"Uh, Detective Beckett?"

Castle tears his mouth from hers, checks over his shoulder to see a guy in a S.W.A.T uniform and a clipboard looking awkwardly between them and the floor.

"We need your statements."

"Sorry, yeah, be right there," Castle gets out, breathing totally uneven.

The guy nods and hurries off as quick as he can.

Kate groans and buries her face in his throat. Castle huffs a laugh and knocks his forehead into her temple.

"Careful, Beckett," he murmurs into her hair, dusting his lips to the hinge of her jaw. "Everyone's going to know."

Her lips part over his jugular, tongue laving over his pulse, and he gasps.

"I don't care," she says, drawing back to look at him, eyes hazy and lips red. "I just need you to know."

"Know what exactly?" he tests, pushes, but she doesn't hesitate.

"I'm in this," she says evenly, but there's a tinge of sorrow in her eyes, a mournful expression on her lips as she stares up at him. "I know there's - I know you don't want to work together anymore, but please, can I just - can I have you?"

Shit. They so need to talk. A lot. But her lashes hide her eyes as they fall to his mouth and his resolve crumbles.

"Everything?" he breathes, cradling her jaw in his bad hand, ignoring the pulsating ache reverberating through the bones.

She's nodding, leaning in to brush a whisper of a kiss over his lips like a promise. "Just want you. Just want to love you."

He kisses her once, twice, and traces his thumb over her swollen bottom lip. It's all he needs, more than enough for now.

"Come home with me tonight."

Kate grins shyly, reaches up to cradle his throbbing knuckles in the bed of her palm. "Yeah, Castle. As soon as we're done here. Let's go check on the boys and I'll wrap your hand."

She bumps his hips with her own, nudges free of his grasp, but keeps his hand cradled between both of hers.

"And thank you," she adds as she pushes open the door, spills them out into a sea of red and blue lights. "For having my back in there."

He hooks his fingers through hers, their hands a tangled mess.

"Always."

The pain in his hand is so worth it. It's all so worth it for her.

#castle fanfiction #kate beckett #richard castle #castle #castle x beckett #castle au #3x13 #season 4 #prompt #anon #mine

[do-it-for-the-fandom]

Types of kisses: (1) soft goodnight kisses.

Pre-Caskett, sometime in season 4.

She announced it to the group - one more drink then she had to leave - and he felt the buzz of intoxication drain from his body. It happened every time and he was rapidly growing very tired of it. He so selfishly wanted her time; all of it.

She tilted her head back as she drained the last of her drink, said an overly cheerful goodbye to her friends and slipped out from the booth they always occupied on nights like this.

Cool air filled the space where she had been, sending chills down his spine. He hadn't even realised that she had spent the past hour leaning comfortably against his side but now that the warmth of her body was gone, he so desperately wanted it back.

He shuffled along the booth, slipped out the end and followed her path toward the exit.

"Kate," he called out to her. He rushed his steps until he was close enough to reach out for her hand. "Wait up."

She turned back around, a smile on her face and - God, she was beautiful.

He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that coursed through him, or if it was just sheer stupidity but he felt brave as he took one more step toward her, invading her space.

The smile on her face was so quickly replaced with a look of curiosity - but she didn't pull back, didn't question the rise of his free hand as his palm pressed gently to her cheek.

She didn't flinch, didn't hesitate when his lips brushed against hers. And after just one stuttering heartbeat he felt her lips press back against his.

It was soft and sweet: a perfect, breath-taking moment.

He pulled away slowly and pursed his lips to savour the warmth left by her. He watched her as her eyes fluttered open and locked onto his, a subtle blush shading her cheeks.

"Good night," he whispered.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before she let go.

"Good night, Castle."

