#Johanna Beckett

[pollylynn]

Title: Misdeem WC: 950

“I don’t see it going anywhere.” —Richard Castle, Food to Die For (2 x 22)

There are times when he’d like to be a liar. This probably does not exactly set him apart from the masses. Who is out there walking around, drawing breath and sighing it back out again who hasn’t wished they’d been a liar at one time or another? Who hasn’t had a friend solicit reactions a truly hideous new outfit and desperately tried to sell a sincere It’s fantastic! only to have their own stupid, truth-telling face nuke the little white lie from orbit?  Doesn’t he—day in and day out—sit across the table from self-tattling morons who’d like nothing more than to lie their way right out of the interrogation room? He might be—he clearly is—in bad company, but he would very much like to be a liar right now. 

Beckett didn’t seem to mind.

His mother thinks he’s lying. His daughter probably would think he was lying if she had any attention to spare. And it’s not even that he wants to be lying. It should be a lie. That’s the agony of it. 

She should mind. That’s the way of things. This whole Richard Castle: Moral Support for Hire gambit should be one in a long line of his fool-proof plans to get her goat—to make her mind. 

But she doesn’t mind. It’s not a problem. He’s telling the truth, and he’s not even getting credit for it. Not from his mother, who is pursing her lips and shaking her head as she sourly reminds him that he should be getting ready for his date.

He doesn’t want credit, though, not in this instance, and certainly not for this truth. He wants to be the rogue his mother thinks he is—the one his daughter would think he is, if she weren’t, herself, so torn between duty and desire. He wants to be the Hamptons, the seductive allure of fun in the sun that makes Beckett forget all about the microscope-requiring AP exam that is Tom Demming. But he’s not the Hamptons. Or Beckett is not tempted by the beach. Or something. 

It’s a cavalcade of lousy metaphors, so he doffs his gloves and goggles. He extracts a spare watch from somewhere and he picks out a shirt in a color that she likes on him. Or a week ago he’d have said it was a color she liked on him, but apparently he’s no judge at all of what Kate Beckett likes or doesn’t like. That is the only explanation for the fact that she’ll be toting her microscope and slides all over town tonight, completely unperturbed by the thought that he will be out on the town, raconteuring his way through the celebrity chef world with one of her high school gang.  

There’s a moment when she bursts on the five-star dinner scene that he thinks she’s come to make a liar out of him. He very nearly chokes on whatever it is he’s eating at the moment and weakly, hopefully demands to know: Beckett, what are you doing here? 

He has the answer. He’d happily write it for her. He’d set her up with anything from cue cards to index cards to a state-of-the-art teleprompter, if she’d only read the lines with conviction: I’m here for you. I’m here because I couldn’t stand the thought of this. I’m here because it is a problem, and I do mind. 

But that isn’t the answer, of course. She is not interested in cue cards, index cards, or his writing services in any medium. She is not there for him or because she minds or it’s a problem. She’s there for case-related purposes, because the only struggle for her is the one between duty and more duty. 

He tries to work himself up to play the part everyone expects—the one she expects. He makes a respectable showing of it. He whines at length about the food of which she has cruelly deprived him and her good friend Madison. He accuses her of being uncivilized. He has another nanosecond’s worth of a thrill when she bans him from the interrogation. He parses the words giggling over the risotto with our suspect up, down, and sideways, searching for vindication—for the indisputable evidence that he’s been a liar after all, but it isn’t there. 

She’s hissing, red-faced, and thoroughly embarrassed by Madison’s Castle baby fantasy, but it’s . . . generic embarrassment. Or worse, it’s embarrassment for his sake—that he’d play a role in such an outlandish fantasy, or maybe that he’ll get the wrong idea? She’s avoidant when he tries to get her goat with a reprise of the Castle baby fantasy, but it’s . . . impersonal. She wants to get on with the case and back to her date with duty. There isn’t a shred of evidence that she hopped in the Fun Police Wagon and  drove it down to Rocco DiSpirito’s place because she’s bothered by the fact that he was out with Madison. 

He wonders how it’s come to this. He wonders when, because he could have sworn that she minded when he had his ten-second fling with Ellie Monroe, when he was on the radar of Bachelorette Number 3. He would have laid money on it being a problem when Rina scrawled her digits across his palm, when Lee Waxman wanted to trade favors, and when Meredith and the Crazy-Sex Train blew through town. He’s positive that she has minded virtually every woman who has so much as given him a second glance over the last year or so. 

But Madison? She doesn’t mind. It’s not a problem, because she, herself, has ‘Something’. 

That’s the truth and he’d so much  rather be a liar. 

A/N: Oof. This was ornery; and I didn't think this was the lie that would drive the story. Blegh.

images via homeofthenutty

[rollercoasterush]

"oh god, i've done some pretty weird tattoos." beckett paused to think about all of the weird tattoos she'd done. "well, anything on a dick or a vag -- why would anyone want that?" she shook her head, trying to rid her brain of the memories. "i've had people request names tattooed on their foreheads? i always say no to those ones. i'm not gonna be responsible for that when they regret it." she laughed. "i love doing snake tattoos. there was one i did of twin snakes, one was in black ink and one in white and i absolutely loved it."

jo nodded, considering. she'd have to think about her. her dad had always been a little bit wary of body art, which was probably part of the reason she didn't have any ink. and then she'd gone through a medical school interview process that still looked down its nose at tattoos and patients whose sneers at nurses with subtle tattoos disappearing beneath their scrub tops was burned into jo's mind. but she wasn't practicing anymore. hell, even if she did use her medical degree in a capacity other than for teaching, she'd be spending most of her days in a dark room reading films. no one but her techs would see the tattoo. "what's the weirdest tattoo you've ever done?" she wanted to know. "and what was your favorite?"

[laurellance]

senator bracken, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and the murder of my mother, johanna beckett.

[vertigoartgore]

Rest In Peace Terry Garr (December 11, 1944 - October 29, 2024).

Fun Fact : She portrayed both Phoebe Buffay's mom in Friends (in three episodes from 1997/1998) and Kate Beckett's mom in Castle (emphasis on kinda, since it's only a photography of her).

Johanna has been portrayed by two unknown models, always in photographs. One of the photographs is actress Teri Garr.

[thirdtidemouse]

hilda characters in taskmaster, if this means anything to anyone:

for context, taskmaster is a show hosted by greg davies and pathetic assistant (/creator) alex horne. each series five comedians are made to do pointless and difficult tasks and are awarded points. it ends up being very very funny and very amicably argumentative.

for now, i'll do my classic 5 faves, but i would love to do more like edmund + some ocs!

hilda - starting with the kids, likely winner. i mean she is the main character, but she has those problem-solving skills and unbeatable enthusiastic spirit (which would definitely take a beating in this godawful game). i considered how different the competition might be given that they're kids? but lenny rush recently competed at 14 and he did awesome. hilda would definitely stand up for herself if she thought her score or the task was unfair but she is a good sport all round. most likely to miss the huge hidden-in-plain-sight clues. here to have fun but not fuck around. all the cheerful demeanor of rob beckett. likes to very gently make fun of alex. would never ever give up.

