Richard Castle, Watcher (Castle/Buffy) (Complete)

[Starfox5]

New York, April 2009

The mood in the bullpen was tense. At least where Beckett and Castle sat. The mood in the break area, where Vi was shamelessly flirting with Ryan and Esposito, who seemed to have forgotten her calling them 'stooges', wasn't tense. But Castle couldn't help feeling that the spectacle was directly contributing to Beckett's worsening mood. And that made him fear for his own safety, since he was getting blamed for his Slayer's actions. Unfairly, of course.

He was just steeling himself to risk life and limb, or at least his remaining chances with the detective, to make a bit of conversation, her phone rang. She listened, then yelled to the break area. "Ryan! Esposito! Stop hitting on Castle's girlfriend, and get moving. We've got a case!"

"She's not my girlfriend," Castle complained, following Beckett to the elevator. "Wouldn't you think I'd show some reaction to her flirting with your colleagues if that was the case?"

The detective cocked her head at him. "Some people like showing off their trophies. Yachts, girls, cars."

Castle didn't answer. He had wanted a Mustang for years, and it was a practical car. Compared to his Z3.

A faint grin showed Beckett had noticed his reaction. They rode the elevator down in silence.

He followed Beckett to her car. When she shot him another look, he explained. "It's not an emergency, is it?"

"Does that mean your 'bodyguard' will be joining us as well?"

"Unless she wants to ride with your colleagues." Castle smiled, but stopped when he noticed her expression. He didn't know if Beckett thought Vi riding with the two male detectives was worse than the Slayer riding in her car, but it was rather clear that she thought Vi coming along at all was bad enough.

"So… what's the case about?" Castle asked.

"Mrs. Jennifer Farwright was found dead in her office. Stuffed into her safe." Beckett explained while leaving the pond.

Castle winced. "That must have been a big safe."

"Probably."

*****​

It hadn't been a big safe. Not at all. Just a medium-sized safe mounted in a wall. Castle whistled at the gory sight, which didn't seem to impress the cops on the scene. Or detective Beckett. "Wow. How much force do you need to stuff a human into that?"

"A lot more than a human can exert, without the help of hydraulics or other tools." Perlmutter explained, poking the gory mess with a probe.

"How do you even find the liver in there?" Castle wondered.

"With great experience." the medical Examiner answered.

"Perlmutter, this is Richard Castle. A friend of the mayor who's 'consulting' with us," Becket introduced Rick.

"We've met before."

That surprised Beckett.

"He's a friend of my mother." Castle explained. Technically correct, but the tone he used put another spin on the meaning. Which had been correct as well, in the past. Beckett shut up, but raised her eyebrows at Perlmutter's back.

"If we were in one of my novels, I'd suspect a troll. But they would have eaten the victim. A Fyarl Demon would have been strong enough as well." Castle crouched down, carefully avoiding the pool of drying blood. There were no marks on the floor - not from claws, not from any kind of machinery that would have been strong enough to turn a human being into canned meat.

"Castle, be serious! This is a real crime, not a fantasy!" Beckett hissed at him.

"Hm. The liver's missing," Perlmutter stated.

"A troll with a taste for liver?" Castle speculated. That earned him another glare.

"I've not found any sign of non-human tissue or hair so far," Perlmutter answered in his driest tone. Beckett briefly smiled upon hearing it. She stopped as soon as she saw Vi poking around the door to the room.

"No sign of a struggle," Castle added, hoping to draw the detective's attention away from the snooping Slayer.

"She might have been killed elsewhere, and then carried to this spot." Beckett crouched down as well. "If she's missing the liver, then someone took care not to leave any blood trail."

"Or cleaned up." Castle saw Vi sniff the door.

"That's harder than the TV portrays it. And takes a long time. Time the killer didn't have." Beckett stood up. "According to the maid, Mrs. Farwright sent her to buy groceries, since she expected her niece to visit. The maid took one hour, and when she came back, she found the victim."

"Door's untouched. No one broke in. Windows are closed as well, and show no sign of tampering. Odds are, the killer knew her." Ryan stated. "The maid's story checks out according to the logs from the register at the shop, and the cameras in the street. But the security camera doesn't show any visitor."

"Maybe the killer entered earlier, and hid until the maid left?" Castle proposed. The others didn't look convinced, but no one dismissed it as impossible. He was making progress!

"Ryan, Esposito, check with the neighbours. I … and Castle… will talk to the niece." Beckett didn't mention Vi, who was still poking around - though not touching anything, so the detective couldn't yell at her. Which was annoying her, Rick suspected. Not surprisingly - Vi had a talent for bending the rules just this side of breaking them.

When they left, he let Beckett pull ahead a bit, and sent a questioning glance at his Slayer.

"I thought I smelled some Fyarl snot, but I couldn't find it. Nor did I smell blood anywhere apart from the safe," she whispered.

That sounded like magic. Castle wasn't liking this case anymore. Witches were bad news, Willow's opinions notwithstanding.

*****​

According to the files Ryan had pulled up and sent to Beckett, Miss Janet Farwright was a pretty girl currently attending a private college - not quite Ivy league, though. She wasn't living at home, nor in a dorm, but in a small flat near the campus, popular among the students from richer families. "Hm… her parents recently moved out of their house, into a rented flat. Money troubles?" Castle commented.

"Probably. And the girl is making nice with the still rich aunt," Beckett said while driving past the campus.

"And maybe going a step further. Maybe because she's now the sole heir to the fortune, maybe because the aunt has seen through her act, and if she dies, the parents will inherit. Making her rich again," Castle speculated.

"Inheritance laws are a bit different in New York than in medieval Europe." Beckett chided him. Vi, sprawled out on the backseat, chuckled. Traitor.

He pouted at the detective. "Believe me, I am quite familiar with inheritance laws." As a Watcher, he had had to prepare for the possibility of his sudden and violent death years ago.

They stopped in front of a well-preserved but old building. A brief glance told Castle that the flowerpots on the balconies probably hadn't grown flowers in a while, but vegetables instead, herbs - or weed.

They passed a bunch of college students on the way, and Vi's attire caused two of them to almost fall down the stairs when the stared a bit too long. Castle shook his head, Vi giggled and even Beckett seemed to smile.

Janet Farwright opened the door, red eyes and tears visible on her face. "Y-Yes?"

"Detective Becket, NYPD. Miss Farwright, we need to ask you a few questions about your aunt."

While Beckett questioned the girl - who had an alibi ready; she had been with her friend, also present, who looked more than a bit stoned - Castle and Vi snooped around. There were lots of environment activist materials - flyers, posters, brochures - but no pagan symbols hanging around, no leather tomes on the shelves, nor cauldrons boiling. But the cupboard had some interesting herbs. And a freshly washed mortar.

"Lethe's bramble?" Castle asked quietly, after a glance back to make sure the girl wasn't watching.

Vi sniffed the mortar. "Yes."

*****​

"What do you think? That alibi looks a bit thin," Castle ventured forth back in the car.

"It's thin. That boyfriend was too addled to tell the time, much less that precisely. He was coached," Beckett stated. "He'll spill in an interrogation."

Castle wasn't so certain. Magical mind control could do a lot of things. It wasn't all-powerful though. It wouldn't have let the girl control the victim enough to get the money. Not without breaking.

