Castle 1. Her Name Was Anna Tucker

**TITLE: **In Another Life  
**AUTHOR:** definitely-always (oneanddonekindofgirl on tumblr)  
**PAIRING:** Caskett  
**RATING:** K+ (subject to change)  
**SUMMARY:** A/U: 1999 - Johanna, Jim, and their daughter Kate are placed in Witness Protection and given new identities after Johanna survives being stabbed in a back alley. Enter Richard Castle. A "what if" story.  
**DISCLAIMER:** _Castle_ and its characters belong to Andrew Marlowe, ABC Studios, et al. For entertainment purposes only. Not for profit in any way.  
**AUTHOR'S NOTE: ** I scoured this site and AO3 to see if this idea had been done before, but I didn't find anything. I only joined the Castle fandom about eight months ago (though I've since seen every episode at least five times since then), so please forgive me if I overlooked a story. Hopefully, if a similar story exists, this one differs enough to make it unique. Thanks! :)

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**CHAPTER ONE: _Her Name Was Anna Tucker_**

_Anna Tucker_. Her name was _Anna Tucker_. _Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker_.

The nineteen-year-old repeated the name to herself over and over again, intent on making it stick.

_Anna Tucker_.

Anna Tucker grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She was nineteen years old. She was transferring from Georgetown University to USC. A freshman. Intent on majoring in pre-law.

_Anna Tucker_.

Anna Tucker was tall, thin but not skinny, and had hazel eyes that appeared a deep green in the right light.

_Anna Tucker_.

_Anna Tucker._

_Anna Tucker._

The girl sighed heavily, leaning back in the uncomfortable airplane seat as the fasten seatbelt light came on with a ding. A rough voice called out over the intercom: "This is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent into LAX. Please return to your seats. We will be landing in approximately thirty minutes. The current time in LA is 2:17PM. The weather is fair with a temperature of fifty-two degrees and sunny skies. Thank you for flying Delta and we hope you enjoyed your flight."

The girl glanced to her right, seeking out her mother who was still asleep in the seat beside her. She hated to wake her—she's been through so much these past two weeks and was still in a weakened state. Her gaze fell on the man sitting on the other side of the sleeping woman, and he met her gaze, then nodded. The girl's father gently touched his wife's arm, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, "Elizabeth, time to wake up, honey."

Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Tucker.

The name sounded to foreign to the girl sitting in the window seat of the airplane. The man was Daniel Tucker, her father. They appeared to be the picture-perfect family, traveling to Los Angeles.

Anna Tucker, the beautiful daughter. Elizabeth Tucker, the tired but equally beautiful mother. Daniel Tucker, the protective father.

It's who they were; a perfect nuclear family.

But it was all wrong.

She wasn't _Anna Tucker_ from Baltimore. She was _Kate Beckett_ from New York City. Freshman at Stanford University.

Except now, she was Anna. Kate was no more. She was Anna Tucker.

_Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker. Anna Tucker_.

Kate—_Anna_—glanced around the room. Her room. It was larger than her childhood room back in New York. It was still bare of any furniture except a twin-sized bed she doubted she'd fit comfortably on and a small dresser, and the walls were an off-white color, in dire need of a fresh coat of paint or two. But the floor was covered in a plush beige carpet and the lone window in the room was large, allowing the room to be bathed in the late afternoon sunlight.

She stepped further into the room and dropped her carryon bag onto the naked mattress, wondering if there were clean sheets anywhere. Spying two doors, she opened one and gasped. The closet was huge! Not as big as those fancy walk-in closets you see on TV, but easily twice the size of her old one. One wall boasted a long pole for hanging clothes, the other shelves and drawers. But there were no sheets to be found.

Behind the other door, she found a nice-sized bathroom complete with her own tub/shower combination. Everything looked bare, but clean. Though the tiles on the floor were chipped and the grout dingy with age. She wondered what it would take to replace them.

"Ka—I mean Anna, what do you think of your room?" a female voice called out from the doorway. Kate reappeared from the bathroom, a forced smile. "It's big," she said. "But I doubt I'll fit on that bed," she continued, indicating the small bed. "And I can't find sheets."

Johanna—_Elizabeth_—shook her head. "I doubt there are any. Your father is going to run to the store in a few minutes for things like that and some basic groceries in a few minutes. We'll have to see about getting you a bigger bed, but I'm afraid you'll have to make do for tonight."

She looked so apologetic and guilty that Kate's heart clenched. Sighing, she walked over to her mother and wrapped her arms loosely around her, mindful of her recent injuries. She tucked her head into her mother's shoulder when familiar arms returned her embrace. "I'll be fine for a night or two," she reassured. "It's just going to take some time for me to adjust to everything. I'm still _Kate_ in my head."

"I know, sweetie," her mother murmured. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I know it's not fair to you or your father."

Kate pulled back to look her mother in the eye. "We've gone over this," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't blame you and neither does Dad. We're just glad you're okay and safe. We'd follow you anywhere to keep you that way. Everything will be okay. It's just going to take some getting used to. We'll be back to normal in no time, just with different names."

"And different lives," Johanna commented. "I'm still sorry you had to leave your friends behind at Stanford."

Kate shrugged. "Debbie's hairspray kept giving me migraines anyway," she said, indicating her roommate back at her old school.

"What about that boy you'd started seeing? Nick?"

Kate chuckled, tucking her arm into her mother's and leading her down the hallway towards the living room. "It wasn't going anywhere anyway. He was fun, but I was thinking of breaking things off already."

They sat on the lone couch. "I'm still sorry," her mother said.

Kate shook her head. "Stop," she insisted. "It's not going to help. You're safe. We're safe. That's all that matters."

And it was. Kate was sad, mad even, that they had to leave their old life behind, but not at her mother. She was mad at the bastard who'd tried to kill her mother. He was the one at fault, not the loving, truth-seeking woman sitting next to her. Because of _him_, her mother had nearly died in a back alley just two weeks prior. Because of _him_, they'd had to go into hiding via Witness Protection. Johanna Beckett was now a key witness to bringing down a very evil, very powerful man. His identity was still unknown, but his power and influence was clear. He'd ordered a hit on Johanna Beckett when she'd started investigating the murder of a FBI Agent years before.

Now, to the general public, it had been released to the media and their friends and family that Johanna Beckett was dead—murdered in an alley in Washington Heights—and her daughter, Kate, and widow, Jim, had moved out of the country in order to "get away from the haunting memories of their beloved mother and wife."

Who knows when, if ever, they'd be able to return to their old lives.

"The only think I'm really upset about is that I have to wait until summer to start school again," Kate said with a sad smile. She had missed the start of the spring semester by a week. Classes had already started. Of course, the people in charge could have easily set it up so that Kate as Anna could just start late, but Kate had opted to just wait, not wanting to start off behind.

Johanna chuckled. "If only this had all happened a few weeks earlier, right?"

Kate shrugged. "It's alright. It gives me time to adjust and get used to being Anna before meeting a lot of new people."

Johanna nodded and clasped her daughter's hand tightly. "We'll get through this together." Kate nodded in agreement.

"Katie, would you like to accompany me to get a few things to hold us over until a bigger shopping excursion tomorrow?" Jim's voice startled them both.

Kate nodded and stood. "Sure, but who's Katie?" she asked, half joking, half solemn.

Jim sighed. "No one, _Anna_," he said. "It's going to take time." Kate nodded in agreement.

"Mom, you want to come, or stay here and rest?" It had only been two weeks since she'd been stabbed, and one week since she'd woken up from her medically-induced coma. They'd left New York as soon as she'd been physically able to leave the hospital, and she still had trouble standing for more than a few minutes at a time.

"I'll stay," Johanna said, confirming Kate's guess. "Just pick up something for dinner tonight and breakfast in the morning and other things we may need until tomorrow. Don't forget towels and sheets and toilet paper."

Kate laughed and leaned down to kiss her mother's cheek. "We won't. How does Chinese sound for dinner? I think I saw a place just down the road on our way here."

Johanna nodded. "You know what I like. Be careful."

"We will."

Jim had joined Kate beside the couch and gave his wife a quick kiss. "You okay here or do you need help into the bedroom?"

Johanna shooed him off. "I'm injured, not an invalid. I'll be fine here. Besides, there's no sheets on the bed. Go. I'll be fine."

It had been six weeks since they'd arrived in LA. Kate was quickly getting used to being Anna. There had been talk of sticking to their real names when in the comfort of their own home, but that idea had quickly been nixed. Johanna had pointed out that using their given names at home could lead to accidental slips out in the public. Kate and Jim had agreed. So they only used their new names at all times, quick to correct one another when they slipped. No one had slipped up in nearly two weeks. It seemed that Kate, Johanna, and Jim were now officially Anna, Elizabeth, and Daniel. The perfect nuclear family fresh from Baltimore.

Their neighbors were nice. Kate was used to indifferent New Yorkers, not the friendly newlywed couple from the South that said hi and smiled whenever they passed one another in the hallway. Kate liked it. It made her feel safer for some reason.

The woman, Tori, wasn't all that much older than Kate—only twenty-three and fresh out of college—and she'd place the man, Kyle, as only a few years older. Tori was the first person in LA that Kate would consider a friend. And she was the first person she told her made-up story to. Tori didn't even blink and accepted everything Kate said. Not that Kate had any doubts, but she still hated having to lie about her life. Tori and _Anna_ had become fast friends. But _Kate_ still held back, cautious about getting too close to anyone for fear of being ripped away from her new life once more. She was determined to keep everyone at arm's length. It would only make things complicated to get too close to anyone.

Both her parents had been lawyers in New York. But they'd been advised that returning to practicing law was a risk that the people in charge weren't willing to take. Kate didn't really understand, but neither of her parents had objected. They probably knew something about the profession that she didn't yet. She was still planning on studying pre-law and becoming a lawyer. No one could stop her from that. No one tried to.

In lieu of practicing law, both Johanna and Jim had acquired a job at a local Law School, Johanna as a faculty advisor and part time professor of law and Jim as a full time professor of economics since he'd previously practiced economic law. Kate still had trouble picturing her parents as professors, but they seemed to enjoy their new careers. Not as much as practicing, but enough to make it worthwhile.

In the meantime, Kate had been spending her newly acquired free time exploring the city and looking for her own part time job. She really didn't want to waitress or work retail, but she needed to find something to occupy her time and keep her from having to rely on her parents' money. They'd given her a credit card, but she used it sparingly after acquiring a basic wardrobe and things needed for her room, which now boasted a queen-sized bed and matching dresser and armoire set. The walls had gotten a fresh coat of paint and the bathroom had been retiled. After adding decorative accents, such as curtains, pillows, and other random items found in a one's bedroom, Kate almost felt at home in their new place. Almost.

They had been given an ample sum of money to relocate and get new things. They'd been allowed to bring only their most important possessions with them. For Kate, those items had included photos, the stuffed elephant, Gerard, that her grandmother—her mother's mother—had given to her when she was two years old, and a few other things with sentimental value. The rest had been donated to various charities.

Late one night six weeks into their new life, Kate sat on the couch, mindlessly watching an episode of _FRIENDS_ while Johanna prepared dinner and Jim sat at the kitchen table grading papers.

"Anything interesting in your job hunt today, sweetie?" Johanna called out over the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. Kate pressed the mute button on the TV and moved onto her knees, turning to rest her folded arms on the back of the couch to see her mother clearly.

"Not really," she said. "I don't want to waitress or work retail, but I might have to if I don't find something else soon."

Johanna smiled. "You don't have to work, you know. You'll be starting school again in a few months anyway. Why not take this time to relax?"

Kate shrugged. "I've relaxed enough. I don't like not having something to do."

"You could always model," Jim called out from the table in a teasing tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "That was one summer nearly two years ago," she said. "Let it go." Jim chuckled, but didn't say another word.

"What about a bookstore?" Johanna suggested as she strained the pasta. "I know it's still retail, but you love to read."

Kate nodded. "Maybe. I'd get an employee's discount on books, too," she joked.

"Exactly!" Johanna replied. "You could get me my books, too. Those hardbacks are expensive, but I don't want to wait for the paperback."

"Patterson, Connelly, Castle, Lehane…" Kate listed. "What is it with you and mystery novels?"

Johanna shrugged. "It's interesting. You should try a few sometime. I really think you'd like them."

Kate shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. Pick out one you think I'd like and maybe I'll read a bit after dinner. I'm tired of TV anyway and I don't have anything new to read."

Johanna smiled and nodded. "I will. But dinner's almost ready. Will you set the table, please?"

Kate nodded and stood, then did as she was asked. Soon, the three of them sat at the table enjoying the meal Johanna had prepared. That was something that hadn't changed throughout the years—they ate at the table as a family whenever they could. Of course, since moving to LA, that had been practically every night since there were no cases keeping either Johanna or Jim away and no boyfriends or other friends keeping Kate away. She'd had dinner with Tori twice.

