Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't

NB: Still writing this so, the updates won't be daily, sorry.

Collaboration

OOOO

"Thank you," she let her hands rest in his hair, just holding him.

Thank you for having so much faith in me. Sorry you have too much faith in me.

The thought threatened to close her throat. She would be better. She would just have to live up to his trust.

"Castle," she managed. "Here is something just for you. As much as I love your books, you don't know how much it would mean to me if I could help you give people justice. You help me get justice for people everyday. This time I want to help you."

OOOO

The gentle sensation of her fingers running in soothing patterns was threatening to send him to sleep now he was sure she wasn't going to bolt. The only reason he didn't was the uncomfortable chill that remained in the side of the bath and leaning over it made it hard to breathe.

"So fill me in," her voice broke their truce of silence. "Who is our victim?"

Wow. She was really serious about helping him with this.

He hadn't allowed him to think about it after the bombshell she had dropped on him – her words were enough. But she seemed determined. A thrill of excitement ran through him at the possibility of writing with Kate.

"A NYU student."

"Crime scene?"

"New York Public Library."

"Really?" there was disbelief in her tone.

"You don't like it?" he tensed, anxious for her response.

"No," she was emphatic. "I like the library."

"But not the student," his voice was muffled as it wafted up from the bath, sounding strange even to his ears.

"The Richard Castle I know is allergic to clichés."

"It's not clichéd," he argued. "But I guess it's not very interesting."

"That's better."

"So, not a student," he muses. "That means a page one rewrite almost."

"What?" she sounded startled. "You can't be serious."
"The motive is no longer relevant. I need another victim."

"Why did you kill her?"

"She was a witness."

"So you could keep the motive the same, right? Have them overhear something."

"I could. So who would make a good victim?"

"No one makes a good victim, Castle," she chided him.

"An intriguing one then. Give me five."

"Five?"

"So I can pick and choose. Knowing the way your mind works, you'll have too many good ideas to narrow it down to any less."

"Five characters," she mused. "People who would have been in a good position to overhear some important information."

He could hear her thinking as she rinsed out the shampoo with deft movements.

"All right. I'll start easy. A receptionist."

"Pass."

"A lawyer."

"Not bad," he granted.

"A bail bondsman."
"Ooh! I like it."

"I figure you do this research for a reason, right?"

"And I really have a life time of stories now, but it isn't as easy as it looks finding a case that can intersect with both Nikki and Rook's lives. The last case, I went for interesting, but since Rook wasn't actually shadowing Nikki, he didn't have much of a role, plot-wise at least."

"You let him help her after-hours."

"I thought it was about time that I started letting him mature and be more than the annoying sidekick."

"I'm glad. You know in Heat Wave I didn't really like Rook," she offered.

"You weren't supposed to. I wrote him so he could evolve."

"He was as annoying as you were when you started following me, but he wasn't even helpful."

"I knew you didn't hate me," he gloated.

"Didn't mean I wasn't serious about shooting you. But I guess it makes sense; you've come a long way, so Rook is starting to follow."

"He'll do better this time, I hope. It depends on the case."

"Paparazzi," she said suddenly. "If the victim was a member of the paparazzi, that would work into Rook's world."

"I think I'm offended you referred to Rook as a gossip hound."

She smacked his head lightly.

"Hey!" he grumbled.

"Idiot."

"So, what made you think of that?"

"The dog show case. And a little of the Burns case last year – not that he was a member of the paparazzi."

"Hmm," his mind was starting to hit overdrive again and he wished that he could sit down and start his murder board.

"Not good?" she asked, her hands slowing in their application of the conditioner.

"No. I like it, I really do."

Her hands started moving again and he could hear the sound of her relieved sigh fall into the bath.

"What was it the victim overheard?"

"I had a good idea, but it was a little, controversial. That was what I've been thinking about all afternoon."

"Controversial? Please tell me you aren't thinking about including the CIA or a possible third world war."
"No! I don't want to give any ideas to the people out there behind that whole mess."
"So what was it?" she sat on the bath and let him sit up as they waited for the conditioner.
"Promise not to be mad?"

Her face which had been light and excited, darkened.

"I was thinking of having them overhear about a treasure." He watched her face carefully, hoping she wouldn't object to the use of the case involving her former Training Officer. When her face didn't outwardly change he continued cautiously. "A millionaire's house was robbed and the jewelry hidden. The man was caught but he was shanked in prison. He was going to be victim one when Nikki made the connection."

"And the paparazzi would get wind of it how?"

"They would be following the wife. The jewels were hers."
"And she knew about the plan, how?"

"Because she arranged the theft. She wanted them sold discretely for a nest egg. Her husband is going to divorce her and she'll have nothing."

"It sounds plausible, but you've killed off the only person who knows where the jewels are which means there is nothing for the paparazzi to overhear."

