While working on a couple of other projects, this story leaped into my head. Actually the opening sentence did. Twenty minutes later I had written three pages. So here it is. Consider it an early Halloween present. I hope you like it.

A Very Castle Halloween

"So what are you wearing to the party tonight, Beckett?" Casked asked excitedly as he and Beckett exited the elevator and started to make their way through the near empty bullpen in the direction of Beckett's desk. It was the night of the Great Castle Halloween Party.

Beckett cast a glance in the direction of her partner. He had been fidgety in the car driving back to the precinct and it had only gotten worse riding up in the elevator. Now she understood the reason. What surprised her the most was that he had waited until now to ask the question.

"I'm not telling you, Castle."

"Oh come on Beckett, you can tell me."

"No."

"Why ever not?"

"You won't tell me what you're wearing, so why should I tell you Castle?"

"But you know I always keep my Halloween costume a secret so that I can surprise my guests." The writer protested. "It's a Castle tradition. A party highlight."

They reached Beckett's desk. Castle moved swiftly past her and pulled out her chair for her. Beckett gave him a smile of thanks. It had not escaped her notice that he had been doing that a lot lately when there wasn't too many people in the bullpen. Castle fell into his chair. He looked over to Beckett. Suddenly his face lit up.

"Please, please, please tell me you're coming as a naughty nurse?"

"All right..." Beckett said with a sigh. "I'm coming as a naughty nurse."

Castle's face brightened even more. He was about to leap out of his chair and do his happy dance when he noticed the look on Beckett's face.

"You're not coming as a naughty nurse...?" Castle's excitement suddenly deflated.

"No."

"But you said you were." He whined.

"Castle, you said to tell you I was coming as a naughty nurse, so I did."

Castle's eyes narrowed. "You're a cruel woman Kate Beckett."

Beckett allowed a small smile of triumph play at the corners of her mouth as she turned her attention to the pile of paperwork. She reached for a file and opened it.

Castle watched her for a few minutes. He had never been the kind to give up so easily and today was not the day he was going to start.

"If it's not a naughty nurse, is it Madam Lash, the lascivious dominatrix?" He ventured.

"No."

"A harem girl, perhaps?"

Beckett paused and looked up from her work to find Castle's eyebrows dancing up and down suggestively.

"Does that mean you're coming as the sultan?"

"No." Castle said. "But would you like me to?"

"No."

"I look pretty good in a turban, you know?"

Beckett rolled her eyes and shook her head. She turned her attention to the file before her.

"A Grecian goddess?" Castle continued. "Aphrodite, perhaps?"

"No."

"A Roman Goddess? Venus?"

Beckett tilted her head so she could see the writer.

"Are they not one in the same, Castle?" She asked.

"Well, yeah they are."

"No."

"Oh, I know, you're coming as Boudicca, Queen of the Icinii!"

"I don't think so, Castle." Beckett shook her head. "Where would I park my war chariot?"

Beckett made notes in the file but she could feel Castle's eyes on her.

"I know, I know." Castle said suddenly with growing excitement. "You're coming as Xena the Warrior Princess!"

Beckett looked at the beaming writer. "Only if you come dressed as Gabrielle." She retorted.

Castle glanced in the direction of Esposito's empty desk. Both Esposito and Ryan had left early to get ready for Castle's Halloween party. "I wonder if Esposito will loan me his dress?" He mused aloud.

"Castle, no."

"No, Esposito wont loan me his dress? Or no, you're not coming as Xena?"

"Uggghhh!"

Castle's constant peppering of questions were starting to get to her which was exactly what the writer had intended, hoping she would crack and tell him what costume she would be wearing to his Halloween party. She was not going to give him that satisfaction no matter how annoying he was becoming.

Beckett closed the file she had been working on then pushed her chair back and got up. Without looking at him Beckett strode to the break room. Castle rose from his chair and followed her. She walked over to the coffee machine and without asking made two cups of coffee, passing one over to Castle. She leant against the machine and looked at him.

"You're coming as a super hero." Castle announced after taking the offered coffee. "You're coming as Super Girl!"

"No."

"No, of course not Super Girl." Castle shook his head. A moment later his face lit up. "You're coming as Wonder Woman!"

"Oh, Castle how did you ever guess?" Beckett replied in a deadpan voice.

"Not Wonder Woman, then?" Castle frowned in disappointment. The image of Beckett dressed in a stars and stripes hotpants, and red strapless top leaped into Castle's mind and suddenly he was miles away.

Beckett looked at Castle knowing exactly where his mind was at the moment. It definitely had something to do with her dressed as Wonder woman. She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she left the break room and returned to her desk to resume her work. Castle returned a moment later having realised that he was alone in the break room and took up his seat once again.

For the next few minutes Beckett was grateful for the silence even if the man continued to stare at her.

"All right," Castle sighed breaking the blissful silence. "I didn't want to do it but you have left me with no alternative, my dear detective."

Beckett looked up from the file a minute later to find Castle staring at her a look of concentration on his face, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Your Jedi mind trick isn't going to work this time, Obi Wan."

Castle's grin vanished and his eyes widened. "I'm in the presence of a Jedi Grand Master." He said. "Forgive me Master Yoda."

Beckett rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her work, not that she had done much work so far.

"You're coming as Princess Leia." Castle declared.

"Princess Leia?" Beckett said, looking at the writer.

Castle nodded his head eagerly.

"Princess Leia from Star Wars, A New Hope or Return of the Jedi?"

"Definitely Return of the Jedi. That little outfit Jabba had made her wear on the barge." Castle leered.

