Chapter 4:

Detective Katherine Beckett was used to being alone. For a lot of her life, she specifically designed her life to be that way, leaving coworkers and friends behind in search of justice. But since meeting Castle, since putting her mother's murderer away, she's allowed herself to be more open, to let people back into her life. So when she realized that the annual Johanna Beckett Memorial Fundraiser was coming up, she decided to make a day of it and invited her girls over to have a spa day and get ready before the event. Only an hour until the fundraiser starts and the boys are on their way to pick up their dates and she is getting lost in her reflection in the mirror. She is dressed in a navy blue dress that accentuates her curves and has a slit that comes up mid-thigh on the right side. Her hair has the front tied in back with a clip, a gift from Castle, and the rest flows out. The look is finished off with navy stilettos and a blue coin purse. She finished her makeup and has since been stuck in her head.

This year, the event symbolizes a turning point in Kate's life. She's finally put her mother's case to rest, knowing that justice was served. She doesn't feel lost like she thought she might, she knows exactly who she is and what she stands for and now she has an opportunity to live her life with the people she loves.

Both Martha and Alexis have helped her buckle down on the wedding planning immensely. Both her and Castle had somewhat neglected it before, not in a way that said "I'm-getting-cold-feet" more in a way that said "Our-lives-are-so-busy-and-stressful-already-adding-wedding-planning-to-the-mix-is-some-kind-of-torture." But, although she had pushed for a spring wedding before, with all the stuff with her mother's case, Castle and she agreed that making it a fall wedding instead was probably the best option. Changing the venue and everything else last minute had been a PROCESS to say the least, but with Alexis and Martha's help especially, as well as everyone else's, Kate wasn't feeling as stressed about the change as she once was.

Kate had been looking at herself in the mirror for a good 20 minutes when Lanie brought her out of her thoughts.

"Ohh, girl, writer boy is going to drop dead when he sees you," Lanie says as her and the other girls join her in the bedroom at her apartment.

Kate looks down modestly, "Do you really think so?" She asks, stroking her hand to smooth out a non-existent wrinkle.

"Oh please, Kate. You know Dad is going to love it. He always does," Alexis says, as she helps Kate adjust her one shoulder strap.

Kate and Alexis's relationship had reached a sort of turning point as well. Since solving her mother's murder, Kate had taken some time off to spend with her family and her and Alexis had been spending more time together. She wanted to engage with the girl to make sure there were no reservations about her and Castle's relationship and to ask for her help in the wedding planning. It turned out to be a great decision because it brought them both so much closer.

Alexis looks up to Kate, always has, but now she's starting to love her like family. She had reservations that she wholeheartedly regrets now, because ever since her Dad and Kate have started dating, Kate has done nothing but make her more and more sure that she is finally the right one for her Dad. Not only that, but because they have been closer too, she no longer worries about being isolated from her father's new family. She knows she has place with them whenever she wants it.

Alexis' thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door.

"That shall be the boys," Martha said as she ran to get the door.

Kate checked hers' and Alexis' looks one more time, before nodding to Alexis and they both headed down the stairs to leave.

Castle, Ryan, Esposito, and Jim Beckett stepped through the door in their tuxes waiting for their dates. Lanie and Jenny walked down the stairs first and Ryan and Esposito stared up at their dates at the bottom of the stairs.

"Shut your mouths' boys, you're going to catch flies," Jenny said smugly, as she walked over to Kevin Ryan and Lanie walked over to Javier Esposito.

Martha walks over to Castle, "Your girls look just splendid darling," Martha said.

"You look beautiful, as well mother, now where are they?" Castle asked, giving his mother a hug and a kiss while she smiled, but jokingly fussed with the make up on her cheek that Castle had smudged.

"Here they come," Martha said as they both turned to look at Beckett and Alexis coming down the stairs. His girls looked light, both of them laughing about something Kate whispered in Alexis's ear. It had only been a few weeks since Senator Bracken had been put in jail and Rick could tell Kate was letting loose more. He knew how important it was to finish that mission and now they can have that happily ever after both of them so desperately want.

Alexis walks over and hugs her Dad first.

"Pumpkin, my little girl. You look beautiful."

"Eh, you're just biased. But thanks anyway," Alexis nudged his shoulder playfully as she walked over to her grandmother and Kate followed in behind her.