After dinner, Kate helped clear the table and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher while Johanna put the leftovers in Tupperware containers and slid them into the refrigerator. "I'll pick you out a good book," she said, heading off to the master bedroom where she kept her extensive collection of mystery novels only to return moments later. "Here," she said, handing Kate a hardback book that looked as if it had been read five times.

Kate looked at the title. "'Flowers for Your Grave'?" she questioned, noting that the author was Richard Castle as she opened the front cover to read the description of the novel. She had to admit, it did sound interesting.

"One of my favorites," Johanna said. "Richard Castle is my favorite author, but you already knew that."

Kate chuckled. "Indeed I did. Thanks. I'll start it now as I take a bath." She closed her bedroom door and set out for the bathroom, shedding her clothes along the way. She loved having her own bathtub and allowed herself a long soak almost every night.

As the water filled the tub, Kate washed off her makeup and studied herself in the mirror. She'd never thought of herself as gorgeous, but she knew she was pretty enough. She'd been incredibly uncomfortable in her own skin as an awkward, gangly teenager, but she'd seemed to grow into herself over the past two years. She went from awkward and pimply-faced with a mouth full of braces to confident and nearly perfect skin. She once despised being so tall, but now she embraced her height. Loved it, actually.

Noting that the tub had filled, Kate turned off the water and quickly swept her long, medium brown hair into a high bun to avoid it getting wet, then slid into the hot water, sighing in pleasure at the feel of it embracing her body. God, she loved hot baths!

She relaxed for a few moments, unmoving and allowing her mind to wander, but her curiosity finally got the best of her and she reached out to where she'd left her mother's book and settled in to reach the first chapter. She was still skeptical, but she was willing to give it a shot.

Twenty minutes later found Kate sitting in lukewarm water completely engrossed in the story.

It wasn't until a shiver wracked her body that Kate became aware of the now tepid water and her decidedly pruned toes. She quickly set the book aside and reached for the rubber stopper, pulling it up and allowing the water to drain. She stood and dried herself quick as possible and grabbed the book, anxious to get back to the story. She actually read as she dressed in a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt. Kate had a feeling she wouldn't be getting to bed any time soon. She had a habit of allowing herself to get caught up in a book and not putting it down until she was completely done with it. If that meant reading into the wee hours of the night, then so be it.

And that's exactly what happened. At precisely 4:13AM, Kate closed the book, completely surprised by the ending, but pleased with that surprise. One reason she hated most mystery novels is that they were often times predictable. This one had kept her guessing. She liked that. A lot.

Kate held the book in her hands, studying it intently. She suddenly wanted very badly to get a job at a bookstore now, as her mother suggested. She came up with a plan. The following day (or later that same day, she corrected), once she got some sleep, she was going to find a few bookstores close by and see if any were hiring.

Plan in place, Kate settled in for the night, feeling totally content in LA for the first time since arriving.

She had Richard Castle to thank for that.

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**Author's Note**: Hello lovey readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I will be posting chapter two very soon. Please let me know what you think of this idea! :) Thanks! Also, in narration, I will still be referring to Kate, Johanna, and Jim with their birth names. _Only in dialogue_ will they be referred to as Anna, Elizabeth, or Daniel. Hope that isn't confusing! :)


	2. Saturdays Were His Favorite

**A/N: **Thank you to all those who reviewed, favored, and/or followed this! I'm excited about this project. :) My day job keeps me pretty busy, but I plan to update this story 2-3 times a week, time permitting. Keep letting me know what you think! :D

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**CHAPTER TWO - _Saturdays Were His Favorite_**

He glared at the woman sitting across the desk; she pretended not to notice. She droned on and on about advances and deadlines and blah, blah, blah; he pretended to listen.

In actuality, he was thinking about that morning and his precocious, five-year-old daughter waking him up with breakfast in bed. Yes, breakfast in bed. Of course, for a five-year-old, breakfast in bed entailed soggy cereal and a glass of orange juice, half of which had sloshed over the edge of the glass as the young girl carried the tray from the kitchen to his bedroom. The cereal may have been soggy and the glass of orange juice half full (because he was optimistic like that), but he'd been delighted all the same, especially when they got to cuddle and watch his favorite Saturday morning cartoons. Saturday mornings with his baby girl were his favorite.

And then she had called around 10:30. "I'll be there in half an hour to discuss the fact that you're late with the next chapters. Again."

"But it's Saturday," he'd whined, but his complaints had fallen on deaf ears. She had already ended the call.

Now, he sat in his home office behind his massive, masculine desk as she continued to talk and he continued to daydream.

"Richard, are you listening to me?!" Gina's shrill voice startled him out of his daydream.

He straightened in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. "Honestly, no, I'm not. It's Saturday. The one day of the week I specifically reserve for time with my daughter. You _know_ that. And yet you're here talking about deadlines and other things that can wait until Monday's usual meeting."

"Yes, well, you don't seem to listen during Monday meetings, either," Gina snapped. "Look, I don't want to take from your time with Alexis. But you have got to start meeting these deadlines. If I don't have the next five chapters of the new book on my desk by the Monday meeting on April 12th, Black Pawn is prepared to demand the return of your advance."

Rick didn't want to admit that he had writer's block and that he'd written half a chapter of those five chapters. And that half chapter sucked big hairy monkey balls. But he'd never admit to Gina this early in the game. "You'll have the chapters by then."

Gina narrowed her eyes. She knew she was being placated, but decided not to call him out on it just yet. "I better. You also have a few appearances in the coming weeks, including the release party, some book signings, and a charity gala. Paula should have the schedule for you on Monday."

Rick nodded, not really excited, but arguing was useless. He used to love these events—book signings where beautiful women clamored for his autograph on his book or their chest, galas where more beautiful women clamored for his attention and possibly his phone number or a roll under the sheets—but he'd long since grown tired of it all. He had to keep up appearances for book sales, or so Paula, his publicist, claimed. His 'playboy' image needed to be kept up!

In all honesty, however, he'd left that lifestyle behind him when Alexis had been born. Well, more accurately, when Meredith had told him that she was pregnant and they'd gotten married. A playboy, yes, a cheater, no. He'd never been unfaithful to a woman he was in a relationship with. Even if that woman was Meredith, who he'd walked in on with her legs wrapped around another man. In their bed.

He'd immediately filed for a divorce.

Not that their relationship hadn't already been destined to end in divorce. She'd just sped up the process. The thing that ultimately led Rick to know it was the right decision was that he wasn't really all that upset at her infidelity. He shrugged it off and became a single dad with full custody of their daughter. Meredith also hadn't fought him for that, either. When he'd asked for full custody as a part of their divorce settlement (with visitation rights for her, of course), she'd readily agreed. It almost broke his heart that she wanted almost nothing to do with her own daughter. He knew she loved Alexis in her own way. But she was not mother material. Even when they were still married, it had been Rick doing the lion's share of the parenting, from diaper changes and late night feedings when she was an infant to taking her to school when she started pre-K at age four. In reality, being a single dad was no different than when they'd been married.

"I'm serious, Richard. April 12th."

"I got it," he insisted, standing. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a daddy-daughter day to get back to."

Once Gina was gone, Rick found Alexis sitting where he'd left her, coloring at the coffee table while the cartoons continued to play on the TV. "Sorry about that, Lex," he said, settling on the couch.

Alexis put down her crayon and crawled up next to her father, quickly settling in his lap. "It's okay, Daddy. You can make it up to me."

"I can?" Rick asked, already imagining the many things she could possibly ask for, knowing already that he'd say yes to almost anything she requested, though he had a good idea what she was going to say. And if he was right, it was something he was already planning for that afternoon, anyway. "And just how can I do that?"

Alexis smiled sweetly, showing off the single gap in her top front teeth where she'd lost her first baby tooth just a week prior. "You should take me to the Santa Monica Pier!"

Yep. Since moving to LA from New York three months ago, Alexis had been hinting that she wanted to see the pier and ride the Ferris Wheel. Up until a few weeks ago, it had been too cold, even by Alexis' standards, and the previous weekends had been drizzly and not a good time to go. That day, however, the weather was perfect for a visit. Still cool enough to require a light jacket, but an otherwise beautiful day.

"The Santa Monica Pier?!" Rick exclaimed, feigning shock. "Why on earth would you want to go there?"

"Dad!" Alexis admonished, sounding older than her 5 years. "Don't play dumb. You know how much I want to go. So can we? Pleeeeease?" She batted her tiny eyelashes up at him and he couldn't keep up the charade.

He laughed. "Of course we can, Pumpkin," he said as he stood, picking Alexis up as he did so. "Let's go get you dressed and we'll head out."

"I can dress myself, you know," the child said matter-of-factly as he carried her up the stairs towards her bedroom. The loft they resided in was much like the one they'd had in Manhattan, with an open layout and two levels. The only difference, beyond the difference in the basic layout, was that his office was on the second floor, along with Alexis' bedroom and a guestroom. The master suite was still on the main level.

"I know you can, Lex," he sighed, setting her down as he entered her room. "Just be sure to dress warm. It's still kind of cool outside."

Alexis nodded. "I know, Daddy."

"I'm going to go get ready myself. Meet you downstairs in ten minutes?"

Alexis nodded excitedly, running over to him before he could leave and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Daddy," she said.

"Anything for you," he said, brushing back her red hair before leaving her to dress herself.

Ten minutes later, Rick exited his bedroom to find an impatient Alexis waiting by the front door, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Let's go, let's go, let's gooooo," she sang.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rick said, laughter in his voice. He pulled on his worn Mets baseball cap, hoping to blend into the crowd today. "So, do you think Santa will be there?" he asked as they left the loft.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Santa lives at the _North Pole_, Dad. Not in LA."

"But it's called _Santa_ Monica Pier," he teased. "Maybe he vacations there. Like a timeshare."

"Maybe," Alexis agree as she reached up to press the call button on the elevator. "But don't get your hopes up, okay?" There was that too-mature-for-her-age voice again.

"Fiiiine," Rick said, adding a bit of dramatic whine to his voice. "But if he's not there, we'll have to get ice cream to compensate."

Alexis pretended to think about that for a minute, her tiny finger tapping her chin in an 'I'm considering this' gesture before a giant smile broke out on her face. "Only if there's rainbow sprinkles involved."

"Duh," Rick answered as the elevator dinged it's arrival and the doors slid open.

Alexis immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. "Okay. To the pier!"

"To the pier!" Rick echoed.

Saturdays were his favorite.

* * *

Kate was normally an early riser, even when she didn't have any plans. She was usually up, showered, dressed, and ready for the day by 8am. But not that day. Considering her late night of endless reading, Kate gave herself until noon to sleep, then she had some job hunting to do.

Literally rolling out of bed, Kate groaned as she stretched her tired muscles. She could really use a long run or a yoga session to work out some of the soreness, but she opted for a steaming hot shower instead, wanting to get out there as soon as possible. She quickly showered and dressed, then dried her hair and applied a light amount of makeup.

Being Saturday, her parents were both at home, snuggled on the couch watching a movie. She smiled when she spotted them. Even after twenty-four years of marriage (twenty-five in May, she reminded herself), they cuddled and showed almost as much affection for one another as a newlywed couple would. Not that her parents didn't fight. Of course they did. But they'd always come to an agreement and almost never went to bed angry. Kate admired that. That's the kind of love she wanted to find one day. She hadn't even come close with any of her past boyfriends. Though she'd thought so at the time, she'd never really been in love. Not that deep, I-want-to-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you kind of love that her parents so obviously felt for one another, even after all this time.

"You're up late," Johanna commented when she noticed Kate's presence.

Kate felt her cheeks burn. "I didn't get to bed until late," she murmured offhandedly, hoping to drop the subject there, not wanting her mother to give her that 'I told you so' look that she'd perfected over the years.

"Why not?" her dad asked, ruining her perfect escape plan that involved grabbing one of the bananas that sat in a bowl on the table that was directly en route to the front door.

Kate sighed. "I got caught up in… something."

Johanna was not a dumb woman. In fact, she was quite intelligent and an expert at reading people, especially her only child. She grinned. "In what?"

Kate groaned. "In a book, okay?"

"The one I said you should read?"

"Yes," Kate admitted, grabbing the banana and peeling it before taking a quick bite.

"So you liked it, then?"

Kate, mouth full, just nodded, then swallowed. "It was good. I'm going to go look for a job, now." She grabbed her purse and a bottled water from the refrigerator, and then moved towards the door. "I'll be back by dinnertime. Bye!" She rushed out, smiling when she managed to successfully escape. Her parents never let an opportunity to tease her pass by. Normally, she didn't really mind.

