AN: I belatedly realised that if I follow this through I am going to have to do some Kassen, Kemming and Kosh scenes … (though I am keeping it T rated at max) … I don't really want to go there … not only because of the hate mail! lol

Evening Day 2 – Beckett's Apartment

Kate Beckett flopped against the back of the lift as it took her up to her floor. She was tired, a bit frustrated and beginning to get really pissed off … not that she could pin it down on any one thing … it just seemed that life as a whole had decided to use her as a poop-scoop.

The pinging of the lift drew her out of her reverie and tiredly picking up the gym bag from the floor she walked down the hallway to her door. Fishing out her keys, she fumbled them and they dropped to the floor. With a groan she bent to pick them, inserted them in the lock and pushed her way into her apartment.

As soon as the door was closed behind her she kicked her shoes off with a sigh of relief and heading for the bathroom she just emptied the contents of the bag by the side of the clothes basket; she couldn't be bothered to sort it, it could wait till morning.

She really needed a shower, but she was just too tired to bother; it was after midnight and she would have to be up early again tomorrow … ugh! today … a quick brush of her teeth would have to suffice.

Back in her bedroom she carried out her nightly ritual of placing her mother's ring, father's watch, badge, cuffs and gun in their place, stripped, placed her clothes over the back of a chair and crawled into bed with a thankful sigh. Shit! her phone … with a groan she climbed back out of bed and found her phone on the kitchen counter. With eyelids just about closed she made it back to her bed, placed the phone on the nightstand next to the pad and pen and flopped back into bed, pulling the sheet up over her.

She … was …. sooo …. tired …

…. so why couldn't she drop off … and why was the pillow too warm under her head …. she lifted her head, flipped the pillow over and flopped back down ….. hmmm …. that was better …... damned itch …. would be just be in that area of her back she couldn't reach …..… and how come there was so much traffic tonight .. well ok, this morning .… dammed headlights were making all sorts of moving patterns on the ceiling .… and he was guilty, what the hell did he know about anything …. asshole …. not that he was the only one mind you … huh! … "Right, the genre, that's why you're blushing"…. what would Ryan know anyway, and Espo was just as bad …. so, ok she was a fan, not that she was going to tell them …. and Cabot had to be guilty …. because if he wasn't, it wouldn't only mean she had the wrong guy, it would also inflate that idiot's ego even more … oh god!12:57 ….

Kate turns over on her other side, punches the pillow into shape, yawns and pushes the sheet down to her waist.

…. 1:14 …. Ugh! this was no good …. and how could the Captain have allowed that goofball in on the case …. so what if the Mayor was a pal … he didn't have to put up with the guy all day! … Castle was devious, how else could he have read her like he did? ….. ok, maybe he was good, he had got pretty close …. not that she would tell him … he was as crazy as some of those fans he got mail from …. good job she hadn't written any to him for a couple of years … that's all she needed, for one of her letters to come up in those boxes … not that her pen name would have given her away … but, really? Three boxes of fan mail … geez! ...

…. 2:13 …. Cut it out Kate, just get to fricking sleep will you … maybe a second pillow will help … ah, that's better … mind you, the prints coming through so quickly had been a help …. but what a vain, conceited, egotistical, self-centred, conceited, …. no, she'd already used that one …. to go and phone the Mayor ..… what did he call him? Oh yeah 'Big Cheese' duh, how cheesy! …. so, ok, as long as none of the other teams found out …. And then Lanie, her Lanie, getting all nicey-nicey with him just because he'd shown off reading the crime scene, she'd have to have a serious talk with her …. And Kyle Cabot had to be their guy … though it didn't hang right … she was missing something there …..

The alarm had her groaning into awareness, her hand reaching out to smack it into silence. The pale morning sun laid a path across the foot of her bed, with a groan Kate propped herself up and looked around. Her sheets were twisted round her legs, one pillow on the floor … and she felt worn out …

…. 7:15, why couldn't today be a day off? …. Ugh.

Evening Day 2 – Castle's Loft

Richard Castle tidied up the worst of the mess left after their poker night and left the rest for Dolores, the cleaner, to see to in the morning. Picking up his suede jacket from where he had left it on the couch, he made his way to his bedroom turning off lights as he went.

He decided on a quick shower, he hated it when he could smell Patterson's cigar smoke in his hair the mornings after their games … at least the loft only had to be aired once a month. Feeling better after his shower and other ablutions, he stripped, pulled on his 'The Mask' boxers and climbed into bed.

He propped himself up against the leather headboard and considered his day. It brought a grin to his face. His Detecti … oops! Did I just call her my Detective? Better keep that thought under lock and key! … anyway, Beckett is cute even if it did piss her off when I picked up on her brow furrowing when she was thinking. I'm pretty sure I got her story right too … her face! … she went from cool cucumber to wide-eyed shock when I profiled her; in fact her eyes even changed … how cool is that! …. one moment they are cool hazel next they're fiery green … so hot!. And that man's watch she wears, maybe her dad's, is that who she lost? …. I'll have to dig a bit more, but I need to take it slowly, otherwise she is definitely going to hurt me!

He didn't know why, but he just seemed to piss her off every time he opened his mouth or did something. He'd already guessed she was a fan, but how much of one he wondered, and why would being with the Richard Castle get her so riled? He chuckled at her reaction to his phoning Bob:

"Oh, I think somebody feels threatened"

"I am not threatened"

"No. I get it. I can call the mayor and you can't"

"We have procedure. Protocol"

…. Yeah right Beckett, pull the other one, you were sooo mad at me … and then the second murder …. Hell, I mean Death of a Prom Queen … where the hell does that tie into Flowers On Your Grave .… other than for a clear lack of literary taste … not that I'll admit that in public though! …. Mind you the ME … what's her name … oh yeah! … Parish … Lanie Parish … cute, and she's a fan …. hey! Maybe the whole precinct are secret Richard Castle fans … oh boy, wouldn't that be hilarious! ….

…. But really, it's Beckett that I want to get in here with me …. she must be so hot … I wonder what her legs are like, 'cos those trousers she wears don't give much away but boy, oh, boy, those heels! I mean those heels and no trousers …. gulp … ok, best not go there, down boy! … I really need to do something to get in her good books ….. 'cos, yep, I am a bit … uh … impulsive? …. I mean, to tell me that it was "a homicide investigation, not a day at Disneyland" … I wasn't that bad! …. she is suuuch a control freak … what was it? … oh yes! … "If I give you an order I expect you to obey it" …. Yeah, right! …..

With a yawn he leant over, turned the bedside light off and settled down into his bed, pulling the sheet up over his shoulder and shifting into a more comfortable position on his side. He closed his eyes and smiled as he continued to think about Beckett.

…. Ok so, she told me to stay in the car, but come on! How could she expect me to do that! I mean a real killer, cops busting down doors, guns going off … maybe a gunfight … how was I supposed to just sit in the car and miss all the fun! … no way!

…. And that closet of creepiness …. Yeah, it was kind of cool, but also kind of scary to see all those pictures of me, the dust covers …. whackymolee! ….. but still a guy with PDD arranges two unconnected murders, leaves no traces and then sends in an incriminating fan letter …. hmm, even this afternoon I wasn't convinced … I mean that's a twelve year-old's school essay, not the way I would have written it …. I mean, even Cannell picked up on that tonight …. yeah, he's right … where is the twist? …. talking of twisting, I wonder if I can twist Beckett's arm into having dinner with me …. although if I suggest that she'd probably twist mine in a much less pleasant way …. but maybe I can fi … nd ….. a …. Way … yawn … to ….