#it's part of a scene in a story I'm starting to think I'll never finish #idk I thought this was cute I guess #3am things #my drabbles #kate beckett #richard castle #caskett #fanfic #kate beckett x richard castle #castle fanfiction #different types of kisses #will this be a series? who knows #probably though #I have nothing better to do #*psst. she lied. she has so much she has to do*

[writingonthecastlewalls]

I don’t know if this thing is on, or if anyone is still here, but…if you are:

I did a thing. I haven’t done a thing like this in five years. *runs and hides*

fanfiction.net/s/14303693/1/A…

#castle fanfiction #caskett #castle abc #castle tv #writingonthecastlewalls

[bunysliper]

what do you think would have happened if castle had gotten stuck in the AU?

Hi Anon! I hope you're still out there and that this was meant as a prompt (not that I'm not ashamed of how long it took to answer it if it was) and not just a question/discussion starter. Basically, I kind of wrote what I think the answer would be, so I hope you like this!

Hope Yet

He's ashamed of the disappointment that floods his belly when he wakes in a hospital to a dark-haired version of his daughter. It's not that he's unhappy to see Alexis – any version of her – but he'd hoped that he might wake right where he left, on a dingy floor dodging gunfire with Kate a little bit peeved at him for touching something he shouldn't have. Instead, he's… still here. Still in this world where he has miles to go to repair a relationship with his little girl, his mother still has almost complete control over his house because he'd been a schmuck with his money, and Kate – Kate is apathetic about him at best; miles and miles from loving him.

He'd been so sure he would be going home.

"Hi Daddy," Alexis breathes, stroking his hair off his forehead. "I was so worried."

Rick Castle hopes the grimace can be written off as pain from his injuries. "Hi, 'lexis. Sorry, 'bout that."

He licks his lips, looking around the room for anything that he might be able to drink to get the rough cardboard taste out of his mouth.

Alexis comes through for him once again, holding a small cup with a straw to his lips. "Slow sips. You were intubated and your throat might be sore."

He tries not to gulp it down, savoring the water for a moment before Alexis takes the cup away.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asks, leaning on her elbow beside him. He opens his mouth, but she continues first, "Dad, you were shot. What were you even doing that you would get shot?"

He exhales, feeling the tug of new wounds on his chest. "I was-"

"He was protecting me."

Alexis jolts upright, turning to the door.

Rick would be lying if he said he didn't jump a little as well. If his heart didn't speed up at her voice, husky with emotion and a lack of sleep. He doesn't know this her, but he knows her. At the heart of her, he knows Kate Beckett.

"Would do it all over again," he says, hoping to catch her eyes.

She avoids his gaze, looking at Alexis instead, but he sees her fingers twitch before she clenches her fists and releases them. He knows that move, recognizes it as her taking a moment to ground herself before she gives someone bad news.

"I am so sorry, Ms. Castle. I'm Captain Beckett, with the NYPD. Your father got involved in a case my detectives were working and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He made a call to do something incredibly stupid, but very brave, to save my life."

She turns to him, her eyes bloodshot and tired, but flinty and determined all the same. "I can assure you that he won't be put in that position again. Ever."

Castle swallows hard, wishing he could reach for her as well as the water Alexis had given him a few minutes ago. He gets neither, though, because Beckett takes a step back.

"I'm not staying," Beckett adds, licking her lips. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right, Mr. Castle."

"Rick," he rasps. "Or Castle, if you want. Whatever you want, Beckett."

At his bedside, Alexis rolls her eyes. "Please forgive him, Captain Beckett. He's-"

Kate waves her off. "It's okay. I understand. The painkillers do strange things to everyone."

Still, she offers him a look he should be able to read, given how well he knows her counterpart. It's part-quizzical, part-amused, at least enough to cause her lips to lift at the corners.

"Stay out of trouble from here on out, Mr. Castle. Please?"

 He nods quickly, even as he croaks an impish, "No promises."

Beside him, Alexis rolls her eyes. "I'll keep him in line, Captain. Don't worry."

This time, Beckett does crack a small smile. "I'm sure you will, Ms. Castle. I'm sure you will." She licks her lips, lowering her chin. "I'll leave you to rest."

