A/N: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 3

"Who the hell are you?" Johanna demanded to know once more.

"Do not be afraid," Sarah said as she stepped closer. "We're not going to harm you."

"What are you doing in my apartment?" she said sharply.

"Call the police," Jim stated.

"No, need for that," Sarah told them. "We're not intruders."

"Then how the hell did you get in here?" Johanna asked.

Sarah smiled. "Well, darling, that's a little difficult to explain and you're not going to believe it…"

"I'm calling the cops," Jim said as he moved to step away from Johanna.

"No!" Sarah said firmly. "There is no need…and I assure you that no police officer can arrest me."

"Oh?" he said. "And just why is that?"

"Because I am a spirit."

Jim laughed. "A spirit?"

"Yes; a spirit."

"You mean like a ghost?" Johanna asked, disbelief furrowing her brow.

"Exactly," Sarah replied.

"You expect us to believe that?" Jim asked.

"Was the door locked when you came home, Johanna?" Sarah asked.

"How do you know my name?" Johanna asked.

She smiled. "Oh, darling, I know everything about you…you don't know me, but I know you; I always have. Do not be afraid, no harm is going to come to you. Was your door locked?"

"Yes," Johanna said with hesitation. "But that doesn't mean it couldn't have been tampered with."

"By all means, examine the door," Sarah stated.

Jim moved back to the door, checking it over for signs of tampering but he found none.

"Would you like to check the windows?" Sarah asked. "Were your windows locked?"

"Of course," Johanna replied.

"Feel free to check them."

"I'll check the living room," Jim stated. "You go check your bedroom…and make sure your jewelry and all is there."

"I'm not a robber!" Kate declared.

"Let me handle this," Sarah said, holding up a hand. "Allow them to satisfy their minds so they'll be more accepting to this."

Jim moved through the apartment, checking the windows in the living room and then moved to the kitchen, checking the windows there as well. When he returned to the room, Johanna was coming back through the hallway. "Jewelry is accounted for and the windows there and in the bathroom are locked," she told him.

"The windows here and in the kitchen are locked too."

"So how did they get in?" Johanna asked.

"I told you, dear, I am a spirit," Sarah told her.

"You expect me to believe you're a ghost?"

"Yes."

"I thought you were supposed to be able to see through ghosts," Johanna replied. "Or not see them at all."

"Sometimes you can see through us, or merely just feel us; other times, we're quite whole…but go on, touch my hand, you'll see I'm not the same as you," she said as she held out her hand.

Johanna glanced to Jim. "You touch her."

"I don't want to touch her, you touch her."

"You touch her first."

"It's your apartment, you touch her."

Johanna figured she couldn't beat that argument so she took a step closer and put her hand against the hand that the woman in the green dress held out to her. She frowned as she watched her hand settle against it, it didn't feel like it would when she touched someone else's hand. It tingled…and felt as though her hand could fall into empty space at any moment despite the hand she was pressing against. "Something weird is going on here," she muttered as she stepped back beside Jim.

"Did she feel like a ghost?" Jim asked.

"I don't know what a ghost feels like…but it definitely felt weird," Johanna answered. "And let's just say for the moment that we believe you're what you say you are…then who is she?" she said with a nod at Kate. "Is she a ghost too?"

"No, she is not," Sarah replied. "Tell them what you are," she said, looking to Kate.

"I feel stupid saying it," Kate said with a sigh.

"Say it anyway."

"This is a nightmare," Kate replied. "An absolute nightmare."

"Maybe we should call the police," Johanna said, hesitation in her tone.

"Please don't," Kate sighed. "I don't want to have to try an explain this to them."

"You haven't explained it to me!"

"I'm from the future!" Kate exclaimed.

Johanna laughed. "Oh come now, can't you give me a better excuse than that? What is it that you were looking for here? Were you trying to hide from someone? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"I don't need a lawyer, so don't go pulling out your business card."

"How do you know what I do?"

"I know plenty about you," Kate retorted. "But the lady in green, doesn't seem to think so, which is why I'm here instead of where I'm supposed to be, which is in the future."

"So, you're saying you time traveled?" Jim asked skeptically.

Kate nodded slowly. "Yes…and I'm having a hard time believing it too but I swear it's the truth. Sarah brought me here."

Jim glanced at the lady in the green dress. "I take it you're Sarah?"

"I am," she said with a nod. "And you are Jim."

"How do you know that?"

"I know everything that's important to Johanna," she answered.

"Why?"

"Well…now isn't the time for a long detailed accounting of that, but let's just say we're family even though she doesn't know me."

"Sarah," Johanna repeated. "That was my father's mother's name."

Sarah smiled. "That's right, darling."

"You're saying you're her?"

"Yes…but I'm afraid we don't have time to discuss all of that right now."

"Wow," Jim murmured as he mulled it all over. "So there's time travel in the future?"

