Title: Reading Rights and Writing Wrongs

Summary: People die every day. In New York City, odds are pretty good they were murdered. Only a select few can speak for those whose lives are taken by another. And one detective has partnered with a writer to answer this call. They are so opposite they complete each other. But at the end of the day, they solve the crime. It's the Castle and Beckett you know and love. With just one little difference. In the first 10 chapters, anyway. From chapter 11 on, things get a lot different.

Disclaimer: I don't own most of these characters. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.

Thank you to the extraordinary Sunshiny-Kate. Without her help, this would have done nothing but stay an idea in my head.

Chapter 21

After Kate left, Castle had gone into the kitchen to get some water before he went to bed. He was walking towards his bedroom when he heard the doorbell buzzing. Smiling to himself, he changed directions.

"You just couldn't stay away could you?" He joked as he swung the door open.

His mouth fell open when he saw the person on the other side.

"Of course not, Kitten!" Meredith answered the question that wasn't meant for her as she sauntered into his front hall.

"Meredith?" Castle asked after struggling for several moments to find his voice.

"The one and only. In the flesh. Well, not in the flesh." She winked. "Yet."

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't a mother drop by and see her daughter and favorite officer of the law from time to time?"

She set her purse down by the door and stepped towards him. He put his hands up, signaling her to stop moving.

"Look, Mer, I just got home from the precinct. I haven't slept in over thirty-six hours. Now is not a good time." He explained.

"Well then, let me come tuck you in." She said with a grin.

He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes." She sighed. "And if I remember correctly, you usually fall asleep after spending quality time with me." She grinned again. "So what better way to wear yourself out?"

"Meredith." He began sternly, then paused and took in a deep breath to calm himself down. He uncrossed his arms and held up his pointer finger. "First of all, I told you now wasn't a good time." His middle finger joined the first. "Second of all, you can't just come bursting into our lives unannounced whenever you feel nostalgic."

"Oh, Kitten." She interrupted. "I'm feeling something a little stronger than nostalgia right now."

She lifted her eyebrows suggestively and started walking to the living room, not sure of where his bedroom was.

"I wasn't finished." He said, causing her to look back at him as he also lifted up his ring finger. "Thirdly, and pay attention to this, because it's important, I'm seeing someone. And unlike some people I know, I don't cheat." He added with an overly sweet smile.

"You have a girlfriend?" She asked skeptically.

Castle hesitated. They hadn't ever used any kind of title for what they were, and they hadn't actually even gone on any real dates. However, although their relationship didn't necessarily fit any 'normal' parameters, it was working for them so far. So he nodded.

"Yes. She actually just left. And just because I know you're going to ask, her name is Kate, and she is a writer."

Now it was Meredith's turn to cross her arms. She shot him an accusing look.

"She just left?"

"Yes. Not that it's any of your business, but she stayed here last night so Alexis wouldn't be alone while I was at work."

"Where was Martha?"

"Out." Was his simple reply.

"Atta girl." She said with a laugh as her arms dropped back to her sides. "So, she just left, huh? Does she have dark brown hair and was she by any chance wearing a long coat and heels?"

"That's her." He smiled at the image of Kate that popped into his head, then scrunched up his face in confusion. "How did you know that?"

"I bumped into her when I was getting on the elevator. She seemed nice."

"She is nice." He smiled again and sighed happily. "She's much more than nice."

"Well, you obviously aren't going to be any fun today. Where is Alexis?"

"She's doing homework." He glanced upwards.

"On a Saturday?"

"I know." He threw his hands up. "I don't get it either."

They both chuckled.

"Alexis?" Meredith called out loudly.

Castle groaned softly as he heard the familiar footsteps above him. Alexis popped her head out from the top of the stairs for the second time in less than half an hour.

"Mom?" She asked in complete surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to see you. Put your pencil down and lets go shopping."

Alexis shot her eyes over to her father. He shrugged, telling her that it was up to her.

"Okay. Give me a few minutes and I'll be down."

"C'est magnifique! I'll be waiting." Meredith replied with a grin.

"Meredith." Castle said, and she turned to face him. "Please tell me you aren't leaving town with our daughter."

"Why would you even think that?" She asked innocently.

"Because you're speaking French. The last time I heard you speaking French, you took Alexis to Paris."

"Yes, but it was just the one in Texas."

"That was only because you bought tickets to the wrong Paris."

She squinted at him in defiance.

"It wasn't my fault. They really should label the destinations more clearly."

