AN: Spoilers for Season 5. First of all, I want to be clear; I haven't read 'Frozen Heat' yet. Second of all; this is set before any of the others around the 12th find out about the Caskett Couple

The Heat Is Off

Beckett held the ticket in her hand, looking it over carefully. The show was that night; and she found herself in possession of a front row seat. Ryan and Esposito were over at the coffee-machine; pretending they hadn't seen it. She was at her desk, contemplating that night; pretending she hadn't noticed them watching her.

The phone on her desk rang and she answered quickly. "Beckett."

"We got the test results back." Lanie said. "It was a 45, hollow-point bullet; he wasn't on any kind of narcotics; he wasn't drinking, at least not that night; there was no signs of a struggle; and he's not pregnant."

Beckett smirked tightly. "That means the case is solved. Nuts."

"Problem?"

Beckett sighed. "That thing I told you about? Castle actually got me a ticket. And it's sort of a gesture. This isn't a 'call the box office' kind of show; you actually have to be part of the culture."

"Well, you are part of the culture." Lanie offered. "It sounds interesting; you were a fan before you two became... whatever-the-hell-you-are."

Beckett took a breath. The specifics of her relationship to the author weren't known to anyone just yet. "I am a fan." She confirmed. "You think if I managed to break my leg between here and the venue; they'd force me to stay for the full hour?"

"Whoa." Lanie reacted. "You don't want to go? Why not?"

"Because; sooner or later they're going to talk about the NYPD; and about how Nikki Heat's based on me; and you know he's going to tell them all that I'm there; and the camera's going to point at me..." Beckett whined a little, low in her throat. "And they're gonna put the damn book up on the screen and she'll be naked on the cover, and everyone gonna be staring at me the whole night..."

"Then don't go." Lanie offered.

"If only. Gates has ordered that I represent the department." Beckett sighed. "It was a lot more fun when The Captain did it."

Even after a year; Roy Montgomery was still 'The Captain', and 'Iron Gates' was not.

"Well, if you need help; leave your cell on." Lanie offered. "I can make an escape call; get you out of there early. Maybe you'll get lucky and there'll be a murder. If it's going okay; leave your phone off."

"Thanks." Beckett sighed. "I have paperwork."

"I have dead bodies to wrap." Lanie returned.

Beat.

"Huh, yours is worse." Beckett agreed and hung up. She turned to her computer and started tapping away for several seconds; when the hairs on the back of her neck jumped to attention; and a plesant little shudder ran down her spine. She smiled a little without turning.

Sure enough; it was him. "Ready for this?"

"Looking forward to it." She agreed. "You think anyone would notice if I wore a Nikki Heat T-shirt?" Beckett grinned. "You would have been proud of me; I just did a whole monologue on how humiliating it is that I had to go tonight; and how Gates ordered me to behave myself and talk up the NYPD. Lanie was ready to write me a Doctor's note so that I wouldn't have to come."

The two of them shared a naughty chuckle.

Ryan and Esposito returned and pretended they weren't snooping. "So, big plans tonight?"

Beckett waved the ticket dramatically at them. "If only you had a clue of some kind."

Castle grinned and filled them in. "Not for tonight; for today. There's some Panel Discussion being filmed tonight. Some English Professor is doing a breakdown of my and my career for a television special in front of a live audience. They do it with half a dozen authors a year; it's one of those Public Interest celebrity interview things."

"Who else is on the Panel?" Beckett asked. She already knew, but for the benefit of the boys; she pretended otherwise.

"Me and my Gotham City crew. I think Patterson lost a bet." He grinned. "But this year; first chair goes to me; which means I get the one-on-one time; and I get to ask all the others questions in front of a nationwide audience."

"TV? We like TV." Esposito said from the next desk.

"We watch it from the other side all the time." Ryan agreed.

"Plus; we got characters based on us in those books too. I'm sick of Beckett getting all the attention. It's too late for Ryan, but Castle Groupies? Hell yeah."

Castle looked over at them. "Sorry boys. Limited seating available. It's actually largely by invitation. The publishers and the website held a sale; if you wanted in, you should have done something about it sooner."

"Oh I see." Esposito said tightly. "Not enough tickets to go around, huh? Why her and not us?"

"It's a Forum on Modern Literature." Castle defended. "Hardly seemed like the kind of thing you and Ryan would be interested in."

"I see." Ryan said with a similar tone; standing shoulder to shoulder with Esposito. "You figure a couple of cops couldn't appreciate the finer things of culture."

"He thinks we're lowbrow." Esposito said sagely to his partner. "He thinks were common."

"I know; I mean he just assumes we're lowbrow." Ryan agreed. "Unless someone tipped him off."

