I redid this first chapter and I hope it's much better now. I actually like it more than my first draft. Review my shot at my first Castle fanfic and tell me if I should continue. I loved the season finale (though lots may disagree with me) and I thought to myself: "What if Castle and Beckett didn't have to wait until fall for them to confront each other again?" I promised myself I wouldn't write a fanfiction for my latest addiction, but I couldn't help myself after the finale. I don't mind constructive criticism. Enjoy :D

Chapter 1

I do not own any characters from the show, except those I made up. The show and characters belong to ABC.

She was dreaming. In her dream, there was a specific ring tone she could identify. She just didn't know why exactly she was hearing it, when it was the middle of July. Then, after a long pause, it sounded louder and louder until she finally opened her eyes and groaned, pushing the hair from her face. She checked her phone that was on the nightstand beside her bed, and lazily thought of ignoring the call, but the caller was persisting. Then, she saw the caller ID.

"Beckett," she replied automatically. She didn't think she'd answer her cell phone in that manner at all that summer.

"Kate, finally. I know it's the middle of the night and I know it's summer and I shouldn't be calling until the fall, but..."

Kate straightened up and cleared away the sleepiness in her voice. "Sir? What is it?"

"There's been an unusual murder, Beckett. Police have declared it suicide, but Lanie disagrees. I'd like you here, if it's not too much too ask," Captain Montgomery said, sounding a bit sheepish.

"No, sir, I'll be there right away," she said, getting out of bed quickly and nearly falling back down. She'd forgotten that on her daily jog the evening before, she had twisted her ankle and managed to limp back to her apartment. She did think it necessary to have her ankle checked. "Uh, where exactly is 'here' and 'there', sir?"

"Sag Harbor in East Hampton." Her heart starting beating wildly, hoping it wasn't either of the two possible reasons she was thinking of. "Just about half a mile off the coast, right near where Castle's vacationing. We're staying at a hotel for tonight, but if you get to Castle's, Lanie could go by and pick you up." He gave her Castle's address and she scribbled it down.

Kate then swore under her breath and readily made her bed. "Give me maximum two hours and a half, three hours. Is everyone else already there?" She quickly searched through her drawers to find a decent outfit.

"They were easier to find than you were, Detective. You should've told someone you changed your number."

"Yeah. Sorry about that." In truth, she wasn't sorry at all. She had changed it for personal reasons, one reason which included Castle not calling her at all. After the way things ended between them before summer, she wanted nothing to do with him until the fall.

"It's all right. It only took an hour and a half to get your number. Sheesh, Beckett, you don't have to put your phone on more private than private. Who's going to hack into your phone?" Montgomery asked and when she didn't answer, he sighed. "See you soon, hopefully."

"I'll be there as quick as I can." They hung up and Kate threw on a black pair of jeans and a gray button down. She decided to bring along her black leather jacket in case it was chilly down there.

She had managed to find a small but cozy apartment right before summer started and she hoped she wouldn't have to deal with any explosions anytime soon. Kate had only half of the clothes she had before her old apartment blew up, but she was getting there. Not that she needed that many clothes anyway. Jeans, a plain top, and a jacket would be enough for her. Shoes might or might not be necessary, depending on the weather outside.

Kate Beckett, or better known as NYPD homicide Detective Kate Beckett, had been given a summer vacation from the force. On her last day, and her writer partner's last too, she had just wrapped up a case. The case (and other people) had opened her her eyes and mind to what was really going on. She had been oblivious to the fact that Richard Castle was still around because of her. As Esposito had told her, Castle had done more than enough research on her for fifty Nikki Heat novels; he was still around because Detective Kate Beckett still was.

What else was it that Esposito said? Oh, yeah. If I thought that Castle would still hang around if I was with Demming. She didn't know it at first, and she didn't think so either, but Castle wouldn't hang around if she was dating Tom Demming. He and Castle was rivals, fighting for her attention, and she didn't notice it at all. How could she have been so blind? She was a detective, for goodness' sake!

Before Kate set off in her cop car, she put on her father's watch and touched the ring that was hanging by a thin chain around her neck. Mom, what would you do in my situation? I wish you were still here...She checked to make sure none of her police items were left behind (police items: her own gun) and then swapped her bag from her desk. The clock read two a.m. and she estimated that if she took the shortcut to the Hamptons, she'd get there in about an hour and a half at the most if people stayed in their beds to sleep and not drive at night like she was.

The entire road trip there, Kate was freaking out. Normally, she wouldn't care about people's opinions of her and she would never let anyone see that something was bothering her, but she was alone. She could even cry and scream and there was nobody to witness it happen. Yet, she didn't do either one. She hated the feel of being vulnerable and it made her shiver to think how weak and idiotic she had been in the past few weeks.

