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: Though I didn't get any real comment about which day to post, I decided to just go ahead and do so for you readers. And saying that I wasn't sure I was going to get anything so since I did get feedback I want to get to my thank you right away! TORONTOSUN (I wasn't surprised to read your comments about how Castle and Beckett seem to be on their own. That's sort of what I was aiming for, even with all the other guests there, so glad you caught onto that!). Thanks so much for the review, was fantastic getting to read it and I am grateful you wrote it out and sent it to me! And just a quick note, if anyone reviews the last chapter once this one is posted I'll reply if possible via PM.

A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Thriller written by Rod Temperton and sung by Michael Jackson, from his album of the same name.

Feel The Cold Hand

For a moment Castle thought that his wife had recognized the man standing in front of them and he wondered if it was the man who had grabbed her. But when she relaxed very slightly he said, to the man, "Who are you?"

"My name is Joey," the man replied. "I was driving down the road from the city, got stopped by a branch in the middle of it. Saw the lights on here and wanted to see if I could get some help moving it or use a phone to get some help. But weird thing," he said, pointing behind him. "Saw someone running from the porch and I called to them but they didn't answer me."

"Were they in a costume?" Beckett asked. At the man's nod she said, "What did you say your name was?"

"Joey Houston," the man replied. "You're having a party?"

"Something like that," Beckett said, gazing at her husband and seeing the same expression on his face that she was feeling.

"Please," Beatrice then said, going over and leading the man into the house. "Would you like something to drink before we take care of the branch?"

"That would be great," Houston said. He saw some slightly dismayed expressions on the guests' faces and then said, "Um… is that okay?"

"It's fine," Beatrice replied as she turned to Castle and Beckett.

"I can make some coffee," he said quickly as he saw his wife nod once. "This way," Castle told the motorist. "So besides the branch in the road you didn't come up to any other obstructions?"

"No just came across that person," Houston replied. "Weird thing seeing him in costume but of course…" he said as he gestured to the others in the kitchen with him. He was about to head to the table when he looked over and saw the TV and chair in the small room and said, "Door's open."

Striding over to it Beckett looked at the knob and saw that it hadn't been tampered with again. Not wanting to alert the motorist to what was going on; in case it turned out he was involved in the killings; she said to the Kemps, "You should get this looked at. Not a good thing to have the door open like that in this weather."

"Of course, we'll have to look at it once the storm dies down," Beatrice said with a weak smile.

"So is there a phone I can use or something?" Houston said, glancing from each person until he came back to Beckett.

"Unfortunately the phones aren't working," Castle answered for his wife. "You don't have a cell phone?"

"Well of course, that's the first thing I tried out," Houston said, sounding a little indignant. "But there's no reception; likely this storm."

"That's how it is in here," John commented, sitting at the table heavily.

"You okay?" Houston asked, seeing the man's wife and the couple not looking at him.

"I'm fine, it's just been a long night," John replied.

"Does everyone want coffee?" Castle asked them.

"That would be nice," Beatrice replied.

"In the meantime," Beckett said as her husband handed the motorist the first mug. "Can you tell us anything else about the man you had seen running?"

"Dunno if it was a man," Houston replied after taking a sip of the liquid before he shrugged. "He was tall though."

"Husky in shape?" Beckett asked.

"Oh definitely that," Houston said, nodding. "Any reason why you pulled a fake gun on me?"

"We were having a little fun with the party," Castle said, catching his wife's eye and holding her gaze. "We're supposed to be Bonnie and Clyde."

Houston laughed and said, "Nice, so I suppose I was a g-man. But why is everyone in that one room?"

"We were about to start a movie," Beatrice commented.

Seeing the way the woman grasped her husband's hand Beckett wondered what that was for but instead said, "She's right, something scary before we finish off with more dancing."

"Sounds good," Houston said. He took another sip and just as Castle was handing his wife a mug he slapped the top of the table and said, "I know where I've seen you before. You're those novelists aren't you?"

"We are," Castle said, recovering from the horror of nearly spilling the coffee into his hands as the thud had caught him off guard. He set the mug in front of Beckett on the table and said, "Going back to the person you'd seen, could you tell what kind of costume he was wearing?"

