I'm back! ;)

I know it's been a while, hopefully, some of you are still here. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks to my beta who assured me this wasn't as bad as I initially thought!

Three determined knocks echoed, and he opened the door in a swift motion, inattentive to the person standing in front of him, fist in the air. His head was shot back in his daughter's direction, laughing at something the little red head was saying, as she waved her hands dramatically. When Castle finally turned around towards the unexpected visitor, a surprised expression molded his features, "Beckett? Hey!" he exclaimed.

She titled her head, unsure. "Is this a bad time?" she asked, a tentative smile forming on her lips as she stood, leaning by the doorway.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kate, you're always welcome," he stated as his features softened, a smile adorning his lips, "Please. Come on in. I wasn't expecting you, that's all, but you know there could never a bad time for you," he added pulling her in by the elbow.

"Hi, Kate!" greeted Alexis as Kate walked in, waving her hand in the air, seated in the middle of the living room amongst a huge pile of Legos.

Kate replied with a smile, "Hey Lex! You've got a lot of toys there!" She then looked playfully at Rick and asked the girl, "Are they all yours?"

The 10 year old chuckled, "Daddy has some Star Trek ones! But most are mine. Wanna join?"

"In a couple of minutes, okay sweetie?" she answered, she had come here on a mission, and she couldn't get sidetracked now. The girl nodded, content, and went back to building her model. Kate watched her play for a second, maybe she was building up her courage, or just trying to avoid the unavoidable. When her attention went back to Castle, and she lost herself in those blue eyes, she couldn't remember why she'd come, frozen in place and time.

"You want to come in, or are we doing this thing where we stand awkwardly at the door?" he laughed, motioning her to the open area around him.

She chuckled nervously, the spell broken, back to reality it was, back to the mission she was here to complete. She bit the bottom of her lip as the rashness of her decision was making itself known, her heart trying to beat out of her chest. If she went through with it, there would be no going back. It would be out. Was she really ready for it to be out in the open? Was she ready for him to know? Was she really doing this? Was she ready for this? The thoughts, the doubts, the insecurities jumbled around in her head.

"Kate?" he asked inquisitive, his eyes worried, so engaged.

She was, she was doing this. She didn't have to say everything, but just enough. She was definitely doing this, but how?

"Yeah. Castle, there's… Yeah, there's…" her eyes wondered around the apartment, "You should… sit. Yeah, let's sit…" She twirled a strip of hair around her finger, pensive, shooting him a weak smile.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked preoccupied.

"No, there isn't, it's fine," she assured him, but the high pitch in her voice, indicating her level of stress in her voice didn't have him convinced. She shook her head, modeling a weak, wanting to be encouraging, smile. Clearly, she wasn't giving the right impression, she could see it in the way he looked at her, but she couldn't help it, this was a big deal. "I just need you to sit down for a sec. There's something I need to ask you."

Kate followed him to the kitchen, where he sat down at the island, "Kate, you're kind of freaking me out a little, where's Nikki?"

"No, Castle. He's with my dad, everything's fine," she assured him quickly. "I'm going to tell you something and I need you not to laugh, okay? Because I'm not sure I'm going to be able to go through with it if you do." she added, the pace in her words magnified by stress and by the fear that if she thought about it enough, she'd suddenly decide to back down.

He nodded as he furrowed his brow, "Sure," he replied uncertain, a smile starting to form.

"Castle?"

"I won't laugh Kate, it's just, you're really stressed out about this."

She rolled her eyes.

"It's cute," he added, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he chuckled, bringing his hand to his chest, "I will not laugh. Cross my heart and hope to die."

She smirked, shaking her head at his shenanigans and breathed in loudly, "Okay, ever since I was a little girl, I've been an avid reader, something my mom passed on to me. I've always loved books, getting lost in the alternate reality of the stories, the decors, the characters-"

"Yeah? Nothing too funny there, Kate."

She narrowed her eyes, but he was right, maybe she was beating around the bush a little, "Okay. I've always loved books, the reading part, that's the part I'm good at. But the writing part, not so much, and you well… you're you. I mean you've got the writing part down, right?"

