Disclaimers: Only in my dreams.

Summary: The final chapter of Kate Beckett's journey to bring justice to her mother.

A/N #1: This last chapter will serve as a prequel of sorts to something that I'll probably write further down the line. But not anytime soon, so just be patient.

A/N #2: It isn't inconceivable for a person to take four years to come to trial. After all, here in Texas, we've waited years for the Ft. Hood shooter to come to justice.

Chapter 10: Justice is Finally Served

Four years later

It was a frigid January morning. Kate Beckett and Richard Castle were sitting in a federal courtroom along with their families waiting for the final chapter of this long saga to be over. This was the day when Senator William Bracken was finally going to be sentenced to prison.

Kate placed her hands on her huge stomach. She was days away from giving birth to hers' and Castle's second child. Three-year-old Ariel was at home with a sitter. Sometime in the next week she'd be joined by her baby brother. Castle's son. Kate still couldn't believe that she was going to give the man that she loved more than life itself a son. But unlike her pregnancy with Ariel which had been a breeze, this time it had been difficult. The stress of the trial had taken its toll on Kate and her body. She'd been on modified bed rest for months. She knew that if Dr. Caldwell knew that she was sitting in this courtroom today, she'd have a fit.

Justice was apparently as slow in the federal courts as it was in civil court. There had been the grand jury, the arraignment, more pre-trial hearings and postponements than Kate even wanted to think about. By the time a trial date was finally set, both her, her father, and Castle were on the cusps of nervous breakdowns. The stress had sent Kate back to Dr. Burke. Actually it had sent both her and Castle to her therapist.

The trial had started the previous spring, almost perfectly coinciding with Kate learning that she was pregnant. She hadn't come to court every day. Castle, her father, nor Dr. Caldwell would allow it. But she remembered the look on her father's face the day that that recording had been played in court. The one where Bracken had specifically mentioned her mother by name when he ordered the hit on her. For a moment she'd thought that her normally calm father was going to jump the railing and strangle Bracken with his bare hands. And she knew that she wouldn't have stopped him.

Castle hadn't wanted her to come to the sentencing. But she'd told him that she had to see this conclude. She promised to go home and straight to bed the second he was sentenced.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered to her.

"I'm okay," she smiled.

"How's Jack?"

"Active. Feel," she took his hand and placed it on her stomach, both of them smiling at the kicks they felt. As with Ariel, they picked their son's name out early. Actually it was the name they'd tossed around when she was pregnant with Ari. James Jackson Castle. When they'd announced her brother's name to her, Ari was the one who started calling him 'Jack' and the name had stuck.

"Just promise me that you'll remain calm," his eyes were serious, like they'd often been during this roller-coaster ride of a pregnancy.

Soon court was called to session and Bracken was brought into the courtroom. Nearly three years of house arrest had aged the senator. His dark hair was almost totally white now and his face was heavily etched with worry lines.

The judge came into the room and ordered Bracken to stand with his attorney before he sentenced him. "William H. Bracken, having been found guilty of five counts of conspiracy to commit murder and two charges of attempted murder; I hereby sentence you to a term of life in prison. The prisoner will be remanded into the custody of federal marshals where he will be taken to the maximum security Federal Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. Court is adjourned!"

Just like that, it was over. After all of these years of following one lead after another only to have those leads slip through their fingers, it was over. Rick led Kate out of the courtroom where they were followed by Martha and Jim. "You did it, Katie Bug," her father hugged her. "Now, I want you to go home and take care of my grandson."

"I'm taking her home right now," Castle promised the older man.

"I'll call you tonight. I want to talk to Ariel," he smiled.

"Oh, she'll want to talk to you, too," Kate smiled. Ari loved her grandpa. She had him firmly wrapped around her little finger. She had to talk to him every day.

When they walked into the door of the loft, Ari ran to meet her parents. "Daddy! Mommy!" She jumped into Castle's arms. "The phone has been ringing a lot," she looked at her parents with her father's huge blue eyes.

"I've been saying 'No comment,' just like you've always told me," Helen, the babysitter, told them.

"I'll turn it off," Castle told Kate before he walked over with Ariel in his arms and turned off the ringer. He then walked over and helped Kate over to her recliner, getting her settled before he plopped Ariel down in her lap.

