New York, April 2009
Richard Castle, Watcher
Author: Starfox5
Rating: FR18
Crossover: “Castle”
Written for: TtH August Fic A Day Challenge
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Castle Characters belong to Beacon PIctures and ABC Studio. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Summary: What was it with Slayers and challenges?
New York, April 2009
“You know, if I was an insecure man, I’d suspect you were not happy to see me,” Richard Castle commented while testing the chair he had nicked near detective Beckett’s desk.
“If you were a bit more perceptive, and less narcissistic, you’d know that I’m not happy about the fact that some rich Fantasy author gets to follow me around, hindering my work, just because the Mayor’s a fan!” Beckett glared at him.
He cringed a bit - the woman was armed, after all - but he rallied quickly. “In my experience, an outside view, an open mind, some unorthodox theories, often greatly benefit any organization.” Like the Watchers Council, for example. Even if Mary and Rupert both tended to complain that they had a bit too many ‘open minds’ at times, with the Scoobies in charge.
“I will be grateful for your presence the next time we have to arrest a vampire, Mister Castle.” Her smile was condescendingly sweet and false.
“Please - only a fool would arrest a vampire. Those undead demons need to be staked at once!” he declared. With the possible exception of one or two souled vampires. “You should know that, after reading my books.”
She rolled her eyes, then grabbed the pen he was twirling around his fingers and put it back in the small cup on her desk. She probably liked her desk as she liked her life, neat and orderly, Castle thought. “Why are you here? It’s not to ‘gain inspiration for a new series’ as you claim. You write Fantasy, not crime mysteries. All you are doing is distracting me from my work.”
“Oh, I’m distracting you?” he perked up. “But you’re wrong!” He noticed her lips purse. She didn’t like to be told she was wrong, she probably loathed to actually be proven wrong. “I am looking for inspiration for my new series, which will be centered on a modern cop dealing with supernatural crime. And vampires.”
She blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly serious.” For a second, he let the experienced watcher shine through the facade of the humble author. Let her see the stare of a man who had fought the First Evil and lived to tell and write the tale.
Since she rolled her eyes in response, she probably had missed all that. He really had to work on it. It was so much easier to put in writing. He smiled his most ruggedly charming smile at her instead. “You intrigue me, Detective. I can see you handle vampires, book Brachen Demons and shoot Polgara Demons.”
“You’ve got a very vivid imagination, Mister Castle.”
“Oh, yes.” His smile widened, and she frowned again.
A whistle from Esposito drew their attention to the elevator area, and Castle winced. Vi had arrived, and she had ‘dressed to impress’ - but a biker gang, not cops. The redhead was wearing black leather jacket and pants, matching boots, and a low-cut top that left her midriff bare. He just knew she had done that to make a statement, but he didn’t exactly know which. Probably part of the rivalry with Beckett she assumed to exist. Slayers!
“What’s your girlfriend doing here? Other than making a spectacle?” Apparently, that rivalry wasn’t just Vi’s imagination, judging by the icy tone of the detective.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Castle answered automatically. “And I suppose she brought me the keys to my new car.” He pointed at the keys Vi was juggling as she made her way towards them in the most provocative manner she could manage. “Must have been taking lessons from Faith,” Rick whispered, too low for anyone but Vi to hear. His Slayer grinned in response.
“New car? What happened to the Z3?” Ryan asked. Probably to keep himself from staring and looking foolish, like his partner.
“Nothing. But it only has two seat, and I can’t expect the good detective to sit in my lap for every ride. It’s illegal, after all.” Rick quipped, and instantly regretted it.
“You sat on his lap, Beckett?” Ryan stared at the woman, who was fuming at Castle.
“It was an emergency. We had to race to save the third victim of Smith, remember?” Beckett explained to her two colleagues, while shooting Castle a death glare. “And if anyone brings this up again, they’ll live to regret it for a long time.”
Rick and the two detectives nodded in unison. Vi giggled, and tossed him the keys. “Here, Rick. It handles like a dream.”
“What did you buy?” Esposito asked, still staring at Vi, or rather, at her body.
“Ford Shelby GT500KR. I wanted a practical car for police work.” Rick explained. It had been rather cheap too.
“I don’t want to know what you’d consider an impractical car,” Beckett commented, while the two detectives whistled again. She sent them a glare, which shut them up at once. “Don’t get your hopes up, boys. She’s his ‘driver’.” Castle glared at her for the insinuation, but she ignored it.