Castle sighed. "Guys... you're right." He bowed his head, properly shamed. "I made an assumption about you; and it was unworthy. The Forum is by invitation only; given the limited tickets available... So like a snob I naturally assumed you guys would be more interested in the Bulls game tonight." He produced two more tickets like a magician's trick. "I am sorry. I'll see if Beckett's willing to switch, and I can probably scare up one more ticket... though they might not be together." He grinned. "But hey; it's about appreciating the finer things, right?"

Beat.

"Ahh, that awkward moment when you realize you've just lost a showdown you started." Ryan said philosophically.

Esposito was more direct, snatching the tickets away, quick as a rattlesnake. "Well, since you went to the trouble. Have fun at Book Club, Beckett."

Beckett smothered a grin.

The function room was large enough for a few hundred people; designed to hold seminars and press conferences. The room was mostly full; a few people milling in the aisles to talk. Beckett found her seat in the front row and automatically checked the exits and strategic locations. It was a cop's viewpoint; to see where things might be hid, or where people would conceal themselves. After being shot by a sniper; she'd done similar checks every time she walked into any room.

The quick scan drew her attention to a trio of teenage girls, decked out in Derrick Storm Memorabilia. They were looking at her subtly; nudging each other. She steeled herself for it. There were a few magazine photos out there of her with Castle. They had been published during the hype for Heat Wave; but only the die-hard fans had held onto them.

The lights dimmed a few times as a signal to the audience; and everyone quickly found their seats. Beckett's ears picked up the trio of Groupies settling in directly behind her; and she winced. Eventually, a man with olive skin and a salt-and-pepper beard came in from stage left. A few in the audience must have recognized him because there was a smattering of applause as he came to the podium. Beckett noticed the camera operators standing a little straighter; getting to work, as he started to speak.

"Good evening; my name is Professor Emil Sinka, and I'll be your host for this evening. We'll get to the introductions soon into the opening monologue; so I won't bother to tell you and make you listen to it twice." He said with the ease of experience. "One thing I want to tell you about; is that though this is to be filmed live; it is for later broadcast. So there will be no editing or censors; thus it is your responsibility that there be no demonstrations; please try to contain your outbursts. There will be time for questions later; if you are called on; please stick around so that our team can get your signed permission to use your image on television." The Professor said. "And also; while it may be late morning; the broadcast will be shown in the evening; so don't let my saying 'Good Evening' confuse anyone while we're filming."

There was a flurry of whispers directly behind Kate, and she turned to look over her shoulder at the trio of teenage girls; staring back at her. Each one of them was looking at her, somewhat starstruck. She faced forward; wincing again. Her first guess about them wasn't wrong. Castle wasn't exactly a known face wherever they went; and neither was she... but this sort of event was sure to draw the die-hard fans. Ones that might know who his latest series of books was based on.

"And... we're rolling." The camera-team pointed to the Professor on stage; who took his mark and began to speak.

"Good evening. I am Professor Emil Sinka, Head of the English Department of Yale University." Professor Sinka turned to face the audience; and the camera's. "Why are we here? With the endless barrage of police procedural, and forensic investigation shows; the true detective story is becoming lost in a sea of CSI books. Books written in such an environment tend to draw an audience to themselves by adding gore and violence against women and children. The stories get darker; but not better. In such a scenario, the appearance of a gem becomes all too obvious; and all the more prized. With that in mind; please welcome our guest for this evening: bestselling author; Mister Richard Castle."

The audience broke into enthusiastic applause; as Castle came from behind the curtains off stage; walking out to shake the Professors hand warmly.

"Mister Castle, thank you for joining us." Sinka greeted him.

"Always glad to have my life's work under expert scrutiny in front of an audience." Castle shook his hand, his self-deprecating quip managing to charm the audience before he sat down. Both of them took their seats; facing each other. The cameras would easily have been ignored; as the conversation continued in a fairly casual manner.

"Mister Castle, you've written over twenty books; many of which have hit the bestseller lists. It's a competitive world to be in; and you seem to be clearly ahead of the curve." Sinka said. It was an invitation to speak up; and Castle took it.

"I've got a great following. Any successful author will tell you that there's nothing he or she can do without his or her fans. Especially today."

"Many publishers have refused to put their prized authors on the ebook lists; citing lack of profits. Your own publishers had a problem with that in fact; and you drew attention by demanding to renegotiate your entire contract. Why take the matter of ebooks so seriously?"

"I love hard copy." Castle said without hesitation. "I love books. But the fact is; things are going that way. Ebooks are books; and the publishing houses are terrified that they're about to become obsolete. I don't think that's a problem at all; but I can't abide people who hold on too tight because they don't like change." He explained. "An ebook written by anyone in the world can sell a million copies for a dollar each. A best selling author like me? Can put his entire book series up, and his publishers demand that he sell it for the same price as a hardcover. That hurts them; but it hurts me more... And the more people buy my books and enjoy them; the happier I am."

