Beckett tipped the cab driver generously, having gotten her to the bar faster than she anticipated. She figured now she had at least beat Castle to the Old Haunt and could finally get a table instead of sitting at the rail. Castle always wanted to sit at the bar, since he liked being able to monitor the bartenders. Beckett liked to be able to lean back into a chair instead of perching on a barstool. After the stress of today, her back could use the rest.

When she spotted him, her eyes automatically rolled to the ceiling and she sighed. He was already leaned up against the rail, the top two buttons of his gray shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up on his forearm. She made her way through the Saturday night crowd and approached him. "How did you beat me here? You said half an hour!"

He turned from the rail with two drinks in his hand. "Beckett? You're early! Do you want a drink?"

She eyed the two rocks glasses in his hands and said, "Are either of those for me?"

He, too, glanced at the drinks in his hand. "No, actually. We've been here for about a half hour and this is our second round."

Kate quickly glanced around the bar and spotted the only female sitting alone in the place. She turned back to him, her eyes glaring. "You brought me out here while you are still on a date? Castle, I do not want to be a third wheel tonight. I'm going home." She pushed away from the bar and started to make her way back to the door.

"Kate!" Castle yelled after her. He motioned the bartender to make a third drink, set the first two down, and took off after her.

Beckett was just out the door when she heard him say her name again. She turned around, an annoyed look playing across her face. "Castle, I told you. I'm not playing third wheel to your hot date. Don't make me use my cop voice."

"It's not like that, I promise. She asked to meet you, and I really think you will be surprised by her. You might even like her! Come on, I will not treat you like a third wheel. Just have a drink. If you are uncomfortable, you can go home after that." He grabbed her forearm and pulled her back towards the bar.

She reluctantly let him pull her back inside. She could handle herself with a silly girl who wanted to know all about the dangerous life of a woman cop for a half hour or so. But after that, she was going home. Allowing Castle to slide a drink into her hand, she followed him to the table she had spotted before, the woman in blue making eye contact with her as she approached behind Castle.

The woman stood as Castle set a drink down for her and introduced them. "Beckett, this is Doctor Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Tempe, this is Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD."

Kate was certain her mouth hung open as she shook the woman's hand numbly. She added this to the list of things she didn't expect to happen tonight, and moved to sit down as Castle pulled out her chair. She mentally composed herself, took a sip of scotch, and tried to make a better first impression.

Brennan beat her to it. "It's really quite nice to meet you, Detective Beckett. I've been hearing about you for some time from Rick here."

"Well, Dr. Brennan, I wish I could say the same. But Castle here never told me he knew you. I happen to be a bit of a fan of your books."

"Yes, I could tell. You had the stunned fan look on your face when Rick introduced us. It's alright. It happens quite often and I have gotten used to it."

Rick took the opportunity to break the tension. "I haven't. Though I assume, Tempe, that male fans of yours don't ask you to sign their chests in permanent marker or slip their room keys into your hands." He watched gleefully as Beckett rolled her eyes.

"No. You are correct. That does not happen to me. Do your male fans do that?"

Beckett laughed aloud at the look on Castle's face. Brennan simply looked confused.

"I meant that my female fans do that—stop it Beckett—Tempe, I wasn't being literal."

"Oh, sorry. Booth often tells me that I am too literal." She looked at Beckett. "Booth is my partner in the FBI," she explained.

"Right. Andrew Ryan. I have a feeling I know quite a bit about him already."

"Actually, Andy and Booth are not the same. I constantly have to explain this."

"Well, I wish Castle here would stop telling people that I am Nikki Heat. It would make my life a lot easier." At his suddenly innocent face, she again rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Castle. You revel in the fact that you can introduce fans to the real-life Nikki Heat."

"Only because you deserve to be introduced to the world, Kate Beckett."

Their eyes met and held for a brief moment before the silence prompted Brennan to excuse herself and go to the bathroom. As soon as Brennan was out of sight, Kate's hand darted forward and pulled hard on one of Castle's ears. He let himself be pulled out of his seat and halfway across the table for fear of losing the appendage. "Apples! Apples!"