A/N: Welcome to my newest one-shot and first foray into the realm of Castle fanfiction! I've been out of touch with my writing for awhile, so I apologize if this is extemely rusty or OCC. Enjoy! Summary: "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" Five lives Richard Castle and Kate Beckett never experienced, and one they did. Caskett. Disclaimer: The lyrics belong to Queen. Castle and Beckett don't belong to me either, I just borrow them.
Professional
Kate Beckett wiped her palms on the legs of her dark slacks, then glanced down to make sure that she hadn't left any sweaty handprints. It wouldn't do for her to walk into this interview looking nervous and sporting the evidence as well!
She needed this interview to go well.
"Miss Beckett?"
Kate wheeled around to glance nervously at the secretary, breathing slowly, trying to calm herself. The secretary, discerning her obvious discomfort, gave the other woman an encouraging smile.
"Mr. Castle will see you now."
Swallowing, and taking a deep breath, Kate strode towards the imposing, dark double doors, trying to take comfort and confidence from her professional attire.
It wasn't working.
Pausing for only a moment before letting herself into the office, Kate closed her eyes for a brief moment. This interview had to go well. She needed this job too badly.
Originally, she never would have considered working for such a man as Richard Castle, but she was desperate. Her last job had been…terminated quite unexpectedly, by a misunderstanding with one of the male clients, who had assumed that a secretary was free for the taking.
After she had watched the unconscious man be hauled out by security, she had been dismissed. Now, after months of searching, she had come to apply for a job with the man who was reputedly the largest womanizer in the city. She had heard too many stories about woman being seduced by his good looks and charms, only to fired months later. The man couldn't seem to keep a secretary any longer than it took to find another woman to share his bed, and Kate had originally decided that she did not want to be one on that tally.
But, again, she needed a job.
Pushing the doors open, Kate tried not to gape at the expanse that stretched before her as she walked into the office.
Glass windows lined the farthest wall, allowing an incredible view of the city below. Leather couches provided comfort amidst opulence, and several pieces of art graced the walls. The polished floor reflected the chandelier above it, and as Kate lowered her chin, determined not to stare, she caught sight of her potential employer, seated behind a desk of dark wood, watching her approach with an amused smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
The stories certainly hadn't exaggerated his good looks, and Kate glanced away from his interested blue gaze, cursing the blush that rose to her cheeks. Why did this man have the power to make her uncomfortable with just a glance?
She must be professional. Taking the seat he indicated before his desk, she met his gaze solidly, grateful that her blush was fading.
"Katherine Beckett?" His voice was smooth, and Kate unconsciously shivered—the girls she heard tales from certainly hadn't exaggerated about his voice, how it could distract you...
Shaking her head slightly, and repeating her mantra—This has to go well—Kate kept her hazel eyes trained on Mr. Castle, watching as he lazily flipped through her resume, reacquainting himself with the details, as he had clearly already perused it to some length.
"Yes, sir?"
Castle glanced up at the title, his smile growing as he took in the serious woman before him, clearly nervous but refusing to let it dominate her. This one could be interesting.
"I need you to do something for me before this interview goes any further," he told her, watching with delight as she stiffened, drawing a quick breath, clearly wondering what he would be asking her to do. Oh yes, this one would be fun.
"What do you need?"
The question was willing enough, but Kate held herself ready to refuse if he asked her anything that would be inappropriate. It would be just like a man of Richard Castle's reputation to proposition a woman during an interview.
Leaning back in his chair, Castle's smile grew to a grin, and he drawled, "I need you to pick up my dry cleaning, go home, walk my dog, water my plants, run to the bank for me…"
With each absurd item, the list grew, and Kate found herself listening incredulously. He wanted her to do his daily chores for him? That was all he wanted in a personal assistant? This was ridiculous!
Finally, when he had reached, "call my ex-wife for me," Kate had had enough. Standing up, she glared at him, infuriated and disappointed. She had needed this job badly, but she would not stoop to doing a man's chores for him.
"Mr. Castle," she informed him icily, as he watched in undisguised delight, "I was sure that the position of 'personal assistant' would entail helping you around the office, not picking up after you and playing nanny to a grown man."
His blue eyes gleamed at her. "Actually, if you wanted to 'help me around the office,' I'm sure I could find some time to be alone with you—"
Kate cut him off, ignoring the flush his words had sent through her body. "As it is, Mr. Castle, I refuse to baby-sit a man who has no need of a caretaker. I cannot take the job."
Turning away sharply, she strode towards the door, her heart sinking. She had needed this job, but she refused to perform ridiculous tasks for that man, no matter how excellent the pay. Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard him again.