"But we still don't have any positive evidence," Beckett continued.

Back at the Precinct, that didn't change. But they found out that the security cameras had stopped recording for an hour - without logging the interruption. If it had been janet, then this had murder had been planned, Castle thought.

On the other hand, Janet had received a scholarship grant, allowing her to continue her studies. Esposito had found that out from Janet's parents. They also mentioned that their daughter and the victim had a falling out over a development project the victim had financed. Janet hadn't mentioned that.

"Killing for a few trees? That seems quite drastic," as the detective put it.

"And even if that was the motive, how was it done? How did the victim end up in the safe, mangled like that?" Beckett asked. "She'd had to have help. And that kind of help usually isn't easy to get for a college kid."

Castle exchanged a glance with Vi. He could think of a few possible suspects for the kind of help she might have gotten. And where the liver was now.

It was time to visit 'Clark's'.

 

[Ack]

Hmm ... interesting. Supernatural crime-busting, Castle style

However, typos:

But Caslte couldn't help feeling that the spectacle was directly contributing to Beckett's worsening mood.

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Misspelled "Castle"

When she shot him another look, he explained. "It's not an emergency, isn't it?"

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It's not an emergency, is it?

"If she's missing the liver, then someone took care not to leave any blood trail.

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No closing quotes.

Me … and Castle… will talk to the niece.

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Correct grammar here is "Castle and I"

If Beckett originally intended to just say that she was going to talk to the niece, she would have said "I and Castle".

"Me and Castle" is lazy grammar, as well as implying that Beckett always intended to include Castle in that sentence. Which, considering the dotted spaces, seems unlikely.

Nor did I smell blood anywhere apart from the safe." She whispered.

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comma, quotes, lowercase s for 'she'

 

[macdjord]

Correct grammar here is "Castle and I"

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Note: 'I and Castle' is also grammatically correct, whether she intended to include him in the sentence or not.

 

[Ack]

Note: 'I and Castle' is also grammatically correct, whether she intended to include him in the sentence or not.

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I was always taught to be courteous and put the other person in first.

 

[Starfox5]

Hmm ... interesting. Supernatural crime-busting, Castle style

However, typos:

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Corrected them.

Note: 'I and Castle' is also grammatically correct, whether she intended to include him in the sentence or not.

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I was always taught to be courteous and put the other person in first.

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Beckett is not feeling particularly courteous towards Castle at the moment.

 

[macdjord]

I was always taught to be courteous and put the other person in first.

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Yeah, but that's style, not grammar.

 

[Starfox5]

Hm. After this case, I am pondering switching to, or at least adding, Beckett's POV.

 

[Derek58]

Getting a view of Castle's special brand of crazy from Beckett's point of view would be good

 

[Slayer Anderson]

Hm. After this case, I am pondering switching to, or at least adding, Beckett's POV.

Click to shrink...

I'm hoping this is the case where explaining things to Beckett becomes unavoidable, really.

I mean, provided that Castle believes supernatural crime is going to be a 'thing,' and really it already is - just outside of police jurisdiction - Castle is endangering Beckett's life by not telling her and either a) allowing *her* to tag along with him and Vi (and isn't that just galling for Beckett to have to swallow), or b) letting her continue to investigate a trend of supernatural murders/crimes *alone* without the knowledge to properly protect herself.

Arguments could be made either way, truthfully, but Castle always struck me as a 'give you weapons to protect yourself' kind of guy rather than a 'protect you at my own risk' person. Especially this incarnation.

 

[Starfox5]

The "Masquerade", to borrow a term, in Buffy is always a tricky topic to handle. Informing Beckett makes sense - but so does informing everyone. So, there needs to be a semi-plausible reason not to inform everyone. The "Sunnydale effect" works for Sunnydale, but I am not sure it should be spread world-wide - although it would explain the "brave few fighting, the rest ignoring it, unless special circumstances force them to realize the supernatural exist" theme.

I tend to assume that the more people know about demons, the more people fear demons, the stronger some currently weak or sleeping demons - aka "Old Ones" - grow. That's an incentive not to blow the whistle and inform everyone. Most of the "normal" demons aim for the same, since they'd be overshadowed or crushed by the Old Ones.

Another point is that informing Becket about the supernatural world is one thing, informing her that Castle and Vi have been killing witches, demons and similar supernatural threats as judge, jury and executioners for years another.Cops tend to take a dim view of what they see as lethal vigilantes, and trying to point at secret treaties older than the USA that grant the Council the power to deal with demons as a reason that itm is actually legal might not work well.

With regards to supernatural crime, that's been a thing for ages - it's just that the usual way of dealing with the cops is to cover the supernatural parts up. Castle actually is following Beckett around for the same reasons as in the show: He likes her, and he wants to use her as inspiration, and it's fun solving cases. That he can claim it serves to get more info about supernatural threats is a bonus or an excuse - he and Vi did fine for 6 years without that, after all.

That said, Beckett's too smart to be fooled for too long, so sooner rather than later she'll find out just what Castle's been up to.

 

[Starfox5]

New York, April 2009

The patrons of 'Clark's' tensed up when Violet O'Malley and Rick Castle entered, but no one tried to run or attack them. The bouncers didn't even react to them anymore, other than some slight twitching when Vi stared at them for too long. Brinner, the owner of the demon bar, had really cleaned up his act over the years. And it had only taken half a dozen thrashings from Vi, two demonstrations of the Ack Pack, and one visit by Faith and Buffy. But after his bar had been rebuilt twice, and his regulars decimated three times, he had finally come around to the new Council's way of thinking. The demonic bartender still had some disreputable clients, but they were the questionable rather than stake-on-sight kind. Some people simply took a bit longer to learn the facts of life, Castle guessed. And to decorate a bar so it didn't look like a crime against humanity.

Brinner even had become a useful contact. Within limits. He wasn't exactly a fountain of information, but Vi didn't have to literally shake him down anymore to get some directions to troublesome demons. He still refused to let Castle attend the Kitten Poker evenings.

Castle leaned on the bar, keeping an eye on the regulars, while Vi went through the usual motions, threatening the Loose-Skinned Demon in creative ways.

"And if you don't get helpful right now, I'll stuff you into a laundry machine and wash you until you skin has shrunk to fit your size! Got that, Brinner?"

It was an act, to let Brinner claim he was forced to help the Slayer. The smarter demons among his patrons understood that it would stop being an act in a heartbeat if it was needed, but occasionally, some newcomers tried to intervene, and Vi and RIck had to show them why you didn't fuck with the Slayer in New York. Or anywhere else.

"Br'gek said he had some liver… well, I overheard him ask around if anyone was interested…"

"And who is that creep, what is he, and where can I find his soon to be slain hide?"

The way a Loose-Skinned Demon's folds flapped around when he was shaken like a ragdoll was a fascinating and disgusting sight.

*****​

"Why can't those demons live in nicer, cleaner spaces?" Vi complained, staring a smudge of… something… on her boot.

"Because New York is a very expensive area, and they can't scrape enough money together for a deposit that covers damage from visiting Slayers," Rick answered as the two made their way through the basement of an abandoned factory. "But in a way, this is like a demon version of a loft - just without all the remodeling, and using the basement, instead of the upper levels, for housing."

