Okay, so I'm not going to finish this story as soon as I'd hoped. Sorry about that but I've been contributing to the Castle Ficathon and it ends the day before s7 begins and I wanna reach my goal before then, so there might be lulls between chapters. I also have a few other stories going that might contribute, as well. But I'll try my hardest to hash out a schedule ASAP and hopefully have out a chapter a week for each story. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Castle hid a yawn behind his hand as he listened to the Captain explain how to steer and keep a firm grip on the wheel. He'd made it to their impromptu lesson right on time and handed Kate the filled journal before taking his place behind her as she showed him where to place his hands. Now, he was nearly falling asleep where he stood, his head drooping every so often before he caught himself and straightened, just before she turned to look at him.

He was starting to lose the battle, however, as he felt his eyelids droop, his body swaying precariously to the left as he began to drift out of consciousness…

"Mr. Castle!" He nearly wet himself at the sound of the angry voice, his eyes snapping open as he stared into the livid green eyes of the captain. "Am I keeping you away, sir?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"No, Mi—Captain," Castle lied. "Not at all. I just…I spent a great deal of my night filling that journal you provided for me and I…I'm just a tad…exhausted."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You can return to your bunk," she said, "after I am satisfied that you have truly learned something. Have you?" He nodded and she stepped aside. "So show me," she said.

Castle sighed and grabbed the wheel, trying to hold it like she said, but his tired hands kept slipping and he was about to turn and apologize when he felt a firm, warm weight settle on his right hand. His eyes widened for a second when he looked down as saw her slender fingers press between his much larger ones.

"Here," she said, her breath against his ear, which made his tired body shiver. "And here," she said, pressing her left hand atop his, positioning it correctly. "Keep a firm grip, Mr. Castle." He nodded, finding himself unable to speak as the whole of her body pressed against his back in order for her to be able to reach his hands.

"For the most part, Mr. Castle," Kate went on. "You will not have to move the wheel. Not unless there is an obstruction which you'll have to avoid…or a fellow ship we'll have to loot."

"Loot?" Castle asked, turning to look at her and only just meeting his eyes as he didn't dare move his hands, lest she remove hers from atop them.

"Pirates," she reminded them silently. "Don't worry; everybody on my crew knows how to fight and we haven't had a fatality…yet."

Castle swallowed thickly. "It's not me I'm concerned about, Captain," he admitted.

"Alexis, is it?" Kate asked, knowingly. "Don't fret; she'll never be in any danger during a raid; not if I can help it." The promise was heartfelt and said without a waver or hesitation in her voice, and it made Castle feel much better.

"Thank you, Captain," he said, "I greatly appreciate that."

"So long as you don't cross me," Kate added, her usual tough, no-nonsense tone returning.

Castle couldn't help but grin at that. He knew, from the second he met her, that this woman had walls. And it would take more than just a single moment of weakness to break down those walls.

But he would.

X_X_X

She eventually allowed him to return to his bunk, after he showed her that he knew how to move through the water, almost effortlessly, and avoided a simple piece of driftwood that wouldn't even have harmed the ship if they'd hit it.

And while he retired for a nap, she stayed and took over the steering for the morning, setting an empty crate by the wheel so she could rest every now and again to read the story he'd written for her.

On her first break, she was able to read the first ten pages, which both captivated and infuriated her. There was no denying whom the character of 'Nikki Heat' was based off of, though it was impossible to truly know anything about her life that she, or anybody else, hadn't told him. And she knew none of her crew would ever disrespect her in such a way as to tell this stranger her personal story.

He must have guessed, she thought to herself. There's no way…

But there it was, within the first few paragraphs; the death of her parents. Of Nikki's parents, anyway. Kate couldn't be certain that her father was well and truly gone, and she never wanted to lose the hope that he was still out there, searching for her.

And the way that they died was different, as well. In Castle's fictional world, the Heats died of a house fire, set by government soldiers; a cruel twist of irony, considering Mr. Heat was once part of the same battalion that committed the act of arson. The only survivor was young Nicolette Heat, who was playing out in a back field when the flames engulfed her childhood home. She was 12, older than Kate had been when her own world came crashing down around her.

