I owe a great deal of this chapter to the official website of The New York City Council, which was absolutely invaluable with its information and video of City Council meetings. Although I fictionalized the names of Kate's fellow Council members, the Public Advocate of New York City, and the Council Speaker, as well as most of the clergy members, I drew on the videos of City Council meetings that I watched for the order in which business was brought before the City Council. The Reverend Jay Gooding and his church, Miracle Revival Temple COGIC in the Bronx, are real, and he did lead the Invocation at a real City Council meeting, from which I borrowed for the Invocation at this City Council meeting. Also, the statistics Kate quotes are factual, and are from 2017.

Thank you to everyone who continues to read, review, favorite and follow, both guests and members of the site here. This chapter takes place in December 2019, the week before Christmas, so we're getting closer to some really major events.


Not for the first time since learning she was carrying twins, Kate was grateful that meetings of the full City Council, which were called Stated Meetings, took place at 1:30 in the afternoon, with rare exceptions.

Now that it was the week before Christmas, and she was heading into what she referred to as "the stretch run of this pregnancy" (and then immediately having to explain what a stretch run was to Rick, the non-term-knowledgeable baseball fan, the first time she used the term), this might actually be the last City Council meeting Kate was able to attend. At her last OB appointment, Dr. Elliott had assured Kate and Rick that everything was proceeding normally and the boys were fine, but that the odds right now were most likely 80-20 that, for her own health and well-being as well as that of the babies, Kate would need to drastically reduce her schedule come January, for the last six or seven weeks of the pregnancy, since the boys were due on February 15. Dr. Elliott estimated that both boys weighed nearly six pounds. Kate's old cardiologist had been consulting on this pregnancy since Kate had entered her second trimester, and there was no undue strain on her heart, but, as Dr. Elliott said, "We want to keep it that way, and it's much better to err on the side of caution than not, since this is technically a high-risk pregnancy." Since Kate's only goal was safely bringing Reece and Jake into the world, and growing gray and old together with Rick as they raised their children, she was fine with bedrest, although both Dr. Elliott and Dr. Prentiss, the cardiologist, had said that Kate wouldn't necessarily be on bedrest, at least not the entire time. They just wanted her to take it easy, as opposed to being constantly on the move most of the day every day chasing after Lily and keeping office hours and arguing over legislation and attending City Council meetings.

"If anything, consider it an early maternity leave," Dr. Prentiss had told Kate and Rick. "We'll re-evaluate in January."

Of course, the other reason Kate was grateful that this full City Council meeting was taking place now was because it was at this meeting that the bill she and the rest of the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services had been hammering out since July was finally ready to be voted upon by the full Council, and Kate would be the one speaking about the bill before the vote was taken.

She had not yet taken her seat in the City Council Chambers, which were located in City Hall, as the meeting had not yet been called to order by the Public Advocate for the City of New York, who presided over all City Council meetings. Rick, Lily, with a bag of snacks and toys, a change of clothes, and extra Pull-Ups (because Lily had seen a well-worn copy of Princess Potty at the Ryans' during her most recent playdate with Sarah Grace, Nick, and Will Masters, and Sarah Grace had proudly read the book to Lily; upon returning home, Lily had waited until after dinner to inform her parents that she was done with diapers, that they were for babies, and she wanted to use the potty like a big girl. Rick and Kate were all for it, even while they recognized the insanity of beginning to potty train Lily approximately two months before they would be bringing newborn twins home), Jim, Earl, Martha, and Alexis, who was still winding down from the semester she had recently completed and incredibly grateful and relieved to be on Christmas break, were with Kate. Lily was sitting in Kate's chair, awed by the big chair and the big table and all the people, as this was the first City Council meeting she had attended that she was old enough to take notice of what was going on around her.

Kate shuffled the short stack of index cards she had made notes upon for when she spoke about the bill in front of the entire Council. "How are you doing?" Rick asked softly.

