A/N: Just a little oneshot I pulled out real quick. All mistakes are mine as usual. This fic was inspired by Tim McGraw's "Annie, I Owe You A Dance" Listen to that song, it brings tears to my eyes every time.

"Johanna, no. Put it back," Kate ordered her daughter. Johanna, now eight years old, pouted but returned the candy to the shelf of the grocery store. "You've already picked up cookies, pop, and chips. No more junk food. Got it?"

Johanna nodded, "Yes, Mom."

"Kate?" Kate turned at the sound of her name. She recognized the voice immediately. She'd remember that voice any day. She stared at the man who called her name. Richard Rogers. Well now, he was Richard Castle, but still. She could feel herself blushing at the memory of him in high school. They had been best friends, but he screwed her over. She didn't want to remember, but she did. And it hurt. "It's been ages, Kate. You look fantastic."

Just looking at her, he felt the guilt, the remorse, the pain, all flood through his body. He'd been as ass. It was as simple as that. He'd stood her up at a school dance. His friends all told him how lost she had looked. Like she had been abandoned. It nearly killed him, but he didn't do anything about it. It didn't help that less than a year later her mother had been murdered and he had moved to California. He had been in California for nearly two years when one of his buddies called him to tell him Kate was getting married.

Castle's friend had kept him updated on Kate's life. Like when she decided to be a cop, when she was promoted to Homicide, when she got married, when she had a baby. Each major event in her life had been like a stab to the heart. But he knew it was all his fault.

He was acutely aware of the diamond glistening on her hand, and the little girl staring at him with wide eyes. "Rick, I've missed you. Seriously how long has it been?"

"Twenty years," he responded immediately. "Twenty long years… How've you been? I heard you got married."

Kate nodded, her eyes shifting to the ground. "Yeah. Will is great. How about you? Have you met anyone?"

"A few. I've actually been divorced twice. I have a daughter, too. Alexis is fourteen. God, I've been all over the world, seen so many different people, but I never stopped thinking about you."

Kate blushed again. They talked for what seemed like hours, just catching up on each other's lives. After a moment of silence, Kate asked, "Remember when we would talk until the wee hours of the morning? Just stupid things so we didn't have to hang up," she grinned for a second. But then the smile fell off her face, hurt replacing it.

"And I made a promise to take you to Homecoming…" Castle paused for a long minute. "Kate, I'm so sorry I didn't keep it. You know, I was in the city for a book tour, and I thought about stopping by. But you had just met Will, and I didn't think you'd appreciate seeing me. He sounds good for you."

"He is," Kate agreed, not meeting his eyes. "I really don't know what I'd do without him. He's been my rock through everything that has happened."

Castle nodded, the hurt evident in his eyes. "Do you ever think about you and me?" he asked suddenly. Kate's gaze snapped to his, shock covering her features. Did he just read her mind? He noticed her expression and changed the topic quickly. "Your daughter's beautiful. Her eyes are shine like yours did when you were young."

Kate smiled, "Thank you. She's my world now." As she said this, she wrapped her arm around his daughter, pulling her into her side.

There was a beat of awkward silence between the two. That was a rare occurrence between them. They had always been able to talk for hours on end without even taking a breath.

Castle took a few steps to Kate, reaching to take the groceries out of her hands and placed them in the basket. "Kate, I'm so sorry that I'm asking, like I should've done twenty years ago. I know there's nothing between us anymore, but I just need this. I need the closure. Listen," he said, "our song's on the radio. Kate, I owe you a dance."

Kate smiled a little, placing her hand in the hand he extended towards her. Johanna watched as her mother danced with a man she didn't know to a song she'd never heard. They looked good together, Johanna thought. She smiled and glanced at the cashier. The girl was only a few years older than Johanna, and she was watching the couple with the same gentle smile on her face.

Johanna didn't know this man, but he made her mom happy. So he had to be a good person. When the song ended, Kate walked back to her daughter, ushering her to move down the aisle. As Kate turned her back to Rick, he heard her daughter ask her, "Momma, who was that guy?"

Kate turned to glance at Rick with a sad smile gracing her features. The forgiveness in her eyes gave Rick hope. Hope that not all was lost between them. "He's my best friend, baby," he heard her answer Johanna quietly, risking another glance at him. "You'll get to see him again, someday. Don't worry."

Johanna nodded at her mother, looking over her shoulder to see that the man was still watching them walk away. "He makes you happy," she stated matter of factly.

"He really does, baby," Kate answered honestly. She didn't realize that Rick could still hear everything that was being said.

Castle's heart stopped when he heard Kate's response. He made her happy. Still, even after all these years and the horrible thing he had done to her.

"Hey Kate?" he yelled down the aisle. She turned slowly, her dark eyes searching for his. "Thanks for the dance."

A/N: Thoughts?