A/N: so Matilda offered Kate the shoot in January '99, which was obviously around the time her mother died. So for the sake of this, let's say she was offered the shoot in January '98 and this is set around a year later. Kate is a successful model, Richard Castle is just releasing his second novel after the first was so well received.
Also, I spent two hours on this and I was really happy with it - got almost to the end and the whole thing deleted. So I'm hoping I can do this one so I'm happy with it too. Apologies that's it's kinda long, but I knew from the start where it had to end and a lot had to happen for it to get to that point!
"Just like that..perfect! Yes, keep that right there..oh wow, these shots are amazing, Matilda is going to be beside herself!" The photographer continued snapping shots of the fashion model, Kate Beckett posing in front if him. She was different to the others, she was genuinely a lovely person..but she was so good at what she did. It was rare to find such a beauty that could capture the camera the way she did. She'd go far in this industry he was sure of it.
"Can we stop for a sec?" Kate asked. "It's 3pm and I haven't eaten since 10 this morning, I'm starving!" Oh yeah, she was different to the others alright. A model who willingly ate.
Chuckling to himself he put the camera down. "Of course sweetheart, let's take 30."
Slipping behind the curtain, Kate slipped off her gown and pulled on a fluffy dressing gown. There was no way she'd eat in that gown - it's Alexander McQueen for crying out loud, god forbid she spilt anything on it.
Sinking into a comfy chair, she thought back to her first photo shoot with Modern Fashion. She couldn't believe it had been a year! Since then, she'd really made a name for herself in the industry. Not only had she done fashion shoots for Modern Fashion, she'd done them for some of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. As well as billboards displayed in Times Square and she even got to fly over to London last September for London fashion week.
But this was the end. After today, she wasn't a model anymore, this was her last shoot. Not that anybody knew, yet. But she'd had enough.
Pulling out her phone, she called her mom.
"Katie! Hi, I thought you were on a shoot all afternoon?" Her moms voice came over the phone. It was a voice she'd never tire of hearing. Even when she was saying 'I told you so.'
"Yeah I am, but we're taking a break - I needed to eat! So I thought I would ring and say hi and remind you I won't be home until really late tonight. I've got that book party Matilda wants us at, some author releasing his second best seller." She'd heard of Richard Castle. Who hadn't? Never read his book though, not really her thing. She preferred her murder theories more realistic and not completely fictional.
And after this shoot and the party, she was focussing on her real career, she was pre-law at Stanford. She was going to become a lawyer, just like her parents. She knew they were proud of her and what she did, but knew they'd be even more proud when she was a lawyer.
"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten you were at that tonight. Perhaps your father and I will go out for dinner then, I feel like I haven't seen him in ages - we've both been so busy at work!" Her mom replied, sounding excited.
"That's a great idea mom, go and have fun! And I have a week off from Monday..I was thinking you and I could do some shopping, get lunch and have a catch up?" She loved spending time with her mom. Loved her dad too, but girly things with her mom were always fun. "I've got something to tell you anyway..before I head back to LA in a few weeks." She'd tell her parents about giving up modelling as soon as she could.
"Sure Katie, sounds great! Listen, I have to go..had a really big case recently and we finally got a breakthrough a few weeks ago and we're about to see where it leads. I love you."
"I love you too, mom." Kate hung up, smiling to herself. She was adamant she was doing the right thing, giving up the modelling. She loved it, dresses and the make up and the photo shoots and the travelling, but it wasn't where her heart was. She wanted to be a lawyer like her mom. All her mom cared about was the truth, she wasn't bothered about the background of the defendant, as long as the truth came out. I want to make her really proud of me she thought.
Five hours later and Kate was soaking into a luxurious hot bubble bath. The shoot, her final shoot, finished well and the photographer was happy with the shots he'd taken. They were a range of shots, showcasing Alexander McQueens newest collection, specially focussing on looks the celebrities were going to be seen in on the red carpet very soon.
After her soak in the bath, Kate started on her hair and make up. Given that she was representing Modern Fashion tonight, they had offered her the use of a hair and make up stylist but Kate preferred to do it herself. She didn't have to lie about liking what they'd done that way.
She was starting to wish she'd said she was quitting before now. A few days ago, her agent had informed her that Modern Fashion were planning on offering her a much more permanent position there as a model. Perhaps even a cover shoot in the summer. But she'd made up her mind, and after this party she was done. That's going to go down well she thought. Matilda King wasn't exactly someone used to hearing the word 'no'.
