Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews as always; and as always, sorry for the delay; you know how it goes; the best laid plans and all that jazz….Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Chapter 7- The Lady in Green

Sarah McKenzie was a patient woman, or rather she had learned to be; after all she had nothing but time…an eternity's worth, she couldn't help but remind herself with a soft sigh. There were times though when she felt like she didn't have enough time to work on a special project and this was one of those times she thought as she stood in the 12th precinct and observed her great granddaughter as she worked at her desk. No, she didn't feel that she had nearly enough time to persuade her wayward family to pull together and celebrate the holidays.

After all, it was already December…and Johanna was very very stubborn…and Katie was even more so…and add in to the mix that Jim was no help at all and it was almost enough to make a spirit swear; not that she would of course; she was, after all, a lady…a lady who reserved her swearing for appropriate moments.

That moment hadn't come yet but she felt like it was growing near; which would be rather unfortunate given that it was the time of year to 'make spirits bright'. Sarah laughed softly at her own joke; knowing very well that the song hadn't been speaking of her kind of spirit. Her smile dimmed a little; really it wasn't a funny joke at all, given all the Christmases she had missed with her children and grandchildren. She could understand how bitter Johanna felt about the holidays; it was something she herself carried with her. After all, how could she not be a little bitter that foolishness had resulted in a bad bout of pneumonia that in turn robbed her young children of their mother?

Sarah shook off the thought; there was noting to be done about that now; she couldn't change anything just like Johanna couldn't change the fact that she had been forced into hiding for thirteen years. The difference though was that Johanna was alive and well; still in the prime of her life and able to enjoy everything that came with it. She knew that her granddaughter had tried very hard the year before to create a nice holiday for her husband and daughter…and that her daughter had blown it to smithereens. Sarah worried her bottom lip as she focused her gaze on Kate as she did her paper work.

How did one solve a problem like Kate Beckett? Her great granddaughter was as stubborn as a mule; far too practical and not very inclined to believe in things she couldn't understand or verify with police resources. She was going to be a tough one. It was going to be a case that tried that patience she purported to have so much of…and no one liked a spirit with a foul mood; but she'd do her best to keep her mood in check. But that didn't help her decide how to move forward in regard to Kate Beckett…but she would move forward, it was her job…and even if it was one of her most difficult assignments, she was doing it for Johanna; and Johanna was very important to her. She wanted her to be happy; to have as much healing as possible. If only the world at large would cooperate, she thought with a sigh.

The question plaguing her still remained though; how was she going to approach Kate? It needed to be done…it had to be done; she just wasn't sure how to do it in a way to make sure she didn't spend half the time trying to convince her that she wasn't some delusion. There hadn't been any qualms about approaching Johanna that first time. Sarah hadn't doubted for a moment that Johanna would accept her; her granddaughter was a believer; she didn't need explicit truth to believe in something beyond her comprehension.

Kate, however…well she had dipped her toe a little too far into Elizabeth Beckett's gene pool on that matter. She was just a little too much like her paternal grandmother for her own good. Of course it was safe to say that Elizabeth was a believer now, Sarah thought with a wry smile. She really was quite funny today, she mused; it was really a shame to waste her good humor like this when she could be off somewhere good naturedly tormenting one of her grandchildren…or even the spouse of a grandchild…like Jim. Jim was so much fun. But instead of having a little fun, she had to stand in a police precinct…and really that wasn't a place she liked to be, but since that was where her great granddaughter was, she had decided to do her contemplation there.

If there was one thing that Sarah knew for sure it was that Kate Beckett was yet another one of her relatives who couldn't let go of anything. On one hand it was a good trait; after all it had helped bring Johanna home where she belonged. On the other hand it wasn't a good thing at all; her grudges, hang ups and walls forced some people to act with caution around her. Case in point was that silly deal she and Johanna seemed to have to be around each other as little as possible from early November until January. That just wasn't right…it just couldn't be allowed.

Sarah continued to study Kate, her gaze finally being felt as she realized her great granddaughter had picked up on the sensation…it had taken her long enough, she mused.

Kate looked around subtly; her gaze flicking to Castle first but he was engrossed in something on his phone and there didn't appear to be anyone else nearby who was watching her. She figured she must have imagined the sensation of being watched but then the flash of green silk caught her eye and she glanced up once more; doing a double take as she suddenly caught sight of a woman who hadn't been standing in the center of the floor a moment ago. The dark haired stranger seemed oddly familiar and she kept her gaze pinned on her, watching a small smile play across the woman's lips. She didn't return the gesture, a feeling of apprehension spreading through her body as she waited for the woman to come closer…but she remained in place; her gaze never wavering, the smile staying in place.

