Fan-Fiction from CastillionBeckatic Fans

Any fan-fiction strictly related to the Castle series. Unless otherwise noted I am just going to be re-blogging other fan-fiction which I have not written. This is so I can find my favorite pieces easier. Feel free to roam your eyes and find a piece you like. *As a side note, I will basically post any and all Castle fan-fiction I find. Some ratings are M. -------- You can find me on FanFiction as Kangaruby. ---------

[deputyme]

People often forget about those who respond after first responders. The funeral directors, the medical examiners, etc.

I am not downplaying first responders and their bravery and their ability to do what and go where most others run away from.

But I am up-playing last responders and their ability and their compassion to do and go where most others never will.

Responding to scenes when you always know the outcome.

I know it’s our job to respond when called upon, but I also know that we only ever see the aftermath of worst case scenarios.

Never do we see situations where people pull through, where miracles seem to come true, or where a sigh of relief is made after a stressful call.

We go to scenes to make sense of the death, to help others cope with loss.

And we notify family, explaining why we’re at their door and what comes next for the loved ones.

We hold back our own tears as we watch families lose theirs. We offer assistance in any way we can and sincerely give condolences.

We’re there for people when others can’t be, and that’s why we do it.

I think you have to be somewhat crazy, to do what we do.

To subject yourself to that kind of sorrow and human emotion like we do, well you can’t be completely sane.

Most people don’t understand. They think we like death, that we’re almost enamored with it.

To be clear, we don’t have an obsession with death, we have a weak spot for the living.

Seeing people’s anguish during the most profound and heartbreaking time(s) of their lives is a difficult thing to do, but I firmly believe that no one should have to go through that pain alone.

So we collectively try to lessen some of the pain.

I always thought I wanted a job that I could leave at work. That when I clock out I’d be free from it until I walked back.

But it wasn’t in store for me.

Even if I could leave my go bag, laptop, and paperwork at the office, the difficult scenes and cases come with me.

They’re there when I watch tv, they’re there when I see the news, they’re there when I’m talking with friends, no matter what I do.

I’m not saying that I never stop thinking about a scene, I’m saying that they come back to you sometimes.

Whether it’s a difficult scene running through your head or the screams of a 12 year old kid learning their mom is dead, it comes back to you.

There are moments when you ask yourself how the hell did I get where I am at this moment? Why is it me standing here and doing this?

But you remember when you walk into your house and are greeted by your family.

You remember that you want your family treated with the same dignity and respect that you give.

You remember that thank you card a family sent to you, when they expressed their gratitude for your assistance. That you ‘protected them while giving them a chance to grieve, helping them to breathe again’, and you remember why you’re a last responder.

[castleaufanfiction]

He Was Already Hers Chapter 1: Reminisce a Night of Bliss, a castle fanfic | FanFiction

Hopefully new chapters soon.

🙂

[lordofkavaka]

Whiteout

Summary: Antarctica. Six million square miles of ice. The coldest place on Earth. Forty-six countries had competing claims and maintained outposts. The Antarctic Treaty held these claims in check. There was no regular law enforcement there. Kate Beckett was the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to the territory. AU from RISE. CastleFicathon2018. Inspired by the graphic novels and movie of the same name. Rated: T

Chapter 16

[lordofkavaka]

Whiteout

Summary: Antarctica. Six million square miles of ice. The coldest place on Earth. Forty-six countries had competing claims and maintained outposts. The Antarctic Treaty held these claims in check. There was no regular law enforcement there. Kate Beckett was the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to the territory. AU from RISE. CastleFicathon2018. Inspired by the graphic novels and movie of the same name. Rated: T

Chapter 14

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

We contribute to the state of society.

Every one of us.

By either staying quiet or speaking up.

By staying seated or rising up.

We make a decision of who we are and that decision not only defines ourselves but condemns our society to be more like who we are.

So by standing up to injustice and speaking out about prejudice, we condemn more people to at least think about the problems in our society.

To acknowledge the problems our society faces.

It’s when we stay seated and quiet that our society suffers the most.

It is left unchecked and susceptible to those who believe people like themselves are the only people who matter in the world.

That people like themselves should not only make the rules, but benefit from them.

A great leader does not purposefully benefit from the leadership they give.

A great leader is an exhausted leader, for a leader is contributing their time and effort to make things happen.

A ruler is someone who is well-rested.

They reap the benefits others have had to struggle to sow.

Your leader should instill hope within their people, not fear.

Fear is a great motivator, but only for those in opposition to the ruler.

The word leader kind of instills the thoughts of moving forward, not back many years.

You didn’t choose the less of two evils, you chose evil.

You didn’t choose between a man and a woman.

You chose to stay within the world you’ve always known and you’ve condemned more people to grow up stunted in this life that you thought was okay for yourself.

You thought of yourself when you voted, and how your life is okay.

You didn’t think of the needs of others, only yours.

It’s selfish.

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

You can always talk to me. It doesn’t matter if we spoke yesterday or five years ago. If you need someone to talk to, someone to show you they care, that their life would be lessened if you had never been there, find me. I’m more than willing to lend my ear and offer support. People weren’t meant to go through life alone, we each have our own lives but they are enhanced by the people we allow in it. I want you there if it’s where you want to be. Please, if you are trying to get through today, know I’m just a call away, and I want to see you tomorrow.

