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Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or it's characters.
A Birthday Wish
Today was a very special day, why you may ask, because it was my birthday. Not that any birthday isn't special, because I'm another year older and alive, but I'm finally a teenager. It's pretty crazy that I'm actually a teenager now, and I don't feel much different, but I'm sure that'll all change eventually. I hope aunt Kate and uncle Rick are ready for my angsty teen years. Actually, I don't even think I'm ready for my angsty teen years, hopefully I don't go through that, but who knows.
I made my way downstairs and there was nobody there. I saw a note on the kitchen counter, and noticed that it was addressed to me. I read through the note and it said, "Castle and I had to go to a crime scene. Don't get into any trouble, and we'll see you later. Aunt Kate."
I sighed and made myself some breakfast before heading off to school. It was okay that no one was home to wish me a happy birthday, I'm sure that tonight we'll have a special little party to celebrate my birthday. So, I went off to school, and found Mike hanging by my locker. I made my way up to him and said, "Hi, Mike."
"Hey, Emmy. Guess what?" Mike asked.
"What?"
"I heard Mr. Grey is out today, so we have a substitute teacher for Geography class. I also heard that she is super nice, so we probably won't even have to do any work."
"Well that's cool. That has to be one awesome thing to happen so far for my birthday."
"Your birthday isn't until…" Mike checked his phone and continued, "Today… Oh, shoot. I'm so sorry Emmy. I completely forgot."
"It's fine, so far no one has told me happy birthday," I said with a shrug.
"Well, happy birthday Emmy. I'll give you my extra cinnamon bun that I brought for lunch."
"No, that's okay. I see the way the cinnamon bun ends up by lunch time, and it's not appetizing."
"Hey, it still tastes good even if it looks like a big smooshed piece of mush."
"Whatever you say, Mike."
"Your loss."
School eventually ended and it was a pretty boring day to be honest, not that most school days aren't, but today had to take the cake. It could have been because I was thinking about my birthday today, and how bad I wanted to go home, but who knows. We even had a pop quiz in our math class, and it was super hard. I just hope I had enough birthday mojo in me to nail it. I walked home quickly and when I made my way inside, it was completely empty like this morning. I sighed and decided to call out to see if I was truly alone, "Is anyone home?"
"Mini Beckett, your home," Castle said as he walked in from his office.
"Hi, Castle. Did you guys solve the case?" I asked.
"No, we haven't. I was actually about to head back to the precinct because they got a lead."
"Oh, that's cool. Can I come?"
"Sorry Emily, I have strict orders to not let you come with me."
"Why?"
"It's a pretty serious case that we're working on, and it's pretty hectic down at the precinct. Your aunt doesn't want any trouble on her hands, even I had a hard time convincing her to let me stay."
"Got it…"
"Sorry Mini Beckett. Maybe the next one."
"Yeah… Do you have anything else to tell me before you leave?"
Castle went into thinking mode, and I raised a brow as he continued to think about my question. Castle shook his head and said, "Not that I'm aware of. Oh, but Alexis won't be home tonight she's hanging with some of her friends, and my mother is having some kind of party for their play opening in a couple of weeks. So, you may be spending your night alone if Kate and I are still working this case."
"That's it?" I questioned.
"Well, yes… Why?"
"It's nothing. Have fun solving the case."
"Okay… I really am sorry mini Beckett. Maybe we can hang out this weekend."
"Sure, I'd like that."
Castle gave me a sad smile, not knowing why I was truly hurt inside, and he left the loft. A small tear rolled down my face and I couldn't believe no one remembered my birthday today. I felt like Molly Ringwald in the movie Sixteen Candles. I know things have been kind of crazy lately, and everyone's been busy, but even a quick happy birthday would've been nice. Maybe I shouldn't get to upset about it, it happens to us all right, and it's not like I haven't gotten any birthday wishes before, especially when my mother was around. She'd usually remember my birthday five months after it's gone past, but I was fine with that, I just grew accustomed to it.
I wiped my tears and tried to cheer myself up, telling myself that it was all right, and I'm sure they'll remember it tomorrow. I decided to do my homework and browse the internet until someone came home, but from what Castle said, it didn't sound like anyone was going to be home tonight. So, it looks like it's going to be one long and boring birthday night for me, yay.
I ate supper alone and now I was watching a marathon of one of my favorite shows as I chilled at home. I pretty much forgot about today as I watched my favorite character tell a lame joke to the lead character. The show was helping me cope until I got a phone call from my aunt Kate. I picked up the phone and said, "Are you coming home?"
"That's why I called, it looks like we're going to be stuck here a little longer. You'll probably be asleep by the time we get home. Let me rephrase that, you should be asleep by the time we get home," my aunt said on the other end of the line.
"That sucks."
"I know it does Em, but you know how this job is."
"Yes, I know."
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
"See you tomorrow. But before you hang up, is there anything else you want to say to me?"
"Um, not really. Why? Did you do something wrong?"
"What!? No… Not today anyway."
She chuckled and said, "Well, that's a relief. Seriously though, is there something wrong Em?"
"No, there's nothing wrong. I'm fine. See you tomorrow," I said sadly.
