CH50

"What do we do with them?" Kate pointed to the hand and the eye that were lying on the floor separated from Bracken's body. "And what about Bracken?"

Kate knew that Bracken was clearly dead, as his bloated body was just lying there. The man who had done this to her family all because of his greed for power.

"You leave Vecna to us dear, the four of us will take care of it." Amity answers, starting to think up a plan on what to do with them.

"As for Bracken." Giles pulls out a gem and casts a spell.

Soul Bind - You draw the soul from a newly dead body and imprison it in a black sapphire gem. The subject must have been dead no more than 15 minutes. The soul, once trapped in the gem, cannot be returned through clone, raise dead, reincarnation, resurrection, true resurrection, or even a miracle or a wish. Only by destroying the gem or dispelling the spell on the gem can one free the soul (which is then still dead).

Once that is complete Giles casts yet another spell.

Disintegrate - A thin, green ray springs from your pointing finger leaving behind only a trace of fine dust.

And Bracken's dead body became nothing more than dust on the floor.

They spent the rest of the night in the dorm area for the men and one for the women that Giles had included in his floor plan of the Mage's Magnificent Mansion that they were all in.

"You think he ever figured out that the entrance to this mansion was on the front door and that he was allowed to step into it?" Kate asks. Still a little shocked that their plan actually worked, thanks to Henry, who Kate had out of her bra and was showering kisses onto.

"He may not have thought about it. Still who has a house like this one? I mean traps, secret doors and secret passages allowing us to move around all over while by-passing the main rooms we wanted Bracken to enter." Rikki mentions as shy lies in the bunk next to Kate, turned on her side to face her.

"Let alone a foyer filled with mirrors." Kate was smiling, out of all the rooms they had created, Kate had liked that one the most. Even if she was biased since it had been her one and only suggestion.

"I'm glad I wasn't in that room when that sunburst spell went off. That idea really was genius love." Rikki smiled at Kate. "Good night Kate."

"Night babe." Kate answers back.

Come morning they all had to exit the mansion by going out the front door and wait for Giles to cancel the spell of the mansion, so they could turn around and go back inside.

"You think there is anyone inside?" Kate asks as they all look at the door for the other mansion that was on the back door.

"If there is they will pop into place when the spell runs out in a few hours. Or we could end the spell now." Amity offers.

Moments later Giles ended the spell with everyone outside on the back patio standing in the sunlight which was immediately followed by Dara and Rikki casting a sunburst spell, one after the other, inside the house.

This killed the wraith, vampires and undead Bloodmote Swarms that were still inside the other mansion that Giles had constructed that was noting but one huge labyrinth with nothing but dead ends.

Everyone spent the next hour praying or studying their magic books to recover all the spells they had used yesterday.

"Feels like old times." Jim mentions as they sit in the restaurant that is in their hotel waiting for their lunch to arrive.

"It does doesn't it. It's a lot like that one trip we made with Katie when she was little. In that case we had driven out to view that little cabin we bought. It seems not that long ago." Johanna agrees.

"For you perhaps." Jim points out.

Johanna reaches across the booth to take one of his hands. "I'm sorry Jim, I never thought that case would take me where it did. It wasn't my idea to, …." Johanna trails off since Alexis was sitting with them, coloring with the crayons that the restaurant had for all kids.

"I know Jo, … I know. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt. I just couldn't get past it. I so wanted the pain of losing you to go away. If I hadn't found that one drink that took the pain away for even just a moment, things might have been different.

It sucked me in and had me chasing that feeling again and again." Jim tries explaining again.

"I'm here now Jim." Johanna pleads with her eyes.

Jim is spared making any commitments when the waitress arrives with their lunch, causing Johanna to clear away the coloring Alexis was working on.

They were all soon back at the Zoo if that's what you want to call the animal area that they had found their first day here. It was keeping Alexis entertained and preventing her from asking some really hard questions.

They had rooms for a week and they were supposed to look for an apartment to move into before buying a house for all of them. Rikki had left them with more than enough money to last for some time.

Johanna knew they would both need to look for jobs, but for now they were treating it like a vacation.

Johanna and Jim had found another apartment to look at today. Needing it to be pet friendly was limiting their options, however Elka and even Jack Jack had turned out to be a godsend so far. Alexis was in love with both of them and Elka was very protective of Alexis.

"Let's get you dressed honey, we have someplace to go." Johanna had Alexis up and putting clothes on her after giving her a bath.

