A/N: So this is completely AU. I was suffering a writer's block over Raining Bullets and then was inspired by coyotepup4's Sideways. (Must Read). This is 10 years after Johanna's murder and an attempted murder of Kate Beckett. The AU starts with Rick and Kate being best of friends from high school and then at Stanford. The follow up of Kate's shooting is very much like Knockout. He confesses his love, she wakes up and kicks him out. Ten years later, Rick is a successful author but also a Level 9 Commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. at its american base. What happens when a ten year old case is reopened?
She pinched the bridge of her nose and stared into thin air, looking nowhere in particular. Somewhere very deep in thought. It was obvious wasn't it? Ten years. It had been ten years since he had disappeared, and now he just turns up? Like nothing happened? Like he didn't just disappear? Run off to another continent and turn his life around?
What was she even doing here? She finally looked. Really looked at the room she sat in. The room was a blur of dark wood and leathers in olive green, royal blue and hints of burgundy, the black dark brown-almost black matting of the floor completing the look. The first thing that hit her was, this wasns office from this point of view looked more like a state of the art technology infused room belonging to a futuristic special op. Something is with a lot of connecting lines, certificates and trophies, moments of celebration. She knew that the particular wall she looked at slid into their alcoves for when she pressed the right button on it, she had a gazillion problems, getting out of Richard Castle's office wasn't one of them. She knew her way out as she had known her way in.
Her eyes looked down at the table to look what this side of the table hid. Needless to say, she was speechless. Apart from the leg space which hid another laptop, an audio recorder and a surveillance camera, the table held a glass cabinet encasing its owner's much loved bottles of Alcohol in all shapes and sizes, a knife, a gun that resembled a Walther but seemed custom made to accommodate his unusually long fingers, a drawer which on opening, held 3 bundles of 100$ notes, and a bundle of dozen or so passports. She didn't count, her eyes continued to travel. The master chair's arm held a pad, the kind used to analyze a handprint, but overall she knew the table and the chair were wired. She didn't know what would pressing any one of the buttons she had strictly kept her eyes off, result in.
It had started to hit her, that the Richard Castle this office belonged to, was not a 9yr old on a sugar rush. So, assuming anything based on past knowledge, including his coffee which unlike his past favorite vanilla latte, lay black in his cup, would be dangerous.
What happened to the 20yr old boy begging her to stay alive while he cupped his hands over her heart to keep it from bleeding out? What happened to the man who told her he loved her? Who was she kidding, her insecurities had happened. She had spent the past ten years calling him a coward and a runner, blaming him for her mistakes just so that she didn't have to deal with the emotional crash.
She now stood and stared at the heavily wired and armed room, dangerously serious and dark as tears collected under her ducts, rimming her eyes red as she blinked them away. This was not a time to play the blame game. She had been interrupted mid investigation by the Scotland Yard Agent, Agent Hunt, telling her that, her presence was requested by Richard Castle.
Unnecessary to say, she followed. Not because he asked, not because Captain Montgomery ordered her to, but because she was curious, shocked and surprised. Curious because once you repeat a lie to yourself continuously over a period of time, u convince your mind that it is the truth and thus your brain tries to process the question 'why does he want to talk to me now after he ran away ten years ago?'. Because a Scotland Yard Agent had come to receive her. Because he knew exactly where to find her. Because he had been away for ten years and she wanted to know where had he been. Surprised because she still remembered the last time they spoke: she was on the hospital bed, alive, but broken and she harshly asked him to leave. Because she remembered the heartbroken boy that left that day, because she remembered the broken agony in the boy's voice. She broke his heart, why would he ever want to have anything to do with her? Because he still loves you .No, that was purely wishful thinking. But a girl can dream, can't she?
She silently walked back to the chair she had earlier sat in. She wouldn't want to be caught snooping in his office by him. They weren't sophomores at Stanford fighting over who gets to keep Royal the dog. She is Detective Katherine Houghton Beckett, and he is Richard Alexander Rodgers, no, he is Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle.
Just as she completed her thoughts, A slight hum filled the room and the wall behind her slid to open, allowing a small dark arch to open. She automatically turned to take in the man that now stood in the room. He was 6ft 4inches tall, well trained arm muscles ripping through his white shirt, whose cuffs were loosely rolled up all the way to his elbows, the way he stood indicated just as well built muscles of his chest, hidden by the same white shirt. Accompanying his shirt, was a brown shoulder leather holster, holding two identical Glocks and a black knife, along with a set of black dress pants and dress shoes. His blue eyes seemed to look into hers, locked in the hazel ones for a moment too long before he walked around the table to take the Master chair. He looks so much more serious, but yummier too...-shut up Kate, focus, why does Ricky have guns and knives?
