They walked together out of the bookstore where he'd just been signing his newest novel, a foray into more serious literature, and Kate found herself smiling at the little girl between them (how could she not?) who was busily swinging their hands back and forth while chattering on about her rather… wild dream from last night that might have involved lasers and espionage. Definitely a child of chez Castle. The little one could talk straight for days. Honestly since the day Lily first started talking she never seemed to stop.

"Oh! Mama! Mama, can we go to the swings?" said their little girl, tugging on her arm, "Please?"

"The swings?" she said, turning to see a very familiar sight that almost froze her mid-step. Oh wow. It'd been a while since she'd seen those swings, but the memories entwined into those chains were all too clear still. It was on those swings where she had made the first steps towards making amends that summer after the sniper. It was on those swings where she had sat in the pouring rain after having lost both her job and her love, where she had decided to just say hell to it and jump in. It was on those swings where she had said yes to forever. It was those swings where she had found some sanctuary in spite of the Dragon, in spite of all hell coming up to get her. It was on those swings where he'd told her that no matter what she did, whether she ran for senator or became a captain, he had her back, always. It was on those swings where they had swung for ages, finally feeling like there were no crosshairs on their backs after months and months of therapy after Loksat fell, where she'd traced his scars and he hers and where they had put it to peace at last. And it was on those swings where she told him she was having his baby… and where she told him there was another- then no, not one, two- on the way.

She glanced over at Castle, who seemed as surprised as she was. That had really been the same bookstore where she'd gone to try and get his forgiveness all those years ago? And she hadn't even noticed. They used to come here all the time just to talk, away from the craziness of the loft, but with Martha and Alexis out of the house and little Lily Castle to keep them busy they hadn't been able to for a long time.

"Of course, sweetie," she said after a pause, "Let's go to the swings."

Lily skipped forward, dragging her parents behind her as they smiled. Castle hoisted the little girl up onto the swing, her little feet kicking back and forth some distance off from the ground.

Kate moved around to the back of the swing, moving in close to speak to her baby.

"Ready to fly, little miss?" she said, met with an enthusiastic nod, "Then hold on tight."

Pulling her back, she pushed the swing out into the air as Castle leaned against the supports, a smile on his face as his eyes met hers. These swings held their story in the chains that made them and the freedom they embodied, their story intertwined with every rusting rung and worn seat, twisted up with the chains and freed into the fresh air of the small park. These swings were their story.

And as their giggling little girl urged her to push her higher and higher, she realized that this was it. This was their last chapter- him, her, Lily, the two ones on their way, the swings.

"Higher, mama!"

Higher and higher indeed. It may be it perhaps for their story, but that didn't mean they were done. Not even close.

It was over, but that was okay.

That was okay.