Genre: Crime, Drama, 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: I was really happy getting the reviews I got for the last chapter, so I'll go right into my thank yous for them! TORONTOSUN (It was nice to see you liked how they were talking in this chapter, I'm glad it kept you interested!),

Em (Really happy that you're enjoying this story and the series as well! Thanks for letting me know how much you find my stories enjoyable. And I'm so glad that this story has you guessing what's really going on! You're welcome for the stories, and I am writing more, I'm about three ahead of this one so I'm definitely keeping Caskett and their family thriving!) and

Mb (I was really pleased seeing you thought the chapter was a fantastic update again. And I'm not surprised the chapter had your head spinning, lol. I wasn't surprised you mentioned how it started with Castle and Beckett having sexy times as you mentioned and then the case went to their hotel room. I'm not surprised either that you're wondering if the suspects leave Dyson to lead them to the killers, hopefully you'll see when everything's set! I'm glad you think undercover work will be interesting and that you're looking forward to it, hopefully you'll find it good once you do read it! You're welcome for sharing the last chapter!).

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

A/N #2: The title of this chapter are lyrics from the song The Battle of New Orleans written by Jimmy Driftwood and sung by Johnny Horton.

We Fired Once More

"Investigator Nkosi," a voice said behind the group as they were starting to climb into the SUV Darnley had driven to the airport.

"Sir," Nkosi said, sharing a look with Skye at the sight of the Chairman. "What can I help you with?"

"I'd like you to show me around the evidence you have for the FBI," the man replied.

"Of course, Investigator McDouglas is going to help the police in searching for the persons we believe are responsible for sabotaging the planes," Nkosi said.

"Good, make sure they know you assisted," the Chairman told her.

"Yes sir," Skye said, shrugging at Nkosi when the man had turned away from her. "Pompous arse," she muttered as they were getting into the car and Darnley was starting it.

"I agree," Mary said. When Castle and Beckett looked back at her she told them, "He's always been like that."

"He's been an investigator," Beckett stated instead of asking as she knew the answer already.

"Lead investigator," Skye replied. "Luckily here in DC so I never really worked with him."

"Has Trevor?" Castle asked Darnley.

"No," he said. "Though he's giving him plenty of trouble."

"He hasn't bothered him anymore has he?" Skye asked the detective in concern.

"No, just speaking with contractions but… it was more than enough to piss me off," Darnley replied.

"I'm not surprised," Beckett said. She glanced at her husband as they were driving north on the highway and then asked, "What was that about undercover?"

"That was my question," Castle commented jokingly before they turned to Darnley.

"I have no idea," the detective replied. "Hopefully you won't mind at all; whatever it ends up being. Especially you Mary."

"I'll take it in stride," the doctor said. She saw her wife was looking at her and said, "I hope."

Shaking her head as she was trying not to laugh, Beckett looked out the window until she saw they were nearing the field and she looked at her watch quickly seeing there was still a little more than forty-five minutes to the battle run. When they reached the parking lot, she was looking out the windshield and asked, "Is that Sumner?"

"It is," Darnley said, driving over to her and stopping the car as quickly as he could. "What happened?"

"There was another shooting," Sumner replied breathlessly before the wail of a siren was heard in the distance as it was leaving the parking lot.

"Who was it?" Castle asked.

"Marcus Corbin," Sumner said.

"Corbin?" Skye, Beckett and Castle said at the same time.

"Yeah, he's a descendant of the family that owned the property," Sumner said. "He was walking around with some of the officers and was struck, a grazing wound on his shoulder that he needs some stiches for but he's planning to return."

"You forgot something else," Darnley commented. When his partner looked at him in confusion he said, "He's in charge of the event, the family always is," adding the last for the others.

"Do you think he's the target?" Skye asked him.

"I… does anyone have a megaphone of some kind?" Darnley started to say before he made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. "Never mind, that's all I need to get the possible victims out for the shooter."

"Should we evacuate?" Sumner was asking him.

"No," Beckett said. "She'll pick them off. Which one of them had sharpshooter training?" she suddenly asked.

"Neither," Sumner said. "MacMillan called me to let me know what he'd found on the two. But," she added at the end quickly. "Mrs. Allard's older brother was a sniper for the Army, he was killed in action in Afghanistan. Proulx served under him."

"Carman had something for him," Castle said slowly.

"Oh god," Beckett said then.

"Will they start fighting each other?" Castle said as he looked at her.

"Maybe they were conning each other," Skye said.

"To get their individual ends?" Beckett asked her. When her friend nodded, she said, "It depends on where they are right now, what they're going to do…"

"We need to talk to some people," Darnley said as he turned to his partner.