But today… today she had plans. Today she was going to find a job at a bookstore. It was really the only thing that had peaked her interest that didn't require the college degree she was still in the process of earning. She wasn't quite sure why she hadn't thought of it before. She loved to read. It was a way for her to escape reality, if only for a little while. The previous night, while reading Richard Castle's novel, she'd forgotten all about Anna Tucker. For those precious few hours, she was Kate Beckett again.

But now, Anna needed a job. So Kate set off into town in the five year old Honda Civic that her parents had purchased and allowed her to use. They'd bought two cars upon arrival in LA, the Civic and a newer model Ford Explorer. During the week, Johanna and Jim rode together to work in the Explorer, leaving the Civic for Kate's use. There was no sense in buying a third car for Kate when the two of them could just share one to get to and from work. Kate didn't mind in the least.

Kate spent her afternoon going from one bookstore to another. She'd managed to get a pretty good idea of the layout of parts of the city over the past six weeks. At least, a general knowledge. She remembered seeing a few bookstores—a few mom and pop shops and a few chains—and checked them all out, starting with the ones closest to the apartment. Six stores later, she'd yet to find a place that was hiring.

Kate parked near yet another store, a popular and well-known chain, and made her way inside. She looked around, instantly feeling at home amongst the rows and rows of undiscovered stories, tales, and knowledge. She smiled.

It didn't take long for her to find an employee, who happened to be a manager, and inquire about possible job openings. The woman, whose nametag identified her as 'Rita', led her to the customer service desk and handed her an application, stating that they were in fact looking to hire a new part time employee. Kate couldn't keep the smile off her face as she thanked the woman and found a table at the in-store café to fill out the application. She had a good feeling about this.

They called her to set up an interview two days later. She must have impressed them because they—Rita and the store manager, Larry—offered her the job immediately after the interview. Kate readily accepted. They asked if she could start the following Monday.

Of course she said yes.

Then Rita was in charge of giving her the rundown on her responsibilities and the upcoming event schedule. After that brief orientation, Kate agreed to be at the store at 10am the following Monday for a few training things and then her first shift. She had a silly, excited grin on her face the entire drive home.

"I got the job!" she exclaimed as soon as she breached the doorway of the apartment.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Johanna exclaimed from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner. "I knew you'd get it. They'd be crazy not to hire you."

Kate joined her mother, hugging her from behind. "Thanks for the bookstore idea. It's perfect."

"You're very welcome, dear," Johanna responded, turning to return her daughter's hug. "When do you start?" she asked when they parted.

"Monday at 10am," Kate replied, moving to stir the noodles cooking in the large pot on the burner. "And the best part is that I'll get to work with kids. Rita, one of the managers, asked if I'd be willing to take over story time, which is every Tuesday and Thursday evenings at six."

Johanna smiled and listened as Kate continued on about her other responsibilities. She had always been great with kids. She'd been babysitting for friends and neighbors since she was fourteen. And kids seemed to love her just as much. She knew she'd make an excellent mom one day. One day in the far, far future, that is!

"I'm glad you found something so perfect for you," Johanna said when Kate was finished. She leaned over and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Me, too," Kate agreed.

"Now, you need to use your employee discount to get me more of my mystery novels!"

* * *

"Five book signings, Paula? In one week?!" Rick was mad. Steaming. He was surprised that smoke wasn't coming from his ears.

"They're all in the Los Angeles area," Paula said nonchalantly, as if that made everything okay.

"Paula, five book signings!" he quipped into his (landline) phone. "I understand one or two in a week, but five! One each night of the week. I have a daughter to care for, you know."

"You pay me to set these things up and get you good publicity for your novels. That's what I'm doing. Get a babysitter. What about Martha?"

Rick grunted and rubbed his face with his free hand. "She'll probably be able to watch her for a few of those nights, but I can't guarantee all of them."

"Deal with it, Rick. You're not canceling any of these events. Your fans are excepting you. You wouldn't want to let them down would you?"

Rick seethed. "Nope, wouldn't want that," he said through clenched teeth, then hung up the phone, placing it back in its cradle with far more force than necessary.

Paula _knew_ he was a single father wanting to spend as much time with Alexis as possible. He sighed and picked up the phone again, dialing his mother's number. Martha answered on the second ring with a flourish, as usual. Amazingly, she agreed to watch Alexis four of the five nights. Friday, April 9th was out, however. She already had a date set up for that evening.

Alexis loved spending time with her Gram, so he wasn't worried about leaving her with his mother those nights. He just wished he could spend that time with Alexis, but he had to admit, Paula was kind of right. He _did_ need some more publicity on the new novel. He'd done nothing since the book launch party nearly 2 weeks prior. And though sales were good, they could be better.

He just had to figure out what to do with Alexis Friday night. He'd taken her to book signings before, but preferred not to. He'd spent most of the time looking out for her rather than paying much attention to is fans wanting his autograph. But if worse came to worse, he'd just have to bring her along again. He'd just have to be sure to bring snacks and things for her to do. Good thing it was in a bookstore and she'd have an endless amount of books to peruse. She did so love to read.

* * *

Kate had been working at the bookstore for three weeks and she'd loved every minute. Well, almost every minute. Every once in a while, a rude customer would sour her mood, but it was only temporary. Especially when she got to read and interact with the kids during the "Story Circle" every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Rita, now her supervisor, had been impressed with her interaction with the children and had assigned her the children's section to keep stocked, clean, interactive for the kids, and to help kids and their parents find anything they'd need. Kate loved it.

After her shift on Friday afternoon, Kate stopped by the employee's lounge to pick up her first paycheck and the new event schedule for the month of April. She didn't even bother to look at it quite yet. She'd do that when she got home. For now, she was focused on getting her paycheck into the back before her branch closed in half an hour.

She waved goodbye to one of the little girls that came in every week with her mother as she walked towards her car. She barely made it to the bank in time, but managed to get her check into her account. It was still strange signing "Anna M. Tucker" on the back of the check. (The 'M' stood for Marie.)

Once home, Kate pulled the schedule out of her bag and idly perused it, not expecting any name in particular to jump out at her, just like March's event schedule. However, one name in particular stood out to her. There, on April 9th, a Friday, at 7pm, the one and only Richard Castle would be making an appearance to read from his newly released novel and to sign copies.

Richard freaking Castle.

Her mother was going to flip.


	3. Story Circles

_**In Another Life**_

**CHAPTER THREE: _Story Circles_**

Kate scanned the twenty or so pairs of eager young eyes looking up at her expectantly. She smiled. She really did love the story circle. Today's tale was "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst, one of her childhood favorites. Half way through the book and the kids were riveted by the story of the young boy that wanted so badly to move to Australia.

She continued reading, voice full of dramatic flair for the kids' benefit. She sat on a short stool that was really way too close to the ground for her tall frame, but she didn't mind. She liked being close to the kids.

After she finished the story, she interacted with the kids, asking them questions about the characters and relating the story to their own lives. When she asked if they'd ever had a bad day, one little boy raised his hand and, when Kate called on him, went on to describe in detail about the day he'd had his tonsils removed. Kate could easily empathize, thinking back to when she was seven and had to have her own tonsils taken out. But, oh the glorious amounts of ice cream and _Temptation Lane_!

Another child, a blonde girl with pink framed glasses, described the day her parents decided to get a divorce. Kate's heart went out to the girl.

Hoping to lighten the mood and get them laughing again, she asked them if they could remember a really good day that made them forget the bad days. The blonde girl with pink glasses immediately raised her hand and Kate had to pick her. "A few weeks after that, my daddy took me to Disneyland!" She said excitedly, bouncing where she sat on the carpeted floor. "He told me that even though he wasn't living with us anymore, he still loved me and my brother to the stars and back. And I met Snow White! She's my favorite!"

Kate smiled. "I've never been to Disneyland!" she exclaimed. "Is it as awesome as everyone says?"

The girl, along with several others, nodded enthusiastically. A small redheaded girl's hand shot into the air. Kate pointed to her.

"My daddy took me when we first moved here from New York," she said, lifting onto her knees as she spoke with a flourish. "He said that it was most magical place in the world and he was right! I'm pretty sure he took me because he knew I was sad about having to move, but it worked to cheer me up. I can't wait to go back!"

"What was your favorite part?" Kate asked, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees.

The girl thought for a moment, her tiny finger lifting to tap her chin as she pondered. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! Definitely the tea party I had with Cinderella. It was funny seeing my dad dressed up and sitting in those tiny chairs." She cupped a hand over her mouth and giggled at the memory.

"Do you have pictures?" Kate asked, laughing along with the rest of the children as she imagined it in her head.

The girl shook her head. "Not with me," she said.

Kate chuckled again at the seriousness of the girl's response. "Oh darn. Maybe next time." She winked at the girl, then glanced at her watch. "Alright, boys and girls. That's all the time we have for today's story circle." There was a collective "awwwww!" from the kids, followed by a round of clapping by the nearby parents that the children soon joined in with. "I'll be here next Tuesday, same time, okay?" Kate said as she stood, discretely stretching her muscles, stiff from sitting on the too small stool for too long.

"Excuse me, Ms. Anna?" a small, familiar voice said a few moments later. Kate looked down to see the redheaded girl looking up at her expectantly.

"What can I do for you, sweetie?" Kate asked, crouching down so she was at eye level with the girl.

"I really liked the story you read today and want to get it," she answered. "Where can I find it?"

Kate smiled and held out the book she still had in her hands. "Here you go," she said. "You can have this one right here. Is your mommy or daddy here?" she asked, half hoping that her dad was nearby. She wanted to see the guy that had dressed up in a frilly costume for a tea party for his daughter's amusement.

The girl shook her head. "My dad is working," she said. "My gram brought me here." She turned her head to look at an older redheaded woman that stood a few feet away, smiling at them. Kate noticed the girl didn't mention her mother, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Well, I'm so glad you enjoyed the story," Kate said. "Now, this book is a second grade level, so you may need to ask your gram or someone else to help you read it."

The girl clutched the book to her chest as she grinned, showing off the gap in her top teeth. "I read on a third grade level already," she said, pride evident in her voice. "And I'm only in kindergarten."

"Wow," Kate said, honestly impressed. She could already tell that this girl was incredibly smart and sure to be successful both academically and socially. "Third grad, huh? We may have to find you some more challenging books the next time you're here, then."

The girl nodded. "I'd like that."

Kate winked. "Me, too. I think I know of the perfect series of books for you. Do you like chapter books?" The girl nodded again, eyes wide with excitement.

"Alexis, we should get going and let Ms. Anna get back to work," the older redhead said from behind the girl.

"Awe, but Gram, Ms. Anna was just telling me about some books she thinks I'd like!" the girl, Alexis, protested.

"We'll be back soon enough," the woman said with a smile. "You don't want your dad to come home to an empty loft now, would you?"

Alexis thought for a moment. "I guess not," she sighed. "He'd be really lonely, huh?"

"Without his favorite girl? Of course!"

Kate stood and the woman looked over to her. "Thank you," she said. "Alexis really loves the story circle here, even though she already has half the books here at home."

"Well, I'm here every Tuesday and Thursday evening for the circle. And then at random other times during the week."

The woman nodded and looked down at her granddaughter. "Come on, darling. Let's go pay for that book and the others you picked out before the story circle and get you home."

"Okay. Bye Ms. Anna," Alexis said, waving.

"Bye, sweetie," Kate replied, giving her own wave and nodding at the woman.

It was moments like that that made Kate really love her job.

* * *

"Daddy!" Alexis shrieked as they entered the loft to find Rick already home and preparing dinner. She ran towards him and hugged his legs.

"Hey, pumpkin!" Rick said, dropping the spoon he was using to stir the tomato sauce as he reached down to pick Alexis up. She was almost getting too heavy for him to do so. Almost. "What's up, buttercup?" he asked.

Alexis rolled her eyes dramatically at the cheesy rhyme. "We went to the bookstore and got some more books!"

"More books?!" Rick exclaimed in mock horror. "Why on earth do you need more books?"

"To read," Alexis said in a 'duh' voice. "You're a writer; you should know that."

Rick chuckled and kissed his daughter's cheek, purposely leaving behind a large wet patch.

"Ew, gross!" Alexis squealed, reaching up to wipe away the mess with her hand. She retaliated with a wet kiss of her own, then wiggled out of her father's arms. "I need to go to the bathroom," she called out as she raced up the stairs.

Rick shook his head, a silly grin on his face as he resumed his stirring of the sauce. "Hello, mother," he said, finally acknowledging Martha.

"Hello, Richard," she said, placing the large bag full of new books for Alexis on the counter top.

Rick eyed the bag carefully. "And how much did this little trip to the bookstore cost me, hmmm?"

Martha gave him her signature wave off. "Small price to pay for expanding that girl's mind," she said casually.

Rick just shook his head. "You know she's coming with me to a bookstore tomorrow night, right? Probably the one you just came from."

