Unexpected

Stalking confidently into the book launch party for his last Derrick Storm book, Kate Beckett called out, "Mr. Castle."

Whipping out his Sharpie pen, Richard Castle obliviously turned to the strikingly lovely woman holding up an NYPD detective's badge, and asked, "Where would you like it?"

"Detective Kate Beckett NYPD. I need to ask you a few questions about a murder that took place earlier tonight."

Thus began a prickly collaboration between the well-known and very successful author, Richard Castle, and the well-respected and successful homicide detective, Kate Beckett and her team. He wheedled his way into working with them to solve three murders, which were staged to duplicate murders from some of his early mystery books; and his insights provided the impetus to look farther than they already had. He thereby prevented them from charging the wrong man with the murder.

In spite of altercations and annoyances between them during the work on the case, they parted on friendly terms, with tantalizingly teasing remarks.

That night Beckett met Lanie Parish at the ME's office to pick her up for a girls' night dinner…good food, good wine, and good conversation.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, Lanie asked, "So was that fine looking writer any help at all on the case?"

"I hate to admit it, but he really was. We almost arrested the wrong guy, which in this case would have been a bigger than normal tragedy; and he convinced me to look farther. But I'm glad he's gone. He has some good insights, but he's annoying."

Their orders were taken, and as they waited, Lanie got down to business again. "Did he ask you out?"

"He offered dinner and 'debriefing', but I turned him down. He said it would have been great, and I don't know what got into me, but…"

"Oooo, that sounds interesting. What did you do?" Lanie asked, ready for some girls' night sharing to begin.

"I leaned in close to his ear and told him, 'You have no idea.'"

She laughed delightedly and asked, "And what did he do?"

"I don't know. I turned and kind of strutted away, and he didn't follow. That was for the best anyway."

"Why was that for the best? He likes you, and…"

"He has such a reputation, Lanie. You know…the rich playboy. I just don't want to end up in some slimy tabloid looking like another notch on his bedpost. I'd rather keep my life a little more private."

Kate changed the subject to Lanie's love life, and they talked about other things during their meal. The ME wasn't quite ready to give up on her friend and the writer, so when they had finished their meal, she brought it up one more time as they took care of their bills.

"Too bad things didn't work out with you and Castle. There's chemistry between you two. I'm not the only one who noticed."

"Yeah, there was definitely an attraction." Following a deep sigh, Kate added happily, "Which makes it even better that he won't be there tomorrow morning. I can stop worrying about it."

xxxxx

And then he was back, first thing the next morning. He was taking full advantage of his friendship with the mayor to arrange to follow Beckett, and by extension, her team, as research for a new book…about a female detective. His presence for an indefinite period of time was not exactly encouraging a warm and friendly Beckett.

During the next case, the team was treated to his storytelling skills. He had Ryan and Esposito, and the captain as well, hanging on every word as he spun a story about their case. Although trying to stay aloof, Beckett was drawn in as well. The boys were friendly, but it was still prickly between Castle and Beckett. Over the next month or two, though, she began to suspect that there was more to him than his reputation suggested. The genuine pride and love for his daughter that showed when he talked about her caught Beckett's attention, and she softened toward him…a little bit.

On a Monday morning after the first time she had a full weekend off, Castle asked as he placed coffee on her desk and sat down, "Did you do anything fun on your weekend off?"

"It was fun for me. My dad owns a good-sized wooded area next to a lake. I spent the weekend at our cabin there…hiked through the woods, had a couple of good runs."

Castle huffed a little laugh and said, "I actually did the same thing. I found a piece of wooded property away from the city while Alexis and I were driving around a few years ago and bought it. We have a cabin there, too. No lake, but it's still beautiful. She was spending the weekend with a friend and Mother was away for an audition, so I went up there and enjoyed it the same way you did…hiked through the woods and had a couple of good runs. Who'd have thought?

"Certainly not me. I didn't see you as the spending time communing with nature type…or as a runner."

