Thanks for the response! I was so glad to see that so many of you were intrigued to see where this is going. I realized yesterday that I neglected to mention that Castle isn't mine (which is mildly depressing). But anyway they're not mine just in case you were wondering. Here it is the first full chapter:

Chapter 1 – Final Sheet

Lifting the final sheet out of the printer, I took a second look at it making sure there were no glaring errors before adding it to the bottom of the pile. Carefully turning them all over placing them in the provided manuscript box that had arrived a day earlier demanding that I fork over the final novel as it was three months overdue.

I took one last look at the front page before closing the box, saying goodbye to this chapter of my life. A certain British spy would be moving on to a new author that would take a different spin on his adventures. He would again be out of my control. But I suppose that was the allure of writing James Bond, the wanting to control the crazy plots, even if just for a little bit.

A horn blared on the street below my office, startling me into action. Scooping up my keys and slipping on my jacket, I grabbed the box heading out of the loft intent on delivering the final double-oh-seven novel myself. Forestalling thinking about what my next project to be on the cab ride over. Choosing rather to muse over where Alexis would be going to school in fall, most of me secretly wishing that it would be close to home.

Before I really had time to worry about it though I was leaving my publisher's building standing on the sidewalk watching the world go by. Deciding that I would rather wander for a bit and enjoy New York's charms rather than hail a cab home, where I would just think about the reception of the last book and what my next character should be, I turned right and set off into the city

I wandered my way around town with no particular goal in mind ending up in a neighborhood that looked strangely familiar but I really couldn't place why. Deciding I should stop for a cup of coffee and some people watching to pass the time I ducked into Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee.

A glance at my at my watch told me Alexis would be home so I wouldn't actually need to stay here very long. She was an excellent distraction from the wandering thoughts relating to the future of my writing career.

As the line moved slowly forward, I took in the patrons around me. There was an early twenty-something old huddled in the corner. Her hair had been pulled up neatly but the venti coffee sitting in front of her and the anxiety from her job hunt had caused her to fuss it into a frizzed mess. She'd come after graduation and reaching the end of her savings and without a job. But she wasn't going to break down instead she was going to meticulously keep on applying to every job out there having faith that something would come along. The two businessmen in the corner were secretly planning to rob their employers blind and then disappear to a non-extradition country. It was their escape from the fact that they'd been trapped in the longest meeting ever.

The couple ordering now was visiting from a small town in the mid-west. It was the first time they'd ever been to the big city having driven two days cross country to get here. The Starbucks was the closest thing to familiar they'd come across so far. The girl was enamored by the big city, her boyfriend wished that people appreciate his personal bubble just a little bit more, I mused based on his annoyed face when someone brushed against him in the small shop.

Then there was the woman just in front of me. She had to be a model or an actress. That was clearly the most logical assumption I had taking in her mile long legs in dark denim with sky-high boots. Topped off with a blazer in a deep maroon with the sleeves rolled up contrasting beautifully with the auburn curls cascading down her back. She was probably in between photo shoots or auditions. But for a second my mind was whisked away imagining that she was a cop, the real life version of the Nikki Heat I'd left standing in a marble lobby years ago.

The auburn beauty stepped up to order and my mind wandered freely thinking about returning to the Nikki Heat story line now that Bond was done. Her phone rang as she stepped to the side, snapping me out of my reverie, "Beckett." She answered crisply.

Her eyes colliding with mine as I stared at her in disbelief, "Beckett?"

"Castle?" I can only assume that her face matched the shocked look on mine because she looked pretty shocked and my face felt a little frozen. Whoever was on the other end of the phone line, apparently was still talking and she held up a hand gesturing intently listening to the person on the other end. "Ok, text me the location I'll be there in twenty." She hit the end button on her phone biting her lip as she look up and me. "Hi." Was all she managed to get out.

"You look…" I sputtered incomprehensibly, "You look amazing." I managed to force out. I'd never been this tongue tied before but something about seeing the woman that I'd said good-bye to and everything that went with her three years ago, I felt like I'd been knocked sideways. "Your hair is stunning." Somehow managed to escape my lips, earning me a blush and a chuckle.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself Castle." Of course, she had her wits about her when my brain felt like it had gone to jelly. "How are you?" She asked sincerely, a magnificent smile blooming across her face. I couldn't remember her smile ever being as entrancing before. God she was radiant, how could I have forgotten how radiant she was.

I cleared my throat trying to keep my mouth from running away with my mind, "I'm doing good wrapping up a project actually thought I'd take a stroll muse on the future of my writing career. How about you, I read about the shooting this summer." Clearly, my mouth was on a trajectory of its very own no matter what I did about it.

Her eyes grew a little cold for just a brief second, remembering something that I'm sure she wanted to keep locked up. "Good actually I got your flowers…" she paused pensively, "very Castle-esque and beautiful. What about Martha and Alexis?"

The light in her eyes came back and I was helpless not to answer the question. "Alexis is getting ready to go to college in the fall. Once she picks one of course, and mother is being mother. She started a drama school a few months ago. She keeps setting me up on dates with her students." It earned me a laugh, a rich wonderful noise that fell from her lips in amusement. How had I forgotten how magical that sound was?

Just then, the barista produced her coffee, "Kate?" he called and she swiveled to raise her hand accepting the steaming cup with a thank you before turning back to me. "Well I've got to run." She told me seeming sad to go.

For once, my mouth seemed to be working for me, "We should get coffee together sometime soon. Catch up." I offered.

The idea earned me another dazzling smile, "Yeah I'd really like that. I'd love to hear about what trouble you've been getting yourself into the last few years."

