Heyo, sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth. My life's been kicking me in the ribs about as hard as Frank's life is kicking him and I've not had a lot of time or energy or emotion for writing. 

To top it all off, I also fell into a Star Wars hole for like a year so Frankie's been being neglected. On the bright side, I'm on my last leg of real-life legal-assistant classes so here's to hoping I can finish and graduate.

Do not give Castle anything. Do not take anything from him. At this point in my life I'm pretty sure I'd take anything from him and demand more.

Bekah, hun... stop drooling.

He's your friend, you nutjob. Get your head outta your crotch.

Getting metal-detected was aggravating, to say the least. I'm not stupid enough to bring any sharp objects or weaponry of the sorts into a hospital, and I don't have the patience to stand still and have a wand waved over me.

Everything's been removed from inside the room. He's tied down, but keep your distance and mind the tape.

Mind my foot up your ass, Mahoney. I was grinding my teeth back and forth, boot tapping on the linoleum. Waiting for him to shut the fuck up so I can land my eyes on Frankie myself. I think Foggy could sense my agitation, because he slid a comforting hand onto my bicep and gave it a good squeeze as Mahoney finally opened the fucking door for us.

Matt stopped, turned on his heel before entering the doorway, and gently pressed his hand to my sternum, "Miss Hall, I think it best if you stay out in the hall."

"Why?"

Matt gnawed on his lip for a good little while before finally opening his pretty lips again – finding a believable lie, "Your services as our firm's legal investigator are unneeded at this time, until we convince Castle to take us on as his defenders. Miss Hall," he started again, feeling me tense up. He straightened to his full height, "You have to understand, we don't want to overwhelm Castle with too many people in the room while we have this discussion."

"I understand, but I feel like it's imperative that I come in with you." I argued back, my voice holding just a smidge of a tremble. A small enough one where I hoped Mahoney didn't notice it.

"It will be," Matt agreed, "After we speak with him."

Then leave Karen out here, too. I flared my nostrils at the man, even though he couldn't see the passive-aggressive action, "Agreed. Now go." I refrained from physically shoving him into Frankie's hospital room.

The guard shut it behind them with a definitive click and narrowed his eyes at me, "Step away from the door, Ma'am."

"Please," I added on, stepping further back into the hall, "And thank you."

Mahoney came up beside me to hover, "Didn't let you in with 'em?"

"No, Brett," I sneered, "Obviously not, since I'm still standing out here with you brain cells."

"That's Detective to you. Why not bring you in with them? Surely you're important to the narrative?"

"I am the narrative," I corrected heavily, leaning my full weight on my bamboo stick as I pressed it into the toe of my boot, "Matthew didn't want any more people inside pressuring Castle and making him uncomfortable."

"How long have you worked for Nelson and Murdock?"

"Long enough."

"I expect a better answer than that."

"Am I being arrested?" Mahoney stayed silent. I stood straight, again, "Am I being interrogated? Suspect in any cases of any sorts? No? Then I don't need to answer you better, Detective. I'll answer you how I seem fit until it's required that I not."

"I can get you for disrespecting the law, y'know." he threatened lightly, offhand, like he was commenting on the peeling paint on the wall.

"As far as I can tell, we're just two people having a conversation right now," I pointed out, "Don't see any reason for you to identify as the law in this casual conversation. And until you've declared yourself as acting as the law, I can leave this conversation," I inched close to him, leering at how uncomfortable I seemed to be making him, "And if you do declare yourself acting as the law, then I have the right to an attorney and don't need to answer you anymore until my attorney and I are brought to the precinct, yeah? Yeah," I nodded at him, backing up to my original resting spot.

He stayed quiet after that, opting instead to continue staring at the wall in total silence until there was a commotion from around the corner by the elevators. A tall, slender lady in a gross, grey, fine-pressed pantsuit came strutting around the corner, "Detective–" her dark eyes narrowed when they landed on me, "Who's this?"

Reyes. "Rebekah Hall, Ma'am," I tucked my staff into my elbow and offered my hand to her. She took hold of it, smiling widely as she listened to me finish introducing myself, "I'm a legal investigator working with Nelson and Murdock."

Had I been a normal lady, the iron grip with which she suddenly gripped my hand would have most likely made me cringe. Reyes' smile stayed, but I could see the acidity behind it, "Nelson and Murdock?" she repeated, releasing my hand as she turned her steely gaze on Mahoney, "Nelson and Murdock?" her voice was raising, "Is that who's in there?" she pointed at the hospital room door, all but shoving the guard out of the way, "Open the door! Open the–" she busted in, and that's when I started drowning her out.

