A/N #1: This is for the people asking me if I'm okay. Yes, I'm much better now. I had gallbladder surgery on July 18. I had been having issues for years, and this seems to have solved the worst one that I was having.

A/N #2: There is going to be a three and a half year time jump in this chapter. If written right, Part 2 will be approximately 10 chapters.

A/N #3: I'm going to post a trigger warning starting with this chapter. This story is loosely based on real events that are currently still ongoing. However, my outcome is going to have a better ending than the real case.

A/N #4: I am going to start with some humor before things get dark. I'm going to make a reference to the movie 'Meet Me in St. Louis.'

A/N #5: I'm going to be adding several people that fans of the show may recognize. Two are from Season 4 and the other two from Season 8.

In My Veins

Chapter 10: Homecoming

Part II

Fall 2018

Castle wearily stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of his apartment building, and walked around the corner to the loft, quietly putting his key into the lock and turning the knob. Opening the door, he pulled his suitcase behind him before closing the door, locking it and punching in the alarm code before starting toward his office. Only he spotted something out of the corner of his eye which stopped him in his tracks.

Turning around, he saw a small figure dressed in Paw Patrol pajamas, sitting on the stairs with a doll that was almost as big as she was. "Lily, what are you doing out of bed?" He walked toward the stairs, trying to keep his voice down so that Kate didn't get up and wonder why their young daughter was not asleep.

"Waiting for you," Lily's reply was matter of fact.

"You are supposed to be asleep," he walked over to the stairs. "What do you think mommy is going to say if she gets up and sees you?"

"I expect that she won't like it."

"Yeah, and I would expect that you would be right. Come on, let's go," he put his arms out for her, smiling when she jumped into them. "I did miss you, though."

"Me too, daddy," she hugged his neck as he carried her upstairs to her room and put her back in her bed. "Daddy, do you think that mommy would send me to the orphalins home if she knew I got up?"

"No one is going to send you to the orphalins home."

"But she'll have the new babies. She won't even miss me."

"Lily, we have talked about this. Yes, mommy is going to have two babies, but that doesn't mean that she won't still love you. Mommies and daddies have big hearts. We love all of our babies the same. We love Alexis, we love you, and we're going to love the two new babies."

"If I don't like them, can they go to the orphalins home?"

"I'm going to talk to your Gram about letting you watch that movie. Go to sleep. It's very late." He kissed the top of her head and tucked her blankets around her.

"Goodnight, daddy. I'm glad that you're home."

"Me, too. Sweet dreams."

Kate was sound asleep when she heard a thud. Sitting up, she looked over and saw the closet door opened. "How was your flight?"

"Long," he walked out of the closet. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"Uh, guess who was sitting on the stairs when I got home?"

"She asked me if she could wait up for you to get home. I told her no. I guess that she waited for me to go to sleep. That girl is too smart for us, Castle."

"Well, she is still worried that we're not going to love her anymore when the twins get here. She wanted to know if we were going to send her to the orphalins home. Then she wanted to know if she could send the twins to the orphalins home if she doesn't like them."

"How many times has Martha let her watch 'Meet Me in St. Louis?'"

"This week or total? I'm going to take a shower. Go back to sleep," he walked over and kissed her. "We'll have plenty of time to talk in the morning."

"No, we won't. I have a CompStat meeting at eight."

"Then you really should go back to sleep. They weren't thrilled when you fell asleep at the last one. Is our appointment still on Friday?"

"Yes. We're in agreement that we want to know what we're having this time, right?"

"Yes, especially since there are two of them."

Kate watched as Castle walked into the ensuite and closed the door. So much had happened since Lily's birth almost four years before. Captain Gates had been promoted to Assistant Chief, and Kate had been promoted to Captain. The boys had both taken the sergeant's exam. Esposito had passed on the first try, and Ryan on the second. Esposito had been officially promoted seven months before, while Ryan was still waiting on a slot to open up.

But the biggest surprise of all was that Kate was now four months pregnant with twins. They had been trying for over two years to conceive again. The new babies were also due in January, which would make them and Lily roughly four years apart.

Lily was the light of everyone's life. She was extremely smart and very articulate. Everyone who met her was surprised that she wasn't quite four years old yet. Both Kate and Castle were so happy that she wasn't going to be an only child. Except Lily didn't seem quite as happy as her parents. She felt that her place in the family was being usurped by the two little interlopers.

