You all are great for sticking with me. I updated quickly for this part :)
Days passed in a blur, one seeming indistinguishable from the other. Kate struggled to get through her work and grappled with the ever-present emptiness that filled her at night. She was happy to have Rick by her side, but she could tell he wasn't doing much better.
For his part, Castle was also a mess. He couldn't stop thinking about Lucy. Every time he would see something neat or exciting, his first reaction would be to think, Lucy would be so excited! Then he would remember that she was gone. The social worker hadn't contacted them, nor had she returned their calls to inquire about Lucy.
By the time Friday rolled around, both partners were beside themselves. They needed to see her, to be sure that she was actually ok. Upon having no luck contacting the social worker in charge of her case, yet again, Beckett was surprised by Gates approaching her.
The captain handed Beckett a yellow post it that had an address scrawled on it.
143 North Hudson Street
Utica, NY
13209
Beckett arched an eyebrow at her boss, surprised by what she read. Gates simply folded her arms and set her gaze intently on the partners. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off detective, it's been a long week." She spoke.
"Thank you, sir." Beckett muttered, touched that Gates had actually gone through the trouble of acquiring what she knew to be the address of Lucy's new foster parents. She grabbed her coat and keys, and Castle did the same. Neither bothered to go home first, hitting the highway, and heading upstate instead.
Hours passed as they drove further and further from the city. Kate was filled with a nervous feeling, butterflies in her stomach. What if Lucy was happy and didn't want to see her? What if her foster parents wouldn't allow her to see the girl? She didn't know what she would find when they arrived.
Castle kept his focus on Kate, concerned by the fierce concentration on her brow. He knew that she had taken the loss of Lucy hard, and was terrified of how she would react if this reunion ended badly. He also knew that it wasn't the best idea for them to drop by and disrupt things, but neither could wait any longer.
Both adults cared too much. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, they had grown to love the girl, and needed to see her. They needed to hold her close and make sure she was ok. Their visit may well be disruptive, and their motives may be greedy, but as Castle saw it, neither really had a choice in the matter.
After exiting the freeway, they followed the directions on Rick's phone. It led them to a small neighborhood. They drove slowly as they passed houses, most in disrepair. There were many children playing in the street, and the partners couldn't help but notice that a few of them were dressed in clothing that was not appropriate for the cold weather.
Cars sat in disrepair on front lawns, along with appliances and other scattered debris. Children weren't the only people about, as Beckett spotted several clusters of adults. They glared at her as she slowly drove by, and she couldn't avoid the suspicion that they were up to no good. Too many years as a cop had trained her to notice the warning signs.
"Castle, are you sure this is right?" Beckett questioned, her brow knitted as she drove down the impoverished neighborhood.
"Yeah," he spoke, "143 Hudson."
She spotted it, a two-story green home. Slowly, she pulled into the driveway, and both partners got out to approach the door. She knocked three times and heard chaos ensue inside the home. Dogs barked, children's voices could be heard, and adults began to yell.
"What the hell!" Came an angry male voice.
"I'm getting it!" Came an equally loud, but defensive female voice. A woman opened the door, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She eyed Kate as she wiped her hands on the dress she wore, waiting impatiently for her to speak.
"Can I help you?" She asked somewhat rudely.
"Ah," Kate spoke, somewhat surprised by the woman's tone, "I'm here to see Lucy."
"Are you from the school? What the hell did she do?" The woman accusingly asked. Castle noticed about four children standing around her. They all looked dirty and miserable, but curious about the adults at their door.
"No." Beckett snapped, "I'm not from the school. Can I please see Lucy?"
The woman glared at Kate, "Lucy can't have visitors now, she's being punished." The woman rudely stated, shutting the door in Beckett's face.
She pounded on the door again, and Castle grimaced at what Beckett did next. When the woman opened the door for the second time, she was greeted with an angry detective, flashing her badge. "I'm with the police, and I'm here to check on Lucy's welfare."
It was a blatant abuse of her position, and Castle knew that. Still, he couldn't blame her. Truth be told, he was glad she did it. The rude woman's expression fell, switching from contempt to fear.
