Finding home

Chapter 35 - Jim

I didn't have to say much to convince Laura to let me keep Molly in my custody. Especially not since Molly refused to let me go during the whole meeting. Laura probably figured it would be worse to try and bend the girl away from me. Just like I had when I had become a foster mother to Alexis I signed a few papers that legally bonded me to the girl, all while I still had her in my arms. As soon as I had gone around a couple corners from the social center I called Castle.

"How'd it go?" he immediately asked, not waiting for a hello.

"I got it, she's coming home with us" I told him with a small smile growing on my lips.

"Good" I heard the car start in the background. "Where do you want me to pick you up?"

I told him about the street I was heading for, far enough for him to pick us up without raising suspicion from someone who could contact the social workers and give us up. After we hung up I felt Molly pull away a little to be able to get eye contact with me.

"This mean I can stay with you?" she asked, it looked like she was afraid to ask.

"Yes, we'll get your own bed but I hope you don't mind sharing Alexis's bed" I told her and her small face lit up.

"I love it" she said with excitement in her voice and I wiped away the tears she still had on her small cheeks.

She smiled and I felt my heart warm up again after all the aching I'd gone through with the thought of loosing her. She snuggled closer into my neck and I continued the walk towards where Castle would be picking us up. Once I got us to the street we were heading for I stopped and looked around to make sure no one had been following us. Somehow it almost felt like someone was watching us. I looked at all the people, one by one, and no everyone was heading somewhere. A car pulled over beside me and when I looked there I saw my car with undercover Castle inside it. I quickly jumped into the back and told him to drive. This time, Molly let go of me and sat down beside me and I helped her put on the seat belt with a smile.

"How are you two?" Castle asked and I met his eyes for a quick second in the rearview mirror when he looked back at us before focusing on the road.

"I'm staying with Kate!" Molly said with a high tone, showing her happiness through her voice and the smile that grew on her lips.

"We're good, finally" I said before I added, "go for my dad's place, either we leave Molly there for the day or we take Alexis with us to the precinct" I told Castle and he nodded.

"Where?" Molly asked and she looked at me with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry Molly, we'll stay for a few minutes, and then you'll decide if you want to go with us to the precinct or stay with Jim and Alexis. Jim is my dad and I've known him my whole life, you don't have to be afraid of him" I told her and took out my phone to show her a picture. "This is Jim" I pointed to my dad.

She looked at the picture, I'd taken it when my dad had Alexis on his shoulders and they both had big grins on their faces. I observed Molly while she was looking at the picture, trying to decide if she might be up for a day with my dad or if I should take her with us to work even though I knew there would be nothing fun for her to do there. Besides, I don't think she should be a part of everything me, Castle and my partners were going to discuss, could be too dangerous even if she was just a kid.

"Castle be there?" she asked and looked up at me.

"No, he'll have to come with me to the precinct, we need to work" I told her honestly.

I didn't want to lie to her, she'd had enough people lie to her in her small life-time. She looked unsure.

"How about this" I suggested, "we go there, me and Castle will be there with you and Alexis for half an hour and then you get to decide if you wanna stay there with Jim or if you feel like you wanna come with me and Castle to the precinct?" I asked and I saw her furrow her eyebrows in thought.