As they pulled up to the house, Castle strongly regretted returning. They needed to, for their friends. Yet at the same time, he felt as if his friends were in no danger, and he and Kate were better off getting a room at the inn.He was about to voice this opinion to Kate, when she inhaled deeply.

"What, what is it?" Stopping the car, he waited for her to say something. "Kate?"

"Was that there before?" Her voice wavered. Her eyes were directed at the barn beside the house. Castle thought for a moment.

"Yeah. We just didn't really notice it because of all the distractions. Rain, tow trucks. Blah blah." He watched a series of expressions wash over her face, relief being the most forthcoming.

"Oh… Okay."

"You're letting paranoia get the best of you. I need you sane." Slowly, she nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Kate was first to push open her car door, the pair approaching the house side by side. It was midafternoon, and she was beginning to wish they'd stopped for lunch. The door swung open before one of them could even knock, and standing there was Lanie. She closed the door and stepped out; much to their surprise.

"Lanie?" Kate questioned.

"Jack woke up later than everybody else today, just a half hour ago actually. He came up from the basement and started a huge argument with his brother. It got out of hand, he ended up storming out. The air is pretty dark in there. You two being there… It's only gonna make it worse."

"Why?" Castle shook his head. He knew Carol wasn't too fond of them, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

"I don't know, but they kept mentioning you two earlier and they really don't like you. At all."

"So what are we supposed to do, wait in the car for the tow truck?" The woman shrugged and sighed.

"So you called, then?"

"Yeah." The door opened again, Carol exiting with a somber expression.

"You two. Welcome back." Her lips were in a thin line. "Have you eaten yet?" After a moment's hesitation, they shook their heads. "Well then, I better feed you. Come on in." Not only were Kate and Castle surprised by her change of demeanor, but Lanie seemed just as shocked. She shrugged at her friends as they followed the woman back in her house. "Take a seat, I'll be with you in a second." They sat in the dining room, a pretty plain room of the house. One long table with chairs decorating the sides and ends. Located right next to the kitchen and living room, but separated by walls.

"I'm going to tell Javier to look out for the tow truck." Lanie told her two friends, leaving the dining room. It was quiet the moment she left, the two adults just sitting across from each other silently.

"How long do you think it will take?" The detective asked softly.

"Depends on where the tow truck company is located."

"Tow truck can give the two people that won't fit in the car a ride, right?"

"Sure, to the company at least. From there they can call a cab." She sighed in relief, slowly nodding her head.

"Oh, no!" A female gasped from the living room.

"What is it?" Carol shouted, exiting the kitchen with two plates. She quickly placed them in front of Castle and Beckett, making her way to the living room. The pair tilted their head to try and get a view out the open doorway.

"Another storm is headed our way." Jenny told her, the group of people standing by the front door, it swung wide open. The clouds were shading the heavens, dark and fluffy; a warning. Already the raindrops began to fall.

"Not again." Ryan frowned.

"The tow truck should be halfway here." Lanie decided, trying to convince herself. "If not down the block. We shouldn't worry."

"Worst comes to worst, you spend another night here." Carol reassured them. "Don't even worry with imposing."

"It's not that we mind your house, we just should be getting home." Lanie told her kindly. "Thank you so much for being so welcoming though, really." Castle had already begun eating along with Kate, not to say they weren't at least eavesdropping.

"What's with all this storming?" Kate asked him. "We checked the weather before we left for our little trip. Everything seemed like it'd work out just fine."

"Sometimes, unexpected disappointments happen." He shrugged his fork. He clucked his tongue. "Does this food taste funny to you?" Shaking her head, she went back to her own food. Despite the strange taste, Castle continued to munch on the food, not having eaten today.

"I need to check on Trevor." Carol made her way towards the stairs. Once out of sight, the group entered the dining room and sat around the table to converse.

"What do we do?" Lanie asked. "I mean, if the tow truck doesn't come?"

"That's ridiculous," Esposito said, pointedly. "They'll come. They have to. It's not like the guy can just cancel."

"Oh, he can. If the weather gets bad enough." Jenny looked down, her expression sad. "I just want to go home." Her husband placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing it smoothly.

"I know, honey."

"Okay, that was the weirdest meal I've ever had." Castle stared at his finished plate. "It tasted like hot sauce or something." Kate shrugged.

"Mine was fine."

"Why are you guys so suspicious of Trevor and Carol?" Lanie questioned out of nowhere. "They're a little strange, but what do you expect considering?"

"We stopped at an inn to call the tow truck." The detective sighed. "The bartender told me some stuff. No one in town trusts this couple, and their son never died. He went missing. So, why would they tell us he was dead?"

"Probably, because it was too painful to talk about." Jenny said, looking to her husband who nodded for support. "It has to be better to think he's dead than to consider what hell he could be going through. If I was a parent I'd prefer to think he'd just died, hopefully in a peaceful way." All their attention was drawn to the doorway when they heard a door open and slam.

