Musings of a Pumpkin King
Caskett
A Season 4 Ficlet
Written for castleficpromoter's 2015 Castle Halloween Bash. I hope you enjoy!
Rick Castle throws a damn good Halloween party.
Not that that's any surprise, really. He is "The Master of the Macabre," after all. It would be a shame – a tragedy even – for him to be anything other than an expert in all things eerie.
But title or no, he throws a Halloween party to end all Halloween parties. And this year is no different. The loft no longer looks like the loft; dummies with entirely too-realistic makeup line the walls in facsimile coffins, cheesecloth covers the furniture to give the appearance of cobwebs and abandonment, and the room has been shrouded in a sickly green hue.
It's perfect. Just the right amount of morbid and disgusting, and everyone thinks so.
Lanie was particularly impressed with the realism of his dummy art. She did step out of her Foxy Brown persona to threaten him if she finds out he's taking pictures of her bodies – the dead ones, he assumes – for decoration purposes, but it's a fair trade, in his opinion. Especially if it means watching his friends approach the figures and poke them in confusion. He's seen Ryan do it twice, the second time lifting the dummy from its resting place, hiding it under his Dracula cape, and hauling it over to sit on the couch beside Esposito.
Ah, that was a good laugh.
Maybe he should offer to let Esposito use his bathroom to change his shorts. That can't be comfortable in the Fonzie costume.
Nah, the big guy will be fine. He seems to have recovered already, having taken advantage of the opportunity to stack his plate high with food and flirt with one of the women from his publisher's office.
Gina has come and gone, the appearance customary and perfunctory if nothing else, but everyone else from Black Pawn has stayed and taken advantage of his hospitality. In fact, Alex Conrad seems to have taken his H.P. Lovecraft costume seriously; he's been telling scary stories at one end of the room for the last hour.
Yes, everyone is having fun, fellow writers, friends, and family alike. But he just knows someone is missing. The air is different without her.
She's not big on his spectacles, he knows, but every year Beckett at least puts in an appearance at his Halloween party. He hadn't expected this year to be any different, but after two hours, she still hasn't come sauntering in with a teasing smile on her lips.
And it's okay, it is. He got a night in a haunted house with her last week; seeing her tonight would've just been icing on the cake.
"Hey, Dad," Alexis nudges a glass of her famous spooky spiced cider into his hand, her zombie smile twisted and grotesque thanks to his mother's impeccable makeup artistry. "You're thinking way too hard for a party."
Rick sips the drink, doing his best not to disturb his own costume makeup. "Sorry, pumpkin. How's our cider supply? And the food?"
Alexis nods. "Both good. I replenished the eyeballs and the worms, and just made a fresh batch of cider. You got the first glass. How is it?"
"It's delicious. Did you add something new this year? There's a little extra bite to it."
His daughter grins. "I did. But it's a secret." She stretches onto her toes, kissing his cheek.
"Eye of Newt, hmm?"
She giggles, shaking her head. "I'll never tell. Now, relax, mingle. Stop staring at the door waiting for her to walk in."
"I'm not," he mutters. The defense sounds weak to his own ears, and his daughter doesn't buy it either, but he tries again anyway. "I'm just making sure nobody's standing outside."
Well, that much is true; he's making sure Kate isn't standing outside.
Alexis looks skeptical, but rubs his arm. "Did Beckett say she was coming?"
"Well no, but she didn't say she wasn't coming either. She always comes for a little while."
"So maybe she'll be here soon. Cheer up, Dad. Or I'll have to take your cider and add something stronger to it."
Well, that doesn't sound too bad. "Ooh, would you?" He grins, holding out his glass to her.
"Funny." She takes it anyway. "I'll be back. Talk to Connelly or something and stop moping."
Rick salutes, resisting the urge to drag his daughter into a hug. She's only looking out for him; Alexis had a front row seat to his frustration and his heartbreak over the summer. He doesn't blame her a bit for being cautious when it comes to his partner.
He doesn't find Connelly, though. The man's deep in discussion with Lanie (hopefully about how medically unrealistic the author's last book was) and he'd rather just watch the party.
And wait for Beckett.
She'll be here.
"Why the long face, Jack? It's Halloween."
Her voice is low, but she's close enough for him to hear over the noise in the room. Astonishment must be written all over his face when he twists to her, because she smiles, lighting up underneath her pale makeup.
"Sorry I'm late, Gates wanted to have a meeting just as I was packing up. Have I missed much?"
Not content to let him gape at her, his partner reaches up to tap his jaw shut. Her hand is warm against his chin, in complete contrast to the cool tone of her skin.
Not only is she here, but she went all out this year. Gone is the plain trench coat, the teased hair, and, most recently, the vampire fangs. In their place is an actual costume. Right down to her makeup.
Her makeup. Wow.
Every visible patch of skin is a ghastly white-blue, the shade matching his own face and hands, and she's carefully painted stitching along her chest and at the corners of her mouth. Her hair hangs around her face, ironed straight, and her dress has the same sackcloth quality as his own black pinstripe suit, only gray.
Oh, she's… She's Sally. And he's…
His heart stumbles.
"Castle?" Beckett asks, looking at him from beneath her long lashes. "You okay?"
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm okay. Welcome! You look – wow, you look great. Glad Gates finally let you out of her sight. Everything okay? Let me get you a drink? Alexis is around here somewhere with mine." He's all over the place, he knows, but the words fall from his mouth without his consent.
Beckett chuckles, cocking her head to one side. "Thanks, Castle. Something new this year, you know?"
Yes, something new this year. Something with meaning, something that says… a lot. Without using words at all.
"And yes, everything's okay. Just Gates being Gates," she continues, smoothing a hand over his lapel.
"Good, that's good," he manages.
It's totally lame of him, but she agrees anyway. "Yeah it is. And I'd love a drink, Castle. Something to eat, too, if there's still food? Did you make the pitas I like this year?"
Standing taller, he gives her an easy nod. "Of course. There's plenty." And if there isn't, he'll pull out a pan and make her something. "I'm calling them Pita Puss Pockets this year. And oh, I dyed the hummus red like you suggested. It looks great. Come on, come see."
Her fingers curl around his arm, holding onto him before he has the opportunity to reach for her. If she feels the shiver roll through his body, she doesn't acknowledge it. Instead, she steps closer, pressing her fingers into the soft flesh of his elbow. Her lips curve, her smile brimming with affection.
"Show me, Pumpkin King."
Covering her hand with his, he nods, finding his footing along with his voice. "As you wish, Sally. As you wish."
A/N: Happy Halloween! For anyone who can't quite place the reference, Castle and Beckett went as Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Hope you enjoyed!