MB

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

It was another one of those days. He could tell by Kate’s lonely stare she was, once again, lost in her mother’s case. He knew she wouldn’t want to discuss it, she seldom did. He never minded that she didn’t. He could tell that most nights, just being there with her made the loneliness not as bad. At least they were alone together.

It was a couple of months after she let it slip in the interrogation room that she remembered everything about the day she was shot. He was still a bit bitter from the whole thing. I mean he said, “I love you”, and she had been lying to him. It was not the lie that made him upset though. If it was just the lie, he could live with that. It was the limbo of it all. He didn’t know if she was trying to keep from rejecting him or if she was just not ready. Either of the choices were bad enough, but he wished for the second one to be true a hell of a lot more. Really, he wished she hadn’t heard him say those words. He meant them, and at the time, he was glad he finally let them cross his lips. But now, seeing her and pretending that he doesn’t know that she knows what he said is exhausting. He was hurt more than anything.

He really thought their relationship was worth more than this. He was to the point that if anything else went wrong between them that he was considering thinking of an outline for the final Nikki Heat installment. But, for some reason as much as he wanted to be able to let her go and he himself move on, he couldn’t. He always had a thing for a dame in distress. Just read one of his books. But, Kate Beckett, was no damsel. She was so much more.

Instead of saying a halfhearted goodnight to Detective Beckett, he decided to tell her something else. Something he had never told anyone. He hoped that it would lighten her face and maybe, just maybe, let another small piece of her wall come down.

“Kate, do you know why I killed of Derrick Storm”?

"I thought you said you stopped writing him because he became boring”.

"Well yes, that is what I tell people, but it’s not the real reason I quit writing them”.

"Why then”?

"In some small way I’ve always seen myself in the characters I write. Not in big ways or anything but more, subtle ways. Derrick Storm was this bigger than life kind of guy I guess. And when I wrote the first book I was, let’s face it, an arrogant man, to put it lightly. I never had long lasting relationships and to be honest, I wasn’t happy. Now, I was happy with my home life, great daughter and loving mother. But, something was missing. And I realized, if I kept writing this guy, this larger than life Derrick Storm, I would only ever see myself as him. It probably sounds crazy and absurd that I even begin to compare my life to that of Derrick Storm, a fictional character, but in my eyes, Derrick Storm was missing something too. And I knew that a new car or some fleeting love interest wasn’t going to change him. So, instead of leaving Storm crippled and alone, I killed him off. Derrick Storm may not have been a partner kind of guy, but not everything about me gets reflected in my characters. So, the real reason I killed of Storm was because I was ready for more. Something meaningful, something real”.

She didn’t say anything after that. I didn’t expect her to. Some of our best talks have been in complete silence. And instead of motioning toward the door, she had somehow scooched in closer, and without me realizing it, put her hand in my hand and rested them on my leg. I didn’t want to push it so I let her lead. She slowly started to lean her head into my shoulder and I showed my approval by wrapping my other arm around her. Instead of pulling away at my advance, she took the sign as a go ahead to fall asleep. I watched her as she slept until my eyes would no longer open. At least for tonight, we wouldn’t be alone. And that, was enough.

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

It’s been a couple years since Montgomery’s death and Beckett has the burden of remembering the service. Where she gave a speech, and at the end became lost for words.

~Beckett painfully remembered the events that took place. She couldn’t forget, no matter how much she tried. She wished that he hadn’t noticed the sniper for a couple of more seconds. He would have reached her a little later and the bullet would be in her heart, not his. Then she would be on the ground, not him. Not Castle. Ever since they met, she made it her personal agenda to keep him from getting hurt. Whether it was out in the field or their feelings toward one another. She didn’t want to be the reason he bled. She never knew she could love someone so much and still not be able to hold them.

And here she was. She was back at Montgomery’s service, tears in her eyes. But not for the man that had already died. Beckett was kneeling over him. Looking down at Castle, Beckett could see he was scared. He didn’t want to leave and she didn’t want him to go. He looked so very little, not the man she knew him to be. A bullet in his chest and a hole in her heart. As she whispered for him to hold on, she thought she heard his voice. Very faint and very small, but it was Castle’s. She didn’t need to hear him to know what he said.

As she held onto his hand she watched, as his chest moved up and down slower, and then almost not at all. She saw what could have been his last breath. And in that moment she knew. It did not matter how they ended up together, she was just glad they were. Fighting back tears she looked at him. He looked up at her and held her gaze. She whispered the words she’d always wanted to say. “Castle, I love you”. And as his eyes closed and he began fading away she added one last word. “Always”. There was nothing for her to say after that, and no one there to listen.~

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

He was the last person she thought of when the bullet pierced through her skin, and he was the first person she thought of when she woke up. Castle.

As she began losing consciousness and he was holding up her head, he spoke to her. And she read Castle’s lips as each word came flowing out. Beckett hung on to every one. I love you. She loved the way his lips moved as he said it. She often daydreamed of him saying that exact phrase to her a countless number of times. If only she would have been brave enough to utter it first, like when he came to her apartment trying to vocalize his feelings. Then maybe they could have been happy. But she had not. So as she slipped from reality and into her imaginary world, she held her gaze on him, and strained to keep her eyes open long enough to memorize his face. Every dimple, the way his brow furrowed when he was upset, but mostly, his eyes. You could get lost in those blue eyes. And she almost had before, but just before anyone would notice, she would force herself to look away. But this time, as she couldn’t find the strength for words, she stared into his eyes, and as her eyes started closing against her will, she felt a tear roll down her cheek, while she followed one of Castle’s down his own, towards his still moving lips.

