Miracle at the 12th Precinct

Chapter 34 (Final Chapter)

Title: Believe (song from the Polar Express)

Disclaimer: Rick and Kate belong to ABC. I'm just obsessed with them. But not in a creepy way. No. Really.

A/N: At last, Christmas Day has arrived, and so has the final chapter of this story. Longest - Christmas - Ever! LOL. To those reading, thank you for hanging in there with me until the end. I salute you. Special thanks to 41319always41319 for being an awesome beta! And now, on with the story...

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Previously: Christmas morning at Chez Caskett…

"Where is everyone?" Kate asked, scanning the room after joining Rick in the kitchen.

"Mother and Alexis will be down in a minute. They're getting dressed."

Kate offered to help, but he claimed to have everything under control. He insisted she sit, relax, and enjoy her coffee while he prepared breakfast.

"So, what did you really do last night, Ricky?" She asked, casually, watching for his reaction.

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As expected, her question threw him completely off guard, and she nearly laughed when he cracked the egg onto the counter instead of the bowl she was certain he'd intended it go into. "Oh, you know….kept pretty busy…last minute shopping – a little of this, a little of that. Stores stay open pretty late on Christmas Eve." He averted his eyes, focused on cleaning up the egg-o-cide crime scene currently sliding across his countertop.

Her spidey-senses kicked in. "You sure I can't help you? You seem a little jittery." He's definitely hiding something. "Too much caffeine, Castle?"

"Yeah, that's probably it. I've already had a few cups this morning."

His eyes were glassy. She'd bet he hadn't slept at all. "I tried calling you last night, around midnight, but you didn't pick up."

"Really? I don't remember hearing it ring." He picked up his cell phone, made a show of examining it. "Oh, would you look at that - ringers off. Heh. That explains it, then. Sorry about that. Was everything okay?" Oh, the hazards of living with a detective.

"Everything was fine. I was just calling to check in. You know what was really bizarre, though?"

He knew the sweat forming on his forehead had nothing to do with the heat coming off the stove top. "No, what?"

"It didn't even ring. It went straight to voicemail." She raised her brows. "So, tell me, Castle…what were you really up to last night?"

"Katherine Beckett…has anybody ever told you that you ask a lot of questions? That kind of behavior is strictly prohibited at Christmastime."

"Uh, huh." She replied, wondering what the hell he was hiding, but sure she'd find out soon enough.

"How about you? How was work?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Insane – every crazy in New York City was out. Our drunk tanks were packed with at least a dozen men dressed up like Santa Claus. And oddly enough, one or two women. It was a long night."

"I bet." He laughed. "Luckily, you have two whole days off to recover." He studied her closely, wanting to approach the next subject with caution. "So, Kate…tell me, are you ready for all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you truly ready for your day of 'Christmas with the Castles'?"

She looked him straight in the eyes and smiled. "Absolutely, Babe…bring it on."

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After breakfast, gifts were exchanged. Among other things, Kate surprised Rick with a beautiful platinum watch, kick-ass headphones, and a set of state of the art titanium light sabers signed by none other than, Mark Hamill. Martha loved the necklace and perfume, and Alexis flipped over the leather boots and cashmere sweater; Kate had chosen well for them. Of Kate's favorite gifts from Rick, were stunning diamond and sapphire dangling earrings and a soft, black, long leather jacket gorgeous enough to make any other woman envious. From Alexis and Martha she received perfume, an exquisite antique gold bracelet, and a spa day package.

For the rest of the morning they lounged around the house, and in the afternoon, Castle took Kate ice skating at Rockefeller Center. As Rick had hoped, everything seemed to be going off without a hitch.

Later on, Kate's father joined them at the loft for dinner. Having her father there turned out to be much easier than Kate had expected. She'd been worried he'd have a tough time of it, but to her relief he seemed to be enjoying himself. The day was filled with laughter, love, good company, and food.

About an hour after dinner, while the others were occupied with putting dessert on the table, Jim asked Kate if he could speak with her alone for a moment. They went into Rick's office for some privacy.

"What's up, Dad?" She asked, shutting the door behind her. Her father looked tense. "Are you having a good time? Are you okay?"

"Relax, honey, I'm fine. I'm having a great time. Everyone's been very nice." This was good news, but she could tell he was holding back. "Katie, there's something I have to show you. Only, I'm afraid it will upset you, and of course I don't want that, especially not on today of all days. I guess it could have waited until the next time we saw each other, but, I don't know, keeping it from you didn't feel right either."

He was stalling and really starting to worry her. "What is it, Dad?"

He pursed his lips, unsure how to proceed. "I found something yesterday. I was cleaning out the back of my closet and came across an old box of your mother's things she'd tucked away. I don't even remember ever seeing it before, but then there it was. Inside were photos, a bunch of old letters and cards, mementos we'd both given her over the years, and then, there was this…." He pulled out a sealed envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Clearly written across the front in her mother's perfectly scripted handwriting were the words, 'For Katie'."

