Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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The book launch of Richard Castle's first Nikki Heat book 'Heat Wave' finds Alexis Castle, Kate Beckett and Rick Castle standing in a small group happily chatting as they escape the spotlight for just a minute. Ever the casual gentleman, Castle has on a black suit with an open collared shirt. Alexis (in her father's eyes) looked so much more than her age decked out in an dark burgundy knee high dress, hair twirled up top, whilst Kate wore a floor length metallic blue dress, her seven month pregnant belly on show.

Their conversation halts when Castle suddenly stiffened as he heard a particular voice. Gripping Kate's arm, he whispers urgently. 'Don't you dare leave me alone.'

Wondering at the sudden change in Rick, Kate looks around before whispering into his ear to ask what in the devil was wrong with him. 'Groupie from hell,' is the only explanation he offers. Kate turns to Alexis who grins as she leant in to explain to Kate just who this 'groupie from hell' was. 'Her name is Montana Ames and she's obsessed with Dad. She sends him letters all the time, and video recordings and various pieces of personal apparel and, ah, intimate gifts.'

Castle shudders as he maintains his grip on Kate. 'I didn't think she'd be here. Godamnit. Make her go away,' he begged to Kate uselessly.

Kate grinned as she turned to Alexis. 'Need a drink?'

'Why yes I think that I do. I'll accompany you to the bar,' responded Alexis in a sugary sweet tone as she gently pulled Kate's arm. Sliding out of Castle's grip, Kate turned to him. 'We'll just be over here kitten!'

Desperately grabbing at Kate's rapidly parting form, Castle tries to follow them when he is suddenly caught in the claws of Montana Ames. 'Ricky!'

Standing at the beverage table, Alexis and Kate sip their non alcoholic drinks as they laugh at their man of the house trying vainly to escape from the clutches of the groupie from hell. The blonde was currently chattering at a mile to the hour, pawing her hands over Castle as he continued to retreat backwards as fast as he can in his bid to be away from her.

Looking desperately over at his two girls, he finds them looking at him in great amusement as they raise their glasses in his direction. Any thoughts on what to do them later for their betrayal left his mind as he shifted quickly to keep Montana's hands where he could see them.

Kate and Alexis' attention is diverted from this amusing spectacle when baby decides to have a party for one and commences showing of their moves, much to Alexis' delight, as various limbs poke outward, interesting shapes rippling across the material of Kate's dress.

The 'Baby Dance Championships' are momentarily forgotten when Castle suddenly joins them, wrapping his arms around Kate, firmly placing his hands on her swollen abdomen. As he smooths her dress over the swell, he shifts her body so that she is standing firmly between him and the groupie from hell. Castle removes one hand from Kate to pull Alexis into him, creating a shield in front of him as Montana has a hand on her hip, foot tapping away as she stares at Castle.

'This is my wife Kate,' Castle declares from behind his ladies. Kate turns her head back to him with an incredulous look, but the gentle squeeze of desperation he gives her hip has her taking pity on him and raising her hand in a wave. 'Hi, nice to meet you.'

Montana Ames wasn't convinced. She may not be the smartest tool in the shed, but she knew that something was off here. 'Where's your ring?'

'Oh I must have left it at home. That big flashy thing is so easy to forget,' said Kate sarcastically.

'I don't believe it,' declared Montana. 'You're not married. I would have been invited. And I most certainly would have certainly objected!'

'Perhaps that is why you weren't invited,' piped up Alexis.

Turning her attention to the other person in their party, Montana's face switches swiftly from anger to ultimate sweetness as she makes a realisation. 'You must be Ricky's daughter! You're so lucky to have him as a father. I'm sure he's just the most perfect Daddy in the world.'

'Well...' began Alexis. A poke in the side from her father has her reciting obediently with a fake grin. 'Yes Richard Castle is a marvellous father. The best...'

As Montana cooed over Castle at this announcement and tried to make a move for him, he shifted to make sure he was behind his 'wall', as Alexis continued to speak.

'... and Kate's a wonderful Mum too. They're going to be having a kid together real soon.'

As both Kate and Castle glared at Alexis for winding up Montana further, Montana is thinking hard to herself. She's still not sure if Castle and that woman are married, or if that kid is actually his, but knowing it could be a possibility, Montana decided to stir the marital pot. 'Did you know? I'm actually Ricky's muse for Nikki Heat?'

Laughing inwardly as she senses Castle sputtering objections behind her, Kate decides to have fun with this groupie. 'Oh, really? I didn't know that. I thought that that Ricky's muse had brains and spunk?' said Kate, emphasising her use of Ricky.

'Oh no. That's not necessary. Ricky needs a muse that provides for him in more ways than one if you get my drift,' says Montana with a huge wink. 'He gets that from me.'

'Oh I see. So you're the one that does the photocopying and the proofreading and the cleaning and all that?' asks Kate, appearing to look geniunely interested.

Sarcasm is lost on Montana. 'No, no. You've got it wrong. I'm the one that ...' But a further attempt at an explanation is prevented by the arrival of a group of fans seeking an autograph from Richard Castle.

Montana Ames turns to them and spits out venomously 'Buzz off ladies. I was here first.' But Castle wasn't willing to let his escape get away so easily, seeing as his two 'saviours' weren't being very helpful in getting rid of the groupie from hell. 'Ah, ladies. Lovely to see you all. If you'll all step this way, I'm happy to sign autographs for my number one fans.'

Seeing this declaration as a rejection, Montana bursts into tears and flees the scene. After rapidly signing various books and other items, Castle quickly moves away, dragging his 'wife' and daughter with him as both protest.

Finally clear of groupies, fans and other such people expecting anything from him, Castle turns to the two ladies who have had entirely too much fun at his expense tonight. 'You enjoy seeing me suffer don't you?' said Castle, releasing a huge breath.

'It is high up on the list of activities I find pleasurable,' admitted Kate with a grin.

'I can think of another activity that we do that would be high up on your list,' said Castle in a suggestive tone. Kate slaps her hand over his mouth with an admonishing look to prevent him from continuing as Castle laughs. 'Finish that thought and I'll find Montana personally and give her your cell phone number.'

'You'd throw me back at the wolves? Cruel!' said Castle. Knowing he wasn't going to win one against Kate, he turns to Alexis. 'And you my dear need to write 100 lines as punishment methinks. I'm the best father in the world.'

'You're the only father in the world I've got Dad,' responds Alexis with a roll of her eyes.

'Exactly, so you should be nice to me!' reasons Castle.

'As much as I would love to continue these enlightening conversations, the quicker you get out there and make people happy, sign a few boobs and read a page or two, the quicker that we can get home and I can out of these godforsaken high heels. Trust me when I say that Montana Ames will have nothing on this pregnant woman if I'm not home by midnight,' declared Kate.

'Alright Cinderella. I'm off. I'm off,' says Castle, raising his hands in surrender. Arms still raised he pointed them in his daughter's direction. 'It's your job to make sure she doesn't turn into a pumpkin, pumpkin.'

'Yes Dad,' said Alexis, pushing him on his way. 'Just go.'

After looking about furtively for any traces of a certain blonde woman, and finding none, Castle strolls over cockily to his agent. Passing his mother happily flirting with three men half her age, he turned to where he'd left his daughter and the mother of his child. He sincerely hoped that his next child was a boy. There was a severe lack of testosterone in the house at the moment.