It was true
Kate was standing at the doorway to their bedroom leaning against the door frame watching her husband sleep.
It was like Déjà vu all over again. She could remember so well that she was standing in a doorway just like this years ago, except it wasn't really years ago, or was it?
Except things were different this time. Some things were the same while others had changed greatly.
He was still her husband and she loved him still with all of her heart. There was no one else for her but him. Well, him and the two children just down the hall.
She could remember Castle telling her that he had loved Alexis unconditionally the second she had been placed in his hands. Now Kate knew just what he had been talking about.
A lot of thinks had changed. Roy was still captain of the 12th precinct, barely. Kate and Castle with some of Castle's money and connections had managed to get Roy to remain captain instead of being thrown to the the curb.
She already knew Roy was involved and she had forgiven him long ago. Kate was however in charge of the entire homicide floor, second in rank behind Roy.
They had gotten married and Kate had loved it. She could remember the first time they had gotten married and the second time, and they were both PERFECT! He really was an amazing man. How Meredith and Gina couldn't see that escaped her. Still she did rejoice in their loss.
Like last time Meredith had shown up unexpected and while Castle had let her in because she was Alexis's mother, Kate had literally kicked her to the curb. She wasn't any kind of mother and she wasn't going to let this stupid woman interfere with her family.
Yes, Alexis was family, even if Alexis didn't call her mom and likely never would. And that was fine with Kate. Alexis may not say the word mother, but Kate was acting like one and it only filled her heart even more.
They had found Lockwood, Coonan and even Maddox and had spent months building cases against them so they could rot in prison just like Bracken.
They had arrested Jerry Tyson in the middle of his first triple murder and the look on his face had been priceless. He was so sure that he had everything worked out down to the last detail.
They had also trailed and worked up a case against Kelly Neiman and she now had her very own prison cell.
However some things did change and it had hurt all of them so very hard.
Just after their first child Castle decided it was time to sell the loft and find a bigger house for them all to live in. It really was a gorgeous house. It was a little outside of town making Kate's and occasionally Castle's commute into the 12th a little longer, however it had 6 bedrooms and 6 full bathrooms and one half bath. Three car garage and six acres of land. It had a pool, exercise room and lots and lots of space.
They loved the new house, it was a beautiful place and the perfect place to raise a family. It's just that Martha wasn't going to be there for any of it.
They had bought the house and Martha was a downtown kind of person. "You're starting you family darling and I'm a big city girl. I'll be out to spoil my grandchildren as often as I can." Martha had swore to them.
She was doing just that after exiting her little studio that she had opened. Martha had seen two of her students off and was waiting to flag down the next taxi when a pair of punks on skate boards came along and decided to snatch her purse. It was a spur of the moment decision.
They raced passed Martha, grabbed her purse and had left her spinning while she tried to hang onto it. However it got her to trip off of the sidewalk and fall out into the street where a passing car ran her over and sped away.
The whole thing was caught on security camera's. Kate, Castle and the guys had watched it countless times. It had them all in tears each and every time.
It took no time at all to chase down the car that had run her over and driven away. He was arrested and his family was now destroyed. All he had to have done was stop, but no, he didn't.
It only took a little longer to hunt down the two punks who were also in jail now on manslaughter charges. They would be in their 40's by the time they got out.
It had taken everything Kate and Castle could do to keep Alexis still moving and living, and almost as long for Kate to do the same for Castle. For all his bravado over what Castle said about his mother, he loved her a lot. Now they were both without their mother's.
Kate was still staring at her sleeping husband when the front door bell rang getting Kate to go downstairs to see who was calling on them this early in the morning.
"Espo, Ryan, Captain?" They were all three at her front door and Kate didn't like the look on their faces. Roy looked sad and Ryan and Espo looked like they had been crying.
"Is Castle home Beckett?" Roy asks.
"Yeah, he's still in bed sleeping." Kate left out the fact that Castle was still sleeping because Kate had worn him out after four rounds of some of the most mind blowing sex they had, had in a long time. Not since before their first child was born.
They were going to go looking for a dog for the kids today after Castle got up, even if they were still arguing over just what kind of dog to get.
"What guys?" Kate looked at Espo and Ryan looking for answers.
"Just go get him Beckett, we need to talk." Roy tells her.
It was hours later and Espo, Ryan and Roy were gone leaving Kate and Castle doing their best to hold it together while holding onto their children.
