Kate sat on the bench outside the courtroom, sipping coffee and thinking. It was finally over. Her mother's killer had been found and was getting the death penalty. After all these years, she could finally breathe.
Her father sat beside her, sobbing with relief. It had been 15 y ears since Johanna's murder and 5 years since Castle had uncovered the truth and 4 years since Coonan had died. Justice had finally been served.
Rick arrived with fresh coffee and sat down on the other side of Kate. They didn't say anything, but you could tell they were ready to get on with their lives. He reached for her hand, raised it to his mouth, and kissed it softly.
"I'm proud of you." He said.
"Thanks, Castle. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you." She said to him as she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.
Just then, Jim stood up and Kate joined him. They hugged and he shook Rick's hand. Rick stood up and hugged Jim with a promise to call. They would be family soon and the two men had bonded. Jim said goodbye to them, and walked down the hallway.
Kate and Rick sat down again and this time, she reached for him. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
"I can't even put into words what I'm feeling right now." She said softly.
"Just try." He replied.
Kate took a deep breath and leaned back onto the bench. She reached for her mom's ring that hung around her neck and held it to her mouth before kissing it. She closed her eyes and started to speak.
"You may not know this, but I started reading your books right after my mom was murdered. Something about them helped me get through it all. When I couldn't sleep, I would read one of your novels and it helped. I can't explain it. I'm not even sure which one I read first, but I was hooked. I read all of them and fell in love with you and your writing." She paused as she opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Never in a million years, would I have imagined that we would meet and work together so well. Then we became friends, and you helped me find my mom's killer. That friendship turned to love and now I can't imagine what my life would be without you in it. I feel like I can finally get one with my life and be your wife. Thanks for being so patient with me."
He looked at her with love in his eyes. They kissed briefly and stood up. He reached for her hand as they walked down the hall.
"I think it's time we set a wedding date." She said to him as he hugged her.