No one stayed for dinner, which made Beckett even happier. She sat in front of the roaring fire, chin resting on her tucked up knees. She wanted to cry it out as she'd done every night that week since Raglan had been shot by Goddard. He was still in the wind and there was the possibility he might go after Christine yet at the hospital. She'd called over and learned she was still there, would still be there because she might need a second surgery.

Would he try to get to her in the hospital? Or would this mysterious man in the mask out of Roman's story pull strings to keep Christine safe? What about the rest of them, she should be going after them now, which was what she-

'Here. Drink this.'

Beckett looked up when Castle handed her another glass of wine. 'This will be three on an almost empty stomach, Castle,' she told him.

'I know, Meredeth dropped off calzones this morning.'

'Have you talked to her? How is she without the kids around?'

'About as good as you are right now.'

'So she's a mess too?'

Castle laughed, nodded as he sat beside her. 'It's a tough spot to be in, but my, God, Kate, I don't think I've ever been prouder of you.'

'Really?'

'The only thing I think that tops it is the births of RJ and Jojo, and when we gave Alexis away at her wedding.'

'She's my daughter.'

'I know.' Castle let out a shaky breath. 'I know that, and I have to remind myself sometimes she didn't come from your body. She loves you so much.'

'Richard, I can't think of them right now, or I will break and I can't break yet. I am so close and there is so much for me to do yet.'

'Tell me what lies ahead of you.'

'Arresting Spitzer, arresting Cowlan, going after those pricks in IA who tried to stonewall us because they're part of it, and figuring out who the damned masked man is, and arresting his oily ass.' Beckett paused. 'Castle, can I tell you something?'

'Sure.'

'When this is all said and done, I will make the push to Sean Delancy for Adam Brennan to be reinstated as a rookie uniform into the Twelfth, under me in Homicide.' She looked over at him, tilted her head. 'You don't seem terribly surprised.'

'I'm not,' he replied honestly, wrapping an arm around her body to pull her close against him. 'Because Adam was protecting the one he loved and he got screwed. This case has shown him to be a man of exceptional moral character who took great personal risks, time and effort to do the job.'

'We treated him like a rookie cop on this anyways, dumped a lot of grunt work on him and he ate it up like chocolate.'

'Let me ask you a question, then. If he was still in uniform and assigned to this case with you, would you have treated him any differently?'

'No. No, I wouldn't because in my mind he was still a cop, despite what the paperwork might say. And he's got some of the best interview skills I've ever seen, even better than you taking me down the first time we worked a case together.'

'That's saying something.'

'It's like watching Ali do his rope-a-dope thing,' Beckett went on, and Castle saw her hand with the wineglass wobble a little. 'He, like, gets in their head space, it's a thing of beauty.'

'Speaking of beauty, why don't I put the calzones Meredeth dropped off for us into the oven and we ease off the wine until dinner time?'

She frowned but realized when it took her twice the time to blink as it normally did, she gave a sloppy nod. 'Good idea.'

'Want a little nap while we wait?'

'Mmm, okee.' Beckett reached over and grabbed the throw pillow off the armchair, tipped over on the floor where she was. 'Blanket?'

Knowing it was better to let her lie where she was than convince her to move to their bed upstairs or even the couch less than a foot away, Castle pulled the throw blanket up over her body, then found a second pillow and positioned himself so he watched the firelight flicker over her closed eyes.

She was so troubled awake but here, asleep, she was peaceful and innocent, like their babies. Even Alexis, who had lived overseas on her own and had been married and suffered a miscarriage. There was so much about her that was still so innocent compared to Beckett and Castle knew his wife would do whatever it took to keep that innocence in her children's lives.

But for now, she would rest and recharge so that she could get up and face it all the next day.

Castle didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until the ringing phone was startling him awake. 'Hello,' he answered sleepily.

'Hi Daddy, did I wake you up from naptime?'

'Hey, RJ, you did,' Castle replied on a yawning smile. 'Mumum is still sleeping, she is very tired.'

'She is working hard to get the bad guys,' RJ said sombrely. 'Good thing Alexis invited us to Flor'da so that we are safe an' sound.'

Castle wanted to weep as RJ showed off that innocence he'd just been thinking of, then looked at Beckett who had turned her eyes up to his. 'Who is it?' she mouthed. 'RJ?'

He nodded, then said to his son, 'RJ, Mumum's awake would you like to say hi?'

'Yes please.'

Beckett held out a hand for the phone and smiled when she heard RJ and Jojo on the other end; RJ was evidently telling Jojo to leave his Cheerios alone. 'RJ? Is that my little prince?'

'Hi-hi, Mumum! I miss you already, but Terrance has oranges ev-er-ywhere, and guess what!'

'What's that?'

'My Trini and Leo and their 'buelo is coming tonight too!'

'They are?' Beckett knew her role and infused enthusiasm into her voice.

'Uh-huh, Terrance said that he was Meredeth's momo's swee'heart and he is like a mo'fa to Meredeth's babies. What's a momo and mo'fa?'

'Well, you know how Meredeth is Danish, right? That's the words in Danish for grandma and grandpa.'

'Ohh, and in Suh-panish, it is 'buela and 'buelo right?'

'That's right,' Beckett laughed. 'Are you going to bring me back some orange juice?'

'Uh-huh, and a suh-pecial somethin' when we go to the Bushy Garden!' The sound of Terrance speaking to RJ while Jojo babbled in the background distracted RJ and he came back in a few. 'Terrance and Jojo wanna say hi-hi, Mumum. Jojo has to go first be-cause she is smaller. I love you, Mumum.'

'I love you too RJ.' Beckett couldn't stop the smile as she heard RJ tell his sister to speak loud and clear. 'Hey bumblebee!'

'Hi-hi Mumum! Talkin' phone!'

'We are talking on the phone. Did you like going in the airplane with Alexis and RJ?'

'Lou'. No like lou'.'

'I know, sweetie, but you are going to have lots of fun on your little vacation.'

'See soo' ?' Jojo asked plaintively and Beckett's courage wavered a little.

'You will see me soon. And when you do, we are having a huge party, with cake and ice cream.'

'An' joos?'

'And juice,' Beckett agreed. 'Jojo, I love you and I need to talk to Terrance.'

'Okay. Love Mumum.'

She held it together with a fortitude that Castle admired, and he held her hand as she listened to their children. She squeezed his hand tightly when Terrance came on the line and told her not to worry about her children, to focus on her job since her loved ones were safe and sound with him.

'This is going to be wrapped up soon, so when Alexis has to leave, don't worry about convincing her to stay in town,' Beckett told him.

'Kate, the only person I trust more than you in this world is Meredeth and since she's sent her babies down here, I will believe you when you say it's safe for them to go home.'

'Thank you Terrance.'

'Meredeth is family and you are hers. You don't need to thank me.'

'Thank you all the same. I need to go, I need food and sleep.'

'I'll check in with your man tomorrow.'

Beckett hung up and smelled the scent of baked pizza dough, tomatoes, cheese and veggies. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she smelled Meredeth's cooking in the kitchen. She almost laughed when the phone rang in her hand again, but it died when she saw it was her captain.

'Sir?'

'Beckett, I know I said go home and rest, but we just had two uniforms take Nicholas Goddard into custody.'