A/N: Hey all! What a welcome back! I thank you all for the praise, it means a lot. I'm also open to hear some of that constructive criticism I was getting with my last few chapters last time I updated. I've been sticking to fluff lately, and it's so fun to write, but I wanted to get back to the action of the story! I'm all for direction and suggestion, I just wasn't a fan of the basic "you suck" and "they wouldn't say/do that". Anywho, this journey is not as much for myself as it is my readers. I hope you enjoy this new chapter of Blurred Lines! This is one of my longest chapters yet, and I hope it tides you over until the next one, which won't be coming as fast. Don't forget to leave comments!

-Charahfan44

Hunter College Elementary School - 2023

Lily Castle had just turned five years old, and her father had already enrolled her in a private elementary school built for gifted children. He was determined to shape her into a genius before she hit ten.

"Are you sure she's ready?" Kate had made a feast for the family in the kitchen.

"I think with your pancakes, she can conquer the world." He smiled.

"Rick, I'm being serious." She frowned. "Maybe we should wait a year."

"Wait?" He stopped. "Why wait when she's already in?"

"I don't like this." Lily stepped into the kitchen, her tiny feet scuffing the floor. She was frowning in her little red dress, the uniform that the school had required everyone to wear.

"It's so adorable." Castle picked up his phone, snapping numerous pictures. Kate couldn't help but smile at her daughter. Her little pouty face was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"It's itchy." Her frown stayed plastered on her face. Her hair was loose, and it fell in bouncy curls that she kept pushing out of her face.

"Maybe I can help." Kate picked Lily up, sitting her in one of the kitchen chairs. "Better?" She asked, pulling Lily's hair back into a ponytail.

"A little." Lily replied.

"Eat some pancakes, you'll feel better." Castle placed a plate in front of her.

"Ew." She stuck her nose up at them.

"What do you mean, 'ew'? You love pancakes."

"No I don't."

"Still think she's ready?" Kate whispered to her husband.

"She's going." He stated. "Whether she likes it or not."

They waited for the twins' nanny to show up before leaving. The drive to the preschool was silent. Castle finally got Lily to eat some fruit and toast before getting into the car. She was definitely more of a daddy's girl, while the twins made sure to take up as much of Kate's time as they could. The two-and-a-half-year-old's loved tag teaming against her, but she didn't necessarily mind. It helped her dive into the role of motherhood better than she had with Lily.

"You're going to have a great day." Kate turned around in the drivers seat.

"I don't think so." Lily's arms were folded in her car seat.

"Come on, cheer up." Castle got out and opened her door. "You can tell us all about it when we come to pick you up."

"I love you." Kate said, watching as Castle took Lily's little hand, leading her up the steps to the school. After about ten steps, they stopped, and Castle turned around. He made his way back to the car, opening the passenger side door.

"She wants you." He said to Kate.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." He nodded. Kate did her best to wipe the surprised look off her face as she stepped out of the car and made her way up to her daughter, crouching down to her level.

"What's going on, baby?" She asked.

"What if no one likes me?"

"You are going to make so many friends in there." Kate assured her, rubbing her arms. "Just tell them your joke about the cow." This caused Lily to chuckle.

"That is a funny joke." She smiled. "Were you scared?"

"More scared than you are." Kate replied. Of course she didn't remember how she felt at five years old, but she knew what needed to be said in order to get her daughter through the front doors.

"Okay." Lily nodded. "Let's go." She took Kate's hand, puffed out her little chest, and walked up the rest of the steps and into the school. This wing was specifically sectioned off for the first three grades, which made it easier. Nervous kindergartners clutched their parents' hands as though they were about to enter the gates of hell.

"This one is your room." Kate steered Lily into the fourth room on the left of the entrance hallway.

"It's big." Lily whispered.

"Okay parents, you can help your children find their names on the desks, and then it's time to say goodbye." The teacher was standing at the front of the room.

