I'm so sorry about the delay, guys. RL and chapter 10 are both kicking my arse :(
For those who asked, the two songs in the last chapter were Misguided Ghosts by Paramore (the song I was listening to when Cassie was first conceived) and The Pretender, by the Foo Fighters. For those playing at home, the Firefly nod was the name of Cassie's guitar. Jayne's (Adam Baldwin's character) favourite gun was named Vera, and I thought I'd slip it in (not to be confused with the Noir episode)
In other news, the one shot celebrating 50 reviews is up. It's called Paper Roses and Gumbo, its shameless fluff, so check it out if you want to. Otherwise, I think I've reached 100 reviews, so I'll do the same thing: pick a review of chapter 9 at random and write a one shot based on that reviewer's prompt :D
As usual, thanks to Tad.
Disclaimer: All I own is Cassie. But I'd probably sell her to AM and co.
Also- if you read and enjoyed 50 Shades of Grey... I apologise in advance for this chapter :)
Any bartender worth their salt knows that the mid afternoon slump is the time you spend gearing up for a big night ahead. Cassie stood at the bar, quartering limes as Steve, the guy who'd opened that day, meandered around, polishing wine glasses and restocking pints. Cassie dumped the pile of limes she'd been slicing into the trays that sat along the bar, before covering them in plastic wrap. She ducked out the back to the washroom, where she grabbed several large containers. Upon returning to the main part of the bar, she quickly served a regular patron a drink, before falling back to the rhythm of lime cutting, filling up the containers so that the bar would stay stocked with garnishes throughout the night. Cassie noticed another patron, and looked up to see Castle sitting in front of her at the bar. Wordlessly, she grabbed his favourite Scotch.
"Actually, I'm steering clear of that stuff for a while," Castle interrupted her pouring. Cassie gave him a dark look and grabbed a new glass. In seconds, she dumped a Shirley Temple in front of him, complete with an umbrella.
"Now, how did you know that these are my favourite?" Castle asked jokingly. Cassie's glare only intensified, and she gripped her paring knife more tightly.
"I was an asshole, last night, wasn't I?"
Cassie kept her head down, the only indication that she had heard him was the violent way she cleared her board, and the small scoff she gave. "No shit, dickhead," She muttered under her breath.
"Cassie, I'm sorry. I should have told Slaughter where to stick it. He has no right to talk to my staff the way he spoke to you," Castle apologised earnestly.
"You think I'm mad about that?" Cassie spluttered, all pretence of the silent treatment shattered. She shoved the lid on the container full of limes violently, before forcing it in the bottom of the bar fridge. She opened a punnet of strawberries, beginning to hull and put a slit in the berry for cocktails with more force than was strictly necessary. "Do you think he's the first guy to see long legs, tattoos, a piercing or two and technicolour hair and assume that I'm easy? I travelled alone for five years, Castle. I think I understand the way the male mind works. He's not the first guy to hit on me, and he won't be the last."
"I don't understand…"
"I'm mad because you're hurting my sister!" Cassie admitted, her voice far squeakier than she intended. "Kate trusts you. I think she trusts you more than she trusts me, and you're throwing that in her face," Cassie whisper yelled. "She's been doing so damn well, but now she's having flare ups, and the only change in her life is that you've started acting like she doesn't matter," Cassie's filthy look was more than a little accusatory. "I won't pretend that I know every in and out of your relationship," Cassie gave him a significant look; the murder board saved on Castle's laptop flashing through her mind. "But I do know that she asked you to wait," Cassie raised the hand holding the knife to ward off Castle's protests. "I know that was a huge ask. Believe me, I get that. But you've gotta ask yourself; are you a chicken, or are you a pig?"
"Those are my choices, a chicken or a pig?" Castle echoed.
Cassie nodded. "The chicken might be involved, but the pig is committed. She asked you to wait, and so far you have. So ask yourself, are you a chicken, or are you a pig? That wall isn't going to be there forever." She locked eyes with Castle, daring him to argue.
Castle broke eye contact after several seconds, moving to sip at his Shirley Temple. "Last night wasn't exactly the best way to broach the topic, but I have been thinking about writing a character into the next Nikki Heat book based on you."
Cassie raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"
"But I don't think she'll be Nikki's little sister. I'm thinking more along the lines of protégé," Castle revealed. Cassie put the strawberries into the refrigerator with far more grace than the limes. She quickly served a patron, and then stepped back to Castle, gesturing for him to continue as she began slicing lemon wheels.
