Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance, Family, Humor

Rating: M for sexual situations and language

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.

A/N #1: Alright so since this chapter and the next are the same amount; about 20 pages; I'll post the next chapter tomorrow to give readers a chance to read and anyone who'd like to a chance to review as well. So look out for it then if you'd like to check it out!

A/N #2: So nice to get the feedback I did for the last chapter so I want to get to my thank yous as soon as possible! TORONTOSUN (Not surprised you felt sorry for Skye, but I am glad to see you enjoyed reading the chapter!), vetgirlmx (Glad to see that you liked the way that Skye deadpanned that last line as you said since of course it left them dumbfounded, lol. And it was really great to see that you liked the fact that Skye figured it out before Castle and Beckett did, I was hoping that would be interesting. I wasn't surprised you were noticing how Skye and Brad are working better together, lol, he just had to get used to working with her. I wasn't surprised to see that you were expecting someone on the inside but great you're still not sure about the motives still. And hopefully once you find out that'll surprise you. Oh and I wasn't surprised to see that you weren't about the women being involved in something, lol. But really glad that you can't wait to see what they'll find out and now you don't need to wait!) and tt520438 (It was great to see that you enjoyed the reference to The Most Dangerous Game, since you have a connection to it teaching with it. To be honest I actually have never read it, I'm just aware of it and I also know it from a parody on The Simpsons. But I'm really pleased that you think the case is very interesting and that you're looking forward to it being solved!). Thanks so much for the reviews, I really enjoy reading them and as always I appreciate the time taken to send them to me!

A/N #3: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Hell to Pay by Paul McCartney, from the collector's edition of his album New.

Share Or There'll Be Hell To Pay

"Thank you," Skye said as Castle left her and Beckett to go order their food in the café. She then felt a hand taking her elbow and looked at her friend as she forcibly made her walk towards the back of the restaurant. "Why Ms. Beckett," she began, slipping into an American accent. "I didn't know you felt that way." She smiled when Beckett froze at that and said, "You don't have to drag me around. Where are you trying to take me?"

Recovering as quickly as she could then Beckett led Skye to the table that was as far back in the restaurant as they could get. "Look-" she started to say when she sat down next to her friend and she gave her a look.

"No, I'm joking," Skye interrupted. "I know you want to know what's going on but I'd rather wait for your husband to join us that way I don't have to go through this twice." When Beckett sighed and then moved to the other side of the table she looked around and said, "Seems like a rather nice place."

"It is," Beckett said. "If you were trying to reveal something big to the investigation-"

"It would have been said with Brad there," Skye finished for her, nodding her head. "No this is… speculation and I honestly don't know if you could prove it."

Nodding Beckett glanced back at the front of the café which was behind her, seeing that her husband was waiting for their meal by then.

"Odd he expects me to tell you now," Skye said, looking with her then. "You said you don't always talk about cases," she then said when Beckett had turned back to her. "So let's talk about a different subject for the time being."

"Fine, are you okay with doing this," Beckett said simply.

Opening her mouth to speak Skye then stopped before she looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think you're trying to trick me."

"No I really wonder if you're alright with working a murder investigation," Beckett said seriously. "This isn't what you normally do."

"You've got that right," Skye replied with a nod. "And it's not a problem, if I can help you then so be it. And maybe you needed an outsider to help you. Someone not all that familiar with the city."

"True," Beckett said. "That might have been what I was thinking of when we asked."

"You have a smart head on your shoulders; as my dad likes to say," Skye replied while she was taking her phone out of her pocket. "Oh, speaking of Dad."

"You need to call him?" Beckett asked, watching her looking at the screen.

"No, just a quick text," Skye said. "Hullo Dad, having intimate lunch with Kate… sending. And to let you know that's payback for their bet."

Getting over her shock at hearing that Beckett said, "H-he knows you wouldn't cheat on Mary."

"Yes, sorry you gave me the idea for that," Skye said quickly in apology. She received another text and laughed softly before reading to Beckett, "Nice try, I'm sure her husband is there too, good luck in your work today."

"He's right, I am here," Castle said, setting down a tray with drinks. "Momentarily, I have to get the food I'll be right back."

Watching him leave Skye said, "They know you here."