"Em…"
I hung up the phone before my aunt could say anything else and started crying again. Everyone really did forget my birthday. I was hoping that it might have been a prank they were trying to pull on me, but then I realized it wasn't, they really forgot. I tried to not let it get to me like this, but after five years with everyone caring for me, and making me feel like a normal child, it really stung. It felt like I was alone all over again, and no one cared about me. I know it might be stupid to think that way, because they all love me deeply, but I felt left out today, when I was hoping it was going to be a special thirteenth birthday. I thought Castle would make some funny jokes about me being a teenager, and Aunt Kate being nervous about me entering my rebellious and angsty teen years, even if it's kind of stereotypical. I was truly looking forward to that, and hanging out with my family and friends of course.
But the worst part is, if everyone's already so busy now, what will happen in the future. Aunt Kate might run for senate, and that's going to be a lot of work, and even if she doesn't, she'll possibly wind up becoming a captain of her own precinct, and will still be way too busy for me. Of course, I still have everyone else, but they're all moving on with their lives too, and I'll be left in the dust, all alone to deal with my future teenage problems. I might be overreacting just a tad, but it's something like this that really makes you think about the impending future.
Since it was getting late, and my birthday would be ending within a couple of hours, why not celebrate it with myself at least. I went into the kitchen and looked through several drawers until I found what I was looking for, a lighter and a birthday candle. We didn't really have any sweet treats in the house, but I did manage to scrounge up two Twinkies that we had left. I put the Twinkies together and placed the candle in the middle of one of them, before lighting it up with the lighter. I watched the candle burn for a few seconds and wondered what I was going to wish for.
I finally figured out my wish and said out loud, "I wish I knew what life would be like in an alternate universe… Maybe people would actually remember my birthday."
I blew out my candles, and then the lights flickered in Castle's loft. I furrowed my brows and looked around the room.
"Well, that's creepy," I mumbled before I took out the candle and started eating my Twinkies.
Once I was done, I headed up to bed to get some sleep, and to forget about the terrible birthday I had today.
"Casey, it's time to get up," I heard a woman's voice say.
I cracked an eye open and noticed that I wasn't in my room. I shot straight up and looked around the room, noticing that it wasn't my room or even Castle's loft for that matter. I looked out the window of the room I was in and found out that I wasn't even in New York anymore, far from it from what I can tell. If my guess was correct, it looked more like California. But how did this happen? Was there something trippy in my Twinkies last night? Maybe this is just a really weird dream.
I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming, but all it did was hurt, making a small red mark on my skin, and not even waking me up. I groaned and turned to find myself staring into a mirror, at a reflection that I didn't recognize. My eyes went wide, and I couldn't stop staring at my new reflection. Then it hit me, like a ton of bricks. I made a wish last night, a pretty insane wish now that I think about it, but who would have thought it would come true. Not me apparently, because then I would have never made that wish, well maybe.
A knock sounded on my door and the same voice from earlier said, "Casey, are you awake? We'll have to leave soon."
I opened the door cautiously and asked, "Who are you?"
The woman chuckled with a confused face and said, "I'm your mother silly. What's gotten into you? Your about to turn thirteen tomorrow and you're already acting strange."
"Oh, I'm sorry mom. I just had a very… weird… dream last night."
"Must have been if you don't even remember your own mother. Anyway, get ready. We have to be on the set soon, or I'll be in huge trouble. We'll just eat some breakfast at the catering table."
"What?"
"You don't have school today, so I'm taking you to work with me. That must have been some dream, huh?"
"Yeah… It must have."
"Well, get dressed and we'll leave in a bit."
"Okay."
She gave me a quick kiss on the temple and left, leaving me standing at the door dumbfounded and confused. My mother worked at a studio and worked on a set with actors? Which is pretty sweet I must admit, but I still miss my aunt Kate and uncle Rick. I must have been out of my mind when I made that wish last night, but seriously, I never would have believed that something like this would happen.
I got dressed, and as soon as I found my way downstairs and to the living room, my "mother" and I headed to the set she worked on. I couldn't stop looking out the car window with amazement, since I've only been out of New York a couple of times, and it was only the north east United States, this was a true sight to see. It was so sunny and nice out, and all of the palm trees were swaying in a calm breeze, it made me feel like I was on vacation. We pulled into the studio lot, and I couldn't believe that I was on a set of some television show. Not that it was the first time, because my aunts job has taken me to quite a few, but this seemed different somehow.
I got out of the car, and followed my mother closely, so I didn't get into any trouble with her. I hardly knew her and I was not winding up on her bad side. She led me to a small trailer area and said, "Okay, I need to help get everything ready for wardrobe. Can you go hang out on the morgue set while I help out? You can even help yourself to the food at the catering table if you want."
"Sure, I'll go do that," I said.
"Great, I'll see you later."
"See you."
I started walking around the building and found the sets of the show my mother was working for. The first set that I found looked oddly familiar to me, and I stopped in my tracks. I looked over the whole interior and it looked exactly like Castle's loft. What was the inside of my uncle's loft doing on a television set? I was super confused and didn't know what to think. I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard a man say behind me, "Isn't it neat?"
I jumped at the sudden voice and looked to find none other than Castle, looking at me with a half-eaten apple in his hand.
