A/N: how could I not? Saw a post on tumblr, this is the result. Now that I've stopped crying, I can write this, enjoy!
It was done. Senator William Bracken had been driven off in a police car, escorted by Ryan and Esposito. It hadn't quite sunk in yet..standing there on the sidewalk in Castle's arms, Kate couldn't quite believe that she had finally gotten the evidence she needed to put Bracken behind bars for good.
"Let's go home," Castle whispered in her ear.
She was close to saying no, that she had to get to work, make sure he didn't worm his way out of it but she resisted. Esposito and Ryan knew what they were doing and Gates was in on it too, they all knew how much it meant to her and she knew they'd get a confession out of him.
"Sure," she smiled, taking his hand and following his lead.
Back at the loft, Kate didn't know what to do. She wasn't used to having free time and any free time they'd had in the past six weeks had been spent planning the wedding and continuing their surveillance on Simmons. So now what did she do?
Castle handed her a cup of green tea and sat on the sofa beside her. "I meant what I said, you know," she told him, "that I couldn't have done any of this without you."
"You would have done it in the end," he brushed off.
"No, I mean it," she repeated. "I was done. Over it. I put that case to rest, resigned myself to the fact that I was never going to find anything, that it really had been a mugging gone wrong." She smiled, thinking back to how it all began. "But then this annoying, childish writer came along and poked his nose in where I specifically asked him not to."
"I bet you made him pay," Castle said, trying to hide his smile.
"I think four years of waiting around kinda did that, don't you think?"
"Little too long if you ask me," he muttered, "poor guy."
Kate laughed and poked him in the ribs. "But, if it wasn't for that writer..we wouldn't be sat here now, knowing my moms killer is behind bars. So thank you, Castle, for everything."
"Even poking my nose in where you specifically told me not to?"
"Yeah," she grinned, "even that."
"Always, Kate." He kissed her lightly and she snuggled closer into him. He loved this side of her, cuddly Kate was a rarity but one he definitely didn't take for granted.
Her phone began to ring and she moved out of Castle's arms to answer it. "Beckett."
"Detective Beckett," came Gates' voice, "I trust you are home and safe?"
"Yes sir," she smiled, "I didn't think it would do any good being at the precinct."
"I do believe you're right. I was calling to let you know that Bracken has confessed. He's working with his lawyer now to work out some sort of a deal but I don't think the DA are going to buy it, the tape you found pretty much implicates him in everything you accused him of."
"Thank you, sir," she sighed with relief.
"Not a problem. Now, take the rest of the day and tomorrow off, finalise those wedding plans..and say thank you to Mr Castle for me too."
"I will sir, thank you."
"Goodbye, Detective." Kate hung up the phone and told Castle the news.
"That was Gates - Bracken confessed," she grinned, unable to keep the happiness away. "Gates says thank you to us both and she's given me tomorrow off."
"That's good, means we don't have to get back early tonight," Castle said.
"Why, what's tonight?"
"Ryan just text, he and Espo are organising celebratory drinks in The Old Haunt this evening, I'm assuming you're up for it?"
"Of course," she smiled, "couldn't have done this without Espo and Ryan either, I need to thank them properly. But uh..can we do something else first?" She asked and he frowned at her.
"What?"
"I need to tell my dad."
"Of course!" Castle said, "do you think he's already seen it? I mean, there were hundreds of reporters there when you arrested him.."
"I don't think they mentioned my moms name though, they won't until Bracken is officially charged. And he's probably been too busy at work to take too much notice anyway. What time are drinks?"
"I said we'd be there at 7."
Beckett checked her watch, it was 4.30 now, plenty of time. "Well I'll give my dad a call, see what he's up to." She picked up her cell and found her dad's number, hitting the dial button. A few minutes later, she cut off the call and looked back up to Castle. "He's just finished work, says he can come here now. That's okay isn't it?" She added, realising she hadn't asked Cadtle if she could invite her dad over.
"Of course it is," he chuckled, "this is your home too, you know." Even if she did still have her old apartment, he hadn't talked her out of leaving there completely yet, even two weeks before she became his wife. "Erm..do you want me to leave? Or I could go and write.."
"No," she said firmly. "I want you here too. I meant what I again to you after I killed Coonan;" she repeated what she'd told him that night, "if it wasn't for you I would've never found my moms killer. And someday soon I'm gonna find the sons of bitches who had Coonan kill her, and I'd like you around when I do." She reached over and took a hand into hers, "just because I've got him now doesn't mean I don't still want you."
Castle smiled and kissed her forehead, whispering "I love you."
Half an hour later and Jim Beckett was on the doorstep, a little unsure as to why he was there. "Jim, hi, come in," Castle said as he opened the door.
"Afternoon, Rick, how are you?"
"I'm good thanks, Jim. Kate's just in the living room. Can I get you a drink?"
"Water would be great, thanks," Jim said with a smile, heading over to greet his daughter. "Hey Katiebug, how are you?"