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

I think racism grows on one’s family tree and that by a certain age a person decides if they want to harvest it or prune it away.

Deciding on whether they want to sustain themselves with the ignorant beliefs of their ancestors or if they want to flourish beyond the tangling vines of hate and see the love within an individual’s heart.

[zkalways]

[bravevulnerability]

An AU story set after the events of 2x24, ‘A Deadly Game’, for Christmas.

Rated T

[nohasslecastleandcaptainmal]

The people we look up to, sometimes they let us down.

Let us fall.

We looked up to them for all of their amazing qualities and then they slip up and show us they are not the people we believed them to be.

So we may feel a little lost.

Or maybe we think we are stupid for not seeing through their lies.

But here’s the thing…

All of those qualities we associated with the people who let us down, they’re still qualities that we believe in, probably qualities we have ourselves.

And even if we don’t have that certain quality, we still recognize it as an exemplary one to have and attain.

Remember, it’s not the qualities that are ruined, and it’s not us who are stupid.

We should look up to people who put others before themselves, look up to people who value education, who believe in equality and fight for it, and to people who are genuinely good people.

Because if we stop looking up to people who we deem as good, then we may not try as hard to be more like who we think they are.

And I guess when it comes down to it, the entire premise of looking up to someone isn’t about that person being who we think they are, it’s about us holding ourselves to a standard we think is above the one we are currently reaching.

We look up to someone because we view them as having a quality or strength that we also wish to have and maybe even strive to learn.

So it doesn’t really matter if the qualities we value actually exists within the person we look up to, as long as, in the long run, we are really looking up to the strengths and values a person is perceived to have and not the literal person themselves.

MB

[bravevulnerability]

A/N: Because the sweater reminded me of a gray, Banana Republic sweater we witnessed Beckett wear multiple times throughout seasons three, four, and five.

Set mid 3x12, ‘Poof! You’re Dead’.

(Photo not mine.)

-

Part of him has grown to hate theorizing with her.

The way she drifts in closer with every word, the way her eyes light up and flicker to his lips, the way he can smell her scent and feel her warmth. The way it sinks into his skin and spreads through his blood, becomes a part of his system.

It makes his want for her so unbearably strong.

It makes his fights with Gina even worse.

“Richard, we need to talk. Now. Tonight.”

Castle drops his head against the break room’s doorframe. It’s fallen late into the evening and normally, he would recognize that there’s nothing left for him to do here, nothing left that he can do for Beckett. Normally, he would go home and spend the end of his day with his daughter, but he knows that if he goes home tonight, Gina will find out. And then she’ll show up at his door, demanding a conversation he doesn’t want to have, and they’ll end up fighting in his office.

He’s already so sick of fighting with her.

“I know, but I’m working this case with Beckett and-”

She scoffs. “Of course. Beckett.”

“Gina,” he sighs, scrubbing at his eye. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure it isn’t, Richard,” she chuckles, so bitter, coating his name in venom.

He grits his teeth, but she’s baiting him and it’s not worth it. Any time Beckett’s name is brought into the conversation, it tends to become all the more explosive.

“It’s. Not. We just caught this lead and I-”

“And what? What the hell do they need you for, Richard? You’re a writer who is supposed to be there for your books. Not to play Kate Beckett’s shadow for a lifetime,” she sneers and Rick’s blood heats from the pleasant warmth Beckett left it in earlier to a simmering boil.

“I’m not just her shadow. I help,” he snaps under his breath.

“With what? Their need for a class clown and financial donations?”

I have a hard job, Castle, and having you around makes it… a little more fun.

Castle squeezes his eyes shut.

“Gina, I’m not arguing about this,” he growls.

“Why? Don’t want to be in a bad mood for your precious detective who apparently can’t solve a case without you? She has a boyfriend now, doesn’t she?”

“Enough,” he barks, fisting his hand at his side and forcing a breath in through his nose. The bullpen at his back was empty last time he checked, but there’s no need for him to lose his temper. Not here in a building filled with people he respects and admires, not in front of Kate. “Leave Beckett out of this. We’ll talk about us after I close this case.”

“Richard,” Gina warns. “Don’t you dare hang up on-”

But he’s already withdrawing the phone from his ear, ending the call with the hard press of his thumb to the screen.

He sighs, keeps his eyes closed and head down against the frame. Until he senses her, catching the faint scent of cherries in his nose.

“Wow, Castle. Stealing my lines,” she murmurs softly and his brow furrows. He clears his throat, lifts his head, but doesn’t turn around.

“What line?”

“We’ll talk after I close this case,” she echoes, deepening her voice to imitate him. His lips quirk.

“How many times has Josh heard that one?” he risks asking, not expecting an answer to that one. 

“Enough to know we aren’t really going to talk afterwards,” she admits quietly.

He almost takes another chance, inquires if the ‘about us’ she forgot to include is part of it too, but simply forces a nod. “How much did you hear?”

She hesitates and he holds his breath. “Enough,” she repeats, shifting a fraction closer at his back. “You okay?”

He wants to apologize that her name was brought into an obvious argument with his girlfriend, wants to apologize for the rude remarks Gina made even though Beckett couldn’t have possibly heard them.

