Fire Burns

Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, it's always nice to hear feedback. I'm typing this while watching Futurama, which is awesome fun. I watched the very first ep of Castle last night. It was gooooood. :D I can't wait for the DVD to be realised here, because I want to own Castle! He's so very funny. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chap, it's a little shorter than the first chapter, and now I have to go and write the next chapter :D

Kate woke up again at 9pm, alone. She stretched out and groaned. Her muscles were aching and she was still recovering from the amount of smoke she'd inhaled. She yawned, and then slowly got out of bed. She pulled in a robe, and left the bedroom. She found Rick busily typing behind his laptop. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." She replied.

"Feeling better?"

Kate wandered into the room, and sat down. She nodded. "A little less tired. Bit sore." Her stomach grumbled. "And a bit hungry. I haven't eaten all day."

"Ah, well, you're in luck. Alexis made dinner tonight, a pasta bake, and there's some left over." Rick jumped up. "I'll get it for you."

Kate smiled. "What are you writing?" She asked, following Rick to the kitchen.

"Oh, just some ideas for my next Nikki Heat novel."

"Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about them."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "It's the whole reason I'm still bugging you at work." He eyed her closely. "You didn't forget, did you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kate grinned cheekily.

Rick glared back, but then his cell phone rang. Reaching into his pocket, he found the phone and answered, "Castle." He listened. "No... yeah, she's here... what?... oh man!... no, no, I'll tell her..."

Kate frowned.

"Yep, thanks Esposito." Rick hung up the phone and turned to Kate. "They ID'd the vic."

"And...?"

"You won't believe this."

"Just tell me, Castle." Kate snapped.

"Her name's Jessica. Jessica Solomon."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "As in..."

"Yep. Her sister."

Kate sighed. "Oh, fantastic."

"Well, we'll worry about it tomorrow. For now, food." Rick grinned, and handed Kate a plate of pasta.

The next day, Kate and Rick were at the precinct early, and Kate was trawling through the initial report on the fire. The arson squad had determined, along with the help of Lanie Parish, that the fire had been deliberately lit. It turned out that Jessica Solomon had been dead before the fire was lit. Lanie was still working on exact cause of death.

"Morning, Beckett." Ryan greeted Kate when he arrived.

"Morning." Kate replied.

"Feeling okay?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kate answered with a smile.

Ryan smiled back, and went to sit behind his desk and start working.

Esposito arrived a little while later, and got down to work.

"Okay, we should go tell Rebecca Solomon her sister's dead." Kate said, midmorning.

Esposito looked up, concerned. "Are you going, or do you want us to?"

"No, we'll go." Kate said. "Come on, Castle."

"Yes, detective." Rick replied, and he followed her from the building.

They were relatively silent in the car, each lost in their own thoughts. Kate drove, her eyes glued to the road. Rick alternated between staring out the window, and looking at Kate, concern in his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay with this?" He finally asked.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Kate replied, glancing across at Rick.

"Well, she did try to ruin your career."

"Yeah, but she didn't. And she got what was coming to her."

"True."

More silence.

Rick broke it. "Uh, I have something to ask you." He said.

Kate glanced at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I was wondering, especially now, what with your apartment being closed 'cause of the fire and all that..."

"Just get to the point." Kate snapped.

"Move in with me?"

"Move in with you? Are you serious?"

"Deadly." Rick replied. "You and me. I can see that lasting. I'd like you to live with me."

Kate smiled over at Rick. "I'd like that too."

Rick smiled back. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Kate said.

Rick grinned. "Awesome."

"But at the moment, let's focus on telling Rebecca Solomon the bad news."

Rick nodded. "Yep."

They arrived shortly after this, and got out of the car. Rick gave Kate a brief kiss, before they went to knock on Rebecca Solomon's door.

Rebecca opened the door rather quickly, and frowned when she saw Kate and Rick.

"Hi." She said.

Kate gave a tight lipped smile. "Can we come in?"

"Why?"

"We have some bad news for you." Kate said. "About your sister."

The frown disappeared, replaced with a look of horror, then shock. Rebecca stepped aside to let Kate and Rick in. She led them to the lounge, where they sat.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm afraid she was found murdered early yesterday morning in her apartment." Kate said.

"She's dead?"

"I'm sorry." Kate replied.

Then the tears started. "Oh, God." Trying to maintain her composure, Rebecca asked, "What happened to her?"

"We're not sure yet." Kate replied. "Her apartment was burnt after she was killed."

Rebecca nodded sadly.

After a few more questions, Kate and Rick stood up to leave.

"Detective?"

Kate looked back at Rebecca.

"I know you don't like me, after what I did, it's understandable, but please. Please don't let that interfere with how you go about finding who killed my little sister."

Kate nodded. "I'll do everything I can."

"Thank you." Rebecca replied. "Oh, detective?"

"Yes?"

"I really am sorry." She said, sincerely. "For everything. I can see now, and I've realised over the past few months, how wrong I was. I should never have written that article, and I really am sorry."

Kate just gave a nod in reply, and she and Rick left, ready to investigate another murder.

A/N: Always welcome reviews :D