What is he doing here? Why now? Does he want something? What does he want? What was he wearing? A suit, since when does he wear a suit? I don't think I've ever seen him wear a suit, and a briefcase! Why would he have a briefcase? And his hair, what happened to the sweep fringe that covered most of his face? Seriously, what is he doing here?
These were the types of questions that kept running through her mind as she practically ran through the busy streets of New York City, occasionally bumping into other pedestrians not even noticing the looks of disdain and annoyance being thrown at her. Her place was quite far, she shouldn't have walked, especially in winter where even her coat could not keep out the viscous cold. But she didn't think, she just had to go. Going to the garage and getting her car would have taken too long; she would still be close to him. She hopes he doesn't have her address. He wouldn't would he? Maybe going home isn't the best option.
The entrance to Central Park. Perfect. She can just go in and sit on a bench or something, have some breathing space, be able to really think, separate all the jumbled thoughts running through her mind. The first bench she comes to overlooks a playground, she recognises it…
"Come on Andrew! I want to go on the swings!" A small Katherine Beckett runs past, hair in pigtails wearing jean shorts and a bright yellow, covered in butterflies, shirt.
"Wait Kate! Mom will kill me if I lose you." A boy, barely a teenager, yells running after the bubble of energy.
"Push me! Push me!" she squeals sitting on a vacant swing. "Pwease" She knows she's got him there, Andrew may put on a show that having a little sister is a complete chore and all she is, is a big annoyance, but when it comes to that face and that sweet voice he could never say no.
"Fiiiine." He still heaves a sigh but she sees straight through it and gives him a sweet smile as he begins to push the swing higher and higher eliciting excited giggles from the girl. His phone chimes "Be back in a sec Katie."
He walks away with the phone, a slight smile on his face as Kate shouts innocently "Okay!".
He answers the phone and Kate enjoys the sensation of the swing until she feels it start to slow, looking over at her brother she sees he is still on the phone. Frustrated, she sees a boy quite older than her, not as old as Andrew but still substantially older than herself.
"Excuse me." She says in the most polite voice her mother taught her. The boy turns to stare at her in a not so welcoming manner. But Kate is immune to the bitter glare as she continues "My brother's on the phone, would you mind pushing me for a second?" she finishes with her trademark smile that her father says would melt a whole snowman in seconds, which Kate immediately announced as impossible, silly and snowman murder.
That had made her mother laugh.
"Sure" says the boy with a twisted smile walking behind her but instead of lightly pushing the swing, shoving her straight off of it. The movement comes as a shock only worsening the fall as she hits the hard ground head first then moves along the tarmac scraping the surface of most of her skin. She is grazed all over, her head throbbing, her knee has busted open and blood oozes out.
Even when young, Kate Beckett had prided herself on being as tough as nails but even she has to admit, that hurt, so much so that all thought of keeping her dignity and holding back her tears goes out the window. All young Katie can do is cry, sitting there sobbing, screaming for her mother.
But then suddenly from out of nowhere came a loud girlish cry that echoed higher and louder than she thought possible. She looks behind her to see the boy that had shoved her over cowering on the floor with a bloody nose squealing "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" over and over at another boy towering over him.
"Andrew!" she must catch his attention as he immediately runs over scoops her up in his arms declaring that he'll never leave her alone in the park again, anywhere ever again, never let anyone hurt her again, he'll take her home then when their mom has patched her up take her for ice-cream, any flavour she wants with sprinkles, chocolate sauce, whip cream, anything on top, his treat. Then he carries her all the way home, though she's getting a bit too old to be carried that far a distance, whispering soothing words in her ear until her sobbing and sniffling subsides and she offers him a watery smile, she knows she'll always be okay, because her big brother's always going to be there to protect her.
Present day Kate swipes angrily at the tears that have somehow escaped. Maybe Central Park was a bad idea; it's just made her mind more clouded that before.
Because Andrew had been there for her. Like with her first ever boyfriend, the one that decided he actually wanted her bestfriend, kissed her then broke up with Kate saying she was nothing, ment nothing, wasn't worth anything especially anyone's love. Present day Kate wouldn't have taken any of that crap, but young, still quite naïve Katie Beckett who had thought she had felt love for the first time was heartbroken, locked herself in her room for days, until Andrew came into her room and asked her what was wrong, after explaining the whole situation Andrew wrapped his arms around her and told her she was the most special, beautiful girl he knew and that if 'that pig' thought she deserved nothing, let alone his love, he didn't really know her because if he did he would have never let her out of his sight let alone broken up with her. The next day he had marched into the school and publically humiliated the pig and her ex-bestfriend, then gotten himself chased out of the school by security, one of the funniest sights that the school had ever seen and since then he had been her hero. He got a Harley, a few years later, Kate did. He rebelled and went into a bit of a rocker stage, so did Kate until their parents sat Andrew down and then he sat Kate down and told her it wasn't cool to test their parents like that and he should have never done it in the first place and she shouldn't have followed him in doing so too. She then abruptly broke up with the grunge rocker, tossed out the black makeup and stopped slamming the door every time she came in because he told her to and he was her amazing older brother.
Those were the good days she thought. When they were a perfect family, well not perfect, they had their normal fights and disputes from how long someone took in the bathroom to the proper screaming matches, but they always found their way back to each other, okay, sometimes with a bit of intervention from mom and dad. If only they could turn back time, if only mom hadn't died things would be so much different.
Her phone chimes, Castle. Right she was supposed to go to the Old Haunt, the guys are probably worried. She could use a drink; something strong to make the pain numb. She stands up and makes her way out of the park, looking back one more time seeing her younger self once again, feeding some ducks, holding tightly onto her older brother's hand before she quickly turns and walks out of the park. The good times ended a while ago, no point dwelling on that aspect of the past.
She really needs a drink.
Luckily she runs straight into an empty cab and gives the driver the address. Looking out of the window she's glad that her mind is returning back to reality as her eyes skim the harsh streets of New York. Don't get it wrong. Sure she loves New York and she can't imagine being anywhere else for the rest of her life, but being a homicide detective, seeing what ordinary people are capable of doing to each other, it's hard to gaze out at the city and not look behind the couples holding hands and the Christmas lights to the tramp who last year had a big home, wonderful wife, three beautiful kids and the respect of many of New York's biggest hot shots until he lost it all. Now people don't even look at him, let alone up at him. His family? Gone. All because he got too cocky at the poker table, racked up debts he couldn't pay and let everyone around him down. It's his own fault; he brought it all on himself and his family, they're suffering because of what he did, so maybe he deserves it? Then again who is she to decide?
She doesn't realise she's arrived until the driver is practically shouting at her, she quickly pays the man, probably way too much, but she doesn't have time to care as she rushes towards the bar relieved to have found somewhere she feels safe and welcome with absolutely no relation to her brother. Except when she enters the bar her relief is short-lived as sitting in their usual corner table are Ryan, Esposito, Castle and beside him, Andrew.
She wants to run, to get away but she stops herself. No! This is her place, these are her friends, that is her… partner? She doesn't really know what he is, but he's hers, not his, Andrew doesn't get to come and do this. Not now, not ever. No more hiding she tells herself as she marches up to the table gaining the attention of all four men.
"What are you doing here Andrew?"
So what do you think? Worth continuing? I'm not quite sure where I'm going with it, just going with the flow I guess. At some point I do want to do some more Rick and Kate stuff- the story is supposed to bring them closer together and I may even do some more adult stuff, maybe some M even, though I've never written any before so I can't say whether it would be any good or not. I'm open to anything so if you have any thoughts at all just review, and thanks for reading, hope to upload soon