A/N – Wow! Thanks so much to all who alerted, favorite and taken the time to review! It's so very encouraging to a new author, and I now know why I've seen fanfic authors describe reviews as crack… because they SO are!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no matter how much I wish I did. Except for the mistakes… those are all mine!

Chapter 2

Kate's jaw dropped in shock at the sight before her. Her scrambled brain taking in flashes of images, trying to process through the haze of lust that had so threatened to overtake her just moments before but was now dissipating as rapidly as it had begun. Skimpy white boy short panties. Matching satin bra under slender, folded arms. Perfectly coiffed red hair. Pouty, red-painted lips curving into a faintly amused smile.

"Well, well, well, Richard. Mixing business with pleasure yet again, I see." She shook her head condescendingly. "I thought you learned your lesson the last time."

Kate's jaw moved soundlessly up and down, any attempt at speech thwarted by the shock of seeing the scantily clad woman in front of her. Kate Beckett does not surprise easily. Or at least, she's become accustomed to being surprised. Perhaps it's cynicism born of the job: prime suspects with unlikely, unassailable alibis, suspects popping out of nowhere with wielding weapons, murderers who 'would never hurt a fly.' But it takes a lot to truly shock her. Natalie Rhodes questioning Castle's sexuality, finding Castle beneath a half-naked reporter. But this, finding his ex-wife, in her underwear, in his bedroom, as they were about to… she shuddered. This takes the cake, she thought.

Castle recovered first. He quickly swept around Kate, grabbing Meredith by the arm, propelling her quickly over the threshold of the master bedroom and into his study. Having her in his room, especially dressed (or undressed) as she was felt so very wrong. Even if Kate hadn't been in the room, it would have felt like a violation, an invasion into the sanctuary that they made their own every time they came together there. But Kate was there. God, this is a disaster. He shook himself from his thoughts to address his smiling ex-wife.

Wait, smiling? "Meredith, what the hell is going on? Why are you here? Dressed like that? And how did you even get in?" Castle released her arm abruptly, running his hands through his tousled hair. The hair mussed by the fingers of one Kate Beckett only moments before. A very hot, wet Kate. Who promised to do any manner of dirty things- No. Later. Focus, Castle. Hmm… the voice inside his head sounded a lot like Kate.

Meredith sidled up to him, a sultry smile on her lips, reaching out to brush his chest with her manicured fingers. Castle sprung backward as if burned, smacking his shoulder on the wall.

Meredith pouted prettily, adopting an indignant stance with her hands on her hips. She painted a surprisingly imposing figure, given her state of undress and her slight figure. "Richard, really. I should think the answers to be completely obvious!"

Castle stared her down. "Well, you're going to have to help me out here, Meredith, because I fail to see the reason that you have come into our home, unannounced and uninvited, I might add, coming into my bedroom wearing-" he paused, his voice having risen in a crescendo with every syllable. "God, Meredith, seriously?!"

Meredith's eyebrows rose dramatically. "'Our home', Richard? Is she living here?!" her shrill voice breeching the night-time quiet of the loft.

"What? No! No, she's not, but she's- Look, that's beside the point. The point is-"

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief, her smile once again appearing on her face. "Oh, good. I thought for a moment there that you might be serious about her! I have been looking forward to revising our Top Ten for quite some ti-"

"Meredith!" he bellowed.

Meredith blinked rapidly. "Kitten, there's really no need to shout! Now, as I was saying, if you just want to tell your little detective in there that she can show herself out, we can-"

Serenity now, he thought to himself. He interrupted her, grasping her biceps with his large hands. He bent his knees so that their eyes were level and began speaking slowly, as though to a child, "Meredith. Listen to me. We," he paused and gestured between them, "are over. Not gonna happen."

Meredith threw up her hands dramatically to dislodge his from her arms. She whirled around and began to stalk out of the study toward the foyer. "Oh, psssh. Fine. Suit yourself. Enjoy your little fling. I'll just make myself at home in the guest room."

"I- Wha- Bu- You-" He padded after her, his sleep deprived brain trying valiantly to keep up with her rapidly changing line of thinking. "Guest room?! Why?!" He rubbed his red-rimmed, scratchy eyes, desperately hoping that when he reopened them that his life would once again be righted and traveling along on its even keel.

She gathered her long coat and discarded clothes along with her small carry-on bag. She turned halfway around to glance back at him, a truly puzzled expression settling over her pretty features. "Yes, of course! Alexis is ill, Richard! You don't expect me to just leave her in her time of need, do you? As if I could enjoy Europe knowing that she was back here feeling so poorly!" The look on her face slid from puzzled to wounded in an instant.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No, of course I didn't think you were going to traipse off to Europe without Alexis. But I thought since we called you yesterday to tell you that Alexis came down with mono and wouldn't be able to go that you would, I dunno… stay in LA."

"Richard, really. I'm hurt that you would think that I wouldn't want to be here when our baby girl is so sick! Whatever gave you that impression?"

Castle lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know… it could have something to do with you trotting off to film in New Zealand when Alexis was two and had the chicken pox. Or when she was seven and had to get her tonsils out, but you were too busy with your spots on "According to Jim" to make it back here. Or the time-"

Meredith held up her hand to stop him. "Okay, okay. So there might have been once or twice when I haven't been as present for her as I could have been." She shot him a look at his derisive snort. "But I have time off work, my flight was already booked, and… well, she's sick and I'm sure she would benefit from the calming presence of her mother. Don't you think?"

Castle tried not to choke at the idea of Meredith being a 'calming presence.' But she did have a point… she was Alexis' mother and while she hadn't been there for past illnesses and injuries, but she was here now, and who was he to deprive his daughter of her mother's presence? But the guest room… yeah, that needs to be nixed straight awa-

"Richard, won't you be a dear and bring my bags up to my room? They're so heavy, and I've had such a long day!" she called, already halfway up the steps to the second floor.

Castle hung his head in defeat, then heaved a heavy sigh, picking up both of Meredith's tremendously heavy suitcases and started toward the stairs, trailing in the wake of the hurricane that was his ex-wife. Morning, he thought wearily, I'll send her to a hotel in the morning. He just hoped that this wasn't going to come back to bite him in the ass.

A/N - I was a little nervous about this chapter. "Always Buy Retail" is one of my favorite episodes, Darby Stanfield (Meredith) being one of my favorite guest stars. I really wanted to capture her and her 'voice' in this, and I hope I succeeded. Any feedback on this would be appreciated!