I'll be blunt with you. I have absolutely no idea where the inspiration for this story came from, other than the fact that it just randomly came to me when I was visiting my grandfather in hospital the other day (long story, but don't worry, he's absolutely fine).

So this is set early Season 4, after Rise but before Cops and Robbers.

StoryWeaver is Rick, N1Detective is Kate, and LeafOnTheWind, SeaBorne, and AFScience are OCs.


StoryWeaver has signed in.

StoryWeaver: Hi all.

LeafOnTheWind: Hi Story. Good to see you.

SeaBorne: Hey Story!

AFScience: I was starting to wonder if you were coming on at all tonight, Story.

StoryWeaver: *Rubs the back of his neck nervously* Yeah, sorry about that. I had some writing to do. My publisher's breathing down the back of my neck right now to get these chapters finished and submitted to her.

LeafOnTheWind: No worries. How is the novel going, anyway?

StoryWeaver: Slowly.

LeafOnTheWind: Still procrastinating those last thousand words, huh?

StoryWeaver: Yeah, you could say that.

N1Detective has signed in.

StoryWeaver: Hey N1.

N1Detective: Hi, Story. Hey, listen. I could use your help with something. Can we talk in private please?

StoryWeaver: Sure, whatever you need.

StoryWeaver has opened Private Chat.

StoryWeaver has entered StoryWeaver's Private Chat.

N1Detective has entered StoryWeaver's Private Chat.

StoryWeaver: So, N1, what seems to be the problem?

N1Detective: I need your advice. I've done something that I know would hurt my partner, and best friend, if he found out about it. But I know that if I keep it to myself for much longer, it's going to come out without me meaning it to and he'll be even more hurt by it. What should I do?

StoryWeaver: Well, I think the first thing you should do is tell me what happened.

N1Detective: There was a shooting a few months ago, and I was hit in the chest. I lost a lot of blood, blacked-out more times than I can count on the way to the hospital, and my (now-ex) boyfriend had to perform surgery to remove the bullet.

StoryWeaver: I'm sorry to hear that. Going through that kind of thing can't have been very easy.

N1Detective: You're right on so many levels. Anyway, mind if I continue with the story?

StoryWeaver: Sorry. Of course, go ahead.

N1Detective: So the day after the surgery, my partner comes in, with flowers, and the two of us talk for a bit. After a while, he asks how much I remember. And I lie to his face. I tell him that I don't remember a thing…

StoryWeaver: I'm sorry, but I'm still not seeing what you really need my advice for.

N1Detective: I lied to him, Story. He told me he loved me as I lost consciousness for the first time after being shot, and the first thing I did when he asked me what I remembered was lie to his face and tell him that I remembered absolutely nothing when in fact I remember the whole thing clear as day.

StoryWeaver: Wow, N1. For someone who chooses her words as carefully as you do to use run-on sentences, this must really be a big deal.

N1Detective: More than you know. So after telling him that I didn't remember anything, I asked him to leave so I could get some sleep. When he said he'd see me the next day, I told him not to, and that I just needed some time. He asked me how long; I said I'd call him.

StoryWeaver: And did you?

N1Detective: No. I lied to him again. I ran away for three months to my father's cabin, and the first contact with him I had after that was when I showed up unexpected at an event he was at.

StoryWeaver: I'm guessing he was angry with you? I know I would be in a situation like that.

N1Detective: He was. And the thing is? I honestly can't blame him.

StoryWeaver: Okay, so… Now that you've told me the story, what do you need my advice for?

N1Detective: I was just wondering… What would you do in my place?

StoryWeaver: Well, I probably wouldn't have got myself shot…

N1Detective: Story, this is serious! Please, I really need your advice!

StoryWeaver: Do you love him?

N1Detective: What?

StoryWeaver: This partner of yours. Do you love him?

N1Detective: I don't see how that's relevant.

StoryWeaver: Do you want my advice or not?

N1Detective: …

StoryWeaver: N1? You still there?

N1Detective: Yes. I do love him, Story. He's this really genuine, sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, guy with a wild imagination, an incredible daughter, and this… this absolutely magical way of seeing the good in everything. We have so much fun working together (even though I actually started off hating his guts because he was absolutely insufferable), and whenever I look at him I can see this spark in his sapphire-blue eyes, and I can almost swear I feel my heart skipping a beat. I really do love him. I just… I don't want to lie to him about remembering what he said to me, it's just that the longer it goes on the harder and harder it gets to tell him the truth. I genuinely don't want to drive him away or to make him think that I don't love him, because I do, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone before in my life, and honestly that kind of scares me. He makes my world so much brighter every day, and I really don't know what I'd do without him (and I don't really want to find out either). What should I do?

