Kate's fingers flew over the keyboard, like fast moving ghosts, barely grazing each key. A sweet caress here, a gentle touch there, the words spilling out before her.

In the scene before her, the main character, Jameson Rook a determined male detective in the city of New York, stands face to face with his counterpart, the oh so sexy and insanely childish, article writer, Nikki Heat. A quarrel happens between right and wrong, good and evil, sex and relationship. The sparks fly aggressively between the two…

Beckett's fingers stop. The writing high she was on has been lost, ripped from beneath her feet. The curser blinks condescendingly at her at the end of her last sentence.

She glanced at the clock, aw hell; it's only 11:30. Beckett grabbed her phone from the desk and dialed Castle's number.

"Castle." His response sharp, quick, and professional like always.

"Hey, did I wake you?"

"Hey Beckett, is everything okay? Did you have another nightmare?" His voice was now gentle, like silk, it could easily make Kate shiver.

"No, I'm fine detective, I just have a question."

Castle hesitated before responding, "yeah?"

"Well, I've been writing but I've seem to come to a screeching halt. I need your mighty fine detective inputs." Kate told herself that was her reason for calling, but maybe she just wanted to talk to Castle,

Rick chuckled, his voice rough but so sexy even over the phone. "Hhm, a bestselling mystery writer is looking to me for help? Funny. Why don't you read me the scene?"

"Rook and Heat stood in the middle of the precinct, their eyes locked on each other. Raley, Ochao, and a few others wandering about the precinct have stopped to watch the sacred dance between the detective and the writer.

'Why would you even think to do that?' Rook snaps, but Heat doesn't falter.

'I caught our guy, didn't I? I don't understand your problem.' Heat takes another step forward, breaking into Rook's space.

'But walking into a mob scene, unarmed, no backup, and no police training in situations like that whatsoever is the most absurd thing you've done so far!' Rook retorted.

Heat took another step closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. 'I think you're angry that I was the hero in this case. And not the world's finest New York Cop.' She picked her head up too look into Rook's eyes, and their lips were mere inches away.

Jameson's frustration began to bubble, as he clenched and unclenched his fists continuously. She was too close for comfort; he could feel her body ghosting over his." Beckett took a long slow breath.

The line was dead for a few moments which was killing Kate. "Well?" Her voice trailing off into worry.

"I love the way you write." Castle's response was simple, but it did flips to Beckett's heart. If you love the way someone writes, that means you love a piece of them, so Castle loved her in a way?

"You never told me you read my books." Beckett's smile grew ten times, in size "you're a fan, aren't you!" Excitement at the realization was bubbling through her veins.

"It never came up; I actually read your books before meeting you. They helped me a lot after my brother's murder." Castle's said softly, almost embarrassed.

"Glad I could be a hero to you." Beckett joked, "Now back on topic, if you were in this situation, what would you do?"

On the other line, Castle sat staring at the ceiling, thinking through every possibility. Finally deciding on the best answer, "I'd probably walk away."

"Really? No kiss, no sexual joke? Nothing! Why Detective Richard Castle, I'm disappointed."

"It would be wrong. Rook is on the job, and shouldn't be so… unprofessional." Castle said slowly.

Beckett snorted, "You're being hypocritical Rick. You did almost the exact opposite, if I remember correctly."

"Ah, yes, well I walked away afterwards, didn't I?"

"True… but after we had made out, while on the job. Twice." Beckett was pushing, and it was a bit annoying. But Castle pushed it aside, reliving those moments happily.

"You just have that effect on me." Castle laughed lightly.

"Oh really? Do I now, Rick?" Beckett's voice turned rough, and sexy. The bedroom voice, she called it, having used it a few times before on previous boyfriends.

Castle was instantly hard, was she really going to talk dirty to him? Her goddamn voice did wonders.

At a loss for words, Castle could only stutter like a hormonal teenager.

"Well, see you tomorrow! Sleep tight!" Beckett chuckled with victory, and hung the phone up. Castle sat at his desk, wondering what had just happened.

0~0~0~0~0~0

The pair hadn't openly talked about their relationship, and how they were going to tell everyone else. The team had yet to be uninformed, not that Castle or Beckett was hiding their relationship from anyone, it was just that once at work everything was professional and there was no room for flirting or kisses.

"I'm so bored!" Beckett complained while making a paper clip chain.

"We just got off a case, be thankful there isn't another one right away." Castle said without looking up, she had been complaining about her boredom all day long. Several times she hinted about skipping out early and "steaming up a few windows". Castle was tempted, the way she was dressed today was definitely not helping also. She wore a low v-neck that scooped lower every time she leaned over and amazing ass fitting jeans.

"Yeah, but anything is better than paperwork!" She whined while Castle only rolled his eyes at her childlike personality.

Beckett was quiet for a few minutes, concentrating hard on her paper clip chain. Then abruptly let out a loud sigh. "This is terrible! How can you do this?" She asked.

"Years of practice." Castle stated nonchalantly.

Beckett's phone pinged and her face lit up at the distraction. After finishing reading the text, she stood grabbed her jacket and turned to Castle.

"I've got to skip out early; we are leaking a chapter of Heat Wave to the press."

"Leaking? Why would you do that?" Castle asked confused at the way authors gained publicity.

"Well people will read the chapter if they believe it's 'leaked' material. And then once I've got them hooked, they will buy the book when it is released. Smart huh?" Beckett laughed at the idea.

"Actually… it is. It makes a lot of sense to do that." Castle admitted, "So does this mean I will get to read said chapter?"

Beckett gave him her 1000 watt smile and laughed "only if you're good." She said, and then lowered her voice so no one else would hear "call me tonight." And then she was off, her ass swaying back and forth as she walked out of the precinct, Castle couldn't help but notice.

