207. Chapter 207

AN: Helen, you agreed to edit an 8-10 chapter story for me and still stuck with me to the end of this. Thank you so much. That was over and above, and I appreciate it much more than I can say.

To the readers:

1. Thank you for staying with this much too long saga all the way to the end. I hope it's been worth the journey.

2. Thank you to those who left reviews, favorites, follows, etc. Writers love that. It lets us know there are readers.

3. I appreciate that some of you have said you're looking forward to another story, but it will probably be a long time before I write anything else. I've enjoyed writing this, but I obviously lost complete control of the time factor in this one at least 100 chapters back, and I can't do that again. Real life is justifiably demanding that I give it more attention.

4. When/if I post something again, I will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever,(imagine 207 ever's) post one word unless the entire story is finished. Scout's honor.

xxxxxxxxx

Epilogue 2

While living at the beach house, Rick and Kate laughingly concocted a Nikki Heat story involving Nikki and Jameson coming out of retirement to consult on a case run by a young lead detective from Castle's most popular recent standalone book. It began as a joke, but then they realized Nikki and Jameson hadn't aged as much as the Castles had. They could still provide action by making a standing joke through the story of letting the detective's young team grumble about how the old consultant people figured things out and then sat around and waited for the team to go out get their butts kicked. Nikki and her favorite journalist got in on a little of the action but privately congratulated themselves on letting the younger people handle most of it. Castle and Kate enjoyed planning it, and Castle talked her into helping him write it.

He explained the method he and Jamie used on the two books they wrote together, and he and Kate worked the same way. It wouldn't be long before Black Pawn would be checking on the possibilities of a new book anyway, and Castle thought they would probably have something by then. They worked at the same leisurely rate he and Jamie had worked on their first book, and said nothing to the publishing company until it was nearly finished. The publisher could hardly wait to get the book on the market. Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook were the most popular of Castle's characters. The public hadn't heard from Nikki and Rook for years, and now they were back, and jointly written by their two real life counterparts.

Castle had already decided that this was likely to be his last book, and he couldn't think of a better way to end his writing career than by sharing it with Kate. The following year, in time for holiday sales, a book written by Richard and Kate Castle rose to the top of the bestseller list for several weeks and remained in the top ten for a while longer. It was dedicated to their family…parents, parental figures, children, and grandchildren…and their extended family from their days at the twelfth. Those who had made their lives extraordinary.

At the age of eighty five, signings involving several hours of interacting with undetermined numbers of fans were no longer in the cards for Castle, and didn't sound particularly exciting to Kate, either. The two of them did, however, agree to one hour sessions of limited numbers of fans, chosen either by random selection of names from online opportunities or by allowing stores to have people sign up for the limited sessions first come first served. He still enjoyed his fans, and during the months around Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, he and Kate agreed to a couple of signings a week either during the day or early in the evening. The fans were greeted as congenially and appreciatively as ever, both writers allowing quick photo ops and charming the fans completely…and then the couple took the car service home and collapsed for a while.

xxxxx

When the upstairs master bedroom at the Hamptons house became a physical difficulty to reach, rather than put a stairlift chair in the narrow stairway, they opted to install a large, comfortable convertible sofa in Rick's study there for times when they felt an overwhelming need to visit the ocean for a day or two. Then they gave their bedroom their best effort at a proper goodbye and moved back to the loft full time.

After moving back to the city, the couple began to question why they were living in such a large place.

JD and Alexis were in the position of having discovered repairs that would need to be made in the not too distant future in John's old apartment, where they had been living since John married Martha. It was about the same size as Castle's loft. Both places had been kept in good repair, but they knew the heating/AC, a major expense and inconvenience, was going to have to be replaced in a couple of years, and some of the plumbing was looking like another not too distant demand. City codes had been changed since the last time the plumbing had, so it was going to be another major investment and inconvenience. Their children were in college now, and they needed to decide whether to invest more there or look for something else and sell it.

When JD and Alexis went to dinner with their parents, JD and Castle discussed it; and Castle had an idea, but he wanted to speak to Kate about it first.

