A/N: Looks like I found the time to write after all. :P Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 9

Kate walked into the precinct with a smile on her face and a book in her arms. All morning, she couldn't shake her happy feelings. Thinking back, she may have been just a little impulsive and moved just a little too fast, kissing Alex like that, but he was way too adorable to pass up. And his lips! God, that made up for all her rash decisions. That man knew how to kiss a lady.

Kate found herself blushing and knowing how nosy her fellow detectives could be, she made sure to make a beeline for her desk once she cleared the elevator. Just to be on the safe side, she focused her attention downwards to hide some of the warmth she was feeling in her cheeks from the memories of his hands low on her back and his hips pressed against hers. But the book in Kate's hands that now came into view, Flowers for Your Grave, just sparked more memories of the night prior.

Last night was full of surprises—from lovely dinner conversations to family meetings—and the gift she was finally able to open when she got home did not disappoint either. She did not expect him to remember the book she was carrying when they first bumped into each other, let alone that she was carrying a book at all. But the inscription inside just went to prove how thoughtful and sweet (not to mention cheesy) the man was:

"Kate, I cannot imagine falling with anyone else. Thank you for the wonderful date. –Alexander Rodgers"

How he knew the date would even turn out amazing was beyond her. Even with the unfortunate interruptions, she found her night to be much more genuine and real than most dates she'd been on. But being back at work now, in the precinct and the real world, Kate can't help but wonder when the other shoe will drop. Despite their amazing night and stimulating conversations, she couldn't help but doubt her luck.

With a sigh, Kate sat down at her desk and called out to her boys who had probably been there since early in the morning. "Hey, where are we on the case?"

"Yo. Late night, Beckett?" responded Esposito with a smirk, spinning around in his chair to face his boss across the cramped but open planned bullpen.

"None of your business, Espo. So how's it going?"

"Well, Lanie called earlier. That body we found yesterday? Kendra Pitney? She said it wasn't a stabbing; her murder was staged, like the others," Ryan chimed in, ever the professional.

"So Marvin Fisk, i.e. Hell Hath no Fury, then Alison Tisdale, or Flowers for Your Grave," Kate couldn't help but smile as she listed off that last book before continuing, "and now Kendra for Death of a Prom Queen? What is it about those books?"

"What about them? Why would that matter?" Ryan asked, moving away from his computer to give Beckett his full attention.

"Did you guys do your homework? Flowers for Your Grave and Hell Hath no Fury were kind of Castle's lesser works. It just doesn't make sense why the killer would pick those out of his many other bestsellers."

"Does it matter why? Maybe those were just easier to replicate?" Ryan suggested.

"Hmmm, I don't know. Anyways, where are we on Castle's fanmail?"

"We're still combing through it, but haven't been able to make a serious dent. We've been busy going through the minimal security at all three crime scenes and talking to some people who had access to the pool in the Pitney murder," said Esposito.

"Okay, thanks. You guys continue what you've been doing and I'll go through the letters. They're in the conference room, right?"

"Yeah, sounds good, boss," and, "On it," were the resounding responses she heard from her detectives. She trusted her boys and they always got the job done. So with that, Kate picked herself up and went to scour the letters hoping to find some information that would link Castle's fans (or the man himself) to these senseless murders. But after going through the mail for what seemed like hours, she wasn't making any progress. Thank goodness for her phone choosing to buzz at that very moment though, distracting her from thoughts of paper cutting her way out of this mundane task.

I'm thinking of you. Are you free for a maybe an hour to take a lunch break with me?

Leave it up to Alex to know just when she needed a break. If she read one more letter that said, "Mr. Castle, I'm your biggest fan," or the more unusual one like, "Will you sign my chest?" she thought she'd punch a baby. Okay, that's a little harsh Kate. But man, Castle's fans really love him. For a man whose identity is unknown to the world, he really inspires people with his words. Who am I kidding? His words helped me after my mother's murder. But it was one thing to admire his work and another thing to reproduce it in real life.

The flashing light on Kate's phone signaled her attention back to the text she had yet to reply to. 'I could use a break. Where do you want to meet?' Kate sent back to Alex after some contemplation. She really shouldn't, considering how she came in later than usual today, but these letters will probably still be here when she comes back.

Great! Why don't you pick the place so it's more convenient and closer for you to return to work? I'm teaching a later class today so I have more time to spare.

How about Remy's? It's close by and they have amazing shakes.

