A/N: Hi! Back again! I won't bore you with a long note, I just want to thank you all again for reading and enjoying this story. I hope that continues.

I hope you like this chapter!

XXXXXX

Chapter 8

Rick hung up the phone a little surprised. He hadn't expected Lanie to call so soon.

Not that he was unhappy about it; having another pair of eyes (and more, since Lanie was bringing this Kevin along) could only help. Not to mention Kate's excitement about seeing her best friend and partners again.

Kate.

He still didn't know why she'd disappeared – she hadn't come back yet. He'd decided to wait for her rather than question Johanna, he felt that if he'd done or said something to hurt her again, he needed to apologize. Not run to her mother to find out what was wrong.

"Who was on the phone, Richard?"

Rick turned to his mother who was eyeing him with curiosity.

"Oh, I didn't tell you – I went to see Kate and Johanna's graves today and I ran into a friend of Kate's."

"Did you tell Kate you were going?"

"No, but when I told her about Lanie – that's the friend – she seemed excited and hoped Lanie would come here…" he trailed off.

"But?"

"But now I'm not so sure," Rick frowned. "I was putting the whiteboard together and just as I finished, Kate disappeared. She said she'd be back and it wasn't anything I'd said, but she was gone. Now I'm thinking I should have run the visit by her first, but it was a spur of the moment thing. I hadn't planned on going – at least not yet."

"Have you asked Johanna?" Martha asked.

"No, I wasn't sure I should. What do you think?"

"Well, Kate didn't say she was unhappy about your visiting the cemetery?"

"No."

"Well, I'd say give it a little while, and if she doesn't come back, talk to Johanna. Just to get the gist of things."

Rick nodded.

"That's what I'll do. Thanks Mother."

He turned to go back upstairs to continue transferring his information to the whiteboard.

"Oh, before I forget. I invited Lanie to look over our info and hopefully get us police reports – maybe one of us will catch something the other didn't. Don't worry, you won't have to cook."

He grinned and Martha smacked his arm lightly at the tease.

"Did she say when she'd be over?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. She said she'll be bringing at least one of Kate's partners. I'll order a couple of pizza's and we can look everything over."

"And meet our ghosts?"

"Kate wanted to…" he looked up the stairs in concern. "I have no idea how to broach the subject, we'll figure it out when she comes back."

XXXXXX

Katie you shouldn't feel stupid about this.

Well, I do. It's "A Christmas Carol" all over again.

Johanna was confused.

Before I tossed him out of the room that first day I talked to him. We referenced the story in the conversation.

Johanna nodded.

I remember now. And now you're hurt all over again because you are attracted to him but…

I can't have him. And don't start on 'living' in the moment. I'm not living and it'll just hurt worse when we do leave.

Kate raised a hand when Johanna began to speak.

Don't Mom. Don't talk about taking happiness where I can. If it can't last, what's the point? It would taint whatever 'happiness' that might happen. And I wouldn't want Rick to miss out on someone living because he's hung up on me.

Oh, Katie. Let me say one thing, and then I'll shut up. You two are already hung up on each other. He's going to mourn you when we leave as much as he would if he'd known you before you were shot anyway. But he also knows it's not going to last; he knows that no relationship is going to be 'real' in the sense of the physical. But even if he 'holds on to your memory' for awhile, would that really be a bad thing? You said your dad's been holding on to me even after he got sober – though after this long that might not be healthy in and of itself. Anyway, don't miss out on a friendship at the very least. You're good together. I can see it – and I think you can too. You're the one who reached out to him, after all.

I should apologize for disappearing on him, shouldn't I?

Probably. I'm sure he's confused about it. He's probably wondering if his going to the cemetery is what set you off.

No, it wasn't that. I'm glad he got to meet Lanie. I'm hoping she does come here. Seeing me will freak her out, but I would so love to see her, get all the gossip from over the years, introduce you to her, find out about how Dad's doing.

Did Rick ask her about him?

He said he was eavesdropping. Lanie was talking to my headstone apparently and he overheard her say something about Dad. He thought I'd like to hear about it from her.

He's a good guy.

Yeah, he is.

So, what are you going to do? Are you going to explain yourself?

