REPOST TO FIX TYPOS I DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE THEY WERE MAKING ME MAD.

Disclaimer: They're not mine. I just play with them. Please don't sue. You'll get nothing. Credit to homeofthenutty-dot-com for the screencap I used as the picture, and the castlefanficprompts tumblr for the inspiration (posted at the end). Also, some dialogue is from the show. Any similarities to fics past or present is completely unintentional.


ANELA IL CUORE
PROLOGUE


"No, Alexis, I'll be fine. I've got a thousand cable channels, I got my Xbox. You have fun. I will not worry about you until lunchtime tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you, Dad."

Castle smiled at his daughter's worry on the other end of the phone. "I love you too." He draped Alexis's tassel over a lampshade, stared wistfully for a few moments. His baby girl, growing up. He couldn't be more proud of her. And her speech, eloquent without being pompous, thorough but not long-winded. Maybe she had a future as a writer.

And she was even worried about her old man. Castle hadn't told her any details about his fight with Beckett the night before; all she and his mother knew was that it was bad and he was done.

Still, the whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth, and despite the pride and joy he felt for his daughter, he couldn't undo the knot in his stomach. He'd hated walking away from her, angry and deflated. But she'd made her priorities clear. Kate had made her metaphoric bed, but it didn't mean he had to watch her lay in it.

He'd done the right thing. He thought.

Castle stepped into his office and grabbed the remote for his smart TV. Beckett's face filled the screen and he tapped it, revealing his own virtual murder board about her shooting and her mother's death. He stared for a few moments, then lifted his hand, intending to delete it forever.

The shrill ring of his phone broke through his thoughts before he could drag the folder to the trash can. He thought about ignoring it. He'd declined at least a dozen calls from the precinct and Ryan, but this time he glanced at it first. His eyebrows furrowed at the name on his screen; he hovered briefly over the decline button before moving over to accept the call.

"Castle."

"Mr. Castle, this is Captain Gates."

"How can I help you?"

"It's Detective Beckett. There's been an accident."


Castle burst into the lobby of Bellevue Hospital and past the nurse's station, stopping only to ask where he'd find the waiting room Gates had mentioned. He found it just minutes after arriving, but to Castle it felt like hours since he'd taken Gates's call.

The first person he saw was Esposito, his arms around Lanie, face stoic but eyes rimmed with red. He saw Ryan next; the pale Irishman couldn't hide his emotions so easily. His whole face was red, his eyes puffy.

No. Please, God, no.

"Mr. Castle."

Rick jumped at the hand on his elbow. "How is she?"

Gates tugged his arm to direct him to the chairs that lined the wall. Rick noticed Jim Beckett in one of them, his head resting in his hands.

Castle's stomach sunk. Shit.

"What happened?"

"You should sit."

Castle jerked his arm from her grasp. "What. Happened."

"There was an accident—"

"You said that."

"Let me finish. She and Detective Esposito were pursuing a suspect. There was a struggle. Esposito was knocked unconscious, Beckett followed the suspect to the roof where there was another struggle. They fought." Gates had to pause, clear her throat.

Castle didn't miss the wetness in the captain's eyes.

"She was thrown off the side of the building. We got there just before she fell. Ryan grabbed her and pulled her up, but her injuries were bad. She had some cracked and broken ribs and internal bleeding. She collapsed almost as soon as she was back on the roof. Paramedics brought her straight here, where they took her into surgery immediately."

Castle shifted his gaze to the other occupants of the room again. Nobody had moved. "Is she out of surgery yet?" But even as the words left his mouth he knew the answer.

Gates only confirmed it.

"Kate didn't make it. She's gone."


A/N: tumblr prompt from castlefanficprompts: "AU Beckett is killed investigating her mother's case. Years later, the boys + Castle solve the case and they visit Beckett's grave."