Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Prompt #18: Reconsider - Believing in magic was pointless...wasn't it?

Words: 804

"Please Beckett!" whined Castle, setting up his small tabletop. "Just watch for a little bit, okay?"

"I'm not putting my hand in the hat," she warned him. "You're not sawing off my hand. If I am squirted by any sort of liquid via any type of object, so help me God, I will not hesitate to shoot you."

He pouted like a little boy. "Well, if that's the case, I'll keep it simple and boring." A deck of cards appeared in his hands, fanning out with a twist of his wrist. "Pick a card, any card."

"Really?" Beckett asked with a grin. "Aren't card tricks a little beneath you?"

"Well you've nixed all the fun stuff, so this is my fallback."

Beckett sighed and shook her head. "Castle, I have paperwork to do."

"Just shut up and draw a card, woman."

Rolling her eyes, she did as ordered. She looked at the ace of spades, then back at Castle. "Okay, now what?"

"Remember it. And put it back in the deck." She did so, and Castle started to do some complicated shuffling tricks. She watched his hands carefully, trying to figure out what he was doing.

After about two minutes of shuffling, he spread the cards out in a line across her desk. "Okay, now pick another card. Any card."

Smelling a trick, Beckett tentatively drew a card from the left side of center. Seeing it was the Queen of Hearts, she glanced up at him. "Castle, what kind of trick is this?"

"Just a simple card trick," Castle smiled. "Okey-dokey, now there's two cards. Can you remember what they are?" Beckett nodded. "Good. Put that card back, and wait to be amazed."

Beckett watched him shuffle for a few more minutes. "Why is this so important to you?" she asked.

"Why is what so important to me?" Castle responded, his eyes never leaving the cards.

"Me believing in magic."

"I feel like we had this conversation before," he said.

"We did," she admitted. "Now we're having it again."

He actually seemed to take the time to think about her question. When he answered, he spoke slowly and deliberately. "Well, I still stand by what I said earlier. How can you ever hope to find magic when you don't believe in it? Everyone needs magic, Beckett."

"Because, if you don't believe in even the possibility of magic, you'll never ever find it," she recited from memory. "Yes Castle, I remember."

Clear blue eyes looked at her searchingly. "So why don't you want to believe?" Magic trick forgotten, he leaned forward and put his hand over hers. "Why not believe in magic, Kate?"

The warmth of his fingers was a distraction that she couldn't afford to have. "Because it's a waste of time," she responded tightly, pulling her hand back. "The world isn't chock-full of magic, Rick. Magic doesn't exist. The world is cold, and harsh, and no amount of magic or fairies or wishing on stars will make it better." Realizing that she was dangerously close to letting loose on him, Beckett turned away and returned to her paperwork. "Now leave me alone, Castle."

For a few seconds, the only sound between them was the ticking of the clock and the rustle of paperwork. Beckett kept her eyes firmly glued on the forms beneath her pen. Her anger simmered like a covered pot of water.

A card slipped across her paper, and another soon joined it. Ace of spaces. Queen of Hearts. Beckett looked at them, mildly surprised. "What're those?" she asked gruffly to hide it.

"Your cards. Don't bother denying it." He didn't sound different, just his usual playful self. "You drew the steadfast ace first, then the fickle queen."

"And how could you possibly know that?" Beckett asked dryly.

"That, my dear Beckett, is a secret," he said with a smile. "You know what sticklers magicians are regarding that type of thing." Holding out his open, empty palm, Castle made a fist. When he turned his hand over and opened his fingers, a small object dropped onto Beckett's desk with a little thud. "You should keep better track of your valuables, Detective."

"Stop stealing my stress toys, Castle."

"Ah-ha, you smiled," he said, grinning at her. "Mission accomplished."

"Shut up," she grumbled, unable to completely hide her grin.

She didn't used to believe in magic. But then she met Castle, who had his own brand of magic that always made her smile.

Yay, Castle magic!

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