Maybe…not completely…I'm embarrassed Mom. You say he looks like he feels the same, but he's been a serial dater in the past. I can't compete with that.

Katie, listen to yourself. Of course you can't compete with that, because it's not a competition. You're making yourself jealous of something that you yourself said you can't really have. That's what I mean about taking happiness where you can. I'd be willing to bet that even if he went back to his 'serial dating' after we leave, he won't forget you. And not just because you're a ghost. So I say, explain yourself fully, and let the chips fall where they may.

XXXXXX

Rick ascended the stairs with some trepidation. Kate had called to him a minute ago, saying she wanted to explain some things.

That was all. She didn't clarify if what she wanted to explain had to do with the case or her disappearance. He hoped for the latter, though they still needed to discuss the former.

He sighed. He hoped he hadn't done irrevocable damage by going to the cemetery and inviting Lanie over.

But Kate had seemed so excited at the prospect of seeing her friend again.

He shook his head. (Just get up there and ask her. She won't blast you out the door again.)

The door was open when he reached the top of the stairs, welcoming him inside, but the trepidation was still there.

Get in here, Castle, it was me, not you – and I can't explain with you skulking out there.

There was the Kate he'd come to know.

"You're not going to zap me?"

Castle!

"Too soon?" he asked as he walked through the door into the hall.

Kate rolled her eyes.

You're lucky I like you.

Rick stopped short. He wasn't expecting that. He'd been afraid he was a means to an end, but to hear that she liked him…

"I am lucky," he said seriously. I like you too. I hope we can remain friends somehow after we catch Bracken."

Kate became clearer for a moment – it was how she blushed; he remembered.

A Christmas Carol.

"Come again?"

You remember why I threw you out?

"I said I loved you when you referenced that book," Rick nodded.

And I overreacted – to give the understatement of all 4 and a half billion years of Earth's existence.

Rick smiled, though he didn't disagree.

So, do you remember when I said you hurt me?

Rick had to think.

"Yes, something about the 'I love you' hurting. I didn't understand – still don't to be honest – but I didn't and I don't want to push you into telling me anything you don't want to or aren't ready to explain."

Mom said I need to come clean.

"What do you mean?"

About my feelings for you.

Your…feelings…?

It's stupid, I know. There can never be anything 'real' – or physical. And once we deal with Bracken, Mom and I will leave to wherever we're supposed to go. And we won't see each other again until…

Kate broke off, both knowing what she meant.

"Could you, you know, visit?"

I don't know, Castle. Mom and I have unfinished business – or she does. Remember I told you I probably could have gone on except I wouldn't leave her behind. And honestly, neither of us are sure that taking Bracken down will do the trick. It's got to be done though.

"Oh, absolutely," Rick agreed. "I certainly don't want a murderer to become President."

He paused, thinking.

"So, getting back to the subject, what are your feelings?"

Kate blushed again.

You know how when I left, I told you it wasn't anything you'd done?

"Yes…"

Well, in truth, it kind of was.

"What?" Rick was surprised. "What did I do?"

Well, it wasn't anything you did per se…more like who and what you are.

"I don't understand" Rick was confused. "If I hurt you again, let me fix it."

Kate rolled her eyes and Rick could tell it was at herself.

Oh, just spit it out, Beckett, she thought.

It's not something you can fix, Castle. I think I'm falling in love with you. And that hurts because it can't last.

Rick took a deep breath. He hadn't known how to broach the subject.

"Kate…"

You know, just forget it. It's ridiculous.

She began to fade a bit. Not disappearing, but clearly embarrassed.

"Kate, I feel the same way. I think I realized there was something when I talked to you and your mom that first time."

I don't know how to do this.

"Neither do I. But we don't have the answers. We just have to live with the questions and … find our way."

How?

Rick smiled.

"That's one of the questions we have to live with. For now, we need to concentrate on Bracken and bringing him down. Which reminds me, Lanie called – sooner than I expected she would by the way. She's coming over tomorrow, with one of your partners – Kevin Ryan."

XXXXXX

Kate was so surprised that she disappeared. She was back 5 minutes later apologizing profusely.

You caught me off guard. I'm still getting my head around the fact that you spoke to Lanie at all – along with everything else… She blushed. And now you're telling me she's coming over? And Ryan too?