"Uh. Well, Lucy is in the back room." She stood back and led them in, instructing one of the other children to take them to the girl. They entered a room in the back corner, it was cold and appeared to be blocked off from the heat in the home.
The room was in disrepair, dirty like much of the rooms they saw. There, on a mattress on the floor, they saw her. She was curled into a ball and facing the wall. She was covered with a blanket that didn't look thick enough to keep her warm, or big enough to cover her body.
She cuddled the pink rabbit Castle had given her, her frame shaking. Kate walked over to the mattress and knelt. She nearly became sick when she noticed the firm marks on the girl's arm, bruised finger print patterns from someone grabbing, jerking and squeezing her way too hard.
"Little one." She spoke softly, alerting the girl to her presence. Lucy shot up and turned to face her, shock on her features. In that moment Lucy reached for Kate, and began to sob. Both Castle and Beckett held her between them, as she cried harder than they'd seen her in all the time that they'd known her.
"Shhh. Lucy." Rick spoke, kissing the back of her head. Again, she looked as if she hadn't been washed. "You're safe now. We're not letting you go again."
Kate cradled Lucy's head into her neck and rocked her gently, "I'm so sorry Lucy. I'm sorry I let you go. Come on baby. Let's get you home." She spoke, walking out of the room and passing the foster mother. "We're removing her from this home. She's coming with us." Kate informed the woman, authority in her voice.
The pair didn't look back as they walked from the home. Rick took the shaking girl from Kate, cradling her as tightly as Beckett had. Lucy simply burrowed her little body further into his arms. Once her hands were free, Kate contacted the local police.
"This is detective Kate Beckett." Rick listened to her give her badge number as she requested child protective services be sent to the address. They drove away with Lucy in tow, knowing that soon all of the children would be removed from the abusive and neglectful home.
Hours later, Castle sat in the break room of the precinct while Beckett was verbally assaulted by her boss and the social worker. "You used your badge, went beyond your jurisdiction and removed a child from her legal guardian Beckett!" Gates admonished her.
"Do you know how serious this is?"
"Yes sir, but-"
"Don't but me, your actions may well land the NYPD in some very hot water." Gates interjected.
"That home was unstable, unsafe and abusive sir." Kate then turned to the social worker as she made her final point, "and Lucy had NO BUSINESS being placed in that home in the first place!"
"Then what do you suggest, detective Beckett?" The social worker shot back. "Are you going to adopt her?" She sarcastically suggested.
Rick, who could overhear the conversation, stepped out of the break room and stood next to Beckett. Lucy remained fast asleep in his arms. He looked to Kate, who did not take her eyes off of the social worker.
"Yes." She deadpanned. "That is exactly what I suggest."
"Beckett!" Gates spoke aloud.
"I'm sorry detective," the social worker responded, "but you are a single woman with a high risk career. What would happen to Lucy if you were injured or killed on duty?"
"I would take care of her, just as I will take care of her when Beckett is working." Castle spoke up.
Gates looked between them, impressed with their dedication to the girl. Her face remained neutral, but she was rooting for them both. She silently watched the interplay between the partners and the social worker.
"I appreciate you both, I do, but it is simply too unstable. Kate isn't even a foster parent." The social worker argued.
"I will vouch for detective Beckett and Mr. Castle." Gates once again offered, hoping that it would do some good.
"I'm sorry, but still I can't authorize you both to share Lucy. I don't question anyone's integrity. I also understand that you both care, but I don't see any judge awarding custody given these circumstances. She can't live in two separate homes at the same time, even if you are both dedicated to joint-custody."
"She won't have two homes." Beckett spoke, swallowing nervously before continuing, "she'll live with us both." She paused and looked to Gates, before eyeing Castle briefly. He nodded to her, at peace with what was about to happen.
"Lucy will live with us because Castle and I are together, and we have been for some time." Gates raised an eyebrow in shock, folding her arms and setting her stern gaze on the pair. Beckett took her boss' reaction in stride and pressed on.
"I'm not a single woman, and Lucy will have a stable home," Kate paused a moment longer to take a breath before finally stating "because Rick and I are getting married."