Thank you for all the reviews.

December 1st 1998

Rick Castle decided that he couldn't continue living like that. He was sulking and bathing in his own misery all day. Just because of a girl!

But not just any girl… her!

She wouldn't go out of his head. He kept dreaming about her. He kept seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she smiled. Whenever he walked by his bookshelf and his gaze fell onto the section with Peterson's books he saw her reading in that bar.

He sighed. Why had she left that morning? Didn't she want to have anything to do with him after they had had sex? Or was there another reason?

He'd thought that they had had a connection. From the way she had smiled at him, laughed with him, how she'd kissed him, the way she'd touched him made him believe that it hadn't been just a simple meaningless one-night-stand for her either.

Maybe she'd thought that it had been just a one-night-stand for him and had left before it could get awkward? If so he really needed to clarify that that wasn't the case. He fell in love with her that night.

He needed to do something. And he had an idea. He would find her. And then they could talk and take it from there. If she was going to tell him that it hadn't meant anything to her, he would be heartbroken. But at least he would have closure.

And if she felt the same way he did… Well, he would be the most happy man on this planet.

Yeah, he was determined to find her.

He opened his internet browser and booked a flight to California for tomorrow morning.

Just when he had finished packing his bag, his phone rang.

„Rick Castle" he answered it.

„Hallo Rick. It's Bob. I have tickets for the basketball game on Saturday. Do you want to come?" Came from the other end of the line.

„Sorry Mr. soon-to-be-mayor, but I'm flying out to California tomorrow" Rick told his friend, who was in politics and dreamed of becoming mayor of New York one day.

„Please tell me you are not trying to find this girl" Bob groaned. „You know why it's called a one-night-stand, right?"

„It wasn't a simple one-night-stand. I'm going to find her. You'll see" Rick told him.

„You're such a romantic, buddy" Bob said. „Can't just fuck them and leave them, can you?"

Rick didn't tell him that they hadn't fucked. They had made love. Bob would just laugh at him.

„Have fun at the game. We'll go to another when I'm back. My treat then" Rick said and they ended the call.

O-o-o-o-o

Jim walked into the apartment. He shrugged out of his coat and untied his boots. Then he went into the kitchen where he found his wife cooking dinner.

„Hey" he said and kissed her cheek. „How was your day?"

„It was okay. I just have so many cases right now. Sometimes I don't even know where to start" Johanna answered. „And I'm getting new letters every day. I feel terrible for having to tell them that at the moment I just don't have the capacity. And there was this one case that I found so very interesting… You remember, from this Joe Pulgatti guy whom I was going to meet in prison when Katie called. I really wanted this case and I would still like to take it. But I just don't now if it isn't getting to much" Johanna sighed.

„Well, Jo" Jim started. „You can't save the world. And I wouldn't take more cases. You are already pretty stressed and with Katie pregnant I don't think it is a good idea to work even more."

„Yeah, you are right" Johanna sighed. „Of course Katie is my priority. I just wish I knew someone would help those people who are asking for my help."

„Oh" Jim made when he remembered something that could be of interest for his wife. „I got this e-mail from NYU last week. It said that they are searching desperately for experienced lawyers to teach students in their last year in college before they start working. Maybe that would be something for you. You could teach young people what's important to you and maybe some of them will want to give the people a voice who don't have one."

„That's actually a pretty good idea. Thanks Jim. I'll think about it. Did the e-mail say how long the job offer is open?"

„I think it said end of December but the job already starts in January. So maybe it's too stressy with all your open cases. But I'll direct the e-mail to you."

„Do you think Katie will be embarrassed that her mother is teaching at the same school she is going too?" Johanna asked grinning mischievously .

„Knowing our daughter? Definitely. But she'll just have to suffer through it." Jim laughed. „But speaking of Katie… is she in her room? I got her something."

„Yes, she is in her room. Try to cheer her up a little" Johanna said, knowing their daughter was probably staring holes into the ceiling of her room with that heartbroken look in her eyes.

„I'll try" Jim made his way to his daughter's bedroom and knocked.

„Come in" came Kate's voice from inside.

She was lying on her bed with a book in her hands. She sat up on the bed when her dad came in.

„Hey sweetheart, what are you doing?" Jim asked while he sat down next to her.

„Just trying to read" Kate sighed. Her mind drifted of every few sentences.

„Can't concentrate?" Jim asked. Kate shook her head.

„How are you feeling, Katie?"

„Stupid, dad, so stupid. I just feel so stupid for missing this guy so much. I mean I don't even know him. And there isn't such a thing as love at first sight. That's just stupid. But I just can't make it stop" Kate groaned.

„Oh honey" Jim said compassionately and laid his arm around her shoulders when she let her head sink against his shoulder. „Of course there is such a thing as love at first sight. Your feelings are totally normal, sweetie."

„Thanks dad" Kate said. „I just wish they would go away."

„I got you something that will help" Jim declared. „We are going to a basketball game this weekend. Just you and I, Katie, like old times. I know it's not baseball, but basketball will have to do this time of the year. You can even have popcorn and ice cream and everything else you want."

Kate laughed, remembering that when she was a kid her dad would always only buy her one treat.