This proved to be a popular comment, as the audience applauded again.

"Speaking of the love of your fans; the most popular books in your portfolio are the newest ones."

"The Nikki Heat series has done well." Castle admitted.

"You mentioned that it was all thanks to your readers. Well, most of the fan-favorites involve the 'shipper' scenes between the two lead characters; Jameson Rook and Detective Nikki Heat." Professor Sinka said professionally. "While romance is not generally a staple of the murder mystery genre; an enormous part of the story-telling process in these books came from the banter, and the partnership dynamic, in a way that hasn't been seen in mysteries since the famous Nick and Nora Charles of the Dashiell Hammett books."

Now there's some company to be in. Beckett thought; giving Richard a smile from the front row.

"The entire first book in fact; seems to build to the third act; starting with the infamous page 104." Sinka continued, and an eager rumble went around the audience.

"I like my romantic story-lines to build to a satisfying climax." Castle said solemnly. He managed to keep a straight face for three whole seconds as half the room giggled. "Sorry, should I have phrased that better?" He asked, hamming it up a little.

The trio of fan-girls in the second row started whispering again, and Beckett flushed bright pink, sinking down a little into her chair. Nobody knew about the two of them here, but still...

"Most fan reviews comment on this, wondering which storyline they wanted a resolution to more; the attraction between the characters, or the mystery being solved. You managed to do both." Sinka told him. "A sentiment that continued in 'Naked Heat'. Somehow you managed to keep the tension and the excitement between the two characters; even after the first book... and then the second book ended."

"It was important to me that the characters build the story." Castle explained. "One thing you don't see often in detective books, but you do in the actual Police Precincts, is the way the team works together to sort it out. Solving a crime is the same as committing a crime: it's about the people involved. It's an arrangement that works very well for solving the mystery, and I decided not to mess with it."

"'Heat Rises' was a cliffhanger; It solved the mystery; but the plotline that most fans cared about was left completely unresolved. Given the fact that this wasn't a television show; a cliffhanger was a bold move."

"Not as bold as it sounded." Castle demurred. "After the success of Heat Wave; I had a contract for three more Nikki Heat books. You don't tell your characters what to do, most of the time they tell you." He looked out over the audience himself; his eyes lingering on Kate in the front row for half a second longer than it should have. "The relationship between Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook was evolving; and I wasn't sure which way it was going to go... Ending Heat Rises the way I did gave me time to find out."

Beckett was never really sure where the line between Her and Nikki Heat was; and conversations like this made it harder to guess.

"Then came 'Frozen Heat'." Sinka said seriously. "An apt title, given the way things cooled. For those of you in the audience who haven't read it yet... what the hell are you doing here?"

The audience laughed. Beckett did not; surprised by the sudden serious tone.

"Nobody could figure out what happened; but Nikki's 'Heat' went out instantly." Sinka continued, more to the audience than to Castle. "Mister Castle; that was a gutsy move; to mess with the dynamic that had drawn and delighted so many of your new, and your mainstream followers."

Kate heard the words and felt her heart stop.

"Well, there's a reason for that." Castle was saying. "It was a shift in... the direction the characters were taking."

"Mister Castle, without wanting to cast aspersions, if it's simply a matter of losing the spark; it happens unevenly throughout the book." Sinka continued. "This was a complete turnaround; so it was clearly a decision. A highly controversial one; since the building tension between the two characters was such a popular draw-card."

The trio of groupies behind her where nudging each other, whispering again. She thought she heard one of them whisper the word 'Detective'.

Sinka kept going. "Now, as I said; the dynamic between your leads is evocative of Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man Series, and the Dashiell Hammett books have had several pairings based on them. Remington Steele, Hart To Hart, Moonlighting..."

"To be fair, those are television shows, and not books." Castle pointed out, still smiling.

"It's also worth noting, that this progression follows the same sort of pattern." Sinka agreed. "Often times; when the lead characters give into their mutual attraction; there's nowhere left for them to go."

Beckett could take no more; and rose from her seat, inching out. She was in the front row, and could feel every eye on the auditorium on her. They were judging her, blaming her.

"Moonlighting-Curse." One of the trio in the second row whispered; she knew it was nuts, but she could distinctly hear it. She sent the three groupies her most forbidding death-stare. It was a look that had made mobsters break; and suspects cry. The three Castle-fangirls almost melted under it as Beckett slipped out of the row, and headed for the exits.

The instant the door closed behind her, she pulled out her phone and hit the first speed-dial.

Esposito answered. "Whoever this is; I'm not here; I'm leaving in ten minutes for a basketball game; which quite frankly is more interesting to me than anything you might possibly have to say." He said without wasting seconds on 'hello'.

"Esposito, its me." She said. "I need you to run something for me."