Kate was almost asleep when she felt Castle get into bed and wrap his arms around her. "I saw your interview on The Talk," she rolled over. "Everyone really likes the new book, huh?"

"Yeah. How would you feel if I told you that Gina has gotten inquiries from studios about movie rights?"

"You do remember how well Nikki Heat turned out, don't you?"

"Yeah, but this is different."

"Rick, I'm tired and you're tired. We can talk about this when we're both more alert. Okay?" She kissed him. "I love you and I'm so glad that you're home."

"Me, too," he returned her kiss. "Get some sleep."

***CCC***

"Did Castle make it home all right?" Ryan asked Kate the next morning when she arrived at the precinct after her CompStat meeting.

"Yeah, just after midnight. Lily was waiting up for him."

"Ah, that's cute," Ryan smiled.

"It was and it wasn't."

"Come on, Captain, she's a little girl who missed her daddy. I'd be thrilled if Sarah or Nicky had been waiting up for me."

"Don't you have 5's to finish or something?"

***CCC***

"So, what did you do while I was gone?" Castle asked the next morning as he made breakfast for Lily.

"Alexis and Hayley took me to the zoo. And to the museum. And to The Russian Tea Room. And to The Plaza."

"They took you to The Eloise Tea? Your Gram used to take Alexis to that all the time."

"It was boring! And I had to get dressed up for it!"

"I thought that you liked dressing up."

"I do when I want to. Did you bring me anything from California?"

"I did, and I will give it to you when I unpack later."

"What are we going to do today?"

"Well, later I have a meeting with Gina. You can stay with your Gram or at the P.I. with the girls."

"Daddy, you just got home. Why do you have to talk to Gina already?"

"Because that's part of my job. Gram or Alexis? Where do you want to go while I'm at my meeting? Don't say Black Pawn, because that isn't an option."

"With Alexis and Hayley, I guess. Hayley is teaching me how to hack computers."

"Please tell me that you're not serious," he said under his breath.

Castle was proud of Alexis. She had graduated from Columbia with a degree in Criminal Justice and had decided to start her own Private Investigation Service, which was how she had met Hayley Shipton, a former MI6 operative who had met Alexis while they had worked on a case together. It wasn't long before their business arrangement had turned romantic, much to Castle's shock. The two women had been happily working and living together for the past two years.

"Eat your breakfast, so that I can get you dressed."

"What about my present?"

"If you eat your breakfast and then get dressed, I will give you your present. Now, no more negotiating."

Hayley Shipton was sitting at her computer when the door opened, followed by Lily happily skipping in. "Lily! Are you spending the day with your sister and me?"

"She's just going to be here a couple of hours. I have a meeting with my publisher. Where's Alexis?"

"She went to get breakfast."

"Uh, could we talk for a second?"

"Sure. Is something wrong?"

"Lily said that you're teaching her how to hack computers. Hayley, I don't want my daughter to have a record before she starts Kindergarten."

"I'm not teaching her how to hack, Rick. We were playing Carmen San Diego and I joked about her mad hacking skills. All that we were doing was pretend exploring the world."

"Okay, then. Anyway, I have to go. I should be back by noon. Lily, please stay out of trouble."

He planted a kiss to the top of Lily's head before departing the office. "Stay out of trouble, he says?" Hayley looked over at Lily. "How boring is that?"

"Extremely," Lily nodded.

***CCC***

At the Twelfth, Kate was working on paperwork when she spotted Detective Ann Hastings and her partner, Detective Rachel Decker, through her window. When Kate was promoted, she didn't expect to get any additional manpower. But much to her surprise, Detective Hastings was assigned to her almost immediately. The acquisition of the newly minted Det. Decker had happened two months earlier. The extra manpower was greatly appreciated.

Kate was about to go out into the bullpen when her phone rang. "Beckett," she answered on the first ring.

"Captain Beckett, it's Karpowski."

Kate was surprised to hear from her former colleague, who now worked downstairs in missing persons. "What's going on, Karpowski?"

"I've got a woman down here in missing persons that I think you need to talk to."

"Why?"

"She's got a story that's a little hinky. Can I send her upstairs?"

"Yeah, go ahead. What's her name?"

"Desiree Martin."

"Okay, I'll be on the lookout," Kate ended the call before going out into the bullpen. "Hastings, Det. Karpowski is sending a woman up here from missing persons. She says that we need to talk to her. Can you and Decker talk to her and fill me in on what's going on?"

