She leans against the railing, the wind catching her hair and tangling it together; she knows Victoria watches her from her castle, and she embraces the taste of it on her lips, the success of it. She doesn't know he's watching her, too, his eyes studiously thoughtful, his lips curving up a little despite himself.

She's cold, he thinks, cold and beautiful and dangerous. He alone knows even part of her story, and it's enough to warn him off, send him running, but he's never been too good with turning down temptation, and the danger of her thrills him. He wanted something to change, he wanted to break from awful routine and this boring tedium that's entrapped him, but he never saw her coming. He leans over his computer and wonders if she knows, if she's standing to her best advantage for Victoria or him, and he wonders if he'll ever be a step ahead, or if he even cares.

Susan throws a Halloween party; Nathan complains repeatedly, and loudly, and vigorously, but it makes no difference. When he insists he's staying to keep an eye on things, she acquiesces suspiciously easy and buys him a costume which involves full face makeup so he can mingle without terrifying all of her friends. He mutters and groans about it, but lets her do his makeup while he tells her how very unhappy he'll be if anything's broken and how very much her friends ought not to be sneaking alcohol.

His house is suddenly crowded in on all sides on Halloween night, and he's pretty sure he never okayed this many people coming, but Susan is flitting around happily amongst her friends, flirting easily, and mixed with his pleasure as seeing her happy, it's almost enough to make him wish that (personal, inappropriate, heated feelings aside) Chuck had been straight and had been dating her, because this is painfully nerve-wracking. A thin boy bumps into him and flashes him a wide smile, and Nathan steps back with an apology. The guy snakes a hand around Nathan's wrist, though, and drags him off into the hallway.

"You look so fucking hot," he whispers into Nathan's ear, his breath warm on Nathan's neck, and before Nathan can think the other's mouth is on his, tongue flicking into Nathan's open mouth, and this — Nathan knows how very not good this is, how exceptionally Not Good this is, but that was Charlie's voice he just heard in his ear and it shot heat straight downward, and Nathan's having a little difficulty collecting his thoughts when it's Charlie's hands that are twisting in Nathan's shirt and Charlie's body that's pressing against his.

"Wait," Nathan finally manages, pulling back and gasping, because Charlie doesn't know what he's doing, Charlie doesn't know — "Wait, I don't—"

Charlie presses an open-mouthed kiss to Nathan's neck. "Come on, Mr. Gardner," he whispers, "It's good to vent."

Penny stands uncertain in the doorway. Outside, it's raining. Outside, Sheldon is standing, one hand braced on the doorframe, one hand wrapped around the handle of his luggage. Water runs down his face and has soaked through his clothes; his hair is plastered down.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, but her voice doesn't have the bite she wants it to have, and he doesn't flinch.

"Penny," he says. "I don't have any of the grand romantic speeches Rajesh told me to prepare, or the flower Leonard recommended or even the clothing Howard tried to shove me into, but I'm here to take you home."

"I am home," Penny hisses, because Nebraska has always been her home, hasn't it? She failed California 101, and she'd done with all of it. She moved back here because this is where she belongs — it's not running away, it's not giving up, it's managing expectations. It's being realistic.

"Penny—"

"There's nothing left for me there," Penny says, a little breathless. He steps closer, crowding her in a little, and his hand moves from the doorframe to settle on her waist, and this is Sheldon — Sheldon who's sopping wet and —

"Please don't make me move here," he says, sounding profoundly troubled by the very thought.

"What?" she asks, choking out a startled laugh.

"There's nothing left for me there, either, if you leave."

Wil grabs Sheldon and pulls him back into the alcove, arms pinning him tightly against his heaving chest. Sheldon is tense against his body, but he doesn't move, which is good — the raptor runs past them, and Wil sinks bonelessly back into the wall, air shaking in his lungs. He feels wrung out, but Sheldon steps forward a little, looking out into the trees, and there's something a little wistful in his voice when he whispers, "Life finds a way." Wil snorts and checks the gun at his side and then grabs Sheldon's hand and pulls him forward — who better to lead a dinosaur expert through a dinosaur park he thinks, irritably, than a washed up television actor?"

Liz pauses through scrolling tumblr when she gets Kate's email. Kate, per usual, is succint and to the point.

Finished w/ yr beta. Plz learn how guns work? This was embarrassing tbh.

Liz mutters underneath her breath as she glances at the closed office door and then opens the gdoc. It's mostly covered in red, with notes like you can't believe nikki woud actually do that? and rook IS an ass but he's not useless?! Liz should've known better than to have Kate beta it, but really, if it's anyone's fault it's Jack's for giving her Castle's book in the first place.

It's FANFIC, Liz types back. Pretend it's an AU where guns *do* work like that. >:(

She closed it all down and wipes her history and goes out to eat extra unhealthy food just to spite stupid Kate with her stupid special knowledge of guns. When she gets back there's a paint drawing of Rook pulling a face at Nikki.

I know it's fanfic, Kate's written. I just want you to be the best, bb. You know I love you?

Liz rolls her eyes and stays up until 2am making her a mix, sending it over just before Kate gets up for her morning run. She titles it You'll be My Beta in the Nursing Home, and goes to bed grinning.