Rick starts to call her back, to insist she doesn't have to leave and she's as welcome as his child and his mother (who, he supposes must be at work at this point, after all, her show opens in – well, probably now, if he's been out that long), but he can't make the words come. This Kate Beckett doesn't know him, and as much as he wants to believe otherwise, he doesn't know her either. He can't expect her to feel at home with him and his family the way the woman he loves does.

"Thank you for visiting," he says instead. "I'm glad you're okay; that was… that was all I wanted to do."

She hesitates for a moment before dropping her hand to cover his. "I know, Castle. Thank you."

Her touch disappears a moment later and she retreats from his hospital room, leaving him to begin to accept that this might just be the rest of his life.

Just two days later, while Alexis is at home retrieving some of his clothing for him to change into when he's allowed to get cleaned up, she returns with a case file in hand and an annoyed, but somehow fond, look on her face.

"If you're feeling up to it," she starts, licking her lips and shifting her weight on those impossibly high heels of hers, "I wouldn't mind having another pair of eyes to check this out; you and my victim apparently run in the same circles."

Rick Castle moves his hospital bed a little more upright, clasping his hands together and grinning. He tries not to look too eager, of course, since he doesn't want to scare her off when she's coming to him – when she needs, nay wants, his help, but he's all in already.

"I'd be delighted, Captain. Lay it on me."

Beckett hesitates for just a moment before crossing the room and holding out the file to him, perching on his bed at his hip and waiting for him to speed read (less speedy than usual thanks to the meds, but he manages) the casefile and offer his thoughts.

It looks like there's hope yet.

#caskett fanfic #castle fanfiction #castle fanfic #caskett #7x06 AU Fic #Castle AU Fic #AU in an AU #My Fanfic #Season 7 Fic

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

It Started With a Kiss (3/?)

Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving reviews on this story thus far! I know a lot of you are frustrated and screaming for her to just make her choice already, but Kate Beckett is a complex woman, and it’s complicated, lol. There is a difference between knowing what you really want and going for it, despite its potential to wreck you, and staying with the safe choice, especially for a woman with Kate’s emotional baggage. Be patient, there will be a payoff! I’m pro-Caskett…you NEVER have to question who Beckett will end up with eventually in my stories; it's simply a matter of the journey for her to get there.

This chapter is based on the episode “The Final Nail” and takes place a week after the previous chapter. Just a reminder, I am following the same basic outline of the show with regard to cases and episodes, so imagine everything happening in the episodes that you’ve seen, with the only changes being my alternate or added scenes.

I still don’t own anything from Castle.

xxxxx

Beckett was waiting for him outside of the Westlake house. This entire case had been difficult for him; when Castle really believed in someone, he believed in them with his entire being. Finding out someone who had been so important to him, who he had put so much unwavering faith in was a killer took its toll. She knew he had to be devastated. That’s why she was here–not to rub it in his face or to arrest Damian herself…in fact, she had made sure she was not the arresting detective on record…but to support her friend, her partner. “‘Show me a hero, and I’ll write you a tragedy.’ F. Scott Fitzgerald said that.”

Castle gave her a sad look as he came down the steps. “It must’ve been Ernest Hemingway who said, ‘Man, I sure could use a drink right about now.’” His tone was deflated.

She gave him a small smile. “Lead the way. I’m buying,” she gave a small gesture with her shoulder.

Her offer shocked him slightly, but he started down the street anyway; it may have shocked him, but he wasn’t going to turn it down. “It’s Valentine’s Day. Shouldn’t you be at a nice candlelit restaurant wearing a new dress ordering surf and turf?” He refused to add with your boyfriend. He didn’t need to think about that.

“I’ve got a couple of hours. You okay?” she asked, falling into step alongside him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he insisted.

She knew better. “Liar,” she said with a playful nudge of her shoulder to his as they walked.

He sighed. “I just can’t believe my trust in him was misplaced all this time,” he shoved his hands in his coat pockets. “You were right about him this whole time. I should’ve trusted you. And I owe you an apology.”