She stared at him wide-eyed.

We gotta get going. Please tell me you got some dry erase markers to go along with the whiteboard.

Rick chuckled.

"Multi-colored," he replied. "Because it's me, and because I thought it might be useful."

He paused, frowning.

"I'm sorry if this sounds crass or rude or whatever, but can you see colors?"

Another question Kate was surprised about, but she wasn't offended by it.

I never really thought about it, but yes, I can still see colors. Though, now that I think about it they're a bit muted. Maybe it's the lighting?

Rick laughed.

"Kate, it's so bright in here that I practically need sunglasses."

Really? I didn't realize… Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Let me see if my mom is up for materializing today. We can get your notes on the board so Ryan can suss it out – with my help… And that's another thing. How are they going to react to seeing me? Will they freak out? Will they hate you for springing me on them? Will they hate me for haunting here and not the precinct?

Rick was surprised at the forlorn look on her face.

Will they hate me for leaving?

XXXXXX

Captain Esposito called Lieutenant Ryan into his office.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Lanie went to the cemetery yesterday and ran into someone very interesting."

"Who?"

"Richard Castle."

"The author?" Ryan was a little surprised. "Was he visiting anyone in particular? I haven't heard that his mother passed away – she's an actress, you know."

"Yeah, Martha Rodgers, I know," Esposito was a bit terse. "Apparently he was visiting Beckett."

"Really? She loved his books – got me into them, but I don't recall her ever saying she knew him."

"I don't think she did. Lanie was surprised – and a little annoyed to see him. He's supposedly doing some 'research' into the case. Told Lanie he was thinking of maybe doing some true crime thing."

"Oh, that is so not gonna fly with Jim."

"That's what Lanie told him, but she was intrigued by what he had to say. He gave her his address and phone number – invited her over to see what research he's got. She wants to go and she wants me to go with her. I can't because I've got meetings all week – being a captain sucks sometimes with all the politics – which you didn't hear, Lieutenant."

Ryan grinned in understanding. "Yes, Sir."

"I don't want Lanie to go alone – and she doesn't either, for obvious reasons – fame doesn't preclude creepiness. So, I want you to go with her. Get copies of everything this guy has. Lanie said she thinks he's got everything printed off, if you can get more than one copy, that would be good. One for you and one for Lanie and me. If he's got a whiteboard or smartboard, take pictures."

Ryan had pulled out his notebook and was furiously scribbling notes.

"How did Castle find out about Kate?" he asked.

Esposito glowered.

"Something else for you to find out. Dismissed."

Ryan nodded and left the office.

XXXXXX

Rick finished transferring the relevant notes from his computer to the whiteboard, then printed off several copies of the entire file to give to Lanie and Kevin. They could choose who to give the extras to if needed.

"Now all we have to do is wait until morning," he told Kate. "Is there anything you or your mother want to add?"

I think this is good for now. It would be good to go over it all just once initially. What I mean is, wait until they get here to begin, then add everything Mom and I know. I'm sure Kevin will want to take pictures of the board to show Espo – I wonder why he's not coming? I would have thought he'd be over here putting the fear of God into you about the 'true crime exposé' I'm sure he thinks you're writing.

Rick grimaced at that.

"Okay, I'll add your additions to my file tomorrow and print off addendums for each file as needed." He paused and looked at Kate seriously. "You do know I have no plans to publish this – whether or not I get 'permission' from your dad to do so. I want to help you, not sensationalize what happened to you and your mother. There will be enough of that going on considering Senator Bracken is behind it all. I don't want to add to anyone's pain."

Thanks, Castle. I do know that. And even if I was wary about it, having confirmation that you won't does help. I'll talk to Mom – and hopefully Dad about it. And honestly it may be a good idea if you did write it. You know the victims – God I hate that that word describes us. You won't be calling it 'Senator William H. Bracken, Johanna Beckett, Katherine Beckett and the Crime That Shocked America'. I know you'd be respectful to us and to my dad. You won't be tabloid-y about it. What?

Rick was gazing at Kate in awe.

"Thank you for your faith in me. I know we didn't get off to the best start – and I'm as much to blame for that as anyone. But I'm gratified we're on the same page now."

Kate snorted.

