You guys are making me blush! Thank you for the response. This chapter is a little bit shorter but I thought you'd all appreciate it. Castle's not mine, in case you forgot.

Chapter 4 – The Loft

It felt bizarre to walk across the lobby of his building again. Particularly when his doorman still recognized me with a nod and "Detective." On the elevator, I stood taking deep breaths watching the floors fall away, when the doors opened after far too short a time I had to remind myself that I was a NYPD Detective and that I was here to stop a serial killer. That reminder carried me all the way to the door, and even got me to knock on the door.

My resolve failed when he opened the door looking a little bit rumpled in a plaid button down. I flashed back to him staring at himself in the play back of a camera saying, "I really am ruggedly handsome." What I hadn't been expecting was the stunned look on his face. He starred at me for a solid minute before he finally said, "Hi."

"Hi..." I swallowed, "you said you found something."

"Oh yeah." He shook his head and stepped back out of the way, "Come in I have a cup of coffee ready for you." He led me through the door and to the kitchen where there were two cups of steaming coffee prepared.

Unwrapping my scarf, I pulled it off draping it and my jacket over the back of a chair as I followed him into the kitchen. "Where are Alexis and Martha?"

Handing me my cup, "Mom is at performance for one of her a students and Alexis is upstairs finishing her homework. It's actually thanks to her that I even had this break through." He smiled proud of her. "How are things at the precinct?" He dived in not giving me a second to ask what the breakthrough was.

"We've got nothing Ryan and Esposito have been running down every friend they had seeing how they connect we've got nothing. I've been tracking their movements for the last six months seeing if there was some activity they would have interacted at. Still nothing." I took a large sip of the coffee. I'd forgotten how much better it was when he made it. The machine in the precinct helped a lot on the quality but it was way better when he made it.

"Well in that case maybe this will help." He scooped up his coffee and led the way over to his office. I stood on the threshold as he moved papers off one of the armchairs making room for me. The room hadn't changed much since I'd been here last. The only difference was the framed covers of his bond books and the easel with the cover for the one he'd just finished.

Going over to his high tech murder board he ran his fingers over it quickly to pull up the pictures and bios of the four girls we had so far. I settled in the chair he'd cleared, cradling my coffee just watching him work, realizing that not much had changed since I'd seen him last. "Ok," he turned to me, "So I was talking to Alexis complaining that the only thing these girls had in common was their age and she asked if they were all single."

"Castle we went over this at the precinct it doesn't change anything they haven't dated any one in common." I told him beginning to feel like maybe this was a bust too, but at least he had given me an excuse to see him again. It put us in familiar territory, rusty territory, but familiar.

This didn't change his view on it, "I know you have but what if they were all on dating site."

I shook my head, "There was nothing about that in any of their email accounts."

"Well most people set up a separate account for that kind of site. That way it's not spamming their normal address and it's harder to get information on them."

"Ok, so how did he find them?"

"They must have been girls he met in person and they rejected him after that."

"That doesn't explain the turning thirty within weeks of each other."

"Thirty is a big birthday something people usually stress over. Particularly if they're still single."

"And it's on the cusp on an age group. The websites transition you from the eighteen to twenty-eight year olds to the twenty-nine to forty year olds." He smiled triumphantly.

"Good work Alexis." I grinned, knowing that it would be a blow to his ego unfortunately, it only seemed inflate it further.

"I know she's great."

I shook my head. "Ok, well I'm going to call Ryan see if he can run this down." I set my coffee down pulling out my phone wandering into the other room as he shut down the murder board and gathered up all the papers putting them back in the folder I'd given him early that day.

By the time, I got off the phone with Ryan he was just standing in the doorway of the office watching me pace his living room. I stopped too look at him, "Ryan's going to look into it... Thanks for the help Castle."

"I'm happy to be of service." He smiled, "I just hope that it gets you somewhere we can't have women just about to turn thirty showing up every day."

"I'd forgotten that you were good at this." I told him sliding my hands into my pockets mimicking his position.

"I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it."

We just stood there for a few moments starting at each other. Energy crackling in the room, neither of us doing anything to break it. Until my phone traitorously rang in my pocket. Sighing I fished it out and answered, "Beckett." I listened to Esposito on the other end, "You're serious, we got something?" I turned to find my jacket and scarf wrapping the one around my neck with one hand, "Ok I'll be back in ten minutes."

Hanging up the phone I looked up and found Castle looking at me in disbelief, "I was right?"

I nodded, "Well Alexis was but yes."

"Well what are you waiting for?" He asked staring at me.

I laughed, "You. It's your lead you should come in and help us catch the bastard."

"Seriously." He looked at me blankly as I pulled on my coat.

"Well not if you're going to stand around and not get some shoes on."

"Right, shoes and coat." He scrambled past me towards the front closet. "Alexis!" He yelled up the stairs.

Within seconds the red head appeared on the stairs in sweats with her hair piled on her head, "Detective Beckett, hi."

"Hey. How are you?" I asked marveling at how much she seemed to have grown up in the last two years.

"Oh good," She gestured to her father how seemed to be having difficulty tying his shoes in his excitement. "I take it I gave you a good lead."

"Lex, I'm going to go to the precinct with Detective Beckett, call me if you need anything." He said finally standing up and pulling on a coat.

"Alright," she smiled, "be safe and I'll see you tomorrow." Leaning over the railing so that she could give him a hug. "It was good to see you Beckett."

"Same to you and I'll have him home in a few hours," I promised.

"Sounds good. Don't get into too much trouble." She called over her shoulder heading back up the stairs.

"Alright Castle lets go." I opened the door for him marveling at how excited he looked. His eyes were glittering and there was a child like glee on his face.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! This story has completely gripped me and I am just so happy you guys like it.

Babyrose