A/N: This is my first fanfic, so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to know if you think I managed to get people in character, or what you thought could use improving. I don't mind if your comment is something along the lines of "it was rubbish" as long as you say what parts were rubbish and how I can improve it. Also I think the spelling and grammar are okay, but if you spot any glaringly obvious mistakes please tell me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. If I did, it would not be as good. It would however be currently airing in NZ, so I suppose something can be said for owning Castle.
Richard Castle stood up and stretched. It had been a long day; Paula had scheduled a book signing for the day he had returned to New York. Honestly, wasn't it bad enough that he'd had to spend a week with Meredith going on and on about her oh so busy schedule after she had specifically said she would have enough time to spend some quality time with Alexis? Not only that but then he had to put up with hundreds of fan girls (and occasionally boys) squealing and squeeing and gushing about "oh, I'm your biggest fan" and "where do you get your ideas" and really creepy old ladies trying to slip him their numbers. Just after getting off a plane from L.A, it was enough to give anyone a headache. And then, just to add insult you injury, his mother had dragged Alexis off along with his credit card because she had an audition next week and absolutely had to have a new outfit. He wouldn't be surprised if she came back with an entirely new wardrobe.
He was brought out of his reverie by a scuffle, a boy, about ten or so was trying to get into the bookstore but was being detained by a security guard. Rick moved closer, just close enough that he could see the boy a bit clearer and hear what he was saying. He was curious as to why a kid wanted a book signed and also wondered where his parents were, this is New York, you don't let your kids wander off; anything could happen to them if they're not close. The boy had a mop of dark brownish-black hair and a face full of freckles. He was trying puppy dog eyes on the security guard, a sight that had Rick almost laughing out loud, the eyes probably would have worked had the security guard not been ex Special Forces. He suppressed a grin at the idea of George the security man caving at puppy dog eyes from a kid, nah, it'd never happen. However, there was urgency in the boy's movements and in his tone of voice as if he just wanted to get the book signed and get out of there. Almost as if he knew he wasn't supposed to be there but felt he had to be anyway.
"Look, please Sir, you have to let me in, I have to get this book signed. Please," the boy begged, managing to sound polite yet inject a slight whine into his voice to sound rather pitiful.
"Sorry kid, I can't do that, the book signing's over, you're too late." The security guard shrugged seemingly oblivious child's distress.
There were tears forming in his eyes as he sagged, deflated. "It's so not fair, I was like, two minutes late. Look, Sir, please. You have no idea how important this is I need to get this book signed, look, the author guy is still there, just let me in for like, one minute so I can get it signed, then I'll go, I swear! Just one minute, please."
Rick decided that it didn't matter if the kid was late, he reminded Rick of Alexis who was probably just a couple of years older than the kid, and he hated to see a child in so much distress so he decided to step in. He also wanted to find out why the kid was trying to get a book of his signed, when he didn't seem to have any real interest in the book himself, he barely seemed to know Rick's name and didn't seem excited to meet him, and he wanted to find out why the kid was alone.
"It's okay, George, let the kid in," at George the security guard's sceptical look he expanded, "it's obviously important, and I'd never want to disappoint a loyal fan." He gave the kid a smile, and in return received a mumbled thank you.
The boy followed Rick to the table that was about to be packed away, and stood awkwardly as Rick told the staff of the bookstore to hold up for a second. Rick sat down and picked up the last working pen he had – he had gone through a heap of others that day – and looked expectantly at the boy.
"So, who can I make this out to?" He asked. "You aren't really the generic fan type I usually get, too young for one," he said with a grin.
"It's not for me," the boy said looking nervous. "It's for my mom."
"Oh and where is she today?" Rick asked, wondering why the child was trying to get a book signed for his mother if she couldn't even be bothered to wait with her son.
"She's at work, it was supposed to be her day off but she got called in early again," Rick frowned, what kind of a woman left their kid to wander the city while they worked especially on their day off, surely she could have found a sitter, a nanny or had some family that could watch this boy, seeing his frown the boy rushed on. "But she's a huge fan and she wanted to try and make in here today, but she had to go to work and I know I'm not really supposed to be here but it would make her feel so much better cause this has been a really hard couple of weeks and it's probably gonna get worse for her but she loves your books, they're the most read books in the house and I think this is her favourite one and if I can get it signed then it might help, but this is always a bad month for her and I just want to make it better for her." He said it all in one breath, really fast, as if that would make Rick more amiable towards signing the book for his mother.
"So, what's your name then?" He asked as he held out his hand for the book.