"We usually are the ones to bring lunch for everyone in the station," Beckett said. She wasn't surprised when the investigator looked to be a little doubtful about that and she shrugged saying, "I know, I never did that back in NYC but I'm not a detective."

"Technically I think you still are," Skye said.

"Would you still be if you weren't with the NTSB anymore?" Beckett asked.

"Actually I would, they'd still refer to me as Investigator though more than likely they'd call me Skye," the woman answered with a slight smile.

"Alright I'm here, tell us what the hell you meant," Castle said, sitting with the food on a tray.

"Rick," Beckett said.

"No offense taken with the language," Skye told her friend quickly. "What do you want to know first?"

"I guess the first part," Castle said. "They want us?"

"Us?" Skye said. When the two nodded she shook her head and said, "No, you."

"But-" Beckett said, as the woman had been looking at her.

"That can't surprise you," Skye said easily.

"No but…" Beckett began before trailing off.

Skye then related what she had heard in the ambulance and said, "So I suppose I'm second best but it seems they're appreciative of you. Never mind the rings that are basically welded to your hands."

Glancing at her engagement and wedding rings that she never took off Beckett said, "That happens a lot."

"Really," Skye said. She sighed and then said, "Now as for the attack, that's what I was talking about when I said it couldn't be proved."

"Sullivan's wounds looked pretty serious to me," Castle commented.

"Oh I have no doubt they were," Skye said. "But there's a problem with the arm that Sullivan was injured on."

"Her right," Beckett said. When the investigator nodded she pointed out, "The attacker could be left handed."

"Is Sullivan?" Skye then asked.

"No, she's right handed," Castle replied. "You know, it could work," he said to his wife as he turned to her then. "If they're in on it-"

"She," Skye interrupted him. When the couple looked to her she took a sip of her tea and said, "She, Sullivan."

"You're so sure there's not a chance that Reeves is a really good actress?" Beckett asked.

"It's a possibility but I want you to recall what you said when you asked me to join you," Skye said. "And watching them both at the townhouse I can tell you now, Reeves is the submissive one."

"Can I go back to the part where you said they're attracted to my wife?" Castle asked. He ignored the look Beckett gave him for that and instead said, "Does this have anything to do with the case?"

Glancing around the tables near them; though they were largely alone in the back; Skye shook her head and said, "If Sullivan's involved I guess it's a diversionary tactic. But I have another idea in mind; not sure you'd want to hear this Kate."

"A theory?" Beckett asked. When the woman nodded she motioned for her to go ahead, bracing herself for whatever idea the woman had.

"The relationship is waning, Reeves wants you and Sullivan is only going along with it since she wants to keep her submissive girlfriend," Skye said.

"Or to make sure that Reeves does as she says," Castle said abruptly.

"That was the thought I had myself," Skye said with a nod. "Sorry," she then directed to Beckett.

"No, I understand what you're saying," Beckett replied.

"Should we tell Brad about this?" Castle asked. "I mean the latter part of it, not Reeves… liking you."

Trying not to smile at his wording Beckett said, "We should and we should tell him to get Gordon to ask Reeves about the attack in more detail."

"You're not going to call him?" Castle asked, watching his wife as she ate more of her salad.

"Text him," Skye said, setting her phone down on the table.

"You have his number?" Castle asked in surprise.

"He suggested we should exchange numbers, just in case," Skye replied. "He… Brad?" she asked as she looked up to see that the chief was there.

"I was heading over anyways," Brad said as he looked at Castle and Beckett. "If you don't mind me joining you."

"Why would we?" Beckett said. "So you got her text?"

"I did, explain until they call my name if you don't mind," the chief said. Skye proceeded to do so and he listened closely until she had finished and he said, "So you… have no proof."

"As I said before I began," Skye said firmly, not angrily but knowing the chief was trying to take in what she had said.

"That would be hard to prove," Brad said. "Excuse me," he had to add as his name was called at the counter.

"He believes you," Castle said then when they were left alone.

"Oh I gathered," Skye said simply. "He's trying to process everything and decide what he should do about it."

"You're really good at what you do," Castle said.

Murmuring a thank you Skye waited until the chief was back and studying him for a moment said, "You'll be outside."