Martha shrugged as she sat on one of the bar stools across the counter from him. "Couldn't find a babysitter?"

Rick shook his head, then looked carefully at his mother, give her his best puppy dog eyes. "You're _sure_ you can't watch her tomorrow night?" He added just a hint of whine to his voice for good measure.

It didn't work. "Honestly, Richard, I love that girl to death, you know that. But I've had these plans set for weeks. She's gone to book signings with you before."

Rick sighed. "I know. And I don't mind her coming along. I just always worry about her. Paula's not exactly the best when it comes to keeping an eye on her…"

Martha scoffed. "That woman should not be allowed to ever procreate."

"Mother," he warned.

"What? She shouldn't. Anyway, what are you doing home so early? I wasn't expecting you for another hour or so."

"I'm already burnt out on signings this week. I was burnt out after Tuesday. I wanted to leave after two hours, but Gina made be stay for three." The event had started at 3 in the afternoon. "I thought those women were going to kill one another!"

"The woes of being rich and successful," Martha said.

"You forgot ruggedly handsome," Rick added. "Are you staying for dinner?"

Martha shook her head, standing up as she did so. "Not tonight," she said. "I have lines to memorize!"

Once Alexis had rejoined them downstairs, Martha said her goodbyes and it was just Rick and Alexis.

"Is Gram watching me again tomorrow night?" Alexis asked as they sat down to eat.

"Not tomorrow," he said, dishing a small amount of the pasta onto her plate, adding a slice of toasted garlic bread on the side. "You're going to come with me to the book signing. How's that sound?"

Alexis scrunched her nose. "Is Paula going to be there?" she asked.

"Yes, she's at all the signings," Rick answered.

"She doesn't like me. She always yells at me." A pout was forming on her face and Rick felt the guilt begin to rise.

"Hmmmm," he said. "How about I make sure there's a nice little table set up for you right beside me so that you can just stay there and read or color? That way I can still watch you and Paula doesn't have to."

Alexis shrugged. "I guess so."

Neither of them were happy with the compromise, but there was only so much that could be done. Rick managed to get Alexis' mind off the following evening by challenging her to a game of Monopoly Jr. after dinner, which Alexis won, of course. (Rick tried to convince himself that he'd let her win to build her confidence. Alexis let him think that to maintain his pride.) Shortly after they finished the game, it was time for Alexis' bath and then her bedtime.

"I want to read you my new book before I go to bed!" Alexis said, jumping up and down in excitement. She'd just finished her bath and Rick was attempting to brush out her damp hair as she stood in her bathroom, still wrapped in her bright pink terrycloth robe.

"Which one? You got like, a hundred books today."

"It wasn't _that_ many, dad," Alexis corrected. "It was like, ten. But I want to read the one about the bad day. I can't remember what it's called, though."

Rick put down her hairbrush, satisfied that he'd untangled all the snarls and led her into her room. "Okay, you put on some pj's and I'll go get the bag with the books. We'll find the one you're talking about."

Twenty minutes later (which was ten minutes past her bedtime), Alexis finished reading the story to him, closing the book with a sharp _snap_ when she'd read the final word. "Wasn't that a good book?" she asked.

"It sure was, pumpkin," Rick said, taking the book from her to put back in the bag with the rest of her recent purchases. They'd find room for them on her already overflowing bookshelf later. "And you read it so beautifully!"

Alexis grinned and shimmied down to lay her head on her pillow, hugging Monkey Bunkey tightly to her chest. Rick stood and pulled her blanket up and over her, tucking her in. "Goodnight, my sweet princess," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too." He stood up and moved to the doorway, pausing to switch off the light, leaving a faint glow from the nightlight that was plugged into the wall. Alexis wasn't afraid of the dark; she just liked the way the light projected stars around her room.

Closing the door softly behind him, Rick rubbed his tired eyes, still cursing Paula for booking him for five book signings in one week. And he still had one to go.

He begrudgingly trudged into his office, sitting behind the desk and turning on his state of the art iMac G3 desktop computer (in bondi blue, of course!). It had been nearly a month since Gina had threatened him about the first five chapters. At the time, he'd had half a really bad chapter written. Since then, he'd decided to delete that half and start from scratch.

Now, he sat staring at the blank screen, the evil blinking line mocking him. He hated to admit it, but this was definitely writer's block. He was past the point to trying to deny it. Those five chapters were due on Gina's desk in less than four days and he had absolutely nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Not even a decent character.

He'd considered making one of his past novels into a series, but none of those characters felt juicy enough to get another novel out of. No, he had to come with something, someone, new.

Fast.

He stared at the screen and that damn blinking line for an hour before finally giving up for the night. Maybe he just needed to get done with these book signings and then his head would be clear enough to write.

He leaned back in his chair and stared at the high ceiling. He worked best under pressure anyway, right? Well, he'd definitely be under pressure this weekend...

Maybe he should call Meredith and see if she was back in town yet. It was about time for Alexis to have a weekend with her mother, and as much as he loved and would miss Alexis, it would be a lot easier for him to write if she weren't distracting him every five minutes.

Okay, so it was him who would get distracted by her, not her distracting him, but still. It would probably be best for both for the sake of this book to see if Meredith were willing to have Alexis stay with her this weekend. It was a long shot that she was even in town anyway. And Alexis had just mentioned wanting to see her mother a few days ago. It would be good for both of them.

He picked up his phone, a brand-spanking-new, top of the line Blackberry cellular phone that he'd just gotten the week before, and found Meredith's number. He noted the time and figured it was still pretty early for the night owl. She most likely wouldn't even be at home yet (if she was in town). He was right; her answering machine picked after five rings and he left a message for her to call him back when (if) she got home that night.

He hoped she would call him back and be willing to take Alexis for the weekend. Gina would be pissed if he missed another deadline and he really, really didn't want to have to give back his advance...

The sudden blaring of his ringtone startled him. He still wasn't used to that. The screen indicated that it was Meredith calling him back. He hadn't been expecting her to call that soon, but at least it meant she was in the city.

"Hello, Meredith," he answered.

"Hello, Kitten," Meredith purred across the line.

Rick groaned. "Must you call me that?" He could just picture Meredith on the other end, grinning because she'd managed to get a rise out of him.

"Old habits, Richard," she claimed. "You called me?"

"Yes," Rick said, sitting up straighter in his chair. "How'd you like to take Alexis this weekend? She wants to spend time with her mother and I need some serious uninterrupted writing time."

"Deadline?"

"Yeah," he drew out. "Gina's riding my ass hard on this one and I can't be late. So, Alexis? She does really want to see you." That wasn't a lie. Alexis would be thrilled to spend time with Meredith. As much fun as they had together, she still loved and needed her mother. And Meredith wasn't a _bad_ parent. Just a bit irresponsible at times. And that was saying something coming from him. He knew Meredith loved Alexis. That's what really mattered in the long run, right?

"Actually, I was going to ask you if I could take her this weekend anyway," Meredith said. "I'll be leaving next week for a two month shoot in Paris, and I wanted to spend some time with her before then."

Rick smiled, glad Meredith really was making an effort to be a part of Alexis' life. Not that he'd ever doubted she would. "Great," he said. Then an idea struck him. "I have a book signing tomorrow at 5 and I couldn't find a babysitter. Could you maybe pick her up here around 4? That way she doesn't have to sit there and be bored with me."

"Oh, I wish I could, Richard, but I won't be able to come get her until Saturday morning. Tomorrow night is closing night of Samuel's play and I promised I'd be there." Rick cringed. Samuel was the producer she'd cheated on him with.

Well, at least he'd have Saturday and Sunday to write, then.

"Alright, Saturday morning, then? I know Alexis will be excited."

"I'll be there around ten," Meredith said. So Rick knew to expect her around noon. "I'll take her shopping and we can get mani/pedis."

"No leaving the state, please," Rick said, remembering the time, just a few months prior, that he'd gotten a call from Alexis saying she was in Paris with her mother. Meredith had not informed him that she was taking Alexis out of school, let alone out of the country.

Meredith scoffed. "Really, Richard, that was one time," she pouted.

"One time too many," Rick muttered. "Anyway, thank you," he said sincerely. "It really will help."

"You mean help your writer's block?"

"Not writer's block," he lied. "I have the ideas and the story, I just need to get it on paper. It'll all come together once I get in the zone."

"Uh huh. So, bad writer's block, then. See you Saturday, _Kitten_."

Before Rick could get another word in, the line went dead.

* * *

Thank you again for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I hope you enjoyed this next installment. Please take the time to review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcomed. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. :) Big shutout to June (lunaticforkatic on tumblr) for all the encouragement. ily!

I am a pretty slow writer, mainly because I'm a perfectionist and have to read and edit what I write at least three or four times before I feel comfortable posting a new chapter. So please be patient with me! I will do my absolute best to post new chapters in a timely manner. Thanks! :)


	4. The Meeting

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: _Please note the title change!_ [Previously titled "In Another Life."] I noticed another story floating around with a very similar title and saw that it was published before my own story. In order to avoid confusion and not "copy" others, I decided to change the title of my own work to "A Very Good Place to Start." (Bonus points if you get the reference.) :)

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed/followed/favored this story! I am a busy, busy gal, but seeing these things makes me want to keep writing.

* * *

_**A Very Good Place to Start**_

**Chapter 4: The Meeting**

"Oh my god, you're like a teenaged girl about to meet her boyband crush!" Kate commented with amusement, noting her mother's anxious shifting from foot to foot as they stood in the growing line. "Will you stop fidgeting?"

Johanna sighed. "I can't help it," she said. "He's my favorite author. You can't tell me that you aren't a tiny bit excited to meet him and get his autograph."

Kate couldn't deny her excitement at the possibility. There was only one problem... "Except I'm not sure I'm going to get to meet him," she said, checking her watch again. "My shift starts in half an hour after he's supposed to get here. I don't know that we'll get to the front by then."

Johanna hooked her arm through her daughter's, pulling her close. "I'm sure your boss will cut you some slack," she said. "You're the one always saying how cool she is."

Kate shook her head. "Normally, yes, I'd probably get away with it, but Julie called in sick, so we are already short staffed. No way I can start late." She shrugged. "It's okay, though. Maybe there will be a chance for me to say hi after the signing."

Kate was right; the line had barely moved when Kate had to start her shift. She kissed her mother's cheek and made her way towards the employees lounge in the back of the store. She quickly clocked in and returned to the floor. Rita placed her at the checkout counter for the first hour. The table that the author sat at was obscured from her view by several shelves and displays, but she'd managed to capture a few glimpses of the man when he'd first arrived to begin signing books. But once again, her field of view had been limited from the hordes of young, busty blondes and other fans.

"He signed my chest, see?" one of those busty blondes asked her friend, an equally busty brunette as they walked out the exit, which was directly to the left of Kate's cash register. Kate rolled her eyes. Maybe it was a good thing she probably wouldn't get to meet the author. No way was she about to thrust her less-than-generous bosom in his face and ask him to sign her chest like a ditz.

An hour later, Kate was replaced at the cash register and told to do some restocking in the children's section. Now her view was even more obscured since the children's section was clear on the opposite end of the bookstore where the signings took place. Kate sighed as she worked to organize the shelves, already figuring she wouldn't get a chance to meet her new favorite author. Blowing a piece of hair out of her eye, she continued working, equally amused and annoyed at the mess the kids made of the shelves. (Because, really, what kid worried about putting a book back exactly where they'd gotten it from?)

She'd not been there five minutes when she heard an excited squeal and a high-pitched voice call out: "Ms. Anna!" Kate (who'd become quite used to the name Anna by then), looked up from her task of restocking the ever-popular I-SPY books to see the same redheaded child from the day before rushing towards her. Alexis, she believed her name was. She smiled at the girl.

"Well, hello, there," she said, setting down the books on a random shelf and turning to face the girl, hands on her knees as she crouched down slightly. "Fancy meeting you here again. It's not even a Story Circle day."

Alexis grinned up at her. "My daddy had to be here for a work thing and he couldn't find a babysitter so Paula is supposed to be watching me, but she's mean and I sneaked away," she explained.

Kate immediately went on alert, looking up to see if anyone was searching frantically for the young girl. Seeing no such person, she looked back at the girl. "We should probably get you back to this Paula, then," she said. "She's probably looking for you, don't you think?"

Alexis shrugged, but before she could answer, a shrill voice startled them both. "There you are!" the woman standing behind Alexis—Kate guessed this was Paula—said, sounding more annoyed than concerned. "Stop wandering off," she snapped, gripping the girl's arm and tugging her slightly. It wasn't an overly rough grip, but Kate could still sense the girl's discomfort.

"But I'm bored," Alexis whined in the quintessential cranky five-year-old way. "Can't I stay here and read?"