"Castle?" I questioned the man.
He chuckled at me and said, "I see we have a little fan on set today."
"Fan?"
"Yeah, don't you watch the show?"
"What show?'
"Castle… That's the name of my show. I play the lead character Richard Castle, a ruggedly handsome writer who gets inspiration for his new novels, Nikki Heat, by following around an attractive female detective, Kate Beckett."
"Right… So, you're just an actor?"
He chuckled again with confusion and said, "Well, yeah. It's just a show."
"Nathan, what are you doing?" I heard his mother say from behind him.
"Nothing, Susan. I was just talking to this young fan who wandered on set."
"Oh, hello. I'm Susan, I play Mrs. Rodgers on the show, it's nice to meet you."
"Hi, I'm Casey and my mother works here," I said to her.
"Really? That's a relief, I thought I'd have to get security," the man named Nathan said.
"Well, I hope you have fun on set today. We're shooting some fun scenes today, but I must be off, I have to go to wardrobe."
She walked away, leaving the fake Castle and I alone in the fake loft. He smiled softly at me and said, "So, where were you headed Casey?"
"I was heading to the morgue, but I'm not sure where it is."
"That's okay, I can show you. I don't have to be in wardrobe or hair and makeup for another hour or so."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
He started leading the way, saying hello to random people we passed in the hall, and I asked, "What's the deal with the morgue?"
"That's where most of the extras and crew members hang out when we're not shooting, or if they are waiting for their scene to get called on. A little place to relax before they have to work."
"Got it. And you guys hang out in your trailers."
"Precisely, but we tend to hang out there too. The whole cast and crew are like one big family."
"Interesting. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing."
"Promise you won't think I'm crazy."
"All right. Go ahead."
"What if I wasn't from this world and made a really terrible wish?"
"Hmm… that would be something."
"Seriously, though. Where I'm from you're my Aunts husband, Castle. My aunt is Katherine Beckett. My name is Emily Beckett. You gotta believe me."
He laughed and said, "Whoa, now Casey. I don't think that's possible. Maybe you've been reading too much fanfiction, or you have a very active imagination. This show isn't real."
"You don't believe me…"
"Sorry kid, but things like that don't happen in real life. Only in television, movies, and books."
"I guess so."
He stopped at the morgue and said, "Here you are. Sorry to burst your bubble like that, but it's true. Maybe you can come watch us film later, and have some fun."
"That sounds nice."
"Well, I'll see you around Casey."
He walked off, and I sighed sadly. How was I ever going to get back when no one's going to believe me. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I looked up to see detective Ryan smiling down at me.
"Hi Casey, are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I whispered out.
"Okay, but if you need anyone to talk to, you can come to me."
"She's not going to come talking to you, Seamus," Esposito said as he walked up with a cup of coffee.
"Hey, the kid's sad. I just want her to feel at ease and to know that she has someone to come too if she needs comfort."
"Sure, she wants a thirty-eight-year-old man she barely knows, to comfort her when she's sad."
"Like she'd go to you for comfort, Jon."
"No, I barely know the kid."
"Well, she knows me."
"Do you know him?"
"Um, not that I know of," I replied.
"See."
"We met twice. Your mother works in the wardrobe department. I even helped you with your English homework a few weeks ago," Seamus said.
"Sorry, I don't really remember that," I said.
"Ha, that's funny," Jon said as he tapped Seamus on the chest with the back of his hand.
"Oh, yeah… That's fine. I forget things too… sometimes," Seamus said.
"Yeah, like your lines."
"Who was the one who made us shoot for an extra hour last week because he couldn't get his lines together."
"That was one night, and I was tired."
"Mmm-hmm… Sure."
Seamus started to walk away, and Jon followed after him, saying something to him that made Seamus glare at his friend. I watched the two men walk down the hall and said, "Well, at least their chummy in this life too."
I decided to head inside the morgue and found a whole bunch of people on their electronic devices while eating some food, drinking coffee or other beverages. I found a seat for myself, away from everyone, and decided to check the cell phone that I had. It took me several attempts to unlock the phone, but I finally figured out the password, and I was allowed to explore it without any other issues. I decided to go on the internet and look up the show called "Castle". It seemed pretty funny, and it reminded me of where I once was. Even some of the episodes sounded like things that truly happened in my world.
I looked up the actress who played my aunt Kate and found that it was some woman named Stana Katic. She was extremely pretty, and looked just like my aunt Kate. I wondered if I'd meet the woman, that she'd recognize me somehow, or think she's seen me before in another life. It was worth a shot, but I doubted it, especially since Castle didn't even know me.
After I finished looking the show up, I decided to do some research on birthday wishes and other strange phenomenon's on entering another dimension. Most of the results came up with movie and book info, but I had a few sites that gave me some decent information. I also ran across a couple of sites that looked like it was created by some whack job from who knows where, and wrote a bunch of gibberish on a website.
The best thing I could come up with through every website I came across, was to reenact everything that I did that night, including the whole wish part. The only problem was, how was I going to sneak onto set, in the middle of the night, and reenact everything that I did that night. Of course, I'm no stranger to getting into trouble and doing these sorts of things, but I don't know how lenient this world will be to my law-breaking shenanigans.
