Kate Castle closed her eyes, enjoying the tickle of the water as it curled around her ankles. The warm summer breeze tugged at her hair and she pulled the hairband off her ponytail, allowing her hair to dance with the wind.

Kate Castle

She loved the sound of it.

Katherine Houghton Castle

It sounded right. She was a Castle now.

Castle

She was finally happy. She finally got her happy ending. She was finally free.

And he helped her, he saved her and he loved her.

And he was here, with her, together.

She felt his arms around her waist and he nuzzled into her neck. She felt him breath, his chest heaving against her back. She turned, enveloping him into a hug and breathed him in.

He was all earth, and paper, mixed with the saltiness in the air. He was summer, strong and bright, brimming with life, real.

He was real.

He wasn't a dream.

"Kate," he breathed, his breath warm on her right ear. She stayed in his arms, soaking him in, breathing him in. "My wife."

She smiled. His wife. Her husband.

The writer and his muse.

The detective and her sidekick.

Partners.

"I love you," she said. She was drowning, overflowing with the love she had for him. This man who was there by her side for six years, through the bad, through the good, overcoming trails, overcoming difficulties. He was there. He is here.

"I love you too."

She fitted perfectly in his arms and there was nowhere else she would like to be.


"Stop! Please! Castle!" she screeched, writhing under his feather like touches, tears escaping her eyes.

"Detective Kate Castle begging for mercy!" he laughed as he continued his attacks.

"Stop… I can't…" she gasped for air, her lungs screaming from her laughter. Her sides were aching and all she wanted was for him to stop tickling her and touch her. Properly.

Or not.

But touch her, stroke her, kiss her.

"Was my pancakes good?" he asked with the most serious expression.

She grinned playfully. "Nope."

"No?"

"Nope."

"Should I continue your punishment then?"

"I've got a better idea," she smirked, licking her lips as she stared into his blue eyes with fire in her eyes.

"Hmmm?"

"Hmmm," she hummed, capturing his lips with hers, kissing him softly.

He smiled against her lips and deepened the kiss, tasting her, indulging in her.

She was rocking against him, fire burning in the pits of her stomach, spreading throughout her body.

With her legs wrapped around his hips, he managed to carry her back to their room, ready for round number three.


It was a full moon that night, brightening up the dark gloomy sky.

They lay on the soft grass, her head on his chest, watching the night sky.

She could hear his heartbeat, a steady rhythm that lured her to sleep. His arms were strong against hers, holding her close. And he was warm, so very warm.

He was stroking her hair, playing with it, twirling it around his fingers.

She was drawing circles on his chest, a smile on her face.

She could never contain her smile these days. They seemed to tear across her face so easily, refusing to be contained, refusing to be suppressed. There wasn't any more reasons for her to suppress her happiness.

She had finally caught the person behind her mother's murder. She had finally sought justice for her mother. The dark chapter of her past was finally closed, leading to the opening of a brighter future. She was no longer guilty for being happy. She was finally free.

Castle was here.

Castle is here.

She could hear his heartbeat.

She could feel his warmth.

She could smell his scent.

He was real, beside her, with her.

They were happily married, at their honeymoon.

She propped herself up and kissed his chin. His nose. His cheeks. The middle of his brows. His forehead. His ears.

And his mouth.

God, she loved him so much.


She had the dream once more. The dream where he was in a car accident on the day of their wedding.

She had woken up in fear, tears streaming down her eyes. But he had held her in his arms and kissed her tears away. He had whispered promises in her ears, comforting her and telling her that it was just a nightmare. He was here with her, in their rented cottage beside the beach.

He promised her forever.

He promised to always stay with her.

He would never, ever abandon her.

He would never, ever leave her.

He would never, ever let her go through the pain of losing another loved one.

He would never, ever…

He would never, ever…


"Will you stay with me?" she asked, broken.

"Always," he replied with the same smile, the charming, crooked smile.

And she believed him.

Standing at the beach, ankle deep in the ocean, she felt free and loved.

She felt happy and safe.

She felt alive.


The room was too white, too stifling.

She could not breathe.

The walls seemed on the verge of collapsing on her.

Her hair was in a mess but there wasn't a mirror to check.

She didn't care anyway. She wasn't here.

She could not hear the pleas and beggings that surrounded her. She could not see the tear stained faces around her.

"Kate, please," someone begged but she did not hear it, or she did not care.

"Katie," someone else's voice.

"He's dead, Kate. Wake up."

No he wasn't. HE WAS NOT DEAD.

Richard Castle was still alive and they were married. They were on their honeymoon trip, together.

Because he would never, ever leave her alone.

He would never, ever-