A/N #1: This will be the last chapter of Part Three. I will try to do a better job of explaining everything that Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter did.

A/N #2: Thank you to the reviewer who pointed out to me that I got Hayley's last name wrong in the previous chapter. I think I had donuts on my mind or something.

A/N #3: I know there are a lot of 'Castle' viewers who weren't fans of Hayley's. However, one of my muses is a fan and she's the one who suggested the return of Henry Jenkins. So, blame her for the turn this chapter is going to take. This chapter starts where the previous chapter left off. Then, there will be a time jump of a few months toward the end of the chapter.

FORGETTING

CHAPTER 36: Justice at Last

"Mr. Jenkins, Hayley Shipton has already testified before the Grand Jury. She told the Grand Jury that she was the one who placed the call to Vikram Singh after Mr. Castle and Capt. Beckett were shot."

"Because that's what she was told to say."

"By whom?"

"By me."

"Okay, I'm confused. The call to Mr. Singh appeared on her cell phone bill. How is that possible if you made the call?"

"Mr. Halloran, I'm CIA. I can make anything happen."

"What about Caleb Brown?"

"Somehow, Mason Wood had something arranged with Caleb Brown if things went South with the LokSat operation."

"Would you be willing to testify before the Grand Jury?"

"When?"

"In about an hour," Halloran glanced at his watch.

"Sure, I can testify."

"Mr. Jenkins, I'm asking you to appear before a Federal Grand Jury. I'm asking you to be truthful before this panel. Are you willing to show up and testify truthfully?"

"I just told you that I would."

"Then, I'll see you in an hour."

Jenkins got up and left the room, leaving the D.A. to shake his head in disbelief. This had to be the strangest case he'd ever worked during his 15 years in the District Attorney's Office. Now, he had to push his morning's witnesses back to get Jenkins on the stand before the man vanished like a ghost in the night. He already had a list of questions that he had long planned to ask this man if they ever were to meet. He pulled the file up on his tablet and examined the questions.

***CCC***

An hour later, Halloran approached the witness stand where Henry Jenkins was sitting. The CIA operative had already been sworn in and had given his name for the record. "Mr. Jenkins, how do you know Mason Wood?"

"We were in the CIA together."

"Have you seen him recently?"

"Yes."

"When was this?"

"I began following him in mid-2014 and met up with him in November of 2015."

"Why were you following him?"

"I had received intel that he was part of an organization that was setting out to eliminate author Richard Castle and his wife, Kate Beckett."

"What do you mean by eliminate?"

"Kill."

"Why was Mason Wood looking to kill two people whom he'd never met before?"

"In September of 2013, while working for the Attorney General's Office, Kate Beckett did a keyword search on Senator William Bracken. Senator Bracken was later arrested and charged with murdering Ms. Beckett's mother. At the time, nothing came of it, but later, analyst Vikram Singh got a hit on one of these searches. The search revealed the name LokSat."

"Who gave you the intel regarding LokSat?"

"A man by the name of Jackson Hunt. He claimed to be Mr. Castle's biological father. He was concerned for the welfare of Mr. Castle and his wife. He asked me to somehow take out LokSat before he was able to kill Mr. Castle and Det. Beckett."

***CCC***

"Wow, something smells good," Alexis breezed into the loft later that afternoon.

"Your father is making his famous Alfredo sauce."

"Hey, pumpkin," Castle greeted his daughter with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Well, good and bad. I had a psych exam—"

"That's the bad?" He asked as Alexis nodded.

"But, it's also the good. I think I aced it."

"Good girl."

Alexis sat down beside Kate, who was nursing Lily. "How was your date last night?"

"Your dad took me to Rao's. It was wonderful. How was your night?"

"We had such a good time. I think Jim took a hundred pictures. Can I burp her when you're done?"

"Okay," Kate smiled down at the baby. "Give me a few minutes and she's all yours."

After Lily finished nursing, Kate wiped her mouth and buttoned up before handing her over to Alexis. She'd no sooner given the baby to her stepdaughter when her cell phone rang. She frowned when she saw the caller id. "Hello?"

"Kate, it's Brian Halloran. I was wondering if I could see you and Mr. Castle in my office tomorrow morning."

"Is the Grand Jury back?"

"No, I haven't turned the case over to them, yet. I promise that it's nothing awful. But, I do need to see both of you. Can you be here at nine o'clock?"

"Nine o'clock. We'll be there." Kate ended the call and looked over at Castle. "That was Halloran. He wants to see us in his office tomorrow morning. Alexis, can you stay with Lily?"

"Of course."

