Special thanks to my beta, Shutterbug5269.

[Edit 23/04/19: I feel like I should warn new readers because my lack of updates will mean I may get a few who have never read or even heard of this story. As I said in my original author's notes, there will be things in this story that will confuse you. There will be things that don't seem to make sense. All will be revealed in good time.

Because this story starts off a certain way, alot of people make assumptions about what it's going to be or how much certain characters are going to be in it or the nature of scenes between certain characters based on the opening chapter. Please give this story a chance before making those assumptions.

There are crazy, weird , supernatural temporal shifting things in this story but hopefully if you give it a chance you'll find it's worth it.

The story contains a lot of variables that I have to keep track of and that takes some work, which means it may be a while before it is completed. Nevertheless, whether you're new or an old reader coming back for a refresher or simply to experience the story again, I hope you enjoy.

"Katie, I'm so glad I finally got through to you."

Kate smiled and shook her head. She'd gotten three texts and four missed calls from her mother in the last hour, which she had missed due to being... preoccupied with her fiancé.

Josh had only just left for the hospital after being paged. She had known coming into this relationship that he worked crazy hours, just as he had known the same about her, but she was glad to have someone to talk to in his absence.

"Hey, Mom, was there something wrong with the painting?"

"No, no, it's beautiful; I still can't believe you went to all that trouble."

"No trouble, it was Mothers' Day. So what's the big emergency?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Richard Castle is on Mickey Reed tonight."

Kate rolled her eyes. She had been something of a fan of the best-selling author in her youth. As work and life had gotten busier her obsession had lessened but Johanna was always sure to tell her of any news to do with the author. For the most part, she found this hilarious, but there were times when the news was a little more sobering, like his recent, highly publicised battle with cancer. Since that scare, she'd gone back to his work, rediscovering his classic stuff as well as trying out the books she hadn't gotten around to reading. She had just read the last book he'd released before his diagnosis, Homage to a Murder, and loved it. She had already pre-ordered his next book, the first since going into remission.

"I know, Mom, I already have The Late Shift on."

"Oh, alright. Well, I won't keep you."

"Hey, that's ok. I'll DVR it."

"Oh, I have to be getting to bed any way. Your father always wakes me up when he goes fishing and I want to get some sleep."

"How is the simple life treating you, Mom?"

"Katie, it's great. Really, I love retirement. I just wish your father would let me get Wi-Fi for the cabin but apparently that would 'spoil the experience'."

Kate laughed.
"Ok, well, I'll let you go. Get some sleep. I love you, Mom."

"Love you, too, Katie."

As she hung up the phone, Kate turned up the volume. Richard Castle would be on soon.

Rick slumped onto his bed in exhaustion. Why did his publicist have to book him on a live show that aired so late at night? Yes, he had been a frequent guest when Bobby Mann had been alive and hosting, but he'd been younger then; before the explosion that had torn the city apart again, unleashing the radiation that had caused him and many others to be struck by cancer. Before the chemo and radiotherapy had attacked his body along with his disease. When he was a playboy and not an embarrassing excuse for a man who'd all but lost his libido, who was still recovering from a bone-marrow transplant. When he'd enjoyed the rich, ladies' man lifestyle; the schmoozing, the mindless laughter at his cheesy jokes, the women, the endless praise. There had been a time when he had gotten bored of the tedium of it all, but even then, he'd still loved it, still basked in the perks of being Richard Castle. Now? He was just tired, and being at the studio for an hour, not leaving until ten-thirty at night, for a five-minute guest-spot pimping out a book, the success of which he frankly didn't care about one way or the other, was not how he wanted to spend his time these days.

He wanted to get to the bottom of the bombing; there had always been something about the story that didn't make sense. His attempts to find out the truth were not exactly a secret and he didn't know what was worse; those who pitied him, seeing him as a desperate man seeking an answer for his hardships; or those who threw him in with the crazy unpatriotic conspiracy theorists (not that he hadn't enjoyed a good conspiracy theory in his time, but this was different).

