A/N: I'm afraid I didn't wrap up enough on the whole 'budding Castkett relationship' front. I tried to write more, but realized that I was just opening a whole other can o' worms...so I left them as brand new as possible. The world is their oyster still in this fan fic. Warnings for this chapter: I ruin the secret of Christmas in this chapter. If you still believe in Santa Claus, don't read on. Oh, wait, I kinda just ruined it right there too. Also I honestly didn't anticipate this story ending at Christmas but that's how it worked out. So those of you who object to such mentionings before Thanksgiving (i.e.: my mother) please just insert: "4th of July" every time you see the "C-word" and "fireworks" anytime I say "snow". Well, anywho, here's the fluffy bow to my story of family and romance.
Standard non-ownership disclaimer. Just using the characters to give myself carpal tunnel. Enjoy.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve settled in cool, crisp darkness in Pepperville, Pennsylvania. Aris walked quietly down the block of her in-law's neighborhood, stealing a few quiet moments after a hectic but wonderful day. The kids were finally in bed and she'd begged a chance to walk alone down the street and back before she needed to come and help Cal play Santa. She thought about the past 6 months, and how her life had changed. A father lost, a brother gained. Really though, she realized, she got more than just Rick. She had Alexis, Martha and Chet, and Kate and 11 new foster kids come into her family as well, each blessing her life in extraordinary ways.
Thinking about Kate made Aris a little homesick for her friend. She'd left so abruptly at the restaurant – leaving everything in turmoil. She prayed silently that everything had worked out that night, or that it would work out in the near future. Rick and Kate were so in love – someone just needed to point the stinkin' way!
After seeing her brother and friend at the restaurant, Aris had dropped a call to Alexis, hoping the girl would know something. She laughed as she recalled the frantic conversation.
"This is total gossip," Aris pointed out, "and I'm just going to clarify that I know gossiping is wrong. Even though I love it."
"Ooooh, gossip!" Alexis squealed. "Lemme go get Gram!"
A few minutes later, Alexis and Martha came on the speaker phone.
"Alexis tells me you have gossip," Martha hinted. "And since our mutual acquaintance is so limited...I'm guessing this is about a certain author and a certain detective?"
Aris gasped. "What? How did you now? Did he say something?"
"Silly girl! How do you think they got out to dinner together? By themselves?" Martha scoffed.
"Oh, Martha Rogers, you are goo-ood!" Aris cried triumphantly. She spent the next several minutes recounting what she saw and heard and said to the two ladies on the other end of the call. "But I just don't know what happened next, and I'm dying! Did your dad say anything when he came home Alexis?"
"No!" the teen pouted. "But he got home really late – like after midnight. And he looked...different."
"How different?" Aris probed. "Like, resigned or relieved or sad or over joyed?"
"I don't know, he woke me up to send me to my room, so I was kinda groggy," Alexis replied. "But I remember thinking: Something's different."
"Martha?"
"Sorry kiddo, Richard hasn't said a word to me. Although he might just be really busy this week. He's been having to be at the precinct so much lately. I guess there's a difficult case to work on. That's probably it ladies, no use borrowing drama before it's hatched."
"You're right," Aris and Alexis replied dejectedly.
Now, with a few days perspective on the situation, Aris didn't feel so glum about it all. She realized she couldn't force Rick and Kate into her timeline. Their love would move at it's own (agonizingly slow, painfully tedious) pace. And the only thing she had to do was love them both. Not a hard job at all.
As she returned up the street toward her in-law's home, her cell phone rang – crashing through the peaceful stillness. The caller id showed a picture of Alexis, smiling at one of the kids the Whitworth's had at the time the picture was taken. She picked up the phone.
"Hi Alexis," she greeted cheerfully.
"Shhhh!" came the hissed command. "I can't talk very loud."
Concern filled Aris. "Are you all right sweetie?"
"Yes, I'm perfect!" Alexis squealed before shushing herself and giggling.
"What's going on, why are we whispering?"
"Just give me a moment," the teen instructed. Her aunt heard some shuffling and grunting before a familiar snap indicated that a picture had been taken. By the time she'd grunted and shuffled and come back on the line, Aris was back at the house. She took a seat on the porch swing, turning on the space heater in the partially enclosed patio.
"First of all, Aunt Aris, Merry Christmas!" Alexis said, still whispering. "And second of all, I've just sent you a picture. I won't say another word until you've seen it."
