The next morning, Castle awoke from a very, very pleasurable dream involving him and Beckett. He closed his eyes long enough to picture the beautiful woman in a swimsuit as she lay next to him on a beach at sunset. In the image, she was laughing, her hair damp from salty water with small clumps of sand clinging to small strands. Her swimsuit was lime green and just slightly revealing, but not too much so.

When his ringtone sounded, he rolled his eyes and rolled over to pick it up. Beckett. He smiled again before answering the call.

"For Jameson Rook press 1. For Richard Castle, press 2 or for Derrick Storm, press 3." He heard her laugh on the other end of the line.

"Pressing two." She commentated.

"Why Detective Beckett, to what do I owe this early yet very welcome pleasure?" He asked.

"There's been a murder up town. You wanna come?" She asked as though it was an invite to a party.

"To lend a hand with my in depth theoretical analysis?"

"Hey, don't get too cocky mister!" Beckett warned but was laughing all the time.

"Okay, allow me time to get dressed and I will be right there!" Castle swung his legs out of bed and walked over to his wardrobe.

"Okay see you in ten minutes at the precinct. You can ride with us."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Castle strode out of the elevator at the top floor of the precinct exactly ten minutes later.

"How good am I? It is precisely ten minutes form when you called and I am ready to solve…" Castle was cut short when he saw Josh standing in the bull pen with his arms folded, glaring at Beckett. Uh-oh. Josh turned to face him.

"So, writer boy, you and Beckett huh?" Josh asked. His muscles were tense and a frown was incredibly evident on his face.

"Indeed, motorcycle boy, me and Beckett." Castle replied just as coldly. Beckett flashed a look at the mystery writer, warning him not to aggravate the surgeon. Josh closed his fists; they tightened causing his knuckles to grow white.

"I'm a surgeon. I save lives for a living. You shouldn't be so difficult writer boy because if you need saving I might just not do my job properly." He challenged and this caused Castle to fume. His blood was already boiling. Beckett watched from where she sat at her desk. The normal colour from her cheeks had drained away. She was as white as a sheet.

"Low blow motorcycle boy." Castle snarled. He was smaller than Josh; that would make him quicker but if he was being honest, it looked like Josh might have had some kind of martial arts or combat training.

"You know, you should be careful, I might just find a place for you in my next novel." Castle continued, stepping forward, also clenching his fists. Josh stepped forward too, turning his nose up.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"As what?"

"An old flame of Nikki's past that is just too over-obsessive and won't leave her alone. A character that just keeps coming back and won't let her be around other men, even though he knows they love her more than he ever could."

That did it. Josh swung a punch. Castle stumbled back into a desk, clutching his nose covered in blood.

"Josh no!" Beckett cried out. She watched in horror as Josh lashed round, grabbing Castle's collar and threw him down on the floor before he had even a second to react. Beckett rushed forward, but before she could even attempt to break the two men apart, Josh effortlessly grabbed her by the collar and almost threw her down out the way. She fell to the floor. Josh started punching Castle. Castle blocked him when he could, but he hadn't been in a fight since he had saved Beckett from Lockwood in the warehouse about a year ago… and Castle knew he only one because he caught the man by surprise.

That was when Gates stormed out of her office.

"What the hell is going on out here?" She demanded. Her strict and dominant tone managed to pause the scuffle between the surgeon and mystery writer long enough for Beckett to cuff Josh and pull him away from Castle.

"Castle, you okay?" Beckett called out when he didn't get up from the floor.

"Me? Yeah I'm okay." He replied through large breaths, though he winced and rolled over with a hand over his side.

"Guys, go detain him. Let him calm down." Beckett handed Josh over to Esposito and Ryan. He struggled against them, looking over his shoulder at Beckett.

"This isn't over! She will be mine!" He shouted.

"Hey, cool it bro!" Esposito yanked his arm and between the pair of detectives, Josh was hauled round the corner and into detainment.

Beckett rubbed her hip where she had landed when Josh had pushed her over, and then she bent down to Castle.

"You shouldn't have aggravated him!" She hissed under her breath, not wanting Gates to find out Castle wasn't completely innocent in this event. She held his hand, gently stroking it with her thumb.

"He asked for it." Castle replied, wiping the blood away from his nose.

"Mr Castle, I'm sorry that happened are you sure you're okay?" Gates asked as she reached them. Beckett let go of Castle's hand. This was the first time Gates had ever seemed so concerned for his well-being. It would probably be the last.

"Yeah, I think so!" Grimacing, Castle picked himself up off the floor.

"Detective Beckett, please make sure he is checked over by a medical professional- just to be sure!" Gates instructed.

"Yes sir." Beckett replied. It still felt weird calling a female captain 'sir' but if that's what the captain wished, the lower ranks had to obey.

When Gates disappeared back into the confinement of her office, Beckett spun round and squeezed Castle's ear.

"Hey!" He squeaked.

"Never do that again! You don't know what he's capable of!" Beckett hissed as she let go of Castle's now pink ear lobe. Rubbing it, Castle back-tracked to what Beckett had just said.

"What he's capable of? What do you mean?" Castle asked quietly. Passing the question, Beckett looked away.

"Come on. There's a murder scene waiting for us in Manhattan." She grabbed her coat from where it had been draped over the back of her chair and began to stride toward the elevator. Castle followed her as always. He said nothing, but couldn't help but wonder what Beckett had meant. Was Josh really the loving boyfriend- correction EX-boyfriend- that had been perceived by those around them? Or was there something darker and deeper going on? Castle decided he was going to find out. No matter how long it took, he would work out what it was Beckett was trying to make clear through the subtext in the words she chose to use. It was why he was a writer.