Paula reached out and grabbed a few random books off the shelf (the very shelf Kate had just spent an hour organizing) and handed them to the girl. "Here," she said, voice tinged with indifference. "Take these back with us. You can read there."

Alexis looked at the books in her hand, then back up at the domineering woman with her dark as midnight hair pulled back in a severe bun. Kate could tell Alexis wanted to protest, but she didn't. Instead, her shoulders drooped in defeat as she shuffled her feet. "Okay," she said, voice soft.

They'd only taken two steps when Kate spoke up. She'd watched the entire exchange with a close eye, wondering why this woman who obviously didn't get along with children was in charge of watching after the little girl. Her instincts kicked in. "I can look after her," she heard herself saying to their retreating backs.

They both turned around, Alexis with a look of glee and Paula with one of confusion. "I'm sorry?" Paula questioned.

Kate shrugged. "I know Alexis here from the story circles and I'm just going to be here restocking shelves the rest of the evening. She can stay here and read if she wants. I don't have a problem with watching her." Even as she said it, Kate was grimacing. No way would this woman allow a perfect stranger, even one Alexis apparently knew, take charge of the child. She knew better than to offer, but the words had come out anyway.

"Oh, please, can I?" Alexis begged the woman still clutching her arm, though her grip had significantly slackened. "Miss Anna is so nice and reads stories in the best voices. Even better than Daddy's!"

Paula shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't wander off again," Paula answered, letting go of the girl's slender arm and briskly walking away.

Kate was stunned, but still didn't mind watching out for Alexis. She found herself wondering who this girl's father was. He was obviously important, and she briefly wondered if she was Richard Castle's offspring, but dismissed that thought quickly. She'd never read anything about a daughter on the fanpages she'd perused. For research, of course. Purely research. No, her father must be one of the two guys from Black Pawn that were acting as some sort of security/crowd control.

Kate pulled herself out if her thoughts when Alexis tugged at her arm. "Miss Anna? Will you let me read to you?"

Kate glanced around. She'd nearly finished her restocking and organizing and figured she could afford to take a few minutes out of her duties to appease the young girl. Part of her job was to interact with the children anyway. "Sure," she said, leading the girl to an array of beanbag chairs set up in the corner.

Alexis sat in a bright green chair with a dramatic flop, drawing a laugh from Kate. Before she sat, Kate stopped at a shelf and looked for a particular book, finding it quickly and pulling it off the shelf. "Remember yesterday when I said I knew of the perfect series of books for you to read?" Kate asked as she settled onto the purple beanbag chair directly next to Alexis.

The girl nodded.

"This is the first book of the series," Kate explained, showing her the book. "It's a chapter book. Have to read any of those yet?"

Alexis nodded again. "I have like, ten at home!" she said excitedly. "They're my favorite."

"Perfect! Then you'll definitely like this." Kate handed her the book and Alexis turned to the first page and began reading. The book was the first in a series written by Barbara Park featuring a girl named Junie B. Jones, an over active, hilarious kindergarten girl and her adventures at school and at home. The first story was about Junie not wanting to ride the "stupid smelly bus" and was making Alexis laugh within the first few pages.

Kate was thoroughly impressed by the girl's reading ability. They were three chapters in and Alexis had yet to need help with a single word. And it was a high second/low third grade reading level! This girl was smart as a whip.

* * *

If one more woman asked in that over-the-top, over-sexed voice to sign her chest, he was going to scream.

He looked up at the next person in line and smiled genuinely, glad to see the well-dressed, poised, slightly older woman instead of another bimbette. "Hi there," he said, his voice pleasant in spite of his current lack of interest in this event. "And who can I make this out to?" He asked as he took the book the woman handed to him. It wasn't his newly released novel, but a well-worn copy of his first novel, "Flowers for her Grave." It was obvious that it had been read time and time again. These were the fans he loved meeting and interacting with, the ones who read his books for the story, not because he was the rich, single, ruggedly handsome author.

"Elizabeth," the woman said, voice steady and smooth. "And Anna," she added. "My daughter. I recently introduced her to your work and she's making her way through all your novels. She's almost as big of a fan as I am now."

He smiled up at the woman. She was a bit older than him, but still held onto her beauty and grace. "Well, I suppose that means I owe you thanks for gaining me a new fan," he said as he wrote his message in the book to the mother and daughter pair, taking the time to personalize it.

After the grace of the woman, Elizabeth, he subjected to more ditzy women and the ever present creepy male fan with a t-shirt emblazoned with "I Richard Castle" across the front in blood red lettering.

As he was signing creepy guy's book, he heard Paula's shrill voice from behind him, sounding upset. As usual. He glanced behind him, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alexis. When he'd noticed her absent from the table they'd set up former a few yards away to his right and back a little, he'd assumed Paula had taken her to the bathroom since she was nowhere to be seen either.

His stomach clenched when he didn't see the girl's signature red hair with Paula or at the table. Feigning a bathroom break, he hurriedly stood and jogged over to Paula. "Where's Alexis?" He asked, panic lacing his voice.

Paula waved her hand absently to her left. "In the children's section," she said offhandedly.

He glanced over, relief overcoming him when he spotted her sitting in one of the beanbag chairs next to a woman wearing the signature burgundy polo and tan pants that the employees of the bookstore wore. It was too far to notice anything more about the woman.

He turned back to Paula, seething. "Paula, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Not waiting for an answer, he stalked off to a semi-private corner out of view of the line of fans still waiting.

"What is it, Richard?" Paula asked, sounding exasperated. "You really shouldn't keep your fans waiting. It's not good for PR."

Rick stared at her for a full thirty seconds in complete shock. "What is it?" he repeated. "Paula, you're supposed to be keeping an eye on Alexis."

Paula waved him off again and he had the sudden, nearly uncontrollable urge to rip her arm out of its socket to keep her from waving off his concerns again. "She's fine. That girl is watching her. She works here."

Rick couldn't stand to be near her any longer. He simply stalked off towards the duo across the store, intent on insisting that Alexis return to the table that had been set up for her. And this time he wouldn't be trusting Paula to watch over her. He'd do it himself by pulling her table closer to his. Right next to his, dammit. Paula would bitch and moan about his "image" but he didn't care. Alexis was far more important than his damn image.

* * *

Kate smiled again as Alexis finished yet another chapter with ease. She was thoroughly enjoying the story, as evidenced by her laughter and animation as she read the words printed on the page. Before starting the new chapter, Alexis paused and looked up at Kate.

"Thank you for letting me stay here with you, Ms. Anna," she said with sincerity. "It's so boring over there because I have to read to myself and I don't have anyone to talk about the story with. You're so much more fun than Paula. And a lot prettier, too."

Kate felt her cheeks redden at the unabashed comment from the five year old. Kids really did say the darnedest things. She admired the innocent openness that only children possessed. "Well, thank you, Alexis," she said. "And you always look so pretty, yourself. I love your braids, by the way. Who did those?"

Alexis grinned and shook her head, her twin French braids flicking back and forth around her thin shoulders. "My daddy," she said.

"Your daddy?" Kate questioned in amusement. First this guy had dressed up in frilly clothing for his daughters Disneyland tea party and now he'd French braided her hair? He was definitely an amazing dad. Kate made a mental note to get Alexis to introduce her if possible. She had to see this guy.

"Yeah," Alexis responded. "He had to learn when I started paying soccer. All the other girls were wearing their hair like this and I wanted to as well. So he had Gram teach him. He's gotten really good at it."

"I can see that," Kate replied, taking in the near perfection of the two braids. Even she couldn't do French braids that well. "Well, they look great on you."

"Thank you," Alexis said with a shy smile.

Before Kate could say anything else, a movement from her right drew her attention, causing her to look up. She found herself looking into a very familiar pair of blue eyes. The very pair that she had seen staring back at her as she studied the photo on the back of those novels.

She was looking at Richard Castle.

And he looked mad.

"Dad!" Alexis exclaimed, jumping up from the beanbag chair and rushing over to the towering man. His expression immediately softened as he stooped to embrace her, picking her up as he did so.

"Hey, pumpkin!" he said, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. "I thought I told you to stay over by me at the tables."

That's when it hit Kate full force. Her first thought had been right; Alexis' dad _was_ Richard Castle!

"I know, but Paula said I could stay here with Ms. Anna," Alexis explained, giving him her patented puppy dog look. "She was letting me read to her. Oh, Dad, you have to read these books that she showed me! They're about this girl named Junie and she's in kindergarten just like me and she has all these crazy adventures and she's so funny, Dad! Like you."

Rick couldn't help but smile at his daughter's enthusiasm for reading, glad he'd introduced the written word to her so early. She'd picked it up so quickly. Not that that had surprised him at all; she was a brilliant child, and he wasn't just saying that because she was his daughter. Even her teacher had expressed wonderment at Alexis' intelligence and quick ability to learn new material. He'd felt his heart swell with pride.

"That's wonderful, Lex!" he said, interjecting enthusiasm into his voice. He set her back on the ground. "Why don't you pick out a few to buy and let me talk to Ms. Anna for a few minutes, okay?"

Alexis nodded and rushed over the low shelf that she'd seen Kate pull the book from, eagerly looking for others. Rick turned back to the woman—girl, he corrected, noting that she appeared much younger up close than she had from across the room—and his smile faded, but he no longer looked mad.

Kate still sat in the beanbag chair, looking up at the man—Richard _freaking_ Castle!—in awe.

"Ms. Anna, I presume?" he said, looking down at the young lady. Even though she was sitting, he could tell she was tall and lithe. Her dark hair was tied back into a low ponytail, but he could tell it was long and appeared silky to the touch, and her hazel eyes seemed to be staring right into his soul. It would have unnerved him had he not been so taken by her appearance. She appeared young, he guessed late teens or early twenties, but something about her general being seemed off, almost haunted in a way.

Kate blinked several times, sure her mind was playing a trick on her. But nope, Richard Castle was standing in front of her. Literally looking down at her. Oh, right, she should stand up, shouldn't she? She struggled to stand, nearly tumbling back into the beanbag chair at one point when her Keds sneaker got caught under the chair.

Rick noticed and reached out to grasp her upper arm, keeping her from falling backwards. "Are you okay?" he asked when she'd straightened and stood steady.

Kate nodded, reeling at the feel of this man still gripping her arm. "Yeah, sorry," she said, feeling her cheeks burn once more. He let go of her arm and it took all her willpower not to pout at the loss of contact. "I'm good. You're Richard Castle." She wanted to kick herself for that. He knew who he was.

Rick just grinned. "That, I am," he said. "And you're Ms. Anna?"

Kate nodded. "Anna Tucker," she said. "I run the children's section here, and I lead the story circles." She wasn't quite sure why she added that last bit.

"Pleasure to meet you, Anna Tucker," Rich said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

She took his hand and swallowed at the feel of his large, warm palm against her smaller, narrower one. "Likewise, Mr. Castle," she said.

"Please, call me Rick," he said, letting go of her hand.

Unsure of what to do with her hands, Kate slid them into the back pockets of her kakis, palms facing outwards. "Okay, Rick," she said, testing the name out.

Rick glanced over his shoulder to where Alexis still perused the multitude of Junie B. Jones books. Satisfied she was out of hearing range, he turned back to Kate. "Look, I'm sorry that Paula just handed her off to you and I'm sure that you're a very nice and, you know, not a kidnapper or anything, but I can't just leave her back here with you."

Kate nodded. "It's okay," she said. "I understand. I was surprised when she agreed to let Alexis stay back her with me."

Rick nodded. "She's supposed to be watching her, but she's more interested in PR opportunities. I don't normally bring Alexis to these things, but I couldn't find a sitter and… you don't care about this. Sorry."

Kate smiled, giving a small laugh and Rick knew he could live to be a hundred and never hear another sound more beautiful than Anna's laughter.

"Don't worry about it," Kate reassured him. "I was having fun."

"Alexis is a party animal," he chuckled at his own joke, "but I'm sure you have better things to do."

Kate shrugged. "Part of my job is to interact with the kids, so not really. Besides, like I said, I was having fun. Your daughter is incredibly bright."

Rick smiled in pride. "She is, isn't she? Takes after her old man." He puffed out his chest.

Kate laughed again. "I'm sure you're very bright, Mr. Castle," she said. "But she's a special kind of bright."

"It's Rick," he reminded her, "and you are very right."

Just then, Alexis returned, holding about ten of the Junie B. Jones books. "I picked some out, Dad," she said proudly.

He glanced down and laughed. "I said a few and you come back with ten? What am I going to do with you?" He smiled and placed a gentle hand on the top of her head to let her know he was teasing.

She just smiled up at him. "Humor me and buy them all?"

Kate shook her head in amusement. This kid was priceless.