She allowed her gaze to sweep across the room, checking to see if someone was helping the lady or keeping an eye on her but it didn't appear as if anyone was…she wasn't even sure if anyone was aware of her presence. Kate's brow furrowed as she continued to regard the stranger, pegging her as an oddball in her old fashioned dress and shoes, that small silly smile on her lips. As if the woman knew what Kate had thought, her expression changed, a flicker of offense flashing in her eyes as her brow arched and her chin jutted up an inch reminding her of her mother when she was in a mood.

At the thought of Johanna, Kate realized that the stranger bore a resemblance to her with her dark hair and the set of her cheekbones. The eye color was indistinguishable from the distance but she couldn't help wondering if they were green. It wasn't her mother though; the nose was all wrong, the shape of the mouth not quite right. The stranger's skin was too pale and colorless. She was an inch or two shorter; the dress too out of style for Johanna's taste and the fingernails unpainted. She carried no purse and wore no coat; things her mother wouldn't leave home without especially in the cold month of December. Why didn't this stranger have a coat or a handbag?

Something wasn't right, Kate surmised and she rose from her chair to go ask the woman to state her business…but before she could take a step, the woman in green silk disappeared. She blinked; her eyes must be playing tricks on her but as she looked to that same spot again, she saw no sign of the stranger…not indication that she had been there at all. A gust of cool air wooshed past her and she shivered, her gaze still searching the room for mystery woman…but she wasn't to be found.

"Kate?" Castle said from his place beside her desk. "Are you okay?"

"Did you see that woman?" she asked.

"What woman?"

"The one in the green dress," she answered as she continued to scan the room. "She was standing there just a moment ago and now she's gone."

Castle shook his head. "I didn't see anyone; where did she go?"

"I don't know; it was like she disappeared into thin air," Kate replied as she retook her seat. "It was weird."

His eyes sparkled with humor as he met her gaze. "Maybe it was a ghost."

Kate rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a ghost, Castle."

"How else could she disappear then?" he asked. "You said she vanished into thin air."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

"Okay; what is it?" he asked; doing his best to give her a serious look but failing miserably.

She frowned. "She must've run."

"She ran and yet you didn't catch her direction? If she was standing in the space you indicated; it's not like she had a short sprint to the elevator or the stairs," Castle remarked. "It's not crowded in here; you would've seen her."

"It wasn't a ghost, Castle."

"What did she look like?" he asked.

She smirked at him. "If you're waiting on me to tell you that she was glowing and transparent, you're going to be disappointed."

"Shame on you, Beckett; you're stereotyping ghosts," he quipped. "They're not all like that, you know."

Kate rolled her eyes. "There aren't any ghosts."

"Then where's the woman in green…who you still haven't told me what she looks like."

"I don't know where she is and as for what she looks like; oddly enough, she kind of resembles my mom."

"Maybe Johanna hired a look-a-like to play a trick on you," he said with a laugh.

"I highly doubt that; she has hobbies now; she has no need to play with me," Kate replied. "She has her yoga classes and girls days with Maggie and shopping with Aunt Valerie; she has Dad and let's not forget her pride and joy, Scarlett."

Castle laughed. "It's cute how you're jealous of a cat."

"I'm not jealous of the cat," she said sharply. "I just think it's silly how she acts like it's her kid or something. That damn cat thinks she's her mother."

"You're jealous."

"I'm not."

"You are…you've been an only child so long that having a baby sister is just a hard adjustment for you to make," he laughed.

"That furball isn't my sister."

"You better be careful; Johanna might not like you referring to her baby as a furball."

"She doesn't like it…I know it for a fact."

Castle tsked at her. "You don't want to share your mommy with a cat; Beckett this was so unexpected of you. You thought the cat was a good idea when Jim first got it for her."

"I know…but still…"

He chuckled quietly. "You wanted her to get hobbies and find friends and leave you alone."

"I didn't ask her to leave me alone."

"If I recall correctly; you pretty much did," he reminded her.

Kate glanced down at her paperwork; the memory of last Christmas slamming into her. It hadn't been her finest hour that was for sure…it had been a turning point in a lot of ways; not just for her mother's attitude but their relationship in general. For the most part she could ignore the small wall that remained between them…sometimes, like at this time of year, she even welcomed the sanctuary it provided; sparring them the process of faking their way through celebrations of holidays and birthdays.

"I didn't mean it the way she took it."

"Well, you know how your mother is…that was to be expected, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said, the back of her neck tingling as if she was being watched again. She glanced around but didn't see the mysterious woman in green lurking anywhere.

"You know; you can invite them over for Christmas," Castle remarked. "Just because you want to be a part of our traditions doesn't mean that you can't share the holiday with your parents. They're more than welcome to come over."

"I know that, Castle; and you know what the answer would be. It would be the same answer they gave last year at Thanksgiving; 'you all come here, I'll cook a nice meal."

"Maybe they'd surprise you."

She shook her head. "You know that my mother and I have pretty much made a deal not to celebrate Christmas together. Last year was a disaster and neither one of us wants to do it again. We don't do holidays. I don't even know what she and Dad are going to do because she's pretty much outlawed Christmas anyway after last year's debacle and he's not going to mind that at all. I haven't even talked to her in several days."

