I don't know about you, but somehow I wished there had been a Halloween episode... So here is my stab at one, whithout the usual murder.
After writing nearly two thirds I rewatched the season two Halloween episode and suddenly was aware where some of my ideas had come from. So it took a little rewrite and now I hope it is not to similar. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
I own neither Castle nor Star Wars, this story has been written purely for fun, no copyright infrigement intended.
"Ah, I see you've recreated the days of your youth." Castle teased his mother as soon as she came down the stairs. She was wearing an Elizabethan dress, complete with collar, pale makeup and jewelry.
"Well my dear, not all of us can claim style and sophistication for themselves." Martha replied good-naturedly.
"Oh mother, no need to beat yourself up about that. Be assured, I still love you."
"Dad, come on. Gram looks incredible. You're just jealous because you haven't found a costume yet and are afraid you won't get voted most outrageous costume third time running." Alexis interjected. "And we're late. You're supposed to give me a lift to school, remember?"
"How could I forget, daughter? You reminded me twice last night and even sent me a text. From your room, mind you. There must be some very shady and unsavory influences in your life. Do tell, have you been spending time with mother recently?"
"How could she? You have been all over her trying to prevent her from spending time with Ashley. You're to blame for any influences you deem suspicious." his mother chipped in.
"With that little gem of incoherent jibber jabber I think we should leave you to your own devices and get going. Have a nice day, mother." Castle said while grabbing his jacket, opening the door and ushering his surprised daughter out into the hallway.
On the way to school both of them chatted aimlessly about recent events in their lives, even though Castle could see clearly Alexis had something on her mind. After she passed on yet another perfect opportunity to ridicule her dad he decided to take action.
"You're not pregnant, are you?" he teased.
"Wha... Why would you even think that, dad?" Alexis replied perplexed.
"Well, you have been staring out of the window for the last three blocks, didn't even try to correct me when I stipulated that monkeys would make better pets than dogs and just ten seconds ago let out a sigh that was worthy of Virginia Woolf. What gives, daughter?"
"Okay dad, don't freak out..."
"Always a good start." Castle mumbled.
"No, it's nothing like this. You know next weekend is Halloween, right? There is a party I'd really like to go to."
"Of course there is, it's the Ninth Annual Castle Halloween Extravaganza. Hosted by yours truly, Professor Tasteless Terror and his lovely daughter Ms. Eerie Evilspawn."
"You see, the thing is that although I absolutely love your parties, this time I kind of like to do something with Ash. There is a party at Claires, just some friends of her and her brother from college. Or we just hang out at his parent's place and watch scary movies."
"No, absolutely not. I won't even dignify this with a reason why, just no." Castle snapped.
"But dad..." his daughter pleaded. "You always say that I'm way to responsible for my age, that I should enjoy my life while I'm still young. This is the perfect time and place for me to try out some of that fun you want me to have."
"I'm all for you enjoying yourself, but this won't be your chance to do so. I'm putting my foot down. You should know better than to ask me about something so ludicrous. Now let's drop it, were almost there."
The quiet in the car was tangible. Alexis fumed uncontrollably, albeit without saying a word. Castle on the other hand was to caught up in his thoughts to even realize the magnitude of his daughters' aggravation. When he pulled up in front of the school he halfheartedly bid his goodbyes. "Have a good day, love you!"
Alexis exited the car without even acknowledging her dad's words and went straight to the entrance, not bothering to look back. She was still raging, wanting nothing more than to get some distance between herself and her dad. Castle on the other hand was sitting motionless in his car, wondering what on earth his daughter was thinking. He wasn't even sure why he was disapproving so strongly about her going to a simple Halloween party, but dismissed any thoughts but the obvious one: when there are College kids and a party, trouble was always just around the corner. Ripped back into reality by angry horns from other parents waiting to drop their children off, he set off towards the precinct.
