Got requests to write another fic. So here you go.
Thanks to Trinx for letting me pick her brain... and steal from her idea list. :)
He had just spent the last three hours canvassing. Making phone calls was getting tedious. And he wasn't up to searching for information on vampire covens again.
Having to call his old girlfriend with Esposito hanging over his shoulder had been awkward enough.
Uniforms had swept Crow's apartment and were bringing in a portfolio they'd found, so he has a bit of time to kill before he has to tackle that task.
A coffee break. Yeah, that's what he needs.
Ryan grabs his empty mug as he gets up from his chair. Making his way to the break room, something catches his eye. Something he's never seen before. Sitting on Beckett's desk.
'What the?...' Ryan thinks to himself as he picks up the egg, its hand-drawn face smiling back at him.
The detective curiously glances at the egg in his hand as he continues his way to the break room.
"Yo Javi," he says to his partner, who is steaming some milk at the espresso machine, "found this on Beckett's desk. Any idea what it's about?"
Esposito looks up at the egg and shrugs slightly as he arches his eyebrow. "No idea, Bro. Probably something Castle brought in. Looks more his style."
Espo returns his attention to the steamer as Ryan sits down at the table.
When the Latino detective turns around, he's met with the sight of his partner trying to balance the egg on the edge of the table.
"Dude. What the heck are you doing?"
"Trying to balance the egg on its end."
"Uhhhh…why?"
"Why not? Saw Castle do it a couple of weeks ago. Didn't look too difficult, so…"
But Ryan doesn't get to finish his sentence as the egg tilts a bit too much.
It's like a scene from a movie. Everything seems to move in slow motion. Ryan's eyes widened as Espo's jaw dropped, the two of them watching helplessly as the egg plummets to the floor.
Epso winces as it makes contact with the hardwood, a splattered mess of yolk and white and shell.
"So much for Humpty Dumpty," he smirks.
"Shit."
"Ryan. Language," taunts Espo, enjoying his partner's embarrassment.
"Hey! You are just as guilty as me!"
"Pshh! Whatever."
"You're an accomplice!" Ryan insists.
"More like a witness."
"Accessory after the fact! You need to help me cover this up!"
"What? Why? It's an egg!"
"Yeah… yeah. An egg. That had a face on it! That I got off of Beckett's desk! Dude! You're my partner. If I go down for this, I am so taking you with me!"
Ryan stares at Espo. The Latino detective stares back. Neither one of the boys flinch for what seems to be an eternity.
"Fine..." Espo relents. "But you are so gonna owe me."
"Fine with me. What's the plan?"
"Simple, just replace the egg."
"With what?!" Ryan states, panic rising in his voice.
Espo shrugs and opens the fridge. "Check it out," he says as he pulls out a carton of eggs.
"Javi, those have been in there for nine months! We can't use those!"
"Why not? They're eggs aren't they? Who's gonna know? It's not like anyone's gonna eat an egg that has a face drawn on it!"
Ryan releases a long sigh. "Okay... You got a sharpie on you?"
"I hope you remember what that face looked like," Espo says as he hands Ryan a black marker.
"Don't worry," Ryan mumbles as he uncaps the sharpie, "I'm pretty sure that creepy little smile is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life.
Ryan can see that Castle and Beckett are mid conversation as he and Espo approach her desk. As he gets within ear-shot, he hears Beckett say, "Yeah, well, he was easy. He didn't even fuss when I put him to bed."
Ryan breathes a brief sigh of relief as Espo nudges his ribs.
"I don't think they noticed, Bro," Espo whispers.
"Yeah… yeah…" Ryan mumbles, the guilt eating away at his stomach.
"Yo…" Espo exclaims, getting the attention of the writer and his muse, "Ready for more tales of the weird and strangely odd?"
Espo continues to fill in Beckett about the Freemans as Ryan subtly glances over at the egg and then at Castle. He sees nothing on the author's face that indicates he noticed the egg swap. He relaxes a bit as he refocuses on the briefing at hand, answering Beckett's question.
"McGinty. And I think he was hiding something..."