"what you can't take away from me is that i had an absolutely lovely day."

"people say my ADHD means i have shit problem solving skills. no sir!"

frida - nerdiness to rival josh widdicombe. knows the taskmaster's tricks and snoops all around for clues/hidden solutions. genuine competence and competitiveness of someone like sarah kendall, as indignant and argumentative as ed gamble. the one time she doesn't find the hidden alternative answer is when the main pathway is just 'do a really long maths sum to get the code for the lock' and she just gets on with it because she can. tries not to act overly proud of herself but after a particular stressful win she definitely gets up and cheers. argues with other contestants. gets very annoyed by alex and sometimes tells him to shut up.

"the only way i get out of this with any dignity is if i die right now."

[to a small plush vole] "you've got no chutzpah! your organizational skills are lacklustre, and your timekeeping is abysmal."

david - the awkward swagger of james acaster but absolutely 0 of his winning spirit. definitely a fan-favourite pathetic contestant. the show would wear his psyche down so much he would snap and end up begging for points in a total breakdown à la joe wilkinson. gets genuinely cocky after a rare win. gets very stressed out by alex and is very scared of greg. like mae martin, is initially very nonchalant about the tasks, but can become freaked out quickly. not very good at getting points. ashamed of his failures and overjoyed with his successes. most likely to be given a humiliating solo task.

"please don't take it away from me."

"well well well! looks like last in P.E., first in being a legend!"

johanna - total sweetheart, smiling all the time even when she fucks up and loses, much like charlotte ritchie. although she does fuck up and lose considerably less. less nervous though, here to have fun AND fuck around. a sally phillips approach to tasks, meaning chill as fuck, inconspicuously normal contestant, that consistently produces either the most terribly planned OR the most creatively out of pocket and deranged 'solutions', of which back in the studio she has zero explanation for and can only laugh uncontrollably as if it wasn't entirely her idea. this will inevitably win her a lot of points but she will fall short on something like charlotte ritchie's first prize task, in which she brings in all of her bedding, is told 'you can't just pick up stuff from around your house,' and is given last place. this also makes her place her head in her hands and giggle. her attitude carries charlotte's consistent likeness to a children's tv show host. zaniness and well-spoken ramblings of mike wozniak.

"when you have no other ideas, you stick to your bad idea."

"i was excited, there was fire, i'd been told to undermine a vole and i let him have it."

kaisa - will not embarrass herself for love nor money. could not give a fuck about any of you people and simultaneously is incredibly determined to win. would get increasingly distraught with the incompetence of any teammates in an ed gamble outburst. despite this, is a cooperative and hardworking teammate. would spend long periods of time in silent thought before carrying out her plan with no explanation along the way. like james acaster, does not ever say hello to alex, just because she 'doesn't have to.' generally does not like alex. to quote jamali maddix, 'he's a punk. i don't like him.' acts like a rebellious teen in the presence of greg. i have no solid outfit headcanons right now but she would wear what bridget christie wore:

"i've got three sensitivity levels! and i'll be honest, i'm on my top fucking one right now!"

"i knew we were against the clock, and i didn't give a fuck" 

and here is my final test of character - one of the most simple and most telling tasks, from the very first episode:

"eat as much of this watermelon as you can in one minute."

hilda - romesh ranganathan. upon entry of the lab, she wields the watermelon above her head and smashes it into the floor, devouring as much of it as she can. total tunnel vision. she throws up a little at the end. wins the task.

frida - josh widdicombe. enters prepared with a knife, manages to hurriedly cut and eat a portion of the watermelon, with not nearly as much vigor as hilda. is not giving up any dignity for this. 3rd place.

david - frank skinner. was not expecting a whole watermelon. manages to quickly get into the melon but falls short at his eating speed. is clearly trying not to choke. 4th place.

johanna - tim key. no utensils required. cracks it open right there on the table, eating as fast as possible, almost to the same wild and untamed degree as her daughter. is docked points because she sneaks a final bite of watermelon after the minute is up, just because she enjoys it. 2nd place.

kaisa - roisin conarty. was also not expecting a whole watermelon. total lack of urgency in comparison. leaves the room and spends 50 of her 60 seconds retrieving a knife, which she totally could have done beforehand, manages to crack open and eat a total of 9 grams of the watermelon before her time is immediately up. last place. couldnt give a fuck though

thanks for reading guys. if you have anything to add or ask then please do. peace and love

[renegadesstuff]

“Senator Bracken, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and the murder of my mother, Johanna Beckett.” 🥺

S6E22, “Veritas” aired 10 years ago (May 5, 2014) ❤️‍🩹

[bunysliper]

Words: 1,577

Genre: Drama/Romance

Rated: T

Character: [Kate B., Rick C.] [Jim B., Johanna B.]

Summary: One fateful night, Kate Beckett's life changes forever. A 'Waking Up in Vegas' verse story. Caskett AU. College AU. Complete

Final Chapter

[pollylynn]

Title: Motive WC: 1000

“But the truth is, I've never had so much fun being used.”

—Richard Castle, The Late Shaft (2 x 20)

HIs daughter is not in the least interested in Ellie Monroe, not beyond that first blip of startled recognition, anyway. And maybe her interest is briefly piqued by that slightly awkward, double-edged teenage moment where she—the literal teenager—has all but caught him—the figurative teenager—sharing a goodbye kiss with the starlet from the B-movies the two of them loved once upon a time. There’s a quirk of her eyebrow and her jaw drops a quarter of an inch as Ellie brushes by and as he makes a show of gathering her into his arms, but beyond that, his daughter is not interested in Ellie Monroe. 

She is pointedly—perhaps a bit hyperbolically—interested in food. She humors him, playing along as though she has been foraging for sustenance, rather than retiring to the fireside so that the support staff, who undoubtedly made the fire, could serve her and her fellow orienteers some bougie pre-arranged meal accented with whatever minimal forest spoils they’d managed to scrounge up. She tucks into the feast he has prepared and it’s more than a little obvious to them both that her interest in food is compensating for her total, performative lack of interest in Ellie Monroe. 

He thinks, at first, that he’s a little wistful about it. It’s the latest in a long string of signs that she’s not his little girl, anymore. She’s not sitting there, rapt, with her chin propped on her fists, asking starry-eyed questions about the pretty lady or the daring heroine and what she’s like in person. The fact that she is not interested in the recently departed pretty lady is yet another ding in his own larger-than-life SuperDad persona, isn’t it? 