"Sure. What's her name?"

"Desiree Martin," Kate heard the elevator and noticed a young woman step off of it. "That's probably her. Ms. Martin?"

Desiree Martin was in her early 20's, with long brown hair. She was dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a blouse that had seen better days. "The detective downstairs sent me up here."

"I know. I'm Capt. Beckett. This is Det. Hastings and her partner, Det. Decker. They're going to talk to you."

"Let's go into a room," Hastings led the way, followed by Desiree, with Decker taking up the rear. They walked into an interview room and Decker closed the door.

"I've been fighting with detectives. I want you to know that I'm tired of fighting. I want something done," Desiree began.

"What brings you here today?" Hastings asked.

"I've been looking for my daughter. CFS won't help me. Her father has her, but no one knows where he is."

"Okay, let's take this from the beginning," Decker looked at the young woman. "What is your daughter's name?"

"Emma. Emma Dawn Simpson."

"Do you have custody of her?" Hastings asked.

"No. I missed a court hearing. I called because I couldn't get a ride. It didn't matter. They gave her to my ex-boyfriend. He lied. That's how he was able to get her."

"When did you lose custody?" Hastings asked, taking notes.

"September of 2016."

"Did you say September of 2016?" Decker looked at her partner. "You haven't seen your daughter in two years?"

"I've been trying to find her! No one will help me! Every time I find out where she is, my ex and his wife move. You have to help me! I've done everything the courts have told me to do to get her back! I went to rehab! I've been clean for 18 months! I just want Emma back!"

"Desiree, tell us about Emma for a moment," Hastings looked up from her legal pad. "How old is she?"

"Five. She was born on July 10, 2013. I have the last pictures that I have of her," Desiree placed several photos on the table. "She is partially deaf and she has a cochlear implant."

"What is your ex-boyfriend's name?"

"Tommy Simpson. His wife's name is Bethany. I think that they have at least one kid together. The last time he brought Emma for a visit, they had a baby with them. A newborn. That was over Labor Day weekend in 2016. I haven't seen or talked to her since."

"Do you know the name of Emma's social worker with CFS?" Decker asked.

"They kept changing. The one that I worked with until they stole Emma was Angie Cochran."

"Okay, we're going to start with her and see what we can find out. Do you have a good contact number?" Hastings asked.

Desiree gave the detectives her contact information and they walked her to the elevator, not speaking until the doors closed. "She hasn't seen her kid in two years and she's just now reporting it?" Decker asked.

"She said that she's been trying to get someone to listen, but no one will take her seriously. A lot of addicts get the same treatment. Let's fill the captain in."

Kate came out of her office when she saw Desiree leaving. "Do we have a homicide or a missing person?"

"She hasn't seen her daughter in two years and the father keeps moving every time CFS locates him. I'm not getting a good feeling," Hastings told her.

"Okay, run him and the wife. See if he has any wants or warrants. If he does, then we'll put a BOLO out on him."

"We were thinking that we should also talk with the CFS worker, Angie Cochran," Decker spoke up.

"Yeah, that's a good start. See if she can add anything that Ms. Martin might not have disclosed."

Moments later, Hastings and Decker got in their unmarked heading over to the Office of Children and Family Services. "Do you and Paul talk about having kids?" Rachel asked her partner.

"We talk about it. Right now, we both agree that we're not ready." Ann had been married to her husband, newspaper reporter Paul Whittaker for almost five years.

"I don't know if I'd want to bring up a kid the way that the world is now. My mom was a single parent and she struggled to raise me."

"The world has always been messed up. Hopefully we get more of the story from the social worker."

When they arrived at the agency, they asked to speak to Angie Cochran. When the social worker came out front, she was surprised to find two detectives waiting to talk to her. "I'm Det. Hastings, Ms. Cochran. This is my partner, Det. Decker. Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"In my office," the woman led them through a crowded room to a back office where she waved them to two chairs. Both women watched the harried woman as she took a seat behind her desk. She looked to be in her mid-40's with short brown hair. "What is this about?"

"We got a visit a while ago from a woman named Desiree Martin. She's been looking for her daughter, Emma Simpson, for two years. She said that every time you locate her, the child's father packs up and moves. Does she have visitation with her child?"

"I'm sorry, that name isn't familiar."

"You're sitting in front of a computer," Decker leaned forward in her chair. "Why don't you type in the name 'Emma Simpson' and see what pops up?"