"Beckett-Kate, you look…"

Kate chuckled when he didn't continue verbally, simply gazing over her hungrily. "Thank you, you do too."

Kate smoothed Rick's collar and looked up at him through her eye lashes and bit her lip. She knew Rick couldn't resist her like that and she loved to tease him.

Castle growled. "Don't start something you're not planning on finishing, Beckett."

"Who said I wasn't planning on finishing?" She paused. "Later, tonight. Somewhere where your mother, my dad, and your daughter aren't watching." Kate continued with a stern look while she rubbed her hands down Rick's stomach.

Rick pouted, a face that Kate would never admit she finds adorable, "You're no fun."

"Come on, I'm going to go say hi to my Dad before we leave, I might not get much one-on-one time with him while I'm at the fundraiser. Then we can go, ok?"

"Of course, are you ready? Do you have your speech all ready?" Castle asked, he refused to call it begging.

"Yes, I have my speech ready and no, you do not get to see it," Kate smirked, walking away while he pouted.

"Hey, Katie, you look beautiful tonight. You ready to present your speech?" Jim Beckett replied, stepping back from their hug and rubbing her arms fondly.

Beckett takes a deep breath and looks down scuffing her shoes slightly, looking like the 13 year old she feels like at the moment before a presentation in school. "You know, I never get used to doing this and it's already been 3 years."

"Oh, you've been nervous about public speaking since you were little. You take after me. Your mother was fearless, she always took to giving speeches, doing her opening and closing statements, speaking to a courtroom with gusto. But you and I? Well, it takes some practice but we're still a bag of nerves every time," Jim said, remembering how his wife used to ensnare a jury with just a few words. It was one of the first things that made him fall in love with her, her confidence and her capabilities in the courtroom, just two of the things that will always leave him in love with her.

"Yeah, I know, but… this is different, you know, talking about Mom, it's always hard but in front of a room of strangers—not just strangers, some pretty prominent people. And this year—well let's just say that it feels more important for a number of reasons so… Yes, I am ready, but I am also nervous, so… well, we should probably go before I find a way to back out and run for the hills," Kate said, chuckling self-consciously.

"You'll do great, like you always do, I have no doubt. You always make your mother proud Katie, so proud," Jim said, smiling at his daughter wistfully.

"Dad," Kate said, sounding more like a whiny teenager than the 35 year old women she is, "you're just lucky I prepared by wearing water proof mascara, I just didn't think I'd need it before I even got to the fundraiser."

He gave her the classic Beckett smirk, patting her shoulder, "Glad to be of service."

"Alright, everyone, the limousine is waiting for us outside. Single file now," Castle says, mimicking a person on the tarmac, leading the crowd in the apartment towards the door in a safe and orderly fashion.

Kate looked around at everyone in the room—her family, by blood or otherwise. Maybe there were people who were missing. Maybe there were people who had left them. But looking around the room, taking her fiancé's arm and heading out of the apartment, she felt full, the absence of her mother not such an incessant pain anymore.

"Let the schmoozing commence," Castle whispered in her ear as they entered the fundraiser, starting to make the rounds. Beckett replied with pursed lips, trying to hide her smile as they approached the big wigs to ask for money.

Just as Beckett was getting to her limit of schmoozing older white men who, despite knowing she was engaged to the man co-hosting the event, would still hit on her left and right, Castle approached behind her, putting an arm around her waist. Kate tensed before she heard Castle's voice at her ear, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to have to steal this lovely lady away from you gentlemen for a little dance now that the band has started playing."

Kate turned around as Castle took her glass, set it on a passing waiter's tray, and offered his hand to her. She took it gratefully, muttering an "excuse me" to… well, whatever-his-name was who was hopefully going to give her lots of money, but at that point she could hardly care less.

They went to the dance floor which was already filling up with people. Rick put one hand in Kate's and the other on her back, while Kate had one hand in Rick's and the other around Rick's shoulder. Kate kissed Castle chastely saying, "Thank you for saving me back there."

"Hey, that's what partners are for. Plus, I have experience with just how boring talking with Stephen Schwartzman can be," Castle said, wincing conspiratorially.

"Oh, that was his name," she replied, scrunching her nose and shaking her head disgustingly.

Castle just chuckled, pulling her to him more snugly.

"I could stay in your arms like this forever," Kate whispered, laying her cheek on his shoulder as smooth jazz played in the background.

