a/n: This is wholly, entirely Polly Lynn's fault.

Set in a sort of time-warped universe in which Castle season 4 lines up with late season 2 of Due South.

Like I said: it's Polly Lynn's fault.

"Captain Gates, I believe?"

"Inspector. Nice to meet you."

Victoria Gates greeted her with a brisk, firm handshake. Meg smiled. Nice to find a woman in authority who knew how to wear it.

"I trust the trip from Chicago was pleasant?"

"Uneventful, which is always a relief." Meg settled in the chair across from the captain's desk. "You said the detectives currently working this case would be here to update us?"

"Ah, yes - actually, you're earlier than we expected. They're still out to lunch." Gates pulled out a pair of reading glasses, and Meg held back a wry smile. Well, how about that. Gates was over that particular scruple. "Of course, we can certainly go through the paperwork we've got right now." Gates paused. "I believe you were bringing another officer?"

"Yes. My - ah, the deputy liaison officer, Constable Fraser. He's outside. He offered to wait for the rest of your detectives."

"Would he care for some coffee? - water? Does he need somewhere to sit down?"

"I wouldn't worry," Meg smiled wryly. "He makes friends easily."

The elevator opened, and Ryan and Esposito stepped out, bickering, leaving Castle hurrying after them and Kate shaking her head. I'm a damn babysitter.

She stopped short when she realized the guys were all staring at Gates' office. "Guys? Your batteries run out?"

"Looks like Canada finally invaded," Castle murmured, nodding. She followed his gaze. Sure enough, there was a Mountie, a real, legitimate, in-his-dress-reds Mountie, standing at attention outside the door, hat under his arm.

Oh.

Seeing as she was now the only adult in the group, she decided to act like one. So she approached the Mountie, whose posture went from straight to straighter in response.

"Excuse me - you're one of the Mounties from Chicago, right? Here to consult on the Ward case?"

He nodded. "Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ma'am. That's absolutely right."

"Detective Kate Beckett." She shook his hand. He had a firm grip. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, ma'am."

And of course Castle, Ryan and Esposito came shuffling over to meet the guy. "Hey, Beckett. You gonna introduce us to your new friend?" Ryan grinned.

Kate resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Constable Fraser, meet Detective Kevin Ryan, Detective Javier Esposito, and Richard Castle."

"It's very nice to meet you gentlemen. My superior officer is in the captain's office right now, or I'd introduce you to her as well." Kate followed his eyes, seeing a petite dark-haired woman talking with Gates. Dark hair in a neat bob, pristine business suit. Looked like Gates had found a kindred spirit.

"I beg your pardon, Detective Beckett. Could you please direct me towards the restroom?"

"Uh - down the hallway there, on your left."

"Thank you kindly."

He smiled a crooked smile and clipped off briskly down the hallway. Kate stared after him.

"Beckett?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you -" Castle stared at her, then looked back down the hallway. "Were you checking him out?"

"What? No." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "No."

"You're blushing."

"Shut up."

"Come on, seriously? Is it the uniform? The accent? You know he can't say the word 'dollar,' right?"

"Shut up, Castle."

Esposito appeared, looking back and forth between them. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing."

"Beckett was checking out the Mountie."

"Castle -"

"You were. She totally was," Castle informed Esposito seriously.

Esposito grinned. "Got a thing for Nanook of the North, huh, Beckett?"

"Don't you and Ryan have a Justin Bieber album to listen to?" she snarked, trying to ignore her flushed face.

"Now, Beckett. That's not very polite." Castle grinned. "What would that dashing Canadian say?"

Kate decided to simply stalk back to her desk with the dignity she had left. But no sooner had she sat down than Gates poked her head out of her office. "Beckett? Would you mind joining us?"

The female Mountie stood, offering a surprisingly firm handshake. "Detective Beckett? Inspector Meg Thatcher."

"Nice to meet you, Inspector. I understand you've been looking for Mr. Ward too."

"Believe me, Canada would be happy for him not to exist. But since he's out there, we'd like to help lock him up." The inspector glanced back out into the bullpen. "Is the constable still out there?"

"Bathroom, I think. But my partners are out there; they'll take care of him."

"Oh, I'm not worried about him," Thatcher sighed. "I apologize in advance for any Inuit tales he subjects them to."

"So," Ryan started cheerfully. "You're Canadian."

"That's correct."

"Where are you from?" Castle chimed in.

"The Northwest Territories. I spent a great deal of my childhood in Tuktoyaktuk."

"What now?"

"Tuktoyaktuk. It's in the Inuvik region. My grandparents were -"

"Constable?"

"Yes, sir."

Fraser whirled around, coming to immediate attention, as his dark-haired boss appeared with Gates and Beckett. She had an odd look on her face, a mixture of knowing disapproval and poorly-masked amusement.

Well, that's familiar. Castle felt a pang in his stomach. That's how Beckett -

"Constable Fraser, This is Captain Gates. If you could brief her on our end of the investigation?"

"Certainly, Inspector."

After a twenty-minute tale that included not only crime scene photos but also smells, tastes, his wolf's reaction (a wolf? - an actual real wolf?), a story involving pemmican and something about dogsleds, Castle was completely lost.

Beckett had a glazed look on her eyes. Ryan and Esposito were staring at the constable like he was speaking Czech.

"...and in conclusion, I believe this evidence clearly proves that this thief is, in reality, the same man we were hunting, first in Ottawa, and then in Chicago."

"Well." Gates recovered first, snapping out of whatever tundra-induced trance she'd been in. "Uh. Thank you, Constable Fraser. That was...extremely...thorough."

"Definitely was," Ryan piped up helpfully. "All-encompassing. Answered all my questions."

"Glad I could help." Fraser smiled that crooked smile again, scratching at his eyebrow. "Ah, Inspector, I thought perhaps I might be most useful to the detectives in the field, given my previous involvement."

"Yes, I agree." Thatcher nodded briskly. "Detectives, if that's acceptable?"

Beckett nodded slowly. "Of course."

"We like picking up strays," Esposito grinned. "That's how we got Castle."