"Definitely not." Beckett said firmly.

"I know, I know, you're coming as Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile!"

"You do know I'm wearing a gun, don't you Castle?" Beckett warned.

"Annie Oakley?"

"No."

"Calamity Jane?"

"No."

"Oooh, I know, I know you're coming as Lara Croft!"

Beckett allowed a small playful smile appear on her lips as she leaned towards an excited looking Castle. He leaned towards her propping his chin in his hand, holding her gaze.

"Gee Castle," Beckett said in sultry tone, "do you think you can handle it, seeing me in short...tight...shorts?"

Castle's eyes widened in surprise and expectation as his chin slid out of his hand almost hitting the desk. Quickly he straightened up let out a long wistful sigh as once again his mind conjured up another imagine. He saw her hard glare.

"So it's not Lara Croft, pity." He said.

"How will you ever survive the disappointment?" Beckett said straight faced.

"Ripley from Aliens?" Castle continued, recovering quickly from his disappointment.

"No."

"Selene?"

"From Underworld?" Beckett asked.

Castle nodded his head, grinning. "All in tight black leather."

"No!"

"The Bride?"

"I don't think so, Castle." Beckett said carefully.

"At least not yet?" Castle said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Beckett glared at the writer for a moment before she turned her attention to her work. She could feel the smile return to her lips as heat rose to her cheeks.

"I've got it." Castle exclaimed almost leaping out his chair.

Beckett reluctantly looked up from her work one more time to see the writer excited.

"You're coming as Yu Shu Lien." Castle said pronouncing the Chinese name correctly.

Beckett frowned as she struggled to recall the name. Then it came to her. It was the main female lead from the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. She gave Castle a quizzical look.

"Why would I come as Yu Shu Lien?" She asked.

"Oh that easy," Castle said eagerly. "Shu Lien is kind, very wise, exceptionally patient, loving, and very beautiful."

Beckett raised an eyebrow in his direction. She was not sure if he was describing the film character or her.

"And she can kick-ass."

Beckett could not help but smile. Slowly she shook her head.

"Sorry to disappoint you Castle."

The writer returned her smile.

"I am going to find out what you're wearing, Beckett."

"Yes, you will Castle, when you open your front door and find me standing there."

"Where's the fun in that, detective?"

"I thought you liked surprises?"

"I do." He said.

"Then I wont spoil the surprise for you by telling you."

"I hate it when you throw logic into the argument." Castle sighed.

Beckett smiled at the writer.

"You win, my dear detective." He conceded.

Beckett dropped the pen she had in her hand and leaned back in her chair. She felt a wave of relief sweep through her knowing she had managed to outlast him. She watched as he rose from his chair checking his watch.

"As much as I enjoyed this interrogation, I have to go home and get ready." He announced. "So see you at eight, Detective?"

"See you at eight, Castle." Beckett confirmed.

She watched him as he headed out of the bullpen, the smile on her face growing. When he had vanished into the elevator Beckett reached for her phone and quickly typed up a text and sent it off to Lanie. Ten minutes later she gathered up her things and headed out.

xxxxxxx

Lanie and Beckett stepped out of the lift and walked slowly to Castle's front door. Ever since they had left Beckett's apartment they had been getting all kinds of looks from people. The sound of a party in full swing was filtering out of the loft. They were half an hour late thanks to the detective's efforts to get ready.

The Medical Examiner looked at her friend. The detective was unrecognisable under the heavy black and white make up and silver and black suit of armour-like costume with sliver trimmed black cape and thigh high silver black six inch platform boots, and shook her head. All that was missing from the ensemble was an axe-shaped bass guitar. It was not for the first time this evening she had shaken her head at her friend.

"Lanie, what?" Beckett demanded.

"Nothing."

"Out with it Lanie."

"I don't to want to hear you ever say you don't have feelings for Writer Boy, other wise I'm gonna smack you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, look at you girlfriend." Lanie waved her hand at her friend. "You go all out, the whole nine yards and dress up like Gene Simmons all because Writer Boy told you he gotten dressed up as him one Halloween."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you about that." Beckett sighed.

"I think it's sweet, honey."

"You don't think it's too much?"

"Oh it's way too much."

Beckett was feeling decidedly nervous dressed up in all this gear and make up. There had been several times back at her apartment while she was getting ready that she felt it was a stupid idea and did not want to come only to have Lanie convince her it was too late back out now. Right now Lanie was not helping. Sensing her friend's nervousness, Lanie smiled and patted her arm.

"Way too much but very sweet. He'll love it." Lanie assured her.

They reached the front door. Beckett hesitated. Lanie reached out and knocked loudly on the door.

Barely a moment later the door swung open and a blast of Rock And Roll All Nite hit the detective and medical examiner. Then the Demon from Kiss stood in the doorway.

"Who darkens the threshold of the King of The Nigh Time World?" He said with a leer and a flickering of a tongue.

Beckett stared at the man standing in front of her. Despite the heavy make up the blue eyes staring at her were unmistakeable.

The leering look on Castle's face changed immediately when he saw who was standing in his doorway. His eyes widened in surprise and his eyebrows rose skywards. He looked at the naughty nurse to the Demon from Kiss. The look of surprise dissolved into a welcoming smile at the emerald eyed demon standing before him.

Lanie smiled as she looked at Castle and Beckett gazing at each other. She was seeing double and she had not had a drink yet.

"It's sooo cute when you two do that." Lanie cooed as she moved past them into the loft and plunged into the party.

Finis

So what do you think dear reader?