Grunting slightly as he was drinking then Houston said, "No clue but I saw a part of it; some kind of cape."

Looking at her husband quickly, Beckett said, "So… a vampire with a black cape?"

"I don't think it was a vampire costume," Houston said, shaking his head. "Not unless he dyed it with blood."

"So it was red," Castle said.

"Could still be a vampire," Houston mused. "Why is someone here that?"

"Not in red," John said before he could stop himself. He looked into his mug when Castle and Beckett nearly glared at him before murmuring an apology he hoped they understood.

"What about a super hero?" Beckett asked. "Superman is still popular."

"Could be… but he'd have to have gone outside without a cloak since he had a coat too," Houston said. "Though it could be woman," he said with a slight smirk. "Imagine her in a Super Girl costume in that c-"

"Mr. Houston," Beckett said warningly. "Sorry," she said when the man looked shocked at her tone. "If the figure was tall and hulking-" she then started to say.

"I'm pretty sure your Super Girl was a Superman," Castle finished for her, standing next to her at the table.

"Are you interrogating me?" Houston suddenly asked, looking offended.

"Just asking about the guest," Beatrice said easily. "Because he and his wife went outside and we're a little concerned about them."

"Outside?" Houston replied, looking at Castle and Beckett and telling from their expressions that it wasn't a joke. "Well… yeah, I can see why you'd be worried. Have you been having some trouble with this party?"

"Just a slight mess up in a scavenger hunt," John said before Castle or Beckett could. "I should tell you about last year, I planned out this murder mystery game and it was a disaster. So I move to a scavenger hunt and look what happens."

"It was," Beatrice said as the motorist looked to them. "He was disappointed but I told him we should just stick to dancing next year since we're all couples here."

"And that's what I almost did this year though I tried a less intensive hunt," John replied with a slight smile. "Which worked out of course until…" he began before hurriedly cutting himself off.

"Until what?" Houston asked. When no one answered he said, "Until that couple left?"

"Yeah," Castle said. "Do you want more coffee or are you good?"

"Another mug if that's okay?" Houston asked.

It was then that Castle looked at his wife, once he had the brewer going for another cup. He knew why she didn't want them telling the man about their situation but he didn't see why they should delay to help the lie along.

"So you two write," Houston said, looking at Beckett. "How's that going for you?"

"Fine," she replied, wondering if she could get her foot between his legs to stop the way he was staring at her. He wasn't looking at anything but her face but his gaze was a little unnerving and though she hated to wait getting the police there she knew it had to be done.

The four watched the man sipping at his coffee, still nursing their own as they waited for him to finish it. The kitchen was silent and it almost seemed the entire house was silent except for the wind that blew every so often outside in the trees.

"Okay you have some really great coffee," Houston said appreciatively to the Kemps. "What're your names? Feel bad I didn't introduce myself normally to you."

"I'm John and this is Beatrice, we're the Kemps," the owner said.

"Oh… you're the ones at the B&B, so that's what they were talking about in the café," Houston said. "I was told I'd pass you on the way to the highway so I'm glad I didn't reach you before that branch." He looked at the others and asked, "Are we ready to go?"

When his wife had gotten up from the table Castle reached out and held her back to allow the others to go ahead of them to the entry.

"What is it Castle?" Beckett asked him, thinking he had some kind of theory about the motorist.

"Does this feel real to you?" Castle asked. He saw his wife was a little confused and he told her, "The weapons, even a motorist asking for help, it all feels like Strawberry Fields."

"What was in your coffee?" Beckett asked him, startled at that statement.

"Nothing, I'm talking about the fact that nothing is real," Castle said. "Nothing feels real."

"Are you coming?" John asked, going over to the doorway of the dining room where the two still were. "If not I could use my revolver back."

"We're coming," Beckett said, looking at her husband before she followed the owner out to the entry.

"Beatrice," John said then, going to his wife standing in the doorway of the living room. "I'm going with them to unblock the road and then I'll-"

"What about the storm?" one of the guests asked.

"It's stopped for now," Castle said. "David, Rebecca?"

"Are you going?" the former said, walking up to him and Beckett with his wife.

"We both are," Beckett said, giving her husband a look when she could see that he was going to protest.