I clapped my hands together, "Excellent, do you still have my number?"

"Castle I'm a cop, even if I didn't have your number I could still get it." She chided.

She still had my number. That was all that I took out of that, "Well great let me know when your next day off is and we'll get a cup of coffee and discuss my mayhem and your murders." I couldn't help but leave it up to her. I wasn't going to push.

"Sounds good. But for now I've got to run I've got a scene waiting for me." She held out her hand.

"Murder never takes a break does it?" I asked, taking the offered hand, "It was good to run into you Detective." I told her honestly.

Another chuckle fell from her lips. "No it doesn't, and it was good to see you as well Castle."

"Call me about that coffee." I encouraged hoping that this wasn't going to be the last time I'd see her for another three years.

She looked at me for just a second, almost studying me trying to determine my intentions. She must have decided that they were good because she nodded, "I will. Bye Castle."

"Until next time Detective." I grinned watching her stride out of the Starbucks and climb into the cruiser parked at the curb. She flipped her hair over shoulder and I gave brief thanks to whatever convinced her to grow it out because as sassy as the short hair had been three years ago, the long hair was just stunning on her.

The cruiser pulled away from the curb and I sighed to myself hoping that she would call soon, "Sir are you going to order anything?" Came from my right and I jumped coming back to the Starbucks I'd been standing in. The line was gone and it was just me in front of the counter with two barista's watching me.

Suddenly I wasn't in the mood for coffee. "Thanks fella's, but I think I'm going to have to pass." I reached into my back pocket pulling out my wallet, retrieving a twenty sliding it into their tip jar, "For your troubles." I told the wide-eyed twenty year olds.

Then sliding my hands into my pockets I strode out into the crisp autumn whistling to myself, and looked around at the neighborhood I was in. The reason it was familiar coming back to me suddenly. I'd stopped the Starbucks in every morning on my way to the precinct three years ago. The twelfth was two blocks down and around the corner.

I briefly considered walking all the way home but my fingers were itching with all sorts of new ideas, they were just dying to type them out on a keyboard. Hailing a cab, I gave the loft's address and began scribbling nonsense reminders and plot ideas into my notebook the whole ride back.

"Hey dad!" Alexis called from the kitchen when I walked in, "Where've you been?"

Glancing up from the notebook in my hand, I smiled glad at least that my little girl was still home for a few more months. "Dropped off the final James Bond and took a walk." I leaned on the counter watching her move efficiently move around the kitchen preparing a snack.

"So how's it feel to say good bye to double-oh-seven?" She teased. I'd been moping about it for weeks not wanting to write the final chapter despite the fact that I'd had it outlined for months.

I thought about it for a second, and weirdly I wasn't as upset as I had been. "Actually I feel pretty good about it. I get to go back to my own characters. It will be a nice change of pace." I smiled playing back the charming laugh of a certain detective in my head.

Alexis' forehead crinkle, "Are you feeling ok? What happened to the man that has been sulking around in his bathrobe for weeks?"

I shrugged, straightening so I could pull of my coat and hang it in the hall closet. "It was an inspirational wander around the city." Alexis was still staring at me as if I'd gone nuts, "I ran into an old friend and it completely changed my outlook."

"And who would it be that has you so cheery?"

"Detective Beckett actually." I confessed just as the front door opened and my Mother breezed in.

"What is this I hear about Detective Beckett?" She asked intrigue sparkling in her eye.

Alexis smirked, "Dad ran into her at a coffee shop apparently and if possible he's more smitten with her this time around than he was last time."

"I am not." I tried to protest.

"Oh hunny I do hope you asked that girl out this time." My mother imparted her special brand of wisdom, pulling her gloves off with a flourish.

"For coffee actually on her next day off." I told them hoping that it would end the merciless ribbing a little bit sooner if I just told them everything.

Alexis smiled and scooped up her snack, "Say hi for me. I'm going to go finish of my homework," and she disappeared up the stairs. Leaving me in disbelief.

"Same goes for me," Martha told me going into the kitchen, "what are you up to for the rest of the night, kiddo?"

"Ah well I was thinking we should order Chinese for dinner…" I blinked reaction I was receiving so completely opposite of what I was expecting, "and I think I'm going to go do some writing."

That statement got me a reaction much closer to the one that I had been expecting earlier. Mom kind of froze for a second and peered around the outside open door of the fridge, "Really?"

"Really what?"

"You're going to go do some writing. You the king of procrastination, who doesn't even have a project at the moment, is going to do some writing?" She peered at me so skeptically that I almost thought I was doing something wrong.

Oh well let her have her fun, "I guess you could say I'm feeling inspired."

She just stared at me for a good long moment. Almost as though she was trying to decide if she should call the mental hospital. Eventually a smile appeared though, "I guess we'll be seeing the re-emergence of a Detective Heat?"

That's where my head was at the moment but I couldn't commit to it just yet. I needed to let the idea roll around in my head for a lot longer. Right now, however my fingers were dying to pour the words in my head on to white sheet of paper. "We'll see. For now I just have to follow the inspiration."

"Alright you go write I'll let you know when dinner arrives." She waved me off with that look of pride on her face that I wasn't going to contemplate for too long.

I closed the door to the office booting up my computer breathing a sigh of relief when the cursor blinked happily for me, waiting to transform my thoughts into words. Stretching out I collapsed into the office chair and let the thoughts flow onto the paper in front of me. She strode into the coffee shop intent on being in and out as fast as possible. What she hadn't been expecting when the door opened was Jameson Rook to be sitting at the table directly across from the door just looking at her in disbelief…

So now that you have more to go on what are your thoughts?

See you soon.

abyrose