Johanna glanced at him. "You can't be serious."

"She said she's from the future…she doesn't look like a ghost…she doesn't look like the ghost; she looks like she's a regular person."

"Well touch her and find out," Johanna told him.

"Why me?"

"I touched the last one."

"Yeah, but they're your…guests," he said for lack of better words.

Johanna shook her head. "You're my guest too and I want you to do it."

Jim blew out a breath and stepped toward Kate, reaching out and poking her sharply in the shoulder.

"Ow," Kate said, reflex making her poke him back.

Jim studied her for a long moment. "She's real," he told Johanna.

"That's what I thought…this is some kind of wacky scheme or something."

"It is not!" Kate insisted. "And it wasn't my idea in the first place but I am from the future!"

"So you're trying to tell me that you're some kind of time traveling sci-fi freak show?" Johanna asked.

"Hey," Kate retorted. "I'm not a freak show!"

"Then what the hell are you?" she demanded to know. "Give me an answer!"

"Your daughter!" she exclaimed.

Johanna's eyes widened. "My what?"

"Your daughter," she repeated.

Johanna shook her head. "That's impossible. I don't have any kids and if I did, you're too old to be a kid of mine…how old are you?"

"Thirty-three."

"Yeah, well, I'm twenty-four, so you're definitely not my kid."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Not at your current moment, but I will be."

"She does look like you," Jim whispered to Johanna.

Johanna shot him a glare. "You can't really be buying into this, can you?"

He shrugged. "Well, the one that claims to be a ghost is dressed in a very old fashioned dress, which would fit the narrative of being your late grandmother, no offense," he said, glancing at Sarah. "And this one, well…her clothes are more modern but still slightly different from yours…and she does look like you; she has your eyes, Jo."

She couldn't believe that he was going in for this ruse and yet it all seemed so strange that she couldn't come up with a better explanation although she was desperately trying to do so.

"Look at her eyes," he prodded. "They're your eyes…same color and shape. She's got your nose too."

She glanced back at the woman in question studying her for a long moment, looking at the eyes that Jim had pointed out. They were her eyes…and her nose. "Oh God," she murmured.

Jim shifted on his feet beside her. "I told you she looks like you."

"It doesn't make sense…it's like one of those stupid movies you like and that's just not possible, Jim."

"Apparently it is."

"Show them your telephone," Sarah said as she caught Kate's eye. "They'll know it's no modern device."

Johanna eyed the spirit oddly. "I have a phone, it's over there on the stand," she said, pointing at it.

"This is a different type of telephone, dear," Sarah explained as she nudged Kate. "Show them your telephone, that's why I told you to bring it, so they could see that you are from the future."

"I hate this," Kate muttered. "But Castle would love it and so he must never know this happened because I will never hear the end of it if he knows."

"Castle?" Johanna repeated.

"Your…son-in-law," she replied.

"Son-in-law! Great, now my supposed daughter is married before I am," Johanna remarked.

"Oh stop," Kate retorted.

"You're in my home and you're telling me to stop?" Johanna asked. "For all I know, you're an intruder; someone that I didn't invite here…so maybe you just better mind your manners."

"She's not an intruder," Sarah insisted. "Show them the telephone!"

Kate stepped toward this younger version of her parents and showed them the smartphone laying in her hand. "This is my phone."

Jim studied it with interest. "That's a phone?"

"Yes."

"Show them some of how it works," Sarah suggested.

Kate woke up the screen of her phone, allowing them to see the screen which held a wedding photo of her and Castle.

"There's a picture on it," Johanna murmured.

"Yeah, you can use it as a camera," she told her.

"A phone that's a camera too?" Jim asked. "How?"

Kate showed him the lens on the back of the phone and then returned to the screen. "This phone can take pictures, make calls, send texts…"

"Texts?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah, messages you write and send to another person's phone."

"What else can it do?" Jim asked.

"You can go online," she said, touching the icon for her browser out of habit but then realized it wouldn't work. "I'd show you that but there's no wifi here."

"Wifi?" Johanna repeated.

"It's how you connect to the internet," Kate explained. "That or using the data on your phone plan, that's another way to connect."

"What's the internet?" Jim questioned.

"It's…well…it's hard to explain," Kate replied. "You can go on apps or websites where you can talk to people, you can shop, you can work, you can play games, you can do research, listen to music, watch videos."

"You can do all that on that little thing?" Jim said in awe.

"Yeah."

"It doesn't have a cord though," Johanna remarked.

"No, it's a cell phone…a mobile phone," she said, using slightly older terminology in hopes they'd understand.

"But how does that work?"

"They work off of towers that have signals."

"I feel like I read something about this," Jim remarked. "It was a few years ago, someone said there would be a phone one day that could fit in the pocket…but I admit, it seemed pretty farfetched."