She was pulled back from her thoughts as his deep voice filled the silent still room. "Hello Miss Beckett" she looked at his ruggedly handsome face, unlike the last time she had seen it, this one showed no expression, only a stone wall, letting out nothing, the formal tone of his voice had struck her, but so had the faint british accent, very different from the one he used to fake. No, this accent sounded closer to the one used by Agent Hunt. She smiled, it wasn't hard to smile when she meets an old friend right? An old friend who loved you until you kicked him away cause of your insecurities Kate.
"Hello Rick"
"I hope your journey here wasn't inconvenient ?"
His cold non emotional tone was making her nerves twitch, maybe it was just how different he was from the person he used to be. It angered her, though she knew she was partly responsible for it, her next few words flew out "inconvenient? What the hell is going on Rick?-Detective Beckett, we are here on professional terms only. Your assistance is demanded for an ongoing investigation. If you open the file in front of you, and flip to page number 32, you will see you have signed the contract under the NYPD forms to follow your Captain
Rick handed her his badge, pulling out of his shirt pocket. Not missing a beat "Commander Rodgers"
Kate's eyes shot up as she momentarily studied the badge, an eagle head with wings in pure silver with a black background took 1/3rd of the badge towards the left, the remainder of it was also black except with a grey header reading 'Commander Rodgers', a picture of him stood towards the far right, with his date of birth, badge number gender and signature taking up the center. She didn't necessarily remember what the badge stood for but she had seen it earlier with Agent Collin Hunt and Captain Montgomery had approved of it.
Deciding she approved of his badge. He continued. "All information is on a need to know basis. You will follow Collin once he shows up. He will debrief you to the point necessary then direct you to your desk where you will be allowed to go over the required files and provide your analysis/interpretation of them. You may also provide all previous information pertaining to the case that we might be missing-".
Now Kate was furious. She burst with all her previous words and new ones all at once.
"-What the hell Rick, I haven't seen you in like 10yrs since that day at the hospital and then u suddenly turn up today 'requesting my presence' and what use is that anyways, you call me here then ask your british friend to escort me" and by the time she could stop herself it was already too late so she just continued "-sending your dear British friend to escort me to some secret location I wasn't even allowed to figure out. And now you have this weird accent all lined up and you're behaving like we're meeting for the first time and what the hell is it with 'Miss Beckett' whatever happened to Kate or Katie or Beckz or Katerbug? And why do u have all these guns and knives and ugh Rick why are you here, it's been so long why now?"
Before Rick could reply, someone chuckled from the entrance which had been left open. "My my Rick she really is a bursting volcano brother, very different from the one case we solved together" with that both men erupted into laughter but Kate stood there shaking with rage "what the hell is going on here?! I will call the cops saying I've been taken hostage if I don't get a reply this instant" this just made the two laugh harder and though she was furious she had to agree that sounded stupid, she was a cop, and technically she had been ordered to go there by her captain.
She picked the easier of the two men: Rick, and glared at him, if there was one thing that hadn't changed in ten years, it was his reaction to the glare, he immediately shut up and looked like he's a little kid caught with a jar of cookies. Following his example, Collin, who had walked and taken the seat next to her stopped laughing as well. She used a moment to look up the British agent she had first met only a few months ago, the tall blonde well built male sat wearing a black tuxedo and a red bow tie as if he were getting ready for a formal event of some sort. What hit her in that moment was, that how the two men were so much at ease around each other.
"We'll start with your debriefing Detective Beckett" He said after sobering down.
"The S.H.I.E.L.D. or Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division-" "S.H.I.E.L.D.? Really Rick? this is about some crazed comic book fetish you've been harboring the past ten years?" She cut Hunt off cold, mid sentence. He took a minute to gather his composure as if he wanted to laugh really loud but then continued "-was announced as one of the first departments that was put together with the joint efforts of the American, British and Eurozone systems. You are currently sitting in the office of its American Commander, Richard Alexander Rodgers and hidden office of Best Selling Author Richard Castle.-" "Yea Yea Yea and Yea, still don't see why Captain Montgomery asked me to do as asked by you Agent Hunt, and don't make that face Rick, I mean, I'm proud of you and all of that, but what has this got to do with me? I understand I have been asked to assist you on a case. But you have to give me details. Why so special. Why me?"
