Title: To Love & Live In L.A.

Summary: Kate Beckett has suffered another tragic loss and can't stand to stay in New York, where the memories are unavoidable. Can new places and new faces help her rise from the ashes of her painful past? AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.

Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!

Beckett found the door at the end of the hall that Nancy had directed her to. She took in a few quick breaths, lifted a hand slowly, and rapped her knuckles lightly on the door.

"Come in."

She did as she was told. Once inside, she saw the occupant standing at a window, looking out. Beckett shut the door and the other woman turned around. She had skin the color of cocoa and her smooth, coal black hair reached far past her shoulders. Her eyes were as dark as a moonless midnight, and each had a sparkle, as if there was a star dotting the darkness. She stepped towards Beckett, who was now in the middle of the room, and extended her right hand.

"Miss Beckett. It's nice to meet you face to face."

"Likewise, Mrs. Gates." Beckett said as she shook her hand.

"Call me Chief." Gates said with a smile. She broke apart the handshake and gestured to a chair in front of her desk. "Have a seat so we can have a chat."

"Yes ma'am."

Beckett sat down and Gates walked around the desk and sat in her own chair. She moved a stack of files to the side and leaned forward on her elbows, twining her fingers together out in front of her.

"So, Kate." She paused. "Or do you prefer Beckett?"

"I'm used to Beckett at work, but either is fine."

"Okay. Beckett it is then." Gates smiled. "Now, I know we talked a bit on the phone about your decision to change jobs, but I have to admit, my curiosity is getting the better of me."

"What do you mean?" Beckett asked.

"I watched the case unfold on the news. I followed the trial." She stopped again when Beckett shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then continued once she had settled down. "You solved several murders, a couple of which went back nearly two decades, and you did it almost single-handedly."

Beckett swallowed as she tried to think of a response. Talking about this was the last thing she wanted to do, but Gates was her boss and she didn't want to appear rude or insubordinate.

"The media made me look far better than I am." She said after a few moments. "They put a spin on it, to make it more sensational. I had plenty of help."

"Irrespectively, you had nowhere to go but up. Promotions had to be awaiting you by the dozens. You exposed a dirty agent and brought down a corrupt senator."

"With all due respect, Chief, Senior Special Agent Montgomery was not dirty." Beckett fought to keep her tone calm, to fight off the hurt and anger. "He made a mistake long ago and was forced to cover it up. He has since atoned for that sin."

"Duly noted." Gates said with a knowing nod. "All of that aside, what would make a rising star in the FBI want to throw it all away and become a glorified babysitter?" She chuckled at the confused look on Beckett's face. "Don't get me wrong, Beckett. What we do here at Aegis is undeniably important. I wouldn't have started this company if I didn't think it was. But when you get down to brass tacks, a private security officer is...well...a babysitter."

Beckett nodded and a tight smile formed across her lips just before a soft sigh split them apart.

"To answer your question, I left the Bureau because I couldn't deal with the ramifications of solving the case. I lost too much in my search for answers."

Gates stared at her for a moment, studying the strong but weary expression on her face. Then she smiled.

"Understood. Now, lets move on to the real reason I called you in here today, other than to meet you."

"The real reason?"

"I'm sure Nancy told you that most of the officers here work with many different people, going from job to job."

"She used slightly different wording, but yes ma'am, she told me."

"And I assume she told you that you'd be working with Esposito and Ryan for a couple of days to learn the ropes?"

"Yes ma'am." Beckett replied.

"Well, it seems you have a fan."

"A fan, Chief?" Her eyebrows revealed the confusion she'd been trying to hide.

"Richard Castle."

"Excuse me?"

"He was rather...impressed with you." Gates chuckled. "And he has requested you join his security detail. Permanently."

"He barely knows me."

"Be that as it may, he called me last night and asked if you could partner up with Ryan and Esposito. Summer is coming, and he'd like some extra eyes on site since his daughter will be with him more. Specifically, your eyes."

Beckett cleared her throat and shifted again in her chair.

"Wouldn't he prefer a more experienced set of eyes?"

"You were in the FBI. Your eyes are some of the most experienced I've ever hired. Look, here's the deal." Gates leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Richard Castle has used Aegis for his private security since his acting career started. He is our most loyal customer, and he refers new clients to us all the time. If he asks me to assign someone to him, I'm going to do it." She squinted her eyes questioningly. "Do you have a problem working with him?"

"Oh, no ma'am." Backett assured Gates quickly. "I'm just...surprised is all. And I still have some adjusting to do."

"Well, you can adjust as you go. I think you'll fit in well here at Aegis."

"Thank you, Chief." Beckett nodded curtly.

"Now, Ryan and Espsotio have been apprised of the situation. They are more than willing to welcome you into their fold. You can meet them at the studio."

"I thought filming was over yesterday."

"It was, but they have to do some dialouge voice overs and other items of wrap up."

