A Tale as Old as Time

A Tale as Old as Time is a fanfiction written by Mina A., based on the CW show Beauty and the Beast. It aired on Fanfiction.net on July 4th, 2021.

Summary
Kaitlynn Chandler witnessed her mother's murder and claimed a "Beast" saved her and her older sister Catherine. Now 10 years later, Kait's a detective and a case brings her to the man who saved her, Vincent Keller, who the world believes to be dead. Answers from that night come to light, and Kaitlynn's world will never be the same.

Synopsis
When Kaitlynn Chandler was seventeen years old, she witnessed her mother's murder at the hands of two unknown gunmen, and she and her older sister Catherine would've been killed that night as well, if someone-or something-hadn't saved them. No one has ever believed her, but she knows it wasn’t an animal that attacked the assassins…though it was strange and terrifying, it was human.

Years later, Kaitlynn is a smart, no-nonsense, confident and capable homicide detective, yet still haunted by the events of that night, working with an equally talented partner Kimberly Cooper, who prefers to go by KC. The two women make a good team, and have become close friends while working on countless homicide cases under the supervision of their tough-but-fair boss, Joe Bishop. Kaitlynn has also become close to another co-worker, the medical examiner Evan Marks, and they’ve developed a fun, flirtatious relationship that could easily turn into something deeper – if Kait would let that happen. However, much to the concern of her sisters, Catherine and Heather Chandler, her romantic inclinations tend toward bad boys.

While investigating a new case Kaitlynn and KC discover fingerprints that lead to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller, who was reportedly killed by enemy fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. Digging deeper, Kaitlynn learns that Vincent is actually still alive. For mysterious reasons that have forced him to live outside of traditional society, Vincent has been in hiding for the past 10 years. With the help of his childhood friend J.T. Forbes, Vincent has been able to guard his terrible secret – when he is enraged, he becomes a terrifying beast, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses. Kaitlynn is stunned when Vincent admits he was the “animal” who saved her and her sister the night of their mother’s murder. Vincent doesn’t admit the whole truth – he is emotionally tied to Kaitlynn and has been watching over her for years.

Kaitlynn agrees to protect Vincent’s identity in return for any insight he may have into her mother’s murder. Thus begins a complex relationship between Kaitlynn and Vincent, who understand that their connection is extremely dangerous for both of them. The burden of keeping Vincent's secret strains the other relationships in Kaitlynn's life as she's forced to lie about her whereabouts and how she gains insight on her future cases. However, her relationship with Vincent also helps her heal from the emotional scars left in the wake of her mother's murder, and Kaitlynn begins to let people close to her heart-including Vincent.

Opening Dialogue
Episodes 3-17


 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "Nine years ago, I witnessed my mother's murder. I would have been killed, too, if it hadn't been for Vincent."
 * Vincent Keller: "I was part of an experimental special forces group. Their goal was to create the perfect super soldier. They made us stronger, faster, better. But something went wrong. They gave orders to kill us all. Somehow, I survived and have been in hiding ever since."
 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "Until a case brought me back to him. But also alerted the group that experimented on him. Now we're both in danger."
 * Vincent Keller: "And our best chance at survival is if we save each other."

Episodes 18-24


 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "From the moment we met..."
 * Vincent Keller: "We knew our lives would never be the same."
 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "He saved my life."
 * Vincent Keller: "And she saved mine."
 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "We're destined."
 * Vincent Keller: "But we know it won't be easy."
 * Kaitlynn Chandler: "Even though we have every reason to stay apart."
 * Vincent Keller: "We'll risk it all to be together."

Main

 * Nina Dobrev as Kaitlynn Chandler
 * Jay Ryan as Vincent Keller
 * Kat Graham as Kimberly Cooper
 * Austin Basis as J.T. Forbs
 * Kristin Kreuk as Catherine Chandler
 * Max Brown as Evan Marks (1X02-1X20)
 * Sendhil Ramamurthy as Gabriel Lowen (1X21-1X24)
 * Brian White as Joe Bishop

Recurring

 * Nicole Gale Anderson as Heather Chandler
 * Rob Stewart as Thomas Chandler
 * Rachel Skarsten as Brooke Chandler
 * Khaira Ledeyo as Vanessa Chandler

Saved by a Beast

 * This episode serves as a prologue for the entire series, detailing the first encounter between Kaitlynn (Nina Dobrev) and Vincent (Jay Ryan), as well as the motivation for Kaitlynn to become a cop.

