Welcome to the second installment of "Close Encounters Of the Fourth Kind"! I'm glad you found your way here :)

If you didn't read CE4, I don't blame you. It was certainly not everyone's cup of coffee. And more than a little on the crackfic side. But it was a fun ride, if I may say so. You should definitely go read it. It's only just a bit over 30,000 words long (according to FFnet *cough*) :D

For those of you who have read it but whose memories are a bit sketchy on the details, I'll let Jonny do a little refresher ;)

This will be a crossover with the tv shows "Chuck" and "Eureka". Considering the nature of these shows (two amazing shows who are perfect for binge watching), you can imagine this story will dive into the depths of science fiction and AUs ;)

Revised word count (chapter): 2626 words

Revised word count (total): 2626 words

Chapter 1: Old Friends

Oh man... what a trip. Jonny Gerthson, world's savior extraordinaire...

Oh, hey there! Didn't see you until now. Hah, you wouldn't believe what I lived through if I told you... actually, that idea isn't half bad, now that I think of. It's worth a shot, anyway. Couldn't hurt, right?

Some of you may know me already, but I'd like to take a minute to introduce myself properly before I tell you my story.

My name is Jonny Gerthson, and I'm twenty one years old. Wait, actually I'm sixteen... or was it the other way around? Never mind, I always confuse those two. I'll get to me having two ages later. Not much about me makes sense these days, anyway. It has been well over a year since I went from four semesters of IT to spy business in about half a week. I shrank an inch. I exchanged my happy family for two supervisors who hate each other's guts.

Want to know how my life went FUBAR?...

Too bad, I'll tell you anyway.

Over a year ago, I met an alien presence I had believed to be fictional until that fateful night. Which alien presence, you may ask? If you have played the Half-Life series, you may know him as the G-Man. He's a bit of a bore, and his speech cadence may grate on your nerves... but honestly? He just has a shitty personality.

According to astronomer and UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek, such "close encounters" can be classified into three levels, which are arranged according to increasing proximity.

A CE1 is a simple UFO sighting within five hundred feet; nothing spectacular yet. A CE2 means the aliens have a physical effect. Car engines dying, animals panicking, that sort of thing. A CE3 is where you actually see the alien and not just his UFO. Remember that movie, "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"? Yeah. Guess where its name comes from.

However, there are more levels to it than are originally included in Hynek's scale. My abduction by the G-Man would be considered a Close Encounter Of The Fourth Kind.

But it didn't suffice that he just abducted me, which is really bad on its own already, no... he saw it fit to dump me into another reality with some abstruse mission I still have no idea what it's about.

Also, I'm back in my pre-growth-spurt, fifteen year old, five feet seven tall body. Which sucks.

But to give credit where credit is due, the G-Man has actually made an effort to make our "arrangement" more "agreeable". It boils down to bribery, really.

For starters, I landed in the Castle Universe, which is pretty awesome in my books. Then I got an Intersect, a supercomputer imprinted directly into my brain via coded images, filled to the brim with information and skills (even dancing). I mean, how cool is that? Well, aside from the fear of possible side effects like paranoia, schizophrenia and potential brain cooking, but still. Then I was made a secret agent. Without government ties, so to the untrained eye, I may seem like a criminal... which, FYI, I am not. I just happen to stumble into bad situations where violence is unavoidable, okay. How is that my fault?

Oh-kay, that sounded better in my head. Moving on. Oh yeah, I'm stupid rich, by the way. Another perk of working for a secret alien organization. Sadly, the snarky butler ("Barrymore" - who calls himself that nowadays?) who likes calling me 'moron' is also part of the package.

Now that I'm done bragging about how awesome my fake life in a different reality is, I should tell you what has happened in the meantime.

I was only a few days in this new reality when I had to stop a terrorist from blowing up Castle's book release party (where I made friends with Alexis Castle, coincidentally).

After I caught the guy, my butler butchered the job, quite literally, by accidentally blowing up the terrorist instead of leaving him for the FBI to find.

Of course, everything went spiraling downwards after that. The case became political, the DA wanted me behind bars for a murder I didn't commit, and Kate Beckett saw me as a criminal. I lied through my teeth and pretended to have an information network and swindled my way to a position as informant (and unofficial guardian angel for Beckett, courtesy of Captain Montgomery), with my first point on the agenda being "bring down your own butler" - an action sanctioned by my alien bosses.

