Authors Note: Alright everyone this is my first try at writing a Castle story, so be kind to me lol. This is just a light story, just some fun, set sometime early season 4, we'll say after 'Eye of the Beholder' but there aren't any spoilers and I don't plan on any but that could change later on.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Someone to Tell My Troubles To

Chapter One

Kate smiled slightly as she watched him from the corner of her eye as she did her paper work. He had been sitting next to her desk all morning while she worked, his face displaying various expressions of scowls, ruefulness, and what seemed to border on downright sadness, and now he was sighing…rather loudly. She knew he was waiting for her to ask and she decided she may as well put him out of his misery before his pity party got to out of hand.

"Alright, Castle, what is it?" she asked leaning back in her chair to study him.

"What's what?" he asked with a shrug.

Kate rolled her eyes, "Don't give me that, you've spent the last three hours sitting there looking like a little boy who's had his toy taken away and making it very obvious that you want me to ask you about it".

"I haven't said a word," he replied.

She laughed lightly, "You didn't say anything very loudly".

He sighed dramatically and it was on the tip of her tongue to point out the obvious traits he had inherited from his mother but she refrained and simply waited.

"I'm having problems with the women in my life," he told her.

"What's wrong? Did your harem go on a strike or something?"

He shot her a slightly amused look, "Contrary to popular belief, Detective, I have no harem".

"My mistake," she answered, "Now spit it out before I lose my patience".

"I don't know where to begin," he muttered.

"Just start with whoever is at the top of the list".

He thought for a moment and then replied, "Nikki".

"Writer's block?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not exactly, but yes in some ways…does that make sense?"

She nodded, "I get it, what has Nikki done that you can't get her out of?"

"She's cornered in an alley by a gang of thugs".

"By herself?" she asked.

"Of course by herself, she was chasing a suspect".

Kate gave him an unbelieving look.

"What?" he asked, "Don't act like you wouldn't do the same thing. I know you would".

"I wouldn't be alone," she argued.

"You would totally chase a suspect into an alley alone," he argued.

"I would chase the suspect into the alley, but you would be right behind me," she reminded him, "Even though I'd probably tell you to stay put".

"Well I can't let you have fun alone".

"Right, so back to Nikki, what's the problem in the alley?"

"I told you, she's cornered and I don't know who to send in to help her because I have Ochoa and Raley somewhere else".

"How many people is she up against?"

"Four".

She was quiet for a moment and then answered, "Rook will swoop in and save Nikki".

"I considered that, but Nikki and Rook are on the outs," he explained.

Kate rolled her eyes, "What for? Another picture of him and some bimbo in the paper again?"

"No, not a picture, this time she saw them herself".

Her eyes went wide, "If you made Rook cheat on Nikki I'll never forgive you!" she exclaimed.

"Rook didn't cheat on Nikki!" he stated hastily, surprised by her attitude toward the subject.

"You just said he was with some bimbo!"

"It's just a misunderstanding!" he protested.

"Sure it is," she said sarcasm dripping in her tone.

"It is! He was only talking to this woman, who you have termed a bimbo without even knowing her," he chided eliciting another eye roll for his trouble, "because he thought she had information on Nikki's case and he was trying to get it out of her".

"Oh I just bet he was doing it all for Nikki".

"It's the truth!"

"If all they were doing was talking then what made Nikki so mad? What did she see taking place during this conversation?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered something she couldn't understand.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" she prodded.

"I said that Nikki may have seen them kissing and taken it the wrong way," he answered.

Kate threw down the pen that she still held in her hand, "How is she supposed to take it! He's kissing another woman!"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Then what was it?"

"A misunderstanding".

Her glare showed how unconvinced she was with the argument he was putting forward.

"The woman kissed him," he announced.

"A kiss is a kiss, Castle, it doesn't matter who starts it".

"He didn't ask her to start it," he argued.

"Did he stop it?"

"Of course he did, but Nikki is so damned stubborn and hard headed that she won't listen to reason!"

"Why should she listen to him when he's wrapped around another woman?" she explained, "Do you really think she's going to believe that he was kissing the 'alleged' information out of her? She's not stupid, so why should she just believe every word out of his mouth!"

"Because you'd think that by now she'd realize that Rook would never intentionally hurt her. He cares about Nikki….even if she doesn't want to see it" he stated.

"Well maybe Rook should tell Nikki that," she replied.

"Maybe he thinks Nikki doesn't want to hear it, maybe he thinks she'll run from it".

"Maybe that's just his excuse".

