"The Unconventional Convention"
Fandom: Castle (Primary) / 9 other fandoms (Secondary & Passing Reference)
Rating: G
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Summary: Castle and Beckett attend a police consultants convention. Response to the "Crossover" challenge at Castleland, where the challenge was to write a crossover with another fandom. But instead of one other fandom, I chose nine.
"I've heard of police conventions before, Castle, but a police consultants convention? What could you possibly have to discuss?" Beckett wonders, standing next to Castle as she surveys the hotel ballroom from its doorway.
"Getting paid, for one thing," a man standing behind her gumbles. He's wearing a rumpled overcoat and carrying a hockey stick. "I sure hope the drive out here from Chicago is worth it."
Castle and Beckett move further into the ballroom and the man spies someone he knows, striding off in a different direction.
Castle starts skimming the program. "Here's one. 'How to Annoy the Cops Without Getting Arrested' That sounds good. Oh, and 'Staying Out of the Line of Fire,' I could use a few pointers on that."
"Is there one on staying in the car when you're told?" Beckett asks drily. She's people watching; consultants certainly are a quirky group. A man in a tweed jacket clutching a briefcase like a life preserver is standing at the edge of the room, apparently talking to someone who's not there. Not far from him, a younger man is arguning with his older companion. Something about the older man's demeanor suggests that he's probably on recreational drugs of some sort. He seems more interested in the refreshment table than the lecture he's receiving from the younger man.
"Mr. Castle?" a woman pushing a stroller with a small child approaches them.
"Dr. Brennan!" Castle greets her enthusiastically. "How are you? I haven't seen you since the Mystery Writers of America conference two years ago."
"I'm doing quite well, thank you." Dr. Brennan responds.
"Dr. Temperance Brennan, I'd like to introduce you to Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD. Detective Beckett, this is Dr. Brennan. She does forensic consulting in Washington for the F.B.I."
"Pleased to meet you," Beckett says, shaking the other woman's hand. "What panels do you plan to attend this weekend?"
"I am quite eager to attend a talk that Professor Epps from the California Institute of Science is giving about dumbing down science for the average law enforcement officer. I believe that he also consults for the F.B.I., giving us a common point of reference. It often surprises me how little training some law enforcement officers have in graduate-level forensic pathology." Dr. Brennan explains.
"Dr. Brennan, I see that your social skills are improving," Castle tells her.
"Thank you. My partner has been explaining some nuances of social interaction that sometimes elude me. I am quite brilliant, though, so I expect I shall master his lessons in no time."
"Did you hear?" a man with curly blond hair approaches their group. "Two police consultants, both with the same name, were both told they're getting the 'Consultant of the Year' award. One of them's from here in New York, but the other one flew all the way here from London. It promises to be quite exciting."
The four adults introduce each other, and make small talk for a while.
"I think the Saturday night lecture should be the most interesting the whole weekend," Castle comments, having returned to the program. The blond man has crouched down and is doing slight-of-hand tricks to the delight of Dr. Brennan's daughter. "Should apply to a bunch of us. They brought in a couple of private detectives from the 80's to give the talk, to tell us what they did wrong and how we can avoid making the same mistakes. It has to do with doing police consulting as a second job."
"What's it called?" Beckett wonders idly.
"The Moonlighting Curse."