Okay I think this is it for this story. It's a long chapter, but it wraps it up nicely I think. I'm sure y'all will let me know if it doesn't. I'm happy to put a story to bed. Thanks for reading.

Bah! Humbug? Never Again

On the way back from the movies and a quick dinner, Kate and Lanie headed to Kate's to have a glass of wine and talk. When they arrived at her building, Kate couldn't find her keys. She had them in her coat when she got to Castle's, but she couldn't find them now.

"Lanie, do you have the key to my place on you? I seem to have left them somewhere..."

"Somewhere? Like where?"

"They were in my coat. Either they fell out of my pocket in the car or at one of the places we were at today. I'll call Castle tomorrow and see if he found them."

"I don't think I have your key on me. Let me check."

"I'll just ring the super. He'll let me in."

As the building super came to the door to let them in, he handed Kate her keys. "A very nice man came by and dropped off your keys. Said you left them in his car?"

"He came here?"

"Yes. Very nice man, Miss Beckett. Tipped me for making sure you got them, but I told him he didn't have to. He said, 'Merry Christmas.'"

"Thanks, Mr. Garcia."

"No problem, Miss Beckett. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." It came out before she could even think about it. Lanie looked at her in shock.

"Girl, you just said 'Merry Christmas.' To someone other than me."

"Honestly, I think it's like the fifth time I've said it today."

"He did it. He made you like Christmas again."

Kate smiled slightly. "I wouldn't go that far, Lanie. I won't deny that I enjoyed my day," Kate stuck the key in her door and turned it, "But I wouldn't go so far as to say 'I like Christmas.'"

They walked in the door and stopped. "Oh!" They said in unison. Apparently, before Castle left the key with Mr. Garcia, he spent some time in Kate's apartment.

"I'll kill him! The gall. Who does he think he his?" Kate fumed.

It wasn't like he put up a tree and hung garland from everything. In fact, the decorations would have looked sparse to anyone else, but considering Kate had nothing in her apartment to remind her of Christmas before, the few things that were there stood out. That, and the fact that Castle had been in her apartment without her permission or knowledge.

There was a red envelope on the floor as they walked in. Kate picked it up. On the outside it said, "Please don't be mad. Open Me!"

There was a card inside. When she pulled it out, some confetti snow fluttered down on the floor in front of her. "Great." She was not impressed.

It was a plain white card with Richard Castle's classic scrawl on it:

Detective,

I know you are upset with me right now, but you left before Alexis and I had the opportunity to give you your gifts. I give you my word that I did not snoop (tempting though it was); I just wanted you to have these things before the day was over. I left your gifts are on the coffee table. I hope you can forgive the imposition and what I did to your ficus.

RC

Lanie read the card over her shoulder. "Ah, now girl you have to admit it's sweet."

"I'll admit nothing...look at my poor ficus." Castle had wrapped a strand of white lights around the trunk up into the leaves. As she approached the tree, she noticed something else: an angel. It was a beautiful porcelain angel that went on top of a Christmas tree and it was now wedged onto her tree.

"Wow, that's beautiful." Lanie exclaimed. Kate nodded. She thought about the angel in the storage locker. This one was different. Kate could tell by looking at it that it was expensive, but the thought was sweet. She wondered what he would have done if she hadn't owned the tree. She turned to the coffee table and was taken by surprise at what she saw.

Kate was expecting to see the Tiffany's box and maybe a gift from Alexis, but she found three beautifully wrapped gifts. The Tiffany's box was there, but it was sticking out of a black leather Christmas stocking with a Burberry plaid cuff. "Beckett" was embroidered on the cuff in black. Again Kate's thoughts were drawn to her old stocking. This one was completely different than anything she had ever seen before. It was classy and grown up and…leather. The grin that spread across her face was involuntary. Castle was redefining Christmas for her, whether he knew it or not.

"I need wine to deal with this." Kate looked at Lanie. "Still want a glass?"

"Absolutely. I think I need a glass of wine to deal with this. You still mad at him?"

Kate shook her head slightly. "He shouldn't have done it. Technically I could have him arrested for trespassing. But I'm thinking of letting this slide with a warning."

They walked into the kitchen and there was another surprise. A beautiful gingerbread house sat on the counter and the Santa Clause coloring by Sveta and Katerina was magnetically attached to the refrigerator.