Vi snickered and shook her head, then stiffened for an instant, head cocked to the side. Rick knew she had sensed their prey. She was like a hound dog, in that way. Not that he'd ever make that comparison where she could hear it.

The two picked up their pace, Vi taking point and kicking the next door in, revealing a Fyarl demon in what Rupert would be calling a "threat display". Rick's colleague was an expert for Fyarl demons, for a reason he had never discussed. Rick suspected someone he cared for had been killed by one of the buggers.

Rick stepped to the side, and Vi charged ahead, dodging the load of paralyzing snot coming at her before slamming her foot into the side of the demon's left knee. Howling, it tried to take her head off, but she had dropped below his swing, and was rolling on the floor to his back. Rick watched, but kept his pistol with the silver bullets ready. Just in case Vi caught a case of bad luck.

She didn't. Another kick smashed the monster's nose in, ruining his ability to snot at people and staggering it. Away from a Hellmouth, they really were not that tough compared to a Slayer. Then the blades came out, and tendons got cut.

"You could have simply shot his knees out with the shotgun," Rick commented as he stepped inside the room.

"I don't want to get rusty. Not everything can be shot." Vi curb-stomped the demon's right claw, then put her foot on his back and kept him down.

"Point." Rick looked around, spotting a tupperware container with the slightly decomposing missing liver in it. Fyarl's - not the brightest bulbs among demons. He sighed, then crouched down at the side of the demon.

"Hello. I am Castle, that's Vi. We've got a few questions for you regarding the murder of a Mrs. Jennifer Farwright, who was found stuffed into her safe and missing her liver. You wouldn't know something about it, would you?"

He did, but it took a few more applications of controlled violence from Vi until he spilled what he knew. After the monster had finished, Rick pulled out his smartphone and showed the demon a picture. "So… this girl hired you for the murder, and then used magic to clean up?" A weak nod from the broken demon confirmed Janet's involvement.

A stab with a silver dagger later, one of the murderers was no more.

Vi stood up, wiping the blade clean on a rag. "So, Rick… we know the perp, but we can't prove it. What do we do?"

"We can't take her out now, not with the police involved. We'll have to see how the investigation is proceeding. Given that the girl wanted her aunt to 'die surrounded by the money she loved more than her niece', our new friends from the 12th Precinct might turn up something."

*****​

"Oh, back to nature!" Rick grinned as Becket stopped the car at the edge of a small forest in New Jersey.

"Don't wander off. I'd rather not explain to the Captain why the Mayor's friend got lost in the woods," Beckett ordered, then went to look at a big sign declaring this the future location of the 'Pine Forest Condo Complex'. Rick couldn't spot any pines in the wood, but he guessed the future owners would care, since the wood would be cleared anyway.

"Will it still be built, with the main investor dead?" he asked, watching the trees.

"That depends on what her heirs decide."

Vi was moving slowly, a bit too nonchalantly, towards the edge of the forest. She probably had spotted someone - or something. If they encountered a demon here… well, he was already wondering how Beckett would react to such a revelation, but she'd probably try to shoot things that couldn't be shot, and get hurt for her ignorance.

And it would be his fault, somewhat.

It wasn't a demon that stepped out from between the trees, but a young woman, in what Castle was calling 'Hippie Chic' where Willow couldn't hear him. Real hippies, as his mother had been fond to tell him, didn't wear labels.

"Detective Beckett, NYPD. May I ask what you are doing here?" Beckett took charge, or thought so.

"I am Mary-Anne Waterson. I was visiting our grove," the woman answered, her attention fixed on Vi. She was wearing a symbol for the Earth-Goddess Castle recognized. A Wiccan then. Probably even a real one, since Vi remained tense.

"Your grove?" Beckett must have picked up on the tension.

"My coven's grove. The place where we gather to worship the Earth." The woman explained, briefly making eye contact with the cop, before turning her attention back on the Slayer. Definitely a witch.

Beckett's eyebrows rose a bit, but that was all the reaction she showed. "Do you know a Miss Janet Farwright?"

"Yes, she is also a member of our coven."

"So that's why she was opposed to the construction project!" Castle declared, as if he had just realized it. The look Beckett gave him showed she had bought the deception. Or she was just annoyed that he was blurting out information.

"Yes. She was very distraught that a member of her family was about to destroy our holy place." The woman explained, in a slightly etheral voice.

"Did she say anything about her dispute with her aunt lately?"

The woman shook her head. "Only that she was optimistic that her aunt would see reason, and not choose money over her family, and nature. She didn't tell us anything more than that."

"Well, I am not sure dying can be equaled to seeing reason," Rick stated.

"Every death is a tragedy, even if the cycle of life continues. The Earth does not condone violence." The woman looked straight at Castle now.

Willow had a more flexible view, but Rick nodded. He'd still have to check if the coven was involved in the murder or not. Or rather, he'd have Willow look into that. She or some of her students were far better suited to dealing with fellow witches anyway, and Rick would rather have some magic backup when taking care of their murder witch.

Beckett rolled her eyes now. "When was the last time you spoke with her?"

The detective continued to question the witch, but nothing more relevant was revealed, other than a lot of details about the wiccan's beliefs and practises. Enough to confirm the motive, though, if Janet cared even half as much about the grove as Waterson, and was not quite as strong in her rejection of violence.

Judging by the thin line Beckett's lips had turned into on the way back to the car, the detective had come to the same conclusion. She knew Janet was the killer, but she couldn't prove it.

Fortunately, Rick could do something about that. With a little help from his friends.

*****​

"No one will ever believe that!" Vi huffed, wiping sweat from her forehead. Even for a Slayer, moving heavy machinery in cramped spaces was sweaty work.

"Sure they will. It's the only explanation that makes a shred of sense, if you discount magic," Rick answered, surveying the result. "One industrial grade meat maimer, in a van records will show Janet purchased two weeks ago."

"It's not a 'meat maimer'. That's not a word." Vi pouted.

"Who's the famous bestselling author here, you or me? If I say it's a word, it's a word!" Rick countered while making sure the remnants of the liver were spread inside the contraption. "Anyway - they'll buy the story because they'll make it up themselves."

It wasn't as if Janet Farwright would be around to tell them otherwise. She'd have a tragic accident trying to dispose of the van.

"Why all the fuss anyway? We could just let the witch disappear. One unsolved case, among dozens." Vi climbed out of the van.

"People wouldn't know what happened. They'd be wondering if she really was guilty, or just another victim. Insurances, authorities… lots of people would be wasting their time, time better spent helping others. And it wouldn't be just," Rick stated. "This way, the case is solved, the right way."

"Yeah… by fooling everyone." Vi didn't sound too convinced, but she stopped griping. Too many people knowing about the supernatural, too many fearing the Forces of Darkness, could wake up entities no one, not even the vampires and other 'normal' demons, wanted around. Dealing with that mess in L.A. had showed that. Though he had a feeling that sooner or later, Beckett would have to be informed. She was just a bit too good at her job.

"Alright, let's ditch them!"

A bit of a shove, and the van started to roll down towards the river.