Beauty Meets Beast

 * All the main characters are introduced in this episode.
 * Kaitlynn meets J.T and Vincent in this episode and finally discovers what saved her nine years ago from being killed.
 * It's revealed that Kaitlynn was close with her older sister, Catherine, but after their mother's murder and Catherine calling her "crazy" for claiming that a Beast saved them, they drifted apart and now mainly see eachother when their professional paths cross and a few family get togethers over the years.
 * Kaitlynn's main nickname is "Kait", but Catherine's nickname for her sister is "Katie"
 * From the opening scene, it's revealed that Kaitlynn's favorite type of music is Rock.

Proceed With Caution

 * This episode marks the first full appearance of Heather Chandler (who's appearance in the previous episode was a cameo) and reveals she is living with Kaitlynn in her apartment.
 * This episode also shows that both Heather and Catherine call Kaitlynn "Katie" as a nickname.
 * It's revealed in this episode that Kaitlynn was a dancer in her youth and she took ballet alongside her younger sister Heather.
 * Evan brings up the subject of "love triangles" when discussing possible motives in the death of the victim, and comments that they never end well, to which Kaitlynn agrees, this exchange coming off as "flirting" between the two. Then, in the following scene, Kaitlynn shows up at the warehouse and has a conversation with Vincent. These two scenes playing back-to-back foreshadows the eventual "love triangle" of Evan's unrequited love for Kaitlynn, Kaitlynn's growing feelings for Vincent, and Vincent's feelings for Kaitlynn; which will come to a head in the episode "Heart of Darkness".
 * The character of Noah Remington, or Remy, debuts in this episode and showed an instant attraction to Kaitlynn. This will be further shown to grow into an obsession, which is revealed in the episode "This Is Halloween". He is played by actor Brant Daugherty, who played the character Noel Kahn in Pretty Little Liars.
 * Kaitlynn states that she wants to reconnect with her sisters towards the end of the episode, which begins one of the central familial relationships of the series.
 * The final scene shows Kaitlynn and Vincent talking on a rooftop and begins their official friendship. Rooftop conversations will become one staple of their means of face-to-face communication (the other being Kaitlynn's fire escape) and will be a recurring scene throughout the series.

All In

 * This episode shows the beginning of Kaitlynn reconnecting with her sisters Heather and Catherine (more so with Cat due to them working together on the case)
 * This episode also shows another of communication between Kaitlynn and Vincent' writing notes.
 * In some instances throughout the episode, Vincent compares himself to the DC hero "Batman". Nina Dobrev (who portrays Kaitlynn Chandler) also has another role in the CW show Arrow (based in the DC comics), where her character, Andrea Rayne, becomes the vigilante turned hero Artemis or Arctic Fox, the partner (and sometimes love interest) of the Green Arrow.
 * This episode shows the first time where Kaitlynn calms Vincent down while he's in "beast mode", making her the only character to be able to do so.
 * At the end of the episode, Kaitlynn and Vincent talk on the fire escape outside Kaitlynn's bedroom window. Fire escape conversations will become another staple of their means of face-to-face communication (the other being Kaitlynn's rooftop) and will be another recurring scene throughout the series.
 * Kaitlynn RSVP's to her father's wedding during the second to last scene of the episode. The wedding itself will take place during the episode "Bridesmaid Up".
 * The closing scene of the episode revealed that Muirfield sent an agent to investigate Evan's lab and steal the DNA samples belonging to Vincent. The lead agent, Silverfox, deduces that Kaitlynn would be the key to finding Vincent and says "it's time to act." Their plan will be executed in the following episode.

Basic Instinct

 * This episode begins the reconnection and relationship growth between Kaitlynn and Catherine.
 * Catherine finds out about Vincent in this episode; that he was the "Beast" that saved her and Kaitlynn the night of their mother's murder and that Kaitlynn is in contact with him.
 * Kaitlynn gives Vincent a picture of her for him to keep, and he will be in possession of said picture for the remainder of the series.
 * In Kaitlynn's scrapbook, there's a picture of her with her high school sweetheart, Blake (portrayed by Zach Roerig). He will become a recurring character in the following season.