"Mommy." Lily tugged on Kate's coat.

"What?"

"She looks like the bad lady in daddy's last book."

"Make sure you don't tell her that." Kate couldn't help but let out a tiny laugh. "Here's your name."

"I don't want you to go." Lily clung to her mother, and it made it extremely hard for Kate to let go. "Don't make me stay here."

"Listen," Kate got down onto Lily's level once more, "You are going to be just fine. But if you come home today, and tell me you hate it, we can wait another year. But I really need you to try."

"Okay." Lily nodded.

"Good." Kate smiled. "Now, give me a kiss and then I have to go." She stood up.

"You're going to pick me up, right?" Lily asked.

"I promise, I'll be here." Kate gave her daughter one last hug before leaving the room. On the way back to the car, she felt herself starting to get emotional. She didn't get emotional.

"How'd she do?" Castle was eager to hear all about it.

"Part of me wants to stay here just in case she needs us." Kate sighed. "You should've seen her little face."

"I can't believe she didn't want me to take her in." He pondered. "I mean, not that it's a problem."

"I was just as surprised as you." She laughed. "Trust me."

"What do we do now?"

"I for one, have to go to work."

Castle Residence - Present Day 2032

I couldn't figure out what to wear. Part of me wanted to dress up, but another part realized that I rarely do. My relationship with Elliot was based on my t-shirt and jeans look, only because it was a look I donned every day.

"You ready yet?" Dad gave my door a soft knock before opening it.

"Do I look ready?" I whirled around in a huff of defeat.

"It's just dinner." Dad laughed. "I think you should stick with pants, though." He looked at my dress in confusion.

"Everything has to go perfectly." My tone acted as somewhat of a warning. "You all know that, right?"

"Elliot has been over for dinner plenty of times."

"As my friend." I gave him a look.

"Your mother gives me that same look when I'm about to get in trouble."

"Then you get the message." I kept my stare.

"Everything will be fine." He assured me. "As long as you get out of that thing." He dodged a shoe I threw at him, leaving the room just as quickly as he had entered. I took the dress off, swapping it for a yellow off-the-shoulder top, and dark blue jeans. We didn't wear shoes in our house, so I made sure my nail polish was on point. My ever-messy hair hung in my face, but I let it. Elliot always told me he loved it down.

"Wow, going out?" Mom teased as I walked into the kitchen.

"Too much?" I felt myself freaking out internally.

"Just a joke." She retracted, sensing my impending meltdown. "He likes tacos, right?"

"He likes everything." I nodded. "But he is a vegetarian, so we can't eat any meat."

"What?" She looked up from the pan full of beef. "Why didn't you say anything before now?" She was about to throw the full pan into the garbage when she noticed me laughing.

"I had to get you back." I shrugged playfully.

"Just wait until the childhood pictures come out." She sassed with a smile.

"You wouldn't dare." I said.

"Wouldn't dare what?" Dad made his way into the kitchen.

"Nothing." Mom and I said in unison.

"Embarrassing photos?" Dad looked to mom.

"Are you guys being serious?" My eyes flashed with terror, causing them to stifle laughs. "I swear, if you-" My sentence was cut short by the ringing of the front doorbell.

"I got it!" I heard Reese's voice shout.

"No, I got it!" Jake wasn't far behind.

"You should probably make sure they don't tackle him." Dad suggested.

"You think?" The twins loved Elliot. They had always wished for an older brother. Before they knew where babies came from, they begged mom and dad for a replica of Peyton Manning.

"My throw is getting a lot better." Reese was boasting about his football accomplishments.

"Guys, how about you invite him in?" I looked to my boyfriend. "Hey."

"Wow, you look great." He smiled at me. He wasn't wearing his usual zip up hoodie with cargo pants. His khaki's had obviously been pressed, and he was in a sea blue sweater.

"You look put together." I joked.

"I'm always put together." He winked.