Light chuckling brought them out of their disagreement momentarily as they turned towards the two men who weren't hiding their amusement very well.

"You two do realize that you're arguing over the love life of a fictional couple right?" Esposito asked with a grin.

"Don't the two of you have better things to do than eavesdrop on our conversation?" Kate asked.

"No, not really," Ryan replied.

"Take a look at the stack of paper work on your desk and think again," she told him.

"Don't get mad at us because you got hot under the collar about this fictional affair," Esposito teased, "It's not our fault that your voices raised to our hearing level."

"You exaggerate, I wasn't upset, I was just surprised," she replied before turning back to Castle who held up a hand as she opened her mouth to continue the argument.

"I've decided that Rook must come to Nikki's aid, but how does he know where she's at since she is obviously not speaking to him and has had him banned from the precinct, which by the way is really hindering the research he is doing for his next article."

"He's following her anyway," Kate suggested, "Without her knowledge of course."

"But how is he going to take down thugs, in a believable way that is?"

"They're in an alley, right?"

"Right."

"Alley's are usually filthy and littered," she responded.

"All the alley's I've seen have been," he agreed.

"Then Rook should have no trouble finding something to use as a weapon."

He smiled, "I like your story telling skills, Beckett."

She grinned, "You're not the only one with an imagination."

He laughed, "I was thinking more along the lines that you had learned from the master."

"James Patterson has nothing to do with this conversation."

His laughter rang out causing her to giggle, "You wound me, Detective."

"Back to the story," she told him.

"Right, so Rook comes to save the day but they're still outnumbered."

"So lose one of the thugs," she stated with a shrug.

"I can't just lose one!" he exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because we can't just lose one when we're out numbered!"

"But we live in the real world; Castle, Nikki and Rook live in the world you create for them so it's perfectly acceptable for you to just hit the delete button on thug number four, or three and four for that matter."

He was quiet for a moment as he considered the scene in his mind. Then he smiled.

"I like it, and best of all if Rook saves Nikki she'll have no choice but to forgive him."

"Stop right there," she said holding up a hand, "Nikki is not just going to drop at his feet because he comes sweeping in to save the day."

"Why not?"

"Because she's not a pushover, Castle!"

"I didn't say she was!" he replied.

"If you just have her dropping at his feet because he helps her you'll be making her a pushover, and that is not who Nikki is."

"But how could she be a pushover when she's already been in a relationship with him?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter!" she exclaimed

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"Because, that's not how it is, Nikki and Rook are complicated and she isn't just going to throw herself at him and forget about how he hurt her," Kate answered.

"Since when did you get so defensive of Nikki?" Castle asked.

"I'm not being defensive!" she replied.

"Yes, you are, you're being all 'team Nikki' all of a sudden," he said using air quotes.

She rolled her eyes, "You're being ridiculous".

"No I'm not; you're 'team Nikki' all the way right now".

"And let me guess, you're 'team Rook'."

"Someone has to stick up for the man," he retorted.

"If he'd quit hanging around with Bimbo's maybe he wouldn't have these problems."

"So what do you suggest, Detective? How should Nikki and Rook resolve their differences?"

"I've got a suggestion," Esposito announced.

They turned towards him with pointed looks, "And what is that?" Kate asked.

"I suggest that Nikki and Rook go to couples counseling and take you and Castle with them," he answered with a laugh.

"You're a real comedian today, Esposito," Castle told him.

"I try," he replied.

"Try doing your work," Kate told him before turning her back to him and Ryan once more.

"So, do you have a suggestion about Nikki and Rook's situation?" Castle asked.

She thought for a moment before answering, "I think that the scene should have a lot of conflict and emotion. I think Nikki should stand her ground and tell Rook exactly what she thinks of his womanizing behavior and tell him how it's going to be if he wants to be with her."

"And Rook?"

"Rook should have to beg."

"Rook is not going to beg, what kind of man do you think he is?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know, you tell me what kind of man he is."

"You know what kind of man Rook is, you're just all caught up being on Nikki's side."

"Nikki has every right to be angry, if he was serious about her, he wouldn't be running around kissing other women no matter what the reason is, and if I was writing the scene she would be slapping him!" she exclaimed.

"Nikki is not slapping Rook!" he stated his blue eyes widening in surprise that she would even suggest such a thing.

"She should."

"She's not."

"Oh come on Castle, it would make for a better story," she replied with a smirk as she threw his oft repeated words back at him.

He studied her for a moment, "Is this stemming from some secret desire you have to hit me which is now leading you to want to live it out through Nikki Heat?"

