At the Gates house things were kind of falling apart. Her husband, who knew her best, soon realized the job as a Precinct Captain was taking a heavy toll. It started with her disappearing after dinner almost every weekday night into their junk room with her laptop and a refilled glass of wine. The paperwork and administrative hurdles of running a precinct seemed to grow with each passing week. He had hoped that a good dose of doing more and not seeing any relief would jolt her into establishing a tolerable work/life balance. Unfortunately, Vicki never saw beyond the precinct to appreciate the wider picture.
It came to head when he found her sneaking up to the junk room on weekends without bothering to tell him. The row that Saturday was not the worst they had, but it did bring things into sharp focus that he wanted some resolution. "This is not what I hoped empty-nesting would be like. This is worse than your days at IA. You should know by now that your need to be perfect is making your job almost impossible. I know you think all this extra effort will get you noticed down at 1PP, but in the meantime, this is awful. Weekends were sacrosanct for just us. Now, us time is getting to be just a brief respite on your way to the junk room with your computer in hand."
"I know this hasn't gone the way I thought. I am not cut out for all the paperwork and ass-kissing that comes with trying to get noticed down at 1PP."
"If you know that, then it's time to make change. We cannot go on like this indefinitely." His wife knew he was right, but what he didn't know about was her deal with the Senator that should finally set things right. The problem was she needed way more precinct experience to qualify for the next step up, and that meant slogging on with no end in sight. "Vicki, you have to do something. You're cheating on us with work, and two can play that game."
Although that sounded rather nebulous, Vicki knew it was anything but. Her husband had matured into a handsome devil, and she had witnessed more than a few telling glances of younger women definitely pondering how the merchandise would fare in their bed. She had little doubt he was aware of the attention and up until now, made a point of insuring that their frequent torrid lovemaking would keep him fully satisfied. That Sunday morning, she awoke early with every intention of showing him that any recent intimacy shortfalls were just an aberration. At the end she would add the cherry-on-top that would placate him while she got the experience she was lacking. They had discussed a threesome for years. She had been reluctant; that was no longer the case.
Unfortunately, the bliss in that room was short-lived. Her husband had glanced at her phone and seen the disturbing headline. Senator Bracken and sixteen associates had been rounded up that morning by the FBI. Vicki immediately bee-lined out of his cozy embrace, padded to their great room, and sat totally naked staring at the screen trying to comprehend the details. From what she could tell the charges included campaign finance violations and illicit drug distribution on a massive scale. Other charges were still possible depending on the cooperation of those recently rounded up.
The news arrived at the loft a bit differently. Kate and Castle were just coming down from round 3 where their usual banter seemed superfluous. The messenger was Alexis who checked the news-feed on her phone way more often than either of them thought was necessary. Disturbed by the shouts coming from beyond the bookcase, both grabbed enough clothes to pass muster and headed to within sight of the huge TV showing loops of the arrests and subsequent perp walks.
It was a bittersweet moment for both of them. Yes Bracken had been charged with an array of stunning offenses, but the charge they hoped for was not included in any of the reporting so far. Experience with the press had taught them that murder always gets top billing, and the omission left them both with somewhat muted reactions. Yes Bracken was in serious legal trouble, but it was not for the crime they cared about. It had been their perhaps naive expectation to be gleefully unburdened by the news. Now, that was not the case, and both said little as they prepped for brunch with the usual guests.
After a rather subdued brunch and distracted effort at tidying-up, Rick suggested an outing for the afternoon that proved once again that her decision about them was right then, right now, and right in the future. They took the Mercedes and turned off all the usual electronic distractions. Each tried to put an optimistic spin on what they had heard hoping it would lead to the justice Joanna so richly deserved. They parked a few blocks away, and Rick made sure Kate was in the lead as they passed through the cemetery entrance. Kate showed no signs of emotion until the marker came into view, and Castle immediately pulled her in for a comforting embrace that was exactly what she needed. What he would not learn until years later was it was also her 'ah-ha' moment where any final doubts about them melted away for the last time.
When they reached the gravestone, Kate took her free hand and extended it on to the granite like she was greeting another person. Castle had seen this gesture many times before and understood it was the moment where all the hard edges of Detective Beckett were shoved aside leaving a far more muted Kate that her mother would easily recognize. After a lengthy pause, she began, "Well Mom, we are here a bit off schedule this week. We usually come to fill you in on the happenings in our little world like Martha's latest theatrics or Alexis's newest personal crisis. Today though, is different."
"Today the man we hold responsible for your murder was charged by the FBI with a number of serious charges. Your murder was not one of them, but we are very hopeful that this is just the catalyst that will finally lead to real accountability for what happened that night in the alley. His name is Senator William Bracken. We believe your efforts to uncover the truth about your client threatened his much larger criminal enterprise. He could not allow that, and our family had lived with the gruesome consequences ever since. Mom, we know justice for you is finally coming. We just have to be patient waiting for the final shoe to drop."
After a pause to allow each to offer their own silent farewells, Castle started to turn towards the exit when Kate grabbed his hand pulling him back. Grasping it even stronger, she said, "Mom there is one more bit of news I hope you get to hear. None of this would have happened if this wonderful man had not entered my life. He is my soulmate, and I was a fool to deny it for so long." Turning to look straight into those eyes she hoped to never grow tired of, she continued, "So Rick, are you ready to make me an honest women? Will you marry me? No pressure, though my mom is listening in." The look on Castle's face was something she would never forget. His answer, though far from eloquent, wasn't bad either.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE LAST