Yay, I finally got the third chapter of the weekend done! Now it will be going back to the regular schedule. I will be aiming for having two chapters out a week until this story is done. It will probably be sometime towards the end of the week before the next chapter is up. This story is turning out to be taking some turns I hadn't originally planned, which means I need to map out some things before writing the next chapter. But on the up side, the story will also have more than the original 5-10 chapters I thought it would when I first started it. A few of you have mentioned liking the part in chapter eight where Martha mentions the gift of mind-reading being connected to when the relationship is in danger. Quite honestly, I hadn't thought much about that statement, but my co-editor picked up on it right away, and when a few of you also brought it up, I knew it would need to be addressed. I know there are those of you that don't like an author not having a definite plan in place for every aspect of the story, and I apologize for that. But I have some ideas I'm tossing around in my head right now, but I'll need to watch the LA episode again to solidify things. All of that to say, if any of you have any ideas of how the LA episode could be related to Caskett being in danger, please let me know in your review or a private e-mail. You may just come up with an angle that I haven't thought of that will add another dimension to the story.

"He's a writer. How much trouble could he possibly be?"

The Dead Pool

Rick made it to the precinct in record time. While he didn't want to appear overly eager, he couldn't keep himself from a faster than normal clip as he headed into the familiar building. Besides, who was he kidding? His longing to see Kate was screaming out of every pore of his being. The tightly controlled energy that raged within him made breaking out into a full-fledged run an almost overpowering temptation.

He debated taking the stairs, so that he could keep moving. Being still, even for only a few seconds, seemed like too much to ask at the moment. Only knowing that the elevator would be faster kept him from acting on the impulse.

A couple seconds after the doors of the elevator closed Rick was taken aback by an image, one of Kate's memories, flooding her mind. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised, whether it was because it had been a couple days since the last time such a thing had happened, or because he was surprised that she was thinking of him again. Although, why should he be surprised that he was on her mind? After all, less than an hour had passed since she had called him, allowing him to come back to the precinct.

It took him no time at all to place this memory. She was right outside the house where his book launch party had taken place; it was probably only minutes before he had met her for the first time...

showed her badge to the two security men that were blocking the main entrance, the normal determination for justice shining from her eyes. She strode purposefully through the crowd, coming to a brief halt when she spotted him.

Kate, you can do this. Just walk up to him like he's any other suspect.

Kate took a deep breath and continued walking.

I can't believe it. It's him, it really is! He's even hotter now than last time I saw him. Why is it men always improve with age and women just look older? It's so unfair!

As with all the other memories Rick had glimpses of, none of what she was thinking appeared on her face. But the lilt of her thoughts was unmistakable.

Just don't gush, Kate. This is not the time for that. Actually, there will never be a time for that. You don't gush, remember that.

By this time Kate was standing mere feet away from him. As soon as he spotted her, Rick held out the pen, assuming she was another Castle groupie wanting a moment of his time. He asked her where she wanted his autograph. Considering the rumors that he would sign pretty much any body part a woman wanted him to, she wasn't caught off guard by the question. Kate acted quickly to dispel any such thoughts from the writer's mind, holding out her badge and stating her reason for crashing the party in no nonsense tone.

Good, he's cooperating, she thought as he got down from the stool he was sitting on and stood next to her. She gestured for him to lead the way. That means I don't have to cuff him. An image flashed through her mind before she could stop it: her favorite writer handcuffed in the back of a squad car, her bent over him, kissing those tempting lips...Kate, stop it!

Rick realized he must have been so lost in Kate's memory-and remembered fantasy-that he hadn't even heard the ding of the elevator, because suddenly the images in his mind were gone. The doors of the elevator were wide open and Kate was looking right at him. Rick knew that it was her realization that he had seen the memory that had just been on her mind which had caused Kate to stop thinking about her memory so abruptly. The fact she was looking directly at him with a horrified gaze only confirmed it.

A part of Rick really, really wanted to tease her about the fantasy he had just seen; more than that, wanted to offer to head to the nearest squad car and make her fantasy a reality. But he knew he couldn't. Not only because he had promised to not to do anything to give away his mind reading ability to anyone at the precinct, but because he knew that she was embarrassed enough as it was.

Having thoughts and fantasies about Kate flash through his mind was a multiple-times-a-day occurrence for Rick whenever he was around her. Come to think of it, even when she was miles away, it still happened with considerable regularity. And he knew all too well how difficult it could be to control those fantasies, especially in those first few seconds.

Although he doubted that thoughts and fantasies of him filled Kate's mind as often as his mind was filled with thoughts and fantasies of her. That was something being able to read her mind had proven to him, actually. He could empathize with having a fantasy enter one's mind during a time when that was the last thing a person wanted to have happen.

And it never left his mind that, under normal circumstances, these were memories and fantasies he would never be seeing. More than that, they were things that he knew Kate didn't want him to see.

Kate may finally be aware that he could read her mind, but Rick knew she hadn't known how close he was until those elevator doors had opened. It wasn't until then that she could have known that he had been close enough to see and hear what had just been on her mind

"Hey, Beckett," Rick greeted her when he reached her side. "Any new leads we need to go track down?"