But wistful gives way to relieved. At least relieved is what he thinks comes next. It’s what he calls it, anyway. Interest in food gives way to interest in her trip. Or lack of interest, rather. She’s had fun. She has had fireside sings and ghost stories. She has seen a loon feeding and she speaks with pride about her own ability to handle herself. She speaks a bit high-handedly about some of the girls—she calls them girls and there’s a silent little in front of it—who didn’t handle themselves so well. And it’s clear that she was a bit bored. She’s a bit over that kind of trip. 

He should probably be wistful about that, too. He has a long list of things he would prefer she never be over, starting with plastic tiaras and extending well into the territory where she is jazzed about carrying her own pack through the Adirondacks, but also worried about falling behind on her self-imposed program of reading the classics. He should be very much opposed to her outgrowing Sacajawea cosplay, but instead he’s relieved or something like it. 

The reasons for relief are not entirely clear. Or possibly, he’s not inclined let them come into focus, because they might have something to do with Kayla and math and Ellie Monroe. It might have to do with Beckett—damn her to the Adirondacks with a too-heavy pack—using phrases like throwing herself at you and flicking barely perceptible, yet decidedly real, glance his way when Kayla declares that she and Bobby Mann were in love. 

It is more than possible that this has very confusing things to do with Beckett and his daughter, because his daughter, who is pointedly not interested in Ellie Monroe, is quietly bringing her up as she—totally against orders and in defiance of long established post-orienteering protocols—insists on helping him clear away the feast and tackle the dishes. Quietly doesn’t begin to describe it, actually. She is bringing Ellie Monroe up in such a round-about way that the conversation might need to think about a manageable, well-balanced pack.

“How do they book those shows, anyway?” 

As she asks, she makes a show of scowling down at the cast iron pan she always says he uses improperly. She is going for off-handed and not quite making it there. 

For his part, he is diffusely nervous. She’s avoiding eye contact, and for once he doesn’t mind. 

“Like, you have your book coming out soon.” She clatters plates and platters as she scrapes and rinses, almost as though she hopes he won’t hear her over the din. But she finds her nerve somewhere. She flicks the handle of the sink to stop, at least, the roar of rushing water. “And there’s the movie.” 

“Yeah. Yeah. The paperback and the mo–” He stoops to slot forks and knives into the dishwasher’s basket. He cringes at the memory of his schmoozy call with Tony the Movie Mogul. He clears his throat and presses on. “There’s the movie.” 

“But Ellie Monroe . . . “ Her gaze drifts toward the loft’s front door as though the woman herself might still be lurking in the hallway. ”She hasn’t done anything in a long time.” She leans into the word long. There’s a pause. She sets down the stack of plates in her hand and plants a fist on her hip. She’s making eye contact now, or she would be, if he didn’t have his head down.  “Why was she there?” 

His own gaze drifts toward the alcove leading into his bedroom. His face flushes as he pictures himself hissing Beckett up at the ceiling. He’s half afraid those two syllables might still be caroming around in the ether. Irritation and embarrassment burble up, and he wonders—for a moment, he genuinely wonders—if the good detective somehow intercepted his daughter and put her up to asking this unanswerable question about the why of Ellie Monroe. 

It’s not an unanswerable question, though. It’s a good question, a reasonable question. It’s the kind of question he wants his intelligent, caring, plastic tiara–eschewing, orienteering-outgrowing daughter to know she can always ask him. 

“Show business, I guess.” He shrugs. He turns his attention back to the dishes. He wishes he had a better answer. 

A/N: No, really. Why is Ellie "Viper Mountain" Monroe on that show? And why did no one fix her make-up shade? And banish that raincoat to the Phantom Zone?

images via homeofthenutty

[rollercoasterush]

“they never think so. they always think they’re big manly men but in reality they’re wrapped around their kids fingers.” she chuckled. “okay, we can definitely do that.” she nodded. “i don’t know why any job forces their employees to cover up tattoos. sure, if they’re offensive but pretty patterns, meaningful quotes, etcetera should be fine.”

while jo wasn't sure if cute was what she was going for, she found herself nodding anyway. "he was definitely a teddy bear." she couldn't help the quiet laugh that followed. "he didn't think so, but he definitely was." she chewed the inside of her cheek as she thought about it. "i think the bear holding the flowers. it'd have to go somewhere like here." she tapped her shoulder blade and rolled her eyes. "my job doesn't like visible tattoos."

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🗞️ Bookish News: August 2024 Edition

🦇 Extra, extra. Read all about it! Good evening, bookish bats! A lot happened in the publishing industry this month, but here are a few highlights you may have missed! ⤵

📺 Adaptations 💜 The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: limited series on HBO 💜 His & Hers - Alice Feeney: limited series for Netflix 💜 The God of the Woods and The Unseen World - Liz Moore: series for Sony 💜 My Lady Jane cancelled by Prime after one season 💜 Mark Hamill has joined the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk 💜 Court of Thorns and Roses series faces another setback - showrunner exits the production 💜 Trailer for Season 2 of Pachinko 💜 Britney Spears’ memoir is being made into a biopic 💜 Tom Blyth and Emily Bader starring in Netflix’s People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry 💜 The Games of Thrones prequel promos are out 💜 Burn Book: A Tech Love Story - Kara Swisher optioned as a series 💜 Every Summer After - Carley Fortune - Amazon series 💜 Regretting You - Colleen Hoover - McKenna Grace to star ppposite Allison Williams 💜 Verity - Colleen Hoover - no casting yet 💜 Percy Jackson season 2 is currently filming, and Sandra Bernhard, Kristen Schaal, and Margaret Cho have joined the cast of the Disney+ series 💜 Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt - Sally Field to star 💜 Bridgerton cast Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett, Benedict’s love interest 💜 The Picture of Dorian Gray is getting a contemporary TV series adaptation 💜 Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel A Pale View of Hills is getting an adaptation

📕 Cover Reveals 💜 When We Were Real - Daryl Gregory 💜 Blood on Her Tongue - Johanna van Veen 💜 Frenemies with Benefits - Synithia Williams 💜 The ABCs of Democracy - Hakeem Jeffries 💜 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke 💜 Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us - Jennifer Finney Boylan 💜 The Silent Emperor - Snorri Krsitjansson 💜 Nothing Bad Happens Here - Rachel Ekstrom Courage 💜 Open, Heaven - Seán Hewitt 💜 And, Too, the Fox - Ada Limón & Gaby D’Alessandro 💜 On Again, Awkward Again - Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia 💜 Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One - Kristen Arnett 💜 Stage Dance - Torrey Peters 💜 The Hymn to Dionysus - Natasha Pulley 💜 Time After Time - Mikki Daughtry 💜 Pizza Witch - Sarah Graley & Stef Purenins 💜 A Drop of Corruption - Robert Jackson Bennett

