Christmas had come and gone quickly and it was now a new year. Kaylee was happy with her life she had a great Christmas she got everything she wanted and more. Carly was happy with the pile of new toys she got but she was way more happy to finally have a family to spend it with. Alexis didn't really ask for anything but of course her dad got her a new laptop and gave her money for clothes. The girls were grateful for everything and but didn't really care that they had all these new things. The only new thing that mattered to them were their parents and their happiness.
The new year brought great things for them. Kaylee was finally out of her cast and back at school with all of her friends. They finally got word Carly's cancer was in remission and that was the best news for all of them. She also had been fitted for her prosthesis even though she had learned to go with out an arm for awhile now but she still liked having it especially for the things she needed two hands for. Alexis decided to take a semester and go to Spain with a group of kids from her college and the Spanish Professor. Kaylee really missed her but they skyped every night before bed and that helped.
The day was finally here, the anniversary of Kate's mother's murder, it was something that is burned into the Beckett family's brains. Kaylee didn't want to get out of bed for school that morning and Kate didn't force her to. She knew exactly how she felt because it was exactly how she was feeling. Kate decided that it might be best if she took Kaylee to her mother's grave and then back to her apartment for the night. Castle agreed with Kate and told her not to worry about Carly he had it under control.
Kate and Kaylee had finished some things around the loft and then they left. The whole ride there Kaylee was silently staring out there. They pulled into the graveyard and parked on the road that ran past the row of tombstones Kate's mother was in. They slowly took the short walk to the end of the row and stood in silence. Finally Kaylee broke down and started crying Kate wrapped her arms around her sobbing daughter. "Mom why did she have to die? Why did it have to happen to our family?" Kaylee says hiding her face in her mother's shoulder. "Baby, I don't why it happened to us nor do I know why it happens to anybody. But I do know that she loved us more than anything and you know I'm here for you anytime you want to talk about anything. Ok?" Kate says kissing the top of her daughters head. "Ok." Kaylee says.
After they left they went back to the apartment and Kaylee climbed into her mother's and quickly fell asleep. Kate was sitting at the kitchen counter talking on the phone with her dad. "Hey dad." she said in a sad tone. "Hey Katie." Jim said back. "How's the cabin?" Kate asked her dad. "It's nice but it would be better if you girls where here with me." He said. He had asked Kate if her and Kaylee wanted to stay there with him for the weekend away from everything especially since that dreadful day was on a Friday that year. Kate declined thinking that Kaylee would come out of the funk of sorrow this year father and sister's finally around but it didn't she was the she was every year. They talked for a little while longer and then Kate called for takeout. Kaylee woke up a little awhile before it was delivered. "Did you have a nice nap sweetie." Kate asks getting plates from the cupboard. "Not really." Kaylee said with a sigh. Kate knew why to because same thing every year she had nightmare. "Was it the nightmare again?" Kate asked her daughter. "Yeah mom I have this dream every year and every year it seems vivid. I'm at the babysitter's, I'm two years old, you come pick me up, put me in my car seat and we go home where the police are waiting for us. I always wake up before they tell us what happened but I know what happened because I was there I thought I wouldn't remember as I got older but I remember everything.
They quickly moved on and ate dinner in silence. Kate hadn't told Kaylee that they had found out that Senator Bracken had killed Johanna. She wasn't planning on it either she felt that if Kaylee knew she would do something stupid and irrational just like she wanted to at first. They spent they rest of the day doing things Kate's mom loved to do with her. They went ice skating and had a movie night with all of Johanna's favorite movies and snacks. It wasn't easy for either of them to sleep that night and when they finally fell asleep it didn't stay peaceful for long though because Kaylee woke up screaming 3 times that night. Kate knew it would be a long day at work the next day.