"Did he say why he wants to see us?"

"No. Castle, he did say that it's nothing awful. Let's not jump to any conclusions. Okay?"

When they entered Halloran's office the next morning, they were shocked and angered to find Hayley Shipton already sitting there. "What is she doing here?" Castle growled. "We have a restraining order against her!"

"I'm aware of that. But, Mr. Castle, Capt. Beckett, I think that you both need to hear what Ms. Shipton has to say. Please, sit down. Before you hear what she has to say, you both need to know that Henry Jenkins appeared before the Grand Jury yesterday morning."

"I don't understand. We've been looking for him for months. The last time he was seen was the night I was taken back to Manhattan from that house," Kate said.

"He was trying to protect you, Kate. He was trying to protect both of you. That's why he took you on the way to your wedding in 2014, Mr. Castle. He did it to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Castle was dumbfounded.

"Hayley can explain this better than I can. She's the only person besides Henry Jenkins who knows the whole story."

"Do you know where I had gone during those two months?" Castle finally addressed the woman who he'd once considered a friend, and then a mortal enemy. Now he wasn't sure what she was.

"I don't know all of it. But, I do know most of it."

Kate and Castle took seats across from Hayley. Kate reached down for Castle's hand, instantly feeling his fingers twine tightly around hers. "This is a long tale, and it all starts with that keyword search that you did on Senator Bracken. It alerted LokSat."

"I don't understand. At the time, nothing came of the search. I didn't even remember doing it until I got the call from Vikram."

"At the time, they didn't act because the matter appeared to drop. However, a few months later, Jackson Hunt received intel that LokSat had put a contract out on you and Mr. Castle. That was when Hunt notified Henry Jenkins. He asked Jenkins to take out LokSat before the contract could be carried out. Castle, Jenkins took you that day in 2014 because he knew that you had contacts that could help him."

"But, why that day? Why couldn't he have waited a few days or even a few months? Hayley, he took me on the way to our wedding! Because of him, I ruined Kate's perfect day."

"Castle, no," Kate was quick to assure him.

"Yes, I did!"

"Castle, Jenkins took you that day because if he hadn't, you and Kate would've been dead by nightfall. After he ran you off the road, he contacted LokSat, and told him that half the threat had been eliminated. He made LokSat believe that he was on his side."

"Where did Jenkins take me after he ran me off the road?"

"He had received information that LokSat was in Costa Rica. But, by the time the two of you arrived in Costa Rica, LokSat had taken off for Thailand."

"How long were we in Thailand?"

"I don't know. I didn't meet you until the end of June when he brought you to L.A. We knew that LokSat was in L.A., but we weren't sure where. Jenkins had taken off for the East Coast, so you became my responsibility. I must say, you are quite the handful."

"Yeah, welcome to my world," Kate grinned at her husband, trying to lighten the mood. She could still see that Castle was extremely agitated. "We know that Castle was shot in Los Angeles."

"I found him one night and he was a bloody mess. But, he was also terrified. That was when he begged me to do something to erase everything about LokSat. I didn't know why until I saw that flash drive. That's the truth. I didn't know that they had threatened you, Kate."

"How did I end up in Maine?"

"I called Jenkins after you begged to have your memory erased. He arrived the next morning and he gave you something, Rick. Whatever he gave you, you didn't remember anything about why you were in L.A. You didn't remember him. You didn't even know how much time had passed. At that point, Jenkins told me that he'd take you with him. I thought he'd taken you back to New York. I don't know why he took you to Maine."

"Hayley, he made it look like I planned my disappearance! He made it look like I'd left Kate at the altar!"

"I know. I don't know why he did that."

"What you said about me and Alexis . . . was that the truth or was that more of your game playing?"

"Rick, I loved working for you and with you. And, I absolutely adore Alexis. She's like the sister that I never had."

"Where is Jenkins now?" Castle asked Halloran.

"He left the country. If he hadn't, he'd probably be a dead man by now."

"Are you saying that the threat isn't over?" Kate was now hysterical.

"No, Kate. You and Castle are safe. However, there are people out there who aren't going to be happy when they learn that Henry Jenkins testified."

"Hayley, did you know LokSat's identity?" Kate asked.

"No. I found out the night that you arrested Mason Wood. Kate, I was just trying to protect both of you. I knew if you found out who he was, he was going to kill not only the two of you, but every member of your family."

"Flynn told me that the night he'd kidnapped me," Castle confirmed. "But, the phone call to Vikram—"

"Hayley didn't make that call. Jenkins did and made it appear that the call had come from Hayley's phone. He also confirmed that Mason Wood already had it planned with
Caleb Brown to eliminate the threats if the operation failed."