Brad gave the woman a look for a moment; more one of confusion; before he said, "Yeah I'm going to get in touch with Gordon."

When he'd left Beckett said, "He doesn't usually come here for lunch."

"Any reason why?" Skye asked.

"I get the feeling that he's facing some pressure from someone about the case," Beckett said.

"David?" Skye said, sounding doubtful.

"More likely the Center," Castle said. "This has to be a black eye on them and if they're going to survive only holding competitions they need to prove it has nothing to do with them."

Skye nodded to that before they saw the chief coming back and she said, "It might come to nothing."

"Believe me I'm aware of that," Brad replied as he sat next to her and took a large bite of his sandwich. When he'd finished that he said, "But I have to treat it as if it is something until it's proven it's not."

"They're going to document her wounds aren't they?" Beckett asked.

"Closely; I told Gordon to instruct the photographer to get pictures as close as they possibly could," Brad said. "It might alert Sullivan but we've let her know she needs to have a protective detail on her so she won't be out of our sight for a while."

"Good call," Castle told his friend. "Who's pushing you?"

"That would be the Center, through David," Brad answered before eating again.

"They went through David," Castle stated. When his friend nodded he said, "I feel like we should apologize."

"I already did," Brad said simply. "Since he was the one who called me and he waved it off. He knows we're doing the best we can, as he said we always do."

"At least we have his support," Beckett said. "We forgot to ask, was there anything while we were gone?"

"No we're just checking everyone twice at the center and it's coming out as before," Brad answered, finishing his sandwich. "Don't tell Lils I ate that fast."

"Why would I," Castle said.

"Have you looked at the security footage from the stables?" Skye said before Beckett could respond to her husband's look.

"We're having some problems with that," Brad said. "I have Elgin who's partially our tech whiz at the Center, trying to break the code that's locked the security footage."

"When was that done?" Skye asked, looking at Castle and Beckett and judging from their looks that they already knew about the situation.

"The morning of the second murder," Brad said.

"Which would mean that they knew nothing was going to come up on the footage for the first," Skye mused.

"That's Elgin," Brad said suddenly when his phone rang.

Watching as the chief spoke to the man on the other end Beckett looked at Skye who was next to him, wondering if she could overhear the conversation. When the investigator caught her eye and slightly shook her head she wasn't surprised that she'd guessed what she'd been thinking and waited a little impatiently for the conversation to end. "He has the footage?" she asked the second Brad moved his phone from his ear.

"He does, he hasn't seen it as the people at the center were pretty insistent that I take a look at it first," the chief replied. "And Elgin assured me they can't tamper with the footage so I need to go."

"We're leaving ourselves," Castle said, sliding out of the booth at the same time his friend was. After Beckett and Skye were out as well he went to the front to grab the orders for the rest of the station and walked with the others outside. "They were helpful?" he asked after they'd walked across the street.

"Yeah I told him to keep notice if anyone was acting suspicious and he said everyone who he saw over there were very helpful," Brad replied. He fell silent then as they neared the station and once inside the lobby he called to Bernier at the window, "Anything?"

"No Chief, everything's been quiet," the officer replied.

"Great let me know if there's anything at all now we're here," Brad said before they went into the bullpen and then over to his office. He turned his computer screen back on before he'd even sat down, glancing up at the three on the other side of his desk taking off their coats and said, "If you want to you can come around. All I ask is that you don't crowd around me."

"It's there?" Castle asked, first to get behind him.

"It is," Brad said with a nod. "Ready?" he asked Beckett and Skye. At their nods he then pressed play on the footage from the camera at the center that focused on part of the entrance to the cross country course.

At first there was nothing before a figure nearly out of view of the camera appeared and walked by making Beckett murmur, "Brock."

Brad nodded and then fast forwarded through until he saw some figures running by, making the others behind him call for him to stop.

"Two people," Castle commented as they watched them at normal speed.

"Teenagers," Beckett said.

"She's right, they're tall but they're teenage boys," Skye said. "They move with less of a stride then men would have."

"Unfortunately you can't see their faces," Brad said in frustration before they disappeared from view. He fast forwarded again until it came to daylight and the footage ran out. "Okay," he said with a sigh.

"Do you have any other angles?" Castle asked.