She shook her head. “You don’t owe me an apology. I wasn’t right about him killing his wife. In fact, your belief in him was the reason we caught the real killer,” she told him softly. “And for the record, I didn’t want to be right about him,” she added, placing her hand on his arm gently as they stopped at a crosswalk.

“We caught the real killer because you continued to dig and look for the truth, even though you were convinced Damian was behind her murder.”

“Like I told him…you believed in him. And I believe in you,” she replied softly, meeting his eyes for a moment. When the light at the crosswalk changed, she let her hand drop from his arm and began crossing.

It took him an extra second to process her words coupled with the look in her eyes and the fact that her hand had been on his arm...because they didn't touch like that...before he followed her.

xxxxx

Castle hadn’t even paid attention to the name of the bar he’d led her into; it was just the first one he’d seen that didn’t look like a dive as they had been walking. Now he sat on a stool at the bar, looking into his glass of Scotch silently.

Beckett had situated her stool a little closer to him than usual, her body turned slightly so that she was open and facing toward him. She took a drink of her beer, allowing the silence to settle as she studied him. She knew better than anyone that sometimes just sitting in companionable silence was better than talking, so she was hardly the one to push him for conversation before he was ready.

“Thank you for everything you did for me on this case,” he finally stated, taking a drink of the alcohol in his glass. He meant it. She’d handled him gently when she’d had the boys bring in Damian. Before she’d interrogated him, she’d been understanding and soft as she reminded Castle he wasn’t going to want to be in the interrogation room when she took his friend apart. When she’d arrested him, she’d brought in a uniform to place the handcuffs and pull him out of the room instead of doing it herself; she didn’t have to do any of it that way, but she had in order to try to lessen the blow of it all, and he appreciated it. “I was less than objective, and you didn’t have to let me stay.”

She offered him a smile. “You’re my partner…even when you were being less than objective,” she shrugged. He may not have been objective, but after she had let him back on the case, he hadn’t interfered. If he had, she would have kicked him off the case for good; but she had

definitely given him a little more leeway than she would have given someone else. And she of all people knew how difficult it was to find out someone you’d believed in wasn’t who you thought they were; he’d been by her side last fall when she’d had to arrest Royce.

Her words brought a genuine smile to his face. “Still…thank you.” He was quiet for another moment as his smile faltered a little. “I guess I’m not as good at judging a person’s character as I thought.”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up. I told you…the version of Damian you knew was the version a homesick little boy needed him to be. I don’t think anyone would fault you for clinging to that; I certainly don’t,” she started, lightly resting her hand over his. “People change, Castle, and they only let us see what they want us to see. I know all too well about misplaced trust in old friends,” she said softly, taking a drink of her beer. “It doesn’t mean your judgment is flawed. You know…I actually wish I were a little more like you.” Seeing his questioning look, she continued. “You’re able to trust so easily, you always see the best in people…” she trailed off with a shrug. “I’ve been a cop too long to do either of those things. I can count on one hand the number of people I have complete, blind trust in, and I’m sure you’ve noticed I don’t exactly see the best in people or situations.”

He gave a soft chuckle at that. “Maybe I should adopt your strategy. It would let me avoid looking like an idiot when my blind trust in someone is misplaced.”

She shook her head. “Don’t. You’re an optimist, Castle…that’s who you are. Don’t let what Damian did destroy that part of you,” she told him seriously. “I like that about you…sometimes I need your optimism. Your silver linings remind me that there’s still hope and light out there. Some days I really need that,” she admitted.

Before he could respond, her phone chimed to signal a text. Seeing her frown slightly as she read it, he raised an eyebrow. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah. Josh is just stuck at the hospital tonight,” she answered, taking another swig of her beer. “No surf and turf this Valentine’s Day,” she made a joke from his earlier words. She realized she should probably be upset that her boyfriend had just canceled their romantic dinner plans a couple of hours before they were supposed to take place, but she honestly felt more relief than anything, and she knew that didn’t bode well for their relationship. He’d been out of the country for a month; she should have been excited to spend the evening and night with him, upset that he’d canceled again, but she just…wasn’t, at least not really.

