Disclaimer for ALL CHAPTERS: I do not own any of the CASTLE characters. All previous history of the characters belongs to ABC including quotes from the show. All description of "sets" from the show: ie: his apt, the precinct, are original to ABC. I do not own books such as HEAT WAVE, etc or any other objects from the show.

CHAPTER 1

Yet another case closed. This one being practically a no-brainer, Katherine Beckett reluctantly picked up a pen and started to write the mandatory police report. Just as she was about to head the page with "CASE 16-57E," she smelled this artificial, yet addicting cherry scent. Smiling, she brought the fairly unused pen up to her face and examined the thin line of lettering inscribed. It read, "To Kate Beckett, an extraordinary detective and friend.-Rick" Actually laughing out loud, she remembered the moment when Richard Castle had given her a long thin red velvet box with elaborate silver and gold embroidery.

Flashback to a few months ago. It's Kate Beckett's birthday and she sits at her desk filling out a search warrant and typing long text to Josh. Just as she is about to hit send, Castle approaches and sits down next to her and Beckett forgets about it entirely.

When Castle handed Kate the gorgeous rectangular box, she just stared and almost dropped it.

"Castle, what's this?" she inquired with a perplexed expression.

"A present, open it." Castle replied with a cheeky wink.

She delicately opened the box, pressing her lips together and squinting as if she was afraid what was inside. Castle was watching her with baited breath and a hawks stare.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Thank you. It's really very thoughtful." she said genuinely.

"That's all? Anything else? I mean considering..."

"What do you expect? For me to drone on and on for hours about it? Alright... It is really sweet of you and I do love it! I didn't think you went for anything atypical. I can't believed you remembered that I love cherries! Thank you, it actually means something. Where did you have this made?"

"Kate, you know me better, remember, just because motorcycle boy would have gotten you something pre-made...Well actually, that's my point, I'm nothing like motorcycle boy."

"Now you're putting your toe over the line. Don't bring him into this Castle. I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Just forget it... point taken."

"Okay...but you were saying 'considering'... Considering WHAT exactly?"

"No nothing, it's not a big deal. I just thought you noticed."

"Noticed what? CASTLE, Tell me what you were going to say!"

"Well since I've known you for over 2 years... It's actually not that big of a deal... So don't freak out when-"

"CUT TO THE CHASE CASTLE." Beckett cut him off.

"Well I thought you'd freak out when you found out it was a 16k gold pen..." said Rick bracing himself for a shouting match. Any minute now... and...

"A WHATTTTTT CASTLE?"

And the argument continued for 15 minutes to follow. Prices were discussed and when it was discovered the pen was 5grand, Beckett flatly refused to except the gift no matter how special or original it was. But strangely, Castle won this time. And remember that text to Josh from Kate? She completely forgot about it.

Beckett grinned again. How did she get to be here, writing a police report on the "Cavalo" crime with a 16k gold pen that Richard Castle had given her. What made her keep it? She began scribbling the time and date of the murder, when it was solved, etc, just the basics. Then grudgingly she added, "with the assistance of Richard Castle, writer." A few years back she would cringe away from this part of the report. She hated help from anyone, let alone an egotistical, famous, and cocky writer. It still was a task to admit Rick Castle could help her on some of the toughest crime cases. True this one was easy, but the others, particularly the ones regarding her mother could not have been solved without Castle's support.

In addition to the coffee she looked forward to that he brought her every morning, a small part of her liked that their first estranged and complicated partnership had reached a close friendship. Returning to her work, she quickly finished the last of the police report and picked up her stuff.

Just as Beckett was leaving she remembered her dinner plans with Josh. Oh... was that today? She was already running 15 minutes late and the restaurant was all the way across town, she wouldn't get there till 9 and it was already 8:15. Why hadn't he called? Wasn't he worried that something had happened to her? She checked phone and surprisingly saw a phone icon with an X8 on the right corner. How could she have not heard him call...8 times! She must have silenced her phone when going to a crime scene and forgot to turn the ringer up. Running out the door while listening to the 4 voicemails saying "Kate are you ok?" "Kate you were supposed to text me when you left the precinct" "Kate Beckett what happened" "Kate, I'm going out to look for you now." Sighing, she pressed 3, speed dial for Josh.

He picked up and said, "I've been so worried. What happened?"

Kate made all kinds of excuses but she could still detect suspicion in Josh's voice. She couldn't just tell him that she'd been thinking about a memory of Richard Castle-who just happened to be speed dial #2- and lost track of time.

She ended the conversation with "I'm so sorry. Can we reschedule?"

"Whatever..." was the only reply Josh had as he hung up, leaving Beckett feeling guilty. They had made these plans two weeks ago and it was one of those rare moments when they were both free. It was a extremely fancy restaurant and hard to get reservations and she just completely forgot. For a split of a second she felt as if her memory of "the Castle moment", as Kate called it, was completely worth it. Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she thought of ways to make it up to him.