"Wow, you're a sappy drunk tonight," Castle whispered back laying his cheek against her hair briefly to talk into her ear.

"I've only had one drink," Kate said, wiggling her eyebrows. She took her hand that was in Rick's and smoothed it down his chest as she went on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "And just so you know, I'm a horny drunk," She said as she nibbled on his earlobe and she heard Rick swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. She went off her tiptoes and put her hand back in his laughing. "You are always so easy," Kate said with a wink.

Castle was desperate for a change of topic or he might just have to take Kate to the bathroom and have his wicked way with her. Ok, stop those thoughts. Think about garbage, a crime scene, dead bodies. Ok, crisis averted.

"So, what has made you so sappy, if not for the drink," Rick said.

"You," Kate said simply.

"Wow, even your reasoning is sappy," Rick said chuckling. The band stopped playing their song and made their way to the back of the stage for dinner. "I think that's our cue to head backstage." He pulled away from Kate slightly and led her back stage, turning his back on her let her take a minute to glance toward the stage and take a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Are you ready? Are you sure I can't get a peek at the speech? Just two sentences?" Rick whined as they arrived backstage. By now, he was dying of anticipation, his eyes pleading.

Kate laughed, kind of glad for the distraction. "Yes, I'm ready. A little nervous, but ready. And no, you may not 'get a peek.' Not even just two sentences." Kate said with a smirk.

"Fine," Rick said with a whine. "But know that I'm only dropping this because I'm going to announce you in two seconds."

Kate tried to hide her nervousness but Castle could tell when her eyes looked to the ground and her hands clenched slightly that she was more worried than usual.

"Hey, look at me," Castle said lightly, grabbing her hands and squeezing, putting his head down trying to meet her eyes. "You're going to do great, you do every year. Let alone just with this speech, I mean, everything you do—you're amazing, incred—."

"Castle," Kate interrupted, jiggling his hands playfully. "It's just—this time feels different."

He smiled, nodding his head in agreement. "I get it. It makes complete sense that you'd be more nervous this year, after finally putting the man who murdered your mother behind bars. But, that doesn't mean that you won't do just as good this year as every other year, trust me, I know you better than you know yourself," he said, simpering slightly, despite the situation.

Kate just shrugged her shoulders, not disapproving his statement. "I trust you completely."

When Castle could only respond with a star struck look on his face, she continued, "Thank you, for always believing in me… even when it's hard for me to do it myself."

Castle shook his head, his smile soft and reaching his eyes. He surged forward grabbing her cheeks, but stopping just short of kissing her, savoring the moment. His lips brushed hers softly, the emotion surging through both of them like electricity, their nerve endings tingling up to their fingers, down to their toes, making them lightheaded and heavy hearted all at once.

He is the first to pull away, looking down at Kate while her eyes are still closed. He waits until she finally looks up at him to reply, "It's my pleasure."

She grabs his hands off her cheeks, taking a deep breath and giving his hands a squeeze, finally severing the physical connection between them. "I think I'm ready now," she says standing up tall and putting a determined look on her face.

Castle nods as they both walk on stage while the crowd applauds. Castle walks up to the mic and Kate stays back a little and waits to be called up.

"Hello, everyone. I'm so glad you could make it tonight. I know it's very important to everyone who knew about Johanna Beckett that you're here. But I know I'm not the one you really want to hear from, so let me introduce my very lovely bride-to-be, Miss Katherine Beckett!" Castle said with his regular Castle flair. He directed Beckett over, kissing her on the cheek and steps back as the crowd applauds.

Kate stepped up to the podium and took a deep breath while the crowd calmed down. And she began, "Thank you, Castle. I know I'm not the writer in this relationship, but I'm just going to give it a try. It's a great honor that I get to come up here for the 3rd year in a row to talk to all of you about such an important topic in our city. I usually begin my speeches with the news that my mother's case and others like it are still unsolved, but this year, half of that statement isn't true. Finally, after 15 years, my mother's murder has been solved. Thanks to the help of my fiancé, Mr. Richard Castle, and our partners, Detective Kevin Ryan and Detective Javier Esposito, and also our Captain Victoria Gates, Mr. William Bracken was arrested for the murder of my mother, along with innumerable other crimes he has committed."

Kate paused as the crowd applauded. "I would also like to thank all of my family and friends. You have brought me through some of the toughest parts of my life, and I really can't thank you enough. Mr. Bracken took away my mother 15 ½ years ago. Those first years without my mother were some of the toughest I have ever faced. And, even though he doesn't know it, the only things that got me through those tough times were Richard Castle's books."

