Castle's partner

That Little Girl

I walk out of the room and I don't even know if Beckett is behind me. Without slowing down I walk to Ryan and grab his tie and pull him after me.
"Hey what's up?" He chokes out.
I let go of him.
"Please don't tell anyone about... What I told you when you took my statement."
"You told me a lot of things when I took your statement."
"You know...the thing that happened this morning?"
"Oh. Gotcha. Ok I won't, but they will probably figure it out eventually. And what's the big deal anyways?"
"I don't know. I just don't want anyone else to know about it."
He nods. "Ok. Your secret is safe with me. Are you doing ok right now?"
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Is there a murder I can help solve though?"
Ryan laughs. "Not right now. But you can help with paper work!"
"Um. I'm good!"
Espo walks up to us.
"Hey Ross, can I talk to you for a sec?"
I follow him outside the precinct and we sit down across from each other at a picnic table.
"So how are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"See. I know that web you say that you aren't. When someone says they are fine, it really means they are broken and wanting help, but don't know how to ask for it. Trust me I know. You remember me telling you I'm ex military right?"
"Yeah of course."
"Ok so I'm going to tell you a story. Ready?"
I nod attentively.
"So when I came back from the war, I went out to a restaurant with a few of my friends like a week later. We were sitting there eating our food, and there is a car outside the window that backfires. I am under the table within seconds, and everyone else laughed at me. They didn't understand what I had been through. What I had seen. No one did. Or I though no one did. But this one little girl changed my life. she made me realize that there is always someone who cares. I will never forget her. As I was getting up, the little girl walks over to me and says-"
I cut him off because I know exactly what that little girl said.
"She says 'I know you just came back from the war. Thank you for keeping me safe. I don't want you to be scared. Now I can keep you safe."
He looks at me like I am crazy, and I can feel tears falling down my face.
"Espo, that little girl was me."
A look of realization comes across his face. He stands up and walks to the side of the table where I am.
"That was you? I met you before?"
I nod as happy tears keep falling down my cheeks.
He sits down next to me and hugs me.
I can hear him sniffling as he cries silently.
"I can't believe it was you. That means I met your family." He says to my shoulder.
"Yeah, you did. Well my mom, sister and nana. That was the only time I had been to New York before I came permanently."
He lets go but holds onto my shoulders.
"Ross, you changed my life. Thank you so much. You were an amazing little girl, and you still are."
I'm trying to hold back tears. I think I gave cried more in the past two weeks than I have in my whole life. I hate it. Before this I never cried, and now I'm like a wet sponge, and if you disturb me, I let out tears.
"Thank you." I say gratefully.
He lets go, but keeps his eyes trained on me.
"Hey chica, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Gracias. Pero, cree que no le necesito ahora mismo."
He looks even more shocked.
"You speak Spanish and you never told me??"
"Yeah. My mom spoke fluent Spanish, so I know quite a bit."
We walk back into the precinct conversing in Spanish, each with our lives a little fuller with meaning.