This is set five years after Johanna Beckett's murder and at the point where Kate has decided to put her mother's case away. Kate is 24 and is already working in homicide and Rick is 34, riding high on the success of Derrick Storm. For the sake of the story, Alexis is 5 years old at this point.
. . . . . . . . . .
Dropping her glass to the bar, Kate signaled to the bartender to refill her glass as she dropped her head to her hands. Five years ago, she'd come home from dinner with her father to the news her mother had stabbed and left to bleed to death, alone, in an alley. Today, she'd been the one delivering the news in exceptionally similar circumstances.
At least this time they had been able to find the murderer.
They had been able to find justice for the victim.
Justice she could never find for her mom.
Taking a deep breath, Kate pushed herself up as she felt someone slip into the seat beside her. All she wanted to do was sit at the bar and get drunk. She just wanted to forget everything. "Listen buddy, I'm not in the mood so why don't you just back-" Looking up, Kate stopped abruptly when she was met by the startling blue eyes she would recognize anywhere from Page 6. "I...sorry?"
Flashing out his trademark smile, Rick smirked as he handed over a small leather wallet. "I just wanted to return this."
"I'm sorry…thanks?" Kate mumbled, the tips of her ears turning pink from embarrassment. "It's been a long day."
"No need to apologize," Rick smiled sincerely. "But how about I buy you a drink to make up for it?"
"Shouldn't I be the one buying you a drink? After all, I'm the one who snapped..."
"Maybe, but I was more thinking spending time with a beautiful young woman would be the way to make up for before." Holding out his hand, Rick waited until Kate raised hers. "I'm Rick. Rick Castle."
"I know." Kate admitted, feeling her face flush.
"Ah, so you're a fan."
"Of the genre. It intrigues me."
Nodding his head, Rick signaled to the bartender as he drained the last of his drink. "So, you know who I am and what I do, and yet I know nothing about you. Not even your name."
"Eh, it's Kate and I work for the police department. I'm in homicide."
"Homicide?" Rick guffawed. "So let me get this straight, you deal with death and murder all day and then go home and read about it?"
"I do. I...I like getting into their minds. I like to find the reasons. Like I said, it intrigues me."
"And is it one of those reasons that has led you to the bar tonight?" Rick pushed, propping his elbow on the bar and staring at Kate intently. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was absolutely stunning.
"I guess." Sipping her drink, Kate sighed. "Yeah, it was."
"Care to elaborate?" Raising his glass, Rick continued to stare into Kate's eyes. He could see the emotions, the pain that she was holding inside. For some reason, he felt the need to ease her pain. "Because the way you snapped when I first came over, that was much more than dealing with unwanted flirting."
"Eh," Sighing, Kate brushed her fingers through her hair. "We got called in this morning to a woman murdered in an alley on 6th. It was just a case of wrong place at the wrong time. We caught the guy; he was off his head on drugs. He was asleep behind a trash can and she went over the make sure he was okay. He thought she was trying to take his stash, so he stabbed her. She had two children. Her son is eleven and her daughter is thirteen. I had to tell the, that their mom was never coming home. I had to tell them they had to grow up without their mom because she tried to do the right thing. Because she was a good person."
Nodding solemnly, Rick rested his hand on top of one of hers as she used the other to down her drink. "I'm sorry Kate, but, something tells me that isn't all of it. You may like to know the reasons, but I like to know the story. Take you, for example. Under normal circumstances, you should not be a cop. Most smart, good looking women become lawyers, not cops. And yet here you are. Why?"
"I..." Swallowing, Kate sighed. "My mom was murdered when I was nineteen."
"Kate...I'm sorry."
"It's okay; it was a long time ago now." Taking a large gulp of her drink that seem to miraculous appear in front of her, Kate laughed without humor. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You're a complete stranger."
"Sometimes it's just good to talk."
"Hmm, maybe. So tell me Rick Castle, why are you sitting in The Old Haunt at eleven at night on a Wednesday? Wouldn't you prefer to be out with one of your blond conquests?"
Laughing humorlessly, Rick drained the last of his drink. "My divorce was finalized today and my wife, well, ex-wife came to pick up our daughter for a trip for the next week. She's five and I've never been away from her for that long and I couldn't stand the silence of the apartment. I used to come here when I was in college to write."