"Ow! Jack just hit me!" Ari complained as Kate laughed.

"He kicked you. What did you and Helen do today?"

"We colored and we read books. We played Candyland. Mommy, did the bad man go away?"

"Castle, take her, please," Kate looked at Castle, who immediately came over and took Ari. "I need to go and lay down."

"She shouldn't have gone," Helen whispered to Castle. "I can take Ariel to my place for a few hours."

"That would be great," Castle agreed. "Ariel, why don't you go with Helen so that mommy can take a nap? I'll come and get you in a little while."

Helen lived two floors down and Kate trusted her with Ariel almost as much as she trusted the family. Helen was their go-to person when Kate had to work and Castle was busy with book tours or meetings at Black Pawn. "Don't take long. Okay, daddy?"

"I won't, sweet pea," he stroked her long curls, which were so much like Kate's. But, in every other aspect, she was pure Castle.

Kate was lying on her left side on their bed, stroking her belly and humming softly, much as she'd often done with Ari. Jack was an escape artist. He'd been trying to perfect a means of escape for three months now. She'd been hysterical when she'd called Castle when she'd started having contractions at 20 weeks. He'd been in Los Angeles and she'd been home alone with Ari. They'd stopped the contractions that time, but they'd started again at both 24 and 29 weeks.

"Your son is very impatient. He doesn't want to stay in there until he's completely cooked," Dr. Caldwell had told her after the third trip to the hospital.

"What happens now?"

"Kate, I've been telling you for weeks that you need to slow down. I know that you have a very active daughter and a career. But, if you don't stop, you're going to lose this baby. I know that you're worried about Bracken's trial. But you have to put this baby first. Everything else has to take second chair. Everything."

Castle had stopped her from doing everything except going to the bathroom and taking a shower. He'd hired someone to come in and help when he wasn't home. He'd once again become a single parent, much as he'd been to Alexis. It drove Kate crazy. But at least now she knew if she went into labor again, that it was safe. That Jack could finally make his debut.

"Are you okay?" She felt the bed dip under Castle's weight.

"Castle, I just want our son to be born. I want to start mothering out little girl again. I miss her, Castle," she turned toward him, even though lying on her left side was better for the baby.

"I know," he kissed her forehead. "It's just a few more days, Kate."

"I should be celebrating," she smiled. "We got him, Castle. We don't have to look over our shoulders anymore."

"As soon as Jack's born, we'll go to your mom's grave and tell her."

"I think my dad was already going over there. But, I do want to show her grandson to her."

"We will," he kissed her again. "Rest. Helen took Ariel to her apartment for a while. I'll pick her up soon."

It was all over the news channels that afternoon. Kate lay in bed flipping channels. She'd received several text messages from Lanie and the boys. Her phone rang on the night stand. She picked it up and rolled her eyes when she saw Dr. Caldwell's name on the caller id. "Hello?"

"Kate, I heard that Bracken was sentenced this morning. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Numb, bored."

"I'm going to ask you a question and I want a straight answer. Did you go to the sentencing?"

"I had to see it finished."

"Am I going to have to handcuff you to your bed? Kate, you've gone into pre-term labor three times! While you're now full-term, this pregnancy isn't nearly over! You have a week to go. Are you going to do what you're told for the next week?"

"Yes," Kate sighed.

That night, Castle brought Ariel into their room before she went to bed. Kate smiled at the sight of her brown haired, blue-eyed toddler, that perfect mix of her and Castle, with a touch of Alexis thrown in for good measure. Ari climbed up on the bed holding a storybook in her hand. "Read to me, mommy?" Kate nodded as Castle lifted her up and got on the bed after her, placing her between him and her mother. It was their favorite nighttime ritual.

Kate opened the book as Ari nestled against her shoulder. "Once upon a time there were three bears. There was a Papa Bear, a Mama Bear, and a Baby Bear—"

Kate smiled into Ari's eyes as Castle's bright blue eyes met hers. She couldn't believe how much she looked like her father. She was so happy that she'd finally been able to make her world safer. She couldn't wait to welcome her baby brother to their family in just a few days. Never had the words 'Justice' sounded so sweet.

A/N #3: Okay, so it didn't turn out quite as I planned, but I was able to close the Bracken saga, which is what I wanted to do.

I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960.