"Katherine."
She jumped; his voice came from directly behind her, soft and tinged with amusement and curiosity. Whirling around, she slammed her back against the door, surprised to find that he was mere inches away, his blue eyes glowing with intrigue.
"You were the first to refuse." His voice was thoughtful, but the amused smirk was back, and she lifted her chin, still angry and refusing to be cowed by him.
Castle gazed at her for a long moment, then returned to his desk. "You start Monday at eight, Miss Beckett. Don't be late."
Kate stared. She got the job? Coming to her senses, and finding that Castle was ignoring her, she groped for the doorknob behind her. Pulling the door open, Kate escaped into the lobby, unable to quell a triumphant grin.
Party girl
"You met who last night?"
Kate Beckett rolled her eyes at her best friend and turned back to the mirror, frowning and tugging at the hem of her dress.
"Relax, Lanie," she shot back, "it's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal!" Lanie was appalled, glaring at the other woman. "Girl, you go to a club and meet Richard Castle, the billionaire and number one bachelor, and it's not a big deal? Are you crazy?"
"We had drinks, that was it!" Kate replied, surveying herself critically in the mirror. She turned to Lanie, knowing her best friend would be honest.
"Is this too much?"
Lanie gazed at her for a long moment, taking in the short black dress that managed to sexy and classy at the same time. She finally grinned, her dark eyes lighting up as she imagined the famous man's reaction to her friend.
"Girl, I think if you're trying to catch a man like Richard Castle, that's perfect."
Kate turned back to the mirror, trying to hide her pleased smile. She was too nervous about this date. What did it matter? It was just dinner with a man she had met the other night.
Never mind that the man was devestatingly handsome.
Never mind that he was a bachelor and a billionaire.
Never mind that she had never gone out with someone famous.
He was just a man, right?
"He's a handsome man," Lanie corrected, and Kate blushed, realizing she had voiced her last thought aloud.
Attempting to cover up her embarrassment, she glared at her friend through the mirror, arching an eyebrow. "Does Javier know that you have such an interest in Richard Castle?
Lanie waved away the mention of her boyfriend, grinning sheepishly. "He understands it's a crush."
Whatever retort Kate was about to make was silenced by the ringing of the doorbell. Lanie's head whipped towards the sound like a hound on the scent. Seconds later, she slanted Kate a sly grin. "You have company."
Ignoring her friend's jibe, Kate picked up her black clutch and headed for the door, trying to still her nerves.
After all, it wasn't like one date with the man was going to change her life forever.
Right?
Officer (Firefly)
Captain Kate Beckett surveyed the man before her, watching the way he lounged in the chair, as if he didn't have a care in the 'verse, and tried to keep her mounting irritation under control.
Grinding her teeth together, and knowing that her anger was more towards herself than the man, she decided to vent her anger towards him anyway, glaring at him for all she was worth.
Perhaps it was unprofessional, but it made her feel better.
Glancing up, the man caught her gaze and grinned, his streaked hair flopping into his blue eyes. "Can't say I know what you're looking for, officer."
Kate renewed her glare at the man, remaining silent. For weeks she and her crew had chased the man from one world or the other, so sure that he was the one they were looking for. Now, having captured him, his crew, and the Firefly they sailed on, she discovered that he was not the man they had been frantically searching for, nor were the fugitives aboard his vessel.
No, her commanding officers would not be pleased to hear of this, unless she brought back some information.
"You know nothing of Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Captain….Castle?"
The man slanted her a roguish grin. "Know nothing of the man myself, though one of my crew might have run into his on one gorram planet or another."
"They've already been questioned, Captain," Kate informed him icily.
Castle leaned back into his chair, calmly rolling up the sleeves of his purple shirt—the color of ancient emperors on Old Earth, some part of Kate's mind noted—before crossing his arms over his chest.
"Now, normally I don't cotton much with being questioned by the Alliance," he told her, his blue eyes sparkling as if his entire interrogation had been a highly amusing joke, "but if you were the one doing the questioning, I'd allow myself to be caught more often."
Kate ignored his comment, planting her hands on the table and leaning forward. "Are you aware that your license is up, Captain Castle, and your ship could be taken away?"
The man's blue eyes darkened at this, and he mirrored her stance, leaning forward to brace himself on the table, so close that she could count the miniscule gold flecks in his eyes, if she wanted to.
"I don't hold much with the Alliance stealing from me," he drawled slowly, his furious gaze holding hers.
Slowly, the fury melted, replaced by the roguish grin from earlier, and his blue eyes darkened with something quite different from anger. "But if you were the one stealing from me, darling, I'd gladly give you anything in the 'verse you desired."