StoryWeaver: Honestly? I think you should tell him.

N1Detective: You do?

StoryWeaver: It sounds like your best option is to come clean about the fact you've been lying to him. Then you tell him exactly what you just told me, and just hope that he's not angry enough that he refuses to listen to you.

N1Detective: You really think that's the best option?

StoryWeaver: He's your partner, right? If you really love the guy, you owe it to him to be honest with him. And look… if that doesn't work out, then I'm always here to talk.

N1Detective: … Yeah, you're right. I guess I do owe him that much. He's stuck by me through everything that's happened the last couple of years, it's really only fair that I tell him the truth. Thanks, Story, you always know just what to say. Let me know if I can ever repay the favour, alright?

StoryWeaver: Actually… There is something I could use your advice on myself.

N1Detective: Oh?

StoryWeaver: Someone close to my partner was brutally murdered almost 12 years ago, and she got hurt because she was looking into it. I promised her that the two of us would look into it together when the time was right, but… ugh, it's really complicated, N1.

N1Detective: You listened to my problems; I'm listening to yours in return. Talk to me, Story.

StoryWeaver: It turns out that the murder was in fact part of a huge conspiracy, and my partner's boss turned out to be one of the key players. After killing the man who was sent to kill my partner, and being killed himself in the process, my partner was shot at her boss's funeral the next day. That summer, I was contacted by a man who told me to stop her from looking into the murder again. As long as I did, he had evidence that could keep her safe. I've been secretly looking into the case ever since.

N1Detective: I see… So you've been doing this behind your partner's back, without her knowledge at all?

StoryWeaver: That's correct, yes.

N1Detective: No regard to how she might feel if you were injured, or even killed, because you were looking into this?

StoryWeaver: I can't risk losing her, N1! She means more to me than I could ever begin to explain, and… I just can't risk losing her.

N1Detective: You love her, don't you?

StoryWeaver: I do, N1. I really do. I think I've been in love with her for a long time now; I just refused to admit it to myself because I thought she'd never feel the same way about me.

N1Detective: You know you're going to have to tell her, right?

StoryWeaver: I do, yes.

N1Detective: Do it soon. Tell her what you told me, how you can't risk losing her, how she means more to you than you could ever explain. And that you're head over heels in love with her.

StoryWeaver: Agreed. And you need to be sure to tell your partner that you remember. And how you feel about him too, he might be reassured to know that you feel the same way he does.

N1Detective: Fine. I'll give him a call, ask if he wants to grab a coffee or something, maybe talk for a bit. Then I'll tell him. This is definitely not the kind of thing you want to tell someone over the phone.

StoryWeaver: Definitely! Hey, good luck. I have to go finish a couple of Chapters before my publisher gets too much more impatient, but I'll talk to you later. Let me know how it goes?

N1Detective: Story, you're the best online friend I have. Of course I'll tell you. Now, get writing.

StoryWeaver: *Fake salutes* As you wish.

N1Detective: Goofball.

N1Detective has signed off.

StoryWeaver has signed off.

The writer sighed wistfully as he closed the open chat client, re-entering the Word Document he was working on at the time. As his fingers began to tap at the keys, weaving the last few chapters that would bring Nikki and Rook's latest adventure to a close, his mind flashed over one thing that N1Detective had said. He really did have to tell Kate what he'd done…

~About two hours later~

Rick hit Ctrl+S a final time, finally satisfied with the ending he'd given the story. Almost as if it had sensed that he was finished, his phone rang quietly beside him on his desk. He grabbed it, checking the caller ID quickly before putting it to his ear, smiling. "Castle"

"Hi, Castle. You're not busy or anything right now, are you?"

"No, not at all. In fact, I just finished writing the latest Heat book. What's up, Beckett?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee. There's some things we need to talk about, and it's easier if we do so in person than over the phone"

Rick smiled slightly at his partner's suggestion. "Sure. Do you want to meet at that coffee shop near your place?"

"I'll see you there".


I know it mightn't seem like much so far, and there hasn't been much Caskett yet, but there will be in the next Chapter, I promise.

Anyway, Reviews?