Some wonderful fluff just for you guys! I own nothing but the idea for this particular story everything else belongs to much more successful people than myself.

Chapter 12 – Public Worries

"Richard?"

"Dad?"

I heard the front door closed behind my mother and daughter as they came home from what ever adventure they'd left on this morning. I think they'd said something about dress shopping for the launch party but I hadn't really been listening when they'd swept out of the apartment after breakfast, my mind had been on the document sitting on my computer. Saved under, untitled, the document was growing in fits and starts, sometimes pages and pages flowing from my fingertips, other weeks there was nothing.

But with the prospect of an empty apartment and the last week it felt like the final pieces of the story of were falling in place. Sure the story was going to take a lot of reworking before it was even ready for Alexis' eyes but it was there on the page. Hitting ctrl+S I saved the first copy, before saving a back up on my external hard drive, and shooting a copy to the email account I kept for just that purpose. "Hey ladies!" I called back to them closing the lap top and extricating myself from the desk, I went out into the other room.

"Writing again, Richard?" Mom asked from the kitchen where she was already pouring a glass of wine.

"When the inspiration strikes."

"You mean when you spend time with Detective Beckett?" Alexis asked from the table where she was sorting things from various shopping bags.

"Did you girls buy the whole city?"

"Oh just a few things for the party and then a couple of things for the summer." Alexis shrugged

"Speaking of Beckett when are we going to be seeing the lovely detective again," Martha asked over the top of her wine glass.

Sometimes living with two girls, even if they were my family, was a nightmare. "Well you're going to see her on Tuesday."

"She's coming?"

"Barring a horrific murder."

"Fabulous." Mother exclaimed, "that will be just wonderful. Richard Castle and the inspiration for Nikki Heat, Paula will be thrilled."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the real life Jameson Rook and Nikki Heat together at the launch of the last James Bond book. She'll have the press spinning theories that Richard Castle is bringing Detective Heat back to the literary world."

Horrified. That was my only reaction, how had I not thought of this, talked to her about this. I was going to have to un-invite her. "This is a nightmare." I groaned.

"Relax Dad. Detective Beckett is a smart women even if you didn't think of the possibility, I'm sure she did."

"I didn't want to make this about us. I just wanted her to be there." Running a hand through my hair, I pulled out my phone scrolling through the phone book to get her number, "I have to call her and tell her she can't come."

"Richard," My mother snapped. "Do not call her and un-invite her." I frozen and looked at her. "You can call her and invite her for dinner with us, we'll watch a movie, then you can talk to her and at least make sure that she knows what's she's going to be facing on Tuesday. Then you let her make the decision if she still wants to come."

"Really dad you can't make the decision for her. She's a tough women she can make this decision on her own." Alexis told me sounding far too reasonable for her age.

"I don't want to mess this up."

"Well un-inviting her to a glitzy press event certainly won't help you avoid that outcome."

"So I invite her for dinner?"

"And a movie."

"And I talk to her?" Both red heads just nodded at me reassuringly, "Ok so what are we doing for dinner?"

"Indian?" Alexis suggested, and mother nodded her assent.

"Sounds good." I told them finally pushing the send button on the phone.

She answered on the second ring, "Hey Castle. I knew you couldn't go three days with out talking to me." I could hear the smile on the other end.

"I'm predictable. Listen are you busy this evening?"

She paused and I heard papers shuffling, "No, I was just finishing up some paper work. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over and have indian with Alexis, Mother and I, and then maybe watch a movie?" I asked.

"That sounds nice." She hummed.

"So we'll see you soon?"

"Give me twenty minutes."

"Ok."

"Castle?"

"Yeah."

"Order extra naan."

"Can do. I'll see you soon."

The food was spread out on the coffee table; the projector was set up with the shower curtain screen strung up. Alexis had picked a selection of movies for us to choose from and was pulling dishes from the cabinet, and mother was changing when the knock came. Opening the door I found her smiling on the other side, dressed in jeans, boots, a grey turtle neck sweater, and what I'm sure is one of dozens of leather jackets she owns. Her hair was curling with a natural abandon, escaping from the braid that she'd managed to tame it into.