"So, Caleb never intended to switch sides. It was all a ruse," Kate whispered.

"Yes," Halloran said. "The cell phone, the meeting in Astor Park, all of it."

"How could I have been so stupid?" Kate got up and began to pace the small office.

"Kate, we were both stupid," Castle walked over and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her frantic pacing. "I swear that I will never again stick my nose somewhere where it doesn't belong."

"Castle, you have a writer's imagination. Neither of us knew what we were walking into."

"What happens to her now?" Castle nodded toward Hayley.

"That depends on you."

"We need to talk to our family. Can I call you later?" Castle asked.

"Do you still have my number?"

"No, but I remember it. I'll call you later."

"Castle, Kate, I'll understand if you never want to see me again. I did so many things that are unforgivable. But, I was just trying to keep you safe."

"I'll try to call you this evening."

Instead of going straight home, Castle drove to their park, even though the temperature was hovering in the low 40's. He got out of the car and waited for Kate to join him, taking her hand as he led her across the park to their swings. "What do you think?" She asked, watching him sway on the swing.

"She gave me answers about those missing two months. I still don't know everything, but I know more than I did when I first came back."

"Castle, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For doing the keyword search. I don't even remember now why I did it. I think that I was just looking to see if there were any persons out there who could help us take Bracken down. I never knew that he was into something so deep . . . so sinister."

"Neither of us did. You wanted to take him down, Kate. You thought that working with the AG's office would open more avenues for you. Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Is that why you took the job?"

"No. The thought of taking Bracken down through the AG didn't even occur to me until after I finished my training. When nothing came of the search, I put it out of my mind. I probably never would've thought of it again if Vikram hadn't called me that morning."

"What do you want to do about Hayley?"

"Like you told her, we need to tell the family what's going on. Your mother, Alexis, and my dad might not be as forgiving as we are."

"We need to tell the boys and Gates, too. I'm just not sure that I can take her back into the firm, Kate. I still feel like she betrayed us."

"She had good intentions."

"What is it that they say? 'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.'"

"When we get home, we'll call everybody. We can invite everybody over to the loft tonight and tell them what Hayley told us. Then, we can make a decision."

***CCC***

"Let me get this straight," Esposito looked at his boss and friend. "Hayley knew what had happened during those missing two months and she never told you?"

"She couldn't tell me, 'Sito. She was trying to protect us. LokSat couldn't know that she knew about him," Castle tried to explain.

"What does she want, dad?" Alexis asked.

"I don't know. She wanted us to know the story of those missing two months. She insists that she was trying to protect us . . . all of us. Me, you, Kate, your grandmother."

"She called that man . . . the one that Kevin and Javier arrested in the hospital that morning," Martha pointed out.

"No, she didn't," Kate got up when she heard Lily on the baby monitor. "Excuse me. I need to get Lily."

"Henry Jenkins placed the call to Vikram Singh. But, I now believe that Vikram was on his way to explain why he was working with LokSat," Castle continued the tale while Kate was out of the room.

"Are you saying that Vikram was a truly innocent victim in this?" Ryan scoffed.

"Not completely, but I also don't think that Vikram was cold-blooded. He was broke and needed money."

"Why are you telling us this, bro?" Espo asked.

"Because, I believe that Hayley deserves our forgiveness. Do I wish she had told us what was going on from the beginning? Yes. But, knowing what LokSat was capable of, I know why she couldn't."

"Was Caleb Brown hired to kill you and Kate?" Martha asked.

"No, he wasn't hired. However, there had been a plan put in place by Mason Wood."

"What kind of plan?" Alexis asked.

"That if members of the operation were either taken into custody or killed, there was a plan to eliminate the threat. If it hadn't been Caleb Brown, it would've been someone else."

"He was never on our side," Ryan said.

"No."

"Can I just say something?" Alexis stood up. "Before we thought that Hayley had sold out my dad and Kate, she was actually an asset to the P.I. firm. She was trying to find out who murdered Bracken. She was close to it, as a matter of fact. I know, because she was showing me how to get into Winterkill's security system."

"I want that dropped," they all turned when they heard Kate. She was standing in the master bedroom doorway, cradling Lily to her chest. "It no longer matters who killed Bracken. If the Justice Department wants to pursue that, they can do it. He was prosecuted for killing my mother. I got justice for her. If his family wants justice for him, then let them get it. I have to let this chapter of my life go. I have to think of Lily. I can't let this cloud her life. I want her to be happy. I mean it, Alexis. No more hacking into Winterkill's security system."