"Don't tell me there's been a murder at Castle's book club." Esposito said in jaded shock.

"Not exactly... I need you to pull Castle's file. I want a timeline of his book releases, and his legal record."

"His legal record? Don't tell me you think he's committing his crimes again?"

"No, not that. I need Social Security Records."

Beckett had spent the afternoon in the records room; setting up the timeline. Then, as the sun slowly set on New York; Beckett went to the West Side and knocked hard on an apartment door.

"Coming." A voice called from inside.

Beckett knocked again, harder.

"I said I'm coming you idiot, pull the wax outta your ears!" The Bronx accent came through harshly; before the door jerked open far enough for them to see each other. "What?" The woman with the tight bun of black hair demanded.

Beckett held up her badge. "Paula Haas? I'm-"

"Yeah, I know who you are." Paula cut her off. "What's the jackass done now?"

"I need some advice." Beckett said.

"From me?" Paula asked, stunned. "You, bad-ass Beckett, the 12th's Secret Weapon, are asking advice from me?"

"Hey, don't look so stunned." Beckett pushed her way inside. "When needs must; the NYPD routinely seeks the advice of an expert."

"Okay." Paula processed this. "What am I an expert in exactly?"

Beckett opened the file folder. It was full of photocopies and press clippings of the Richard Castle novels.

Paula's head tilted. "Okay. You don't want to talk to Rick about this?"

"Not yet." Beckett said grimly. "Driving Storm: The first Derrick Storm book to feature Clara Strike." Beckett presented. "The first Richard Castle book to break number one on the best-seller list. The reviews claim that this particular novel brings a level of excitement to the genre that has otherwise gone unseen before. Due in no small part to..."

"The chemistry between the lead characters." Paula nodded. "She was based on some Secret Agent Rick knew. You ever met her?"

The memory of Sophia, the CIA Turncoat, flashed through Beckett's mind, followed quickly by the government non-disclosure form. "No." She said easily. "But Castle has confessed that she was based on a real person. One that he..."

"Followed around; got excited about, slept with, dropped like a brick." Paula finished crassly. "And then wrote her character into an untimely death, to make the ending nice and clean for his title character."

"Exactly." Beckett commented.

"To be fair, he brought her back to li-"

"April Showers!" Beckett exploded over her, spitting the words out; and Paula jumped back, surprised. "She was a major character in 'A Brewing Storm'. She was there for a three novella deal. Again, the draw card to the reviewers..."

"The explosive romance scenes." Paula agreed. "I actually met that one. She was a weather girl. I remember, because I tore strips off Rick about naming her 'April Showers' like this is a James Bond movie. He's a Bond fan, so it's forgivable, but you got lucky with 'Nikki Heat'."

"That trilogy was also on the best-seller list. It's still a fan-favorite." Beckett hammered her point home. "The trilogy ended, and Showers shows up in one more book; but by then Derrick Storm is already onto someone else." She gave Paula an inquiring look. "Reason?"

Paula sighed, playing it out. "Miss 'Showers' caught Rick in bed with some air hostess. He said he was never really 'with' either of them."

Beckett growled, low in her throat, and turned the file around. "The trilogy ends, and the next book includes April Showers, except this time the book doesn't sell. The reviews say that Showers and Derrick Storm seemed more like neighbors that barely talk; that the banter is embarrassing, that the chemistry is dead... A failed release, by any margin."

"Hey, how do you think I feel?" Paula said honestly. "I'm his agent; I live and die with his mood swings. So... what? You're worried Nikki Heat's gonna go the way of Clara Strike?"

"You know him better than most; you know his books-in-progress better than his own family does!" Beckett said, standing up. The position put her above Paula, and Beckett leaned over her, looming the way she did when interrogating a suspect. "Now what aren't you telling me Paula?"

Paula looked up blankly. "Am... Am I under arrest for something?"

"Don't tempt me." Beckett said coolly. "You standing between me and the answers I need, lady; so cough it up. What's the connection between these numbers and his life?"

Beat.

"Oh my god, are you actually here for girl-talk about your boyfriend?" Paula asked in jaded awe.

Beckett froze. "How do you know about that?"

"I'm his spin-doctor. If his mom knows; you better believe I do. Some Castle-Groupie snatches a photo of you mackin' in the back seat of a Squad Car; I need to get to it fast; and don't change the subject." She kept the Detective on topic. "Are you really that obsessed with your job that if you can't shoot it, arrest it or pounce on it, you actually have to pretend it's still a police investigation?"

"Hey! HEY! I'm asking the questions here!" Beckett barked ferociously, getting right in her face. The response was instant, hard-wired into her. The Bad Cop Routine responded as easily as breathing when the answers didn't come fast enough. "Now talk!"

Paula shrank, intimidated. "He loses interest!" She blurted out.

