Detective Kate Beckett paced nervously in the hallway of the large, opulent New York City courthouse building. She knew she couldn't display any nerves once she went inside the courtroom, so she tried her best to get it all out of her system now. She wanted the man she had come to meet eye-to-eye not to see any sign of weakness in her. She wanted to come across strong and confident, the two qualities she had inherited in the greatest amount from the mother the man had taken from her, the late Johanna Beckett.

It had been fifteen years ago, near the end of Kate's time in college that her life was changed forever by the monster now located just down the hall from where she stood. In all that time, for all the hours she had studied law enforcement and investigation techniques, and pored over her mother's case file, she hadn't been able to solve the crime. It wasn't until world-famous murder mystery novelist Richard Castle charmed his way onto her team and into her life, that they got a break in the case.

Eventually, they were able to connect the hit man who had actually murdered Johanna, an arrogant U.S. Special Forces veteran and international businessman named Dick Coonan, to none other than the commander of the New York State National Guard. This cunning and vindictive, yet respected soldier was an old buddy of Coonan's from the Special Forces who had manipulated his way into becoming the most powerful military figure in the State. He had cleverly surrounded himself with "old friends" like Coonan who were loyal, just as cunning, and more than willing to "troubleshoot" any problems for the sake of their boss. Johanna Beckett had been just one victim of this man's narcissistic need for total power. Besides that, Johanna and some acquaintances of hers had stumbled across evidence that the Adjutant General was actually contributing to the crime problem in the city by funding a South American drug smuggling operation. He thought that by causing crime to rise high enough, he could get the Mayor to agree to let the State National Guard help with the policing. When his soldier did a better job of controlling the nefarious elements in the city, he'd be seen as a hero and would have his pick of high-profile jobs to choose from – Mayor himself, U.S. Senator, Governor, or perhaps an appointment at the Department of Defense.

Thanks to Castle's help, and that of her squad mates Detectives Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito and her boss, Captain Roy Montgomery, her friend FBI Special Agent Jordan Shaw and her team, and personnel from the Judge Advocate General's Office, they were all able to uncover the plot and arrest The General. This time, Captain Montgomery made sure that the case at trial wouldn't be handled in the same Mickey Mouse fashion as the original investigating detectives had handled it. He pulled some strings and got one of the best prosecutors in the city assigned to the case, Assistant District Attorney Tracy Chen, who, Beckett had to admit, had done a masterful job representing the State in the case. The General had been found guilty on all counts, including the murder of Johanna Beckett.

Kate and her father Jim Beckett were in the courtroom when the verdicts were read. Upon hearing the jury foreman say the word "guilty," Beckett and her Dad hugged each other and cried silent tears. Upon leaving the courtroom that day with Castle, Ryan, and Esposito, she felt like a ten ton weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Yet, she also knew that the sentencing phase of the trial would begin soon, and would most likely be as difficult an experience to go through as surviving all she had survived in her life until now. But it had all been a little too much for Jim. Days after the verdicts, he was admitted to the hospital with chest pain and had been instructed not to testify at the sentencing. Kate would have to represent her family alone.

So here she was, waiting by herself outside the courthouse's largest courtroom to testify before the jury in the trial's sentencing phase. As she approached one of the courthouse's many large windows, she stopped and looked outside. It was a clear, sunny and mildly warm day so a fair amount of people were out and about. Being a skilled and experienced detective, Kate was quickly able to determine who was on official legal business and who was just a tourist taking in the city's sights. Her eyes rested on two parents with their two children, a boy and girl who were taking pictures of each other on the courthouse steps. Like she had so many times before, she fantasized about having that kind of a life, free of the emotional baggage similar to what she carried around with her. Then her thoughts turned to what she would have become, what she and her Mom and her Dad would be doing if nothing had happened that terrible night and Johanna had arrived safely at the restaurant to meet them for dinner. Life certainly would have been less complicated, Kate thought. But would I have been happy, truly happy she asked herself. If I had taken that route, chances are I never would have met Lanie, Ryan, Esposito, Captain Montgomery, or –

"Morning beautiful," a voice said behind her, tearing her from the window and what might have been. It was Rick Castle, the world-famous murder-mystery writer, and her fiancée. They had been engaged now for a whole year. After saving her and an FBI agent from a seriously deranged mortician who had kidnapped the both of them and had been determined to kill one of the three of them, he had popped the question right there in the precinct. Prior to that harrowing experience, they had slowly fallen for each other while Castle shadowed her and her team as research for his best-selling Nikki Heat series of books, the female protagonist being based on Beckett herself. The incident with the mortician was the catalyst that led them to realize and admit their feelings of love to each other.