"Okay, Kate. I won't look into it, anymore."

Lanie had been sitting quietly next to Esposito, watching and listening. She found herself going back to that May morning. She remembered getting Castle's frantic phone call, and praying that they'd get to him and Kate in time. Espo noticed the faraway look on Lanie's face. "Lanie, are you okay?"

"It was chaos that morning." She looked at Castle, and then at Kate, who was still in the bedroom doorway. "But, the one thing that you both need to know is that Hayley tried to help us save you that morning. While Kevin and Javi were working on you, Castle, Hayley was helping me with Kate. If it was an act, then she deserves an Oscar. Because, she was every bit as upset as the rest of us were."

"She even went so far as to hire people to clean up the loft," Martha added.

"Castle, did she explain why you left those tapes in that bank in Montreal?" Ryan asked.

"No, but it's possible that she didn't know anything about that. She told me and Kate that she didn't see me again after L.A. At least, not until she cold-cocked me in that apartment," Castle rubbed his jaw at the memory. "I think I was probably with Jenkins when I left those tapes. I doubt we're ever going to know. Halloran told us that Jenkins has fled the country and I don't think he'll ever be back."

"Can I tell you what I think regarding those tapes?" All eyes turned to Alexis. "I think that you thought that you were going to die. All three tapes have the same message. They all read like goodbye messages. If you'd like, I can take a closer look at the tapes, and maybe find out when you made them."

"I don't think it matters so much, anymore. I got most of the answers that I wanted. It's over now. With any luck, Wood and the others will be going to prison for the rest of their lives. I agree with Kate. I think it's time to let it go. Kate and I have embarked on this new chapter of our lives with Lily. We need to devote our time to her."

"Dad, would you mind if I were to meet with Hayley? I just need answers. Answers that I can only get from her."

Castle looked at Kate, who gave him a small nod. "I want you to meet her in a public place. I want to trust her, but I'm still unsure."

"I'll meet her at Remy's."

Two days later, Alexis was sitting in a booth at Remy's, waiting for Hayley. The bell above the door jingled and Hayley came walking over. "Hello, Alexis."

"Hayley."

"I'd give you a hug, but I have a feeling that your friends over there," she nodded toward a back table where Ryan and Esposito were sitting, "would have me in handcuffs."

"Their being here wasn't my idea. I walked in, and they were already here. My dad or Kate probably arranged it."

"It's okay. If you were my daughter, I'd probably react the same way. Hi, boys," she waggled her fingers at them, receiving duplicate glares in response.

"Let me guess. They're not amused?"

"Apparently not. Alexis, I'm sorry. About everything. I don't think you will ever know how truly sorry I am. If I could've told your dad and Kate the reasons for my being here, I would have."

"I understand why you couldn't tell them. Did you know that Caleb Brown was going to try to kill my dad and Kate?"

"No. I didn't know anything about the LokSat side of the operation; only that he existed. I was supposed to steer them away from him."

"Yeah, well, I should've told you how well that was going to work," Alexis sighed. "You can't steer Kate away from anything. And, my dad might've been successful in getting her to back down, but he would've just investigated it himself. Either way, it wasn't going to end well. How long were you with my dad when he was in L.A.?"

"Just the five days that he was there. I called Henry Jenkins the night that I found Castle battered and bloody after he tracked LokSat's plane down to a small airport. He was hysterical; begging me to make him forget what he'd heard. I'd never seen anyone so scared, Alexis. But, I had no idea what was on that video. Not until we all saw it at the precinct that morning."

"He must've made it before you found him. Are you in trouble for lying before the Grand Jury?"

"Mr. Halloran said he'll make a determination about that at a later date. He said this whole case has confused him."

"Join the club. My dad and Kate are trying to decide whether they want to trust you or not. Kate is suspicious, by nature. My dad is probably the most trusting person you'll ever know. But, he's been burned so many times, by so many people. Including Kate."

"Alexis, I never meant to burn anybody. If I had said anything, it would've been signing Henry Jenkins death warrant. He was a friend. I couldn't do that to him."

"You do know that isn't his real name?"

"Sweetheart, nobody in the CIA uses their real name."

"Is it true that Jackson Hunt asked you to watch out for my dad?"

"Yes. I met him shortly before I was contacted by Henry."

"I think that one part of my dad wants you to come back to work with him at the P.I. office. I think he's waiting to see what Kate decides. She's been extremely protective since having Lily."

"I totally forgot. You have a new baby sister! Do you have pictures of her?"

"Are you kidding? I had to get a bigger SD card for my phone," Alexis pulled out her phone and opened the photo album. "Meet Lily Johanna Castle."

