A/B: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the follows and reviews. You make me keep going with this. I hope I am keeping up with your expectations...

Some of you are worried because Castle and Beckett are a little OOC, but AU gives us the chance to play a little bit with certain aspects of their personality and I am enjoying my time doing just that.

There is a little bit of drama on this chapter, but have no fear, things will get better. Scout promise ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 3

He's still reeling thirty minutes after talking to Patrice Berkowitz on the phone.

She knew that their meeting had been just a couple of days ago, but since she was certain that he wasn't going to start making his guest list for the upcoming party – she didn't care that he refused to celebrate it yet once again – she felt free to send him a draft of it through email, which she was making sure he knew about, so that he couldn't use not checking his mail as an excuse to not giving it a look. She also came up with a list of venues she wanted him to choose from. So thoughtful of her… "I don't want to be the bad guy here, Richard. At least I am letting you pick the place."

He hasn't checked his mail yet and he doesn't plan on doing so anytime soon. He has, instead, spent his morning playing with his brand new drone with which he's managed to break two lamps and some expensive, yet hideous figurine his mother gave him years ago for his birthday. Who's to say he's not productive?

He lets himself fall into the couch with a soft oomph and takes his phone out of his pocket. It's been days now and there hasn't been a word online about his full-in act at the coffee shop. He can't believe that stupid speech at the bookstore worked to keep the story away from the media.

Maybe he should… No. You never go back to the crime scene, Rick, you know better than that. But… She saved his ass, didn't she? She could have gotten a lot of publicity for her business out of their little quarrel, but she kept quiet and he surely appreciates it. He definitely should go thank her for it.

It is almost impossible to hail a cab on a rainy day in NYC, so he decides to grab his umbrella and walk the ten blocks to Ryan's, the little coffee shop where everything started.

He wants to talk to Kevin first. He owes the man an apology too, and maybe, if he plays well his cards, he can get some information about Kate. He doesn't know her, but he has the feeling that she's a hard nut to crack.

He enters the coffee shop after a longer than expected walk, half drenched from the rain. He is freezing and coffee sounds heavenly right now, but first things first.

Rick approaches the counter and waves at the barista, not The Flash today, he thinks. At least this one hasn't had the chance to resent him for anything yet.

"Hey kid, I am looking for Kevin." He asks, leaning over the bar. "Is he here?"

The boy squints at him and then opens his mouth in realization. "Oh! You mean Mr. Ryan?"

Castle stutters for a second and then nods. "Um, yes?"

"I'll go get him for you, sir. Wait a second."

The kid disappears behind the brown door that separates the bar area from the back store – he guesses – and comes back ten seconds later with Kevin at his tail.

"This man was asking for you, sir." The barista says, going back to his job without giving them a second look.

"Do I… Oh! It's you…" Kevin grunts, crossing his arms and pursing his lips. "What can I help you with?"

Rick scratches the back of his head and clears his throat, avoiding Kevin's eyes. "I um… I came to apologize to you for my behavior the other day. I am incredibly sorry." He mumbles. "I was not having the best of days and I know that is no excuse to being a jerk, but... yeah. I am really sorry."

The coffee shop owner takes a minute to consider his words, looks at him, eyes narrowed, and then gives him a nod. "Ok." He says, smiling softly. "Thank you for taking the trouble to come all the way over here to apologize. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Rick parrots back. "I mean, thank you, for being so understanding. That's… refreshing." He chuckles. "Now… I would like to ask you for a favor."

She closes the magazine with a sigh. When did Vogue become so boring? She wonders, putting it under the counter and leaning her head on her hand. Oh yeah, I know. She tells herself. When I started checking it out twenty times a day dew to no work at all.

She ponders her options: Dust the whole place for the umpteenth time this week, do some inventory, which would be useless since they haven't sold a single book in forever, or go get her laptop from the office and start searching for a job.

Option number three wins the poll and she gets up from the high stool they keep behind the counter and heads to the back store lost in her thoughts.

"Good morning." She hears, along with the sound of the door closing.

"Good morning." Kate repeats turning to face the unexpected customer a little puzzled. "May I-" She cuts herself off and stares at him wide eyed.

"Yes, I know." Castle jokes. "Everybody seems to be surprised to see me today."

"Uh… I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see you again." Kate explains, feeling a little stupid after the words leave her mouth. "I mean,"

"No, it's ok. I get it."

They both stay silent for a few seconds, both feeling a little bit awkward, until Castle offers her one of the Styrofoam cups he's holding.

"Grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla." He chants, a soft smile on his face.

It catches her off guard. How in the world does he know her order? "Have you been stalking me or something?" She asks, ignoring his offering. "Is that your new hobby?"

