A heart to hold
Chapter 8

Park in NY City

Ricky had been walking all day with no luck in finding his father. What's that teddy, your hungry, just like me? We will be home soon and we will get something good to eat. Then the boy smells something, not sure what yet but he was willing to find out. There is was a chart with all kinds of food, Ricky eyes the hotdogs on the grill. Now how to get one. um...The little boy puts Teddy down wait right here. Ricky makes his move, grabs a hotdog off the hot grill when the man has his back towards him. Seeing this through the man, shout. "Get back here you little troublemaker you stole from me."

Ricky ran and slid under the build he saw has an open crawl space, just as the man tried to grab him up. "I am going to get you for this. Next time...you just wait." Ricky puts the two hotdogs he grabs from the man down and then looks around for his Teddy. He couldn't find him, then he realizes the bear is out there where he left him on the sidewalk. If I go out there. He slides in the dirt to see if he can see his bear. He sees the bear, I coming for you Teddy. Just then Teddy gets kicked around some, Teddy Ricky yells but is too afraid to come out.

He lowers his head, Teddy what have I done, he starts to cry some and then he sees teddy get kicked again, this time flying towards him. A lady spots the bear was was about to pick it up when Ricky stretches as far as he can, grabs the edge of its fur and pulls the bear, his Teddy slides some to the safety under the building with him. "Oh well," calls the voice, Ricky couldn't see her. He watches only her feet walk away. That was close Teddy we need to stick together for now on. He hugs the bear, daddy where are you. I need you...daddy...

Later that evening
Gina's house

Gina stands on her porch giving her date a kiss on the lips.

"Had a great time, hope to do it again soon."

"Had a wonderful time to Gina," the guy kisses her again. Gina walks into her house with all her bags from a busy day of shopping out and dinner with a man that she was interested in. "I'm back," she calls out. An older woman appears from the den.

"How was Ricky, did he behave for you." The woman nods without saying a word.

"That's good. I would have been back earlier but I got busy with a client then it got later and I went to dinner."

"Where did you go this time? Did you go out with that man again? The one that you like, what was his name." Margie, the neighbour who babysat from time to time, asks wanting to know it all. But she couldn't remember the latest date that Gina went on.

"George."

"Right, and how many dates is that now?"

"I lost track fifteen maybe."

"Did you tell him that you had a kid yet?"

"No, not yet."

"When."

"I can't just..."

"You're enjoying him, I know." A little too well, the woman wanted to add, "But at some time."

" I now thank for the advice but,"

"I'm just saying sooner the better."

"Where's Ricky." Gina tries to change the subject off of herself.

"Still asleep, he loved the new movie release that you were able to get.."

"That's good I.."

"Did you even tell his father about him."

"I did a couple of days ago," Gina couldn't even remember what day that was.

"And how did he take it?"

"Mixed he got all emotional on me he and I ending up arguing. Just like almost every day of our marriage, but then again the make-up sex..." Margie put her fingers in her ears not really wanting to hear details about her ex's sex games.

"Did you tell Ricky?"

"No, he thinks the guy's just a friend of mine which is far from the truth we argue all the time. It's worse now, now it's about every little thing and this time there's no making up."

"Oh, that's the friend he was asking about all day."

"What?" Gina asks.

"He asked me why his friend Castle couldn't come over today and watched the movie with us."

"And what did you tell him?" Gina swallows, hoping that Margie didn't tell Ricky all about Castle.

"Calm down, I told him that I didn't know him. What a weird name anyway Castle," she repeats. "Wait that was the name of the guy you were married to the writer guy." Gina, sighs. "Anyway," Margie went on. "Ricky wanted me to call him."

"And what did you tell him?"

"I told him the truth that I didn't know who he was that only you did. That's why you waited so long to tell the guy because if that got out then..."

"I think you..."

"I going, got to anyway my grandkids are here."

Ah, that woman is just as noisy.

Ricky mommy's here. She calls and gets no response so she tries again with the same results. She makes her way to the bedroom, the door is creaked she sees the covers over what she believes to be her son's body still asleep. "I'll come back later sweetie." Gina closes the door back, "Mommy's gonna take a nap son."

A Park in NY City

Now that, the sun was gone. Ricky thinks enough time has passed that he would be safe to come out of his and Teddy hiding spot. He slowly crawls from the space under the building. He doesn't see the man or his truck. That's a relief. The little boy stands and shakes the dirt off his clothes. Come on Teddy let's wait in the park, it's right over here. We can stare at the stars like I do sometimes out my window, but this time we will get to see more of them. I wonder if mommy has noticed that I took off, probably not. All she cares about is herself, at least daddy tries to show me something new.

Ricky walks to the edge of the park that he and his father went to just days earlier. Daddy says he comes here a lot so we will just wait for him, it shouldn't be that long. I am getting sleepy. There's a bench, come Teddy. The little boy lays on the bench looking up at the stars. Mommy told me if I look up and wish on a star then my wish will come true. Want to try it? Oh there looks like a good one too. I wish I wish, I wish that I can find my daddy soon. Don't be scared now Teddy, I am here to protect you. He holds the bear tight and kisses it on the forehead, just like his daddy did to him. This gave Ricky some comfort about being outside alone for the first time. He tries to keep his eyes open but he can't and doses off. The little boy starts to dream of the day he spent with his father.

12th precinct

Beckett sits at her desk doing all the paperwork on the guy that they arrested. Maybe Castle's right about the story something just seems off. nah That can't be all the evidence points to him. She eyes the box that is sitting there on her desk, the one she told the boys she would take care of later. Something is nagging at me to open that box, why? She goes to the coffee machine and pours herself one. I will sleep on it maybe something will come to me. She sighs. Seeing one of Castle's books on the breakroom table she picks it up. She sits down and opens the cover, it is the one that she got him to sign for her years ago when her mother past away. She spent hours in line, she smiles at the memory. Then the tears start to fall. She tries to control them but, it was too late. She shakes her head, I need you more than ever old friend. She flips to the first page an begins to read.

Castle's loft

Castle sits at his desk and signs a book for Beckett that he was going to drop off in the morning.

"She'll like that son." Martha calls see him sign it. He rubs his hand down his face. Martha knows he only does that when something is bothering him. "What's on your mind?"

"How?"

"I am your mother." he sighs, He can't really tell her what he thinking. He thinks he's falling in love again. Na it can't be, we just met.

"The case,"

"The one that was wrapped up."

"It's just eating at me, something doesn't seem right about it."

"Let it go kiddo, they solved it. Now, it's time to move on."

"I wish it was that simple,"

"Oh but it is." his mother smiles at him. "You need to be writing."

"I just wish I had some ideas. My time with..."

"Was what?"

"Was extraordinary, was magical, Kate Beckett is a..." Wait, is this Kate, the Kate from my dream the other night. Is she the one for me? But in my dreams, we're married to each other. Is this my future wife? There is only one way to find out. I am the only one who holds the key. I am the one that can change the story. But first I have to get on her team. But how if the case is solved? Or is it? I need to see those files so I can prove it.

"A what?" His mother asks, not really knowing what kind of answer she was going to get out of her son. None of what he said was like most common answers one would think of.

"A force to be reckoned with." he smiles, "I know what my new novels are going to be about."

"Rick do you think that's a good idea."

"Right now it is. And get ready for someone grandkids." Cause according to parts of my other dreams, a man says I have three with my next wife and I believe that to be Kate Beckett.

TBC...