“You can drive me anywhere, anytime!” Esposito declared, smiling at the redhead.
“You won’t say that after you’ve gotten a ride with her.” Beckett dryly commented.
“That sounds dirty, Beckett.” Esposito answered, but cringed when she narrowed her eyes at him.
“In any case, you’ve brought him the keys to his new toy… have a nice day, Miss Driver.” Beckett smiled at Vi, then pointedly looked at the exit.
Vi smiled back, and Castle was reminded of a few of the ‘disputes’ between Slayers he had seen. It was more a baring of teeth. “I’m not just Rick’s driver, I‘m also his bodyguard. So you won’t have to worry about keeping him safe and can focus on solving your case.”
Rick wished she hadn’t put that emphasis on ‘body’. At least she wasn’t leaning against him as if she was marking her territory. She had done that a few times, wrecking possible relationships. He was certain she had been cahoots with the other two redheads in his life in those cases, but no one had ever admitted it.
“A bodyguard? You?” Beckett had stood up and was staring at the slightly smaller - even without heels - Slayer.
“Yes, me,” Vi smiled, impudently. “Don’t worry, if needed, I’ll protect you too.”
No one reacted to Esposito’s muttered ‘you can protect me anytime’ while the two women stared at each other. Castle had to fight the urge to take cover.
“I doubt that Castle will be swarmed with rabid fans during one of our investigations, so I don’t think your services will be needed.” Beckett stated.
“I am ready for any threat,” Vi answered, patting her jacket.
“I am certain the detective can keep me safe,” Castle threw in, but he was ignored as Becket raised an eyebrow,
“Are you armed?” Beckett tensed up.
“Yes.” Vi’s expression would have grazed every NRA poster about ‘cold dead fingers’ if anyone had made a picture right then. “I’ve got licenses for all my weapons, of course.”
“All your weapons?” Beckett’s lips formed a very thin line now.
“The rest is in the car.” Vi blithely - or not so blithely - explained.
“Mister Castle! It’s one thing to have an author following us around, getting into our way. It’s another thing to have his armed girlfriend shooting us or others by mistake when she tries to play hero again! This is not acceptable!”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Castle answered. Why didn’t anyone believe him?
“I’m a better shot than anyone else here.” Vi stated, with narrowed eyes. She was growing angry, Rick knew. Slayers usually got as testy when people doubted their skills as when someone tried to take their weapons, and this was shaping up to become a perfect storm. Worse than Faith’s last visit to the LAPD, and there was still wild speculation about that incident on conspiracy theory forums.
“I am sure you are,” Beckett’s voice dripped with so much sarcasm, Castle was tempted to check if there was a puddle on the floor.
“Wanna bet? I’ll outshoot you and the two stooges, and you’ll shut up about me possibly endangering you. I don’t, and Castle has to brave the dangers of New York alone.” Vi grinned.
Castle groaned. That was the most stupid thing he had heard since Spike offering to babysit Alexis. No one sane would agree to that kind of bet.
“You’re on.”
Maybe he had overestimated Beckett’s sanity. Or underestimated her pride.
*****
The range in the basement of the 12th Precinct was nothing fancy. A few lanes with targets that could be moved to various distances. Knowing Vi, Castle donned ear protection at once. Fortunately, the detectives followed suit. He had to glare at Vi before she grabbed ear protectors as well.
“Now…” Beckett trailed off when Vi started to walk past every lane, sending the targets back with the remote. Castle sighed, knowing what was coming. He blamed Faith, for introducing the girls to that stunt, under the pretext of winning free drinks in bets.
“Time!” Vi called, standing in the lane in the middle.
“Go!” Castle said, hitting the stopwatch app on his phone.
It was remarkable how close to an automatic weapon a pistol sounded when fired by a Slayer as fast as she could pull the trigger.
“Three seconds.”
“You were too slow to click, Rick!”
Eight targets, each hit in the middle of the head, and in the heart area. Each shot placed in the exact same spot. At least she hadn’t shot at the groin area, this time. The cops were staring. At the target, at Vi, then at Castle.
“She grew up in a family where shooting was the only hobby allowed?” Castle smiled weakly while Vi walked out. “And she’s not my girlfriend!” he added.
Not that anyone would listen to him. Not the cops, not his family, not his Slayer. Story of his life.
