TITLE: In Another Life
AUTHOR: definitely-always (oneanddonekindofgirl on tumblr)
PAIRING: Caskett
RATING: K+ (subject to change)
SUMMARY: A/U: 1999 - Johanna, Jim, and their daughter Kate are placed in Witness Protection and given new identities after Johanna survives being stabbed in a back alley. Enter Richard Castle. A "what if" story.
DISCLAIMER: Castle and its characters belong to Andrew Marlowe, ABC Studios, et al. For entertainment purposes only. Not for profit in any way.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I scoured this site and AO3 to see if this idea had been done before, but I didn't find anything. I only joined the Castle fandom about eight months ago (though I've since seen every episode at least five times since then), so please forgive me if I overlooked a story. Hopefully, if a similar story exists, this one differs enough to make it unique. Thanks! :)

CHAPTER ONE: Her Name Was Anna Tucker

Anna Tucker. Her name was Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker.

The nineteen-year-old repeated the name to herself over and over again, intent on making it stick.

Anna Tucker.

Anna Tucker grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She was nineteen years old. She was transferring from Georgetown University to USC. A freshman. Intent on majoring in pre-law.

Anna Tucker.

Anna Tucker was tall, thin but not skinny, and had hazel eyes that appeared a deep green in the right light.

Anna Tucker.

Anna Tucker.

Anna Tucker.

The girl sighed heavily, leaning back in the uncomfortable airplane seat as the fasten seatbelt light came on with a ding. A rough voice called out over the intercom: "This is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent into LAX. Please return to your seats. We will be landing in approximately thirty minutes. The current time in LA is 2:17PM. The weather is fair with a temperature of fifty-two degrees and sunny skies. Thank you for flying Delta and we hope you enjoyed your flight."

The girl glanced to her right, seeking out her mother who was still asleep in the seat beside her. She hated to wake her—she's been through so much these past two weeks and was still in a weakened state. Her gaze fell on the man sitting on the other side of the sleeping woman, and he met her gaze, then nodded. The girl's father gently touched his wife's arm, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, "Elizabeth, time to wake up, honey."

Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Tucker.

The name sounded to foreign to the girl sitting in the window seat of the airplane. The man was Daniel Tucker, her father. They appeared to be the picture-perfect family, traveling to Los Angeles.

Anna Tucker, the beautiful daughter. Elizabeth Tucker, the tired but equally beautiful mother. Daniel Tucker, the protective father.

It's who they were; a perfect nuclear family.

But it was all wrong.

She wasn't Anna Tucker from Baltimore. She was Kate Beckett from New York City. Freshman at Stanford University.

Except now, she was Anna. Kate was no more. She was Anna Tucker.

Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker.

Kate—Anna—glanced around the room. Her room. It was larger than her childhood room back in New York. It was still bare of any furniture except a twin-sized bed she doubted she'd fit comfortably on and a small dresser, and the walls were an off-white color, in dire need of a fresh coat of paint or two. But the floor was covered in a plush beige carpet and the lone window in the room was large, allowing the room to be bathed in the late afternoon sunlight.

She stepped further into the room and dropped her carryon bag onto the naked mattress, wondering if there were clean sheets anywhere. Spying two doors, she opened one and gasped. The closet was huge! Not as big as those fancy walk-in closets you see on TV, but easily twice the size of her old one. One wall boasted a long pole for hanging clothes, the other shelves and drawers. But there were no sheets to be found.

Behind the other door, she found a nice-sized bathroom complete with her own tub/shower combination. Everything looked bare, but clean. Though the tiles on the floor were chipped and the grout dingy with age. She wondered what it would take to replace them.

"Ka—I mean Anna, what do you think of your room?" a female voice called out from the doorway. Kate reappeared from the bathroom, a forced smile. "It's big," she said. "But I doubt I'll fit on that bed," she continued, indicating the small bed. "And I can't find sheets."

Johanna—Elizabeth—shook her head. "I doubt there are any. Your father is going to run to the store in a few minutes for things like that and some basic groceries in a few minutes. We'll have to see about getting you a bigger bed, but I'm afraid you'll have to make do for tonight."