*****​

"... and while trying to get rid of the machine and van she had used to kill her aunt, she had an accident, and drowned. We found the security camera spoofers too, that gave her the window of opportunity to murder her." Beckett explained while clearing her 'Murder Wall' of the files from the Farwright case.

Rick hated himself right then, but he had to ask: "But why did she do it that way? Why not simply stage a robbery gone wrong?"

"Who knows? She was probably too worked up in the symbolism to think straight. But it all fits. The DNA, Perlmutter's report, the receipts and the fake ID she set up to purchase the van and machine online… premeditated murder." She turned to him. "So, do you think this will make for a good case for your 'Supernatural Detective'?"

"Hm. I am not sure. I think Nikki Heat will discover that the murder was a witch who hired a demon to do the deed because she wasn't strong enough to do it herself with magic. But she hadn't enough money to hire a decent assassin, so her bargain-rate killer tried to make more money on the side by selling body parts of the kill, which led to all unraveling. I'll probably add a long background of being seen as weak and useless by her family too. Wounded pride, maybe some jealousy, and some of her power bound in the threatened grove…" Rick trailed of when he saw the detective's face.

"Nikki Heat? You're giving me a porn star name?!"

"Err…"

Rick was very glad that there were too many witnesses around for Kate Beckett to shoot him and claim self-defense. Vi and the two other detectives were chuckling to the side, of course.

 

[Ack]

Nice one.

So, Nicky Heat instead of Nikki Heat? Hm, okay,

If Castle is gonna be running around setting up 'mundane' crime scene explanations, I can see him being very busy indeed.

One typo I spotted.

Given that the girl wanted her aunt to 'die surrounded by the money she loved more than her niece', our new friends from the 12th Precinct might turn up something.

Click to shrink...

No quotes at the end of the sentence.

 

[Starfox5]

Nice one.

So, Nicky Heat instead of Nikki Heat? Hm, okay,

If Castle is gonna be running around setting up 'mundane' crime scene explanations, I can see him being very busy indeed.

One typo I spotted.

No quotes at the end of the sentence.

Click to shrink...

Oops, corrected the typo, and the name.

And Castle will be trying that - until it all comes out.

 

[Slayer Anderson]

I kinda' want to see Castle's full resume by the end of this.

I mean, if I remember some of the cases he worked on, a number of them were close enough to be 'nearly supernatural' one way or another.

Now that Castle is 'faking' mundane evidence for truly supernatural crimes, he's going to build up some seriously strange lists of skills and experiences.


...also? Beckett is going to maim him when the truth comes out.

 

[Ack]

I kinda' want to see Castle's full resume by the end of this.

I mean, if I remember some of the cases he worked on, a number of them were close enough to be 'nearly supernatural' one way or another.

Now that Castle is 'faking' mundane evidence for truly supernatural crimes, he's going to build up some seriously strange lists of skills and experiences.


...also? Beckett is going to maim him when the truth comes out.

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Well, there was the time traveller one, the zombie one, the Bigfoot one ...

 

[Starfox5]

A review just said "Nikki Heat" sounded more like a Porn Star name than a Stripper name. Should I change it to "Porn Star"?

 

[Ack]

A review just said "Nikki Heat" sounded more like a Porn Star name than a Stripper name. Should I change it to "Porn Star"?

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I vaguely seem to recall that Beckett herself said, in the show, that Nikki Heat sounded like a stripper name. But I could be wrong.

 

[Starfox5]

I vaguely seem to recall that Beckett herself said, in the show, that Nikki Heat sounded like a stripper name. But I could be wrong.

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That's what I remember as well.

 

[Disminded]

I vaguely seem to recall that Beckett herself said, in the show, that Nikki Heat sounded like a stripper name. But I could be wrong.

Click to shrink...

Could go either way, but it leans toward porn star in my opinion.

 

[Starfox5]

After some more feedback, I am changing it to "porn star".

 

[SixPerfections]

London, June 1989

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First time reader of this work. Got to say you've got a very entertaining style of writing I just adore, at least when it comes to this first chapter. Just wanted to put that out there. You write a great Castle

 

[Starfox5]

First time reader of this work. Got to say you've got a very entertaining style of writing I just adore, at least when it comes to this first chapter. Just wanted to put that out there. You write a great Castle

Click to shrink...

Thanks! I should have the next update later today - with the August fic-a-day challenge done, I'll scale down updates to 3 or 4 per week.

 

[Starfox5]

New York, May 2009

"I do hope you're surfing the net, and not studying, Honey. You know what I think about too much studying for school," Richard Castle said, passing his daughter on the way to his coffee maker.

Alexis jerked, then smiled at him. "I'm not studying for school, dad!"

She sounded honest, but her smile had that slightly forced quality to it that told Castle she was not entirely truthful. Ah, youth… if he had had the internet when he was her age… well, he probably wouldn't have finished school. Still, he wouldn't let the rare opportunity to embarrass his studious daughter pass by. So while his mug was getting filled drop by drop, he took a peek at his daughter's notebook screen. "So… what kind of non-school stuff are you reading? The latest news on Take … 'The breeding habits of Beozars'? Alexis!"

His daughter pushed her chin up and met his eyes stubbornly. "Dad! That's a violation of my privacy!"

"Why are you reading this, and not something a girl your age would want to hide from her wise parents?" Why was his daughter studying a tome from the finally restored and now fully digitalized Watchers Library?

"Why wouldn't she, since she hasn't even one wise parent?" Martha Rodgers swept into the kitchen area and stole his mug before he could answer. Without coffee, he really was too handicapped. "Other parents would be glad their children are interested in their work, instead of trying to rebel, Kiddo. I certainly would have been so very pleased if you had shown such interest in theatre." With that she took a sip from his coffee, then proceeded to murder the taste out of it with more sugar and milk than any self-respecting mug of coffee should suffer.

"You would have liked me to serve as your rehearsal partner without bribes, you mean, Mother," he retorted. Then he turned to his daughter who was trying to slip away. "We've not yet finished our talk, young lady!"

Alexis froze, and turned back to face him, a mulish expression on her face. "I am reading this because I want to follow in your footsteps, Dad. Giles and Mum gave me full access to the online library."

"I honestly doubt Rupert was able to access it himself, much less give anyone else access, given his view of those 'horrible machines', as he calls computers," Rick answered while taking his second-favorite mug and starting the coffee maker again.

"He delegated that." Alexis made a dismissive gesture with her hand. She looked so much like the stereotypical teenager who knew everything better than her parents right then, Rick almost sighed. "Dad, I am the responsible one in this family. The only one. And learning about our family trade is the responsible thing to do."

Rick opened his mouth to refute that statement - he certainly was anything but responsible - but she cut him off. "Besides, would you rather I spend summer in London with Mum?"

Rick knew when he was beaten, but he didn't want to admit defeat yet. But before he could present another argument, he was interrupted yet again.

"London's great!" A cheerful voice sounded from the door. Violet 'Vi' O'Malley had arrived. "They have a much more reasonable drinking age, great shops, and greater clubs!" New York's resident Slayer announced as she waved at them, and went right past them to pillage their fridge. A Slayer's appetite was be a terrible thing to behold.

Rick didn't have to look at his daughter to know she was smiling triumphantly - she knew that for all his claims to the contrary, Rick didn't really want her to live it up like other teenagers. Especially not the vampire slaying, hard partying kind of teenagers.

