Author's Note: I deeply appologize for the lack in updating. Have not forgotten about this story. It's been on my mind, I just hadn't had the time to update because school is kicking my butt right now. The final chapters will be up this week. Thanks for hanging in there.

Chapter 10.) Is There Anything You Don't Believe In?

Castle found Beckett where he had expected to: at the swing set across the street from a local bookstore where they had many moments. It had become their spot.

Castle took a seat next to her.

"You okay?"

Beckett shook her head. "I don't know Castle. Everything I thought I knew, the very person I am is now gone."

"Now I know that's not true. You're still you. You're still a fighter, one who doesn't just seek justice but honors the victims. That hasn't changed."

"Yeah but Rick, all of this stuff- Neal, Emma, Henry; they're all part of a world that isn't supposed to exist. I grew up on fairytales."

Castle smiled, "Who hasn't. It's like that case we solved a while back when our perp dressed up her victims as fairytale characters only real."

"And that doesn't bother you, the fact that this stuff is now real?"

"Are you kidding of course it doesn't bother me. Who would I be if it did?"

Beckett knew he was right. Ever since she had known him, Castle was a believer in everything from the undead, UFOs, and yes even magic. She hated to admit it but for once she was glad to have Castle and his conspiracy mind in her life. If it had been just her, Beckett's thoughts would have exploded more so than they all ready were doing and Dr. Burke would have to admit her to the psych ward.

Beckett turned to look at him, a new sadness in her eyes.

"What do I do now?"

"What you've always done. Get justice for your brothers' dead fiancé and then talk to the one person who can help you understand this."

"And who would that be, one of my fairytale relatives."

Castle let out a small laugh, "Not this time: your father." He then placed his hand on her cheek, "The one who raised you to be the woman that I fell in love with."

Beckett placed a hand over his and smiled. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting me through this insanity."

Castle smiled back. "Always."

Just as they leaned in to kiss, Beckett's cell rang. After listening and then replying she hung up.

"There's been another murder."

"Where's Henry," Beckett asked Emma when she and Castle walked into the apartment.

Emma looked up and then spoke into the phone she was holding.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll see you in a few days. Say 'hi' to Mary Margaret for me," she said hanging up.

"Friends of yours from back home," Castle asked.

"More like my parents."

Castle raised an eyebrow. "You call them by their first names."

"It's a long story," replied Emma.

"You ready to go," Beckett asked. "A fresh body surfaced."

"All set," said Emma.

The three of them made their way to the ME's office where the new body had been taken.

"Lanie Parish, Sheriff Emma Swan. She's visiting from Main and helping us on the case."

Emma nodded at Lanie, "So who's our vic?"

Lanie pulled back the sheet. "Greg Mendel, single stab wound to the heart."

Castle noticed the look on Emma's face.

"You okay there Swan," he asked.

Emma shook her head, "He just left Storybrooke a couple days ago. You said there was a stab wound to his heart."

"I did but that's not what killed him," said Lanie.

"What did," asked Beckett.

"That I can't tell you."

"Can't tell us," said Castle, "as in you don't have the results back yet?"

"I can't tell you as in even I don't know. There are trace amounts of a toxin in his system but I've run them through every database and come up empty. Supposedly whatever killed him isn't supposed to exist."

"Awesome!" Castle said with a beaming smile that Emma and Beckett only rolled their eyes to.

"Have you figured out the tool that was used to kill him," Emma asked.

"Not entirely," Lanie replied. "I'm still running some tests but I can tell you that the weapon had a curved edge to it."

With her index finger, Emma made a curvature and then demonstrated on the corpse, cautious to not actually touch it.

"So like a hook," said Emma.

"Sure," said Lanie, "That's one option and it is consistent with an in thrust and outward pull motion. I won't know for sure until I get the lab results back."

"Thanks Dr. Parish, this was helpful."

Lanie looked at Beckett and Castle. She hadn't given them much of anything so the three of them were confused as to how helpful this visit really was.

Emma made her exit. Castle followed but Beckett stayed behind.

"Okay what is it girl," Lanie asked.

"I need you to do something for me," she told her best friend. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out two small plastic bags. "I need you to run these DNA samples. And Lanie, can you keep this one off the books?"

"You know I can but can I ask why?" Beckett remained silent. "Javi told me about the weirdness going on at the precinct. Does this have something to do with that?"

Beckett wanted to tell Lanie everything. She rarely a kept secret from her but now wasn't the time.

"Lanie please? I just need to be sure of something."

"You got it."

"And call me when you have the results," Beckett said not mentioning the fact that one of the bags contained her DNA and the other was Neal's.

"Okay. Hey, is everything okay?"

Beckett smiled, "Everything's fine," she said making her leave.

She found Emma and Castle waiting outside by the car.

"We have to find Gold," said Emma when it was only the three of them.

"What does he have to do with any of this," asked Beckett.

"Someone is after him."

Castle looked at Emma, "And I'm guessing you know who?"

Emma turned to face them. "Captain Hook," she said feeling ridiculous for even saying the name.

Beckett's face went blank. It was the same look Emma had before she believed in the cures and Henry would mention fairytale characters.

"Captain Hook of course," said Beckett. "Before we go down the rabbit hole just yet I'm sure there are a lot of other possibilities."

"And by the time we look into them," said Emma, "Your father will most likely be dead."

"My father- you mean Mr. Gold?"

"It's actually Rumpelstiltskin."

"I don't care what he goes by he's not my father."

"Like it or not he is. Now you can be angry about that all you want but it won't change the fact, trust me I know and it won't change the fact that an innocent man's life is at stake so we can either let him die or we can try to prevent it."

Beckett sighed, "Lead the way Sheriff."