"Do you want us to keep an eye on everything?" Rebecca then said.

"That would be nice," Castle replied. "Yell out the door if anything comes up and keep the Pearsons in sight at all times."

After she, Castle and John had their things on Beckett looked over at Mudd, seeing he was putting on a coat himself. "Are you sure you should go?" she inquired when he joined them at the doorway.

"I'm alright and if the person he saw is Barclay, Mrs. Barclay…" the doctor replied before trailing off as he glanced to the guests who had gathered to see them leaving.

"Here," John said suddenly, trying to take attention away to what Mudd had said by giving a flashlight to him. He then handed one to Houston; since the man had been using his phone.

"No lanterns?" Castle asked.

"Better to use the flashlights out there," John said simply before he took it.

"Okay let's go," Beckett said then once she was sure that everyone was ready to go before she moved her hand to the pocket where the revolver was. She let her husband follow Houston, keeping close to him as John and Mudd came behind them. She looked up at the sky as they headed past the parked cars, seeing patches of sky as well as the moon before she looked ahead of them. "Did you see anyone else on the road?" she said to Houston.

"No," the man said, shaking his head. "It's deserted I wouldn't have tried to go down myself but my wife wanted me back home."

"There's another way around from Shirley," John said.

"Of course," Houston said, glancing over his shoulder at them. "But this way is quicker, according to GPS. So why the gun?"

"There have been some… murders," John said, looking up ahead at Castle and Beckett.

"No kidding?" Houston asked, seeing the couple behind him looking back at the owner. When he didn't get a response to that he continued on to the end of the driveway and down the road to the left. "Just a little bit down here."

"We'll help him," John said, speeding up with Mudd to catch up with Castle and Beckett. "Guard us with the gun."

"I will," Beckett said, watching them join Houston.

"I've been thinking," Castle told his wife then. "None of this makes sense."

"I know how you feel already about that," Beckett replied, having been going over the case again in her mind.

"Do you get the feeling," Castle said. "That everything is working out for the killer too well?"

"Not that Strawberry Fields theory," Beckett tried not to groan.

"It's not a theory Kate," Castle replied firmly. "We need to stay back," he said, looking around them. "What if we were lured out here?"

"If it's not real, then why worry?" Beckett asked. "And I'm armed," she reminded him.

"True," Castle murmured though he noticed that his wife was a little more alert; able to tell that she was by the way she was holding herself. He looked ahead of them and soon saw a large obstruction in the road before Houston and Mudd illuminated it. "They weren't kidding, that's a huge-" he started to say before there was the sound of a gun being fired nearby.

Running over to the side of the road and taking cover behind a tree Beckett shone the flashlight that she grabbed from Castle before her husband was taking it back.

"You have the gun," he told her in a whisper as they listened for the sound of anyone walking around on the road. "What about-" he started to say.

"Shh," Beckett told him firmly. She peered around the side of the tree but couldn't see anyone in sight before she suddenly heard the sound of branches breaking in the distance and leaves being trod on.

Castle followed her back out to the road though they remained close to the edge to have cover if they needed it. Before they could take a step at that moment they heard the crunching sound of leaves behind them and he nearly put his wife behind him before someone in a heavy hooded coat stepped onto the road, a gun aimed at them both. "Houston," he began to say before he felt his wife reaching back to stop him.

As soon as Castle had spoken the man was pulling something out from behind a tree and when that something was close enough he put the muzzle of the gun under the chin of John Kemp.

"Please," the owner said, looking frantically at Castle and Beckett. "Don't kill me, please."

"Shut up," the gunman said with a growl that was obviously meant to disguise his voice. "If you move an inch, he's dead."

"Barclay," Beckett said, holding her gun in place as she kept her eyes on the attacker. "Put the gun down and let go of him."

"I don't think you can call the shots," the gunman said. "Put your gun down and I might let you go."

"Do it, please!" John said in a panic.

Castle felt as if that moment lasted far longer than it actually did before he watched his wife kneel to set the gun on the ground. As soon as it was down he grabbed her when the gunman shot at them and then ran off into the words, leaving John behind to fall to the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked as his wife took off after the attacker once she had the gun back in her hand.

