Love Letters to Kate

Disclaimer: Beckett and Castle are not mine and this is just a hobby, pastime, diversion, addiction, and obsession. Wow, it doesn't really look all that healthy in print does it!

Author's Notes: Here's what I envision happening with this… Rick's a writer, so I don't think it's that far-fetched to believe he keeps a journal. I will attempt to get inside his head, through his writing, as he slowly falls in love with Kate. This will be a series of his journal entries from when Rick first meets Kate at the beginning of the show, one episode at a time, which will eventually turn into "Love Letters to Kate". If anyone has anything they'd like to see show up, just PM me. I would love a review to hear your thoughts and if you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to read! Karen

Chapter 1, Flowers for your Grave

March 9, 2009

It's been months, but I'm finally inspired to write again. Thank God, because Gina's been up my ass with threats about my advance and my next book deadline and she's giving me grief for killing off Derek Storm. She's not the only one either. There's been a backlash. Everyone thinks I'm nuts for doing it, but screw 'em – it's my character! I can do whatever the hell I want with him. I took the character as far as I could and it was getting old, stale, predictable. It wasn't fun anymore.

But things are turning around. I met the most interesting girl, who'd kick the shit out of me for calling her that. Actually, she's all woman - beautiful, smart, savvyand her name's Kate Beckett. She's an absolutely stunning, hard-nosed, bossy, by the books NYC Police Detective, which is why everything she thinks I embody, annoys her no end. She's practically the Anti-Castle. We're complete opposites and I can't remember the last time I had this much fun.

She was the detective in charge of the investigation on the Alison Tisdale murder case and she asked for my assistance. Ok, so maybe that's a stretch. At first, she pretty much demanded my help and then later I gave her no choice because I wouldn't go away, but the fact is, it turned out she and her team needed my insight. I followed them around and offered my thoughts on the case. I notice things about people that others don't. I'm a very useful engine.

It was a copy-cat murder straight from my book Death of a Prom Queen. I should have been flattered but I really wasn't. The fact is it made me sick. It's not even one of my better books. Beckett, obviously a closet fan girl, although she'd never admit it, made the connection and brought me in. Anyway, it was straight from my book except for some glaring differences, which I was instrumental in pointing out.

I thought things were going rather well until Beckett arrested me for obstruction of justice. She really needs to work on her sense of humor. I later proved they had the wrong guy.

I even got to run after and knock out the bad guy - right after I un-handcuffed myself from the car. But I digress… it felt amazing to help break that case and to feel…useful, valuable again.

Turns out, the killer, Jonathan Tisdale, wasn't that good of a copy-cat after all and made some stupid mistakes. He killed three innocent people in his quest for money and revenge on his dying father. The bastard killed his own sister and then two other innocent people just to cover his tracks - greed and revenge… how cliché, and simple to solve really.

She didn't think I'd be useful at first but I proved her wrong, not that it matters much what she thinks of me. I really couldn't care less. I could see she wasn't taking me seriously from the start, none of them did, but by the end of the case I had them singing a different tune. There was no way she could deny I had helped.

She's different, this Kate Beckett. She doesn't take any of my shit. This is somehow annoying and appealing all at once. We've got a crazy little repartee thing going on and I get an adrenaline rush just talking to her. She's fascinating and a real looker, so that's probably all it is. Unlike most of the women I come into contact with, she is seemingly not dazzled by my good looks, charm and quick wit, and her demeanor screams loathing of every fiber of my very being. But things are not always as they appear.

Lucky for my ego, her gorgeous green, sometimes brown, eyes tell me otherwise so I don't buy for a minute she hates me as much as she'd like to, although, it's probably a safe bet she won't be asking me to sign her chest anytime soon. Too bad, because it's really quite something, as is the rest of her. She knows she's hot, she works it, it radiates from her…

Kate Beckett. Generating all that kick-ass heat one minute, and then the next, so uptight, serious, and straight-laced, that she hardly cracks a smile. Ah, but when she does… it lights up the room. She's an enigma that's what she is. There's more to her than meets the eye, and some pretty deep back story, I can feel it. I know people.

Unfortunately, something dark and horrible happened to this woman.

Whatever it was… it was devastating and it's been eating away at her ever since. She's way too young to be that sad. It's all right there in her body language, her attitude and those eyes that give her away. She lost someone close to her. Her mother, I think. It wasn't hard to deduce. I nailed it in one. When I brought it up she froze like a deer in headlights.

It was a verbal attack on my part and not one of my finest moments I admit. I was a bit of a douche and I felt terrible immediately afterwards, still do, but it was too late to take back, it was already out there. I do know I don't ever want to be responsible for putting that look on her face again.

I'm not normally so callous, but she's got an uncanny ability to push my buttons. It's a quality she shares with my ex-wives, although that's where the comparison ends. She's no twinkie, and there's this softness about her, unlike Gina, that's hard to describe. I can't put it into words, yet, but she's… quite a character.

At the end of the case, I asked her out but she turned me down flat. I think my reputation proceeded me, and not in a good way. Don't believe everything you read Kate. There's a lot of fiction out there. Then she teased me with the "You've no idea" thing in my ear before she sauntered away. I do love a challenge …

Later that night…

I called in a favor from my buddy the Mayor just now. I told him I know exactly what my next book's going to be about. The lead character's name is Nikki Heat and she's based, not so loosely, on one Detective Kate Beckett, the sexy, hard as nails cop from the 12th Precinct. And it's going to be totally awesome! The Mayor's maybe more excited about it than I am.

He granted me permission to follow her and her boys around on cases all in the name of research. How cool is that?

Man, she's going to be so pissed. And I can't help it, but for some strange reason this amuses me immensely.

Besides, she'll get over it, it won't be so bad and she's really got no choice. I need the research and it's her own damn fault she inspired me. She'll finally get to have some fun for a change – Castle style - and maybe I'll even toss a little extra charm her way and win her over, not that I need to. I should probably start by wiping the shit-eating grin off my face before I see her tomorrow so she doesn't do it for me.

Nikki Heat. It's going to be great!

Who knows… maybe we can help each other.

A/N: So, from where I sit, re-watching the DVD's again from the start a dozen times over, I'm amazed at the transformation Rick's made. When they first met he was fairly smug, self-centered and immature with no clear direction. I don't blame Kate for not falling into bed with him! And I never thought I'd say that. All I remembered before my trip down memory lane was being charmed by him, the devil! Anyway, I would love it if you could take a minute to review and I hope you liked it!