Castle pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to fend off the headache he felt creeping across his temples.

"Just promise me you'll be staying in the city?"

"Yes, Richard." She said exasperatedly. "Relax. We're just going shopping."

"Thank you." He sighed in relief.

Just then Alexis came down the stairs.

"Dad, why aren't you sleeping?" She asked him.

"Because we have company." He said with a forced grin.

"Well, we're leaving. Go to bed."

"Believe me, I want nothing more right now than to go to bed."

"Then go." She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you. I'll see you later."

"I love you too, pumpkin."

He kissed the top of her head and walked her to the door. They were followed by Meredith, who stopped to grab her purse before stepping out into the hall. Alexis pushed the button for the elevator. It had not been used since Meredith had arrived and so the doors opened right away.

"Bye, Dad. Bed. Now." Alexis said as they stepped into the waiting elevator.

"Okay. Bye." He looked at his ex-wife. "Have her back for dinner, will you?"

"But of course." She said with a smile. "I don't need to keep her out late. Now that I'm moving back to the city, we can spend lots of time together."

Two pairs of blue eyes clashed with each other as Alexis and Castle reacted to what Meredith had just said with similar looks of apprehension. Before either could say anything, the doors slid shut and Castle was all alone in the hall.

"Oh boy." He said to the uncaring walls.

He went back into the apartment and went straight to his bedroom. He fell into the bed and drew the covers up to his chin. A smile spread across his face as the faint scent of Kate wafted into his nose. Less than a minute passed before his eyelids began to droop. He hoped that when he woke up he would find out that he had fallen asleep the moment Kate left and everything since then was simply a dream. No, make that a nightmare.

"What did you mean by that?" Alexis asked.

"By what?" Meredith answered distractedly as she used the reflective surface of the door to reapply her overly red lipstick.

"You just said you're moving back here."

Meredith turned and smiled as she put the nearly empty tube back into her purse.

"I am. The movies and television shows being made in California right now just aren't suitable for an actress of my caliber. So, I'm returning to New York to put my talent to good use on the stage."

"Oh." Alexis replied simply.

"Isn't that exiting? We will be able to go shopping all the time. And we can ogle all the cute boys, joke about your father, and just have a grand old time."

"So exciting." The sarcasm in Alexis' answer was lost on Meredith.

Just then the elevator reached the first floor and they headed out into the cold December air. Alexis shoved her worries to the back of her mind, determined to have fun in spite of the bombshell her mother had just lobbed her way. They hailed a taxi and climbed in.

"Times Square, please." Meredith said to the driver.

His only response was a nod before he pulled into traffic.

A rhythmic sound awoke Castle from a deep sleep. He blinked his eyes into focus and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. When he saw that it was 7:22 he hoped that it was PM, and that he hadn't slept all the way through the night. He'd done that once before and hadn't been able to sleep for two days. Then the noise that had interrupted his sleep began again. His police training told him that they were definitely footsteps, and he knew he wasn't alone in the apartment. Judging by the clacking, it was either a female or a man dressed in drag. He was betting on the former.

His mind began to race as he tried to figure out who it was. Alexis hadn't been wearing heels when she left, and the pace was too slow to be Meredith's ever-hurried gait. Kate's book signing wasn't supposed to be over until around 8:00. His mind was still a bit foggy, but he reached for his gun out of habit. Suddenly the intruder called out.

"Richard? Alexis? Where is everyone?"

He sighed and let out a relieved chuckle as his mother's voice rang out. He hadn't thought it would be her. Usually when she found someone with her 'graydar', she didn't do the walk of shame for at least two days.

"I'm in here, Mother." He replied loudly enough for her to hear.

He got out of the bed and stepped into his bathroom to grab his robe. He was tying it closed as he returned to the bedroom and saw Martha poke her head through the door. She looked at the bed then at her son.

"Richard, why were you in bed? Are you feeling ill?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Nope. Just tired. Worked all night." He went to the door and gestured towards the main area of the apartment. "Let's go to the kitchen. I need caffeine, and I would prefer it hot with cream and sugar."

Martha laughed and led the way.

"Where did Alexis stay last night?" She asked over her shoulder.

"She stayed here."

"What?" She stopped and spun around. "You left my granddaughter alone at night in New York City?"

"I cracked a window so she could call for help if she needed it."

She gave him an incredulous look and then saw the smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

"Not funny, Richard."

"Give me some credit, Mother. Of course I didn't leave her by herself. Kate offered to stay."