"Two," Brad replied. The next one was a little further away from the course and there he went to the time he'd noticed the figures walking past the first camera.

"There they are," Skye said. "They keep looking back at the course."

"They were chased away from it," Castle and Beckett suddenly said at the same time.

"What if Brock was walking over the course-" Castle began.

"And he caught them in the woods, chases them off and after-" Beckett continued.

"Got shot," Castle said at the same time as his wife. When she nodded he looked to Brad and said, "We need to talk to them, what if they were directed to lure Brock into the woods?"

"Is there any way to get a closer look at them?" Skye asked.

"No need, I know who these two are," Brad said. "Wade," he called out.

"Sir?" the officer said, coming up to the doorway of the office.

"I need you and Kirby to go pick up Marcos Chambers and Byron Copeland," Brad said. When the man had nodded and left he then said to the others, "They're local troublemakers; vandalism."

"Where will you be talking to them?" Castle asked.

"Interrogation and separately," Brad said. He then stood up and explained, "Chambers is the leader of the two, I figure if we tried talking to them both we wouldn't hear a thing from Copeland."

"How old are they?" Beckett asked.

"Eighteen but they're juniors in high school still," Brad replied. "I'll speak to them with you two. Skye I'm sorry but-"

"No it's alright," the investigator interrupted. "For this kind of interrogation it's better you three take care of it. There is an observation room right?"

"There is so you're free to watch if you'd like; I'd encourage it," Brad replied. "I'll have someone get you two when they're here."

Watching him go Skye said, "I can fill this in for you for now if you'd like to strategize."

"We can't really," Beckett said, assuming that was what the investigator said in her investigations. "We need to see how they are once we go into interrogation." She then watched her husband go over to the doorway, calling to Brad about where exactly the two teens were.

"Where are they?" Skye asked, looking over from the murder board.

"Roosevelt High," Castle said. "It's a public school two and a half blocks away. So they'll be back soon." He turned then to look at his wife when he heard the sound of a bird and said, "Your dad?"

"No Mary," Beckett replied with a smile. "Look," she said, going over to him and showing him the screen of her phone.

Smiling as well Castle said, "We forget sometimes you have kids."

"It's been a while since you've seen me with them," Skye said, taking Beckett's phone that she handed to her. She looked at the picture of her wife with Eliza, obviously at lunch at a seaside restaurant. "Do you know where they are?"

"The Vyne," Castle said. "It's an Italian place we go there every once in a while but we haven't gone lately."

"Maybe Mary was driving around and saw it," Skye suggested.

"She looks like she's having fun," Beckett told her husband.

"She does," Castle said, knowing she was relieved to see that their youngest was alright.

"She'll enjoy spending time with Mary until you two get home," Skye said before she looked over at the doorway.

"They're here," Brad said a second before the shouting of a young man could be heard in the bullpen.

"This is going to be interesting," Castle said under his breath to his wife as the man he guessed was Chambers was led into the interview room.

"Come on," Brad told them before they walked over to interrogation since Wade had taken Copeland to interrogation while they'd been watching Chambers. While Skye behind them ducked into observation he went into the room first, not surprised at the fear on the young man's face while he allowed Castle and Beckett to sit at the table across from the teen.

"W-who are you?" Copeland stammered as he stared at the couple.

"This is Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett," Brad said. "They assist me Byron."

"Oh," Copeland replied. "Why am I here?"

Sliding across the picture from the security footage across to him Beckett said, "Is that you and your friend?"

"I wouldn't deny it, I've seen you two in plenty of security footage to be able to ID you both," Brad said sternly.

"Yeah that's us," Copeland said quietly.

"What were you doing there?" Brad said, his tone rising in anger. "Byron-"

"I don't have to talk to you!" the teen said angrily, though he had his head turned away from them.

"What about us?" Castle said.

"We're not police," Beckett added.

Looking over at her Copeland visibly gulped and then said, "Just to you."

Reaching over to her husband to stop him from protesting that, as she knew he'd seen the look in the boy's eyes, Beckett said, "Alright."

Castle stood up but leaned over to his wife and murmured into her ear, "Are you sure?"

"Very," Beckett said, looking straight at Copeland.

