A/N- To everyone who reviewed. You all are amazing! Even with some of the concern about the new character. I appreciated hearing what you all thought. Just know, the story is outlined and it weaves in and out of canon. So while the characters are in the story- the events and reactions may be different. :)

Jo you are an amazing beta and I'm so lucky to have your help! All mistakes that remain are my own.

Thank you to all my cheerleaders. You guys mean the world to me.

**Side note- As I post this I'm going to watch 7x3 again :) **

Disclaimer- I do not own Castle or any of it's characters.

The More Things Change…

…the more they stay the same. Kate Beckett is bored with life, but when a serial killer starts dedicating murders to her- someone enters the scene to aid with the investigation and her life may never be the same. Season 2- AU Caskett meeting.

Chapter 7

Kate lay in her bed as she stared up at the ceiling. Her life felt like it was spiraling out of her control. Sure, she could easily blame it on Castle if she wanted, but it wasn't just him. It was everything. It was him. It was her. It was her mom.

She could try to brush her feelings for Castle aside and pretend they didn't exist. Try being the key word. However, she couldn't ignore the issue with her mom. Had her mom been lying to her for years? If there wasn't something odd about her father's death, she couldn't think of a reason why her mom would have a case file on him. Plus, what was in that box aside from the file? Nothing about it sounded right. Was his death even an accident?

The sound of her cell phone buzzing snapped her out of her inner ramblings. Sitting up, Kate picked the offending object off of her nightstand and sighed when she saw the caller ID. Castle. Thankfully it was just a text and not a call.

'Now that the case is closed can we please talk about this?'

Slamming her head back down onto her pillow, she closed her eyes and flung her phone next to her on the bed. She had managed to avoid talking about their kiss for the last couple days as they closed the Bobby Mann case. It was hard, but she had excuse after excuse about why they couldn't or shouldn't talk, or even mention it. Kate could tell that each day was getting under his skin a little bit more. She couldn't avoid it forever, but she could at least avoid this particular text.

Her phone buzzed again—almost mocking her. Screaming out loud in frustration—disturbing the silence of night; Kate accepted defeat and grabbed her phone again. Oh. Not Castle.

It was her mom.

'Katie, I can't handle the silent treatment anymore. Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?'

She hated fighting with her mom, but the way that she had blown off her questions the other night meant that time was necessary; she needed to think so she could avoid saying things that she didn't mean. Her mom was usually stubborn though; hell that's who she learned that from. But maybe—maybe this text was her olive branch. Maybe her mom would finally give her answers.

Kate knew that she should apologize for storming out, but her pride only allowed for the one word. At least she was agreeing to it.

'Okay.'

'How about Tony's at noon?'

That Italian bistro by her mom's office was always Johanna's favorite, and maybe she was hoping that Kate wouldn't make a scene if they met there. Hell, she didn't want to make a scene. All she wanted was answers; she didn't want family drama. Her mom was all she had.

She just wanted the truth.

The next day when she arrived at the precinct, Kate made a beeline for the break room. She needed coffee about as badly as she needed oxygen. All her worries about Castle and her mom had replayed in her head all night, leaving her with little time to get rest. Grabbing the closest coffee mug she could find, she grabbed the pot of what she could only assume was hours old coffee. At least it was caffeine…

"There you are." Castle's appearance from nowhere caused her to jump and spill hot coffee down her arm.

"Shit!" The mug nearly slipped from her hand from the pain of the scalding liquid, but she managed to set it on the counter and avoid a complete disaster.

"Beckett—damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted you to know that I brought you coffee," he stammered, scrambling to set down the travel mugs and help Kate clean up the mess. She turned toward Rick; he was rubbing his hands down his face. That's when it dawned on her. He was nervous. In hindsight, he had been acting jumpy and strange the last couple days since they kissed but she was so preoccupied that she didn't acknowledge it. Their kiss. Now if that wasn't the massive elephant in the room, she didn't know what was.

"Castle, it wasn't your fault. My mind was elsewhere," she sighed, eyeing the second travel mug. It would be rude if she just grabbed it. His eyes caught her line of vision and handed her the cup.

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing. Hmmm," she moaned into her coffee. "Thank you. This is amazing."

"Anytime. But it's a bit of a bribe." He hesitated.

