Disclaimer- I don't own Castle-sadly.

The First Encounter

It was a bright Sunday morning in August. A young man named Rick Rodgers was headed off to college. Before he went, he wanted to pick up a couple of items to help with his practical jokes and his magic tricks from 'Drake's Magic Shop'. He had no problem with wooing women, with his ruggedly handsome good looks. A little magic wouldn't hurt his chances with the ladies however, if he did it right.

Little Katie Beckett had just discovered the world of magic. Her grandfather, an amateur magician, brought her to the best magic shop in the city, 'Drake's Magic Shop'. She let out a "wow" when she saw the magician fugue at the entrance, preforming a magic card shuffle.

Rick noticed the young girl and her grandfather enter the shop, he saw her eyes dazzle with amazement when she saw all of the trinkets displayed across the establishment. He approached them, not wanting to miss an opportunity to show off. A magician's hat and wand sat on display near him. When he saw them, he knew what he wanted to try.

He approached them slowly. Making eye contact with the grandfather to make sure it was okay to talk to her. His hand outstretched, showing the magical items he had just procured. The grandfather gave his permission with a nod.

"Hey, he said to the little girl. My name is Richard Rogers and I wonder if you can help me with a magic trick?"

Katie turned to her Grandfather, who beamed at her. "Sure, what can I do?"

"I want you to check this hat and see if there's anything strange about it."

The young girl took the hat and began to feel inside of it, examining it thoroughly. After a minute she handed it back to him.

"It's clean? Okay. Now check out my magic wand and tell me if there is anything unique about it."

As she examined the wand, Rick placed a pin in the bottom of the hat.

"Looks normal," she said handing it back.

"Okay, ready." He placed the wand inside the hat, taking care to stick it with the pin. He then flipped the hat over so that the wand was hanging down, magically, from inside the hat.

Katie smiled for a fast second, before the wand fell out of the hat and onto the floor.

"Well that's a pretty lame trick," she said harshly.

"I can do better," Rick placed his hand beside her ear. "You have something in your ear."

As he pulled back to reveal a quarter, she frowned.

"My grandpa has shown me that one already. You're not a very good magician."

Rick liked this girl's bluntness. "To be honest, you're right, I'm a second rate magician, I am going to be a writer. Do you like to read?"

Katie nodded, "I love books as much as I love magic."

"I am going to write mystery novels, but I don't think anyone is going to buy my work," Rick explained in a moment of honesty.

"You need a stage name, like Drake."

"Drake's already taken," he explained, his eyes skimming the room.

"Then how about..." She trailed off, her eyes scanning the room as well. She spotted a suit of armor. "...or Knight." She continued to look, spotting a castle in a poster along the back wall. "...or Castle."

"Castle," he breathed, getting the feel for the word. "Richard Castle, I like that, I will have to think about it. Thank you." He looked at the grandfather and nodded in thanks. He picked up the wand that had fallen on the floor, popping the cap off, quickly revealing a bouquet of fake flowers that he handed off to the little girl, before leaving them to continue to shop.

Richard went off to college after that, and finished his first novel. He would never forget what the girl told him, and would take that name she had suggested. He ended up dedicating his first book to her, To the little girl at Drake's, who showed me who I really was.

Katie's granddad made her a promise to bring her every Sunday after, this one. It was a promise that he would keep, until she would fall out of love with magic for a time, after her grandfather passed on. Until the man who showed her that magic trick at Drake's would come back into her life, twenty years later, under the name Richard Castle. Although she wouldn't recall this encounter, he made her remember every day, what true magic was all along.

I had this idea of Richard and Kate being connected long before they were adults. But couldn't think of a story to get them together in until the airing of season 3's "Poof! You're Dead." Let me know what you guys think by leaving a comment or review.