[Castle/NCIS: Drabble] "Between" [PG]
Title: Between
Prompt: writerverse challenge #11 quick fic #4 (‘destined to die’ & ‘hero’)
Word Count: 422
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Castle & NCIS
Warnings: technically, spoilers for Castle Season 3 finale (currently, they’re on #5) & NCIS Season 2 finale (they’re on #10)
Summary: Two women meet between life and death.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Between
Beckett opened her eyes, and immediately shut them again. The world around her swirled alarmingly, shifting from the grassy cemetery where she’d been shot to a bleak city rooftop, and back again with no warning.
“Sorry, sorry,” said a voice. There was a hand on her shoulder- the shoulder where she’d been shot- but there was no pain. “I’m new to this. There, you can look now.”
Carefully, Beckett opened her eyes again. She was in the cemetery again, lying in the grass where she’d fallen. But there was no one there, absolutely no one except-
“Hi,” said the woman. She was about Beckett’s height, wearing a federal-issue tactical vest and communications gear. “I’m Kate Todd, NCIS. Well, I was.”
The world did the swirly thing again. For a moment, Beckett swore she saw a bullet would, dead-center on Todd’s forehead, but when she looked again, it was gone.
“Beckett, NYPD,” she said, then quirked a smile. “Kate Beckett.”
“I know,” said Todd. “I’ve been sent to help you.”
“Sent…” Beckett repeated. “I was shot. And I… I was taken to the hospital. I remember that. So how the hell did I get back here?”
“It’s- You’re not dead,” said Todd, quickly. “Yes, you were shot and, yes, you’re at the hospital, but I don’t know what’s going to happen after that.”
“Then what do you know?” the other woman demanded.
“That this isn’t your time to die,” Todd replied. “Look, I won’t lie to you. I don’t know what will happen, or who shot you, or any of that. But I know that I have to help you go back.”
The cemetery shifted again, becoming the rooftop for a split second.
“Go back where?” asked Beckett.
“To life. You’re not dead, but you are… in between. And you’re not strong enough to get back there by yourself. So, they sent me.”
“Why?”
“Because it was my time,” said Todd, softly. Around them, the cemetery faded into the city rooftop again. “That’s why I’m able to help you go back. And you need to go back.”
“To find who did this?” Beckett asked.
Todd shook her head. “I don’t know. But if you want to find out, you have to go. It’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Beckett managed a smile. “Yeah, I could have guessed.”
“It’s almost time,” said Todd. She held out a hand. “Ready?”
Beckett took it, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Light flashed, so bright that she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she was alive.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold
Prompt: writerverse challenge #11 quick fic #4 (‘destined to die’ & ‘hero’)
Word Count: 422
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Castle & NCIS
Warnings: technically, spoilers for Castle Season 3 finale (currently, they’re on #5) & NCIS Season 2 finale (they’re on #10)
Summary: Two women meet between life and death.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Between
Beckett opened her eyes, and immediately shut them again. The world around her swirled alarmingly, shifting from the grassy cemetery where she’d been shot to a bleak city rooftop, and back again with no warning.
“Sorry, sorry,” said a voice. There was a hand on her shoulder- the shoulder where she’d been shot- but there was no pain. “I’m new to this. There, you can look now.”
Carefully, Beckett opened her eyes again. She was in the cemetery again, lying in the grass where she’d fallen. But there was no one there, absolutely no one except-
“Hi,” said the woman. She was about Beckett’s height, wearing a federal-issue tactical vest and communications gear. “I’m Kate Todd, NCIS. Well, I was.”
The world did the swirly thing again. For a moment, Beckett swore she saw a bullet would, dead-center on Todd’s forehead, but when she looked again, it was gone.
“Beckett, NYPD,” she said, then quirked a smile. “Kate Beckett.”
“I know,” said Todd. “I’ve been sent to help you.”
“Sent…” Beckett repeated. “I was shot. And I… I was taken to the hospital. I remember that. So how the hell did I get back here?”
“It’s- You’re not dead,” said Todd, quickly. “Yes, you were shot and, yes, you’re at the hospital, but I don’t know what’s going to happen after that.”
“Then what do you know?” the other woman demanded.
“That this isn’t your time to die,” Todd replied. “Look, I won’t lie to you. I don’t know what will happen, or who shot you, or any of that. But I know that I have to help you go back.”
The cemetery shifted again, becoming the rooftop for a split second.
“Go back where?” asked Beckett.
“To life. You’re not dead, but you are… in between. And you’re not strong enough to get back there by yourself. So, they sent me.”
“Why?”
“Because it was my time,” said Todd, softly. Around them, the cemetery faded into the city rooftop again. “That’s why I’m able to help you go back. And you need to go back.”
“To find who did this?” Beckett asked.
Todd shook her head. “I don’t know. But if you want to find out, you have to go. It’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Beckett managed a smile. “Yeah, I could have guessed.”
“It’s almost time,” said Todd. She held out a hand. “Ready?”
Beckett took it, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Light flashed, so bright that she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she was alive.
THE END
Current Mood:
cold