Disclaimer: Don't own a thing except the clothes on my back

A/N: Because I got some awesome reviews from some GREAT readers (shout out to: TORONTOSUN, Eocastle, and the always marvelous Keddster) I pushed on and wrote the next chapter, lucky for you all. Yet AGAIN I did not get this edited by my mentor because I am so impatient- so forgive the errors and enjoy the story!

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Chapter 5

Previously on Small World...

"So you haven't... been with anyone in a while? Because you're waiting for her?" Kyra casually asked. She kept her eyes straight forward and let him set the pace of both their walk and conversation.

After a long pause of silence and speed walking Rick slowed them down and answered, "Yeah, I'm waiting for her like a pitiful, pathetic puppy, waiting to get picked."

"Hey, you're not pathetic. If she hasn't taken her chance when you picked her, it's her loss. Maybe it's time to move on?"

Rick absorbed Kyra's words and just the thought of moving on felt forbidden. He had wanted and waited for Kate for so long that even the slightest idea of giving up was a slippery slope. Some nights, especially after the countless rejections issued from Beckett, he pondered trying casual dating again, but those thoughts sent anxiety surging through his whole being. Just the notion of loosing Kate in any capacity, whether physical or emotional, caused Rick to panic.

He loved her and that meant he wanted to be her one and done, but it also meant Castle would be there for Kate in anyway she would have him: Friend, partner, plucky side-kick. Pride had no place in his pure love for Kate Beckett. Damn, I really am pathetic.

"Maybe...She wouldn't be easy to get over though," Rick mused with a shrug, "Hell, she hasn't been easy to get under," he finished with a coquettish smirk.

"Oh gross Rick. C'mon don't be a jack ass," Kyra groaned, shoving his shoulder laughingly. "And don't try and tell me she wouldn't be more than a conquest to you. You can't use your douche bag charmer act on me. I know you and I know you love her, the real love- like our love."

"Ugh, stop being so insightful and caring. Can't you just be like everyone else and not give a shit about me? "

"Oh hush up. There is only enough self pity for one of us today and I'm the one who needs to meet with a divorce lawyer so I win."

"But-"

"Nah! Nope. Shut it and go grab your charger." Kyra cut him off with a 'quiet coyote' gestured to his face and then pointed to the doors of the 12th that they had suddenly come upon.

Rick shoved his hands in his pockets with a shrug and a pout. "Fine. But I get to be self-loathing and pitiful tomorrow," he concluded petulantly before giving a quick, utterly Rick-like, grin and dashing up the stairs.

"I'll be back down in a sec, time me!"

"Yeah have CSU rule out Sean Collin's prints, he has a solid alibi and get that rookie to canvas the building. I'm at the precinct so I'll dip into the financials... Sure thing, bye," Kate said into her phone to Karpowski as she slammed her car door shut. She was able to park on the street outside the precinct, which has only happened three times in her career. Maybe things are finally looking up, she thought to herself.

She rounded the car and set a quick pace towards the precinct doors. Beckett got up the first step before someone out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Then again, maybe my day would just keep getting worse.

Kate's detectives eye quickly took in every detail it could grab. There was the familiar auburn, curly haired woman leaned casually against the brick wall of the precinct, attention focused on her phone. She wore a long, deep red pea coat with a thick cream colored scarf. Underneath the unbuttoned coat was a clinging, black sweater paired with ass fitting jeans and riding boots. Kate quickly looked down at her own body: grey slacks, black turtleneck, black peacoat, scuffed boots. Fuck I really need to do laundry. Bite the bullet Beckett.

"Kyra?" Kate asked, leaning backwards off a step to catch the woman's eye. She was genuinely surprised to see her here at the precinct and couldn't come up with a logical explanation, though a red flag went up in her mind, which she promptly ignored.

Rick proceeded to sprint through the doors of the precinct, saluted Frank, the security guard who ushered people through the metal detectors. Castle jumped the turnstile, striding to the door to the stairs, then bound up the four flights, loosing momentum by the second. As subtle as Castle could ever be, he slipped into the bullpen, scanning all the while for Beckett.

In all honesty, Castle was hoping he wouldn't run into Beckett. He was still upset with her and his rant with Kyra had brought everything to the surface. Plus he actually did want to get a decent time on his run. He sidled up to Beckett's desk, squatted down to the extension cord beneath it, and yanked out his phone charger.

Castle stood back up casting one last glance, on the look out for Beckett's carmel, cascading curls. Target not acquired, he thought. Thank God.