The answer hung in the air, unplanned, and impossible to deny.

Beckett leaned back, giving her 'suspect' the chance to organise her thoughts into a confession. "He loses interest." Paula confessed simply. "He finds things that inspire him; and he writes a bestseller. He has a mind like a mousetrap, merged with the attention span of a five year old on a sugar rush. He gets bored with his characters; and when he does... he doesn't hesitate to drop them and find someone new. He was interested with Clara, whoever she is, and then the... anticipation vanished. I don't know why; but she became a bit player quickly when it did." Paula sighed, in the deepest stage of the classic confession, baring her dark secret to the ears of The Law. "It doesn't matter how much money he's getting, or how much other people love what they see, or what other people think is best, or what common sense says... The minute he loses interest, the story is over; and he wanders around like a kid looking for a new toy." She looked up at Beckett, like hundreds of broken suspects in the past had done, seeking forgiveness at the end of their confession. "I have to deal with it, every time he does. My livelihood is wrapped in his writing. I have to push him with every book, bully him into sitting down long enough to type. I live and die, with his mood swings. Doesn't matter if there are a hundred Castle-groupies waiting for his autograph, or if there's some award being offered... Any given day, I can't tell you how much he'll care about his career; and with it: mine. He gets bored. And when that happens; we're all on the clock until he finds something new."

Beckett said nothing. Paula was breathing hard, eyes wide. The tough-as-nails publicist couldn't believe she's just poured all that out in front of a relative stranger. Beckett was stricken, having gotten the worst answer she could have gotten, as she feared she would.

Beckett reached out a hand and squeezed Paula's shoulder gently; heading for the door without looking back. There was nothing more to be said.

Kate quietly knocked at the door, and Castle's voice called through. "It's open."

Beckett slipped into his apartment, and froze.

Every surface was covered in candles. The lights were off; a warm glow coming from everywhere. The floor was covered in rose petals. She smelled perfumed incense; she saw a bowl of strawberries and cream in the kitchen, and a dining table, like something out of five-star French restaurant in front of the fireplace; laid out with silverware and creme brulee.

It was quite possibly the most romantic setup she had ever seen; and he'd done it just for her. It almost made her retch, it was so perfect.

Wearing a full dinner tux, hair slicked back, The Man Himself stepped out of the shadows and into the candlelight, coming over to join her, as Billie Holiday started crooning a romantic ballad over the stereo.

"What's the occasion?" She asked weakly as his fingers caressed the jacket off her shoulders.

"You are." He murmured warmly, putting a kiss on her neck. It was a cliche; but she had no doubt he meant it.

Kate whimpered. Be strong Detective. "This is... um... quite an operation?"

Castle read her reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kate promised him. "So, um... how's the writing coming?"

"Can't force these things." He waved it off, leading her over to the table by both hands. "Now, sit." His voice dropped, going smooth and silky, the way it always did when he was telling stories. "Leave the world of Homicide behind and let me make a fuss over seducing you."

"Yeah. That's fun." Beckett swallowed. "Seriously though. I know you have deadlines coming up... That's gotta be important."

"I've broken deadlines before." Castle smirked. "Sit, let me..." He saw her face. "What's wrong?"

Beckett bit her lip. "You remember that night in the Hamptons?"

"The one where we rewrote page 104 and got to work on volume two?" He grinned. "Vividly."

Beckett nodded, feeling a little more confident. "Well, let's see what else you've got to work with."

He smiled, sensing the point. "You want to play, huh?"

"Bring the new pages." She told him. "And the strawberries."

Ten minutes later they were curled up in his bed; still clothed; but being relaxed about it. She was reading the new, as yet unnamed Nikki Heat Novel out loud, as he fed her strawberries and cream. It seemed very... decadent.

"You like it?" Castle asked her as she finished a chapter; trying to move the evening along.

"There's a plot hole about the money." She teased.

"Early days." He promised her. "Best writing is the rewriting."

"I promise it'll be worth the effort." She tempted. "Just think what the reviews will say about the next one..." Beckett said, soft and smooth. "About how exciting it is, watching the moments build... until the electricity crackles."

"Electricity, definitely." He agreed against her lips. "Big fan of electricity. It'll be good."

She pulled back. "Good?" She queried, not satisfied with that.

Her followed her, trying to recapture her lips. "Better than good."

"How much better?" She leaned back further. "Because you have to fix that plot hole about the money." She drawled.

"I will." He promised.

"Go ahead." Beckett told him. "I can wait."

He paused. "What?"

She held her breath, willing him not to get suspicious.

"You mean... now?" Castle blinked, like he was waking up from a dream.

"Well, you know how it is. You get a good idea, you get distracted, the good idea is lost forever..." Beckett said, making it sound like there was nothing simpler in the world. "Go ahead; I'm not going anywhere."