"Kate, what the hell are you babbling about?"

"You're an incredible writer."

He grinned, nodding.

"And I'm so going to regret saying that, but you are, Castle. But you're lacking something right now, and that's inspiration. So here it goes. There's this story and it's stuck in my head, and I feel the only way I can let go of it, that I can get it unstuck, is by writing it, fictionalising it. It's taking over my life, my real one, and I, well I… I thought we could work on that together, I've got so much time on my hands right now, I think I'm going to go mad, or madder, if I don't find some sort of outlet."

He looked at her, speechless.

"Castle?"

"Woah Kate."

"It's stupid, I know. I never should have asked."

"No, Kate, it's not. It's weird, it's a little unorthodox, but it's not stupid. Nothing you ever say or do is ever stupid."

"Then you don't know me really well, do you?"

"Co-writing a book, why not? Let's hear it!"

"Hear what?"

"Your story?"

"My story?" she asked uneasily.

"Well, the story…"

"Oh, right."

"Come on, Beckett, don't be a tease. You know you've got me all excited."

A faint smile formed at the corner of her mouth, as her eyes widened playfully.

"About, the book. Geez, woman," he whispered, shaking his head, shooting a glance towards Alexis, "Children."

She chuckled, "Yeah, I don't think I know where to start."

"How about from the beginning?"

"Golly Gee thanks, I hadn't thought about that," she joked sarcastically.

He smiled, folding his hands beneath her chin, giving her his full attention, "I'm waiting."

She breathed in and started, "It all started with a detective. She was all work and no play, fueled by her quest for justice, her need for the truth. A detective molded by an unspeakable tragedy, one that she carries with her every day. Her life takes a turn when a case comes along that will ultimately change her, when she's forced partner up with-"

"A man."

"Castle. My story. But yes a man, a ruggedly handsome, slightly arrogant, majorly childish man. He's funny, he's playful and he annoys the crap out of her."

He laughed, "Sounds like a hell of man."

"Shush. It starts at a crime scene, when she recognizes it from one of the books she'd read…" Beckett talked, and recited, how she had, for quite some time, thought she had spent the last 6 years of her life. Slowly, the characters materialized in front of her. She couldn't tell how long she's been talking, how long she's been there, but after she'd been through the party, the bomb going off in her apartment, getting stuck in a freezer, almost getting eaten alive by a tiger, from a stormy rainy night to an afternoon by the swings, when she finally finished her tale, feeling a whole lot lighter, two Castles where seated in front of her, the glimmer of excitement in their eyes.

"Wow," he stated. "That was…"

"Did they get married? I bet she looked like a real life princess, huh?" asked the littlest Castle.

"Yeah Beckett, did they get the fairy tale ending?" he asked excitedly.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? What kind of story is that Beckett, there's no ending!"

"Well, I think they do. I hope they do."

He shook his head with a smirk, "But seriously Kate, that was just… wow. It was so…real, so raw, so much emotion. I felt like I was there with you, you sure you need my help?"

She smiled shyly.

"Seriously Kate, you've got me speechless, and that doesn't happen often, doesn't it, pumpkin?"

The red head laughed, shaking her head, "Nope."

"I like it, Beckett. Where did you get it? Did you steal it?"

"Just something in my head. Maybe one day I'll tell you," she added as she got behind Alexis, running her hand through the girl's hair.

"I'll take you up on that," Castle added.

She smiled, bringing an arm around the girl, her chin resting on her shoulder, gently bumping the side of her head with hers, watching Castle pace excitedly around the kitchen.

"We could even ask Ryan and Espo, to help! The two sidekicks you described, I kind of saw them there. I'm sure they won't mind. Where should we start? When? This happens in New York, right? We should get started on some research."

"Dad, stop turning in circles, you're going to get dizzy," laughed the child.

He stopped and looked straight at Kate, "Does the detective have a name?"

"It's-" she started, hesitated for a second, then opted for "Nikki. Nikki Heat."

An oldie, but a goodie.

He laughed, "That's one heck of a name, Kate. Cop by day, stripper by night, right?"

"Exactly what I had said."

"What?" he laughed.

Any thoughts?