SINS OF THE MOTHER II

DISCLAIMER: Castle and the main characters are the property of Andrew Marlowe and ABC. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Author's note: An AU story set in my Wings of Fury universe. I started this story about six months ago and then killed it because of the disapproval of my Beta, who thought that it was bordering on incestuous. Several readers have asked me to resurrect this story and three other authors whom I greatly respect have convinced that while edgy the story is in no way incestuous and urged me to carry on with it. Thank you ladies and gentleman. (At least I think flyboys are gentlemen.) I deleted this story from fanfiction so this will probably come up as chapter one of a new story. It is actually chapter three. One and two can be found on line by typing in Swordwriter.

Swordwriter.

CHAPTER THREE

Fallon called Jim that evening. "Hey Jim, mom and dad want to meet you and asked me to invite you to our house on Christmas Day for dinner. I really want you to accept." Jim laughed.

"I'd be happy to. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve. So we'd like you to join us for our dinner and celebration. Tit for tat." Fallon blushed at the thought that entered her mind. You can play with my teats if I can play with your tat. Thankfully she didn't voice it, she knew that it was too soon for that. "I'd love to come, she said what time shall I be there?"

"We eat about seven so I'll send the car service for you again about six-thirty. Once again I won't be able to break loose to pick you up personally. You know how families can be, but I'm warning you, there will be a couple of munchkins present, my sister's kids and a bunch of cousins who aren't munchkins so it might be a hassle for you."

"Oh no Jim, you invited me and you're not getting out of it." She heard his laugh.

"Not trying to, just warning you. My cousins are a nosy bunch and they love to tease."

"That's okay Jim I'm tougher than I look. What should I wear?

"About what you wore last time, a little dressy but not too much. My mother was very taken with you. She wasn't always impressed with girls I dated. She used to be a cop."

"Your mother was a cop? I would have thought she was a model."

"She was that too for a little while." They talked for a little while longer then quit because they both had a lot to do. Fallon went to find Janet. Her brother's girlfriend spent more time here than she did at home. Fallon was fairly sure that Janet would be Alex's fiancée before too long.

Janet was sitting in the kitchen peeling apples for the pies Cecelia was going to bake tomorrow. Fallon said; "Mom, do you mind if I steal Janet for a few minutes?"

"Go ahead Fallon we've got enough for now." They went up to Fallon's room.

"Janet, I'm invited to Jim's house for Christmas Eve. I really like this guy, he's special. I want to get him a nice Christmas present but I don't have any idea what to get. I don't want to get something blasé like a tie."

"I have an idea, Janet said. You said he's a pilot. I saw the cutest thing the other day at Dan's jewelers. It was a series of things. Cars, airplanes, boats with little clocks in them. I bet he'd love one. Come on, let's go." They ran down the stairs. Fallon called out to her mother;

"Janet and I are going shopping we won't be gone too long." They got to the jeweler's and Fallon found what she wanted in less than five minutes. It was an F-35 and when you lifted up the wings a clock was revealed. At one hundred fifty dollars it was an expensive first gift but Fallon was so sure of what she felt that the cost didn't faze her. The two days till Christmas Eve passed in a blur for Fallon. She spent three hours getting ready for her date. She wore her hair in a French roll, a deep crimson, knee-length with matching heels. Cecelia lent her a diamond pendent and matching earrings.

Janet and Alex both stepped outside with Fallon and watched as the service car pulled up. They were expecting some big flashy limo. It was anything but. A top of the line Mercedes but still just a normal sedan. The driver got out and opened the rear door for Fallon. They could tell that he was more than just a driver. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and tie the man was tall and muscular with more than a hint of the military about him.

The man was obviously alert, scanning for any possible threat but the smile he gave Fallon was gentle. "Ms. Reynolds, Mr. Rodgers regrets not being able to come for you in person. My name is Michael. If you require anything, just ask." Fallon thanked Michael and entered the Mercedes.

Trevor and Cecelia Reynolds were watching through the living room window. Trevor said;

"Whatever else he may be Mr. Rogers is a very careful man. How many men care about their son's dates?" Somehow the Mr. Rogers triggers something deep in her psyche that she can't quite identify but it sends a shiver through her. It's small and tenuous so she shrugs it off. She would come to wish that she hadn't.

Fallon got out of the Mercedes as Michael opened the door for her. Once again there are two large, burly men flanking the doorman. "I'm Fallon Reynolds, I'm expected." The doorman checked his tablet. "Yes Ms. Reynolds please go right up and Merry Christmas."

Jim is waiting for her by the door and as she steps through it she is greeted by a loud; "Kiss the girl." She looks up and blushes as she sees the mistletoe. As it has been said before Fallon was bold so she took the initiative and kissed Jim, lingering long enough to generate several cat-calls and whistles, one of the loudest coming from, surprisingly, Jim's mother."