Instead, he just nods again. “Yeah. Fine. So, should we-”

“Castle.” He pauses before he can finally face her. He can feel her warmth along his back and it makes him ache. The graze of her hand against his, the flirt of her fingers, makes him stop breathing. “You help.”

He turns his head ever so slightly, catches a glimpse of soft eyes that spark with resolve.

“You’re not just a shadow,” she affirms, echoing his argument to Gina. His heart swells, aiding in the struggle to breathe, but he revels in the lack of oxygen for her. “You’re an asset to this team, to me. You help. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Castle swallows hard. Her hand is still lingering next to his, close enough to touch, so he does. He spreads his hand to cover the back of hers, blanketing her knuckles with the drape of his palm, fitting his fingers through hers, and squeezing.

“Thank you.”

He waits for her to withdraw her hand, slip it free from his loose grasp. They don’t do this, don’t really talk about things so personal and definitely don’t touch, but she lets her hand stay. 

The soft pressure of her forehead hitting his shoulder follows, shocks him, and remains there for one beautiful moment, long enough for her to suck in a breath and sear his shoulder blade with her exhale.

It’s in that moment that he knows exactly what he wants. Now and for longer. Maybe forever. It’s all too easy for him to daydream about a forever with her.

Kate takes a step back and her hand slides from his grasp.

“Come on, let’s go get some coffee.”

Surprise flickers through his chest and at last, he turns to see her. She’s watching him expectantly, waiting.

As if the kiss of her forehead and twine of their hands never happened. He’s glad for it, for the lack of awkwardness or change. It isn’t the right time for them. Not just yet.

But soon.

“Dahl’s funeral isn’t until tomorrow morning,” he reminds her and Beckett rolls her eyes.

“I’m aware, which means we have to sit on our hands until then, so unless you’re in a hurry to get home tonight…”

Oh, oh. Wow, he adores her.

“No, no hurry tonight,” he answers quickly, smiling back at her like an idiot. An idiot who may be in love with her. “Coffee sounds perfect.”

She returns his smile with one of her own, pursed with gentle amusement and something more.

“Let me just grab my stuff from my desk and we’ll go.”

He nudges her forward with the bump of his shoulder and pushes his hands into his pocket to refrain from reaching for hers again.

“Lead the way, Detective.”

[castlefanficprompts]

6x03 - Kate does surprise Rick at the loft, instead of at the precinct. Rick is still in bed when she arrives there, so she gets in bed with him.

.

[bravevulnerability]

Her flight from DC was rough, turbulent and tiring. She’s exhausted, always exhausted these days, but she strides down the hallway of his building with her heart drumming to an eager rhythm.

It’s early, the sun barely having breached Manhattan’s horizon, but she doesn’t care. Doesn’t care if he’s still asleep, if he doesn’t wake up for a while, she just wants to see him, to be in the same room with him.

Kate inserts her key in the lock and nudges the front door to the loft open with her shoulder. She drags her suitcase in behind her, but leaves it standing alone in the foyer, kicking off her heels beside it.

The loft is quiet, sunbeams slipping in through the living room windows and the shelves of his study. She’s missed the way light bleeds through this place. The house she’s renting in DC is nice, but it isn’t this, it isn’t home.

She pads through the living room without making a sound, through his office to the cracked bedroom door. She holds her breath as she eases it open, releases it when she sees the lump of his body huddled beneath the comforter of their bed.

Kate slips inside, silently presses the door shut behind her, and sheds her blazer. She wants to change completely - step out of her slacks, unbutton her blouse, and shrug on one of his t-shirts to sleep in, but she knows that her phone will buzz with a call from Rachel sooner or later and she has to be ready.

But she doesn’t want to think about that right now. 

She’s finally home, just a few feet away from the man she loves, and that’s all that matters. 

She drops her blazer on the armchair near the door and pads towards her side of the bed, her chest clenching at the sight of his arm outstretched and curled around her pillow.

Kate sighs and digs a careful knee into the edge of the mattress, easing herself beneath the sheets and into the bed beside him. But she doesn’t lie down, doesn’t even attempt to close her eyes and gain a few minutes of sleep. She remains propped up in the bed, studying her fiancé sleeping next to her.

He’s so peaceful like this, his jaw slack and his eyes closed, his hair a mess and plastered to his forehead. She reaches forward with a soft smile, combs it back, and earns the rumble of his approval.

“Kate,” he mumbles, shifting towards her touch. 

She hums, trails her fingers from his hair to drift along the shell of his ear, down the back of his neck. Her spine bows as she leans forward to follow the path of her fingertips with the brush of her lips, kissing his cheek, his ear, his shoulder. 

She rests her forehead to that last spot, closes her eyes, and inhales the scent of him. He smells like his aftershave and the subtle sweat of sleep, like his soap and the scent of their laundry detergent. 

He smells like home. 

She nestles down beside him, manages to fit herself against his chest and bury her face in the cove of his neck, embraced by the sensations of homecoming.

-

He’s dreaming of her. Nothing elaborate, no fantasies, just the simple pleasure of having her body curled up in bed beside him, the sweet smell of her hair in his nose and the warmth of her skin pressed against his.

Castle hums, nuzzles his pillow, and tries to force himself back to the dream as he feels himself slipping into awareness. He wants to stay in his cozy bubble of slumber where his fiancée is back home with him, not hundreds of miles away in Washington DC.

“Kate,” he sighs, so close to drifting again. But he swears he can feel her, swears he isn’t imagining the brush of her lips to his chin. 