After everyone had left, he brought their evening glass of wine and sat close to her on the sofa. He started by explaining the decision Alexis and JD were caught up in at the moment. "Lately, we've been thinking this is more house than we need." He chuckled and said, "The trip to the front door seems longer than it used to. It's like the place expanded or something. I don't know if they'd want it, but we could move into Mother's apartment next door and offer them the loft. We could refurnish and redecorate the other apartment…and retain some rights to the gym if you want. Maybe find a place for an elevator from the other apartment to the gym?"

"This has been home for so long…so many memories…" She put her wine on the table behind the sofa and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I hate to think about leaving it, but there are advantages to the apartment next door. Except for the gym, which we don't use as often as we used to because of the stairs, there's an entire floor here that we never use unless one of the kids comes to visit with their family. And we don't take care of preparing for that anymore anyway. Martha's apartment isn't a small one unless you compare it to this one or John's. Since she died, it's only been used as a guest suite."

"We've kept the loft in good enough condition that I don't think they'd have complaints about that, but they may want to find something new…entirely theirs. We can sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow."

"This must be the kind of mixed feelings Martha had when she moved next door. I missed her then, and I still do. Do you think we'll be able to sleep in her room?" There are a lot of memories there, too."

I don't want to think of what she and John were up to in that room, or that it's where she drew her last breath; but I'm pretty sure she'd tell us to redecorate, make it our own, forget all that, and enjoy it." After talking a while longer, Kate gave him a long, slow kiss, and he said, "Our own room here is still available. Are you feeling, in Mother's words, frisky? We could celebrate her love of life…her joie de vivre and see what we can work up." He accompanied the French phrase with a waving of his arm and hand, which was an excellent imitation of Martha…and followed it with the playful waggling of his now white brows.

Kate laughed and sat up. "I'll take care of the wine glasses, Mr. Sexy Octogenarian. You turn down the covers, and I'll meet you under them. We'll see what happens."

Castle chuckled and willingly followed orders.

xxxxx

After a consulting visit with Julian and Merrick, the Castles felt confident that they could manage to install an elevator to access their gym without disturbing Alexis and JD. Then they called and invited them to dinner. When the meal was over, they sat at the dining table with Alexis and JD and made their offer, with the gym provision. "We're trying not to give in to age until it forces us to," Castle told them. "Even me, believe it or not."

They explained their logic and the elevator plan as shared space with dual access. "We've already talked to Jamie and Jo. They're both happy where they are but said they'd feel better with family next door to their aged parents." Kate stopped to roll her eyes. "I can almost hear your father saying that to Martha. We know you might prefer something newer and entirely your own, and we know you probably need time to think about it; but it's available if you w…" she continued.

"Can we talk in your study for a few minutes?" JD asked.

"Sure. It's all yours."

He took Alexis' hand and led her to the study, closing the door while Castle and Kate looked at each other in surprise. "I wonder which side that falls on," Castle mused.

About ten minutes later, the two came back smiling. "Are you sure you want to do that…move into Gram's apartment?" JD asked.

"We've talked about it," Castle answered, "and it makes sense for us. There's way more space here than we need now. The two things you mentioned as upcoming problems in your apartment were both replaced here recently while we were living in the Hamptons."

"We love this place," Alexis said excitedly. Most of my life involves memories of this loft. And our kids always loved it here."

JD interrupted. "Dad, some of the happiest times of my life were here. It felt more like home than my parents' place. To me, it's always felt like the love in your family had steeped into the walls and woodwork, and I could walk in the door and absorb it. There's room for the kids when they come home from college...and to bring our grandchildren to visit when we get around to that. And Christmas can happen here at the loft for another generation. If you're sure that's what you want to do, we're willing to call a real estate agent tomorrow and put our place on the market."

"We'd need at least a month, maybe two, to have an elevator installed and decide on what stays and goes in each place, and to have the other apartment ready to move in."

