A/N: I know, I know; I've started yet another story. I've just recently finished an eight season binge of this show, and I didn't realize how much I've missed the characters. Now, in this story, I'm trying my hand at something new as a writer. I'm splitting my chapters between first person and third person. While the character of Lily has the main viewpoint, my side stories are going to stay third person. If this gets to be too confusing, I can change it. I wasn't sure if the Caskett kids were already named, so I looked it up. Low and behold, two of them were credited in the final episode! I found Reese from a fan site, and decided to keep it. Anyway, I hope this story generates an audience. If not, I'll probably scrap it. Here's to my introduction into the Castle fandom! I welcome any feedback :)

-Charahfan44

The Year 2032

My parents are probably the most driven, loving, and incomparable people you'll ever meet. They first met back in 2009, which is what I refer to as "The Stone Age". Mom still rolls her eyes at me when I say it, and dad laughs. I think what makes them so great together is that they're complete opposites. My mother, Katherine Beckett, is as serious as they come. Don't get me wrong, she knows how to have a good time, but she doesn't search out a joke like dad does. She's been the Captain of the 12th Precinct in New York for almost seventeen years now. She became captain back in 2016, and she's been running the town ever since. My father, Richard Castle, is anything but serious. He's a mystery writer, but lately he's lost his touch. He wrote a book about a year ago, and it flopped so hard that his publicist almost dropped him. I don't think it really bugs him all that much though, because he gets to be apart of me and my brothers' lives. Mom had me in early 2017, and they always tell me I was planned. I don't know that I believe them, because they were anything but prepared. My twin brothers, Jake and Reese, came three years later. By the time mom and dad finally got the parenting thing down, the boys were already on their way. As a family, we're pretty crazy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

This story starts on a rainy Thursday afternoon in September. Dad always tells us to keep a journal and document everything that happens in our lives, because it could lead to a novel. I'm glad he's been nagging us about it, because this journal might be the most important thing in my life right now. Anyway, back to the Thursday this all started. I woke up at seven o'clock in the morning, like usual, as it gave me ample time to be at school by nine. Sometimes my parents would take me, and sometimes I would take the bus. Today, mom had time.

"You up?" I heard her voice on the other side of my bedroom door, proceeded by a knock.

"Yeah." I said back.

"Dad's making pancakes, you better hurry before the boys eat it all." Her voice got softer as I heard her footsteps walking away. I hurriedly put on my favorite beat up Guns n' Roses t-shirt, a pair of faded blue skinny jeans, and my checkered Vans. I never usually put on a ton of make up, just some light eye shadow and liner. My hair was a different story. Thanks to mom's genes, my hair was thick. It was a bitch do style every day, so I threw it into a quick high ponytail. I rushed out of my bedroom, and grabbed my back pack. The rest of the family were sitting at the table.

"Look who decided to join us." Dad smiled at me.

"Oh please, I only took like two seconds." I rolled my eyes at his dramatic comment.

"Boys, did you time her today?" He looked to the twins.

"Six point five minutes." Reese proudly looked to his fifth generation Apple Watch.

"I got seven on the dot." Jake added. I looked to my mom, hoping for some support.

"Seven and a half for me." She laughed.

"Great, let's all gang up on Lily today." I huffed, grabbing two pancakes from the kitchen counter.

"You know we're just having fun." Dad said.

"Yeah, well, just be ready for when I decide to get you back." I shot him a look, sitting next to my mother.

"Yeah, dad, you should be so scared." Reese said sarcastically.

"Why don't you tell that to your night light?" I looked to my little brother.

"Hey! We said that was off limits!" He shouted.

"Alright, all of you be quiet eat your food." Mom raised her voice, causing us kids to get quiet. Out of our parents' good cop/bad cop duo, mom was definitely bad cop. We took her mom voice seriously.

"So, Kate, any fun cases lately?" Dad tried to change the mood.

"I wouldn't say fun, but we have one that's certainly interesting." She replied, taking a sip of coffee.

"Like a cereal killer?" Reese held up his bowl and laughed.

"You couldn't just eat pancakes like the rest of us, could you?" I groaned. Reese and Jake shared a high five, as mom and dad looked at each other. I looked around my breakfast table and couldn't help but feel grateful. I loved my crazy family, and I wouldn't realize just how much until I never thought I would see them again. After breakfast, mom grabbed her coat and shuffled us down to the car. Dad stayed behind in order to work on his next story. He promised his publisher that this one would be better. Mom always offered to let him shadow her at the 12th again, but he refused. After the two of them almost died in 2016, he promised my older sister, Alexis, and my late grandmother Martha, that he'd stay away from the detective lifestyle. Mom, however, couldn't stay away.

