Carnival People
A/N - I got the idea for this when I was watching old episodes of Castle, I can't remember the episode but there was one when Beckett was teasing Castle about being from showbiz people and he said he was actually from carnival people. This instantly said "Jane" to me so the idea was born!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!
It was a long, hot summers day in a little town called Aurora in Erie County. The carnival had pitched on the outskirts of the town and after a busy day things had finally gotten quiet during the dinner time period (between 4.30pm & 6pm) but it was due to get busy again for around 6.30pm when all the drunken teenagers turned up.
For now it was break time and Patrick Jane did what he enjoyed best during his breaks, he sat down nearby the carnival on a patch of grass with a can of soda and a sandwich, he sat to think because when he was with the carnival there was no time to think.
On this particularly hot day as he basked in the sun Patrick felt rather content, until that was, his thoughts were interrupted.
"Hey, can I sit with you?"
Patrick turned around to see that the source of the voice was a boy of around the same age as him, he was quite tall and scrawny with messy brown hair.
"Sure." Patrick replied and the boy sat down next to him with his sandwich and soda, Patrick thought to himself that it must be a carnival thing.
"I'm Rick by the way." The boy said and Patrick smiled at him, "I'm Patrick."
Rick nodded, "So you're with the carnival too?" He asked.
Patrick answered, "Yeah, my Dad and I do the boy wonder psychic thing."
Ricks eyes widened, "Cool! My Grandma works here in one of the food stands, my Mom is really busy doing a play on Broadway this Summer so I'm staying with my Grandma."
"Your Dad isn't around?" Patrick asked, taking a bite from his sandwich.
"No." Rick replied, "I've never met him, I don't even think he knows I exist, it's just me and my Mom."
"It's just me and my Dad around here, I haven't seen my Mom since I was 6." Patrick admitted, not sure why he was confiding in his new friend so easily.
"What age are you?" Rick asked curiously and Patrick replied, "12, you?"
"I'm 12 too!" He exclaimed as if this was astonishing, Patrick laughed, "So do you like the carnival?"
Rick shrugged, "I don't like sleeping in caravans but the rest is fun."
"I don't like it." Patrick said, throwing the crusts of his sandwich to the birds, "I wish I could go to school and have a normal life."
Rick stared at him with wide eyes, "You don't have to go to school? I wish I was you, I hate school."
"How can you hate school?" Patrick asked, "You must have loads of friends."
Rick shook his head, "The other kids don't like me much, I like reading and they call me a geek."
"I like reading too." Patrick mused, "And they will feel stupid when you're reading makes you smart and famous one day."
"I think I want to write books when I'm grown up." Rick told his friend.
"I want to be famous and have my own TV show." Patrick said, ambition gleaming in his eyes.
"When we're both famous we should meet up and talk." Rick said, and Patrick nodded, "We will." He agreed.
"Pat! You need to get ready for the next show!" Patrick's father called from his tent a couple of yards away, Patrick turned to his new friend, "Let's seal the deal." He said.
Rick nodded, understanding what he meant, they both pricked the palms of their hand so that there was a little blood and shook hands, "When we're famous we'll meet up." Both boys said and then with a charming smile Patrick stood up and hurried over to his father, "See you when we're rich and famous!" He called.
30 Years Later
"I need to find someone."
"Castle…"
"Please Beckett." Castle put his puppy dog eyes on and Beckett scoffed at him, "That doesn't work, why do you need to find someone?"
"I made a blood pact with him 30 years ago." Castle said casually as if this was no big deal.
"Uh, okay and that explains why you need to find him how?" Beckett asked, watching Castle with curiosity as he paced back and forth by her desk.
"Well, I travelled with the carnival one summer with my Grandma and I met this guy and we both promised to meet up when we were rich and famous and then made a blood pact on it, you know when you-"
"I know what a blood pact is." Beckett said impatiently as she cut him off, "If I find him will you leave me alone?" She asked hopefully.
"For a little while." Castle promised with a small smile, Beckett rolled her eyes, "What's his name?" She asked as she brought the database up on her computer screen.
Castle looked at her sheepishly, "Patrick."
Beckett narrowed her eyes at him, "Patrick what?"
"I don't know." Castle admitted and Beckett groaned, "Where is he from?" She asked, maybe that could narrow it done somehow.
"Uh, I met him in Aurora, New York but he probably isn't from anywhere since he's with the carnival." Castle told the annoyed Detective.
"Do you know anything about him?" Beckett asked in exasperation.
"Yes!" Castle exclaimed as if a light bulb had just gone off in his head, "He was a psychic and he wanted to have his own TV show."
