Author's Note: Castle and Beckett and Bones and Booth. Two matches made in heaven, neither actually a couple yet. For you first-time readers, I don't intend this story to be short, so stick with it to get to the fluff. The story starts a couple of episodes before the shows' respective season finales.
Bones belongs to Fox, Castle belongs to ABC, and this is my version of the cross-network crossover that will never be.
Homicide Detective Kate Beckett was about to slip into the shower when her phone rang. She wished she could just slide under the water and let it go to voicemail, but she had offered to be on call this weekend.
"At least I was already awake," she mumbled to herself before crossing to the vanity where she had set her phone moments before. "Beckett," she answered, her voice becoming that of the clear, straight NYPD detective that she knew she had to be.
By the time she hit "end" and set the phone back down, her shoulders had tensed, her back straightened, and her eyes had darkened with anger. Murder angered her. That's what the call was always about for her, and each time she hung up with the captain or dispatch, this is how she felt. She puffed out air with exasperation, knowing that the scalding shower she had been looking forward to wouldn't soothe her now. The heat from the water would only fuel the fire that had already ignited.
Richard Castle, on the other hand, was fast asleep when his phone rang. He lay sprawled, face-down on his bed where he had landed only a couple of hours before. His face still buried in the pillows, he threw his arm out in the direction of his bedside table. When his fingers finally felt the plastic covered rectangle, he rolled his body over and attempted to form a "hello" after his finger accepted the call.
When the phone hit the bed several seconds later, he finally opened his eyes and raised his head off the pillow. Taking in his own, fully-clothed and spread eagle form on top of the bed sheets, he mumbled, "At least I made it into the bedroom this time." He vaguely remembered Alexis waking him in his office and pulling him away from the desk. He'd spent too many nights asleep in his desk chair recently. He couldn't adjust to the cop hours that his friends at the NYPD seemed to be used to. Late to bed, early to rise. Day after day and it barely showed on their faces. After a late night out at the Old Haunt with Ryan and Esposito, he'd hoped to get some more work done on the next Nikki Heat novel—and had dozed off shortly after booting up his laptop. Maybe someday he'd figure out how to be a cop and a novelist.
"One step at a time, Rick," he said, trying to encourage himself to get out of bed, out of yesterday's outfit, and into the shower. He rolled himself to the edge of the bed, still very groggy.
If the impact with the floor didn't wake him up, the rather loud thud of his body hitting hard wood certainly would have. He groaned and started to drag himself towards the bronze tiles of the bathroom floor.
Dr. Temperance Brennan was already turning the key in her office door when she spotted the envelope sticking out of the crack. She finished opening the door and deftly caught the envelope as it began to fall to the floor. She smiled to herself when she saw the writing on the front. She unloaded her things onto the small couch and coffee table across from her desk. She hung her coat over her desk chair and sat to open the manila envelope. Before she got a chance, her phone chimed that she had a new text message. Knowing it could only be one person this early in the morning, she set the envelope down and crossed to her bag to retrieve her phone.
After reading the short message, she slid the phone back into her bag, gathered her things, and headed back out the door. Locking it behind her, she glimpsed the manila envelope on her desk and set a mental reminder to open it as soon as she got back.
Special Agent Seeley Booth knew he wouldn't get a text message back, but he didn't need one. He had been up early for a run, then had been able to shower and get dressed before most of the east coast was even aware it was a new day. As he finished the dregs of his mug of coffee, he heard the toilet flush in the bathroom. He was up and waiting at the door when it opened, helping his still sleepy son Parker back into his bedroom to get dressed.
Booth had always been glad his son could be up early without complaining. Mornings like this were especially important. The sooner Parker was awake, the longer Booth had with him. He pulled his sons shoes out from under the bed and set them in easy reach. "Hungry?" he asked.
His son simply nodded and yawned, but was fully dressed in a matter of minutes. Booth slipped on his own jacket and helped Parker tug the hoodie down over his curly blond head. Parker grabbed his backpack from next to the door as Booth took his keys from the hook and double checked he had his gun strapped into place and his badge secured on his belt. They went out the door together and Booth started his SUV. He looked over at his son and smiled as they drove away.