"Okay then." She started to turn back towards the kitchen but hesitated. "Now that I think about it, that was probably the most responsible supervision Alexis has ever had."

He laughed loudly as he nodded in agreement. They continued to their destination together. Castle went straight to the coffee pot, Martha to the small wine cabinet. Once they both had their drink of choice in hand, they sat at the bar and sipped in silence for a few minutes.

"Did you have fun with your new friend?" Castle asked.

"I did indeed." Martha replied with a grin.

"What his name? What does he do?"

She smiled and waved a hand nonchalantly.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I'm a homicide detective. I believe some rather strange things."

"I was with Chet Palaburn." She said with a sigh.

"Your high school sweetheart?"

"The one and only. It turns out he is a fan of Kate's books and has a friend at the publisher, which is why he was in attendance at the party."

"Didn't the two of you almost meet up last year?"

"Oh you mean through that Myspace page Alexis made for me?"

"The one and only." He echoed her mockingly.

"I never accepted his friend request." She said, ignoring his verbal jab.

"How about that. What a small world."

"Yes, indeed it is. Anyway, we're going out for brunch in the morning."

"A second date? Wow. That's a big step for you, Mother." Castle quipped.

She swatted him on the arm.

"Well let me tell you, we may have grown old, but some things never change."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he got up to refill his empty mug.

"You know how they say things get better with age?" She paused as he nodded. "Well he was my first, and the saying is true."

"Mother." He groaned. "I did not need to know that."

"You brought it up, dear son of mine."

"And you brought it into the gutters."

She laughed and he couldn't help but smile.

"Some things just belong there, I suppose." She took another sip of her wine. "Okay, subject change. Where is my Alexis? I haven't seen her since I got home."

"She is out. Shopping, I believe."

"Really? With whom?"

"About that." His smile disappeared. "I have some news that should turn your stomach even more than mine did at your over-sharing."

"What's that?"

The front door opened at the same time his mouth did. Alexis came in first.

"Grams!" She said as she put the bags in her hands down and ran over to hug her.

"Hello, sweetheart. Did you have fun?"

"Actually, yes." Alexis responded as she pulled away. and looked at Castle. "Hey, Dad. Did you get some sleep?"

"Yes. Did you really have fun?"

"For the most part. We brought home dinner. Is Chinese okay?"

"Chinese is never not okay." He said, earning him two slightly confused looks which he ignored.

"Who is your mysterious partner in crime?" Martha asked Alexis. "Your dad was about to tell me."

"You didn't tell her yet?" Alexis asked Castle.

"Nope." He confirmed as he shook his head.

Alexis looked back at Martha.

"I was out with my mom."

"That's nice." Martha began to lift her still half-full glass up for another sip, but stopped halfway. "Wait. Do you mean Meredith is here?"

Both of them nodded. As if on cue, the subject of conversation finally made her appearance.

"Sorry for the delay folks. I was talking to this cute guy in the hall. Oh, Martha! You're home. This is great. We can have a nice family dinner."

Meredith kept talking, but they weren't paying attention to her rambles.

Martha drank the rest of her wine in a single gulp.

Alexis started taking the food from some of the bags they had brought up.

Castle watched the scene unfolding in front of him and a thought popped into his head. 'Three stubborn red-heads and and out-numbered male makes four, I wonder how quickly I could get out the door.'

Kate sat on her couch and sighed loudly into the quiet of her apartment. The book signing had gone well, and by the time it was over she'd signed her name hundreds of times. She was planning to relax with a hot bath, but she wanted to call Castle first. She unlocked the screen on her phone and touched his name. It rang five times before his voice-mail picked up. She smiled when she heard his recorded voice start talking.

"You've reached the voice-mail of Rick Castle. I can't answer my phone right now because I'm busy fighting crime or sleeping. Do your thing when you hear the ding and I'll call you back when the bad guys are behind bars. Or when I wake up."

"Hey, Rick." She said after the tone sounded. "Call me when you can. I got in touch with Michelle, and she can come by tomorrow. I hope you had a good day. Talk to you later."

She ended the call up and left the comfort of her couch. She went into her bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucet, testing the temperature of the water on her wrist. Once it reached the perfect level of nearly-too-hot-to-stand, she put the stopper in the drain and added some soap for the bubbles.

By the time the water had filled the basin, she was ready to get in. She shut off the faucet and slowly put a foot in the steaming water. It was hotter than she'd thought it was, but it felt good as she settled down into it. She leaned against the back of the long porcelain tub and closed her eyes in peaceful bliss.