You didn't nearly throw anyone over the stair railing, nor did you put your mother in the hospital. But thanks. I'm glad we're okay now too.

"So, I'm going to make dinner for my mother and me, and then I think I'll make an early night of it. Lanie didn't specify a time when she and Ryan will show up, so I'm thinking 10:00 or 11:00. I'm sure they'll want enough time to go through the information I have, and decide what to give me."

Then the two of them will get the surprise of their lives when I appear. They'll think you've faked it somehow, so I'll have to come up with something to tell them that you don't know.

"Ooh, now you've piqued my interest!" He waggled his eyebrows.

You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out that particular layer of the Beckett onion, Castle. If I tell you now, it'll be cheating to say you couldn't know that.

Rick pouted, then grinned. He'd just been trying to get a rise out of her and he'd succeeded.

"Until tomorrow, Detective."

Night, Castle.

XXXXXX

At 10:00 AM on the dot there was a sharp rap on the door. Rick rushed to answer before his guests knocked again. His mother hadn't yet appeared from her bedroom – Rick assumed she was still asleep. The shock from the door had really taken a lot out of Martha, and Rick wanted as few interruptions to her rest as possible.

Sure enough it was Lanie along with a younger man Rick assumed was Kevin.

"Welcome!" exclaimed Rick. "Come on in." He moved to the side so the two could enter.

"Mr. Castle, this is Lieutenant Kevin Ryan of the NYPD's 12th precinct. I was hoping that Captain Javier Esposito would be able to come, but he had other planned commitments." Lanie said formally. It was clear she still wasn't happy about Rick's 'true crime adventure', and he understood this was definitely a working visit.

Rick held out his hand.

"Lieutenant," he shook Ryan's hand. "I hope I can ease your minds about what I'm trying to do here."

"Mr. Castle," Ryan stated coolly. "So, what are you trying to do here?"

This was it. Rick swallowed his nervousness.

"Rick, please. I believe I've found some discrepancies in Kate Beckett's murder."

He paused, drawing out the suspense a little. He was a writer after all.

"As well as her mother Johanna Beckett's death."

Lanie and Ryan looked at each other.

"What discrepancies?" asked Ryan.

"Well, to begin with, I think they were connected."

XXXXXX

Rick led the medical examiner and Lieutenant up the stairs and into a long hallway. Entering one of the large rooms off to the side of the hallway, they saw the whiteboard filled with information.

Ryan moved toward the board, examining it and frowning. There were familiar names all over the board, as well as a few unfamiliar.

Joe Pulgatti.

John Raglan.

Gary McCallister.

Vulcan Simmons.

Hal Lockwood.

Michael Smith.

And surprisingly, Senator William Bracken and Captain Roy Montgomery.

Ryan noted a small table with a laptop and several manila folders, each containing a stack of paper some distance away from the board. Rick noticed and picked up the folders, handing one to Lanie and the rest to Lieutenant Ryan.

"This is everything on the board and then some," he explained.

"How did you get this information, Mr. Castle?" Ryan asked.

From us.

Lanie and Ryan whipped around at the sound to see two women floating(?) in the room. One looked vaguely familiar, but neither could quite place her. The other woman however…

"Kate?" Lanie asked, then turned to Rick and slapped him.

Hard.

XXXXXX

Lanie!

Lanie ignored Kate and faced Rick – who felt like he was going to be flambéd with her glare.

"How dare you?!" she fumed. "Did you think this was funny Writer Boy? I thought you were serious! 'I found discrepancies…I think they were connected…' And then you pull this evil shit? Do you really get off on hurting people like this?"

She poked him in the chest.

"Let me tell you right now, Mr. Castle, if any of this ends up in one of your books – whether fiction or non – The Beckett family will sue you into oblivion. I told you before I'm part of that family too – as are Kevin here and my husband Javier, who may I remind you is Captain of the 12th."

She was interrupted by Kate.

You're married to Javi? And he's captain? The ghost was incredulous. He always said he'd never accept a promotion past lieutenant – and even lieutenant was iffy – because of the bureaucracy, and he did it anyway? Was it because of me?

Lanie glared at the apparitions.

"How did you know that, Castle? How long have you been following the family?" She got right in Rick's face. "How long have you been eavesdropping on us?"

