AN: Thank you again to everyone for following, favouring, and reviewing this story. Here's the next chapter everybody, enjoy. Don't forget to Review. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or it's characters.
Finally Something Awesome
We got to the docks about an hour after we left the precinct. There was a huge commotion going on when we got there. There was about a dozen squad cars, nosey citizens, and people who worked at the docks. We walked under the police tape and a cop led us to the three dead bodies inside a maroon colored freight.
"What do we have Lanie?" my aunt asked a pretty African-American lady who was working on one of the bodies.
I was guessing she was the coroner because of the way she was looking over the body.
"Right now all I can tell you is that those two over there were shot once to the head. This guy right here was shot multiple times, at least a dozen rounds. I'll know more when we get them back to the morgue," Lanie said.
My aunt nodded and looked around.
"Wow, three dead bodies in one day. This is awesome," I said looking at the man with twelve bullet wounds and blood pooling around him.
"Pretty sweet right," Castle said with a grin.
I nodded my grin matching his.
"Who's this?" Lanie asked with a raised brow.
"My niece Emily," my aunt said.
"This is Emily," Lanie said.
My Aunt Kate nodded and looked around some more.
"Nice to meet you Emily," Lanie said.
"Nice to meet you too," I said.
"I bet this has something to do with the mob, a hit gone wrong or maybe they turned on each other," Castle said while acting out the different scenarios.
"Really Castle?" my aunt said with an exasperated look on her face.
"He may be right," I said looking at the man more closely.
"What? How could you know that?" My aunt said.
"Look at that tattoo there. There's this big underground mob in downtown Brooklyn trying to make its way back up. Trying to create a name for themselves. That there is their initiation tattoo," I said to them.
"How do you know all that Em?" My aunt said with shock clearly written on her face.
"One of my mom's dealers was in the group," I said with a shrug.
"Was in the group?" Castle asked.
"Yeah, not too long after he joined, he was tracked down by the higher known mobsters in New York and was popped, double tap to the back of the head," I said.
"Oh god, I can't believe you heard all that," Aunt Kate said with a frown.
"No big deal, plus I gave you a lead," I said with a shrug.
"She did help give us some info, and you didn't even want to bring her along," Castle said with a smirk.
"Don't tempt me Castle, or I'll send you home too," Aunt Kate said.
"You're sending me home?" I said with a frown.
"Yes, you shouldn't even be here now. I'm calling my dad and see if he can take you to my apartment," my aunt said.
I was now sitting at my Aunt Kate's apartment with my grandpa and watching television. I've met my grandpa multiple times when my mom would wind up in jail for a bit or when he wanted to make sure I was safe.
"So Emily, did your aunt talk about signing you up at a new school yet?" grandpa asked me.
"Why can't I stay at my old school?" I asked slightly confused.
"Your old school is way across town and it may be better for you at a new school," he said with concern.
"But I like my old school, that's where all my friends go," I said sadly.
"I know Emily, but it's for the best. It's getting late you should head to bed," he said to me.
"Okay, night grandpa," I said going to my room.
It was only going on eight, and I'm so not tired. I threw on my beanie and shoes and grabbed my skateboard. I climbed out onto the fire escape and climbed down to the bottom. I skated downtown where I knew that some of the underground mob hangs out. I walked into the old, uninhabited, rusty warehouse that looked like the site of any horror movie.
I heard voices coming from deep within the old run down place and quietly kept to the shadows so I wouldn't make my presence known. I found about six men who were all different shapes and sizes. I hid behind some crates and boxes and peeked out to see what was going on.
This tall burly guy who I assumed was at least 6'3" was in front of four of the men. Another man was standing next to the tall scary man, he was a little bit shorter and skinnier then the other one. I'm guessing the scary guy was the head mobster and the thinner one was his second in command.
"What the hell! What was Paco doing down at the docks with Mark and Chino?" the scary guy said with a heavy Italian accent to the men.
"I'm sorry boss, I didn't know it was gonna go down like that. Paco had this big idea of trading with them bastards. I didn't go along with it I swear," a younger man in his late twenty's said with a Bronx accent.
"That's not what I heard, Marty. I heard you're the one who set the whole meeting up. Am I wrong?" the boss said with a glare.
"Uh… Um… well I mean at first, but…" Marty was cut off with a gun to his face.
I sat there motionless afraid of what was about to go down.
"You do not go around making decisions behind my back. You got one of my best people killed you little shit. I've been planning on taking this city for years now, and I was part way there. You just took me five steps back. You better start praying boy, because you have three seconds before you meet your maker," the boss said to him.
I held my ears waiting for the gunshot. Marty closed his eyes and seemed to mumble something. Next thing I know Marty drops to the floor as the muffled sound of a gunshot echoes through the warehouse.
They started talking to one another, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Marty watching his blood pool around his face. Next thing I hear is sirens coming from a distance. All the mobsters darted to the back of the building probably hightailing it out of sight.
I just sat there stunned and it wasn't because I witnessed my first murder. It was because I just witnessed a murder from the mob, and if anyone finds out I'll end up like Marty. All of a sudden the front door burst open and the police flooded the building.