"Okay." Beckett stood up and stepped around her chair before turning back to Gates. "I haven't thanked you in person for the job opportunity, so, thank you."

"We're glad to have you. Welcome to Aegis."

The cream-colored phone on Gates' desk began to ring shrilly before Beckett could say anything. Gates reached for the well-worn handset.

"Thank you for coming by. Have a nice day."

"You too, Chief."

Beckett headed for the door as Gates answered her phone. She closed it behind her and headed down the hallway. Nancy was also on the phone, so Beckett just waved at her as she passed through the lobby. She blinked in the sunlight that shrunk her pupils when she opened the door, and wished she'd hadn't left her sunglasses in the car. Seven long strides later, she was sliding into the drivers seat and slipping the somewhat oversized shades over her eyes. Then she leaned back against the head rest and loudy huffed out a large breath.

Her chest was tight with the newness of all this. Everything was happening so fast, and she almost felt as if she was watching from the sidelines. Life as she knew it had stopped the moment Hal Lockwood's bullet found its target. Although it felt like decades, it had only been six months since the shooting. The trial had progressed rather quickly, thanks to Montgomery's testimony. It was after the trial, after justice was served and everything was said and done that she'd decided to move away and start over. She just couldn't walk the same halls at work, go home to the empty apartment, and live the same life as before. But moments like this, with unforeseeable changes that she had no control over, they made her long for the comfort of the life she left behind. The life that was taken from her six long months ago.

She sighed again and shook her head. A minuscule bead of sweat dripped into her eye, the slight sting reminding her that she was sitting in her car in the rising California heat. She chuckled at herself, finding her internal lamenting funny for reasons even she didn't understand. She sat upright, put her key in the ignition, and cranked the engine to life. A few moments later the flow of deliciously cool air had dried the barely there sheen of perspiration on her skin. She backed her car out of its parking spot and pulled into traffic.

Then it hit her. She was going to be working for Richard Castle. Permanently. Yeah. This had to all be a dream.

"Yo! Beckinsale!"

Beckett looked across the room towards the yelling voice and saw Esposito waving her over to where he was standing with Ryan by the craft service table. She rolled her eyes when she realized he'd given her yet another nickname, but she couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out as she headed towards them.

"Good morning." She said when she reached the pair.

"Morning." They both replied with a grin.

"So." Ryan crossed his arms. "You're one of us now, huh?"

"Looks that way." Beckett shrugged and stepped closer to the table so she could fix herself a cup of coffee.

"We were just talking about our schedule for the next few months." Esposito explained.

Beckett attempted an overly cautious sip of the coffee, and ended up sucking at the warm air above the liquid. She decided to give it a minute to cool off and looked up at Esposito.

"Oh yeah? Care to fill the newbie in? What happens now that the filming is finished?"

"They have to finish postproduction in time for the release in August." Ryan told her.

"Wait." Beckett interrupted. "August is three months from now. Can they even prepare an entire movie that fast?"

"Normally, no." Ryan continued. "But they've already been doing a lot of the postproduction work using as much footage as they could. Really, the last few weeks have been wrap up stuff, like today with a few dialogue re-records. They got behind on the filming because they kept changing the script, but to compensate they now have three shifts of editors working on finishing up the movie."

"Yeah." Esposito added. "The Derrick Storm movies have been the biggest cash cow Zenith Studios has ever produced, and with Stormfall being the final movie, they went all out. That's why they want to stick to the original August release date. More bang for their buck thanks to the summer blockbuster effect."

"And now we get to live the glorious life of film promoters." Ryan chuckled.

Beckett took a drink of the coffee she'd almost forgotten about and tucked a wayward bit of hair behind her ear.

"What all does that entail?" She asked.

Esposito cleared his throat and crossed his arms before he answered her.

"Basically, for next three months if there is a possibility for a news spot or a talk show interview or an autograph signing the producers will take advantage of it. Rick Van Winkle will be at most of the events, which means we'll be right there with him."

"So can I assume that's when we work to keep the paparazzi to a minimum and hold the fans back to a dull roar?" Beckett inquired.

"Yes." Ryan said. "And...no." Beckett raised a single eyebrow in confusion. "What I mean is that Castle wants to know if you'd be willing to be his daughter's personal bodyguard."

"Seriously?" She asked.

"Yeah." Esposito nodded. "Lexicon gets out of school in a couple of weeks, and she likes to hang with us some, but at sixteen years old, we aren't always her ideal group to spend all her free time with."

"Her name is Lexicon?" Beckett's eyebrow arched again.

"No." Ryan sighed and smiled. "It's Alexis."

"Ah." Beckett chuckled. "The nickname thing."

"More like nickname obsession." Ryan chided.

"Sounds like you're both jealous now." Esposito replied with a shrug.

Beckett laughed and took another sip of her coffee.

"So, Alexis." She began. "She spends her summer with you guys and Rick. What about her her mother?"

