Castle found himself unable to sleep that night.

Instead, he found himself perusing the internet, the soft glow from his laptop illuminating his face as his fingers danced across the keys, searching. His eyes darted across the screen as he opened tab after tab of news articles, and he soon found himself engrossed in the results.

Briefly pausing as he heard Alexis shifting on her cot, his eyes darted towards her straining to see her figure in the dark. But after a moment of snuffling, her breathing returned to the rhythmic pattern of before leaving Castle free to return to his research.

Katherine Houghton Beckett, Manhattanite and Stuyvescant High School alumni. Pre-law student at Stanford before transferring to New York University in 1999 to pursue a career in law enforcement instead. Youngest woman to ever make Captain, and the highest closing rate in the NYPD.

In short, she sounded like a spitfire.

He also found it impossible to get her words out of his head, and the name Nikki Heat had been swirling around for the past few hours. The name itself didn't sound familiar, but sounded as though he had created it nevertheless. Derrick Storm, Clara Strike, and now Nikki Heat.

It was also why he found himself looking her up on the internet so late; he had seen the way Alexis had been glaring at Beckett and knew she would throw a veritable fit if she found out her father was looking into the captain. And with Alexis just beginning to open up to him once again, he didn't want to give her any reason to leave for LA again. But the idea itself was too good to pass up, and would perhaps be just what he needed to start writing again.

"Dad?" came the sleepy question from a few feet away. "What are you doing up?"

Instinctively control tabbing out of the window, Castle glanced over to his daughter. "Couldn't sleep, decided to check my emails." he said as turned the screen towards his daughter. It wasn't even that big of a lie; he had been checking his emails before he had started googling.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep." he assured her when he saw her open her mouth to protest. "I'm just going to finish this email, I swear." he interrupted before she could speak. Watching as Alexis's brow furrowed into a frown, he breathed a small sigh of relief as she nodded her acquiescence before pulling the blanket back over her shoulders.

But rather than focusing his attention back on his screen, he paused to watch his daughter for a moment. In the dimly lit room, he could almost see the red headed little girl that he had checked up on every night. When she had disappeared off to Los Angeles, he had known that it was partly his fault; how he had withdrawn from the world when his book had failed. And yet, against all odds she was now back.

Was he really willing to risk it all for an unknown police Captain?

But if Castle was being honest, it wasn't just about Beckett anymore. It was about him as well, and how he actually felt the urge to write for the first time in ages. How he knew there was a story in there, a story that had turned a young Manhattan socialite from a glittering future as a successful lawyer to that of a NYPD Captain. He'd be kidding himself if he said he wasn't just a tiny bit curious.

Alexis's breathing had evened out once again, a clear indicator that she had fallen back asleep and Castle turned his focus back to the email he had been writing before he had become distracted. His fingers hesitating briefly over the keyboard, he glanced back at Alexis for a moment before he began to move his fingers decisively over the keyboard.

Gina,

I have a new idea for a series. Call me.

Rick

Hitting the send button before he could talk himself out of it, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Closing the lid of the laptop with a soft click, he deposited the electronic device onto the nightstand beside him before lowering the bed back into a horizontal position.

It was done, and there would be no turning back now.

۰ ۰ ۰

Standing by the window overlooking the busy city streets below, Castle found himself pacing impatiently between the two armchairs as the repetitive ring grating on his already overwrought nerves. Gina had called him that morning, her curiosity getting the better of her.

To her credit, she had been fairly courteous considering how their marriage had ended, and upon hearing that his new book would be more along the lines of his Derrick Storm series versus that of Finite Laughter, she had agreed to give it a shot.

Which was why he was now on the phone, holding for the Mayor.

He knew it would be pointless to go to Captain Beckett directly; she would turn him down in seconds flat. She was too by the book, and he would have no chance getting what he wanted from her. But the Mayor, now he could pull some strings. Possibly even call the Police Commissioner himself if he was so inclined. Either way, it was his best shot at getting his foot in the door of the 12th Precinct.

"Castle! What are you doing calling me? I heard you had gotten yourself shot. What happened?"

"It's a long story, we should go for drinks one night so I can tell you. Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Yeah, haven't seen you since that benefit a year ago?"

"Has it been that long? Speaking of, remember how you said you owed me a favour?"

"Of course, is this you calling to cash in?"

"Why, Mr Mayor, do you really think that lowly of me? But yes, I do have a favour to ask of you."

"If it's within my powers, I'll do my best."

"Alright, well, there's this Police Officer, well Captain really, that I'd like to shadow for my next book..."

۰ ۰ ۰

Beckett's jaw tightened as she turned to face the window in her office. "No sir, I understand. Thank you for letting me know. Yes, yes of course. Thank you." Turning around, she brought the receiver down on the phone with an audible bang before striding back behind her desk. Of all the things she had been dealing with... and now this.

Leaning against her desk, her fingers tightened around the smooth wooden edge as she fought to keep her temper in check. The sound of knocking brought her short reprieve to an end, and she raised her head to see two of her detectives standing in the doorway of her office.

"You okay, Beckett?" Ryan asked, a hint of concern seeping into his voice despite his best efforts.

"Yeah... we heard part of the conversation. Not that we were eavesdropping or anything but, well, it was a bit loud." Esposito added, glancing towards her death grip on the edge of the desk.

Following Espo's line of sight to her hands, Beckett forced herself to release her hold and straightened up. Busying herself by organizing the already neat piles of paper and folders arranged on the surface, she forced to keep her voice even as she spoke.

"Yes, I'm fine. We'll just be having a guest at the precinct for an undetermined length of time," she started as she glanced up to see Espo about to jump in. "The orders came down from the commissioner himself, it's out of my hands."

"Well, who is it?" Ryan asked, his impatience winning over the common sense that was telling him to back off. Beckett looked ready to shoot something, and he'd rather it not be him.

"Richard Castle." she grimaced, as she said his name out loud.

۰ ۰ ۰

A/N: Chapter title based on the television show 'The Shawshank Redemption'