"Oh, she's lovely. How old is she now?"

"She'll be two months old on the 22nd."

"Tell your father and Kate congratulations."

"I will." She looked at the time on her phone. "I should get back home before they freak."

"Thank you for calling me, Alexis. If your dad doesn't take me back as his partner, can we still be friends?"

"I'd like that."

***CCC***

May

Kate was sitting at the dining room table, trying to coax five-month-old Lily into eating one more spoonful of peaches. It had been just over one year since hers' and Castle's lives had been turned upside down. "Come on, Lily-Pad. One more bite and then we'll go see what daddy is doing." At the mention of the word 'daddy,' Lily grinned and kicked her legs happily. "I know. You're a fan."

Kate loved being a mom more with each passing day. Lily was an incredibly easygoing baby. She smiled constantly, laughed often, and was the joy of everybody she came in contact with. Kate found herself feeling more melancholy every day. Her maternity and medical leave was ending at the end of the month and Dr. Burke had concluded that he felt that she was ready to return to work.

She was wiping Lily's sticky face with a damp rag when her cell phone rang. She picked it up, surprised to see her father's smiling face on the screen. "Dad? What's going on?"

"Katie, has Halloran called you?"

"No. Why?"

"Turn on your TV. One of my colleagues heard that he's holding a press conference."

"Okay. I'll call you back. Castle!" She called out when she ended the call. "Rick!"

"What's wrong?" Castle came running out of his office, just as Kate's phone rang again.

"Wait! Hello?"

"Kate, it's Brian Halloran. I'm holding a press conference in 20 minutes. I would've given you more notice—"

"No, it's okay. I couldn't get a sitter this quickly."

"The Grand Jury is back, Kate. And, it's all good news. I'll talk to you in a couple of hours."

"Thank you," she hung up and looked at Castle. "Halloran is holding a press conference in 20 minutes. He said that the Grand Jury is back with indictments."

"Oh, thank god," he walked over and embraced Kate, feeling her wrap her arms tightly around him. They stood like that for several minutes until they both heard Lily protesting loudly.

"Oh, sweetie," Kate turned to the bouncer on the dining table. "Mommy's so sorry. Let me get her out and change her so I can put her down for a nap. Turn on the TV while I'm gone."

Kate took Lily into her room and put her on the changing table, holding her down while she reached down for a diaper and the container of wipes. "Lily, it looks like the bad guys who hurt mommy and daddy are going to go to prison." Lily chortled and waved her hands around.

After changing her, Kate took her to her crib and placed her inside, despite the baby's howls of displeasure. Kate covered her with her favorite blanket, knowing that she'd settle down and fall asleep within minutes of her leaving the room.

Castle was in the kitchen making coffee when Kate came back in. He'd turned the TV on to one of the local channels, where the news reporters had broken in to scheduled programming. He handed Kate a cup of coffee before leading her over to the sofa, where they sat down, and Castle turned the volume up slightly. "Here we go," he said when they saw Halloran approach a bank of microphones.

"A Grand Jury has been empaneled since November of last year. This morning, indictments were handed down to the following persons; Mason Wood, Rita O'Hara, and John 'Flynn' Doe. Mr. Wood and Mr. Doe have been charged with kidnapping, two counts of attempted murder, and drug trafficking. Mr. Wood has also been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful imprisonment. Ms. O'Hara has been charged with drug trafficking and unlawful imprisonment. These three individuals were involved in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that had ties to former Senator William Bracken, who was murdered in prison in September of 2015. I will now take a few questions—"

"Wow," Castle breathed, feeling Kate's hand resting on his knee. "Kate, we did it."

"There were times when I thought it wasn't ever going to be over. That we were never going to be able to move past it."

"What happens now?"

"We'll meet with Halloran. I'm sure it'll be going straight to trial, probably by the end of the summer."

"So, by the fall, it should be over?"

"Hopefully. Why?"

"I just wanted to know that the end is in sight."

"It's in sight. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just think, Castle," she rested her head on his shoulder. "A year ago, we didn't know if we going to live or die. Then, we found out that we were having Lily. It's been a crazy rollercoaster."

"Our life together has been a crazy rollercoaster. Would you care to celebrate?" He asked, just as both of their cell phones began ringing.

"I think celebrating will have to wait," Kate laughed. "Our families have seen the TV."

A/N #4: And, so ends Part Three. I know that it ends on a cliffhanger, but you can use your imagination. I will touch on the trial briefly at the beginning of Part Four, but after that, there will be no more mention of LokSat.

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