"I'm only a little nervous," Kate replied. "It's one thing when the bill is in committee, because I know everyone there fairly well. I don't know everyone here well. I don't think I've even had any committee work with any of the representatives from Staten Island." Kate wouldn't be up for re-election until November 2021, thank goodness, because she was already planning to run for a second term, and trying to campaign while pregnant with twins would have gotten her on bedrest for sure, or at least that was her thought. Still, she didn't see her fellow City Councilwomen and Councilmen socially; her life was too busy and too full, and she knew that a group of the single-for-whatever-reason (never married, divorced, widowed) Council members of all ages and from all five boroughs and both political parties did have regular nights out at dinner, sporting events, and some of them even held joint town hall-style meetings with their constituents if they were from the same borough. Kate worked hard for District 1 of Manhattan, but she had her own family, soon to expand, and while she was friendly with her fellow Council members, especially the ones who served on committees with her, she simply didn't have time to socialize with other Council members.

"You're gonna be great," Rick assured her.

Ryan and Esposito walked in then, and when they spotted the immediate family, Ryan called, "Hey, Beckett!" and waved.

Everyone turned at the sound of Ryan's greeting, even Lily. "Hey, Ryan, hey, Espo!" Castle greeted them. "Glad you could make it."

"Well, it's not every day Beckett is presenting a bill before the entire City Council," Esposito replied.

"And you were looking to get away from the paperwork for your latest case, and this was as good an excuse as any," Kate replied knowingly.

"Okay, the avoiding paperwork thing is true," Ryan admitted, "but we really are here to support you, Beckett."

"I know," Kate replied, smiling at them. "And I'm glad you could make it."

"Will all non-Council employees please leave the floor of the chambers?" the Public Advocate asked then, speaking directly into her microphone. "There is additional seating upstairs in the balcony. Thank you."

Rick swept Lily up into his arms, out of Kate's chair, then gave her a quick kiss. "Go get 'em," he told her.

"Yeah, Mommy, go get 'em," Lily piped up, echoing her father.

Jim moved in then to hug Kate. "I'm so proud of you, Katie," he told her as they hugged. "Your mom would be too."

"Give them h-e-double hockey sticks, Katherine," Martha said, censoring herself because Lily was right there, and then hugging Kate when Jim had stepped back.

"That's what I did when the bill was in Committee, Martha," Kate said. "This is supposed to be easier than that. Or so I've been told."

"Good luck, Kate," Earl told her.

"You got this, Beckett," Esposito assured her.

"Absolutely," Ryan agreed. Then they both hugged her at the same time.

"You're going to be amazing, Mom," Alexis said. She and Kate hugged, and the babies kicked while they were hugging; Alexis felt it against her abdomen. "See? Reece and Jake know it too."

"May everyone please have their seats? May we close the doors and clear the aisles?" the Public Advocate said then as she made the call to order.

Kate's family went upstairs, where Victoria and Lanie were already waiting, Lanie with Will sleeping in his combination car seat/carrier. After exchanging greetings with the rest of the family, everyone settled into seats in the balcony, which was otherwise deserted, while the Public Advocate called for everyone to rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Everyone on both the floor and in the balcony rose, faced the American flag, and, with hands over their hearts (Lily, standing in between her daddy and her Grandpa Jim, put her hand over her heart the way everyone else did, but didn't say the words because she didn't know them yet), recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Please be seated," the Public Advocate said at the conclusion of the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyone resumed their seats. Lily climbed up into Rick's lap as everyone focused on the floor before.

Kate glanced up to the balcony and saw Rick, the girls, her dad, Martha, Espo, Ryan, Lanie, and Victoria all seated up there. She caught Rick's eye and he winked at her. She flashed him a brief smile back before the Public Advocate announced, "Roll call. Adamson."

"Present," Councilwoman Adamson replied.

"Ayala."

"Present."

"Azarola."

"Here."

"Baardwijk."

"Here."

"Beckett."

"Present," Kate answered.

"Bogdanovic."

"Here."

"Cameron."

"Present."

And so the roll call went until all 49 of the 51 members of the City Council present, and the Speaker, who was called last, had answered.

"All quiet in the Chambers, please!" the Public Advocate announced after the roll call was completed. "All rise for the Invocation." Everyone on the floor and in the balcony stood. "Today we have some members of the Bronx clergy, Minister Timothy Smith, Deacon Michael Ford, Pastor Dr. Jeff Jackson, Dr. Rabbi Joshua Schwartz, and they are led in the Invocation by Pastor Jay Gooding of Miracle Revival Temple COGIC, 1555 Macombs Road, in the great borough of the Bronx. Quiet in the Chamber."

