The day she had met Richard Castle, he's been nothing but annoying to her, a boy in the body of a
man. Even though he was ruggedly handsome, his incapability to stay serious, his theories, even his
mocking grin had annoyed her.
She didn't want him to follow her back then, didn't want to be part of his books, didn't want him to
spoil her work.
She had tried to trust him and he had violated that trust by investigating her mother's murder, by
poking through her past even though she had told him not to.
But still, she had taken him back, let him follow her because she had gotten used to his jokes, his
ability to think outside the box and the warm grin he gave her now and then. Not to mention the
daily coffee.
She never would have thought a kiss would drive her this crazy.
'It was just an undercover kiss, nothing personal, not feelings attached.' She tried to tell herself, even
though she knew she was lying.
She'd replay those few seconds in her head at night, when she couldn't sleep. Over and over, his lips
touching hers, the feeling of his hand in her hair, the warmth of his body, so very close to hers, the
feeling of his tongue against her bottom lip.
It would become one of her favorite memories.
The day she had broken up with Josh, he'd been there to tell her she'd done the right thing. He'd told
her that Josh had been the one who hadn't been around, that he was the one who was to blame for
the end of their relationship. She'd merely made the cut.
He'd ordered lots of food to her apartment and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's with her. She didn't
ask how he'd known that it was her favorite movie.
He'd held her hand at the end, when Holly had set the cat free and realized what she had lost when
she let Fred (and the cat) go.
Their first non-undercover kiss had been tender, sweet, their lips barely touching, exploring what
they had longed for once again.
He'd brought his hand up to her face, cupped her cheek while her hands had grasped the collar if his
shirt to prevent him from pulling away, both of them drowning in pure, wonderful bliss.
It had taken them months to finally admit to themselves that they were dating. Castle had appeared
at her apartment in the middle of the night to tell her that he wasn't playing with her, to tell her that
he wanted her, only her, and that he wouldn't push her to find out where she stood.
'Just don't take too long.' He had said and turned around to leave again. Before he could make one
step, she'd grabbed his wrist, pulled him into her living room and kissed him with a passion he had
not expected, her fingers slowly unbuttoning his shirt.
'You sure?' He had asked breathlessly, pulling away. 'I know where I stand.' She'd whispered and
pushed the shirt off of his shoulders.
Seven months and three days into their relationship, Lanie had taken her aside. 'You do know that
the whole precinct knows you're sleeping with Castle?' Taken aback, she'd replied that she was not
and would under no circumstances be sleeping with Castle. But Lanie had laughed and turned back to
the body she was working on. 'For a cop, she's a terribly bad liar.'
Kate had been at his apartment for another movie night, had been sitting on the kitchen counter,
her legs swinging back and forth, as she watched him cook pasta.
She really hadn't seen it coming, until he turned around, holding something small in his hand. As he
knelt down in front of her, her heart had stopped beating for a few seconds.
Was this really happening?
'I love you, Kate. More than I have ever loved someone. More, than I ever will love someone. Would
you eat my pasta for the rest of our lives?'
Torn between laughing and shock as the meaning of his words sunk in, she looked at the rather
chaste but beautiful ring he offered her. Her eyes found his, seeing all the hope all the love and
affection in them. She took a deep breath.
'Yes. Yes, yes, yes.' She choked, knowing that this was, what she'd always wanted.
They'd had a wonderful wedding. She'd been wearing the white dress she'd secretly dreamed of
since she was a little girl. Everyone from the precinct had been there, Castle's whole family, Alexis
had brought Ashley and Martha had cried tears of joy that were not staged.
Esposito had been holding Lanie's hand.
The wedding wouldn't have been à la Castle if everything went after the protocol, though. Ryan had
been there with Jenny and somehow, their daughter had decided in the middle of the ceremony,
that she would like to be born. Kate later found out that she was going to be named Emily Katherine.
Castle held her hand, as she was giving birth to their first child about a year later. He'd kissed her
forehead, as soon as she was holding little Alexander tightly to her chest, a single tear of joy rolling
down his cheek.
Of course they fought. Every couple did. They'd argue about how she would come home late at night,
later than she'd intended to, because she'd gotten so wrapped up in a case.
They'd argue about how he would spend his evenings and nights writing, rather than playing with
their children or with her, cuddling on the couch.
Whenever they were having arguments, she would take the day off, spend it at home with him and
he'd play laser tag with Johanna, who could barely walk straight, let alone run on her short legs. Her
laughter filled the whole house, soon followed by squealing when Rick started to tickle her.
They would go to the park, all six of them. Kate and Alexis would be playing with 'the little ones' and
he would support Martha walking, trying to convince her that seventy eight was a bit too old to
accept new roles. He never succeeded.
Ever since Castle had been at her side, her life had been a bit brighter, a bit more worth living. He
made her smile, took care of her, grounded her, was her friend, lover, husband.
He'd helped her to solve her mother's case, helped her to get over Josh, even though she could only
guess how much it must have hurt him.
He had helped her find true love, raise her children and grandchildren, helped her to live.
He'd held her hand through all of these years, and that was exactly what he did now, as her breath
was becoming weak, her vision blurry. His hand the only link to the life she had had, his hand
warming her cold one, just like in that freezer so many decades ago.
'I love you.' She breathed, as she felt him kiss her hand one last time, his fingers stroke through her
grey hair one last time.
'I love you too, Katie.'