⏰ Upcoming Releases 💜 Young Sheldon actress Raegan Revord is publishing her debut young adult novel, Rules for Fake Girlfriends 💜 Liza Minnelli has announced a new tell-all memoir 💜 Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old - Brooke Shields 💜 Maureen Johnson has announced a new book which she describes as “a case file in book form,” with a sealed solution in the back of the book: You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder 💜 Olympic track star Allyson Felix has sold North American rights to a memoir, Fast and Slow, to the Dial Press 💜 Meghan Markle is allegedly planning on releasing a tell-all memoir 💜 House of Blight - Maxym M. Martineau 💜 Tor acquired Talia Hibbert’s romantasy debut The Last Thorn

🗞️ News 💜 Francine Pascal, author of the Sweet Valley High books, died at 92 💜 This year’s longlist for the Booker Prize has been announced 💜 Flatiron is debuting a new imprint, Pine and Cedar Books 💜 New GMA Book Club pick: The Seventh Veil of Salome - Silvia Moreno-Garcia 💜 Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif has filed a cyber harassment lawsuit against Elon Musk and JK Rowling for their disparaging comments about the boxer’s gender during the Olympics 💜 Kristen Bell will be reuniting with her Frozen costar, Josh Gad, to narrate his upcoming children’s book PictureFace Lizzy

[charlie-lynchs]

The Blame Game

POV: based on 8x12 from Castle, but instead of wives and husbands, there are mothers and daughters

(You should watch the episode first or you will not understand everything)

Age: 17

Name: Charlotte “Charlie” Johanna Beckett

Warnings ⚠️: kidnapping, blood, death, weapons, (child-loss)

Beckett-Castle Apartment:

Charlie was awaken by the coffee machine downstairs, so she knew one of her parents is awake. Like every other Saturday she takes her time and takes a comfortable shower. She puts on jeans, a T-Shirt and a hoodie and makes her way downstairs.

While walking down she sees her dad making breakfast and her mom reading the newspapers. As she walks down further Rick looks up. “Good Morning Kiddo.” He greats her with a happy mood. Now Kate also looks up and smiles at her. “Morning Dad.” she smiles at him. “Hey what about me?” Kate says with a smile. “Morning to you to Mom.” Charlie says and sits down next to the Captain. Charlie hopes that they could have a calm family morning but already knows that it’s only a matter of time until her mother’s phone rings and she has to go the 12th precinct. “So Charlie, what are your plans for today?” Kate says while looking up from the newspaper. “Um I got a message. My friend asked me to get a important package for him, that a relative has.” Charlie said while eating her scrambled eggs. “Do you need me to drive you?” Kate asked. “Na, I just take the sub. I bet that any minute you have to go to the precinct anyways.” Charlie said looking at her mom with a hint of disappointment in her features and like she can see the future Kates phone starts to ring. “Beckett, yeah I’m on my way.” she picks up her stuff. “I’m sorry guys but I have to go. I will make it up to you Charlie promise.” Kate said kissing Rick and then kissing Charlie on the head. “Yeah Yeah, bye” Kate walks out. Charlie stands up “Well then I will go to, the sooner I go, the sooner I’m back.” Charlie puts on her jacket and makes her way to the subway.

When she stands in front of the building her phone rings and “Mom<3” shows up on the screen. “Hey Mom, what’s up?” Charlie answers the phone. “Hey Baby, did you pick up the package already?” Kate asked walking into her office with the file from the new murder that happened. “No I’m standing in front of the building.” Charlie said looking up the building. “Ok, what do you want to do after that” Kate asked now sitting in her desk. “Go home and watch Brooklyn 99 all day.” Charlie said. “God you’re so obsessed with that show.” She says with a chuckle. “Well it’s a good show. I’ll text when I get home. Bye mom love you.” “Bye love you too baby” Charlie ends the call into the building. Walking up the stairs she noticed how old and dirty the building is and Charlie started to fell uncomfortable. Suddenly there is a sting in her arm.

“How far we on the murder guys?” Kate asked walking out of her office. “We have a white van that a witness saw driving shortly after murder. So the car of the murderer. Ryan is trying to track it down, I try to find relatives or friends while this happens. Two co-workers from her are on their way right now.” Javier explains. “Ok, keep me updated.” Kate said. *ping* Kate picks up here phone and sees a message from Charlie. “Urgent! Meet me at 143 Nicholas ST. ASAP”. Kate didn’t wait longer and made her way out of the 12th precinct.

Charlie wakes up, positioning herself upwards, she noticed that she is in an elementary classroom looking to her left, 3 other girls in her age are also waking up. “Ow, where am I. Who are you guys” the red haired girl next to her asked. “I can’t remember how I got here.” The girl with blond hair behind Charlie groans.”Guys I don’t know who you are but I don’t have my phone.” the black skinned girl says. Everyone looks after their phones but no one has one. “ I know this is weird, but we have to stay calm. To make things easier for us. I’m Charlie Beckett and 17 years old.” Charlie introduces herself. “I’m Rhiannon, also 17 years old.” The black skinned girl says. “I’m Sarah with a h, also 17” the red haired girl says. “I’m Maddie, 17” the blond haired girl says.

“After that is settled. I guess it is not a Coincidence that four 17 years old are locked into the same room and whoever is behind this is watching us with that camera.” Charlie said. “Are some kind of sherlock?” The red haired said with an attitude. “No, I’m just good at combining things. I guess it’s given from parents.” Charlie looking around the room. “That’s why your name sounds so familiar. You’re the kid of the Captain Kate Beckett and the writer Richard Castle. That’s so cool” Rhiannon says. “Wait your mom is a cop. Then get a massage to her and they can break us out of here.” Sarah said. “How am I to do that without a phone. Let’s just solve this puzzle.” Charlie said and everyone but Sarah gathers around it. Sarah smash’s the glass of the axe. “Fuck it I’m breaking out of here. What its made out of rubber. Shit.” Suddenly Bees fly out of the box and sting Maddy. “I’m allergic.” She says before she collapse. “The antitoxin has to be in this puzzle.” Charlie says starting to solve it with the help of Rhiannon. They finish it and give Maddy the antitoxin, it was close but she survived it. “Well now we know it’s not only a game. It’s about death and life.” Charlie says while looking everybody. Then with a crack the TV in the room turns on. “Look the room it’s identical to ours.” Maddie says. “That’s my Mom. Susan” Rhiannon says shocked. “That’s my Mom, Helen” Sarah said. Charlie stares at the woman with her back turned to the camera. Suddenly that woman turned around to look at the TV. “Mom.” Charlie said without taking her eyes off the TV.

“Look the room it’s identical.” Helen says while looking at the Tv. “Wait a moment that is my daughter Sarah” Susan said starring at the TV disbelieve. “And that’s my daughter Rhiannon.” Helen says. “That’s my kid. Charlie. They must have abducted them first and send the messages with their phones. To get us to that building.” Kate explained. “Charlie? Charlie? Can you hear me Charlie?” Kate tries to communicate with her daughter. She won’t show before these strangers she just met, but inside she is freaking out and is scared for her daughter’s life. But Charlie does not move meaning they can’t hear them. The TV turns black. Kate looks at Helen noticing something on her neck. “What do you have on your neck Helen?”. Helen looks at her neck, there is a weird looking symbol. “I don’t know, but you have it to.” Helen says pointing at Kate side. Susan doesn’t have one.