"Rick...I..." Kate stuttered. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just assumed-"
"It's fine, Kate." Rick interrupted his tone serious. "I'm not blind, I've seen Page 6. I know how it looks. You see, the problem is, when you are somewhat successful-"
"Somewhat successful?" Kate snorted, before getting her giggles under control. "Sorry sorry, please continue."
"As I was saying, when you are somewhat successful it is difficult to find someone who is interested in much more than money and publicity. Throw a five year old into that and it's near impossible. You don't find many smart, beautiful and successful women at premieres and nightclub openings." Turning towards Kate, Rick brushed her hair behind her ear in a bold move. "None of these women are you."
"You've only known me half an hour."
"And yet I can already tell you are different." Looking around, Rick cupped her cheek. "You can't tell me you don't feel the connection here."
"I..."
"I'm going to kiss you now."
"I carry a gun." Kate argued lamely.
"And yet you don't scare me. You wouldn't shoot me in front of all these witnesses. It would be bad press for the NYPD."
"Maybe, but I know how to hide a body and get awa-"
Pressing his lips to Kate's, Rick effectively silenced her of all but a moan. Pulling back slightly, he rested his forehead against hers. "How about we get out of here?"
Licking her lips, Kate nodded before wordlessly collecting her belongings and following him out of the bar.
. . . . . . . . . .
Throwing open the front door, Rick immediately pressed Kate up against it as his lips burnt a trail down her neck. She tasted like cherries. Cherries and red wine. Moaning into the soft skin at her neck, Rick felt his body begin to react as she rolled her hips. "Mmm, Kate." Rick gasped, his self-control weakening. "If you keep doing that, I'm not going to last very long."
"What, this?" Kate grinned wickedly, rolling her hips again as Rick tensed against her. "You seem tense."
"It's been a while." Rick admitted, feeling the tips of his ears turn pink.
"Really?" Kate questioned, pulling back sharply to look him up and down.
"Just because it's printed in Page 6, doesn't mean it's true."
"Sorry, the alcohol is making me a little loose lipped. I don't think the filter between my brain and mouth is quite functioning." Kate apologized, pressing her body against his again. "It's…umm, it's been a while for me too." A while was an understatement if she was being honest. She hadn't been with anyone in ten months. Not since Will had left for Chicago.
"Kate, if you want to stop things here, please just tell me," Rick spoke truthfully, looking down at the ground and taking a step back as he tried to control his breathing. "I don't want to take advantage of you because you've had too much to drink."
"Rick, no," Kate replied quickly. "I may have had a drink but I am nowhere near drunk. I know exactly what I am doing."
"Then what do you want? Tell me how I can help you, Kate. Tell me what to do."
"Make me forget, Rick." Stepping into his space, Kate linked her arms around his neck as she backed him into the room. "I did a lot of thinking in that bar today before I met you and I realized that I can't keep living in the past. I don't want to keep being so goddamn afraid of losing everything and I just want to be able to feel something."
"Kate, if I'm pressuring you-" Rick started, pulling back and putting some distance between them.
"You aren't, Rick," Kate interrupted, closing the gap between them once again and kissing him as she dropped her hands to her shirt to unbutton it. "Please, Rick. Make me forget.
And just like that, Rick couldn't stop himself from surging forward and closing the gap between him and Kate once more. Tugging Kate into his arms, he pressed his lips against hers. If she wanted to forget, he would make that happen. Kate reciprocated almost immediately, her arms wrapping around his neck as her body pressed fully against his. Her tongue swept into his mouth and Rick groaned, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as he felt the heat radiating off her.
Rick pulled away and looked deep into her eyes, his voice raspy. "If you want to stop, at any point, just say the word.
Kate tugged Rick's lips back to hers with her fingers gripping the hair at the nape of his neck. Her breasts heaved against his chest as she breathed heavily as their kisses grew fervent. Kicking off her shoes, Kate used whatever leverage she could find to wrap her legs around his hips.
He groaned as he felt her pressed against him. If she kept pressing against him, this was going to be over before they had even made it to the bedroom. "Kate-"
"Please," Kate moaned against his lips, her teeth nipping a soft trail along his bottom lip before her tongue followed the same path.
