Before i go watch the new ep...again...here's the next installment!


"Is he ok?" Asked Richard Castle as he poured Detective Esposito a coffee. They both kept glancing out toward the injured Detective, who was staying true to his word and stayed seated at his desk as he caught up on paperwork.

Esposito nodded, but Castle caught the flick of his eyes as he checked on his partner once again, revealing his true concerns.

"Yeah, he's good. Just wants to finish the case. He's ok." He added, more so to reassure himself than the writer. Castle handed him the hot coffee, he picked up another two cups and filled them both. As he made his way over to Detective Ryan, Kate Beckett caught his eye. She flicked her head toward the injured man, Castle nodded. Their shorthand a fine art after so many hours working cases together.

"You sure you're ok to be here?" Castle asked Kevin as he placed the coffee on the other man's desk and sat down opposite him.

"Castle, I'm fine. I just wanna see this thing wrapped up before I go home." At Castle's look he added, "I'll only be sat at home wondering if there's something I could be doing to help or something I missed, so I might as well do that here." He reached for his coffee but pulled up short as his ribs protested. Sucking in a breath he ignored Castle's pointed look as he carefully sat back, one arm wrapped around his midsection in an effort to still the ache.

Castle leaned forward, picking up the mug and handing it the Detective. "You know, at least at home you can lay out on the couch and really rest up."

Kevin was about to protest again that he was fine where he was when Esposito came over, inadvertently distracting the conversation.

"We just pulled this picture off of the CCTV from the building opposite the store, there's a guy stood there having a cigarette so we have a potential witness." He said as he handed a copy of the picture to Kate as she walked over.

"A witness who might be able to place our two gunmen at the store." Kate said as a smile spread across her face. "If we can prove they were part of that robbery gone wrong we can add first degree murder to their assaulting officers charge ,if we can prove they were the ones in the jewellery store when the manager was murdered."

"See that uniform?" Esposito pointed to the picture. "It's from the Starbucks two doors down. I called to check where their employee's have their cigarette breaks, turns out they walk to the corner out of view of the store."

"But in perfect view of the Jewellery store." Beckett finished. "Go pick him up."

As Esposito grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, Ryan began the arduous task of standing. Kate put her hand on his shoulder and tried to push him back down into the seat.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"With Javi."

"No, bro. You stay here."

"No way, I'm going with you partner." Kevin pushed up and out of the chair, brushing off Kate's attempt to push him back down. "All I'll be doing is sitting in the car and helping to point out our potential witness." He was about to add a 'please let me help' but from the pleading look in his blue eyes his team caved.

"Ok." Agreed Kate reluctantly. "But just, you know, be careful." At Castle's snicker, Esposito's grin and Ryan's smile, she quickly made an exit, aiming for the morning's gun men still in the interview room. Perps were a lot easier to deal with than injured Detectives and annoying fiction writers.

Castle handed Ryan his jacket. As the injured man gingerly pulled his arms through the sleeves, Castle ignored the itching need to help and went to find Beckett in the interview room.

Javier's grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles bright white. It wasn't the late afternoon traffic that he was having to navigate that had set his nerves on edge. It wasn't even the hope of the witness causing adrenaline to course through his veins.

It was the heavy intakes of breath coming from his partner each time they hit a bump in the road that had set his stress levels up toward ten.

Kevin kept a arm around his ribs, his hand gripping the door handle as he tried for the hundredth time to find a more comfortable position in the passenger seat. He'd thought getting out of the precinct for a while would do him some good. Fresh New York air always made him feel better. It wasn't that his partner was a bad driver. It was more so that his ribs were bad passengers.

Javier bit his tongue, knowing if he asked Kevin again how he was feeling he'd probably end up with a fist in his face. He almost cried with relief as he saw the Starbucks in the distance. Only another minute or so and they'd be parked up, giving his partner a much needed reprieve from the discomfort he was currently enduring.

Esposito pulled up against the curb and waited, Ryan sat as far forward as his body allowed. They were prepared for a long wait, not knowing when their potential witness took his breaks, and not wanting to spook him, thought it best to approach him while he was out of the coffee shop. Javi, once again, glanced over at his partner.

"You…"

"Esposito, don't even ask."

"What?"

"You know what." Ryan smiled good naturedly at his over protective partner. "I'm fine. Uncomfortable, but fine."

Javi smiled as he nodded and turned his attention back to the street. A tall figure made his way round the corner. The two detectives checked the CCTV picture to make sure this was their guy. Esposito climbed out of the car, badge in hand and approached the man as he lit a cigarette.

"Excuse me Sir, NYPD, I need to ask you some questions."

Kevin sat up straighter in the car. Something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on what, but something had set the hairs on the back of his neck to high alert.

The smoking man pushed himself away from where he leaned against the side of the building. He frowned as Detective Esposito advanced. He glanced around. His eyes darting from side to side. Javi felt the same feeling as Kevin as he realised from the man's changing body language, this wasn't a witness. This was a suspect. He put his badge back in his pocket slowly, and reached around for his gun, his left hand stretched out in front of him as he tried to placate the suspicious looking man.

"Hey, I just wanna talk to you, about something that happened here the other night. Just wanna talk. That ok?"

All the while Javier advanced, the man took a step back, two steps, three. His speed picking up as he took his chance for freedom and turned to run. Javier swore as he gave chase. He didn't stop to check if his partner was behind him, ready to provide back up, he didn't register the car door slamming as Kevin Ryan , pain forgotten for fear of his partner's safety, exited the vehicle and circled behind the building.

Detective Esposito ran, hard and fast, he was gaining against the fleeing suspect when the man suddenly turned hard right down an alley.

"Why do they always head down alleys?" He shouted as he gave pursuit. As Javier turned the corner he ran full speed into a garbage can the suspect pushed into his path. He fell hard, his knee's scraping against the concrete, before he had a chance to collect himself and locate his dropped weapon, he felt a hand grab onto his hair and yank him up to his knees.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" The man screamed in his ears.

"I only wanted to talk, that's all, man."

"DID MICKEY GIVE ME UP? IS HE CUTTING ME OUT OF THE DEAL?"

Esposito frowned, the gun man that had fired on Kevin that morning had been called Mickey.

"You were their lookout." He said, more as a fact than a question.

"Yeah, so. What you gonna do about it?" The man held the gun high, bringing it down to rest against Esposito's temple.

"Him, nothing." Said Ryan as he stood behind the suspect, gun drawn against the man's head. "Me though, I'm gonna drag you to the station by your hair and string you up for accessory to murder. Now let go of my partner."

Esposito started to smile with pride until he felt himself being pushed forward, the suspect brought his elbow back hard against Detective Ryan's ribs, causing him to cry in pain as he felt the cracks break. The suspect turned to run but his left leg refused to move thanks to Javier's tight grip on his ankle, and he fell down hard. His face hitting the concrete, his limp body giving in to the blackness as he was knocked out cold. His body fell in a heap next to Ryan.

Kevin's vision kept greying out, his lungs refusing to hold onto the oxygen his body desperately needed. He was vaguely aware of movement but the pain eating through his body made thought an act of intense determination, an act he hadn't the energy to use or will to provide the determination needed. His lips were tingling, the lack of oxygen sending a short circuit through his body.

He closed his eyes as the blackness began to descend.


Evil cliffe...muhahaha!

Where would we be without bromance?