Remind me not to get cross with them.

After a ridiculous hunt through New York City with Beckett and company, and an unfriendly video sent to the police claiming responsibility, it all ended in a seedy warehouse rigged to blow with a shootout between Team Caskett (consisting of Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan, and yours truly)and a brainwashed SWAT team, followed by a duel (with real swords) between Barry and me.

I won.

Then everything calmed down a little, and I even fancied the thought that I can finally settle into my new life at peace.

Ah, youthful greenness.

Barry pulled a Coulson and came back from the dead. He returned to my side, even after having received his punishment at my hands (read: my sword in his chest), posing as my uncle - now under the name Andrew.

Talk about karma.

However, he's not alone. Thankfully. The uncle needs the aunt, doesn't he? Therefore, a lovely gal from the secret alien organization's Internal Affairs division named Cassandra has been assigned to me, too. She was the one who interrogated me when they looked into why the terrorist mission went south - and the one who put me in the hospital back then. Here's hoping she will keep Barry in check.

After helping Alexis with a "small problem" of hers on her prom night, and her father with a "related problem" afterwards, he invited me to one of his charity galas as a thank you gift. Of course I said yes.

And now you're up to speed! Perfect! Now, let's start with my newest adventure, shall we?

The day of the charity gala, 1403 hours, Casa Gerthson / McRiosca

The training room is still mostly dark. What little light comes through the windows is just enough to let me see where the next metal rung is, but barely anything else. Although, with the darker than normal shade the bulletproof glass always has and the bad storm outside, it's no wonder the room isn't exactly well lit, even at two in the afternoon.

Clank!... Clank!... Clank!

"Would you please stop showing off, Jonny? I can't even look at you doing all those salmon chin-ups."

Hanging from the long bar, I twist my head to look at the voice came from, only to see Andy standing in the door frame. "Why's that, old man? Just because your body can't hold up with that?" I ask with a grin.

My surrogate uncle lets out a disgusted noise while i climb down from the salmon ladder. "No, moron. Because you're going to a charity gala this evening and you have to get ready soon."

I raise my eyebrow at that. "It's 2 PM, Andy. I have, like, five hours before the thing starts. I think I can manage a little workout."

Of course, he's not so sure of that and crosses his arms. "Really? Tux, limo, shower, everything planned? Knowing you, I seriously doubt that."

I grab a towel from the stack and wipe up the sweat. "No, not exactly. But hey, this is important, too, right? What if I have to stop a target and I am out of breath because I didn't work out?"

Andy only snorts at that as he turns to leave. "Right, this has absolutely nothing to do with Castle's cute daughter. Speaking of which, what if you had to save the day this evening and you couldn't because you were too tired from your little workout? What would Alexis think?"

"That's so not fair to bring her into that! I only took her to Laser-Tag as a friend!" I yell after him. At least he doesn't see my face grow red, I don't need to give him further ammunition.

I hear him snickering in the corridor. "Sure, lad, whatever you say. Now shower, you need it!" Guess he doesn't need to see my face, after all.

A short, cold shower and a change of clothes later I step into the kitchen to the view of Cassandra... eh, I mean, Zoe, cooking.

"Well, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you in the kitchen," I tell her.

She throws a mock glare over her shoulder. "This is actually for your cover, kid."

I snicker as I pull a dish out of the drawer. "Sure. Your secret's safe with me."

"By the way, Andy will drive you."

I stop in my tracks, and the dish clatters onto the counter top. "Are you saying that to scare me? Because if so, good job, nice use of terror. Considering what has happened the last time he drove me to a party of Castle's, you'll understand that I'm really hesitant about that. Call me superstitious."

She waves me away and doesn't even turn around. "You're superstitious. You have nothing to worry about, everything will be fine."

Of course, that's exactly when a smurf-blue lightning decides to hit outside the window, the thunder reverberating from the kitchen walls.

Slackjawed, I stare out of the window and point outside rather dumbly. "That's... a rather vivid warning not to tempt fate like that."

The day of the charity gala, 1754 hours, at the charity gala

The limo comes to a halt at the red carpet, and I can see Andy spotting a bemused smile as I struggle to put the finishing touches to my fly.

"So... before I go, any last tranquilizers to safely stow away? Because I really don't want a rerun of last time," I quip from the backseat.