A few minutes passed and she was close to dozing off when the sounds of Inner Circle's 'Bad Boys' came from her cellphone. She smiled and reached for a towel to dry her hands and grabbed the phone from the small shelf that sat across the bathtub. She pressed her finger to the screen and accepted the call.

"Hello, Detective." She said after put the phone on speaker and set it back on the shelf.

"Hello yourself." Castle replied. "How was your book signing?"

"Busy. A lot of people came."

"Any crazies?"

"No." She answered with a laugh. "How was your day? Uneventful and full of sleep?"

"Sleep yes, uneventful no."

"What happened?" She inquired as she adjusted herself so she was sitting up straighter.

"What's that noise?" He asked.

"What noise?"

"That splashy noise."

"Oh." She felt a laugh coming on and bit her lip to suppress it. She could have some fun with this. "I'm taking a bath." Nearly ten silent seconds passed before she spoke again. "Rick, you still there?"

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Um...did you just say you're in the bath?"

"I did."

"Like, in a bathtub?"

"Yes."

"With bubbles?"

"Yes." She grinned.

"So, you're naked?"

"That is the usual state of dress when one takes a bath." It was all she could do not to burst out laughing as he fell silent again.

As she waited for his response she heard another voice come through the speaker.

"Who are you talking to, kitten?"

The female voice was somewhat familiar, but Kate didn't know who it was.

"None of your business." Castle said to the stranger.

"Who is that?" Kate asked him.

"The event I mentioned." He replied.

"Richard, come back out here. We miss you, kitten."

"Meredith, I'm on the phone. Please leave me alone."

Kate heard Castle sigh and then a door closed.

"It that Meredith as in your first wife and mother to your daughter?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. As I was saying, my day was far more eventful than I'd hoped for. She showed up right after you left this morning. Actually, she said she bumped into you on the elevator."

Everything clicked as Kate realized that's why she'd recognized the voice in the background.

"We did bump into each other. Literally. But I didn't know that was Meredith." She swallowed nervously.

"Well, when I told her I was unavailable she took Alexis shopping. They brought home dinner and now she just won't leave." He stopped and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"She said that she is moving back here. To the city."

Kate heart jumped and her stomach tightened.

"Really?"

"Unfortunately." His tone changed, and she noticed a hint of frustration.

"I'm sorry?"

"No question needed. I'm sorry too." He said, confirming her suspicions.

Kate's nerves calmed instantly. He didn't want Meredith there either.

"It'll all work out." She said encouragingly. "Did you listen to my voice-mail?" She decided it was time to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah. What time is Michelle coming?"

"Around noon. She insisted on bringing lunch. She is a fantastic cook." Kate laughed. "But just eat whatever she gives you. Under no circumstances should you ask what is in it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean her food is delicious. As long as you don't know what it is."

"All right, then." His voice softened. "Will you be joining us?"

"I have a meeting at eleven, but I'll come to the precinct as soon as it's done. We should be able to wrap up around 12:30 or 1:00."

"Bring whatever you want to show the guys about your mother's case. We can go ahead and bring them into the investigation."

"I will." She looked down at her hands. "I better go, Rick. I've got more wrinkles than a 90 year old."

He laughed warmly and the sound gave her butterflies.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes you will. Good luck with Meredith tonight."

"Thanks." He paused, and she could practically hear him thinking. "And Kate? You know I wouldn't do anything with Meredith, right?"

She smiled even though he couldn't see her.

"Don't worry, Rick. I trust you completely."

"I just wanted to make sure. Goodnight, Kate."

"Goodnight, Rick."

They hung up and Kate got out of the bathtub. She dried off and put on some pajama pants and a tank top. Judging by his tone of voice, Rick was not enjoying himself at the moment, and if she wasn't so tired she would have gone over to try and help make the situation a little more bearable.

She pulled the plug from the drain and started to go to her living room to gather the crucial pages of information that she would need to take to the precinct the next day, but she decided halfway there that she could just do that in the morning. She returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed.

A few minutes later she was in bed, thinking of ex-wives, book signings, and a certain dark-haired detective. She found her eyelids beginning to fall surprisingly quickly, and she let herself slip into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

A/N - Will Meredith throw a wrench into the Christmas plans? Will the gang at the 12th be able to help the dynamic duo with Johanna's murder investigation? We shall see. Thanks again for reading, and to those of you just tuning in, thanks for stopping by! Until next time, Paige.