Author's Note-Hi. This is my first Castle fic so please be gentle. I've wanted to write about Castle for a while now but have never had a decent enough storyline. This has been floating around my head for a while now though. I just thought I'd give it a go. Whether or not I continue is largely determined on the response I get to this. So, read it and let me know if you like it. Constructive criticism would be great as this is my first time with these characters. Okay, I'll stop rambling now and let you read. NYLF xx
The ringing desk phone beside him, made Castle look up from where he had been playing Angry Birds on his phone. After a quick check to establish that Kate wasn't back yet, he quickly lifted the receiver.
"Detective Beckett's desk, Castle speaking." He listened to the officer at the front desk as he relayed information for him. "Okay, well I don't know anyone by that name and I don't think Beckett's expecting anyone but..." Kate chose that moment to emerge from the break room, two coffees in hand, an incredulous look on her face.
"What have I told you about answering my phone, Castle?" She asked rhetorically, setting down the coffees as she neared her desk.
"Jenkins, at the front desk, wants to know if you know anyone by the name Nevaeh Tyler-?" Kate shook her head. "Nope, Beckett doesn't know the name." Castle listened for a few more moments before the smile, which was almost permanently on his face, fell away.
Kate was immediately intrigued and sat down beside him on the edge of her desk, shooting him a curious look.
Castle held his hand over the mouth piece and closed his eyes for a moment before looking up at Kate.
"What is it?" Kate asked, worry colouring her tone. So rarely did he look at her like that and it was never good news.
"She's a very lost, very scared, seven year old girl, Kate, who wandered into a police station and asked if a Detective Beckett worked here." Kate racked her brains to place the name but nothing rang any bells.
"Tell him to send her up." Kate murmured after a few seconds, receiving a soft 'thank you' of a smile from the man sat beside her. Castle relayed the instruction and nodded before hanging up the phone.
"Thank you." Kate shook her head.
"She clearly knows me, or knows someone who told her I was the person to go to if she was in trouble. Just because I can't place her name doesn't mean I don't know her." Kate sighed. "Besides, she's seven Castle; I can hardly, in good conscience, leave her." Castle smiled, gently squeezing her knee before she stood at the sound of the elevator.
Castle joined her standing as Officer Chris Jenkins exited the car, his hand securely holding that of the little girl who must be Nevaeh.
Kate quickly crossed the room and smiled at her fellow officer before dropping to a crouch in front of the young girl.
"Hello." Kate started softly, smiling kindly as she caught the child's eye. "My name is Detective Beckett, you can call me Kate if you'd like, and you must be Nevaeh huh?"
Nevaeh nodded.
"Hi." Kate smiled. "Why don't we go and talk somewhere a little quieter?" The young girl nodded and Kate gently took her hand from Jenkins and he nodded before making his way back into the elevator.
Kate held on tightly as she led Nevaeh into the Interview Room, studiously ignoring the curious looks they were getting from the rest of the officers on duty, smiling at Castle as he held open the door for them.
Kate nodded to the seat behind the little girl to indicate she should sit, before taking her own seat opposite her. Castle closed the door softly.
"Nevaeh," Kate started softly. "This is Mr Castle, he is my partner, are you okay with him staying while I speak to you?" Nevaeh nodded slowly, watching as Rick took a seat beside Kate. Kate nodded before leaning forward slightly, capturing the young girl's attention. "Now, Officer Jenkins said that you came in off the street and asked for me by name, is that correct?" Nevaeh nodded slowly before shifting in her seat.
"Am I being in-tear-row-gated? Did I do something wrong?" Kate couldn't help the smile that curled the corner of her mouth as the young girl sounded out the word but quickly shook her head.
"No. You aren't being interrogated, nor have you done something wrong, at least not to my knowledge." She smiled gently. "I am just trying to get all of the facts before I try to help you." Nevaeh nodded slowly again. "Who told you to walk into a police station and ask for me?"
"My mama told me if I ever needed help and she wasn't there, I could go into the police station and ask for a Detective Beckett and that she would help me." Kate nodded, subtly looking to Castle who was almost comically turning his head from one woman to the other as if watching a tennis match.
"What's your mama's name?" Kate asked gently.
"Her name's Hannah Tyler." Kate gasped and neither of the people in the room missed it. Castle watched as the colour drained from her face.
"Will you just give me a moment, Nevaeh, please?" Kate was quickly on her feet and took large quick steps until she left the room. Castle flashed the young girl a smile.
"I'm just gonna go check on her okay? I'll grab someone to come and sit with you alright?" He waited until she nodded before practically leaping out of his seat, grabbing the first uniform he saw and explained the situation. The uniform assured Castle he could sit with Nevaeh and Castle smiled before making his way into the break room.
"Kate?" He asked softly, trying not to startle his sometimes flighty girlfriend. She was leaning against the sink, facing down, her caramel curls curtaining her face for his view.
She didn't move to acknowledge his presence.
Castle waited in the doorway for a few moments and was just about to call her name again when she cleared her throat softly.
"When my dad was...before he got sober, he was, he wasn't the dad I knew, the man you know now." She told him haltingly. Castle knew better than to interrupt. "He, he was pretty much constantly drunk, which I'm sure isn't a surprise. He used to go out at midday and I wouldn't see him again until he stumbled in around ten the next morning. I never asked where he went or where he had stayed, I never wanted to know." She sighed. "I guess there were some things a child never needs to know about their parent. But, one day, he stumbled in with a young woman on his arm." Kate shook her head. "I had just turned twenty one and was only making my weekly trip to the house to make sure he...he hadn't drank himself to death." She sighed shakily.
"Oh Kate." Castle whispered, more to himself than her.
"She hauled him inside and was all teeth and giggles and bare skin." Kate shuddered. "When she noticed me, she introduced herself as Hannah Tyler." Castle nodded slowly. "She had just celebrated her twentieth birthday." She huffed out an unimpressed, tearful laugh. "My father's date was a year younger than his daughter." She shook her head, and Castle couldn't help but be momentarily distracted by the light dancing off her curls. He slowly made his way over to her and leaned against the edge of the counter beside her.
"What happened?" Kate chuckled weakly.
"She made him happy. It was the first time I'd seen him smile since my mom died." She swallowed down the emotion in her throat. "Then she left. Suddenly, with no warning. One day she was there, the next she was gone, never to be seen again. My dad never drank again." She looked up at him for the first time since she had left the Interview Room. "I kinda owe that woman for giving me my daddy back." Castle slowly moved his hand to cover hers on the edge of the sink and she was quick to turn her hand to link her fingers with his.
"Your dad's been sober for eight years, right?" Kate nodded slightly. "Kate, if her mom is Hannah Tyler, and she's seven that could mean..." She shook her head.
"I know what it could mean Castle. I just..." She trailed off with a shake of her head. "Say something reassuring. She is seven years old Rick, and has randomly turned up at the precinct. Can you come up with a story in which she's coming with good news?" The fear and vulnerability in her eyes broke Castle's heart.
"C'mere." He opened his arms and she more than willingly fell into his chest, gripping his shirt tightly in her fists as his arms came around her back. "No Kate, I can't come up with a happy ending with those elements but whatever she has come about, I'll be right here. Always, remember?"
Kate pressed a kiss to his silk covered chest, the closest she'd get to kissing him at work.
"Ready to go back?" She nodded against him.
She hesitated for another moment before pulling away and striding back towards the Interview Room every bit his extraordinary detective.
Rick didn't think he'd ever been more proud of her.