And even though he'd only known her a couple hours, he was helpless to her pleas.
Rick pressed his lips against Kate's again, their tongues battling for dominance as he carried Kate to his bedroom. He blindly navigated his away across the loft, pressing Kate up to any flat surface he could find to trail kisses down her neck again. He momentarily considered forgetting the bedroom and making her comfortable on the couch before his common sense got the better of him and he remembered his mother was asleep upstairs.
Rick kicked his bedroom door open and placed Kate at the foot of his head. Hovering over her, he forced her body down until she was reclining on the bed, his body trapping her between him and the bed. She gasped every time his hips pressed against her and Rick pulled back to look her in the eye. Her green eyes searched his and a smile spread across his face as she pulled him down for a kiss.
"Hi," Kate sighred, a soft smile finding her face as she ran her fingers through the baby hair at the back of his head. She was getting naked with Richard Castle. She had had fantasies about this. She'd spent countless nights, tucked in bed reading his books, only to have him haunt her dreams.
"Hi," Rick replied as a boyish smile spread across his face, his hand stroking across her face as his thumb pressed against the apple of her cheek, his smile growing when she leaned into his touch. "Are you sure about this, Kate? It's not too late."
"Yes," Kate responded immediately, hooking her leg around his hip. "I want this."
Rick's face softened, a smile finding his lips. Kate looked stunning, the light from the city below highlighting her every feature as it streamed through the open curtains. Rick was completely overwhelmed by how beautiful she was and how he had been able to convince her to come home with him. He was certain he was going to wake up any moment alone again. He hadn't even planned on going to the bar that night and only ended up needing a drink after his ex-wife has collected Alexis. He never thought he would have found someone he connected so well with thanks to Meredith.
Moving slowly, Rick unbuttoned the rest of Kate's shirt, brushing the material aside to press a trail of feverish kisses down her neck and breasts. Cupping her breasts in his hands, he groaned as he felt the perfect weight in his hands. Like she was made for him. Pressing his hand against her hip, her gestured for her to move to the top of the bed as he settled beside her, his body pressed flush against hers. His fingers trailing absentminded patterns along her bare stomach. Kate stared at him as he moved to unbutton his shirt until she couldn't stand it any longer and batted his hands away to remove the shirt herself, settling her hand against his shoulder blade as she forced him to move until he was hovering above her.
Brushing his thumb against her cheek, Rick bent down and kissed her again, swallowing her groan as he thrust his hips against hers. Her nails dug into his back, no doubt leaving a mark. His hips thrust against her again as he felt the heat of her body. Kate pulled away from him as she moaned into the quiet room. "Jesus Christ!"
"Most people just call me 'Rick'," Rick replied, his beard scratched at Kate's skin as he kissed the tops of her breasts, sucking gently until a mark formed just above her collarbone.
"Oh my God," Kate groaned when Rick's hips pressed harder against her core, her eyes sliding shut as the pleasure radiated through her body.
Rick couldn't hold back the grin that spread on his face as he raised his head to look at Kate. She was biting down on her bottom lip, her teeth leaving indents from the pressure. In the short time he'd know her, it was clear to him she like to be control of everything, but now, seeing her overwhelmed with pleasure made him grow even harder. Unable to form coherent sentences and falling apart below him – a completely different woman from the straight laced detective he's met in the bar hours earlier.
"Are you ready?" Rick asked again.
Kate nodded, her eyes hazy as she smiled up at him, everything was fuzzy as the pleasure worked its way all the way up from her toes and into every fiber of her being. "Yes."
Standing from the bed, Rick struggled with the button and zipper on his jeans, fumbling for long moments until he finally tugged his pants down. Standing to the side of the bed, Rick watched as Kate tugged her down jeans down, leaving her laying in just black lace – a stark contrast to the bright white sheets. His mouth went dry as his eyes raked down her body, where she lay propped on her elbows, before huskily asking. "You coming?"