He studied her for a moment, trying to gauge how upset she was over her plans being canceled. She seemed a little perturbed, but not overly sad. “Well…it’s not surf and turf, but can I tempt you with burgers and shakes at Remy’s?” he suggested cautiously, just in case she was more upset than she was letting on.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, considering his invitation. She wasn’t sure she should agree to dinner with him on Valentine’s Day of all days. There was definitely something more than friendship between them…enough that agreeing to his suggestion could potentially be dangerous considering the lines that had occasionally blurred between them during the last few weeks, first with that undercover kiss, then with his confession that she had simply shrugged off to too much alcohol at the time, then with their undercover date at the club a week ago. On the other hand, burgers and shakes from Remy’s were hardly romantic, and he’d had a really difficult day. Would keeping him company so neither of them had to be alone really be the worst way to spend the holiday? “Sure, Castle. Why not?” she agreed.

He genuinely smiled at that. Sure, she wasn’t his girlfriend, and it wasn’t a romantic dinner, but he still got to spend Valentine’s Day with Kate Beckett. After this whole Damian Westlake case, it seemed that the universe was doing him a solid.

xxxxx

They had stopped by the precinct so Kate could grab her things. She’d decided to hold off on finishing the paperwork on the Westlake case until the following morning before Castle showed up. She didn’t need him looking over her shoulder as she finished processing everything. They’d opted to walk the few blocks to Remy’s and were now seated in a familiar booth with their mostly eaten burgers and shakes in front of them.

“Can I ask you a question?” Castle asked her seriously.

She arched an eyebrow, setting her shake back on the table and resting her forearms on the flat surface. “Since when do you ask permission to ask me anything?” she pointed out.

She definitely had a valid point; he typically just asked her whatever was on his mind and it was her decision whether or not she would answer it...and how irritated she would be that he asked whatever it was. “Earlier at the bar…you said you could count on one hand the people you trust completely.”

Ah, she understood where this question was going. He wanted to know who she had that much trust in. “My dad, obviously. Montgomery. Espo. Ryan. Lanie. And you,” she answered him easily.

“Me?” he was a little surprised by that answer. He’d obviously hoped to be on the list, and he knew she trusted him to a point, but he hadn’t realized he had earned that level of trust from her. He also couldn’t help but be pleased Josh’s name was not on the list.

“You,” she nodded, suddenly a little more interested in the fries left on her plate that meeting his eyes. “You’re my partner. Even when you annoy the hell out of me, you always have my back,

you always back my play. You are the only person I’ve ever shown every detail of my mom’s case to, the one I trust to stop me before I fall back down the rabbit hole, the person I want with me when I take down whoever is behind it,” she explained, knowing that she wouldn’t have to tell him anything else beyond the fact he’s the only person she trusts with her mother’s case; that alone would completely explain the level of trust she placed in him.

Her admission shocked him enough that he didn’t know what to say for once. “Wow. I…uh…I’m honored,” he finally managed.

“You’ve earned my trust,” she told him honestly. “I mean it when I say, you are my partner.”

They stared at each other for a few moments, the air between them growing thick with the unspoken tension. “You know, technically you listed 6 people. So…that’s really 2 hands, and not 1…” he finally broke the moment with a little humor to lighten the mood.

She rolled her eyes. “I can just kick you off the list,” she teased. “You are the most recent addition.” But they both knew she wouldn’t, not unless he broke her trust. And that was something he was going to do everything in his power to keep from doing. Her trust was too valuable, too hard-earned; once it was gone, he wouldn't be getting it back.

“You know, now that I think about it, Ryan and Espo are kind of a package deal…they only count as one. So you’re right…one hand,” he chuckled.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little, shaking her head. “I’m going to make sure they know you said that.”