Luckily, the picture came right through, and Aris was able to open it up. She gasped when the image finally came into focus.
"No!" she cried. "Really?"
"It's no photo editing job," Alexis giggled. "That is the real deal! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."
The picture from Alexis showed Rick and Kate wrapped in a passionate embrace – in the middle of a very steamy kiss.
"Wait, Alexis – how did you get this? Are you spying on your dad?"
"No, I came by it honestly," the teen defended herself. "I was doing some very last minute shopping for Gram – actually it was for Chet from me and Dad – and I decided to climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator at our building because I thought: 'hey, I'm gonna be eating a lot tomorrow, might as well burn some calories tonight."
"And, and?"
"And I come into the hallway and wham-o! Kate and my dad – making out in my front door."
"Oh. My. Gosh." Aris said, shocked.
"I know, right?" Alexis replied. "But Aunt Aris, do you know what this means? They did it! They finally chose to love each other!"
Aris laughed, starting to feel a little choked up. "You're right!" she replied. "I'm so glad they did. It's been a long 6 months for me having to watch them dance around each other. I can't imagine what it's been like for you and your grandmother." Suddenly, Aris realized something. "Alexis – are your father and Kate still making out in the doorway?"
Some shuffling and grunting later, Aris heard a chirped "yep" through the line.
"Then where are you?"
"In the stairwell, behind some ficases. Or is that fici?"
"You're hiding out from them?" Aris asked with a giggle.
"Ew, Aris," Alexis cringed. "I like Kate. I mean, I really do. She is so kick-ass and amazing and fun to be around and nice. And I'm excited that she and Dad have finally hooked up...but I do not want to know, or see, any of that hanky-panky stuff that has the potential to go on. No thank you!"
Aris laughed. "Well, how about I keep you company until the coast is clear?"
The girls talked for about 20 minutes about Christmases past and dreams for the future before Alexis got startled by her dad poking his head into the stairwell.
"There you are," Castle chided. "Kate's gone, you missed her."
"That was the purpose," Alexis muttered. "The coast is clear now," she told Aris.
"Who're you talking to?" Castle asked.
"Aunt Aris."
"Can I talk to her for a sec?"
"Aris, I'm passing the phone to Dad," Alexis said, handing the phone to Rick with out waiting for a reply.
"Hey Rissi," Castle said joyfully. "Merry Christmas to you and yours."
"Merry Christmas to you."
"Listen," he hedged, "I wanted to thank you for what you did for me the other night."
"What do you mean?" Aris tried to play vague.
"Right, like you don't know," her brother dead-panned.
"Okay, fine," she confessed in a rush. "You're welcome."
Castle scratched at his 9 o'clock shadow, and glared at Alexis in mock anger. "Well, as I'm sure you've been told – seeing as how my daughter has been spying on us – I've just come from the arms of one Detective Kate Beckett. And I'm so insanely happy about said circumstances I just about can't stand it."
"Rick I'm so happy for you!" Aris cried. "I knew it would work out just perfectly."
"Well, that's what I wanted to thank you for," Rick said. "We might have gotten to this place on our own, but I have a feeling it would have been a much longer, more painful road. Instead, fate brings you into our lives, you work some magic and I've got my Detective Beckett."
Castle could hear Aris smiling through tears over the phone. "I did no such thing. You did this yourself. You deserve to be happy Rick," she said. "I'm so glad you are."
"Well," Castle cleared his throat, shoving down a lump of tears as he did so. "I'm gonna drag my daughter back into our home, so we can quit hanging out like weirdos behind the ficuses - "
"Fici," Alexis amended in a loud whisper.
Rick rolled his eyes. "Right, anyway..."
"Merry Christmas Aunt Aris! Tell Uncle Cal and the boys I love 'em!" Alexis shouted into her phone. "And I love you too!"
"Happy Christmas Alexis," Aris replied, laughing. "You are my favorite niece, by far. And I love you too. So much! We'll see you all in a couple of days."
"We can't wait," Rick replied. "Talk to you soon, love you."
"Love you too, good night."
….
Aris trudged up the stairs to where her husband waited for her to return from her walk. Her cell phone beeped – indicating a text message. She flipped it open and read it, blinking back happy tears.
Aris,
Kate and Alexis told me about your choices theory. I'm glad I get a choice. I'll definitely choose to have you always my sister, always my friend.
Love,
Your big brother – RC