As I continued to go through hundreds of websites, some guy came into the room and said, "South end, we're ready for you on set."
Half of the people in the room got up and started to make their way out of the room. I watched as they left, while the rest of the extras and crew members continued to drink their morning beverages and typed away on their electronic devices. As I continued to look around the room, most of the people actually looked quite familiar to me, and I remembered them bustling about the precinct and at different crime scenes. This alternate reality sure is strange, at least stranger than the one I was stuck in with Castle not too long ago. At least in that reality everyone knew who I was, but here, it's like I'm a complete stranger to everyone. I just need to come up with a concrete plan to get out of here, and back to where I truly belong.
Casey's mom, or should I say my mom, came into the morgue set, and walked over to me. She smiled happily when she reached me, and asked, "Did you get some breakfast?"
"No, not yet, I wasn't really hungry," I said.
"Oh, that's okay. I was heading there right now, if you want to come."
"Sure, why not."
She nodded, still having a smile on her face, and I followed behind her closely as she led me to the catering table. When we got there, I saw another very familiar face, which happened to be Alexis. Of course, she wasn't really Alexis, just the actress who played her, and if I recall from the cast list I was reading earlier, her name was Molly. When we got up to the table, my mom said to the girl, "Good morning Molly. Ready to film today?"
"Yeah, I can't wait. The scenes today are going to be really fun from what I can remember," Molly said before she smiled at me and asked, "Is this your daughter?"
"Yes, this is my daughter Casey. She had off from school today, so I thought she could tag along."
"Nice to meet you Casey. I hope you're having fun here on set."
"Nice to meet you too. It's been pretty cool seeing the set and other actors," I said, trying hard to not be weird about it.
"Great, maybe you can watch us film a couple of scenes."
"That'd be awesome."
"Yes, that would be. I'm sure we'll be watching a few," my mom said.
"Hey, whatcha guys doing?" I heard Nathan ask from beside us.
"Nothing, I was just meeting Diana's daughter," Molly said.
"Oh yeah, I met her earlier. Interesting kid, and has quite the imagination."
My face froze from what he just said, now I'm going to look foolish in front of everyone because I think I live in another dimension, even though I do.
"What do you mean?" my mom asked with a chuckle.
"Well, when I ran into her earlier, she told me that she was in this show. Like she was actually a part of it for real, and Beckett was actually her aunt," he answered her.
"Really? Why would you think that?"
I scratched the back of my neck nervously, and thought up a lie, "I think I was still in a weird haze after waking up from my crazy dream this morning. I think that's what the dream was about actually, me being in this show, and Kate being my aunt."
"Wow, that's some dream," Molly said.
"Yeah, it is. You do know it was just a dream, right?" my mom asked.
"Oh, yeah… Once I fully woke up while sitting in the morgue set, my senses were coming back," I said with a nervous chuckle.
"That's a relief. I thought you were fully serious earlier, especially since you were so adamant about the whole thing," Nathan said.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Just one weird morning that's all."
"I know how those are. Well, I'll catch up with you all later, I think I'm going to be filming soon, so I better get going before I get in trouble… again."
Nathan walked away and Molly said, "I should go too. I want to look over my lines a few more times before they call for me. See you guys later."
We waved goodbye to her as she left, and my mom said, "You seemed to have an eventful morning."
"I guess I did," I said.
"Maybe some food will help you out."
"Sure, I could eat now."
My mother handed me a paper plate, and grabbed one for herself, before we started digging through the packed catering table for something to eat. I decided to get a few pieces of fruit, along with a croissant, and ham. Once we fixed up our plate, we both grabbed a water bottle from the small table next to the catering table. I followed my mother back to the morgue, and we sat down to eat our food, which is exactly what I needed to help me think about what I'm going to do.
After several boring hours of hanging out on set, killing my phones battery in the meantime, they were finally shooting their last scene for the day, and my mom offered me to go watch. I decided to go see what they were doing, and maybe I can meet the Stana Katic who plays my aunt Kate. We went through several other sets until we reached the set they were filming on, which happened to be the precinct. They were all preparing for the scene and I could see Ryan and Esposito chatting with each other as they looked over a script, Castle was sitting on a desk checking his phone, and then I saw my aunt getting some extra makeup put on her as she talked with someone who probably works behind the scenes.
I was pretty sure she wasn't going to recognize me, but it was worth a shot, so I planned to go talk to her once they finished filming this last scene. Some guy walked in, whom I'm guessing was the director, and he said, "Okay, let's get started and then we'll call it a day."
Everyone bustled about, finding their marks, as they whispered quietly to one another. Once everyone was in position, the director said, "Okay, quiet on set please… and action."
They ran through the scene quite a few times because a few of their actors fumbled their lines or made goofy faces that everyone started laughing at, but they finally got a good take, and everyone was dismissed for the day. I decided that this was my chance to talk to the woman who played my aunt and went over to her as she talked with Ryan and Esposito.
"Hi, you guys were great," I said, trying not to be creepy about this.
"Aww thanks, we appreciate that," she said with a small smile.
"Oh, that's Diana's kid from wardrobe," Ryan, well Seamus, said.
