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: It was nice to get the feedback I did for the last chapter, so I'll go ahead and get started on my thank yous for that! Guest (I'm glad to see that you loved there was another cliffhanger, lol, I do enjoy writing those! You're welcome for the chapter!) and

Mb (Happy to see that you thought the chapter was a really good updated. And not surprised you saw there was a great deal of information and questions that have to be examined. Happy to see you enjoyed the flashbacks I had from their past life. Also great you thought it showed them having fun while growing up. You're welcome for sharing the chapter!)

Thanks so much for the reviews, I loved reading them and appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!

A/N #2: The title of this chapter is part of the title of the song Blood on the Dance Floor written by Michael Jackson and Teddy Riley, a single released by Michael Jackson.

On The Dance Floor

"Who is it?" Brad yelled through the door, standing close to it.

"It's Carol, I know Adam is there Hugo," a woman yelled on the other side. "Open the fucking door!"

Holstering his weapon, Brad glanced back at Beckett seeing she was doing the same before he unlocked and threw open the door. "Ms. Cooke," he said as the woman literally staggered back in her surprise. "We are very, very glad to see you."

"We'll take her away," Castle said to the Daltons who were peeking into the hallway to see what was going on.

"Hey, let me go," Cooke nearly snarled. "I'm going with you."

"Are you aware of who I am?" Brad asked.

"Yes," Cooke said with a sigh. "The chief of police; but why you're here for a restraining order…"

"It's not a restraining order," Beckett said.

"Mr. Dalton was murdered," Brad then told her as she was looking at them all in obvious confusion.

For a moment Castle thought the woman was acting but when a guttural sob left her lips, he realized she wasn't and he glanced at his wife. He could see she was startled as well but they turned their attention to Brad who was helping her up.

"No…" Cooke said as Darnley had offered her a tissue. "I… I thought he was just getting the restraining order and trying to…" She sniffed heavily and then said, "He's dead?"

"He is," Brad said with a nod.

"Oh," Cooke said then, a little calmer. "They told you it was me, didn't they?"

"They thought you might have had something to do with it," Beckett said.

"They informed us of yours and Mr. Dalton's history together," Brad added. "And I'd like to know what you were doing a week ago."

"Working, going to my house, my life," Cooke said in a near hiss. "I had nothing to do with what happened to Adam."

"Do you have a roommate?" Brad asked.

"Yes, she's been around too, she'll tell you when I was home," Cooke said. "And the same at work; I am trying to earn a living."

"Have you spoken to Adam at all?" Castle then asked. "Before last week."

"I wasn't," Cooke replied after hesitating for a moment. "At least not on the phone."

"Then you saw him," Beckett stated.

"I did, at his office," Cooke replied. "I had to grab a few things I'd left moving to the other law firm I'm with now. We started arguing, but more because I wanted to know why exactly he had broken up with me. He gave me no reason at all, and it was driving me crazy."

"And did he tell you then?" Castle asked.

"No, he was more concerned with his text messages," Cooke said in obvious annoyance. "He started accusing me of sending him messages that he was going to pay, and he was going to die. I told him he was crazy, and I wouldn't do something so cowardly, I'd tell him that to his face." She then looked at the four that were staring at her, and she said, "I never did though, I was angry at him, but I'd never hurt him."

"He never said what the texts were specifically?" Brad asked.

"No," Cooke said. "I… I really didn't know what he was talking about, and I didn't want to kill him. I thought we'd had something and now…"

"Are you able to drive yourself?" Brad said. When the woman nodded, he escorted her to her car while his consultants were watching them go.

"Do you think he made a mistake?" Beckett asked her friend.

"No, she's not the killer," Darnley replied. "But I'm sure he'll confirm that."

"We have a problem though," Castle told his wife.

"I know, the phone," Beckett replied.

"We'll be looking for it as soon as we get back to the station," Brad said. "Which you guys are doing right now. I need to get the number for Adam from the Daltons, and we'll search when I'm back."

Going to their car, Beckett asked her friend as they were getting in, "How was lunch?"