"Hi." She said softly stepping across the threshold. She glanced around the apartment quickly as the door swung closed before she stepped closer and brought her hands up to my shoulders and kissed me.

Rocking back on her heels she looked up at me, "What was that for?" I asked.

"I've never been able to do that before." She said with a shrug, stepping back to take off her jacket handing it to me as she bent down to pull of the boots she was wearing, suddenly losing four inches off her height. "So what are we watching?"

"Alexis picked out a whole bunch. I think she was waiting for your arrival."

Right on cue my daughter appeared in the living room setting the plates down, "Hey Detective Beckett. What kind of movie are you feeling, comedy? Animated? Romantic comedy? Action flick? Horror film? Foreign film?"

Kate laughed, the few curls that framed her face, bouncing. "You guys have too many movies?" She said crossing the room, "Well what are my choices for comedy or animated?"

Alexis pulled out two options, "Well there's UP! Or Bridesmaids."

Folding herself into the middle of the couch Kate looked back at me and then over at the options, "Lets start with kid's laughter and if I'm still awake after that then maid we can move onto adult humor."

"Fair enough." Alexis nodded opening up the case.

"Kate, you made it." My mother exclaimed as she descend the stairs, sweeping into the living room. I smiled and wandered into the kitchen pulling out a beer for myself, glancing over the couch to find her watching me out of the corner of her eye. I waved the bottle in her direction and she nodded before turning back to the conversation with my daughter and mother. I smiled glad that she looks so comfortable here even if we were still figuring out the details.

By the time I made my way back over to the couch the movie had started to play and the girls were passing dishes between them piling a variety of dishes onto them. The only space they'd left open was right next to Kate. Grinning, I plunked down next to her pulling the last plate towards me I entered the fray grabbing the first available dish as it passed my way.

"I should buy a blimp." I mused at the end of the movie.

"What would you do with a blimp?" The question came from my shoulder.

"Fly it places? What else do you do with a blimp?"

"Dad, we have no where to keep a blimp." Alexis told me like that was the only problem owning a blimp, as she stood up. "I'm going to call it a night. Night dad, see you on Tuesday Kate." She leaned over and kissed me before grabbing a pile of dishes and carrying them into the kitchen.

"That's all for me too." Mother said picking up her share of dishes. "Night all." She called from the kitchen as her and my daughter disappeared up the stairs whispering to each other.

I looked down at the detective that had leaned against my shoulder after she'd finished eating, and I'd taken it as my cue to put my arm around her. She yawned and pressed her face into my shirt. "I should get going too." She told me but made no sign of moving, rather she snuggled a little closer.

"Hmm…" time to face the music, "I have to talk to you about Tuesday."

"You're going to love my dress." She said softly.

I smiled wryly running a hand down her arm, "I'm sure I will. But first I wanted to give you a heads up about something?" She hummed back at me. "There's probably going to be press there and they're going to put together that you were the inspiration for Nikki Heat… So there's probably going to be questions about whether I'm bringing her back now that Bond is done."

She stiffened and sat up, keeping her hand on my chest. "Are you?"

"Not with out talking to you about it first."

She studied me for a few minutes. "Ok. Then let them ask, it's not like we're going to convince them other wise anyway."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well if you didn't want to come any more I would understand." I told her.

She smiled sweetly, "You really are too sweet sometimes." She reached up and brushed my hair off my forehead. "I should go home." She extricated herself from her couch unfolding her long limbs, making her way over to her shoes pulling the boots and jacket on as I walked over to join her.

"So I'll see you on Tuesday?"

She smiled biting her lip, as she took a step closer to me resting her hands on my chest. "Yes Castle." She assured me before taking advantage of the extra inches her heels gave her and kissed me. I let my hands slide over her hips to rest on the small of her back.

She was the one that pulled back, "Good night Rick."

"Until tomorrow Kate." I told her as I opened my eyes to find her smiling up at me. We were both still for a moment before I reached on opened the front door. She patted my chest and then sauntered out of the apartment.

Ok so what are your thoughts because I would love to hear them.

Babyrose