Leaning away from his smoldering gaze, Kate Beckett sat back her chair, closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
It was going to be a long day.
Bystander
Why did these things happen to her?
One moment, she was minding her own business, and the next, she had found herself being held hostage at gunpoint on her way to work.
Cops swarmed around her, and sirens wailed nearby, but no one was willing to get close, to risk injury to her in order to subdue the man who currently had her pulled tightly against his body, the cold muzzle his revolver against her head.
Glancing around, Kate saw the stunned and helpless faces of the bystanders, but no one did anything to help. Was no one coming to her assistance?
Frozen with terror, she prayed that death would come swiftly. If she had to die now, hopefully it would be quick.
Suddenly, the yelling of the men in uniforms around her intensified. Looking around frantically for the source of the commotion, Kate only got a glance of dark blue before the gunman's hold on her loosened.
Stumbling forward, Kate heard screams, but she was too focused on her freedom to care. Just as suddenly, she found herself colliding with someone and was knocked to the ground, wrapped in strong arms.
There was the report of a shot, and Kate squirmed in her—attacker? Rescuer?—savior's arms, wondering if she had been taken hostage against so quickly.
Muffled as it was, a voice came to her, stern and expecting to be obeyed. "Don't move."
Twisting around, ignoring the glass that crunched beneath her and was probably scraping against her skin, Kate turned to find herself cradled in the arms of a cop.
He was sheltering her in his arms, and his blue eyes scanned the crowd around them quickly. Half of his attention was devoted her, the other half to his colleagues, who were busy arresting the gunman.
Turning to face her, his hair fell into his eyes, and Kate caught her breath, sure that her sudden attack was causing her to hallucinate. He couldn't be that handsome, could he?
"Are you all right?" The officer asked softly, and Kate nodded mutely, suddenly well aware of the fact that he was still holding her in his arms, laying on top of her, still protecting her.
"Is it safe?" She asked, and the man's head snapped up, once again business-like as he searched the crowd and their surroundings again.
"Seems to be," he admitted, sliding off of her and climbing to his feet, offering his hand.
Ignoring the spontaneous applause that erupted as the crowd realized she was unharmed, Kate focused on her rescuer. "Thank you, Officer…?"
"Rick," the man supplied, her hand still in his. "Rick Castle."
Kate gave him a brilliant smile, trying to mask her shock over the events of the last few minutes. "Thank you, Officer Castle."
However, he saw right past her ruse, and his blue eyes pierced her with his concern. "You need to be checked for injuries, Miss…?"
"Beckett," Kate replied, withdrawing her hand from his, "Kate Beckett."
"This way," Rick replied with a slight smile, guiding her over to where the rest of the officers and an ambulance waited to ensure she was all right.
Kate glanced at the man who had saved her life, wondering if she would ever see him again after this eventful morning.
Catching his sidelong glances in her direction, she decided she probably would.
Stranger
Kate Beckett wasn't really sure why she kept returning to this playground.
She knew that interactions between the parents and their children fascinated her, but she wasn't sure why.
She knew as a social worker, she was given cases of broken families every day, and she supposed she came here so often because she wanted to see what hope looked like, what love looked like.
After all, she didn't have a family any more, either.
Although Kate Beckett had long ceased to be a child, she still missed the presence of those she loved. Friends were supportive, but did not replace the unconditional love that only family could give.
Since her parents had died in a car accident almost a decade ago, she had been drifting through life, using her job to try to repair and save families, when she hadn't been able to save her own.
She watched the kids scramble across the playground equipment, excited cries and giggles reaching her ears. Such innocent joy was why she returned here week after week, to watch these loving interactions.
When would she experience that?
A tugging at her pants leg surprised her, and she glanced down, startled out her contemplation.
A little red-haired girl—no more than four—gazed up at her in open trust, a smile decorating her pink lips, her pale blue eyes glowing. Hoisting herself up onto the bench Kate was currently perched upon, the little girl grinned at her new-found companion.
"Hello, sweetie," Kate greeted her, keeping her voice low and soft, "what's your name?"
The girl continued to beam at her, declined to answer, and plopped the book she had been carrying—that Kate had just noticed—onto her lap.
It was no children's book, filled with colorful pictures—this was an adult novel, thicker than the girl's arm. She ran a proprietary hand over the raised letters of the title, and held it out to Kate in triumph.
"Book!" She declared, and the dark-haired woman couldn't help but smile at the joy in the child's expression.
"It is," she agreed, smoothing the little girl's flame-red hair away from her face. "Where did you get such a big book?"