"I'm thinking young, brilliant. Her father was in the military, or perhaps international relations, so she lived all over the world. She worked for Interpol, before deciding to come back to the motherland and is made a detective at the NYPD. Detective Alexandra Snow. Or Rayne. I haven't decided yet," Castle painted the picture vividly.
Cassie pondered his words. "Call the book Wet Heat, and I will make sure you sleep with the fishes," Cassie gave him a mock fierce glare. "I met Mafiosi in Sicilia, don't think I didn't learn a thing or two."
Castle drained his glass, before tucking it behind the bar. "Like I said, Cassie, I'm truly sorry for the way I allowed Slaughter to act in here last night. But I best be off," He stood, and shrugged on his brown leather coat on.
Cassie's curiosity won the better of her. "What are your plans for the evening? Hitting the hard stuff with Sheen?"
"Laser tag. With Alexis."
Cassie looked up at the door as it swung open. Kate shot her a tired smile trudged into the house, carrying bags of spicy smelling Thai food.
"Thank God you're home!" Cassie cried out. She flung her hand out, holding out a book. "Take it away from me!" She begged.
"What is it?" Kate asked.
Cassie shuddered, "That Mommy porn Madison lent you. It has got to be the worst thing I've ever read, but I cannot put it down."
Kate looked up from where she was dishing out servings of shrimp Pad Thai. "That makes no sense, Cass."
"Kate, you do not understand! This book is complete and utter crap. The male character is an abusive prick, and the female protagonist is so weak minded and servile that she just allows herself to be treated like shit," Cassie complained. "And it has some of the WORST descriptions of sex I've ever read."
Cassie cleared her throat. "I'll just give you a few of my favourites…" She thumbed through the book. "And then his girth was in my hand and I was like "Oh my…holy crap" and then he stuck his stick into my canal like a train full of cabaret dancing sperm and my vagina was Broadway." Cassie swooned back on the couch dramatically.
"Ay, dios mio." Kate muttered.
"Oh, no, no, no, it gets better," Cassie warned her, flicking to another page. "His pointer finger circled my puckered love cave. "Are you ready for this?" he mewled, smirking at me like a mother hamster about to eat her three-legged young," Cassie read out in the same melodramatic tone. "What the actual fuck? As a proud owner of a vagina, I'm incredibly offended by that description!" Cassie ranted. Kate burst out laughing.
"Don't you laugh at me, Ekaterina Beckett. I'm making a new rule. If you can't call it by its proper name, you are not allowed to write about it!" Cassie decided.
Kate fought to restrain her giggles. "And this is published literature?" She confirmed.
"Well, apparently. I haven't read you my favourite yet," Cassie held the book up, sliding her glasses down the bridge of her nose, looking every inch the hard eyed librarian. "I eye Christian's toothbrush. It would be like having him in my mouth. Hmm… Glancing guiltily over my shoulder at the door, I feel the bristles on the toothbrush. They are damp. He must have used it already. Grabbing it quickly, I squirt toothpaste on it and brush my teeth in double quick time. I feel so naughty. It's such a thrill… Oh Ana, you bad, bad girl!" Cassie mocked. She threw the book towards Kate, and picked up her bowl.
Kate squealed in disgust, "She used his toothbrush? Oh my god! Gross!"
"I'm full of icky feelings right now, Katie. I never want to have sex again," Cassie whined, kicking her feet around, as if she could shake off the heebie jeebies. "Make it go away!"
"Oh, Maddy, I'm judging you so harshly right now. I can't read that," Kate muttered.
"Don't do it to yourself. Don't suffer as I've suffered," Cassie warned Kate wisely.
"Just hold onto the good times, Cass. Don't let one erotic novel destroy what is a beautiful and natural thing," Kate advised, with just a hint of sarcasm floating on her tone.
"You haven't read it, you can't understand the pain I've gone through," Cassie gasped, doing her best to hold back mock tears.
"Oh relax. Cast your mind back, think of the best sex you ever had, and hold onto that memory."
Cassie drew her legs up onto the crouch and crossed them, balancing her bowl on her knee, leaning her head onto the soft back of the couch. "Jacqueline, the French ballerina, without a doubt," she mused.
Kate choked on her noodles. "Excuse me?"
Cassie twisted her head so that she was looking at Kate, "Oh, come on Katie. You're not going to make me do the awkward coming out thing, are you?" Cassie sighed and put her bowl onto the coffee table.