Pastor Gooding stepped forward then and prayed, "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth. First, we thank Thee for allowing us a brand new day, and a brand new mercy. I pray that a spirit of unity be magnified and exemplified in this city, in this country, and in this state. As we invoke Your presence upon this Council in these Chambers, we pray Your blessing in their governing of our great city. We ask You to continue to grant Your favor and Your wisdom upon our Public Advocate, Kamala Washburn, our Speaker, Sean Jeffries, and all the Council members, who have the awesome task and responsibility of being our policy makers. Grant them the knowledge and wisdom to make policies that are fair and just for us all.

"I pray that You would also bind us together in the spirit of oneness. Help us to always walk in a common unity that will allow us always to be a community where there is diversity, a community that can embrace the spirit of love, a community where there may be grudges but where we can replace those feelings with generosity, a community that even when we don't agree, never becomes disenchanted.

"I pray that from these Chambers, every person of every borough be served with justice, righteousness, dignity, and liberty for all.

"In closing, I pray that as prayer and planning is made in these Chambers, that Your peace and purpose be manifested in this city.

"These things we ask in Your name and for Your sake. Amen."

"Amen," everyone intoned. "Please be seated," Ms. Washburn, the Public Advocate said, and everyone sat down again.

The Invocation was entered into the meeting record then, followed by remarks about the gun buyback program that the Bronx D.A. had held in coordination with Pastor Gooding's church the previous month, which took 99 guns off the streets.

In some ways, Rick, Kevin, Javier, and even Victoria all thought that the ensuing business of the meeting was the City Council equivalent of paperwork after closing a case at the 12th Precinct: for the most part boring, but necessary.

Lily clambered from Rick's lap to Jim's while the Minutes of the two previous full City Council meetings were adopted; it was revealed that there were no messages or papers from the Mayor; and a series of code letters and numbers that were identified as Communication from City, County, and Borough Offices were declared received, ordered, printed, and filed. She then climbed off Jim's lap and comically (to everyone in the balcony) tiptoed past Jim and Rick and Alexis to climb up in Martha's lap, Martha having seated herself in between Alexis and Victoria Gates. (Rick was on Alexis's other side, and Jim was next to Rick).

Martha gave Lily her LeapPad, and Lily became engrossed in one of her learning games while the City Council meeting continued with the declaration that there were no Petitions and Communications at this time, and while the Land Use callups were adopted by a roll call vote of 45 to 4, with three "nay" votes and one abstention.

After all of that, Speaker Jeffries took to his podium again and spoke directly into his microphone. "Today we are voting on a local law to amend the New York City Charter in relation to social services for the wrongfully convicted, as introduced by the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services. We will now hear the summary of the Committee's report by one of its members, Councilwoman Kate Beckett."

Hearing her mommy's name, Lily looked up from her LeapPad, and the rest of her family was laser focused on Kate now too as Kate stood up at her seat, looked at the top index card in her small stack, then looked up at the balcony, at the members of her family who were present, before taking a deep breath and speaking directly into her microphone.

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Madame Public Advocate, and my fellow City Council members," Kate began. "When the law is broken and criminal acts are committed, we depend on our justice system, in the form of the NYPD and the courts, to find the perpetrators of these crimes, to give them a fair trial by due process of the law, and when lives are lost or violated as a result of these crimes, to bring justice, closure, and a feeling of safety for those who suffered that loss or that violation with the knowledge that the person or persons who did that to them can't do it again because they are in prison. The importance of getting justice and closure for the victims of crimes is immeasurable.

"But our system is not perfect. And sometimes circumstantial evidence is all but screaming one thing, and when followed to what appears to be a logical conclusion turns out to be a mistake, and in those instances, the miscarriage of justice has resulted in wrongful convictions. Innocent people have spent months, or years, behind bars for crimes they did not commit. In those instances, exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes is only the first step in them reclaiming their lives.

"As of October of last year, 2,110 individuals nationwide have been exonerated and released from prison. More than 10 percent of exonerations have come from New York State," Kate continued, really warming to her subject now.

