A collection of unrelated one-shots exploring various 'what if' scenarios. #18: What if… Castle didn't come clean about Johanna Beckett's murder at the end of 1x10?

A what-if from "47 Seconds." What if Kate had sent Ryan away when he interrupted Castle's speech about the victims and missed opportunities. One-shot. COMPLETE.

"There's always a story, always a chain of events that makes everything make sense." A collection of unrelated one shots, ficlets, and/or drabbles. I'm open to prompts.

"She won't give up, of course, will hold on with the same stubbornness that got her here, but grief is heavy and her hands may not be strong enough to support the weight of what might have been." An AU ending for Always (4x23).

A season 5 AU after Still. He finds the first paper on her pillow, the sheets on her side of the bed cold already. 'All my dreams are beautiful. But none as beautiful as you. You are the reason I return here each morning.'

"That was amazing. The way you kissed me." An AU moment for 3x13, 'Knockdown'.

"Beckett," Castle calls, dropping his forehead against the door's frame while his arm remains upright, mechanically slamming his fist into the surface of the door. "Why aren't you answering?" Ah, definitely drunk then.' A season 4 AU set between 4x21, 'Headhunters', and 4x22, 'Undead Again'. For AC.

Beckett is suddenly writing letters, and so is Castle. Complete.

This is not a continuous story, but a collection of Castle fics I've written from prompts. I am no longer accepting prompts. I've now marked this as complete. Thank you for all the prompts, for reading, and all the feedback. I hope y'all continue to enjoy these stories.

"So no, Castle isn't just a friend. And that means this weekend is going to be something. Whether it's something insane and the start of something new, or a terrible, terrible idea, she hasn't quite figured out just yet." A 2x24 AU - What if Beckett had said yes to Castle's invitation.

'It's probably later than what is appropriate for him to be showing up on her doorstep, the city-lit darkness of nightfall pressing in against her windows, the lingering taste of her mouth still on his tongue, and his hand still alive with a pain that laces through his knuckles.' An AU post-ep for 3x13, Knockdown.

"Oh Kate," He sighed, closing his eyes against the tears threatening to fall, "No, hey, this isn't how our story is going to end. Someday you'll be sitting on a beach or walking by the Eiffel Tower and you'll find out that LokSat was caught, and that the threat is gone."

A post ep for 8x17 Death Wish. Castle and Beckett have a long postponed conversation. Also babies.

"I was ready to abandon everything because I couldn't picture a life without you." AU. Very loosely inspired by 8x16, 'Heartbreaker'.

""Of course," he says, forcing a smile, standing to leave. To give her time. To give her space. "We'll talk tomorrow?" She smiles despite it all, joy shining under the mask of pain spread across her features. "Of course," she echoes." 3x24/4x01 AU. For Castle Fanfic Monday.

"They say where you invest your love, you invest your life. For seven years, I'm immeasurably grateful you've spent it on me. I'm grateful you held onto me, hopeful for us when I often couldn't be. Fighting for us when I didn't know how, loving me before I knew I could love you back. You've given me all of you, and I will strive to do the same for the rest of my life. Always."

"She glanced down at the slip of paper on the passenger seat, crossed with the hasty scrawl of the address. Yup. This was the place, all right." What if, in Headhunters, Castle found himself dumped out in the sticks mid-investigation by Slaughter? Belated birthday present for the lovely Nic/ColieMacKenzie. Twoshot. Rating will go up in the second chapter.

'"She's nearly dead, Castle. Maddox beat her to a pulp and I know you're off the team, but she needs you." He may be angry with her, brokenhearted and wounded over her, but like hell is he going to stay away from the woman he loves when she's on the brink of death. Again.' AU to 4x23, Always.

"She just shook her head, knowing that she knew everything and nothing all at once, and had no way to explain any of it to him." Now that Jane knows she wiped her own memories, will she stay on mission? Or follow her heart? My take on what happens immediately following 1x10.

Kintsukuroi is the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. Post-8x08, Mr. & Mrs. Castle. Caskett, always.

A really old prompt fill from castlefanficprompts. Beckett takes Castle bowling after Undead Again. Three Shot.

Following episode 8.08; a fluff piece about a special day for Beckett (WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

Prompt: What if Beckett had called Castle instead of her dad? I got a little crazy and she called a lot of people...

It's Christmas time, and Kate Beckett suddenly discovers something important about herself. And Castle. Because we could all use a little love right now. Set in the middle of S3. One-shot. Complete

"Hey, is there any chance that smoking wife of yours is going to come hunting for me too?" Kate slows in her walk around the corner at the sound of the familiar voice, dulling the sharp click of her heels on the concrete, steeling herself and channeling every ounce of patience she has left to deal with Ethan Slaughter a second time around. AU insert for 8x06, 'Cool Boys'.