"Give it back!" They boys fought in the back seat of the car.

"Knock it off." Mom warned, backing out of our driveway. They immediately fell silent. I watched the trees fly by my window, my mind drifting. "You okay?" Mom asked, sensing my shift in mood.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"Uh oh." She joked. "About what?"

"I don't know. Something feels off." I couldn't place my finger on the feeling.

"Like what?"

"If I knew the answer to that, I'd tell you."

"You better shake it off, you've got a big test today." She always remembered my academic schedule.

"Right." I was thankful she kept up with my studies. "Also, I have my soccer game at six, so I'm going to stay at school until then."

"Did you pack snacks?"

"Yep."

"Which means no." She raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be fine. I can grab something from the vending machine."

"Lily, that is the least healthy option there is. I'll have dad swing by at lunch with food for you."

"Okay." I smiled. Like I said, my parents were caring. Mom dropped me off at the high school, where I studied my sophomore classes. The boys were still in junior high, and had another year there before coming to the big leagues.

"Call me after your game, okay?" She said, watching me climb out of the passengers seat.

"You're not coming?" I asked.

"I'm going to try my hardest, but we're working on something pretty big at the precinct. It may keep me tied up tonight." She looked sympathetic.

"Fine." I closed the door, and turned to walk away.

"Hey," She rolled down the car window and called after me, "Knock em' dead." She gave a slight wink, and drove off. I didn't want to be mad at her, but sometimes it felt as though her job took priority over everything else. I sighed, held onto the straps of my back pack, and walked into the school. I wouldn't say I was popular, but I definitely wasn't a geek either. I had three best friends, one of which I just recently started dating. I hadn't exactly let my mom or dad in on that little tidbit of information, because I didn't want my boyfriend to go through an interrogation. My best friend since preschool, Kelly, was an old soul. She liked ancient bands, believed in Buddha, and acted way older than she was. But, I liked her. She always gave the best advice. Then there was Mark, the total jock. He played tennis, basketball, and soccer. He had a new girlfriend every week, and he was friends with everyone. Last but not least, was Elliot. My blonde haired, blue eyed babe.

"Lily!" I heard Kelly's voice first.

"Hey, Kell." I greeted my best friend with a hug.

"You excited for your game tonight?"

"I guess."

"Kate isn't going?" She knew all too well what my "mom-isn't-coming-again" face looked like.

"She's busy."

"Oh, come on. She can take three seconds to watch her kid play soccer. I like Kate, but sometimes her priorities are out of sorts." She frowned.

"Dad will be there." I wiggled my eyebrows. Kelly though my dad was a total fox.

"Why didn't you warn me?" She yelled. "Rick can't see me like this!" She looked down at her laid back outfit.

"I really don't think he's looking." I smirked.

"Well hello there, ladies." Mark put one arm around each of us. "What are we talking about?"

"The game tonight."

"Oh, right!"

"Don't tell me you forgot?" I looked at him.

"Uh, no. I was just messing with you." He laughed. The bell suddenly rang, and we all rushed to our classes. My first one of the day was AP Lang, and Elliot just so happened to be in it. I smiled when we made eye contact as I walked through the doorway of the room.

"You didn't text me back this morning." He said.

"You know how my parents are about phones at the table." I responded.

"You can't sneak it?" He smiled.

"Dude, my mom's the captain of her own precinct. You wanna ask me that again?" I laughed.

"True." We laughed together for a minute, then fell silent as our teacher took the floor. The class was boring, but I liked English. Like dad, I had a knack for writing. The rest of the day went by slowly, as did most game days. Dad dropped off some granola bars and a sandwich for me during my lunch period. My algebra two test went better than I had expected, which made me more mentally prepared for the game.

"I'm gonna go home for a bit, but I'll be back before kick off." Kelly caught up with me after the last bell rang.

"Cool, I'll see you later." I left her to snag one last conversation with Elliot. He was standing at his locker, frowning at a piece of paper. "Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just didn't get a good grade on this English paper." He sighed.

"I'm sure the next one will be better." I assured him, rubbing his arm.

"You're probably right." He smiled at me. "I'll be at the game tonight."

"Duh. You're obligated to go, you know."

"Oh am I?"

