THANKS SO MUCH for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. Y'all rock! ^_^

Someone asked me what I thought Ricki would look like, and, after consulting my amazing gf, we determined that Amanda Tapping (brunette, not blonde) circa 2005-2008 fit the bill perfectly. Then I found and edited a photo that could easily be a book jacket bio photo for Ricki Castle. If you're interested in knowing how I picture Ricki, you can view that photo here: 27*postimg*org/icss5986b/RICKI_copy*jpg (replace asterisks with dots)

I took a few liberties with launch parties in this chapter. Just go with it. :p

Enjoy chapter 2! :)

Your warm whispers
Into the dawn they carry me through

Kate needed to snap out of it. Honestly, this whole daydreaming at work thing was so not her. She'd never been one to indulge in the activity, not even as a teenager with raging hormones. Maybe it was a delayed thing; she hadn't had the impulse to do so in high school, so her libido was making up for it now as a twenty-nine-year-old adult. With a crush on a woman.

Great.

Kate shook her head, clearing her thoughts (or trying to), and her eyes focused on the murder board. It was clean. Her shift had been eerily slow, no bodies dropping. Yet—she still had another hour to pick up a case. The quietness was probably what led to her newly-acquired daydreaming habit. Amazingly, she'd caught up on all her backlogged paperwork, so she didn't have that to focus on.

She needed to find something to occupy her time so she didn't start wondering what it would be like to kiss Ricki Castle, among other, naughtier, things. Again.

Cold case!

That was it, Kate realized. She should find a cold case to look into. It would at least give her something to do. She abruptly stood and grabbed her blazer, walking towards the elevator as she put her arms through the sleeves. The elevator doors slid open just as Kate was reaching for the call button. She moved aside to let whoever was on it off, looking up and raising her eyebrows in both question and (feigned) annoyance.

Since there hadn't been a murder to investigate, Kate hadn't called Ricki to come in that morning. But there she was, wielding two coffee cups.

"Ah! Detective, just who I was coming to see," Ricki said, offering Kate one of the coffee cups.

Kate took it with a mumbled, "thanks," and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the basement where the Cold Case files were kept in storage. "What are you doing here, Castle?"

Ricki grinned and casually leaned back in the corner of the small elevator. "I love when you call me 'Castle,'" she said. "Makes me feel like a real cop. Oh! Can I carry a gun?"

Kate choked on the sip of coffee she'd just taken. "No!" she sputtered. "You're not a real cop, and you cannot carry a gun. Ever."

Ricki sighed dramatically. "You really know how to take the fun out of playing cop. Anyway, like I said, I was just looking for you. I have a proposal."

"I have no desire to be wife number three," Kate said dryly.

"Is that… was that a joke from Katherine Beckett?!" Ricki asked with mock astonishment. "Who knew the hardnosed detective was a closeted comedian." Kate didn't miss the subtle pun in that statement.

"Anyway," Kate stressed, the elevator finally reaching the basement with a bing. The doors slid open and they exited. "Can you get on with it so I can focus?"

Ricki rushed ahead of her a few steps, turning to face her and walking backwards. "I need you to accompany me to the official Storm Fall release party this Friday night."

Kate stopped in her tracks, coffee cup poised half an inch from her lips. She lowered the cup without taking a sip. "You… what? And didn't you already have the release party? You know, where we showed up and brought you here?"

Ricki shook her head. "That was just a pre-release party," she explained. "For Black Pawn hotshots and people who can afford outrageously priced tickets. But the official launch party open to the general public is this Friday at eight."

(Kate, a member of the official Ricki Castle fansite since it was established in 2005, already knew this. She was just playing dumb for appearances.)

"And why do you need me there?" Kate asked, already feeling claustrophobic from the thought of being hounded by paparazzi.

Ricki smiled. "Because we'll be announcing the launch of Nikki Heat during the party—" Kate rolled her eyes at the name—"and you, the inspiration for the character, being there would be great for promotional reasons. This is a request straight from Paula, my publicist. Well, demand thinly veiled as a request, at least. She'll have my head if you aren't there."