But he wasn't sure studying to become a Watcher was any better. Especially since that generally led to working with the aforementioned teenagers.

He was aware that all three redheads in his life were waiting for him to say something. Fortunately, he was saved by his smartphone ringing.

"We've got a case!"

*****​

Long experience had taught Castle not to let a Slayer's driving faze him. It was like with certain predators - you couldn't show fear. Still, appearances had to be maintained. "You know, it's not exactly an emergency. Dead bodies don't get up and walk away if you're late." He waited a second, just enough for Vi to start contradicting him, before he added "Not in daylight at least."

The pout and glare she shot at him made the next two turns taken at just this side of a safe speed - for Slayers - worth it, in his opinion. And he learned a new curse from that gentleman they had almost run over.

"You already had two!" Rick said, smacking at the hand that tried to reach for the doughnut box they had gotten on the way.

"I'm a growing girl!" she protested.

"You were a growing girl. Years ago," he stated, then hastily added: "Now you're a young woman." when she growled at him. Slayers. If they lost at words, they started with the threats. Two could play that game, though. "Nun. Convent. Dumpy."

"You already wrote that book." She wasn't impressed.

"I could retcon it. Revise the book."

"Too much work," Vi claimed, with a confident smirk.

Damn. She knew him well. "There's still Virginia."

"Virginia?" Now he had her attention.

"The superhuman hot chick working with Nikki Heat. What do you think about making the two a couple? No, making Virginia lust after Nikki, while Nikki is not interested?"

The horrified stare told him he still got some leverage on his Slayer. Apart from being her Watcher, of course. And the one paying her bills. The things one had to do to keep the World safe and saved.

"Detective Becket would kill you. You barely survived the name for her character." Vi stated with a smug grin after she had parked the Shelby.

"Don't forget to leave the gun in the car," he told her, getting out. He didn't tell her to keep her blades and stake in the car - as Xander had taught him, you never gave an order you knew wouldn't be obeyed. With Slayers, there were a lot of those to mind.

"Yes, Dad. I'll be a good girl for Detective Tightass."

"Vi!"

"What?"

He rolled his eyes. And Martha said he'd never grow up. She never said this to or about Vi, of course.

*****​

"We're bringing gifts!" Rick announced as he and Vi approached the crime scene. "Get them before Vi does!" he added, presenting the doughnut box. His inspiration for Nikki Heat turned her head towards him, an annoyed expression on her face. Not as annoyed as she used to have, though, like right after she had found out about the character he was working on with her as a role model. And not as annoyed as the one she sent at Vi. Castle was making progress!

Detectives Esposito and Ryan were less stand-offish, or simply hungrier, and quickly came over to greet Rick and Vi, and pick the tastiest doughnuts for themselves. Rick noted with some amusement that Esposito picked Vi's favorite, and missed her frown. Ah, the perils of not paying attention to the object of your affection!

Rick himself walked over to Beckett, who was crouching next to a mangled corpse. He couldn't help but notice how her jeans were perfectly molded to her curves. 'Detective Tightass' indeed. But he was rather certain that if he used that particular nickname in the book, he would end up regretting it very much. "Doughnut?" He smiled at her, and at the Medical Examiner, Lanie.

"Thank you!" Lanie picked one and ate it. Castle privately wondered if she had yet been introduced to a certain set of rules by Perlmutter. He'd have to ask the old man next time they met.

Castle took one for himself, and sent a warning glare at Vi, who was already trying to sneak up on him, before offering the box to Beckett again.

This time she took one - as he had expected. She wouldn't want to look 'weak' when everyone else was snacking, undisturbed by the presence of a dead body lying in a pool of blood.

"Pretty bloody. That wasn't a vampire," Rick stated. "And the wounds are all wrong for a werewolf."

Lanie giggled, but Rick couldn't tell if it was at his comments, or at Becket's expression. He had timed his words so she had her mouth full, after all.

She hastily swallowed the doughnut, then narrowed her eyes at him. "Castle! Can you be serious for a minute? This is a murder, not a scene from 'Against the Wild'!"

"You're read that? Wow, I thought only hardcore Castle groupies did. I mean… werewolf packs roaming Scandinavia, led by the cursed lover of a viking princess?" Castle smirked, even more so when he noticed a faint blush. Probably equal parts embarrassment and rage.

Beckett turned to Lanie, who was stifling her own giggles. "So, what can you tell us?"

"He was killed by five curved blades ripping out his throat and cutting through the artery there. Death by blood loss," the woman explained, pointing out the wounds with her pen.

"What kind of weapon could do this?" Beckett wondered.

"A Bagh Naka," Vi answered, bending down. Castle saw her smirk when the Detective frowned. The two women still didn't get along. At all. "An easily concealable weapon originally from India. Also known as 'Tiger Claw'."

Slayers and weapons… they put the stereotypical redneck to shame. Rick bent down himself. "Or those were real claws. Bit small for a tiger, but..." he cocked his head. There were a number of demons who could have done this, but most of them were rather rare.

"A tiger loose in new York? Sounds like a pulp novel, Castle." Beckett shook her head at him.

"It could also be a demon. Gr'krer Demons have such claws." Rick nodded at the detective as she stood up again, then grinned when she rolled her eyes. "Or a Rakshasa, but those are supposed to be extinct." At least none of them had been seen since the 19th century, when the Slayer had made a grand tour through India.

"Why not werecougars, Castle?" Beckett scoffed.

"It's not the full moon. They can't transform," Castle answered, in a tone that made it clear he thought that was obvious. And it should have been obvious, of course.

Before Beckett could retort, Ryan interrupted them. "Beckett! The Captain's on the line. He said the FBI wants to take over the case!"

"The Feds? Wow! This case is getting better and better!" Castle smiled widely. He would get to observe the typical tension between local law enforcement officers and the FBI first hand! Turf wars! Confrontations! He couldn't wait to meet the special agents!

 

[Slayer Anderson]

The FBI? Uh...I'm really hoping the Initiative didn't accidentally a monster...

...again.

 

[Starfox5]

The FBI? Uh...I'm really hoping the Initiative didn't accidentally a monster...

...again.

Click to shrink...

Oh, no. The FBI's here because something falls into their jurisdiction.

 

[SixPerfections]

I know its probably completely unrelated, but this makes me think of the plot of Book 2 of the Dresden Files, where..

Spoiler: Spoiler

The FBI tried to muscle in on a case, only it turned out the FBI agents were turning into werewolves with cursed belts and perpetrating the murders themselves. There were also 3 other kinds of werewolves in that book as well, along with a local mob boss being targeted, and... well nevermind. This just reminded me of that is all

Nice chapter. Glad to see the update

 

[Secret Secretion]

they out the stereotypical redneck to shame

Click to shrink...

put

 

[Starfox5]

I know its probably completely unrelated, but this makes me think of the plot of Book 2 of the Dresden Files, where..

