Wow, I wrote this second chapter even before responding to the reviews for chapter one! Ideas for this story were bombarding me all day, and I knew I wouldn't get a moment's peace from my muse until I gave you all another chapter. Just FYI, in the story it is now Tuesday morning. You can just think of it as a REALLY long multi-day Monday, since none of the shippers have slept yet anyway, so for them it feels like it's the same day.

In case you're wondering, yes, I am the 'Lizzie' in this story. (I just couldn't resist!) Nat is Natalie Elizabeth, a fellow fan fiction author. I wasn't sure if I should post this story or not, and she gave me the encouragement I needed to share my crazy idea with all of you. If you need a regular Castle story (but absolutely wonderful; read my reviews for that story, and you'll know what I mean; better yet, read the story) after reading another chapter of my odd tale, Nat's story "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" would be a great place to start.

Disclaimer: I can only wish. Maybe I'll have a dream sometime where I get to be in an episode. That would be so cool!

"Yo, Beckett, you have to come see this!"

Wondering what Esposito could be so worked up about this early in the morning when they didn't even have a case, Kate walked over to the fellow detective. Her eyes went wide at the mob of people surrounding the precinct. The crowd went as far as her eyes could see and beyond.

"Wha-?" Kate was too shocked to finish even that one word.

"Detectives, would you mind telling me why there is a mob outside of my precinct?" Captain Gate's voice came from behind Kate. Both detectives spun around, neither having any idea about what to say.

"I can answer that," Detective Ryan said, having stepped out the elevators just in time to hear the Captain's comment. "They call themselves the Caskett shippers."

"And you know this how?" Gates asked.

"They told me," he said simply. "All of them. In unison. Weirdest thing I'd ever seen."

"So you're telling me this mob works in transferring coffins?" Gates' tone was skeptical. "Why in the world are they here?"

Ryan shook his head. "Not those kinds of shippers," he said.

"Oh no," Kate had a horrible suspicion that she knew where this was going. Memories of her conversation with Castle about shippers, people emotionally invested in another's relationship, rushed to the forefront of her mind.

"Yep," Ryan didn't bother to contain his grin. "'Cas' for Castle, 'kett' for Beckett. Caskett."

That's ridiculous!" Gates said. "Richard Castle and Detective Beckett aren't even dating!"

"Which is why they're here," Ryan said. "They're asking for Beckett."

"What if Beckett doesn't come out?" one of the shippers asked worriedly. "What if she sneaks out the back door or something?"

"She won't," Star, another shipper that was standing ten people away from the worried soul, said reassuringly. "Gates wouldn't let her. We're too big of a crowd to be ignored. It wouldn't look good to the higher ups and you know that's what Iron Gates cares about."

Lizzie couldn't help but giggle at the conversation. Part of it was the euphoric high of getting the chance to see her favorite writer and her detective live and in person (she hoped!). But the conversation sounded so much like one she and Nat would have (with Lizzie as the worrier) that she was surprised that the worried questions hadn't come out of her own mouth.

A gasp from behind them caused Lizzie and Nat to turn. Excited cries of "Castle! It's Castle!" rippled through the crowd. Lizzie and Nat started jumping up and down, as did many of the other shippers as soon as they started to realize that the writer had finally arrived.

Lizzie and Nat were towards the middle of the crowd so at first they weren't entirely certain what was going on. It only took a few minutes for them to notice the way the crowd was parting to let the man through. It reminded Lizzie of that old Bible movie she had seen a few years ago, except in this case it was a crowd being parted, rather than a huge sea. Both Lizzie's and Nat's eyes grew wide as they realized they were at the edge of one of the 'waves' and Castle would be walking right past them!

A moment later, the miracle happened. Castle walked past, no more than a foot or so away from them, two coffees in hand. Lizzie couldn't contain herself; she let out a squeal reminiscent of the way American teens used to react to seeing Elvis Presley or the Beatles. When the writer gave her a confused glance, looking her right in the eye, Lizzie became worried that she would fall into a dead faint.

Embarrassment hit Lizzie immediately after. She'd gotten the chance of a lifetime and all she could do was squeal like a pig? Argh!

She felt better when she heard another shipper give the exact same reaction. And then another. And another. And another. All the way up to the door of the precinct.

Lizzie felt a twinge of disappointment (a feeling she shared with all of the other shippers) when Beckett hadn't made an appearance by the time Castle arrived at the familiar building.

Nat's whisper of, "It's Lanie!" caused Lizzie and those nearby to search wildly for the beloved M.E. The shippers had long seen Lanie as their leader, given that the woman was Beckett's best friend and had been rooting for Caskett to get together as long as they all had.

Lizzie was puzzled when she didn't see walking anywhere through the crowd. Nat finally nudged her friend and pointed up.

"No way," Lizzie breathed. "Awesome!"

For the M.E. wasn't walking anywhere. Instead, she was being carried by the crowd. Literally. The explanation spread through the crowd: Two male shippers at the edge of the crowd furthest away from the precinct had lifted Lanie above the crowd. More shippers raised their hands, helping her to make her way through the crowd. Once it started, it didn't enter any shipper's mind to do anything other than keep it going.

Shouts of "We love you Lanie!" and "You're our hero, Lanie!" and "We're here to help, Lanie!" were heard as the M.E. passed by.

Lizzie noticed that Lanie seemed as baffled as Castle by the whole thing. She wasn't worried, though. Once the M.E. was informed what the plan was, Lizzie was sure the woman would be all for it.

"Liz, look!" Nat said a moment later. Lizzie quickly looked in the area her friend had indicated and a beaming smile graced her lips as she saw what had caught Nat's attention: Alexis and Martha had arrived.

"They look worried," Lizzie whispered.

" I wonder if we're on the news," Nat pondered aloud. "Maybe they saw a report on TV. They're probably worried about Castle."

"We didn't want to worry them!" Lizzie cried.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Nat said. "As soon as Beckett arrives-" (Where was the woman, anyway?) "it won't take them long to figure it out. Especially once that wall comes crashing down!"

Lizzie was still beaming as Martha and Alexis passed by, but it didn't have quite the same thrill as seeing Castle and Lanie had. After all, Lizzie worried that Alexis was anti-Caskett, and Martha had tried to get Castle to date someone else in the last episode.

Suddenly the mood in the crowd shifted. The air of excited expectation had altered to downright hostility. None of the shippers had to be alerted to the problem.

As one, the shippers turned to face the individual that had just arrived: Gina.

Sorry, guys. I can't stand cliffhangers, but this was the only place I could end this chapter.

As always, please R&R.