"We'd need time to reorganize, too. We'll talk to the kids tonight and let them know the plans," Alexis promised.

xxxxx

Castle was ninety-nine years old. He was still moving around on his own, but not nearly as fast as he once did, and often with a cane. He had aged well, but it was catching up with him. He had lost a lot of weight but didn't look unhealthy, and he was relieved to have managed to retain a full head of hair…even though what started in his late forties as a distinguished graying at the temples was now entirely white. He had lost a little bit of the edge in his short term memory but was still mentally sharp…and he never lost his sense of humor or his Castle charm.

Kate was eighty-nine and slowing down herself, but she still worked out and was in excellent condition for her age. When her hair started turning gray, Martha had encouraged her to color it, but she decided to see if she could grow old gracefully. It began as scattered white hairs, which expanded to white streaks around her face. Then gradually the white took over in streaks everywhere, and her hair was now entirely white, too. Lanie disgustedly grumbled periodically through the years of the process that it wasn't fair that all Kate's stages of going gray looked like her hairdresser had planned it. She and Kate still had occasional girl time, but usually lunches rather than being out late. Frank had died a few years before, and Kate had insisted that Lanie spend some time with them at the beach house afterward.

Rick and Kate never gave up their loving touching, even though it now culminated in something far less spectacular than it used to. They had always been a might adventurous in their lovemaking, though; and they could now draw on those memories to find their own creative ways to still make each other feel loved.

They continued to attend the fundraisers for a few of their favorite charities and even danced to some slow tunes at the galas...still occasionally showing up in what now passed for page six. A planner was hired annually for a fund raiser evening to support the Johanna Beckett Scholarship Fund. In memory of Martha, they would occasionally go to a show; but they stayed home a lot.

They made a habit of taking almost daily walks as far as they could go and then hailing a taxi to get back home. The first time they did it, they laughed at themselves; but afterward, Castle pointed out that it wasn't a bad idea. Sometimes before starting their walk, they'd take a taxi to a place they hadn't seen in a while. And would often find a coffee shop, where they could sit and give themselves time to recover enough to hail a cab to take them home…and laugh at themselves. They would still hold hands or walk with his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, becoming what they and most of their friends had predicted they would…the cute old couple obviously deeply in love with each other and making people near them smile. Love still seemed to fill the air around them.

Alexis checked in almost every day, making use of the adjoining door the Castles had installed for Martha…sometimes with JD…sometimes with her children, or sometimes her whole family. She was keeping a close eye on Castle's health, and she had noticed he was sleeping a lot more.

"How is Dad?" she asked Kate. "He's been asleep almost every time I've been here lately."

"We took our walk this morning. That always wears him out. He should be up in a little while, though."

"Does it wear him out faster now?"

"I think it's beginning to. He has to take a minute to catch his breath more often, but he doesn't let it stop him. He says he's going to move as long as he can, and I have to admire that. He's very close to a century old. The big party is only a couple of weeks away, and he's really looking forward to it. Most of his writer friends are gone, but others, mostly younger ones he's mentored, plan to be here. Blake's children are coming…and Meagan's family. The Ryans and Espositos and their children and grandchildren will be here…and Lanie, and Roy's children, and assorted other friends from over the years. I miss Victoria and Ray, but their daughters and their families are coming." She smiled fondly. "He's going to love it."

"You haven't called me for any party help. Is everything going well?"

"I did hire an event planner, you know." Kate smiled at her. "All I've had to do for most of it is request what I want and approve things…and they miraculously happen. I wish we could still call Bradford. Shelley is very good, very competent, but Bradford was more fun; and after all the weddings he planned for us, he felt like family.

"We did keep him busy for a few years, didn't we?" Alexis smiled back.

"I'm working on an old fashioned, turn the pages photo album for your father for his birthday. We have all the photos on updated technology, but there's something soothing about being able to sit down somewhere comfortable and turn pages…and nothing makes him happier than his family."

"As much as he's been sleeping, I guess you've had plenty of time to work on it."

"Reproducing the pictures took the most time. He had dates on most of them, though; so organizing the ones I wasn't there for was easier than I thought. Want to see the albums so far?"

Alexis nodded and followed her to her little office area.

"I actually have two. One goes through our wedding and up to my first pregnancy. The other starts with Jamie and will include everything up to Rick's birthday party. Then I'll put one together with the birthday pictures. I've been working on the first two off and on for the last six months."