She liked Demming. She really did. He was everything any woman was looking for, and to top that, he was a detective like she was and they could work together on endless cases; their relationship wouldn't waver. He was so...beautiful; his eyes were so mesmerizing and perfect and when she had kissed him, his lips fit perfectly in with hers. And when she talked to Richard Castle after the kiss, she noticed a slight change in him. She thought it was because he was fatigued, but after she said her goodbye to him, she knew it was something else. She detected no hope in his voice that night after she and Demming shared a kiss; Castle was negative instead of his usual energetic positivity. To tell the truth, she still didn't know what Castle thought of her and why he liked her so much.

I'm too sexy, in people's opinions. In every case I had, there was at least one suspect who looked at me like they desperately wanted to bed me. Maybe if I changed my looks somehow, more people wouldn't be so judgmental on outward appearances. I turn the head of every male in this force, and it's not because I intimidate them with my gun; I intimidate them with my looks. Kate sighed, forcing herself to remain awake. She should've taken a cup of coffee with her or something. But she was already halfway there.

Suddenly, her stomach began to turn. She was beginning to lose her curiosity about what was awaiting her. She wanted all thoughts of being a detective pushed away from her mind and she felt like turning the car around and driving all the way to L.A. If during the murder she'd have to see the novelist, she'd just stop investigating. She dreaded having to see him even in the fall; it was too soon to see his cheerful face two months earlier than planned. She'd hadn't the time to think. Then, a horrible thought came to her mind. What if a deranged fan followed him and murdered him and...well, I don't care much about the ex-wife, but if he's the victim, I swear I'll quit the force. What a terrible prank it would be if Montgomery invited her to investigate Richard Castle's murder! Stop it, Beckett! Stop this at once! You're being stupid. You're one of the best detectives in New York and you're not supposed to be thinking so negative all the time!

As Kate was driving closer and closer to Sag Harbor, according to her phone's GPS system, she drove straight into a cloud of fog, and she couldn't see anything. When she thought things couldn't get any worse, her phone failed and there was no signal. She knew it was dangerous to drive in such thick fog and she pulled the car over on the side of the road. She swore again and honked the car horn as long as she could stand the noise. She guessed she had about two to three miles until Castle's house, but she swore she wouldn't go in or even inform him that she was there. She'd park a few hundred feet away from the gates and simply call Lanie. But there was no way to get there and she wasn't about to wait in the car until the fog let up. She got out of the car, put on her jacket, and took her large purse with her. Kate then locked the doors and put on her car alarm in case someone would try to break into it. She knew it was stupid, trying to get anywhere by foot and at night, but she had to get to the team somehow.

Kate loaded her pistol, just in case, and started down the road, almost shouting for joy when she found a flashlight in her purse But lighting her way was out of the question. All that was seen was grayish-white smoke: fog. It's just like this to happen to be when I'm trying to gather my emotions together. Everything, not only my feelings, are falling apart. I have no way of contacting anyone unless I shoot my gun. But who's going to hear me or even find me in this fog?

Kate kept walking until she thought her ankle began to bother her again. She had completely forgotten about it. What the hell was I thinking, walking to Castle's at night and with no absolute directions? Her right ankle was aching badly now and she gritted her teeth to ignore the pain. No detective was honorable if she gave up; Kate would hear that over and over, day after day. That's what kept her ticking during each case. Not the honor and respect, but the thought of bringing justice to those who deserved it. But no detective is honorable if she forces herself to be in constant pain, Katherine. Kate's eyes lit up a little. The voice in her head was loud and clear. It was her mother's.

She didn't give up persisting the dust road. She was going to find someone if it killed her. At the same time, she didn't want anyone to find her; she would feel ashamed of herself and embarrassed that she, New York City's finest female detective, needed help while she could find help herself. Damn it, Beckett, everyone needs help every once in a while! You can't do everything yourself!

While she was scolding herself, her foot, the one with a twisted ankle, got caught in large crack in the road. She tried pulling her foot out but hadn't managed to do so without feeling more pain afterwards. Kate limped until she found a tree and leaned on it, then slid down to the wet dust. The gun, Katherine. Don't forget the gun. Kate took no time in pulling out her gun. She thought about it before she actually shot the gun. It would be called reckless to just shoot in the air if she wasn't being attacked or defending herself. Kate eyed her gun. But she did need help. There was no way she would go back to her car and she most definitely couldn't get to Castle's either. What am I going to do? She thought for a little more. I could always just sleep here. After a moment longer, she decided to shoot once. To get someone's attention.

"Help, someone! I need help!" she cried out, the words feeling strange upon her lips. She wasn't used to calling out for help, but neither would she force herself to limp anymore. She didn't even know where she was going.

