(A/N: Welcome everybody to my very first Castle fan fiction, "Beckett in Wonderland". This story takes place right after the episode "Countdown" and for the minute is from Detective Beckett's point of view. I have been wanting to write a Castle fan fiction for a while now but held back because I wanted to make sure that I would do justice to all these wonderful canon characters like Beckett and Castle. Now that my lovely Muse is back, I was able to get my ideas out and compose the first of many chapters to come in this story. As always, I do not own "Castle" nor am I in anyway associated with ABC or with this show. All characters, settings, and so forth belong to their respected owners; no copyright infringement intended as this is solely is for entertainment purposes. Now without further ado, here's chapter one and please do not forget to R&R, thanks!)

Ch. 1 Rose Tint My World

I knew that he had wanted to say something to me, more importantly I had felt it in the furthest corners of my mind. But that can't possibly be true…could it? The rational, more like the stubborn part of me knows that can't be true. Sure, sometimes he and I finish each other's sentences or come to the same conclusion simultaneously. No, no it isn't possible, just simply coincidences…one after the other after… Wait a second, what am I even doing here, idly staring at my blank screen like an idiot? Surely the Capitan has work for me, right? Sighs No, of course I don't have any work because I am sitting at home this very second and the blank computer screen I am idly gazing at is instead one of his latest books that I had made sure to get first.

Sometimes I begin to catch myself actually questioning my sanity; wondering if this is all a dream, no, more like if he is a dream and I am the dreamer, silently torturing myself by constantly putting barriers up so that I wouldn't lose my grip to reality. But even they seem to have no effect on keeping him out, even though I am the dreamer, even when I am supposedly in control. Perhaps I have finally lost my touch with reality and he is nothing more than a flight of fancy; all of this could be a creation of my imagination and that leaves me to be in some mental hospital wasting away. "Wrong again Katherine Beckett, wrong again because I know and more importantly you know that that isn't true. You are not crazy anymore than the rest of us and before you go shooting this down, please just listen to me".

My head suddenly snaps up as my eyes begin scanning the room for this sudden voice I am hearing as clear as day. "Who's there?" All my years as a police officer start taking over my movements as I slowly get to my feet while my right hand slides down to where I still had my service pistol attached to my belt. "I am an armed NYPD police officer, now show yourself or else." I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I announced that line; but it was just out of habit. Now I knew for a fact that I was and should be the only one in the apartment at the moment. Josh had gone off to work hours ago and he would usually call me before coming here. He is also wise enough not to attempt to surprise me given my line of work, besides that kind of style was more reserved for… Castle.

Of course someone like Castle would do something like this but not even he would break into my apartment; so then the question was, who? "Okay Castle or whoever you are, very funny you got me now come out here before you force me to sweep my own apartment." The only thing I heard in reply to my shaken request was the sound of the central heating kicking in, making my curiosity only grow as I took my 9mm in my right hand and began a sweep of my house only for my blood to grow as cold as ice when I heard the voice again. Beckett, bad enough you fight me in person but now you are even fighting me in your mind? What is it going to take for you to stop fighting me and embrace this?

Before I knew it, his name was slipping out of my mouth as I turned around to only confirm my irrational suspicions. "Castle…but how….why?" I was finding myself at a loss of words while I holstered my weapon because here was Richard Castle, the man who had become my unofficial partner, standing in my living room, lightly glowing none the less. "Castle, what have I told you about playing around in that magic shop?" Here I was half expecting him to have a witty remark but the look on his face told me a completely different story. No sooner before I could voice my questions did I hear is voice once again cloud my mind. "Kate, I don't think I was playing around in the magic shop, this time." My brain was doing its best to rationalize all that was unfolding in front of me when the loud ringing of my cell phone broke the spell. Out of habit, I quickly reached into my pocket, pulling out the phone and promptly answered it. "Beckett."