"Yeah, we ran into her this morning," Jon said.
"It's nice meeting you. I hope you enjoyed your time," Stana said.
"Yeah, it was great," I said.
"I hope to see you around again, but I have to go, I'm late for dinner with some friends."
We all said goodbye to her and Jon said, "I guess it is that time. Want to go get some grub, Seamus?"
"Sure, as long as you're paying," he said with a smirk.
"Heck no, you pay for your own meal."
"If I recall, I paid for our last dinner out."
"I forgot my wallet."
"Yeah, and you said you'd pay me back. It's been four months and I haven't seen a dime."
"All right fine, I'll pay."
"Great," Seamus smiled at me and said, "See you around Casey."
"Bye," I said
"Nice meeting you today Casey," Jon said.
"Same to you."
They walked away and my mom came over and said, "I have to finish organizing wardrobe, and then we'll go home and have dinner. Sound good?"
"Yep, sounds good."
Eventually we drove home, and Casey's mom whipped up a quick dinner which tasted delicious. I might not like this life much, but the food is sure great. As we sat at our dining table with empty plates, my mother said, "Did you have a good time today?"
"I did, thanks for bringing me mom," I said.
"No problem, I'm sure I'll take you again sometime."
"Great. Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Do I have a bike?"
She chuckled at me and said, "Yes, Old Red. It's been your favorite for years, why?"
"I just wanted to go out for a ride tomorrow. Do you remember where it is?"
"It's in the garage like it always is. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yep, I'm positive. It's been awhile since I used Big Red."
"Old Red, and you rode it two days ago to school."
"Right… I forgot about that."
"Sure, maybe you should get some rest. It seems you've had a long day today."
"Maybe you're right, I am pretty beat."
"Okay, get some rest sweetie. I'll clean these dishes up and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yup, see you tomorrow."
"Oh, and it's your birthday tomorrow. I can't believe you're going to be a teenager."
"Me either. Time goes by quick."
"It sure does. Goodnight Casey."
"Night mom."
I went to Casey's room, and started charging my dead cell phone, so I could use the map when I decide to orchestrate my plan later tonight. As I waited for my mother to fall asleep, I decided to go through my plan several times, so I knew exactly what I was doing. By the time I thought my plan through, it was pretty late, and after midnight, so it was officially Casey's birthday. I peeked out the door of my room, and noticed all the lights in the house were off, and the only lights I saw were the ones coming from the street lamps outside, shining through the windows. I grabbed the phone from the charger, putting in the directions of the studio, and went downstairs and to the garage. It took me several attempts to find the door to the garage, but eventually I found it and I was closer to putting my plan in action.
I turned on the flashlight from my phone, and looked around the garage until I found what I was looking for, Old Red. I grabbed the bike, which wasn't in great condition, but it still looked good enough to ride. I went over to the garage door, and lifted it carefully, so I didn't make enough noise to wake Casey's mother. I cracked the garage door open enough for the bike and I to get out, and thankfully it didn't squeak as much as I thought it would when I put it up, so that was a relief. I left the garage, and made sure to shut the door before I headed off to the studio where they shoot Castle.
I snuck passed the security booth, and went through each lot until I found the stage that I was in earlier today. I placed the bike against the wall next to the door that lead inside to the set of Castle, and I snuck inside. Even though the emergency lights were on to get from point A to point B, it wasn't enough for me to find the set of Castle's loft. I turned my phone light on, and started wandering around the dark and quiet set, trying to find the place I was looking for.
Eventually I reached Castle's loft and I dug around the room to find anything that might help me get back to my normal life. The place was pretty much empty, except for a few random props hidden in different compartments of the set. I groaned, giving up on ever getting back to my world, and rested my head against the fake refrigerator in the fake loft. As I tried to figure out what to do next, a bright light was flashed in my face, and I squinted at the uniformed security guard. The guard walked over to me and I smiled nervously knowing that I was in very big trouble.
"Who are you and what are you doing in here?" the man asked.
"My name is Em… Casey. My mother works here in the wardrobe department, and um… I thought I left something here while I was on set today," I said.
"What's your mother's name?"
"My mother's name…" I thought hard about the question, trying to remember if someone mentioned her name, then I remembered Alexis and Ryan mentioning her name, "Her name is Diana."
"Diana… Diana, what?"
Great, I never did get a last name, and I chuckled nervously at the security guard, "Well, it's a funny story. You see, I don't know my last name. It's been a pretty crazy 14hrs, and it's hard to explain, but yeah… I don't know it."
The guard kept looking at me with a stone-cold glare, and he grabbed my arm and said, "You're coming with me."
"We're not going to the slammer, are we?"
"No, we're going to the security room, and you're going to call your mother."
"Ahh… Got it. I'd say that's even worse," I said with another chuckle.
I earned another glare, so I put my head down and I decided to stay silent as we walked the rest of the way to the security room. When we got there, he sat me down in one of the chairs in the room, and said, "Give me your mothers number."
"Sure, thing," I said as I pulled out my cell phone, and looked for the contact labeled "Mother". When I finally found it, I gave it to the man, "Here it is, 555-123-4321."