His brow furrows and he clumsily reaches for the source, expecting to encounter empty air. But his hand lands on the familiar slash of a cheekbone.

Castle’s eyes fly open. Open to Kate Beckett right in front of him, to the fit of her body against his.

“Kate,” he gasps, feeling like a kid on Christmas. It’s a little dramatic, he knows. They see each other every few weeks, talk on the phone and facetime every day, but he’s missed her, missed waking up to this so much. “Oh, you’re here. How?”

She chuckles, her smile spreading and pressing her cheek into his palm. “Plane ride, Castle.”

He huffs, but puts any further questions on hold to shift forward in the bed, graze a quick kiss to her mouth. But she catches him with the cup of her hands on his cheeks, kisses him slow and thorough.

He hums, eases one arm beneath her to aid the other in lacing around body, pulling her in closer to slot into place with his. Chest to chest, hips in the cradle of his, knee between his legs. 

“How long do I have you?” he breathes, running his hands over the crisp blue material of her dress shirt.

“Maybe an hour,” she guesses, stroking the corner of his mouth with her thumb. “Rachel was just getting to her hotel when I got here, she’ll take some time to settle in before we start on the case.”

“But you’ll be here, in New York, for a few days?” he asks, the hope swelling in his chest, threatening to combust in a shower of confetti when she nods. 

“Not exactly the weekend we were planning-”

“I don’t care. You’re here,” he grins, sealing his smile to hers once more. “I just want you here.”

Kate nuzzles his cheek with her nose, caresses the shell of his ear with the tender trace of her thumb. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too, Kate,” he sighs, sweeping the hair back from her face, cradling her skull in his palm. Their noses bump as she skims her lips along his cheek, back to the waiting refuge of his mouth. “In every way.” 

Her leg coils higher between his thighs and his hand slips beneath her shirt to span the naked skin of her back. She smiles into his kiss, nudges her hips into his in a familiar greeting that starts a slow and wonderful burn in the pit of his stomach. 

“Want to get into your favorite position?” he teases at their conversation from the morning before. But she’s pulling at his t-shirt, wiping the smirk from his mouth with the drape of hers. 

“Already in it,” she mumbles, adding another languorous rock of her hips to set his body aflame and his heart fluttering. “I’m here with you. That’s my favorite.”

[bravevulnerability]

Hi! I was wondering if you would be able to write a insert and or post-fic chapter of Hiraeth where Lily sees Castle’s scars on his back (or he shows them to her - your choice) :)

Castle runs the towel through his hair, over his chest, and down his arms. He was quick in the shower, just a fast wash and rinse, not wanting to leave Lily alone for too long.

She was busy perfecting her latest sketch when he left her, working hard on her illustrations for the children’s book he’s been creating with her. But even after a year of having him home, actually having her father as a real part of her life rather than the star of her mother’s memories, his youngest daughter still tends to get a little panicky if he’s out of sight for extended periods of time.

Initially, Lily’s recovery went better than expected. Better than Castle’s or Beckett’s, that’s for sure. She had no trouble opening up to Doctor Burke, warming up to the calm presence of the man right away, and following his suggestions to lessen the nightmares that tended to plague her at bedtime. 

She was making extraordinary progress, even went to school without issue, reassured that her parents would both be there at the end of the day. It wasn’t until Kate attempted to return to the Twelfth that the severe separation anxiety set in. 

It was fine in the morning, the early afternoon, while Lily was already in school. Kate took her break in time to meet him at the elementary building before the final bell, ensuring that mother and father standing side by side as their daughter walked out of the main entrance to find them waiting.

But when they tried to part ways, Lily and Rick to the loft and Kate back to work, their daughter panicked.

“No, Momma, we need to be together all the time,” she insisted when Kate attempted to explain that she needed to return to work instead of allowing them all to go home together.

His fiancée descended to her haunches on the sidewalk, cupping their daughter’s shoulders in her palms. “I’m just going to the precinct, baby. Just like always. I’ll be home in time for dinner.”

“You can’t,” Lily argues, her voice rising with her protest, trembling. “You have to be with me and Daddy. We need you, Mommy. You have to protect us, you have to-”

“Okay,” Kate breathed, her fingers visibly tighter at Lily’s shoulders, her chest rising and falling with a sharp hitch. “I’ll - I’ll call Uncle Ryan to cover for me for the rest of the day.”

Lily pushed into Kate’s arms and his wife - fiancée, he reminds himself - looked up to him with so much horror in her eyes, that his mouth ran dry. Neither one of them knew how to tell their little girl no when all she wanted was for them to be together, to be safe. 

But Kate couldn’t keep missing the latter hours of her days, couldn’t continue to cut out on cases. They couldn’t give up the pieces of normalcy in their lives to succumb to the residual fears Tyson and Nieman left them with.

Castle called Burke that same night. 

The next day, when Lily panicked in front of the school as Kate attempted to leave, Rick was the one to kneel in front of her.

“Hey, Peanut, remember that book we were going to write together?” Some of the terror faded from Lily’s eyes. The project they had planned together so many months ago fell to the wayside after their final battle with Tyson and Nieman, so much of their time devoted to healing, that neither he nor Lily thought to remember the stories they once wanted to tell. “I was hoping we could work on that today while Mommy finishes up at work.”

Lily pursed her lips, looking so much like her mother that the awe, the pride, flared bright in his chest. He didn’t rush her, letting Lily work through the reluctance on her own.

