Kate got off the elevator and walked to the loft. She reached out to ring the doorbell and stopped. Who is he talking to? That voice….it's not Martha or Alexis. Why didn't he say he had company?

She adjusted her jacket and rang the bell. Curiosity was getting the best of her and she had to know. If he didn't just come out and tell her, she would just ask. She smiled at the thought of interrogating him.

"Excuse me, I need to get that." Castle said as he walked to the door.

Stephanie turned around and faced the door. Who has him so flustered and nervous? She thought to herself. She smiled at the idea of making him squirm.

"Good morning, Kate." He said as he opened the door.

"Good morning, Castle" she replied as she stepped into the loft. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. She smiled and walked with him into the kitchen.

With every step, Stephanie was checking out the beautiful brunette that followed Castle into the loft. Kate quickly glanced at her and gave a small smile.

"Are you hungry, Kate, or do you just want coffee?" he asked as he busied himself.

"I'm starving, thanks." Kate replied. She watched as he made her coffee and added 2 pumps of sugar-free vanilla. I love how he remembers the details. He even sprinkled some cinnamon on top before handing it to her. She sipped and watched as he stumbled through his words.

"Stephanie, would you like some breakfast as well?" Castle asked as he got plates from the shelf.

"Yes, please. It looks great." She replied.

Castle proceeded to make their plates as Kate sat down…right next to Stephanie of course.

"So, Stephanie is it? ….I'm Kate. How do you and Castle know each other?"

"Castle? Oh, Rick you mean. Sorry… When I knew him he was still just Richard Rogers. Our parents worked together for a while when we were teenagers. We spent a few summers together while they did community theatre. How long ago was that?" Stephanie asked, as she looked to Rick for the answer.

Kate looked at Castle with a curious smile. So….she WAS a girl from his past. What is she doing here, and why is he so nervous?

Castle cleared his throat and gave a nervous smile. "Here we are ladies, breakfast is served." He placed plates in front of both of them filled with cinnamon French toast, bacon and fresh berries. It looked delicious. He had even warmed the maple syrup. One thing was certain, he never did anything halfway.

"So, Kate. How do you know Rick here? Are you his latest conquest?" Stephanie asked as she took a bite.

Kate coughed, cleared her throat, and made a face. "No, I'm not. He's been assisting me with murder cases for a while now. I'm a homicide detective."

"Really?" Stephanie said as she wiped her mouth. She let out a squeal and dropped her napkin, "Oh my gosh….you're Nikki Heat, aren't you?"

Castle coughed and Beckett laughed. "Actually, I'm the INSPIRATION for her, but little Ricky here has taken creative liberties with her character. I'm sure you know all about his overactive imagination." She said with a smirk, looking straight at Castle.

"Oh yes I do!" Stephanie answered with a giggle. "Maybe we can compare notes while I'm in town, but right now I have to go…I'm late."

With those words still lingering over their heads, she picked up her purse, pulled out a business card, stepped to the other side of the breakfast bar, pulled Rick down and gave him a hasty kiss on the cheek.

"Call me!" she said as she handed him the card.

Then she was gone. Out of the loft and down the hall.