For a moment Castle thought he might need to verbally protest but when he saw that his wife had her hands on top of the table with the left in front he nodded and left with Brad.

"You do realize it's just a kind of boyhood crush deal don't you?" the chief said as they were heading into observation where Skye was sitting and watching Beckett in the room.

"I know but still I can't help it," Castle said. "I'm just hoping it's a respectful kind of crush."

"It is," Skye told him before they were all turning their attention to interrogation.

"Tell me why you both were there that night," Beckett said in a more gentle sounding tone of voice.

"We… we had some pot," Copeland said, sitting up straight but only glancing up at Beckett from time to time. "And that was the best place to smoke it."

"Why is that? A public beach-" Beckett began to say.

"No, the police always patrol there," Copeland interrupted her. "We go to the center to smoke since it's usually closed."

"Had you heard what was going to happen the next day?" Beckett said, making a note on the pad of paper that Brad had left for her.

"No, what?" Copeland said, finally looking up at her fully in his confusion. "You mean that old guy that was yelling at us? Is that why he was there?"

"Was it this man?" Beckett said, sliding a picture of the second victim to the teen.

"No, it wasn't," Copeland replied. "But we saw him too; he's the one who chased us in the opposite direction, where we knew the cameras were. We try not to go over there."

"They went the other way," Castle said then, not surprised that Skye and Brad looked at him.

"You went the other way because there were no cameras," Beckett stated. When the teen nodded she stood and began to pace saying, "Take me through that evening, whose idea was it to go to the center?"

"Ours… well, I suggested it to Marco 'cause I liked the woods, they were good cover and no one really walks around there," Copeland said. He glanced at Beckett and shrugged saying, "No footprints when we'd go, I learned how to track when I was a Boy Scout."

"Nice," Castle said, looking at Beckett as she glanced through the window. "Ask if he saw footprints that night."

"So you went to the center after Mr. Chambers decided you had a good idea," Beckett said in interrogation when she had turned away from the window. "Did you notice anything suspicious before you got to the woods? Walk me through that now. How did you get there?"

"Marco's car, we park on the north side of it, just along the street," Copeland said. "We hopped the fence and then walked into the woods."

"And did you notice anything going up to that?" Beckett asked.

"No there wasn't anyone there then," Copeland replied.

"Okay now you walk into the woods, was it too dark to see anything?" Beckett then inquired.

"I could see a little bit," Copeland answered.

"Did you notice any footprints then?" Beckett said. When the teen shook his head she then told him, "Where you stopped, was that your usual place?"

"No we'd just walk and then stop wherever," Copeland told her. "So we stopped there, smoked barely one joint and then we got chased off."

"And after that," Beckett urged him when he didn't talk again.

"We ran into that guy," Copeland answered. "Who yelled at us to get out and we had nowhere else to go but by that building near the woods. And then we got back to our car and left."

"Is this the first man you saw?" Beckett asked, pushing across the photo of Brock. At the nod of the teen she took everything off the table and said, "We may need to hold you; to warn you."

"I hope they didn't try and concoct a story for this," Brad said as Beckett was finishing speaking to the teen.

"Who's talking to Chambers?" Castle asked.

"I am, I've done it before so I know what to do with him," Brad replied, shaking his head. "He had pot on him, a substantial amount in joints."

"He sells it?" Skye asked.

"He does, he might be the reason for some stoned students at his high school during classes," Brad replied, getting off the table in the back that he was sitting on when he saw Beckett leaving the room and Kirby going in.

"Are you letting him go?" Beckett asked as she opened the door.

"I have to call the center, see if they want to charge them with trespassing," Brad answered standing in front of her. "I don't want to but I'd be negligent since they will see the footage themselves; if they haven't already. I need to talk to Chambers, excuse me." He took a couple steps away before he stopped and then turned to them, "Beckett? Ask Hutchinson to look."

"Nicely done," Skye said as she left interrogation with Castle. "You're not going to watch Chambers?"

"No, his story will be the same," Beckett said.

"Is there a way to prove it?" Skye then inquired.

"Good question," Beckett said. "Hutchinson," she said to the officer.

Skye followed Castle back to the chief's office and said, "Do you think they've found anything with the attack?"

Looking back into the bullpen Castle said, "Gordon's back, so we'll find out."