"Are Jack Jack and Elka coming?" Alexis was beginning to shut down on Jim and Johanna. Johanna knew it was because Alexis hadn't seen her mother for a few days now. Jim and Johanna knew it was only a matter of time before she had a meltdown, and it was going to break both of their hearts.

Jim came up to Johanna. "We're going to have to talk to her soon." Jim points out the obvious.

"I know, it's just that it's going to break her heart." Johanna blinked back tears.

Jim hugged Johanna and kissed her cheek. "We can do it together." Jim offers.

That got Johanna to look at Jim. "Are we together?" Johanna asked the ultimate question.

"I'd like to be. … That potion gave me a few of the lost years back." Jim points out.

His answer got Johanna to smile and let the tears for Alexis run down her face as new ones for Jim took their place, and got Johanna to kiss Jim for the first time since coming back, feeling Jim kiss her back.

Alexis just stood there quietly watching love take place. If helped brighten her dim mood watching Jim and Johanna.

They were soon starting through the lobby headed for their rental car that would need to be replaced with a purchased one after they agreed on an apartment when Elka suddenly ripped the leash out of Johanna's hand and took off running. "ELKA!" Johanna yelled at her and took off running to catch up to her leaving Jim and Jack Jack behind with Alexis.

Johanna however soon stopped in her tracks and brought her hands up to her mouth to cover her crying as she watched Elka getting petted by Rikki and Kate.

This was soon followed by a scream of "MOMMY!" As Alexis pulled out of Jim's hand and went running.

They were all soon back in their room, while Rikki and Kate helped them pack. "It's really over?" Johanna needed to hear it again.

"We think we've found all or at least most of the undead. Bracken is gone, in more ways than one and everything is quiet at work, so we think so yeah." Kate answers.

"And it was that little snake of yours that did it?" Jim tries that part on for size again.

Kate chuckles and pulls Henry out of her bra and lets him weave his way between her fingers before she lifts him up to her lips yet again so Kate can kiss him. "He had an allergic reaction to Henry's bite, up until that point he had us beat. He was really powerful."

Jim gave a halfhearted attempt at petting Henry, but came up short and didn't try again. He was glad Bracken was gone; he deserved it for all he had done. Maybe someday he would adapt to Katie having a snake for a pet, it just wasn't going to be today.

"There may be a few stray undead down in the storm drain system, but they'll be killed eventually." Rikki adds as she closes Alexis's suitcase. "Everyone ready?" Rikki asks before gathering everyone together before casting word of recall and instantly everyone is in their bedroom.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that." Jim points out.

"You will dad because you won't have a choice since you and mom are going to live with all of us in the new house." Kate informs him.

Seeing the look on his face. "You're moving in dad. You and mom need time together and you both need to get your feet back under you financially, and Rikki and I have the money." Kate points out, leaving out that it was Rikki who was making all the money with her little bag of gold.

"We'll talk about it." Jim offers not giving in immediately.

"Just so long as the end of that conversation has a yes at the end." Kate wasn't taking no for an answer. She wanted her parents back. Kate may be 10 years younger, but she had still gone a lot of years without them, and she wanted those years back.

Downstairs turned into a big welcome back. "I think this calls for a celebration meal, a big one." Rikki points out.

"Does this mean I finally get to use this grill thingy of yours?" Luke asks smiling wide.

"Just don't burn my house down dad." Rikki teases, with Luke getting a quick kiss from Dara.

Luke was outside cooking, with Jim helping by talking over his shoulder. A back seat cooker so to speak. It did however give Dara time with Johanna, who loved talking with Johanna, it was like Johanna was her new best friend. "So tell me how you and Jim are getting along." Dara wanted to hear everything.

"We haven't had sex or anything, not like we could with a pair of double beds in a motel room with Aleixs lying in the one next to us. Other than that we're doing pretty well." Johanna informs Dara.

"And do you?" Dara presses for a little more information.

"So badly you have no idea." Johanna relents.

"Oh I've got a pretty good idea, trust me. I attacked my husband last night and again this morning and I still want to drag him upstairs to our room. These hormones are killing me as I try not to kill my husband." Dara knew just what Johanna was feeling, getting Johanna to giggle.

"And what are you two plotting?" Kate intrudes on their conversation.

"We're just discussing men, nothing important." Dara winks at Johanna.

"Well lucky me I don't have that problem anymore." Kate laughs at herself.

"And I'm happy for you honey. Rikki is really good for you and that makes me happy. Give it a little time and your father will be happy too. …. That or I hurt him." Johanna grins, knowing that it won't come to that.

"Great, my father is going to be walking me down the aisle on crutches." Kate rolls her eyes, getting Dara and Johanna to chuckle.

Elka had quickly learned that with Luke doing the cooking that he was an easy mark, since she had already been given 2 cooked beef hot dogs and was sitting there patiently waiting for number 3. And then was forced to watch as Jack Jack got the third.

Luke was actually doing pretty well for someone who can't cook except over an open fire. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and t-bone steaks. He also had potatoes, corn and asparagus on the grill. Luckily Rikki had gone big when she had bought one years ago. The side burner had baked beans in a pot. Amity was watching the oven for the rolls that went with it.

Rikki was also out on the back patio to make homemade ice cream using an electric 6 quart ice cream maker making sure it was filled with ice and rock salt. Waiting patiently for it to stop running, telling her the ice cream was done so she could cover it up with still more ice and let it freeze.

Kate had volunteered for ice cream duty, however Rikki was handling it since it allowed her to keep an eye on Luke and Jim, while going over the create water spell in her head just in case.

They were eating inside with Luke going out to the grill to refill plates with more items from time to time. "We need to start packing soon, since we move in 3 weeks." Rikki reminded everyone.

"Jim and I can arrange for the boxes and tape." Johanna offered up her husband who didn't complain.

"Is 20' x 20' the biggest we can get?" Kate asks liking the idea of having a larger pool.

"Sorry, the spell will allow for something bigger, but translating that into an item places restrictions on what you can do." Giles apologizes for the limitations.

"It's just that the pool at this size is going to be more of a soaking pool than a swimming pool." Kate moans a little. "Maybe you can make two of them. … Can there be a connection between the two?" Kate suddenly has another idea.

Giles however shakes his head. "Sorry, it works just like the mansion. Just the one entrance." Giles holds up one finger.

It is now 2 months later:

Johanna and Dara were in the room with Kate and Johanna was just about to ask her daughter if she was feeling any better, when Kate puked into the bowl next to her.

O-kay, so that answered that question. However there was one additional problem with Kate's condition as Dara pukes into her own bowl.

It didn't help any knowing that around here somewhere was Amity who was doing the exact same thing.

Kate had started her morning sickness a little early in her pregnancy while Dara and Amity were a little further along and had been hoping to avoid this part all together since it started later than last time. Alas, it was not meant to be. Or maybe it was the nerves over this day.

It also meant their house, their new house, was filled with pregnant women, all strung out on hormones. Rikki, Luke and Giles were taking a beating.

"Remind me again why I wanted to have a baby mom." Kate asks yet again as she washes. "And how am I going to make it up there if I'm puking my guts out all the way?"

Johanna had to admit, this time Kate did have a good question. Now if Johanna had a good answer. "You sure there isn't a spell for this?" Johanna asks Dara who happened to be the closest.

"If there was I would have already used it on myself." Dara moans back, cleaning up after herself.

Johanna only did what she could for both of them. At least the wedding wasn't for another hour still. Time enough for the nausea to pass, hopefully.

Rikki was putting the final touches to her wedding dress with a little help from Amity, who hadn't vomited in close to an hour now. "Feeling better?" Rikki asks.

"A little yeah. I hear misery loves company, but three of us at the same time?" Amity shook her head, getting Rikki to softly chuckle.

Kate had been so happy when her pregnancy test sticks had told her she was pregnant. Rikki had been happy too, since it meant she didn't have to turn herself into Richard Castle anymore.

Rikki was glad for Kate, she was, but she was also glad to not have to have sex with Kate as a guy anymore.

Luke was walking Rikki from one side to the starting point as Jim was walking Kate. It was only now that each got to see the other in their wedding dresses.

Both of Rikki's and Kate's mouth's opened wide when they saw each other and temporarily left them both speechless. Kate was wearing a more traditional white wedding dress that flared out at the waist. It was strapless except for the minor amount of lace that were more like short sleeves.

Kate also had a soft green train that almost reached the floor. It was attached at the top of her head and Kate had little flowers in her hair along with little twigs poking out here and there. There were even a few flowers woven into the train.

Rikki however had gone the opposite. Her dress was almost a match in color of Kate's train, while Rikki had a white train attached similarly with flowers and small twigs poking out of her hair.

Kate loved Rikki now more than she ever did and her nausea was gone in an instant as she watched Rikki smiling at her. Rikki reminded Kate of a fairy from fantasy stories, just without the wings.