"Um... Kate? What the hell is going on?" Castle asked, leaning back himself. "Because, there's definitely something going on."

"Nothing's going on." She assured him. "I'm just thinking of all those fans, waiting eagerly to see what's coming next for our counterparts. I'm one of them, remember?"

Castle was staring at her, trying to get a read on what she was thinking. "Kate?"

"I was just thinking, it might be good to just slow it down for a bit." Beckett offered. "Not for long, just... Don't get me wrong, it's been great, but after four years of build-up; there's no reason we have to try it all in the first week."

Castle stared at her, still not sure what he was looking at. "You want to take a break?"

"Just until your next book is finished. Or maybe the one... after... that..." She trailed off, realizing how it sounded.

He just stared at her, halfway between horror and disbelief.

She crumbled. "I know! I honestly can't believe it either." She admitted. "I could hear the words coming out of my mouth, and I couldn't believe it was really me." She squeezed her eyes shut; mortified.

"Okay, tell me what's wrong." He said, sliding back to give her, and himself, some space.

She swallowed. "Nothing."

"Kate." He wasn't buying it. "Look, if something's going on tonight; and you don't want to... That's fine. You can tell me."

"Am I...?" She began; searching for words. Finally she sighed, still mortified. "Is sleeping with me bad for your books?"

"Ex-cuse me?" Castle blinked. Of all the things she could have said at that moment, this particular sentence didn't even make the list.

"Well, the guy yesterday, what was his name?" Beckett started babbling in her rush to explain. "Sinka? The book professor? He was going on about how the Nikki Heat books were all crackling with anticipation, and all that unresolved tension, and how everyone loved it, then Frozen Heat came out and suddenly all that unresolved, explosive tension was suddenly... resolved. Defused." She shrank a little under his disbelieving look. "I don't know, it was just... The reason your characters got all 'comfortable and defused' was because we weren't exactly repressing anything ourselves any more."

"Where did you get this ridiculous idea?" Castle demanded, looking like he wanted to laugh but he was far too scared.

"Well, yesterday got me thinking; and you know how we work; you get an idea; and it becomes a theory, so you investigate. I investigated." Beckett explained. "...and then Paula-" She froze, mid-word. This was the worst mistake she'd made yet.

"Paula?" Castle repeated, horrified. "Paula knows about this?!"

"She didn't have to, I figured it out on my own." Beckett said over him, very seriously. "I made a CHART!"

Castle just stared at her. He pinched himself; decided this wasn't a surreal dream, and he tried again. "A... what?"

"When you lose interest in your girlfriends, the books start to fade with them." Beckett nodded. "And when that happens, the books don't sell anymore; until you finally kill them off and start again from scratch." She explained. "Trust me, it's true: I checked."

"You've put way too much thought into this." Castle blinked, still trying to believe this was really happening. "I'm not losing interest."

Heavy silence.

Beckett sighed. "In the Hamptons, you said that none of the other girls you took there were me. And I believe you. So what happens when all this..." She waved a hand around at all the candles and rose petals. "I believe you when you say you're not going to drop me for someone more exciting once we wear each other out. So what happens to your career when this cools off?"

Castle blinked. "Well... y'know, I never thought this conversation would be about my books deals first, and you and me second." He leaned in closer; stroking the edge of her face. "Why are you so concerned with my reviews?"

"Same reason you agreed to keep our relationship secret. Because I don't want to see your career get tanked." Beckett explained. "I was your fan long before your girlfriend; and that's something we never really talked about, so I don't expect you to just pick it up now." She caught his fingers in her own. "Rick, I stood in the rain for an hour to get your autograph on 'Storm Warning'. I am a fan. I... All the shrinks tried to convince me that what happened to my mom wasn't foreseeable. They all said 'these things happen'. But they don't just happen. People make them happen, and nobody could tell me why. But your books could, because... Your books got me through it. Before we even met, before you knew anything about my mom; you got me through it. More than anything my father said, more than anything at all..." She looked down. "I don't want to be the one that destroys that."

Castle was frozen, halfway between touched and disbelief. "Kate; you're the best thing to happen in my life since the day Alexis was born. You don't believe me; check out some bestseller lists."

"Three books in four years." She shot back. "You're already skipping signings, leaving your deadlines to the last possible second so that you can play cops and robbers with me. Before I even met you, I loved these stories. What happens to them when you just don't get inspired by me any more?"

Castle was actually starting to smile. "You're serious about this, aren't you? What on earth makes you think having something real with you would be bad for my career?"

"Because it is." Beckett said simply, like saying the sky was blue. "There's a definite pattern. I'm a detective; patterns of behavior are the difference between life and death. When your life is screwed up, so is your writing."