As they were walking back to the precinct after dinner so Beckett could get her car, they passed by a man with a table set up on the sidewalk selling long-stem roses as a last-minute offering for Valentine’s Day. Castle, of course, stopped to purchase some, for his mother and daughter she assumed. But then he offered her one of the single, long stems with a smile.

“I’m allowed to give my partner one rose for Valentine’s Day, right?” he asked her.

A shy smile spread across her lips, and she was careful not to prick her fingers on the thorns as she took the stem from him. “Thank you.” Her own boyfriend hadn’t even sent her flowers for the holiday, and here was Castle, giving her a single red rose. Not that she was the type to overly care about receiving roses…or flowers in general…on Valentine’s Day, but the gesture was nice. “Can I give you a ride home?” she offered as they got back to her car.

“You don’t have to. I’m like, 20 blocks in the opposite…” he started to decline.

“Castle, get in the car,” she interrupted him, rolling her eyes.

xxxxx

The ride to his loft was made in comfortable silence. “You want to come up? Alexis should still be out with Ashley, and I operate under a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy with Mother, but I’d be willing to bet she’s got plans of some kind. I can offer you wine…” he offered. Realizing how it may have sounded by offering her wine, he quickly added, “Or I can make you coffee.” He didn’t want her to think it was a romantic offer.

She thought about it for a moment before turning off her car. “I can come up for a bit,” she decided. It’s not like she was currently in a rush to get back to her apartment to spend the rest of Valentine’s Day alone.

“So, coffee? Or wine?” he asked once they were inside.

“Well, I’d prefer to be able to relax and not be so wired when I get home, so wine,” she answered with a small smile.

“Right,” he nodded. He placed the roses for his mother and daughter on the kitchen island and moved to get a bottle of red wine and a couple of glasses before gesturing to the couch to get comfortable.

She sat on one end of the couch, slipping her shoes off before curling up on it. “Thanks,” she smiled once more as she accepted the glass from him, taking a drink.

“You’re welcome,” he took a seat on the opposite end, making sure there was the entire middle couch cushion between them. He turned so that he could comfortably face her.

“So Alexis’s first Valentine’s Day with Ashley, hmm?” she asked him with a smile.

He gave a soft laugh. “Yeah. Should I be worried?” he asked her.

She shrugged with a smile. “Probably not. Alexis is the most responsible kid on the planet, so I’m sure you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“It’s not her I worry about. It’s the teenage boy with her.”

She laughed into her glass as she took another drink of her wine. “Says the man who still acts like a teenage boy sometimes.”

He nodded. “So you understand why I’m worried.”

“Castle, it’s Valentine’s Day, not prom. Relax,” she assured him. “All the adults have the hotel

rooms booked up for themselves tonight anyway, so teenagers aren’t going to be able to get one,” she teased.

He shot her a look, and she couldn’t help but laugh. He was too easy.

Their conversation continued easily as the bottle of wine slowly disappeared between the two of them. “So the event planner I hired to do the fundraiser we talked about last week is supposed to send me a few dates where we can meet with her to go over the details,” he told her as he finished his glass.

The fundraiser. Right. For the scholarship in her mother’s name. She still couldn’t believe he had come up with this way to honor her mother. Even a week later, it still made her heart do somersaults. “Sure, Castle…just let me know, and I’ll do my best to be there. But you have all the plans we came up with. You could plan it without me there.”

“And I will if you can’t get away, but it’s important to me to involve you.”

She smiled and shifted slightly so that she was close enough to touch his knee. “I appreciate that, I really do. And I want to plan this. Unfortunately, murders don’t always stick to a schedule,” she smiled. “I just want you to know that if something comes up on my side, I trust you to do this. I trust you won’t go over the top.”

He smiled, leaning forward to set his empty glass on the coffee table. He shifted a little closer, resting his hand over hers. “I promise, everything will be perfect. Nothing over the top,” he assured her.

