522. Chapter 522

After Swan Song

Episode 5.07

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Watch me lip sync that I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"You know that it would be untrue"You know that I would be a liar"If I was to say to you"Girl, we couldn't get much higher"Come on baby, light my fire…."

Castle froze when he saw Kate Beckett standing in the door of the loft with a huge grin on her face. "Not bad, Castle. Or should I call you the Lizard King now?"

Castle bowed to his girlfriend and smiled. "You can call me anything you like, Detective Beckett. Anything at all."

"How about "lover", then?" She teased. "But seriously, are you getting ready for one of your Guitar Hero sessions with Alexis?"

Castle grinned smugly. "Not exactly."

"So, what? Exactly?"

"Alexis is taking a course called Contemporary America this year. They begin by studying the 60's, since a lot of what's happening in America now began, or at least became more important, in the 60's; the peace movement, environmentalism, civil rights, feminism and rock and roll."

"So, you're planning on forming a Doors cover band to help her with her homework, or interfere with her homework?"

"Neither. Several of the students listened to music from the 60's and decided to form a band. Alexis is the keyboardist and you are looking at the head roadie for Purple Passion Poison."

"Purple Passion Poison? Really?" Kate suppressed a laugh.

Castle nodded. "Apparently there's a website that'll generate a rock band name for you. But somehow the first name it generated didn't appeal to anyone."

Kate knew she shouldn't ask, but she did anyway. "And the name was?"

"Electric Screaming Cannibals." Castle deadpanned.

Kate giggled. "I can see their point. Purple Passion Poison is much better."

"And, I have it on good authority that Sunny and Share will be with the group at their first gig."

Kate frowned. "Um, Castle, I hate to tell you this, but Sonny Bono won't be able to make it on account of being dead. And I think Cher is a little out of even your price range."

Castle walked over and kissed her gently. "No, S-U-N-N-Y and S-H-A-R-E. Otherwise known as you and me. We'll be great."

She shook her head. "Castle, as you well know, I do not share. And I don't sing."

"What do you mean? You have a great singing voice. Much better than mine." Castle stopped and thought for a second. "Well, better than mine. By a bit."

"I don't sing in public. I've never been able to. I get terrible stage fright. So, Sunny and Share are a non-starter. Sorry, lover."

Castle kissed her again. "Don't worry, I know a guy."

"Castle…" Beckett said, giving him a patented Beckett glare. She hoped the glare did some good, but she doubted it.

Castle spent much of the next week watching U- Tube and devouring music from the era. He went back as far as Bill Haley and His Comets, and early rockabilly, and as far forward as the disco era. By the band's first rehearsal, he was ready to rock and roll.

While Alexis and her friends discussed the rehearsal and the songs they wanted to cover, Castle got on stage, got out the Fender Stratocaster he'd bought and began on his cover of Rock and Roll Music, complete with a Chuck Berry signature duck walk.

"Just let me hear some of that"Rock And Roll Music,"Any old way you choose it;"It's got a back beat, you can't lose it,"Any old time you use it."It's gotta be Rock And Roll Music,"If you want to dance with me,"If you want to dance with me."

While Castle's chord work was acceptable and his singing perhaps a bit better, the duck walk got away from him. As he hopped on one leg, he found himself losing control of himself as he moved forward and in danger of falling down. Not wanting to stop and put both legs down, he tried hopping harder, which didn't seem to help. Between the duck walk, playing the guitar and singing, he didn't notice the woman bending over at the end of the stage until it was too late.

He stopped at once when he heard the woman scream and realized he'd goosed her with the guitar. Then he realized something else.

"Mr. Castle!" Captain Gates screamed at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Rock and Roll Music." Castle blurted out. "It's Chuck Berry's…Um…Uh…"

"And you think that gives you the right to assault me? In public?"

"No, sir. I was playing and doing the duck walk and things…got out of hand."

"Hello, Captain Gates. What are you doing here?" Kate asked, coming into the rehearsal at exactly the wrong moment.

"Detective Beckett." Gates said, narrowing her eyes and glaring. "I might have known I'd find you here as well as your….co-conspirator. As to what I'm doing here, I'm leaving. And I will see both of you in my office in the morning." With that, Gates stomped angrily off and out of the small club where the rehearsal was being held.

"What happened?" Kate asked.

When Castle told her, she tried not to laugh, but couldn't quite manage it. "Castle, maybe rock and roll just isn't your thing."

"Well, just to show you how wrong you are, I've written some songs in the psychedelic style of the sixties for the band. I'm sure they love them. They're looking them over now."

Alexis then walked over and killed Castle's dream of being a rock god music writer. "Dad, where did you find these songs? They're awful. Jamie says they all sound like bad imitations of the Grateful Dead."

Castle stared at his beloved daughter for a second, then spoke. "I know a guy. I got them from him."

Alexis shook her head. "Well, lose his phone number. You don't need to know him."

Castle smiled sadly and got off the stage as the band got ready to rehearse.

Halfway through the first set, Castle heard a familiar voice from behind him. "Far freaking out, bro. I didn't know Little Castle was that good."

He turned to Espo to find Ryan was there as well. "Alexis is great at everything she does. And what are you two doing here. There'd better not be a murder. We're busy."

Espo shook his head. "Beckett told us where she'd be in case we had to get in touch with her. We decided we'd come and take a look. Glad we did." Espo began to dance to the band and Ryan tapped his toe.

At the end of the set, Jamie, the band's frontman came over, dressed in full 60's garb; Faded bell bottom jeans, sandals, an American flag shirt, mirror shades, and a headband over his curly locks. "Far freaking out. I heard the pigs would be by." He pointed to the badge hanging around Espo's neck.

"Pigs? And what are you?" Espo snarled.

"Pre-law, actually."

"So, you're going to be a criminal defense lawyer?"

Jamie looked shocked. "Be serious, dude. I'm going into corporate law where the money is. Grinding the faces of the poor is optional, though."

"Not very 60's." Castle observed.

Jamie shrugged. "It's the twenty first century, dudes and dudette." And he walked off.

"I hope he goes to prison for insider trading." Castle muttered.

When the rehearsal was over, Castle took Beckett's arm, "Come on. We don't want to be late for our appointment."

"What appointment?"

"I told you I know a guy."

Castle refused to tell where they were going. It turned out to be a small recording studio.

"Castle! I told you, I can't sing in public. Can't. Do you understand that?"

"You'll be singing with me. The music is on tape and we'll be faced away from the engineer. As far as you'll be able to tell, we're all alone, just like when we sing in the shower. Except we'll have our clothes on."

Kate glared at him. "We'd better. Castle, I don't know about this. Can't we just..."

Rick took her arm and led her into the studio.

It took a couple of takes, but Kate was able to relax enough to forget that there was one other person watching her. When they had a good take, Kate and Rick faced a video camera and they lip synced I've Got You, Babe.

That night as they watched themselves on the DVD, Castle whispered in her ear, "You've got me and I've got you."

"Babe." Kate added.

Author's note: I tried the online band name generator, but couldn't get anything as good as Electric Screaming Cannibals. I'm a man ahead of my time.