"Bribe?" Her eyes shot up to his. Confusion clouded her vision for a moment, until realization hit and she knew where he was going with this.

"Yeah, I provide you with a good latte and then maybe you'll actually stop avoiding me."

"How am I avoiding you? We worked a case together for the last couple days," Kate murmured, looking back down at her mug.

"See right there. You know what I'm talking about, but you're changing the subject."

"Castle."

"Kate, I can't get that kiss out of my head!" Her eyes widened in shock of his rather loud confession.

"Castle! Keep it down!" she hissed. "We're in the precinct! I don't need Ryan and Esposito hearing you scream that," she snapped. He winced at her harsh tone, but someone overhearing this conversation was the last thing she needed.

"Sorry—sorry! I've just never had to try this hard to get a woman to talk to me."

He had to be kidding. "Right there. That comment right there." she said.

"What did I say?" he asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

"You're Richard Castle, playboy extraordinaire. I'm Kate Beckett, a detective," she whispered.

"And?"

"You have women flinging themselves at you and hell, that's basically what I did at your place after a couple glasses of wine," Kate stated, her voice laced with irritation.

"Is that the problem? You think that I think less of you? You think—"

She interrupted his words and began pacing through the room."I don't know what I think," she sighed and rubbed her hands over her face in frustration. "I just know that things are too intense. I am not the girl that throws herself at the guy she likes," she babbled, avoiding his eyes.

"So you do like me," he blurted out, stopping her dead in her tracks. Once she was able to breathe again, she walked toward the coffee pot and looked out the break room window.

"That's not what I mean—yes—I mean I can't-" she confessed, her back to him the entire time.

"You can't what? Kate, you're not making any sense."

"It shouldn't have happened. It was a mistake," she whispered. Kate looked around the break room, avoiding his eyes, but also to make sure that they weren't making a scene. Once their privacy was confirmed, she turned to the counter. Almost instantly, she felt his breath against her neck as he walked up behind her, his chest pushed against her back.

"It doesn't have to be a mistake." With the warmth of his words against her skin, she couldn't focus. She knew she needed air, but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to push him away. Kate turned to face him so now he had an arm bracing the counter on either side of her. She shook her head with a small frown and finally found strength to fight the pull of him.

"Castle, it needs to be a mistake." Her eyes were downcast as they spoke in hushed tones. This was a far more intimate conversation than they should be having at the precinct. She would never have allowed this with Will.

"Tell me you don't feel the electricity between us. Tell me you don't feel the connection. If you can look at me and tell me you don't feel that, if you can deny it, I'll play your game and pretend the other night didn't happen," he demanded.

"I can't. Okay?" She felt him release the breath he was holding. When she looked at him, the moment their eyes connected, his face fell. He already knew the words before she spoke them. "Like I said, it's intense but I'm not ready for anything. I'm sorry."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Kate. I'm just saying—making out once in a while isn't a horrible idea." He winked at her and she jabbed him in the ribs. Her mind was waging a war within itself, because of comments like those. The funny sarcastic quips; she needed that in her life. It drove her to the brink of madness, but it also brought fun into her world.

"Stop while you're ahead," she said, smiling.

"So in summary, you think I'm hot and you like to make out with me after drinking red wine." He pressed his luck and pushed it further, but she rewarded him with a laugh. Maybe things didn't have to be so cut and dry. The world wasn't black and white.

"Castle," she warned, avoiding the complete encouragement of this behavior.

"Hey Beckett," Tom greeted, popping his head into the break room. The sudden third party in the situation caused her and Castle to jump away from each other.

"Oh, Demming. Hi. I'll be right out there."

"Who's Captain America?" Castle asked with a bit of a snarky undertone.

"Tom Demming. He's a detective down at robbery." There was a flash of something on Castle's face that she hadn't quite seen before. If she didn't know any better, she'd guess it was a hint of jealousy.

"I see."

"Don't start. Let's get back to the case."

Kate walked out into the bullpen and sighed. This case was quickly turning into a disaster. Ryan was off in the conference room trying to calm down Esposito. The details of the case were tying back to Victor Racine, who was responsible for Espo's former partner's death.