Rick seemed hurt, but she wouldn't let him off that easy. Using his contacts to pull her out mid investigation was not cool.
"Patience Detective Beckett" his deep voice filled the room again. "Your presence here has nothing to do with me being the Commander. In fact I was completely against the idea of pulling you in this one. Sadly, I got out voted. It may have to do with an old promise. But, getting back to professionalism, ten years ago on January 9th, Mrs. Johanna Dawson-Beckett was killed in cold blood, followed by three similar murders and an attempted attack at you, Ms. Katherine Houghton Beckett. Reason you were brought here was because these cases were re-opened six months ago due to similar murders/attacks occurring with the same M.O." He paused letting it sink in for her, unlike Kate, he had done his research on her. She was sure of it. A glass of whiskey slid across the table for her and wordlessly she picked it up and took a rather large gulp. She needed to digest the information just provided to her, up until the 'SHIELD' bit, she thought it was some joke her former best friend and Agent Hunt were playing on her, probably payback for ditching Hunt on that date. He even knows what whiskey I drink!
After what seemed like hours but was probably a few minutes she was shocked to hear her own voice cut through the silence. She sounded heavy as if she were crying "Why now?" Am I crying? Hastily she wiped her tears away and finished rest of her whiskey in another gulp. She tried to concentrate on Rick's face, from his expression it looked like she had hit the very core reason of the meeting. And, looking at his expression, something told her she is going to regret it, and regret that question she did as a myriad of expressions overcame her face while Richard replied.
"You remember the last time we met Kate?"
"Yes, we were at the hospital, I had just woken up… I-"
"Yes, you asked me to leave and told me you didn't want to see me again. Ignoring that bit, do you remember what I told you before I left?"
"You will remember my words. That you will bring justice to my mom, that you will be my Castle and protect me, that I didn't need to see you for you to protect me…." as she spoke these words, the clockworks creakingly started to run in her brain, event after event clicking into place, suddenly his actions and the current situation were starting to make sense. He gave her a minute to catch up before he continued his 'confession' or 'explanation'.
"And I meant it Kate. I finished my education and changed my name while using my alias to keep a check on you. I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. so that I could keep my promise. It's been ten years Kate and I'm still sticking to my promise, in fact I apologize for bringing you here, I know you don't want to see me, but in the past 1 year alone I have put 11 different men sent to harm you, down. He just won't stop. It was getting too hard to keep you safe without your co-oper-" Though she knew she should be thankful she was enraged, the way he spoke made it clear he knew who had ordered her mother's death, who had sent Coonan, and Lockwood.
"Yes, my life Rick, MY LIFE, not yours, I'm not the damsel in distress from your books who needs a knight in shining armor to save her!, I can take care of myself pretty well! And while you have been playing cop and sitting on leads I NEED, I have been taking care of myself. Don't try and justify your disappearance by telling me you were keeping your prom-" Now it was his chance to get frustrated
"You're the one that asked me to leave Kate! I saw you die in that ambulance, thrice, you died thrice. You were gone, all life drained out of you. You were bleeding out Kate, and I was helpless. And then, you disappeared, and when you came back you were all over that biker boy, and I was invisible to you, but I still stayed to keep my promise, I tolerated you throwing yourself at shallow guys in your depression or hysteria. I was there every night in the burner room pulling away any guy who tried to get his hands on you inappropriately. I was there knocking spiked drinks out of your hand while you weren't looking, I was there when you got in a mess with Quinn, that Westies prince guy. So you don't fucking dare tell me that I don't care."
She had tears in her eyes again, ones that had been unshed past years, ones that were longing for him, missing him so much. How could she have been so blind? "Why Rick?" she said between sobs, a mere whisper, but he heard her.
"Because I l…. I care, but we are deviating from the topic, I climbed my way up the ladder and now this case has been re-opened due to the new murders, consider this an invitation to join S.H.I.E.L.D." Her eyes widened, she was being invited to join an international organization, that brought justice to people, both living and dead, on a much larger platform than NYPD.
But how will I deal meeting Rick everyday. There's a reason he's on page six everyday, apparently being a SHIELD Commander doesn't stop him from having his dose of fun, or was the fun to hide the Commander in him? Even through the pages say, he's a womanizer. No, that's not my Rick, my Rick cares. Shut up Kate, he has changed; he is not your Rick anymore. Anymore? Was he ever my Rick? No, but he wanted to be, and I kicked him out. You broke him into this dark stone wall of a man he has become. No, I didn't do this; those were his very own choices to make.