He dialed it into their landline, and put it on speaker once it started to ring. After a few rings, Casey's mother picked up and said, "Hello, who is this?"
"This is Fred Bailor, I'm a security guard at Raleigh Studios," he said.
"Oh, Fred? What are you calling for?"
"Do I know you?"
"I've been working there for eight years, on several different shows. Castle being the main one. I see you every morning."
"Wait, is this Diana Higgles."
"Yes."
"Higgles?" I whispered to myself.
What kind of last name is Higgles? I guess I shouldn't be too judgmental of the name, it could be worse, and I bet we all have weird names according to others.
"I have your daughter here, she snuck into the studio, and broke into the set of Castle."
"I didn't break in. I did sneak in, and trespass, but I did not break… The door was already unlocked," I chimed in.
"Casey Amelia Higgles, what in god's name are you doing down there?" my mother yelled at me from the phone.
"I thought I left something on set."
"You could have waited until tomorrow to get it, I would've brought you back down. Not breaking and entering on your thirteenth birthday."
"Yeah, I should have done that."
"Are you coming down to get her?" Frank asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Yes, I'll be there as soon as possible," she said.
"Great, we'll be in the security office."
"Okay, see you soon."
She hung up, and then he did the same. He sat down in another chair and put his feet up on the desk in front of him, while giving me side glances before he started reading a newspaper. I slumped down in my seat, and wondered if I'd ever get out of this nightmare.
A little while later, Diana arrived and she didn't look to happy to see her daughter, me, sitting in the security office of where she worked. She talked to the security guard for a few minutes before she took me and the bike back home. When we got back home, she sat me down on the couch and paced in front of me as she thought about what she wanted to say. This moment made me think of how many times I was in a similar predicament with my aunt Kate, who I missed dearly, even in these kinds of moments right here.
"Why were you down there, Casey?" my mother asked me.
"Like I said, I thought I forgot something," I said.
"I doubt that Casey. Frank said he found you in Castle's loft, we weren't even in the loft today."
"I was in there earlier when I was trying to find my way to the morgue."
"What would compel you to sneak out in the middle of the night, and do something like this? This is not like you at all Casey."
"I can't explain it… I don't know."
"Please don't start out your teenage years like this. I don't think I can handle it."
I felt bad for this mother whose daughters body I was currently inhabiting, and turning her life upside down within the last 24 hours. I let out a small sigh and said, "I'm really sorry, mom. I don't know what has gotten into me."
"Me either, but I hope whatever you have going on right now passes, and soon. Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep?" she asked sadly.
"Okay, goodnight mom."
"Goodnight."
I went upstairs, and sat on Casey's bed for a bit, trying to figure out what I was going to do. There wasn't much left to do, and tonight is pretty much my last shot if I want to get out of here, and if I can't accomplish that, then I'll be stuck here forever.
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of food, and it smelt delicious. I went downstairs, and found Diana cooking a whole buffet of breakfast food. I looked at all the food on the table and asked, "Is that breakfast?"
"Yes, I decided to cook you a birthday breakfast," she said as she set down a plate of sausages.
"Aren't you still mad at me?"
"Well, yes, I am still disappointed in you for last night. I think I understand though."
"What?"
"Your still upset over your dad dying a few months ago, and this is your first birthday without him."
Wow, that's devastating, and I didn't even know that her dad had died. I felt bad for Casey, but I still needed to get back to my world, so I had to push my emotions aside for now. I nodded my head and said, "I guess it still kind of hurts knowing that he's gone."
"I know, I understand. I still miss him too, but acting out is going to get you nowhere," she said.
"I know, and I am truly sorry."
"I know, come on let's eat."
"Okay, it looks and smells great."
"Well, I hope it tastes great too. Happy Birthday Casey."
"Thanks, mom."
We ate quietly, and the food did taste great, and soon I was stuffed. We sat there in silence for a little while, until Casey's mother broke it, "I have work today, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with or stay here?"
"Do you trust me enough to stay here by myself?" I asked.
"When you put it that way, no. But you've always been a good kid, until last night, so I figured I wouldn't have to worry while I'm gone."
"I understand, but I think I'd like to come with you. I had fun the other day."
"Okay then. Let's get ready, and we'll leave."
I nodded, and headed upstairs to throw on some clothes, so we could go to the studio once again.
When we got there, it was pretty much the same as yesterday, except we had breakfast this time. I walked through the halls of the stage we were on, and ran into Castle, I mean Nathan, who was heading to the exit of the stage. He gave me a smile and said, "Hey, glad to see you back again."
"Nice seeing you as well," I said.
"Did you here that someone broke in last night?"
"Well… Yes. Mostly because it was me."
"You!?"
"Yes, it was me."
"Why were you breaking in here?"
I sighed and said, "You already don't believe me…"
He put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey… don't make that sad, pouty face. It'll be okay. What are you trying to say Casey?"
"I really don't belong here. Don't you believe in people traveling to alternate universes, and things getting messed up in the space-time continuum."
"I… I never thought about it… I mean, maybe."
"You're my only hope at getting out of here. If I don't come here tonight, before midnight and make my wish, I'm going to be stuck in this body forever."
"Why am I your only hope?"