Someone's bound to have heard me. It's too quiet tonight for someone to not have heard. Kate's eyes slowly closed and her breath was slower. She was falling asleep, and she tried not to. Her eyes opened again, hoping her brain would remain active for a while longer. She pulled the trigger to her pistol one more time and called for help again as loud as she could.

She then heard bushes rustle in the distance. After a moment of silence, she gave up what little hope she had. No one was looking for her. Why would they? Detective Beckett would never seep into this situation. Only an idiot would. But hadn't anyone heard the gunshots? The team was surely awake, waiting for her to call Lanie and then for Lanie to pick her up.

"My watch," she heard herself whisper, as she glanced at her wrist. Her watch must have fallen off when she tripped. "I have to find my watch." She pulled herself up and tried limping back to where she had caught her foot.

Before she could even move, she heard another rustling and that encouraged her even more to find her missing item. Kate thought she could hear her name being called. "I'm over here!"

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her and she turned rapidly, causing her to trip and fall once again. She cursed and then, she found herself staring at two feet in front of her.

"Kate? What are you doing on the ground?"

Her heart dropped when she heard the voice, but she wouldn't allow him to notice. "I was chasing a squirrel," she said sarcastically. "Would you mind helping me up?"

He did so automatically and then he noticed that she had a limp as she stood. "You're hurt."

"I'll be fine," she said, dismissing it. "Do you have your cell phone with you? I need to call Lanie."

"You're not going anywhere tonight except for my house, Kate. You're obviously hurt and you need someone to look at your foot," Castle said, sounding serious, already grabbing her arm to help her walk a bit.

"Who is definitely not you." She shook her shoulder from his grip. "I'm fine. I just need to call Lanie. Please, give me your phone."

He suddenly flashed her a devilish grin. "I left it at home. You'll have to call her from there."

Kate scowled. Besides the fact that he was childish, he was also very stubborn. "Fine. But don't think you're going to convince me into staying because you won't."

Without warning, he picked her up in his strong arms and she shrieked. "What are you doing? Put me down, Richard Castle, this instant!"

He took no notice of her words. She wasn't able to walk even a mile to his home and he wasn't about to let her limp any longer. "You're hurt and you should stay off of your foot," he simply said.

"I don't care. I want down," she demanded, but inside she knew it was no use fighting him off. If Richard Castle wanted to take her himself to his home, she couldn't do anything about it.

Castle smiled, proud of himself for being able to talk the woman out of ignoring his offer. He had been eager to see Kate Beckett, but at the same time he wasn't. She had wounded his heart badly what with her progressing relationship to Tom Demming. Castle hated that bastard, for putting Kate in a trace. It made it impossible for him to ever reveal his true feelings for her. That was why he was going off to his house in the Hamptons: to get away for a little and to forget all about the detective. That, and to write his novel.

She could sense that the sun was pouring in for when an object moved in front of the light, she could see the shadow. She groaned when she tried moving her legs and then she finally managed to flutter her eyes open. Her head was suddenly lifted upward and tilted forward and she felt a cool liquid penetrate through her slightly open lips. She swallowed and almost choked on the water for she wanted to gulp it all up to quench her thirst.

"Take it easy, girl," a female's voice told her. Kate thought she recognized it.

Both the other woman and Kate heard footsteps approaching. "Did she drink the water?" a deep voice asked from, Kate guessed, the mouth of the room.

"Yes."

"That's good. What's going to happen with the case now?"

"Once Kate's fully awake, I'll page the team and they'll come right here. It was nice of you to offer me a room, Castle," the woman said. "I'll be needing to check up on her broken ankle and it makes my job easier this way."

Kate's eyes then grew wide. "I have a broken ankle?" She thought it was still just sprained. When she caught it in the ditch, she didn't possibly think she'd broken it. Sure, it hurt like hell, but still...

"You'll be fine soon enough, Beckett," the other woman said. "And I'm pretty sure it's broken. You'll need it x-rayed to be sure."

"Lanie," Kate said, smiling a bit, glad that her friend was there.

"Castle called last night after you fell asleep. He said you were asking to call me. Captain was getting worried about you when you didn't call at all," Lanie explained. "Montgomery called Castle to see if you arrived yet, but when he said you didn't, Castle got permission to search for you. He heard your gunshots."

"I didn't want to shoot at first, but I had to; my ankle was hurting and if I didn't, I'd have had to slept there, leaned against a tree."

"It's fine, Kate. No one's going to fire you."

"Wait, so...I fell asleep?" Kate pushed the hair from her face as she sat up.

"While I was bringing you here. You finally stopped squirming and managed to get comfortable in my arms somehow. You were out before I tucked you in," Castle said, as if feeling great about himself.