Castle said nothing for a while. "So what do you want to do Kate? Dump me before we get settled? Before the New York Review Of Books decides we're boring?" He offered. "It's not like I'm hurting for money. Why is this freaking you out?"

"Because it goes both ways." Beckett sighed. "There's too much of you in your stores for them not to be connected. Do you remember when we first met? I came to your book launch party? You were telling Alexis that you killed Derrick Storm because you were bored with him. When you get bored with something; it's literally dead to you."

"Did you not see the apartment?" Castle shouted in disbelief. "You're not honestly telling me we're getting stale already."

"No of course I'm not!" She scorned. "But my point is, every woman who's slept with you more than twice has apparently earned a book deal. Even Paula got a chapter after a one night stand; and frankly, based on what I've seen; she'd sell your kidneys once you fell asleep."

"Hey!" Castle interrupted. "You're different. You've always been different."

"Yeah, except I'm not." Beckett said pointedly. "I made a chart!"

"You keep saying that like it makes sense!" Castle protested.

Beckett sighed and spelled it out for him. "You have a pattern. You meet a girl; the electricity builds; you write her into a book or three. Once you sleep with them; the electricity vanishes; the books suffer; you go stalk another Muse. Return to point A, and do it all over again." She said coldly. "You had barely finished Frozen Heat when I came to you that night... And Nikki Heat has already lost the UST that all the fans have been raving about."

Castle froze, realizing there was a real problem here. "Kate-"

"Your books are... you. Your imagination, your wants. And every time you stop wanting; your books fall apart. And it's already happened to Nikki Heat."

"Kate, you know that's not true, and even if it was; I would never let what's happening between us-"

"Hell Hath No Fury." She challenged. "The first book you wrote after Meredith cheated on you. Your least popular book."

"Granted, I was-"

"One Bullet, One Heart." Beckett interrupted. "Your second worst ever seller. Straight after Gina divorced you."

Castle stood up, off the bed; facing her seriously. "How can I convince you that this is different? how can I convince you that this means more?"

"I don't know. How about a romantic trip to the Hamptons?" Beckett challenged, sarcasm creeping in. "Nope. You've done that with a parade of women already. How about you marry me? Oh no... that's off the list too. You could make a really big gesture and dedicate an entire series of Best-seller books to me... Except that list seems to be long and distinguished already. You could take your time; let a friendship and partnership build. Except you already tried that with Sophia. It's the same tricks that have bowled over a thousand women before me. And look how quick you got done with them. What else is there for us?"

Castle said nothing. He looked like his universe was crashing down on his head and she hated to see it happen.

Beckett reached over and slowly picked up her shoes from the floor. "I should go."

"Wait."

She had quite suddenly lost her nerve for this conversation and couldn't bring herself to change her mind now that she was finally moving. "I have to. Tonight was... thank you for this. I promise, we'll get it right, but for now..."

She slipped past his reaching hands and pulled her shoes on as she ran for the door.

Her phone rang before her elevator hit the lobby. Caller ID said it was him. She hit 'ignore', unable to handle the sound of his voice right then.

The first text message came a moment later. "It's gonna take me an hour to blow all these candles out alone."

She answered it. "Sorry."

The second message came seconds later. "Other couples don't fight about book reviews, you know."

She answered it. "I know."

The third text came seconds after that. "Other couples don't use detective stories as a barometer for their relationships."

She answered it. "I know."

The next message came even quicker. "I love you."

She switched her phone off without answering. "I know." She sighed aloud.

Castle didn't show up the next day. Ryan and Esposito asked if everything was all right; and she said it was; unable to fight the painful smirk that came when he called in 'sick'; citing deadlines he had to meet for his publisher.

She was off her game all day; but her team didn't comment on it. Her nerves were frazzled by the time she made it home that night.

She poured herself a glass of wine; debated calling him or taking a bath; when there was a knock at the door.

She answered it; bracing for the confrontation she knew was coming... and instead found a Fed-Ex delivery boy. "Katherine Beckett?"

Beckett nodded, and he handed her a small parcel. "Sign here please."

She did so, and he made his goodbyes. The box was marked with express stickers and 'Urgent' stamps all over it. She opened it, and found an unmarked DVD.

She fed it into the player and brought her glass over to the television. The second the movie started to play, she took a big gulp out of her glass. It was the Panel discussion; edited forward to the worst part.

"Now, as I said..." Professor Sinka was saying. "...the dynamic between your leads is evocative of Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man Series, and the Dashiel Hammett books have had several pairings based on them. Remington Steele, Hart To Hart, Moonlighting..."

"To be fair, those are television shows, and not books." Castle pointed out, still smiling.

"It's also worth noting, that this progression follows the same sort of pattern." Sinka agreed. "Oftentimes; when the lead characters give into their mutual attraction; there's nowhere left for them to go."