Now Demming being here was putting her on edge. He had tried to ask her out the other night while she was working out and running away from Castle. She had turned him down with an apology, explaining that she wasn't in the right place. Which was true; her mind was preoccupied by Castle and whatever was going on with them. So until she figured that out, having Tom stand to her desk flashing her a megawatt smile; it was just not needed right now.

"So what's going on with the case?" Castle wondered, turning to look between her and Demming with a raised eyebrow. His voice was a little off, almost like he was trying to deepen it.

"Victim is Paul Finch. He was found last night in his car, electrocuted," she said, trying to suppress the giggle caused by his ridiculous voice.

"Mr. Finch was a thief," Demming added.

"So because the victim was a thief, we need the help from a robbery detective?" deep voiced Castle asked.

"We?" she laughed, shooting Rick a curious look. Second case and he was already considering himself a homicide detective?

"And who are you?" Demming asked. Oh no. And so it began.

"Richard Castle, homicide consultant," Castle replied, using his weird deep voice again, the insanity continuing with his new job title.

"Castle is a novelist that is shadowing me for his books," Kate corrected, smirking at Castle. His face turned a soft shade of pink; embarrassment was a cute color on him. Oh God, that wasn't helping things. How was she supposed to work a case like this? Tom had barely said two words and Rick was acting like a crazy person. And now she was thinking this behavior was cute?

"Okay. Well, Mr. Castle, the detectives running this case have investigated and it has been decided that this homicide is related to a robbery in a safety deposit box," Demming said. He was either business as usual or he was trying to make himself sound impressive. She didn't know him well enough to be able to judge his actions.

"Are you trying to speak down to me?" Castle asked.

"Of course not. I just didn't want you to be lost if I used too much police terminology," Tom replied. He was definitely being sarcastic.

Kate rolled her eyes at his response and now Demming equaled the crazy in the conversation. Fantastic. This was about to get really ugly, really quickly. When did these men become teenagers?

"As fun as this conversation is, why don't we head down to Racine's office and talk to him," she said, snapping both men out of their verbal sparring match.

"The direct approach, I like it," Tom said with a smile.

"That's why she's my muse," Castle replied with pride as they walked toward the elevator. She brought her hand to her temple, trying to contain her sigh. One of them may not survive the day.

Lunch time couldn't come soon enough. She and Castle were friends, sure, but maybe he did see her as more than just a potential hookup. His jealously was almost endearing at first, but the novelty had worn thin by this point, however. She waved her goodbyes to the group of "men" and raced to meet her mom for lunch. As per usual, Kate was running behind, and of course she saw her mom sitting at the table, checking her watch.

"Hi Mom."

"Fifteen minutes late and no phone call. I was about to think you were standing me up, Katie," Johanna said.

"No. Of course not, just wrapped in the case. I'm sorry. I should've called."

"It's okay. I should expect it by now," she stated. Well this was going well. There was always a part of her mom that still hated the fact that she was a cop and convenient moments like these were the perfect opportunity for her to voice it in the native tongue of mothers everywhere: passive aggressive.

"Let's drop it," Kate suggested and her mom nodded. The waiter stopped by to take their orders which was followed by awkward silence between forced sips of water.

"How have you been? This is the longest we haven't talked, Katie," her mom said, finally breaking the ice again. Her tone seemed to be more at ease.

"Mom, it's only been a few days," Kate reminded.

"Still, we usually catch up with each other. Even if it's just a text. You've been avoiding me."

"I've been busy," she lied.

"Oh yes. Your new advisor," Johanna smirked.

"He's not an advisor."

"Uh huh," her mom replied in disbelief.

"Castle is just shadowing me, although he was pretty helpful on the case," she admitted with a smile.

"A smile? So is Rick Castle having a bit of an influence on you in other areas too?"

"It's complicated," Kate sighed. She was exhausted from her earlier conversation with Castle about this. Talking to her mom about her feeling, there is no way any good could come from this.

"Always is. The best things in life sometimes are, but the question to ask is he worth the complication?" Johanna asked and Kate bit her lip. Stupid nervous habit.

"He's fun and he makes me laugh."

"That's great, hon. So where's the complication?"

"Same as last time we talked, Mom. He's Richard Castle. And you know how Dad's death affected me—I just don't know if I can let him in," she stated and then took a long sip of water.

"How will you know, if you don't try?"