"Nice picture," Lanie commented, "but I would have thought Alexis to be a better artist."

Kate smiled, "Alexis didn't do this. Two Russian girls at the Bedford House drew this for me. I spent most of my time there with them because they didn't speak much English."

As Kate poured wine into two glasses, Lanie ventured into somewhat dangerous territory. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Kate smiled again as she thought of Castle's 'Bang' to Nicole earlier.

"From what I can gather, Castle took you to a shelter for abused women and children for Christmas dinner and the children's hospital to visit a little girl dying from Leukemia as a way to try to win you over for Christmas, and it seems to have worked. He gave you an expensive bracelet yesterday that made you angry, and yet today he broke into your apartment and gave you decorations and presents, you're smiling. What happened today that changed your mind?"

Kate sipped her wine and thought as they made their way back to the living room and sat on the sofa. "This morning I had laid out in my mind exactly what I thought Castle would do to try to woo me for Christmas. I imagined his lavishly decorated apartment with lots of gifts, Christmas carols, and a traditional Christmas dinner, after which I would tell him that I still didn't 'do' Christmas and he would give me two Castle-free weeks of work." Kate thought for a second. The Christmas Eve party.

"Lanie, did Esposito go to Castle's Christmas Eve party last night?" Kate knew full well that he did.

"Sure did. And he tweeted pics too. The man sure can throw a party."

"The decorations?"

"Like you said, lavish, almost to the point of gaudy. If gaudy is possible at Christmas."

"And yet this morning when I got there, the tree was the only thing up and the mantle was decorated. Stockings were hanging, but definitely nothing close to gaudy or lavish."

"The man knows you well, Kate."

"That's part of it. It's like the stocking." She touched the leather to make sure it wasn't an illusion. "I always thought Christmas was the decorations, parties, food, presents, the traditions, the things that reminded me of my mother. She loved Christmas, but I can't handle much of that without feeling the pain of missing her. I guess I'm realizing that Christmas doesn't have to be what it was, but it can be something new. It's time for new memories and traditions. Funny thing is, that women's and children's shelter today, that was already a tradition for Castle. And Nicole? Castle already had that set up as well; in fact, he worried that it might not be the right choice to take me there."

"Sounds like he won you over for more than Christmas." Lanie laughed quietly.

"Maybe..." Kate said softly before taking a sip of wine.

"So, what are you planning to do with these?" Lanie motioned to the gifts and stocking on the table. Yesterday, Kate would have returned them or thrown them out. She would have at least waited until the New Year to open them.

Kate took a small, flat box from the stack of gifts. She held it in her hands. The strangest feeling, almost like nervousness, came over her. "I don't know. It's been so long since I've had gifts on Christmas. And yesterday, I would have expected grandiose or slutty gifts from Castle. But after today, I'm really curious as to what's in them. And, of course, I can't disappoint Alexis."

Lanie downed the rest of her wine. "I think you should invite Writer Boy over and open the gifts with him."

"Oh, Lanie. No—"

"Please, girlfriend, it's really the only way to end the evening. And you might get more out of it than just the gifts."

"Oh, please," Kate rolled her eyes.

"Well, do whatever you want. I'm leaving. Christmas Day will be over in an hour and I turn back into a M.E. at midnight." Kate chuckled.

"Thanks for going with me, Lanie." Kate walked her to the door.

"No problem, girl. Now call the man and invite him over."

"Lanie, it's eleven o'clock at night. Christmas night. He's probably sleeping or spending time with his family."

Lanie opened the door, "Girl, you just don't get it. You could call him at three in the morning from Timbuktu and that man would come to you."

Kate blushed. She glanced up and then leaned in and gave Lanie a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

Kate's eyes looked up again and Lanie's followed. Mistletoe. "He has really messed with your brain today. Goodnight. I want details tomorrow."

After Lanie left, Kate pulled out her cell phone. She couldn't call him, there's no way she could actually ask him to come over. But texting…

Castle, you need to get your ass over here and explain yourself before I have you arrested for trespassing. The deal expires at midnight.

She hoped it sounded serious, that he wouldn't see right through her motives. He didn't disappoint. At 11:51 PM the buzzer sounded to her apartment. She let him in and she halted in the entryway. When she turned around he froze. Kate had her gun in her right hand and her cuffs in her left.