An hour later and she was done. She'd teased her long chestnut hair into soft curls, cascading down her back. With her make up, she'd gone simple but effective. Something she'd always lived by was going to town on the eyes or the lips. Not both, it was too much. So she'd outlined her eyes in a dark liner, added a few coats of mascara and left her lips pale with a clear gloss. She kept her face make up fairly simple too, foundation to even things out, set with a powder and added some bronzer to highlight her best features. Sorted.
It was 9.30 and a car was arriving to pick her up in 30 minutes. Courtesy of Modern Fashion, of course. Her best friend Maddie, from school, was due in 15 minutes, having agreed to be Kate's plus one for night given that Kate had no proper date. Commitment issues.
Slipping into her Oscar de la Renta gown and pulling on her five inch Louboutins, she put her lip gloss, phone and keys into a small clutch bag and waited for Maddie to arrive.
An hour after arriving and Kate was wishing she'd never bothered coming. Maddie had disappeared pretty much as soon as they arrived, determined to get as many numbers as possible. Looking around, Kate saw a pile of Richard Castle's newest novel on the table in the corner. Wandering over she picked one up, deciding to see what all the fuss was about. Opening it up and reading the first three pages she was hooked. It was..compelling. Compulsive. In just three pages he had achieved something some authors never managed - he made her want to read more. She wanted, needed to know what happened next. Just as she was planning on escaping out the back somewhere to devour this book, she heard someone come up behind her. Spinning around, she saw who it was. It was him. Richard Castle. Minus two or three supermodels that seemed to be permanently attached to him.
"Ah, do I have a fan here?" He asked, so sure of himself.
"What? No. I was bored. Thought I'd see what the hype was over. Not my kinda thing." Looking around, she tried to find someone she could escape to. Spotting Lily, a model she had worked with on a few occasions on the other side of the room, she turned back to Richard Castle ready to excuse herself. "Sorry, I've just spotted a friend, it was nice to meet you."
Turning to walk away, she heard him speak:
"I can see no one in this room who looks in dire need to talk to you, I'm sure it can wait. At least let me get you a drink? We can have a chat about why you don't want to read my book." He shot her smile, one she was sure had dropped many a women's panties in the past. He really was rather ruggedly handsome.. Stop it. Said the voice in her head. You are not sleeping with Richard Castle.
She gave in. "Okay fine, one drink. And then I'm going home." Alone.
Half an hour later and Kate was more than ready to go. She just wasn't so sure she wanted to go alone. She couldn't go home with him! Could she?
"Well, Mr Castle, it was lovely to have met you and thank you for the drink, however I really must be getting home." She said politely, before sliding off of the bar stool and gathering up her things.
"Wait," he said standing up too, "why don't you come back to my pla-" he broke off at her raised eyebrows. "Not like that..not that I'd say no but that's not why I'm asking. Look, you're not like the other models I meet. You have more than one brain cell for a start and you're so down to earth and easy to get along with. Let's go back to mine, just to talk. And as soon as you want to go, I'll have my driver take you straight home." He was looking at her intensely, those eyes could do things she never thought possible..
She didn't know why but she relented. "Sure. Why not. To talk. Nothing else." Even as she said this she knew once they were alone she'd have trouble not ripping his clothes off.
"Great!" He sent another heart stopping smile her way and placed his hand on her lower back, leading her through the crowd and out to a waiting car.
"Wait," Kate said, "it's not even midnight, won't someone be worried about you leaving so early."
"I'm leaving with the most beautiful woman in the room. They won't be surprised." He replied with a wink.
She blushed at the compliment before realising the insinuations that came with his last comment. "To talk." She stated sternly. He just smiled at her.
They were sat on his sofa, facing each other and just inches apart. Kate couldn't tell if he was moving closer every now and then, or if she was imagining it because she wanted him to. Not that she'd tell him that if he asked. She couldn't sleep with him. Well, she could but she shouldn't. No, she didn't want to become another one of Richard Castle's conquests thank you very much.
She'd had one night stands before, kind of had to if she wasn't going to commit to a relationship but still wanted certain..ah..benefits. But Rick? He was different. He was famous and not another guy from college. Could she do it? She wanted to, no doubt about that..
He interrupted her thoughts. Before they went too far.. "Kate? Hello? Are you there?" She had zoned out for a second.
"Yeah..sorry. Uh..go on" she was blushing, she could tell.
"Look Kate, I know I asked you here to talk and I swear if that's all you want then that's fine by me but my god you're so beautiful but you're more than that..you're intelligent and self assured and confident and I'm not going to lie and say it wouldn't be great.." He stopped, had he said too much?
She paused for a moment before replying. With a playful smile, she said "oh, you have no idea."