"Their feet move in time together, dancing to a song that can't be heard, crickets creating a choir in the background and merging with the soft rippling of the river in the distance." One shot, post kill shot.

"Beckett still loves you." Castle pauses in his descent down Mia's hallway, glancing back to the woman with a battered nose courtesy of his elbow and a tentative smile on her face. "With a passion and you don't have to measure pheromones to sense that. There's something else, though." A twist on the ending of 8x05, The Nose.

Castle finds Beckett sleeping on the couch in her office. A post ep of sorts for What Lies Beneath (8x04).

A collection of one shots and short fics. First up: "He really doesn't mind mornings like this. He doesn't care if the light is still blinding he needs to see her."

"Okay, look, I think maybe you're hoping for perfect, Beckett. All this work you've been putting in…it's great. Really great. But I can tell you for a fact…perfect doesn't exist." One shot post-4x22 "Undead Again". COMPLETE

If you asked him, he would say he could definitely write a story about Kate's hands

"He knows her well enough to know she's nowhere near fine. That's she's so far past fine that she's retreated into herself in a way he hasn't experienced since before the night she came to him covered in rain, breathing apologies against his skin. And that's what hurts him the most." Tumblr prompt fill - AU set sometime post S7. One shot.

"Where do you see yourself five years from now?" The question haunts her. Post-ep for 5x23, The Human Factor. Written for Castle Fanfic Monday.

Post 4x16 Linchpin AU. After surviving another death experience at the hands of Castle's former flame, Beckett is forced to finally confront her feelings for her partner. Prompt fill from the castlefanficprompts blog. One shot.

Their duties keep them passing like ships in the night. Castle comes home from a few days away to find his wife asleep in bed and a note on his desk. And all is right with the world.

'Now, as he stands on the edge of the rink, his skates done up tight, he could not be happier as he watches a bundled up Kate Beckett glide around the rink.' A Season 2 fic, set not long after Boom. For Jill.

S1 AU Based on a tumblr prompt from anon: Castle's a doctor, a friend of Lanie's. AU Caskett meeting at Lanie's birthday. *Castle Winter Hiatus 2014 Ficathon Entry* Cover art by the awesome (ScribbleAStory)

'Her heart is exploding in her chest, beating against her heaving ribcage with bruising intensity, pumping adrenaline through her veins. So hard and fast, she almost doesn't notice the blood.' Brief insert for 7x23, Hollander's Woods.

"It's not the first time he's almost lost her, but he's never felt this powerless and at the same time this responsible." Post 6x17 'In the Belly of the Beast' where an important decision must have been made.

Based on a prompt from the castlefanficprompts blog: "Beckett accidentally texts Castle "I love you" thinking she was sending that to her dad." For the wonderful lousiemcdoogle.

Captain Kate Beckett-Castle gets a text from her husband at work for some "inspiration" while he's stuck at home writing.

Castle and Beckett's first morning as a married couple. Post 7x06. Written for Castle Fanfic Monday.

Kate's fine. She's home, and she's safe. Post Ep for Reckoning (7.15)

Esposito, Ryan, Castle and Beckett are stuck in a tiny hotel room, so they have to decide who gets to share the double bed. Set after 5x03 but before 5x04. A little story for #CastleFanficMonday.

A one shot between Kate and Rick after Alexis has been taken. (Set Season 5)

"Three words bring the progress to a blinding halt, three words throw the strategically straight lines of this love parallel into a swirling chaos." A fix it fic for "47 Seconds" written for #CastleFanficMonday Happy birthday, Kate!

"She's so happy she's not sitting at the singles table, couldn't fathom not being here to witness the pure joy painted across his face." Episode insert for 4x11. For Alex.

"She stares at Jacinda, yearns to be everything that the woman is, because she knows her lips taste like Castle's, knows her skin is painted with the scent of him. And maybe if she was blonde and flaky, fun and uncomplicated, Castle would want her just as much as he wants Jacinda." A three-shot fix it for the "47 Seconds"/"The Limey" arc.

"She thought Rick had shown her the depths of love, shown her every shade of it, every degree. But this … she'd made her choices hoping for moments like this." Inspired by 7x17, but no real spoilers, just future speculation.

One Shot. Takes place 6 weeks after 7x17. Beckett reveals her list to Castle and more.

Beckett and Castle bump into each other in the city. Late season four. FLUFF. One-shot.

A co-authored story by seilleanmor and chezchuckles. Takes place after 3x14 'Lucky Stiff' (with 3x13 'Knockdown's relationship-shifting). No Josh. "Richard Castle has quite possibly never been so grateful to have a ball thrown at his face. Because this - this changes everything."

"The lovers, the dreamers, and me." -Rainbow Connection. A Castle 6 Year Anniversary story, a little celebration for the fans.

Based off of the tumblr prompt: 'Kate writes Castle a letter telling him she loves him and she's sorry because they lost their chance since Castle's done waiting.' Set after 4x21, Headhunters.

One shot post-ep "Always". This is how I picture part of the night Castle and Beckett spent together for the first time.

One-shot episode insert for 3x24 "Knockout" explaining how Castle and Beckett reconciled before attending the funeral. "He stares at her as she adds an extra bobby pin to secure her bun, before she drops her arms to her sides and turns her full gaze upon him. "Castle, for the love of God. Spit it out." "I…I've never seen you in uniform before," he stammers. COMPLETE

'Discouraging a very doped up Kate Beckett from doing anything other than what she wants is no small feat.' A season 4 insert of sorts set between 4x16, Linchpin, and 4x17, Once Upon A Crime.

'Accidentally broke into your apartment because I was drunk' - Prompt fill. Post Always, during Beckett's suspension. One-shot.

Castle Christmas. Spoilers for current season seven of Castle (but not for tonight's episode in this specific chapter). Each day of the Advent calendar (December 1-25), please expect a chapter to be posted as my gift to you this holiday season, as well as a song from the playlist (youtube: chezchuckles).

I'm the apple that didn't fall far from the tree. I barely rolled further than the roots. AU-ish Future Fic

"I love you, Kate," he murmurs softly, the words he's kept swallowed down for almost an entire year finally slipping from his lips. "And I promise if I make it out of this alive, I'll tell you when neither of us are on the brink of death, okay?" An AU version of 7x08, Kill Switch.

post-ep for 'The Time of Our Lives' 7x06.

"…Give thy worst of thoughts/The worst of words." -Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. After Castle disappears, the only thing keeping Kate Beckett afloat is her conviction that Richard Castle is alive. But in order to return to work, Beckett is forced by Burke to keep a daily journal. 6x23 2014 CastleFicathon. Thanks to Angie & E for gorgeous artwork & Alex for an amazing summer of editing.

What if Castle was still in the car in 5x08 After Hours? This is an AU for the ending of the episode. Castle!whump

'He's testing the boundaries, wondering how far down her wall has really fallen.' An alternate ending to Undead Again, 4x22.

Will newlyweds Rick and Kate Castle be able to keep control when they meet again in the precinct after a six week separation for a book tour?

Castle and Beckett find themselves in a dark place, but they soon discover it's always darkest before the dawn. A 2014 Castle Ficathon entry based upon the following season 4 prompt (it's a small plot point that I'm running away with): "What if Castle didn't bring Jacinda to the crime scene in The Limey?"

"I know I'm who you think of when the moon is up and the night is late and that will always be enough." One shot.

Kate Beckett hates hospitals. She hates the white linoleum tiles and how she can't help but wonder how often they are stained red. She hates how the walls all look the same, that no one could paint on even an ounce of joy. But what she hates most now is that her grandfather is there and she has no idea why. Post-Undead Again.

Kate Beckett lives her life making decisions based on evidence. Anyone who knows Kate knows that. But she's overlooking one critical piece, and her friends know just how to force her to see it.

Castle cheers Beckett up by taking her ice skating. Post Kill Shot.

"She stayed for a while, watching him sleep, letting her worries be washed away by the steady breaths of her innocent son." Set 6 years after 'Forever and Always'.

From Struggle, Knowledge. From Light, Truth. An insert for episode 6x22, "Veritas" about why Castle didn't follow Kate into the building to arrest Bracken. Rated T for strong language (just one "f" word).

He hears the thud first, sees the blood before he sees her. A great thick smear of it staining the wall and his heart plummets, Castle's shallow gasp barely making a sound as he stumbles forward. Set in and around Veritas. M for occasional language.

post ep of 6x17 "In The Belly Of The Beast": Castle tells Beckett what he feels about the whole situation. one-shot.

"But it's just a reminder that I … don't fully belong here." Kate, trying to come to terms with the Parisian blip in her and Castle's partnership. Post 5x15/16 "Target"/"Hunt". One-shot.

Kate made a choice, what if she stayed the course? Post A Deadly game, seriously starts after the elevator door closes

Post-ep for 6x17 "In The Belly Of The Beast" She knows she'll always be safe with him, but it doesn't keep her mind from spinning.

An AU summer fic, set between seasons two and three. The Hamptons trip doesn't work out, and Castle comes back to the city in time to score himself an invitation to Beckett's camping trip. Entry for the Winter Ficathon 13/14.

When she had been in Rick's arms it was like the rest of the world didn't exist. The ringing of a phone proved that unfortunately it did. Set post Always

Crack Fic. What would Season 1 Beckett think of her Season 5 self?

Brief post-ep for Undead Again

They're laying in a heap of tangled limbs in the sheets, sweaty and still panting heavily. She's sprawled over his body, sated and limp and so very happy. Burying her nose in his neck, breathing him in, she suddenly realizes there is still something gnawing at her, something that still doesn't quite make sense. "Castle…can I ask you something?" post-ep for 5x18 "The Wild Rover"

Of course he believes it's real. He's - well, he's him. Magic and curses and zombie apocalypses are right up his alley. *An insert of sorts for 5x17, vague spoilers* Now a two shot. Complete.

Aftermath of 5x08. What happens in their ride in the cab. Contains spoilers. One-shot. Fluffy. I'm bad at summaries but give it a shot. :) Enjoy!

Post-ep for Murder, He Wrote. aka, the Hamptons episode. What happened on their drive home.

For months she's been gone. Months in which Castle's been forced to believe that Kate Beckett was dead. Eight full months in which he's missed her, craved her, mourned her. Now she's standing on his doorstep, two coffees in slightly shaking hands and Castle's world collapses. Direct spoilers for 4x23 Always, but most probably AU from there.

What might have happened if they had their movie date as scheduled! "Oh God, please don't bite your lip again." "Why not?" "Because it makes me want to kiss you."

Oh, she really hopes these aren't more grocery lists of all the ingredients Castle needs for his odd culinary creations. One shot. Complete.

Esposito said pancakes are an edible way to say, "Thank you so much for last night." Kate's not sure they could ever say enough.

Suddenly tomorrow doesn't seem early enough. "I've got a better idea," he smiles tentatively, holds out his right arm for her. "Come with me." Set post 4x22, Undead Again. NO Spoilers for season finale. NOW COMPLETE.

Takes place after undead again. Castle is extremly happy about Alexis' choice and wants to share his happiness, guess where he goes! Spoilers up till now, but NOT! secret centered. Think we deserve a secret freeish fic don't you?

Castle gets a new hobby.

Himitsu-Bako is a Japanese Personal Secret Box. Set after Headhunters, although I've seen no spoilers for anything upcoming. COMPLETE

I hate to do it, but more angst after 47 Secs and The Limey. I can't help myself. It ends well.

"...When you lose something you can't replace, When you love someone, but it goes to waste, Could it be worse?" Episode reaction to 4x20 'The Limey.'

SPOILERS for The Limey and 47 Seconds. Because that last phone call made me hate them both a little.

"I heard you," he blurts, pulling his arm back out of her grasp. They're doing this on the sidewalk in front of a Starbucks and isn't that her line? Post-ep for 47 Seconds

It's our dear Beckett's birthday, and Castle has some pretty sweet ideas for how to celebrate.

In which Castle answers questions about his marriages, Johanna Beckett is remembered, and a dance is shared. Spoilers for 4x11. Complete.

He made a wish as the New York City lights shone brightly a hundred floors below. Then he realised it had just been granted.

It's just a scar. It doesn't mean anything. COMPLETE Spoilers for oblique allusions to season 3 finale, and maybe some of season four. Second chapter due to popular demand.

Recovery Kate! discovers some interesting scenes on Castle's laptop as she's holed up in his guest room. One-shot that unfortunately has stretched to two chapters. COMPLETE

Finale didn't happen. Castle gets the nerve to ask Beckett on a first date, but bodies have a way of showing up at the worst of times. Happy Birthday to Carolina17! WARNING: Violence and angst. SPOILERS for 3XK. COMPLETE

Kate Beckett doesn't do family gatherings. Then again, her aunt Lily's never died before.

Post-finale. Castle tries to put the pieces back together.

Of all the places she could take him, the last place he expected was a bookstore. Fluff, Caskett, the rating is just to be safe.

When Beckett takes a day off of work, Castle senses that something isn't quite right. Can he solve the mystery?

Six days, three dates, and a decision that will change everything. C/B. FOLLOWS Three Sizes Too Small

A stressful weekend for Castle and Beckett.