Author: Starfox5
Rating: FR18
Crossover: “Castle”
Written for: TtH August Fic A Day Challenge
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Castle Characters belong to Beacon PIctures and ABC Studio. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.
Summary: What was it with Slayers and challenges?
New York, April 2009
“You know, if I was an insecure man, I’d suspect you were not happy to see me,” Richard Castle commented while testing the chair he had nicked near detective Beckett’s desk.
“If you were a bit more perceptive, and less narcissistic, you’d know that I’m not happy about the fact that some rich Fantasy author gets to follow me around, hindering my work, just because the Mayor’s a fan!” Beckett glared at him.
He cringed a bit - the woman was armed, after all - but he rallied quickly. “In my experience, an outside view, an open mind, some unorthodox theories, often greatly benefit any organization.” Like the Watchers Council, for example. Even if Mary and Rupert both tended to complain that they had a bit too many ‘open minds’ at times, with the Scoobies in charge.
“I will be grateful for your presence the next time we have to arrest a vampire, Mister Castle.” Her smile was condescendingly sweet and false.
“Please - only a fool would arrest a vampire. Those undead demons need to be staked at once!” he declared. With the possible exception of one or two souled vampires. “You should know that, after reading my books.”
She rolled her eyes, then grabbed the pen he was twirling around his fingers and put it back in the small cup on her desk. She probably liked her desk as she liked her life, neat and orderly, Castle thought. “Why are you here? It’s not to ‘gain inspiration for a new series’ as you claim. You write Fantasy, not crime mysteries. All you are doing is distracting me from my work.”
“Oh, I’m distracting you?” he perked up. “But you’re wrong!” He noticed her lips purse. She didn’t like to be told she was wrong, she probably loathed to actually be proven wrong. “I am looking for inspiration for my new series, which will be centered on a modern cop dealing with supernatural crime. And vampires.”
She blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly serious.” For a second, he let the experienced watcher shine through the facade of the humble author. Let her see the stare of a man who had fought the First Evil and lived to tell and write the tale.
Since she rolled her eyes in response, she probably had missed all that. He really had to work on it. It was so much easier to put in writing. He smiled his most ruggedly charming smile at her instead. “You intrigue me, Detective. I can see you handle vampires, book Brachen Demons and shoot Polgara Demons.”
“You’ve got a very vivid imagination, Mister Castle.”
“Oh, yes.” His smile widened, and she frowned again.
A whistle from Esposito drew their attention to the elevator area, and Castle winced. Vi had arrived, and she had ‘dressed to impress’ - but a biker gang, not cops. The redhead was wearing black leather jacket and pants, matching boots, and a low-cut top that left her midriff bare. He just knew she had done that to make a statement, but he didn’t exactly know which. Probably part of the rivalry with Beckett she assumed to exist. Slayers!
“What’s your girlfriend doing here? Other than making a spectacle?” Apparently, that rivalry wasn’t just Vi’s imagination, judging by the icy tone of the detective.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Castle answered automatically. “And I suppose she brought me the keys to my new car.” He pointed at the keys Vi was juggling as she made her way towards them in the most provocative manner she could manage. “Must have been taking lessons from Faith,” Rick whispered, too low for anyone but Vi to hear. His Slayer grinned in response.
“New car? What happened to the Z3?” Ryan asked. Probably to keep himself from staring and looking foolish, like his partner.
“Nothing. But it only has two seat, and I can’t expect the good detective to sit in my lap for every ride. It’s illegal, after all.” Rick quipped, and instantly regretted it.
“You sat on his lap, Beckett?” Ryan stared at the woman, who was fuming at Castle.
“It was an emergency. We had to race to save the third victim of Smith, remember?” Beckett explained to her two colleagues, while shooting Castle a death glare. “And if anyone brings this up again, they’ll live to regret it for a long time.”
Rick and the two detectives nodded in unison. Vi giggled, and tossed him the keys. “Here, Rick. It handles like a dream.”
“What did you buy?” Esposito asked, still staring at Vi, or rather, at her body.
“Ford Shelby GT500KR. I wanted a practical car for police work.” Rick explained. It had been rather cheap too.
“I don’t want to know what you’d consider an impractical car,” Beckett commented, while the two detectives whistled again. She sent them a glare, which shut them up at once. “Don’t get your hopes up, boys. She’s his ‘driver’.” Castle glared at her for the insinuation, but she ignored it.