"Fun, really fun," Darnley replied. "I'm so glad you guys let me do that." He thought of something and was about to ask them if they'd ever done that while investigating when Castle was touching his wife's arm and mentioning that himself.

"You know we've never really done that ourselves," he said.

"I know, it's easier to meet them somewhere," Beckett replied.

"We'll tell them tomorrow?" Castle asked.

Nodding, Beckett added, "We'll go to the café."

"Not the Brazilian place?" Castle said.

"No," Beckett said in amusement as she glanced at him since she was driving. "But if you want another place…"

"Where?" Darnley asked.

"Would you sit back?" Beckett said in mock annoyance at him since he was leaning over to her.

"Sorry but I did want to hear," Darnley said.

"You can join us," Castle told him.

"With Trev, Keo and your in laws," Beckett added for him with a smile.

"I'll see," Darnley replied. "So what about where we'll go."

Beckett laughed with the two men and said, "We'll decide tomorrow, if we can even do that. It might be a quick lunch."

"Is that how it often happens?" Darnley asked them.

"Sometimes," Beckett said.

"Luckily our families aren't that far away if we have the chance to call them," Castle commented, not surprised when Darnley agreed with him.

After parking behind the station, Beckett said to her friend while they were walking into the building, "How's Trevor doing?"

"Good, really good," Darnley said. He smiled when his friend looked at him questioningly and told her, "He painted before I went to the house and he showed me what he has so far," recalling his hour at home before returning to the case.

"Patrick?" Nkosi said, obviously startled. "Have you stolen a car?"

"No, Kate and Rick let me borrow this," Darnley said, locking the car and putting the fob away in his pocket. He shared a kiss with his husband and told him, "We have time off for lunch and I wanted to come back to see you and the kids."

"Then come inside," Nkosi replied. "How long have you got?"

"I have no idea," Darnley said honestly. "I'll need to go back as soon as Kate calls me."

"Luckily the lunch is almost ready," Nkosi said.

"What'd your mom make?" Darnley asked her.

"Patrick," Joseph said as his son in law entered the family room with his son.

"Dada!" Keo and Maddy cried out, rushing over to him.

"Hey you two," Darnley said, picking Keo up and hugging Maddy with his free arm. He kissed his cheek and then said, "I'm not here for long," he said to his in laws. "At the very least lunch."

"Then you must come and eat," Bethany said. "I've made chicken congee and fries."

"Fries?" Darnley said in confusion. "Keo," he said in a mock warning tone of voice.

Laughing at his father, the little boy said, "I want Dada."

"You'll have a little," Darnley said as he saw his mother in law had made potato wedges which he knew had been done on purpose since she could bake them. He took Keo to the kitchen table and set him in the highchair there before helping the others with getting the plates to the table.

"I know what you want to ask," Nkosi told his husband after they'd begun eating a little. "And yes, I did paint."

"Great," Darnley said.

"That's it?" Nkosi asked in surprise.

"What else do you want me to say? I'd like to see what you managed to paint but that's more up to you," Darnley replied easily.

"You can," Nkosi said slowly.

"Me too Tata," Maddy said.

"Alright, but you must eat," Nkosi told her as she'd stopped while listening to them.

Watching their daughter nodding, Darnley smiled and returned to his food himself before they were talking about Halloween. After they'd finished eating, he was going to help his mother in law with cleaning up when she waved him away.

"You do not know how long you have left until you need to return," Bethany told him sternly.

"Alright, but we'll take care of things after dinner," Darnley said. He smiled when his mother in law waved him away and he turned his attention to his husband.

"Okay," Nkosi said with a sigh. He took Maddy's hand as his husband was getting their son and they walked together to the studio. "I'm not sure this will work," he said while they entered.

"Is the room too small?" Darnley asked worriedly.

"No, it's the lighting," Nkosi replied as he shook his head. "I need more."

"You can work out here," Darnley replied. "We could always block off a space for you. Tear down the walls of the room and then put up plastic ones."

"So you can see me?" Nkosi asked with a brief laugh.

"And you can see me," Darnley said swiftly.

Laughing again, Nkosi said, "I'll think about it."