"You seem like the best person to ask for help in this. In my world, Castle would do anything to get to the bottom of things. Plus, you have more influence over the staff here, and could help sneak me inside."
"I don't know about all that, but if you really do belong in another world, I'm all in to help. I may find this just a tad bit crazy, but you seem truly passionate about this."
I threw my arms around the man who portrayed my uncle Castle and said, "Thank you, I promise you won't regret it."
"Hmm… I'm starting to regret it already," he said with a slight chuckle.
I smirked up at him and said, "Don't worry, it'll pass."
"Is there anything else you need besides me sneaking you into the studio tonight?"
"Actually, there is."
"What?"
"Two Twinkies, a plate, a birthday candle, lighter, and I'm pretty sure that's it."
"Okay… I guess I can get that."
"Great, thank you so much Nathan."
"Am I picking you up?"
"Yes, but not at my house. Meet me a few blocks from here, at the gas station, and we'll go from there."
"What time?"
"I guess eleven to be safe. I made the wish just before midnight, so I have to recreate that moment."
"Got it… I won't let you down… Emily?"
I smiled and said, "Yes, that's my name."
He smiled brightly and said, "See I remembered. We'll get you home, I promise."
"Thanks for doing this Nathan. I appreciate it."
"It's no problem. You seem like a smart and cool kid."
"I guess so."
"Hey Emily?"
"Yeah?"
"What's life like in your world?"
I shrugged and said, "I don't know. It's pretty crazy from time to time, with murders and constant drama, but there's also a large family aspect as well."
"From what you've seen, do you think we portray your world well?"
"Yes, I think you all fit perfectly to the characters you play. Which makes me miss them even more."
"Well, I'm glad we could make it real. I hope you can see them all again."
"Me too… Me too."
He looked at his phone and said, "Oh shoot, I have to be in hair and makeup. I'll see you tonight."
"See you then."
He walked away, and I smiled softly to myself. This might be a long shot, but at least I had someone on my side who'll help me try and put my new plan in action. I just hoped this new plan worked better than my other one.
The day went pretty fast, and now I was pacing in Casey's room, trying to calm my nerves and racing thoughts. There are so many things that can go wrong tonight, and even if one thing backfires, then I'm going to be stuck here for years. I hoped Nathan was really going to do this for me, and hopefully he could grab everything that I asked him for. Once the clock was around 10:50pm I decided to sneak out of Casey's window, and head a few blocks away from the studio, so I could meet up with Nathan.
When I got there, Nathan still wasn't there yet, so I started pacing once again outside of the gas station. I only waited a few minutes before Nathan pulled up in front of me and stepped out of his vehicle. I walked over to him and said, "I'm glad you could make it."
"I wasn't going to let you down. I brought the stuff you needed too," he said with a small smile.
"Thank you."
"Mm-hmm… So, what's the plan."
"Okay, the plan is pretty simple. I hide in the trunk of your car, and you go to the Castle stage, and we head inside to Castle's loft."
"All right, sounds decently easy so far."
"Then we wait until around 11:58pm, and I make a wish as I blow out the candle on the Twinkies."
"Then you go home?"
"That's what I'm hoping for."
"Okay, let's get going then."
Nathan helped me into his trunk, and I felt the car pull off soon after he closed the door. When the car finally stopped, I figured he was at the entrance of the studio. I heard muffled voices and I tried to listen in on what they were saying.
"Frank not in tonight Rafael?" he asked.
"No, not tonight. What are you doing here?" the security guard asked.
"I think I left my cell phone and a few other items on set, or in my trailer."
"Oh okay, take your time Mr. Fillion."
"Thanks Rafael."
Soon the car was pulling off once again, and as soon as it started, it stopped once again. I heard the driver's door shut, and then the trunk was popped open. He helped me out and said, "Were you okay back there?"
"Yes, it was fine. Not my first time in the back of someone's trunk," I said with a small laugh.
"Do I want to know?"
"Probably not."
"Okay, so let's get in before someone sees us."
I nodded and we headed inside the stage where they shot Castle. We made our way to Castle's loft and Nathan placed the bag of items on top of the kitchen isle. I started pulling the items out and recreated the scene of my lonely birthday from a couple of nights ago. I looked at my phones clock, and noticed that we had a few more minutes until I had to make my wish. I looked at Nathan who was looking around nervously and said, "I have one more favor to ask of you."
"Sure, what is it?" he asked.
"I need to be alone. If I want to make this right, no one was around when I made the wish."
"Oh yeah, sure. I'll be by my car if you need me, and if you're not back in your world."
"Okay, thanks again, for everything."
"No problem, Emily."
He left, and there was only one more minute until I had to make my wish. I lit up the candle that was secured between the Twinkies, and closed my eyes.
"I take back my birthday wish. I want to be back home with my Aunt Kate and Uncle Castle. They are my family and I realize I made a stupid mistake," I mumbled and blew out the birthday candle.
The lights flickered and I smiled happily, until they came all the way on and Nathan walked in along with, I'm assuming, Rafael. Nathan gave me a sad smile and said, "He saw you on the monitor."
"Great…" I sighed.
"You're both in some serious trouble," Rafael said.
"Wait, this is my fault, I dragged him into this."