Jim had been with Alexis taking his granddaughter out to an early breakfast. Two men had shown up and tried to take Alexis. Jim had tried to stop them and they killed him for it.
Her father was dead and Alexis was kidnapped. It was only now that Kate remembered that Alexis had been kidnapped the first time, getting Castle to chase after her all alone going to Paris to get his daughter back.
Some things had changed and some things remained the same. "We'll get her back Rick, I swear we will." Kate even knew exactly where she was going to end up and who had taken her. The FBI would soon be involved along with the French police on a raid to the roof of a building not far from the Eiffel Tower.
Castle was home watching the kids while Kate was in Roy's office waiting for a phone call along with the lead agent from the FBI. The French police were conducting a raid on a building to get Alexis and the other girl they had kidnapped back.
Kate had not evidence on who had taken her so the French police were not going after him, however they were willing to go in and get the hostages.
Kate was a bundle of nerves waiting for word, this just had to go well. She hadn't died last time. Alexis had come home with Castle and the four of them had celebrated her return. Except this time when she came back there would be only three of them, not counting their children. The oldest had only just started trying to say Alexis, only getting as far as Lexus.
They both however smiled when they saw their older sister.
Then Roy's phone rang and Roy listened. After he hung up the phone. "Beckett." Roy didn't know how to tell her.
"NO, NO, … It's not suppose to happen like this." Kate's breathing became difficult and the tears started flowing as her heart was breaking.
She had lived last time. Bracken was gone, Tyson was gone, countless of others were also in prison. Was the price of all this her father and her step-daughter? It wasn't suppose to be like this.
She was happy and so in love, but the price was just too high. Too damn high!
What was she going to tell Rick? How does she tell her husband that his first daughter was dead before her life had even just begun. It wasn't right, just not right.
It had Kate racing out of Roy's office, with her face filled with tears. The price was too high, way too high.
She never saw the desk that she ran into or the desk leg that her toes had slammed into with such force. Even wearing her high heeled boots it had her screaming out in pain as she hopped around on her one good foot. Right up until the heel on her other boot broke causing her to roll her ankle and stumble, slamming her head into the desk on her way to the floor.
Kate bolted upright from bed and looked around, except the first thing she noticed was the big toe on her foot was throbbing. Reaching down and bringing her hand back showed that it was bleeding.
Kate searched the bed next to her and found it empty and the sheets were cold. "CASTLE?" Kate called out.
Wait, I've done this before. It got Kate to launch herself out of the bed and into the bathroom to look into the mirror, except the mirror was fogged over and she couldn't see herself. However she did see something in the mirror.
LAST CHANCE
She just stood there staring at the words as they slowly faded away as the fog on the mirror went away. Still she used her hand to wipe the mirror clean and saw herself young again with her short reddish hair again.
She lifted her hand and found her wedding rings gone again. It gave her an empty feeling immediately. She wasn't married, she didn't have any children waiting upstairs for her, since there was no upstairs.
She had to go find Castle yet again and let him into her heart, again. She knew where the tape was, she knew who 3XK was, she knew who had taken Alexis, she knew who Castle's father was, just not how to contact him.
Still she did know that he was following Alexis and his son and Martha, so she could use that to contact him.
It was weeks later, months really and Kate with Castle standing next to her watching Bracken being escorted in cuffs to a waiting DC police cruiser. And once again she found Castle down on one knee asking her to marry him yet again.
She knew she cried even harder this time having learned after all this how to open her heart to Rick, Alexis, Martha and her father. Even Espo, Ryan and Lanie were in deeper than they had ever been before.
The wedding was just as PERFECT as the first two times.
Jerry Tyson and Kelly Neiman were both behind bars.
Dunn was behind bars after the first person he killed at the train station, before the FBI ever got involved.
Kate was staring at the pregnancy test stick once again. "I'm pregnant and it's a boy." She knew she had done this already.
Just like last time she cooked dinner while Castle was at a meeting going over his latest book about Nikki Heat. She had only put up token resistance this time to the name Nikki Heat.
She knew Castle would be home soon and was just keeping the food warm when the there was someone knocking at the front door.
Kate opened it to find Meredith standing on the other side. "Who the hell are you?" Meredith demanded.
Kate wasted no time and grabbed Meredith by her hair and dragged her screaming and cursing at her all the was to the elevator and down to the ground floor. "I'm calling the police, you can't do this to me." Meredith tried again, Kate having heard it all before.