Oops.

Everyone else filed out into the hall, Reyes herding them out like she was an agitated cattle dog; basically nipping at their heels and baring her teeth as she slammed the door shut behind her, "You three did not ask the public defender for permission to speak to his client, you are in violation of New York Legal Ethics."

Ah, shit. She's got us there. On a technicality, I think, though. Normally it's opposing counsel that isn't allowed to speak with clients unless expressly permitted by their representing attorney; we aren't opposing or representing shit right now, so yes we're violating ethics but on what grounds? Grounds of not seeking permission but not grounds of... violating case rules.

Right?

Right. Let's just say I'm right.

"We spoke to the PD this morning," Matt told her, his smooth voice doing wonders, actually, to pull my head out of my ass so I could think like a legal— investigator. We're an investigator, not an assistant. I'm also, sort of... acting as a paralegal, but I'm freelance whatever-is-needed. Only difference is I'm licensed and able to present evidence on the witness stand.

I could, honestly, leave the firm if I felt like it.

Anywhore— "....prepared to tackle this case," Matt was finishing, "Although, he did mention the conversation you had with him yesterday."

Reyes snorted and stepped closer to Matt, leering into his space, "Matt Murdock, is it?"

Matt nodded, smiling politely, "Yes, ma'am. Pleasure to meet you."

I stepped up to Matt's side, reaching my straight arm between the two, "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to take a step or two away from my practicing attorney. For safety precautions, he is void of sight. I wouldn't want you to get accidentally injured."

Pantsuit thankfully got my double meaning and took a decent sized step backwards to finish whatever threat she was about to dish out, "You have a reputation of being a smart man, Mr. Murdock. And since your colleagues seem unable to grasp the hornets' nest they keep kicking, let me direct this at you," she pointed a manicured nail at Matt's chest.

Bitch.

"Leave this ward," she continued, "Leave this man, leave this entire case behind before you wake up six feet under the ash that was your reputation and promising legal career."

"We have a right to a private conversation with a prospective client," I butted in, keeping my voice as polite as I could, despite knowing fully-well that we did, still, technically violate New York Code of Ethics by foregoing permission from that said prospective-client's already appointed defender without said defender's permission.

Tomato tomato, though, am I right?

"Not if there's conflict of interest," Reyes sneered.

"What conflict would that be?" Foggy came back to life from his corner behind me, genuinely curious, I think, about whatever Reyes was pissy about.

"Elliot Grote," she announced, "You can't represent Castle when one of his victims was your former client."

"Alleged victims," Foggy snapped.

"All the same," Reyes shrugged.

"Representing Grotto might have complicated matters," Matt started slowly, "but then again, all evidence of our work with him and our deal with you seems to have disappeared from public record. It's almost as if someone didn't want it known that you violated a witpro contract, jeopardized the safety of said witness–"

I couldn't help the small smirk that was tugging at my lips. The more Matt spoke, the more I suddenly wanted to smooch the man.

"--And then ordered a shoot-to-kill on Castle."

Foggy added on from where he now stood almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Matt, "But I guess Ms. Reyes could just confess to that when she files this conflict of interest complaint." he shrugged, "We have our case files to back up our story. How's your side looking?"

Case files that I found. There was that little bloom of something warm in my chest, snuffing out a little bit of that sour feeling I was getting earlier.

"The fact is, Ms. Reyes, is that the only person who shouldn't be here right now is you," Matt nodded in her direction, "Seeing as it's a breach of ethics for the prosecuting attorney to communicate with the defendant without his legal counsel present. So, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to resume convincing Mr. Castle that, unlike his current legal counsel, we can actually help him."

"You already did." Mahoney's deep voice cut through the tension that was clouding the hallway, and when Matt, Foggy and I all asked What? at the same time, I think I heard Karen snigger a little. Mahoney continued, "Castle doesn't want the public defender. Says Nelson and Murdock are his lawyers now."

Matt smiled and straightened his tie, "Thank you Detective Sergeant. If you'll excuse us," he turned around to leave, "Foggy, do you have my cane?"