Nicolette attempted to go back to save her parents, but gas must have been poured, because there was an explosion and embers and flying pieces of burning debris flew out at her, leaving a burn on her face. But the brave young child did not cry; instead, she ran.

She ran as far as her feet would take her, ripping her dress—a fact eerily similar to Kate's own distress at the time of her family's destruction—and kept it up until she'd made it to the docks, out of breath and terrified for her life.

She approached a man, a black Captain, begging him for help and the older man took pity on her and led her to his ship, introducing her to his crew and inviting her to become a part of it, in exchange for food and shelter. The young girl agreed, of course, and—

"Ship ahoy!"

The exclamation startled Kate from her reading and she looked up at Ryan, who was taking his shift in the lookout, his telescope held against his eye as he stared ahead. She stood, placing the journal on her crate and peered in the direction he was looking, her eyes widening at the sight of a ship, but not the kind she'd been expecting.

Instead of the usual cargo ship they were used to seeing, there was a wreck. A ship much like theirs, but torn into pieces, driftwood floating about, sails floating over the pieces like blankets; the grave of what must have, at one time, been a simply marvelous pirate ship. Kate turned to wheel, making to avoid the wreckage, but not far or fast enough that they couldn't catch a good look at it.

"Keep an eye out, Ryan," she ordered. "Tell me if there's any cargo that can be salvaged and sold. Perhaps we'll make a little extra in the Philippines."

"Roger that, Cap," Ryan replied, his scope trained on the wreckage. She steered the ship as close as she dared, making sure that the sails wouldn't catch too much wind for them to stop. They were nearly past when Ryan called out again: "Captain, wait! Halt the ship! I see someone!"

"Someone?" Kate asked, sending the signal for Tory to lower the anchor. The ship halted with a soft lurch and she, along with Jenny and Esposito, raced to the port side, looking out at the wreckage.

At first, she couldn't see anything of value, let alone anybody, but then she saw it—or, rather, him. Kate's eyes widened at the sight and she ordered both Tory and Javier to retreat him while she sent Jenny for Lanie, who had the only healing ability on the ship.

The young black woman ran out just as they lifted the teenage boy out of the water. His skin was already cold and clammy, but they could feel his heart beat in his chest, so there still might be time to save him. Alexis was with her, looking curiously at the boy as Lanie got to her knees next to him, her hands pressing against his chest, attempting to expel any water that might be trapped in his lungs, but to no avail.

Kate didn't even notice the redhead watching until she'd seen almost everything and heard Lanie curse as his pulse grew ever more faint, until it was nonexistent. Kate felt the urge to rush to the girl and shield her from the view. Kate, herself, had watched too many men die when she'd first joined the crew, and the very sight of a man's life slipping away had given her more nightmares than she liked to think of. She did not want another child to suffer through that.

She reached for the toddler and pulled her around, facing her instead of the body, which had gone still, without a pulse. She attempted to engage Alexis in the clapping game that Lanie had taught her, but the child's focus was solely on the boy and she attempted to turn back around, but Kate kept a firm grip on her shoulders, attempting to save her the burden of nightmares.

But to no avail.

"Sleeping," Alexis exclaimed, pointing at the body. Lanie turned to her and gave her a sad smile.

"Yes, baby," she said, nodding. "He's sleeping." The two women locked eyes and Kate could see the heartbreak in the darker woman's; she was not much older than this boy, who'd gone cold in her arms, but it always hurt her to see death, no matter what her age or the victim's age.

"Wrap him," Kate ordered, softly. "Bring him to the brig; we'll figure out what to do with him later." Tory and Esposito nodded, the former grabbing a tarp to place over him, before they shared the burden of his weight.

Alexis watched, curiously, not understanding what was happening in front of her own eyes. Kate prayed that it would be a long while yet before she did understand.

But she knew that was a ridiculous hope. After all, the girl would grow up on a pirate ship.

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