0~0~0~0~0~0

Throwing his jacket over the couch, Castle turned on the news like he did every day after work. Kicking off his shoes, and untucking his shirt, Castle walked into the kitchen to make dinner for himself, the sound of the TV drifting through the apartment.

"The murder of Dave Brynn has been solved; the son-in-law is now being sentenced to life in jail. In other news, the new chapter of Heat Wave by New York Best Seller author Kate Beckett has been leaked on the internet." The news caster stated. Castle couldn't help but laugh, within 3 hours she was already making nightly news. Something she could easily do. "To find the chapter, check out our website."

Castle sat down on the couch, eating mac and cheese, with his feet kicked up. Martha and Alexis were out shopping and would be back sometime soon. Richard Castle loved his family, but sometimes he liked being alone to watch the news in peace. He made a mental note to read the chapter before he went to bed, but for now he would finish watching the news.

0~0~0~0~0~0

Beckett sat down in her usual seat next to Castle's desk. A smile spread wide across her face as she laid a cup of coffee down for Castle. However, the detective kept his head down, his veins were pulsing through his neck as he clenched and unclenched his teeth.

"Hello detective, what bitter weather we are having." Beckett said like any other morning, joy seeping through her voice. The beautiful man currently situated across from her was making her heart race. Obviously, she hadn't noticed his current disposition.

Castle's jaw locked and the veins in his neck suddenly becoming visible, his head though never picked up to look at Beckett.

"Hey, you alright?" Beckett asked reaching her hand across to touch his.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Castle's answer was brief and cold, the grip on his pen tightening before he let it slip from his grasp as he stood up forcefully from his desk and paced away.

"Castle!" Beckett called from her spot next to his desk before standing up and following behind him. "You should give me enough respect to tell me what your problem is."

Castle turned on his heel, his body pulsing with anger. "You want to know what my problem is? Your goddamn book. That's my problem."

Beckett's normally imaginative mind couldn't even figure the problem to this one out. "My book…?"

"Jameson Rook? The character 'supposedly' based off me is the most cold hearted, unemotional, stuck up person probably ever to be written. The first chapter he storms off about half a dozen times and he acts like he's better than everyone else. Now I know I'm not mister heartfelt, 'let's all just share our emotions' kind of guy but I know for a fact I'm a little better than that cold hearted scum bag that you've portrayed me as." Castle stated as the whole precinct had turned to watch the pair.

"Oh Castle." Beckett whispered, her heart plummeting only to crash by her feet.

"How do you think that makes me feel? Everyone who reads that book is going to think I'm the biggest asshole around. That all I care about is my job, about solving murders and catching killers. I've let you follow me around, go to crime scenes, be a part of interrogations, and in return you bash my reputation. You were kidnaped and I fucking saved you and in return this is what I get?"

"Rick, please let me explain. That's the first chapter, that's Nikki's first impression of you which was my first impression of you. But please I'll let you read on and you'll see how different you are projected. Her viewpoint changes, Rook turns into this loving man, who cares for his team, his family and Nikki. Please Rick, let me just show you." Beckett's voice was soft, almost inaudible.

Castle's posture slumped and his head dropped. The anger was still running wild through his body, pushing him to say more, but Beckett's pleas were floating around in his heart.

The whole precinct was staring with wide eyes and halted breaths waiting for the next move.

"Rick, please believe me. I would never do that."

Castle realized that in that moment, angry or not, he didn't want to deal with this in the middle of the precinct, in the middle of work.

"We will talk later." He said quietly, his eyes finally meeting hers.

Beckett nodded, and then walked silently out of the precinct, all energy suddenly drained from her.

0~0~0~0~0~0

Once in the car, Kate had decided that she wasn't going back inside. Things weren't great, and having to follow him around for the rest of the day wasn't going to make the situation any better.

First, she sat in the car and cried, her heart shaken by the scene with Castle. And then, when she finally pulled herself together, she turned off her phone and went for a drive around New York City. At first she wasn't driving to anywhere special, but she found herself parking around the street from Central Park. Zipping up her coat, she walked through the park until the sun fell behind the trees and the street lamps began to flicker on. Kate then walked back to her car and drove home.

The elevator ride was silent, and it calmed Kate's nerves, because she knew once she got back into her apartment she would turn her phone on and have to deal with the day's events.

The metal doors slid open and she walked quickly to her loft, passing the man sitting by her door without even noticing.

"Kate…" Castle's voice echoing through the tiny hallway causing Beckett's hands to fumble with her key as it dropped quickly to the ground.

"I have something important to tell you, and I've done a lot of thinking." Castle said as he picked the key up from the ground and gently nudged Beckett away from the door. The key slid easily into the lock and her door swung open, Castle walking in leaving her standing in the hallway, frozen.

Finding strength somewhere in her, Beckett stumbled inside. Castle turned on the lights and closed the door behind her, he was more fitted to be in her home right now then she was.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, I should have given the book the chance without any judgments. You were right to portray me that way in the beginning because I was a jerk to you. I take your word on it when you say that my character does change throughout the book. I hope he does." Castle was puttering around her apartment but Beckett hadn't moved from her spot by the door.

The writers heart once again had relocated to somewhere by her feet, even further, probably closer to the apartment underneath hers.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, even though he just apologized and said it was okay that's all she could come up with.

Castle covered the distance between the two of them and captured her into a hug. Her arms on their own slid around his waist, suddenly finding some comfort in the situation. Rick pulled back, his hands trailing to push a strand of hair behind her ear. The detective's eyes were soft, his smell intoxicating surrounding Beckett as he leaned into to gently kiss her forehead.

"Kate, I think we need some time apart."