Rikki had been proven correct in the number of people she had invited had turned out to be only a few that had agreed to attend. They were all local from the Zoo's around them, save for two people that had flown in from London.

In all 56 people had been invited, however only 32 had sent back their RSVP that they would attend. It was early October and while it wasn't warm out, it wasn't winter yet either. However it was raining and Kate thought it was the most perfect sound for a wedding. It meant when it stopped the air would be fresh and clean.

Johanna and Dara had done all the cooking. These two had talked Kate and Rikki out of having the wedding catered. They had both done some of their best work.

Rikki's words where still playing in Kate's ears while they danced with each other for the first dance. And later true to her words, Rikki had inched her fingers far higher than was necessary to remove her garter, using just her teeth. And tongue and lips. "I am so going to make you pay for this." Kate whispered out, feeling herself getting wet. Damn hormones!

Kate had only been too willing to pay Rikki back as her fingers went even higher and found that Rikki wasn't wearing panties and Kate's fingers came back wet. "What I'm going to do to you tonight." Rikki threatens only getting Kate to smile back.

Most everyone had gone save for family members with Rikki and Kate standing next to each other as they look out the walls of glass, watching the rain slow. Kate turned her head and simply kissed Rikki. "I wouldn't be here without you. … Mom is back, 10 years of my life are back, …. my life is so changed. … I'm a Druid who is casting real magic. … And I'm married to the most amazing person I've ever met.

I'm sorry for the pain I caused, but I'm glad I'm here and I don't want to be anyplace else or with anyone else." Kate kisses Rikki again.

"You have half my heart Kate, literally. However you had all of my heart long before that. … I've had my own share of pain, including feeling you break it. But you came back and put it back together and I love every piece of you.

Even now I can feel half of my heart pounding in my chest, telling me, showing me that you love me. Someone may have seen the future and gotten us all to this point. … I'm just happy it happened, now how it happened. Simeon and his luck may have gotten us in the same location, but he didn't make us fall in love with each other.

We may not know if the baby has my genes or Castle's, but it's still our baby. We made him or her and I'll love it just as much as I love Alexis." Rikki tells Kate and kisses her.

"What are we doing for a honeymoon?" Kate asks, knowing they hadn't even talked about it.

"Oooo, you just wait and see Kate, just wait and see." Rikki smiled.

It was really late now and since there were plants all around, Rikki and Kate simply walked outside into the soft drizzle and Rikki cast transport via plants and found themselves back home.

The new house was so much better for all the people that lived here. It had four normal bedrooms and three enhanced bedrooms, two pools, one exercise room, one pantry that was at the bottom of the dumb waiter in the basement and two spare spaces that hadn't been decided on just yet. The main dining room table was capable of seating 12 while the table in the kitchen area could seat 8.

Since the laundry was in the basement, adding a four piece bathroom in the basement hadn't proven to be too much of a problem. It was even almost finished. It was functional, it was just that the contractor had to finish the trim. This gave them 5 full bathrooms and one half bath.

They even had a kitchen that was big enough to handle this many people. Rikki, Dara and Johanna were loving it.

Jim had only put up a small fuss about moving in with all the others. The lawyer part of Johanna had presented her case convincingly. Besides it did give him time to make up for the years with Kate that he had lost in the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

The back patio had been ripped up except for the existing plants and grass had replaced all that tile, and with Rikki and Dara around, the grass was doing just fine.

Rikki had set up her wood walled and floored den on the third floor off of their bedroom as her new location for her word of recall spell. Rikki had also spread the plants from their old home all around the new one.

Rikki, Dara, Luke and Kate couldn't get the others to tell them what they had done with the left hand and left eye of Vecna. Only that it was in a safe place.

Loretta had finally showed up in the precinct to tell them that their attempts at finding Bracken were winding down. It had been months and they had no leads on where he was. Kate had feigned being hurt and had done her best to throw a temper tantrum, even if she did know exactly where Bracken was.

Inside a black gem, inside a heavily lined locked case. Even if the case fell from the top of the Empire State Building, the gem had no chance of breaking. Not that it being there was possible, since said case was in a real safe, with a biometric lock in the basement behind an illusionary wall that was hiding a secret door that was locked and had two traps on it courtesy of Godrey and Giles. One mechanical and one magical, both were lethal. All of which was in the pantry room with food in front of it. Rikki, Dara and Johanna all saw the space almost every day.

Kate hoped Bracken went mad being stuck inside the gem, hopefully until the end of time.