Chapter 2

Rock Creek Park

While the alternate Gibbs and his team worked the crime scene, the "Prime" Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David pulled Richard Castle and Det. Kate Beckett aside.

"Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett," Tony said. "Sorry I can't allow you into the scene—"

"It isn't a problem, Agent DiNozzo," Beckett replied. "Mr. Castle and I are well aware of the necessity of maintaining the integrity of a crime scene and not allowing unauthorized persons inside it. And, Director Vance made it very clear to us that, today, we were both here to observe from a distance."

"I'm sure the director has no problem with us getting to know the two of you a little more," Prime Tony said. "You, sir, look familiar to me, like an actor…I've watched more than my share of movies, but you remind me of someone from television…sci-fi, perhaps. A sci-fi show about fireflies…Ziva, you getting that vibe?"

"The only vibe, Tony, that I am getting is you rambling in circles," Ziva said in jest.

"That's 'going in circles', Zee-vah, and I'm guessing Mr. Castle here is not the space cowboy I'm thinking of," Tony retorted.

"I get confused with the actor I believe you're referring to – in fact I saw him at New York ComicCon, when I appeared with the artist and writer of my Derrick Storm graphic novel – but you're right, I'm not him, and he isn't me," Castle said. "I'm guessing you're more of a film aficionado than a reader?"

"I am indeed," Tony replied. "Whereas Ziva here, and my longtime partner Tim McGee are more literary—"

"Mr. Castle, I in fact do recognize you, and you as well Detective Beckett," Ziva replied. "I am surprised you didn't recognize him from the Nikki Heat movie."

"Nikki Heat movie—whoa…oh, ho ho. Nikki Heat. You're the author of the book the movie was based on, and you're the inspiration!" Tony said, pointing to Castle, then to Beckett; both nodded affirmatively.

"AHA!" Tony yelled, drawing the attention of others around them - including altGibbs, who fixed his trademark glare on DiNozzo for just an instant, before turning his attention back to the Metro officer he was interviewing.

"I, Mr. DiNozzo, am the writer of Nikki Heat and, if I may say so, an author of some renown," Castle said, trying to appear modest.

"You're too modest, Rick...way too modest," Beckett interjected. "You're dying to tell Agent DiNozzo all about yourself."

"Which I've been known to do, in the past," Castle replied. "I can see, however, that Agent Day-vid-"

"Dah-VEED," Ziva corrected him.

"-Dah-VEED is eager to satisfy Agent DiNozzo's curiosity," Castle said. "In fact, it seems you, Agent David, are a fan of my work - which I very much appreciate."

"Oh, very much so, Mr. Castle," Ziva said.

Nearby, the alternate Tony and alternate Agent Kate Todd were photographing and sketching the bodies of a female Naval Petty Officer and male Marine Corps Lieutenant, while the alternate versions of Ducky and Palmer were looking over the victims.

"Do NCIS agents in this world stop at crime scenes to talk with celebrities?" altKate said. "Tony, if we did that, Gibbs would kill us."

"No, he'd headslap us, then finish showing his disapproval by staring us down with his glare," altTony said. " Although, I did notice my doppelganger got a brief taste of Leroy Jethro Gibbs's trademark stare of disapproval-"

"That so, DiNozzo?" said altGibbs, standing behind altTony for the last ten seconds, and without anyone else noticing.

Except for Ducky, who kept silent on the exchange.

"Sorry Boss," altTony answered. "Back to snapping photos, Boss."

"Go over there with Abby" - he said, pointing to the alternate Abby Sciuto nearby - "and take some photos of those drag marks on the grass."

"What drag marks?" altTony asked.

"She'll tell ya," altGibbs said, glaring at him as he stood in place.

"Going, Boss!...ABS!" altTony jogged over to altAbby, to see what she had found.

"Ya done, Kate?" altGibbs asked her.

"I've taken all the photos I need," altKate replied, looking over towards 'Prime' Tony and Ziva talking animatedly with Castle, while Beckett looked on. "You want me to go over there and see what's up with—"

"—Abby and DiNozzo?" altGibbs said. "Yeah. Make sure you check that brush out, too." altGibbs stared at altKate, who quietly turned and made her way towards her teammates. "Duck, you have an idea how the Lieutenant and Petty Officer died?"

