a.n. Thanks to everyone who has left a review or faved this story. I suck at replying to you individually, so a group thank will have to do. Thanks!

Here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Just borrowing them for my own amusement.

Chapter Five

Previously…

It wasn't long before the door opened to reveal the haggard face of Richard Castle. He looked the same as she remembered; slightly unshaven, crisply dressed, neat hair, but he was also different. The light in his eyes wasn't there. He looked more serious, more grown up than he had ever been in their previous life together. Her heart broke a little more for him at that moment, knowing that the loss of his daughter had made him look so broken, so utterly defeated.

Even with that look, she couldn't help the joy that flowed within her, seeing him there, alive, no longer burnt to a crisp lying on an autopsy table. God I missed him, she thought. I wish I could just crawl into his arms and never leave.

Pushing her thoughts aside before the tears started flowing, she flashed her badge and nervously said, "Richard Castle? I'm Detective Kate Beckett, and I need to talk to you about a couple homicides."

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"A homicide? Who died?" Castle asked, a look of shock on his face. "Is this about Alexis? Oh, God, did you guys find something about her murder?"

"Oh, no, sorry, Ri-Mr. Castle, I'm afraid that this has nothing to do with your daughter's case. There are a series of murders that appear to be following scenes from your books. I was hoping you'd be able to come down to the precinct to discuss them with me, perhaps offer your assistance?"

"Uh, sure, Detective. You said, Beckett?"

"Yes." God this feels so weird, Kate thought. All I want to do is crawl in his arms and never let go, but he doesn't know me. He doesn't love me. Her thoughts were jumbled due to his proximity. To her it felt like only yesterday that they were supposed to be getting married; were supposed to start on the most incredible journey of their lives, only to be interrupted by his untimely and tragic death. The thought of him being dead brings her back to the moment, and gives her motivation to continue on.

"Uh, just let me go back and save my chapter and shut my computer down. You can come in while you wait, if you'd like," he said, stepping back so she could enter the loft. Looking around she noticed a few differences from the loft she had left behind. For one there were pictures of a much younger Alexis plastered all over the walls and on the book cases, but no pictures of the young woman she had become. She also noticed that while the décor was still undeniably Castle-esque, it was much simpler, more subdued than the apartment had been before. Fewer toys graced the shelves, fewer pieces of artwork hung on the wall, and the space just felt much emptier than it had during her previous time here. She took a seat on the couch looking around while she waited for Castle to get his business taken care of.

It saddened her that so much had changed. Not only had this man lost his daughter, but he had lost some of that childlike innocence that had drawn her to him when they had first met. She wondered what else would be different. She worried that she might not ever get the chance to find out.

Castle came back out of his office, and gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm ready to go."

"Okay," she replied with a smile of her own. "Let's go."

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The drive to the precinct was uncomfortable for her, but if Castle noticed, he said nothing about it. All she could think about were the hundreds of times he had ridden in that seat next to her, messing with the radio controls, or spouting some crazy theory about one of their cases. The man who sat next to her was completely still, completely silent, and completely uninterested in his surroundings.

"Captain Montgomery told me about your daughter, Mr. Castle. I know it doesn't help, but I am sorry for your loss."

He turned his blue eyed gaze on her and said, "Thank you." He frowned, looking her over, studying her, like he used to do so often; trying to figure out what was going on in her brain. "Something happened to you too, didn't it?"

"Why do you say that?" she asked, knowing the answer. She remembers how he had profiled her that day they sat going over his fan mail. She hadn't suspected, however, that he'd be able to do it so soon.

"I see the sadness in your eyes, and you said that you knew the word sorry doesn't help. Only someone who has experienced loss gets that."

She gave him a glance, but said nothing. She trusted this man, or at least she trusted the version of him that she knew from before. But she was worried that if she revealed her mother's murder too soon, he wouldn't be interested in her, and she needed him to stick around; to be interested in helping her solve cases. She couldn't hope to fix them if he wasn't around her every day like he was before. So she kept quiet, remembering how she had revealed the news about her mom in the previous timeline. They pulled up to the precinct, and got out of the cruiser.

She led him to a vacant interview room, staying away from the interrogation room where she had talked to him before. The first time they had met she had considered him a suspect, this time she wanted him to be more comfortable around her.

"Have a seat, Mr. Castle," she said, pointing towards a chair. She took the chair opposite him, crossed her legs, and rested a notepad on her knee. "So far there are two murders, both mimicking scenes from two of your older books. The most recent murder is a scene from Flowers for Your Grave."

"Wow, the killer sure does have eclectic taste. That book is old," he said with a smirk.

She smiled, happy that at least part of his happy demeanor was still there. "Here are pictures from the crime scene, could you look and see if there is anything that jumps out at you as different, or important?" She passed over two high quality glossy crime scene photographs. She was going about this in a completely different fashion than she had before. I hope that this is the right way to go about things, she thinks.