It struck her like lightening - the memory of what Kris had said; she'd receive a letter, delivered on Christmas day by someone she loved. Her breath caught in her throat, a chill traveled up her spine. This was Kris' gift to her. How is this possible?

Jim grabbed hold of her elbow when Kate swayed a bit. "Are you okay, honey?" He asked, concerned and feeling considerably guilty for upsetting her.

Kate was speechless as she stared at her name on the envelope. She'd assumed if she did receive a letter like Kris had promised, it would come from Castle which she could have found a way to discount somehow. But this letter was hand-delivered by her dad – and was written by her very own mother. It was real. Her eyes went wide. Her fingers trembled. What else was real? Kris? Tommy? Powers? Sleds? Elves in trees? A red Santa Suit? Recently worn black buckle up boots?

"I knew this was a bad idea." Jim said, breaking her reverie. "I never meant to upset you. I should have waited. Why don't you open it up tomorrow? Maybe I should call Rick in?"

"No, Dad." Kate said, finding her bearings, steadying herself . "I'm alright. It's fine." She assured him. "I'm glad you gave it to me now. You did the right thing. But would you mind please giving me a minute? I think I need to read it, by myself. Just tell everyone I'll be out in a minute."

Every fatherly instinct screamed for him to stay while she read it, but the strong, grown woman before him insisted otherwise, so he did as she'd asked. "I'm right outside if you need me, Katie."

"Thanks, Dad." She said, giving him a small smile, gently squeezing his hand.

Once alone, she sat down at Castle's desk, braced herself, and then slowly, reverently, broke open the seal and pulled out, not a letter, but a Christmas card from the envelope. On the cover of the card was a beautiful angel adorned in a light, sprinkling of iridescent white sparkles that fell like fairly dust onto the desk when she looked inside. At the top it was dated Christmas, 1998, only a few short weeks before her mother had been killed - the year their lives had been changed forever. Kate was 19. Unbeknownst to them at the time, it would be their last Christmas together. Kate took a deep breath and began reading...

"Merry Christmas, my dear Katie, or perhaps I should start calling you Katherine now since you're nearly an adult and love reminding me of that fact every chance you get? No, that doesn't feel right. I think I'll stick with, Katie. My Katie – my baby girl.

It's been my greatest joy watching you blossom before my eyes into the beautiful, intelligent, fierce, young woman you've become, although in my mind's eye, I can still see it clearly; my precocious little girl in pig-tails, sneakers, and tiara running through the house in her Cinderella costume playing dress-up and make-believe. It seems like only yesterday. I guess what I'm saying is, no matter your age - you'll always be my baby. Believe me when I say, my ramblings will make more sense when you have a child of your own someday.

I want you to know, I've no doubt you're destined for great things in your life, Katie. College is only the beginning. Promise me you'll strive to make each day better than the last, enjoy every minute of it, and be happy, no matter life's ups and downs.

May this, and every Christmas that follows be filled only with love, laughter and happiness.

Love Always,

Mom"

Kate re-read the card over and over again, unaware of how long she'd been sitting there. Luckily, Rick kept a big box of tissues in a drawer of his desk. She was drying her eyes when there was a knock at the door.

"Kate?" It was Rick. "Can I come in?"

"Yes."

He came in and closed the door behind him. "Are you okay?" He asked, though it was obvious she wasn't. He could see she'd been crying. "What's wrong?"

She rose and walked into his strong arms, resting her cheek on his chest, his heartbeat soothing her. "What happened?" He asked, kissing her forehead, holding her tight like he would never let her go.

"It's my present..." She replied, sniffling, searching for the words to explain it to him in more detail.

"Is that all? Don't worry, we can return the earrings and you can pick out something else if you want." He suggested, baffled at how his present could have possibly have made her this upset. He grew far more confused when her sniffling morphed into laughter. "Anything at all." He added.

"No!" She exclaimed. "I love the earrings. They're beautiful. That's not why I was crying. My Dad brought me a gift from my mother."

"So the gift is from your parents?" He asked, becoming even more confused.

"Well, not exactly, Castle." She replied, hardly able to believe it herself, let alone say it aloud. This is insane. "It's from Kris…"

Those were the last words he'd expected to come out of her mouth and he had no idea how to respond other than, "No more wine for you." He was greatly relieved when she hugged him tighter and laughed.

After drying her eyes she told Castle all about Kris' promise and then let him read the letter from her mother.

"Woah." He said, when he was finished reading.

"No kidding." Kate agreed. "I half expected you to be the one delivering a letter to me today. Not in a million years did I expect this."

Rick swore to her, he knew nothing about any gift from Kris to her.

"But how could Kris possibly know it would work?" Kate questioned. "How could he make my father find that card my mother wrote? How would he know my father would deliver it to me? How is any of this even possible? It's crazy! But there's no way this is a coincidence, Castle. And, yes, before you say it, I realize I'm contradicting myself." She was beginning to freak out. The events from the last few days, the unexplained mysteries raced through her mind, trampling her sensibilities. "The card, the crazy stories of how Carlos died, Kris, Tommy…I'm not sure I'm capable of processing this, Castle." She sat down in the chair.