She can tell it was not the right thing to say. Castle's face goes somber and she can actually see his anger growing along with the vein in his neck, but apparently he manages to control himself this time.

"What?" He asks shocked. "I… No! I was at the coffee shop and talked to Kevin." He explains, offering her the cup again.

"Oh really? And what else did you talk about?" She questions, grabbing the coffee from his hand a bit harshly and placing it on the counter.

"Nothing." The writer defends himself. "I just came here to apologize."

"You did that the other day." Kate counters, her brow curving above her left eye.

Castle shrugs. "Well, yes, I did, but I also wanted to thank you for not going to the press with it. You did me a big favor."

She snorts, she can't help it. He has been on the paper quite a lot lately, according to Lanie, but it's not like he's a super star or anything. "Yeah, well, no big deal. It's not like you're Patterson or Lehane. Or, you know… George Clooney." Oh, that definitely bruised his ego.

"Funny!" He laughs falsely. "Very funny."

She can't help but chuckle. "Look, you don't have to thank me for anything. It's ok. Seriously."

He sighs relieved. "Ok. Good."

Another silence takes over and they stand in front of each other, fidgeting and not knowing what to do.

"Kevin told me you're closing?" Castle asks at last, picking the worst topic he could to break the ice.

It catches her by surprise but she nods, picking up the coffee cup from the counter and taking a long sip. "Yes."

The writer nods slowly, taking a look around the whole place. "That's a shame. This place is something."

"How would you know? You've been here for five minutes." She counters rolling her eyes.

"I'm a writer. I've been to hundreds of bookstores. This one has something that makes it special. I can tell. It has… a soul."

"It does." Kate agrees, deflating.

"Isn't there anything you can do to stay open? It's really sad that a place like this has to close."

Ah, there it is. She hates that question. It makes her so mad! This is her life. How can anybody think she has kept from doing all she can to keep the store going? It is so ridiculous that people even think to ask that.

"Don't you think I've tried, Castle?" She spits his last name so angrily the writer startles. "This is my business, my life. Whatever was to be done to save it is done, I can assure you."

"I'm sorry, you're right. I was just… Maybe I could help somehow. I owe you one after all."

"You don't owe me anything." She answers tiredly.

She can't go on with this. She's had this conversation too many times. The last thing she needs is her 'former' favorite author to add to her already growing guilt. "Look, I've been running this store perfectly fine for the last ten years without your help, ok?"

"I don't think perfectly fine applies when you're going to close…"

Oh, man. This guy doesn't know when to shut up. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry but if you ha-"

"No! Stop it, ok? Just let it go. I don't want to hear anything else about this."

"Kate, please, I just want to hel-"

"Get. Out!" She exhorts, pointing at the exit.

"But…"

The author looks flabbergasted. She knows she's probably overreacting, but she's done with this guy. She's done with him and with this conversation. He needs to go.

"I said, get out. I don't need your pity and I don't need your help. Just get the hell out of my store."

Castle opens and closes his mouth a few times, but nothing comes out, so he turns around and walks out nodding his goodbye to Lanie who is watching them from the door, a grocery bag in her right hand and her phone in the other.

"What the hell was that?" Her friend asks, putting her bag down against the counter.

Kate brushes her hair back and shakes her head, smiling nervously. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Lanie inquires, her eyes wide as saucers. "A best selling author just offered himself to help keep your store open and you kicked him out! That looks like a lot of a something to me!"

"Lanie, it was nothing." Kate huffs, her hands folding into fists.

"No! You keep avoiding the issue with me, Kate, but I know what's coming and I surely won't lose my job without a fight."

"You think I want to close? Is that it?" She yells, her eyes stinging. "This was my mom's dream, Lanie! I've tried everything in my hand to keep this running, but there is no use. We're done. I'm done."

"You've tried everything but letting him help us." Her friend counters, nostrils inflating with every angry breath.

Kate shakes her head and turns around; she needs to get away from this. "He's an immature, egotistical, self-centered jackass and I don't want anything from him, ok?"

"You cannot be serious!" Lanie calls, following after her.

"Lanie! Enough." She slams the office door on her friend's face and leans against it.

She can't do this anymore.

Outside, smirking behind the window of the store, Patrice Berkowitz speed-dials her advertisement manager. "Hey, Brian? I just found the perfect place for the 'Storm Fall' launch party."

After talking to Brian Patrice finishes her coffee and spends a while window-shopping to let some time pass by, so that the woman from the store can cool off after her fight with Rick. She has no idea what kind of relationship they have, but she definitely will make sure Richard Castle pays for the audacity of turning her down.

Twenty minutes later she enters the store, candid smile on her face, and approaches the woman at the counter.

"Morning! My name is Patrice Berkowitz, could I speak to the owner, please?"

