Title: Road Trip
Author: Sylvia
Summary: The gang go on a road trip to celebrate Kevin's wedding, but when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they end up at the residence of a "not so" normal couple with "not so" good intentions.
XX
They were traveling in two cars. Kevin and Jenny in one, Kate, Rick, Lanie, and Javier in another. There wasn't enough room in one car for everyone, and the other four figured the newlyweds would want some privacy. Castle was the one who came up with the brilliant idea of going on a road trip, just the six of them. They were going to a cabin that a friend of his was letting them stay at, practically hours away from where they resided in New York City. At the moment, they were driving down a long deserted road, all dirt, sand and grass. Nothing but trees everywhere. It was just past midnight. There was a light drizzle falling from the skyand it was Esposito's turn to drive, Lanie in the passenger's seat. Kate was currently asleep with a blanket covering her, Castle sneaking a peek over at her every so often.
"How much further is this damn place?" Lanie had reached the end of her rope. The exhaustion was creeping up on her, but she couldn't seem to find any rest in her upright position. Her back was aching, and she'd had a headache for the past half hour.
"It's… Well, let's just say we're not almost there." Castle answered; glad she couldn't hit him from their seats. Her frustration didn't go unnoticed when she let out a huff of anger. She glanced over at Kate. "I bet she's enjoying herself." Once again, she tried to get comfortable in the hard seat. Kate let out a soft moan in her sleep and moved around a bit, changing position to rest her head on Castle's shoulder. He immediately tensed, but seconds later relaxed, a warm smile on his face. He had no intentions of moving her. Sooner than later, the rain was pouring down on both cars, making it almost impossible for the drivers to see. Esposito glanced in the rearview mirror.
"Man, I can't even see Kevin's car. Lanie, stick your head out the window."
"You're nuts!" At this point, Kate had just woken up, finding herself on Castle's shoulder. She awkwardly pulled away.
"Lanie, this isn't about your hair right now. We need to make sure they're okay."
"You think this is about my hair? How shallow do you think I am?" Lanie gave him a dirty look and turned away.
"This is crazy…" Esposito growled. Kate squinted out one side of the window while Rick looked out the other, both looking for some sort of sign that Kevin was right there or at least that they hadn't gone off the road. Suddenly, everyone in the vehicle heard a loud crash.
"Pull over now!" Rick shouted. Esposito slammed on the brakes, and everyone hurried out of the car. The front of Kevin's car was totaled, smashed into a tree.
"Jenny! Kevin!" Kate ran towards the car, the others close behind. The group of friends were drenched, their hair sopping, clothes soaked.
"We're fine!" Jenny shouted to be heard over the storm. Thunder cackled in the sky.
"I couldn't see a thing. It was…" Her husband spluttered. He seemed to be in shock over the ordeal.
"It's okay, hun." She grabbed his hand. "We're okay."
"Come on, we need to get in the other car and call for help." They hurriedly rushed back to Esposito's car, not everyone fitting in. Castle stood outside, hanging his head on the inside to keep at least that part of him from getting more soaked. They all tried their phones.
"No service." Kate muttered.
"Right there with you." Jenny shoved her phone back in her pocket.
"Hey, look!" Lanie pointed off in the distance. They all looked closely to see what was ahead. Through the raindrops, they managed to see a large house. The middle of nowhere. Who'd want to live out here?
"Come on!" The group stayed close together and ran towards the house, anxious to get out of the wet environment. Esposito was the first one to reach the door, pounding on it. It was cold and dark, and they just needed some help. The door opened in moments. A middle aged woman stood there, looking over the sopping group.
"Yes?"
"Our car broke down. Could we use your phone?" Esposito asked, trying to sound as sweet as possible. The nicer the better.
"Sure, sure! Come on in." They gratefully entered her house, thanking her as they did so. "You poor dears must be exhausted. Where are you from?"
"New York."
"You're far from home, aren't you? Phones in the kitchen. One of you follow me, the rest of ya can get comfy in the living room." They looked at each other, and Esposito was the one to follow her out of the room. Sitting down around the fireplace, they got on the couch.