“Okay,” she whispered, reaching for Kate. She gave her mother a hug goodbye, held on for a moment too long, but she was eventually able to let go. 

And that was how they made it work now. 

On the days Kate works evenings at the Twelfth, Rick picks their daughter up from school with an afternoon activity already planned out. Sometimes he’ll take her to the park to burn off some residual energy or to Remy’s for a milkshake, usually spending the rest of the day at home finishing homework and making dinner, watching movies and writing stories.

The fear still lingers, for all of them. But the time alone has helped convince Lily that he isn’t going anywhere, that there’s no one gunning to take him away again.

“Daddy?” Lily calls from outside the bathroom door. 

Castle rushes to step into his boxers. “Yes, Peanut?”

“Are you almost done?” she asks, hopping impatiently on her toes by the sound of it, the way her voice bounces with her. “I want to show you my drawing.”

“Just getting dressed,” he calls back, pulling on a pair of sweats.

“Hurry,” she whines. Castle huffs, stretches for the door handle and pushes it open. 

Lily peers inside with eager eyes and her notebook pressed to her chest. 

It falls at her feet a moment later.

“Daddy,” she gasps, rushing forward. Castle turns, his heart skipping with worry and his brow furrowing at the concern covering her face.

Until she circles around to his back, raises her hand to the middle of his spine.

His blood runs cold and his skin flushes hot with shame.

“Lily-”

“Daddy, who did this? Who hurt you?” she demands, sounding just as fierce and protective as her mother. One of her tiny fingers traces the end of scar that spans diagonally from his shoulder blade to the small of his back. “Daddy, who?”

Rick turns around, his back to the mirror and away from her, and eases to his haunches so he can meet his daughter’s face. Spare her the horror of studying his massacred flesh any longer. 

His scars are all in varying stages of the healing process, his back a Jackson Pollock of multicolored lines of raised skin, some white and silvering, others still fresh in violent shades of purples and bright reds. 

A picture he never wanted his little girl to see. 

“It - it doesn’t matter,” he tries to tell her, but Lily shakes her head. 

“Jerry Tyson did it, didn’t he?” she questions. “The bad man who took you.”

Castle sighs, but there’s no point in lying to her. What he went through, what he survived to get back to Kate, to Lily, shouldn’t be a secret from her. He and Kate agreed to keep his time in captivity as vague for her as possible, but Lily experienced a taste of his torment when she and her mother were captured by Kelly Nieman last year. She knows what the people who took him are capable of, can only imagine what they did to him, and if her imagination is even a fraction as vivid as his, he would rather her know the truth than fathom anything else. Anything worse. 

He sighs, but nods. “Yes.” 

Lily frowns. “Why were they so mean to you, Daddy? How could anyone ever be so mean to you?”

The innocent question cracks at his heart. His daughter looks so perplexed standing in front of him, so troubled and worried. Her small hand touches his cheek.

“I don’t know, baby,” he murmurs, clearing his throat before he gets choked up. “Tyson and Nieman were just very bad people who did a lot of bad things.”

Lily’s bottom lip trembles before she forces it to stop. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I hate them. I hate them for hurting you.”

“No, sweetheart, it’s-” But Lily is already banding her slim arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his throat. “It’s okay,” he finishes, gathering her up in his arms and standing with her in his embrace. “It’s okay now. It’s over and I’m okay.”

“You promise?” she whispers, lifting her head to meet his eyes.

He hugs her a little tighter. “I promise.”

The tension in Lily’s small frame unfurls, dissipates, and she relaxes in his arms, drops her chin to his shoulder.

“Do they still hurt?”

“Sometimes,” he admits, turning his head slightly to follow her gaze to the mirror. His scars are on full display, so is the hint of Kate’s profile in the doorway. “But they’re all healing. Soon, they won’t hurt at all.”

Lily touches her fingertips to the highest mark on his back, just under his nape. Her thumb brushes back and forth over the purpled flesh.

“No more,” she mumbles, watching the movement of her thumb in the mirror, catching Kate’s before she speaks.

“That’s right,” his wife - fiancée, his brain reminds him once more with exasperation - agrees, stepping into the bathroom. She picks up Lily’s notebook from the floor on her way to them, meets his eyes as their daughter squirms to get down. “No more.”

“Momma, you’re home!”

Kate catches the embrace Lily delivers to her waist, bending to press a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head.

“Hey Peanut,” Kate greets, combing the hair back from Lily’s face. “How’s your afternoon with Daddy been?”

“Great! We’ve been working on the book and - oh, dinner!” Lily releases her mother to bound out of the bathroom. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll check the pizza!”

“Homemade pizza?” Kate inquires with an arch of her eyebrow.

“Of course,” Castle grins, meeting her in the middle of the en suite. He reaches for her face, catches her cheeks in his palms just as she rises into his kiss. He hears the notebook land on the bathroom counter and then Kate’s hands are traveling up his back, palms pressing into his spine, his scars.

“I hate them too,” she confesses into his mouth, so quiet, he barely hears the words. But he feels them, hot and brutal against his lips.

“Kate,” he breathes. Her fingertips caress the worst scar down his vertebrae. “They’re gone. Not worth the energy.”

She kisses him again, a little harder this time. Fierce, protective, and he can’t help but love her a little more for it. “I’ll always hate them for hurting you.”