"Never judge a book by its cover, Beckett. Maybe I could show you the place sometime if you like to hike."

"I don't think I know you well enough yet to go off to the wilderness with you, Castle," she teased.

"Fair enough for now," he conceded with good humor. "We'll work on that. Then how about Remy's for lunch? Does that sound safe? My treat."

"I think I know you well enough for that."

They were both smiling easily when Ryan and Esposito came back from lunch.

"Did we miss something?" Esposito asked as he walked by. It didn't look this friendly when we left."

"No. We're both hungry and were about to leave for lunch," Beckett told them "Stomachs are growling and lunch is a happy thought. Here's what we were working on while you were gone. We didn't find much, but you can check behind us to be sure when you have time."

"Thanks?" Ryan answered.

"We'll catch up on what you found in your interviews when we get back," she told the boys as she and Castle left.

xxxxx

Castle sprung for burgers, fries, and shakes; and they found conversation easier than usual. It was a short moment in time when they relaxed and enjoyed each other's company. Then they were back at work going through records related to several persons of interest who looked like probable suspects. When they had finished that boring task, accompanied by Castle's distracting remarks and occasional inappropriate comments, prickly was again a good description of the atmosphere. Beckett's next unavoidable job was to type up the witness statements from the day before and Castle saw no reason to stay…other than Beckett.

"Would you like a coffee before I go?" The break room on the homicide floor was now home to Castle's big, new coffee machine, and Beckett couldn't resist.

"I'll come with you. I still don't quite have your fancy machine figured out. I'll watch again."

Castle did everything slowly so she could see each step easily; then he handed her the coffee, complete with the correct flavorings, and said, "Thanks for the lunch conversation. I enjoyed it."

Holding up her cup, she answered, "Thanks for the coffee." After a little pause she added, "And for lunch. I enjoyed it, too."

Feeling like he could be taking his life into his hands, he took a chance and leaned to quickly kiss her cheek. "Until tomorrow," he said as he made his exit.

He turned briefly to look back, and Beckett saw a flash of something odd in his eyes…something she'd never seen before. And he saw an answering flash in hers.

xxxxx

Before Kate left the precinct, she sat in the car thinking for a few moments and decided to call her father before she left. "Hey, Dad. How would you like to have dinner with your daughter tonight? I'll bring take-out so we don't have a big mess to clean up."

"I'd love to have dinner with my daughter, but it doesn't happen too often lately. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine. I might have a couple of questions, though."

"I'll answer what I can, Katie. When should I expect you?"

"About half an hour. I'll call the order in right now and pick it up on the way."

After some small talk and catching up as they put the food on the table and enjoyed their meal, Jim Beckett asked, teasing his child, "When you called, I think I heard something about questions. Are they coming up anytime soon?"

"I'm not even sure why I'm asking." She drew in a deep breath and released it into her question. "How did you find Mom…before you knew?"

"We worked together. You know that."

"No. How did you find Mom? How did you know?

"One day I was sort of commiserating with her about something that happened in the office. She had come to my office, closed the door, and told me about it. We had become friends by then, she was upset about it, and I wanted to console her. I reached across the desk and took her hand in both of mine, and she looked up. I think I surprised her. Just before someone knocked on the door and broke the spell, I saw something in her eyes. They kind of glowed, and then it was gone almost as fast as it appeared. I felt something in mine, so I think she saw the same thing in me. We found our way from there…carefully." He reached for his daughter's hand then...the same way he had just described. "Katie, is there someone new in your life who brought on these questions?"

"No? Kind of? He's annoying a lot of the time."

"And nobody could ever apply that to you, could they?" he asked with a big teasing dad smile.

"Thanks a lot, Dad," she answered, snatching her hand back in the same teasing manner. "Aren't you supposed to be my backup?"

"Who is he?"

After a little stalling and shifting around in her chair, she reluctantly admitted, "Richard Castle."

