BTW: I had this idea BEFORE I saw "The Final Nail".

I loved Ryan's proposal to Jenny and wanted Ryan to have more of a main role in a story and Jenny to be more than a gorgeous woman coming into the station to talk to Ryan.

It's been a while since I wrote my opening episode for season 3 (Called "A Stitch in Time" a plug for those who haven't read it, please read it .net/s/6289492/1/A_Stitch_in_Time ). Thanks to everyone who read it and encouraged me to write more.

Through Thick and Thin

By BossC

"Morning Castle, we've got a body." Beckett's voice rang over the phone. Castle groaned. "Do you have to be so cheery?"

"What's the matter, did you stay up to late?" The detective's tone changed to teasing.

"Yes mother." He smiled as he played along.

"Hurry up, Lanie is only a few minutes away and then we will be moving the body."

"Don't move it without me!" With a yelp he was out of bed.

Beckett smiled as she hung up her phone. That would get him going.

She spoke to the first on site cops to pick their brains about this case.

"Not exactly a bad area during the day Detective," Officer Myers told her, "But at night, drug dealers take over the area. But we have been patrolling this area more, so I would have thought they would have moved on."

"Anything recent?"

The cops shook their heads. "Not that I can recall."

She made a note to pull the files of arrests in the area. Maybe our vic saw something he shouldn't have.

"Coffee, Detective?"

Beckett recognized the voice without even turning around. The guy seemed to know what she needed before she asked. "Thanks."

"Consider it a thank you for keeping the body on scene, this is the best part of the case."

"How about when we get the bad guy and the victim's family can have the closure?" Beckett meant it as cop humor, dark with a bit of truth, but Castle recognized the irony: Beckett still didn't have the all closure she needed from her mother's murder. He tried to give an encouraging smile.

"Come on." She led him to the body.

"Male, Caucasian, early 30s." Castle stole Beckett's line

"32 according to his ID." Esposito smiled at the writer. "Steven Mitchum. No business cards, but nice suit."

"Must have given them all out."

"Or was at a nice dinner."

"Time of death is between 11 and 2 am. He's been here a while. A bullet appears to be cause of death." The great amount of dried blood didn't faze Lanie. She pointed a gloved hand at the torso, "Look at those powder burns on his coat."

"It was at close range." Beckett knelt down next to her

"But there are no defensive wounds." Esposito pointed out.

"So this means he knew the shooter."

"It started out as an innocent meeting…but then the shooter's nefarious intentions were revealed…unfortunately it was too let to fight for his life." Castle theorized in a dramatic tone.

The guys and Lanie glared at Castle as he gave his famous grin. He turned to look at Beckett's reaction. "Good theory?"

"Hmm?" Beckett's attention was focused elsewhere. "Lanie, look at this bruise on his face."

"Already done." The M.E. almost felt offended.

"What caused it?"

"It hasn't had time to really form so I can't say for sure—maybe when I get him back to the lab."

"So it happened before his death."

Lanie nodded. "But not too far before."

"So he is in a fight then shot?" Castle wondered.

"If it was fight, it was one sided, there are not any defensive wounds, from a gunshot or a fight."

"If the shooting happened during the beating there wouldn't have been any time for bruises to form."

"But the bruise on his cheek is obvious so must have been earlier."

"And I can give an answer if I can get him back to the lab." Lanie reminded.

Beckett stood up from her position kneeling next to the body. "Alright, you guys can take the body. Ryan, Esposito, there's a couple of apartment buildings, start canvassing the neighborhood, see if anyone recognizes the vic. Then move on to the businesses nearby. Lanie, if you find any receipts in his clothes, let Esposito know immediately."

The couple exchanged a look, but Beckett was moving away.

"What about us?" Castle fell into step with her.

"Castle, we're looking for the next of kin. Got to run a check in the database."

"Computer work? What happened to chasing down nefarious criminals and murderous masterminds?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Come on Castle."

Author's Note: Please review. I know I didn't give a lot here but I'll eventually get to the good stuff. :-)