“Rhiannon did you see something on your mom’s shoulder?” Charlie asked. “Yeah she had that weird looking symbol that Maddie and Sarah have.” Rhiannon exclaimed. “Are you sure?” Charlie asked.  “I didn’t take my eyes off her.” Rhiannon nodded. “Following that pattern. My mom has one and I don’t. Your mom has one and you don’t. Your mom doesn’t have it but you.”

“There were 4 kids but only 3 of us, what happened to the women in that chair.” Helen asked while pointing on one chair.

Both groups found out by now that the wood stick from the axe is the key for the door, but the didn’t open just a cabin with a gun in it. “2 will die, 1 will be freed” Kate reads. “They what us to go against each other.” Helen says and Kate nods. Kate places the gun in the holder an walks away. Susan takes it and points it at them. “Susan what are you doing. That doesn’t bring us further. You don’t have to do this.” Kate says trying to calm her down. “It’s called surviving. It’s an instinct.” Susan claims.

In the same time the TV for the girls turn on and they see how Susan points the gun. Without thinking twice Sarah jumps to the desk and takes the gun and points it up. “My Mom is right. I’m not dying today.” Charlie steps in front of the group. “Sarah we had a deal no one takes the gun.” Charlie said, suddenly Maddie steps in front of her “shot me.” Maddie said looking at Sarah. Sarah pulls the trigger and it fires backwards, she lays on the ground not moving. “Oh god is she dead” Maddie asked. “Yeah, who ever build this room, manipulated the gun so that it kills the shooter. Now let’s find a way out of here.” Charlie exclaimed.

Susan was tied up and sitting on a chair. The TV turns on and they see Sarahs dead body and Charlie with the gun in her hand. “Oh my, Sarah. Your daughter killed my child!” Susan screamed and cried. “I’m so sorry, I’m sure there is an explanation.” Kate said sure that Charlie could’ve done it.

Both groups found their way out of the classroom. The mother’s in a more elegant way with building a bomb. The girls used brutal force breaking the door open.

“Stay right behind me.” Kate said with the gun in hand. They start walking when a shadow showed on the wall. Kate nod so the other lean against the wall. She turns around the corner.

“Don’t fire that.” Charlie said with her hands up. “It’s build to kill the shooter. That’s how Sarah died.” Charlie explained. Kate doesn’t hesitate and pulls Charlie into hug. Charlie closes her eyes and breath in the scent of her mother perfume. “I’m so glad you’re ok. I had a heart attack seeing you in that room.” Charlie just chuckled on that statement. “We should keep going.” Maddie said while looking around. “She’s right” Kate took Charlie’s hand not planning on letting it go for a while. “There is the exit.” Maddie said running into the room. “No wait that’s a trap.” Both Kate and Charlie said. But the doors closed on both sides. Three leather on the wall. Kate takes the card. “…only one of the better half can go. They want to separated the couples.” Kate said looking at Charlie. “We’re 6 people, 3 leathers. They want us to give each other up.” Charlie said. “I’m staying here.” Maddie said pushing down the leather everybody turns away scared that something blows up. Kate shields Charlie, but nothing happens. “So who is stay staying with me?” Maddie asked. “I will” Kate said looking at everybody. “If you stay, I stay.” Charlie said. Kate wanted to argue but Charlie did their secret sign they have since Charlie was small. They close their fingers after one another into a fist and it says thing like “trust me” but also “I’m scared”. Kate just nods. “Wait, that’s against the rules” Maddie said. “Screw the rules.” Kate yells. Both of them push the  leather and the doors open. “Thank you. We will call for help.” Helen says having Rhiannon in a side hug. They run out. Maddie suddenly lets go of the leather and the door closes. “Sorry guys I thought we could run out.” Maddie said.

“Really or are you just mad that we broke your rules?” Charlie asked letting go of the leather. “You did say there would be consequences” Kate said also letting go. “We know it’s you.” Charlie said.

“Dammit” Maddie sighed and gets out a remote opening a side cabinet with a rifle. Kate tries to run before she could take it. “Don’t move.” She points it at them. “What gave me away.” Maddie asked looking at Charlie. “That you weren’t scared at all when Sarah pulled the trigger and how you ran into the room even though everyone knew it’s a trap. So let me asked a question. Why?” Charlie said.

“My dad used to test us. Me and my mom. Lock us in rooms and let us to tests. He abused but no one helped us. They didn’t care.” Maddie said.

“Maddie we can help you.” Kate said trying to step closer but Maddie didn’t let her.

“Help me? Because you’re a cop. Yeah no. I tried talking to one but he just talked to my dad for 5 min and left.” Maddie explained. “And that’s why you punish my mom because of a time she wasn’t even captain yet?” Charlie practically yelled at her but Kate held her back with her hand.

Charlie was hit with a idea. She stepped back at the leather. “So you kidnapped a person from every job that didn’t help” Charlie said while quietly unscrewing the leather. “Enough talking. Let’s finish the experiment. One of you is going to die. Come choose.” Maddie said. “I’m not choosing” Kate exclaimed. “Me neither.” Charlie said. “One of you choose now or I’ll start to shot your body parts.” Maddie said exclaimed pointing the rifle at Kates foot. “Ok, ok. I’ll choose” Charlie said.

“I chose no one dies!” Charlie yells hitting Maddie with the leather and Kate secures the rifle. “Stay down.” Kate said.

At the same moment the police comes in and Rick runs in. “Oh thank god. You guys are ok.” Rick said bringing them into a family hug. “Let’s go home” Kate said taking Charlies hand.

Back at home Charlie and Kate both took a long and hot shower. When Charlie walks downstairs in her pjs she only sees her mom also in her pjs waiting for her. “Where is dad?” Charlie asked. “Oh he is in his office. He said he wants to give us some girls time after what happened. So I ordered pizza and the couch is waiting for us.” Kate said while opening her arms for Charlie to come to her. Charlie didn’t wait any longer and threw herself onto Kate and they both fall onto the couch laughing. Kate turns the TV on and plays Brooklyn 99. “Really Mom? You hate the show because it’s so unreal.” Charlie said. “Well seeing you laugh while watching it makes up every mistake in the show” she says. “I love you Mom” Charlie said cuddling more into her mother. “Love you too Baby, more than you think.” So the mother-daughter duo watched TV the hole night and fell asleep during that. The next morning Rick took a picture of the both of them and both of them make it their background on their phone.

---------------------------------------------

Hope you liked it. English is not my first language. So sorry for every mistake.