"Was that the front door?" Lanie wondered. Ryan and Esposito exchanged glances; following their lead, the rest of them walked behind. The main door was wide open.

"Must be the wind." Jenny rubbed her arm as the goose bumps began to rise. Quickly shutting the door, Esposito tried not to let it get to him, just like everything else. The middle of nowhere, strangers, weird occurrences. The sound of glass breaking was heard by all of them, their eyes peering to look at the shut basement door.

"The wind." Kevin's wife repeated.

"It's a basement," Lanie said, standing close to her boyfriend. "We shouldn't think much of it. Something fell over." She shrugged, eyes focused on the door.

"Let's check it out," Castle clapped his hands together anxiously. Immediately, his partner pulled his arm, pushing him further away from the door.

"Are you crazy?" She scolded him. "This is not your house, and we don't have the right."

"You can't tell me you're not curious."

"I didn't say I wasn't. It just isn't our place."

"Is everything okay?" The lady of the house stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at them. "You look frightened."

"We heard something break," Ryan said calmly, wrapping an arm around his wife. "In the basement." Saying nothing, she simply descended upon the stairs, a grim line across her face.

"It was probably just my son."

"Excuse me?" Jenny tilted her head forward, eyes widening.

"His spirit," She spat. "Sometimes, he's angry." A crack of thunder caused the group of friends to jump, their hearts picking up speed. "Anyway, Trevor is in a bad mood and he'll be down in a minute. I suggest you all head to your rooms."
"What about us?" Lanie glanced over at Javier.

"Right, you slept in the living room." A slow smile creeped on to her face, unlike any other she'd given them. It made them even more nervous about the house. "I'm sure there's room downstairs."

"Downstairs," Lanie repeated. "The basement."

"Exactly! It isn't the warmest part of the house, but it's better than my husband giving you the third degree."

"We'll take it," Esposito said before his girlfriend could interject with an attitude.

"We will?"

"Fantastic, you should head down there. First room on the right has a mattress on the ground. You'll have to settle there. You can find some blankets and pillows in one of the closets."

"Thanks for your hospitality."

"We understand that your husband is angry, so would you rather us go to an inn?" Castle prayed she'd say yes.

"Nonsense! The inn is overpriced and dirty." At the glare Ryan shot him, Castle kept quiet once again. Maybe, he was over reacting.

"Okay, just making sure."

"Skedaddle now, he'll be down in a second."

"Thanks again." Ryan nodded his head and headed upstairs with Jenny, Castle and Beckett following after. Lanie stared at the door to the basement with uncertainty.

"Javi…"

"It's okay, Lanie. It's just a basement. You work in a morgue, this can't possibly be worse." She nodded quickly.

"You're right. I guess it's just everything that Kate and Castle have been saying."

"He has a huge imagination and she listens to it. That's all it is." He pulled the door open and headed down first, the steps creaking as they pressed their feet against the ground. It was dark and dank, they really couldn't see much. Once they reached the end of the stairs, he put his hand up.

"Wait here, I'm going to look for a light." She sighed and agreed, her hand against the banister. He disappeared in to darkness, leaving her impatiently tapping her foot.

"Hurry up, Javier." Another moment, and then she heard something that sounded a lot like a pot falling from a shelf. "What was that?" She called. One more moment, and she decided to find him. Holding herself in the cold air, she stepped forward. "Javi, answer me!"

Up ahead, she could vaguely make out a chipped white door. Pushing it open, she squinted her eyes.

"Oh my god…" A gasp escaped her lips as she saw four lit candles surrounding a pentagram. From behind her, she didn't see Jack holding the pot she thought she'd heard. Slamming it against the back of her head, she fell forwards, landing on her front… Unconscious.

Castle stared out the window in what was once Paul's room, looking for a sign of human life. No cars passed by, no people walked. It was like this road was completely unnecessary.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked from the bed, messing around with a small children's toy. She couldn't seem to figure it out.

"Passing time." He glanced over at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I think this is a jack in the box, but it's not working." She continued to wind up the lever, yet nothing popped out.

"Why do you want something to pop out? Aren't those things kind of creepy?" He moved to sit beside her.

"Maybe, but what else can I do?" At his lack of an answer, she attempted to turn the lever again. It made the crackling noise of it winding up, but nothing popped out. The toy was terrifying. On every side of the box was a different clown, old fashioned and scratched. It was greying with a light melody playing as she turned the lever.

"Must be broken." He shrugged. Nonetheless, she still turned it when a little recording said, "Come closer…"

"What the hell?" She stared at the box, letting go of the lever.

"It's one of those trick ones." He smirked. "I love these. Alexis got me one for Christmas a few years back. It speaks to you then pops out." She placed it on her lap, no longer feeling the desire to freak herself out.

"Oh, come on." He pleaded. "Keep turning it."

"I'm not really looking to be 'surprised'."