He gentles her kiss, brushing his lips with reverence over hers until her breathing stutters and slows.

“So will I,” he whispers, lifting a hand to her face. His large palm cradles her cheek, his thumb grazing along the corner of her eye. “For hurting you, Lily. But we’re okay now. You know we’re okay.”

“I think it’s done!” They both hear Lily call out and Kate’s lips spread into a smile against his.

“We are,” she nods, swallowing hard. Her hands coast down to the small of his back, converging at the base of his spine. “We’re healing well.”

[castlefanficprompts]

Instead of mystery/crime Castle writes a series of kid's books,think Harry Potter. Kate has a daughter who loves the books.Kate was supposed to get one for her on her birthday that just happens to fall on the day the newest book comes out. But due to a tough case Kate was late getting to the store and they're all sold out every where! But it just so happens Kate was in the book store Castle was in.He offers her a copy and offers to met her daughter to sign in person.Kate snaps him up on it.

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[ilovetoread09]

Kate races toward the bookstore, checking her phone.

Only have another seven minutes.

She curses, furious at the guy who’s currently in holding back at the precinct. His stubbornness during interrogation now forces her to be late for her main task of the day. Damn criminals.

Soon, her feet skid to a stop in front of the entrance and she sighs, pushing the door open, feeling hopeful. However, her heart sinks at the sight that greets her.

The display for the book she intends to buy is empty. Biting her lip, she fights the urge to kick something, instead settling on massaging her temple with two fingers.

Anna is going to be disappointed, she thinks forlornly.

The girl who has captured Kate’s heart since the day she was placed in her mother’s arms as a little pink bundle, screaming as she began her life in the world, turns ten as of today. And now, Kate doesn’t have anything to give her.

The detective’s fingertips glide over the wood of the octagon display as she shakes her head. Her lips turn upwards, imagining the absolute glee on Anna’s face as she unwraps her present, something she’s hinted at for months. Now, it looks like it isn’t happening. 

Someone behind her clears their throat, snapping her out of her musings. Turning around, she raises an eyebrow, clearly indicating her annoyance at the interruption. 

“Is everything okay?” the person, a man, inquires. 

She examines him, finding the man quite handsome with well-groomed brown hair and blue eyes shining with genuine concern. It takes her a second to realize who he is.

“You’re Richard Castle!” she answers, her eyes wide. Holy shit, talk about coincidence! She’s seen his pictures on the book jackets, but he looks so much better in person.

A soft chuckle escapes his lips. “Yes, that would be me.” He shrugs. “So, what seems to be going on with you…”

“Kate,” she supplies. “Kate Beckett.” Sighing, she purses her lips. “And it’s silly, sort of.”

An eyebrow arches, as if challenging her.

“My daughter’s birthday is today and I really wanted to get her your latest book. She absolutely adores the series and was so excited for the release of the latest one. But I was late in getting here because some asshole at work decided to hold me up in interrogation and now he’s in holding. Honestly, I almost want to go back there and strangle him for making me late in getting the one thing my kid asked for, and she never asks for anything.” 

With that, she clamps her mouth shut, realizing she’s divulged more than intended.

Once she finishes her tirade, his eyes examine her, sparks of curiosity in them.

“Interrogation?” he quizzes. “You’re a cop?”

She glares. That’s the only thing he’s retained from her whole speech?

“Detective, actually.”

“That’s awesome!” he states. “I’ve always been a little into mystery writing.”

“But you write about magic,” she replies.

“I know and I love it,” he responds. “Don’t get me wrong, it thrills me to no end to see kids get into reading because of my books. Also, the way they relate to the characters is always remarkable.”

“Yeah, Anna adores Sophie,” Kate admits, smiling. Her daughter practically idolizes the fictional young, intelligent sorceress who guides her friends through the turmoils of magic.

“She has good taste,” he jokes. “But, seriously, I love writing the series, but I do want to dabble in a bit of mystery at some point.”

“That would be interesting,” Kate states.

He cocks his head, thinking. It’s kind of cute. “Listen, I actually have an extra copy of the book with me. I would be more than happy to sign it for her.”

She gapes. “Really?” Frowning, she remembers one important factor. “How much?” While she loves her daughter with everything she has, money is tight.

“No cost,” he assures. “I’ll be right back.”

She waits, rocking on her heels, disbelief flooding through her system. He rounds the corner a moment later, pen and book in hand.

“So, how old is she?” he questions, flipping the book to the cover page.

“She’s ten,” she answers.

“Ah, double digits, huh? I remember when my daughter turned ten. She felt like such a big girl and now she’s sixteen.” A wistful expression forms on his face. “Time flies,” he murmurs with a melancholy edge.

“Yeah, it does,” she concedes. She briefly recalls mentions of his daughter in the papers.

Closing the book, he hands it to her, grinning.

“Tell you what, since ten is such a big age,” he teases. “How about she meets the author of her favorite series as part of her present?”

The brunette shakes her head. “You don’t have to do that, I wouldn’t want to impose.” 

“Nonsense.” He waves a dismissive hand. “Alexis is out with a friend and my mother is…somewhere tonight. I’m more than happy to contribute to a young girl’s birthday.” His enthusiasm is infectious and she finds herself grinning.

“Well, if you’re sure,” she says, her heart warming at his generosity. 

“Oh, I am,” he insists.

So, they saunter off to her apartment.

Anna is going to be so excited!