"What about your dad?"

"I talked to him a few days ago but he didn't mention the holiday and neither did I."

"Maybe you should mention it," he suggested.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because we decided not to have holidays together; you know that."

"I don't think it's something Johanna really wanted to agree to," Castle said gently. "I think she got hurt and she made this agreement because she thought it was what you wanted and what was best for you."

"I know I hurt her last year; it wasn't something I wanted to do…I didn't even see that happening…I just didn't count on her running into Martha."

"If Mother had known that your holiday plans were secret; she wouldn't have said anything," he replied.

"I know," she murmured.

"She felt bad for it."

"It wasn't her fault," Kate replied. "I told her that…but you know, it's another reason why it's best not to do combined holidays…when they first met it seemed like Mom and Martha were going to be the best of friends and then it turned out that they don't exactly mesh all that well."

"Oh I think they could be good friends again; I know Mother is open to it; it's just that Johanna seems to keep her guard up when they're near each other."

"Maybe they're just too different…maybe it took a little time to surface."

Castle shook his head. "No; it's that Johanna thinks my mother has taken her place in your life; which we all know is ridiculous…and my mother perhaps unwisely told her to her face."

"Yeah," Kate said with a nod; "That wasn't the best move…they're never going to be as chummy as they could have been. Mom's got Maggie to be her best friend; she's content. I guess it's like old times; Dad and Jeff have always been best friends; Mom and Maggie were always close and now they have their little group back together and they seem to stay in it."

"The same could be said for us and our circle of friends," he replied.

"I know; I just…I don't know; she exasperates me sometimes."

"She probably says the same thing about you," he laughed.

"No doubt about it," she smiled; her eyes scanning the room again as she couldn't shake the feeling of someone's eyes being upon her. "Is someone watching me?" she asked Castle.

Her fiancé looked around the room, taking note of every person who came into his line of vision. "No; I don't see anyone watching you…it's probably the ghost."

"There's no ghost, Castle."

"I'm thinking that there almost has to be…you feel like someone is watching you and yet we can't see that person. The mystery lady in green disappeared into thin air without a word…these are all very ghostly things, Beckett."

She rolled her eyes. "Well if it is, why don't they come bother you? I'm sure you'd enjoy it."

"I'd love it," he replied with a grin.

"Oh I know; Nikki Heat would be haunted in your next book."

"That's not a bad idea…I could do a Christmas ghost theme like Dickens…I like it," Castle said as he pondered the idea. "Perhaps I could work on a short e-book type of thing to be released in time for Christmas."

"With the way you procrastinate? Maybe next Christmas," Kate quipped.

He smirked at her. "Funny lady. But anyway; getting back to what we were talking about…we're going to have to tackle family holidays at some point."

"At some point, most likely," she agreed; "But not this year…this year we can just let things alone. They can do their thing or whatever is going to become their new thing and we can do our thing and we'll all be stress free."

"There's still time if you want to change your mind."

"I'm not going to change my mind, Castle."

Cool air rustled her papers and she zipped her jacket against the chill. "It seems drafty in here today," she commented.

"It does…funny how it's suddenly gotten drafty since the mysterious lady in green made an appearance."

Kate eyed him. "It's an old building; buildings get drafty."

"Perhaps," he said in amusement; "And perhaps it's something else…or someone else."

"Who would be haunting me?" she asked. "I don't think I have any relatives carrying a grudge."

"But can you be sure?" Castle teased.

"I'm pretty sure."

Out of nowhere, Kate's phone began to play music; the song 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' the whole incident catching her off guard as she hurried to silence the device.

"I didn't know you had Christmas music on your phone," Castle remarked.

"I don't," she replied as she checked the phone; trying to figure out what had made it play and where the song had come from.

"Then how did that song end up playing on your phone?"

"I don't know…I'm not seeing any sign of it on here," she said as she checked apps and playlists.

Castle smiled. "You know what that means; don't you?"

"If you say it's a ghost; I'm rethinking our engagement," she stated.

"Then you're leaving me no choice but to say…"

"Don't say Apparition American either," Kate replied. "Just don't…it's not a ghost; the building is drafty, the phone had some sort of glitch and I'm sure there's a logical explanation for the lady in green."

"Right," he said with a nod; "Like the fact that she might be a ghost."

"Okay, I'm done with this conversation," she said as she rose from her chair. "I'm going to file these papers and then I'm going to have the security footage sent to my computer so I can prove to you that there's no ghost."

Castle smiled. "What happens if I'm right?"

"You're not; trust me," she told him as she walked away; the mysterious woman in green hiding in the shadows as she passed by but not visible to her eye.

"I'll make a believer out of you, Katie Beckett," Sarah said with a smile. "You just wait and see…you're not only going to believe, you're going to learn and listen."