Chapter 36

Kate supposed she shouldn't be surprised that Bracken tracked her down, that he'd come for her. She and Castle had never stood a chance of outrunning him. Not when he'd been one step ahead of everyone else for the past seventeen years.

But that didn't mean she was prepared to see him face to face again, standing in a darkened hotel room with smug eyes and a conceited smirk.

Her memory of the actual events that transpired was foggy, blurred images swarming through the haze of alcohol and a head injury. There was a confrontation with Bracken, she knew that. He'd spoken to her in his slimy politician voice, leaving her with a strong desire to take a shower in bleach. And then he'd walked away, leaving his guys to ply her with vodka, force a pill in her mouth and place her gun in her hand, staging it like a suicide.

She remembered pretending to be drunk, remembered taking them out with her elbow and her gun. She vaguely recalled glass smashing over her head. She remembered trying to flee, remembered collapsing in the hallway, and from there her memory was a blank.

She awoke an unknown number of hours later in an unfamiliar car, forested mountains rising against the falling darkness. She squinted into the twilight, the unrecognizable shapes of the landscape reminding her of the dream she'd been having just before she woke; bits and piece of a memory, but nothing she could see clearly.

It was coalescing now, though, just as the rising moon was illuminating the outlines of the mountains.

"A recording," Kate said suddenly, voice hoarse, but Castle recognized that tone.

He flicked his eyes to hers briefly before turning them back to the road. There wasn't a car in sight. "What?"

"Smith said there was a recording," Kate repeated, voice stronger this time. "A tape, right?"

"Right."

Kate lifted her head with great effort, turned to Castle. "We have to go back."

"We can't."

"We have to."

Castle sighed, flicked his eyes to her again. She still looked battered and dazed but her jaw was set, her eyes gradually becoming clearer.

"When I was a rookie, Montgomery found me down in the archives."

He glanced back to the road, hazarded a guess. "Working the case?"

She nodded. "He could've – should've – written me up, but he didn't."

"Okay," Castle prompted, still unsure where she was going with this.

"He asked me what I was doing," she continued. "And then told me to keep searching. To look through all of my mom's belongings."

"Which we've done," he pointed out.

"Castle, he told me to look for cassette tapes."

His head jerked sharply to the right. "You think he knew about the recording?"

"Why else would he have said that?" Kate asked.

"And you think he gave it to your mom?"

"Again, why else…"

"Right."

"Which means I probably have it."

"But we've been through all of her stuff multiple times," he reminded her gently. "There's no tape."

"Then we missed it," Kate insisted. "It's there somewhere, Castle. It's in my apartment. We have to go back and find it."

"How?" he asked. "You know IA has your place under surveillance."

"I…"

"Of course, if your stuff was all at the loft…" he muttered under his breath.

"Not the time," Kate hissed through clenched teeth. "And you really think they don't have the loft surrounded too?"

"Then I don't see how we can get in."

"We call Ryan and Espo," she answered easily. "Have them help us out."

"Kate."

"Castle, this is our only shot," she stated firmly. The drunkenness was long gone now and her voice had regained its usual authority and determination.

He opened his mouth in hesitation but didn't speak.

"You were the one saying I wasn't gonna go down for this," she quoted back at him. "And you were right. If we can find that tape, it'll all be over."

He flicked his eyes to the rearview mirror, glanced back out the windshield as he depressed the brake pedal, slowing the car almost to a stop and pulling over onto the shoulder. His stomach was roiling with nerves, his writer's mind spinning all the possible scenarios for how this could possibly go awry. But he had to admit that she was right. This was their shot, and they had to take it.

"Okay," he conceded, turning the wheel and guiding the car around into the opposite direction. "You're right. Let's go."

The elephants.

In a million years, Castle never would have thought to take apart the family of white elephants decorating the corner of her desk. But it was there.

They had the proof they'd been searching for.

Castle didn't think he'd ever been more proud in his life than he was as he watched Kate emerge from the courthouse with Senator Bracken in handcuffs. She was still shaken, he knew, but she looked confident and strong as she led him down the stairs surrounded by a mob of reporters.

She handed him off at the curb, tossed Ryan and Espo her keys.

She'd done her job. She didn't need to be there for the drive back to the precinct.

Castle watched from his spot on the sidewalk as Ryan and Espo shoved Bracken into the back of her car, eyes on Kate as she watched them drive away. Her eyes followed the car until it disappeared from sight; as soon as it was gone, she shifted her gaze to him, tears pooling in her eyes.

He extended his arms as she approached, arms encircling her waist as she looped hers around his neck, holding him tightly.

"She's proud of you," he whispered into her hair, felt her exhale a shaky breath. "Wherever she is, she's proud."

"I never could've done this without you," Kate murmured against his neck.

They stood wrapped in each other's embrace for a long moment, oblivious to the people around them, the noise, the traffic rushing by.

The reverie was broken only by the vibrations of Kate's phone. She stepped back but didn't go far, one arm still draped around Castle's neck as she retrieved the device. She smiled at the face flashing on the screen, answered the call and raised the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Dad," she greeted. "You heard?"

"On the news right now." A long pause, then, "I'm so proud of you, Katie. And I know your mom is too."

Kate stepped back into Castle, resting her forehead against the cradle of his neck as the first tear slipped free. She sniffed, pressed her eyes closed, but couldn't find the words.

"We'll talk later, okay?" Jim offered, saving her the need to speak.

"Okay," she murmured in agreement. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Kate pocketed her phone, lifted watery eyes to Castle's. He smiled softly, one finger catching the hair that was caught in her eyelashes and gently tucking it behind her ear.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded, smiled through the tears.

She missed her mom. She'd always miss her mom.

But for the first time in seventeen years, she almost felt whole again.

She had closure. She had an incredible partner, in crime solving and in life. A man who loved her. A man she loved more than she'd ever loved anyone.

A man she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And it was time to take the next step with him.

Kate extended a hand, snagging his and lacing their fingers together.

Castle fell into stride next to her and they began making their way up the sidewalk on foot. The precinct was just a few blocks away and the autumn chill mixed with the sunshine and the lightest of breezes made for perfect walking weather. Maybe they'd even stop for coffee or lunch.

But Kate had other ideas, it seemed. He felt the gentle tug of her hand on his at the next intersection, stuttered to a halt and turned curious eyes to hers. She was gazing up at him, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth, her eyes soft and green and so full of love.

God, she was so beautiful. So fierce and strong. So loving.

Her hand tugged again, fingers tightening around his, and he followed without hesitation as she turned them in the direction of the loft.

"Come on, Castle," she murmured, voice soft but sure. "Let's go home."

END

And that's a wrap!

It's been a long time since I've written much of anything for this fandom, and certainly since I've written anything this long, so thank you to all of you for reading and retweeting links, and for your lovely comments, and for still being out there keeping this fandom alive!

Thank you also to: (1) Andy, my wonderful beta/cheerleader; (2) Alex for helping me work through all the details of Johanna Beckett's case in this alternate scenario; and (3) Angie for the lovely cover art.

Until next time!

Diana