Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Prompt #40: Crutch - She never admitted it, but his novels really kept her going through everything.

Words: 914

Her mother's murder had left a ragged hole in her soul, and Kate Beckett needed something, anything, to fill that void. So though she didn't know what made her enter the bookstore, she didn't linger on the thought. She just needed new reading material.

Her feet took her through every section with the plodding shuffle of a listless zombie. Nothing seemed to catch her eye, not romance, fiction, fantasy, or sci-fi. The colorful covers could've been flat gray for all she noticed them.

Then she stepped into the mystery section. Out of habit - her mother had loved detective novels - Kate paused and took a moment to peruse the shelves. But once again, nothing caught her interest. Her world was still washed out and gray, like an overcast early morning. She turned to leave - and spotted a table displaying a series of books by someone named Richard Castle.

Might as well, she decided. Nothing else looks interesting.

The table had quite a few books on it, but it was obvious there had been much more. The first book she picked up read In a Hail of Bullets. Her interest was instantly piqued, she cracked open the book and read the summary on the inside dust cover.

Richard Castle's smash debut novel In a Hail of Bullets introduced the world to his electrifying mix of mystery, action, and intrigue. When rookie NYPD detective David McAllister is called to a crime scene on the Upper West Side, he finds a murdered Broadway actress and a seemingly open and shut case. But when the main suspect commits suicide, McAllister senses there's something going on and refuses to let the case go. As he digs deeper into the murder, McAllister soon finds himself hunted by the most powerful people in the city. He must solve the case quickly – or find himself the latest victim of it.

Kate blinked, feeling her jaw slowly lower in surprise. Wow, was all she could think at first. This is interesting. A cop that won't let go of a case that looks open and shut... Now curious, she flipped to the first page and started to read.

She was immediately dragged into the world of David McAllister, the rookie detective who had a gut feeling that something else was afoot in the murder of a Broadway actress. The words painted the clearest picture of New York City, so much so that she could literally see the streets and alleyways that McAllister traversed in his search for the truth. The characters seemed to come alive in her mind, each with their own traits that had Kate wondering who was hiding what from McAllister.

For the first time since the murder, Kate didn't think about her mother's death. She didn't think about the heavy pain in her heart. She didn't think about anything in her reality, actually. All she could think was which of the characters was the shadowy force preventing McAllister from solving his case. When she finally pulled herself from the pages, over two hours had passed and she was almost halfway through the novel.

She quickly picked up two more books and made for the register, cradling the three volumes to her chest like a refugee fleeing from her war-torn country. Never before had she hurried home as fast as she did that day.

Her father barely noticed when she returned to the apartment. He didn't notice much of anything anymore. Still, Kate was very careful to keep her footsteps light and quiet as she headed to her room. Once there, she opened In a Hail of Bullets and plunged back into Castle's reality.

Three days later, she was back in the bookstore to get more.

Present Day...

Poking through Kate Beckett's things was never a good idea, but Richard Castle was very, very bored and frankly, she should have known better than to leave her possessions spilling out of the cardboard boxes currently migrating into his guest room.

He found her literary selection to be quite eclectic. Romance novels, some historical fiction, and of course, an entire section devoted to crime novels. He smiled at the familiar authors, Patterson, Cannell, Castle...

Wait, Castle? Sure enough, when he looked closer, there was a whole box devoted to his books. Every single one of them, beginning with a rather battered copy of In a Hail of Bullets.

Castle pulled out the volume and smiled at the well-worn edges of the dust cover. Obviously this book had been with her through a good number of years. Opening it to the front page, he noted the slight discoloration of the dog-eared pages, a sign that they had been read over and over and over. And there on the page was that adorable "From the Library of:" sticker that decorated most of Alexis's books from childhood. On the name line was her familiar scrawl. Katherine Beckett.

"Rick? You behaving yourself?"

The smile on his face warmed over as he quietly returned the book to its place in the box. "I haven't hidden any of your things yet, if that's what you're saying."

"Then come down and help with these boxes. It's cold outside and I don't want to freeze my ass off moving my crap into the elevator."

"Yes dear," he drawled, his smile growing wider as he stood up. "I'm coming."

She was standing at the doorway with her hands on her hips and pursed lips. "What were you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing bad."

"Then where were you?"

"Poking through your books." He grinned impishly and decided to be truthful. "Never realized how much of a fangirl you actually are. Your copy of In a Hail of Bullets is practically falling apart."

"I got it when I was in college." She shrugged. "It got me through some tough times."

Castle heard tough times and translated Mother's death. Impulse made him close the distance between them and hug her lightly. Beckett wrapped her arms around him in response. They stayed that way for quite some time, and when they parted, she had a smile on her face again.

"You've always made me feel better, Castle," she remarked. "Even before I knew you, you've made my life a little more bearable."

"I try," he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Now c'mon Kate, let's finish getting you moved in."

Small future fic that I popped out.

Review please! We're hitting the final stretch here!