"Officers are talking to everyone that was close to Corbin," Sumner said.

"Then we need to see if they've gotten anything yet," Darnley said. He led the way to the first officer he could see but paused when he realized the man was jogging over to him. "What did you get?" he asked the officer as he knew him.

"I just talked to someone who was next to Mr. Corbin," the officer replied. "He said he swore he could feel the bullet, he was directly next to him."

"What was his name?" Castle couldn't help asking.

"Anthony Beasley," the officer replied.

"Where is he?" Skye asked immediately.

"This way ma'am," the officer said, leading them past the barrier onto the field. He looked around for Beasley and said, "There," when he knew they could see the man.

"Thank you," Skye said before she was calling out, "Tony," trying not to yell too loudly.

"Skye," the man said with a smile before he grew serious. "You should go, you really shouldn't be here. Mr. Corbin just got shot next to me!"

Embracing the man quickly, Skye said, "I heard, I heard too from an officer you were standing next to him."

Nodding his head rapidly Beasley replied, "I could feel the bullet next to me it was so close."

"I'm relieved you're okay," Skye said. "These are the detectives… and FBI agent that are investigating this case," she said.

Looking behind them with the others, Castle saw that Moreno had come up to them and he was startled when he spotted a taxi with someone familiar stepping out a second later. "Guys," he said, hating to interrupt them. "Dyson is here."

"I thought she was still at the station," Moreno said with a frown, looking at the other two before Sumner was speaking first.

"If she's here then she managed to sneak out," the woman said in obvious annoyance. "I'll talk to her."

"No, let me," Mary said. "With you there of course," she told the detectives quickly before they could say anything.

"Detective! Detective!" Dyson was crying out to them. She went to Darnley, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and said, "They're going to kill him," sobbing.

"Who?" Darnley asked in concern.

"Heath," Dyson was able to say before her sobs overtook her. She was leaning against Sumner when she gently pulled her off and she was able to hand her phone to the detective.

"It's a text," Darnley murmured to Beckett who was close to him. He made a motion to his partner before Beasley was taking Dyson instead as Sumner followed them.

"We want two million, left outside the Starbucks on Router Boulevard," Skye read. "Or Mr. Proulx will be killed. You have until four tonight."

"That Starbucks is next to an alley," Darnley told them. "And four is when the house is opened for the ball tonight."

"It sounds like they want the distraction the ball will give," Beckett said quickly.

"Where is the Starbucks?" Skye asked, glancing at her wife as she was with the other two women and Beasley.

"It's about three miles from here," Darnley replied. "So they're here… they're just going to hide out. But Proulx should be here."

"Should we look at the tents?" Castle asked.

"Yes," Darnley said. "Undercover."

"I really don't know about doing this," Beckett was saying to Skye and Mary that she was sharing a tent with.

"I don't blame you," the investigator said. "But it's better we do this to be honest."

"I realize that, I'm still not happy," Beckett said. They were sharing a tent to change into uniforms they'd been given and were doing that together quickly as they needed to hurry and try to locate Proulx with the benefit of being hidden with those uniforms. She had put on blue fabric pants, a white shirt and black knee high boots with no heel, she threw on a coat that was the same fabric as the trousers and hurried to put her hair up into a bun as Skye and Mary were doing at that moment. Something came to her then and she said, "What're you going to do?"

"I want her to remain away from the main part of the field," Skye answered before her wife could say anything.

"I'll walk near the parking lot," Mary said wryly. "I'll have a walkie-talkie," she continued. "And your husband has contacts, right?"

"Con… oh… I do keep a pack on me for him," Beckett said, turning to her purse she'd brought with them. She'd hidden it under a stack of blankets on a cot bed and she grabbed the contacts before she was hurrying over to the tent her husband and Darnley were in, calling to the former.

"Come in love," Castle replied, untying the opening. Once she stepped inside, he saw she was handing him his emergency pair of contact lenses and he looked at her questioningly.

"She's right, 1863 didn't have your glasses," Darnley said. "I'm guessing Skye's wearing the same?"

"She was starting to put them on when I left," Beckett replied as her husband nodded. She watched him clean his hands in a hurry before he was going to a mirror on a table and putting them in swiftly. "Are we ready?"

"Yeah, I've put my walkie-talkie low," Darnley said, handing one to Beckett. "And this one too, press the button twice so I know it's you."

Nodding, Beckett slipped it into her coat pocket before Darnley was leaving after putting his military hat on his head. She turned to her husband and said, "Any comments?"

Shaking his head Castle said, "I think we're good. Let's go."