Lanie, it really is me, Kate.

Lanie ignored her and continued eviscerating Rick with her glare.

"You had to have some help setting all this up, Mr. Castle," Kevin Ryan broke in. He was just as angry as Lanie at this intrusion into the Beckett family's privacy, but he was better than Lanie at keeping it in check as he sussed out the situation.

"What do you mean I had help?" Rick asked, grateful to turn away from Lanie for a moment.

Kevin began walking around the room, subtly searching, then going into the hallway and opening several other doors. All were empty except one that he couldn't get into because it was locked.

"This is where you've got your setup?" he asked Rick. All your cameras and such to project these women?"

Rick was speechless.

Kevin, I'm real, said Kate. She understood the skepticism, but she would have expected that to come from Javi, not Kevin. He was a great cop, but usually a bit more open to out there possibilities than Esposito.

How's Sarah Grace?

Now it was Kevin's turn to glare at Rick.

"You've even expanded beyond the Beckett's in your 'research'?" he growled.

"Who's Sarah Grace?" Rick asked, becoming more confused by the second. "I didn't even know about your existence until a few weeks ago – and then only your last names, because Kate hadn't called you by your first names. I only learned those when I talked to Lanie after the cemetery."

Lieutenant Ryan – Lanie, I'm Katie's mother, Johanna Beckett.

She had floated into the hallway, followed by a still incensed Lanie.

"Boy, you really have done your homework," she said, still angry.

Lanie Parish, this is not a simulation!

Rick looked at Johanna in surprise. He'd seen her angry, but not quite like this. She was solid – as she had been the last time her anger showed, but it seemed that this time she found a reserve of strength that allowed her to keep her solidity.

Lanie was not to be cowed, however.

"I don't believe you," she said to Johanna.

Clearly, Johanna replied dryly. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm real, Katie's real, and Rick is telling the truth.

Lanie, you remember how we met.

"You know about that too?" Lanie turned to Rick, livid. "Talk, you bastard."

"I have no idea how you two met, Kate hasn't told me," Rick defended himself. "And wouldn't that be inconsequential anyway? If I was writing a tell all true crime thing, why would I write about something that doesn't matter to the story?"

"It's not inconsequential to me, Mr. Castle."

"Of course it isn't," he replied. "Not to you, and not to Kate. But this is about Johanna and Kate's murders and how they're connected to the people whose names are on that whiteboard. If you were mentioned in this hypothetical book, it would be that you were close friends, but how you met wouldn't be necessary to what happened to her or her mother. Especially Johanna, because as far as I know, you two hadn't met in 1999."

Lanie softened slightly.

"Fair enough." She replied. "But that doesn't explain all this." She waved her hands encompassing the hallway. "Do you really expect me to suddenly believe in ghosts?"

Yes, Lanie. I want you to believe that we're here. We're trying to leave, that's where Rick's come in. And why you and Kevin are here.

"Wait a minute, Castle," Ryan broke in. "You said 'if' you were writing a true crime book. You said, 'this hypothetical book'. Are you writing a book about the Beckett's or not?"

"Not." Rick answered shortly. "There may be a few small things I'll put in the next Storm novel – and I'll ask you two before you leave what would be appropriate to fictionalize," he'd turned to Kate and Johanna. "But no, I'm not branching out into true crime. It's not my forte."

He smiled self-deprecatingly at himself.

"Besides. I can research online, and of course write on a computer, but if this is a simulation, that's waaaayyy out of my league. I wouldn't even know where to begin to make something this realistic. I may love Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but I'm no George Lucas or Steven Spielberg."

Ryan was beginning to look like he wanted to believe.

"Lieutenant Ryan, I get it," Rick went on. "But believe me, I only want to help."

"Help with what Mr. Castle?" Lanie cut in, still skeptical of the whole situation.

"Johanna and Kate have been stuck here for years," Rick answered. "They believe that the only way they can move on is to capture the man responsible for their deaths. We haven't known each other long – they were waiting for me to grow up a bit before contacting me – but I've grown to treasure their friendship."

He looked at Kate and knew she understood what he wasn't saying aloud.

"I will miss them, but I want to help them – and Jim and the rest of you – get justice."

XXXXXX

A/N2: Thank you for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts!