A/N: Ellie and Ellie working together? Writing a thing together? Uh-oh. (Just kidding. Kind of.) Welcome to the Ellie² co-fic, 'Luminous.' I hope you enjoy!
P.S.: My super-awesome British counterpart – closingdoors – will be writing the chapters that from Kate's POV, which are the odd chapters. I'll be writing the even chapters, and from our OC Agent Savannah Grant's.
Anyways, on with the fic!
Disclaimer: Guess. Castle, Richard Castle, Kate Beckett – all not mine. As always.
Luminous
Chapter One:
New York is heavy this time in the summer, heat sticking to the back of her neck beneath her long hair no matter how many times she swipes at the patch. She replaces her morning coffee with cooling bottles of water, grateful for the relief she feels spreading from her lungs and unfurling through her veins. She's grateful that she doesn't have to face the damn coffee machine anymore either, doesn't have to cradle the porcelain mug between her hands with a bitter taste in her mouth that he makes it better than her.
But that's – no. Don't think about it, Beckett.
Castle's gone. It's been three weeks. She's fine. Really.
Sure, it stings: the rejection, the betrayal, the words see you in the fall tumbling around in her head over and over again late at night. Will she ever see him in the fall again? She doesn't know – doesn't know if she wants to, either.
Beckett sighs, grabbing the litre bottle from the fridge and swigging generously. Sweat clings to her body from her morning run and makes her uncomfortable, and she's halfway to her shower when her cell rings, toeing off her pants when she answers.
"Beckett."
"Hey," Esposito says, "we got a fresh one, Beckett."
Of course there's a fresh one. There's always a fresh one. Jeez, she's on call today, and the murderers can't even wait until – she glances at the clock – God, it's only 7:30am. Her body may be ready to burn calories she probably shouldn't lose, but her mind certainly isn't ready yet.
She sighs, rubbing her temples. "What's the address?"
The crime scene is already littered with the press, along with several jet black SUVs and at that she feels her heart sink. Seriously? This early and the case is bad enough for the feds to try and get involved? Well, jurisdiction on this one is gonna be fun.
Esposito and Ryan call her over as she passes beneath the yellow tape, expertly weaving through the herd of flashing cameras and dizzying questions in order to get there. They stand looking resentful, scowling over at the crowds of the feds, the way they already have their team overrunning CSU on the scene. Kate can't even tell where the body is.
"Hey," she says, "what's got the feds sniffing around our body?"
"Third they've found in four days. Famous or somethin', I don't know," Esposito grumbles petulantly, like a child.
Ryan steps closer, shrugging. "It's a messy one. All three victims have been, uh… decapitated."
"Decapitated?" She repeats, eyes wide.
"Not well, either. It's… well, you might wanna prepare yourself," Ryan tells her, before leading her over to the body at the other end of the alley.
The familiar stench hits Beckett before she sees the body and she holds her breath as she always does, preparing herself. But of course, she can't, because before her lays, well… before her is the body of what may have once belonged to a young woman, if the clothes she's wearing and her slim figure give any indication. Ryan's right, too. It is messy. The stump of her neck is an assortment of cartilage and torn skin, and Beckett can't stand to look at it, turns away and focuses on the bruising against her pale wrists, her tattered and bloody clothes.
"Feds have taken the head," Lanie says, looking up from the body when she spots Beckett, "think you can get it back for me?"
"I make no promises," Kate says, glancing warily at the ominous SUVs.
Lanie tuts, stands. "Body temperature suggests that she died about 2am this morning."
"I suppose I don't need to ask for a COD," Kate mutters, stomach rolling, watching Ryan as he looks away with a face a little too pale compared to normal.
"Poor girl," Lanie says, then gestures to the messy neck, "at first guess, your killer, obviously, used something sharp, something fine. They knew what they were doing. I can try and get you a narrower description on weapon back at the lab."
Beckett sighs, glancing down at the body once again. Repulsed. Who breeds these monsters – these creatures that lurk in the night and harm others in such a violent, careless way? How do they walk away, clean their hands with water, and think that cleanses them completely?
"Yo Beckett," Esposito calls, and she turns away, tossing a thank you over her shoulder to Lanie.
"What have you got, Espo?"
"Agent in charge wants to talk to you. Apparently they're willing to, uh, co-ordinate with us."
Beckett rolls her eyes and Esposito shrugs at her look. After waving Ryan over, they head towards the herd of the FBI. Kate's already listing reasons why they should be kept on the case in her head when they're directed over to the lead agent, preparing themselves for the inevitable argument with the FBI, who will without a doubt want to kick the NYPD from the case.
And then –
"Savvy?"
"Kate?"
Kate stops, surprise encompassing her body as she catches sight of the Agent in charge. Golden hair swaying softly as she turns from another Agent, surprise flaring in her own green eyes - soft. Always so soft in the way they gazed at her, Beckett remembers. And the sound of her name rising from her – it's surprising the way Kate feels her heart stutter slightly in her chest, cheeks flushing pink despite all of the time that has passed, how Savannah had just become a faint memory in the back of her mind.
She can feel Esposito and Ryan's eyes on them, tries to gather her thoughts quickly in the presence of the two men, but Savannah seems as flummoxed as she feels. But – right – the case.
"You're the Agent in charge?"
Savannah nods slowly, eyes studying her softly for a moment before she reverts to professional. She pulls her ID from her pocket, holds it up for the men to see. Kate keeps her eyes on Savannah's face, studies how time has changed her, matured the soft edges of youth that had once been there.
"Agent Savannah Grant," she tells the two men, eyes always drawn back to Kate.
Esposito huffs beside Kate. "You gonna kick us off the case, Agent?"
Savannah smirks, tucking her ID back into her suit pocket. "No, detective, I'm willing to work with you. So long as you're willing to work with us."
"We're happy to help in any way we can," Beckett says, shoving her shaking hands in her pant pockets.
"I hear you've worked with the FBI before. With Jordan Shaw?"
"That's right," Beckett confirms, still completely thrown off by Savannah's presence. "A few months ago. We worked with her team on the Scott Dunn case."
Savannah nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Beckett remembers – that's where she picked up that mannerism, that way of hiding nerves. It floods her with memories she'd long since forgotten. And it's too much, so she looks away, back over at Esposito who's eyeing them warily.
"Well, I look forward to working with you, detective," Savannah says, catching Beckett's eye again. "My team has already begun setting up at your precinct."
Beckett nods, ordering Ryan to help officers with the canvas before walking away with Esposito, towards her cruiser.
"Savvy, huh?" Esposito says, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Oh, shut up."
She's in the break room when Savannah first corners her. Kate's not hiding, exactly. She's still waiting for Lanie to get back to her with the Victim's ID from DNA, as well as waiting for Ryan to get back to her with the canvas, and she's not been given any answers as to what the FBI have done with the victim's decapitated head. So she's just taking a break. While studiously avoiding Savannah.
"Hey."
She looks up from making coffee to see Savannah leaning against the doorjamb, watching her softly.
Why does it ache so much? Why does she want so badly to reach out and untuck that strand of hair from behind her ear, run her fingers through it? The dull smart from rejection has been soothed with the memory of Savannah. Soft, beautiful Savannah. Always smiling and teasing and right. Funny how she longs for the woman now after all these years, after how she barely thought of her from time to time.
"Hi," she manages to croak out. "You want one?"
Savannah wrinkles her nose, and it's cute – so cute. Kate looks away, back down at the brown liquid that she'd been hiding from for three weeks now. It doesn't hurt as much now. Won't feel as bitter to her tastebuds.
"Too many college finals have put me off the stuff. Good to see you have some of your old habits, though. Then again, I didn't really expect you to drop your caffeine addiction at all," Savannah teases, moving closer to rest against the counter with Beckett.
So close – so –
Kate huffs, wrapping her hands around the porcelain. "I never tried to give up."
Savannah grins. "Good. You're cranky when you haven't had your coffee."
Beckett ducks her head, hides behind her newly grown out hair. This is too much. She doesn't know what to make of the jumbled feelings inside her heart.
"Listen, Savvy – "
"Kate," Savannah cuts across her, hand hesitantly hovering above her arm before deciding to retract it at Beckett's look, crossing her arms across her torso. "I've heard nothing but praises from Shaw. I know you're professional. But you can tell me if this is too hard, nobody would blame you – "
"No," Kate says, "It's fine. I'm just… surprised, that's all."
Savannah laughs, green eyes twinkling.
"Yeah, I know how you feel."
Kate cradles the coffee to her chest, feels its warmth spreading through her and despite the summer heat it feels right somehow. Comforting.
"So, on with the case?"
Savannah grins, and it's beautiful. So beautiful.
"On with the case."
A/N: Thoughts?
-Ellie