"Good," Darnley replied. "Until then…"

Nkosi let go of Maddy's hand and went into the small room off the studio before he carried the smaller canvas out and showed his family. He smiled as the children reacted happily to it before he looked at his husband who was soon speaking.

"Even unfinished and I'm amazed at you never painting again after you turned thirteen," Darnley replied.

"It's so pretty Tata!" Maddy said eagerly.

"Yeah!" Keo added, jumping up and down.

"Listen to the kids Trev," Darnley told his husband.

"Thank you," Nkosi said with a smile at them. He put the canvas of their view from their backyard; without a wooden fence blocking it; and he walked out to find their children were gone. "Did my mother take them?" he asked.

"Yes," Darnley said before he rushed up to his husband. They were wrapping their arms around each other tightly and kissing deeply before they staggered back against a work bench he had some tools on. "Oh… okay," he said as they hurried to pick up what had fallen. "I really wanted to do that. I feel so sorry for Kate and Rick."

"They couldn't sneak off somewhere?" Nkosi asked.

"I don't think so, they're going somewhere by the station," Darnley said. He paused and then said, "You know, there was a park across the street from some places and they had trees. That would do it."

Nkosi laughed and then reached for his husband, smoothing down the hair he had messed up during their kiss. "I wasn't sure if they would ask you to work with them. What happened?"

Darnley told his husband about the case since he knew already Nkosi wouldn't tell anyone anything. "I really hope they can find out who the man was," he said.

"Hopefully," Nkosi said. "Did anyone ask about drying out the body? Or is that what the salt was for."

"I forgot to mention it, but there was more than enough salt to take care of everything," Darnley said. He then sighed and said, "I guess we better stop."

"We have," Nkosi pointed out. "But have they given you a weapon?"

"Not yet," Darnley replied. "I should probably talk to Brad but… it depends on how things go."

"You-" Nkosi started to say before he heard his husband's phone starting to ring.

"It's Kate," Darnley said. He reached for his husband and shared a kiss with him before he was answering the call.

"It's the most beautiful painting, the blues are incredible," Darnley said suddenly.

"You said it wasn't finished though," Castle commented, fighting his amusement at the carpenter blurting that as they were waiting for Brad to return.

"No but you can tell already," Darnley said.

Beckett smiled at how obviously proud her friend was and she was about to point that out to him when the chief was walking into his office and speaking rapidly.

"Dalton's boss is coming in," Brad told them all. "She wants to talk to us, and she mentioned she has video of Dalton and Cooke arguing."

"The one Cooke told us about herself?" Castle asked.

Nodding Brad said, "Lara Fleming is the boss' name." He was going to say more when he noticed that Rice was leading a woman over to the interview room. "She's here."

"Are we all going in?" Darnley asked. When the chief hesitated, he said quickly, "I don't mind if you want me to wait out here."

"No, come in," Brad said before he led them out into the bull pen. "Mrs. Fleming," he said after he had walked inside.

"Chief Davis," the woman said, standing up.

"Sit down, please," Brad told her. "These are my consultants-"

"I know who you are," Fleming said quickly. "I… I'm not a suspect, am I?"

"No," Brad replied. "Though I'll ask for an alibi just to be sure. Can you tell me about Mr. Dalton at your firm? Was he well liked, have any problems with anyone?" he then said after they were all sitting down.

"Besides Carol Cooke?" Fleming asked. When the chief nodded, she said, "Not really, he was a good lawyer, though he'd only been there for a year, and got along well with the others." She hesitated for a moment and then said, "But he was recently promoted to a position we created in our firm. When we hire new lawyers, they go through a period of partnering with another lawyer, it's to test them out and we have it for a year to make sure they're suitable to take on clients themselves. When we let them do that we call it in sua, it's Latin for on own, and out of three that were up to moving to that position, Dalton was the only one to achieve that."

"Who were the other two lawyers?" Beckett asked as Brad was writing in his notebook.

"Arlen Stone and Levi Rush," Fleming replied. "But it wasn't a competitive thing, they'll be in sua themselves soon, probably after a case or two." She then frowned and said, "The weird thing was Adam was acting strangely after that."

"When exactly was that?" Darnley said.

"Around the twelfth," Fleming replied. "I remember that date because it's my daughter's birthday. But the day after that when I went to work, I remember overhearing Adam talking to others about text messages and a haunted attraction."

"Anything else?" Brad asked.

Shaking her head, Fleming said, "No, they saw me and went back to their offices so if there was anything else to that I wouldn't know." She then said, "Are you going to speak to our workers?"

"Yes," Brad said. "It's necessary and if there's nothing in your firm then it'll go quickly and we'll move on."

"Did anyone strange ever visit your firm recently?" Castle suddenly asked as Brad was looking at his notebook.

"There were," Fleming said immediately. "On the thirteenth two men who wore pale blue shirts with a logo on it. They came in and went to Adam's office, I don't know what happened, but they looked very… bulky? I guess I want to say that, not threatening just…"

"You weren't sure about what they were doing there," Beckett supplied.

When the lawyer nodded Brad then asked, "Do you know what the logo was?"

"I don't think I can describe it," Fleming said after hesitating for a moment. "But I might be able to draw it," she added.

Ripping out a page from his notebook, Brad handed it and his pen over to Fleming and watched her drawing the logo before he nodded and motioned to Beckett who took the paper.

"Her alibi?" Darnley asked his friend when they were outside of the room.

Beckett nodded and was about to get the attention of the officers that were there when Hutchinson walked up to them, looking at the paper, before she spoke.

"You need to go to the Bared Bowl?" the officer asked.

"Bared Bowl?" Darnley said first in confusion.

"It's a topless bar," Hutchinson said, nodding her head. "I've done a few arrests there. Wade?"

"Yeah?" the officer asked, pausing as he was walking by.

"You've done some arrests at the Bared Bowl too," Hutchinson said.

"I have," Wade said. "Why?"

"The logo pertains to our case," Beckett replied.

Taking the paper his wife was holding, Castle turned it upside down and said, "Now it looks like a bowl and… oh…"

Seeing what he did, a pair of breasts, Darnley made a face and said, "I'm so glad I didn't see that in the first place. What do you think?"

Before he could speak, Castle watched as Brad walked from the room to escort Fleming out of the station. He then turned back to the others and said, "They could have been bouncers, but I'm thinking they were helping Dalton with a party."

"They'd have a private room?" Beckett asked the officers before Brad was joining them.

"What're you talking about?" the chief asked.

Explaining the bar, Beckett then said, "Did it have a room for that?"

"There's something you should know," Brad told them. "And I don't know why I didn't notice the logo myself; I've broken up a fight there once. But it's not just a bar."

"They still do that sir?" Hutchinson asked.

"Yes," Brad said before he said to his consultants. "They have back rooms for private dances. The city tried to close them as there was some evidence of sexual activity, but it couldn't be proven conclusively. So we need to go."

Beckett glanced at her husband as he and Darnley were sucking in their breath through their teeth and asked, "Do they need to go in?"

"No, you do?" Brad asked.

"For you," Beckett replied.

"Thank you," Brad said, squeezing her arm before they were leaving for the parking lot.

As they were going, Castle touched his wife's shoulder and said, "Nice of you to do that."

"He's worried what Lily will think," Beckett said with a shrug. "So if he tells her it was for a case, and I was there too I think he'll be fine." She wasn't surprised when he nodded, and they turned to their car with Darnley following them. Her husband was driving that time and she looked back at her friend saying, "You didn't want to go in?"

"And vomit as soon as I go in? Pass," Darnley replied, shaking his head. Hesitating for a moment he then said, "Though I'm not saying they're disgusting just not what I want obviously. When the writer nodded he then smiled and said, "You know I really wasn't expecting this turn."

"No but it might not have anything to do with the case," Castle commented.

"But it might give you new evidence," Darnley said. He studied the writer for a moment and said, "Though you're hoping that."

"I am, but again you never know," Castle said.

Beckett glanced at her husband before she said, "And we have the law firm too."

"At least there's that," Darnley commented before they were pulling into the parking lot of the bar. When they were out of the car he and Castle remained behind at the cars, about to ask the writer if he minded not going with his wife when his friend's husband spoke first.