Rick and Hunt had seemed to understand her need for space and had moved to their own conversation. She could see they were both close. 'Brother' that's how they referred to each other. Oh how much had she missed out on? As if on cue, a young blonde woman walked in, unlike the two men, she looked like she had just woken up and then to Kate's utmost shock, went and sat in Rick's lap, but Rick didn't seem to even notice the woman, nor did he react to the sudden move, as if it were the most normal thing to him. After finishing his conversation with Hunt he seemed to realize the young woman's presence and nodded to her. "Morning Serena, did the take off wake you up?" Who's Serena? Why does she look so familiar? Why is she in Rick's lap? take off? where exactly are we?
"Yes Ricky, I think your age is taking a toll over your abilities.-" She noticed that Serena's attention suddenly flickered to her and Hunt "-damn brother, you little sly bastard! She is The Katherine? The Katherine he conf-, I mean, I thought you told me your name was Kate?"
Kate narrowed her eyes at the woman, something about her catlike stance, the way she seemed to not even try and hide her displeasure at the site of Kate, and the fact that she seemed to know her got Kate confused and suspicious. She knew her and certainly didn't like her. Oh the feelings were mutual. But where had she seen her? It was obvious from her reaction that Rick had told them about their ending. She knew how that sentence was going to end. She had seen it every night on playback ever since. She shook her head trying to clear the mist and concentrate on finer details.
The word 'brother' hit her once again. OK. Serena is another sister to him? Before she knew it, words flew out of her lips. "You're his sister or some sister in law-?" She only took a second to realize and was soon apologizing. "-I'm sorry, it's just, Rick, I didn't know you had any siblings?"
Rick looked at Hunt, then at Serena and started laughing. A minute later he found himself some composure and continued. "Oh where are my manners, Kate, meet Agents Hunt and Kaye-" Realization finally dawned on Kate. Kaye… Serena Kaye, the ex-thief/ multimillion dollar art curator and insurer."-yes they are my siblings, but not in the way you're imagining, that's a story for another time however." The 'if there is another time', was silently communicated between the two of them.
Kate nodded and went back to problem one. "Rick, I appreciate you trying to solve my mother's murder, and I appreciate your invitation, however I know nothing about SHIELD and I have a thousand queries. Frankly speaking I need a day or more to digest this. It's like a dam burst of information at once. I'd like to go home now and spend a day or two to think about it before I can come up with a sound reply that I can stick to without regret"
She saw a silent communication between the three siblings but decided not to probe on it. She had no right to. She felt like an outsider here. Like a guest. Still, she kept her eyes trained on Rick's. His reply was cold but she expected and deserved it. She had walked right into this one.
"A day or more like last time Detective Beckett?" agh, he's back to square one with the detective thing! Hellloooooo I'm Katie! Your goddamnfucking Katerbug!
"Rick, there's no need to be cold. I mean it, it's a big offer, i feel like I'm jumping from the plains to the tip of a mountain. Plus, considering our last meeting, the way things have evidently changed since then. All this information about you, its a little too much to take in at once. I mean come on the Rick I knew hated the system, and just wanted to learn profiling so he could be the creepy guy at a cafe. The Rick I see in front of me is the Commander of SHIELD and a successful mystery writer. Also, you're suddenly bringing up my mom's case. This was shut down and put way below the seabed ten years ago."
She sighed knowing she was crying again. Serena had somehow got around her and had found her way on the table next to Kate with a box of tissues, out of which, one Kate accepted thankfully and wiped her tears. The younger woman's voice cut through her ears "Believe me when I say, we know your pain."
"Commander, the District Attorney is on hold, he would like to discuss the recent development." A voice interrupted the conversation. All heads shot towards the arch, where a man in a grey suite stood at attention, his posture easily giving away his extensive army training. Seal perhaps… or the marine's maybe?
"Pass that call to Lucy, I'm busy, you know she handles Andrew, best."
"She is currently on site at Verbier Sir. No form of communication available to her."
"Ok" With that Rick picked the call up as Kate looked at him. Seeing the look that Rick and Serena exchanged, she knew this was going to be a private conversation and so, didn't resist when she was helped up by Serena and the two walked out of the arch way leaving Hunt and Rick to their conversation with the District Attorney. Any thoughts she had in her mind while in the office were blown away the moment she stepped out into what must be the... SHIELD's equivalent for a bullpen…