I hope none of you were terribly intrigued by the murder in the castle household. It's just a detail in the story. Now we continue, moving forward in Castle's life.

8 years later

"Bye, Dad" Alexis waved to her father as she headed out to school. At fifteen, Alexis had let her bright orange hair grow to mid-back, and she seemed to be able to get it to do anything. Today it was tied neatly into a French braid. She stood at 5"3, and had a small waist. Her skin was as fair as ever, her eyes still their sparkling blue.

Rick Castle walked over and hugged her around the shoulders. His own hair was dishevelled, and he was in a loose t-shirt and light cotton pants. He looked like someone who'd just woken up. However, his eyes were not bleary, he didn't look tired. In fact, he looked stimulated, eyes shinning and grin already on his face. "Bye, sweet pea. Have a good day at school. Don't cause too much trouble. I'm tired of getting called down to the principal's office." Nonsense, of course.

Alexis grinned and ruffled her dad's hair. "I'll do my best," She replied, her voice sincere as ever. With that she was gone for the day.

When the door closed behind her, headed off to the kitchen to get a second coffee. He'd had the first while eating a small breakfast of eggs and toast with Alexis. Now he opened up the newspaper and searched for something interesting to read. As usual, the paper bored him.

There was nothing exciting in a newspaper when you were a crime novelist. All the news seemed boring compared to the thrilling tales of murder that he came up with on a daily basis. Even when he wasn't writing or was already working on something, ideas seemed to zoom into his head a present themselves.

Still, he'd managed to bore himself with Derek Storm, and was now running short on ideas. His publicist and ex-wife, Gina, would be on his back, nagging at him to come up with something new before he ran dry.

Metaphorically, of course.

He began to think of a new character. The newspaper was deposited into the recycling bin and he took a seat in a leather armchair. Maybe this time he'd write in a female point of view. What could he write about? Was she the good guy, the bad guy, someone in between? Maybe she was just someone watching some evil plot develop before her.

As he pondered on this, mind jumped back eight years, to an officer he'd met when he'd come back to a blood stained floor in his apartment. Try as he might, he couldn't remember her name, but he remembered her. She was not the type of person who was easy to forget.

To be honest, he'd only been with her for one day, and that had been mostly for the seven-year-old Alexis's benefit than his own.

What he certainly couldn't forget about her was how she'd acted toward his daughter. Though a complete stranger, she'd treated Alexis like an aunt treats a niece she rarely sees, and so spoils her at every chance she gets. Yet there was something different in the way the Officer had behaved as well. Though she couldn't answer the difficult questions, she had answered all of Alexis's questions to the best of her abilities. It had bordered on how someone treats an adult who is unfamiliar with a private matter.

His cell phone began to ring, bringing Rick back to his senses. He checked the caller ID before answering, and felt a strong urge to press ignore. It was Gina. He checked the clock on the microwave, and a fluorescent 9:03 shone in bright yellow.

"Hello?" He answered, keeping his voice light, as though he didn't have any idea who could be calling, or for what reason.

"Richard Castle, what on earth have you done?" Gina had a confusing way of asking questions without actually asking. In this case, her wording suggested a question, and yet her delivery sounded more like she was simply stating a fact.

What a way to confuse a man.

"Why, hello Gina. To what do I owe the pleasure of this early morning call?" Rick asked, his voice light and sarcastic.

A heavy and irritated sigh came through the phone. Castle could clearly hear her thin, high heeled shoes click as she paced her apartment.

Not exactly suitable pacing attire.

"Rick, you killed off Derek Storm. Why. Why would you do that?" Again, there was no rise in the tone of her voice at the end of her non-question, effectively making it just that, a question that was not actually a question.

He sank deeper into the chair. "Gina, I was done with Derek. I need something new."

"So you felt the need to put a bullet through his head? You couldn't just, I don't know, retire the man?" Gina demanded. This time she managed to use both the words and the tone of a question.

Castle sighed. "I just did what came to me. Just give me a little break. I'll have something new for you in no time." He hoped.

"You'd better." Gina's voice was almost threatening. "Don't forget about the thing this evening. Don't be late." The 'thing' she was referring to was some sort of 'end of Derrick Storm party'.

"Oh, Gina, I'm never late." Rick said smoothly.

"'Fashionably not on time' is not acceptable, Rick. Be there on time, or I'll know why." Definitely threatening that time. She hung up.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and simply sat for a moment. What to do.

Finally, he stood. Coming up with a new best-selling idea could wait. Now, he needed to find something to wear.

The flashing cameras would have blinded Rick had he not been wearing shades. His arm was wrapped around Gina's waist and he left it there, resting loosely on her hips. Gina put on her best fake smile and held her drink in one dainty hand.

"That was still a really stupid move, Richard." She muttered to him, leaving the smile on her face so their disagreement wouldn't be in the papers.

"Oh, Gina, Gina, Gina. I wouldn't have been able to write well anyway. I can't write a bestseller with a character I'm bored of." Rick flashed a charming grin at a passing camera and picked up a drink from a waiter.

Gina took a sip of her drink. An olive danced around in the bottom. "But a bullet to the head? Honestly?"

Rick took the hand away from her waist grabbed her free hand. "He died as he lived." He said with a smile, and kissed the back of her hand. Gina grinned for the sake of the cameras. With that, they separated.

"Rick." A voice Rick recognized called his name. Rick turned and walked over to where Cannell, Connelly and Patterson were standing in a circle.

"Hello, fellas." Rick said cheerfully.

"Hello, fellas indeed." A new voice from behind Rick spoke. Martha stepped forward from behind Rick. "Stephen, Michael, James, it's been entirely too long."

"It has indeed, Martha." Connelly kissed Martha's offered hand, much like Rick had kissed Gina's earlier. "Might I say, you look positively radiant?"

"Michael, you flatter me." Martha grinned at him. "You there simply must come by the loft more often."

Rick inclined his head. "It's weird when my mother starts inviting my friends over. I'm not sure if I like it." He spoke to his poker group.

"Oh, tut tut, darling." Martha flapped her hand at him and spun graciously to walk in the opposite direction.

So there's chapter one.
Tell me what you think :)

~~Luvyas