A/N: The muse and I are working through some issues, hence my infrequent updates. Hopefully, relaxation and rest will get us unto the same page again. This chapter will, like always, feature Casketty goodness and in addition to that, I'm bringing back the crazy stalker lady.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm still not over 'Always' and I'll probably never will be thanks to our genius showrunner. Andrew Marlowe, I love you and your brilliant brain and beautiful characters. Always.

Chapter 48 - Nikki Heat

"Hey, babe."

"Hey," she greeted distractedly, eyes focused on the paperwork in front of her. "What's up?"

"So I dropped Lizzy off at day care and I'm now on my way to my first radio interview."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, honey." Slowly, a smile parted her lips. "By the way, I'll be listening to that interview," Kate murmured, the smile melting into her voice. She was so proud of her talented husband.

Rick laughed softly. "Oh, Mrs. Castle, I know you will." His voice dropped. "You're my biggest fan, remember?"

She hummed in agreement, absently twirling a strand of hair; paperwork momentarily forgotten.

"Indeed I am, Mr. Castle," she said, smiling widely. "I think I proved that last night. Twice." She caught Esposito's mirth-filled gaze as he mouthed 'get a room'. She shot him a glare and turned her back on her colleagues.

They were really like irritating younger brothers sometimes.

"So, how late is the reading tonight?"

He sighed on the other end of the line. "Six or seven. Around that time. I'm not entirely sure, but I'll let you know."

"Barnes and Noble on the corner of Lexington and 37th, right?"

"Yeah, something like that," he answered distractedly; she could hear Paula shrill, loud voice in the background. He sighed. "Listen, honey, I have to go. I'll text you the time later, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go, Castle. Go do your job." She smiled. "I'll see you later."

He grinned. "Okay, can't wait. Bye. I love you."

She smiled. "Love you too." She sighed, still smiling like an idiot, and put the phone down.

"What adorable thing did Castle do now that has gotten you all starry-eyed, Beckett?" Esposito asked, flopping down in the writer's designated chair and interrupting her thoughts. She narrowed her eyes at him. He only returned a smug grin.

Ryan stepped in, smirking. "Yeah, did he buy you flowers?" His grin grew wider. "Or, oh I know, he got you a present, didn't he?"

Oh, they wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. Amateurs. Bring it on, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb.

Kate raised an eyebrow, her lips curling upward. "You're right, Ryan. He gave me something just last night," she replied casually, leaning back in her chair, arms outstretched above her head. Her lips curved slyly, eyes sparkling. "All night long." The grins slowly started to fade from the other two detectives' faces as they realised in which direction she was going. "It was long and hard-"

Esposito abruptly stood up. "Okay, I don't need to know that." He looked mildly disgusted.

"What?" Kate asked with a shrug.

Ryan wore the same disturbed expression. "Yeah, I really don't want to hear anything about. . . that," he finished awkwardly.

"What's wrong guys?" She glanced between them, the picture of innocence. "I'm just telling you that my husband and I enjoy a very healthy-"

Esposito stuck two fingers in his ears. "Lalalalalala!"

"Truce! Truce!" Ryan exclaimed as the two men hastily retreated back to their own desks. She could hear them mutter something along the lines of "Mom and Dad" and "scarred forever".

Kate grinned victoriously. They could dish it out, but not take it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she called out. She received two mutinous glares in return. And to just rub it in, she added:

"That paperwork is not going to finish itself, boys."

[][][]

She checked her watch, growing impatient with how slow the minutes were ticking by. Only a few minutes before he was going to make his appearance. She took a breath, trying to keep it together, to keep from jumping up and down with excitement. She was finally going to meet him and he was finally going to see what he has been missing all this time.

She adjusted her narrow, form-hugging pencil skirt and popped another button on her already revealing white blouse. She was going for the Nikki Heat-look - even dyeing her hair dark brown (he seemed to prefer brunettes) and wearing impossibly high heels. She looked a little slutty. But anything to get his attention.

Anything.

All of a sudden, the crowd (of mostly women) burst into loud cheers and squeals. She quickly whipped around to see him walk in, smiling broadly and waving. He looked good. So very, very handsome in that suit and maroon shirt.

He was just so beautiful.

"Rick! Rick!" She couldn't help it; she joined the other fans who were yelling his name and waving like crazy. Surely, he would know her. He just had to.

She was his soul mate.

She was so focused on the handsome writer that she didn't notice the striking brunette hovering close by until someone behind her exclaimed:

"Hey, it's Nikki Heat!"

[][][]

Kate sat off to side - next to Paula, who was still busy ordering people around - and watched her husband being his charming self. She usually didn't attend book readings and signings, but he had almost begged her to come.

Just this once. 'How cool would it be if the real Nikki Heat was there?'

She relented because a) he was adorable when he got excited and b) well, because she wanted to see him in action, so to speak. And he was just so good at it - he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand while he read the first chapter of Burning Heat. He just enchanted everyone with the low rumble of his voice, drawing them into the story.

