Castle went out to get some take out from Kate's favorite Chinese place leaving
her alone in his office.

She didn't know if she was allowed but she sat down at his desk and ran her
fingers up and down the cherry oak wood. It was soft and clean and smooth on her
fingers. Very different from her old beat up desk she's had since high school.
The paint is chipped and on of the drawers is broken but it's a classic, handed
down to her from her grandfather.

She's sitting at Richard Castle's desk! She knows that the hype should've died
down by now but for some reason she still gets butterflies. The man that she
knows is much different from the man that sits behind this desk. She wants to
get to know this one just as much as she wants to get to know hers.

Accidentally her finger swipes the mouse pad and a document comes to the screen.
She doesn't read it. As a fellow author she knows how intrusive that would be
and she wouldn't want anyone doing that to her.

Before she can make herself do anything she triple saves his work then she opens
a new document and begins to type. She's not exactly sure what but the words are
flowing and she doesn't want to question them. It's the first time in a long
time that she's writing freely without stopping and erasing and reassessing.
She's not even thinking anything as her brain sends the signal to her fingers to
type.

It's like she's writing with a blindfold over her brain and even though she
should be worried she isn't. She actually is finding this quite invigorating.
She's getting over her writers block and if this is the way to do it then so be
it.

While writing Kate has lost her sense of time. All she knows is that she's
managed to get twenty pages done since she started.

"Richard darling I-" Martha stopped mid sentence when she realized the sound of
the keyboard keys clacking weren't from her son but from her sons lady friend.
"Kate?"

Kate looked up in horror. She forgot Castle's mother was here! "Oh hi. I'm sorry
I seen it sitting here and I just wanted to know what it felt like and I know
I'm probably in trouble but I wasn't snooping its just been so long since I've
written I don't normly do things like this and please please don't tell Rick he
would hate me and I don't know what I'd do without him I promise never to do it
again and-"

"Kate!" Martha yelled to stop the girl from rambling. "It's okay."

"Really?" She asked letting out a breath of relief.

"Yes. Richard told me how you needed to start writing again. I won't tell him
you were writing on his laptop in his office because it will surely inflate his
ego."

"Thank you so much Ms. Rodgers. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"No problem darling and call me Martha please. Ms. Rodgers makes me sound old."

Kate laughed lightly. "I can do that."

"So why are so worried about him finding out anyway? I doubt he would mind,"
Martha asked making her way into the kitchen.

Kate followed her out leaving the laptop open with her story. "As an author I
know how invasive it is to go through someone's writing. If he found out and
didn't approve I wouldn't know what to do without him."

"Not use to people leaving you huh?"

"No. I don't know what I'd do if another person left me. Rick's the only person
in my life right now that actually cares about me."

"Oh Kate that can't quite possibly be true," she said pouring two glasses of
wine and bringing one to Kate.

"My husband is cheating on me, my kids hate me, and I haven't spoken to my dad
in years."

"Oh my goodness. That's terrible no wonder Richard is so adamant about being
your friend. Sounds like you need one," she claimed taking a sip of her wine.

"Yeah. He's been a great friend to me. Even when I didn't know him."

"So tell me about this husband. How do you know he's cheating?"

"I found his mistresses underwear tucked inside of one of his suit jackets."
Kate continued after Martha's gasp. "Yeah. And she's skinnier than me."

"Oh that's terrible. What're you going to do?"

"I don't know," Kate said taking a sip. "I know I don't want to leave him."

"No that's not what I meant. I meant what're you going to do about Richard? And
what do you mean you don't want to leave him? He cheated on you."

"He's the only man I've ever been with and he's the father of my kids. I can't
just leave him. And what do you mean what am I going to do about rick? What does
he have to do with anything?"

"Oh please Kate. I've seen the way you two look at each other. And the way you
talk about each other. It's obvious you like him."

Kate blushed slightly. She wanted to deny it and tell her there was nothing more
than friendship but she felt if she said it then she would be lying. "I think I
do. He talks about me?" She asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh all the time. 'Kate said this Kate said that.' I personally think he may be
falling for you."

Kate shifted her eyes down to focus on her glass. The truth is she may be
falling for him too but she's married and she loves her husband. If its meant to
be it will but at the same time it may be too late for them to ever be together.
And plus she's happy with being just friends.

"Martha I- I still love my husband."

"And I'm not judging you because you have feelings for someone else darling.
What I'm saying is make sure you know what you want. Because if you choose wrong
it could blow up in your face."

"I'm not even one hundred percent sure that I have feelings for him," Kate said
getting nervous.

"I'm not trying to scare you I'm just trying to help. You don't have to listen
to me," Martha paused before continuing. "Listen to your heart."

Before Kate could respond someone walked in the house. Kate recognized her
instantly. She's an actress that plays in her favorite movie but she just can't
remember her name.

"Hello Martha," Meredith greeted unenthusiastically. "Where's Richard?"

When she shrugged Kate decided to make herself known. "He went to get some
dinner for us."

"I'm sorry I didn't see you there. Who are you?"

Kate stood up to shake the woman's hand. "I'm Kate a friend of Rick."

"Meredith," she put donw her bag to shake her hand. "His girlfriend," she added
for good measure.

"Nice to meet you."

"So how'd you two meet?"

"He hasn't told you about me?"

"No he hasn't." She paused then came a step closer. "What's to tell?"

"Nothing really. We met at a little diner. He spilled his coffee on me," Kate
explained.

"And what you just got to talking?"

"Something like that. We just found out that we're each others favorite author."

"Oh that's interesting," Meredith said her voice increasing a pitch. "So are you
staying for dinner?"

Kate looked at her exasperated. She just told her that Castle went out to get
dinner. "I'd like too yes."

"It'd be better if you left because I need sometime with Richard."

"But if he wants me to stay that's exactly what I intend on doing," Kate said
getting a little defensive.

"Meredith," Martha chimed in. "This is Richard's house not yours. You don't call
the shots."

"Rick's not here so I'm telling you to leave!"

"What's going on?" A voice behind Meredith said. All three woman turned around
to meet the eyes of Castle. "Are you kicking out my friend?"

"I'm simply telling her to go because I think she's over stayed her welcome."

"That is not your place Mere. Kate is staying."

Before she could respond Kate stood up from the couch and set down her wine
glass. "Thank you Martha for listening to me you've been a big help." She walked
past Meredith and straight to Castle. "Thanks for everything. I'll see you
later."

"You don't have to leave."

"Yeah," Martha chimed in.

"I think it's best. I'll see you Rick."

"At least take something to eat," he said holding out a tray of her order. She
just smiled at him. Then Castle gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you
later," he whispered before she left.