Beckett led the way out of the tent first before she was walking down the aisle of tents. Other people were walking by them and she recalled; when they had spoken further with Beasley; that he'd been to the west of the tents with Corbin and nowhere near the others. So she wasn't surprised to see most people weren't concerned since the two men had been on their own as well. They were walking up to the first of what was an officer's tent and she called, "Anyone within?" as Darnley had directed her to say. When there was no response, she glanced at her husband who nodded to her quickly. She then turned her attention to the next one when there was no response, distantly herding her friend and Skye at others nearby. She wasn't surprise there was nothing from inside and she went to the third.

As his wife was calling, "Anyone within?" Castle was listening carefully inside which was difficult since people were talking nearby. But just as his wife started to turn to him, he stopped her and tapped in Morse code against her palm, There was a sound.

Nodding once, Beckett turned to the tent and was pushing at the opening before they both heard the muffled groans of someone inside. At that, she and her husband were pushing at the white fabric to gain entry before they froze at what they saw. Grabbing her walkie-talkie, she pressed the button twice and when she heard her friend calling to her, she told him, "We found Proulx… and Mrs. Allard."

"Where?" Darnley asked immediately.

"Tent five C," Beckett answered immediately.

"We're on our way," Darnley said.

"Should we…?" Castle asked his wife.

"Yes, go," Beckett told him before they were rushing to Proulx who was struggling on the ground. She saw he was tied with thick, old-fashioned looking rope and she was about to ask her husband if he could untie him when she spotted the knife on the co-CEO's belt. She let her husband take it before she was pulling the ropes out of the way once they were cut. She wasn't surprised when Castle started with the one holding handkerchiefs against his mouth before she was pulling out a ball gag. "Mr. Proulx," she told the man as he was coughing for a moment. "Who did this to you?" she asked.

"That bitch that's Beasley's secretary now… Carman!" the man spit out angrily.

"Hold on," Castle said, afraid he'd cut the man's legs when they started to move. He finally had the ropes cut just as Darnley was entering.

"That…" he started to say as he saw the dead body of Mrs. Allard. Shaking himself Darnley then asked the co-CEO, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Proulx said with a groan as he was sitting up and rubbing at where his legs had been tied. "I didn't kill her," he said, glancing back at the body before he looked away rapidly, seeming to be sick.

"We know you didn't," Skye said.

"Skye," Proulx said in surprise as he noticed her. "Why are you here?" he asked, becoming serious as he saw the way she was dressed.

"Because I'm assisting," Skye said. "We need to know what happened, but we should take you to another tent."

"Yeah, this is where I heard they found you getting Allard," Proulx said. He then shook his head and tried to stand before he nearly fell back on the body, Castle and Beckett grabbing him. "Thanks," he said.

"We can't go all together, Carman may be watching," Skye told them.

"Can you gather a group of people?" Darnley asked. "We'll head to the tent next door and go in groups to blend in with the other people that'll be around," he said. He watched Skye going before he was going to Proulx and said, "Let me go with you."

"Sure," Proulx said. "I need to call Dyson, they said they were going to ask her for money… I mean she said she was," he said, nodding back to Mrs. Allard.

"She already got the message," Beckett said, knowing from being in the tent that Mrs. Allard had sent the ransom message before she'd been strangled. She glanced at the woman's neck, knowing part of the rope that had likely first tied the co-CEO had been used to kill Mrs. Allard.

"Oh… is she okay?" Proulx asked in concern.

"She is," Darnley said, not sure what to say about her being kidnapped the night before. "We'll get you to her soon if you're not too badly injured."

"I'm not," Proulx said firmly as the detective was looking outside.

"Okay, let's go," Darnley said. "You two follow; I hope that fools her since she likely saw you two leave." He went to Proulx, but the man insisted he could walk on his own and they left the tent.

Waiting a bit for the two men to walk to the next tent, Beckett looked at her husband who nodded and they walked together out, disappearing into the people gathered around the two tents. She glanced behind her when she was nearly inside the tent and saw Skye was walking away with a few other people.

"She's getting Dyson and they're going to go with Officer Kissel to the station to wait there," Darnley said. "And stay there," he said wryly. He then turned to the co-CEO and said before he could speak, "I'd like you to explain what happened."

"I got here at eight… I help out with everything where I can," Proulx replied. "And I was walking over by the part of the field where McRae was shot yesterday. Some people here have left tokens for him and I wanted to leave something myself. But as I was going through the trees right at the clearing where he was, I felt something hit me on the head."

"Mind if I…?" Darnley asked, holding up his hand. When the man shook his head no he felt where the man had said gently and nodded eventually saying while he pulled away, "There's a bump, but it's not that bad though let anyone you're with know if you're dizzy at all. What happened when you came to?"