"The writer? The one you didn't want following you around? The one whose books Johanna liked so much?"

"Yeah. That one. He isn't quite as bad as I thought, but he's still annoying."

Jim reached to take her hand again with a little grin, and Kate laughed and snatched it back. "We went there once already, traitor."

They both laughed, and then Jim changed tack. "Do you think there's something there…something between you?"

"I don't know. There's an attraction, but how do I know he's somebody I can trust with everything? Our family doesn't exactly come with a guidebook on how to meet possible life partners." Looking at him, she asked softly, "How long did it take for you and Mom to talk about all of the really important stuff?"

"A few more months. I found out later that both of us were looking for the right signs first. We finally found them, and I asked her to marry me."

"Do you think you might ever date again?"

"No. You know that."

"Yeah. I guess I do." Looking down as she drew little circles on the tabletop with her fingertips, she told him, "That weekend I went to the cabin a little over a month ago…he asked if I did anything fun. I told him I hiked in the woods and had a couple of good runs. He has similar property and said he had done the same thing." Jim's eyebrows raised slightly. "Yeah. I hadn't expected that from him." She was quiet for another moment before saying, "Castle took me to lunch today…just burgers, fries, and shakes at Remy's, but it was nice. We talked about a lot of things. He has a daughter, and he's so proud of her. You should see his face when he talks about her. I get the feeling he's a really good dad. I had paperwork to do, so he left earlier than usual, but he made me coffee first. He thanked me for the lunch conversation and said he enjoyed it. I actually admitted I did, too, and he kissed my cheek before he left. When he looked back on his way out, his eyes kind of glowed, and I felt something in mine, too. It was only a flash of whatever it was, but it was…"

"I remember. It might be good to keep an open mind. As for the rest, you know your mother and I annoyed each other on a pretty regular basis; but I never wanted anybody else."

"I was afraid you'd say something like that. I feel like I'm trying to navigate land mines.

This time, Jim reached over and patted Kate's hand in actual sympathy again. "As I remember it, that's a pretty accurate picture."

"Thanks, Dad. I needed tonight…even though I'm still in the land mine stage and have no idea what I'm doing." She squeezed his hand lovingly and said as she stood, "I'll clean this up before I go."

"I'll help," he answered and stood, giving her a little one-armed hug before they transferred things to where they belonged.

xxxxx

While the Becketts were talking, a similar conversation was going on at Castle's apartment.

"What has you so distracted?" Martha asked after she was at home and had already spoken to her son twice with no response.

"Detective Beckett?"

"Was that a question or an answer?" Martha inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Both, maybe."

"She's a lovely woman, and I've enjoyed her company the few times I've met her. I always appreciate that she tries to make Alexis feel included with the adults."

"Speaking of Alexis. Is she here?"

"Not yet; but she called, and I talked to Shelley's mother. She has a big history test tomorrow and she and Shelley are studying together. Mrs. Morrison said she'd have dinner for them and bring Alexis home around eight. Shelley is spending the night here so they can quiz each other in the morning before school."

Martha poured herself a glass of wine and held the bottle up, asking if Castle wanted a glass, too. He nodded, she poured, and then handed him the glass. Castle took a sip, leaning on his elbows on one side of the counter, and Martha stood on the other side giving him an assessing look. "You look like a man with something on his mind."

"I do need to talk to somebody who understands."

"Whatever it is, I'll do my best."

"You know I'm different. I guess I'm feeling a little lost. I know how to find women, but I don't know how to find the right woman."

"I'm sure my choices in men haven't given you a fine example. I'm sorry."

"Your parents stayed together for life. Did either of them ever tell you how they found each other?"

"I know they met at a dance, and they were married about a year later. They were big on lifetime commitments. There was room for a little 'experimenting', but no wavering once commitments were made. When I told them I was pregnant, I had committed the cardinal sin in their eyes. I hadn't found a life mate, but I had someone else's child. They were disappointed enough in me that I never went back. I was never the favored child anyway. I didn't have 'the gene'. My older brother did. He eventually found the perfect wife, and they have three children now."