"I am the police and if you come anywhere near my husband again I'll have a restraining order filed against you and lock you up the second you get one inch past that line. And don't ever contract my husband or step-daughter ever again." As Kate shoved her into the first taxi she could flag down.
"Take her to the airport, she's leaving." And Kate paid the taxi driver.
She was beaming yet again when she held up the pregnancy test stick for Castle to see. "Seriously!? … You're, … I mean we're, ..." Castle was speechless yet again, just like all the other times.
"We're pregnant." Kate confirms, letting the tears over how happy she is and how happy Castle was yet again. "And we're not moving Castle, so don't even think about it. There is just enough room for us, Martha, Alexis and the baby, so I don't want to hear it." Kate put her foot down, before Castle had a chance to even think about it.
It was months later and she was as big as a house and only weeks away from her due date when she caught Castle on his laptop looking at houses just outside of the city, the exact one they had bought the last time actually.
"I told you no CASTLE! What part of no did you not understand?" Kate glared at him.
"But Kate we could use the space. He could have a back yard to play in. We could get a dog." Rick offers trying to defend himself.
"There are countless kids growing up in this city Castle and he's just a baby, he doesn't need a dog." They had found out the sex months ago. "Now stop searching for a new house and go make us dinner, we're hungry." Kate reached out and took a hold of his ear.
She hadn't even twisted it yet and she would if she had to. "APPLES, APPLES. … Geez woman." Castle cried out even before the pain he knew was coming had gotten there yet.
"No house Castle and that's final." Kate let go of his ear without giving it a twist. However she did lean down till her lips were brushing his ear. "I love you Rick and I know you mean well, but we're not moving." And Kate kisses his cheek. "Now feed me Castle."
Kate and Castle were in the hospital with Martha and Alexis next to them. Kate had just given birth to their son and Martha was holding him. "He's gorgeous darling, you two make the most beautiful babies." Martha worked at holding back the tears. Martha could almost see herself lying there with Richard in her arms for the first time.
"I was thinking about having that little studio apartment above my studio fixed and move into it and give you some space." Martha brought up a few weeks later.
"Not a chance in hell Martha, you are more than welcome to stay right where you are. Besides where are we going to find a built in baby sitter if you move. Alexis is headed for college soon, even if she hasn't made up her mind where she's going yet." Kate points out. Martha needed to stay, she knew what happens if she moves out.
"I was thinking of staying close to home, there are lots of good colleges around here." Alexis offers.
"That's your choice Alexis, your father and I will support any choice you make. However we need you to stay at home for now. Long enough to go on our little vacation we have planned." Kate reminds her.
Kate had talked Castle into going on a short vacation without the baby leaving him in the capable hands of Alexis and Martha.
"I'll be right back Castle, I need some coffee from that little shop around the corner." Kate kisses Castle's cheek and walks around the corner and steps into the coffee shop and gives them her order.
Castle and her were headed for the airport for their little trip and Kate was looking forward to spending time alone with Castle, and if her timing was right, she was going to get pregnant again on this trip, if her memory of dates was correct.
Kate had her coffee and moved to sit near an elder looking man that had a gray beard and gray hair, who had eyes that said he had seen and done a lot.
"Thank you for coming." Kate spoke softly.
"You're not exactly subtle." He points out.
"I know you're not in the States much, so I had to hit several countries to make sure you read it." Kate offers her apologies.
"So why am I here?" He asks.
"Volkoff is going to hire these two men to kidnap two women soon and one of them is going to be your granddaughter." Kate slides a large vanilla envelope across his table after pulling it out of her coat.
"Where Volkoff is planning on taking her are also in there. I think you know what to do with him." Kate offers.
Jackson Hunt slides the envelope off the table and down into his lap before moving it inside his own coat. "And how did you come across this information?" Hunt had not heard about any of this, however hearing that Volkoff was alive and after his granddaughter didn't surprise him any.
"I may only be a homicide detective, however even I have my sources." Kate wasn't willing to share, besides the possibility of him believing her weren't good.
"Try not to be a stranger after this, I'm sure your son and Martha would like to see you, even if it is only for a short time. I know you're not an active part of the family, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone for your entire life. Think about it. … Rick and I are leaving for a little vacation, perhaps when we get back, …." Kate left her thought unfinished. It was out of her hands anyway.