"Well, that's something." Beckett said, shaking her head as she typed this information into the computer, after a moment she asked, "Uh Castle, I think this kid you met was Patrick Jane."
"Patrick Jane….why do I recognise that name?" Castle asked as he looked at the picture on the screen, it did look familiar, the same curly hair and blue eyes.
Beckett bit her lip and turned to him, "Because his story was all over the news in 2001, he was the psychic who talked about a serial killer on national television. After his show that night he went home and found his wife and 6 year old daughter had been murdered by the serial killer he slandered."
Castle shuddered, "No one should have to go through that, I remember that story because Alexis was only 9 when it happened, I went through all of my notes to make sure I hadn't based any of my characters on real serial killers just in case the same happened to me."
Beckett glanced back at the screen, "He's working for the CBI at the moment as a consultant, he's probably using the position to try and find out more about the serial killer who slaughtered his family."
"CBI? He lives in California?" Castle asked with a sigh.
"Yeah, he has a registered apartment in Sacramento with a Teresa Lisbon." Beckett replied.
"He just has to live on the other side of the country, doesn't he?" Castle asked, more to himself as he muttered in annoyance.
"Well you made a blood pact." Beckett said with a small smile, "And you've come this far, you might as well finish your mission now."
Castle chuckled, "California here I come."
One Week Later
"Lisbon! A guy! With a gun! Behind you!"
Teresa Lisbon spun on her heel and before the other guys finger could even twitch over the trigger Lisbon had skilfully shot him in the arm, knocking the gun from his hands, Rigsby ran up behind him and cuffed him, "Jack Lawson you are under arrest for the murder of Janie Sleet, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…" Rigsby continued to read the guy his rights as he dragged him to the van.
Lisbon turned to Jane, a little out of breath from the chase and still in shock, "Thanks, you saved my life."
Jane grinned, "You owe me now."
Lisbon glared at him, "I've saved your life a billion times, if anything you owe me." She smirked at her cleverness and made her way back to her car with Jane following her, "That's not fair, we should both owe each other!" He protested.
Lisbon turned around with a cheeky comeback on her lips, but her jaw dropped at what she saw, standing behind Jane was someone she recognised from every bookcover in her apartment.
"Oh my god, Richard Castle!" Lisbon said, in a sort of half shocked, half excited very un-Lisbon squeal.
Castle grinned, "That's me, you're a fan?" He asked Lisbon.
Lisbon nodded, "I've got every single one of your books, and 'Heat Wave' was amazing, I'd love to meet the Detective it's based on."
Jane was looking between Castle and Lisbon in amusement, "You read Richard Castle books?" He asked in surprise.
Lisbon flushed a little, "Uh yeah, why?"
"Oh I just didn't think that was your cup of tea." Jane said honestly, "Nice to meet you Mr. Castle, I'm-"
Castle cut him off as he shook his hand, "Patrick Jane, I know."
Jane frowned and then his eyes widened, "Rick?"
"Yeah." Castle said as he chuckled, "Do you remember our pact?"
"I remember." Jane said, smiling, "I tried to track you down but with only 'Rick' I couldn't do much."
"You two know each other?" Lisbon asked, looking between the two men in shock.
"We made a blood pact once when we were 12." Jane told Lisbon, Castle added, "We agreed when we were both famous we would meet up, Patrick wanted his own TV show and I wanted to be a writer."
"Yeah, my TV show was short-lived." Jane said, a hint of bitterness in his voice, his lifestyle had killed his family.
"You had your own TV show? Why don't I know any of this?" Lisbon asked in annoyance, her arms were folded across her chest as she glared him down.
"Oh, well because that was my old life, this is my new one." Jane said, which was the truth really.
Lisbon seemed to ease up at that, "Hm, well I need to get back to the CBI to question the murderer, I'll see you at home tonight?"
Jane nodded, "I'll see you at home." He confirmed and he kissed her lightly on the lips before she got into her car and drove away.
"She's your girlfriend?" Castle asked, quite impressed.
"Yeah." Jane said, a goofy grin on his face, Castle laughed, "Well now that I found you at last, do you wanna go out for a drink.
"Sure." Jane replied and they both got into his ancient blue car. Castle couldn't help but think how odd it was that they had both ended up in some form of law enforcement, but really he was just happy he'd accomplished his 'mission' as Beckett had put it and found his old 'friend' if he could call Patrick a friend, they'd only met once. Either way Castle liked this guy and he hoped they could become friends, his Agent Lisbon was a lot like Detective Beckett, maybe Jane could give Castle some tips….
The End!
A/N - This was just a one-shot, there won't be a sequel! But I hope you enjoyed it! :D
Thanks for Reading!