"I'm fine go, get him!" John replied.

Running after his wife Castle tried to keep her within view until she took a sudden left around a tree and by the time he got around it as well she was gone. He stopped, wanting to call out to her, but knew that he couldn't unless he wanted to draw Houston to him; knowing the man had been used to lure them out of the B&B. It was as he looked around he realized he was near the home and he wondered if the man was aware of the area already. Before he could think about that anymore though he heard a crack to his right followed by leaves rustling and he ran that way as fast as he could, hoping he wasn't too late to reach his wife.

Running around another tree Beckett nearly slid to a stop on some wet leaves, wondering if she had lost her suspect as there was nothing ahead of her. She raised her gun and scanned the surrounding area though with so many trees it was too difficult to see very far in front of her. She heard a crack of a twig behind her and whirled around only to have the revolver knocked out of her hands and needing to scramble to regain her balance as she was thrown into a tree. Feeling the bark underneath her palms as she managed to keep from colliding with the trunk she found she was alone and she began to search for her gun.

There was no sign of the weapon and Beckett hesitated as she didn't want to commit to moving in a direction when she had no idea what she was going to find. She felt the wind blow around her and for a moment that was the only sound she could hear. But soon the repeated thuds of someone running came from her left and she turned to see her husband; just barely; through the trees. "Rick!" she called, going over to him as he slid to a stop.

"Are you… okay," Castle panted as he reached for her and grabbed her by both her arms.

"I'm fine what about John?" Beckett asked.

"He's alright, he told me to go after you," Castle said. He then realized she was holding onto him with both hands herself. "Where's your gun?" he asked as he then looked at her closely to make sure she wasn't injured.

"I got surprised," Beckett said. "By Barclay."

"If that's his name," Castle said grimly. "You didn't see which direction they went in?"

"I was thrown into a tree," Beckett replied simply. "Had to make sure I didn't fall over so by the time I straightened up he was gone."

"Did you try listening?" Castle asked.

"I was, I heard you," Beckett told him, glancing all around them.

"We need to do that again," Castle replied, looking through what he could see in between the trees.

The two were silent holding onto one another still and looking around though there was still little to see but the trees.

"I don't…" Beckett finally said after they'd spent enough time in silence.

"Yeah," Castle said, knowing they needed to think of something else to do. "We're… close to the house, I think," he told her.

"You think?" Beckett asked.

"Well do you know where we are?" Castle said.

"The house is that way," Beckett replied simply, pointing to the left of them. "You think we should go back?"

"We should," Castle agreed. "Come on," he murmured. As they were making their way around the foliage he helped her, knowing that it probably hadn't been easy for her to run while wearing her heels. "Okay?"

"I am, I would have mentioned something," Beckett said easily. "It's not Barclay," she abruptly said as they came to a clearing.

"No I think I can agree with that," Castle said as he'd been thinking the same, running his hand through his hair that had come loose while he'd run. He saw his wife looking around again and asked, "What?"

Holding up her hand Beckett could hear speaking again and much clearer until they heard running, going around them both. "Go that way," she said in a whisper before they split up and he took off to the left while she made her way to the right and began to work again through the woods away from each other.

Pushing his way through some low hanging branches Castle stopped and looked around to get his bearings before he suddenly heard the sounds of a struggle to his right. He knew instinctively; before he heard her shout; that it was Beckett and he began to turn in that direction when in his peripheral view he saw a figure passing in front of the trees and he turned in to it. He only began to run when he heard the thud of running to his right and knew it was his wife, hoping she wouldn't be annoyed he'd gone ahead of her.

After she had left Castle, Beckett tried to keep up with the figure that was ahead of her but eventually a large cluster of trees prevented her from maintaining sight of him. When she stopped in a clearing she was alone and all she could hear was Castle to her left still running. She wanted to yell at him that they were being split up deliberately so they could regroup but hesitated.

In the next second she was swiftly ducking out of the way of an object being yielded by a second attacker. She couldn't see who had struck at her as they were suddenly running away from her after that one attempt, back to her left. Beckett took off after him, hoping that her husband was alright though she had no idea if he was still where she'd heard him stop.