Every thought about Beckett was ensnared in a civil war. He longed to see her, talk to her, just be with her. Yet he was still hurt and getting more and more frustrated at her indecision and her completely incongruent signals. Everyday was like she picked a new petal on the daisy; I love him, I love him not, I love him.

Ha! She loves me? What a joke.

He just couldn't deal with seeing her today only to be strung along, not with the embers of his feelings for Kyra being dangerously rekindled.

"Oh my God! Detective Beckett, its so good to see you again. How are you?" Kyra sweetly asked, apparently excited to see her, much to Beckett's annoyance

"I'm doing well, thank you. Um, are you waiting for...me?"

"Oh, duh, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here. No, not waiting for you, actually Rick and I are..." Just as Kyra started to explain a sudden gust of wind blew past them and a loud thump echoed on the sidewalk beside Kate as Rick leapt the last three steps of the precinct, charger victoriously in hand.

"TIME!"

"Three minutes, forty seven seconds. Geez Rick, did you run up the stairs?" Kyra asked after glancing at the timer on her phone. Rick rested his hands on his knees, thoroughly out of breath, and nodded in confirmation causing Kyra to let out a intemperate laugh. Becket stood on the first step with a hand on her hip and the other pushing the hair out of her face in a sense of shock and confusion. Instantaneously she shoved down the worry that was flooding her mind.

Why is Castle here? Why is Kyra here? and why the hell are they here together!?

"So as I was saying before The Flash here crossed the finish line," Kyra picked up again, sliding a hand down Rick's arm- a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Kate. "Rick and I are on our way to meet an old friend of his, a divorce attorney. Turns out Greg is a cheating ass hole. Some foreshadowing huh?" Kyra finished with a huff.

"Hey, good use of a literary device," Rick complimented. "And I forgot my phone charger here on Friday. You get called in?" he asked, turning to Kate who was at a loss for words at the moment.

"Uhm, Ye-Yeah. Pop and drop in central park, nothing special or exciting. I'm sorry did you say divorce attorney?" Kate asked shifting her attention back to Kyra, trying to absorb all the information that was flying at here.

"Yep, Greg and I are, um, well... we are getting a divorce," Kyra admits casting her gaze down. She was still so humiliated to have to announce it, she couldn't believe that this was now part of her identity. Kyra Blaine, owner of two art galleries, Colombia graduate, likes cats, previously married but now divorced.

Kate immediately felt guilty for making Kyra repeat her situation and felt even worse when she saw Rick put his arm around Kyra's shoulders giving her a half hug in comfort. "I'm so sorry to hear that Kyra."

"Thanks Detective Bec..."

"Please call me Kate."

"Well thank you Kate, now I really wish you had arrested Greg's ass all those years ago," Kyra sardonically joked to move the conversation away from her marital failures.

Sensing that thought, Rick jumped in, "Sorry Beckett, I told Freddie we..."

"Castle can I talk to you for a minute?" Beckett abruptly interrupted. She was panicking and knew it, but she couldn't calm the insecurities that were crashing into her mind like angry waves, pulling her in every direction. Had he given up on her already? Did he move on? How could she compete with his first love?

Suddenly she was desperate to apologize, if she could just get it out everything would be fine, things would go back to normal and he would be there for her, waiting for her until she wasn't so broken.

"Actually, we have to be there at 10:30, that's the only time Freddie can meet with her, so we have to get going."

"Oh, yeah sorry. More important things to deal with I guess." Kate murmured with an irrational bitterness in her tone. Its so not jealousy. I do not get jealous.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rick spoke in a more hardened voice. He could not believe she was was accusing him of being insensitive when she spent the past week using him as a punching bag.

"Nothing. It means go to your meeting and I'll... I'll see you tomorrow?" Beckett asked, ashamed at the amount of uncertainty that laced the simple statement, but how could she not be uncertain at this point. She was just hit in the gut with the massive curve ball that was Kyra Blaine's sudden reappearance in Castle's life and what's more is the fact that Kyra was now unattached,single, available. All things Kate Becket was not. Then her mind suddenly realized that Castle was unattached too; she had no claim, no stake, no right to his affections. He was a free agent and she had been keeping at arms length for months now, not even realizing that one day he could just decide to step further away.

"We'll see. Might have some meetings. But I'll call if that's the case." Rick replied with little emotion to lend insight to the multitude of questions flying around Kate's head.

"See ya Beckett." He concluded as he turned with Kyra to walk down the street. Kate stood stock still completely perplexed, attempting to process what just happened.

A/N 2.0: So it was a quick chapter, building up still. Next time on Small World: Jealous Beckett, Lanie Girl Talk, The apology, and more!

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