Saturn Returns

 * This episode takes place over three days. Specifically September 13th, 14th, and 15th.
 * This episode revolves around Catherine and Kaitlynn's shared birthday. Their ages are given as 30 and 27 respectively.
 * Catherine's boyfriend, Byron Delany, is introduced in this episode. He is portrayed by actor Matt Davis, who also starred alongside Nina Dobrev and Kat Graham in the CW drama The Vampire Diaries.
 * Kaitlynn was shown to have received a birthday gift at the precinct from a "secret admirer", who's identity remains unknown at this time. More gifts from him will pop up later on, and his identity will be revealed in the episode "This Is Halloween".
 * This episode also depicts the first non-romantic kisses between Vincent and Kaitlynn.
 * Kaitlynn shares a drunken kiss with Evan, and repercussions from the kiss will be seen in the following episode.
 * This episode is the first to show Vincent's blackouts, which will be a recurring occurrence in the next three episodes.

Worth

 * This episode takes place one day after the previous episode.
 * This is the second episode to show Vincent's blackouts.
 * Vincent's romantic interest in Kaitlynn is first seen in this episode
 * Repercussions from Kaitlynn and Evan's drunken kiss from the previous episode are discussed in this one, and thus the beginning of the Evan/Kaitlynn/Vincent love triangle begins.
 * The character of Brooke is introduced in this episode, she will be seen again in "Bridesmaid Up!" where she will become Catherine, Kaitlynn, and Heather's step-mom and be a part of their lives for the remainder of the series.
 * Kaitlynn begins to develop deeper feelings for Vincent starting in this episode.
 * After closing the case, Kaitlynn receives a bouquet of blue flowers from her 'secret admirer'. This marks the second instance of this. The admirer's identity will be revealed during the episode "This Is Halloween".
 * Kaitlynn's suggestion about her and Vincent 'going away' for a weekend is brought up again in the beginning of the next episode.

Out Of Control

 * The events of this episode take place a day after the previous episode.
 * In the beginning, Kaitlynn is seen packing a bag for a weekend getaway, which she suggested her and Vincent do at the end of the previous episode.
 * The two young kids seen in Kaitlynn's apartment building at the beginning are named Josh and Jasmine, which are also the names of Elizabeth Mendel's twins from Mina A's Guardian Arrowverse series.
 * During the scene in the precinct during the exchange between Kaitlynn and Kimberly, Kaitlynn mentions she wanted to be a writer in collage and jokes about buying a villa in France. In the series finale, this becomes true.
 * The character of Peter Hollingsworth is portrayed by actor Ben Lewis, who would later go on to portray older William Clayton in seasons seven and eight of Arrow. That character is the step-son of Nina's character, Andrea Rayne.
 * Kaitlynn receives a gift in the form of a metal cuff from her secret admirer. The 'K' for her first initial and the sapphires signify her birthstone.
 * Kaitlynn uses some profiling skills to help determine what Peter's next move will be.
 * When asking Vincent for help in rescuing Evan, J.T. mentions the kiss between Kaitlynn and Evan from her birthday, which happened two episodes prior.
 * At the end of the episode, Kaitlynn learns that she might be the cause of Vincent's mysterious blackouts. The real truth behind them will be revealed in the following episode.

Trapped

 * It's mentioned a few times in this episode that two weeks have passed since the previous episode.
 * Kaitlynn receives yet another gift from her secret admirer in this episode, this time delivered to her apartment. The identity of said admirer will be revealed in the next episode.
 * This episode showcases the growing relationship (both personal and professional) between Kaitlynn and Catherine.
 * This episode also reveals more about Vincent's time in Afghanistan and more information about his super-soldier injections. During his flashbacks, he remembers Vanessa Chandler being involved in the experiments and that she was the one who injected him with cross-species DNA.
 * Kaitlynn and Catherine also learn of their mother's involvement with Muirfield and their experiments on soldiers.
 * Everyone learns that the blackouts are a side effect of the Muirfield experiments and not caused by Kaitlynn.
 * Thomas Chandler makes his second appearance in the series, having first been seen in the episode "Worth".
 * It's also mentioned a couple of times that Thomas' wedding is a few months away. The wedding happens in the episode "Bridesmaid Up!".
 * While going through her mother's things, Kaitlynn finds files of various soldiers experimented on by Muirfield. The names she sees are the same ones she learns of in the episode "Proceed With Caution". She also finds Vincent's file and learns (from J.T. via video call) that his middle name is "Ryan", which is the same as his actor's last name (Jay Ryan).
 * It's also stated that Catherine's middle initial is 'R' as well.
 * During their scenes together, mutual chemistry is apparent between Evan and Kaitlynn, and Evan is shown to be flirting more seriously with Kaitlynn than their usual 'playful' form of flirting seen in earlier episodes.
 * Vincent and Kaitlynn share their first hug in this episode, and its witnessed by J.T. and Catherine, who both see the mutual attraction between the two.
 * This episode marks the beginning of Kaitlynn repairing her relationship with Thomas, which would grow to become one of her most important familial relationships in the series.
 * To the audience, the final scene showcases the mutual attraction Vincent and Kaitlynn feel for eachother as they reach a new level of physical contact in their growing friendship.