Castle was startled when the trees suddenly cleared around the edge of the pond and stopped to look ahead of him. He wasn't surprised when he suddenly saw the figure walking back and forth ahead of him, getting an uneasy feeling watching the man. "What do you want?" he asked.

"What's coming to me," the man replied before turning around and running off again.

Castle picked up a branch and ran after the gunman until they had reached a clearing. Trying to swing his makeshift weapon he wasn't too surprised when the attacker grabbed the other end and began to wrench it from his hands. He held onto it as tightly as he could as he felt it beginning to slip out of his grasp. But an abrupt explosion of pain on his thigh made him stagger backwards before he used the tree behind him to keep his balance. Watching the man in front of him he braced himself when he tossed the branch aside. The move would have surprised him, if he could have forgotten the fact that the man had a gun.

Before he could be threatened with it Castle ran into the gunman and tried to take him down. But whoever he was the attacker knew how to defend himself and he was suddenly on his back with the wind nearly knocked out of him. He pushed himself up when he recovered and grabbed for the man yet again.

There was a scuffle then between the two as Castle was trying to get to one of the pockets in the man's coat while he was trying to stop him. Somehow he had the gunman by the neck when the man flailed back with his arm, striking Castle in the nose and running out of the clearing as soon as he was let go.

With his nose beginning to bleed he reached for the handkerchief in his suit pocket feeling at the same time to see if his nose had been broken. Castle breathed out an audible sigh of relief when he realized it wasn't before he turned to look around to try and see where his attacker had gone. But there was no sight of him and since he knew he would be foolish to attempt to take on the man alone he started to go back to find his wife; hoping she'd made it to the pond.

As he neared the water Castle could see something lighter than the trees up ahead and knew it was his wife but before he could get close he was unexpectedly attacked yet again. He ducked the object in the man's hand with a yell of surprise, knowing though his adrenaline was pumping through him that it was the other attacker. He did his best to get out of the way and grabbed the man's arm before they began to try and get control of the weapon at the same time.

"Rick!" Castle could hear near them. He couldn't stop the man from getting away from him and then yelled out, "Kate! Help!" so she would know where to find him as he was again getting out of the way of another swing of the object.

When Beckett came to a stop at the shore of the pond she looked through the tree line, searching for sight of anyone. Her panting breath plumed in front of her, the chill of the night surrounding her even more in that moment without the trees to surround her. She tried to stifle the sound and listened for any signs of either attacker in the woods.

The crack of a branch to her left made her begin to run that way but when she heard a shout to her right she nearly skidded to a stop in the dirt. Whirling around she held herself still, trying to decide which direction she needed to go in.

But all that she could hear were the sounds of the woods themselves; an owl hooting, a squirrel scampering out from behind a tree and the soft breeze that made Beckett shiver and hug herself for warmth though her dress was thick fabric. She turned to her left again but her instinct told her to turn back around and head towards the shout.

Going around the pond and walking that time Beckett hoped she might be able to hear something besides her heels pounding on the ground. But all that came to her was silence once more and she began to feel she was on a fool's errand, pausing in mid step, wondering if she should turn around and get some help for them both since she was so close to the house.

As that thought ran through her mind, Beckett heard a sudden yell and there was no mistaking it. "Rick!" she called to him.

"Kate! Help!" Castle yelled back to her.

Hearing in his tone a struggle Beckett took off at a run again through the trees and to her husband's voice. She had no idea how far away from her he was but she pushed on even as she felt like the trees were beginning to close on her in the dark. Just as she was sure she was getting close something grabbed her skirt and she nearly stumbled to the ground, turning to fight them off.

Beckett was able to see in the light of the moon that it was only an overgrown shrub, the branches snagging on her dress. She broke them off and stood up straight before she ran right into someone. "Rick, god, where is he?" she asked when she quickly realized it was her husband as he grabbed her.

"I don know, he 'it me and got away," Castle said, holding a handkerchief up to his nose with his free hand.

"Wait you're not going to be any good with that," Beckett said, taking over to try and stem his bloody nose. Luckily he hadn't been hit too hard and she was able to pull the handkerchief away from him soon after. "Which way did he go?" she then asked. When he winced and wouldn't look at her she said, "You didn't see?"

