I couldn't NOT post this chapter for you guys before Monday because, well, I just couldn't. It's short but a big one and I hope you enjoy it. I was very excited to write this.

And of course I'm promoting my brand new collab-fic that just posted it's second chapter called 'Armed and Dangerous' found on my profile page or by doing a quick search. Please review it and spread the love.

Please review and if you want to follow me on twitter you can find me at vatrask

Enjoy 3

Rick groan in protest as the knock resounded through the empty loft yet again. His mother was off god knows where – not that she really cared as long as she was out of the house – and his daughter was off with Meredith god knows where – and boy did he care about that – so that left Rick, alone in the huge loft at what must have been some ungodly hour for him to be this upset over a knock at the door. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm, he pulled the door open with one hand and instantly wished that he hadn't even rolled out of bed this morning. "You put a bullet in his frickin' head?" his groan of protest this time was more at the moment currently yelling in his ear and tapping her foot like she could take off at any moment.

"Gina," he closed his eyes but still opened the door just wide enough for her to enter "I see you've read my last draft of Storm Fall." She stormed in – more like a hurricane, but Rick would find better metaphors when he was fully awake – but paused at the base of the stairs as she looked around at his loft; it was immaculately clean for a single dad and an almost fifteen year old daughter. Not a pillow unfluffed or dish left unclean; there was, however a very open and empty bottle of scotch and in an instant, a bug settled into her heart that just would not leave her alone.

"So who's the bimbo you shared the booze with this time?" Although, the majority of his brain was sighing 'not this again' a tiny part of him was cringing at her use of alliteration.

He stood at the closed door and decided it was best to remain there until this little storm had blown over. "The divorce will be finalized in two weeks, Gina, could you please stop torturing me now? Especially this early."

"It's ten o'clock." She shook her head at him, her hands on her hips in true diva fashion. "And besides, this isn't torture, these are just questions."

And as much as despised these questions, he saw the hurt in Gina's eyes and it still pained him to see it there because of him. Just because they weren't to be married anymore didn't mean he would stop caring for her. "Gina I never have and I never will cheat on you, not even now."

"But what about-"

"That was two years ago," he whined "and I already told you, don't know any Alison." Well that was a lie if ever he'd heard one but he'd meant what he said before – he'd never cheat on her; not willingly. "She was just a character for a book I was working on; you know how I get when I'm writing a story."

"And speaking of books," how she was able to switch between publisher and wife so quickly astounded him even now, he was just glad it never happened in bed "I know you asked Black Pawn for that advance but you aren't going to get it until we know that you're actually going to produce another book."

He got that panicked look in his eyes – one she had seen all too many times – and she knew in an instant what was actually going on. "I've got something in the works, I swear."

She sighed and rolled her eyes; Rick was a good man and an amazing writer but sometimes, she wondered how he didn't procrastinate himself out of a job. "Fine; they're working on your final draft of Storm Fall and someone will be in touch with you by the end of the month with more details on publication."

"Someone?" He smirked, "not you?"

"Not necessarily me, Rick, I'm your publisher but the less I see of you, the better."

"And yet you came all the way over here to tell me in person what could have been easily done over the phone."

She pursed her lips, glaring at him but not completely; he wasn't wrong – not that she'd ever tell him that. "I like popping over to catch you unawares Ricky; 'cause one of these days, you won't have an alibi for whatever dirty little deed you've committed.

Kate rolled over in bed, groaning as she glanced at the clock. Four in the morning; ugh. Blindly reaching for her phone on the nightstand, her vision still blurred by sleep, she picked up the phone and clicked the 'talk' button without looking at the caller I.D. "Beckett."

She arrived downtown forty-five minutes later to her favourite boys waiting for her with a tired smirk on their faces. "Morning boys," she smirked "you've got a good one for me?"

"You got that right," Esposito nodded towards the entrance to the business office of a small-claims lawyer "it's definitely a freaky one."

They exchanged small talk until they reached the correct floor and they ducked under the familiar yellow crime scene tape and approached a definitely different sight. He lay on his belly in a sprawled position, chalked Wicca drawings surrounding his body and a thick tie pulled tight around his neck. "Marvin Fisk," Esposito began "age thirty-six; he's a small claims lawyer for Miller and Marlowe"

Then Ryan took over "house cleaning found him at three-thirty when they were doing a last minute sweep of the floor, they say they never moved the body."

But Beckett had all but tuned them out knowing the information would make its way to their murder board. What she was focused on was wracking her brain and trying to figure out when she had seen this crime scene before. Her finger flew to her lips and she tapped impatiently as though her memories would come faster but it only served to confuse and frighten her co-workers who were suddenly aware of her silent state. "Beckett?"

It would be two weeks before it all clicked and she finally uttered the words "don't you guys read?" Richard Castle, author extraordinaire and the missing link between Marvin Fisk and Allison Tisdale, their latest victim; it was his books that the killer was copying and his was his books that Kate Beckett had read so many times that she'd memorized the majority of his twenty-some best-selling novels. To say she was a fan would be an understatement but she wouldn't dare let it show as she approached the front desk of a swanky hotel she would soon forget the name of and displayed her badge, asking what floor the Richard Castle Book Launch Party was being held. In the elevator leading to the roof she took several deep calming breaths in the solitude of the car, calming her nerves for what may be a very important and very exciting meeting. By the time she reached her destination she had her game face on and she was in full-on 'detective' mode; no nonsense and completely ready to catch the bad guys at any cost. But first she had to meet Richard Castle.

Approaching a woman who looked somewhat official and definitely – somehow – familiar, she subtly revealed her badge sitting on her hip and asked the blonde where she could find Richard Castle. She pointed him out sitting at a bar away from the crowds of people specifically here to see him and Beckett nodded in thanks before making her way over to him.

This was it, the moment when the fangirl in the back of her mind was going crazy with excitement at meeting her favourite author and the moment when her outer cop was ready to take on any personality he might have. She briefly heard the end of a conversation between himself and a young red-head she vaguely registered to be his daughter. "…for once I'd like someone to come up to me and say something different."

She took one last calming breath. "Richard Castle?"

Yup, I'm stoping RIGHT there. Are you guys excited? You should be; you know why? Because this story is no where NEAR over. They've FINALLY met but as we know, Rick and "Alison" go on MANY more adventures together - and we're going on it together right? Right? RIGHT?