She took one of Kate's hands. "Katie, I have something to tell you," She began seriously. "I'm bisexual. It's not a phase, I'm not greedy, and it isn't going to go away." Cassie bit her lip and looked for the right words. "I don't have a strict 'type'. I'm attracted to people who can make me laugh, and make me think. I've never understood why I should be constrained by something as trivial as gender." Cassie admitted.
Kate squeezed her little sister's hand tightly. "You brave little bear," She murmured with a gentle smile. She reached up to stroke Cassie's cheek. "I don't care if you love boys, girls, or Martians. You are my sister. I will always love and support you, no matter what," She shot Cassie a blinding grin. "No matter what. Do you hear me?" She stood and grabbed Cassie in a fierce embrace.
Cassie squeezed her back tightly. "Thank you."
Kate released her from the embrace and sat back down on the couch. "So… a French ballerina?" She inquired with a flick of her eyebrows.
Cassie swallowed her mouthful, "Oh my God, the chick was legitimately crazycakes, but damn, she could do this thing…" She trailed off, "I don't think you want those details, but you should know it was very Black Swan," Cassie finished delicately.
Kate sighed when her phone went off. "Beckett," she answered, voice completely professional. She listened for a few moments, nodding along with the conversation, before hanging up. "Cass, I am so sorry to do this to you now, but a new lead has come up. I've got to call Castle and go check it out."
"I'm sorry, did I just hear you say you had to call Castle? Didn't we agree he was dead to us?" Cassie asked.
"I never agreed to that. And I don't know what happened, but he's different. It's like he's back to the old him. Before all the shootings, and conspiracies and the drama," Kate revealed. She sighed. "He says it's his last case."
"And he's never said that before? The guy is like a fly to honey. He can't help himself."
"I really have to go. I'll talk to you later, Cass," Kate said regretfully, pulling on her leather jacket and heading for the door, flipping through her contacts.
"Kate," Cassie called out. Kate turned around. "If you get the chance, you have to tell him. Don't leave him hanging. He's reacting like this because he loves you. He loves you, Katie. Don't throw that away."
Cassie perched herself on Kate's desk, content to observe. Even well after 10pm, the place was alive. She barely contained a giggle when she saw uniforms dragging zombies in for questioning. The interaction between her sister and Castle drew her attention. Kate was certainly correct in her assessment over dinner; there was a clear difference in the interaction between the two of them. It was like the angst had been hidden away, and they were back to the hard nosed cop who had her feet firmly on the ground, and the chronically immature writer who took pleasure in doing her head in.
Kate battered Cassie's feet off her chair. Cassie reluctantly obeyed.
"Cassie, if you were a mythological creature, what would you be?" Castle asked.
Cassie shrugged, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "A maenad."
"Servant of Dionysius, the god of wine and theatre. Literally, the raving ones- often portrayed as being in a state of drunken ecstasy, mostly through public drunkenness and dancing. They were known for inciting rebellion, unrestrained sexual behaviour and when in this state, had superhuman strength, which they used to dismember humans and animals," Castle recited.
Cassie tipped her cup to him. "Just the fun stuff. Well played, good sir," Cassie took the lid off her cup, pausing to dip a cookie into it, and then looked back at Castle. "How do you even know that? And please, don't tell me you researched it for a book."
"Nah, just a mythology nerd," Castle confessed.
Cassie turned to Kate. "Excuse me, I would like to know why I was not informed about the zombies? I had to find out through Castle's Twitter feed. Be aware that I am deeply hurt by this experience."
"You are not, Castle shouldn't be tweeting about current investigations, which he knows, and there are no zombies," Kate answered through gritted teeth; opening up Google to do some research.
"The hoards of decaying monsters traipsing through the bullpen would suggest otherwise," Cassie countered with a grin. She looked over at Castle, who was biting his fist to stop himself from laughing. Kate was way too easy to mess with.
"Oh come on, Katie. Open your mind. I went vampire hunting when I lived in Transylvania,"
"You can go vampire hunting?" Castle echoed, his eyes almost bugging out of his head, he pulled out his phone and began Googling.
"Hells yes you can. Greatest fun of my life, but camping out in the Carpathians? Not the smartest idea I've ever had. I nearly got eaten by a wolf," Cassie recalled.
"I beg your pardon?" Kate's head popped up when she heard that.