Spoiler: Spoiler

The FBI tried to muscle in on a case, only it turned out the FBI agents were turning into werewolves with cursed belts and perpetrating the murders themselves. There were also 3 other kinds of werewolves in that book as well, along with a local mob boss being targeted, and... well nevermind. This just reminded me of that is all

Nice chapter. Glad to see the update

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Not having read Dresden, I can safely say it's not inspired by that. Matter of fact, I am aiming to put my own spin and detail on the Castle cases serving as inspiration. (Basically, I usually take the one-sentence plot summary for an episode, and maybe a character or two, and then go from there. I don't want to rehash canon too closely.)

put

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Corrected!

 

[Starfox5]

New York, May 2009

"Ah, there you are! Agent Sorenson, this is Detective Beckett, one of our best," Captain Montgomery stated. "Detective Beckett, this is Special Agent Sorenson from the FBI." The captain looked like he had been about to add something more, but trailed off when it became obvious to everyone present that the two already knew each other.

"Hello, Kate."

"Hello, Will."

That wasn't the kind of tension Richard Castle had wanted to see. Not at all. The slightly handsome but far too young for his post - he had to be about 30 years old - special agent, exchanging those kind of meaningful looks with the smart and sassy detective? Who had ordered a romantic rival this early in the book?

"I see you know each other already," the captain added, with the kind of understanding smile that was completely out of place, in Castle's opinion. As was the whistle from Vi next to him.

The man in the far cheaper suit than his own met his eyes, and for a moment, both stared at each other. Like two gunslingers meeting on the main street, Castle thought.

Beckett interrupted the stare-out. "Ah, Will, those are Castle and his girlfriend. He's an author who follows me around so he can get 'inspiration' for his next book. The Mayor is a fan of him."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Castle automatically shot back. She didn't have to make it sound so dirty, he thought. Both Vi's and his presence, to be precise. He shook hands with the agent, both squeezing harder than was polite. No one said anything though. "Richard Castle." The famous, ruggedly handsome and rich author.

"I am Vi. I am his bodyguard and driver so the detectives can focus on their cases instead of keeping him safe and out of trouble." Castle's Slayer sent a dazzling smile at the agent. Rick wasn't certain if he should approve of the comment and smile, or not. On the one hand, it made him look as if he got into trouble on his own - and Vi knew that he was the one who kept her out of trouble, or at least tried his best, at least nine times out of ten!. On the other hand, if Vi seduced the agent, then… he caught Beckett's stony expression at the blatant flirting of Vi. Or maybe the implication that she couldn't solve a case and keep him safe at the same time. Not approving clearly was the order of the day.

"I see. Well, this is a federal case, so the presence of civilians is neither wanted nor allowed." Sorenson stated, pompously. Beckett didn't have to look so happy at that, Castle thought.

"Murder is now a federal crime?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Kidnapping is." Sorenson stared at him.

"The victim was kidnapped? Or a kidnapper?" Castle asked. If this was related to a sacrifice…

"That's classified information, Mister Castle. Which you are not privy to."

"That's exactly the wrong thing to say to him," Vi shook her head. "You have to make it sound boring, not restricted if you want him to stop prying." She sent another beaming smile at the agent.

Castle shot her a glare, and another when he noticed Beckett nodding as if she was taking notes. That was classified information his Slayer was spilling. Classified and personal!

"How about I make it sound like a prison term?" Sorenson apparently had no sense of humor. "Don't interfere with my case, Mister Castle. Do you understand?"

The agent might have looked intimidating to a lesser man, but Rick had met the First Evil in person, and lived to tell the tale. And make a lot of money with it. Insecure younger men with not quite as well-tailored suits as his own didn't really rate as a threat. He smiled sweetly at the man. "I understand perfectly." He turned to leave.

"Does that mean I have to leave as well?" Vi asked, pouting.

"Yes." "No!"

Beckett and everyone else glared at Esposito, who looked embarrassed at his outburst. Castle rolled his eyes. "Come on, Vi. We'll look for inspiration elsewhere while the good agent solves this case. Shouldn't take longer than six months or so, I think." He didn't understand why both Beckett and Sorenson looked like he had just slapped them.

*****​

"Please tell me he's a demon and you can slay him!" Castle said as soon as he and his Slayer were alone in the elevator.

"Sorry, Rick. He doesn't twig that way to me." Vi grinned. "So… will you call in a favor and get the agent off the case?"

Rick shook his head. "I would never abuse the Council's influence for such petty reasons."

"Rupert still hasn't forgotten the boyfriend incident, hm?" Vi grinned.

Castle sent her a dark look. "Any father would want to know more about his daughter's first boyfriend." The boy in question had had a rap sheet, after all. Egging a neighbour's house was not to be taken lightly.

Vi kept grinning. "Are we off the case then?"

"Of course not. It could be a demon behind this. We need the name of the victim, and as many details as we can get," Rick casually said. "Don't get caught this time, please. Unlike criminals, you can't beat up the cops."

"Of course I can; you just don't want me to!" Vi pouted at him.

Castle huffed. Slayers! Although that sounded a lot like Alexis's influence to him.

*****​

"The dead guy was Manish Kaur, a tourist from India. He's the suspect in the kidnapping of Clarice Mattu, the one year old daughter of Ajeet and Becky Mattu. The father is originally from India, Punjab, and came to the USA as a student at the MIT. He stayed after graduation, made a fortune in the IT business, and kept it through the dot com bubble bursting. Married Becky Carlson in 2000. They live in Boston. The girl was kidnapped two days ago. Forensic evidence and witnesses led to Kaur." Vi announced proudly when she entered Castle's office and interrupting his work - he was making notes for a side character, a bumbling, arrogant fellow cop always trying to hit on Nikki Heat. Unsuccessfully, of course.

The Slayer sat down on Rick's desk and let her feet dangle while she threw a small memory stick to him. "I made notes of everything I heard. And no one ever saw me!"

"Good work, Vi." Castle smiled at her, and she preened. "Was there a ransom demand?"

"Not to the cops' knowledge." Vi shook her head. "They are looking into possible accomplices traveling with Kaur."

"Why would a kidnapper come down to new York? Was there any sign of the girl?"

"They found a receipt for nappies and baby food in the victim's wallet. Bought in a supermarket in New York." Vi added.

"A baby. I don't like this case." Castle declared. Too many demons were fond of babies - as a meal. Too many rituals could use them as sacrifices.

Vi nodded, looking as grim as he felt. "I didn't smell anything demony, though, at the murder site."

"Your nose is good, but not infallible." Castle retorted. "Let's hit Clark's and see if there was a new demand for Indian food lately."

"Speaking of… let's stop at King Curry's on the way!"

"Did you skip lunch?" He wouldn't have expected Vi to. Slayers were like bottomless pits, and he had the credit card receipts from her expenses to prove it.

"Yes?" She tried to sound innocent again.

She didn't, then. He sighed. "You know, most female Watchers consider a Slayer's ability to pig out without gaining weight the greatest injustice on earth."

The wide smile of Vi showed she was all too aware of that fact. He wondered what Beckett would think about it. And if she had already noticed just how much Vi ate compared to everyone else at the precinct.

A jealous Beckett would probably look cute.

*****​

Clark's was a bust. Vi got to slay a demon who got too cocky - a new arrival, apparently - but there were not even rumors of Indian demons around, or any of the other kind known to eat babies. With no other supernatural lead to chase, Castle and his Slayer were checking the more esoteric weapon shops. There were a number of legends of cursed weapons transforming the wielder into a beastman, or a madman.

