Title: Revelations - chapter 2 - All is Revealed

Summary: Kate reflects on the aftermath of the night she and Castle revealed their secrets.

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.

Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!

Kate stood looking out the window at the electrified city. Even after all this time, it still amazed her how bright New York was at night. Between the neon signs, the car lights, and the giant, beaming spotlights in front of theaters and events, there was little darkness to be found. It was a constant visual reminder of the millions of people living their lives there on the island of stone forests.

The city had a rhythm too. An ebb and flow of sounds. Horns, sirens, squealing brakes, gunshots, and a plethora of voices blending into a steady hum could be heard at all times. Even now, before the sun had risen, even from where she stood inside the apartment looking down.

She let out a sigh as her mind wandered from the heartbeat of the city below to thoughts of what today was. January ninth. The anniversary of her mother's murder. Now that the case had been solved and justice served, this day had become more of a victory celebration than a reminder of the loss she and her father had suffered all those years ago.

It had taken six months. Six months almost to the day from the time she and Castle had made their confessions. The morning after he had made her breakfast in bed, just as he had said he would. Then they had spent the whole morning, and most of the afternoon, wrapped up in each others arms. He'd told her about the evidence he'd put together when he'd discovered another copy of the bank records that had been destroyed in the fire, and how he could link it to a wealthy senator's family.

He had made her promise that she would stay in the background, so that no one would know she was working the case again. She had agreed only on the condition that if it became unsafe for him as well, he would walk away. She had told him that she couldn't lose him too, especially not to the same people who had taken her mother from her.

And right then, as she lay in his bed, tangled up in his arms, hearing him whisper promises to her, the rest of the wall fell. They had gotten past their secrets, and finally admitted their love to each other, out loud and with total reciprocation.

It had been a hard six months. They'd had to compile evidence, find people willing to testify, and craft everything into an unquestionable, indisputable case. The man that had warned Castle to keep Beckett away, whom they still called Mr. Smith even now, had become a powerful ally, and the packet Montgomery had sent him filled in all the holes they couldn't fill on their own. All the players had been found and dealt with in one way or another.

Vulcan Simmons had been killed by the same people he was working for when they thought he had taken a deal and given them up. He had not, but it was an oddly poetic bit of justice for him. Although Kate had wanted him to go on trial and pay for his crimes the legal way, she had felt no sadness when she'd learned of his murder.

Gary McCallister was living in protective custody in exchange for his testimony against the people who had paid him to keep quiet.

Mike Yanavich had taken a deal for immunity in exchange for his information about how he helped cover up the murders and the police connection to them. Fortunately for him, by the time he'd agreed to talk, the case was too well known for his life to be threatened.

Rod Halstead had been found guilty of conspiracy after the fact and would spend the rest of his life in prison. He'd been offered a deal for a lesser sentence in exchange for giving up who paid him to lie in the fire report, but he'd chosen to maintain his innocence than to admit he'd broken the law.

Finally, the people who were behind the entire conspiracy, from Bob Armen's death to hiring Hal Lockwood, were brought to justice. Casper Wellesley had started everything when he first ran for office, and his sons, Winston and Blake, had continued with the cover up long after he died. Most of their lives had been spent looking out for themselves, but in a surprising act of selflessness, they had agreed to make a full confession, no trial needed, if the rest of the family would be left alone. They insisted that no one else knew of the event that had taken place, and Mr. Smith's information seemed to back that up.

So with Casper dead of old age and Winston and Blake behind bars until they died, the case was closed. Though justice had been served both by the law and by death, it had been served nonetheless. It had been a long, difficult road, but Kate and Castle had only grown closer and deeper in love as they traveled down it.

Kate took in a deep breath as her mind came back to the present and she let it out slowly. She realized the sun was finally peeking over the horizon, it's light winding itself through the buildings. A smile found it way across her face as she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

Rick put his arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Good morning." She answered as she turned in his embrace and encircled him with her arms too before kissing him deeply.

"You doing okay?" He asked after he pulled his lips from hers.

"Yes." She kissed him again. "Can we go visit mom and dad later?"

"Of course."

He knew it had been hard on her to lose her father too, but he'd been sick for almost three years, and knowing he was no longer suffering made his passing a little easier. He kissed her forehead and tightened his grip on her. They stood locked into each other until something collided with their legs. They looked down at the same time and smiled at the child who had placed his arms around their thighs in an attempt to hug them both. Rick let go of his wife and leaned down to pick up him up.

"Ricky! How's my favorite grandson this morning?" He asked as he lifted the now giggling youngster above his head.

"Grandpa Rick, you're so silly. I'm your only grandson."

"That's true. Are your sisters and cousins up yet?"

"Nope. Just me. Mom and Dad and Uncle Chris and Aunt Alexis are still asleep too."

Kate continued to smile as she watched the exchange. Although Rick loved all five of their grandchildren like crazy, he had a special bond with Richard Castle the third, who was truly a mini-version of himself, sharing both his looks and his personality.

"Well. What a bunch of sleepy heads." Rick joked, causing Ricky to burst into a fit of giggles as he was lowered to the floor.

As soon as Ricky was set down, he ran to Kate, and she picked him up. She kissed his forehead and leaned him against her hip.

"You hungry, little man?" She asked.

"Yep."

"What would you like? Grandpa Rick is cooking." She winked at the other Rick in the room and he laughed.

"Pancakes!" Ricky said excitedly and looked at Castle. "Can we please have pancakes?"

"Of course. But only if you help."

"You bet I will. Someone has to keep you from burning your eyebrows off again."

Rick crossed his arms and pretended to pout as Kate and Ricky laughed.

"I see your Aunt Alexis has been telling stories again. Of course, I only lost my eyebrows once, and that was to a turkey, never to pancakes."

"Better to be safe than sorry, Grandpa." This time Rick joined in on the laughter. Ricky looked back to Kate. "Are we still going to visit Grams today?"

Kate smiled at him. Martha had insisted her great-grandchildren still call her Grams, as the addition of great made her feel old. She was now living in an upscale senior-living complex, where she surprised everyone daily with her vitality, even as she approached 100 years old.

"Yes, sweetie, we are." She told him. "We thought it'd be fun to go as a group one more time before you all go home tomorrow."

"I don't want to go home." Ricky said quietly. "I like being here."

Kate hugged him tighter to her.

"I know. We like having you here too." She paused as Rick came and hugged the both of them. "But you and your sisters have to back to school, and so do your cousins. And your parents all have to go back to work."

"We'll see you soon though, kiddo." Rick added. "We are coming to visit in a few weeks for your dad's book launch party."

"Oh yeah!" Ricky said, his mood improving instantly. "And then we are all going to the Hamptons house for summer like every year, right?"

"We sure are. Just me and Grandma Kate and you five grand-kids. Hardly any parents for two months."

"Yes!" Ricky said as he put his little hand out, fingers up, and waited for Rick to tap it and feed the birds.

After Rick obliged they all laughed and Kate set Ricky down and he reached his hands out. Kate and Rick each took one and the trio walked out to the kitchen to start breakfast. The rest of the visitors would be up soon, and the wonderful chaos that was their family would begin again.

A/N - I normally don't add on to a one-shot, but several people asked me to continue this story. To those of you who did, I hope this meets your expectations and wraps up the story nicely for you. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and for all the kind words and encouragement. Until next time, Paige