She looked so apologetic and guilty that Kate's heart clenched. Sighing, she walked over to her mother and wrapped her arms loosely around her, mindful of her recent injuries. She tucked her head into her mother's shoulder when familiar arms returned her embrace. "I'll be fine for a night or two," she reassured. "It's just going to take some time for me to adjust to everything. I'm still Kate in my head."

"I know, sweetie," her mother murmured. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I know it's not fair to you or your father."

Kate pulled back to look her mother in the eye. "We've gone over this," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't blame you and neither does Dad. We're just glad you're okay and safe. We'd follow you anywhere to keep you that way. Everything will be okay. It's just going to take some getting used to. We'll be back to normal in no time, just with different names."

"And different lives," Johanna commented. "I'm still sorry you had to leave your friends behind at Stanford."

Kate shrugged. "Debbie's hairspray kept giving me migraines anyway," she said, indicating her roommate back at her old school.

"What about that boy you'd started seeing? Nick?"

Kate chuckled, tucking her arm into her mother's and leading her down the hallway towards the living room. "It wasn't going anywhere anyway. He was fun, but I was thinking of breaking things off already."

They sat on the lone couch. "I'm still sorry," her mother said.

Kate shook her head. "Stop," she insisted. "It's not going to help. You're safe. We're safe. That's all that matters."

And it was. Kate was sad, mad even, that they had to leave their old life behind, but not at her mother. She was mad at the bastard who'd tried to kill her mother. He was the one at fault, not the loving, truth-seeking woman sitting next to her. Because of him, her mother had nearly died in a back alley just two weeks prior. Because of him, they'd had to go into hiding via Witness Protection. Johanna Beckett was now a key witness to bringing down a very evil, very powerful man. His identity was still unknown, but his power and influence was clear. He'd ordered a hit on Johanna Beckett when she'd started investigating the murder of a FBI Agent years before.

Now, to the general public, it had been released to the media and their friends and family that Johanna Beckett was dead—murdered in an alley in Washington Heights—and her daughter, Kate, and widow, Jim, had moved out of the country in order to "get away from the haunting memories of their beloved mother and wife."

Who knows when, if ever, they'd be able to return to their old lives.

"The only think I'm really upset about is that I have to wait until summer to start school again," Kate said with a sad smile. She had missed the start of the spring semester by a week. Classes had already started. Of course, the people in charge could have easily set it up so that Kate as Anna could just start late, but Kate had opted to just wait, not wanting to start off behind.

Johanna chuckled. "If only this had all happened a few weeks earlier, right?"

Kate shrugged. "It's alright. It gives me time to adjust and get used to being Anna before meeting a lot of new people."

Johanna nodded and clasped her daughter's hand tightly. "We'll get through this together." Kate nodded in agreement.

"Katie, would you like to accompany me to get a few things to hold us over until a bigger shopping excursion tomorrow?" Jim's voice startled them both.

Kate nodded and stood. "Sure, but who's Katie?" she asked, half joking, half solemn.

Jim sighed. "No one, Anna," he said. "It's going to take time." Kate nodded in agreement.

"Mom, you want to come, or stay here and rest?" It had only been two weeks since she'd been stabbed, and one week since she'd woken up from her medically-induced coma. They'd left New York as soon as she'd been physically able to leave the hospital, and she still had trouble standing for more than a few minutes at a time.

"I'll stay," Johanna said, confirming Kate's guess. "Just pick up something for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning and other things we may need until tomorrow. Don't forget towels and sheets and toilet paper."

Kate laughed and leaned down to kiss her mother's cheek. "We won't. How does Chinese sound for dinner? I think I saw a place just down the road on our way here."

Johanna nodded. "You know what I like. Be careful."

"We will."

Jim had joined Kate beside the couch and gave his wife a quick kiss. "You okay here or do you need help into the bedroom?"

Johanna shooed him off. "I'm injured, not an invalid. I'll be fine here. Besides, there's no sheets on the bed. Go. I'll be fine."

It had been six weeks since they'd arrived in LA. Kate was quickly getting used to being Anna. There had been talk of sticking to their real names when in the comfort of their own home, but that idea had quickly been nixed. Johanna had pointed out that using their given names at home could lead to accidental slips out in the public. Kate and Jim had agreed. So they only used their new names at all times, quick to correct one another when they slipped. No one had slipped up in nearly two weeks. It seemed that Kate, Johanna, and Jim were now officially Anna, Elizabeth, and Daniel. The perfect nuclear family fresh from Baltimore.

Their neighbors were nice. Kate was used to indifferent New Yorkers, not the friendly newlywed couple from the South that said hi and smiled whenever they passed one another in the hallway. Kate liked it. It made her feel safer for some reason.

The woman, Tori, wasn't all that much older than Kate—only twenty-three and fresh out of college—and she'd place the man, Kyle, as only a few years older. Tori was the first person in LA that Kate would consider a friend. And she was the first person she told her made-up story to. Tori didn't even blink and accepted everything Kate said. Not that Kate had any doubts, but she still hated having to lie about her life. Tori and Anna had become fast friends. But Kate still held back, cautious about getting too close to anyone for fear of being ripped away from her new life once more. She was determined to keep everyone at arm's length. It would only make things complicated to get too close to anyone.

Both her parents had been lawyers in New York. But they'd been advised that returning to practicing law was a risk that the people in charge weren't willing to take. Kate didn't really understand, but neither of her parents had objected. They probably knew something about the profession that she didn't yet. She was still planning on studying pre-law and becoming a lawyer. No one could stop her from that. No one tried to.

In lieu of practicing law, both Johanna and Jim had acquired a job at a local Law School, Johanna as a faculty advisor and part time professor of law and Jim as a full time professor of economics since he'd previously practiced economic law. Kate still had trouble picturing her parents as professors, but they seemed to enjoy their new careers. Not as much as practicing, but enough to make it worthwhile.

In the meantime, Kate had been spending her newly acquired free time exploring the city and looking for her own part time job. She really didn't want to waitress or work retail, but she needed to find something to occupy her time and keep her from having to rely on her parents' money. They'd given her a credit card, but she used it sparingly after acquiring a basic wardrobe and things needed for her room, which now boasted a queen-sized bed and matching dresser and armoire set. The walls had gotten a fresh coat of paint and the bathroom had been retiled. After adding decorative accents, such as curtains, pillows, and other random items found in a one's bedroom, Kate almost felt at home in their new place. Almost.

They had been given an ample sum of money to relocate and get new things. They'd been allowed to bring only their most important possessions with them. For Kate, those items had included photos, the stuffed elephant, Gerard, that her grandmother—her mother's mother—had given to her when she was two years old, and a few other things with sentimental value. The rest had been donated to various charities.

Late one night six weeks into their new life, Kate sat on the couch, mindlessly watching an episode of FRIENDS while Johanna prepared dinner and Jim sat at the kitchen table grading papers.

"Anything interesting in your job hunt today, sweetie?" Johanna called out over the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. Kate pressed the mute button on the TV and moved onto her knees, turning to rest her folded arms on the back of the couch to see her mother clearly.

"Not really," she said. "I don't want to waitress or work retail, but I might have to if I don't find something else soon."

Johanna smiled. "You don't have to work, you know. You'll be starting school again in a few months anyway. Why not take this time to relax?"

Kate shrugged. "I've relaxed enough. I don't like not having something to do."

"You could always model," Jim called out from the table in a teasing tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "That was one summer nearly two years ago," she said. "Let it go." Jim chuckled, but didn't say another word.

"What about a bookstore?" Johanna suggested as she strained the pasta. "I know it's still retail, but you love to read."

Kate nodded. "Maybe. I'd get an employee's discount on books, too," she joked.

"Exactly!" Johanna replied. "You could get me my books, too. Those hardbacks are expensive, but I don't want to wait for the paperback."

"Patterson, Connelly, Castle, Lehane…" Kate listed. "What is it with you and mystery novels?"

Johanna shrugged. "It's interesting. You should try a few sometime. I really think you'd like them."

Kate shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. Pick out one you think I'd like and maybe I'll read a bit after dinner. I'm tired of TV anyway and I don't have anything new to read."

Johanna smiled and nodded. "I will. But dinner's almost ready. Will you set the table, please?"

Kate nodded and stood, then did as she was asked. Soon, the three of them sat at the table enjoying the meal Johanna had prepared. That was something that hadn't changed throughout the years—they ate at the table as a family whenever they could. Of course, since moving to LA, that had been practically every night since there were no cases keeping either Johanna or Jim away and no boyfriends or other friends keeping Kate away. She'd had dinner with Tori twice.

After dinner, Kate helped clear the table and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher while Johanna put the leftovers in Tupperware containers and slid them into the refrigerator. "I'll pick you out a good book," she said, heading off to the master bedroom where she kept her extensive collection of mystery novels only to return moments later. "Here," she said, handing Kate a hardback book that looked as if it had been read five times.

Kate looked at the title. "'Flowers for Your Grave'?" she questioned, noting that the author was Richard Castle as she opened the front cover to read the description of the novel. She had to admit, it did sound interesting.

"One of my favorites," Johanna said. "Richard Castle is my favorite author, but you already knew that."

Kate chuckled. "Indeed I did. Thanks. I'll start it now as I take a bath." She closed her bedroom door and set out for the bathroom, shedding her clothes along the way. She loved having her own bathtub and allowed herself a long soak almost every night.

As the water filled the tub, Kate washed off her makeup and studied herself in the mirror. She'd never thought of herself as gorgeous, but she knew she was pretty enough. She'd been incredibly uncomfortable in her own skin as an awkward, gangly teenager, but she'd seemed to grow into herself over the past two years. She went from awkward and pimply-faced with a mouth full of braces to confident and nearly perfect skin. She once despised being so tall, but now she embraced her height. Loved it, actually.

Noting that the tub had filled, Kate turned off the water and quickly swept her long, medium brown hair into a high bun to avoid it getting wet, then slid into the hot water, sighing in pleasure at the feel of it embracing her body. God, she loved hot baths!

She relaxed for a few moments, unmoving and allowing her mind to wander, but her curiosity finally got the best of her and she reached out to where she'd left her mother's book and settled in to reach the first chapter. She was still skeptical, but she was willing to give it a shot.

Twenty minutes later found Kate sitting in lukewarm water completely engrossed in the story.

It wasn't until a shiver wracked her body that Kate became aware of the now tepid water and her decidedly pruned toes. She quickly set the book aside and reached for the rubber stopper, pulling it up and allowing the water to drain. She stood and dried herself quick as possible and grabbed the book, anxious to get back to the story. She actually read as she dressed in a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt. Kate had a feeling she wouldn't be getting to bed any time soon. She had a habit of allowing herself to get caught up in a book and not putting it down until she was completely done with it. If that meant reading into the wee hours of the night, then so be it.

And that's exactly what happened. At precisely 4:13AM, Kate closed the book, completely surprised by the ending, but pleased with that surprise. One reason she hated most mystery novels is that they were often times predictable. This one had kept her guessing. She liked that. A lot.

Kate held the book in her hands, studying it intently. She suddenly wanted very badly to get a job at a bookstore now, as her mother suggested. She came up with a plan. The following day (or later that same day, she corrected), once she got some sleep, she was going to find a few bookstores close by and see if any were hiring.

Plan in place, Kate settled in for the night, feeling totally content in LA for the first time since arriving.

She had Richard Castle to thank for that.

Author's Note: Hello lovey readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I will be posting chapter two very soon. Please let me know what you think of this idea! :) Thanks! Also, in narration, I will still be referring to Kate, Johanna, and Jim with their birth names. Only in dialogue will they be referred to as Anna, Elizabeth, or Daniel. Hope that isn't confusing! :)