Author's note: okay, since I didn't really get to write a whole story last time, I'm going to write one, now. I find that I enjoy writing Castle when they're not showing episodes (and really, even when they are) and it's probably to curb withdrawal symptoms. So here is a story of my own – although I find myself in the mood to write more hurt/comfort than a real mystery, but we'll see how things go as I write.

Disclaimer: I'm not making any money on this story and only playing with the characters, so don't think I own Castle or the others! (Wouldn't it be nice, though?)

OOOOOOOOOO

Detective Kate Beckett had no trouble finding the crime scene. The street she turned off of was deserted with absolutely no traffic – odd considering the fact that it was almost noon. The street she turned onto, however, was bustling with several vehicles that were all using flashing lights to proclaim that they were there on official police business. She pulled in and parked next to Esposito's car, and flashed her badge, even though the officer who was guarding the crime scene knew her well enough that he would have let her in without it. She flashed him a smile, and saw Ryan and Esposito both walking toward her, holding the notebooks they normally carried when they were gathering evidence at a crime scene. She carried one, too. She just didn't write things down very often until it came time to use her white board.

"What do we have?"

"Dead body in the parking lot."

"Cause of death?"

"We're not sure, yet."

She frowned.

"Why-"

"Sorry I'm late." They all turned and saw Castle had joined them, carrying two cups of coffee, one of which he immediately handed over to Beckett with an apologetic smile. "I got caught in traffic."

"We're behind anyway," Ryan told him – and Beckett. "ME isn't here, yet, so we can't move the body until we get her to sign off on it. We've taken pictures of the area and we've started talking to the people who found the vic."

"Where's Lanie?" Kate asked.

"Blew a tire on her way here," Esposito answered. "Spare was flat. There's a uni on the way to pick her up."

"We cordoned off the area." Ryan gestured toward the parking lot in question, which was surrounded by yellow police tape. "I'm going to finish up with the questioning and hopefully we'll be ahead when Lanie gets here…"

Beckett looked over at Esposito as they walked toward the parking lot.

"You didn't go rescue her?"

He grinned, not at all annoyed at being teased about dating the good doctor.

"She said it was bad enough she is imposing on me by staying with me, she didn't want me to come change her tire…"

Castle's eyebrows went up.

"She's staying with you?"

Esposito nodded.

"The guy in the apartment above hers had a plumbing issue last night and her place is flooded. And the place below hers, and the ones under that. It's not pretty. She'll be staying with me until it gets fixed."

"Poor guy," Kate said, sarcastically, well aware that he wasn't minding the company a bit.

"Yup."

He wasn't.

"She could have come and stayed at my place," Castle told him. "As of this morning I'm rattling around alone."

"Where's Alexis?"

"Ashley's family went on a cruise and he invited her along."

"And you let her go?" Esposito asked, surprised.

"Where's Martha?" Beckett asked at the same time.

Castle smiled.

"Mother went along on the cruise."

"Ah."

Beckett understood immediately, but Esposito didn't.

"Why?"

"Because that was the only way Alexis was going to go," the writer told him. "A cruise ship is a big place and it's easy for a couple of youngsters to 'get lost' long enough to get into mischief."

"You don't trust Alexis?" Beckett asked, surprised. This time, though, it was Esposito who answered.

"He doesn't trust Ashley."

Castle grinned and touched his nose.

"Got it in one, detective."

They were all grinning as they approached the body lying on the asphalt with the lower half of his body under a Ford sedan. The smiles faded, though. A dead man deserved a little less frivolity and a lot more professionalism.

Beckett leaned over him, trying to see if she could figure out a cause of death just from looking at him, but she didn't see anything.

"I don't see any blood," Castle said, looking as well. "He wasn't shot or stabbed."

"Unless the blood is under him," Esposito corrected, crouching down beside Castle and trying to look under the car. It was in shadows, though, and he couldn't see anything helpful.

"He looks like he's bled out," Beckett added, frowning. "Look how pale he is…"

The body was dressed in white, which could make someone look darker or lighter, but it didn't do either for the dead man, who did look oddly pale now that Beckett mentioned it.

"He didn't do it here," Castle replied, "A body can't hide that much blood, right?"

"No."

Beckett crouched on the other side of Castle to look as well, but something drew her attention. She frowned and looked over at the car. The look drew Castle and Esposito's attention and they looked, too.

"What-"

"Shh!" Beckett raised a hand to stop the question. "Do you hear that?"

Both men froze, heads cocked, listening, but Esposito shook his head.

"I don't-"

"It's beeping," Castle interrupted.

"A bomb," Beckett realized, pushing herself upright. "Move!"

They didn't argue. Both of them started to stand, but even as they did it was too late. There was a flash of light, a loud boom and suddenly Castle found himself thrown backwards by a force he had no hope to resist. He was vaguely aware of something splattering him, and he tried to turn, but the ground rushed up and he was tossed abruptly into darkness.