So Charlie (EvilTheTwins here on ff.net and ithinkitsfate.tumblr.com) had this BRILLIANT idea to co-write a fic together. I started with the first couple of paragraphs, then Charlie continued with the next few, then so on. You can probably see who did what, seeing as we have slightly different writing styles. We tried to come up with a combination of the two, and … here you go!

Disclaimer: Neither of us owns Castle, we left t job up to the wonderful Mr. Andrew Marlowe.

Read on!

Chapter One

Castle, what are you doing?" asked Beckett, tilting her head to the side, for Castle had been taking pictures of the dead body. "I thought I told you, no pictures at my crime scene! Put your phone away. Now."

"It's just research for Nikki! Don't be a spoilsport!" he pouted, holding the phone out of her reach.

"I don't care, now give me!" Beckett held her hand out in front of Castle. After some grumbling and whining, Castle placed the phone in her hand.

"If you're good, you can have it back when we're back at the precinct." Beckett walked off towards Lanie, hoping that she would be of more use than the writer had been.

"Beckett, you better tell me why Castle's making lovey-dovey eyes at you." Lanie demanded, looking over her best friend's shoulder at a certain man standing a short distance away.

"Lanie!" hissed Beckett. "Stop looking at him like that!"

"What? It's not me who's looking at you like I want to drag you into my bed" Lanie responded and turned back around to face the body. Beckett glanced behind her shoulder at Castle before turning back to Lanie.

"Alright then, cause of death?" Beckett wasn't going to let Lanie mess with her head, not that much.

"You're not getting off that easy, we're continuing this conversation later." the ME ordered before continuing. "Cause of death is strangulation. She was strangled with a rope or cord of some sort. The way her finger was broken indicates that she tried to fight back."

"Okay, I'll have Esposito and Ryan look for a rope or cord in the area." Beckett said, giving Lanie 'look' before turning around - and walking smack into Castle.

A flustered Beckett looked up, only to see Castle smirking.

"Trying to knock me to the ground detective? Because you've already done that today." Beckett just shook her head and walked towards her Crown Vic. When she reached the car and pulled open her door, Castle was still standing in the same place as before, staring at her.

"Coming? You've got about ten seconds to get in the car; otherwise you're catching a ride with Lanie, and her new friend."

Castle blinked, then uprooted himself from the pavement and hurried to her side.

"You okay today?" she asked when the were inside the car, heading back to the precinct.

"Yeah, I was just, thinking."

Castle's words were slow, slower than his usually 9 year-old self, and Beckett guessed he actually had been thinking. There were only two things Castle thought about.

"Is it your mother? Or Alexis?" Beckett questioned.

Castle took a deep breath, and faced her.

"Alexis, she's growing up so fast, I'm just thinking about what I'll do when she moves off to college next year."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you, Castle. She'll always be your little girl, you know that." Beckett said gently.

"But she'll be so far away!" he sighed, and looked out the window at the city rolling by.

"Castle, this is Alexis we're talking about. You know she'll text you, email you and call you every day." Beckett tried to reason with him. "It may not be the same, but things change. Nothing can stay the same forever. You know she'll make an effort."

Castle looked over at Beckett and shrugged. Hey eyes - so green, so deep - were full of concern and knowledge. Beckett cared way more than she let on, Castle could tell with just one look in her eyes. That's why he loved her eyes so much. They revealed her thoughts, her concerns. They showed the inner Beckett.

The car ride back to the precinct was all too short for both Castle and Beckett, although neither would admit it. Castle noticed Beckett was stiffer than before they'd gotten in the car, he knew she didn't open up often, and when she did open up, Beckett closed up straight after.

They were silent until they reached the precinct.

"Want a coffee, Beckett?" Castle asked hopefully.

The truth was that he just wanted to be alone for a bit.

Beckett, who could see that he was desperate for alone time to pull himself together said "Sure." and sat down

Beckett knew he was worried about Alexis, but he still had a year with her before she went away, and he was never usually this somber. Beckett figured there was something else on his mind, and didn't want to pry. He'd tell her when he was ready.

When Castle reached the break room, he sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. He watched Beckett through the window for a minute before getting up to make the coffee. There was something soothing about watching Beckett do paperwork. It made Castle relax, and feel calm. He took a deep breath and felt instantly better.

Castle was suddenly pulled out of his reverie by hot coffee overflowing out of his mug and onto his hand.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot" Castle jumped around the break room.

This got Beckett's attention, and she rushed over to help him. As Beckett directed Castle's hand under the cold tap, Lanie walked past. She looked Beckett in the eyes and said; "you, me, an hour, the coffee shop on 4th and 2nd."