"Cozy place…" Jenny muttered. "We should get something like this."
"It looks kind of like a… cabin. Don't you think?"
"I guess. We should get something similar then. Without all the...wood…Too much wood."
"I've got a vibe." Castle whispered to Kate.
"Let me guess. You have a wild theory that this woman is some sort of alien from Mars whose come to eat human souls."
"Don't be ridiculous." She gave him a look. "She's definitely a robot."
"A robot…" She repeated slowly, a grin forming on her face.
"Exactly. You catch on quick, Ms. Beckett." Shaking her head, Kate turned her head away to keep him from seeing the smile she had. The woman who'd let them in walked back into the room, holding a pile of towels.
"You're all soaking wet. Here." She passed the towels to Kevin, who handed them out to all of his friends. The moment she got hers, Kate immediately wrapped it around herself, shivering on the couch.
"Where's Javier?" Lanie asked her.
"The other one? Still trying to get through. Unfortunately, the storm seems to have cut the phone lines."
"But, the powers not out." Jenny observed, eyes wondering. The owner of the house narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, well…" She left it at that. "Oh, by the way. My name is Carol."
"I'm Kevin." He introduced. "This is my wife Jenny, Lanie, Rick, Kate and Javier is in the kitchen." Carol nodded, a slight smile on her face.
"Excellent. Obviously ya'll aren't finding a tow truck tonight, Since I can't just abandon you poor souls, you're more than welcome to spend the night." That earned several eyebrow raises.
"We can't just put you out like that." Kevin insisted, hoping she'd do the same.
"Nonsense. Where would you sleep, on the dirt?" She scoffed to herself, letting out a small laugh. "We have limited space. A guest room and my son's bedroom. Two of you in each room."
"There's… six of us." Lanie looked around, confused.
"Two of you will have to stay down here, then."
"What about your son?" Kate chimed in, feeling as if she and her friends were imposing on this woman's house and family. When Carol's smile dropped into a frown, she realized it was a touchy topic she should stray away from. Squinting her eyes at the brunette, Carol crossed her arms.
"He's dead." She said simply, a cold twinge in her voice. "Sometimes I still feel his presence when I'm in his room. He speaks to me." Everyone became silent after that, feeling out of place. The silence was broken when Esposito's figure popped up in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Phone's out of service."
"Shit." Lanie mumbled.
"Kevin and I will take the guest room." Jenny said before anyone else could. No one wanted to be in the son's room, and the living room wouldn't be very cozy. Everyone groaned when they heard her say this, except for her husband who gave her a secretive wink.
"Javi and I will take the living room." All Lanie knew, was that she did not want to sleep in a room that could be haunted. She definitely didn't believe in that kind of stuff, but being in a strange house irked her out. Especially since the boy who stayed in that room was dead. Evidence that he was once there would be found, but it was too upsetting for somebody, even if she happens to witness death almost daily. Kate and Castle awkwardly looked in each other's direction. Not only were they stuck together, but they were stuck in the boys room.
"Where am I supposed to stay?" Kate asked the question nonetheless, her voice quivering.
"In my son's room, of course." Carol's eyes darkened as she looked over at the younger woman. She did not like her, and it was obvious in the glare she threw.
"With… him?" Lanie found this more than entertaining, and she stifled a laugh. Unfortunately for her, it broke through and Kate gave her the dirtiest look. Castle placed a hand on his heart, as if offended.
"What's so bad about sharing a room with me?"
"The answers are endless." Right then, the lights turned off, the house falling into darkness. Instinctively, Jenny let out a yelp, not having expected this.
"Shit. The storm got to the power." Carol sighed. "I have some candles in the basement. Fuse box is down there as well. Does anyone know how to work the power?"
"I can try." Esposito shrugged.
"Perfect. It's worth a shot, right? One of you go down with him and get the candles while he tries to restart the power." Lanie got up first. Not that she liked dark basements, but she figured she'd go with her boyfriend. "Take a flashlight." The couple followed Carol to the kitchen, where she opened a random drawer and pulled out a deep red flashlight, flicking it on. The light was obviously dying.
"Got anymore batteries?"
"Yeah, but I'm really not sure where. You'll have to make do." She walked back to the main room and looked over the people sitting on her couches. The basement door was located in the kitchen, behind the stairs which were near the front door.
"Let's do this." Esposito was over dramatic when he said this, making his voice deeper. Lanie rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and pulled the door open, heading in first. Popping his collar, the man followed cautiously after.
"My husband will be home soon." Carol told the folks in her living room, breaking the awkward silence.
"You don't live here alone?" Jenny questioned, just now noticing that her wet hair had dripped on to the cushion of Carol's sofa.
"No, my husband Trevor lives with me. He went to the grocery store to stock up on some food, knowing a storm was coming. He should be back any moment."
"Aren't you worried?" Castle wondered. "Him driving in this weather, I mean." She tilted her head sideways, the ends of her short hair tucking behind her ear as she did so.
"He's a smart man." She said this strangely, distant. "Goodness, you four must be parched. I'll brew up a nice pot of tea."
"The electricity is out.." Kate reminded her. Giving herself a smack on the forehead, Carol simply laughed.
"I'm such a dolt. Of course it is." None the less, she walked towards the kitchen without another word. Castle lowered his voice, as to not be heard.
"She's kind of weird, isn't she?" Kate gently punched his shoulder.
"Knock it off. She was generous enough to let us spend the night. We shouldn't question it." He furrowed his eyebrows at them.
"Come on. You can't tell me I'm the only one who sees it."
"You're not." Kevin agreed, nodding his head. "She's a character, alright. But, we shouldn't put too much thought in to it. We leave tomorrow."
"What time is it?" Kate asked Castle. He held up his wrist for her, showing off his watch. Almost midnight. "God, it feels so much later." She yawned, rubbing at her sore shoulder.
"Hey, are you sure you guys are okay?" Castle asked his two friends. "The car looks rough. You can't tell me you're in tip top shape." Kevin looked towards Jenny, shrugging.
"I have a small cut on my head. Maybe an ache here and there. But I'm no worse for wear."
"Same goes for me." Jenny agreed. "We were really lucky."
"You definitely were. That could've been so much worse. And we wouldn't have been able to contact the police." Kate said, her eyes widening at the possibilities.
"Speaking of contact. Check your signal." Castle told them. Remembering, they pulled out their cell phones.
"God damnit." Kate groaned. "Why is there no signal?"
"Maybe because we're in the middle of nowhere?"
"We may not be in the middle of civilization, but it isn't nowhere." Carol said, walking in with a platter that held a couple of cups on it. "It's hot tea." Castle's eyebrows knitted together.
"How'd you manage that?" Her smile widened.
"I have my ways." That sent a shiver up his spine. Man, was she creepy. A pounding on the door distracted the group as they grabbed their drinks.
"What was that?" Jenny asked, worried.
"Just Trevor." Eagerly walking to the front door, she pulled it open to reveal a disheveled looking middle-aged man, sopping wet from head to toe.
"Oh, hun. Come on in. I'll get you a towel." Trevor placed his jacket on the hook, and froze as he entered the living room.
"Carol!" He called to his wife, who was now grabbing a towel from the next room. She hurried back in, handing him the green fabric.
"What is it, babe?"
"Who the fuck are these people, and why are they in my house?" Kate shifted uncomfortably. Maybe it wasn't okay that they were here, after all. Watching the scene play out, Castle sat up straighter, holding his hot tea between his palms, allowing the mug to warm him.
"Their car broke down. Powers obviously out, and they can't call the tow truck until tomorrow."
"Shit, Carol…"
"I know, I know. I already told them they could stay, even made sleeping arrangements." His jaw clenched.
"Paul's room?" It was more of a statement than a question. Her head dropped to look at the floor, ashamed.
"They're nice people. They won't disrupt us."
"Better not. I don't have time for this; I'm taking a shower and heading off to bed." He stormed out of the room and up the stairs.
"I'm sorry about that, he really is a nice man."
"I can tell." Castle muttered, earning an elbow from his partner. Everyone looked towards the kitchen when they heard footsteps coming their way.
"Candles for all." Lanie placed the lot she'd been holding on the coffee table.
"Everybody take one each." They did as they were told. Carol surveyed the crowd. "I'm sure you have all had a very long day, and are eager to get some rest." That was an understatement for both Lanie and Kate. "I'll show you to your rooms." Another knock on the door kept her from doing what she had said she would.
"Who…?" Kate wondered, the word escaping her lips.
"Strange." Carol swung the door open, the wind adding force as it hit the wall when she opened it. There stood a man, probably in his thirties.
"Jack? What are you doing here?" The man closed the door.
"Was in the neighborhood." He shrugged, a sly grin on his lips.
"The neighborhood, huh? You do know the town is 45 minutes away, don't you?"
"Yeah, well. I went for a drive and found myself here. Weather was too bad to keep on going." He looked around. "Who are the people?"
"I forget their names. Their car was totaled. Spending the night."
"Aren't you just a cherry?" He laughed. "Hello all. I'm Trevor's brother." They offered waves.
"I guess you have no choice but to stay here, also."
"I'll take the basement." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"If you insist." Carol rolled her eyes, then turning to see Esposito. "I forgot to ask, you weren't able to fix the fuse, were you?"
"Obviously not." He referred to the fact that they were still powerless.
"Right."
"I uh, I couldn't help but notice that some of the doors were locked. When I was looking for the candles." Lanie suddenly said.
"Yes, it's called privacy." Though she looked happy, the sentence was filled with venom. "Anyway, here's the lighter." She allowed everyone to light their candles, filling the room with a replacement light, though not nearly as bright. Shadows bounced off the walls, giving the room an airy feel. "Let's get you settled in your rooms." Everyone got off the couches, carrying their candles with them as they followed Carol upstairs. Esposito and Lanie stayed in the living room, knowing their place.
"Jack, be a dear and get those two some blankets and pillows."
"Yeah, yeah." He gave Lanie a once over, his tongue between his teeth. Esposito growled to himself. They couldn't afford to piss anyone off. As they walked down the dark hallway, their candles illuminated among the thin walls. It was such a tight space, the walls practically closing in and touching their shoulders as they glided along the carpet. The group of four stared at the pictures on the wall, lighting up as they walked past. They were strange, and most definitely creepy. Old fashioned photographs. Only one seemed out of place among the rest, a young boy on the swings. This picture was not in a dull black and white like the rest, but in color.
"This is the guest room." Carol opened the door for Jenny and Kevin. It was a simple room, neat and a nice size. They entered, eyeballing the furniture. Old fashioned, like the pictures. She closed the door for them, continuing on down the hall.
"This would be my room." She said, passing by a closed door. At the very end of the hall, was the room she was aiming at. "And this is...was… Paul's. My son." Her friendly expression all but completely vanished. She swung the door open, a loud creaking filling the quiet serenity. Kate and Rick followed her in, their two candles giving the room a gentle hum. It was still so very dark.
The room was filled with an average child's things. Some toys creepier than others. The bed had been unslept in, neat. Little rocket ships decorated along the comforter.
"Thank you." Kate said quietly, bowing her head.
"Be careful." Carol whispered, softly closing the door.
"Why did she say that?" Castle asked, his eyes popping out. "Oh my god, there's a ghost in here."
"Shut up, Castle. There isn't."
"She told us to be careful. If that's not a warning sign I don't know what is. Oh god, I can't breathe." Kate let out a sigh of exasperation. How would she deal with him all night? All she wanted right now, was sleep. They placed their candles on opposite sides of the room, trying to make the room as bright as possible. They only illuminated small areas, so most of the room was still very dim. They sat down on the edge of the bed, not sure of how to react. Looking over at her, Castle watched in amazement, staring at her eyes. The flame of the candle reflected in her emerald eyes, dancing in the darkness.
"You're beautiful." It blurted out. He had really not meant to say that. Her eyes opened wide, and her head snapped to look at him.
"What?" It came out quick and short, uncertain of what else to say.
"Uh, the uh… The fire." He gave himself a mental punch in the face. The fire? What the hell did that even mean? "Never mind. That didn't happen."
"Forgotten." She agreed.
"So, how are we gonna work out this whole sleeping thing. It's no big deal for the others, they can sleep side by side. Being together and all." She felt uncomfortable again.
"Yeah. Together."
"It's a twin bed."
"I hope you like the floor." She grinned.
"That's not fair. Rock paper scissors." He held up two fists. Kate gave him a look that clearly stated, 'Are you kidding me?' "Come on, Beckett. What are you, scared?" Her fists joined his. "Very good, Ms. Beckett." One, two, three… They shook their fists.
"Hah! Rock beats scissors." He stuck his tongue out at her.
"Best two out of three?" She suggested, hopefully. Reluctantly, he agreed. One, two, three…
"Yes!" He fist pumped. "Knew you'd do scissors again. Trying to outsmart me, eh?" She frowned.
"Sorry, Beckett. Looks like you're on the floor." Without argument, she grabbed a pillow, and placed it on the floor. This surprised Castle. No arguing? Nothing? He was even more surprised when she lay down on the pillow. Guilt began to drown him. "Hey, I was just kidding. You can have the bed." He was too much of a gentleman to let her sleep on the ground like that. A wicked grin formed across her face. She knew he'd do that.
"We can sleep on opposite sides." Why she actually said that, she really had no clue. Perhaps she felt the same guilt he did. Nonetheless, she'd already suggested it.
"Really?"
"As long as you keep your hands to yourself, I don't see why not. But, if you tell anyone about this, I will castrate you." They climbed under the covers, Castle taking the foot of the bed while she took the upright position. Tossing him a pillow, she got comfortable and couldn't help but notice how warm and amazing it felt to be sharing a bed with the author. Both of them watched as one of the candles flame went out, a gust of wind blowing through the room.
"Did you feel that?" Castle asked suddenly, curiosity coming his way. Kate looked down at her chest, her nipples having hardened from the cold air. Yep, she definitely felt that.
"Yeah, what was that?"
"Ghost." He said, flat out.
"Oh, shut it, Castle. It's probably just the wind."
"What wind? The window is closed."
"There's probably a little getting through the bottom, leave it alone." She snuggled her head further into the pillow, but couldn't suppress the nagging feeling of fear she had deep within.
"Was that there before?" She groaned.
"What?"
"That clown." Castle shuddered, pointing in the direction of a large toy clown, almost the same size as him. It was sitting on a rocking chair in the corner of a room, a permanent smile plastered on its colorful face. She hadn't before noticed it, given the darkness of the room. It made her shiver.
"Castle." Her voice shook, beyond control. "Stop doing that."
"Am I scaring you?"
"No." She lied. It was very obvious that she was doing so, but Castle decided not to call her out on it. He was feeling odd about the whole thing himself. "Castle?" She asked, uncertain.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something without getting judged?" What the hell?
"Okay…"
"Will you… Would you lay next to me?" There was a period of silence. "Never mind. That was stupid. Forget I asked."
"Are you sure you want me to?" Another pause took place.
"Please." And that was all she had to say. Castle shifted under the blanket, maneuvering himself to the other side of the bed so that he was next to her, Kate laying on the inside of the bed. They both couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement, and warmth. "Thank you."
"How do you feel, right now?"
"What?" She looked over at him, feeling unbelievably close to his body.
"I don't know. This whole thing is strange. This place." Kate pulled the blanket up more, still cold from their encounter with the rain.
"I know what you mean. It gives off a strange feeling. It could just be because of how much we're freaking ourselves out. In the morning, it'll seem like nothing."
"Maybe…" It could be true, but he wasn't quite sure if he thought so.
"Please don't come up with another theory of them being aliens."
"I said robots. But, I won't. I just want to go back to the city." Kate felt exactly the same way. Home. It was probably all any of them wanted. Civilization. Away from this house that would be easy to get murdered in, without anybody ever finding out.