“You can drive me anywhere, anytime!” Esposito declared, smiling at the redhead.
“You won’t say that after you’ve gotten a ride with her.” Beckett dryly commented.
“That sounds dirty, Beckett.” Esposito answered, but cringed when she narrowed her eyes at him.
“In any case, you’ve brought him the keys to his new toy… have a nice day, Miss Driver.” Beckett smiled at Vi, then pointedly looked at the exit.
Vi smiled back, and Castle was reminded of a few of the ‘disputes’ between Slayers he had seen. It was more a baring of teeth. “I’m not just Rick’s driver, I‘m also his bodyguard. So you won’t have to worry about keeping him safe and can focus on solving your case.”
Rick wished she hadn’t put that emphasis on ‘body’. At least she wasn’t leaning against him as if she was marking her territory. She had done that a few times, wrecking possible relationships. He was certain she had been cahoots with the other two redheads in his life in those cases, but no one had ever admitted it.
“A bodyguard? You?” Beckett had stood up and was staring at the slightly smaller - even without heels - Slayer.
“Yes, me,” Vi smiled, impudently. “Don’t worry, if needed, I’ll protect you too.”
No one reacted to Esposito’s muttered ‘you can protect me anytime’ while the two women stared at each other. Castle had to fight the urge to take cover.
“I doubt that Castle will be swarmed with rabid fans during one of our investigations, so I don’t think your services will be needed.” Beckett stated.
“I am ready for any threat,” Vi answered, patting her jacket.
“I am certain the detective can keep me safe,” Castle threw in, but he was ignored as Becket raised an eyebrow,
“Are you armed?” Beckett tensed up.
“Yes.” Vi’s expression would have grazed every NRA poster about ‘cold dead fingers’ if anyone had made a picture right then. “I’ve got licenses for all my weapons, of course.”
“All your weapons?” Beckett’s lips formed a very thin line now.
“The rest is in the car.” Vi blithely - or not so blithely - explained.
“Mister Castle! It’s one thing to have an author following us around, getting into our way. It’s another thing to have his armed girlfriend shooting us or others by mistake when she tries to play hero again! This is not acceptable!”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Castle answered. Why didn’t anyone believe him?
“I’m a better shot than anyone else here.” Vi stated, with narrowed eyes. She was growing angry, Rick knew. Slayers usually got as testy when people doubted their skills as when someone tried to take their weapons, and this was shaping up to become a perfect storm. Worse than Faith’s last visit to the LAPD, and there was still wild speculation about that incident on conspiracy theory forums.
“I am sure you are,” Beckett’s voice dripped with so much sarcasm, Castle was tempted to check if there was a puddle on the floor.
“Wanna bet? I’ll outshoot you and the two stooges, and you’ll shut up about me possibly endangering you. I don’t, and Castle has to brave the dangers of New York alone.” Vi grinned.
Castle groaned. That was the most stupid thing he had heard since Spike offering to babysit Alexis. No one sane would agree to that kind of bet.
“You’re on.”
Maybe he had overestimated Beckett’s sanity. Or underestimated her pride.
*****
The range in the basement of the 12th Precinct was nothing fancy. A few lanes with targets that could be moved to various distances. Knowing Vi, Castle donned ear protection at once. Fortunately, the detectives followed suit. He had to glare at Vi before she grabbed ear protectors as well.
“Now…” Beckett trailed off when Vi started to walk past every lane, sending the targets back with the remote. Castle sighed, knowing what was coming. He blamed Faith, for introducing the girls to that stunt, under the pretext of winning free drinks in bets.
“Time!” Vi called, standing in the lane in the middle.
“Go!” Castle said, hitting the stopwatch app on his phone.
It was remarkable how close to an automatic weapon a pistol sounded when fired by a Slayer as fast as she could pull the trigger.
“Three seconds.”
“You were too slow to click, Rick!”
Eight targets, each hit in the middle of the head, and in the heart area. Each shot placed in the exact same spot. At least she hadn’t shot at the groin area, this time. The cops were staring. At the target, at Vi, then at Castle.
“She grew up in a family where shooting was the only hobby allowed?” Castle smiled weakly while Vi walked out. “And she’s not my girlfriend!” he added.
Not that anyone would listen to him. Not the cops, not his family, not his Slayer. Story of his life.