"You've really outdone yourself this time Castle." She shook her head. "I mean, you had me going, I was really enjoying my day. Really, the whole day, I was quite surprised." Kate began pointing with her weapon. "I even thought it was sweet that you returned my keys. Just imagine my surprise…I open the door, and this is my vision." She used her weapon to point in the direction of the ficus.

Not quite willing to let up yet, and taking advantage of his silence, she moved into the kitchen. "I'm sure your prints are all over this, Castle. I could arrest you for stalking, I bet. I'm thinking of having CSU come in and dust the place to see where exactly you were…"

Castle suddenly found his voice. "Kate, I swear, we didn't go in your bedroom or your bathroom—"

"We? You had an accomplice?"

"Well, Alexis helped."

"What kind of dad are you? Bringing your child along to help you commit a crime?"

"A crime? Kate really…"

She started to feel bad for him. She could tell he was really starting to sweat it when she put Alexis together with crime. Kate put the gun and cuffs on the counter and let the corners of her mouth turn up a little. She looked at him.

"You're joking? You're joking. Well, at least you're making light of it. I'm going to tell mother she's got some competition in the acting department." He took a deep breath. "You just about gave me a heart attack."

"You really shouldn't have come in." Kate admonished. "You're lucky I had a good day, or I really would be arresting you. I probably would have let Alexis off though, since Universities generally frown upon prospective applicants that have criminal records."

"You had a good day?" Castle seemed pleased with himself. "Does that mean I win?"

"I'm not conceding yet, Castle. You have to understand where I'm coming from. Today was good, no denying it, but am I looking forward to Christmas next year? I'm not so sure."

Castle sighed in defeat. "Well, I gave it everything I had, Detective. So I guess I won't be seeing you for two weeks."

"You're giving up?"

"Sounded like you made up your mind."

"Since when is that enough for you?"

Castle smiled slightly and shook his head. "I really do have you thinking I don't take anything seriously don't I? When I made this bet with you, I wasn't joking. It bothers me that this holiday is so bad for you. But, if after this day, you still don't do Christmas, I'll respect that. Next year, I promise not to give you a gift."

"Castle, I didn't say that." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "The day was great. Nothing like what I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?"

"Overdone, traditional Christmas cheer with the usual Castle flair."

"That's what Christmas Eve is about, detective. Christmas Day is about giving back. That is the current Castle tradition."

Kate nodded. "So I come home from this unexpected day, and my first sight when I walk through the door is…my poor ficus. All lit up with Christmas lights. Now I knew it was you, because you returned my keys to Mr. Garcia. Lanie was with me, and all I could think was 'I'm gonna kill him.'" She touched the corner of the crayon drawing on the refrigerator. It was probably her favorite memento of the day, and she couldn't help but think it might stay on her refrigerator for a long time.

"Even though you brought back my picture from Sveta and Katerina, which I am totally grateful for, the gingerbread house is overkill. Cute, but a little much, which makes me think that Alexis was the culprit there."

"Kate…Beckett…" He took a step towards her.

She held up her hand. "Let me finish. I read your note, but now I have confetti snow on my carpet." Kate walked towards the ficus. "Then I noticed the angel on the tree. You know I have a box of decorations in the basement. The angel we used to have on our tree when I was growing up is down there."

"I didn't mean to replace…"

"I'm glad you did. This one is totally different. She's beautiful, but she's nothing like the other one." Kate turned and gestured towards the stack of gifts on the coffee table. "Then I saw those." She felt a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. "Do you know how long it's been since I've gotten a Christmas present? From someone who knows me?"

Rick shook his head.

"Before yesterday, it's been over five years. That's how good I've been at getting my message across to people about how I feel. Even Will didn't try to influence it. He was, of course, with his family for a whole week, which made me think about it, but he didn't try to change anything.

"Then I meet the notorious Richard Castle, and low and behold, there's a stocking with my name and a stack of gifts in my living room."

She sat down on the sofa, looking at the gifts. Castle's expression was oblivious. He looked like he might bolt for the door at any second. "Are you going to open them, or do I need to take them with me?"

"Lanie said I should open them with you. That way if there's anything inappropriate, I can kill you here, and she'll come back to help me hide your body." She smiled to set him at ease, and it worked.