Beckett stares at Alan Freeman through the two-way mirror as he chats with his lawyer. Castle stands quietly beside her as the boys sit on the desk at the back of the room.
"Attempting to get away with murder… trying to hide the truth from his own family…" Beckett mutters out loud. "This guy disgusts me."
Ryan swallows awkwardly as Espo glances as his partner.
"Guess he just ran out of tricks," shrugs Castle.
"Yep. This illusion is about to end. Let's go," she states flatly, leaving the observation room.
"Hey Castle," Ryan whispers as Castle is about to cross through the door, "Speaking of tricks, I was just wondering…"
'Come on Ryan,' he thinks to himself, 'keep it casual…"
"...how'd you get that egg to balance on its end a few weeks ago?"
Castle raises his eyebrow slightly, but shrugs as he nonchalantly replies, "Autumnal Equinox," as he closes the door behind him.
Espo just purses his lips together as he holds in the laugh that is dying to escape.
"You throw a great shindig for a 19th-century poet, Mr. Poe," Ryan states, trying to keep the conversation light.
Castle sends an appreciative nod Ryan's way as Martha makes her grand entrance.
"Well, I've always told him, 'Darling, if you're gonna do something, do it big or don't do it at all'."
"Is that why you chose that hat?" he gibes.
Ryan and Esposito grin at the exchange. God, this is one quirky but fun family.
"So," Esposito smirks, "where's your daughter tonight, Castle? At some crazy Halloween party with a bunch of hormonal teenage boys?" He raises his eyebrows in an attempt to taunt Castle's fatherly instincts.
"Nice try, Esposito, but not gonna work," Castle retorts. "Actually, Alexis has decided not to join us this evening. She's opting to stay up in her room. She's too upset about Feggin."
"Huh? Why would she get all emotional about a career criminal from Oliver Twist?" Ryan inquires, completely puzzled.
"Seriously, Bro? She's what?... Fifteen years old? Don't you think her getting upsetting about a fictional literary character is a bit much? I mean, I know you're a writer and all, but come on!..."
"Not Fagin, guys. Feggin. Alexis' baby egg…"
Ryan face blanches as Esposito's eyes widen slightly.
"...although, personally, I'm much more partial to The Artful Dodger…"
Espo smirks as he nudges Ryan in the ribs. Ryan on the other hand looks like he's forgotten how to breathe.
"...anyway, it's Alexis' baby. She can name him whatever she wants."
"WHAT THE HELL? Alexis is pregnant?!"
The three boys spin around at the sound of Lanie's voice.
Castle just laughs and quickly puts his hands up to clarify. "No no no no no… eggbaby, Lanie. Feggin is Alexis' baby egg. Well… was. A project for health science class. Unfortunately, Feggin died recently. Murdered actually…"
Hearing the word "murdered", Ryan's knees buckle slightly. Espo grabs his elbow.
"You okay there, Ryan?" Castle notes. "You should really eat something. You're looking kinda pale…"
Ryan opens his mouth, but words don't come out. He simply shakes his head slightly as Esposito voice, "Nah, he's okay. The punch probably snuck up on him. It's got a bit of a kick."
"Mother's recipe. She usually adds double the Aquavit…" Castle remarks casually. "Anyway, as I was saying, Alexis was co-parenting this egg with another girl in class…"
'Oh god,' Ryan's shame rushing through his mind, 'Alexis failed her class because of me! She's gonna sink into a depression. She's gonna flunk high school! I've ruined her life!...'
"...The girls had a bit of a falling out, and long story short, Paige smashed Feggin…"
Ryan's eyes shoot up almost immediately.
"...to get back at Alexis. Karma did come back to bite Paige, though. Apparently, the egg smelled disgusting. Guess it was rotten."
Esposito choked a bit as he took a sip of his beverage. "Went down the wrong way," he said, waving of the concerned looks.
"Regardless, Alexis is heartbroken about Feggin," the writer continued. "Thus, she's understandably not feeling up to mingling tonight."
Lanie gives an understanding nod to Castle as Espo and Ryan exchange knowing glances.
The Homicide detectives just got away with murder.
Castle would love the irony… too bad he'll never find out.
So there you go... Judge away. ;)