LittleLizzieZentara has come through my darlings with an awesome new chapter for you guys to devour (just don't chew with your mouth open okay?) Next up we'll have SheWhoTangles with Chapter Twelve. Wow. Chapter Twelve, I forget how far we've come with this story. I don't think I thank Zentara and Tangles enough for everything they've done. And you, the reviewers, I can't thank you enough. You are all awesome and get tons of kisses and hugs.

Actually as a special bonus to you guys who review this story, I'm going to let you in on a secret. On my blog: madamewriterofwrongs .blogspot .com starting on Wednesday I'm going to be hosting a book giveaway and all you have to do to enter is review. Review anything, a book, a short story - a fan fic - and send me the link (instructions will be on the blog) and you'll be entered to win e-books and gift cards. How awesome is that? So anyways, check that out on wednesday and leave a review here to let Zentara know what you think of her chapter.

Enjoy 3

Her feet thudding loudly against the cold, wet pavement, Zentara frantically made her way down an unusually deserted side street of some unknown area in Manhattan. Although for Zentara, any area of Manhattan was unknown. She knew it didn't bode well that the area was deserted. New York City had around eight million residents, according to one of the episodes; she couldn't remember which one at the moment. So how was it possible that not even one of those residents was at this very moment somewhere in sight?

Zentara had never hated her poor sense of direction more than she did right now. She had to find Caskett. They were the only ones who could help her now.

Beckett glanced at her watch, shocked to realize that she and Castle had been searching the museum for almost three hours without being able to come up with a single clue. They had started with the mummy exhibit, since it had been the focal point of that particular case. After more than twenty minutes of searching, they admitted defeat and moved on to other exhibits.

She didn't know when it had happened, but her arm was linked through his, her head practically against his shoulder. Beckett wasn't sure what tempted her more: moving away to try and break the spell Castle seemed to be able to so easily weave around her or moving closer to give in completely. Either reaction would alert Castle to the affect his proximity had on her.

"Where could it be?" Beckett wondered aloud, trying to get her mind on safer ground. "We've searched everywhere. Except-"

"Don't say it." Castle came to a sudden stop and looked down at Beckett with pleading eyes.

"It's the only place we haven't looked, Castle."

"For a very good reason."

"Castle, that curse wasn't even real."

"You just think that because you don't believe in curses."

Beckett sighed. "No, I think that because most of the things that happened to you were pranks that Ryan, Esposito and I came up with."

"Most, not all."

"Castle, there is no mummy's curse."

"Do you really want to take that chance? While working on a case that seems to be all about us?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "So what, Castle? You think part of the killer's diabolical plan is to use the curse to throw us off his trail?"

Castle gasped his eyes wide. "What if that's it, Beckett?"

Beckett had had enough. It was too late in the day and they had too few leads in the case for her to waste time humoring him. With a quick reminder to herself to not let his touch throw off her focus, she firmly grasped his hand and headed with a determined stride back over to the sarcophagus.

"The ark of the covenant, Mr. Jones?" Beckett said in a perfect German accent once they stood before the decorated mummy's coffin.

"That is so hot." Castle's tone was a deep tone that the detective had never heard before. She bet it was the same tone he used when he-

"But may I point out that when I said that," Castle went on in his regular voice, "things didn't turn out so well?"

Now that his voice was back to normal, Beckett could think clearly again. With an amused twinkle in her eyes, she responded, "I don't know, Castle. There weren't any real dangerous chemicals in that room."

"But not long after that, we got locked in a freezer," Castle was quick to remind her.

As if she would ever forget.

"Which we got out of without even having to deal with frostbite," Beckett pointed out.

"And that was only hours before we stood in front of a bomb," Castle continued.

"Which you dismantled, saving thousands of lives," Beckett countered. She waited, but although his mouth opened and he had a thoughtful look on his face, he couldn't come up with a reply that suited him.

"Fine," he gave in sullenly, "but before we go anywhere, we're making sure to break the curse."

Beckett shook her head before getting a solid grip and sliding open the coffin.

"That's just nasty," Castle said when the mummy was in view, a wrinkled cloth sticking out of one of the empty eye sockets.

Beckett couldn't help but agree. Thankful for the gloves that she wore every time she investigated a crime scene-although this wasn't technically a crime scene, she wasn't taking any chances of contaminating any possible evidence-the detective gingerly grabbed the corner of the cloth and pulled it out of its gruesome hiding place.

Castle snatched the cloth out of her hands and turned it over, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"What?" Beckett asked, a little irritated at herself for letting Castle grab something from her that way.

"It's from the Burgeropolis," he told her.

Of course it was. She knew the clue would have to relate in some way to one of their cases. It would have just been nice if that case had been skipped over. A man trying to break the woman he loved out of prison was not something she wanted to be thinking about. She didn't want to be thinking about love at all.

She couldn't. Not right now.

There was that wall to be taken care of first.

And a murder to solve.

"So how about it, Beckett?" Castle said. "You and me, dinner at the Burgeropolis?"

"Sorry Castle, but it's getting late and I'm," she let out a slow breath, "tired. How about we pick this up in the morning?"

A flash of disappointment crossed his face before Castle nodded.

"Besides, don't you have a curse you need to take care of?" Beckett reminded him. "You may want to even do the ritual more than once, since not only did you see the mummy, but you touched something that was inside it."

Castle shuddered. Then his eyes widened. "So did you!"

"Ahh, but I don't believe in curses, remember?"

"Beckett, please," Castle pleaded. "We don't want to take any chances."

"I don't know, Castle," Beckett said, her eyes teasing. "It seems like a big waste of time to me."

"Please? I..I'll let you drive the Ferrari," he tried to bargain. "Or…I'll stay in the car every time you ask me to."

Beckett arched her eyebrow. "Every time?" she asked skeptically.

Castle nodded vigorously. "For a whole week!"

"I don't want you making promises you can't keep, Castle," Beckett said, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Tell you what. How about this: I will do the ritual, twice, to get rid of the curse, if we leave right now."

Castle didn't bother to reply, he just took off at a dead run.

Beckett's laugh followed him all the way to the elevators.

The Metropolitan Museum. By some miracle, Zentara had actually found it. Hopefully, they were still there. She knew there was a high risk that they would end up throwing her in a psych ward once she told them everything. But maybe, just maybe, Castle would believe her.

It was a risk she was just going to have to take.

Except Zentara never made it past the front door.