Nodding, Rick licked his lips before crawling back onto the bed, kissing a path up her leg, paying special attention to every mark that marred her smooth skin as Kate settled back against the pillows. Nipping at the delicate skin of her inner thigh, he reached up the grip the sides of her underwear before looking up at Kate, their eyes meeting before he slowly tugged the black lace down. Crawling up Kate's body, he pressed kisses to any exposed skin before reaching behind her to fumble with the clasp of her bra.
"You need a hand there?" Kate laughed, arching her back as he continued to fumble with the clasp.
"I got it." Rick forced out, finally unbuckling her bra and freeing her breasts. Without missing a beat, Rick ducked his head down and sucked a nipple into his mouth, his teeth brushing against her sensitive skin, causing Kate to moan loudly as her hand weaved into the short hair at the base of Rick's neck. "God, you're beautiful.
Blushing, Kate reached down and pushed his boxers over his hips before taking him into his hand. "You're not too bad yourself," Kate sighed as she continued to stroke his length.
"Eh, you might want to stop." Rick ground out, his voice tight as he gripped the sheets. "It really has been a while."
Nodding, Kate pulled him down for a kiss as they moaned together. "Please?"
Moving to hover over her once against, his cock nudged against her wet core as Kate wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him closer as she locked her ankles together, cradling him in her body. Letting his eyes find Kate's once more, he stared into her eyes as he slowly pressed his hips forward and they became one. Rick swallowed Kate's moan as he started to move slowly. Dragging his lips to her throat, Rick cursed into her neck, his hips moving faster as Kate met his every thrust.
Reaching between them, Rick found Kate's clit as he pressed gently, smiling against her skin as her thrusts became more uncoordinated and her words were turned into moans.
"Oh fuck," Kate moaned, throwing her head back against the pillow as she writhed beneath him. "So close."
Grazing his teeth down the sensitive skin of her breasts, Rick bit down on her nipple as he felt her walls tighten around him, his hips continued to move as Kate cried out. He could feel his own climax approaching as he felt Kate bite down against his shoulder, no doubt leaving another mark.
"Let go, Rick, let go." Kate whispered, her voice breathy off her recent orgasm.
Rick bent down at kissed Kate, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth as his climax hit. He groaned against her as his hips stuttered thrusting once or twice more before dropping heavily against Kate, he felt her run her hand up and down her back as he regained enough consciousness to take some of his weight off her so not to crush her. Rolling onto the side of the bed, Rick pulled Kate with him and settled her into the side of his body. "That was-"
"Yeah," Kate confirmed, her eyes fluttering shut as she fought off sleep.
"Close your eyes," Rick whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"I should-" Kate argued, her eyes already drifting shut,
"Just for a while. Sleep."
"Mmmhmm," Kate agreed, as her breathing evened out.
. . . . . . . . . .
Lifting her bra and shirt from the hastily discarded pile of clothes on the floor, Kate stood carefully from the bed so not to wake the sleep occupant, before making her way to the bathroom. Dressing silently, she exited the bathroom, crossing the bedroom she stopped in the doorway. Giving Rick one last look, she sighed. Last night had been…amazing. She hadn't felt so alive in years, but none of it was real. They were both lonely and in need of comfort. It wasn't a start of a relationship, and Kate couldn't let herself lie then in his arms whilst she lulled herself into a false sense of security. In the harsh light of day, he wouldn't want her. He was a world famous, multi-millionaire author. He wouldn't be satisfied with a New York City detective. Especially not one as beaten and broken down as her. It was easier if she just left and saved them both from the awkward morning conversation. Turning on her heels, Kate stopped abruptly when she was met with mass of red hair. "I…" Kate stuttered, before taking a steadying breath. "Good morning., I was…just leaving."
"Good morning, Martha Rogers, Richard's mother." She breezed in, holding out her hand. "Is he still sleeping?"
"Yes, it was a late night."
"I'm sure it was," Martha smiled, coyly. "Can I get you some coffee?"
"No, thank you." Hoisting her purse up on her shoulder, she retrieved her phone from where she left it on the coffee table. "I have to go."
"Are you sure you can't wait for Richard? I can wake him."
"No, no. It's fine. I have…work." Licking her lips, Kate bit the inside of her cheek. "Can you…can you tell him thank you?"
"Of course I can. What's your name, kiddo?"
"Kate. My name is Kate."