This story is completely AU. So everything you already know about these characters and this show is wrong. I'm basically borrowing these characters for my own version of their love story.

Is a disclaimer necessary? If I were Milmar you all would get every Caskett wish you ever wanted! :)

Chapter 3

As Kate walked through the front door of her parent's apartment the smell of fresh apple pie hit her in the face. It was her favorite, but her mother rarely baked anymore. She was far too busy with work.

"Katie, that you?" her mother yelled from the kitchen.

Kate walked around the corner to see her dad sitting in his chair reading the paper and her mom franticly running around the kitchen.

"What's going on mom? Why are you in such a panic?" Kate laughed. She hadn't seen her mom act this way in years.

"I'm baking a few apple pies to take down to the homeless shelter in Washington Heights." She said as she pulled a fourth apple pie out of the oven.

"Wow mom, Is this the first time or have you been doing this for a while." She asked.

"Well I've been working on a 'Take Back the Neighborhood' project in Washington Heights and I just thought I would contribute a little.

Kate and her parents had always been close, and since moving out after high school their relationship had only strengthened. They were finally getting use to Kate being independent, and living on her own. Something both of her parents had fought her on when she first told them that she was moving out. They eventually gave up and told her they would help her out as much as possible as long as Josh wasn't living with her. Her parents had become pretty close with Josh over the years. When they first started dating her parents were just glad that he didn't have any tattoo's. All of Kate's boyfriends before Josh were a little to 'edgy' for her parents liking. Josh was a breath of fresh air. He was a smart, tall, handsome boy from a great family who was going to college to be a doctor. Kate knew that her parents would be a little upset about the break-up but it wasn't their decision.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I should probably tell you before you find out from someone else." she said, her eyes focusing on her feet again. This was something she was notorious for doing when she was sharing disappointing news.

"Baby, please, please don't tell me you're pregnant…" Johanna approached Kate resting her hands on her shoulders.

"WHAT! MOM, NO!" Kate's eyes shot up to her mothers already filling with tears.

"Oh, thank the heavens above." Jim threw in from his chair. He hadn't even stopped reading the paper.

"Not that we wouldn't support you and Josh and this baby…" Johanna couldn't even finish her sentence before Kate jumped in.

"Mom, there is no baby, what are you talking about? It does have to do with Josh though. We broke up, and this time it's for good. I just couldn't handle all the jealousy and we fought every time we saw each other." You could hear the self-doubt about her decision in her voice.

"Oh Katie.." her mom said pulling her into a tight hug. "Maybe its for the best, maybe the two of you need a break. I know school has really been stressing you out."

"No, it's not school mom. It's him. He is always at my apartment; I mean I couldn't get him to go home. You know how private I am, and I felt like I couldn't even go to the restroom without him barging in. I tried talking to him about it, and he never did anything to change it. I think that he thought I was going to leave him any second, and his constant worrying was driving me insane. I love him so much, but I absolutely can not stand a jealous, overbearing man." The anger and frustration she was feeling clearly showing in her voice.

"Yeah, you just got rid of one of those when you moved out of here." Her mother joked as she pulled Kate to the kitchen table.

"Hey, I heard that." Jim chimed in from his chair, still reading the paper.

Giggles emerged from Kate, and a little relief. Her parents were nowhere near as upset as she first believed they might be. Maybe it was because they thought it would be temporary. Maybe they were just trying to stay uninvolved and let her grow up. Which she appreciated.

"Dad, you might be overbearing, but you're the best kind of overbearing." Jim looked up and at Kate and gave her a wink.

"So, now that I have that out of the way. Mom, I started reading this book last night. It was a crime novel by Richard Castle, 'Flowers for Your Grave', I know you read a lot of crime novels, have you heard of him?" Kate thought that easing her parents into the idea of her with an older man might be easier if she boasted about him a little first. Sure she didn't know where any of this would end up going, but she knew that the chances of them making the paper were pretty good so she might as well prepare them.

"Katie, Richard Castle is my favorite author. How do you not know this already? I have all of his books in the study."

"Wow, I guess I hadn't paid much attention. Well I actually ran into him today at a luncheon. Well I ran into his daughter, and then he came over after to apologize. He is very handsome." Katie smirked with a little blush forming on her cheeks.

"I guess I hadn't noticed." Her mother shrugged with a smile on her face. "Want some dinner, we have leftovers?"

"Actually I'd love some." Kate pulled her purse onto the table, pulling her phone from the pocket on the inside. She had a text from an unknown number.

Is it too soon to ask you on a second date? ;) – Castle

The blush that had begun to form on her cheeks before was now growing and it didn't go unnoticed by her mother. Her mom placed a plate in front of her and sat down across from her. Kate dropped the phone to the table without responding. She would have to think of something cheesy but cute to respond with.

"So when exactly did you and Josh break up?" her mom asked knowingly.

"Well about two weeks ago I told him how unhappy I was and that I didn't think it was working out. He wasn't what I would call accepting of the idea of us splitting up. In fact, he basically refused to acknowledge the problem at all. So yesterday I met him for lunch after my final and told him that I was done, for good." Kate shoved another into her mouth and brought her eyes up to meet her mothers nodding head.