"Jack, my mom's name is Kate." Rick looked down at the book – Storm Season – it was well read but still in really good condition, whoever read this book, if it was indeed one of the most read books in the house, this Kate must look after her books really well. This however did not excuse the fact that her son – Jack – was wandering around New York while she was at work, he wasn't sure what to write to a woman that could do that to their own child, it reminded him of Meredith, choosing her career and ignoring the needs of her child almost to the point of criminal negligence. Rick was about to start writing, when he heard a phone start ringing. He checked his, but paused when he saw Jack pull out a phone. Jack frowned as he looked at the caller id and answered it immediately.
"Hello Uncle Roy," he said cautiously, then flinched back from the angry voice on the other end of the line. It appears, Rick thought, that 'Uncle Roy' was not very happy with Jack, so maybe he had been left with family. Rick put the pen down as he eavesdropped on the conversation, an occupational hazard on his behalf, and also he was naturally nosy. "I know, I'm not there, I went to get a book signed for mom," he started pacing anxiously. "I'm at Barnes & Nobel on 82nd and Broadway. What happened Roy? Why are you phoning? Where's mom?" This last question was said with a breaking voice, as tears started to fall down his face he replied to whatever came from his Uncle. "I'll stay here till someone picks me up, I promise. I wont move." As he closed the phone he turned to Rick, "I-I'm sorry but I'm going to have to go, s-sorry for wasting your time." He started shaking in an effort to keep his emotions under control. Rick gave it no thought; he just put the book down and gave the boy a hug. That was all it took for Jack to dissolve into tears and he sobbed into Rick's chest. Rick had a sinking feeling in his stomach, something really bad had just happened to Jack's mother. This thought was cemented as an unmarked Crown Vic with sirens blaring pulled up outside the bookstore and a detective got out of the car looking grim. Jack had pulled away from Rick at the sound of the siren, and stated running towards the detective. Rick trailed behind the boy concerned that the detective was going to have bad news, was going to drop the bombshell, then leave the kid alone and distressed. His paternal instincts were beginning to show through.
"Uncle Javi! What happened? Is mom okay? What happened?" Jack was asking as he flung himself into the detective's arms. Rick paused, how was it that Jack knew the Detective?
"Hey little Beckett, you're mom's gonna be okay, Ryan's with her at the moment," the Detective replied returning the hug. "We had a breakthrough on the case, and when your mom went to talk to one of the witnesses it turned out he wasn't as innocent as we first thought, we got him, but he roughed your mom up pretty bad. It's lucky she managed to call us just as things turned bad, we got there fast, but she's probably gonna be in the hospital for a couple of days, and off work for even longer."
Jack looked up at the Detective, "you still got the guy thought, right?"
"Yeah kid," the Detective replied then smiled grimly. "He managed to walk into a few doors and walls on the way back to the precinct. C'mon, let's get you to the hospital to visit your mom. See if you can talk her into staying at home for at least half of the specified time off."
As the Detective led Jack out of the door, a thought struck Rick; he'd never signed the book it was still sitting there on the desk where he'd left it to comfort the boy. He opened it, the front page read 'From the Library of Katherine Beckett' he looked at the messy handwritten scrawl of her name, and decided the she must be a cop, or a detective herself for her son to be so comfortable with the Detective that picked that had stopped by, that and the fact that said Detective had said Kate had been injured while questioning a witness. He looked for the car, but it had already gone.
"Damn, just my luck," he said as he realised that he would probably never see Jack again nor get the chance to meet this Katherine Beckett.
"What's just your luck?" Alexis asked as she walked in with his mother in tow. "And why are you still set up, I thought that you were supposed to be done, like, half an hour ago?"
"I was," he replied. "But then I had the most interesting of conversations…" He trailed off looking at the book.
"Come on Dad, let's go home, I have tons of homework to do, and doesn't Gina want another few chapters written soon?"
Rick looked incredulously at his daughter, "you're what? Twelve? And they're giving you homework? That's cruel!"
"Dad, I've been getting homework since I started school! It's not that bad," Alexis rolled her eyes and turned to Martha.
"Come on Richard, you must be longing to get out of here. And I'm sure you want me home as soon as possible so you don't have to keep worrying about your credit card," Martha said with a grin, not really noticing her son's preoccupation.
"Mother, you didn't," Rick whined at the mention of the credit card.
"Well you'll just have to go home and find out, wont you?" Martha said smugly as she ushered Alexis out of the door. Rick took one last look at the book in his hands, then, deciding on a plan, he sighed and book in hand followed his mother and daughter out into the nice sunny New York afternoon.