"May I ask what for?" The woman asks, reticent.

"Business, of course. I have an offer that she might be interested in."

It takes Kate a few minutes to finally come out and meet Patrice. She's been crying and her mascara stained face wasn't exactly the perfect look to talk business with anybody, or to talk to anybody. Period.

"Hi!" She greets the businesswoman, offering her hand to shake. "Patrice, right?"

"Patrice Berkowitz, yes. And you are?" The woman inquires, looking at her curiously.

"Kate Beckett. Nice to meet you." She offers. "Lanie told me you have something to offer me?"

Down to business. No need to beat around the bush.

"I do, actually." Patrice assents. "I am the CEO at Black Pawn Publishing. I don't know if you're familiar with us?"

"Yes, of course."

"We're releasing the last book of a very well known author in a few weeks and we wanted to celebrate the launch party somewhere special. I just passed by your shop and I think it's just the perfect place for us."

Kate stares at the woman for long seconds and then snaps out of the initial shock. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We would like to lease your store as the venue for our party." Patrice replies naturally, as if renting a bookstore for a party was the most common thing in the world.

"I'm sorry, but we're not a party venue. This is a bookstore."

The woman clears her throat and continues. "I am aware of that." She agrees. "Your friend here just told me that you are about to close, is that right?"

Kate narrows her eyes at Lanie and nods. "Yes."

"Then this shouldn't be that much of an inconvenient." She adds. "We will pay whatever you think is fair."

She ponders the offer. There is no way they would pay the amount of money she needs to keep the store open, but maybe she could get enough for her and Lanie to live for a few months until they find their footing again.

"Anything?"

Patrice nods and takes out her checkbook, clicking a small blue pen on. "Just say the number, dear."

She walks out of the store with a huge smile on her face. Now it's time to break the news to the aforementioned author. She's sure he'll be thrilled.

She dives into her purse and takes her phone out, scrolling through her contacts until she finds Castle's number. She clicks on his name and waits.

"Hello, Patrice. To what do I owe the honor this time?" The writer greets her, a tired tinge to his voice.

"I just wanted to share the good news with you." She goads, smiling mischievously.

She hears him sigh. "What news?"

"I found the perfect place for our party!"

He goes silent and she worries he just hung up on her, but then he asks, "where?"

She takes a breath and then breaks the news to him, rejoicing in the idea of making Richard Castle squirm. "A small bookstore in SoHo. Charming place if you ask me. Maybe you know it? It is called 'Johanna's Dreamland'".

Silence again. This time it's longer, heavier, but she's certain that he didn't hung up after the bomb she just dropped.

"I just talked to the owner, some… Kate Beckett. Lovely woman." She notes. "I told her that you would call her to give her the guest list. Well, not the list, of course, but the number of people. She offered to help with the arrangements since she doesn't want anybody messing with the place. I'll give you her number."

Still not a word from the writer and she can't help but smile to herself. "Are you taking note of it?"

"Yes." Is all she gets.

She recites the phone number to him twice to make sure he gets it right and then hangs up. Mission accomplished.

"Kate Beckett." She answers distractedly as she digs on her caprese salad, stabbing a piece of mozzarella with her fork and putting it in her mouth.

"What are you trying to do?" The voice booms through her phone speaker, startling her.

"I beg you pardon?"

"First you make me feel like an idiot for going there to apologize, then you refuse any kind of help from me and now you are going to host my book party?" He screeches.

"Castle?" She hisses, dropping her fork onto the Styrofoam plate and getting up from her seat. "The party is for you?"

"Oh, and now you're going to tell me that you didn't know!"

"I didn't know." She grunts. "I wouldn't have agreed to it if I would have." She mumbles through greeted teeth. She can't believe she got into this.

"Call her and tell her you won't do it." Castle demands from the other end of the line.

"What?"

"Tell Patrice you changed your mind and you don't want to do it."

"And why on Earth would I do that?"

"Oh, come on! You don't want me there and I don't want a stupid party, so call her and tell her that the deal is off."

"First of all, you don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do." She roars. "Second, I need the money and third, just the fact that you don't want this is making me want to do it even more, so forget it. The party is on."

She takes the phone away from her ear and presses the cancel button, cutting the call short. What is it with this guy that makes her want to rip his head off? She doesn't even know him and he manages to get under her skin like nobody else.

No doubt she will have time to find out what the deal is with him, since they will have to, at least, bear with each other until the whole party thing is over.

What the hell did she get herself into?

TBC

Ok, I've been working on this for 6 hours straight. It is 1 am and I am exhausted and will probably have like 5 hours of sleep tonight. There will be mistakes. Tons of them. I am deeply sorry. Bear with me, please!

Thanks so much for reading. Let me know what you think!