Kate took a sip of coffee, needing the caffeine to ward off the headache she felt coming on. She eyed the author over the plastic lid wearily. "And my being there would help how?" she asked.

"Think about it," Ricki said. "You're the inspiration, so why not introduce you to the public as such? You won't have to talk or anything, just wave from the audience when we unveil the cover art for the new book. The press just wants to put a face to the name Nikki Heat."

"I'm not Nikki Heat," Kate replied tersely, attempting to push past Ricki towards the cold case storage aisle. Ricki kept pace with her, still walking backwards. She glanced behind her every few steps to ensure she wasn't about to walk into anything, but Kate was just waiting for her to fall backwards.

"But you're the inspiration for Nikki Heat," Ricki said. "Like it or not, you're a part of this. You might as well enjoy it with a party. And free booze."

Kate was about to come back with a retort when the inevitable happened; the heel of Ricki's boot caught in the uneven tile, sending her stumbling backwards. Kate reached for her instinctively with her free hand, which Ricki grasped. That only succeeded in them both tumbling to the ground, the coffees in their hands crashing to the ground around them. Fortunately, little of the still hot liquid spilled anywhere other than the floor.

That was the least of Kate's worries, however, because she suddenly found herself lying atop a stunned Ricki, their breasts and stomachs pressed together. Kate couldn't help but notice that their bodies aligned perfectly as her thigh fell naturally into the cradle of Ricki's.

"Oh," Ricki said, sounding out of breath from having the wind knocked out of her. "Whoops."

Kate didn't say anything, too hypnotized by the proximity of Ricki's face to hers, her clear blue eyes drawing her in, holding her captive. Her gaze briefly flitted down to Ricki's lips, suddenly realizing that all it would take is for her to move a mere inch forward and—

"Beckett?" a voice called out, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Kate moved quickly, her sudden movement causing her thigh to press against a place on Ricki's body that she wasn't willing to think about just then. She got to her feet just as footsteps rounded the corner. Kate looked up to see Ryan standing there, puzzlement on his face at the sight of Kate standing over Ricki, still on her back, coffee all over the floor.

Kate's cheeks flushed as she straightened her shirt and blazer. "We, ah, had a little accident," she rushed out. To emphasize her point, she turned back to Ricki, who was now bracing her weight on her elbows. "You okay?" She offered a hand to help her up.

Ricki nodded and grabbed Kate's proffered hand. "Just got the wind knocked out of me," she said, standing. "Thanks."

Kate nodded and let go of her hand as soon as the author was steady on her feet. She returned her attention to Ryan, hands safely perched on her hips. "What is it?"

"Captain sent me to find you," he said. "You left your cell phone at your desk and he wants to talk to you."

"About what?" Kate asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm just the messenger. Why don't you head up and see what he wants. I'll find someone to clean this up." He pointed to the coffee spill.

"Alright, thanks," Kate said, moving to leave.

"I'll clean it up," Kate heard Ricki tell Ryan. "It was my fault."

Kate glanced over her shoulder to see Ricki heading towards a nearby door marked 'supply closet' for some paper towels. Ryan following to help.

As Kate rode up in the elevator, she wondered if Ricki was as much of a narcissist as her outward image portrayed.

Have you thought about my question?

The text came in that evening just as Kate was finishing her dinner—take out from Ming's Dynasty, her go to Chinese place. She tossed the chopsticks into the empty container and grabbed her phone.

Sighing, she hit reply. No.

RC: No, you haven't thought about it or no, you won't go?

KB: No I haven't thought about it.

RC: Think about it now. Will you go to the ball with me?

Kate chuckled.

KB: That makes me sounds like Cinderella.

RC: Don't all girls want to be Cinderella?

KB: Not this girl.

Kate's cell phone rang, the display indicating that the author was calling. She answered. "What is it, Castle?"

"Why don't you want to be Cinderella?" Ricki asked. "Get to dress up in a pretty gown, dance, have a good time…"

Kate scoffed as she tossed the empty carton in the trash. "I'm not much of a dancer…"

"Alright, don't dance, then," Ricki said. "You can just hang out with me all night."

Kate snorted. "Oh, that's so much better."