Kate paused to look over at her fiancé, he looked stunned. "Now, he knows I'm a fan of his books because of the first case we worked together. But I have never told him just how much of a fan me, and my mother, really are, because anyone who knows him, knows that his ego is big enough already."

Kate paused as the crowd laughed. "But, I feel he needs to know this. Yes, Richard Castle worked this case with me and my partners, and I don't know if we would have solved it without him and yes, we have saved each other's lives more times than I can count, although he continues to say that he has saved my life more times than I have saved his. And, for once… only once, he may actually be right."

The crowd laughed again. "About a year after my mother died, I got into her book collection. She had many authors in there some Patterson, some Russian and English novelists. But there was one name that stood out to me, and that was one Richard Castle. She had every single one of his books and he had signed all of them. My mother tried to get me to read them a lot before her death. She would say, 'You know Katie, you would really like this book, or that book, by Richard Castle.' And I would always reply, 'Yes, Mom, I'll have to look for him.' And by the tenth or so time she mentioned it, I actually did want to look into it ... If only to get her to stop hounding me about it."

Kate said with a smirk while the crowd chuckled. "But, you know how it is, college and friends and work get in the way. But the day I looked through her collection after her death, I promised myself that I would read every last one of the books by that author that she wanted me to read so much. So, I took all the books by him off her book shelf and took them to my dorm room at NYU. I set them all down and leafed through them, trying to decide which one to read first and all I could think of was how many times she must have read those books. The pages were tattered and worn and ripped. But, she wouldn't have gotten new ones, because they were sentimental to her. They were part of her. I was holding a part of her."

Kate paused for a moment to compose herself. "Once I had leafed through all of them, I decided to start with Flowers for Your Grave. Ironically enough, that is the book that brought Castle and I together in person for the first time."

Beckett turned to look at Castle and she saw what she had expected to see. He was stunned, his eyes displaying such emotion, his mouth left slightly ajar. Kate turned back and continued, "As I started to read it, I started to see what she was saw in the author. Rick has a certain way he writes. If I was given something he had written and they told me someone else had written it, I could tell just by reading it that it was him. He is very accurate in the details and doesn't leave out any parts that may seem harsh. My mother had read those books so much she had written little comments in the margins. They'd say, 'That joke was funny.' Or, 'He's the killer,' or, 'No, she's the killer.' It gave me a connection to her even after her death. Castle's writing gave me hope. It made me truly believe that my mother would get justice and that, one way or another, everyone gets what they deserve. I fell in love with Richard Castle's writing long before I even knew him. I finished half of my mother's collection that day and the rest the day after. Ever since that day, I've gotten every one of Castle's new books. Rick has seen my collection of books and has offered many times before to get me new ones. The books have even more ware and tare now than before and some of them have scorch marks from when my house blew up four years ago." Kate chuckled to herself. "That's a story that Rick loves to tell."

"But I declined his offer every time and I don't think he ever knew the real reason until now. Those books are a connection to my mother that I can never get back, and I could never give that up. Wherever my mom is now she is saying her four favorite words. I told you so." Kate laughed with the audience.

"I'm not here to promote my fiancé's writing, despite what it may look like. But he helped me come to terms with my mother's murder, even though he didn't know it. I was lucky. A lot of people don't have someone or something to help them through a situation like this. I have to speak from experience that it never really goes away. On my mom's birthday or on the anniversary of her death, I remember all that she is going to miss in my life. But I now have the knowledge that Mr. Bracken cannot hurt anyone ever again. And since I put those handcuffs on him a few weeks ago, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The work that my mother put her whole life into hasn't gone to waste. I feel like I can finally be happy. The Johanna Beckett Memorial Fund was created to give money to people who will strive to help people like me and my father, who have had their families torn apart by tragedy, get the closure that we finally have, and that they all ultimately deserve. Now, I believe dinner is ready to be served. So, I want you all to know again how honored I am to get the opportunity to speak to you tonight. I hope all of you will seriously consider giving money to the Johanna Beckett Memorial fund. We want you to know that that money will not be wasted. Thank You," Kate finished with a nod. She stepped back from the podium and everyone from her families' table stood and applauded and everyone else in the crowd followed suit. When she turned back, she could tell Castle was emotional, his eyes moist reflecting love and devotion. She went over to him, took his hand, and led him off stage.