A flicker of relief lighted Kate's green eyes for a brief moment as she realized he wasn't going to bring up what had so recently been on her mind. The look was quickly replaced by one of puzzlement, as she glanced down at his hands.

It didn't take any time for Rick to catch on. He had forgotten the coffee. He never forgot the coffee! No matter the late or early the hour when they arrived at a crime scene, he always had two coffees in hand when he arrived. The same thing went for when he arrived at the precinct. At the very least, he would grab her cup from the espresso machine in the break room.

Giving her an apologetic look, he sat down in his chair. As soon as he knew where they were in the current investigation, he would head back to the break room and get her a cup. And when they headed out, he would stop by the nearest coffee shop and get her favorite-a Grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla.

"We're between cases, actually," Kate told him. "So now it's just working on the backlog of paperwork."

"Ah," Rick said. "Well, I'll just go get the coffee, then."

While he would much rather not have to leave again after being around Kate for such a short period of time, he decided that this would be the best time to go get that latte since they could get a call at any time. Thankfully there was a coffee shop right next to the precinct, so he was able to hand her the latte within fifteen minutes. Not wanting to do anything to put her more on edge than she probably already was, he got out his phone and started playing his one of his favorite games, Angry Birds. He would much rather just be watching her but his mind reading, something he couldn't help, was enough for her to have to deal with. Now was definitely not the time to simple stare at her, an activity that she had more than once termed 'creepy.'

When over an hour had passed and Rick's stomach reminded him that he had yet to eat that day, he suggested that she take a break and head over to Remy's, their favorite burger place. Predictably, she shot down that idea, so he quickly ordered delivery from her favorite Chinese restaurant.

He had just started to swallow his first bite of his egg roll when his mind was flooded with another one of Kate's memories. Since she hadn't had a non-work related thought in hours, Rick was caught completely off-guard and started choking.

This was another of those memories Rick didn't have a hard time placing. He recognized that look in her eyes. It was shortly after he had first looked in to her mother's case. She had warned him that if he took such an action they were done. The problem was, by the time she said that, he had already set things in motion. Once he had received the new information, he knew he'd had to share it with her. He had been lucky that she had allowed him to shadow her on one last case after that. His confidence that he would be able to change her mind and let him continue to team up with her on cases had been blown to bits during the conversation that was now running through Kate's mind...

"You dredged up my past for you, Castle, not for me," she told him, "and you're too selfish to even see it." This shouldn't be so hard. Castle did the one thing I asked him not to. Telling him to go should be simple. But I've just started getting used to him, even liking having him around. "The case is closed, Castle," she said, referring to the case they had just solved. Like my mom's case should be. I can't go down that road again. I can't. But if there's a real chance of finding her killer...no, I can't go there. Not now. "We made a deal, and I expect you to honor it." I can't risk him dredging up even more. And I'm too emotionally shaky right now to deal with him...

"Castle, are you okay?" Kate asked now, a look of guilt in her eyes.

Crap. That was bad timing. I've been able to hold thoughts back for hours, and now one sneaks through? Sorry, Castle.

After a couple deep coughs and a long drink of water, Rick was able to wheeze, "It's okay. Just caught me by surprise."

Kate looked him right in the eye as another image filled his mind. He was amazed that she would do it, but he knew that she was purposefully allowing him to see this memory. And once he recognized the memory, he knew why. It was when he had apologized for digging around in her mother's case, and she was allowing him to understand why she had forgiven him so readily...

"I'm sorry," Rick said, solemnly and sincerely. "What I did was wrong. I violated your trust. I opened old wounds and I did not respect your wishes. And if we're not going to see each other again, then you deserve to know-I'm very, very, sorry."

He gets it. He really, truly gets it. And he really means it. I didn't know a guy could do that, could truly see that he was wrong and actually have the courage to admit it. Especially Castle. I've misjudged him. Now all I want to do is hug him, tell him I forgive him. But I can't. That would be showing too much weakness. I can't show weakness around him, I just can't.

As he turned and walked away, her thoughts continued. But I can't just let him go. He needs to know I appreciate his apology and that I forgive him. And that I don't want him to leave. I want him around now. I don't know for sure when it changed from tolerating him shadowing me to wanting him there. All I know is that I really don't want him to go.

"Castle," she called out to him. But you can't let him know how much you want him around. So don't look up, act like it's no big deal. Waiting for him to stop and turn in her direction, Kate said, "See you tomorrow."

As soon as the image faded, Kate spoke. "I really am sorry, Castle," she said, referring to how the timing of the memory that had caught him by surprise had almost caused him to choke.

"It's not your fault," Rick assured her. "You can't control those things."
Kate sighed. "Neither can you, right?" she asked, referring to his ability to read her mind.

Rick shook his head.

This is going to be more difficult than I thought.

As always, please R&R. And I have a question not related to this story. I've read other similar things in other author notes, so I thought I would put it out there. I am looking for a story that is based on the picture of Caskett sitting in chairs back to back, handcuffed together. There a few out there, but the one I am looking for is at least over 5,000 words, possibly over 10,000. I started reading it but had to turn off the computer before I could save it to my favorites, and I don't remember the title or the author. Any help with finding it would be greatly appreciated.