Did I say I'd update Tuesday? Clearly, I meant in two weeks. But I'm really sorry for not updating last week, you guys. Life is crazy right now, and I was up until after 3:00 am editing a video, so I may or may not be delirious. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and following. I wish I could offer you more in return.

As always, Suzanne is the moon of my life. And my beta. I appreciate the heck out of all of you and hope you enjoy.

For having just found an important clue to her mother's murder that's been sitting under her nose for twelve years, Kate Beckett doesn't seem very enthusiastic.

"Detective?" he asks, grin fading. She's mumbling to herself, pausing every few words to beat her brow with the flat of her hand. "Beckett, you're going to have to share if this thing is going to work."

She lifts her eyes, glaring, and he can practically see the walls erecting in her gaze. Warning. Keep out. "The only reason you're still here is because I've run out of options. This is still my case, not yours. Do you understand?"

"I wasn't trying to-"

"Maybe I should have been more clear. But this, this…" she trails off, unsure.

"Partnership?" Castle suggests.

"This arrangement has certain conditions." Beckett raps a fist on the desk to punctuate. She has wide knuckles for a woman, he thinks. Maybe. Far from dainty at any rate. But her wrists are so bony. He wonders at how she could look so strong and fragile at the same time, and then realizes that he's been staring at her hands which is a little weird, even for a psychopath. "Maybe I didn't quite think this through."

She's doubting her decision, and he can't have that. If she backs out now, he might not get another shot. "What if there's more to it than you thought? That last case your mother was working on, the one you couldn't find, what if it was about something that happened in this alley?" He points to the computer monitor. "What if she was investigating it when they killed her?"

"Yeah, well, I would have to go look through the archives and reports to find out, and my captain won't let me back in the precinct right now," she sighs.

"I'll go." He stands from his chair. Suddenly, gravity forces him back down to the seat with a thud. Oh, not gravity. It's Kate Beckett with her fingers clenched over his forearm. Even though the fabric of his sleeve, her touch sears. He stares until her hand drops at her side.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not have you traipsing around the 12th Precinct. Not gonna happen."

"Just listen, Beckett, I'll be quick. In and out. No one will ever be the wiser. I've done it before. You saw. How do you think I got into the prison?" Castle raises an eyebrow. "I bet you want to know."

He can see her curiosity peak, but she shakes her head. "I won't let you. It's too risky. Oddly enough, I don't trust you, Castle. And I'd like to avoid losing my badge and ending up in prison for life if at all possible."

"Come on," he urges. "You and I have the same interests. What's not to trust?" It never really occurred to him that accepting his help could get her in trouble. Not just the slap on the wrist kind of trouble, but in some serious shit. They wouldn't really sentence her to life, would they?

"I work with people there, people that I care about. So my answer is final."

Geez, she's stubborn. "Fine. Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know, Castle! Just shut up, and let me think," Beckett snaps, but not a second later, her phone begins to buzz. She looks at the caller ID. "It's-" Her mouth slams shut before she can disclose the name of whoever's phoning her, seeming to think better of it.

He rolls his eyes. It's not like he doesn't know about her teammates, Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito. About her recovering alcoholic father, Jim Beckett. About her friend, Lanie Parish, who works down in the morgue and her captain, Roy Montgomery. It's not invasive, just...thorough. Okay, perhaps a little invasive.

"Yes?" Beckett answers the phone, authoritative. Must be Esposito or Ryan. Her finger comes up to her lips, cautioning him to stay quiet or else. "What? You found fingerprints? Was there a match?" She pauses to listen. "Hal Lockwood. Of course, it's a cover. You're at his apartment?"

"Listen, boss, we found-" He hears over the speaker and can't make out the rest of the words, but it must be bad because she raises her eyes to his, panicked.

"All right, thanks. Keep me in the loop, okay?" Then, she ends the call.

"What's wrong?"

"Damn it," she curses, standing up and rushing to her hall closet. "Shoot. He's coming. I have to…" But she's too distracted digging through boxes to finish.

"Beckett you're-" he almost says scaring me, but no, that's not right. He doesn't get scared. "You're still not telling me what's going on."

"My partners found the sniper who shot John Raglan," her voice rings out, muffled from the closet. "They went to his apartment."

"Well, that's good news, right?"

"He wasn't there. But they found evidence that he had been staying there. And, uh, photographs that he took of me. Seems like that's been happening a lot lately." He's suddenly glad that she's not in the same room, otherwise, she'd see him blush.

"But wait. You said he's coming." Castle moves closer to the closet door. "Beckett, who's he?"

"My captain. He's coming to show me Lockwood's photos. I was given the heads up." She appears at the doorway with a little aha! and holding…

"Rope?"

"Cuffs would make too much noise," she explains. "Now, get in the closet."

Short chapter, I know. Can I promise the next one will be longer? I will see you all next Thursday. Failure is not an option. Until then, let me know what you thought down below.