One off …. Can't get the story out of my head so here it is and not sure where its gonna go but very loosely based on the promo ….. just a small scenario …

"As far as everyone is concerned, we are still single Rick." Kate insisted with a stubborn expression over her face. She was wearing a white satin night dress her long legs exposed. "And we have to keep us a secret at work."

"I was single Kate for a whole year waiting for you. I wasn't dating anyone before we started sleeping together, so I don't need to date…" He responded annoyed that she was bringing this up again, "… to hide us." He unbuttoned two of buttons of his shirt.

"What about Jacinta?" She asked crossing her arms.

"The guys know I did that to raise a response out of you. C'mon. I was pissed off at you." He looked about the bedroom at all Kate's girlish things hanging over chairs and mirrors. "And if you bring her name up once more I will start name dropping…" He threatened.

Kate sighed, stepping closer to him and touching the collar of his shirt. She bit her lip, her expression softening. "I'm sorry." She murmured. "But I need you to go out on a date." She whispered. "With another woman." She stated louder.

"Kate." He moaned in objection. "That's not fair." He said taking hold of her upper arms and maintaining distance between them. "You will be jealous and I don't want to do it."

"No I won't be jealous." She objected.

"What about you? Lanie is already onto you that you are sleeping with someone because of that glow you cannot hide." He laughed, recalling the accusations flying out of Dr Parish's mouth that very morning at the morgue. Lanie was right on to Kate that she was getting laid, and getting laid properly. He studied her face now, and the content expression she'd had that morning was long gone. He would fix that later. Right now however, in her typical character, Kate was onto something and she wasn't going to back down.

"Well, I will get a date! I will go on a date as well." She confirmed wondering who the hell she would ask out.

"No." Castle responded. "I don't want you seeing another guy."

Kate laughed out loud. "You say I'm jealous." She squawked.

Castle dropped his hold of Kate's arms, completely frustrated as to where this conversation was headed. "I am jealous and I think it's using people going on fake dates. And also what is the point if no one sees us out on the date?"

Kate had already thought about that. "You will get your photo taken and it will be in a newspaper tomorrow." Kate stated.

Castle burst into laughter. "No! If I'm going to get my mug in a newspaper picture I want you to be the woman on my arm. I don't want to be seen with other women." He sighed. "Martha will give me so much grief and won't shut up about me asking you out."

"Rick." She pleaded. "Please go on a date and let people we know see you out."

"Only if you do the same thing." He said crossing his arms defiantly.

"What? No!" She objected. She leaned forward and pointed a finger at his chest. "You! It's you who has to do this. You're the one who has to be seen publicly with women. You are the celebrity in this relationship."

"And you're not? AKA Ms Nikki Heat." Castle scoffed. "C'mon Beckett. Last book launch everyone was looking for you. 'Where's your muse? Where is Nikki Heat? Where is Detective Kate Beckett?' You were there, you saw them!" He shrieked out with a high voice he was so good at. "Nikki Heat! Nikki Heat!" Kate hit his shoulder. "Owwww!" Rick squealed and started to laugh.

Kate breathed deeply, frustrated by his deliberate refusal to run with her plan. She thought for a few moments, noticing that Richard was observing her behaviour. "What?" She asked.

"Stop thinking about it, I'm not going to lead on another woman. One of you is enough!"

"It's just dinner and a conversation." Kate implored. "C'mon you can do that."

"What if she wants to come back for a coffee?" He asked the arms crossed again. "Or she makes it obvious she wants to sleep with me and I can't refuse her?"

"Do you already have someone in mind?" Kate asked suspiciously stepping closer to him.

"As I fact, I do. I have two women I could ask out, one of which I would like to really go out for dinner with." He told her with a matter of fact tone.

Kate's mouth hung open, her wide eyes stared at his eyes, a moment or two as her mind processed his last comment. Castle spent the time, trying his hardest not to burst into giggles she looked so funny. "Who are they?" She asked, calmly but he heard the jealousy. Just what he wanted.

"No one you know." He replied secretively.

"Tell me Castle." She ordered.

Richard sighed. "One of them is you. In fact you are the only woman beside my mother and daughter I want to take out for dinner."

"Am I the one who would make it obvious I want to sleep with you?" She inquired.

"Yep, that's you." He brought her to him holding her around her waist peering down at her breasts bare beneath the silk. "We could be making love right now rather than discussing this." He whispered his thumb feeling over her left nipple.

"I still want you to go out on a date. There must be someone." She insisted softly her arms around his neck. "Please."

"I will set up a date on the condition that you go on a date, with a guy I know." He told Kate, his blue eyes very serious. Rick knew this issue wasn't going to pass over until Kate experienced the real feelings of being jealous as a consequence of him being around another woman. He decided there and then he was going to nip this in the bud. He didn't want to do it and wasn't going to let her go on a fake date with anyone who might potentially be interested in Kate. He had the perfect answer.

"Ok. It's a deal, so long as you go on a date where you are guaranteed people will see you."

"Deal. I will phone our dates first thing in the morning. Try and get for tomorrow night."

"Deal." Kate smiled. "This is gonna lead all the detectives astray."

"Come here Katie." He urged and brought her to his mouth with the intention of putting that expression of contentment back on her face.

The following day …

The dates were set up solely by Castle. He let Kate go to work the next day alone and decided to go home from Kate's apartment to organise the dates. By the time he met Kate at the Precinct to take her for lunch, he had her date, the venue, the dress, and unbeknown to her the cameraman all sorted out. If he was going to be in the newspaper, so was Beckett. He refused to tell her anything other than the fact she had to be ready at 7.30 pm that evening. Once it was all set, he'd seen Kate go quiet. He had refused to answer any questions she had about his date only telling her he had a date for the evening.