"You wound me, Detective," Ricki said, then her voice softened. "But really, I truly want you there, Kate."

Ricki's use of her first name sounded odd and far too personal to Kate, but she realized that she didn't really mind. "Why?"

"You're… intriguing," Ricki said slowly. "Smart and witty. You're good at what you do; and I don't just mean catching killers. I mean fighting to get justice for the families of the victims, people you don't even know. It's… admirable. And I like being around to see it."

Kate didn't know how to respond to that. It was all true, she knew that. But the way Ricki phrased it, like she was some sort of super hero, made her pause. Was that really how the mystery writer saw her?

"Plus you're hot and it never hurts to have a gorgeous woman on my arm."

And the moment was ruined.

"You are so incorrigible," Kate sighed.

"Is that a yes?" Ricki asked, sounding like a kid asking for ice cream.

Kate sighed. "Fine," she agreed. "But I'm not going to be your date. I won't be hanging on your arm all night like some bimbo."

On the other end of the line, Ricki did a fist pump and a little dance, causing Alexis to roll her eyes as she continued to read her history textbook. "Awesome, you won't regret it."

"I already do," Kate said.

"You won't after Friday. I'll have the limo pick you up at your place at 7:30 on Friday."

"What? No," Kate protested. "I don't need a limo. I can drive myself."

"Pffft," Ricki said into the phone, waving a dismissive hand even though Kate couldn't see it. "Parking will be impossible, trust me. Please?"

Kate bit her bottom lip, wondering what the hell she was getting herself into. "Alright, fine."

"Great! It's black tie. Will that be a problem?"

Kate thought a minute, then grinned. "Nope. I have the perfect dress."

"Alright, see you Friday evening, Detective," Ricki said, knowing there would be no real excuse to see the other woman before then. It was Wednesday evening and she knew Kate had the following day off. Then Ricki had to spend Friday in meetings at Black Pawn and getting ready for the launch party.

"Friday," Kate agreed and hung up, feeling like she really was making a date even though she'd specifically said it wasn't a date. She placed her phone carefully on the kitchen counter, staring at it for a minute as she tried to figure out how she'd gotten herself into this mess.

Twenty blocks away, Ricki Castle slid into the barstool next to her daughter and slung an arm around her slim shoulders. "Your mom is an ace persuader, kid."

Alexis didn't even look up from her textbook. "Isn't that just a nice way of saying manipulator?"

Ricki scoffed. "Potato, pahtato," she said, reaching out and grabbing the last chocolate chip cookie from the plate in front of Alexis. She broke it in half and held one piece out to the girl while biting into the other piece. Alexis finally looked up and took the cookie.

"She's not like the other women you 'date' you know," Alexis said. "She's real."

Ricki swallowed. "I'm not dating her," she said, hiding (or trying to hide) her disappointment. "She's straight."

Alexis raised her eyebrow. "If you say so," she said, biting into the cookie. "My point is just that you can't treat her like she's another piece of arm candy."

Ricki tilted her head to the side and really looked at her daughter. "I know. And you know I'm tired of that scene. I have been for a while. I'd like to find someone to settle down with for real."

Alexis chuckled. "And so you're chasing after a woman you claim is straight?"

Ricki scrunched her nose and shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. "I'm not chasing after her," she said around the cookie. "It's not a date."

Alexis closed her textbook and turned in the stool to face her mother. "I like Detective Beckett, so don't take this the wrong way, but why are you even taking her if it's really 'not a date'?"

"Because Paula wants her there for promotional reasons," Ricki explained. "For the Nikki Heat book. It's good publicity, et cetera, et cetera." She gave her best dismissive shrug.

Alexis looked like she wanted to say something else, but just shook her head. "Just be careful okay?"

Ricki gave a short laugh. "I think I'll manage," she said, leaning forward and kissing Alexis' forehead. "Now, put away those books and be a kid for a while," she said, a playful glint in her eyes as she dimmed the lights and made her way over to the coat closet. She reached inside held up two black vests. "Suit up and get ready for battle, rebel!"

Alexis jumped up. "Death to the Voltarians!"