Fate

Chapter 1

"Urrgh." Kate Beckett groaned as she lifted her head up from the glossy white toilet seat lid. Third day in a row. Great. She thought to herself. She'd been ill for 3 days now.
"Still not feeling well?" Castle asked, walking in behind his wife.
"Really, Castle?!" She exclaimed, resting her head on her arm that was draped across the toilet seat lid.
"Right, okay." He said, trying not to laugh. Just then, Kate's phone began to ring. Great. She thought to herself as she got up and went to retrieve her mobile from the other room.
"Beckett." She answered. It was Ryan.
"Okay, we're on our way." She said as she hung up.
"Murder?" Castle asked excitedly, standing in the doorway.
"Yep, get dressed."

They arrived at the crime scene half an hour later, both with coffee in their hands. As they made their way over to the body they were greeted by Esposito.
"Good mornin'." He said, smiling.
"Hi." Kate replied, bluntly.
"Not by the sounds of it..." Esposito said, looking at the duo. "You still ill, Becket?"
"What d'you think." She replied, glaring at him.
"Okay then." Esposito said, looking at Castle who just laughed. "Vic's name is Clara Whitford. 32 years old. They found her lying in the middle of the street over there." They approached the body and Lanie who was busy looking her over. She turned around when she realised that everyone was there.
"Good morning-" She began, but was cut off by Castle and Esposito shaking their heads, "um..." Kate turned around to face the men who stood behind her, folding her arms and giving them a displeased look. Their faces immediately changed, Castle looked away and Esposito whistled a short tune.
"Mmmhmm." She said, turning back to face Lanie. "We have a COD?"
"Multiple GSW's to the chest, and to the brain, I'll tell you which killed her when I get her back to the morgue, and I'm putting time of death about 4-6 hours ago." Lanie replied.
"Okay, that means she was killed between 4 and 6 AM this morning..." Kate said. Ryan came up behind them all.
"Witnesses say that they heard screaming around 4:30 AM." He said.
"Fits Lanie's time of death." Castle said. "Our vic, walking back from a nightclub in the middle of the night, gets killed in a dark alley..."
"What makes you think she was at a nightclub, Castle?" Kate asked.
"Look at the way she's dressed." He explained walking back over to the body. "Short, red dress, black heels and nylon tights."
"Could have been a prostitute..." Esposito added.
"Maybe, but nightclub seems more likely for the time."
"Her wallet was found over there," Ryan said, pointing to the street corner, "drivers licence, credit card, social security card all there along with $40 cash."
"So it wasn't a robbery..." Kate added. "Get uniform's to canvas the area in a 2 block radius, someone had to have seen something."
"On it." Ryan replied, as he walked off. Kate looked around.
"Security cameras... Espo see if our murder was caught on camera."
"Okay." He agreed, leaving to get the footage.
"Mysterious party girl, just looking for fun, gets shot to death on her way home by a..." Castle said, but not sure how to finish.
"Oh look, Castle's stuck for words." Kate said, chuckling.
"Richard Castle does not get stuck for words. I was just distracted by the gun left on the ground over there." Kate turned around abruptly, searching for the gun. She stopped when she heard Castle laughing. Clenching her teeth, she turned around to face her husband.
"You better watch it."
"Ooh, remember, my safe word is apples." He replied with a smirk. Kate could not help but chuckle at the memory of when he first said that to her. It was just after she'd arrested him for stealing files from their first ever case they worked together. Castle slid his hand into hers and they walked off, back to her car to get back to the precinct.

He watched from the shaded window of the building over looking the crime scene where Clara Whitford had been murdered. Specifically at Detective Katherine Beckett. The way she interacted with the other detectives, as well as her husband, they way she moved around and the way she ordered everyone about. He imagined the feel of her blood dripping all over his fingers.
"One day, Kate. One day, you'll be mine. One day..." He paused. Savouring the moment.
"One day, I'll kill you."