Trying to finish this up without leaving too many loose ends. Excuse the typos and misspellings if you find any. I got some 'issues' with my keyboard. Chapter 41 is transitional to the final chapters.

Beach House

Kate's team arrived with their 'significant others' and Kate had Esposito take over as 'grillmeister' since she felt Rick needed to stay off his feet as much as possible. The visit with Alexis and Meredith had tired him out more than he'd admit. And she also felt slightly guilty about whole the Kama Sutra blog thing – but only slightly.

Lanie took Kate aside to get a status report on her favorite writer and listened intently as Kate rambled on through the entire series of events that led them to where they were today.

"Lanie, we're getting married in December but…Rick's…they found…oh, Lanie, he's got a brain tumor and he's going to die, I just know it! He tried to hide it from me but the doctor brought it up and…and he wanted to delay getting married until after they decided if it was growing or not."

"So that's why you're going to ask for a leave of absence – to stay with him as long as possible? You don't even know if it's growing and you already said it's benign. Has he pressured you to quit?" She knew Castle would never ask her to quit so she wanted to get to Kate's motivation. Was it guilt?

"Is it so damned wrong of me to want to spend as much time as we have left together, well, together? What if he dies? What will I be left with? I'll have Alexis for a while but then she'll leave to live her own life and I'll be left with…"

"Kate, it's okay to admit you're afraid of a life without Rick in it. I think a leave of absence is fine so long as it's an up-front decision and you let yourself come back when you realize that he's not going to die on you. And if he does, God forbid, die, you'll need something in your life other than sweet memories."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I've talked enough. Now I just want to live my life with him and let whatever happens happen. He's right. I can't let my fear run my life. He's accepted it, I need to do the same thing."

"Good girl. Make sure you tell him that. No more secrets Kate. They destroy relationships. Now, tell me what Rick meant about me being a wicked woman?"

"Lanie, he can't, uh, well, not for a couple of weeks and we both were so…so I pulled up your favorite blog and we…he was surprised that you told me about it. And if he mentions turnips or monkeys, please, please, just ignore him."

"Kate Beckett, you didn't…" But she knew from the blush and demure smile that she had. "You are so baaaad, Kate. Details, tell me what you guys did…"

"Okay, Javi, Kate's in with Lanie. Did you copy those files like I asked you?" Rick was leaning against the deck railing, sipping from a bottle of water since alcohol was on his no-no list as long as he was taking any medication.

"Yep. I'll bring them down to you when both Kate and Lanie are otherwise occupied. The information looks random but when you overlay what you told me, it's connected and scary. The deputy commissioner, several of the city councilmen, judges…it's scary, Rick, how widespread the corruption is."

"I got a safe in my study. I'll leave it open and you can drop them in there so Beckett doesn't get curious. Just remember, this is between the three of us. No one else. Just you, me, and Kevin. Not a word to Kate."

"Castle, this could blow up in your face if you don't involve her." Javier knew how volatile Kate's temper could be, especially when her mother's case was involved.

"We'll bring her in after we get things organized but not until. Change of subject: you and Lanie? Serious or just…"

"Serious for me. She's hard to read. We put a lot of things in perspective about the job but I still don't know for sure. You and Beckett? You're okay again, right?"

"Yeah. Marriage is back on for December. I just don't want her to quit the force. She'll need something in her life besides me." He forced a laugh and Esposito joined him but his was forced as well.

The rest of the weekend was pleasant with a return to the old banter and camaraderie that seemed to have slipped away since Kate's hospital stay.

Of course, Lanie couldn't keep her mouth shut and she subtly brought up the blogs she liked to read 'in her spare time'. Castle countered by asking Javi if he knew of Lanie's pursuits through the digital highway and that ended any further comments from Lanie but did earn him a series of dirty looks from both her and Kate. Javier just seemed to be at a loss for what they were talking about and Lanie finally told him, 'Later, baby, when we're back in the city'.

Kate and Rick stayed at the beach house through August and only returned to the city for meetings with Black Pawn and administrative meetings with Kate's bosses at 1PP. Kate had a killer tan by the end of August and Rick had totally recovered from the beating he'd received from the carjackers. They had a last dinner with her dad and then packed and made their way back to New York and the loft.

Kate picked up Alexis at the airport when she returned home and it was a bittersweet reunion of sorts. Alexis missed her mother and had bonded really well with Meredith but was still excited to be back in the city.

"How's the boyfriend handling your departure, Lexie? You two going to try and keep in touch or was this just a 'summer romance'?" Kate was curious but also interested in her future stepdaughter's well being.

"We're just going to keep it on a 'friends' level until next summer. Mom's got a part on a soap and it may turn into something more if she stays clean and keeps going to meetings and stays away from the 'fast crowd'. Leaving her was harder than I thought it would be, Kate. Is that wrong? I mean for all the years she basically ignored me and it was hard to leave her."

"It's just natural, Lexie. She made mistakes and she's learned from them and now she's making the best of the rest of her life. She loves you and you love her. It's natural."

Alexis dove into her school work with the same abandon she did everything and soon was looking forward to the wedding and a little peace and quiet around the loft. Meredith was going to visit and 'baby sit' for her dad and Kate when they went on their honeymoon and she was a very happy 16 year old.

Castle tried to write but really lacked any inspiration. It wasn't that he didn't have enough research, he just didn't have the time or inclination. When he closed himself off in his office it was frequently in video conference with Ryan and Esposito and their unofficial investigation of Dick Coonan and his associates. Esposito had been right: it was scary how the corruption had spread.

No one expected it to have reached the New York Supreme Court or the US House, for that matter, but it had and they knew they were outgunned without someone 'outside' taking over. As things stood now, they were bringing a knife to a gunfight.

He called the only person he knew he could trust outside of the 'circle' – Special Agent Jordan Shaw.