"Are you still in touch with him? Maybe he would talk to me."

"I'd like to be. He did love me and stayed in touch for a good while after I left. Before he was married, he would visit and send us money now and then to help out. Then he was married and had a wife and soon a growing family to support. The help gradually got smaller, but he would still call from time to time. By then I was getting better roles in better shows, though; and you and I were doing okay.

"Do you know where he is?"

"I wish I did, Kiddo. I'd love to see him, and he'd probably love to see you and sit down for a good talk; but after both our parents died, Brian found a good job. He loved it, but it had him moving around every five years or so. After about the third or fourth move, we lost track of each other. I guess we both just got busy with our own lives." In response to the dejected look on her son's face, Martha pointed out, "With your resources, you could probably find him if you want to." After another assessing look, Martha asked, "Is this all about Beckett, or are you having a mid-life crisis?"

"Again, maybe both? I want what your parents had…a lifetime commitment. I blew the first effort, and I have someone else's child, too. Even if I could go back and change things, I wouldn't, though. Alexis is the best part of me, and I wouldn't give up having her for anything. I wanted to give her a family she could depend on, but it's kind of late for that. She's almost old enough for college now.

"Alexis couldn't have had a father who she could depend on more than you, but her mother…" She sighed and said, "I won't go there."

"I can't give her a home with two parents anymore. She'll have her own life before long, but I don't want to spend my life alone. I do still want that for myself…the love of a partner who understands me for the rest of my life. I'd want to give that to her, too, maybe have more children."

"Do you think there's something between you and Beckett?"

"I know I annoy her, and I know she didn't want me there at first; but it's been a couple of months now. I think she might be seeing that I'm not as bad as she thought. I took her to lunch today. Just burgers, fries, and shakes, but just the two of us this time. We had an easy, pleasant, and miraculously uninterrupted conversation." He stopped to take another sip of his wine and sat down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "It was nice. I really like her, Mother. She's well-read and picks up on literary references. She can be fun and flirty right up to the interrogation room door and turn hard as nails as soon as she walks inside…all business. She's phenomenally good at her job, she can shoot a comeback at me without blinking, and she's so damn smart. She's… I'm not sure I have the right word. Probably somewhere north of amazing."

"Richard, you're talking about a woman it's very obvious you're interested in, and you're talking about her mind and her abilities. Not once did you mention that with her looks and the way she carries herself, she could be a successful model, or that she's in great shape. The word 'hot' never even entered the conversation. She must be pretty special."

"Well, I was sure that was already obvious. Being gorgeous…and I'll admit, hot…is just a bonus." He smiled and added, "But then there's the fact that she's about as bullheaded as anybody I've ever met. Not exactly a bonus there."

"So she annoys you, too?" Martha asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. It seems to be a mutual thing."

He told his mother the same story Kate told her father about the woods, and the coffee, and the kiss, and the eyes.

"You know, I think my mother mentioned a quick glow in the eyes. I was between thirteen and eighteen when was trying to tell me those things. Not having 'that gene', I didn't think I'd ever find somebody like my parents, which is what they were hoping for; so, like your average teenager, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. I wasn't old enough then to be thinking in terms of a grown child who would need answers. Again, I'm sorry."

"But you must have found someone similar. My father…"

"Maybe. But I can't tell you anything at all about him, except how much I wish he hadn't left the way he did. I'm not sure what happened there. He probably doesn't even know about you. All I can say is that I'm…"

"Don't apologize again, Mother," he answered, placing his hand over hers. "We've both coped without him. I might try to find your brother and his family, though. It would be worth it, even if all I get out of it is finding relatives who would be happy to see us. Alexis and I would at least have the chance to meet an uncle and aunt and some cousins."

AN:

This is starting later than I intended, but here it is anyway. There will be five chapters posted during the next week.