"Those for me?" I looked to the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"No actually, these are for the captain." He made his was through the door, knowing how to get to the kitchen already. The boys led the way, with me taking the back. Mom and dad were putting the finishing touches on the dinner table.

"There he is." Dad looked at his watch. "Twenty seconds late."

"Oh, sorry. My bike has this wheel that-"

"He was joking." Mom gave him a quick look of sympathy.

"Right." Elliot swallowed.

"Mom, Elliot brought those for you." I nodded my head towards the flowers, which he outstretched in her direction.

"They're beautiful, thank you." She smiled at him.

"None for me?" Dad asked. I shot him a look as Elliot laughed.

"I'm starving." Jake whined. "Is it time to eat yet?" As if on cue, the timer on the oven let off a small ding!

"Looks that way." Mom nodded. We all sat down at the same time, everyone silent except for dad. He couldn't help but crack jokes and make Elliot feel as uncomfortable as possible. He was good at making people sweat.

"So, Elliot, what do you do for a living?"

"Uh, I go to school." He looked at me.

"What about outside of school?" Dad took a bite.

"I work at Subway on the weekends."

"Ah, a sandwich connoisseur." He joked. "If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would be your one sandwich of choice?"

"Would that be my only meal every day?" Elliot started thinking.

"I mean, until you were rescued of course."

"Really?" I looked to my mom. She gave me a small shrug.

"I would say meatball." Reese said through a mouthful of taco. "That's the best one."

"Ew no, it would definitely be steak." Jake disagreed.

"Are we seriously doing this right now?" I looked around the table.

"Well, you have to have something with meat in it for protein, but a good healthy bread." Elliot ignored me. "I would probably go with a Chicken Bacon Ranch."

"What?" Dad almost choked. "How could you not choose roast beef?"

"We sell like one of those a month." Elliot laughed.

"Lil?" Dad looked to me.

"I am not doing this." I looked at my plate.

"It's a good question." Elliot chimed in. I gave him a look. "What?"

"Fine. Mine would be an Italian BMT." I rolled my eyes.

"That's actually a pretty good one." Elliot nodded. I sighed, going back to my meal. Dad and Elliot spent the rest of the night talking about video games and books they both liked. I felt as though I had inadvertently created a bromance that I couldn't take back. Dad decided to give Elliot a tour of his office, while mom and I did dishes.

"That wasn't so bad." She said, running a dish under the tap.

"If you say so." I groaned,taking it from her and placing it into the dishwasher.

"He's just trying to stay relevant."

"By stealing my boyfriend?" I asked.

"Honey, you're growing up. It's hard for us to admit that you won't need us much longer. Especially your father." She looked at me with sad eyes.

"You know I'll always need you guys." I admitted. "How could I not?"

"Maybe you should tell him that." She replied. We finished up in the kitchen, and I got to spend another hour with my boyfriend. My parents were adamant that I keep my bedroom door open, which didn't leave us to do much except talk.

"So, how'd I do?" He asked.

"Dad definitely doesn't hate you." I laughed.

"He's pretty funny."

"Don't tell me he's your new best friend." I said. "I don't think I could handle that."

"I think I'll keep Mark for a little while longer." He winked. "Speaking of, he's having another party this week."

"You know I can't."

"I think maybe you should talk to your parents. We can have you home at a decent time, and you can update them every hour."

"That seems like a bit much." I laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Great." he smiled, causing me to do the same. "Well, I should probably head out."

"Do you want a ride?"

"Nah, I think my bike will make it." I followed him downstairs to the front door, where I knew mom and dad were watching. It wasn't hard for me to sense them around.

"Thanks for coming." I opened the door, leaning against the frame as he walked out.

"Thanks for inviting me." He stood there for a moment. "They're totally watching, aren't they?" He whispered.

"Of course they are." I whispered back with a smile. I closed the door behind me just enough to block their view, giving Elliot a kiss. "Get home safe."