Matt and Karen are smiling, Foggy looks pale and in need of my bamboo more than I need it, and me? I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling. Happy, I think? Smug, maybe. I think worried is more like it, though; this case is going to take a toll on me emotionally more than mentally.

I stuck behind Karen and Matt with Foggy, ignoring – still – whatever they were talking about, "How'd it go in there?"

Foggy offered me an unconvincing smile, "Shitshow, basically."

I half shrugged, "As expected."

He dropped his voice, "Karen pulled a move. Not sure about what, crossed the tape line right as Reyes was causing a ruckus."

I rolled my eyes, "Fuckin' 'course she did. She's lucky she didn't cost you the case."

He hmph'd, but otherwise said nothing as Matt and Karen led us into a really small... empty... supply closet? I did a quick once-over of the tiny space, declaring to myself that I had no idea what the room served as, as Karen closed the door behind us, "We have to figure out a way to get the upper hand on that woman."

Matt leaned his back against the wall, crossed his arms over his weirdly-buff chest, "She bluffs well, but she'll negotiate. She doesn't want this going to trial."

"Because trial means a fair fight," I scoffed quietly.

"She wants it to end quickly so she can move to burying us–" Foggy sounded so tired–

–and Matt cut him off with a wave of one hand, "Just deal with one problem at a time."

"We're dealing with, like, thirteen problems at a time, right here, Mathew," I pointed out blandly.

"So where are we supposed to start?" Foggy sounded way too agitated for someone so small. Had we not been waist deep in bullshit, I probably would've giggled.

"Let's have the charges and evidence summary brought in here," Matt offered a starting point to his salty second-in-command, "We can weed through it and work out what terms we want directly with Frank. It'll save time."

"We meaning..." I trailed off.

"We." Matt echoed, giving me a pointed look, "I know it's a you task most of the time, but there's a lot of information to go through and not enough time."

"Ugh, fine." a knock at the door startled me and I jumped, jerking the door open to see some pasty white dude in a chauffeur's get-up, "Can I fuckin' help you?"

"Car for you, Mr. Murdock." the guy ignored me and was watching Matt.

"Car service?" Foggy's voice jumped.

Matt looked ashamed, "It's, uh... not a very good time."

"My employer was quite insistent."

All eyes were on Matt, and Foggy looked like he wanted to puke and punch Matt at the same time, "His employer?!"

Matt turned to fully face Foggy, the look on his face telling me he was about to start lying to his oldest and possibly only friend, right through his teeth, "Yeah, the new... the new client..." he threw a glance over his shoulder at the car-guy, "Can you just give us a minute?"

"I'll see him out," I reassured him, stepping into the hallway with the man, clicking the door shut behind me. I squared my shoulders, crossed my arms over my chest and planted my feet, standing like a sentry in front of the door, "Sorry, no entry."

"My employer–"

"Can fucking wait," I seethed, "I can assure you, whatever is going on with your employer is not even half as important as what's going on in this broom closet. Now, I recommend you back up another step or two," I grinned, "For your safety."

The door behind me opened, saving the guy from my company any further. I stepped out of the way and... Karen and Matt came out, basically on top of each other, holding hands. I regarded the two with a quirked eyebrow. Karen gave me a not now look, and Matt wasn't looking anywhere near me, "Seeing him to the door?"

Karen nodded in agreement, and I nodded back, neither of us saying anything. I stepped back into the room with Foggy and clicked the door shut behind me, "So, that's happening now?"

He threw his hands up, "I guess it is."

I set my work binder on the table by my hip and held my arm out, wordlessly inviting him in for a hug. He gladly collapsed into my arms and I wrapped my arm around him, patting his back, "There, there. She's missin' out, Foggy." I didn't feel like mentioning at that moment that I'd very slowly been inching my way towards Matthew, ever since we'd graduated and eventually meandered our separate ways.

I didn't mention it because it was irrelevant, in my mind.

I also failed to mention it because my mind's been preoccupied with Frankie the last few months, so Matt was tossed on the cold back burner.

Foggy wasn't crying, but I could tell that he felt better being hugged. He ignored me, though, choosing not to reply to my comment. I beard heels clicking on the linoleum down the hall, so after one last, good squeeze I released Foggy, and the door opened to reveal Karen and an armful of paperwork. Foggy grabbed the door for her, and she dropped the stacks on the table by my binder, "There's a lot."

"We know." I hooked a chair leg with my toes and pulled it out, plopping my ass in it, "Start reading. We ain't got all night."