[corneliafma]

☆ –– welcome to new york, everyone! we get mystified by how this city seems to scream your name. please send in your accounts within 24 hours and check out our city map on your way in!

mandi, you’ve been accepted as mi-rae "mimi" park (long live muse a, this love muse b, you're on your own kid muse b) with a fc of bae suzy. *cody jensen's baby mama wc

mandi, you’ve been accepted as dalton warner (new year's day muse a) with a fc of tom holland. *sage warner's younger brother wc

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becca, you’ve been accepted as calum beck (long live muse c & long story short muse b) with a fc of lorenzo zurzolo.

ella, you’ve been accepted as avery mendoza (the man muse d & 'tis the damn season muse b) with a fc of jessica alba. *johanna torres' first love wc

ella, you’ve been accepted as maxine "max" ryan (you are in love muse b) with a fc of cari fletcher.

notwife, you’ve been accepted as matias castillo (mary's song muse b) with a fc of pedro pascal.

puck, you’ve been accepted as anika beckett (lover muse b) with a fc of naomi scott.

rose, you’ve been accepted as daniela "dani" claremont (marjorie muse c & dress muse b) with a fc of ariana debose.

[evitascarlett14]

The Guardian - Chapter 1

A/N: This story is set about a month and a half after my previous Halloween story, A Gift From the Great Pumpkin, in which Kate has her third child on Halloween…and names her after her great grandmother Sarah who often pops in for a visit whether her relatives want her to or not. Usually Sarah visits Johanna…but in this story, she’s going to be hanging around Kate and the kids a bit…and there may be a few other visitors as well!  I hope you’ll enjoy it!

*Posting chapter 1 here since FFnet can’t get it together this weekend and keeps making my story disappear. Let me know if you enjoy the chapter, either here or drop me a note on Twitter (or X, whichever you call it).

Chapter 1

Kate Beckett sighed softly, feeling slightly frazzled, holding the small form of her son as he whimpered sleepily in her arms. She had hoped that by the time December had set in that things would be more settled within their household…that Sarah’s schedule would be set and working seamlessly with Landen’s and McKenzie’s. Things were slowly getting better…but not fast enough to make her feel as if she had complete control once more. A warm huff of her son’s breath landed against her neck. Landen was still adjusting to having a baby sister…and while his jealousy was easing and he was willing to be more involved with her, he still had days when he struggled. Today was one of those days, she mused as she brushed a kiss against his hair. Her little boy was cranky…missing his daddy who would be out of town for a few more days doing holiday promotional tours for his newest releases just in time for the last minute holiday rush.

She missed Castle too…it was her first time being completely alone with all three kids for more than an afternoon or evening. She missed the comfort he gave her, assuring her that things would be fine, that they’d have the kids settled down before she went back to work in the New Year. She missed the sound of his typing in the office…his warmth at night. She felt lonely…out of sorts…and she knew that she could call her mother for backup but she didn’t want her to think that she felt like she couldn’t handle things…she could…she just still felt a little out of sorts…and she didn’t want to depend on her mother too much during her leave; after all, she figured her maternity leave was a break for her mother, despite Johanna’s hints that she was bored without her grandchildren and wouldn’t mind coming by to help out with Rick out of town.

Another sigh crossed her lips; she had been tempted that morning to call…Landen was cranky, Sarah…or rather Lizzie as she was called more often than not to Castle’s chagrin, had been fussy from a stomachache…and McKenzie was antsy, tired of being cooped up in the house thanks to a string of snow days that had cancelled school. She had gotten Lizzie’s stomach settled and had put her down for a nap in the nursery. McKenzie had gone willingly to her own room to play with her Barbie dolls with the instruction to help listen for the baby so that she could get Landen down for a nap as well. If Landen and Lizzie both stayed down for their naps, then she could cross the hallway and settle down with McKenzie and her dolls for some much needed girl time with her oldest daughter.

A small squawk of a cry sounded from across the hallway, making Kate close her eyes as Landen whimpered against her shoulder. “Oh, Lizzie, please,” she silently murmured. That child just did not like to sleep…and if she started wailing, Landen would be back up as well and she wouldn’t be able to carve out a little one on one time with McKenzie. Speaking of her eldest girl, she heard her swift little footsteps in the hallway, heading in the direction of the nursery. Kate breathed deeply, McKenzie would go look in on the baby…she’d slip her hand through the slats of the crib and allow the baby to curl her hand around her fingers, murmuring assurances until she could get there. She really didn’t have it together if she was counting on a five year old to be her backup.

“Mama,” Landen sleepily cried in his sleep.

“Shhh,” she soothed, rubbing his back. “I’m here, buddy.”

He settled under her hand and she rose from the chair and moved to his toddler bed, tucking him in and then quickly returning her hand to his back as he stirred; hoping that the baby would stay settled with McKenzie in her room for a few minutes more as she made sure that Landen would stay asleep.

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Sarah McKenzie glided across the floor of the nursery at that first squawk from her great-great granddaughter. She smiled as she looked down into the crib, the baby’s green eyes flicking open, her small mouth puckering into a cry because she had lost her pacifier. “There, there,” Sarah murmured to her, picking up the pacifier and slipping it into the baby’s mouth. The infant wiggled, her small face crinkling up in anticipation of a cry.

“No need to cry,” Sarah murmured as she reached into the crib and scooped up the baby, cradling her against her chest as she carried her to the rocking chair. “Granny Sarah’s got you, little one; no need to cry.”

The baby stared up at her and Sarah smiled once more. “Don’t worry, darling, you’re perfectly safe.”

A gasp at the doorway drew Sarah’s attention, spotting the eldest child of the home staring at her with an open mouth. “Oh, dear,” the spirit muttered; she hadn’t counted on being caught. “Close your mouth, darling,” she gently admonished. “It’s not a good look for a little girl to have her mouth hanging open.”

“Who are you?” McKenzie asked, her voice quivering as she stepped into the room, observing the shimmering being that was holding her baby sister.

The woman in a green silk dress smiled as she regarded McKenzie. “Do not be afraid, little one. I won’t hurt you.”

“Who are you?” she repeated.

“My name is Sarah,” she answered. “And you are McKenzie.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Oh I know all about you and Landen and little Sarah.”

McKenzie studied her. “Why are you shiny? Are you a ghost like in the Halloween movies that my Daddy watches?”

“Well…I guess you may call me a ghost but I much prefer the term spirit…but I know a small girl like you doesn’t quite understand the difference, so yes, you may say I am a ghost. You saw me before, remember? You saw me at the hospital when your sister was born. I watched over her in the nursery.”

Fear rippled through her. “Mommy!” McKenzie cried.

“Oh, darling, don’t be upset,” Sarah soothed. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you or baby Sarah.”

“Mommy!” McKenzie yelled again as she ran from the nursery.

“McKenzie, darling,” the spirit called after her but the little girl had already dashed across the threshold.

“Oh my,” Sarah said as she glanced down at the infant in her arms. “I’ve frightened your sister, dear one. I always get myself into a pickle…that’s hereditary you know…you will also get yourself into a pickle or two one day but have no fear, Granny Sarah will help you all she can.”