It also didn't hurt that he was so very sexy in that tailored black suit and maroon button-up shirt; groomed to perfection.

Such a delicious catch. And all hers.

Once he was done with the reading and the audience was told that 'Mr. Castle will be back in a few minutes to for the book-signing', he immediately went to his wife. She grinned at him and got up.

"Good evening, Mrs. Castle," he greeted with an impish smile before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Good to see you too, Mr. Castle." Kate bit her lip, her smile widening.

He wrapped his hand around hers. "Where's Lizzy?"

"Oh, I called Sarah to babysit. It was just too cold to bring her out-" she glanced around the room "-and frankly, you never know who's gonna be here."

"Ah, I get it. You don't want to expose our daughter to potentially deranged fans."

She grinned. "Yeah, something like that."

He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, running it over her wedding ring.

"How long are you staying?"

She glanced at her watch. "I told Sarah that I would be back by eight. So another hour?"

He smiled and nodded. "Okay. But, you're gonna sit next to me while I'm signing books. I want my fans to meet the real Nikki Heat."

[][][]

She was having trouble breathing. He wasn't looking at her, he was not going to notice her at all because-

Because of that bitch.

He was constantly glancing over at her, smiling like a fool and proudly introducing her to everyone as the 'real Nikki Heat'.

God, how could he be so blind?

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, willing the tears away. She was not going to cry. She had to pull herself together - all was not lost. She just had to do something to make him notice her. With that idea she opened her eyes and saw that she was only about five people away from the love of her life.

But that whore was laughing with him and touching him like she had a right to do so. How was she going to get his attention away from that woman?

'What if I just grabbed and kissed him?'

[][][]

"Wow, it's so great meeting both of you. Best. Night. Ever!" A bright-eyed young woman exclaimed with a beaming grin as she clutched the book to her chest.

"Thank you for coming out," Rick said in greeting as the girl walked off, pleased and excited.

Kate smiled widely. "Bye."

She was actually enjoying this - meeting the fans, talking about Rick's books. She was a fan herself, after all. It was really, really nice.

"Hi there," Rick said to another fan; by now, probably the eightieth one. She looked up and saw the woman who seemingly only had eyes for her husband. All love-eyeballs over him.

She looked strangely. . . familiar.

"Hi," the woman said in greeting, her voice low and sultry as she still stared at the writer. She slowly slid her copy of Burning Heat in front of Rick.

"So, to who am I making this out?"

"To Nikki," she replied, licking her bright-red lips.

Of course.

She was going for the Nikki Heat-look - cop by day, stripper by night. A little slutty. She was definitely pulling off the 'little slutty'-part in Kate's book.

Rick looked up and grinned. "Oh, like Nikki Heat."

'Nikki's' mouth curved up into a slow, sly smile. "Exactly."

He glanced at Kate, oblivious to the woman's attentions. "Well, meet the real Nikki Heat," he introduced Kate with a beaming smile.

The woman, however, steadfastly ignored Kate and kept her eyes on Rick. It was getting a little weird. And, frankly, the detective didn't like the way she was looking at her husband.

Like she was mentally undressing him.

The woman bent down slightly, placing her hands flat on the table; effectively putting her assets right in line with Rick's eyes.

Kate shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. She stuck out her hand, hoping to distract 'Nikki'.

"Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Detective Kate Beckett."

'Nikki' just smiled tightly, throwing the detective a hostile look; not bothering to shake her hand.

"I know who you are," she said before returning her attention back to Rick.

O-kay.

"I just enjoy your books so much, Rick," she purred.

He looked back at her and smiled politely. "Well, it's always nice to hear that people enjoy my work." He kept his eyes on her face because her chest was practically in his face.

"You're really, really talented," she hummed, flicking her eyes to his mouth. He was used to come-ons from fans, but not when his wife was sitting right next to him.

This chick had some gigantic balls.

"Uh, thank you." He smiled tightly, locking eyes with her. "Well, here you go." He handed the book to her. "And thank you for coming out. I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, Rick," she breathed. Suddenly, before any of them knew what was happening, 'Nikki' swooped down and crashed her mouth onto his, grabbing a hold of his face. Rick jerked back in surprise, almost falling out of his chair in the process.

"What the hell!" Kate shot up out of her seat and forcefully pushed the woman away, stepping in front of her husband. In a flash, security appeared and grabbed the very clearly disturbed woman.

"No, wait! Rick! I love you! I love you!" She screamed as they dragged her out of the building while everyone stared on in shock. They announced a break in the proceedings so that things could just settle down. And to give them time to reinforce security.

Paula, Rick and Kate retreated to the back of the bookstore to catch their breaths and regroup.

"Holy shit," was all the writer could get out, still wiping his mouth.