Kate has always been, for the most part, a good judge of people. She instinctively likes Fallon and thinks that if they can make it, this girl will be very good for her son. She'd met most of Jim's "cousins" at the previous party but they hadn't paid much attention to her, Jim had brought a number of girls to the loft over the years but none more than once. This one was here a second time. Time for the cousin protection team to go to work, it was mostly good fun but there was a serious undertone to it. These young men and women were closer than most blood cousins were and none of them would willingly let another get hurt.

The questions weren't really intrusive and the teasing gentle but nonetheless the message came across loud and clear. Kate finally put an end to it. Fallon looked around the loft. The Christmas decorations were extensive but not garish or cheap.

"These decorations are so beautiful and tasteful Mrs. Rogers." Kate beamed.

"Thank you Fallon but it was all my husband's and my daughter's doing. Fallon noticed that everyone was dressed in variations of the Christmas colors, red, green, silver or blue. Kate wore a dress that was very much like Fallon's but in emerald green silk. Jim wore dark green slacks and sweater with a lighter green shirt. Jim's father wore a combination that should have looked garish but somehow didn't. Navy blue slacks, a crimson blazer with a dark red shirt and tie.

When they sat down to dinner, Fallon was shocked. It was a veritable feast. There were three or four kinds of salads, ham, and turkey and roast beef. Tamales, rice, yams and mashed potatoes. Asparagus, carrots and peas. Kate seated Fallon next to her with Jim on Fallon's other side.

Kate laughed. "It's a little overwhelming the first time you see it but with more than twenty people at the table it all gets eaten between today and tomorrow. We try to get together like this for Sunday dinner every week though it's not this extensive. Sometimes it's just pizza or hamburgers and fries and it rotates between homes."

Alexis spoke up. "This may seem strange to you but dad owns the building we all have our apartments here .We each own our apartments but we all got below market prices for one of the nicest addresses in the city, so it simply made sense. Besides where else could we live in the city and be able to make the rules for the building? Lanie joined in.

"On top of that, when the kids were younger if one of the couples wanted to go out, we had free babysitting." Jim Beckett looked around the room and smiled.

"We're a family. Not in the traditional sense of the word but in the truest sense."

After supper, the family gathered in the living room and Jim Beckett read the story of the nativity. Then they sang carols. Rick asked Fallon what her favorite carol was. Fallon replied; "Joy to the world."

Alexis groaned. "Oh God, Fallon I wish you hadn't said that." Fallon looked perplexed.

"Why not?" She didn't catch the look that flashed from Rick to Javi and Kevin. Javi said;

"One, two, three. Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine, I never understood a thing he said but I helped him drink his wine. Singing joy to the world…." Jeff Talbot joined in.

Kate said, "I'm so sorry Fallon. I don't think those four will ever grow up. They pull that one as often as they can. I should have thought to warn you." Opening presents was next. Fallon gave Jim his present and was both surprised and excited to get one. Hers was the first present Jim opened. His eyes lit up. "Wow Fallon, this is so cool. Thank you." She opened hers and pulled out a box marked Tiffany's. It was a gold charm bracelet with two bells hanging from it. Between the bells was a tiny fouled anchor with the letters USNA across the shank.

Fallon stared at it in shock. Kate stepped up. "Here Fallon, let put that on you." A bracelet from Tiffany's, she couldn't believe it. "I can't, uh, this is too much I mean…"

Kate reassured her. "It's okay Fallon. Rick did the same kind of thing the first Christmas I knew him. And we were just friends at that point. It's in their nature."

Fallon was happy that Jim drove her home in his Jaguar. He walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said.

Fallon walked through her door at precisely midnight. Trevor was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee. "Did you have a good time Fal? "

Fallon's smile could have lit up the room. "Yes Dad, I had a wonderful time. I can't wait for you to meet Jim. You can't believe his family. They are so warm and nice. His mom is beautiful, like a model his dad is handsome too. I laughed so much. Just wait till you meet them." Fallon had no way of knowing how terribly those words would come back to haunt her.

Janet came over early on Christmas Day to help prepare the dinner. Fallon called her to her room. "Look what Jim gave me for Christmas." Janet goggled. "Tiffany's oh wow."

Fallon came down to help her mother and Janet in the kitchen for a while before getting ready. The crimson dress was such a hit with Jim, she decided to wear it again. Precisely at two o'clock Fallon heard the low rumble of a powerful engine. Looking out the window she saw Jim pull up in his Jaguar. Trevor Reynolds opened the door. He liked what he saw. A tall, well dressed and groomed young man. He held a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine.

Jim handed the wine to Trevor. "I am Jim Rogers Mr. Reynolds. My father said that a good guest should always bring a gift." Trevor looked at the very expensive bottle of wine and smiled.

"Please come in Mr. Rogers. I am sure that my wife and I shall enjoy this wine immensely. Jim had just handed Fallon her bouquet when Cecelia, Janet and Alex came in, Cecelia was carrying a tray of appetizers. Fallon said; "Mom this is Jim Reynolds,"

Jim was wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie. Almost a visual twin of the ensemble his father had worn on board ship 22 years before.

