A/N: Hi guys. This is my attempt to write myself out of a four week writer's block. This won't be my best work, but bear with me. It's bound to get better. In case the title doesn't make sense, Google it. Then it'll fit. The usual disclaimers, I don't own Castle, blah blah blah. Happy reading, and R&R. Your's till the wheels fall off ;)

10-16

"The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming. So it's on and on and on.."-Black Sabbath

It was Madden Night. It was Madden Night, and Kevin Ryan was nowhere to be found. Never in the history of Madden Nights past had either not shown up. It simply didn't happen. And judging by that principle (and that principle alone) Javier Esposito knew that something was wrong. He just hadn't had the time to think of it yet. His cell phone rang, startling him out of his internal conversation. Javier grabbed it eagerly and held it up to his ear, not stopping to think for a moment that maybe Ryan wasn't on the other end of the call.

"I hope you have a really good excuse, bro, cause I got the pizza, the soda, the wings, the-"

"Javier? Javier, please-" He held the phone away from his face for a moment and frowned at it. It was Jenny's name and number, not Kevin's, that flashed upon the screen. Her breathing came in short gasps between sobs, and she sounded frightened for her life; this was no prank.

"Jenny? What happened? What-" Then another thought struck him.

"Where's Kevin?" She paid him no mind.

"Javier, you have to come, please! I n-need you to..to...help me! Help me," she whispered brokenly, over and over in some mindless chant. The line went dead. Javier stared at the phone (mouth slightly open), for a few moments longer before he dropped it and sprinted.

The drive was one he knew well, one he could have executed effortlessly with his eyes closed during a snowstorm. But he had never driven to Ryan's with such fear tugging at his soul. A million thoughts spun through his mind, but not one made sense. He'd been smart enough to grab the phone after he ran from the house, and he tried calling Ryan several times while he sped down the road. It went straight to voicemail each time.

"No me hagas esto. Donde estas, bro?" Don't do this to me. Where are you, bro? He muttered harshly under his breath, making a right turn onto Ryan's street, "Donde estas?" Where are you?

He could see the house coming up in the distance. A weak yellow light escaped through the windows and open door. A slender silhouette cradled herself as she leaned against the house for support.

"Jenny," he whispered. He saw the headlights moments before he heard the horn. His mind told his hands to jerk the wheel wildly to the side before he had even realized what was going on. He broke, hard, and slammed back against his seat as his car stopped inches behind a black suv parked on the sidewalk. A car zoomed by in the impending twilight, horn blaring as it burnt rubber.

"Donde demonios has heco viene? Idiota!" Where the hell did you come from? Idiot! Esposito hollered out of his window, ignoring the slight shudder running through the palms of his hands. Carefully, he nudged the car back onto the street and parked in front of the house. The night's events were trying to piece themselves together already, and they were forming a picture that Javier refused to see. He got out and stalked toward Jenny.

She was a mess by the time he got to her. Her hair was in knots, her makeup had long ago been washed away, and her mascara and eyeliner stained her porcelain cheeks. She held her head in her hands.

"Jenny-" She simply collapsed into his embrace, and Javier stumbled back a step as he took the bulk of her weight. (Which, he conceded, wasn't much)

"What-Where-" He couldn't even begin to gather his thoughts to form a question, never mind try to make sense of things. He just ushered Jenny inside and closed the door behind them.

The only room, upon entering, free of destruction seemed to be the living room. Javier led Jenny to a couch and took a seat across from her. She took a pillow in her trembling hands and kneaded it as she ducked her head, hair hiding her face.

"Where's-" Esposito stopped, cleared his throat, and tried again, "Where's Kevin?" Her lips trembled as she raised her head to look at him.

"Gone," she murmured, nearly to herself.

"Gone where?" he pressed gently.

"I don't..I don't know. He just drove, and.." Silent tears cascaded down her cheeks. It was obvious that she couldn't be pressed for any more questions, but Javier needed answers. He was painfully torn. He'd glimpsed the destruction in the kitchen on the way in.

"Jenny?" She didn't look up, and he tried again.

"Jenny? Could you..could you look at me please?" She did, just for a moment, and the pain in her eyes was heartbreaking.

"Did..did he..hit you?" The words rung impossibly loud in his ears. He'd never thought he'd have to ask such a question..and yet..

"Jenny?"

"Yes."