In the balcony, Jim was assailed by the bittersweet memory of Johanna's passion for this same group of overlooked individuals, of those wrongfully convicted individuals she personally had helped, and knew that she would be just as proud of Katie right now as he was. Rick, also knowing Johanna Beckett's personal career history, knew that this was the bill that Kate had been the most excited about in her time on the City Council to date, the one that meant the most to her, the one that she fought the hardest for, not only because of her mother's work in this area but also because of her years on the NYPD.

"Those New Yorkers spent an average of 9.18 years in prison for crimes they did not commit," Kate continued. "Exonerees face many of the same hurdles as other released prisoners, including obtaining housing, employment, and medical care. However, exonerees are often ineligible for re-entry services that states provide to parolees and released prisoners. Wrongful convictions also take an economic and emotional toll on the families of the accused. Under New York State Law, compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment does not include the provision of social services.

"This bill would require the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice to coordinate with relevant City agencies to promote the availability of social services for wrongfully convicted individuals and their immediate family members. The MOCJ would also be required to develop methods to increase the coordination of such social services, and provide outreach and education on the availability of such services for exonerees and their immediate family members.

"The Pledge of Allegiance that we recited at the beginning of this meeting ends with the phrase, 'with liberty and justice for all.' It is up to us to ensure that there truly is justice for all, including those who were wrongfully convicted of crimes which they did not commit."

Rick stood up and almost applauded, but Alexis grabbed his arm to keep him from making any noise. Surprised, he looked at his firstborn, then smiled sheepishly before reclaiming his seat.

Ms. Washburn, the Public Advocate, then went through a roll call vote on the bill. Lily left Martha's lap for Alexis's lap then. When everyone had voted, with Speaker Jeffries once again last, Mrs. Washburn announced, "The bill is passed by a majority vote of 49 in the affirmative, 0 negative and 0 abstentions.

"Mr. Speaker?"

"Today's Stated Meeting is adjourned," Speaker Jeffries announced. "And since this is the last Stated Meeting of the calendar year, I would like to wish all of you a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, happy Solstice, or if you don't celebrate any holidays this time of year, then I hope you enjoy your break."

Kate remained at her seat, accepting congratulations from nearby fellow Council members and from her fellow members on the Committee for Fire and Criminal Justice Services, while Rick led the family downstairs from the balcony to meet her.

"You were awesome!" were the first words out of Rick's mouth. Lily was holding Alexis's hand; Javier and Kevin trailed after them, Javier carrying the bag of Lily's things. Lanie was carrying the awake, alert, and noncrying Will, and Victoria carried Will's empty carseat/carrier. Jim, Martha, and Earl brought up the end of the family procession.

"So what happens next?" Martha asked eagerly. "When will this bill become a law?"

"It goes to the Mayor now," Kate replied. "He has 30 days to either sign or veto the bill. Of course, he'll be taking some time off for the holidays starting next week. If he sends it back to us, we can override his veto with a 2/3 vote. If he signs it, or takes no action at all, then the bill officially becomes a law."

"Mommy, are you on Christmas break now like Alexis?" Lily asked.

"I am," Kate said, beaming down at Lily before bringing up her gaze to encompass the rest of the family present.

"Yay!" Lily cheered.

"Yay!" Rick mimicked Lily, which made everyone chuckle.

"You did very well, Kate," Victoria said seriously as everyone began to bundle up against the cold. "I know that some of us at 1PP will be talking to the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice about this very bill in the New Year."

Will started fussing then, and the telltale smell coming from his diaper told everyone why he was so loudly signaling his displeasure. "Mommy duty calls," Lanie said. "I'm with Victoria, though. This bill is definitely needed, and it's something that will do a lot of good for a lot of people."

"Well, that's why we're here, right?" Kate said. "It's why all of us who are involved with the NYPD and the law do what we do. It's why my mom did what she did."

"That's right," Jim said with a proud smile.

Javier's phone vibrated in his pocket then. He stealthily removed it and checked it; one new voicemail. Being about 95% certain who it was, he slipped the phone back into his pocket for the time being, because if he was right about the caller's identity, he couldn't take the call right this moment.

Kate was ready to go home and just hang out with her family, including Alexis, Martha and Earl. Jim had some finals to grade that he wanted to get finished before Christmas next week, followed by his annual trip to his cabin for New Year's, but he would be joining them for dinner that evening, and Lanie needed to change Will and wanted to get him home since Alan was coming home early so they could finally decorate for Christmas (the Castle Christmas Wonderland had been in place for most of the month of December), and Victoria needed to get back to work, as did Javier and Kevin.