He frowned.

"If it were me," she started with a thoughtful look.

"Which it is," he grinned.

"I would look into ordered the hit on the thief."

"Nice," he couldn't stop his eyes jumping around the room. There were just too many possibilities and he liked this story so much more he wanted to write it now. With Kate giving him some of the information, his mind was racing to weave it into his growing plot. He really wanted his murder board right now.

"I know what you're thinking, Castle, but you can't go anywhere until you're clean."

He looked at her and saw the amusement and a little of the same excitement in her eyes. It didn't still the sudden energy thrilling through him, but only made him want to write more.

"It'll all still be there in half an hour. Use the time in the shower to think and we can talk when you get out. "

OOOO

It took a total of two days to plan this new novel. Richard Castle would be the first to admit that since joining the volunteer squad at the 12th precinct, he had never wanted for stories. There was a new case which got his creative juices almost every month.

But considering Rook didn't shadow Nikki the way he did Beckett, not all of them were the easiest to incorporate.

When he got out of the shower though and pulled himself into the fresh sweats she had left on the vanity, they didn't stop.

It had started out as a messy mind map on a sheet of paper. He whined about it, having to let his muse resort to writing on paper. How very unrefined.

She told him to shut up and she would put it all on his digital murder board when they had locked down all the new details. They had thrown ideas at each other, argued, drafted timelines, evidence, even key questions for the interrogations until Alexis had arrived home, taken one look at the explosion of paper that had surrounded the two camped out on the office floor, and sent her home.

Even a hot bath at 1.30 that morning hadn't been able to shut off her brain. Even through the fog of exhaustion this morning, she couldn't bring herself to believe that the reluctance she had felt last night to leave, go home and sleep had been strong enough to rival her commitment to legitimate cases.

She could see how Castle, being a writer by profession, would have been driven out of his house in an attempt to quiet the rush of possible information in his head. Once again she felt that deep urge to take all those pieces of paper, not unlike her mother's board at home, and put them together – to force some resolution and clarity into them.

She couldn't hold back the thrill she felt when she saw him, even though he was only holding one cup of coffee.

She wanted to tell him about all the things that had forced themselves on her consciousness. In the bath, possible lines and conversations were playing themselves out. Even more so when she finally let herself turn out the light.

"Castle," she smiled.

"Hey," he grinned back at her and extended the coffee to her. "I thought you might need it."

"I've been drinking the old stuff all morning," she admitted. "What are you doing in today?"

"Alexis couldn't take it anymore and kicked me out."

"Ah." Suddenly after last night, it was very understandable.

"So, I was wondering if you had any plans for tonight? There hasn't been a body drop, right?"

"No. We're just working on some old cases at the moment."

"Would you be willing to help me kill and arrest people after hours?" he had a hopeful look on his face and she couldn't help but release the smile she had been holding back all morning.

"I would."

He beamed and made to reply until he was interrupted from a shout out from the elevator.

"Hey, Castle!"

Even though he had turned to face the guys and she couldn't see the smile itself, she could see the wrinkles deepening on the side of his face.

It was cute the way the boys were so happy to see each other after just a day. They had never said anything, but she knew they had been concerned when Frozen Heat was released as the last in the contract. They hadn't even bothered to act tough when they heard that it had been extended.

They all had a lot to drink that night.

"What you doing here?" Esposito clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thought you might like to sign my latest accessory. I was assured that red was the height of fashion, so I don't want any complaints."

"I didn't think they even consulted adults. That's just for kids."

"What? No it's not!"

"Kinda is." Ryan glanced between them.

Castle looked offended. "So not true, and just for that I am going to offer the Captain prime real estate on the top next to Beckett which I had reserved for you two." It was her colleagues' turn to look offended. "Maybe she'll draw a cool set of formidable looking, iron-wrought gates."

"And maybe I won't," came the dry voice from behind them. They turned to look at her, Castle looking decidedly more abashed than the rest of them.

"Mr. Castle, Ryan and Esposito informed me of your little accident yesterday."

"I'm fine Captain, I'll be back in no ti… I am back."

"There was absolutely no hurry," she assured him blandly. "But since you're here you can help those two write the incident report."

"Actually, Sir, writing isn't really possible," he shrugged his arm pointedly.

She stared at him for a long second before turning to Beckett who was watching the exchange with a small smile.

"He isn't ambidextrous?"

"Apparently not."

"I trust you've learnt how to forge his signature, Detective?"

"Yes, Sir," she didn't even blink.

Gates nodded in apparent satisfaction, though the quirk of her lips was suspicious and turned to walk away.

"Captain?" Castle called. "I'd settle for just a signature?"

The retreating figure never slowed but her voice floated back to them. "We'll see."