Still very much in thought he entered the bullpen 20 minutes later only to be stopped by Ryan. "Morning Castle, no coffee and pacifying pastry for Beckett today? You're off your game, man." he grinned.
"Yeah well, I'm sort of occupied with my daughter's unjustified wishes to attend wild orgies."
"Are you sure you got that right? I didn't peg your daughter for the orgy kind of type. She always seemed much to un-castle-y for something like that. A little to innocent." Ryan mused.
"It's not your business to ponder the innocence of my daughter, so pipe down, will you? She would never do anything stupid or risky." Castle brusquely stated.
"What my partner was trying to say, admittedly in a hapless way, is that you have trusted your daughter for the last sixteen years, so why would you stop now? As you said, she isn't likely to do something stupid." Esposito filled in.
Upon those words Castle cooled down a bit and settled himself at Beckett's desk. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, it's just that Alexis blindsided me this morning and that's bothering me more than it probably should. She is a teenager after all. I try to keep you out of my tirades from now on." he appeased Ryan.
"It would be lovely if that included me, Castle." Beckett smirked from behind him. "Now get out of my chair, I've got paperwork to do."
The morning progressed uneventful, although Castle was more quiet than usual. At lunch time Beckett got up. "Come on Castle, you're gonna buy me lunch and in return can grouse about what's bothering you."
After a quick trip to the deli around the corner they settled back at her desk and chewed their lunch in silence. "Okay, so this is more serious than I thought. I bought a sausage sub and there is no sign of any inappropriate comment. No nothing. What's bothering you?"
"Alexis wants to go to an unsupervised party at a friend's house, there will be college kids as and on top of that she didn't tell me she loved me when she got out of the car this morning." Castle hastily replied.
"I'd like to make a brief point, if you don't mind. Hogwash!" Beckett started. "You are not stupid, Castle. If there would be any real danger at that party, you would have gone straight to the captain and made an official inquiry. College kids don't always mean trouble, and you know that. And as you are very well aware, your daughter adores you, even if she is pissed at you. So there are only two possible reasons for you to be upset. One is the company your daughter goes to the party with, the second is your overbearing but sweet desire to include every last one that you care about in your extravaganzas. You probably just can't stand the fact that Alexis might have fun without you, but I guess it's a combination of both reasons. You really aren't fond of Ashley, are you?" Beckett finished.
Castle was about to reply hotly, but stopped his rebuttal as soon as he realized the validity of Beckett's observations. Sure, he didn't like the fact that his daughter went to a party with older, probably alcohol-bearing visitors, but he really did trust her. She would probably be the one calling the parents if something went wrong, like she had done last year. If he was honest to himself it had stung that Alexis didn't want to come to his party. And he really didn't like Ashley.
"Do you know that one of the main reasons I put up such a grand display at Halloween is Alexis? She was three or four, and it was the first time we went out trick or treating. First she was a little scared, but I made it a point to make fun of everything she was scared of, showing her the seams of a costume, just making sure she knew it was all show. At the same time I was telling mildly spooky stories, because what is Halloween without a little shivering? At the end of the evening she hugged me, said that she couldn't wait for next year and told me I was her hero for making all the monsters disappear. In that moment I felt like I could do anything. So how do I fix the mess I created today?"
"You won't. I will." Beckett said, once again reminded of why she liked Castle being around. He might be a goofy man child on the surface, but underneath he had the capability to care more than most people she knew. She got her cell phone and scrolled through the numbers until she found 'Little Castle' and dialed.
"Hey Alexis, it's Kate. I just heard what your dad pulled off this morning and was wondering if you'd like to meet me after school to vent a bit? I know you probably want to complain to somebody a bit more your age, but I happen to have first hand experience in Rick Castle idiocy. Sure, five is fine. I just meet you at the place we met last time? Great, see you then. Bye."
Following the conversation Castle felt sheer admiration for his counterpart. Not only did she help him understand his overreaching actions, now she was trying to fix his mess in her time off. Despite her dig at his 'idiocy' he was enormously grateful. For once he didn't try to lighten the mood with banter but went for sincerity.