'Cadbury's Antiques' was one of the shops selling all kinds of weapons. Despite the name it sold both old and new weapons, as well as the odd magical one. Ray, the proprietor, beamed at them when they entered. "Rick! Vi! Long time no see!"

"I remember paying for a claymore last month;" Rick commented while shaking hands with the burly older man.

"As I said, long time no see." Ray grinned. Vi had waved and was already studying the numerous exotic blades displayed on the left side wall. "I've got some new pieces this week."

Caste reminded himself that he was rich. He could afford to reinforce the floor of Vi's apartment, to handle the metric ton of steel in sharp and pointy form she seemed bent on accumulating. The way she was fondling a saber told him he'd pay for another sword today. As expected Vi was soon swinging the blade around like she were fighting someone in close quarters. As if she hadn't enough blades already! At least she didn't collect shoes as well, unlike Buffy.

Sighing, he turned to Ray. "It looks like you'll make another sale today."

Ray was all smiles. "It's a very good blade. Toledo steel. 18th century. According to its history, it was used at Trafalgar."

"Nifty. While Vi's getting acquainted with her new love, I wanted to ask if you sold any bagh nakas lately."

"Tiger claws? I sold a pair a week ago. Antiques, but nothing special." Ray answered. "I didn't test them myself though." So they could have been magical, or cursed.

The door opened and they heard a gasp and a curse together with the door's chime. Turning around, Castle groaned at the sight.

Detective Beckett was standing on the threshold, staring the saber Vi had just executed a lunge with. The razor sharp blade was blocking her way, rather close to her throat. Behind the woman, Sorenson had his hand under his jacket.

"Oops. I didn't see you. Sorry, I was just testing my new saber," Vi said innocently.

The look on Beckett's face told Castle that she would make Vi feel sorry indeed. Well she could try - he was the girl's Watcher, and he only occasionally succeeded. Then the detective spotted him, and he just knew he'd get the blame.

Story of his life.

 

[Starfox5]

New York, May 2009

"What are you doing here?" Becket was livid, and it seemed not just because Vi had greeted her with a blade near her throat. His Slayer'd be hearing about this, Richard Castle promised - Vi would have heard the two coming long before they opened the door, so this had been an intentional gesture, not a mistake.

"Vi wanted to buy a new sword. It's been a month since she got the last, after all." Castle answered. Judging by the darkening expression on the two cops - one cop, one fed, he corrected himself - that didn't help.

"I told you: I won't tolerate interference with this case!" Sorenson growled. Touchy, probably compensating for something, Castle thought. Or hoped.

"Interference?" Rick did put as much innocent confusion into his voice as possible. "We're regulars of this fine shop, you can ask Ray."

"Yes. Rick's purchases put my daughter through college," Ray cut in. "The girl knows her blades. They're some of my best customers." The unspoken 'don't hassle them' was clearly understood.

Vi nodded emphatically. "I've got a great sword collection. I'd gladly show it to you, Agent Sorenson." The agent in question blinked at her, then apparently decided to ignore the redhead's flirting. Castle had seen that before - some men simply couldn't handle a Slayer's attitude. They were used to be the hunter, not the hunted.

"Her insurance premiums are about to rise past the mortgage payments on her flat," the author added. Vi smiled as if that was a good thing.

Beckett's glare shifted from Rick to Vi and back before the detective addressed Ray. "We've got a few questions about a special weapon you might have sold. But we can wait until Castle bought a new toy for his girlfriend.

"She's not my girlfriend," Castle answered. "Are you sure? Vi hasn't finished browsing. Between testing each blade, and picking one, and whining about not getting two…" he dodged the elbow he knew was coming at that barb "... this could take another hour or two." Which was only slightly exaggerated.

"Can we speak to you privately, sir?" Sorenson apparently hadn't any patience. Go figure. Rick almost shook his head.

"We can go to the backroom. But please do not touch any of the blades there. The oil on your skin could damage them," Ray gestured, and then went behind the counter.

Castle smirked at the expression on the agent's face as the man walked past him, then made a 'who, me?' face at Beckett's glare. Once the two had disappeared into Ray's backroom, Castle and his Slayer chuckled, then Vi did some more test swings and Castle looked at a display of 19th century hunting knives.

Beckett and Mr. FBI emerged from the back after a few minutes. The detective narrowed her eyes at Castle while Sorenson turned to Ray. "Thank you for your cooperation. I have to remind you though that sharing any of the information you have given us with anyone else is not permitted and can lead to charges brought up against you."

"Oh, please!" Rick sighed theatrically. "If you are so worried about us forcing our friend to tell us anything about this so-called case of yours, you can stay until we pay for Vi's new toy and leave."

The agent looked like he was considering it, but Beckett rolled her eyes and nudged him. Far too familiar, Castle thought with a frown. Vi of course found it amusing.

Once they had left, Castle's Slayer grinned. "They're off to check on the man who bought the pair of bagh nakas, Raj Godara. I've got the address as well."

"If that's a cursed weapon, they'll be in danger," Castle sighed.

"It didn't look like it, but I didn't exactly test it," Ray answered. "The chance of a cursed weapon reaching me without triggering on the way is very low though. What are the chances it would happen twice to me?"

"A lot higher than you might think, given my experience," Castle grumbled. Sometimes he wondered if he had picked up a curse in Sunnydale.

"It's Rick's fault then," Vi declared, still swinging her new saber around. As usual, his glare didn't impress her at all.

He quickly grew serious though. "Let me pay for your new piece, then follow the agent and the detective, in case they find a beastman or berserker. But please, do not get caught."

"Have I ever been caught?" Vi grinned impishly. When Castle opened his mouth. "Caught and not gotten away, I mean."

And with that the Slayer was off.

Castle rubbed his forehead. "I'll look into curses, I guess. And sacrifices." He looked at Ray.

The burly man shook his head. "I haven't sold a sacrificial dagger in months."

Just as Castle was about to leave, his phone beeped. He read the SMS, and frowned. 'GO STR8 HOME NO RISK W/O ME'? Did Vi think he couldn't take care of himself? He had been hunting vampires when she had still been in pre-school!

And now he felt old. And the need to buy something expensive to compensate. Good job, Rick, he told himself.

*****​

Vi returned in the evening, right on time for dinner - Castle's 'Lasagna Surprise'. Which he still felt was an unfair and misleading name, given that that particular surprise had only happened once, but his redheads had outvoted him. Women!

While the redheaded Slayer wolfed down an entire casserole by herself - Castle's family had vetoed his idea to simply replace her plate with the casserole dish as well, Alexis had even scolded him for not having any manners, as if Vi was showing much manners right now - she reported: "Well, it was quite anti-climatic. The guy wasn't at his job - bouncer in a bar catering to Indian immigrants. A co-worker told the cops that Raj had told him about planning to enter an illegal pit fighting circuit, but he thought it was just empty boasting. He wasn't in his flat either, hadn't been there in days. But your dear Detective found a garotte in the flat."

"Thuggees?" Alexis asked. Castle frowned at the reminder that his innocent angel was getting a bit too worldly.