"So are you gonna be at the loft or at your place later?" Javier asked Alexis as they were saying goodbye.

"The loft. If that changes, I'll call you," Alexis told him. "How much more paperwork do you have to get done today?"

"At least another two hours," Javier said. "Maybe three."

"But I will see you later?" Alexis asked hopefully.

"Absolutely," Javier replied. They kissed, and then they all broke off to go to their respective homes or offices.

In the car on the way back to the 12th Precinct, Javier checked his voicemail message, and the caller was exactly who he had thought it was. Kevin was driving, and when Javi put his phone back in his pocket, Kevin said, "I do get to be your best man, right? I know I couldn't have you be mine, but I really wanted to, Javi."

"What?" Javier asked, startled.

"That voicemail you just listened to," Kevin replied as he stopped at a red light. "It was the jeweler, letting you know that Alexis's engagement ring is ready, right? So when are you popping the question? Christmas Eve? Christmas Day? New Year's Eve?"

"How did you know?" Javi asked, panicking for one moment because he was afraid Alexis knew somehow, and he really wanted this to be a surprise.

"I saw the ring brochures on your desk the week after Thanksgiving," Kevin told him as the light turned green and he moved his foot from the brake pedal to the gas. "I'm the one who covered them up with file folders when you got that deer in the headlights look when Alexis stepped off the elevator to surprise you for lunch after she took her last final. I didn't figure you'd want her to see them."

"All right, yes, I got Alexis an engagement ring, but I'm not actually planning on proposing for Christmas or New Year's. That's too cliched, too hokey. It's gotta be just the right moment," Javi insisted.

"Yeah, funny thing about those right moments. They tend to come at you out of nowhere. Look where and how I ended up proposing to Jenny," he said.

"Which is why the Precinct is also not on my list of places to propose," Javi replied. "It's gonna be not something that anyone else we know has done, and it's gonna be about us, and it's gonna be the most right moment possible, whenever and wherever that is."

"So you're really not gonna ask her for Christmas or New Year's?" Kevin asked.

"I'm really not," Javi insisted. "Unless the perfect moment should present itself. But yes, you can be my best man. I wouldn't have anybody else."

"I accept," Kevin replied with a smile. "And whenever you do ask her, I know she'll say yes." Then Kevin realized something and his eyes widened. "You do realize this means Beckett and Castle are gonna be your in-laws?"

"Yeah," Javi replied, "I do realize that. But you and I were joking when we used to call them 'Mom and 'Dad.' I'm not gonna call them that for real. I still haven't worked up to their first names yet."

"There's time," Kevin said as he pulled into a parking spot in front of the 12th Precinct.

"I'm not callin' Beckett and Castle 'Mom and Dad,'" Javi insisted as they got out of the car and headed into the precinct.

"No, but you might eventually call them 'Kate and Rick,'" Kevin replied.

"You don't even call them 'Kate and Rick,'" Javi pointed out.

"That's true, I don't. But Jenny does. And they're 'Aunt Kate and Uncle Rick' to my kids. Oh, man! Your kids are gonna be calling Beckett and Castle 'Grandma and Grandpa'!" Kevin exclaimed as they got on the elevator.

"Not for a few years yet," Javi said. "Just slow your roll there, Best Man. The wedding's gonna have to be enough for you now."

Kevin smiled. "It is," he said. "Seriously, I never would have predicted it, but you and Alexis are as right together as Jenny and me, and as Beckett and Castle, and as Lanie and Alan."

"You are not to breathe a word of this to anyone, not even Jenny, until after we've announced our engagement," Javi told him seriously.

"Oh come on, I have to tell Jenny! It's one of the unwritten rules of marriage," Kevin insisted as the elevator doors open and they walked out onto the floor.

"No, Ryan, nobody hears a word of this until Alexis and I tell everyone ourselves," Javi insisted vehemently.

"Oh, all right," Kevin grumbled. "But you are gonna ask her soon, right?"

"I'm gonna ask her when the moment is right, and not one second before," Javi said as he removed his overcoat and sat down at his desk. And he meant that. He didn't know when that right moment would arrive, but when it did, he would be ready with the ring.