"They were arguing above me and I was tied up already," Proulx replied with a sigh. "Mrs. Allard knelt down next to me and told me that I was going to die if they couldn't get some of my filthy money; I didn't deserve to be co-CEO with Silvia," he added. He shook his head and then continued and told them, "Carman said she was the only woman I needed, and Allard started to laugh, reminding her about their deal to get money. Carman laughed too and I remember her saying, 'You think I really care about money? All I want is him.'"

Beckett wasn't surprised when the man was shuddering visibly, and she glanced at her husband as it seemed the theory of the two women using each other for their own goals was seeming likely. She then turned back to Proulx and asked, "Did the argument escalate?"

"It did," the co-CEO replied, looking pained. "I forget what they were saying, I was getting more and more freaked out because it sounded like Mrs. Allard wanted to kill me and that she thought I was to blame for her husband being at the position he was in still." Proulx looked unsure and then sighed saying, "I don't know why she thought that, but I guess she just wanted money. I was starting to try and twist my legs and wrists before I heard a gasp and I looked up to see Carman pulling Mrs. Allard back and I just stayed still. I really didn't want her to look at me and want to do the same for all that she wanted me."

"Heath!" Dyson cried as she entered the tent. She pulled off the wide brimmed military hat that had covered her and literally tore off the long coat she'd been wearing as well. She threw herself at her co-CEO and started kissing his cheeks saying, "Heath I love you, I thought they were going to kill you and I wasn't going to see you again."

"We need a couple officers here," Darnley said as he motioned for the others to leave the two on their own as the pair was kissing deeply. When they were outside and Sumner was going to get the officers, he turned to the others and said, "I don't like this."

"She might not know we're here," Skye said. "Not this far into the tents, luckily we all wore our hats."

"Yes, but we still need to find Carman," Darnley commented. "And to do that I'd like us to split up."

"Yeah, we can do that," Castle said. "But how should we?"

"Come with me," Darnley told him. "And we'll search with Sumner." He then turned to the three women and said, "And I want you three to head up to the hills with the scopes they have."

"Not a problem," Skye said.

Beckett was nodding in agreement before Darnley went to Sumner as she was talking to the two officers in front of the tent. Her husband walked up to her and said, "I really don't like this," not surprised when he nodded in agreement with her before he was speaking quickly.

"I'm not surprised," Castle said, looking over at Mary. When his wife grabbed his arm he said, "What?"

"Not her, you," Beckett said.

"I'm not going to get too far from Patrick," Castle promised her. "What really worries me about this is you, you don't have a weapon Kate."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Skye said, making the two look at her.

"Should I ask?" Beckett commented as they were watching the investigator going to a woman that was dressed as a soldier as well.

"You'll find out soon enough," Castle said. He turned to his wife and asked, "You'll tell me, right?"

"Of course," Beckett said. She took a hold of the front of his coat and pulled him to her so they could kiss. It was brief and she was relieved when there was no response form the people around them and she told him, "Do not do anything crazy… or leave Patrick."

"I won't," Castle said seriously. "Don't leave Skye and Mary."

"I won't," Beckett echoed before she let her husband go after he'd squeezed her arms. She looked with him to the side then and saw Skye holding a long rifle and what appeared to be a scope for the gun.

"Is that a recreation of Doc Brown's gun in the third movie?" Castle asked, immediately recognizing the gun from Back to the Future Part III.

"Everything is, Bria Andretta over there let me borrow these," Skye replied.

"Who is she?" Darnley asked.

"It's not Carman in disguise or anything, she used to work at the NTSB here," Skye assured him. "Might I take this?"

"It works?" Sumner asked.

"It does, I have a permit," Skye replied.

"She does," Darnley said. When he saw the others looking at him, he said, "Do you remember when she was in Thailand? She was allowed a permit here in DC too." He then turned back to the investigator and asked, "Is it still good?" When Skye nodded, he said, "Go ahead to the hills, Kate still has her walkie-talkie so you can contact us."

"We will," Beckett said as Skye and Mary were nodding before Darnley was leaning over to her to murmur into her ear. "I was planning on it," she said when he'd told her to handle the gun. "Skye too probably." When he nodded, she smiled at her husband before she went to the two women.

Seeing Beckett taking the gun, Castle was about to speak before he recalled something and said, "I need to toss my glasses in the tent," since they were close to the one where he knew his wife's purse was.

"Hurry," Darnley said.

Castle went to it, ducking inside and rushing to the table where it was, slipping his glasses inside before he felt her phone vibrating. He paused before he looked at the message, seeing it was from Julia. He hesitated and then hurriedly responded to her message of Are you okay? He wrote, We're fine, we'll talk to you later, before he was putting the phone back and going after the two detectives as they started to walk among the other people there, starting their search for Carman.