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Upon hearing McKenzie’s anguished cry, Kate leapt to her feet and hurried into the hallway, nearly colliding with her daughter. “McKenzie, what’s wrong?” she asked.

“Mommy, there’s a ghost lady holding Lizzie!” McKenzie exclaimed.

“What?” Kate replied, surely she had misheard her child.

“There’s a ghost in Lizzie’s room!”

She shook her head. “There aren’t any ghosts in our house…and if there was, it wouldn’t be able to hold the baby.”

“There’s a lady holding the baby!” her daughter all but yelled; her small face full of panic. “She saw our baby at the hospital.”

Kate didn’t like the sound of that as she broke into a run for the nursery, sliding across the threshold with McKenzie hot on her heels, cursing the fact that her gun was locked in the safe downstairs.

“Oh, Bunny, you don’t need a gun,” the woman stated as she slid into the room.

Kate’s eyes jerked toward the voice, there in the rocking chair was the shimmering being of Sarah McKenzie…and in her arms was Sarah Elizabeth Alexandra Castle, content as could be. She felt her heart clench at the sight, fear rushing through her as her stomach felt like it dropped to her toes.

“See, Mommy!” McKenzie said as she pointed at the being.

“Do not be afraid,” Sarah said once more with a smile. “You know who I am, Katie; we’ve met before.”

“Yes, I know who you are…what are you doing with my baby!?”

“I’m just visiting, darling.”

Kate’s hands shook as McKenzie pressed against her leg. “She said she’s a ghost, Mommy. Is she a real ghost?”

“Yes,” Kate murmured although she hated to admit it. “She’s a ghost.”

“I prefer the term spirit,” Sarah remarked.

“I don’t care what you call yourself,” Kate said, her voice trembling. “I don’t want a ghost holding my baby.”

“She doesn’t mind me holding her,” Sarah replied. “She doesn’t know the difference yet and I think she rather likes me. She doesn’t mind at all.”

“I mind!” Kate yelled, making the baby flinch.

“Hush now,” the spirit admonished as she cuddled the baby. “You’ll wake Landen and he needs his rest; and little Sarah doesn’t need to be startled.”

“You stay away from my kids,” she said tersely. “Why are you here?”

“I told you; I’m just visiting. You don’t need to carry on so much. I’m not finished holding the baby but I’m going to put her back in her crib so you’ll calm down, alright?”

Kate’s hand brushed McKenzie’s head. “McKenzie, go downstairs and get my phone, call Grandma; tell her to get over here right now. I don’t care what she’s doing, she needs to get over here now, tell her that.”

“Okay, Mommy,” McKenzie said as hurried from the room.

“Oh, Katie, you’re going to terrify your mother,” Sarah said as she rose from the chair.

“She’ll be fine, she needs to come deal with her ghostly relative who popped into the wrong house.”

“I did not pop into the wrong house; this is exactly where I chose to be. I wanted to see the baby.”

“Put my baby down gently,” Kate said as Sarah moved to the crib.

Sarah giggled. “Oh, bunny, I know how to put a baby down. I had four of my own, you know? And as a spirit who roams where she wishes, I have at times been granted the privilege of holding a grandchild here and there. I even held you once.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh but I did; you were no bigger than little Sarah,” the spirit explained. “Your mother had put you down for a nap, and she was so very tired that she went across the hallway to her room to get the laundry but ended up laying down and falling asleep. You must’ve sensed that she dozed off because you let out a squawk…but I was there and I scooped you up and rocked you, holding you for awhile as you slept so that your mommy could get a well needed nap too. I cherished that moment, Katie…just as I cherished the time when I scooped your mother up from her cradle and cuddled her for a little while.”

Kate moved to the crib and checked the baby over as Sarah remained in the room. “I didn’t hurt her, dear. I would never hurt any of you, you’re all my grandbabies, I love you.”

“Does Mom know you supposedly held me?”

“No; there was no need for her to know. I hadn’t planned on you knowing that I was visiting baby Sarah…McKenzie caught me off guard.”

“You shouldn’t have been holding my baby,” Kate said harshly.

“Why ever not?” the spirit asked. “She was going to cry and Landen needed his mommy for a few moments more. It’s not the first time I’ve been here, dear. I always look in on the baby.”

Fear struck her heart, her hands reaching for her baby, lifting her out of the crib. “Is something wrong with her?” Kate asked, her voice trembling. “Is something going to happen to her?”

Sarah shook her head. “No! Nothing is wrong; little Sarah is a healthy baby. No need to worry.”

“Then why are you looking in on her? I thought you haunted my mother.”

“I do not haunt your mother, I visit her.”

“Whatever,” Kate said. “You should be at her house.”

“She doesn’t have any babies at her house right now…which is why she was taking a nap, she’s bored…but now she’ll be in a panic thanks to that phone call.”

“She’ll be fine…I want to know why you’re so interested in my baby.”

“I’m interested in all of my grandchildren.”

“Maybe you’re too interested.”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“I thought this was your thing with my mother,” Kate said, patting the baby’s back as she began to fuss a little.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t visit other members of my family,” Sarah replied. “You need to relax, darling, your upsetting baby Sarah.”

“We’ve been calling her Lizzie,” she said sharply.

“Yes, I know, but I prefer to call her by her first name…which is Sarah.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Grandma’s coming, Mommy!” McKenzie exclaimed as she bounded into the room with Kate’s phone in her hand.

“Good,” she replied as she kept the baby cradled against her, her free hand moving to rest on McKenzie’s shoulder. “Grandma needs to take care of this.”

“Does Grandma know about ghosts?” McKenzie asked. “Grandpa always makes the monsters go away.”

“Grandma knows how to make this ghost go away.”

Sarah gave a soft laugh. “Darling, you really don’t need to be so upset…and really, there’s nothing that your mother can do about me. She’s tried before and it didn’t do her any good. Do you have the candy game on your telephone? May I play it?”

“No, I don’t have it,” Kate said firmly. “You need to leave…go bother Mom.”

“Well I can’t do that now; she’s on her way here now…and I don’t go anywhere until I’m ready. You once said that it was nice to know that loved ones were watching over things.”

“Yeah, the ones I personally knew…and you know, watching from a distance, not being in my house, touching my kids!”

“There’s nothing to fear, Katie,” she soothed. “I’ve been roaming and visiting for more years than I care to admit. I was there the day you were born.”

“That’s very nice for you but you need to go.”

“No, I do not wish to go yet. Are you sure that you don’t have the candy game since I can’t hold the baby right now?”

“Grandma has the candy game,” McKenzie replied.

Sarah smiled. “Yes, she does…I guess we’re going to have to wait on her to get here so everyone can settle down and then perhaps she’ll let me play that candy game…she’s not as stingy as your mommy,” she said lightly.

McKenzie gave her a small smile as she studied her. “We need to tell Daddy that we got a ghost. Daddy will like us having a real ghost, he likes ghosts. He said he was going to write a ghost story.”