"You started with Dad and me," Alexis said with a soft, pleased smile.

"I couldn't bring myself to include pictures of Meredith and Gina, though. Does that make me petty?"

"No. They're not around to complain anymore anyway." Alexis snorted a little laugh and added, "And you'll enjoy the albums a lot more without them."

"Yeah, I will," Kate answered with a grin. "And after this much work, I intend to enjoy them, too."

"Oh, look. There's Dad and Uncle Kevin and newborn Katie. All kinds of bonding going on there."

"Your dad told Ryan he should hold her first, since she was his first grandchild, but Rick could hardly wait his turn. Javi gave them such a hard time over the emotion when they saw their first shared granddaughter."

Alexis laughed. "I remember both of them turning and giving Uncle Javi the Beckett death glare and telling him to shut up. Then they all laughed and Javi got his turn to hold her. As she turned the album pages, she said, "He's going to love this so much, Kate. I don't think you could find a better gift."

"We'd better put it back in the box before he wakes up."

xxxxx

Castle reveled in his party and at being surrounded by people he loved and respected, and he asked Kate to help him be sure he didn't miss personally speaking to every one of them. People told stories about him and teased him about a wide variety of past activities. At one point one of the grandchildren accidentally overheard a conversation and exclaimed, "Grandddaddy rode a horse naked?!"

Castle's answer was, "I was young and stupid. Your grandmother straightened me out after that. Leave it there, Kid…and don't try it yourself."

When it was over, Jamie asked if having a good party was worth being a hundred years old to have it."

"Yeah. I'm still here. Might as well celebrate it. I always did love a good party."

"We learned a lot of new stuff eavesdropping on conversations around the room," Jo teased.

"Yep," Amos agreed with a grin. "It was a great party. Fun…and informative."

xxxxx

After the party, Castle could frequently be found sitting with one of the albums Kate had put together for him, slowly turning pages and smiling, stopping now and then to touch a picture that triggered a fond memory. Later he might be found sound asleep with the same album in his lap.

Alexis grew more concerned about her father in the next few months. Nothing about his general health had seemed to change, but he slept more of the time and had begun to complain of being tired, the same way Martha had in her last months.

One day, the October after his party, he was complaining more often about being tired, and Kate talked him into lying down in bed. She pulled a blanket up around him and kissed his forehead before calling Alexis. Then she called her other two children and JD. I have no reason to give you except that I feel like he's slipping away from us. For both of your parents, would you come for dinner tonight? Even if he's okay, he'd love it, and I could use the supportive company. I'll order something we can set up as a buffet, so as you come in you can serve yourselves and warm it.

Rick always enjoyed having his family around him. "Why do you think they all chose tonight?" he asked when they had a few minutes to themselves.

"Because I invited them, Goofball," she answered, and they both continued to enjoy their children.

When Rick said he was going back to his room to lie down for a few minutes, Kate went with him. Alexis was beginning to feel that Kate might be right to be concerned and followed them, kissed her father on the forehead, and told him she loved him; then she stood by as Kate sat on the side of the bed holding his hand as he talked to her. "Thank you for the photo albums, Kate. It's one of my favorite gifts ever. I love being able to see our photos anywhere, but there's something I've always found appealing about turning pages…almost like reaching out to touch our family when all of us were younger. I think all of us have enjoyed them."

Jo and Jamie were at the door listening and used the excuse that they might need to go home soon to come in and kiss their father and hold his hand for a moment. Amos and Sarah Grace came in to say goodnight and told JD to stay. They knew how he and Rick felt about the importance of fathers. Castle told each of them that he loved them, as he always did when they left. They talked and joked with him for a few more minutes until he seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes open. The children backed away as far as the door where they could still hear and left Kate sitting beside him holding his hand. Sarah Grace and Amos went back to the living room.

Castle looked up at his wife. "Our always has been precious to me, Sweetheart. I've tried to hold on and look out for you as long as you live, but I don't think that's going to happen. I don't know how long I have, but I meant it when I said always. When it's your time, come and find me. I'll be waiting for you."

"I will, Rick. I promise."