"Them all?" He sighed in mock indignation. "I suppose," he said. He glanced back to see Paula anxiously waving him back to the table to sign some more books. "We should get back to the signing before Paula has a conniption fit," he sighed. "Say goodbye to Ms. Anna."

"Awe, but Dad, the book we're reading was just getting good!" Alexis protested. "Please can I stay here with her? I promise not to leave this area. Please?"

Rick glanced up at Kate, unsure. "I don't know, Lex. Ms. Anna probably has some work she needs to get done."

Alexis looked at her expectantly. Kate glanced at Rick, unsure. She was more than happy to watch over Alexis, but wasn't sure if he was willing to allow her to. Rick studied her for a second, knowing she was silently asking his permission, then shrugged. She smiled down at the little girl. "As it happens, all I have left to do is to finish restocking this shelf," she said, pointing. "How about you read to me as I finish and then we can get back to the beanbag chairs again?"

Alexis' smile was all Rick needed to give a cautious yes. "Alexis, why don't you go ahead and take a bathroom break while I talk to Ms. Anna for a few more minutes?" The bathrooms were just beside the children's area.

Alexis nodded and took off, but only after thrusting the books she still held into her father's hands. He chuckled and returned his attention to Kate. "Are you sure it's okay?" he asked tentatively.

Kate nodded. "Yes. I really only have that shelf to finish restocking. Then I'd normally just do some organizing and general clean up, but I'm serious that a part of my job is to interact with the kids. I won't get into trouble or anything."

Rick nodded. "If you're sure, then okay. But don't be surprised if Paula or I make random appearances to be sure she's okay. I'm a bit overprotective like that."

Kate nodded and offered him an encouraging smile. "Understood. Spy on us all you want."

Rick offered one last smile. "If something comes up, just bring her over," he said, indicating the area set up for him to sign books on the other side of the store. "If you're still here when the signing is over, I'll come find you. Don't feel like you have to stay the entire time if your shift is over or something, okay?" Kate nodded and he made his way back towards the signing.

Kate stood there a moment, still in shock. She'd been reading with Richard Castle's daughter!


	5. Making Good Impressions

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: As always, thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! All of these really encourage me to keep writing this. Y'all rock! :D A few people mentioned that they like the new cover art, so thanks! I made it myself with my mad Ps skills. :p Lastly, thank you to my amazing, wonderful, loving girlfriend, Kathryn, for all the continued support (and for pointing out my editing mistakes)! You keep me on my toes and I love it.

* * *

_**A Very Good Place to Start**_

**CHAPTER 5: **_**Making Good Impressions**_

"You didn't tell me your dad was a famous author," Kate said offhandedly when Alexis returned from the bathroom. She was still in a state of shock.

Alexis shrugged. "To me, he's just my dad," she replied, flopping back down onto her chair.

Kate pulled herself out of her trance and smiled down at the girl. "Well, it's no wonder you're such a fabulous reader!" she praised, then made her way to the shelves that still needed restocking. "How about you go ahead and keep reading while I finish restocking and then I'll join you once again, okay?"

Alexis flipped to where she'd left off and began reading aloud while Kate continued her duties, listening to the story.

Twenty minutes later, Kate wiped her hands on her pants and nodded, finally finished with her restocking. She returned to Alexis' side and they stayed like that for the rest of the time. True to his word, Paula and the blonde woman frequently checked up on them to make sure Alexis was safe. Kate didn't mind. It was another hour before the book signing was over and another fifteen minutes before Kate glanced up to spot Richard Castle making his way towards them, stopping only to greet a wayward fan for a few seconds before continuing his long stride.

Kate nudged Alexis, pointing up towards him. Her eyes lit up. "Hi, Dad!" she said when he got close enough. But this time she didn't move from her seat next to Kate.

"Why, hello there, Princess Alexis," he replied, crouching down in front of her. "I'm finally done. How about we get out of here and go get that ice cream I promised you."

Alexis pouted a bit. "But I'm having fun with Ms. Anna," she said, then her face brightened as an idea popped into her head. "Can she come with us?!"

Rick looked surprised and searched for an answer, giving Kate a somewhat panicked look.

Kate had nearly choked on her own tongue, but she managed to control herself. She gave a small chuckle instead. "Unfortunately, I still have an hour left on my shift," Kate said. "But I expect to see you at the story circles, okay? And any other time you're here while I'm working, you better come say hi." She gave the girl an exaggerated wink.

"Okay," Alexis said, then turned back to her father. "Dad, we have to come back next week for the story circle, okay? Please?"

There was no way Rick could argue with that face, so he smiled. "Of course, pumpkin. Now, for the most important question. Are you ready for it? It's extremely important that you think about it carefully, okay?"

Alexis nodded, looking serious. Kate wondered what would be so important. She listened, intrigued.

Rick took a deep breath and gripped both of Alexis' hands in his. "The big question is... chocolate or vanilla ice cream?"

Alexis didn't break from her seriousness, leading Kate to believe this was somewhat of a ritual for them. The girl thought for a few seconds. "My answer is... chocolate!"

"Good choice," Rick said, standing and offering Alexis his hand, which she took and allowed him to pull her up. Kate stood as well, taking care to steady her feet before doing so. "Why don't you say goodbye to Ms. Anna and then go find Paula to give her the books you picked out?"

Alexis nodded and moved to hug Kate, which she readily returned. "Thank you for letting me read to you," Alexis said, staring up at her with those eerily familiar blue eyes.

"You are very welcome," Kate responded. "And thank you for making my shift a whole lot less boring."

Alexis grinned. "You're welcome," she said. Then she grabbed the pile of Junie B. Jones books shed picked out, clouding the one she'd been reading aloud to Kate, and skipped off to where Paula stood chatting with the two burly Black Pawn security guys. Rick watched her until he was certain she was safely in the company of Paula, Gina, and the other Black Pawn employees that knew to be looking out for her, then he returned his attention back to the young woman standing just a few feet away.

"She really likes you, huh?" he said with a grin.

Kate shrugged. "She's a very sweet kid. And like I said, very smart. I enjoyed her reading to me."

Rick studied the woman for signs of deceit. It always amazed him the lengths that some women would go to in order to get closer to him. Unfortunately, using Alexis as a means to do just that wasn't all that unusual. Which is why he tried his best to keep her out of the public eye. But as he studied this woman—Anna—all he saw was sincerity. "Even so," he said, "it was a big help. I thought Paula was going to have an aneurism when I brought her in. She's not the biggest kid person. But you seem to be great with them."

Kate smiled shyly, reaching up to clasp her left elbow with her right hand. "I have my moments," she said modestly. "I didn't know you had a daughter," she continued in attempt to shift the topic of conversation from her to something else. Little did she know that this particular topic choice would come back to bite her in the ass.

Rick nodded. "I try and keep her out of the public eye," he said. "I won't be able to much longer, though. It was somehow easier back in New York, but out here in LA..." He trailed off with a shrug. "I guess I can't keep her to myself much longer." Then he gave her a sly grin. "How did you know enough about me to be surprised that I have a daughter?"

Kate's eyes widened slightly in surprise, her cheeks Turing red once more. Good lord, what was going on? She didn't blush, dammit! She quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Um, I had to, uh, research for the signing." Yeah, because that sounded plausible. Good job, Kate.

Rick just grinned, and Kate shuffled slightly back and forth on her feet. "You're from New York?" she asked, looking for another neutral conversation topic.

He nodded. "Born and raised. Only moved out here a few months ago so Alexis could be closer to her mother. Why? Are you a New Yorker?"

Kate nodded. Then immediately realized her blunder. Kate was from New York. But she was Anna. And Anna was from Baltimore. She rushed to correct herself. "I mean, kind of. I lived there for a few months, but Baltimore is my real home." She still hated having to deny New York as her hometown. Oh, how she missed it!

"Doesn't count as a real New Yorker, then," Rick teased. Kate couldn't fault him. She agreed. Instead, she shrugged as a somewhat awkward silence fell over them. Rick was the first to break it. "Well, anyway, thanks again," he said. "Here." He handed her a book that she hadn't noticed him holding yet. It was his newest novel. "I took the liberty of signing the inside cover."

Kate hugged the hardback book to her middle and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I'll admit, I am a fan of your work. My mother recently introduced me to your books a few weeks ago and I've been making my way through them."

That's when Rick put two and two together. "Anna!" he blurted out.

Kate gave him a weird look.

"Anna. Your mother is, oh, what was her name? Elizabeth? She was in line and mentioned her daughter Anna. That's you, right?"

Kate laughed and nodded. Of course her mother would slip her name (her assumed name, anyway) into her conversation with Richard Castle. "Yes, that was my mother."

Rick nodded. "I can see the resemblance now," he said. "You're both very beautiful women."

Kate managed to keep her gaze connected with his. "Thank you," she murmured. Her gaze shifted slightly and she noticed Alexis standing across the store at Paula's side, looking bored and anxious to leave. "I think Alexis is beyond ready to go," she said, nodding towards the little girl.

Rick looked over his shoulder and agreed. He needed to get her out of there and get her the ice cream he'd promised, then home and into a warm bath. Maybe they'd have a movie marathon until she fell asleep. Which would probably be halfway through the first movie. At that moment, Alexis yawned with perfect dramatic timing. They both chuckled. "Yeah, I think that's my cue." He turned back to Kate. "Thank you again," he said.

Kate nodded. "No problem. And thank you, as well." She indicated the signed book. She stood and watching him retreat (she was definitely _not_ checking out his ass), smiling when Alexis spotted him and jumped up so he could pick her up. Kate imagined she was getting too heavy to carry, but he didn't even flinch.

Once they'd left, Kate remembered the book in her hand and looked down at it, the name 'Richard Castle' staring back at her in bold lettering. She flipped to the inside cover to see what he'd written in nearly illegible handwriting.

_For 'Ms.' Anna, the sweet girl who made quite an impression on my little princess. And on me. I hope to see you again. _

_Rick_

She stood there with a stupid grin on her face as she read and reread the inscription for quite a while. It wasn't until Rita, her supervisor, waved a hand in front of her face to grab her attention that she was pulled from her thoughts. Kate muttered an apology for being caught in her daze and returned to work, already anxious to get home to show her mother the book and tell her about her encounter with the author.

The smile didn't leave her face the rest of the evening.

* * *

Rick hoisted a giggling Alexis over his shoulder, carrying the freshly-bathed girl down the stairs. "So," he said, dropping her onto the plush couch, "which movie shall we partake in first?"

"Mulan!" she called out, jumping on her knees against the cushions.

Rick feigned shock. She'd only watched the movie about ten times since it came out on DVD a few months earlier. (It was actually the first thing he'd bought as a DVD instead of a VHS. He was technologically savvy like that. Just ask his Blackberry.) "Mulan?!" he mock-protested. "Can't we watch _Godzilla_ or _Rush Hour_?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Daaaaad, those movies are rated PG-13," she said matter of factly. "I'm only five. I still have…" she paused and counted on her fingers. "Eight years until I can watch those. Now put in Mulan. Please?"

Rick shook his head and chuckled. No way could he resist those puppy dog eyes. "Yes, your highness." He located the movie, popped it in, then quickly gathered essential movie viewing items—popcorn, hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows), and a warm blanket. He pressed 'PLAY' and Alexis snuggled into his side, his arm wrapped securely around her slim shoulders. The second song ('Reflection') hadn't even finished when he glanced down and spied her attempting to hide a yawn. He just smiled and tugged her closer, silently encouraging her to lean into his side.

Rick figured she'd be asleep within minutes, but she surprised him when, nearly half an hour into the movie, she pushed against his side, situating herself into a sitting position and regarding him with a serious expression. He waited for her to speak.

"My birthday is coming up," she started.

"Really?" he said, pretending to be surprised. "Your birthday? When?"

"Dad," Alexis said. "May 12th. And I know what I want for my party."

"Hmm, and what's that?" he asked, tickling her side.

Alexis screeched and grabbed at his hand, giggling. She managed to capture his hand and hold it away from her. In reality, he could have easily gotten out of her grasp, but he let her win.

"Alright, alright," he panted out. "What do you want for a party this year? Another private pool party at The Fairwick?" He hoped that was it; he'd had a blast last year, even though there were ten young children to watch out for.

But Alexis was shaking her head, bouncing in her seat with excitement. "I want to have it at the bookstore!" she said. "The one where Ms. Anna works. She could do a story circle and then we can play fun games and—oh!—a scavenger hunt using books as clues!"

Rick attempted to keep up as Alexis continued spouting out ideas for games and other activities. Finally he had to interrupt her. "Of course my daughter would want to have a birthday party in a bookstore." He laughed.

Alexis shrugged. "I'd like it more in a library, but you have to be quiet there," she said. "And Ms. Anna is at the bookstore, not the library."

Rick nodded. "I love the idea of a party in a bookstore, but I don't think they do that kind of thing."