While thrilled she might be coming around to his way of thinking, Rick became worried Kate was headed for magical overload. "With the risk of starting yet another great debate, which I promised myself I wouldn't do, what if, for right now, you accept the letter for what it is? A nice memory from your mother that finally made its way to you after all these years. You were meant to have it and now you do. Maybe a gift…is just a gift."

"You're right." Kate nodded. "What's important is that I have it. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. I probably just need a little more time to absorb it all. I'm okay. Let's go back inside."

They rejoined the others, and the moment Jim saw her, he jumped up and asked if she was alright.

"I'm okay, Dad." She said hugging him. "I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but the card made me happy. You can read it if you'd like."

Jim read the card while Kate explained her brief absence to Alexis and Martha who completely understood how she could have been thrown for a loop. Jim was just as baffled as Kate was as to why her mother had never given Kate the card, but he was happy it eventually found its way into the right hands.

They adjourned to the living room, sat around the fire for coffee, tea and conversation, but naturally, Kate was more than a bit distracted. The others were worried about her, but she insisted she was fine. For Rick and his family's sake, Kate forced herself to push the ramifications of everything that had happened to the back of her mind, refusing to ruin an otherwise perfect day with any added drama.

Later that night, after her father had gone home and a night-cap was finished, Alexis and Martha retired to bed. An exhausted, Kate and Rick followed suit.

Rick crawled into bed after her and then turned off the lights. They snuggled close together. "So, not counting the gift from…your dad, what did you think of our first Christmas as an official couple?"

"I would say…you were right - I'm happy we spent it together and having Dad there made it extra special. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't my most favorite Christmas ever, despite the shocking turn of events. Thank you, Rick. The day was…magical."

"Magical, huh? High praise coming from you. And, yes I would have to agree - it was. I take full credit, of course." Goal achieved, he pulled her closer, threw his arm casually across her chest. "You need sleep, Kate. It will all be more clear in the morning. I promise." Sleep was calling, and he'd already begun to doze off.

"Castle?" She asked, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She turned onto her side and backed up into him, subtly suggesting the desire to spoon.

"Umm?" He mumbled, taking the hint.

"I know where you were last night."

"What?" He asked, internal alarm bells going off, eyes popping open. She had his full attention. Sleep could wait. A moment of silence went by where he thought she might have actually fallen asleep. He would be wrong.

"You were with him, weren't you?" She whispered.

"With who?" He mumbled.

"Kris."

He thought he might be dreaming. Being up nearly 48 hours straight had finally taken its toll. Yeah, that was it. He was asleep.

"Castle?" She repeated.

Nope. Wide awake. In the past, discussions involving Kris were ill advised. Kate was still trying to grasp receiving a letter from her dead mother, gifted by a former witness of hers, a man who insisted he was Santa Claus. She was exhausted and should probably sleep before they continued this conversation. But curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't stop himself. "What would you say if I answered, yes, I was with Kris?" He asked, treading carefully.

"I would have to say…that I believe you." She replied, quietly.

In his mind, it was a Christmas miracle; carolers sang, elves danced, there was snowfall, and Kris could be heard shouting 'Merry Christmas' as he flew over the streets of New York. He realized Kate was patiently waiting for him to say something. "You do? You really believe me?" He asked, holding his breath.

"Yes." She said, rolling over to face him.

"Oh, thank God."

"I'm so sorry, Castle." Kate said, taking his hand. "I should never have doubted you. It wouldn't be the first time one of your crazy theories actually turned out to be true."

"Ouch." He joked, at the back-handed compliment. "But you're right." He admitted. "It's hit or miss."

"It doesn't matter. I should have believed you. It was all right there, right in front of my face, but until I got the letter…I just couldn't see it. Although, in my defense, even you have to agree it was an awful lot to take in. Can you ever forgive me for not trusting you?"

On that note, he snuggled closer. "There's nothing to forgive." He said, kissing her forehead. "Besides, I've always known you'd come around eventually. It was just a matter of time. Kris warned me you were a hard nut to crack. That would be an understatement, by the way."

In each other's arms they kissed, agreeing to finish their conversation in the morning once they'd both had more sleep. A few minutes later, just as Kate was on the cusp of falling asleep Rick roused her awake. "Kate?"

"Mmm?"

"Any thoughts on the Easter Bunny?"

"Castle!"

"Tooth Fairy?"

"Stop."

"Abominable Snowman..."

"Oh, my God…"

Kate did the only sensible thing she could think of to shut Rick up – she kissed him senseless…

The End.

A/N: And they lived happily ever after. ;-)

And so ends this short story that somehow morphed into a book. I had fun writing it, and my hope is that you had fun reading it too. Now, on to the next chapter of my life. You see what I did there? I'd love to hear your feedback if you have time to post a comment or PM me. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight! Karen :-)