Now, in the late evening, Rick sat opposite an ex-girlfriend named Nadia, whom he had remained friends with for a long time. She was a great friend and had agreed to help him with his dilemma. So, for helping him out, he took her to the best restaurant he could book into on such short notice. She was an actress he had met years ago via his mother. Richard had outlined to her in detail exactly what he was planning on doing for the evening.

Richard had a terrific evening with Nadia over a three course meal. He switched his iPhone to silent and felt it regularly vibrating in his pocket. When Nadia visited the powder room he inspected the text messages that he figured were from Kate.

They read as, 'Good looking. Thanks Rick.' 'You could have told me he is gay. Safe choice Honey.' 'He's really sweet.' 'How is your date?' 'Are you there?' 'How is your date?' 'Ricky, please reply.' 'We're leaving the restaurant.'

Castle laughed hard. His plan was working perfectly. He wrote her back. 'Having a fantastic date as a single guy. Ledger has already taken our photo.' Hit send. He pocketed his phone and called the waiter over to pay their account. Nadia returned to the table. He stood and ensured she was seated.

"Kate is starting to lose it." He said totally amused.

"You sure you want to go through with this?" Nadia inquired. "I will do it but if she's jealous."

"She's jealous." He replied. "But I don't want to be faking dates."

"Ok."

"Coming back for that coffee?" He inquired. "Mason promised me he would have Kate out for hours. He likes night clubs so I'm sure they will end up in one."

"So you have set her up?" Nadia smiled.

"I gave Mason enough cash to show Kate a good time."

"Ok. Let's go. I'm dying for your coffee Rick."

The two stood and walked out of the restaurant to a taxi. In the taxi he read more of Kate's text message. She was having a good time but wanted to come home. He told her to stay out for awhile longer.

He text Mason telling him to keep Kate out a while longer.

At almost 1.00 am, Kate swiped her security card on the elevator to Rick's apartment. She leaned against the wall, rather intoxicated. Her shoes hung from the fingers of her right hand and she wore a black faux fur coat tightly about her body feeling chilly in the October evening. For the past two or so hours Rick had not answered any text messages. She was fuming over that and the fact she was almost driving herself crazy wondering what he was up to. The elevator bell tinged and the doors opened to the penthouse. She silently walked along the hall way to the doorway to Ricks loft and using her key, unlocked the door. She stepped inside expecting to find the night light on and Richard in bed. But no. He was sitting on the couch with a brunette woman. Rick remained seated but turned to the doorway.

"Castle?" Kate's jaw dropped, her eyes moving between him and the brunette, the gorgeous brunette.

"Hey Kate. You're back." He stood up, after the brunette had moved away from his body, acting perfectly normal. He had to pull this off. But the expression Kate had on her face was torturing him.

"Richard?" She murmured, and dropped her shoes on the floor. The idea of him dating someone had seemed easy but seeing him in the privacy of his own home with another woman alone was a different story. She saw on the coffee table, two empty wine bottles, two wine glasses and two coffee cups. Coffee? "Coffee is ours." She murmured.

Castle barely heard Kate but he caught it. "Kate?" He went to her and took both her hands in his. He kissed her cheek, ignoring the fact she was jealous. He lifted the coat off her and laid it out on the chair by the door way. He looked at the black dress he had bought her.

"You look lovely Honey." He stated and taking her hand he lead her to Nadia. "Nadia, my girlfriend Kate. Kate, Nadia is a friend of Martha's."

Kate composed herself. "Hi Nadia. Nice to meet you."

"Same here Kate. I've heard so much about you tonight."

"I'm sure." Kate glanced to Richard. "You are gorgeous." She remarked to Nadia.

"Thank you. You are as lovely as Richard described you." Nadia smiled, then turned to Richard. "I will leave now Richard. Say hello to your mother."

"Nice to meet you." Kate said. She sat on a chair and watched as Richard took Nadia to the door. He assisted her to put on her coat and escorted her to the elevator.

By the time Richard returned to the loft, he found Kate on a chair hunched over. He went straight to her and took her by the hands.

"Let's go to bed Kate." He told her.

"She was so beautiful." Kate said to his eyes.

"So are you." He replied.

"Nothing happened?"

"Nothing at all. She's a friend." He smiled.

Kate sniffed, analysing the emotions she was feeling at the moment. She gazed at Richard's face for a long time, seeing his smile but she didn't feel like smiling. She felt confused, and there was feeling within her she could transcribe into words.

"Mason is gay." She stated.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go out on a date with a straight guy. Are you out of your mind?" He inquired.

"My God." Kate swallowed. "I can't feel this again." She whispered. "I can't see you with another woman. You're mine."

"That's right. It's hurting you right?" He inquired and saw her nod.

"Think how bad you would have felt if you had walked in on me kissing her or worse still sleeping with her."

"I can't. I'm sorry I made you do that." She leaned to him for a hug suddenly realising she had forced him to do something to her he swore he would never do.

"I forgive you. We can keep us a secret, but its nobody else's business whether we are dating."

"I'm sorry."

"Dating is over for us." Richard stated. "I would rather stay hidden in this loft with you than be out at some fancy restaurant." He stroked her head. "Let's go to bed Kate."

Kate smiled. "Hide in our bed." She smiled.

It was written inside two hours. One draft only, decided to just have a crack of writing and having you guys read a first draft…. And commenting on that.

Its late here like 11.30 pm so I started it about 9.30 pm. I hope it was an interesting read for you as a comparison to writing that I have really spent time on. Above is what I would consider the foundation of a much longer story if there was scope for that… I also usually hand write first draft as well, so sitting here typing it in front of the TV was a new experience for me… let me know … personally, I think it starts off ok but I ran out of ideas. Once my brain was fresh, I would go back and rewrite heaps of it.