fight for my family
5/4/16
chapter 38

Next to the aircraft:

"Welcome aboard, Espo to the 'daddy club' s aircraft." Castle calls. "Now watch your step as you board." Castle jokes holding out his hands.

Espo climbs steps like you find in an old basement. Castle's right about being careful. Espo was just hoping that the steps were able to hold his weight and that his foot wasn't going to go right through one. Castle steps up right behind him.

"Didn't expect this kind of flight did you? Sorry not the most cozy flight had to keep..."

"Off the radar." Espo finishes the sentence for him.

"Yep, I had to use someone I trusted."

"Are you sure bro..." Espo turns to look at Castle.

"That this old thing," Castle pats the side of it. "Will get us there. It has flown before so I don't see why it wont this time. I bit you didn't expect me to fly like this huh."

Espo shakes his head standing there taking in all of this. Not a chance in hell. I don't really know what I was suspecting but this was not it. After moving some junk out of the seat next to him,

Castle offers it to Espo, "Sorry it was just supposed to me and the pilot." Espo sighs taking the seat that was offered to him. Now kicking some stuff out of the way so he would have somewhere to put his feet down.

"Beckett changed you hasn't she. To make you..."

"Yes, yes she has," Castle responds to that. "In more ways then one." He winks.

"Are we finally ready to get going?" a voice calls from the front seat. Castle nods even though Espo was the only one to see it. Espo gives Castle a thumbs up as he tries to get as comfortable as he could in what he considers a tin can piece of junk. Where did he find this thing a junk yard or was it hand made.

"I think we are ready again." Castle calls.

"No more surprises I hope." The co-pilot responds.

"That I can't guarantee."

Espo shuts his eyes and places his arms across his body after he finally gets settled in his seat on the compact aircraft, that he saw unfit to fly at all. He now has to force himself to take deep, even breaths to ease his anxiety as the plane starts to move forward.

His entire body can feel the building velocity and the buzzing sound of the engine seems to be rattling in his bones. But he couldn't let Castle know his fear. This was like a death trap to him. How can Castle think that this thing, Espo glances around watching it continue to shake as it struggles to get all the way started would get them to their destination without breaking up in mid air. He swallows hard. Despite his best efforts to remain calm, his stomach insisted on gauging even the most subtle dips they were coming across as they start their upward climb.

"Nervous," Castle says seeing the face of his friend.

Does nothing get past this guy.

"Or is it fear of aircraft or the fear of being a dad soon?" Castle shakes his head quickly then adds. "No wait let me guess it's all of them isn't it."

Castle faces Espo who was still making sure they were flying. "Huh?" Espo somewhat answers.

"I used to get panic attacks like the one that you are having too." Castle confesses.

That comment makes Espo open his eyes to look at him. "What, you?"

"Yeah I use to all the time. I mean not so much now but when I first started flying. I was like that every time." Castle smiles, hoping that that would ease Espo's mind some.

"How..."

"How did I get over them," a pause. "Who says I have," Castle snorts. "When it gets really bad for me. I just talk a lot about..."

"Like you 're now bro...just small talk."

"Yeah I guess." Castle blinks sighing. Espo was right I am starting to do that again.

Is he the nervous one or am I about flying in this thing. Castle slides his hand down his face. Wishing he could magically appear next to Beckett. He was wishing this flight was in the past. That would be cool thing, to time travel.

Maybe Castle's right about the idea of wasting time by talking. Maybe this way I can get him to open up about the real story of LocSat.

"You have something on your mind bro, that you want to talk about. I can listen."

Espo was trying to hint to him trying to make him feel comfortable enough to tell him.

"Uh um..." was the only response that Castle was able to give.

"Something you want to talk about. Just man to man." Another attempt of getting him to open up. "Something that you are hiding possibly."

"You want to know about LokSat don't you?"

"Well," Espo starts.

"Why didn't you just say so."

"Will you tell me bro, everything."

Castle hesitates for a second.

"Sure why not, we have a long flight ahead of us. So where do you think that I should start from?"

"Beginning always good."

To Be Continued...