Seeing that Beckett was talking to the officer Skye waited near the doorway as Castle was filling out the murder board with their new information. As soon as her friend was in the doorway she asked, "Well?"

"You don't beat around the bush do you?" Beckett said. When Skye just looked at her she said, "A pathologist is going to examine the photos."

"Oh, Wagner?" Castle said, looking over from the board. "He's good; we worked with him a little in a previous case with a suspect who claimed to have been beaten up by the victim."

"Self inflicted wounds?" Skye asked. When the two nodded she said, "Good. Though I hope you realize I never doubted the competency of the team here."

When the investigator excused herself and then left for the break room Beckett said to her husband, "You were that worried?"

"A little," Castle said. "No, not that I was worried I was just…"

"Jealous?" Beckett filled in for him. She wasn't surprised when he didn't answer her and she rolled her eyes saying, "A junior in high school Rick, way too young and again, I'm married."

"Happily so?" Castle suggested as he turned back to the board. He jumped when all of a sudden his wife was hitting his arm before taking the marker out of his other hand and he smiled at her. "Me too," he said.

Giving him a brief look Beckett turned to the board and finished the last bit that he'd yet to put before she glanced over at the doorway. "A whole pot?" she asked in surprise.

"I foresee a long period of waiting," Skye said, setting the tray down on the desk where there was a clear space. "Speaking of that, why do you have a teapot?"

"There are those of us who like tea," Castle said. "And by us I mean…" he said, nodding his head towards his wife.

"And him," Beckett shot back at her husband. "I told you about all the times we had tea in the UK."

"You mentioned it," Skye said, smiling. "Funny to think of you two having a proper tea."

"Hey if that's proper tea I'll take it," Castle said, mixing some honey into his tea. "That made sense right?" he asked as he looked up and saw the two women were staring at him.

"Yes, just a weird way to say that," Beckett commented.

"They're not going to fight right?" Castle said, going to the doorway and looking towards interrogation.

"Kirby and Wade are there," Beckett reminded him.

"You're that sure there won't be any other information from the other lad?" Skye said.

"Very, unless Chambers wants to be stupid enough to give us a different story," Beckett answered, sitting down with her cup while Skye sat across from her on the edge of the desk.

"He might do that because of the pot, though Copeland said they were there to smoke," Castle pointed out. "You're thinking of the security camera footage?"

"I am," Beckett replied easily.

"We'll find out I'm sure," Castle said.

"Is he going to press charges now?" Skye asked.

"He'll need to contact Chambers' parents," Beckett explained. "So we might be waiting for a while."

"Go over the case again?" Castle suggested.

"After tea," Skye said before Beckett could respond to that.

"Fine, though you know we just had a break," she told the investigator.

"A step back right now will help," Skye said. "Since we've just had confirmation that Mullins was in fact there before your first murder."

Beckett wanted to say something to that but then held back before she nodded slightly and instead said, "Would you have played with them?"

"Why not?" Skye said simply. "But are you worried still?"

"She's not," Castle answered for his wife. "Neither am I, it's just small talk."

"No gossip?" Skye asked him with a small smile.

"Again, he talks to himself with that," Beckett said, smiling herself then at her husband.

Finishing the last of his tea Castle saw that his wife was doing the same before Skye did too and took away the tray. When he saw her pass a full cup of tea in the fourth mug to Brad in passing he said, "She's good."

"It looks like it," the chief said. "So we got the exact same story, as you already guessed we would," he said, addressing that mainly to Beckett.

"I think we need to go over the case again," she told him. "Since we don't have anything new at this moment."

"I think there's something we need to do first," Brad said, looking at Skye as she was approaching the doorway.

"And that is?" Castle asked.

"Go over everyone involved with this first, then the case," Brad said before he handed a file to Beckett.

Seeing inside that file was a list of names she nodded before she stood and said, "We'd better get started."

Sighing Castle followed her to their desk saying, "I hope Eliza's having more fun than we are."

"It's more than likely," Beckett told him. "Here, you need to read off the names for me."

"I'll help," Skye said, peering over his shoulder. "Carla Dawson."

And with that the three began to work their way through the list, looking closely at each and every name to try and find something that would lead to a new break in their case.