Hey Guys here's a new story of mine. Let me know what you think through reviews. If you enjoy I will continue it, if not well I'll still continue it but just won't publish it :)

Chapter 1

"Beckett" the brunette detective answered at 11.30 am from the lounge room of her New York apartment, she was only on call today after working 2 weeks without a day off, but of course it would be her luck that the murders of NYC wouldn't give her a small break.

The detective listened to dispatch recall the details of a double shooting that may or may not be a murder suicide. As the lady on the other end read out the address, Kate realized that the address was one of the many foster homes in New York that Rick makes donations to yearly.

"Got it. Thanks, ETA is 20 mins, let the ME on scene but nobody touches the bodies till I get there" Movement of the bodies before the lead investigator gets there always makes it harder in possible murder suicide cases.

~CASKETT~

When Kate arrived on scene about 15 kids were standing outside crying, she counted, the bigger ones comforting the scared little ones even though they were looking so scared themselves. Kate smiled sadly at the group, coming together when they need each other. She was too caught up in the sight of 15 kids without a home that she didn't hear Rick approach.

"What we go, boys?" Kate asked her following detectives as she walked into the living room of the vic's house with a curious writer on her tail, she couldn't believe that after almost 3 years of tailing her he wasn't bored. Ryan and Esposito weren't like her trainees but more like her team members and she treated them like a part of her team, giving them the responsibilities of her coworkers.

"Kenneth and Rachael Tibbett, foster parents to 16 kids of all ages but no kids themselves. With the positioning of the bodies and the gun in Kenneth's hand it looks like a murder suicide but Lanie won't be able to prove that until she gets them back to the lab and checks for gunshot residue on the husband's hand and the trajectory of the bullet through both vic's skulls."

"Thanks, you boys speak to the neighbours and check if anyone heard anything or knew of any problems they were having to cause Kenneth to shoot his wife then himself" Ryan and Esposito nodded.

"Got it, boss" they said in unison and walked off towards the people standing at the street and Kate went to speak to the ME, Dr. Lanie Parish, with her pet author.

"What you got for us, Lanie?" Kate looked down at the victim's bodies wondering how bad things had to be for this to happen.

"Well, Mr Tibbett over here apparently used a .22 caliber hand gun to put a bullet in his wife's brain and then turned the gun on himself. Time of death is between 8:30 and 10 this morning judging by lividity and blood loss. But I won't know anymore until I get them back to the morgue, so as soon as your CSU boys are down with photographs I'm ready to go"

"Writer – Boy" Lanie nodded acknowledging the writer's presence.

"Lanie" Rick nodded back.

Kate was standing there in thought about something that the boys told her before, 16 kids… but she only counted 15. It was at that moment she heard mild whimpering coming from a room down the hall. Kate ran to the room with the sound coming from under the closed door with Rick right behind her.

"What is it, Kate? Rick inquired

"Sshh" Kate put her finger up to silence him "I think I hear whimpering or crying from the room" Kate stated once she heard the sound for a 3rd and 4th time. As she knocked on the door she heard a 'clang' and shuffling but no one opened the door.

"Rick, stay behind me" she stated drawing her weapon and positioning herself to be at the best angle when opening the door. "NYPD, open the door" Kate called whilst knocking against the hardwood. When no one answered or came to the door she turned the knob as quietly as possible, holding her weapon at the ready.

Once the door opened Kate did a quick sweep but everything was clear "You can come in now, Rick" he entered at her inviting words.

"I hear it too, Kate. It's coming from that side of the room" Rick indicated with a hand signal and Kate nodded, glad she wasn't just hearing things.

Kate walked across the room, towards the cupboard, taking note of any moving objects or slight noises. The cupboard was empty when she looked and so was the ensuite bathroom. Rick held a finger up to Kate as she went to say something and he pointed to under the bed. Both the detective and writer bent down to peak under the queen size bed and both were equally surprised to find a little girl, no older than 7 hiding under the bed. She was laying on her side with her knees tucked up to her chest, hands on her ears and eyes buried against her knees.

Kate tried to coax the little girl out of her hiding place "Come on, sweetie. It's okay, I'm one of the good guys. You're safe now."

The little girl refused to move out from under the bed but instead buried her head further into her knees and held her hands over her ears a little tighter.

Kate tried again "Come on, baby. No one can hurt you now. I'm a detective and the bad guys are all gone"

When the little girl still didn't move Kate looked to Rick, 'Come on, help me out here. You're the father of a little girl' was what she silently asked her partner.

"Hey sweetie, what's your name?" when the girl didn't answer he continued "that's okay, you don't have to tell me until you want to. My name is Rick and this is Kate." Rick spotted a Nancy Drew book tucked between her legs and chest which gave him an idea "I bet you like to read, don't you? What's your favourite book? Can I guess?" She nodded slightly "Maybe Cinderella?" she shook her head "Okay, not a princess. What about Clifford, the big red dog?" Again another shake of the head "Maybe, just maybe, you like Nancy Drew?" The little girl nodded.

Kate was laying on the floor looking between Rick and the scared child, amazed at Rick's fatherly talents, even with a girl he's never met?

"My little girl loved Nancy Drew when she was your age too. She loved it when I read it out loud to her. Would you like me to read something to you?" Rick asked quietly, trying not to startle her.

Rick could see her hesitating but decided not to push, this little one was a bit like Kate in a way. Stubborn right to the very end but if gently persuaded she'd eventually cave.

The little girl, slowly moved her hand to the book and slid the book away from her body and towards the edge of the bed. When she saw Rick's hand move toward the book she immediately pulled her own hand away but left the book there for him to grab.

The writer noticed that this book was the last of the 'Nancy Drew Mystery Stories' collection. Number 175 if he remembered correctly from when he read it to Alexis in 2003 when it was first published. He wondered whether the child before him was reading this on her own or whether someone was reading it to her.

When Rick didn't immediately start reading to her, the little one under the bed coward back into a little ball hiding from the two adults outside her 'hideaway', Rick noticed and started from the beginning not sure where she was up to.

Kate watched on in amusement as he continued reading, 'No wonder Alexis loved it when he read to her. He does all the voices and everything, making it a whole lot more interesting'. Thinking it would be best, the detective sat up and watched Rick intently, ignoring the girl.

She did however, notice movement coming from the corner of her vision. 20 minutes into the book and the scared little girl had crawled to the edge of her safe haven but not completely into view. 15 minutes later and she was leaning against Rick's side listening to his great story telling. Even Kate was spellbound, until Esposito came into view at the door. Kate signaled for him to stay where he was and she would meet him out there. Carefully getting up, she left the room quietly to continue with her duties.