"You wish, detective. I think you'll be disappointed that you don't get to kill me just yet." He turned his suggestive smirk to her as he sat next to her on the sofa, "Although, I'm sure it would be a pleasure to have you torture me."

"Don't ruin it Castle. You were on your way to having an extra guest at your New Year's Eve party. Instead, you may find yourself on an extended vacation." She looked at him, inches away from her, and glanced at the gifts, "So which one do I open first?"

"What do you want to open first?"

"I think I'll ease into this with one that doesn't require unwrapping anything." She reached for the stocking. Holding it in her hands, she fingered the embroidery with "Beckett" on it. "This was not something you did yesterday."

"No. I know a woman who makes stockings. Every year I buy a new one from her for someone. I saw that one and I knew it was for you. Classy with a little kick-ass mixed in."

She blushed. "The only other stocking I have ever owned was given to me by my mother. It was very traditional. This is…me…now. Thanks, Castle." She pulled out the Tiffany's box, and set it on the table. Then she dumped out the rest of the stocking next to it. There was a large, hand-pulled candy cane, a big bag of gummy bears, a new iPod Shuffle, and a pair of tickets to Martha's broadway show on opening night.

Immediately, Kate stood and started pacing back and forth. "It's too much, Castle."

"I already explained to you what I was thinking. Beckett, I really just wanted to thank you. If it makes you feel any better, the tickets are from mother. And they were comped, so there was absolutely nothing I did for them."

She shook her head. That wasn't what she meant of course. The feeling inside her was overwhelming. The gifts were nice. She was a little surprised that there wasn't a red lacey thong in there or fur handcuffs, and in fact that might have made this a little easier. Right now, she was opening Christmas presents with Richard Castle. Shit! How the hell did I get here? It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I knew it wouldn't happen this way. And here he is, with abused women and children, and a sick little girl who he gave bone marrow to, giving me thoughtful gifts. How do I do this?

She started to laugh. Really hard. In fact, she was laughing so hard she had to sit on the floor. As soon as she started to calm down, her eyes took in Castle's surprised face and she started up again, this time just shaking with tears running down her face, no sound coming from her. Finally she gasped for air, wiping the tears away. "Oh, God, my head hurts."

Castle came around and sat on the floor with her, "Kate," he couldn't call her Beckett when she was sitting on the floor, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how hard this would be. I'll go." As he started to get up, her hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"Stay. I'm going to open the rest of the gifts and I want you to stay while I do it." Regaining her composure, Kate grabbed the next box, which Castle took from her.

"You're not ready for this one." He handed her the large box. "This is from Alexis."

Looking at him warily, she tore open the paper over the box. "She worked really hard on it. It has taken her forever."

She opened the box and found a beautiful, red, hand knitted afghan. "Wow." A crease formed between Kate's brows. "It's beautiful. She made this?"

"There's a knitting club at her school, and apparently it's the 'in' thing to do. It has taken her months to complete."

"That's so sweet. I'll have to…"

Kate pulled out her phone and texted Alexis. Thank you, it's beautiful. Merry Christmas!

"You know she's probably asleep, right?"

At that moment, her phone chimed the arrival of a text: You're welcome. I really enjoyed spending the day with you. I told dad not to do that to your ficus.

"Right, asleep," she smirked at him.

"Well, that's a stunner." He clasped his hand together. "Okay, I think maybe you've had enough Christmas. Why don't we save the rest of the gifts til tomorrow?"

"Not a chance, Castle. You're just looking for an excuse to come back aren't ya? And it is tomorrow."

Rick looked at his watch. Sure enough it was 12:25 am. "Well, anyway, maybe I'll save these for your birthday."

"I thought the bracelet was my birthday present." He was acting so strange, her curiosity was driving her insane. "Let me open the gifts."

He shook his head slightly. "I…I think I made a mistake. I shouldn't have given you these now."

"You're taking them back? What is this Castle?" She was actually starting to get irritated. "I can't figure you out today. What gives?"

"You just seemed happy before. I'm not sure these will make you happy. I don't want to ruin it?"

"What, you stop at a porn shop last night and get me something inappropriate?" She smiled to let him know that was okay. It is what she expected.