"Morning, hon," she said and kissed him on the cheek.

"Whatcha looking at?" he asked, always inquisitive, and draped his arm around her shoulders. She in turn wrapped one of hers around his waist.

"Just all those nice, normal people out there who don't have to testify at the sentencing of the New York State Adjutant General who's just been convicted of murdering their mother and about a dozen other crimes," she answered in one breath, trying to introduce some levity into the situation.

"Hey, you and I both know that normal is relative. One person's soccer Mom is another person's axe murderer or prostitute," Castle observed.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I take a stroll past all the joggers in Central Park," Beckett said not sounding terribly relieved.

After standing there for a minute, arms around each other, Kate's head resting on Castle's shoulder, Kate felt Castle reach into his jacket pocket and fish something out.

"Hey, there's something I want to give you before the others get here," he said and he handed her a small, worn wooden hand mirror with flowers painted on the reverse side. "It's from Mother," Castle explained, referencing his ex-Broadway diva mother Martha Rodgers whom Kate adored. "She says it's her good luck charm. Every play she's done where she's kept that in her dressing room has gone on to be a success. She also had it with her when Alexis was born," Castle continued, mentioning his only daughter, now 21 years old. "She told me once that when she got the news she was a grandmother, she pulled out the mirror, looked at her reflection, and instead of wondering where did the time go, she cried a tear of joy thinking of this new life that had entered the world."

Kate held the mirror lovingly and beamed as Castle told his mother's story. "Then she downed another three Manhattans and passed out in bed with her director," Castle joked. Kate responded with a good laugh herself, then stepped forward and hugged the love of her life with gratitude.

"Well, so much for my bringing the troops here for extra support," Captain Montgomery said as he walked up behind her and Castle. They broke their embrace, somewhat sheepishly, and greeted Montgomery, Ryan and Esposito.

"Seriously, you two, I'm hurt," Esposito teased, forming his best wounded-puppy look on his face.

"Yeah," his partner Ryan chimed in. "Here we both thought you needed us. Guess we'll head back to the precinct and do some paperwork." He finished by wiping his eyes and feigning bursting into tears.

"Hey, it's OK, bro," Esposito comforted and clapped Ryan on the back. Captain Montgomery couldn't help but allow himself a chuckle.

"Alright, alright c'mon guys. You're talking about my wife-to-be here," Castle admonished though with a slight smirk on his face. He had come to expect this kind of teasing from Kate's guys.

"Hey, detectives cry too," Ryan said back.

"Some more than others, huh, Honey Milk?" Kate put in and the whole group burst into laughter. Castle relaxed some at seeing Kate's nervousness melt away.

"Hey, everyone. Sorry I'm a little late," Kate's best friend Medical Examiner Lanie Parish announced as she joined the group and walked up to Kate, giving her a quick but sincere hug. Castle felt even better for Kate that Lanie had succeeded in getting a day off from the morgue to come.

"You doing OK this morning?" Lanie asked Beckett.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks Lanie."

"What about the rest of us?" Esposito asked Lanie, again trying to look wounded. Castle had fallen into conversation with Montgomery and Ryan.

"What?" Lanie responded confused.

"You didn't ask how I'm doing this morning."

"Are you testifying at the sentencing hearing for the scum bag who ordered a hitman to kill your mother 15 years ago?"

Esposito got the message, shook his head feebly and suddenly became interested in the hallway's floor tiles while he rubbed the back of neck.

"That's what I thought," Lanie finished and noticed Kate giving her a knowing look complete with a subtly raised eyebrow. Lanie raised both her own eyebrows then tilted her head slightly in Esposito's direction in response, and finally eyed him briefly using her peripheral vision. When he raised his head sensing that someone was looking at him, she quickly looked away. Kate stifled a wide grin then noticed the arrival of two more people who were currently greeting Castle.