Then I noticed four of the people who were examining their surroundings. My aunt Kate, Esposito, Ryan, and Castle. I was in deep sugar honey ice tea if I'm caught in the middle of this. Then a phone went off making me jump slightly, but I quickly caught myself and watched my aunt pick up her phone.
"What!? What do you mean she's not in her room? … How long ago did you send her to bed? … About two hours ago, Oh god. She could be anywhere. I'll find her don't worry dad. … Yeah I'll just finish up here and ask some officers to be on the lookout. … Okay keep me posted if she comes back," my aunt said then promptly hung up.
"What's wrong?" Castle asked.
"Emily's gone, again," my aunt said shaking her head.
"We'll find her, don't worry Kate," Castle said to her.
"I know, but it's the middle of the night Castle, and with this mob getting out of hand. Who knows?" she said with worry written on her face.
I sat there thinking about popping out and saying I'm here, but on second thought I'd rather not get into even more trouble. Just as I was thinking all these thoughts I was thrown under the bus by a uniformed cop coming around to my hiding spot.
"Detective Beckett we have a situation here," the man said looking over the boxes to my aunt.
"Another dead body, Clay?" my aunt asked as she walked over.
"No a kid, and very much alive," Clay said looking down at me.
"Oh my God, Emily," my aunt said looking at me.
She had so many emotions showing on her face I thought she would crack.
"Hey, Aunt Kate. What brings you here?" I said with a shy smile.
My aunt yanked me off the ground by my arm and looked me dead in the eye. I think I'm more scared of her right now than those mobsters.
"Emily how much did you see?" my aunt asked me.
"Everything," I said with a sigh. I knew this wasn't good and I was in hot water.
"Great, just great," my aunt mumbled.
"We have a big problem," my aunt said as she pulled me towards Esposito, Ryan, and Castle.
They all looked shocked and I just sheepishly looked at the ground knowing I was going to have to explain myself.
Back at the precinct I was in the interrogation room with my aunt and Castle. My aunt looked furious and her brown eyes raged with anger. She leaned over the interrogation table with both hands flat on the smooth surface.
Her whole body looked rigid as she stared down at my little eight year old body. I don't think I was ever this scared of my aunt before, I must have really hit a nerve.
"Why were you there?" my aunt said in the most serious tone I've ever heard.
"I thought I'd help with the case," I said looking at her.
"You could have gotten yourself killed, Em," my aunt said to me.
"But I didn't. At least now you have a witness," I said with a glare.
"Emily this is serious. If you would have been caught, you'd be dead right now. I don't need you ending up like your mother and father," she said glaring right back.
"I'm nothing like them," I said my voice rising.
"You're just like them Emily! You don't think and your always putting yourself in danger," My aunt said her voice booming.
"I hate you!" I said to her.
"I should have never taken you in," she said.
We all stopped knowing that was crossing the line. Even Castle looked shocked and solemn.
"Emily," my Aunt Kate said softly.
"Leave me alone," I said looking at the floor with tears brimming my eyes.
"Beckett, let's go in the hall for a while," Castle said in a soft calm voice.
My aunt nodded and followed Castle out into the hall way. I let my tears run freely down my face. I knew I was nothing but trouble, but hearing everything that my aunt said only made it worse. Maybe I am no better than my mom and dad. I wiped my tears furiously and slammed my hands on the table.
My aunt doesn't want me and no one else wants me. It's like I'm the last kid on earth that no one cares about. The door opened and I thought it was my aunt, but it was just Castle with a bottle of water. He handed the water to me and I took it thankfully. I only drank a little, but it was enough to push the remaining lump in my throat.
"You know your aunt didn't mean that," Castle said.
"Yes she did, my mama would say the same thing almost every day. I'm a horrible kid and nobody wants me," I said with a sad look on my face.
"You're not a horrible kid, you've just been through some horrible things in your life and we have to work past it," Castle said.
"What if she's right? What if I am just like them? I'll just wind up dead, just another victim of the streets of New York," I said glaring at my red hands from hitting the table.
"You won't Emily, because you have an Aunt who loves you, a grandpa who watches out for you, a whole precinct to protect you, and my family will be here for you too. You'll never be alone again Emily," Castle said with a slight smile.
"You promise?" I asked him with a raised brow.
"I promise. Now let me go get your aunt so you can tell her everything that happened," Castle said.
I nodded and watched Castle leave to get my aunt.
I explained to my aunt how I'd known that they'd be there and how I got there. It was a long two hours of explanations and pointing out the people I saw in the warehouse by their mugshots. By the time we got finished I was dreadfully tired and didn't even remember falling asleep while waiting for my aunt to finish up.
Next thing I know I wake up and I'm in Castle's arms. He was carrying me through my aunt's front door. It was nice of him to do so. He laid me on my bed, in my aunt's guest bedroom, and tucked me in.
"Night, Emily," Castle said.
"Night, Castle," I said just barely keeping consciousness.
Before I fell into dreamland I could have sworn I saw a smile form on Castle's lips.