Kate shook her head. “No, we shouldn’t tell Daddy.”

“Why not?”

“Because he would like this entirely too much,” Kate remarked.

“Because he knows there’s nothing to fear,” Sarah remarked.

“Mommy, can I touch the ghost?” McKenzie asked.

“Of course you can, darling,” Sarah answered, holding out her hand. “Come and see Granny Sarah.”

“No,” Kate said, catching hold of McKenzie’s arm. “You stay right here next to me.”

“But, Mommy, I want to touch it…she’s shiny.”

“I said no.”

Sarah sighed. “We better wait on your grandmother, dear…she’ll take care of everything.”

“She better,” Kate said, willing her mother to hurry. Johanna Beckett needed to get there and run off her wayward relative…and maybe take a turn holding the baby…because there was no way her baby was being laid down in that crib while there was a nosy, baby snatching ghost running around.

“I am not a baby snatcher!” Sarah said with indignation.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Kate replied. “You just go back over there and sit in that chair and wait.”

“Very well, dear,” Sarah replied as she moved back to the rocking chair. She sighed deeply, family…what a pain they could be when they wouldn’t let you enjoy the time you had decided to give them. Now Johanna was on her way and when she saw that the problem wasn’t the panic inducing issue she was most likely envisioning, she’d be angry with her too. Yes, once again, she had gotten herself into a pickle…oh well, she took her job seriously and no one would keep her from doing it.

[renegadesstuff]

-Senator Bracken, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud, and the murder of my mother, Johanna Beckett.- 🔥❤️‍🩹

[bunysliper]

Words: 1,576

Genre: Drama/Romance

Rated: T

Character: [Kate B., Rick C.] [Jim B., Johanna B.]

Summary: One fateful night, Kate Beckett's life changes forever. A 'Waking Up in Vegas' verse story. Caskett AU. College AU.

Chapter 4

[pollylynn]

Title: Cold Read WC: 1000

“Hmm. Nicely played.”

—Richard Castle, Wrapped Up In Death (2 x 19)

She’s not in the habit of letting him know that he is—occasionally—useful. She acknowledges this still (mostly) unwelcome fact when it's appropriate to do so. Which is to say she does an exaggerated, cartoon-worthy series of double and triple takes to make sure that he is out of earshot, and when her conscience won’t let her get away with not saying something, she says something to anyone who is not him. And preferably to someone she can be reasonably sure won’t repeat the admission within a country mile of his permanently swollen head. 

A year on, she is sheepish about this—her insistence that he is nothing but a hindrance and the grudging nature of her infrequent recognition. In the privacy of her own head, anyway, she is a little bit sheepish about it. In public, his ego, her eagerness to deflate it—it’s part of their routine. Their “public” expect it. That’s what he’d say, and if it weren’t part of their routine for her to categorically deny that they have a public, she’d have to agree. 

So, everything seems to be standard operating procedure in Will Medina’s apartment at first. He is intrigued. He’s inquisitive to the point of being unconscionably nosy, and that’s . . . useful. Of course, it’s disruptive, too. Police nosiness is—and must be—methodical. There’s a by-the-book way to go through the medicine cabinet, a right way to rifle through someone’s underwear drawer, whether that someone is a victim or a person of interest. His way is not the right way. 

But it’s useful, and Will Medina’s apartment is a case in point. It is like a museum. It’s a far cry from a dire, half-furnished SRO or the one-hundred-and-first direct from Ikea place she’s seen that month. It’s full of interesting things, and the fact that he’s acting like a kid in a candy store means that she doesn’t have to acknowledge that some part of her wants that same freedom to press her nose right up against the glass case housing the monkey skulls and turn over the shrunken head looking for a “Made in China” sticker. She’d like to forget for a moment that Will Medina is almost certainly a murder victim, and she gets to live vicariously through him. It’s a guilty pleasure, but it’s useful.

It’s still business as usual after his bachelor accessory crack. She and Esposito tag-team school him on how to read an apartment for its occupant’s relationship status. That’s useful as she gets to talk out mutual conclusions with one of her detectives, and it’s fun, because reminding him of the limits of his boy genius powers is always fun. He counters with some schooling of his own, lofting the well-worn paperback, and suddenly it’s neither useful nor fun. There’s a charged, unspoken moment between the two of them that is decidedly not for public consumption. 

Oh, there’s the line about how she has only slightly misjudged the relationship. That’s dripping with the expected innuendo. She can sense the smirk Ryan and Esposito exchange as Ryan strolls up and unabashedly outs himself as an enthusiastic consumer of chick lit. That’s all part of the Castle and Beckett show. But while the boys are winking and elbowing each other not quite behind her back, he catches her eye and it’s the weight of his hand on the cover of the book speaks—no pun intended—volumes. 

She is suddenly, urgently aware that the kid in the candy store that she, until moments ago, found equal parts useful and disruptive has very recently been in her candy store. He’s had her in his candy store, and her brain needs to stop with the candy store metaphor immediately or sooner. The candy store metaphor is a problem. 

She thinks, with a pang, of the meagre survivors among her book collection—smoke damaged, water-logged to varying degrees, and distressingly piecemeal relative to the whole. She thinks, with sharply escalating alarm, of her well-stocked shelves before the explosion and the hours he had, unsupervised, to rifle through them. Her mind tries to work its way at a gallop through every revelatory item that he might have handled, fondled, scrutinized in those unsupervised hours, but it’s the books her attention keeps snapping back to.

What had she left out on the coffee table, the kitchen table? What might have jutted out from the otherwise neat line of spines to reveal itself as something she’s inclined to return to over and over? What had wavy pages and swollen covers, marking it as a bathtub book and how, exactly, might that knowledge have struck him? 

She feels naked and exposed, and well she might. 

It’s the books she snooped at his place. Oh, yes, she clocked the scented candle on the tub—the scented candles everywhere, actually. She’d raised an eyebrow when he produced a spare toothbrush from some kind of bottomless supply of them. She’d snuck her glances at photos and knickknacks and scanned her share of shelves and drawers and closets. 

But it’s the books she well and truly snooped, down to the gum wrappers he’d clearly used as emergency bookmarks, and the torn-out moleskine pages with their scrawled notes that he’d tucked into the flaps of too many dust jackets to count. It’s the books she’d snooped when she couldn’t sleep, when she got up a second time, a third time, and found it still too early to start making breakfast. She had studied their spines and their dog-eared pages. She’d chuckled to herself about the mix of rigid organization and absolutely haphazard arrangements. She’d speculated on the number of things displayed in prominent places that he absolutely has not read. She had delighted  in every telling detail. 

It’s the books for her. It would have been the books for him. In an instant—in the time it takes for him to catch her eye and thumb the creased spine of a paperback—they both know it’s the books. 

A/N: I can't decide whether Beckett would sooner have Castle go through her underwear drawer or her bookshelves . . .

images via homeofthenutty