A/N: AHAHAHAHAHA I'M BACK. But really I didn't leave, just busy :P. So here's chapter 6, finally. I kinda stopped for a bit to figure out what I was doing with this fic, and I think I have a plan. So the 'infamous roof scene' that I mentioned in the other chapter, will be in either chapter 8 or 9. Just to clear that up.
Anyway, without further adieu, here's my next chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Castle series (my birthday's coming up if Andrew Marlowe feels like selling the rights to a civilian but I really don't see that happening any time soon), the Storm franchise, the Heat franchise, or any of the characters. Andrea is mine, though. I thought I'd delve into her character, using Alexis as a base for her. Anyway, enjoy!
"No," Heat said frantically.
Roach shared a look.
"What?" Heat said defensively. "There has to be another way, I… shouldn't ruin my liaison just yet."
Ochoa turned, looking intently into Heat's eyes. He wouldn't deny that she was attractive, but now he was all in older-brother-mode.
"Nikki…" He shook his head. "What else do you suggest?" he said finally, after a long pause. Raley looked down at his feet.
"We have our memory, yes?" Nikki continued hopefully.
The boys stared at her.
"Yes?"
They nodded quickly.
"Well then, let's start writing. Write down everything you can remember, try to recreate the files, I had a couple back at my apartment, I'm going to run home and get them." Looking at the dismayed looks on Roach's faces, she rolled her eyes. "Come on, we have to do something! Get writing!"
Reluctantly, the boys took out pens and pads of paper as they tried to re-create the murder files they had.
Heat ran towards the elevator as fast as she could in her stilettos, diving in with some unis and riding down to the parking lot.
On the way to her car, she ran into a familiar face.
"Rook?" she asked questioningly.
"Hey, Nikki," he said, smiling. "What'cha doin'?"
"Ah, I gotta run home and get some files from my desk…" she saw his disappointment. "Wanna come with?"
He smiled. "Yeah! Sounds fun!" He shrugged and swung a leg into the passenger side of her Ford Fusion.
After a moment of silent driving, Rook finally spoke. "So… Is this for the CIA case?" he asked intently.
Heat smiled, her upper lip curling in her signature grin. "Yeah. I thought you'd be more involved, considering how up-your-alley the CIA is…" her voice trailed off. "You okay?"
They both knew why Rook wasn't involved, just neither of them wanted to talk about it.
"Yeah… I've been a little busy, that's all. Y'know, Andrea's just graduated from high school, she needs help picking colleges…"
Heat smiled again. "Where'd she choose?" Her voice sparkled with an interest that Rook wasn't expecting.
"Columbia," he said, sharing her smile. Despite whatever Rook and Heat were going through, Nikki and Andrea were always close.
"Oh, that's good!" She said, smiling. She took an opportune moment at a red light to nudge Rook with her elbow. "Keep her close to home," she said with a smile.
Rook laughed merrily as well, and for a moment, Nikki had to hope that they were okay.
"Agent Jones, with all due respect—"
Storm sighed as his boss cut him off.
"No buts, Agent Storm! This has to be done! It doesn't matter if she's your lov—"
"Hey," Storm cut in harshly, annoyed by what his boss was implying, flushing red as he realized that he cut of his direct superior. "Sorry, sir. Continue."
Agent Jones audibly sighed, and Storm could picture him rolling his eyes on the other end of the phone. "It doesn't matter if she's your lover, she has key information at her accommodations, and you need to get it."
Storm sighed. "Yes, sir," he said reluctantly, voice dragging through the pavement behind him as he walked.
"Good," Agent Jones said affirmatively. "I expect Detective Heat's papers on my desk tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir."
The phone went dead.
Storm walked briskly down the road, straightening his black tux. He came up to Heat's house, pulling a slim black device out of his pocket. He inserted it into her lock, pushing open her door.
Looking around her apartment, he called out, "Nikki? Nikki, are you in here?" in his sweetest voice. When no answer came, he proceeded with caution.
Slipping into her office, he found the papers in a manila folder on her desk. Opening it, he slipped out the papers with the official "NYPD" logo printed on the top, skimming them briefly.
They were Agent Deckerson's ME reports.
He slipped those, as well as the case papers, into his tin briefcase. He began to walk out of the door when something caught his eye.
Sitting next to Heat's (very old) computer, was three stand up picture frames. One had a photo of a woman, who was smiling. She looked like Heat, but her eyes were a different color.
This must be Heat's mom…
The second photo was of Nikki and an older man, who Storm assumed was her father.
The third photo is what scared him. It was of Nikki and him on their first date. He felt a chill run through his spine.
I wish you had never met me, Nikki. And I hope that you haven't fallen for me in the way that I have fallen for you.
He heard a gasp in the room over.
"Nikki, why is your front door open?" A gruff voice asked the question.
Damn it! How stupid of me! I left her front door open? What the hell is wrong with me?
"Damn it, Rook! They're here!" Nikki's fair voice echoed through the front room.
Going as fast as his nimble feet would take him, Storm ducked in the hall closet just as Nikki stormed past him. She walked furiously into her office, opening the manila folder on her desk.
After a moment of hesitation, and quite a lot of scuffling, Nikki spoke loudly. "Aw, hell! They got the files," she said in defeat.
"Come on, we'd better get back to the precinct, Heat," the gruff man said grumpily.
"Yeah," Nikki sighed. "I guess." With a final look around the office, Nikki resigned and dropped the empty folder.
The two figures walked out the hall, stepping out of the door and shutting it with a prompt 'click.'
Storm slipped out of the closet, stepping hesitantly into the hall.
That felt way too easy for him. Shouldn't Nikki have at least searched her house?
Cautiously he stepped out the still ajar front door. Why did she leave her door open? He opened the door to his Escalade, sliding quickly behind the wheel.
It wasn't until his head hit the pillow that night that he realized that he'd left his briefcase on her desk.