"Jethro, I can tell you I don't see any exit wounds, nor - as you can see - is there any blood," Ducky told him. "Based on the beginning stages of rigor mortis just now setting in, I estimate the time of death to be three hours."

altGibbs looked at the Petty Officer's neck, where he noticed a needle mark, then pointed to it. "Mark looks rough, like someone jammed it in," altGibbs mused.

altPalmer - following Gibbs' lead - looked at the Lieutenant's neck. He found a similar mark on the neck.

"Mark on the lieutenant's neck also is consistent with a needle," he said. "Maybe they were poisoned?"

While Gibbs and Ducky discussed the manner of death, Prime Tony and Ziva were in deep discussion with Castle and Beckett.

"I LOVE the Nikki Heat series," Ziva said. "If even half of what Mr. Castle writes about you is true, Detective, I am impressed."

"Thanks," Beckett said, half-embarassed, then noticed Castle's wide grin. "The half that is true is the police work. The rest of it is the author's overeager imagination."

Off in the distance, Tony and Abby discussed the drag marks going back to some shrubbery 60 yards away, and Kate began photographing a set of foot prints that didn't match the Lieutenant's dress shoes nor the Petty Officer's heels.

"Some portions of my novels, I'll admit, are, ah, embellished," Castle replied, winking at Beckett - who good-naturedly rolled her eyes in response - "However, the cases and methods of solving those cases are based in reality. It's why I've spent so much time with Detective Beckett and the others at the 12th. I want to get it right."

"And is that why you're here, today?" Tony asked him. "You want to write a novel about NCIS federal agents, but not without getting your facts straight." Castle nodded. "Does this mean you've run out of stories about Nikki Heat?"

Castle shook his head. "Oh no. I have plenty of stories left to tell about you," he replied, winking again at Beckett.

"Only the ones I let him tell," she replied.

"Author's privilege - informed, of course, by the inspiration of the series, who happens to be my fiancée," Castle retorted. "However, I suppose you two are wondering why we are here."

"Well now that you bring it up," Tony replied, "something tells me you're not here on vacation looking for a somewhat risque, and staged, crime scene."

Beckett shook her head. "I'm on vacation, while Castle researches you for his next novel."

"Ah hah," Tony and Ziva said in unison.

"And what might you be researching, Mr. Castle," Ziva asked. "The daily grind of being an NCIS agent?"

"The excitement that comes with being part of NCIS." Tony.

"The mundane aspects of investigations?" Ziva.

"Or the danger that comes with being a federal agent, chasing down terrorists and other dirtbags," Tony continued. "And, of course, our parallel doppelgangers, appearing out of nowhere, their existence a mystery you can't wait to solve."

They looked at Castle, waiting for his answer.

"Yes," he said. "Especially the last part. As I said-"

"You have so many questions," Ziva retorted.

"And I have one: how'd you get Vance to sign off on this?" Tony followed.

"Well," Castle said, "this goes back before Nikki Heat, even before my Derrick Storm series. I heard stories about Leroy Jethro Gibbs - your Gibbs, not the gentleman over there - and approached the then-director, an interestingly named Tom Morrow, about shadowing him. I was shot down on the spot, and again a few years later by his successor, Jennifer Shepard."

Tony and Ziva glanced at one another at the mention of Jenny's name, sharing a look of sadness.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Castle asked.

"Oh no," Ziva replied. "You are fine...so you were rejected?"

"Yes, and I forgot about it, concentrating on Derrick Storm and later on Nikki Heat," Castle continued. "When the news broke about your unfortunate abduction, and everyone found out about the other universe-"

"Castle was looking for someone to talk to after we saw the interview Diane Sawyer did with the President from the other world," Beckett said.

"And I heard through my publisher the NCIS director was putting out feelers about a secret project, that involved you," Castle finished. "The Washington Post article let the world know about the doppelgangers."

"And the Indianapolis Star article," Tony said, glancing at altKate, slowly making her way towards them, taking photos of the ground. "Guess Vance gave his okay?"

"Yep," Castle said.

"She's headed our way," Beckett observed.

"We're standing on the crime scene?" Castle asked.

altGibbs, having left Ducky and Palmer, made his own way towards the quartet. altKate noticed them as well, and pointed to a shoe print a couple of feet from where Tony and Castle were standing.

"Unless she's taken a sudden interest in urban lawn care, I'd say our former Secret Service agent's found something," Prime Tony said, seeing altTony and altAbby follow Kate.

"As you said, Tony, I have found something," atlKate replied. "Our suspect's footprints."