The little girl just continued to grin at her, remaining mute. Kate frowned, wondering why the child wouldn't answer. Was there something wrong?
She was saved from her worry by a man's frantic call, carrying clear across the park. "Alexis!"
Kate glanced down at the little girl beside her, noting that the child had glanced towards the voice, her smile growing bigger.
Once again, she flashed Kate a happy smile. "Daddy!"
Ah. Kate glanced around, finally locating a tall man, searching frantically through the throngs of children rushing through the playground, his eyes frantic, the lines of his body tight with worry.
"Will you stay here?" she asked Alexis, and, after receiving an affirmative nod from the girl, left the bench and approached the man.
"Sir," Kate called, and he swung to face her, his blue eyes a darker shade than his daughter's, concerned, his mouth compressed in a thin line.
"I found your daughter," Kate told him, and watched with pleasure as relief rushed over his face.
"Where?" The question was barked, but Kate remained unruffled by his brusque behavior—she understood that the concern over a missing child eclipsed all else.
She beckoned him over to the bench, and once he spotted his daughter poring over the book—having left the colorful cover and begun flipping ponderously through the inky pages—he rushed past her and scooped his daughter in his arms.
Kate followed him over, smiling as she watched Alexis throw her arms around his father's neck and hug him as he cradled her against his chest, murmuring low in her ear, his hands running over her small frame, checking for injuries.
"How did you find her?"
The question was directed at her, and Kate blinked. "Actually, she found me," she admitted. "I was concerned when she didn't have a parent."
"She wandered away from me." The sheepish shame coloring his voice told Kate how sorry he was, but she frowned nonetheless.
"You shouldn't let her go off on her own," she rebuked him gently, and the man finally glanced up from his inspection of his daughter, taking her remark in stride.
Standing, still cradling Alexis and the book close, the man extended his hand. "I'm Rick Castle. Thank you for finding her, Miss…?"
"Beckett." Kate answered, sparing a grin for Alexis before she lost herself in Rick's gaze.
Rick's hand was warm in hers, conveying his sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you," he said fervently.
"You're welcome," Kate responded with a smile, "I'm just glad she's safe."
"I better take her home," the man said sheepishly, "before she tries to wander off with more of my books."
He turned to his bright-eyed daughter, returning her smile. "Say 'bye' to Miss Beckett, Alexis."
The little girl turned towards Kate, reaching her small arms out for a hug. Kate moved into the small embrace, well aware of the girl's father's close proximity.
He smells good. The stray thought told her that it was time to pull away, and she reluctantly did, finding her gaze drawn to the Rick's, seeing the love he had for his daughter, shivering at that warmth directed at her.
"Be safe," she said quietly, stepping away from the two before she followed them home.
"Thank you," Rick said once again, flashing her a quick grin before turning his attention to his daughter. "Come on, Alexis," he told her cheerfully, "let's go home."
Kate watched them walk away. Home. If there was any family that embodied it, those two did.
Perhaps she would see them again, the next time she came to the park. She would enjoy getting to know them.
Reality
Kate Beckett knew Richard Castle.
She had grown accustomed to the way she no longer had to buy coffee—she knew that it would be waiting for in the precinct.
The detective expected to find him following her around, sitting in her chair, hanging over her shoulder in every case she encountered.
She expected him to be immature at times, to flaunt his public prowess occasionally. He was a famous author—how could she expect anything less?
The comments, the suggestive looks and remarks he had sent her way since the very first time they met—those she could handle. It came with his playboy image—the rogue, the one who never settled down, the confirmed flirt.
It was the moments when she caught sight of the protective Castle, the man who guarded his daughter like the treasure she was, the man who would call after her in concern when a case went wrong, the man who had come to rescue her as her home burned—the man who was capable of such tender moments, that was the man she wasn't so sure she knew.
But she knew she wanted to get to know him better.
In this world, Kate Beckett knew there was more than one side to Richard Castle.
You smell like cherries.
It was moments like those that made her pause, made her question and reevaluate their relationship. No matter the goading from Lanie, no matter the bets made by Ryan and Esposito, Beckett always denied that there was anything there between the two of them.
Then she would remember moments like that. Soft touches, soft glances, the way his respect for her would shine forth, even when he made a lewd comment.
In this world, Kate Beckett knew that Richard Castle was a difficult man to figure out. God, Fate, whatever higher being you believed in, had thrown them together.
Now, watching Castle study the murder board beside her, Kate Beckett decided that she didn't mind the presence of such a man in her life.
A/N: Let me know what you thought! Reviews are welcomed!