"Thank you. It really means a lot to me."
"Just wait until I've spoken with her. You might be making amends you didn't expect." Beckett replied with a half smile.
It was a little after five when Beckett got to the cafe. Alexis was already sitting at a table staring at nothing in particular, coffee in front of her. When she saw the detective approaching her, she got up and embraced her. Not unpleasantly surprised, Beckett hugged her back.
"Hi Kate, thanks so much for the call earlier. I've been fuming the whole day, telling all my friends what a jerk dad was, but somehow it didn't help. The longer I thought about it the less sense it all made. Dad normally tells me I should break curfew, hands me champagne at book parties, basically tries to push me towards what he deems a 'well spent youth'. Spending time with your boyfriend watching some movies shouldn't even be a blip on his parental radar, should it?" the girl rambled. "I think I need some perspective from a someone I trust on the right side of forty."
Obviously touched by the compliment, Beckett smiled at Alexis. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, it really means a lot. I can't promise you that everything will be okay in an instant, but what I can promise you that I will do anything in my power to set your dad straight. I'm just getting the whole picture now. Serves me right to trust Castle telling me everything that happened. He left out the little tidbit that you want to spent time with Ashley alone. There was talk about a party with hammered college kids, but that's about it."
"Do you remember last year? Dad had to collect my because someone spiked the punch. After all the drama with Paige, this year I just wanted some peace and quiet. It's not even like we would be alone, his parents will be there to. I really thought dad would be okay with that."
"You know your dad, right? Thinking the fourth step before the first is a given. I bet he has envisioned you as a single teen mom living in a crack house as soon as he heard the name Ashley. His active imagination is both a gift and a curse. Sadly in case of his only daughter it's usually the latter. He loves you to bits, but that is also the problem. It has been the two of you for quite some time, and he can't comprehend that just because you want to spent time with a boy, you don't love him any less. Believe me, dads are pretty dense when it comes to their daughters. Mine still doesn't like me dating, and started going out a long time ago. Dads needs someone to tell them when they go overboard, and in your case, I will gladly be of assistance. I got some experience in how to reign him in, but sometimes it is better to give him something in return. Calming the Castle, so to speak." Beckett grinned.
"What do you have in mind? Are you going to flash him?" Alexis joked and immediately noticed the slight blush in Beckett's face. She filed the observation in the back of her head, saving it for a later date.
"Alexis!" Beckett scolded. "If you aren't careful I might be inclined to side with your dad on this one. He did mention a dungeon a while back."
"All right, all right. I really should think more before suggesting such outrageous things. But seriously, do you have an idea? Even though dad was an unreasonable douche, I still hate it when we fight. He's such a great dad, just a little overprotective at times."
"I think it would be best if you stayed for his party. Before you say no, I also think that you should invite Ashley, so your dad gets used to seeing him around. After an hour or so you two can go upstairs and watch a movie and I will promise to keep your dad from checking on you every ten minutes. How does that sound?"
"Actually it sounds great. And, as a bonus, you now have to come to the party for sure. Dad has been grumbling the whole week because you didn't RSVP. Now he can sleep peacefully, knowing that you come." teased the teenager. "Thank you, Kate. You really are a great help, especially when it comes to things concerning my dad."
Smiling, Beckett got her purse out to pay for their coffees. Alexis interrupted her. "No, let me. It's the least I can do. You can get it the next time."
When Beckett arrived at the precinct the next morning, there were two paper cups and a pastry bag waiting on her desk. Allthough he was nowhere to be seen it was clear Castle had arrived before her, which was a rarity. She had expected his call as soon as she had left the cafe, but when he hadn't called by nine pm she figured Alexis had stopped him from becoming overbearing again. As soon as she sat down, he appeared.
"Good morning, Detective. Thanks again for talking to Alexis, she came into the loft last night and hugged me. I don't know what you told her, but she seemed fine."
