Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I enjoy it beyond words.

A/N: So I owe the idea behind this series to two people – TORONTOSUN and a guest reviewer, Mm (whose birthday it is today – Happy Birthday!) Both of them left reviews on my story 'Small Steps to Victory' that inspired me to write a series based on conversations between Kate and Jim Beckett – conversations on the subject of one Richard Castle. The chapters will be set at different points in the Caskett relationship, from 2009 to the present-day. This is the first one, set around the beginning of 'Nanny McDead' (Ep. 1x02).

2009

Kate walked into the diner and made her way to the table where her father was already seated and nursing a cup of coffee.

"Hey Dad," she greeted, as he rose to embrace her. "Sorry I'm late."

They placed their orders and spent a few minutes talking about the usual – baseball, Kate's work, Jim's plans for his next fishing trip.

Then Jim couldn't hold it in any longer. "So when were you planning to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Kate questioned.

"That you've met your favorite author."

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. "How'd you find out?"

"I read about the Tisdale case in the paper – the article mentioned that it was a copycat murder based on one of Richard Castle's novels. It also said that Castle had been called in to assist the police. And when they quoted Capt. Montgomery's statement to the press, I knew that your precinct was involved in the investigation. So I put two and two together and –"

Kate shook her head. "Remind me again who the detective is in this family?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jim asked again.

"I guess it just... slipped my mind," Kate stammered out. "I mean, it's not like it was a big deal."

Jim was incredulous. "Not a big deal? You've been reading his books for a decade now – you line up at the bookstore when a new one comes out, you have every single one in hardback – and you finally get a chance to meet the man, and it 'slips your mind'?"

"Ah – but it wasn't the first time I met him," Kate hedged.

"I know – you told me you went to one of his book signings years ago. But I also know what those things are like – you say hi, get an autograph, and you're out of there in ten seconds flat. Now you've had a chance to meet him one-on-one – hardly the same thing."

"Now ain't that the truth?" Kate muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Dad, I didn't tell you about meeting Castle because – I kinda wish I hadn't met him."

Jim quirked an eyebrow and waited for his daughter to continue.

"Dad, Castle is a jackass," Kate said emphatically, stressing each syllable. "He's an arrogant, immature, self-obsessed jerk who treats everything like it's a game. He messes around with evidence, jokes around about things that need to be taken seriously, and is completely unprofessional."

"Hang on a second, Katie," Jim interrupted. "What's with the present tense?"

"I just found out that he's going to be shadowing me and my squad for a while," Kate sighed, with another roll of her eyes. "Says he's doing research for a new fictional character for his next novel."

"If he's shadowing you and your team, then – this new character is based on you, isn't she?"

"Again with the detective skills, Dad." Kate smiled in spite of herself.

Jim laughed softly. "Well, it looks like I just might become a Richard Castle fan after all. You and your mom always did find a way to win me over."

"Dad–," Kate was clearly exasperated.

"Remember when I said I would read his books when he came up with a female heroine with a human side? Seems like he's doing just that."

Kate threw up her hands. "Yes, okay – I'm glad you've found a new fan club to sign up to; but Dad, I'm telling you that Castle is a pain in the ass, he's getting in the way of my work... and here you are singing his praises. I mean, whose side are you on here?"

"Well, forgive me for not hating a guy who has the good sense to find inspiration in my amazing daughter. Come on, Katie; don't tell me you're not a tiny bit flattered."

Kate tried to smother her smile, but Jim saw it. "Okay, so it's–, maybe it's–, look, the point is, Dad, he could write the book without hanging around and driving me crazy."

The conversation paused for a few moments as the waitress arrived with their orders.

"So how long is he going to be shadowing you for?" Jim asked once the waitress had left.

"I don't know. Hopefully not too long. He is driving me up the wall." She groaned. "Sometimes I actually have dreams of torturing the guy. Graphic dreams."

Now it was Jim's turn to hide a smile. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had managed to get so deep under his level-headed daughter's skin. And as for her graphic dreams of 'torturing' the man, well, he was just going to leave that one alone. His Katie was clearly forgetting the fact that sometimes, there was a thin line between wanting to kill someone and wanting to kiss them. But, much as she was now a grown woman, she would always be his little girl, and he preferred not to think of her... sexual urges.

"So," he said, moving on from that disturbing train of thought, "what is it about him that you find so irritating?"

"Dad, were you not listening?" Kate exclaimed. "He sticks his nose into things that are none of his business, he's like an overgrown kid, he thinks he's God's gift to women, he has this annoying proprietary attitude towards our cases, he already thinks he's part of the team, he thinks actual murder cases follow the same rules as his fictional stories, he has no respect for boundaries, he's frivolous, he's a smartass, he thinks he has me all figured out, he makes totally inappropriate comments, he –"

"What did you imagine he'd be like?" Jim interjected, realizing that his daughter was on a roll and could probably continue cataloguing Castle's flaws for an hour straight.

"Huh?" Kate was taken aback at being interrupted in mid-flow by a seemingly irrelevant question – after all, she'd already met the man.

"Humor me," Jim replied. "Based on his books, what did you think Richard Castle would be like?"

Kate paused. "I don't know – great sense of humor, perceptive, insightful, intelligent, sophisticated, charming, well-read..."

"And he's none of those things?"

"Well..." Kate paused again, clearly stumped. "Well, actually, he's, he's..."

Jim waited patiently. Uh oh, Katie, he thought to himself. Watch out, it seems like your Mr. Castle is starting to challenge your assumptions, refusing to fit into the box you've created for him… and once that happens, all bets are off.

"You know what, Dad, it doesn't matter," Kate said, finally regaining her composure. "It doesn't matter what he's like – whether he's what I expected or not – because our relationship is strictly professional. He'll do his research, he'll write his book, and he'll be out of my hair. Hopefully soon."

"Well, whatever happens, I'm just proud that he recognized how special you are, and created a character based on you. Your mom would be proud too – she'd be thrilled by that."

Kate's smile was sardonic. "Yeah, maybe, but I think she'd also be bitterly disappointed that her favorite author also happens to be an infuriating jackass."

"Oh, I don't know," Jim said lightly, "Johanna always did like a strong, memorable character… and whatever else your Castle might be, he certainly seems to be that."

"First off, he is not my Castle. And second of all, we've just spent way too much time talking about him. Can we please change the subject?"

The lady doth protest too much, methinks, Jim reflected to himself. There's something to this guy – there's something to anyone that manages to get Katie this flustered. Color me intrigued. "So when do I get to meet him?"

"Are you kidding me, Dad?" Kate asked, putting down her cup of coffee with a firm clatter and looking straight into her father's eyes. "Never."

Well, we'll just see about that, Jim mused privately. We'll just see about that.

A/N: As always, I would love to know what you all think. And huge thanks to TORONTOSUN and Mm for the idea.