„Yeah, I'd like that" Kate agreed. „Thank you."

„You are welcome" Jim told her and then he pulled a wrapped present out of a bag Kate hadn't noticed noticed until now. The wrapping paper had little elephants on it.

„I walked by this store on my way to a client this morning and something in the window caught my attention, so I went in and bought it. It was spur of the moment and if you don't want it, I can give it back. So… here it is. Open it" he handed her the present and Kate started to unwrap it.

When she pulled on the soft fabric, a little white onesie came out.

„I know it's sill a little early. It just caught my attention" Jim shrugged. He really didn't know if Kate would like it. Until now she hadn't bought anything for the baby. So Jim didn't know if she was even ready yet to get anything for it.

Kate held the onesie up. On the front was written: „I love my mommy. But grandpa is the coolest." Tears welled up in her eyes but she chuckled a little too.

„It's cute, dad" Kate said. „Sometimes you really can be the coolest. Thanks"

„Again: you are welcome. I love you Katie-bug" Jim kissed the top of her hair. She was still his little girl. She was pregnant now and would have her own baby soon but she would always be Jim's little girl. As soon as he had realized that, he looked forward to meeting his grandchild. He still felt a little young to be a grandpa but he was going to be the best. He was going to make sure of that.

„Love you too dad"

O-o-o-o-o

December 5th 1998

Bob made his way to his seat in one of the front rows. He had contemplated not going to the game after Rick had bailed on him and none of his other friends had time too. And his girlfriend really wasn't into basketball. But then he'd decided to go anyway since he already had the tickets and didn't want to waste two of them.

The seat beside the one that would have been Rick's was occupied by a young woman. Beside her sat an older man, who Bob guessed was her father.

He sat down on his seat. On Rick's laid the handbag of the young woman.

„Oh sorry, is this your seat too?" she asked and went to retrieve the bag.

„Yes" Bob answered. „But you can leave it. My friend was supposed to sit there but he had better things to do. So you can leave your bag there if you don't want to hold it for the whole game."

„Oh okay" the young woman said. She was really attractive, Bob noticed. But not his type. Plus he had a girlfriend. Who was pretty hot too even if she didn't like baseball.

„What could a man possibly have better to do than watch a sports game?" the older man beside the woman asked.

„He is trying to find the love of his life" Bob said and rolled his eyes.

„Sounds a little dramatic" the woman said.

„Oh believe me, he is" Bob told her. „I'm Bob by the way"

„Kate" the woman said. „And this is my father, Jim"

„Couldn't your friend search for his future wife after the game?" Jim laughed.

„You should think so, but no, Rick has to do it this week" then Bob looked the woman over again. She seemed to be exactly Rick's type. Tall, gorgeous, looked like she could keep him in line. Maybe….Bob thought.

„Hey, do you have a boyfriend" he asked Kate.

Before she could answer, Jim jumped in. „She doesn't"

Kate turned around and glared at him. „Dad!" she hissed.

„Hm…" Bob made. „Maybe I could introduce you. I think you would be his type."

„I'm not interested" Kate told him.

„Are you sure? He is good-looking and kind of rich too."

„I'm sure. I'm not searching for a relationship right now" Kate said. „Now, can we please stop talking about love and just enjoy the game?"

Bob detected heartbrokenness in her voice. Oh well, maybe she had just ended a relationship or something. Too bad. She and Rick would have looked good together. But she had said no, so he wouldn't try again.

Then the game started and aside from a few commentary's they didn't talk much more.

o-o-o-o-o

December 24th

Rick was back in New York and this was going to be his worst Christmas ever. He had nobody to celebrate it with. His mother was going to be in a show.

He sat on the couch in his spacious living room, staring at the shining Christmas tree. He loved Christmas. It was his favorite holiday. But what he loved about it was to see the eyes of the people he loved shine with joy, to feel his own eyes shine like the sun.

This year there were no shining eyes. That had never happened before. His eyes had shone with happiness every year on Christmas. His mother had always done her best to make it special when he was a kid and she would have celebrated christmas with him this year too but the director of her play had doubled the show on Christmas so she had to work all day.

Rick wished he had a kid. He would make christmas the most amazing day for his kid. Christmas would be so joyful if he had a kid. The kid would get lots of amazing and fun toys and they would play together and he would be so happy to make his kid happy. But sadly, he did not have a kid and it didn't look like he would be having one soon.

He hadn't found Mystery-woman. He had gone to that bar every evening for three weeks but she was never there. He had walked around campus because he guessed she could be a student there but he hadn't seen her. And he couldn't really ask people because he didn't even know anything about her.

He hadn't seen her blonde friend from that night either.

So he had flown back home, feeling more hopeless than he had ever felt before.

And now he couldn't even celebrate Christmas. But what he could do, was make Christmas a good day for those who didn't have many of them. He decided to go to the soup kitchen and help there. He had nothing better to do and that way he could do something meaningful.

o-o-o-o-o

Thanks to the reviewers who pointed out that baseball isn't played in December and that the semester at NYU starts in January. Since I'm not living in the US (and have never been there) it's difficult to know these things. So thanks for pointing them out to me. I changed these mistakes now.