Esposito and Ryan looked at each other with a knowing look, their eyes both squinting in what Beckett read as disdain. After a moment of silent contemplation, they turned back to her.

"Meredith." Ryan paused as if he wasn't sure of the right words to say. "She's...she loves Alexis...but she isn't the mothering type."

"Her career, if you can call it that, is more important to her than anything else." Esposito added. "Maternal duties included."

"Oh." Beckett sipped at her coffee again, even though it had lost half of it's warmth and therefore had a diminished flavor. "That's unfortunate."

Her heart began to beat a little faster. Mothers who just didn't care were one of the things she truly detested in life. But that was neither here nor there. She couldn't allow herself to keep judging other people based on her own experiences. She sighed and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when someone put their hand over her eyes. Half a second later a warm breath swept over her right ear and a voice whispered to her.

"Guess who?"

Panic and adrenaline surged through her. She dropped what was left of her coffee and flung her right elbow backwards. She felt the solidness of the impact of her bone to firm muscle. A rush of air blew over the skin of her neck, accompanied by a pained grunt. Taking advantage of the distraction brought on by her instinctive thrust, she grabbed the arm that was still holding a hand over her face. As her long fingers wrapped around the thick, sinewy forearm, she bent her knees and turned her feet out slightly for extra support. She reached up with her other arm and took hold of the offender's neck. After sucking in a deep breath, she knelt down further and then leaned forward in a hard, quick motion. Her well practiced move vaulted the body behind her over her shoulder. A loud cry was cut short by a wheezing huff as all of the air rushed from Castle's lungs. Beckett's eyes grew wide when she realized who she'd flipped to the ground and she dropped to her knees next to him.

"Oh, Rick, I'm so sorry." She gushed. "Are you okay?"

His only reply was to gasp for oxygen, his face scrunched in obvious extreme discomfort. Beckett grabbed one of his hands with both of hers and squeezed in an attempt to comfort and apologize.

"Just try to breathe, Rick." She cooed, hoping her voice would distract him from what she knew was a burning pain in his chest. "Slow and steady."

Castle nodded his understanding and closed his eyes to focus on taking gentle breaths. Several moments passed before he felt like he wasn't drowning on dry land. He opened his eyes again and met Beckett's concern filled gaze.

"Can you say anything yet?" She asked.

"For reasons too disturbing to mention, I find what you just did hot." He replied, a slight wheeze still in his voice.

Beckett smirked even though a light blush was heating her cheeks. She dropped his hand and stood up, glancing at Ryan and Espostio as she did. They were staring at her, both with open mouths of amazement.

"Dang, Karate Kid." Esposito chuckled. "You've been holding out on us."

Castle sat up and took in a few deep breaths before he climbed to his feet.

"Note to self." He said to Beckett. "You are definitely not a fan of peekaboo."

Ryan and Esposito burst out in laughter, but a glare from Beckett shut them up. She was about to respond to Castle when he yelped and reached towards the back of his shirt. He tugged the fabric away from his skin and Beckett saw the large wet spot. She looked down at the traces of the coffee puddle left when she had dropped her cup. Good thing it was styrofoam.

"Sorry about that too." She said, pointing at his shirt.

"No worries." He let go and shrugged. "I've got plenty of clothes in my trailer. Which is where I'm going to go now." He smiled at Beckett. "You know, if you're feeling really bad about all this, I could use some help getting out of this shirt. Wet clothes can be hard to take off."

"You're a big boy, Rick." She bit back an involuntary grin. "I think you can handle it yourself."

"Suit yourself." He said as he threw a wave to Ryan and Esposito before turning to walk away.

Once he was gone Beckett turned back to the guys. The huge smiles on their faces were too much, and she started laughing.

"You know," Ryan said. "I've seen Castle get flipped off by lots of women. But never actually flipped by a woman."

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Esposito asked.

"Oh, it was pretty much another lifetime ago." Beckett answered, purposely staying ambiguous.

"Is that all we're getting?" Esposto prodded for more information.

"Yep." She smiled.

"Okay." Ryan cleared his throat. "I suppose we should do some actual work." He looked at Esposito. "We could show her the repeat offender files."

"Repeat offenders?" Beckett asked.

"The fans that show up to every event they can and then usually end up making a scene." Ryan explained. "We keep a record of them in case anything were to ever reach the point of needing legal action."

"Like restraining orders?" She inquired.

"Exactly." Espostio said. "And that's a good idea. Let's go look them over."

Beckett leaned over and picked up the empty white cup and tossed it in a garbage can that was a few steps away. The floor was dry by now, so she didn't bother with trying to wipe it clean. Without another word Ryan and Espsotio headed for a small room they had shown Beckett the day before. It was their onsite headquarters, although they rarely used it. She threw a glance over her shoulder in the direction Castle had gone, but she didn't see any sign of him. Which was good. She really did feel bad, and he was the last person she wanted to see right then. She sighed quietly and then headed off after the guys.