"No, she didn't. It was me," Nathan said.
"I don't care whose fault it is. Neither of you are supposed to be here after hours, and I thought you were just getting some items you left."
"I know, I'm sorry Rafael. Let me bring you some coffee and donuts tomorrow, we don't need to do this right now."
"Bribery isn't going to work."
"Come on Rafael, do you really want to fill out paper work, and have this young girl's mother come all the way down here?"
He sighed as he looked between us and said, "No, not really."
"See, so what do you say?"
"Fine, but if this happens again…" he started and I cut him off, "It won't… I did what I needed to, and it failed."
The security guard gave me a strange look and said, "Okay, both of you leave before I change my mind."
We left the studio, and I was sitting in the front seat of Nathan's car. It was silent until he reached my home, and when he pulled into my driveway, he said, "I'm sorry it didn't work."
"Me too. Now I'm stuck here, and everyone thinks I'm a delinquent and nut case," I said.
"I don't think that. I think you really are who you say you are."
"Thanks, but I guess I'm Casey now."
"Well, you'll always be Emily to me."
I smiled at him and said, "I guess I'll see you around if Casey's not grounded for the rest of her life."
"See you around Emily. Maybe one day you'll get home."
"I sure hope so."
I went to the front door of the house, and looked for a key, so I didn't have to wake up Casey's mother. I didn't want to get into any more trouble than I was already in, especially if I'm going to be stuck here longer then I planned. Once I found a key under a potted plant, I opened the door quietly and snuck upstairs. I was thankful that I didn't wake her, and get caught, but my mind was mostly occupied by the fact that I wasn't where I truly belonged.
I plopped down on Casey's bed and curled up into a ball as I laid in the silence of the night. Tears ran down my face as everything caught up with me, and wished that I never made that stupid birthday wish. It was a terrible wish that I made, and I know that now, and I just wanted to go home. As I laid there, sulking in my room, my eyes started to get heavy, and sleep was starting to overtake me. I decided to close my eyes, and next thing you know, I was out like a light.
"Emily? Emily wake up," I heard someone say as they shook me.
I blinked my eyes, and looked around my room, my actual room, not Casey's. I turned over and saw my aunt Kate looking at me with a raised brow. I smiled and threw my arms around her, giving her a long and strong hug. She patted me on the back and said, "You okay Em?"
"I'm so happy… I thought I'd never see you again," I said.
"I may not have saw you yesterday, but I don't know about never seeing each other again."
"Let's just say, I made a terrible wish, that turned into a horrible nightmare and I'm glad to be back."
"Well, okay. I guess I don't want to know."
"Well I do," I heard Castle say from my door.
I laughed at him and said, "Long story short, I was stuck in an alternate universe where this was a TV show."
"Really!? Was the guy who played me cool?"
"Yeah, he was pretty cool."
"Sweet."
"What was the wish Emily?" My aunt asked.
I scratched the back of my neck and said, "To know what life was like in another world, where people remembered my birthday."
"Why would you wish something like that?" Castle asked.
"Because you all forgot my birthday yesterday."
They both looked at each other, before aunt Kate looked down at me and said, "I'm sorry Em. I completely forgot. I didn't even realize it."
"Me either. And you even hinted it to me yesterday," Castle said.
"You hinted it to me as well."
I shrugged and said, "Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore. After the dream I just had, I'm just happy to be here with you guys."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Since we missed your birthday yesterday, what would you like to do," Castle questioned.
"Don't I have to go to school today?"
My aunt pointed at the clock and I noticed that it was almost ten thirty in the morning. I chuckled nervously and said, "I guess I'm late."
"Yep, that's why I came to check on you. I got a phone call from school saying you weren't in class," my aunt said.
"Oh…"
"Anyway, what do you want to do today mini Beckett?" Castle asked once again.
"I think I just want to stay home, and hang out with my family."
"You just want to hang out here… with us?"
"Yes, that's all I need for my birthday. Just some time with my family who cares for me greatly."
My aunt gave me a kiss on the temple and said, "Okay, that sounds good to me."
We went downstairs, and I was left in total shock as I stood on the stairs of Castle's loft. There were some birthday decorations hanging about and Alexis, and Mrs. Rodgers were finishing putting up a happy birthday streamer. Alexis turned around and smiled, "Happy birthday, Emily!"
"Yes, happy birthday Emily," Mrs. Rodgers said.
"You guys didn't forget my birthday?" I asked.
Castle shrugged awkwardly and said, "Well, yes… We did, but we remembered this morning."
"Yeah, when we got home last night, I realized that I had forgotten your birthday," my aunt said.
"So, I decided to throw you a little family party since we all forgot your special day."
"This is awesome! Thank you all so much," I said.
"No problem mini Beckett. Hopefully all is forgiven?"
"Of course, it could happen to anyone."
"I'm glad you see it that way Em," Aunt Kate said.
"Come on, let's go celebrate," Castle said.
We all gathered around the kitchen, where they got food from one of my favorite places for breakfast, and had a fun time hanging out and chatting with one another. I was happy to be home, and that my family didn't forget about my birthday completely. They made it up to me, and I couldn't ask for a better birthday wish than this.