"I was almost bludgeoned, what did you want me to do?" Castle asked in protest.

Sighing Beckett said, "At least show me where you were."

Looking around the woods Castle shook his head saying, "I'd be lucky to find it in the day. But I was walking this way."

Letting him take her hand Beckett followed him while she was still trying to listen for anything unusual. And with the way her husband sounded like he was barely breathing she had a feeling that he was too. They eventually came to a clearing and the clouds cleared in front of the moon just long enough for her to spy something in the dirt. "You were here," she said, pointing out the blood on the ground to him that was reflecting the dim light.

"I was," Castle said, frowning slightly as he then looked around. "I think he would have taken the more difficult path, likely to confuse us."

"We probably should split up again," Beckett said, going over to another path she could see that wasn't exactly easily navigable.

"You want-" Castle started to say before he was abruptly cut off.

"Hey!" Beckett yelled, seeing her husband being dragged off by a figure that had suddenly come up running to them. She raced after them but since the figure was taking the more overgrown path her pace was impeded by the branches in her way. She had no clue why Castle wasn't fighting against his kidnapper and as the two got further and further ahead of her she had a sickening feeling in her chest that he had been injured. So it was a surprise when she ran into a clearing and nearly into her husband who was standing rigid; grabbing him by the arm before she turned to the attacker in front of them aiming a gun at them.

Grabbing his wife Castle nearly threw her to the ground when the man's finger on the trigger of his gun moved slightly. But instead of being shot at they watched as he raised his arm and shot into the sky. "Look, just put down-" he began to say.

"Can't do it," the gunman replied, pointing his weapon at them again.

"You don't need to kill us," Beckett said. "We have nothing to do with your time here last year."

"You don't know anything about last year," the gunman replied.

"Wait, wait, what are you doing!" a voice said from behind Castle and Beckett.

Worried that it was Houston, Castle held his wife protectively until he saw the owner working his way through the trees. "What are you doing?" he asked in surprise. "Go back or you'll get shot."

"No, please," John said, appealing to the gunman. "I've talked to Houston and he's stopped."

"I was going to kill him," the man said.

"He's going to jail, so you don't have to," John said. "But please, there's been enough tonight."

"It had to be perfect," the man replied. "All of it had to and it's not yet."

"That's not your son is it?" Castle asked the owner.

"Shut up!" the gunman yelled, taking another step towards the three.

"Okay, we will," Beckett said then. "But why take Whitson's body? At least tell us that before you kill us," she said, feeling Castle's arm squeezing hers tightly.

"Made you think it was him," the gunman replied simply, looking back and forth between them.

"Where's his body?" Castle said, tapping his fingers onto his wife's arm.

"You'll find him," the gunman replied easily.

"How if we're dead," Castle replied, though he was already well aware of the fact that the man was going to let John go.

"You think you've figured everything out," the man replied. "But you haven't."

"Then why kill us," Beckett replied, tapping on her husband's arm then. "Just let us go and run. We don't know who you are or what your voice even sounds like."

"No fun in that," the man said. "You were close."

"So you're not Barclay," Castle said, glancing at the owner. When there was no response to what he'd said he told the man, "If you're waiting for help, it's not going to get here."

Beckett wasn't surprised when things fell silent yet again but she couldn't help hate that as it drew out for what felt like hours instead of the seconds it was. "We're going to go," she said, turning.

"Don't move," the gunman replied.

"What, you want us to stay where we are?" Beckett asked. "Now?"

With that Castle moved at their agreed upon signal and rushed at the man while his wife bent down to pick up a branch. She was able to toss it towards the attacker and distract him to give him a chance to knock him over. But he was able to recover too quickly, leaving Castle to get out of the way of his gun that had aimed for him before John was jumping on the killer's back.

"Don't-" Beckett started to say when all of a sudden the gunman turned around and grabbed at the owner. She tried to pull John away but was knocked aside and nearly off balance before she straightened to find that her husband was frozen, looking at the attacker.

"Stop," the man said demandingly, holding his gun against John's head. "Unless you want me to blow his brains out, stop now."

Everything was still at that moment as the three looked at each other, Castle and Beckett unsure of how they would be able to leave those woods alive as they watched the gun pressing into the owner's head.