"That was mostly my fault. We'd been celebrating our victories over the undead creatures of the night with local spirits of several varieties, when nature called. I toddled out to a tree, and I swear I saw a wolf eyeing off my bare ass. Scared the ever loving crap out of me," Cassie explained. She looked over to where Captain Gates was observing the bullpen from her office with an expression of dismay at the circus her precinct was becoming. Cassie raised her cup and shot the Captain a wink. "You know, she is lovely," Cassie observed.
"Gates? Lovely?" Kate asked; eyes trained to the monitor, trying to learn as much as she could from Wikipedia's explanation of zombie walks. She stood and stretched. "See kids, read it and weep. They're not zombies, they're just brain dead. Castle, get moving," Kate ordered, picking up a file and moving towards an interrogation room.
"Urgh, I hate this," Kate complained. She flipped over the file. "The bastard's right. We can't get him on anything. This is pretty close to being the perfect murder." She looked over and saw Cassie saunter into the bullpen, container of cupcakes in hand.
"Food for the troops?" Cassie asked sweetly, perching herself on the edge of Kate's desk. She grinned when she saw how quickly both Ryan and Esposito jumped up and moved across the room.
"For real? Zombie cupcakes?" Esposito asked.
"I am nothing if not a sucker for a theme," Cassie replied. She smirked when Ryan bit into his, totally unprepared for the red jelly filling that squirted out of the middle.
"Guys, can we focus, please? Murderer about to go free here," Kate snapped, eyeing the murder board, willing a detail to jump out at her.
"What exactly is the problem here?" Cassie asked, scraping the icing off the top of her cupcake and licking her finger. "You know the guy did it, so just arrest him."
"The problem is that we have a significant lack of proof. This case is crazy enough as it is, we need something solid for it to stand up in court," Kate answered gruffly.
"So, the guy just won't admit he did it, right?" Cassie confirmed.
"Right," Ryan answered, using a napkin to dab at his tie.
"So can't we just make him admit it? You know, force his hand?" Cassie asked, as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. She groaned when nobody reacted. She stood up and stepped towards the murder board. "The guy who is going down for this, how tall is he?" She asked, sizing up the boys. She looked at the photo again. "Nope. You guys are no good," she muttered. She looked over at her sister. "Kate, I'm going to need a costume make up palette and Castle."
Cassie surveyed her team. She bounced a dry erase marker on her palm, and she was shamelessly playing dramatic music in her head for the moment. "Are we clear on the plan?" She asked. "Kate, you are going to go through the process of releasing this dirtbag, just like you would anybody else. Javi, you're the muscle. You escort the guy to the basement parking at his building. Keep him in the car as long as you can, where Castle and Ryan will be waiting, ready to attack. Kate will be there too, with uniforms on hand if things get messy. Clearly, Ryan, be on the look out for the right car. We don't want to go terrorising innocent New Yorkers," Cassie articulated the plan, channelling every single movie general and police leader she could think of. "And for God's sake, Castle. Keep picking at that makeup and I'll smack you."
Kate shot Cassie a half smile, radiating pride. "I think Cassie said it all. Let's do this, team."
Cassie couldn't help herself. She was a shameless voyeur. She could see the tender conversation happening between Castle and Kate. She hoped that it was them at least trying to reconcile. Cassie reminded herself that it was technically none of her business, and that she could probably force it out of Kate later. She took a furtive look around the break room, before sneaking into her handbag. She added a healthy dollop from her flask to the five mugs, before slipping it back into her bag and turning her attention to the jug of milk and the steam wand.
She waited until Kate had sat down at her desk, Castle perched next to her. She dumped mugs on the desks of Ryan and Esposito, before heading to Kate's desk. "Boosting my good ju-ju for the day, guys," she said lightly, placing mugs next to both Castle and Kate.
Kate smiled and took a sip. "Jesus, Cassie. What did you spike this with? Pure ethanol?" She spluttered.
"I'm offended you're not accepting the ju-ju. And keep your voice down! Gates likes me, and you can't go ruining that!" Cassie replied.
"How did you do that? I've been working on it for a year, and nothing," Castle enquired.
Cassie shrugged. "I'm just awesome, I guess. And because I'm awesome, I'm going to give you some advice," Cassie gestured for Castle to move closer. "If you want that thousand points playing laser tag? Now is the time to go for it," She advised sagely. She then grinned and held up Castle's wallet. "I'm taking Alexis graduation dress shopping with Martha next week. What credit card are you giving me?"
I want to go on a Zombie Walk later this year in Sydney. HEAPS keen :)
Also, reviews would be awesome. I'm about to murder chapter 10.