"It seems weird that a phone can do so many things," Johanna added, her finger reaching out to touch it but then pulling it back.

"It's okay, you can touch it," Kate told her.

Johanna reached out and touched her finger to the screen, managing to swipe it to the next screen and she jerked her hand back as if she had done something wrong.

"It's okay," Kate said. "You're so supposed to be able to do that, to swipe between screens…it's called a touchscreen. They call this a smart phone."

"That's amazing," Jim said as he too reached out to touch it.

"It's bizarre; this whole thing is bizarre," Johanna replied.

"I can't argue with that," he agreed. "But I can't think of a more logical answer to give you than the one they've given us…so maybe you better ask your kid what her name is."

Johanna hesitated as she glanced at the woman in front of her. "What is your name?"

"Kate…well, Katherine…you call me Katie though; you always have since I was born."

"Wow," Jim murmured.

"What?" Johanna asked.

"You told me over the summer that if you ever had a daughter, you wanted to name her Katherine."

"After Katharine Hepburn," Johanna whispered.

Kate nodded. "That's what you've always told me…that you named me for her. You showed me the autograph you got from her."

"Oh God this is creepy," Johanna said softly as she turned to Jim.

"Yeah, it kind of is," he agreed. "Kind of makes the Balfour pale in comparison, doesn't it?"

She nodded. "I don't think I like it…I don't know how you can stand here and just have no question about it."

"I do have questions."

"Do you?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah," Jim said as he looked her in the eye. "I want to know who her father is."

She worried her bottom lip. "I'm afraid to know."

"Why?" he asked.

"What if it's not who I think it should be?"

"I want to know," Jim said.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I feel like I have to know…she says she's yours, well you didn't get her alone…and I want to know who it was…even if I don't like it."

Johanna swallowed hard, looking back at the woman who claimed to be her future daughter. "Who is your father?"

Kate glanced at Sarah. "Am I allowed to say?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, they're not going to remember this."

"We're not?" Johanna asked.

"No, dear; because this visit is to benefit her…you'll be spending time together but when it's over, you won't have any memory of it."

"That's kind of…sad," she replied. "You come here and cause this uproar; tell me things and show me things and I don't get to remember? Why?"

"Because it's the way it has to be, darling. Ours is not to question why."

Johanna turned her attention back to Kate. "Who is your father?" she forced herself to ask once more, her stomach tight, despite the fact that she'd only know the answer for a little while, and if it was one she didn't like, she wouldn't remember it, but the tension was there just the same.

Kate smiled then, her gaze remaining on her. "Don't worry, it's him."

Her eyes widened. "Him?"

Kate nodded. "Yes…definitely him."

"Him who!" Jim exclaimed, impatience and anxiety gnawing at him. "I want to know who him is so I can go beat the hell out of him before I forget who it is."

Kate couldn't help but laugh. "It's going to be hard to beat the hell out of yourself, don't you think?"

Jim paused, his brow rising. "Me?"

She nodded. "You."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Oh definitely…my last name is Beckett."

"I do have brothers," Jim muttered.

"I wouldn't sleep with your brother!" Johanna exclaimed.

Jim glanced at her. "You promise?"

"Yes! Don't be stupid!"

"So," he said, returning his attention to Kate; "You're my…daughter…too?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, I definitely belong to both of you."

Jim grinned as he shifted his gaze to Johanna. "Well, you know what this means?"

"What?" she asked warily as she eyed him.

"It means you finally do let me get past second base," he said, his grin widening as he slipped his arm around her waist.

Johanna rolled her eyes and smacked his chest. "Don't be so smug, Jim."

"Can't help it, I feel a little smug," he quipped.

"Yeah; well we don't know when that event is going to occur so maybe you should tone down your gloating."

"That's kind of hard to do at the moment," he replied, giving her hip a soft squeeze.

Johanna couldn't hide the amused smirk that tugged at her lips. "Jackass," she murmured.

He gave into the urge to kiss her temple, the knot in his stomach loosening and hope filling him for the moment even though they had already been told that they wouldn't remember these events…but for now he knew…and despite his fear of labeling his relationship with Johanna, at least he knew for the moment, that eventually it was going to work out.

"This is still weird," Johanna murmured, although she was glad to know that her future child's father was the man she had hoped it would be.

"Agreed," he replied. "I didn't expect us to become parents today."

"Wasn't exactly on my mind either…I just really wanted to eat pizza, bitch about work and then watch TV like we had planned," she answered.

"So sorry I interrupted your plans," Kate said sarcastically.

Johanna's gaze narrowed as she looked at her. "How would you feel if you came home from a long day at work to some supposed time traveling smart ass who claimed to be your kid?"

Kate nodded. "Okay, I get that…but how would you feel if you got woke up from a nap by some dead ancestor who insisted on taking you on some Christmas Carol type of journey that you didn't want to go on in the first place?"