"You're dating the star forward, everyone will be expecting you." I quipped. A brief pause in our conversation caused him to plant a kiss on my lips. We had just shared our first kiss about a week ago, so this one made my heart flutter.

"Gotta do it now, since you still haven't told your parents about us." He said playfully, breaking the silence.

"I'll tell them tonight, I promise." Little did I know, I wouldn't get the chance.

The 12th Precinct

Kate dropped the boys off right on time. If anything, she could explain their tardies, but didn't want to use her badge for special treatment. It would've been easier for Rick to take the kids every day, but she didn't want to miss out on everything. Luckily, she could speed to the precinct without being pulled over. When she arrived, Ryan and Esposito were already waiting for her.

"Hey, Cap." Espo greeted her, holding a file in his hand.

"What do ya got?" She asked, entering her office and taking her coat off.

"A new suspect." Ryan chimed in. This new case had come in just two days before. A serial killer on the loose who targeted married women with money. This guy had strategically planned out every case, and had murdered five women so far. By the time Beckett and the team had figured out the connections between four of the murders, he killed another one.

"Derek Peters?" Beckett took the file from her detective.

"He was seen having dinner with the last victim a few weeks ago. That's the M/O. Wine and dine the lonely wealthy ladies, and then kill them once he gains their trust."

"Do we have him with any of the other vics?" Beckett asked.

"Not yet, but we'll get him." Espo responded.

"Go ahead and bring him in for some questions. If he's hiding anything, we'll get it out of him."

"You got it, cap." The guys grabbed their coats, and left the precinct. Kate disappeared to her office, where she did all of her best thinking. She couldn't help but feel bad about the way she had left things with Lily that morning. She should be spending more time with family than at the 12th.

"Knock knock." Castle's voice filled her ears.

"Castle?" She looked up from her desk. "What're you doing here?"

"I just had a feeling this is where I needed to be today. Mind if I hang around?" He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Of course not, you're always welcome here." She smiled. "How's the writing?"

"It took me all of an hour to realize I had nothing." He sighed. "I think I may take you up on your long standing offer."

"To come back?"

"Not officially, but maybe here and there."

"Castle, if you come back once, you'll never leave again." Beckett laughed.

"Oh contraire, my beautiful wife."

"We'll see about that." She challenged him.

"What are you working on?"

"Something you could probably help me with. We've got a killer targeting wealthy married women."

"So he's obviously from a wealthy background with mommy issues."

"Right. But he's so meticulous, we can't get any leads."

"He's bound to slip up. What do his vics have in common?"

"Besides the things I just said, they're brunette, about five foot six, and most of them are above average in looks."

"So, beautiful brown-haired women. You might want to sit this one out." He gave Beckett a mischievous Castle grin.

"I think I can handle it." She rolled her eyes.

"How long have you been chasing him?"

"Just a few days. Nothing was brought to our attention until we found Rachel Memphis' body."

"Did he want you to find it?"

"I don't think so. He hadn't slipped up before then, and I don't think he realized his mistake until now."

"What makes you say that?"

"Can I show you something?" She looked him straight in the eyes.

"Sure." He replied. Kate pulled a small box out of her top desk drawer, and placed it in front of Rick. He stared at it, excited to open it. When he got the nod from his wife, he quickly popped the small latch. "Ahh!" He let out a scream.

"Probably should've warned you." Kate couldn't help but find his reaction amusing.

"Is that a human finger?" He looked at the box in fear.

"I'm thinking it's from another victim. Laney is running the fingerprint through the system as we speak."

"When did you get this?"

"Yesterday."

"And you're keeping it in your desk?" Castle was beyond horrified.

"I don't want anyone to freak out."

"Like me?"

"He's trying to scare me. I'm going to be fine."

"How do you know that? This could be another 3XK."

"Castle, stop being so dramatic. This guy is nothing like Tyson."

"But you don't know that for sure. You have to go at this carefully."

"And I am." Her phone buzzed on the desk, causing her to pick it up. "Beckett."

"Hey, cap. Peters isn't home, but this place looks shady." Ryan's voice echoed on the other line.

"How shady?"

"We need a warrant."

"I'll be there soon." She hung up, and looked to her husband. "Look, you should go write something. At least a page. Make sure you pick up the boys and get to Lily's game, we can talk about the case when I get home." She stood up, heading for the door.

"Kate," Castle caught her arm, and looked into her eyes, "Promise me you won't go in there without a plan."

"It's me, I always have a plan." She winked, gave him a quick kiss, and disappeared into the shuffle of the precinct.

