Johanna's Final Task

Kate was standing at the mirror trying on her outfit for the wedding when her mother appeared behind her. She turned to face the ghost. "You're here!"

"I promised you I would be," Johanna told her. "This was the last step of my final wish. That looks great, by the way. Somehow you've always been more of a pants person."

"In this world, at least," Kate commented.

"What?" Johanna asked.

"Castle told me about an alternate universe he visited, or more likely dreamed about when he fell. In it I was a captain and wore a skirt. Kate laughed. "He said he very much appreciated my legs, though."

"He'd be blind not to," Johanna observed, "but he will have plenty of opportunities. From what I've been told by the powers that control things, there are infinite alternate universes. Among other things, it's a way around time travel paradoxes. How did Castle say he visited one?"

Kate stared at the wraith in surprise. "An Incan artifact. I thought he might have been knocked out by the concussion from a flash bomb."

"Ah, my ever skeptical daughter," Johanna laughed. "However it happened, it seems to have led you to this point."

"Mom," Kate confided, "this feels like a dream. Is it really happening this time? Are we really getting married?"

"Kate," Johanna assured her, "I wouldn't be here if you weren't. That's why I didn't come last time around. The powers knew it wasn't going to happen. But if you're unsure about anything, if you need my help with anything, now is the time to ask. I won't be able to come again."

"Okay, Kate agreed. "Do you think these pants make my butt look fat?"

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Kate, that's not the kind of help I was talking about and you know it. But in answer to your question, there is not a pair of pants, not in this universe anyway, that would make your butt look fat. However, it is November and if you are going to be outside for any period of time, at least when you're not in Castle's arms, you might want to bring a cover-up. Beautiful as that lacy top is, you'll freeze. Now can we talk about the important things? Castle was brought to this point by his alternate universe experience, however it happened. How about you? How have you overcome your feelings of doubt? Or have you?"

"I want to marry Castle," Kate replied.

"That's not what I asked you," Johanna admonished.

"Wow," Kate mused. "A lot of this turns on what Castle told me. What he experienced brought him to the realization that we are better together than we are apart."

"But what brought you there?" Johanna pressed.

Kate's mind reached back. "After the explosion, when I found Castle lying there, for a moment I thought I'd lost him all over again. I'd thought I'd lost him at times before."

"Well let's see," Johanna suggested.

The try-on room disappeared and they were under the Costello Bridge. Earlier Kate, wrists taped together, and Leo the hit man, were making their way to a car where Earlier Castle and mobster Mickey Dolan waited.

"Not everything I told you was a lie," Leo explained. "I really did have a shrink. But then he diagnosed me as a sociopath with homicidal tendencies, so I had to kill him."

"Listen, Leo," Earlier Kate pleaded. "you don't want to do this. Killing a cop is going to bring you a lot of grief from the NYPD, the FBI. Just let me go."

"Sorry, can't do that," Leo told her regretfully. "I did find your relationship fascinating, though. Boy, you and Castle have some real issues. It's a shame you won't be able to work them out. But, like I said. Life is too short. "There they are!" Leo exclaimed, spotting the car. Leaving Earlier Kate, Leo walked up tho the side of the car and fired his gun into it.

"No!" Earlier Kate screamed, running at him, "No!" Earlier Kate ran to the car and peered inside, desperately relieved to find no one inside.

"What the -?" Leo exclaimed at the absence of his victims.

Leo heard a voice intone, "Looks like you missed."

Leo looked around for the source of the sound, spying Mickey Dolan with some of his men and Earlier Castle. He raised his gun.

"Drop the act," Dolan told him. "We both know you emptied your clip into that car."

Leo hesitantly lowered his gun."How did you get on to me?"

"I wish I could say I figured it out, but Shakespeare over here made the call," Dolan replied, indicating Earlier Castle.

"Once you made that comment about my mom enjoying baseball - I knew we were six months away from joking about that – I knew something had to be up," Earlier Castle told Earlier Kate with a wry smile.

Earlier Kate returned the smile broadly at the realization that her ruse had been successful.

"All I wanted to do was ask you a question about who killed my friend," Dolan explained to Leo, pulling his own gun.

"Mickey," Earlier Castle interjected.

"But I guess I don't have to ask that anymore," Dolan continued.

"Mickey, don't," Earlier Castle urged.

"He killed Joey in cold blood," Dolan argued.

"Yeah, I know," Earlier Castle agreed. "But what would Joey want? You said he never gave up on you. If you pull that trigger, you're giving up on him."

Dolan lowered his gun thoughtfully.

"This doesn't end with me," Leo told Dolan. "The O'Reillys? They'll just send somebody else. You're a dead man."

"You know what?" Dolan responded, I can live with that. Take his gun," he instructed one of his men.

Leo's gun was taken as a police car came around the corner with gumball flashing and siren screaming.. Dolan and his man dropped their guns.

"Put your hands up," an officer instructed Leo.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," Leo complied.

Earlier Kate ran toward Earlier Castle, looping her still taped hands around his neck. "I thought I lost you."

"No, no. Never, never, never," Earlier Castle declared emphatically.

"Here, get you out of this. Let me get this off," Earlier Castle told Earlier Kate as Dolan and his men were led away by the police. Earlier Castle undid her bonds. "These are for you," he said, returning the gun and badge Dolan's men had taken. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

Earlier Kate's face shown."That sounds good to me."

The scene shifted to the driveway of a Washington D. C. mansion.

Earlier Kate pulled her car into the driveway and parked. She got out and noticed that the passenger door was open. Earlier Castle got out too, trying to support his failing body on the door, but fell to the ground. "Castle! No, no!" Earlier Kate cried out. She rushed to his side, and framed his face in her hands. "Rick, look at me. Are you -? Earlier Castle was unresponsive. She ran her hand tenderly over his head before standing up with her weapon at ready and moving in for the hunt."

"How did you feel?" Johanna asked as they shimmered back to the present.

Kate's voice gritted through her teeth. "Like I would do anything or kill anyone to save him."

"No matter what?" Johanna asked.

"No matter what." Kate confirmed.

"And now?" Johanna asked.

The light of realization slowly passed across Kate's face. "It hasn't changed. No matter what, I can't imagine my life without him."

"Then I guess you're ready," Johanna concluded with satisfaction.

Kate nodded slowly. "I am ready."

It was the most beautiful sunset Johanna had ever seen and Kate and Rick glowed against its background as they said their vows. Jim looked proud and excited and Johanna wished that he could see her. She stood behind him and he turned for a moment, as if he could feel her presence. The ceremony was short, but if Johanna had tears, she would have shed them. She had never seen Kate or Jim look so happy.

The cork was popped on a bottle of iced champagne. Jim's glass was filled with sparkling cider and he toasted with Alexis and Martha. Complete unto themselves, Kate and Rick danced to music from Rick's cell phone. Johanna felt a pull. She raised a hand to Kate, who lifted her head from Rick's shoulder, gazing at Johanna. "What are you looking at?" Rick asked.

"My mother is waving goodbye," Kate explained. "She looks - content."

"Do you think you'll ever see her again?" Rick asked.

Kate pressed her head into his shoulder. "I don't think so. She said this would be her final appearance, but it's all right. She saw Dad happy. She saw me happy. That's the way things were meant to be."

Johanna shimmered away as Kate and Rick swayed in each others' arms under the first evening star.

Finis.