"Who said it was a secret?" she asked.

More laughter sounded from behind them but they ignored it.

"That's not nice, Detective," he told her but there was a gleam of amusement in his eye.

She shrugged, "I never claimed to be nice".

"But you are."

"I don't have to be," she reminded him.

Castle smiled and raised a hand in surrender, "Point taken."

"Good, now are we all set on Nikki taking a swing at Rook?" she teased.

"No! There is not going to be any slapping of Rook by Nikki."

"Fine, be that way, you're the "writer" after all," Kate replied mocking his use of air quotes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She laughed, "Nothing".

"It's not nothing, now tell me"

"Or what?" she asked.

"Or you don't get any coffee for the rest of the week," he threatened with a triumphant raise of his eyebrow.

"Now who's being mean?" she replied.

"Don't worry Beckett, we'll bring you a cup of coffee," Esposito offered.

"No you won't!" Castle exclaimed.

"We can bring her coffee if we want to," Ryan replied.

"No you can't," he responded firmly as Kate laughed lightly.

"Look at him, Ryan, getting all defensive about his territory," Esposito said with a grin.

"I am not his territory," Kate answered as she picked up her pen to finish the last form she had lying in front of her.

"Sure you are," the boys replied, "You just don't want to admit it".

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know why I talk to any of you".

"Because you love us," Ryan told her.

"And you'd be lost without us," Esposito added.

"And you need someone to bring you coffee and make sure you eat once in awhile," Castle told her.

"Keep telling yourselves that, if it makes you feel good," she teased.

"Oh come on Beckett, don't sit there and act like you don't know that it's Castle's mission in life to keep you feed and caffeinated," Ryan told her.

She raised her eyes to Castle's and grinned, "Is that your mission in life, Castle?"

He smiled, "No comment".

"We have ways of making you talk," she told him.

"I want a lawyer," he replied while trying to keep a straight face.

"They all do when they're guilty, isn't that right boys?"

"Sure is" they replied.

"I haven't heard any complaints from you about coffee delivery and free food."

She laughed, "And you won't."

"Then we don't need to talk about it," he replied with a grin.

"Alright, let's get back on topic, is everything settled with Nikki now?"

"Except for how easily she's going to forgive Rook," Castle answered.

"You make her a pushover and I'm going to hurt you," Kate warned.

"Oh, I'm scared," he quipped holding out a hand and shaking it as if he were trembling.

"Trust me Castle, if I want to scare you I can and will."

"You're only tempting me by saying things like that, Detective."

She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face and the familiar fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach but before she could respond a shadow fell across her desk.

"Are you getting any work done?" Captain Gates asked the usual edge in her voice.

"Actually I'm just finishing up this last page," Kate replied as she finished signing the form and put it in the pile with the rest.

"Good, then you can get out of here and maybe they'll get some work done," the woman stated with a glare and a nod in the direction of Esposito and Ryan.

The two detectives dropped their eyes to their work and pretended as if they had never been distracted in the first place.

"Yes Sir," Kate answered as she began to gather up her belongings.

"And take him with you," she told her with a nod in Castle's direction. "I don't know why he has to be here for paperwork anyway".

"I like it here," Castle told her.

Captain Gates glared at both of them, "Both of you out of here now," she said firmly before turning on her heel and marching back to her office.

"So, what do you say, Remy's?" Castle asked.

"Sure, and then we can discuss the rest of your issues," Kate replied as she fell in step beside him.

"Bring us back something," Esposito whispered as they walked past.

"Can't, we've been thrown out".

"Send a delivery man," Ryan suggested.

"We'll consider it," Castle told them.

"That's cruel," Esposito called behind them.

Kate smirked as she looked over her shoulder, "It isn't our fault you didn't get your work done."

"Just so you know, while the two of you are out to lunch, we'll be setting up your appointment for couples counseling," Esposito told them.

"Go ahead, we'll be sure to make one for you and Ryan, in fact maybe we can all go together, like a double date," Castle told them.

"Dude, that was so wrong," Ryan stated.

Castle and Beckett laughed at their expressions and then made their way to the elevator as Gates stepped outside her office once more.

"Aren't you two gone yet?" she asked.

"Just leaving, Sir," Beckett answered as Castle pushed the button for the elevator.

They could feel the woman's eyes on them as they waited for the elevator doors to part and they did their best to keep their faces expressionless, not wanting to give her another reason to scold them. Once they were inside the elevator and it was on its way down they allowed their laughter to ring out once more.