Cecelia's smile dropped off her face and she went deathly pale as saw Jim. But in her mind she didn't see Jim. The years dropped away. Standing before her was Richard Rogers, looking just as he had on the cruise ship's deck, so long ago. The tray of appetizers crashed to the floor as she cried out; "Rick, oh my God, Rick." She feinted.

Alex caught her before she fell and carried her to the couch. Trevor quickly went to his wife's side. He looked hard at Jim. "What's going on here young man, who's Rick?" Jim was at a loss.

"I have no idea what's going on sir. The only Rick I know is my father. As far as I know, my father and your wife have never met." The feint was only momentary and Cecelia was already coming around. With Alex's help Cecelia was sitting up. The shocked, haunted look was still on her face as she said; "What is your father's name?"

"Richard Rogers or formally, Richard Alexander Rogers, Brigadier General, USMC. Retired."

There was total misery in her eyes as she said; "Your Mother is Katherine Beckett isn't she?"

"Yes she is. Katherine Rodgers now."

Cecelia knew that her tower of lies was about to come crashing down around her ears and it might very well shatter her family. She didn't know what effect it might have on the Rogers family.

"I only have the strength to do this once so James would you please call your father and mother and ask them to come over? It's urgent." In that moment, Trevor Reynolds knew the truth before anything else was said and surprised that none of the others had seen it. Although Alex Reynolds was of slimmer build than Jim with darker hair and complexion and slightly finer features. The two young men were the same height with the same color eyes, the same shaped mouth and strong chin. If you were seeing clearly, it was obvious that they were related.

Jim placed the call. Rick answered; "What's going on Jim aren't you supposed to be having Christmas dinner?"

"Yes dad but something very strange is going on here and Fallon's mom asked that you and mom come over here right away. She says that it's urgent. I believe her."

"Okay son, your mother and I will be there in fifteen."

The trepidation was building in Cecelia. She was feeling nauseous and trembling, wondering if she really have the strength to go through with this and regretting ever telling lies to all her family although the reasoning felt right at the time. She felt that her heart was going to burst as the doorbell rang.

Trevor answered the door and was taken aback as one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen walked through the door. Oh yes, he knew who she was. He'd seen her often enough on the news. Chief of Detectives Katherine Beckett NYPD. He knew the man too. You don't forget the face of a man who was both a famous author and a Medal of Honor recipient. Even in his sixties the man still had a commanding presence.

Cecelia looked up as they walked in and the breath caught in her throat. Except for the gray in his hair and a few more lines around his mouth Rick didn't look much different than he had all those years ago. Dressed in jeans and a fitted long sleeve polo shirt it was obvious that he was still fit and even more powerfully built than she remembered.

Rick and Kate's hand were tightly clasped, giving and drawing strength from each other in an unknown situation. Rick's eyes widened in shock. "Cecelia?"

Despite the fear, Cecelia's voice was controlled. "Hello Rick and you must be Katherine. Please sit down I have some things to tell you that will be very hard to take." When everyone had seated themselves Cecelia said; "First of all let me address you, Mrs. Rogers. This situation is entirely my fault. Your husband had absolutely no knowledge of it, nor did any member of my family.

I know that Rick told you about our shipboard romance. He told me so when I encountered him in a mall. He told me that he was with you and that wasn't going to change. There was a consequence of the romance that he didn't know about and neither did I at the time."

She licked her lips and looked around the room. "Rick told me, at the time that he had been recalled into the Marine Corps. I found out a few days later that I was pregnant. I didn't want to guilt Rick into leaving you and being with me because of a baby. I only wanted him to be with me if he loved me. I also didn't want to risk ruining your marriage so I never told Rick about the baby."

She looked at Alex. "My biggest regret is lying to you Alex, about your father. He was indeed a Marine Pilot. But never missing. In fact all too prominent. My second regret is denying you the knowledge of your son, Rick. It was so unfair to both of you. It was unfair to both of you, Alex and Jim to deny you the closeness of brothers. All I can do now is tell you how sorry I am and beg the forgiveness of all of you. And tell you, Trevor, Alex and Fallon how much I love you."

Alex and Fallon were clearly in shock, unmoving. Cecelia could see the towering rage building up in Rick. He rose to his feet, his face like a thundercloud. Kate sprang to her feet and placed a calming hand on his cheek. He glanced down at her and squeezed her hand. When he looked back at Cecelia his temper was under control but the look in his eyes was glacial. His voice was almost monotone as he gritted out. "Cecelia, I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this but I need to leave before I say or do something really stupid. We are leaving, now."

Fallon was in despair as she looked at Jim and saw the same coldness in his eyes, He spun on his heel and followed his parents out of the room without saying a word. Fallon burst into tears and ran from the room, seeing all her dreams go up in smoke.