"Lie down with me for a while?"

"Always," she answered and stretched out beside him. He turned his head to give her a loving kiss before she snuggled against him and pulled the blanket over them.

"I love you," he said as he drifted off to sleep, holding the hand she had rested on his chest. About half an hour later, his hand went limp in hers, and she checked for a pulse. He had never wanted to linger, and he had a DNR, so as with Martha, there was nothing to be done. Kate lay beside him for another few minutes and then got up.

Their children were still keeping their vigil from the sitting area close by when she came from the bedroom.

"Is he…" Jamie started.

The tears falling from their mother's eyes told them without words. "He never seemed in pain. He just…"

JD took on Castle's role, sent Sarah Grace and Amos a text, and pulled his family into a group hug before Sarah Grace and Amos came to comfort their spouses. Lanie was there for Kate before too much longer.

Rick and Kate had decided they wanted to be cremated and have their combined ashes scattered off the shore of the beach house, so a memorial service was planned, attended by family and extended family and a couple of trusted members of the press. The children had put together a slide show of photos throughout Castle's life, And Kate also displayed several letters of commendation Castle had received from NYPD and various federal agencies they had worked with over the years. None were long on details, only mentioned meritorious service in the resolution of a case. Each member of their team had received the same letters, but she wanted the public to know that her husband was much more than a tagalong writer.

As they did for Martha, the press made mention of his death with a history of his career. Authors don't usually receive as much attention as actors, but Castle had been a colorful and popular character, garnering a little more attention than most authors. The reports usually started with his playboy persona, the research for the Nikki Heat books, the large number of bestsellers, and the work with the NYPD, which was now being reported with the importance it actually held…and his steadfast refusal to publicize his real contributions. And, as with Martha, there were a number of people, both from charitable organizations and individuals, who were ready and willing to talk about being the recipients of Castle's generosity. Many individuals said he preferred they didn't talk about it, that he just wanted to help; but they thought people should know what a good man he was. Almost all the TV stations played a video of Castle's favorite interview. After all his children were eighteen or more and he and Jamie had been on air together, he had agreed to a family interview, the parents, all the children and the grandparents. There wasn't a shrinking violet among them, although Jim and Meagan weren't quite as comfortable with it as the others. They all talked to the host, joked with each other, explained the growth of the Castle/Rodgers family from three to ten, and answered questions, making it clear that they were an eclectic, but close and loving family. And they mentioned their extended family as being a valuable part of the support system for their children. It doused all thought that Castle was anything less than a family man. The host even mentioned the then twenty-four year marriage to Kate and talked them into a kiss for the cameras.

xxxxx

After the memorial service and the couple of days of press coverage, Kate pulled herself together and went to see their attorney. Winston Griffith had retired and passed away a few years before Castle, so she was seeing the new senior partner in the firm, Ben Maldanado.

"Rebecca said to offer her condolences," he told her. "I told her I would be seeing you today."

"Tell her she's been making me proud for a long time. And the big case she so successfully pulled together last month made me even prouder. And please tell Patton I have the beautiful card she sent. I haven't answered everyone yet, but I will."

"I have everything that requires your signature at the moment right here. This will be the beginning. Everyone in the family and the extended family was well taken care of in Mr. Castle's will. We'll have everyone here to take care of that next week. Is there anyone you anticipate might contest anything?"

"No. None of us are likely to argue about anything. I think Castle had set everything up so there wasn't much chance of that anyway."

"I believe you're right. I found him to be well aware of a lot more than the average client. He was a pleasure to talk to…informed about so many things. I enjoyed working with him."

Kate provided the documents needed, signed what was necessary at the moment, and asked questions about the length of the process and the steps left to complete the settling of the estate. If you would have someone draw up a schedule…an approximate timeline of what needs to be done and a list of anything else I may need to provide to handle it efficiently, I'd appreciate it."

"I'll do that and get it in the mail to you, Mrs. Castle. And my sincere condolences. The times I spoke to him about family affairs, I could see how much Mr. Castle loved you. Winston told me that you never cared about the money, just the man."

Kate nodded her thanks.