Paula stepped closer. "God, Ricky, I'm sorry. That never should have-"

Kate was bristling with anger, arms folded across her chest. "Paula, just do your job and get more security," she barked at the stunned book agent. She was furious - what if the crazy bitch had a knife or something?

If she just had her gun. . .

The book agent just nodded, seeing the murderous look in the detective's eyes. "Yeah, yeah. On it."

After a moment, Rick spoke. "Kate."

She glanced at her husband, looking like he was about to beg for her forgiveness. She was angry, but not at him. It wasn't his fault that he had some psychopaths for fans.

"Are you okay, Castle?"

His brow furrowed, still a little shocked. "Yeah, I'm fine." He paused for a moment. "You?"

She bobbed her head. "Yeah. But she should count herself lucky that I didn't bring my gun."

His face fell even further. "Kate, I'm so sorry-"

She grabbed his hand. "It's okay. It's not your fault." Her lips lifted slightly into a wry smile. "You've got some deranged fans, Castle."

He laughed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I told you so."

"Occupational hazard, I suppose."

He let out a sigh before pulling her in for a hug. "Yeah, but still. Jeez, did she have to try that with you sitting right next to me? I mean, you're my wife, Kate. My wife, for god's sake."

Her mouth twitched into a smile at his indignation as she pressed her face into his neck.

Mm, he smelled so good.

She lifted her head. "Yeah, well, she must be crazy." Kate glanced at her watch. "It's eight, Castle. I have to get home and you still have to finish up here."

He groaned and tightened his hold on her, burying his face in her neck. "I don't want to anymore. I wanna go home with you."

She was quiet for a while, just playing with the hair at the back of his head. "You have to, Rick," she said softly eventually. He lifted his head to look at her, frowning. He was basically just molested by a crazy fan (in front of his wife) and she wanted him to continue?

She glanced down at her hands now on his chest. When she returned her eyes to his, they were gleaming with tears.

"There might be someone out there who needs this." His brow furrowed even further. "Just like I did," she murmured, her voice fragile.

Oh.

Oh, Kate.

Just like she did. She also stood in line to get her book signed just after. . . her mother died. She told him that. He didn't remember their first meeting - much to his dismay - but apparently, it meant a lot to her. He helped drag her out of the rabbit hole, she told him.

He could feel his eyes starting to burn as he thought about a young Kate Beckett standing in line, desperately grabbing at straws, a little lost and broken. A lonely girl carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. His heart broke a little at the image. If he just knew back then.

He suddenly felt fiercely protective of her, this beautiful, strong woman in front of him. His wife. She was still that lonely girl sometimes. Not a lot anymore, but she still tended to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders on occasion.

Rick briefly closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay." He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss against her forehead, just keeping her in the cradle of his arms. "Okay, I'll do it," he answered hoarsely.

She smiled, still a little teary. "Good. I'll see you at home, okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll bring ice-cream," he said with a grin, before growing serious again. "Kate, I'm sorry-"

She silenced him with a kiss; hot and devastating and a little rough. They broke away panting, her face pressed against his collarbone.

Finally she looked at him again. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault, remember? Besides-" Her mouth converted into a slow, cunning grin, like a predator playing with her prey; her eyes dark and dangerous."-I'm still your biggest fan, Mr. Castle."

[][][]

Oh god, she has never been so humiliated in her life. She slammed shut the door and sagged against it, finally giving in to the tears, the disappointment, the utter heartbreak. Why didn't he do something to stop it? Why didn't he chase after her? Didn't he love-?

No. No, no, no.

He did love her. He told her that. It was everywhere in his books. He loved her - she could see it in the way that he was looking at her, the way that he kissed her. He just couldn't express it like she could tonight. She lifted her head, her tears already drying.

He couldn't express his love to her because-

Because of that stupid bitch. She was ruining everything. Finally, she got up and made her way to the shrine. She lit a few candles and took the newly signed novel out of her bag, placing it carefully with the others.

She stared at the gigantic Richard Castle poster. "I love you," she whispered, tracing a hand slowly, reverently over his smiling face, lingering at his lips.

She placed her other hand on her own mouth, feeling giddy as the memory of his lips on hers. He was such a good kisser. She had no idea.

"Don't worry, I will always love you and we will be together soon." She pressed her cheek against the poster. "It's just a matter of time."

She just needed to get Kate Beckett out of the picture.

A/N: Wow, I'm even creeped out by this crazy stalker chick. This chapter was a real challenge - the muse and I struggled quite a bit, but finally, I just sat down and wrote and it got me through. The tone is a little different - obviously - and again there was no Lizzy. I promise, there will be in the next few - I wanted to end it off here; it's a bit of a cliffhanger, and frankly, I don't want to writer another coming-home-scene. Of course, this plot is not going come up in every chapter, but it's gonna be there beneath the surface.

Anyway, I hope it was enjoyable. Please review and tell me what you think.

I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes.