I got this idea from the chat during "The Limey", after all of the frustration that was that episode. It's meant to be somewhat humorous and totally unrealistic. If you want my version of angsty realism, read "Tell".
Disclaimer: Yeah, you know. Seriously, if I did, would I be writing this? Really?
"Come on, Javi," Beckett said as she stepped off the elevator. "Do we really have to do this? I'm tired, and I finally get three solid days off in a row. I just want to go home, take a bath and crawl into bed." And forget about my former partner and his string of bimbettes, she thought, not be stuck in his house doing an errand for his mother. Kate knew that with her luck, he'd probably be sitting there making out with a bimbette or something equally indicative of his recent change in lifestyle.
"Just take a look at whatever she wants, Beckett. Mama Castle specifically requested us. And you know, I like the old girl. And I know you do too."
"Don't let her hear you call her an 'old girl'," she warned with a smile. While she didn't know what was going on with Castle at the moment, nor did she like it, she harbored no ill will toward his mother. She liked Martha and all of her flamboyant eccentricities.
He winked at her as they walked down the hall. "Got it. And don't worry. Hopefully this won't take too long. Then you can have that bath or...crawl into bed." He paused and let out a little cough. "Or whatever."
His voice sounded a little strange, and frankly, he looked a little strange right then. "You okay, Javi?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah, fine." He tried the door, finding it open. "Mrs. R said she'd leave the door open for us."
They walked into the loft, and at first it appeared to be empty, but then she saw a smiling Martha Rodgers sashay down the stairs, wearing a loose caftan in a print so loud with colors so bright that Beckett was sure it could make a sleeping person wake up.
"Ah, Kate, and Detective Esposito! Thank you so much for coming over to help me with this little...problem."
"Esposito said something about strange noises, Martha?"
"Yes, dear. In the spare bedroom upstairs. We don't go in there very much, but lately... Faint thumps and eerie moans...it's dreadful, really." She held a hand to her forehead in dramatic fashion. "I just don't know what to make of it."
"But Martha, we're homicide detectives, not the Ghostbusters. If you have strange noises, wouldn't it be better to call someone who...specializes more in that type of thing? I'm sure Castle has some contacts that would fit the bill better then we would."
"Nonsense, dear. You're exactly the person we need for this. In fact, I think there wouldn't be anyone better suited." She winked at the detective. "I have faith in you, dear." Then she turned to Esposito. "Don't you agree, Detective?"
"Whatever you say, Mrs. R." For some reason, it almost seemed to Kate as if Esposito was communicating with Martha on some other level only known to the two of them. She felt like she was missing something, but she couldn't fathom what. Martha and Esposito? They were friendly, and she knew Espo got a kick out of Castle's mother, but it wasn't like they were best buddies or anything.
With that, Martha turned around and headed back up the stairs, leaving the two detectives to follow her. She paused at the door to the spare bedroom, and then turned around. "Now, like I said, I have utter faith in you, dear. And of course, you too, Detective Esposito. But what's inside that room," she said as she gave a dramatic shudder, "might shock you. But I know that you can make this right."
Beckett didn't know what to think anymore. Between her own fatigue, her emotional upheavel from Castle's abrupt personality change over the past several weeks, Esposito acting weird, and Martha acting...like Martha, she felt like she couldn't really keep up anymore. But the quicker she got this over with, the quicker she could get to that bath. "Well, Martha, let's get this over with. Do you think I'll need my gun?" she asked jokingly.
A sudden worried look passed over Martha's face. "Well, dear, now that you mention it, you probably should leave it out here." Kate was surprised because Martha's response was anything but joking. She...did she look worried?
Bath. She wanted that bath. She wanted to relax. And to do this, she needed to placate Martha and put her so-called fears at ease so she could get the heck out of here. So she unstrapped her holster and laid the whole thing on the hall table. And as she did that, she became aware of...yes, those were noises coming from inside the room! Martha actually wasn't being dramatic? There really was something in the room?
"Martha..." she said, looking at the door, making it obvious that she'd heard something. And then there it was again; a faint thump, followed by a strange...hum, or something.
"See, dear?" The older woman did look worried.
"Martha, if you have...strange things in one of the bedrooms, then why isn't Castle here? I mean...strange noises? Ghosts? In his own house. That's right up his alley."
"He was...detained, dear. But I'm sure he'll be along shortly." She looked to the door again. "I'm going to open the door now, but I'm going to stand back while you go in. Just tell me what you see, and when you get everything sorted out, you can come out, okay?"
She gave Martha a sideways look before nodding her assent. Martha was definitely unusual, that was for sure. Martha grabbed the doorknob. She seemed to rattle it a bit before she opened it slowly. However, she only opened it a matter of mere inches before she stepped back and motioned to Kate to enter the room.
After giving Martha another look, Beckett looked at Esposito, who just shrugged at her, as if to say, 'Just humor her. How bad could it be?' So she pushed on the door and walked a few cautious steps into the room. And as she took in the sight in front of her, she froze.
It was no ghost, or goblin, or gremlin.
She tried to make her mind make sense of what she was seeing, but for a few seconds, all she could do was gape.
Because in front of her was Richard Castle, laying on the queen-sized bed in the room.
With duct tape over his mouth.
With both wrists handcuffed to the bed frame.
That was definitely not what she expected to find. She didn't know what she did expect to find, but it certainly wasn't that.
"Castle?" she exclaimed, too stunned to move for a moment. But then her feet were propelling her across the room toward him. She was confused when his head was violently shaking from side to side and the hums coming from under the duct tape were increasing in frequency and volume. Belatedly, as she was trying to figure out what he was trying to tell her, she realized she heard footsteps from behind her, and she only turned around in time to see a black-haired flash of a person scurry out the door, pulling it closed behind her.
Lanie? Was that just Lanie? Why would Lanie be here? And why did she leave?
Beckett walked back over to the door through which the supposed Lanie had just exited, temporarily forgetting the thrashing and humming Castle on the bed. And as she pulled on the door to follow the disappearing Lanie, she was stunned to find it...
Locked.
Locked?
Her head flipped around and looked at Castle, still laying on the bed. He'd stopped humming, and now had his head leaning back against the metal rails of the headboard in defeat.
She was locked in here.
Why was she locked in a room with a handcuffed and duct taped Castle, in his own house, no less? What the hell was going on here?
So now, more background (which you can probably figure out from the title anyway): After he kept rebuffing her and leaving and flaunting blondes at her during "The Limey", I said that someone just needs to lock them in a room together and make them talk, and not let them out until they do. One of the other people on the chat (AndrewA?) said that I should write a fanfic about it, so here it is.
Like I said, it's not meant to be realistic at all. I think I'd classify it under wishful thinking, so we can eliminate the angst of her not knowing why he's pulling away and of him thinking she was embarrassed by his declaration after she was shot. Eliminate the angst, get to the good stuff, right?
If there's enough interest, I'll continue this and you can find out exactly how Castle came to be handcuffed to the bed in his own guest room.
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