"They revered Kali. If the man is planning to sacrifice the baby… I guess we'll have to check out this pit fighting rumors." Castle pressed his lips together. This case was looking uglier and uglier.

"The cops got three names for possible locations. One of them is the 'Delhi Dancing'," Vi smiled in anticipation as she mentioned the not-quite demon bar. Castle remembered their last visit. His leg had taken a month to heal up.

He looked sternly at his Slayer. "This time, don't piss off the half-snake Bouncer!"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, boss!" Vi raised one hand while she shoveled more pasta in her mouth with the other.

"That's what I am afraid of!" Castle sighed.

*****​

"I thought you promised not to piss the bouncer off!" Castle yelled while ducking under debris sent his way by Vi slamming a half-snake demon into a rather fragile table.

"I didn't! This is the pit fighting champion!" the redhead answered. "And he attacked before I had said anyoof!" Vi was cut off when the demon's tail slammed her into the back wall, cracking the plaster there.

On second thought, maybe they shouldn't have taken the sewer entrance. But he'd never have gotten in through the normal entrance wearing his Ack Pack. Who'd have expected that there was an illegal pit fighting pit in the basement with direct sewer access? Didn't the demons know about security and hygiene? Castle brough his flamethrower to bear on a pair of demons slithering towards him. "That's far enough!"

They didn't listen. They never did. Though maybe those demons didn't understand English. He pulled the trigger. They understood burning fuel well enough though, and hissed and screamed as they thrashed around, tails slapping each other as they tried to put out the flames. It didn't work.

Meanwhile, Vi had jumped back into the fray and was pounding the larger demon. He opened his mouth, baring impressive fangs dripping with poison, but the Slayer was prepared and jammed a piece of wood from the broken table into the monster's mouth. His frustrated screams were quite a bit muffled afterwards.

"We need one of them alive!" Castle yelled, and stepped closer to help his Slayer. Unfortunately, he had misjudged the reach of the demon's tail and found himself swatted aside and slammed into a wall, shoulder first. "We might not need that particular demon alive!" He shouted in pain.

"Roger!" Vi yelled back and kicked the demon into the chest. It fell down, and before it could recover, Vi had drawn her Glock and put half a dozen rounds into its head. It took half a minute to stop thrashing around, even with half its head gone.

Castle checked his shoulder - why did they always hurt the same one? - and got up again, groaning. He might be getting a bit too old for this. Vi was already moving towards the doors to the side. "Throw the burning ones down into the pit first! We don't want to set fire to the house."

Vi sent him a glance that showed she didn't understand why they shouldn't set fire to the demon-infested building, but complied. Two kicks later, the smoking snake corpses were in the pit.

One door revealed a room with a small altar to Kali and several pots. Vi sniffed the dried blood on it. "Not fresh enough for the kidnapping." Castle nodded, and opened a pot. The stench of rotten meat made him close it at once, and he fought not to hurl. Maybe setting fire to the whole building wasn't a bad idea. The visitors in the bar above them surely would get away in time.

The next room had a very soft but oddly stained carpet, and scented candles and cushions spread out through it. Castle was puzzled until Vi sniffed the air and grimaced. "Ew. This smells like a Snake Demon mating chamber!"

Castle looked at what he was standing in, and cursed. Those shoes had been expensive! Then he cursed again - he had just sounded like Buffy in his head! "Why would you know how a Snake Demon mating chamber smells?"

"Well, there was this time I was with Faith, and we surprised one of them mating…" Vi started to explain.

"Too much information, Vi!" He held up his hand and shuddered. One more reason to make sure Faith never, ever got to teach Alexis anything.

Their exploration of the remaining storage room - where first aid supplies as well as spices and sauces were found, a rather weird combination even for demons - was interrupted by someone pounding on the door that led to the stairs to the not quite demon bar above them. He was shouting something in Hindi, probably - Castle wasn't certain. He could read a bit of Sanskrit, to decipher some prophecies, but not Hindi. Maybe it was Punjabi instead. Vi looked as lost as he was.

Both clearly understood the "NYPD! You're under arrest!" though. Beckett's voice. From the stairs. Castle looked at Vi and nodded.

While the sounds of a brief struggle were heard through the fortunately sturdy door, Vi dropped the third snake corpse into the pit, and then Castle emptied his flamethrower into it, before setting it afire.

It had been an ugly bar anyway. Unsavory too.

*****​

The next morning, Castle and Vi headed to the Precinct again. With their latest lead turning out to be a literal dead end - through no fault of them, of course - they needed a bit more information. It shouldn't be too hard for Rick to serve as a distraction for Vi. At least that was the plan. If it failed he hoped the gourmet doughnuts and bear claws would serve as a bribe to avoid bodily harm. His shoulder and face were still hurting from last night.

Agent Sorenson didn't glare at him, but had such a smug grin on his face while looking so tired, Castle feared the worst. Doubly so when he spotted Beckett in a similar condition. "Ah, Mister writer. I am pleased to inform you that despite your meddling, we solved the case and saved the baby."

"You solved it?" Castle blinked. How had they managed that?

"Don't look so surprised, Castle!" Beckett cut in. "We're professionals, after all."

"Wow. So, who was behind it?" Maybe they had been mind-controlled. Some demons could do that.

"Apparently, an uncle of the father of the baby was involved in a crime in India, and needed money to pay off the victim, and possibly the local law enforcement officers as well. Money Mattu didn't want to give to him, so he opted to send a relative of his, Manish Kaur, to kidnap the child. But the kidnapper's contact here, Raj Godara, turned out to be untrustworthy and greedy, and wanted the ransom money himself. It came to blows, and Godara killed Kaur, then took the baby to his step-sister. Everyone involved has been arrested," Sorenson smugly explained. Castle felt relieved - that explained why Sorenson and Beckett were looking so tired and rumpled.

Still, he couldn't let such an opening slip by. "You arrested the baby? Wow, that's harsh. Was she an accomplice?"

Sorenson snapped "Don't be an idiot! We saved the baby and arrested everyone else!"

"Ah. That's… a good thing, but rather boring." Boring was good, of course, if it meant less deaths.

"What's with your face?" Beckett stepped closer, narrowing her eyes. "Where did you get those bruises?"

"Would you believe a Snake Demon slammed me into a wall?" Castle smiled at her. She cared!

"No. I would believe you meddled in this case, and got into trouble looking for a pit fighting ring!" Beckett said, smiling far too sweetly. Vi giggled, but then Beckett added: "I guess it was past your bodyguard's bedtime?"

"It's not my fault!" the Slayer bristled with indignation.

"I fell down the stairs," Castle interrupted before the situation could escalate. Sorenson and Beckett exchanged smirking glances.

"A likely story. So, it looks like you'll not be able to use this case for your book, Castle," the Detective stated with a faint smile.

"Oh, I'll just have it involve Kali-worshipping Half-Snake Demons who run illegal pit fights." Rick smiled while Beckett shook her head. Sorenson muttered something Castle didn't catch, but judging by the frown on Vi's face, it hadn't been complimentary or funny. "I am still wondering where to insert the undercover stripper scene though." As Beckett opened her mouth in outrage, he quickly added "Using the bumbling male undercover FBI agent, of course."

Sorenson looked so shocked, Castle was sure even the Detective was smiling behind the hand covering her face.