Alexis stuck out her bottom lip. He immediately caved (but only because the idea of having his daughter's birthday party in a bookstore was perhaps the only thing that topped the pool party idea). "Okay, here's the deal: I will _ask_ if it would be possible to host a birthday party, but I can't promise anything, okay? So, think of a plan B in case it doesn't work out."

Alexis nodded, already forming her plan B. Nothing would top her plan A, but she could think of a suitable backup. Like another tea party at Disneyland. "Thank you, Daddy," she said, hugging him around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Now can you please rewind the movie? We missed my favorite song!"

"You watched his little girl? He has a little girl?! Is she adorable? I bet she's adorable."

* * *

Kate blinked rapidly at the onslaught of questions her mother spouted off as soon as she had told her of the encounter she'd had with the famous author. She laughed. "Mom, slow down. Yes, I watched over her. Her name is Alexis and yes, she is adorable. She's five, but smart as a whip. Easily reads on a third grade level."

Johanna smiled, leaning back in her chair as the two of them sat at the kitchen table, waiting for dinner—lasagna, which was baking in the oven—to be ready. Jim had excused himself when their screeching had begun shortly after Kate had returned home from her shift just ten minutes prior. She'd immediately sought out her mother to tell her of her adventure.

"Of course she's a brilliant reader," Johanna said, sipping her tea. "Richard Castle is her father. I bet he had her reading as soon as she could talk."

Kate rolled her eyes, but chuckled. "Oh! And look!" She reached down to her bag, which she'd placed on the floor beside her chair. She was grateful that she carried a satchel-type purse. She pulled out the freshly signed book and placed it on the table. "He gave me this as a thanks. Read the inside cover."

Johanna quickly grabbed the book and flipped open to the inside cover, reading the handwritten message. "Oh, my! I think he likes you!"

Kate snorted. "What? No. He was just grateful that I was willing to look after Alexis."

Johanna grinned. She was never one to miss the opportunity to tease her only child. "But you, and I quote, 'made an impression' on him."

Kate snatched the book out of her mother's hands and scoffed. "I bet he writes that in half the books he signs. Or on the _chests_ he signs."

Johanna waved her off. "I'm sure," she said dryly.

Kate shrugged and put the book aside. "Besides, he's like, ten years older than me. He probably thinks I'm just some nerdy kid."

Johanna, finished with her tea, stood and rounded the table towards the sink. She paused and pressed a kiss to the top of Kate's head. "His loss," she said, then moved to check on the lasagna, noting that it wasn't quite ready. "Now, tell me more about this daughter of his! You said she's five?"

Kate nodded. "She's incredibly smart and mature for her age. Like, almost eerily so. The way she talks, it seems like she's the adult half the time." She chuckled as she remembered some of Alexis' tales.

"Oh, I bet he's a fun dad," Johanna said.

Kate nodded. "Seems like it. Watching him interact with her... he was so good with her! I could tell that they have this really close bond. I wouldn't have expected that from him."

"Why not?" Johanna asked as she arranged several pieces of freshly baked, thick cut French bread on a baking tray for garlic bread.

Kate shrugged and stood to help her mother by mincing the fresh cloves of garlic already out on the countertop. "Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that he's always all over page 6 with a new woman on his arm every week. Or that he signs women's chests. Or—"

"I get the feeling that he's more than all that, though," Johanna interrupted, mixing the freshly minced garlic, fresh basil, and softened butter in a bowl, then spreading it on the bread. "Like the man you see on page six is just a… façade of sorts."

Kate turned so that her back was to the countertop, her elbows resting on the marble surface as she studied her mother. "You talked to him for, what? A minute? Two at the most? How can you possibly know this?"

Johanna shot her a 'puh-leeze' look, something she'd perfected back when she was Kate's age. "Sweetie, I was a practicing attorney at law for over twenty years. I've stared down many a hardened criminal, wrongly accused, misguided people… If there's one thing I learned from my years of seeking the truth, it's how to read people for who they really are. That man is more than meets the eye. Mark my words."

Kate grinned and shook her head. Leave it to her mother to come up with something like that. "Okay, mother. Whatever you say. Besides, it's not likely that I'll ever see him again, anyway. So it's really a moot point."

Kate moved to set the table and Johanna put the garlic bread in the oven after removing the now bubbling lasagna. Both women took a deep breath and hummed in delight at the sinful smell of the dish.

"You admit he's handsome, though?" Johanna said as she closed the oven door.

Kate shrugged. "Sure."

"Who's handsome?" Jim asked as he reappeared in the kitchen, having been drawn to the kitchen by the smell of the now finished lasagna. It was his favorite.

"Why, you are!" Johanna said with a flourish as she set the hot dish in the center of the table on top of a large trivet, then looped her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him soundly. "Who else would I think is handsome?"

Jim narrowed his eyes at his wife, suspicious. He looked pointedly at Kate who tried her best—and failed—to look nonchalant. "She's talking about that author again, isn't she?" he asked.

"Naturally."

Johanna playfully glared at her daughter over Jim's shoulder. "Tattletale," she muttered. Kate laughed.

"Should we be worried that you're going to run away with this handsome author?" Jim teased.

Johanna pretended to think for a minute, then smiled. "Not me," she said. "But we'll have to watch out for that one." She jerked her head towards Kate who had just taken the now golden garlic bread out of the oven. "She's got a bit of a newfound crush."

"I do not!"

* * *

**As usual, let me know what you think of this chapter! Is there anything you'd like to see in future chapters? Anything you'd like me to change? Please let me know! And don't be shy with the _constructive_ criticism. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing. :) And if you have a Tumblr, check out my Stana/Castle-centric tumblr, oneanddonekindofgirl . tumblr . com. You can also tweet me AlwaysxLauren. ^_^**


	6. And So We Meet Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Sorry for the wait for this chapter. I had every intention of posting this chapter before my vacation this past week, but my muse left early for vacation. But I have a light week at work, so I should get another chapter to y'all soon, so long as nothing pops up. :)

Also, I apparently have huge love affairs with dialogue. I love writing dialogue. And it gets me into trouble at times. I tend to overdo the talking, as I probably did with this chapter. But I felt it necessary to allow them to get to know each other better. But don't worry. There will be a lot less talking and a lot more… erm… action in following chapters. ;)

And once again, a HUGE thanks to all those who reviewed, favored, and/or followed this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Another thanks to my lovely gf/beta, Kathryn, and my tumblr bestie, June, for all the encouragement and beta skills! I love you both. :)

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_A Very Good Place to Start_

**CHAPTER 6: **_**And**__**So We Meet Again**_

Rick's fingers flew across the keyboard, putting his 120 words per minute talent to use as the scene unfolded on the page before him. His socked feet, crossed at his ankles, were resting on his desk as he slouched in his oversized, overstuffed office chair. It was his classic "I'm on a roll" writing position.

And on a roll he was.

After putting Alexis to bed—only after she'd fallen asleep against his shoulder as Mulan fought off the Huns in an avalanche—he'd immediately sat at the desk in his office and opened a blank document. And the words had poured out of him.

And they were _good_.

It was nearly three in the morning before he took a break, realizing that he was exhausted. But at least he had two of the five chapters due in two days' time. He hadn't been that inspired to write in… well, a long time. And the ideas for the rest of the chapters were just itching to be put to paper. That, however, would have to wait until he'd gotten some much-needed sleep.

He grinned to himself as stood and stretched his stiff muscles. This new character was going to be a hit, he could already feel it. Maybe he could even create a new series.

Derrick Storm, Private Eye. Tough. Gritty. Ruggedly handsome. Oh, yes, this character was sure to give Patterson's Alex Cross a run for his money.

Sleep came easy to Rick that night, something that had eluded him for the past week with the deadline looming overhead. But that night, he slept easy, dreaming of his new character and, oddly, a tall, strikingly beautiful young woman named Anna who worked in a bookstore. Derrick saved said woman from a masked gunman attempting to rob the bookstore. He pushed her to the ground, fought off the bad guy in a typical dramatic flair, then, to top the drama, pulled the woman to her feet and kissed her soundly before scooping her up and carrying her off into the sunset. On his noble steed.

Okay, so his dreams weren't always the best places to get story lines, but they did offer him insight. And ideas. Lots of salacious ideas that may or may not involve a devastatingly beautiful, kind young woman by the name of Anna.

Well, he'd have to choose a different name. But that was a small detail.

Rick made breakfast for Alexis and then made sure she was all packed with enough clothing and toiletries. Of course, she insisted on packing five of her new Junie B. Jones books. Rick argued that she was only staying with her mother through Monday morning (Meredith agreed to take her to school on Monday and Rick would pick her up afterwards), but Alexis insisted that was it better to be over-prepared than underprepared. "What if it rains and I'm stuck inside all day? Mom doesn't have all the cool toys and games that we do!" He couldn't argue with that logic.

As predicted, Meredith's "I'll be there at ten" ended up being closer to noon, but Rick didn't mind the extra time playing laser tag with Alexis. She was dancing around in victory when a knock sounded on the door.

After removing the laser tag gear, Rick and Alexis said their goodbyes with Rick promising to call her later that evening to say goodnight. A final hug and Meredith whisked Alexis away, telling her all about the shopping they were going to do that day.

Rick closed the door behind them and immediately made his way to his office on the second floor. Normally, he'd mope around the loft when Alexis was with her mother, but today, he had three more chapters to get onto paper.

He wrote until his stomach grumbled in protest of being ignored, a loud gurgle filling the room above the sound of the clickity-clack of his fingertips pressing the keys at a rapid-fire pace.

Pausing in the middle of a car chase, Rick glanced at the clock in the corner of the iMac, startled to see that it was nearing six-thirty in the evening. He'd worked right through lunch.

He arched his back and rolled his head around his shoulders, groaning at the several cracks his stiff joints released.

Food. He needed food.

A cursory glance in the refrigerator and cupboards made him grimace. He really needed to go to the grocery store. Tomorrow. After he'd managed to get the rest of the five chapters written. For now, takeout would have to suffice.

He rooted through the drawer where the takeout menus were kept, searing for something that sounded good, but nothing did. He wasn't in the mood for Chinese or pizza. But what did sound good was a big, juicy hamburger. With fries and a chocolate shake. Once that thought was in his head, he knew nothing else would suffice. And he knew just the place to get just what his stomach craved: a small, relatively unknown diner that usually catered to the LAPD called "Sammy's." Rick had stumbled upon the place when he was researching cop hangouts for one of his first novels during one of his and Meredith's stints in L.A. before Alexis was even born. They had the best burgers in the entire state of California. He'd bet his mint condition, life sized Boba Fett on it.

Ten minutes later, Rick walked into the diner, glancing around and noting the numerous uniformed cops sitting at various booths, some in groups of 3 or 4, a few sitting alone nursing a cup of coffee. There was also the occasional civilian scattered among the dinner crowd (that or they were higher ranking, plain clothes cops). A customer sitting alone in a back corner booth caught his attention and made him pause, do a double take, then grin. He quickly made his way to the booth, sliding into the empty bench seat before the other occupant of the table could notice him.

"Good choice of reading material," he spoke.

Kate jumped and inhaled quickly, startled from her story-induced daydream. She snapped the hardback book shut as she whipped her head up to look at the person who'd interrupted her post-dinner reading session at her favorite spot in her favorite diner. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the author of the very book she'd been reading sitting across from her.

"Mr. Castle," she squeaked. She quickly placed the book down on the booth beside her, out of his eyesight, even though she knew he'd already seen the cover given his smug expression. "What–what are you doing here?"

"I told you, call me Rick. 'Mr. Castle' makes me feel old and stuffy."

Kate tried her best and was mostly successful at hiding her smile. "Okay, _Rick_," she corrected, liking the way her tongue rolling over the hard 'k' at the end of his name. "What are you doing here?"

Rick leaned back in the booth. "Got hungry and didn't have much in the loft. Then I remembered how amazing this place's burgers and shakes are. But I guess I don't have to tell you that." He nodded towards her plate, which only half an hour prior had contained her own cheeseburger and fries, and her nearly empty glass that had held her strawberry shake.

Kate found herself nodding in response. He was right. Sammy's _did_ have the best burgers and shakes. Her neighbor, Tori, had introduced her to the small diner just a few weeks after she'd moved to LA, and, since getting the job at the bookstore, she stopped here at least once a week after her shift to grab dinner. Sometimes she ordered the food to go, getting enough for her parents as well, but other times, like that day (because her parents were having their weekly date night), she'd opted to dine in. After she'd finished her meal, she'd noted that it had started raining pretty hard and decided to read at the booth for a while to see if the rain passed. She'd left her umbrella at home.

"Yeah," Kate responded slowly. "It's on my way home from work." She picked up her water and sipped slowly just to give her hands something to do.