"Well, it won't be a surprise anymore. I told you already." The curiosity was getting to her. "Do it, do it, do it." Castle cheered.

"You do it." She passed it over to him.

"Gladly." Pretending to be suspenseful, he flapped his hands around it like a bird, lifting the box in front of him as if it was holy.

"Just do it." Kate rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. Deciding to no longer play around with it, he turned the lever as she had before.

"Closer…" The box said. "Come closer, I have a secret…" All at once, a clown popped up, causing them both to jump. It was completely sudden when a purple gas came out of its open mouth, jagged teeth bared for them to see. The whisky purple cloud hit Castle square in the face, causing him to cough a considerable amount.

"What the hell?" Kate pushed the box on the ground. "Castle, are you okay?" She patted her hand against his back to help him clear the congestion.

"What was that crap!" He stared down at the box. "I think we should leave." He told her.

"Hey, you said yourself. It's just a gag gift. Probably… I don't know, candy!"

"Right. Purple cloud candy that tastes like ashes." He gave her doubtful look. "I will literally drag you out of here if you don't come willingly."

"What about the others?" Castle groaned, flopping back on the bed. Kate leaned on her hand, elbow against the pillow beside him.

"You alright there, writer boy?" She teased, poking fun at him.

"What if that purple cloud gave me aids?" Kate couldn't help it, she let out a howl of laughter.

"Aids!" Hysterical, she fell forwards off her elbow and leaned her head on his chest, her giggles vibrating his body. Feeling his heart squeeze, he wrapped his left arm around her back, avoiding rubbing it or anything that would make her pull away. "You're ridiculous," She told him.

"Is it hot in here?" He pulled on the neck of his t-shirt. "I think it did something to me."

"You're paranoid."

"I'm not kidding, Kate! Something really weird happening here." Feeling strange, he lifted himself from laying down and sat back, leaning against the wall.

"What's wrong?" She asked, now a bit concerned.

"My chest feels tight. You think I'd be used to it by now."

"Used to it? Why would you be used to it?"

"Because my chest feels tight whenever I'm around you." Her eyes widened and the pace of her heart quickened.

"Wh-I-I…" She gave up trying to speak. Castle simply smiled, closing his eyes.

"It's not what I normally feel though. It just hurts."

"We need to get you some help."

"I'll be fine, just stay with me."

"No! I need to get Carol and Trevor. They would know why the toy is all screwed up and releases that strange purple stuff. They can help you, I have to get them." She attempted to get off the bed, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Just stay."

"For now," Kate said after a moment's hesitation. Leaning close to him, she sat with her legs folded under her. "Does it hurt really bad?"

"Not with you around." She looked down. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you keep making comments like that?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "This whole…trip. Or whatever… You've been complimenting me and saying really sweet things. Why?" Castle thought for a moment, and then shrugged.

"It's just how I feel." His eyes slipped closed again, trying to block out the constricting of his heart, and not the good kind. At least, not until she leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet and sensual, only lasting a few seconds. There was no movement, just her smooth lips capturing his. His eyes fluttered open when she pulled back.

"What was that?" It came out as a whisper, his vocal chords giving up on him.

"Just how I feel," Kate repeated his earlier words, staring right in his eyes.

"Are you sure about that?" At her nodded confirmation, his hand took hers and held it. Completely out of the blue, Castle's body began to violently shake, seizing. His eyes rolled back as he uncontrollably rolled around.

"Castle, Castle!" She shouted his name, trying to snap him out of it. Attempting to hold his large body down, she continued to scream. "What's wrong!" Of course, she got no answer, and failed at holding him down. The thrashing became even worse as he tumbled off the bed, Kate falling along with him. "Snap out of it, please!" She begged, caressing his cheek. His body became completely still, eyes slipping closed.

"Help!" The detective screamed out loud, hoping anyone would hear her. "Somebody please, help!" In her panic, she began to tremble, shaking hands pushing against his chest. "Oh god…"

Jenny jumped off the bed the moment she heard a female's scream. Her eyes were wild as she looked back at her husband who was now pulling his clothes back on.

"Was that Kate?" In fear, she swallowed hard, eyes focused on Kevin.

"I don't know. Stay here." He told her roughly, approaching the door and attempting to swing it open. It was stuck. "What the hell?" Pulling at it again, it was completely frozen in place.

"It's locked?" Not believing her ears and eyes, Jenny joined him at the door. After failing to turn the knob, she shoved the door as if it would do any good. "They locked us in…" Realization dawned on her. "Kate and Richard were right."

"What?" He didn't seem to understand what she was saying as he continued to pull on the knob, banging his hand on the flat surface. "Hey, let us out of here!"

"They were right." She slowly sat down on a chair. "This is our fault."

"You're over reacting, it had to be an accident."

"Right, and that scream? That was an accident too, right?" He looked away. "Kevin, something is really wrong here." Uncertainty glittering in her eyes, he couldn't help but trust her words, as much as he didn't want to.

TBC