AN: So, I jumped on the "Valkyrie" bandwagon. Anyway, this is something a little different. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.
Then
She sits at the bar, back straight, her body still on alert. She's on her second drink and still hasn't relieved a months worth of stress from her mind. A damn month and they haven't caught the guy. Which is what landed her here in the first place. She just wants to let go and relax for a little while. Her natural instinct to observe forces her to look at her surroundings and assess the people around her. They're all like her, nursing their drinks and wallowing after a long days work.
As she looks around, she raps her fingers against the wood of the bar and tries to tune out the already dull background music. Noticing her drink is gone, she asks the bartender for another and he gladly obliges. As she waits for her drink, she feels someone's eyes on her. Discreetly, she turns her head to the left and sees a man with blonde hair and blue eyes staring at her. From what she can tell, he is built, but not overly muscular. She shoots him a flirtatious smile and beckons with her finger for him to join her. He is not usually her type, but tonight she does not care. He is at her side a moment later, a playful smirk on his lips.
"Hello." His voice is deep and he speaks in a subdued tone "What is your name?"
"Rachel," she responds smoothly, trying for a sultry tone.
"Rachel," he searches.
"Just Rachel." Her tone is friendly but firm. No last names for tonight.
He chuckles. "Got it. I'm Tyler."
"Nice to meet you, Tyler."
"So, forgive me for sounding cheesy, but what is a beautiful woman like you doing alone at a bar?"
Rachel chuckles, twirling a strand of her black hair. She is not really wearing anything overly attractive, just her traditional work clothes, minus the jacket and badge. "I could ask you the same thing." She gives him a teasing grin.
Tyler smirks, his eyes shining with amusement. "Just looking for a drink and perhaps some company."
"Well, looks like you found both." Rachel places a hand on his knee and waits for a reaction. She smiles when he does not move away. He places his hand on hers and grins.
"My place or yours?"
Her answer is quick, no hesitation. "Yours." She wants to get away from everything, even if it means doing the walk of shame in the morning.
Tyler nods and they leave their respective seats simultaneously, their drinks forgotten. The walk to his place is quiet, neither really having much to say. The moment they walk through the door, she turns to face him and begins to take off his clothes.
"You don't waste any time," he jokes.
Instead if responding, she pushes her lips to his as he leads her to the bedroom. Only the sounds of pure ecstasy are heard for the rest of the night.
She wakes the next morning with a slight headache, but it is bearable. She rolls over to the left, the white cotton sheets tangling around her legs in the process.
"Morning," she mumbles to the man next to her. He is already awake, his eyes showing confusion. "What?" For a minute, she thinks that maybe he does not remember her. However, she is not prepared for what he says next.
"Who's Scofield?" His eyebrows furrow in confusion.
She swallows. "I'm sorry, what?" She is now sitting up, tightly clutching the sheet to her chest. She can feel her heart beginning to beat rapidly and she starting to panic.
"Scofield. You kept mumbling something about Scofield in your sleep. So who is it? A boyfriend or something?" It is clear that he is not angry.
"No one," Rachel responds quickly, getting out of bed. She is absolutely horrified. "Did I say anything else?" She prays that he says no. Relief watches over her as he shakes his head. She quickly begins to gather her clothes from around the room, and frantically begins to put her pants on.
"Hey, slow down," he says playfully. "I wanted to make you breakfast."
"That's nice, but I really have to go." She needs to get out of there before she screws up, again. She throws on her shirt and shoes.
"You sure?"
She nods. "I'm sure. Look, you were great, but I do have to go, Bye!" Before he can say another word, she is out the door.
When Rachel reaches the middle of the hallway, she stops and runs a hand through her hair. She takes a calming breath and closes her eyes. She cannot believe she did that. She did not know she talked in her sleep. Granted, she is usually alone when she is sleeping, but she is still horrified. Luckily, she had not said a lot, so she is safe and the case is still classified. She knows the best course of action is move on and act like it never happened.
And make sure it never happens again.
Now
As she stares at the new agent in front of her, she cannot help but see herself from years ago. The eagerness, the intellect, and the determination. It is all there in Agent Kate Beckett. Rachel has high hopes for Beckett in the field, despite her being new. The brunette has proven herself well, regardless of the fluke during training. Rachel could see Kate moving up in the ranks quickly, as long as the former detective keeps her head straight and her mind focused on the job when needed.
The one rule Rachel has in her office is to keep personal lives outside of the office. This is something that the newer agents, such as Beckett, seem to have a hard time doing. Although, Rachel does admit to herself that it is not completely Beckett's fault. Richard Castle is apparently just naturally invasive. However, the senior agent still gives the female rookie a lecture.
The veteran agent herself is married, to a husband of seven years. However, she never mentions him around the office unless absolutely necessary. They love each other, but her constant traveling and classified cases sometimes put a strain on their relationship. However, they somehow make it work and make as much time for each other as they can. He is an accountant at a firm in DC, not far from her office. They usually meet up for lunch, when or if she has time.
As Rachel looks at Beckett, she smiles internally. She knows what it feels like to be happy and in love. However she has learned how to contain it, something Beckett needs some practice in. She does not want the agent to make the same mistake she made and potentially destroy her career. Beckett's tendency to spin theories with Richard Castle could put her job and perhaps the whole team's jobs in jeopardy.
Rachel is not one to interfere with her team's personal lives, but if something interferes with the job, she will make sure is it taken care of. Right now, her problem is Richard Castle and his invasiveness. He might be helpful, but he is a civilian who should not have any knowledge of classified information. He is infuriating and from what she has seen, slightly child-like. She wants the man out of D.C. as soon as possible. However, she can tell the bond between Beckett and Castle is strong, almost ironclad.
So, as she looks at Agent Beckett, Rachel realizes something. She cannot control Agent Beckett, only guide her. Beckett's choices are her own and Rachel would never interfere with that.
Rachel just hopes that Beckett makes the right ones.
AN: There it is. To be honest, I'm really not too sure about the last section, it feels a little off. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.
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