"I'll text you." He gave me a final goodbye kiss before riding away on his bike. I sighed, smiling like an idiot as I made my way back inside.

"Had to leave?" I heard my dad ask from the living room. As soon as I walked through the doorway, I saw both of my parents on the couch, a glass of wine in each of their hands.

"Don't pretend like you weren't just spying on me." I folded my arms.

"Not that there was anything to see." Mom took a sip guiltily.

"You two are terrible." I laughed.

"We're parents." Mom gave me a look before standing up. "I'm gonna go check on the boys."

"Right." I took her place next to dad. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure, what's up?" He placed his glass on the coffee table in front of us.

"I just get the feeling that you're feeling a little neglected."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. We used to hang out all the time and talk about everything, but I'm getting older and I'm trying to figure out my place in the world without you and mom. I can't rely on you forever. In two years, I'm gonna be going to college and things are going to be really different."

"I know."

"You also know that I'm always going to need you, right? Just like Alexis, I'll still call and come over when I can." I placed a hand on his. "You're always going to be my first best friend." I smiled.

"I better be." He hugged me close. "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, dad." I let go. "Now how about a game of Scrabble?"

"You really feel like losing tonight?"

"Wise words for an old man."

"Old? Who are you calling old?" He laughed, grabbing the game off the shelf behind us. I couldn't help but think about the future. Would I ever get over what happened? Would I ever forgive my parents for almost being too late? I needed to focus on this moment, here with my dad. But for some reason, all I could think about was Diego Price.

The 12th Precinct - Present Day

After what had happened to Lily, Castle decided to come back to work with Kate, Ryan, and Espostio. While it was a traumatic experience, he couldn't help but dive back into the world of crime solving.

"You were serious about your new book idea, weren't you?" Beckett was working on some paperwork at her desk.

"Of course, it's a great idea." Castle said. "A young Chrysanthemum Heat, hiding the truth of her spy-filled nights from her mother, the one and only Nikki Heat." He used his 'vision' voice.

"Chrysanthemum?" Beckett looked up.

"I'm toying with flower names." He waved her off. "But doesn't it sound juicy?" He wiggled his brows.

"Castle, I love that you're getting back into the flow of writing, but don't you think we should keep this one private?"

"I mean, yeah, but I've always used real-life scenarios for my books." He frowned.

"Which was fine, because I was a grown woman who allowed you to use them. Lily is our daughter, who also only happens to be fifteen. What happened to her was really traumatic." Beckett said.

"It was just as traumatic for us." He replied. "But you're right. I should talk to her before I get too deep."

"And pick a better name than Chrysanthemum." She laughed.

"Hey, cap." Ryan entered the office, holding a file in his hands.

"What do we have?" She looked to him.

"There was a murder up town." He handed her the file. "Javi and I responded to it, but we need you two for this one."

"Because we're such a power duo?" Castle joked.

"Because it was Erica Lyons." Beckett stared at the file.

"Why does that sound familiar?" Castle asked.

"She was Diego Price's first victim."

"The one we questioned to find Lily." This caused the writer to tense up. "But who would kill her? Diego and Kitty are both locked up."

"Unless they aren't." Beckett put the file down. "I'm going to get a security detail on the house and the high school. If someone is trying to make a move for Lily, we'll be the first to know."

"We have Erica's parents here." Ryan said.

"I'd like to ask them the questions." Beckett stood up. "They're bound to know something."

"What should we do about Lily?" Castle asked.

"We don't even know if she's in danger yet. We aren't going to tell her." Beckett replied.

"Kate."

"Rick." They held eye contact for a few seconds. "Until we know what this is, we don't say a word. It could be something completely unrelated to what just happened."

"She's right, Castle. There's no use worrying and causing panic if it isn't necessary." Ryan added.

"If they're coming for my family again, I'll be ready." Beckett asserted. And she meant it.