"We haven't known each other that long, Mom. Neither one of us are looking for anything at this point." Sure they were both physically attracted to one another; there was no denying that. Beyond the physical; did he care to know more? Hell, did she even care?

"But you like him?"

"Yes," she admitted, staring at the tablecloth.

"And that scares you?"

Kate's eyes shot up to look at her mom. "Of course." Why was she pressing this?

"Don't push him away, Katie. I didn't know your dad for long when we started dating, but it was nearly love at first sight. We had this unbelievable connection; this spark."

"I don't even know what I want. I barely know him and he could have anyone he wanted."

"Who is he following around? He stopped following someone else and now he's following you."

"For book research."

"Are you trying to convince me or trying to convince yourself?" Johanna wondered.

"He doesn't know anything about me."

"If you keep yourself behind your walls, then he never will," her mom explained, reaching over the table to squeeze her hand. The walls protected her and her mom knew that. Her mom had been with her every day after her dad died; her constant support. Hell, Johanna had lost her husband but she had held it together and supported her. Kate had been unbelievably close with her dad, definitely a daddy's girl and when he died; she had lost her way. The only way she could protect herself was to keep her heart safe and her mom had been there as it happened. When she snapped out of her memories, she realized that the waiter was there with their meals. She was very aware from the grumbling in her abdomen that she was starved. Taking a bite from her food, she looked across the table and noticed her mom eyeing her. Then it hit her, she was using the talk about Castle as a distraction. This was all a ploy and she was so preoccupied that she had fallen for it. No more. She needed answers.

"Was Dad's death really an accident?" Kate asked, confidence lacing her words; confidence that she wasn't sure was really there.

"Katie, of course it was," Johanna replied with a laugh.

"I'm not buying your excuse about the box. He died over a decade ago. You don't need his accident file."

"Some things are best left alone," her mom emphasized.

"What's that even suppose to mean?"

"Why are you bringing up the past, hon? Just let him rest in peace," Johanna stated and then looked down at her food. This was something, that was for sure, and her mom had been lying to her this entire time.

"I'm a homicide detective, Mom. If his death wasn't an accident, how can you even ask me to drop it?" she hissed across the table.

"It was an accident and you need to just let it be," she insisted further.

"You're hiding something. You're lying to me about Dad."

"Katie, I'm protecting you from this and from yourself. Trust me. It was an accident!" her mom snapped. As long as she could remember, there had never been a time that her mom spoke to her in such a harsh tone.

"I don't need you to protect me. I'm not a child. What I need is the truth. What do you know? What are you hiding?"

"Kate. It was an accident!" Kate stared at her mom for a second. She had no words left for the woman who sat across from her. Her best friend, whom she didn't recognize anymore. Water clouded her vision for a moment before she gained her composure and the two women finished their meal in silence.

Eleven years of lies.

After the disastrous lunch with her mother, she would have loved to just hide in her apartment and pretend this day hadn't happened, but she forced herself to return to the precinct. She came back for the victims. The victims' families deserved answers, and if she couldn't get them for herself, she needed to get them for others. Looking around the homicide floor, she was surprised to not see Castle or Demming anywhere. Taking a second glance, she noticed them in one of the conference rooms. She knew it was a bad idea to just stand there in the doorway, but after the awkward day she had with the two of them having an ego contest of sorts; she couldn't help but listen as they had an actual conversation.

"You're kind of following her around like a lost puppy," Castle stated. Well, maybe actual conversation was a bit of an overstatement

"Oh. Because you have room to talk," Demming shot back. From where she was standing, she could only see Tom's expression, but she could imagine the annoyance in Castle's features.

"I'm shadowing her for research. What's your excuse?" It was great to see that they were continuing with maturity. At this rate, they might as well just drop their pants to see who was bigger.

"We're working the case together," Tom stated while glaring at Rick.

"Yeah, because from what I can tell, that seems completely normal and necessary. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you've been checking her out all day."

"And so what if I was. It's not like you guys are a thing," Demming bit back.

"Actually…" Actually, what?

"Actually, what? Wait, are you two together?" Tom asked, almost reading Kate's mind.

"We are, yes. So I'd appreciate if you stopped checking my girlfriend out," Castle snapped, leaving Tom to drop his jaw. Kate had the same reaction to Castle's statement. Where did he get off telling Tom that? And when the hell had she become his girlfriend?

TBC