She leaned forward to place her empty glass on the table as well. “I know I already said this, but thank you. I can’t even come up with words to tell you how much this means to me,” she told him honestly.

“Thank you for letting me do this for you,” he said softly, his eyes meeting hers and getting lost for a moment. He was grateful she’d accepted his offer; he knew how closely guarded she was about her mother. The Kate Beckett he’d met a couple of years ago would have probably shot him for even making the suggestion; then again, the Richard Castle from a couple of years ago probably would have planned the whole thing without consulting her or getting permission from her at all. They had both grown as people since then.

She let her eyes hold his, not realizing she’d shifted closer to him. Her eyes drifted from his eyes to his lips, and she knew what she wanted. It was a bad idea, but between the events of the day…the past few weeks, really…and the wine in her system, the feelings she had for him had fought their way to the surface and she couldn’t remember all the reasons why or even bring herself to care that it was a bad idea. For once, she stopped thinking and just acted,

closing the distance between them and pressing her lips against his.

The kiss was tender and slow, her fingertips gently caressing his cheek. She deepened the kiss after a few moments, melting into him. The tip of her tongue had just slipped past his lips and touched his when the sound of the door opening and Alexis’s voice telling Ashley goodnight hit her, causing her to break the kiss and pull back abruptly, as though she’d been burned. Shit… Realization sunk in and her eyes widened. “I…need to go…” she quickly distanced herself from him on the couch.

“Kate…” Castle started softly, but before he had a chance to say anything else, Alexis approached and hugged him from behind, seemingly unaware of what she had interrupted. “Hey, Pumpkin. Have a nice time?”

“I did,” she smiled. “Detective Beckett, I didn’t know you’d be here.” She wasn’t accusatory, simply surprised. She’d figured the Detective would have plans on Valentine’s Day.

Beckett was in the process of slipping her shoes back on and froze for a moment at the teenager’s words. “Oh, um…your dad and I were just…”

“That case I was looking into…my friend was arrested, and she was kind enough to try to cheer me up a little,” he broke in to offer an explanation.

Alexis frowned slightly. “I’m sorry your friend was guilty, Dad,” she told him sympathetically.

“Yeah, me too,” he nodded. “Hey, I got you something,” he said then, pushing himself up from the couch to give Kate a little time to try to recompose herself. He dragged his daughter to the kitchen and handed her the single red rose he’d picked up for her on the way home. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Alexis grinned and kissed her dad’s cheek. “Thanks, Dad. You know you’ll always be my favorite Valentine.”

Kate watched the scene in front of her; seeing Castle being such an amazing father had always been a soft spot for her where he was concerned. She realized if she didn’t get out of there now, she was going to end up doing something really stupid that could easily end with her in Castle’s bed. “Well, Alexis is here to cheer you up now, so I’m going home,” she said in a lighter tone than she felt as she approached the door.

“Thank you for keeping him company until I got home, Detective. And don’t worry, he’s in good hands. I’m going to break out the ice cream,” Alexis assured her with a smile. “I just hope he didn’t ruin your Valentine’s Day plans.”

“Uh no. Josh was stuck at the hospital, so it’s fine,” she answered quickly, avoiding Castle’s eyes as she brought up her boyfriend…her boyfriend…who was not the man she’d just kissed on the couch. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she told him. “Goodnight Alexis, I’m glad you had fun,” she added to the girl and then letting herself out of his loft before he could try to get her to stay. She was absolutely running.

xxxxx

I know this is a longer chapter, but I really didn’t want to split it up into two. I want to try to keep each chapter its own episode if I can. I’m still not sure I’m overly happy with how this ending turned out, but it felt organic to me…this last scene is one I’ve spent longer on than almost any other scene I’ve written, so I hope you guys are all okay with it.

I hope you enjoyed the additions I made to this episode, and as always, I look forward to your comments!

#castle #caskett #kate beckett #richard castle #castle fanfiction