"What?" she said.

"Oh nothing, I just couldn't help but notice the blushing when you received a text. Thought maybe there might be someone new already?" Johanna's eyes grew a little bit. She was definitely insinuating something but Kate was unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Maybe there is someone new, but I wasn't seeing him behind Josh's back or anything. You raised me better than that."

"I wasn't implying that you were seeing anyone behind his back. Just a bit curious as to who might be making my daughter blush the day after she broke up with her longtime boyfriend. Someone she claimed to be absolutely in love with just months ago."

"Mom, I know you're concerned about me. You always are, but I'm nineteen and I am living on my own. Paying my own bills. Going to school. I am totally aware of how fast my feelings towards Josh changed. But you weren't there in the end. He's different now. He wasn't the same loving, caring, doting boyfriend that he was in high school. He had become insecure, and jealous, and it was starting to show in me. I have enough stress to deal with. School kicked my ass this semester, not to mention all the modeling jobs I've been booking. I just felt like I couldn't keep up."

"Well do you think maybe this modeling career you've been so focused on might have put a little stress on your relationship? A relationship that use to mean everything to you?" Johanna gave a stern look to Kate. The look the Kate hated seeing from her mom.

"I'm sure it was the cause of some of the stress, but the way I see it, if he couldn't support my dreams then he wasn't supporting me."

"I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't give up on him so easily. I'm sure he needs time to adjust to the changes you've made in your life."

Kate glared at her mother but ignored her comment. She wasn't going to argue with her over something that they both had very different opinions on. The truth is, her mom didn't know how emotionally abusive her relationship with Josh had become. She had never been there to witness his verbal attacks about her body and how she was over sexualizing herself for modeling jobs. None of them understood that modeling was her passion. Something that she loved to do, and one of the only things that she felt like she was exceptional at. In middle school she was tall and lanky and somewhat of an outcast but as soon as she hit high school and grew boobs, she gained the attention of every boy with a pulse.

"Mom, I wont say never, but I just don't think he and I were meant to be forever. I just don't want to waste my youth with someone who doesn't love and support everything about me." Kate felt her chest tighten a little bit at the thought of never being with Josh again, but she knew that she would find someone else.

She pulled her phone off the table and decided to text Rick back, or did he like to be called Castle? He had signed his text with just his last name so maybe she should address him as that.

Is tomorrow too soon to want to see you again? –Beckett ;)

She stared at the text for a minute before hitting send and before she could even lay her phone back on the table she felt it vibrate.

Took you long enough to respond. I was sweating over here waiting on a response. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. I have meetings in the morning with my publisher but I'm free for lunch.

A smile was plastered on her face as she looked up at her mom and rolled her eyes. She shoved the phone back into her purse for the time being and went to clear her plate and put it in the dishwasher.

"Thanks for dinner mom, but I really should get going." She walked back towards her mother bent down and have her a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you baby girl. Promise you'll come by more now that you're on winter break. I miss seeing you every day and putting my nose in all the business you want to keep me out of." Her mother gave her a kiss back on the cheek and swatted her butt.

"I love you mom, even when you pry." Kate walked over to her dad in his chair bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheeks. "You too, pops!"

"Love you, Katie bug." Jim looked up from his paper and gave her a grand smile.

"Oh Katie, let me grab a few of those Richard Castle books for you." Her mother got up from the table and walked into the study. When she returned she had four books with her and handed them to Kate as she was walking out the door. "Keep them as long as you need, but please don't lose them. You know how I am about my books."

"No worries, mom. I'll take care of them and probably have them all back to you by the end of the week if I read them at the rate that I did the first one. Bye, you all!" Kate yelled back into the apartment as she pulled the door shut behind her.

As soon as Kate left her parents building she pulled her phone back out. Typing up a text for Rick, or Castle, whatever.

Lunch sounds great. Name a time and place. I'm free all day tomorrow.

As soon as Kate got back to her apartment she slipped out of her clothes and ran a hot bath. She had grown to love baths since moving in on her own. Her apartment didn't have a shower so she had to get use to it anyway. It had become on of her favorite things to do after a long day. So she sat in her bath with a copy of Castles 'In a Hail of Bullets' feverishly reading through it. After a while she heard her phone vibrate ans she reached out of the bath to grab it.

You're free all day? Are you implying that you'd like to go on an all day date with me Miss Beckett? If so, meet me at Café on Broadway at 11:30 tomorrow.

I don't know about an all day date Mr. Castle. Lets start with lunch and see where things go from there? I'll meet you at the Café at 11:30. Don't be late.

Was the man crazy, asking her on an all day date. She knew she couldn't commit a whole day to him so she would have to find an excuse to cut out early. Her phone buzzed again and she opened the text and an immediate smile was brought to her face.

I can't wait. See you at 11:30 on the dot.

I have been seriously speed writing this story because even I am excited to see how I am going to write it. I love each and every one of you who take the time to leave nice reviews. I really appreciate the support that I've received from a few people. I was so scared to even post the first chapter because I have literally never written a word before this. Reviews keep me motivated. Even if you just write one word. So that I know that people are still reading and enjoying!