"Good morning, good morning," Martha sang, recreating the famous song from Singin' in the Rain. In the large marble courthouse hallway, her voice carried for what seemed like miles, a fact not entirely lost on Castle's daughter Alexis, who followed in her grandmother's wake wincing slightly.

"What are you two doing here?" Kate asked. Castle hadn't told her they were coming.

"Just a little surprise we cooked up that we hoped would take the edge off the hearing," she answered and the women hugged each other.

"Gram wheedled her way out of rehearsal today and I took the day off from that camp I've been volunteering at for the summer." Alexis explained.

"You know you guys really didn't have to do this," Kate protested.

"Are you kidding, darling? Of course we did. You're my future daughter-in-law. And even though it means I'll have to find another way to repay the favor I now owe the director other than wearing his favorite dress and allowing him to -"

"Mother!" Castle cautioned.

"Richard, please, in case you haven't noticed Alexis is 21 now. There's no need to protect her."

"And it's not like I haven't heard or read far worse stories about you!" Castle folded his upper lip over his bottom lip and with a quick head jerk signaled that he was withdrawing his complaint. Meanwhile, Lanie, Ryan, Esposito and Montgomery did a remarkable job at maintaining their respective composures.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, even though I'm missing rehearsal and Alexis is missing work, there's nowhere else we'd rather be today than here for you. Right kiddo?" Martha asked Alexis and she put an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, definitely," Alexis smiled then addressed Kate. "Listen, I'm not gonna pretend that I know how hard this has all been for you since I've been fortunate enough to have all my family still alive, but we all care about you. Myself included. And I admit initially when Dad told me he liked you that I didn't want someone else coming in and taking away from the time Dad and I had. But you've been so great to him and made him so happy and you've been more like a big sister than a mom to me, so I figured being here was the least I could do."

The group gathered around the two women beamed at Alexis' words, but none as much as Kate herself. She walked over to the 21-year old and wrapped her arms around her, letting that stand as her expression of thanks. Kate even thought she saw Esposito get choked up.

"Wow, check this out. Would this be the Detective Beckett fan club I've heard so much about?" ADA Tracy Chen said as she approached the group. Kate introduced her to everyone, save Captain Montgomery who she had already met. Her detective instincts also picked up on the fact that when introduced to Esposito, Tracy held his hand and his gaze for a tad bit longer than she did with everyone else. And given the fact that Lanie's eyes were shooting small daggers at the attractive Asian attorney, it was a safe bet that she had noticed too. It's gonna be a long day, Kate thought.

"Detective Beckett as you know, you'll be going last. I think that as a police detective whose life and career have been shaped by The General's actions your testimony will be the most compelling and should be foremost on the jury's mind when the members go to deliberate." Everyone nodded as Tracy outlined her strategy. "I know it sounds like exploitation and, I'll warn you, it will most likely be hard for you to hear what the family members of the other victims will have to say, but trust me. I know this technique works if we want to put this guy away. I've used it many times before to great success." More nods in support. Tracy then walked up and addressed Kate directly.

"I know it's quite late in the fourth quarter, so to speak, for me to ask this, but you're sure you're ready for this?"

Kate paused before answering. Everyone in the group was looking at her, but not in fear, or sadness, or pity, but with pride in how she had held herself and her family together, and with satisfaction knowing that she would finally have the chance to tell the bastard responsible for killing her mother how he nearly destroyed her life. Kate, in turn, looked back at the seven people for whom she cared beyond words. They had seen her through some of her darkest days, and had always been there with a joke, a look, or a word of encouragement. She now realized that they had helped reaffirm the meaning of life to her. While everyday she dealt with the worst that humanity had to offer, these people showed her the best. Becoming a cop had helped exorcise a few of her demons because it allowed her to help others, but these men and women, especially Castle, had given her the confidence to face the last and the worst of the demons head on. In their own individual ways, she knew they did and always would have her back. She slipped her left hand into Castle's right and answered confidently.

"After 15 years…I'm positive I'm ready,"

Tracy smiled broadly. "Good. Then I suggest you all find some seats. We'll be starting shortly."

The group began to break up and head towards the large double doors that lead into the courtroom. Castle lifted Kate's hand and kissed its back. He offered his free arm to Martha as Alexis slid into Kate's other side. A bailiff opened the doors for them and the four headed up the center aisle behind Esposito, Ryan and Lanie. Captain Montgomery and Tracy followed shortly after them.