A waitress approached the table just then and took Rick's order—bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake—then asked took Kate's dishes and asked if she wanted any dessert. Kate declined dessert, but ordered a cup of coffee.

"I'll have that right out to you," the waitress said, then walked away.

Rick returned his attention to Kate and an idea struck him. "I have kind of a crazy question that I promised Alexis I'd ask," he said.

"Okay," Kate replied hesitantly. She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"You may not even know the answer, and I understand if it's not even possible, but Alexis' birthday is in a few weeks and she really wants to have her party in the bookstore."

Kate raised her eyebrows in surprise. "In the bookstore?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah. She's even requested that you do a story circle. I realize it's an odd location for a birthday party and isn't normally something you guys do."

"More like never," Kate interjected.

Rick nodded in response. "I know. But I promised Alexis I'd ask. I told her to come up with a plan B in case it doesn't pan out."

Kate thought for a minute. "I've never heard of it being done, but I've only worked there a couple of months. I suppose I could ask my boss about it."

Rick looked surprised. "Really?"

Kate shrugged. "Won't hurt to ask, right? We close early on Sundays, at six. Maybe it could be done after hours."

"Yeah?"

"I can't promise anything, but I'll talk to the manager during my shift Monday evening," she said. The waitress returned with her coffee and Rick's chocolate shake, smiled at them, then made her way back to the kitchen.

"Thanks," Rick said as he dug into his shake.

Kate had to stifle a laugh at his eagerness. And then another image popped into her mind—one of Rick dressed in a frilly pink princess dress and wearing a tiara as he sat at a tiny table drinking tea from an equally tiny cup, pinkie pointing towards the sky as he sipped delicately—causing her to laugh aloud, snorting in the process. Her eyes widened at the sound that came out of her and she slapped her hand to her mouth, cheeks burning.

Rick paused with his spoon midway to his awaiting mouth, wondering what had caused her to laugh. He glanced down and around, but noted nothing out of the ordinary. His spoon full of ice cream decadence started to drip, so he returned it to the tall glass as he narrowed his eyes at his companion. "Okay, you have to share now. What am I missing that's so funny?"

Kate lowered her hand and cleared her throat, stalling. "Well, um, you see, I was picturing you in a dress."

Rick blinked rapidly. "What?"

Kate laughed again. "At one of the story circles, Alexis mentioned that you'd taken her to Disneyland and dressed up for the tea party."

"Oh," Rick responded, drawing the sound out. "Yeah, well, whatever it takes to make my little girl happy. She didn't really want to leave New York."

"Why did you leave?" Kate asked, then her smile faltered. "I'm sorry. That's personal. You can ignore me."

Rick shrugged. "It's not a big secret or anything. It was two-fold, actually. Black Pawn, the company that publishes my books, moved headquarters to LA from New York about a year ago and it was just too big of a hassle to fly out here every couple of months to meet with my agent and publisher. Phone conferences just aren't as good as meeting face to face when discussing outlines and plot and deadlines."

Kate nodded. "And the second reason?"

"Alexis' mom lives here in LA. She's an actress and she wasn't able to get out to the east coast as much as I'd have liked."

"As much as _you'd_ like? What about her? Doesn't she miss Alexis?"

Rick sat back and sighed. "She does. In her own way. And she loves Alexis, but she's not really the mother-y type. Which is why I gained full custody in the divorce settlement and she has visitation rights."

Kate nodded. "Did she travel to New York much to see Alexis?"

Rick shook his head. "She's been pretty busy here in LA. And a lot of times, she'd say she was coming to New York, but would have to cancel last minute, which only upset Alexis more. It happened so often that I stopped telling Alexis that Meredith planned on visiting so she wouldn't be upset when plans changed. Which is why I decided to move us out here. And it has been a lot better."

"Really?" Kate asked. She was shocked, to be honest. Alexis was incredibly sweet and adorable, and she couldn't imagine anyone, especially her mother, not wanting to spend as much time with her as possible.

"Yeah. In the few months we've lived here, Alexis has spent more time with her mother than in the previous year. And it's been good for both of them. Like I said, Meredith loves Alexis. She just doesn't know how to show it."

Kate wanted to add her own thoughts to the mix, but thought better of it. It really wasn't her place, especially since Rick seemed happy with the arrangement. And who wouldn't be? He got to spend a lot of time with his beautiful, smart little girl.

Rick folded his hands on top of the table. "And what about you? What made you move here from, where did you say you were from? Baltimore?"

Kate nodded slowly, hating the fact that she had to lie. It was the first time since really getting used to being _Anna Tucker from Baltimore_ that she had qualms about being deceptive. With her coworkers, neighbors, and various other people she'd met since moving to LA, she'd not really cared that she had to be Anna. But with Rick, she just wanted to be Kate Beckett again.

"Oh, uh, my parents were offered positions as professors of law here and I was looking to transfer schools, so I checked out colleges here and fell in love with USC. So I followed them out here."

"USC. Impressive. Let me guess… you're pre-law?"

"Why? Because my parents are lawyers?" She grinned. "Yes. I'm pre-law. I'm going to be the first female Chief Justice."

Rick looked impressed. "Ambitious. I like that in a woman."

Kate felt her cheeks flare, but she held his gaze. "I just know what I want," she said.

Rick grinned. "Well, then you can get me out of trouble if I ever steal another police horse," he said.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "A police horse? Really?" She gripped both hands around her coffee mug.

He shrugged. "I was twenty and may have had a bit too much to drink. Oh, I was also naked."

Kate choked on the sip of coffee she'd taken and sputtered. She quickly grabbed a napkin and coughed into it. "Why am I not surprised by any of this?" she asked when she'd regained her composure.

Rick wiggled his eyebrows up and down a few times, a charming smile sweeping across his lips. "I was a little… rambunctious as a teen and in my early twenties. But I had to grow up really fast when Alexis came along."

Kate gave him a pointed look. "Something tells me that you didn't grow up all that much," she teased. In the little time she'd spent with him, she could already tell that he was one of those 'kid at heart' types. She liked that.

"I do have a child. Gotta keep her entertained and all that."

Kate laughed and shook her head. She glanced at her watch, noting the time.

"Need to be somewhere?" Rick asked when he noticed her looking at the time. "Are you working a late shift?"

Kate shook her head. "Nope. My shift ended about two hours ago. I stopped by here on my way home for dinner."

"Ah, gotcha. Well, don't let me keep you from home then. I'm sure you have better things to do than hang out with an old fuddy duddy like me."

Kate shook her head. "Not really," she said. "My parents are having their weekly date night and I really haven't had time to make many new friends. I had to take the semester off school, so I don't have any schoolwork yet…" She trailed off as the waitress returned to the table with Rick's order, placing the plate in front of him. He thanked the woman, then immediately dug into his food, taking a large bite of his burger.

"What about a boyfriend?" Rick inquired after swallowing. "I don't believe for a second that you're single."

Kate shrugged. Back in New York, before her mom had been stabbed, she'd been seeing a guy named Greg, but it hadn't been serious. They only went on a few dates, and when she'd told him that her mom had died and she was leaving for Europe (aka their cover story), he'd just said he was sorry about her mom, gave her a hug, wished her a safe trip, then left. Kate hadn't been all that upset.

"Like I said, I haven't really had much time to meet new people other than my coworkers. And the only single guy my age at work is gay, so…" She shrugged again. "And what about you? Don't you have anything better to be doing on a Saturday night other than hanging out with a lowly college student?"

"I do," he said. "I want to hang out with a smart, beautiful young woman with impeccable taste in reading material. And, judging by the book you're still trying to hide under the table, that's you."

Kate played dumb. "Oh, I don't know," she said. "I've only read a few pages, but it's kind of boring so far." She grinned to let him know she was teasing.

"Oh, Ms. Tucker, how you wound my pride," Rick countered.

Kate laughed. "Oh, please. Like I could even begin to wound your pride."

Rick nodded. "Oh, yes. You definitely could."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Sure. But really, don't feel like you have to keep me company. I do have a good book to curl up with, after all."

Rick grinned. "I thought you said the book was boring so far."

Kate reached out and grabbed a fry off his plate, dipped it in the ketchup, then brought it to her mouth, taking a slow, deliberate bite. "Oh, no," she said. "I was referring to the new Patterson book I got at work today."

Rick narrowed his eyes. "That is evil," he teased. "But no, really. I've been writing all day and my mind needs a break from it."

"What about Alexis?" Kate asked.

"With her mother," he answered. "Won't be back until Monday."

He almost looked sad at the thought. "You already miss her," Kate observed.

Rick shrugged. "She needs to spend time with Meredith, but yeah, I do. Saturday is normally our daddy/daughter day."

Kate nodded in understanding. "You really are a good dad," she said.

"You sound surprised."

She shook her head. "Not surprised, really," she said. "More like… Intrigued. A lot of guys wouldn't step up like you have. I've seen you with her. She adores you."

"I adore her," he said. "It's funny. I never really saw myself as a dad until the day Meredith told me she was pregnant. Honestly, Alexis was an accident. But she's the best accident to ever happen to me."

Kate grinned. "I was an accident, too," she said. "My mom got pregnant with me when she was in her final year of law school. My parents had already been married for a couple years, but they'd decided to wait to have kids until they both finished school and were settled in their careers."

"But it didn't work out that way, huh?"

Kate shook her head. "Nope. But Mom always called me her little miracle accident."

"Miracle accident," Rick echoed. "I like that. And that's how I feel about Alexis."

"Well, she's lucky to have you as a dad." She stole another fry.

"Hey, didn't you eat already?" he admonished mockingly.

"It's a known fact that fries off of someone else's plate taste better," she argued, popping the fry into her mouth with a grin.

Rick was just about to make a witty comment when his Blackberry rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen, noting that it was Meredith's number popping up. "Sorry, I have to take this," he said, sliding out of the booth.

"Of course," Kate said, waving him off.

Rick answered as he walked towards the back of the diner to the alcove that housed the doors to the restrooms and what he assumed was some sort of supply closet marked 'employees only.'

Kate remained in the booth, studying him. Had you told her yesterday, or even two hours ago, that she'd (essentially) be having dinner with her new favorite author and swapping personal stories, she'd have laughed. She wasn't a shy person by any means, but she did tend to be a bit reserved around new people. But there was something different about Rick that made her want to be open about herself. Which really frustrated her since she was forced to hold back certain parts of herself. Like her real name.

Rick finished his conversation and made his way back to the table. "Hey, sorry. That was Meredith. Alexis left her stuffed monkey at the loft and she can't sleep without it. They're on their way to come pick it up, so I need to go meet them. I'm sorry."

Kate shook her head. "Don't be sorry," she said. "I should probably get home myself. I have a book to read. I hear it's Patterson's best yet."

"Oh, well, then you won't mind me telling you that in this book"—he pointed to the book still sitting next to her on the bench seat—"the killer is actually—"

"Don't you dare!" Kate squeaked, clasping her hands over her ears.

Rick grinned. "It was nice chatting with you, Anna." He stuck out his hand.

Kate gripped it. "You, too, Rick."

They both paused and allowed their hands to linger, then Rick let go, but not before sweeping his thumb ever so lightly over the top of her hand, sending a rush of chills down her spine.

Rick left (but only after hunting down the waitress and paying his tab and asking for a to-go container for his remaining food) and Kate continued sitting there, thinking over her evening. She'd had a pretty mundane day at work and hadn't really been looking forward to spending the night all alone in the apartment. But oh how things had changed. When before she'd been feeling somewhat tired and cranky, now she was feeling exhilarated and anxious to get home to continue reading.

Kate picked up her own check and made her way to the checkout counter to pay for her dinner. But when she got there, the waitress shook her head. "It's been taken care of, dear."

Kate knit her brow. "What?"

"The gentleman you were sitting with paid for you. And gave me a generous tip. It's all settled." She smiled and returned to her task of wiping down the counter.

Kate smiled, bid the woman a good day, then left the restaurant. Rick had paid for her dinner. Sure, it was at a fairly inexpensive diner, but still, it was sweet. Almost like a date.

Kate shook her head at that thought. No, it wasn't a date. He was just being nice. There's no way he was interested in her.

Was there?

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Whew! That was a lot of dialogue! But I hope you enjoyed regardless. As always, thanks for reading! Please take a moment to let me know what you think of this chapter or what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters.

Someone asked if we'd get to see Lanie or the boys at all and my answer is that I haven't decided yet. I was thinking of making them classmates of Kate's at USC. Lanie, of course, would be pre-med, and Kevin and Javi would be criminal justice majors. What do y'all think? Should I bring them into the story? :)

**EDIT ON 9/21/2013**: PLEASE SEE MY PROFILE FOR A NOTE ABOUT THIS STORY! Short version is that this is on temporary hiatus due to the fact that I need to do some massive rewriting of future chapters. Please see my profile for further details.


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Castle, Family, Romance