"I hope you realize I didn't want to go in," Castle said.

"I do," Darnley said. "Now, I wasn't sure if you were just saying that because it would be expected."

"That was me before I realized I was in love with her," Castle replied with a nod. "Though I should be furious you said that."

"Thank goodness you weren't," Darnley commented. "Imagine if Kate came out and we were brawling." He shared a look with the writer, and they said at the same time, "She'd stop it."

Laughing briefly with the man Castle said, "She would, if she had a riding crop she'd whip at me." He saw the way the carpenter was looking at him and said, "Not abusive but-"

"No, I got it," Darnley said. "Ever use one?"

"She hates them remember," Castle said. "In any use."

"Just wondering, she hates BDSM," Darnley said.

Castle opened his mouth to speak before he paused and then stated, "You talked about that."

"Of course," Darnley replied. "What else were we going to talk about? No, we were watching the episode of Will and Grace where Karen was a dominatrix. When it was over, we got to talking about that type of stuff since she was wondering what I thought of it."

"Do you make your boyfriends call you sir?" Beckett asked her friend as they paused the episode.

"No, I wouldn't do that kind of thing," Darnley said, shaking his head. "I don't want to be humiliating my lover or him me, or for that matter be dominated or hit. And the other way around of course."

"Of course," Beckett said with a smile.

"What about you?" Darnley asked.

"I hate the idea," Beckett said. "Officer Royce was telling me about some domestic abuse victims he met. He lectured me about not being with a guy just because he was charming since they might end up abusing me."

"Good advice," Darnley had to admit though he didn't like his friend's TO.

"It is, which is why I'm being careful," Beckett replied.

"Of course," Darnley said. "What about the other stuff? Handcuffs and whipping and… what else do you straighties do?"

Beckett started laughing with him before they calmed themselves down and she eventually said, "Weird stuff. But whips fall in line with the dominatrix stuff, handcuffs… maybe. But the problem with that is," while she pointed at him at the end.

"Guys would want to do that with us because we're officers," Darnley said with a nod. "Well, here's to hoping we don't find sexual freaks."

Shaking her head as she smiled, Beckett tapped her wine glass to his friend's and then said, "Are you thinking the same that I am?"

"Equal but playful?" Darnley asked. When his friend smiled immediately in response, they tapped their glasses together again before taking a sip of their wine. "What do you want to do now?" he asked.

"Next episode?" Beckett said.

"Yes," Darnley said before they were laughing together, and he was playing the VHS he had.

"If you're wondering about the VHS, I was a recording geek," Darnley said.

"I… can understand, what I was wondering about more was what you guys said you wanted," Castle said after taking a moment to reply as he hadn't expected the carpenter to lead off with that.

"Equal but playful?" Darnley said. At the writer's nod he said, "It doesn't make sense?"

"No, that was what Kate said," Castle said.

Nodding quickly, Darnley said reassuringly, "She told me she wanted to have attention on her but her partner having the same. Remember she told me about her lack of fulfillment."

"Right," Castle said. "Sorry I just want to make sure."

"She's happy with you," Darnley said. He smiled when the writer nodded and then said, "Um, I just realized something." He'd been intending to continue when his friend's husband was doing so for him.

"It's weird we're talking about this?" Castle asked.

"Not just that," Darnley said, playfully holding his finger up to the writer.

"Then talk about your husband? What'd they say on Will and Grace? Skunk pooling… Fuzz… whatever?" Castle asked before they were both nearly snorting trying to suppress their laughter.

"No," Darnley replied. "Though I'm glad we're talking about a man we better stop."

"Agreed," Castle said with a nod. He looked at the door to the bar and then said, "What do you think?"

"Maybe there's something here," Darnley said. "Hopefully it's not too much longer."

"Hopefully," Castle echoed as he turned his attention to the doors again.

"Chief Davis," a woman behind the bar said, obviously startled at the sight of him in his uniform. "Is there something wrong?"

"I need to speak with Tony," Brad said, keeping away from the bar as the employee was topless.

"Oh, he's in his office," the woman replied.