Sounds good. Can you text me the address? I'll see you there in maybe half an hour?

After Kate sent Alex the address to the local joint, she told the boys she was going out for some burgers and promised to bring them back a few. They grumbled a bit but waved her off as they were preoccupied with some security feed which, from a glance on her way out of the conference room, looked like it was pointed towards the pool and a few scantily clad women were stepping in.

"Hey, we don't need both of you spying on those women. One of you go through the letters I started."

"Aww, come on Beckett. We weren't spying! Just going over evidence and timeline," Ryan whined.

"Dude, be cool," whispered Esposito.

"Call it what you will. But I expect to see more letters opened by the time I come back, so roshambo over who'll do it if you have to," Kate stated as she picked up her jacket and walked towards the elevators. Mumbled responses were what she heard as the doors closed but her mind had already moved on to her impromptu lunch date.

Alex sat waiting and ready at Remy's Diner. It may have been a little too cliché for him to say he was "in the neighborhood," but he wanted to see her again. So he looked up the 12th precinct where she mentioned she worked and took a cab over, hoping he wasn't being too presumptuous. He texted her from a coffee shop nearby, thinking that if she said she wouldn't be able to leave for lunch, he would bring some to her if it meant he could see her for a bit. Good thing she said yes; he did not want to try coming up with some excuse to get past cops who might be after him (or rather his alter ego) just to see his … girlfriend? Could he call her that yet?

His musings were interrupted when the object of his questions slid into the booth opposite of him and gave him the most enchanting smile he beheld.

"Hi."

Such a simple greeting but his heart was already soaring. "Hey, how was your morning?" he inquired, genuinely curious.

"It was good. Thank you for the gift by the way. I love it."

"Do you? Ahaha, I wasn't sure what you'd think, since I figured you would already have a copy. But I may have ruined that a bit when I scraped it against the floor after we tumbled, so I figured another copy couldn't hurt."

"No, yeah, it's fine. I can't enough Richard Castle."

"Really now?" His interest was immediately piqued. He had figured she was a fan—why else would she be carrying his book around?—but he didn't know to what extent she enjoyed his books.

"Yeah. He seems to be everywhere, with the case I'm working on, and stuff."

Wait, what? That was not what he expected her to say. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't hoping she'd start gushing over his work but wait, her case. No. It can't be. Is Kate the lead investigator for the case where Richard Castle is the person of interest?

"Your case?" He tried to remain as neutral as possible, praying it's not as it seems. He knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to court an officer of the law, but he naively thought maybe, just maybe, the case was assigned to some other person, not Kate. I mean seriously, how many detectives are there in New York? Apparently not that many because the signs were there; he should've put it together. Those were probably case files that she held when he bumped into her; she was carrying around Flowers for Your Grave as part of her research. How could he let his ego blind him into believing she was simply a fan?

"Yeah. Sorry, I can't say much. You know, confidential police business. Why don't we order some burgers and talk about something else?"

How could he talk about something else when he just found out the person he's dating(?) might want to put him behind bars. Luckily for him, Kate's phone distracted her from his inner turmoil and she excused herself to pick up the call.

"Ryan? What's up?"

Ryan? Wasn't that the name of the detective Gina spoke with? That's who he thought was in charge! Kate had turned away from him but she hadn't left the booth yet, so thankfully he was able to hear bits and pieces from her side of the conversation.

"What? You guys found it?"

Found it? What is it?

"Great job Ryan! I knew something would turn up in his fan mail. Okay, get that to the lab to see if they can pull some prints from it. I'll head back now."

Prints? What prints? Who's prints? His own?! Alex sat there in silent panic, and quite frankly, he was a little surprised his detective didn't hear his racing heart or picking up on the sweat that was sure to be dripping from his forehead. Maybe she's too excited about finding whatever evidence that was that would prosecute him for her to notice his subtle mental breakdown.

"Look Alex, I'm really sorry, I have to run. We may have just had a break in our case. Can I take a rain check? I'll call you tonight."

Kate was already out the door before he could say anything. But even if she could stay, he wasn't sure he'd know what to say to her. Here he was, hoping to share a meal with her—one they didn't even get to order—but instead, he just found his life flipped upside down, again. How could so much have happened beyond his control from when he got Gina's first call with the news of his apparent misdemeanor? More likely a felony.

Alex sat immobile at the booth for a little while longer before skulking home to await his arrest. He knew it was too good to be true, for him to find such an amazing woman and for it to work out.