Moment of Impact
Author's Note: This story has personal ties for me. It is a story I really want to share. This is my first Castle fic, so please, feel free to criticize it if characterization is off or if my writing is subpar. Many authors that write for this fandom are incredibly talented, and I know my skills do not compare to theirs whatsoever, but please give this humble fic a chance. This takes place with an established Caskett relationship!
Disclaimer: I get to watch Recoil on my birthday…guess what I'm actually counting down to? Wouldn't be doing that if I owned Castle!
CHAPTER ONE
Sunlight streamed through the window as morning broke. The light permeated the entire room, eventually pooling on top of the king-sized bed. Gradually, the luminescence roused the two sleeping inhabitants of said bed. For several moments, though conscious, neither person made any attempt to leave the large masses of blankets….or each other's arms.
"Crap!" Richard Castle suddenly exclaimed, leaping from Kate Beckett's embrace. She too bolted out of bed.
"Castle, we're going to be late!" she sternly admonished, scrambling to find suitable work attire while trying to rub straying remnants of sleep from her eyes.
"Must've forgotten to set my alarm," he mumbled, hastily buttoning his shirt. "Gates is going to kill us! This is the third time this month!" He was not being hyperbolic. Though Captain Victoria Gates was privy to his and Beckett's more-than-just-work-relationship (and had been for three months), her reluctant decision to allow the professional partnership to continue did not come without cost. Any misbehavior by either of them could result in Castle's dismissal from the precinct or Beckett's loss of a job altogether.
"When I'm sent to mall security, I'll know who to thank," Kate muttered under her breath. Despite her annoyance, both she and Castle knew that the night before had been more than worth any disciplinary action Gates might take. While their relationship was not perfect, it could not be argued that their sex life was certainly not a problem area.
"I'll go make us some coffee," Castle said. As the faster dresser between the two, he was often in charge of the morning beverages. Not that he minded. Coffee, of course, was the long-standing symbol of love in their relationship. It was a way to say the three words without actually saying them. He had long ago seen the irony-he, the writer, preferring a non-verbal communication, but then, maybe that was just another part of his life that Kate had changed for the better.
When he had two steaming lattes prepared, he finally heard the patter of feet as Beckett joined him in the kitchen.
"Come on!" she urged as she took the mug from his grasp. Castle wanted to remind her that of the two of them, she was far more responsible for their tardiness, seeing as it took her a long time to get dressed, but he bit his tongue.
After all, Kate did sleep with a gun.
~RK~
"What do we have here?" Beckett asked as she approached the crime scene, half-finished coffee still in hand.
"Long night?" Ryan asked, stifling a laugh. "How many times have you guys shown up late now?" One pointed look from Beckett shut him up. Esposito, who was busy "feeding the birds" with Castle, was quite fortunate not to meet a similar fate.
"Female, mid-30s, single GSW to the cardiac region. Lividity indicates she's been dead about eight hours," Lanie stated as she glanced up from the prone body lying unceremoniously next to a pile of trash.
"Any ID on her?" Beckett questioned.
"None that I can find. Guess you and the three knuckleheads will have to search through missing persons' records." The spunky ME sent an especially-pointed glare towards Esposito. Despite her urgings to Beckett not to wait too long to tell Castle how she felt, Lanie herself still had not found the courage to tell Javi that she still had feelings for him. She masked her attraction to him with trite remarks, but it was obvious to almost everyone that it was all an act.
"Mob hit." Beckett didn't even have to turn around to know that Castle had settled in next to her.
"That the best theory you have?" she asked sardonically, rolling her eyes. Neither Lanie nor Castle missed the smile that graced her lips. Even after all this time, he could still chip away at the all-business side of Kate Beckett.
"Well, I normally would say CIA, but they wouldn't just leave her out like garbage," he replied.
"The vic was shot at point blank range. This was personal," Lanie commented, her eyes moving up and down the body.
"He left her out by the trash, though. It's personal, yes, and the killer didn't have any remorse about what he or she had done. There's no way they can claim this as an accident," Castle mused out loud.
"Hey, Ryan, Espo!" Beckett suddenly called. "Canvas the surrounding areas and see if there are any witnesses. Castle and I will head back to the precinct, okay?"
"You got it boss," Ryan said. The two started to head back, but not before Esposito sent both Castle and Beckett a knowing grin.
"Just hope that Gates never finds out about your…..late arrival."
One simple look and he fell silent.
Much later, Richard Castle would look back on that morning and wish that he could stop time right there. Leave everything as it was. He would long to turn back the hands on the clock…If only he had known. If only…..if only….if only…
But time has no allegiance to anyone. It plods on, the unwavering soldier…and will stop for no one.
So that was a teaser chapter….I hope you liked it! Please leave me a review if you liked it/hated it/want to throw fruit. If you have criticism, I would like to hear it—no other way to get better, right? I will do my best to update this thing when I can! Thank you for reading