The duo arrives at her apartment a half hour later, Kate rapping her knuckles on the door. Soon, it flies open, the beaming face of her daughter greeting them. 

“Mom!” she exclaims. “You won’t believe what Grandpa and I did.”

“Well, you won’t believe what I brought home for you,” Kate teases, ruffling her daughter’s blond hair, which comes from her father. Rick had decided to hide up against the wall in order to surprise Anna. 

“What?” 

Rick appears in the doorframe, beaming.

Anna’s hazel eyes enlarge, a girlish squeal emanating from her mouth.

“You’re Richard Castle!” she shouts. “This is so awesome!’

“Can we come in?” Kate jokes as her daughter gestures them in.

“I can’t believe this,” Anna breathes, eyes trailing down the author’s form. Kate chuckles. Her daughter, usually full of words, is speechless. 

“I hear you’re birthday is today,” he chirps. ‘I brought something just for you.” He produces the book he’s been holding behind his back.

“Ohmygosh, it’s the new Magic Paths book!” She grabs it, flipping through it, stopping at the cover page. “You-you signed it!” Laughing she reads his message out loud. “Dear Anna, I hope your birthday is filled with just as much magic as Sophie’s adventures. With love, Richard Castle.” Peering up, her eyes shine with joy, looking at her mother. “This is the best birthday present ever! Thank you!” 

The girl hugs her mother, who returns the gesture. Then, the girl glances up at Rick, her expression sheepish.

“Can I hug you?” 

Rick chortles. “Of course!”

Anna gives him a quick hug, just as Kate’s father enters the room.

“What’s all the excitement about?” he questions, confused.

Kate quickly explains the situation to him, astonishment forming on the older Beckett’s face.

“Ah, well that was very nice of you, Mr. Castle,” Jim states, shaking the author’s hand. “Would like to stay for dinner?”

“I don’t think-”

“I’d love to! And please, call me Rick.” 

Kate shoots him a surprised glance. He just winks.

As they eat, Rick regals them with stories of his mother and Alexis, having the whole table burst out in laughter. When Anna speaks, he pays rapt attention, as if hanging on her every word.

Kate finds it sweet, and it kind of makes him even more attractive. 

The one thing that she finds strange is he keeps glancing at her throughout the meal, intrigue written on his face as she shares an edited version of her day at work.

“It’s so cool you catch bad guys, Mom,” Anna chirps.

“It is awesome,” Rick agrees, winking at Kate.

She waves her hand, trying not to blush. “Yeah, well, it’s mostly paperwork.” 

“It is amazing what you do, Katie,” her father remarks quietly. They exchange a glance, her father’s eyes glowing with pride.

She gives him a sad smile and sighs, standing up to retrieve the cake. Entering the kitchen, she rests her hands on the countertop. 

“You okay?” a familiar voice asks for the second time that day.

“Yeah, I just-” she stops, shaking her head. “I miss my mom. She would’ve loved Anna.” What the hell is she doing? She never opens up to anyone like this.

“I don’t doubt it,” he murmurs. “She seems like a great kid.”

“She is.”

She looks up and they lock eyes, concern etched into his features. Thankfuly though, he doesn’t push for more.

“So, cake?” he prompts.

Rolling her eyes, she grabs the box out of the fridge, setting up the candles on the chocolate frosting, as per her daughter’s request. Once the decorations are complete, they sing ‘Happy Birthday’ as Kate carries the cake out and Anna blows out the candles.

Everyone devours their slice, and Anna opens Jim’s present, which is a beautiful locket with a picture of the three of them on one side and a picture of Johanna on the other. Soon, the girl says goodnight to everyone.

“This was the best birthday ever! Thanks Mom!” she murmurs, kissing her mother on the cheek. “And thank you for staying, Rick.”

“It was my pleasure,” he chimes. 

The girl bounds upstairs to her room, waving as she does so.

The adults chat for a while longer before Rick stands, indicating his departure.

“It was nice to meet you, Jim,” he says, shaking hands with the elder Beckett. Turning to his hostess, the author shares a playful, but uneasy grin. “Hey Kate, could I talk to you outside?” he asks, uncertainty in his eyes.

The brunette feels butterflies in her stomach as they walk, her father shooting a knowing look in her direction.

“What’s up?” she inquires once they’re in the hallway.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous, but Anna’s father…” he trails off, leaving the implication clear.

“Not in the picture. It was a one time fling.” A drunken one at that, when her demons got the best of her and she had gotten tired of being alone. However, she doesn’t regret it all. It gave her Anna, her world, the person who pulled her and her father out of the darkness. 

“Then I can ask you, would you like to grab coffee with me sometime?”

Her mouth goes dry, shock pumping through her veins.

“Um, sure,” she starts, still a little stunned. “But, could I call you? My schedule between work and Anna can get pretty hectic.”

“Sure, no problem.” From his pocket he pulls out a scrap of paper with his number on it, causing her to raise an eyebrow. “I may have been confident you would say yes.”

Snorting, she lets her fingers snatch the paper from him.

“I will call you,’ she assures.

“I’m counting on it.” He smirks. “Thank you for tonight, I had a great time.”

“Thank you for making my daughter’s birthday special,” she answers. “Goodnight.”

“Until next time, Detective.” He winks once more before going to the elevator.

She sighs, standing in the hallway, trying to compose herself. However, she allows one small giggle to escape her.

Yes, the day had definitely gotten better.