"Detective, do you have any idea of how many cases I have right now?"

"I'm sure that you're overworked, but we're talking about one child right now. Don't make me call for your supervisor. Because I will."

Ms. Cochran typed in a few words. "Her mother missed a court hearing and custody was turned over to the father, Thomas Allen Simpson."

"We know all that. When was the last time that you paid a visit to Mr. Simpson?" Hastings asked.

"It had to have been recently."

"It had to have been or it was? Have you seen Emma Simpson at any time during the last two years or not?" Hastings asked.

"I saw her in November of 2016."

"You haven't paid a home visit to the Simpson home since November of 2016?" Decker was incredulous.

"You have to understand. Mr. Simpson is the biological father. This isn't a case where the child was in foster care."

At that moment, Hastings cellphone rang. "Excuse me," she stepped out to take the call. "Hastings."

"Ann, it's Capt. Beckett. I just got the sheet back on Thomas Simpson. He's a convicted felon."

"What has he done time for?"

"Domestic violence, aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon. I'm going to go on the record here and say that this isn't a guy that I would give custody of a small child."

"The CFS worker hasn't seen Emma since November of 2016. Do you have an address on the father?"

"Yeah. I'll text it to you."

"Thanks, Captain." Hastings stepped back into the office. "Ms. Cochran, we're probably going to be back with a court order for all your records regarding Emma. Decker, I have an address on the father."

The address Beckett had sent them was for a rundown apartment complex in the Bowery. "This is where he lives with his wife and kids?" Decker looked up at the building.

"It's the last address that Capt. Beckett found for him."

The unit was on the fourth floor. Hastings pounded on the door. The door opened on the safety chain. "Can I help you?" A man in his 50's answered the door.

"NYPD," Hastings showed him her badge. "We're looking for Thomas Simpson. We were told that he lives here."

"Not no more," the man tried to close the door, but Hastings stuck her foot in.

"When's the last time you saw him?"

"Not in months."

"Mister—"

"Riley. My daughter, Kathleen, is married to the bum. They were staying here eight or nine months ago. I kicked them out. He was selling dope out of my apartment. I wasn't going to get evicted because of him."

"Mr. Riley, we're looking for his daughter, Emma. Was she staying here with her dad and Kathleen?"

"He gave her back to her mother. I got nothing else to say."

"One more question, Mr. Riley! You're saying that he didn't have Emma with him?"

"I told you, he gave her back to her mother. The only ones staying here was Tommy, Katie, and their kid, a little boy. He was about two, I guess.. I ain't seen Emma in over a year."

With that, Mr. Riley slammed the door in their faces. "Hastings, where in the hell is that little girl?" Decker's face was pale.

"I've got a feeling that she's nowhere good."

When they walked downstairs to their unmarked car, they were flagged down by a man in his late 30's. "Are you looking for Tommy?"

"Tommy Simpson?"

"I don't know his last name. He's married to Katie. I've known her all her life."

"Do you know Tommy, Mister—"

"Callaghan. Mitch Callaghan. My brother sold him a van six . . . maybe seven months ago. The last time I saw Tommy and Katie, they were living in the van. He'd turned it into a lab."

"A mobile meth lab?" Decker confirmed. "Are you sure?"

"I walked right by it. The smell of meth is unmistakable."

"Where did you see the van, Mr. Callaghan?" Hastings asked.

"Down on Canal Street. Like I said, it was a few months ago."

"Can you give us a description of the van?"

***CCC***

Castle was sitting in a conference room with Gina and Paula. "Everybody loves the book, Rick," Gina told him. "I've received calls from several movie studios asking about purchasing the rights. I'm talking major studios this time, Rick."

After years of writing about fictitious characters, Castle had written his first serious piece of literature. Titled '3XK: The Hunt For The Triple Killer,' it went into detail about Jerry Tyson's upbringing, including his killing spree, his association with Dr. Kelly Nieman and his eventual demise. It instantly shot to the top of the best-seller list.

"What do you think?" Paula asked him.

"If I agree to sell the rights, I want to write the screenplay."

"Rick, are you sure? That could mean having to spend weeks away from Kate and Lily. Do you think that's wise with Kate being pregnant again?"

"Why would I have to spend weeks away from home? Jerry Tyson was based here in New York. Is there any reason why a movie based on him wouldn't be shot on location?"

"I'll send your request along to the executives," Gina made a note.

"If I don't write the screenplay, no one is buying the movie. It's as simple as that."

"Rick, you do know that you're not writing the screenplay for Heat Wave is not why it tanked," Paula pointed out. "And you did sign off on Natalie Rhodes playing Nikki Heat."

"That was before I learned that she had a prescription drug problem. If I had known that, I never would've agreed to her playing Nikki. Is there anything else? Because I have left my daughter with a former MI6 operative who is teaching her god knows what."

***CCC***

"We've got a BOLO out on the van," Ryan reported. "I can't believe that this guy is operating a mobile meth lab with two small children."

"I believe almost anything these days," Hastings said, sitting at her desk. "The captain is trying to get a judge to give us a court order for Angie Cochran's files regarding Emma Simpson."

"I just got off the phone with Desiree Martin's counselor from rehab. She said that Desiree entered rehab in December of 2016 and she's been clean ever since. She attends meetings and sponsors other addicts. She has a job as a waitress at a diner near Times Square. She just wants her daughter back," Decker sat at her own desk beside Hastings.

"Does she have a record?" Hastings asked.

"Minor stuff," Ryan reported. "Mostly drug offenses. Compared to her kid's father, she's a saint."

"Hastings, Decker, Judge Markway will have a warrant for you in the morning," Kate came out of her office. "We've done everything that we can do for tonight. Hopefully things will be better in the morning."

***CCC***

It was a little after six when Kate walked into the loft. "Mommy!" Lily ran over and hugged her mother's legs. "I missed you! Look what daddy brought me from California!" She held up a stuffed whale.

"That's cute. I take it that he's going to be sleeping with you and the other stuffed animals tonight," Kate looked over at her husband. "What did you do today?"

"I stayed at the P.I. with Alexis and Hayley. Daddy had a meeting, and I couldn't go."

Listening to Lily chatter about her day, Kate couldn't help thinking of just how much Desiree Martin was missing Emma's chatter. She also couldn't shake the feeling that Emma's story wasn't going to end well.

But she was home now, and her time belonged to her husband and daughter. After dinner, she gave Lily a bath in the ensuite as the little girl continued talking about her day. "Mommy, do you know what the babies are?" She pointed at Kate's stomach.

"Not yet. But on Friday, the doctor is going to tell me and daddy what the babies are. Do you want brothers or sisters or maybe one of each?"

"I want to be your only little girl. Is that okay?"

"That's okay," Kate smiled.

"I want to be special. I won't be special if I have two sisters."

"Lily, you're always going to be special to me and daddy. You are my first baby. That means that you will always have a special place in my heart. The babies are never going to change that."

"Will you tell me what they are?"

"Daddy and I are going to tell everybody what we're having on Saturday night. Okay?"

"Will Alexis and Hayley have a baby one day?"

"Maybe one day, but we'll talk about that another time. Right now, we have something else to talk about. Why did you get up last night after I told you that you couldn't wait up for daddy?"

"My eyes wouldn't stay closed," Lily gave her mother her best Rick Castle look, hoping that her mother wasn't too mad at her.

"Uh-huh. When I tell you that you can't do something, that means that you can't do it. I know that you missed daddy. But the next time I tell you no, I mean no. Are we clear?"

"Yes."

"Come on, let's get out."

After Lily was asleep, Kate and Castle retired to their own bedroom where Kate gave Rick a rundown of her day. "Hastings and Decker were so on point with everything today. Sometimes they remind me of us."

"You don't have a good feeling about this, do you?"

"Castle, if she's with her father, she's riding around in a damn mobile meth lab. I get that CFS is overwhelmed, but seriously, how fucking hard is it to keep tabs on a kid? I spoke to Desiree Martin's mother. She said that her daughter has been calling CFS constantly since September or October of 2016. She said that she's called and spoken to a different person in that agency almost every single day. They either pass her off or just blow her off because she's in recovery. I'll be the first to agree that some addicts don't deserve to get their kids back, but Desiree is one of the ones who has done every single thing that they've asked her to."

"It sounds to me like you need to expose CFS. Which means that you're going to need a good investigative reporter."

"Paul Whittaker," she and Castle said at the same time.

"Damn, Beckett! We've still got that shared brain thing going."

A/N #6: Part 2 of this story is going to have a lot of twists and turns if I do it right.

A/N #7: While Hastings and Decker are the ones running point on this investigation, Kate is going to get involved at some point. But I had her promoted starting in this chapter in order to stay in canon with the series' final season.

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