"As I told you yesterday, there are no solutions without compromise. So Alexis will gladly attend your party, but her boyfriend will accompany her. You have to be civil, and after a time I consider sufficient, they can leave to watch a movie upstairs."
"No way, that is just unfair. What do I get in return if he can spent time with Alexis out of my sight?" Castle butted in, now in full barter mode.
"Well, I will be attending your party. That should suffice, shouldn't it?"
"Not even close. I also get to choose your costume." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
She wasn't even sure why she was negotiating with him, but Detective Kate Beckett never backed down. "I will agree to that, but only if I get the right to veto."
"Done. First proposal: Slutty nurse."
"Veto."
"How about naughty schoolgirl?"
"In your dreams. Next one?"
"Have you seen 'Return of the Jedi'?"
"Aaah, the inevitable Princess Leia fantasy. Since I haven't got all day to play pretend dress up, I hereby promise you I will show up as Princess Leia from 'Return of the Jedi'. Can we get some work done now?" Beckett hissed.
Castle couldn't believe his ears. Did she really promised to show up as Princess Leia? He was sure he misheard, but since he didn't want to ruin the moment and maybe unsettle her he just nodded and sat down on his usual guest chair.
When he looked around his residence a gleeful snicker left his throat. In his opinion he outdid himself once again. Besides the usual terrifying decorations, irrecognizable food displays and overflowing beverage supplies he also added some special touches. Cobwebs in the elevator, a flickering lightbulb in the hallway leading to his apartment door and anybody using going to be bathroom would have to wash his or her hands with tap water colored deep red. Not to mention the piercing scream a hidden audio system would emit every time someone flushed the toilet. Yes, it was going to be a great evening, even if he had to play nice with his daughter's boyfriend.
By nine o'clock the party was in full swing. Everybody was enjoying themselves, chatting avidly and making use of the grand display of food and drinks. When Ryan and Esposito arrived Castle roped them into a special project. While he was bound by his agreement with Beckett to be civil to Ashley, there was no need for the two detectives to refrain from sharing some wisdom they accumulated when arresting teenagers. Maybe a story or two regarding lockup would help Ashley to understand that the law was on his girlfriend's father's side, no matter what.
Every time the doorbell rang he covertly or not so covertly gazed at the door, expecting Beckett to walk through. Once again the chime announced the arrival of a guest, but when Martha opened it, it was Ashley. Morosely he went over to greet him.
"Hi Ashley, so glad you could come. Please feel at home, the catering is in the kitchen, as are the beverages." he robotically said.
"Thanks Mr. Castle, I really appreciate the invitation. I haven't been able to spent much time with Alexis besides school, so it's great we can see each other today. By the way, great costume! Han Solo is easily my favorite character from vintage movies." he enthusiastically finished.
"Now I feel old... I think Alexis is in the other room, talking to some of my colleagues from the precinct. Why don't you go find her?" he suggested.
"Now what did we agree to, Castle?" Beckett's voice came from the hallway.
"That I will be respectful and on my good behavior." he answered while turning towards her, anticipation rising. "Hey, what are you wearing? A camouflage tent and an old ski helmet? Where the heck is my metal bikini?" he indignantly blurted out.
"Why Castle, have you been expecting something else? We agreed on 'Return of the Jedi', didn't we? I'll let you know, this is a quite good replica of the Endor battle suit. At least I was told that at the costume rental."
"Hmpf. I was hoping for a little more of a Jabba-strangling slave girl, not some Ewok worshipped fighter." Castle replied.
"You know as well as I do that the rescue of Han Solo, nice vest by the way, was a brutal act of vigilantism, a course of action I could never support. Helping a threatened tribe of peaceful creatures on the other hand, that's a cause I can get behind. Now where's the bar, this hat is not breathable. It's quite hot under here." she said on her way towards the kitchen. "Oh, and Castle?" she whispered in his ear while passing by. "You never know what a freedom fighter wears under her poncho."