And then they were closer. Their lips together, frantic for more. Rick pulled her onto his lap, her legs straddled either side of his.
His hands roamed her body, down her back and up her thighs. She moaned into his mouth as his fingers trailed up towards that spot, the spot she so desperately wanted, needed him.
Growing impatient, she started unbuttoning his shirt, tugging at the buttons and peeling it off of him. He was toned and muscular underneath and she ran her hands over his well defined body.
Standing them up and yanking the zip of her dress down, he helped her out of it. And now she was stood in front of him in nothing but her lacy bra and matching panties. She was panting slightly with arousal, her eyes filled with lust. Pure unadulterated lust. Taking her hand, he led her into the bedroom, easing her down onto the bed.
Kate awoke with a start. Turning over in Richard Castle's bed, she glanced at the clock. 3:12am. She smiled to herself, remembering what they'd got up to last night. Honestly? Nothing short of mind blowing.
Feeling thirsty, she crept out of bed and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water. Setting the glass down on the side, she heard a phone ringing. Her phone. Walking over to the table in the living room where she'd left her bag, she pulled out her phone and saw that it was her dad calling - at 3:15 am?
"Dad? What's wrong?" She asked.
"Oh Katie, thank goodness you've answered. Listen sweetheart, something - something's happened. I need to you come home. Right away." He sounded different, odd.
"Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can.." And with that Jim hung up.
Rushing back into the bedroom, she grabbed her underwear and pulled it back on, careful not to wake Rick. Back in the lounge she shimmied back into her dress and shoes and grabbed her bag, leaving as quietly as possible - no time for a note, she needed to see her dad.
Luckily, New York is the city that never sleeps so hailing a cab was easy, despite the early/late hour. Twenty minutes later and they pulled up on her street - the first thing she saw was a police car. Oh god, what's happened? Paying the cabbie, she raced in the front door.
"Dad?" She called out.
Her dad rushed out of the living room, closely followed by man she didn't recognise. "Oh Katie. Come and sit down, I need talk to you."
Kate didn't move. "What? What is it? What's happened? Where's mom?"
"Katie..oh I'm sorry, Katie so sorry. It's, it's your mom. You see I..we, we were meant to meet for dinner and she didn't show. Her work said she'd already left but I couldn't get hold of her. I came home and found Detective Raglan here and he..he said-" her father broke off, tears overcoming him.
"Said what?" Kate asked, turning from her dad to the detective.
Her dad seemingly unable to finish, the detective spoke. "Miss Beckett, I'm sorry but your mother was found dead tonight."
10 years later and Detective Kate Beckett had just landed a new case. Something about the way Allison Tisdale and Marvin Fisk had been presented looked familiar, but she couldn't quite figure out why. And then it hit her. Flowers For Your Grave. The Richard Castle novel. The scene was right out of his book. And pulling out the crime scene photos from Fisk's murder, she connected that one too - straight out of Hell Hath No Fury.
Informing Ryan and Esposito of her discovery, she had his whereabouts tracked. He was at a book party for his latest Derrick Storm novel. How ironic. Beckett thought. She briefly considered sending Ryan or Esposito to bring him in for questioning but really, what were the chances he'd recognise her? It had been 10 years. She'd changed a lot since then and she imagined he'd had a hell of a lot of women since that night. No, she'd suck it up and bring him in herself.
Walking through the crowd, she spotted him at the bar, talking to a girl she guessed was his daughter. Yes okay, since that night she had read his books. All of them. More than once. They helped. So she knew a bit about him, knew he had a daughter, knew he'd got married and divorced again since their night together.
"Mr Castle. Detective Beckett, NYPD. We'd need to ask you a few questions about a murder that took place earlier tonight." Self assured and confident, she had that down to a t.
Richard spun around. He recognised that voice. "Kate Beckett! I never could forget those cheekbones.."
A/N: okay so we're done! Thoughts?
Just a couple of quick notes: I don't really know anything about the fashion modelling industry, so I'm sorry if it's hideously inaccurate but I tried my best! I also apologise if I insulted models in general - I'm sure the majority of them do eat and have more than one brain cell!
I also felt it was better to not include anything about Joanna's murder other than Kate being told. It's a very sensitive situation and I've just alluded to what was mentioned in the show - I'm sure we all have our own versions of how it went down.
I was planning on leaving it there but I'm going to have a think and see if I wanna carry on, so I won't mark it as complete yet!
Reviews are more than welcome, in fact they mean a huge amount. Just a quick one to say what you did/didn't like - this is only my second fanfic so I'm still learning!