Okay, who saw last night's Castle and the kiss? I did! I was mad that they didn't seem to acknowledge it at all though. It was just like they had finished a regular case. Which it was, I know, but they had to have felt something, right? I was sure that they had actually started making out, but sadly they were just acting. Sigh.

I do not own Castle, because if I did, Castle and Beckett would be together and making little Caskett babies right now.

Rick was done cleaning up dinner, but this Kate Beckett intrigued him, so he acted like he wasn't done to be around her.

She had been a great guest, always polite and talkative, but he really started understanding her and Jim a little better once he heard their conversation about Jim's wife.

He stood pathetically off to the corner as Kate picked up her coat and got ready to go. Summoning up all his courage, he walked over to her. "Hey Kate, I was wondering—"

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the number and sighed. "Rick, can this wait a second? I have to take this."

He nodded, but she was already flipping open her phone. "Beckett," she said, switching to work mode easily, like she never left it.

"No way, it was the cousin? I told you, Esposito. I knew his alibi was stupid. No…you need me to come in now? Why? Oh, fine. Give me a half an hour. I'll be there!"

She threw her phone into her pocket.

"Everything okay?" Rick asked stupidly.

She rolled her eyes. "No. I have to go interrogate some idiot."

"Really? Can I come?"

She stood up from grabbing her phone, which had missed her pocket when she threw it, quickly. "Why? It's not going to be that interesting."

"I've always wanted to watch a real interrogation for my books. You know, research."

"You didn't get to when you were actually researching them?" She was putting her coat on now and Rick knew that if he was going to go with her he had to change her mind fast.

"No, I just watched lots and lots of cop shows and movies. Nobody wanted me to be there," he explained casually, as if he was talking about the weather, and not other peoples' feelings towards him.

"No. You can't come." She turned around and walked towards the door.

"Why not?" Rick whined.

"Because I am not in a good mood and I just want to interrogate this obvious murderer and get home and sleep," she said curtly.

"At least let me give you a ride there. You did get a cab here, right?"

"Fine." Kate didn't even bother to wonder how he knew she rode in a cab. Some things are just better left unknown.

"Esposito, tell me he's here so I can leave," Kate said, walking into the precinct, Castle on her tail.

"He's in room one…..who's this, Beckett? Did you bring along a new boytoy?" Esposito was grinning and, thanks to his comment, Ryan was too.

"Guys, this is Rick Castle, he's just here because I needed a ride. Don't talk to him." She walked off to interrogation room one.

"So. Rick Castle. That sounds familiar, don't you think, Javi?" Ryan said.

"Now that you say that, it does ring a little bell…but I don't know where I heard it before…"

"I'm a mystery novelist," Rick jumped in. Ryan and Esposito just looked at him. "I write about murders and cops like you that solve them…" he trailed off.

"And what is Beckett doing, getting rides from you? She's never said anything about a Rick Castle before," Esposito said.

"We had dinner together with my daughter and mother and her dad. I wanted to watch an interrogation and she needed a ride, so gentlemen, I would like to know where room one is."

"It's down the hall on the left, but Beckett won't want you watching!" Ryan yelled to Castle, who was walking down the hallway.

He found the room off the interrogation room and was happy to learn that they actually did have one way mirrors. He leaned against the wall and started watching the interrogation before him.

"Tell me, Mr. Sanders, where you were Thursday night between ten and midnight, for real this time." Kate was standing and facing a shaggy haired man that needed a shave and less tattoos.

"I told you, lady, that I was at a party at my friend Bo's house!" the man Kate called Mr. Sanders cried.

"Yeah well, your friend Bo said that you called him to tell him that you had previous engagements and couldn't make it." She leaned back against the wall. "So it looks like your alibi just fell through and there was enough time between your 'late shift' and your 'rendezvous with a hot babe' to make it to Shelly's apartment and hit her over the head."

"I was just going over there to talk, you know? I just wanted to talk. I didn't know that she was going to start hitting me! She brought it on herself!"

Rick listened to the man's meager excuses and marveled at Kate. She had pulled the truth out of a man that looked like he should be living in alleys and smoking pot, even though Rick could plainly see that the man was watching her and looking at her body.

Rick knew that if he was a girl, he would not have been able to stand up to this guy. Heck, he was scared to stand up to this guy and he was a fully grown adult man!

Kate amazed him. Simple as that.

Rick got home that night later than usual since he had to drop Kate off at her apartment. He walked through the silent loft, dropping his keys on the table by the door, hanging up his coat. As he passed his study, his eyes pulled something out of the darkness.

As he stared at his laptop, he got hit by something that had deserted him earlier. Inspiration. He sat down to type, not getting up again until hours later. But it wasn't fruitless. He had a new book started, starring a new character named Nikki Heat.

But obviously he was going to have to do some research.

Ummm, yeah. That's it. It's over.

Now, people, I got, what, two reviews for the last chapter? Three? Come on, I know you're out there, I want reviews! Please!

Rynni