He wanted to spend more time with Alexis. Of course, it had been he who'd persuaded her to move into a dorm this year after staying at the loft to take care of him since his diagnosis. He wanted her to have the true college experience. But he appreciated the time they did get to spend together on a much deeper level now.

He also wanted to see the new Star Wars movie.

To be honest, what he really wanted to do was down a glass of scotch - against doctor's orders - close his eyes and block out the world for a few hours. He was tempted by the scotch idea, but instead, he got changed, went back to bed and willed his mind to conjure a dream of a different reality; anything other than this one. He was grateful that he had survived, but there were times he really didn't want to be here, times he wished he was somewhere else. This was one of those times.

He was so very tired.

Kate looked up from her book when Josh entered the room. He kicked off his shoes and she smiled as he climbed into bed next to her and hugged her from behind.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Heart attack turned out to be a case of angina. "

"Well ,that's alright," she said, indicating her book, "I had Richard Castle to keep me company."

Josh chuckled at the back-cover photo of the author.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with that man lately. Should I be jealous?"

She shrugged.
"I don't know. He is ruggedly handsome. "

Josh feigned offence.
"And I'm not? "

"Well, I'll give you rugged."

He chuckled and kissed her.

"I think I need to turn in," she said. "I have court tomorrow. "

"Ok, I have to take a shower. I'll try to be quiet. "

"Ok, goodnight. "

"Night. Give my regards to Mr. Castle. "

She grinned.
"I will. "

Martha poured herself a cup of coffee.

Rick walked through the door of his study slowly, an odd look on his face.

"Good morning, Darling. I'm sorry you can't have coffee yet but there's still some grape-juice left."

"Ok," Rick said vaguely as he walked to the counter in a daze, sitting down.

"Kiddo, is everything alright? "

"I think so," he said quietly. "I feel... lighter. "

"Oh Richard, were you sick? I thought you were doing better. Should I call the doctor?"

"Doctor? No, no I'm fine, I just... had a bad dream. "

"Oh, well... was there a murder in it? Because Gina has been pushing you for the next manuscript and I don't want you to feel obligated or pressured to take on more than you can handle, but a little inspiration couldn't hurt. "

"Gina's always pushing me for the next manuscript. I've got better things with which to occupy myself. Speaking of, where's Kate?"

Martha stared blankly at him.
"Kate? Doesn't sound familiar. Have you started dating again? Is Kate a new... lady friend? Because if so, I'm glad you - "

"Very funny, Mother. Did Kate put you up to this?"

"Kiddo, if this Kate person stayed here last night, I haven't seen her. Maybe she left. "

"Ok, Mother, this isn't cute any more. Katherine. Kate Beckett. Where is she? "

"Darling, you're starting to scare me. Am I supposed to know who this Kate is? "

"I would hope so, seeing as she's your future daughter-in-law. "

"Future daughter-in-law? Richard, you didn't get engaged again so soon after surgery, did you? Oh, Darling, you do this every time something bad happens. First, you married Meredith much too quickly after Kyra broke your heart, and then after Gina's miscarriage you popped the question again; and now, you're - "

"Mother, this is ludicrous. Why are you bringing up my past love life when you can't even remember my current fiancée? Is this an early sign of dementia? Do you know what year it is?"

"Richard, you're being absurd."

"I'm being absurd?! Mother - " Just then, he caught his own reflection in one of the kitchen pots. He froze. After a moment, he jumped up and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Richard -"

Rick ignored his mother calling after him as he ran to his bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror, tracing the shape of his reflected features on the glass, before moving his hands to the real thing. His own mother didn't remember Beckett. He had woken up a good sixty pounds lighter than he had last remembered being - not in a good way - and his face looked pale.

He went back into the bedroom, confusion setting in with everything he saw that shouldn't be. He had been still half-asleep when he first awakened but now the differences were a lot more obvious. Everything was ostensibly the same but...every trace of Kate Beckett was gone. Her clothes, her scent...even the framed seashells he'd hung there himself were missing. Instead, Linus hung in his former place like he had never left.

He pinched himself.

"Ow!"

This didn't appear to be a dream. If it wasn't, what kind of messed up Bizarro world had he woken up in which to find himself?