Castle had been gone since the end of October. Kate saw to it that all estate affairs were handled properly, and she put on a good front for the grandchildren for the fall and winter holidays. She helped Alexis cook the feasts and helped the grandchildren make Christmas cookies. Then she would go home and cry herself to sleep. She missed Rick.

She still took a walk every day, but not too far. On the path she and Castle normally walked, people knew her; and she was smart enough to be careful about being in safe places. In early March, she left her apartment mid-afternoon, dressed appropriately for the weather prediction she had seen that morning; but at almost the far end of her walk, the temperature dropped significantly, and her light coat wasn't warm enough. She tried a couple of times to hail a taxi but had no luck. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. Then the wind picked up and a drizzly rain started. By the time she got home, she was chilled to the bone and wet or at least very damp all the way to her skin. Alexis stepped out of a taxi just as Kate entered the building and heard the doorman expressing concern.

"I'll be fine, Mitch," Kate assured him. "I'm going to get into a nice hot shower and get warm. Thanks for worrying, though."

"If you need anything, just call down and I'll take care of it," he promised.

She got on the elevator and Alexis was right on her heels, wanting to know what happened to her. She explained and noted that she tried to get a taxi but other people got to them first. You heard what I told Mitch. Don't worry. I just need to warm up. I can barely feel my feet."

Alexis left her alone for about forty-five minutes before going to check on her. Kate greeted her in her warmest slippers and socks and her warmest bathrobe over her warmest pajamas. "Okay, fine. I'm still cold. But I'm old, Alexis. Everything takes a little longer than it used to. I've piled extra blankets on the bed, and I have the big heating pad in your dad's recliner with more blankets, and I'm gonna wrap myself up with the heating pad and watch something mindless on TV. I'll be fine by tomorrow. It looks like this afternoon's weather surprised everybody. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation."

"But you're the only parent I have left. I'm gonna worry."

"You can sneak in and check on me before work tomorrow morning if it makes you feel better. And if you want to bring me coffee after I'm settled in the chair right now, I won't complain."

The next morning, Alexis did come in to check on her. Kate seemed all right, but she was curled up as if she were still cold, in spite of the pile of blankets over her. Alexis found several microwavable heating pads they used for shoulders and small areas and gave them to Kate, telling her where to put them to help warm her up more efficiently, and slid them under the covers so Kate didn't have to feel the cool air of the room.

"I'm turning up the heat before I go, and I'll be back when I get home. You'd better be taking care of yourself."

"Yes, Mom," Kate joked.

The extra heat in the apartment and the heating pads helped, and Kate got up, put on thermal underwear and warm clothes and reheated the small heating pads to take to the chair with her. She just couldn't quite get warm.

During the rest of the week she developed a cold and a cough, but Alexis kept an eye on her and brought her medicine for it. Alexis was scheduled for a five day seminar she had been looking forward to for a while, and Kate really seemed to have nothing more than a cold and a little cough. JD faithfully checked in every morning and evening while Alexis was gone, and Kate managed not to worry him, but her cough was getting a lot worse. Once it started, it was hard to stop and she could feel it deep in her chest. When it was worse at the end of the week, she was just too exhausted to leave home to see a doctor.

When Alexis got home, she came to check on her just before Kate had a violent coughing spell…and there was blood on the tissue.

"How long has that been happening?" Alexis asked accusingly.

"This morning, I was going to call the doctor if it happened again."

"Well, it just did, so get dressed. We're going to the emergency room. I'll tell JD and then come back to get you."

"Don't blame him for not noticing. I didn't have a coughing jag when he was here. JD checked on me every day and brought me meals a few times…even sat and ate with me."

Kate was admitted to the hospital. Her cold had developed into full blown pneumonia. Kate's doctor told Alexis that she was getting all the right treatment, and Alexis looked at her chart and agreed, but Kate wasn't responding as well as they expected.

"But Kate has always been such a fighter." She told the doctor about the sniper's shot and how hard she fought to get back to normal."

"Other than her age, is something different this time?" the doctor asked.

"My dad isn't here. He died almost seven months ago."

"Well, we'll continue the treatments," the doctor answered, "and hopefully we'll see some improvement by morning."