"I'm good dad," she smiled, "thanks for coming over, I know I kind of sprung it on you last minute."
"Anything for you, Katie," he said, "so, what's up?" He asked as Rick returned with his glass of water.
"Have you uh, seen the news this afternoon dad?"
"I caught a little of it, something about a senator being arrested..didn't hear what for though, why?"
"Do you remember what I told you about what we'd found in moms case?"
Jim sighed. He knew how desperately Katie wanted her killer but it wasn't good for her to be like this. "Sweetie, I know you want justice for your mom-"
"Dad, please," Kate pleaded. "I know you don't like it when I look into it but please, just let me explain?"
"Go ahead, Katiebug," he sighed. He never had been able to resist his daughter when she asked like that.
"So you know we found it wasn't accidental and you know I got the guy who actually killed her," she ran through, reminding him of what he already knew. He knew she was a cop and that pulling her gun was necessary, but he didn't need to hear about the people she shot - even if the guy did kill his wife. She was still his little girl. But he nodded anyway, giving her what she wanted before she continued.
"My old Captain, Montgomery, well he sent a file with incriminating evidence to a friend, someone he trusted," she wasn't too sure why she was telling him everything and she didn't just come right out and say that Bracken was behind it all, but this felt right, telling him the whole story. Oh god she'd been spending way too much time with Castle. "And this evidence was blown up almost two years ago, effectively removing any trace of the person behind it all and their involvement. We, as in Castle, Ryan, Esposito and I, we knew the truth but we couldn't prove it. So, I made a deal with this person, and if he went after anyone I cared about, that information went public and he'd go down. Not that I had any proof, but he didn't need to know that."
"Katie-"
"I'm almost there dad, I promise. And then, when I went on that..undercover assignment a few weeks ago, it came up again." She had told her father about the undercover operation - the bruise she'd had on her head didn't leave her much choice, but he hadn't asked for details and she hadn't told him. "Turns out, the person I was 'working' for was someone I had questioned over moms murder years ago, Vulcan Simmons."
"Wait," her father interrupted, "I heard that name on the news a couple of days ago - wasn't he murdered?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah, with my gun..I was being set up. Vulcan Simmons trafficked drugs, primarily through Washington Heights," she saw the flicker of realisation in her fathers face when she mentioned the neighbourhood. Her father already knew half the story, he knew her mom had been killed trying to find the truth and about what she had found. "I never had the evidence to convict him before..nor did I when I was undercover, he somehow had an airtight alibi for that night. But he ordered me to be killed..and I wasn't. A man with the nickname Lazarus sent someone to save me - the same man who was behind moms murder."
She felt Castle squeeze her hand and she continued with the final part of her story. "This Lazarus, I once saved his life when he was almost assassinated and then he saved mine - making us equal."
"So he could come after you," he father whispered, the shock evident on his face.
"Yeah," Kate admitted, "but what he didn't know, was that Captain Montgomery had secretly recorded him admitting to murder and blackmail. Remember those elephants mom had on her desk?" Her father nodded. "The tape was in there. I worked it out just in time and we listened to it, heard him confess everything."
"That's great, Katie..but what's this got to do with that Senator who was arrested?"
"It's him, dad. Lazarus is Senator Bracken, the man who had mom killed."
Her father stared at her in shock. "The next president of the United States was the man who had your mom killed?" He whispered.
Kate nodded. "He funded his start up campaign on drug money, money he wouldn't have had if mom had finished what she set out to do. He had her killed when she found out the truth."
"And..you arrested him?"
"Yeah, this afternoon. We've known for almost two years that he was behind it, but never had the evidence..until today."
"I..I can't believe this!" Jim said, still in a state of shock. "For so long we thought it was random..and then I still remember the day you told me what Rick had found..but I never thought you'd actually find the guy.."
Kate looked to Castle and smiled, she really couldn't have done any of this without him.
"She'd be so proud of you, you know," her father said. "All Johanna ever wanted was the truth and that's what you got today, the truth." There were tears in his eyes which caused Kate to well up. Telling her dad she'd got the guy behind her moms murder had been a dream for fifteen years, and she could finally give it to him.
"Just like she always said," Kate whispered and her father anticipated her next statement; "Vincit Omnia Veritas," they said together.
"I'm so proud of you, Katie," her father said, pulling her into a tight hug. "And to you too, Rick," he said, holding out his hand to Castle. "I know she can be difficult but you stuck by her..she couldn't have done it without you."
"Not a problem, Jim," Castle smiled, shaking his hand, "she's pretty damn special and I wouldn't have it any other way. We're going to celebrate at The Old Haunt if you feel like joining us?" He said before realised what he'd said, "oh..er only if you feel comfortable that is.."
Jim laughed, her daughter had a good man there. "I'd love to," he agreed. "I just can't believe you did it!" He said again to Kate.
"I didn't," she replied, looking to Castle, "we did it."
A/N: I wasn't sure how much Jim knew, so I did a little recap..hope the details are about right, it's still a little complicated! Let me know what you thought :)