"I wish. I wish that's what I did." His face was serious. A serious she had only seen a few times before, and only once directed at her. My mom's case. Please tell me he didn't cross me again. Setting her expression and putting up her guard she grabbed the gift he wouldn't let her open before.

Castle stood as she tore open the paper. Walking to the window, he could see in the reflection her lifting the lid.

"Oh, wow." It had nothing to do with her mother's case, but she could see how he might think it would put a damper on her evening. Castle put the picture of Nicole and Kate in a simple silver frame. Nicole had signed it, "To Kate, Thank you for making my Christmas super speshal! Love, Nicole."

She was stunned by the emotions she felt for this girl. She was also stunned by how un-Castle-like Castle was being. It was touching to know that the inspiration for the name had come from Nicole and not what he thought about Kate Beckett. Nikki Heat still sounded like a stripper name, but she would never frown upon it again. "I'm glad you didn't change her name."

"What?"

"I'm glad you kept Nikki Heat. I'm glad you didn't listen to me and change the name."

"Wouldn't have happened. I will do almost anything for you, Kate. But that I was sticking to. I made a promise." He chuckled softly, "Amy said the same thing you did. 'It's a stripper name.' But she didn't ask me to change it. I told her that a detective as brave and strong as my character deserved to share her daughter's name."

"So, bone marrow? You know before when I told you it might be difficult to make yourself sound good in a memoir? I might have been mistaken."

"No, you were right on target. It was a publicity stunt to get on the registry. They were trying to get people to sign up. I mean, yeah it's more difficult than giving blood, but it is something that's easily replaced. Well, my publicist said how good this would be for my image to do this public service thing. I agreed.

"No one was more surprised than I was to find out I was a match. Then it was kind of scary. There are huge needles and they dig into bone, but when I heard it was a five year old girl, well, all I could think was 'I could kill someone to save Alexis.'"

Kate cleared her throat.

"You know what I mean. I would want a stranger to do it for her. Imagine my surprise when I found out who her mother was. Amy Shepherd. That was her name back in high school. She was hot."

"Still is hot." Kate said nonchalantly, raising her eyebrows.

"Wow, detective, that's…whoa."

"Did you date?"

"No, she had a boyfriend. But I wanted to date her. I pulled her pigtails quite a bit. Until her boyfriend punched me." Kate snickered.

"Well, Beckett, you have one more. Are you willing to risk it, or do you want me to take the offending item away?"

"Offending?"

"Only because it's a Christmas present."

"I'll live dangerously. After all, I'm packin.'"

The last gift was a copy of the same comic book he had given to Nicole. The smile that took over her entire expression was impossible to contain. "I was hoping I would get one of these." She looked at him, "now you can tell Nicole she doesn't have to share. It's good you know."

"Thank you," he said softly.

Kate stood, setting the box with the comic down on the table. She took it all in, the photograph, the blanket, the mistletoe and confetti snow, the angel he put on her tree. The Santa Claus in crayon stuck on her refrigerator. A gingerbread house, a candy cane and a badass stocking with her name on it transformed her apartment to a mildly festive abode. She couldn't imagine looking back on this day with anything other than joy. Despite her musings to Lanie and Castle earlier, Kate would also bet that next year the stocking and the angel would reappear.

"I should be going." Rick Castle headed for the door, when she stopped him.

"I have one more question."

"Shoot."

"Bang." He grinned goofily at her.

"Like that did you?" she smiled at him.

"Sounds way better when you say it."

"Yeah, well," come on Kate, spit it out "what…what time do I need to be there New Years' Eve?"

His eyes widened, "Really?"

"Really." They walked to the door.

"People will start showing up at 8:30, but really anytime before midnight is good."

"Okay, then. I'll be there. Until then, I guess I'll see you Monday?"

"Right—"

"Unless we have a case. Then I'll call you."

"Okay. Until to…. Okay, so that doesn't work here. See you later, Beckett."

It was so unlike him. How could he forget the mistletoe? They were standing right under it. She really should have let it go. But she couldn't. She glanced upward and then so did he. He smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know me. Always trying to get lucky."

"Well, you're not that lucky." She jibed at him. "But you might be a little lucky."

Kate leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. "Merry Christmas, Castle."

"Yes it is detective. Merry Christmas, Kate."

A/N: If you see the hints of a song in here it's "Sending You a Little Christmas" by Jim Brickman.