She could actually see herself leaving their seat. The camera angle changed so that the movement of the audience wouldn't distract anyone. Even so, the camera focused on the stage, and she could see Castle looking out over the audience; watching her leave the room.

"Mister Castle; it was a clear choice on your part to take Nikki Heat 'off-the-boil'." Sinka said; enjoying his metaphor. "Since that was the biggest selling point for a lot of your fans; why take the risk?"

"A lot of my title characters have these sorts of James Bond romances." Castle was explaining. "Lots of electricity; a passionate fling; then off on the next mission. I wanted something more than that for the Nikki Heat series. It needed to be real."

"And it worked." Sinka put in. "The New York Review of Books has lauded your character dynamics as an example of one of the most realistic love stories in modern fiction. Derrick Storm; the first two Nikki Heat Books are about lust. The third is about love."

"Well, that's what I was aiming for and I'm glad it came through; but to be fair, most of the other modern fiction out there involving a true love story has at least one of the love-birds being a vampire." Castle quipped; and the audience burst into laughter.

"But why put so much effort into a romantic subplot? The Nikki Heat books aren't romance novels; they're murder thrillers."

"Researching with the NYPD; I realized how much of a family the teams are." Castle explained. "The characters had to be that close; because without that; the mystery would never be solved." Castle said simply. "If they didn't work as a couple; then they couldn't work as detectives." he turned to the audience. "So what do you think? Does the shift work? Are they still them?"

The crowd burst into spontaneous applause.

"In fact; you spent a lot of time doing personal book research; riding with a Homicide Department Team from the 12th Precinct." Sinka moved on; leaving behind a topic he hadn't even realised was so loaded with meaning.

Beckett was already reaching for the phone when she hit pause on the video.

He answered it on the first ring. "Fed-Ex website says you signed for it four whole minutes ago, what took you so long?" He demanded lightly.

"Are you telling me we skipped the honeymoon and went straight to the 'old-married-couple'?" She said by way of greeting.

"I'm saying that Jameson Rook and Nikki Heat are partners. The Real Deal. There's always energy, even if it's not explosive, because they charge each other. It's the kind of partnership that never gets questioned; because... Because that's what they are."

Beckett was silent a long moment. "What we are."

Comfortable silence.

"Why didn't you say any of this last night?" She asked him softly.

"Well, I wasn't sure what conversation we were having last night." Castle offered. "You were freaking out about 'us'. It's the first time you've ever freaked about 'us'. Usually that's my job."

"It happens to a lot of people in new relationships." Beckett protested.

"Yeah, I know lots of couples are tempted to embargo romance because they're concerned about the state of each other's fans." Castle drawled sarcastically.

Beckett winced; mortified again. "Okay, fair point." She sighed. "What can I say? I'm a fan too."

"Yeah, but I can't believe that's all of it."

Kate hesitated. "You remember when we were working with The Company?"

"Sophia?" Castle's voice changed, as it usually did when she came up. "Yeah, I remember."

"She talked to me about you two... She said that you had this amazing chemistry; this amazing build-up... And then it just faded out to nothing once you two actually got together. And I know for a fact your books are a big part of what you think, or... feel. Things just collapsed with her, both in print and real life. And with every other girl you've ever been interested enough to include in your books..." She struggled to make it clear. "I meant what I said Rick; there's a clear pattern. Your books show when you've lost interest until a new Muse comes along. And then the guy was going on and on about how the Nikki Heat books had 'cooled off' overnight..."

"You thought I was getting bored with you?" Castle's voice was incredulous. "Listen to me carefully. The reason there was no future with any of those others, isn't because I got bored. I got bored; because there was no future with any of those others. We didn't get boring Kate. We got more real. The books I've written are all about building to a big finish; but... Nikki Heat is becoming more and more about what happens after that. The good stories don't end; they keep going." He said softly in her ear. "Watch the end of the Panel; Sinka says the same thing: It's not boring; it's pure."

Long beat.

"I missed you today." She said quietly.

"I missed you too." He said warmly. "But I had to work. Deadlines to meet, you know. This crazy girl I've been seeing refuses to go out with me again until I write another bestseller."

She laughed sickly. "So it worked then?"

"Withholding sex to get your boyfriend to do something you want him to do?" Castle said, as though shocked by the thought. "Gee, guys are in trouble if any other women have tumbled onto that little trick."

She laughed again. "I promise: Never again." Her lip tugged into a smile. "At least, not for this."

"For what it's worth?" Castle offered. "After you left; I had a rather pointed phone call with Paula. I came up with all sorts of exciting new ways to get away with unspeakable murders."

Beckett switched off the DVD. "You still got those candles?"

"Yup."

She jumped up. "I'm on my way."

AN: What do you think? Too off-the-wall? Kate seems kind of insecure about dating a man with Castle's past. Let me know what you think!