Andy gives me a dark look through the back mirror. "No, not really," he tells me casually, "but a variation of what I used on that SWAT team a while ago... You want some?"

It takes me about four seconds before I stand outside the car. "Nope, thank you. I'm good," I press through a forced smile I put up for the photographers, just in case one of them gets the idea to take notice of the young boy who's standing on the red carpet. It wouldn't do to scowl on page six, now would it?

Dodging two nosy reporters who remotely look like they could be interested in talking to me, I make my way to the bouncers who check my invitation to their list and then wave me through.

I'm a little bit early, but the ball room is already well filled, despite it being the biggest room I've ever been in. It could probably host that famous waltz gala in Vienna. If it were in Vienna, that is. I think it's a theater or something? It must be, it even has those fancy loges at the sides.

Sometimes, not being tall has its advantages in certain situations. For example, if you want to blend in with the masses, or when people shoot at you. Looking for someone in a crowd, however, is not one of those situations.

I'm standing on my toes to look for Castle, but I can't find him. Considering that he's the host of the evening, however, it's probably not a bad guess that he would be at the center of the attention. Said and done, I force myself through the thickest knots of people I can find, muttering excuses left and right.

At least I don't knock over any champagne flutes.

After I probably have incurred the wrath of half of New York's High Society, I hear Castle's trademark laugh, and moments later, a familiar shock of hair stands out.

"Glad you could make it, Jonny," Castle greets me with a smile as I push through the last group of people.

I grin back at the author. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. So, are all your charity events that crowded?"

That elicits a chuckle from him. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

I look around, but something's missing... "Where's Alexis? I thought she'd be here, too."

Castle's chuckle dies in his throat. "She's in the restrooms, but she should be here again soon. Say, what's up with you and Alexis?"

I'd say we're good friends, at least since the disaster known as Owen's prom... but I don't think it's wise to tell a father that you're 'good friends' with his daughter. It often turns out to be... unhealthy.

"We're... friends. Don't worry, my intention's aren't any less noble than yours with Beckett," I quip and let a smirk show on my face. Probably not the best time to joke, but when did that ever stop me?

"That's what I'm afraid of," he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear, although I don't think it was intentional.

"No need to go all 'Papa Bear' on him, dad," a voice laughs from behind his back. "If I recall correctly, him being a friend for me and being there for me was what made you invite him in the first place, right?"

Alexis makes a sidestep and emerges from behind her dad. Then she pulls me into a hug.

Huh. That's a switch. I'm definitely not used to being hugged. It's not too bad, though.

"I'm glad you came tonight. It's the least we could do to thank you," she says with a smile.

I wave her away while I feel my cheeks heat up, and for once, it's not because of an innuendo.

"You know that's not true. I only did what a friend would do."

She gives me a disapproving look, but stays silent on the topic for now. Instead, her dad pipes up. "I thought you'd bring your aunt and uncle with you. I was looking forward to finally meet them."

I snort at that. "Yeah, well, they're a tad too paranoid for that. Open rooms and big crowds, that's a 'safety-conscious citizen's nightmare'. But I'm sure we can invite the three of you over for dinner sometime. I'd even make my infamous onion tart, and my uncle should be able to get his hands on a few bottles of 'Federweisser'."

Alexis raises an eyebrow at that. "I didn't know you can cook."

I smirk. "Technically, it's baking, but yes, I've been doing it for a while now."

However, before she can retort, a shot is fired into the ceiling, and I pull both Castle and Alexis down to the floor in a knee-jerk reaction.

I turn my head to scan the room for the source. Thankfully, we're not the only ones who had the idea to get on the floor, so I can actually see stuff. I count sixteen guys, dressed in black and with black ski masks on, standing in the entrance.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the one in the front yells, "today's entertainment is brought to you by random acts of violence! In the spirit of the cause of this evening's get-together, we kindly ask you to 'donate' your wallets, jewelries and other valuables. Much obliged, you're all very generous!"

I slowly push us further away from them, towards the wall. Once we're finally there, I start softly banging my head against the cool marble.

"Damn you, Zoe! Why did you have to tempt fate? One party, that's all I want. A single frakkin' party without guns or bombs, is that too much to ask for?"

Yes. Yes, it is.

Reviews are welcome :)