A/N: This is an AU, so a couple things to keep in mind as this journey unfolds. First, there is no age difference between Castle and Beckett. Second, don't assume that because I'm using the case from the pilot that the year is 2009. It's present day.

The first chapter is short, but it's the best place to break. Chapters should be a little longer from here on out.

This story was inspired by a GIF set on Tumblr, which I will post a link to in the near future. Doing so now would kill the mystery of the plot.

Last, but certainly not least, many thanks to Ally for the beta.

The murder scene catches her off guard. Normally, this would be her kind of case-"Beckett-flavored," as the boys liked to call them. But the minute she sees the way the body is positioned, her blood runs cold.

She doesn't say anything, only slowly walks around the perimeter of the body while Lanie and the boys collect any information they can. She leans down, right next to where the sunflowers cover the victim's eyes.

"I've seen this before."

Her eyes shift to Ryan and Esposito. They're frozen, waiting for her to continue. "Rose petals on her body? Sunflowers on her eyes?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Beckett," Esposito tells her in frustration.

"Don't you guys read?" She's trying to play it cool, she really is. Kate is thankful that her team isn't pushing her about this, at least not very hard. "Flowers for Your Grave, guys. This body is laid out just like a murder scene in a book."

"And you know this because…?" Ryan teases.

"Because I read the book, smartass."

Kate continues to examine the scene quietly while the boys speculate behind her. Even as she takes notes and gets information from Lanie, she can hear them trying to figure out who wrote the book and how they proceed from here, since they don't currently have any witnesses.

"Lucky for us, the author lives in the city. In fact, he's even having a book launch party tonight."

"You know too much about this, Beckett," Esposito says while Ryan smirks next to him. "Are you going to put the illiterates out of our misery, or just keep dropping clues to show your superiority?"

"Richard Castle. His name is Richard Castle."

Ryan speaks up first. "And I bet you know where this party is, too. Were you planning on going before we got called up on this one?"

"No," she says curtly, hoping they don't try to get any more information out of her right now. The more she thinks about it, the more certain she is that her whole life is about to be turned upside down. And if that's the case, Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie will know soon enough why she's so knowledgeable about the career of Richard Castle.

"You don't know where it is? Or you weren't planning on going?" Lanie butts in, eyeing Kate with a look that tells her that she's going to be grilled later on about this off-the-wall and totally surreal conversation at a crime scene.

"The book launch is at some rooftop bar on Broadway. I can't remember the name, but I'm sure we can narrow it down quickly. And no, I wasn't planning on going. Just because I read the guy's books doesn't mean I want to go have my chest signed by him."

"But do you want the honor of crashing the shindig and asking him to come to the precinct to answer some questions?"

The idea is certainly appealing. Of course she would, but she doesn't think that would be the way to go about seeing him. It's too...public.

"Actually, why don't you guys go pick him up. I need to check on something back at the precinct that might be related to this case. This might not be the first murder scene of his that's been copied."

Ryan and Espo nod as they turn and walk out of the building, their cell phones already against their ears as they try to figure out where they need to go to find their author.

Kate takes one last look at the scene, walking up behind Lanie supervising the movement of the body. "You'll give me a report once you have a chance to get her back to the morgue?"

"You know I will, Beckett."

Kate's almost to the door before Lanie calls back to her. She should have known better than to think that she could fool Lanie, of all people.

"Don't think I didn't notice that something's going on with you, Kate. We will be talking later."

The detective chooses not to turn back, only waving her acknowledgment as she walks out of the victim's apartment on her way back to the precinct for what is sure to be a long night.

When Ryan and Espo get to the precinct with the author, they immediately put him in one of the interrogation rooms before finding their way to Beckett's desk, going on and on about the spectacle that was Richard Castle's book launch party.

"So he's in there?" she asks them, trying desperately to sound like she isn't so nervous. Even if they noticed though, they would completely miss the mark on her reasons.

"Yeah, Boss. Do we get to watch you interview your celebrity crush?" Ryan gets a fist bump from Espo for his comment, but Kate instead thrusts two files into their chests.

"Sorry, guys. I need you to start looking into any possible connection between Tisdale and this guy." She walks off without another word, her own copy of the file still in her hands, which is she trying desperately to keep from shaking.

Once outside the door, she has to take a deep breath. When she answered her phone tonight, she expected murder. She expected a long night. What she didn't expect was to see him again, and especially not in this environment.

Steeling herself for what is sure to be a confrontation she isn't looking forward to, she opens the door and walks into the room, happy for the short moment she has to gaze upon him again after all these years.

When the door closes, his eyes shoot up to hers, and she tries her best to look apologetic.

"Kate?"