Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.
Character(s): Kate Beckett, mentions of Lanie Parrish and Richard Castle, along with Beckett's dad and mom
Pairing: a teeny bit of Castle/Beckett
Status: Complete
Genre:
Rating: K
Author's Note: Derived from Beckett's statement that "doesn't everyone" have a tattoo. Two updates of Castle stories in one day. Ya'll ought to be proud. I am. :)
Tattoo
She wasn't intoxicated when she had gotten it, in fact, she was quite sober. It wasn't because of a bet either or the notorious peer pressure. She had gotten it in her "wild child" phase that almost everyone went through during their teen years. When her parents had found out, her father had been furious with her, but her mother had just sat back with a blank expression and then given her one of those statements that she wouldn't ever forget. "It's your life, Katie; just be careful." Her mother always had found a way to get to her. To get inside her head. To make her think.
That was one of the things that she missed the most about her.
It was a tattoo of a butterfly on the lower part of her back. Or her first one was. In college, after her mother's death, when she found out that those were beginning to be referred to as "tramp stamps", she had gotten it removed, but only to be replaced with a heart on her hip. At the time, she had almost put her boyfriend's initials in it, but she was thankful that she hadn't because, a week later, she had dumped him when she found out that he had been cheating on her with her roommate. After that, she had grown distant; the only reason that it hadn't happened sooner was because of him and her dad. They had dated all through high school. But after it ended, she couldn't find the strength to try to act normal anymore, so she didn't, except for those weekly calls to her dad. She didn't want him to worry about her.
A year later, she had met Lanie, a former med student who was currently trying to finish her degree in forensic pathology. Lanie was a wild child and she had been surprised that she was going to be working with dead people. Or that she wanted to. Lanie had succeeded in getting her to go to some bars, but still, a part of her was broken. The part of her that still wouldn't be fixed even for many years after meeting Lanie. It was months later that Lanie had found out that she had a tattoo (they had gone to a bar and she had gotten a little too tipsy and when dancing her shirt had risen to reveal the heart on her hip). Lanie had been shocked at first, but then smirked and said, "I knew that you had a party girl deep down in you."
Six years after that, she had met Castle, though it had been many years later until he had first seen the tattoo. She swore tha she wouldn't ever forget his expression. It had been before they first hooked up and she had just been involved in chasing her suspect down a street. He had jumped a fence and when she followed him, the side of her shirt had gotten torn. A little piece of the heart had poked out. Castle was observant and, of course, had noticed. After being bugged about it for a few weeks, she had finally shown it to him. In the middle of the precinct. With others looking in their direction.
Maybe that was why he had been so shell-shocked. Or maybe it was because of her toned stomach (that's what Lanie had surmised anyway). He had seemed to like it though. Actually, he seemed quite amazed that she had it in the first place. Everyone did. But she didn't care. She liked it.
And though she's older now and married now with several kids of her own (the non-biological one included), she still does.