Once they were off stage, Rick pinned her against the wall with one hand on her cheek and the other on her lower back and kissed her passionately, no softness this time. Kate immediately gave into him with a surprised squeak and wrapped her arms around his torso. When they broke the kiss, they stayed close… their foreheads touching. Kate looked up at him and saw so much in his eyes it was almost overwhelming.

Beckett smiled up at him and said, "So, how was my speech?"

Castle chuckled and shook his head saying, "Your speech was… wow, I couldn't have written anything better. You are … I can't even describe how amazed I am of you right now. How amazed I am of you every day."

Kate smiled, bit her lip, looked down, and blushed. Then, she brought her head up and asked, "So, you liked it?"

Castle was flabbergasted. How could she question whether he liked it or not? "Liked it?! I—No one has ever done that for me before. Was what you said… was that all true?" he asked.

Beckett smile got even wider. "Yeah… every word," she replied.

"My books they're—god, they're nothing compared to what you just said," Castle said, softly.

"Well… I wouldn't say that…" Beckett trailed off as she looked down to hide her blush.

Castle moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and lifted up her face saying, "Well, I would. Come to think of it, I just did. That—you spoke directly from your heart out there and, you know you might think that your vulnerability is a weakness but you were more vulnerable out there than I have ever seen you and yet, that's also the strongest I've ever seen you. Your vulnerability is what gives you strength."

Beckett gave him a watery smile, "You bring it out in me."

Castle tugged her back when she tried to make her way back to the table, "One more thing, can I just ask… can I have a copy of the speech?"

Beckett brought the hand that had her speech in it from where it was in back of him and stuck the folded up paper in his tuxedo jacket pocket gingerly. She had a copy of it on her computer if she ever wanted to look at it again.

"One more kiss for the road?" Kate asked coyly.

Castle smiled and gave her one more kiss. Kate grabbed Rick's hand and twinned their fingers together and walked back to the table. When they got in their seats, dinner was just being served. Friendly conversation ensued throughout dinner and when dinner was done, Jim got up and pushed his chair in, leaning on the back.

"Alright guys, I think I'm going to take my leave in a minute. Katie, I am so proud of you and I know your mother would be just as proud, too," Jim said.

Beckett got up to hug and kiss her dad good bye. "Thanks Dad, The car is waiting for you outside. I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks, Katie. Bye everyone." Jim replied as he left and everyone bid him adieu.

Alexis pushed out her chair and ran over to Jim. "Jim, wait." Alexis called.

"Yes, Alexis?" Jim replied turning back to the group and Alexis.

"I was just wondering, I have to turn in my final term paper two weeks before the end of the year and I just finished it so could you come to the loft and look it over?" Alexis said.

She knew he would say yes. He liked to spoil her. At first, she wasn't used to a grandfather, but he turned out to be pretty awesome, and he could never say no to her. He also gave her some valuable insight into her Kate's childhood. Great blackmail material.

"Of course, sometime this week sound okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Alexis said as she hugged Jim.

Jim hugged back then went to leave as he said, "You're welcome, Red. Don't spend too much time with your grandmother. Have some fun of your own."

Alexis laughed and said, "Don't worry, I will."

"Not too much fun, though," Jim replied with a smirk. "Don't go giving your Dad a heart attack."

Alexis laughed again and said, "Don't worry, I won't. Kate would kill me."

Jim just laughed and left in the car. When he got in to his house, he set his coat on the kitchen table and untied his tie and left it around his neck. He loves the fundraiser every year, glad to be included by Katie and Rick, but it also reminded him of everything his wife has missed and will miss in Katie's life. It's something he's grown used to, but sometimes it hits him unusually hard. He was about to head up to bed when he heard a knock at the door. When he answered it, there was a red-headed women and a man standing there.

Agent Shaw held up her credentials for Jim, then said, "Hi Mr. Beckett, I'm Agent Jordan Shaw and this is my partner Agent Avery from the FBI. We're gonna need you to come with us."

A/N: I don't know how I feel about this chapter, I wanted to include the fundraiser to showcase both the dynamics between the big unconventional family as they currently are and how much they have and haven't moved on since Johanna's death and the arrest was made, so here it is. Review and let me know what you thought! Next chapter we finally get some reactions.