332. Chapter 332

After Murder Most Fowl

Episode 3.08

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm in a fowl mood because I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Richard Castle took a deep breath. I can do this. I have to do this. I've been working up my nerve for three days now and I am absolutely ready. Oh, sure. She's not ready. I don't know if she ever will be ready for this. But I love her. I love her and I have to do this.

"Pumpkin? Do you have a minute?"

Alexis Castle looked up from her homework. "Sure, Dad. What do you need?"

"We need to talk." He took another deep breath. I can do this. "Pumpkin, I know that I can be over protective sometimes…"

"You? Over protective?" Alexis frowned and scrunched her nose, concentrating. "Where did you get that idea?"

Castle smiled. This would be easier than he thought. "I guess you just haven't noticed, Alexis, but…"

"Dad! I was being sarcastic! You? Overprotective? If being overprotective was an Olympic event, you'd have gold medals from like the last four Olympics. If they gave Nobel Prizes for being overprotective, the mantel would be groaning under the weight of your awards from the Swedish Academy. You are to overprotectiveness what Gandhi was to non-violence. You are to…"

Castle held up his hands to stop her. "Okay! Okay! I get the idea. We both agree that I can be overprotective."

She nodded. "Absolutely. So what is this about?"

"I told you a little about the kidnapping I was involved in. The boy who was kidnapped was not that much younger than you. His father had access to some valuable information, which is why he was kidnapped. I have a lot of money, which makes you a target."

"Dad! I know all of this. In fact I was the one who told you the statistics about kidnapping for ransom, remember? The number of kidnappings for ransom, according to FBI statistics…."

"Alexis! I don't need a lecture. I need to talk to you."

Alexis slowly shook her head. She had a feeling that this would not go well. "Talk."

"There's an app I can get for your phone that will show your location at all times. It's based on the GPS system in the phone."

"The first thing any kidnapper will do is toss my phone." Alexis said reasonably.

"But we'll know where you last were, right?" Castle smiled. "That's where this comes in." He held up his phone and showed her a picture on it. "It looks like a charm bracelet, but this is a miniaturized GPS system. No one will think to take your jewelry away. Cool, right?"

Alexis looked at it. "It's hideous. And you think that's miniaturized? Those charms are so big, I'll be walking leaning to one side if I wear it. And I will not wear it!"

"Alexis! You need to wear this."

Alexis stood up and headed for her room. "Neiman Marcus is having a sale. Grace and I will be at the mall." She said over her shoulder. In seconds she was back and headed out the door.

"Alexis?" Castle called after her. She didn't respond.

Castle went to the window. He saw a cab pull up and saw Grace get out to hug Alexis, then the two girls got in the cab and were off. Castle was just about to go back to his office when he saw a figure on a motorcycle take off after the cab. The figure, who was quite bulky, was dressed all in black, and his face was obscured by a helmet. Castle could see long dark hair poking out from under helmet in back.

What! Some tatted up outlaw biker is shadowing Alexis? His mind went back to the murder of Derek Brookner and the Visigoths motorcycle gang. His heart froze.

Castle went to his closet and dragged out on old jacket, and a beat up Yankees cap. He got a pair of sunglasses and headed out to track the biker. Undercover! I can do this!

He drove to the mall and headed for the sales. He noticed he was not blending in very well with hordes of women headed for Neiman Marcus. He tried to look inconspicuous.

He easily spotted Alexis by her red hair. There! The outlaw biker wasn't ten feet from Alexis. He was trying to look like he wasn't paying attention to her, but Castle knew he was. He carefully worked through the crowd until he was right behind the thug.

He decided direct action was in order. He reached around and grabbed the criminal. He noticed two things, one right after the other. One was that the biker had boobs and he had grabbed one. The second thing was an elbow rammed into his ribs. Repeatedly. Biker whirled, and slammed her fists into his midsection. Castle collapsed to his knees. His breath had been knocked out of him.

"Mr. Castle?" Said a voice above him.

He looked up. The biker was a young girl. A large, muscular young girl, to be sure, but a young girl.

"Daddy!" That was Alexis. "What are you doing?" She turned to the biker. "Carolyn, what happened?"

They were interrupted by two security guards and well dressed older woman who repeatedly referred to Castle as "That pervert."

After an hour with mall security, Castle was released in the custody of Alexis. Once outside the mall, Carolyn tried to apologize to him. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Castle. I take karate and tae kwon do lessons you know. I lift weights. If I'd known it was you…"

Castle shook his head. "No. My fault entirely, Carolyn." He wheezed, still having trouble with his breath.

"It's his fault entirely, Carolyn." Alexis turned to her father. "We'll talk about this later." Alexis said to him coldly.

The next morning at the precinct, Castle told Beckett about his misadventure.

Beckett smiled, but didn't laugh at him. Thanks for small mercies.

"Castle, why didn't you just call me?"

"I didn't want to bother you." He said, quite embarrassed.

She shook her head. "I'm a cop. You're supposed to bother me when you think there's a crime in progress. Even if it just turns out to be a friend of Alexis' following her and her friend to a sale. You'd have saved everyone a lot of trouble."

"Okay. I'll call you in the future for any other imaginary kidnapping plots." He waited for a second. "Are you going to tell Ryan and Esposito?"

She looked at him seriously. "I probably should, but I won't. One of your most endearing qualities is your love for Alexis. And something could happen to her in the future. And if it does happen, I don't want you to not call me because you're afraid of ridicule." She smiled at him. "But you owe me for this, Castle. You owe me big time."

He nodded. "I owe you big time." Castle smiled in relief and for another reason. She thinks I have endearing qualities.

Author's note: A guest reviewing chapter 330 asked: "So, does this mean when you "rewrite" Probable Cause, JT will make a return with Dr. N?"

Answer: Maybe. I don't really plan that far ahead.