"Tony?" Beckett asked as she followed the chief to the back of the building.

"Tony Fuentes, the owner," Brad said.

Beckett wasn't surprised the chief was staring straight ahead as there were waitresses, all without tops or a bra at the very least, along with two women dancing suggestively together on a dance floor surrounded by tables. She couldn't help murmuring, "This is legal?"

"Technically this is Southampton," Brad murmured, stopping outside the door down a short hall. "There's a loophole in the laws here that this is allowed. They've tried to get it overturned but I think Fuentes has greased some palms."

"No surprise there," Beckett said, shaking her head. She turned her attention to the door as he was knocking and at the call to come in, she followed him inside.

"Chief Davis," Fuentes said in surprise. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about this man," Brad said immediately, showing him the picture of Dalton.

"Oh yeah," Fuentes said with a laugh. "He had a huge shindig here on the night of the sixteenth. Late at night. Why?"

Telling the owner about the two men at Dalton's job, Brad said at the look of relief on his face, "They were there legitimately?"

"Yeah, they went to pick up payment and to get a list of names for the room," Fuentes replied. "We keep track of who's there to make sure we're all legal of course."

"Of course," Brad replied. "I'd like to see the list." When the owner hesitated, he said in a rush, "There's no confidentiality and this is for the investigation of a murder."

"Just a second," Fuentes said. He got a key from his key ring and then said, "You should know the private room is big, there are thirty names and the ladies waiting the table and dancing as well."

"They're all on the list?" Brad asked.

"The workers from here are handwritten in," Fuentes said, handing a paper over to the chief.

Looking at the paper over Brad's shoulder, Beckett saw Dalton's name first before she asked, "Did he pay?"

"In full," Fuentes said with a nod.

"Thank you," Brad said before they were leaving the office. "Okay?" he asked her.

"I was waiting for that," Beckett said as the owner had glanced over her body. "And I don't care."

"I'm glad Rick wasn't in there with us," Brad replied.

"I wouldn't have let him come in," Beckett said. "So he wouldn't get into a fight."

"He wouldn't stare?" Brad asked.

"He would do the same thing you just did, stare ahead," Beckett replied. They were outside the bar by then and went over to the two men who straightened on seeing them, not surprised when they were speaking at the same time before the chief stopped them and spoke himself.

"Calm down, I wasn't about to keep you guys from hearing that," Brad said. "Also, Kate would have just told you in the car." He explained what had happened inside the bar and showed them the list he'd been given.

"I'm guessing this is the part where we go home?" Castle asked.

"Yes, we have a lot of names," Brad said. "Though I saw the fight on Fleming's phone, and I doubt Cooke's our killer; Hutchinson is looking into her now. And it's getting late."

"Not that late," Darnley commented.

"No, but I know you'd like to go home to your kids," Brad said. "So we'll start looking at all the names we have, and I'll make some calls."

"Are you going to start reconstructing his last two days alive?" Castle said.

"That's the hope," Brad said. "But I'll go home… at a decent time hopefully," he said.

"Lily won't be mad," Castle told his friend quickly.

Brad didn't say anything to that and instead told them, "Go home and I'll call you tomorrow morning, likely around nine."

"Or before that if you need our help," Beckett urged him.

"I will," Brad said with a nod.

Watching the chief leave, Darnley said, "So you weren't kidding about him sending you home when it's just names."

"No, and he's remembering we're civilians with that," Castle said. "Well, me anyways."

Beckett rolled her eyes and then said, "It's appreciated, we want to spend time with our families."

"Aren't Julia and Eliza going to be at their dance class?" Darnley asked as he looked at his watch.

"Already starting it," Castle said as he was aware of what time it was already.

"We can drop-" Beckett started to say before Darnley interrupted her.

"Don't," the carpenter said. "Just go to the school and I'll walk home. I don't mind."

Castle looked at his wife and seeing she was smiling at him he said, "Okay, let's go before we miss the whole class," before they walked together to their car. He squeezed his wife's hand, knowing she was eager to return to their daughters though they weren't finished with the case as she squeezed back, and they parted to make their way to the Academy.