"Mom! I had no idea you could do that!"
Laughter erupted from all three Becketts in response to Johanna's story. "Sweetie, you better believe it - and that's not even the craziest of her skills," her dad lead her on with a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Kate knew that look was reserved just for the love of her mother. She gave a light-hearted laugh from the backseat of the car and shifted her attention to the woman.
"How come you've never told me these stories before?"
"Because, Katie, you were never quite old enough… Besides, I have to find some way to keep you mystified about me… You might find me old and boring once you know all my secrets."
Kate's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she poked her mother playfully. "You'll never cease to amaze me, Mom. No matter what." The car lulled into silence before Kate sighed with content. "This has been one of the best dinners we've had, in my opinion," she chimed, leaning back against the leather seat. She closed her eyes, letting the pleasant ambiance wash over her. It had been a while since she could get a night off to have dinner with her parents. But that's what makes these nights some of my favorites, she mused with a small smile.
Jim nodded in agreement, but remained concentrated on the road. Johanna glanced back at her daughter with a smile. "It's nice to have dinner with you, sweetie. You know your father and I wouldn't miss the chance to catch up with you. Too bad that big ol' important job of yours keeps you so busy…" She winked at Kate to remind her that she was joking it. Kate had always marveled at her mother's gift to turn something serious into light-hearted conversation. In truth, Johanna was very proud to tell people that her daughter was a homicide detective for NYPD. It gave her hope to know that there were still dedicated officers who would settle for nothing but the truth.
Kate could only return an apologetic smile before her dad turned the corner and she saw the red and blue lights flashing in front of her apartment. The same concerned look overtook Kate's and Johanna's features. Jim slowed the car to a stop before addressing his daughter. "Is there a chance that this is only work-related?" Kate merely shook her head in response. Words, as well as rational thought, had escaped her. Her green eyes searched the scene before her, trying to make sense of it all.
A sense of déjà vu consumed her. She flashed back to what felt like a half-remembered dream. She was a teenager experiencing the same exact scene, but slightly different. Why was she suddenly remembering a dream in the midst of this terrifying reality? Kate shook her head in an attempt to escape the barrage of confusing thoughts. Stepping out of the car first, Kate used one hand to tell her parents to stay while the other instinctively reached for the gun normally holstered at her hip. She obviously didn't have it with her. What kind of daughter brings a gun to dinner with her parents when she's not even on call? Kate Beckett was tough and hard-nosed, but she was still very much a loving daughter.
"Detective Kate Beckett?" She nodded at the approaching officer, automatically slipping into the tough persona that was Detective Beckett. "I'm Detective John Raglan. Can we step inside? I'm afraid I have some bad news." Again she nodded, then looked to her parents waiting in the car. She beckoned them to come in, then followed Detective Raglan through her door. She felt nothing - not even the bone-chilling air that had settled into New York for the winter. It was a small wonder, really; Kate expected dread and terror to overwhelm her… but it wasn't there. She felt numb.
Kate suddenly found herself on her couch leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, talking to Raglan. His scratchy voice permeated the deafening silence that surrounded her. She didn't even notice the presence of her parents in the room. "I'm sorry to tell you…" Kate held her breath. "… that Richard Castle has been murdered." Kate stared at him, at this point unable to breathe. "I wouldn't break it to a normal friend of the vic, but it's you Detective and I know you work with it everyday. His COD was multiple stabs to the abdomen." Johanna squeezed her hand and Kate remembered to finally breathe. She took a shaky breath before swallowing, steeling her mind against the hurricane of emotion that threatened to take her under.
"No," she murmured. "That can't be…" Her voice was a weak whisper; her now pallid green eyes began to glisten. The sensation of déjà vu attacked her once again, and this time she was sucked into the half-remembered dream she was plagued with earlier.
Kate felt thrown into her younger body, fully aware that she had just received news of Rick's death. The turn of events threatened to push her over the edge had she not felt completely trapped in her conflicted state of mind. Everything was the same as before, only she was nineteen. Detective Raglan sat before her with the same solemn look on his face. "Johanna Beckett was found murdered in Washington Heights." He hung his head a little, looking down at his shoes and nervously clasping his hands. "I'm so very sorry for your loss."
That was when all hell broke loose. Everything went black. The void swirled around her and consumed her until the only sensation left was pain and despair. Kate Beckett screamed with everything that was left in her.
At four past two in the morning, Kate Beckett sat up in her bed screaming.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I'm still a little new to fanfic writing, so any constructive criticism/review would help! I realize that all the time periods and details are all mixed up; they are supposed to be that way. We never realize how strange a dream is while we're in them, right? Anyways - more to come soon! We're going to be on a boat/fishing all day tomorrow and I'll be sure to have my moleskin handy so I can write the next chapter if I'm able. :] - Sam