This Is Halloween

 * The events of this episode take place one week after the events of the previous episode.
 * The episode title is taken from the song "This Is Halloween", the opening musical number from the Disney film "The Nightmare Before Christmas".
 * The murders that Kaitlynn and Kimberly investigate all pay homage to killings from various horror movies, keeping with the Halloween theme of the episode.
 * Many of the guest stars in this episode also have main roles in the Arrowverse/Mysticverse/Guardian Arrowverse stories written by Mina A. and Vengie D. The characters also share names of other roles the actors have played in various other shows.
 * The character of Rory Hastings is portrayed by Troian Bellisario, who plays the role of Lorelai Snart/Ice Princess in Guardians of Central City and its sequels. The characters surname 'Hastings' comes from Troian's character Spencer Hastings from Pretty Little Liars, and the first name 'Rory' from the Earth-2 metahuman villain Rory Ramon/Lady Flame, the doppelgänger of Lorelai Snart/Ice Princess.
 * The characters of Michael and Lucy Hastings are portrayed by Wentworth Miller and Peyton List, who play the roles of Leonard Snart/Captain Cold and Lisa Snart/Golden Glider respectively, and are the older siblings of Troian's character Lorelai. The character Michael takes his name from Miller's character Michael Scofield from Prison Break. The character Lucy takes her name from List's portrayal of Lucy Lane from Smallville.
 * The character of Mia Andrews is portrayed by Willa Holland, who plays the role of Thea Queen/Speedy in Arrow. The character takes her first name of Mia, which is the same as Thea's comic counterpart, while the surname of Andrews is taken from Holland's character Agnes Andrews from Gossip Girl.
 * The character of Alyssa Donovan is portrayed by Kayla Ewell, who would go on to play the role of Nocturna in Batwoman. The character takes her name of Alyssa from Ewell's character Alyssa Howland from a single episode in Bones, and the character's surname of Donovan is taken from Ewell's character Vicky Donovan from the series The Vampire Diaries.
 * The character of Oliver is portrayed by Stephen Amell, who plays the role of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, in Arrow, where the character's name is taken from.
 * The character of Elena is portrayed by Cassie Scerbo, who plays the role of Elena Queen/Nightingale/Thunder Eagle in Arrow, where character's name is taken from.
 * Many character's costumes resemble DC comic characters;
 * From the collage party scene Mia's costume resembles the comic depiction of DC's Black Canary and Alyssa's costume resembles Salem.
 * Heather's costume for her job's Halloween party resembles the character Mera, while her boyfriend Josh's costume resembles Aquaman.
 * Kaitlynn's costume resembles Arctic Fox from both the DC and Drakonia comic series. Kaitlynn's actress (Nina Dobrev) also portrays the character of Andrea Rayne in Arrow, who eventually takes up the mantle Arctic Fox, based on her Mystic/Drakonia counterpart and Guardian identity.
 * Heather's co-worker Oliver wears a costume based on the Green Arrow. Stephen Amell also portrays the role of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow in Arrow, and is the love interest of Nina Dobrev's character Andrea Rayne/Arctic Fox.
 * Although shown briefly, Catherine's costume from the DA's office party resembles the Prometheus suit worn by Lana Lang in Smallville. Catherine's actress (Kristin Kreuk) also portrayed the role of Lana Lang.
 * Elena's costume resembles that of the character Nightingale from both the DC and Drakonia comic series. Cassie Scerbo also portrays the role of Elena Queen/Nightingale in Arrow.
 * This episode reveals Kaitlynn's badge number is 41319, the same as the character Kate Beckett from the ABC series Castle.
 * Kaitlynn's leg is treated at St. Benjamin's Hospital, the same hospital where Vincent did his ER residency before enlisting in the Army. The doctor who treated her was also Vincent's mentor. The character of Dr. Markus will make another appearance in the second season.

Bridesmaid Up

 * About two months have passed between this episode and the previous episode.

Never Turn Back

 * This episode marks the season 1 finale.