"Personally, I'd wonder what I had done wrong in life to warrant such drastic measures from the great beyond," Johanna replied.

"Oh God, you really are my mother," Kate replied. "The lectures just come as second nature, don't they?"

Jim glanced to Johanna, lowering his head to whisper to her. "I don't think I like her; we must've not done a good job as parents."

"Thanks a lot, Dad!" Kate exclaimed without thought.

Jim flinched as if he had been slapped by the word. "I suddenly feel odd," he muttered.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because…you called me that word."

"You mean Dad?"

He nodded. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Kate rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to be born tomorrow; you've got time."

"How much time?" Johanna asked. "When are you born?"

"My birthday is in November."

"Can't be this November," Jim remarked.

"No, not this one…not the next one either…depending on what year this is."

"It's 1975," Johanna replied.

"Oh, well, definitely not next year either then, or the one after that, or…"

"Katie," Sarah said sharply. "No exact dates; remember the rules. You've told her that you were born in November, that's enough."

"Sorry," Kate muttered. "I don't know how to do this."

"I don't know why we are doing this," Johanna replied. "I don't understand."

"Johanna," Sarah said softly; "This mission is to help your daughter, which is why she will remember it but you will not. She needs to spend some time with you, get to know you…"

"Does she not know me where she comes from?" Johanna asked, her stomach tightening. "Am I…you know…not…there?"

Kate watched as both of her parents faces paled at the thought of what her words meant and she hurriedly shook her head. "No, you're there…both of you; you're both there."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Positive," Sarah said, putting herself back into the conversation. "You are very much in the future; with your own smart telephone that you quite enjoy," she said with a smile. "Katie just needs to get to know this version of you…the person you were before you were a mother."

"Does this mean I can't stay for dinner?" Jim asked.

Sarah giggled. "No, you may stay for dinner and for a little while after…but then you must go home so they can be alone."

"Will I forget as soon as I leave here?" he asked. "Because…I don't want to leave her in this situation alone…I want to be able to call and check on her."

"You can call and check on her; you'll both forget when the mission is concluded and she and I have left…although I will leave while they have time together, but I will be around, just out of sight. So, yes, you will remember this until it's over just as Johanna will."

He still looked concerned as he kept his arm around Johanna's waist, his fingers gripping her hip as if he was afraid that something nefarious would happen once he left for the evening.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Kate stated. "You don't have to look like that."

"I don't know you," Jim replied. "If you can be taken from whatever year you come from and brought here…how do I know you won't try to take her somewhere?"

"I assure you that won't happen," Sarah remarked.

"What year do you come from?" Johanna asked.

"2014," Kate replied.

"Oh my God," Johanna said as she looked to Jim. "We're old then."

"You're not old!" Kate exclaimed. "You're in your sixties."

They both grimaced. "Tell me I'm not bald," Jim said; anguish on his face at the thought. "Tell me that's not in my future."

Kate rolled her eyes. "No, you're not bald! Your hair is grey but it's all there."

"Tell me my hair isn't grey," Johanna pleaded.

"No; it's not…it's still dark brown, and no, you haven't had to dye it yet…you do have reading glasses though."

"Oh my God!" she cried. "We're old, you have grey hair and I've got glasses…this is terrible, Jim."

He nodded. "I am starting to feel a little depressed."

"Oh please," Kate exclaimed. "You two don't act anywhere near your age; you're both healthy, vital and active, and I'm pretty sure you two have more sex than people twenty years younger than you, so despite hair color and reading glasses, I'd say you're doing fine!"

"The future is starting to look brighter again," Jim remarked as he looked at Johanna.

"I feel slightly better."

"What made you both feel better? The part about being healthy or the sex life?" Kate asked.

"I'd rather not say," Johanna replied. "You're supposed to be my kid."

"Definitely the sex life," Jim answered.

"That's what I thought," Kate said as she smirked at them.

"Oh, that's my mother's smirk," Jim said, wincing at the look on her face. "That's…terrifying."

Johanna studied her. "You're right, that is your mother's smirk…and her hair color."

"The future is starting to look scary again," Jim murmured.

Sarah smiled as she caught Kate's eye. "It seems as though you've been accepted…so I'm going to take my leave so you can start getting to know your mother better…and you get the bonus of some time with your father as well."

"Shouldn't you just stay here?" Kate asked; suddenly fearful of not having the spirit in the room with her.

Sarah shook her head. "No, dear; you have to do this on your own; but do not fear, I'll only be out of sight. I'll still be around, watching and making sure everything is fine."

"Yeah…but…you're just dumping me here…I don't know how to do this."

"You'll learn," Sarah assured. "Just as she will. You'll all be fine; do not worry."

Kate hated to admit it as the spirit faded from view, but she was definitely worried…and she could tell from the faces of the younger version of her parents that they were worried too.