"Oh, don't you feel special," she told him, narrowing her eyes. Kate then noticed the other woman in the room and her eyes darkened, feeling a pang of jealousy. She pushed away the snappiness in her voice before she spoke up again. "You're...Gina Cowell, aren't you?"

The blonde woman on the chair nodded with a small smile. "You were a terrible mess." Kate didn't know why Gina had to add, "You still are."

She suddenly felt self-conscious about how she looked, but then brushed off the feeling. Kate Beckett didn't necessarily have to look pretty to not be vulnerable. Gina was beautiful and Castle had her all to himself. Why would Kate care what Richard Castle wanted?

"Don't listen to her, Beckett. I think you're as sexy as the day you first brought me in for personal questioning," Castle piped in and was happy to see that Kate looked amused. "But then, of course, you have some dirt covering your soft and rosy cheeks and your eyes are dark from no sleep."

And from shooting Gina dirty looks..."Thank you, writer boy, for your ever-so-depicting descriptions," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm always at your service, Detective," he replied with a shrug and a smile.

What Kate didn't know was how he could act so friendly and...like nothing happened if she clearly knew he felt remorse towards the situation with Demming. But Richard Castle was a strange one. He only showed his true feelings when he felt convicted to do so. Castle believed there were many layers to the Beckett onion, but Kate also believed there were some layers to the Castle onion too. Her detective senses were acting up, something that happened when she knew something wasn't right. He was either a really good actor or what everyone thought he was feeling for her had subsided.

"Really, Castle," she said, cocking her head to a side, giving him a look. "I'm trained to be able to fend for myself in such circumstances as I was last night. I don't need a babysitter."

Lanie looked from Castle to Beckett and back to Castle. The two were bickering like an old couple. The M.E. gave Gina a look and then with her eyes motioned for Gina and herself to leave the two of them alone. Kate, unfortunately caught what Lanie was trying to do.

"Don't you dare leave me, Lanie." Kate them sighed impatiently, wishing she hadn't broken her ankle. "How long 'til I could get out of bed?"

"My guess is that tomorrow you could, but you'll be needing crutches for a little while."

"Great. Just my luck. How will I be going out to investigate then?"

"I'll have to speak with Montgomery about it. For now, you need to rest your ankle and not move it. If you need anything, either Castle, Gina, or I will be here to assist." Lanie stood up and embraced her friend. "Don't punish yourself for this, girl. You're not the only one who was shocked when learning about the location of the case. I'll be back soon." Lanie left and at her invitation, Gina reluctantly followed her, but not before giving Richard a look or warning.

Kate's head cocked to the side, thinking about what Lanie meant. Then, she realized it that Castle wasn't so excited to be working with her so soon either. Of course, he didn't have to help in the investigation, but he wanted to. For what damn reason, she didn't know.

"You were stupid to go out alone in a fog, Beckett. You know that you're supposed to stay in your car if anything like that would've happened," Castle said to her, still looking her over to make sure she was all right.

"Do you just make that up on the spot, Castle? And please stop staring at me. It's really creepy. Normally, men flee from me, not try to make me feel vulnerable, which by the way, is not working."

"Aha ha ha," he said sarcastically, faking a laugh. "Men flee from you when you're holding a gun. At the moment, you're looking like a very lost and innocent Nikki Heat. I say it's hot." Kate rolled her eyes and let out her breath. Once Richard Castle, always Richard Castle. She couldn't withhold a tiny smile though. He caught it quickly and he smiled too. "There's that Beckett smile I like to see from you." She tried to stop smiling, but his tone only made her laugh.

"Richard Castle, are you going to let me starve while you make fun of me? I haven't eaten since yesterday morning!" she cried out.

"Well then, m'lady, what will it be? Fresh eggs and non-furry bacon, or pancakes with fresh fruit?" he inquired, standing up, ready to bring her anything.

"The pancake offer sounds delicious."

"All right then." Castle began walking towards the door. "Don't you dare get up because I swear I'll have everything under control. I'm not always quite the twelve-year-old."

"Maybe I underestimated you a bit, Castle," Kate said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, my God, Beckett, stay like that for like five more minutes. I'm going to go get my camera and take a picture of your sexy brow thing."

"Or, maybe not." She rolled her eyes and laid back.

What was going on? Why was she acting like nothing had happened between them? It was like the old times when she'd tease him mercilessly and he would constantly flirt with her only to annoy her. Only this time, she wasn't annoyed. It was a sense of wanting. She wanted to feel annoyed again at him and she wanted to scold him for something he didn't mean to do. She also hoped that whatever he could've possibly felt for her, hadn't disappeared.