Abandoned Warehouse

Before the game started, I had a weird feeling. The one I had felt in the car that morning, but didn't know how to explain. It was a feeling of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, and I chalked it down to pre-game nerves. My friends all repeatedly praised my skills, and that helped a bit, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. As I put my soccer uniform on in the locker rooms, I heard a noise. Just the sound of a creak in the old metal lockers...or so I thought. Before I knew it, a strong-smelling rag was being held to my face, and a body held me so tightly I couldn't move. Almost instantly, my world went to black.

I woke up in a dark place, possibly a basement. I was strapped to a chair by strong-adhesive duct tape, and my mouth was taped shut as well. I felt sweaty and gross as I tried to struggle free from the tape around my hands and feet, but had no luck.

"You can try all you want, but you aren't going anywhere." A man's voice filled my ears. "How does it feel? Are you afraid?" I watched as a brown-haired man stepped into the light. Man, was he scary. I half expected him to look like a maniacal lunatic, but was surprised by his put together appearance. His hair was slicked back with seemingly expensive gel, he was wearing a tailored suit, and his face was clean-shaven. The thing that stuck out the most were his eyes. They were terrifyingly blue. He walked up to me with a fierce confidence, and ripped the tape from my mouth. Holy hell, did it hurt.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep a strong front.

"Feisty, I like that." He laughed.

"My mom is a cop. She's going to put a bullet in your brain when she finds me." I spat, trying to cause some of his confidence to drop.

"Oh my dear little Castle," He bent down, his face only an inch away from mine, "She's the reason you're here." The words hit me like a ton of bricks. What did he mean by that?

"You're lying. She wouldn't put me here."

"Not to her knowledge, no. But her actions have consequences. I wonder how she'll feel, finding the body of her dear daughter, only minutes after figuring it all out?" His laugh made me cringe. "If she would've left things alone, we wouldn't be in this mess." He abruptly lost his temper.

"What are you talking about?"

"I had all of my girls in peace. But now, they're tracking me. And I don't like to be tracked." He paced in front of me. "Hopefully she'll understand the warning."

"Finding me dead is a warning?" I asked.

"I had fully intended to let you live, but you look so delicious." He gave me a creepy stare. "You look so much like them." His hand traced my cheek bone, and I almost barfed.

"Like who?"

"You'll understand soon." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" I shouted after him.

"In due time, sweet flower." With that, my world was dark once again, and I was alone.

Derek Peters' Apartment

The team busted through the door as if they had done it millions of times before. Kate led them, tracing every inch of the apartment with her eyes before calling out to the rest of them.

"Clear!"

"See anything?" Ryan appeared at her side.

"Nothing yet." She replied, still looking around.

"Beckett, over here." She heard Esposito's voice from around the corner. She made her way to the sound, and noticed a plethora of computers hooked up on a large desk.

"What the hell is this?" She asked.

"It's footage. We think he's been watching his victims before murdering them." They all stared at the computer screens.

"Is this playback?"

"Looks that way. Nothing seems to be live." Espo frowned. "I don't think he expected us to find this place."

"He wasn't expecting us to realize he was the one at dinner, either. It was a slip up."

"That's what happens when these scumbags get cocky." Ryan growled.

"Let's get everything fingerprinted and copied for the lab. Maybe there's someone else in on this." Kate started to wander through the apartment, hoping to find something that led to his whereabouts. Suddenly, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID before answering. "Hey, Castle. I'm in the middle of a search, can I call you back?"

"Have you heard from Lily?" His voice sounded worried on the other line.

"Not since I dropped her off this morning, why?"

"She's not here."

"What?"

"None of her teammates have seen her since school ended. Has she called you?"

"No." Kate started to feel uneasy.

"I'll keep trying her phone."

"I'll track it, hang on." She put Castle on speaker, and opened her tracking app. She had pinged Lily's phone the moment she got it. As she looked at the phone screen, her heart sank. "It says unavailable."

"How is that possible?"

"The signal isn't up."

"Does that mean it's off?"

"That means it's been disconnected."

"Beckett, you need to get in here!" She heard Ryan's voice this time, echoing from another part of the apartment. She rushed into the room, seeing the guys standing in front of a single computer screen.

"What is it?" She asked, still on the phone with her husband.

"He does have a live feed." Espo's face was grim as he turned to look at his captain. As soon as the guys moved from the screen, Kate's phone dropped out of her hand and hit the floor. A single word escaped her mouth as she looked at the screen in front of her.

"Lily."