Kate had only just stepped into the loft after coming back from their mini vacation when Martha descended on her and wrapped her arms around her. "I can't begin to thank you Katherine darling. You've changed my son for the better, treated my granddaughter better than her own mother ever has, and now this." Martha squeezed Kate tight.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about Martha." And Kate didn't, this was a surprise to her since she had never experienced this before. This along with the mini vacation were new.
"He's still as handsome as I remember, a little gray maybe here and there, but still the man I remember. He left all of us something." Martha finally let go of Kate as her son came into the loft carrying their luggage.
It was just 3 short months later and they were all standing on a dock waiting on this little island in the Caribbean. BONAIRE.
Eighty kilometers (50 miles) north of Venezuela and 138km (86 miles) east of Aruba, Bonaire is the "B" of the ABC islands. There's no better place to find out what's going on under the Caribbean's azure waters than this "Diver's Paradise," as the island's license plate boasts. Bonaire is slightly larger than Aruba, just 39km (24 miles) long and 5 to 11km (3-7 miles) wide. Bonaire has none of Aruba's glitzy diversions, but avid divers have flocked to this unspoiled treasure for years. With its pristine waters, stunning coral reefs encircling the island just feet from shore, and vibrant marine life, Bonaire is one of the best places in the Caribbean for both diving and snorkeling.
They were going to be here for 3 whole weeks. It was using up every day of vacation Kate had to be here, and this was nothing that had taken place before so Kate was hoping that was a good thing.
Martha was alive, Alexis hadn't been kidnapped, Bracken was wasting away in prison along with Tyson and Dunn, just to name a few. Her first marriage was long ago taken care of. Kate chalked it up to too much Vodka and being in Las Vegas, a town she was likely never going to set foot in ever again.
So far there was just her son, and Kate was pretty sure she wasn't pregnant yet with their daughter. Maybe after this trip that would change.
There was soon a zodiac looking boat approaching their dock. Kate, Martha and Alexis only recognized one of the three men that was on it. One of the men got off and stayed off to watch over the luggage while everyone else was ferried out to their waiting boat.
Castle was silent, maybe a little too silent, but then again so was Hunt. Neither seemed to know just what to say to the other. Kate knew however that they had three weeks to work it out.
"WOW!" Alexis's mouth was hanging open as she figured out like the others just what ship they were headed for.
They were all onboard and sitting in the main room. "She's crewed by all the original crew plus two more that came with me." Hunt explains. Which was code that they were their guards for in case anything happened and likely heavily armed and expertly trained including getting wet.
NAIA - 241.47ft /73.6m Custom expedition Yacht. Air Conditioning, WiFi connection on board, Deck Jacuzzi, Gym/exercise equipment, Air Conditioning, Stabilisers underway, Jacuzzi (on deck), Gym, Lift (Elevator).
Naia's interior layout sleeps up to 12 guests in 8 staterooms, including a master suite, 1 VIP stateroom.4 convertable cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 22 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.
Two of her own zodiacs stored on the main deck along with two jet skis stored on the bridge deck up forward. There was a large spiral staircase in the middle, a large lounge forward on the owner's deck, a large outdoor sundeck complete with a jacuzzi, a large outdoor dining table on the bridge deck aft, with a large living space complete with a bar just inside, kitchen and indoor dining where on the main deck, exercise room, spa with sauna was on the lower level.
Kate was in Rick's arms soaking up the feeling of being in his arms and wiping away the tears that had found there way on her face. "What's wrong?" Rick could hear them even if he couldn't see them since Kate was sitting in his lap in the jaccuzi.
"Just happy, so incredibly happy and what it took to get here." Kate answers his question, feeling Rick tighten his hold on her. Finding herself so very comfortable in his arms.
Kate was awake and didn't know why. Rick was fast asleep making a little huffing sound that she found endearing. Jackson Hunt was heavily armed as were the two friends he had brought with him, plus no one knew where they were going to sail to each day, since they made their choice that morning, majority rules.
Kate extracted herself from Rick's warm body and headed for the bathroom, already missing the feeling of having him close to her. She was washing her face and reaching for a glass to get a drink of water before going back to bed, when the mirror fogged over for no apparent reason.
Kate stood there with her mouth hanging open as she watched words forming on the mirror, like watching a finger draw them.
ON YOUR OWN NOW HONEY