"My sister will probably be here in the next fifteen minutes, and she's probably going to want to stay with her. Can we arrange a cot for her?"

"I'll ask a nurse to take care of that, Dr. Farnsworth."

The next couple of days saw very little improvement overall, even though the cough was more under control. Kate slept a lot and talked to whichever of her children were there for as long as she could stay awake. Jo and Jamie were there on her third morning in the hospital, and she smiled when she woke and saw them.

"Mom, that's the best smile we've seen in a long time. It's nice to see," Jo told her.

"I saw him last night…your dad. Yeah, I do know it was a dream; but it felt so real. He leaned over the bed and kissed my forehead and talked to me for a while…I don't remember much of what he said, but he was holding my hand. He said he loved me and missed me, and was waiting for me. Then he kissed me. I can still almost feel it." She smiled again and touched her fingertips to her lips.

"He always did make you smile."

"He did. Even sometimes when I didn't want to. He had the best smiles."

"Can we get you anything?"

"Coffee? And something other than hospital food breakfast? Not much, though. I'm not too hungry."

Kate fell asleep that evening after Alexis and JD had visited and Jo and Jamie were back. It was her fourth nap that day, and she never woke up.

xxxxx

Her memorial service was attended mostly by family and friends, but a group of NYPD captains, all of whom had been trained by Captain Beckett, respectfully asked if they could attend. Patton wasn't mentored as a captain; but to a large degree, she owed her NYPD career to Beckett and asked to be included. They all came in dress uniforms, presented a folded flag to the children at the end of the memorial service, and formed two lines as an honor guard and saluted when the family left with her ashes. When they were all outside, the children thanked them and asked them to introduce themselves, recognizing almost all the names from Kate's stories.

Several of them said that Beckett often mentioned the house at the beach as if it were a special place to her, and Malicot, who had presented the flag said, "We wanted you to have the flag, thinking you might want to fly it there on the summer holidays for her.

"Every summer, starting this Memorial Day," Alexis promised. "Thank you."

And the rest of the family echoed their appreciation.

"You look so much like her, Schroder said to Jo. "Your mother was amazing. She gave me a second chance that I didn't deserve. Captain Patton and I can both attest to her determination to wring the best out of her people if it's at all possible."

"She tried to wring the best out of us, too," Jamie answered with a smile.

The following weekend, on a warm March day, the family went to the beach house to carry out their parents' wishes. A neighbor who lived a couple of doors from the beach house took them off shore on his boat, and they let the wind carry the mingled ashes over the easy waves.

Late in the afternoon, the spouses were setting up to start the grill for dinner while the three Castle children stood in the back yard of the house quietly watching the ocean and saw a swimmer coming toward the beach.

"He must be a member of one of those polar bear clubs. The water is still way too cold to be swimming out there," Alexis said as a tall, muscular, dark haired man emerged from the waves wiping the water from his face and eyes as he seemed to be looking for something. Then out of nowhere, a tall, slender brunette came racing down the beach toward him.

"You think that's who he was looking for?" Jamie asked with a smile.

"Looks like it," Jo answered as the man held out his arms to catch her as she ran to him.

"Didn't Mom have a purple one-piece like that one when you guys were in grade school?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah," Jamie answered. "It even had that diaphanous skirt thing she wore with it."

"Really? You nailed 'diaphanous' and couldn't follow it up with anything better than 'skirt thing'? What kind of writer are you?" Jo teased and then pointed at the beach. "Oh yeah. That's definitely who he was looking for."

The man had picked the woman up off the ground and was swinging her around a couple of times before putting her down and pulling her in for what looked like a toe curling kiss.

"Dad had board shorts like those, too, didn't he?" Jamie asked, looking confused.

Then the couple turned toward them, and the smiling, happy parents they remembered from their childhoods waved, blew them kisses, and walked off down the beach, arms around each other the way their children remembered, and disappeared into the bright glints of sunlight reflecting from the water.

The children all looked at each other as if they might have lost their minds; then Alexis sighed, put an arm around each of her siblings' shoulders, and said contentedly, "She found him."