He takes the photos and studies the Allyson Tisdale crime scene. As he studies it, she takes the opportunity to study his face. He seems older than what she remembers from their first meeting. That's not surprising given what this Richard Castle has gone through. His eyes are the most different, she thinks. They are no longer lit up with that child-like happiness that drew her in once upon a time. There is this deep seated sadness that now lives in the depths of his cerulean blue eyes. Again she feels the guilt of having caused such a painful loss for the man she loves. No second chance is worth the pain he has experienced.

"The rose petals are different," he says finally. "There are some details in both of these crime scenes that are different than they were in the book. If I had to hazard a theory, I'd say you're looking for someone who wants you to think that you're looking for some deranged killer. When you do catch up with the real killer, however, you'll likely find that their motive was pedestrian."

She talked with him for about 10 more minutes, getting his thoughts on the crime scenes. They had a discussion about the choice of books that were chosen. "You notice, Detective that the killer has chosen two of my older works. I wonder why that is," he said at one point. During their conversation, Kate had to admit that talking to this Richard Castle was much the same as it always was, but it was also different in some ways. He still posited a few theories, but they were more serious, more probable, and much less CIA-oriented.

As they wrapped up their conversation, Beckett asked hopefully, "I was wondering, Castle, if you'd be willing to consult on this case. I think your insights could really help." She didn't want to take the risk that he wouldn't intervene on his own, like he had the first time around. After talking with him for these few minutes, she leaned towards the theory that he wasn't going to be as outgoing as the Richard Castle she once knew. It worried her, because she needed him to want to follow her around once this case was over.

"I'd like that, Detective. It…I honestly haven't had much to do besides write these last few years, and it'll be good for me to do something constructive with my time now that I have no lead protagonist."

Yes! He Killed of Derrick Storm. That means he needs a new muse! She had to stifle the giddiness that flowed over her with this new information and she had to pretend like it was news to her. "Oh? What happened to Storm this time?"

"Asking for spoilers, Detective?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"So what if I am?"

"I wouldn't want to spoil the ending."

"You killed him off didn't you?"

"I plead the fifth," he said, a full on smile on his face now. For the first time since she had knocked on his door, he looked like her Richard Castle. "But I like that you're such a fan," he continued.

She laughed good naturedly, something she for sure didn't do the first time he had called her out on her Richard Castle fanaticism. "Speaking of fans, we're going to need access to your fan mail from the last six months."

"Sure, I'll call my publisher, she'll have all that and will have it sent over. I can help go through it, I know I get some pretty nasty stuff, and some of it has gotten even worse since Alexis died. There are some weird people out there."

"That there are, Castle."

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They worked the case together. Kate continued to notice small differences, but in general the case was going the same as it had before, only this time she suspected Tisdale's sister. The same man had been implicated through Castle's fan mail as before. Only this time, Kate knew that he was a patsy instead of the guilty murderer she had suspected him of being the first time around. However, instead of revealing the information, she let Castle catch it instead like he had the first time around, only this time he didn't need to steal evidence to make the connections.

She also noticed small and large differences in Castle. He was more reserved than he had been before, but the same good humor was there, it just didn't show up as often. He was still as insightful as he always was, but he seemed more engaged somehow. He wasn't as flirtatious as he had been, and that worried her to no end. What if this version of Richard Castle doesn't find me attractive?

She had a lot of worries over that first day. By the time they got to Allyson Tisdale's sister's apartment that evening to execute a search warrant, Beckett was worried about what would happen when this case ended and they brought the killer to justice. Would he choose to shadow her? Would she need to talk him into it? She wasn't sure that if he didn't choose to do it on his own that she would be able to convince him to do it.

"Stay in the car, Castle. We don't know what to expect from this woman."

He nodded. She, Ryan and Esposito went into the apartment and discovered that it was empty, just as the apartment of the brother had been empty her first time during this case. The window as open and the curtains were billowing, suggesting that their suspect, Jennifer Tisdale, had ran for it. Shit, Castle.

Remembering how this scene had played out before, but worrying about possible changes this time around, she rushed down the stairs and back out the front door, noticing that Castle was no longer in her cruiser where she told him to wait. Typical.

As she turned the corner into the alley, she heard sounds of struggle coming from behind the small transport van that was parked in the alleyway. Fuck, what has he gotten himself into this time, she thinks sourly.

Quickly walking around the van, she pulled her gun from its place on her hip. What she saw when she finally made her way to the front of the van shocked her. It definitely wasn't what had happened before…

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a.n. I wasn't going to do a cliff hanger, I swear, but I think that the next part and what happens after deserves its own chapter. Please leave a review to let me know how you like this chapter!