It was a slightly cloudy day in Central Park. Big clouds of thunder had just rolled away from New York city and rays of sunlight were peeking behind stripey clouds. The day was gorgeous for walking around, it was filled with fresh air and the smell of rain. They walked together, her hand tightly holding his. He wouldn't let go of her if his life depended on it. He stole a glance at her every now and then, just checking if she was alright.

"You don't need to check on me, Castle." she said sharply. Even though it was kind of sweet, she didn't want him to be worried.

"I am not checking, can't I just admire you without you shooting me down all the time?" he smiled at her and tried to pretend everything was okay.

"Hah, you can't really lie, Castle. Honestly, I am okay." She tried to calm him down.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "You still look pale," he added.

She stopped walking and turned herself towards him, as he was now stopping too. She looked into his eyes and stressed her words. "Castle, I am okay. Please don't worry." she said, smiling. He could not not smile back to her. The corners of his mouth crawled upwards as he smiled back to her, trying to be positive. He pulled her into his embrace, planting a kiss to her forehead and wrapping his arms around her. She sighed and sneaked her arms around his hips, letting her head rest on his chest. There they stood, in the middle of the dirt road in Central Park, holding each other in a tight embrace.

He whispered, his mouth close to her ear, "I was so afraid today." He knitted his hands more tightly around her, pressing her hard against his chest.

Kate felt her heart tighten. To be honest, she had been afraid too. Having a conversation with your colleagues at one moment and waking at the hospital the next, Rick staring back at her, his eyes filled with deep concern - it was both confusing and scary. She had fainted, in the middle of the freaking precinct, under the noses of all detectives who worked there. She was okay, she really was. The doctor had said it was normal for her, to have moments of weakness. She really was okay, after all she didn't have to stay at the hospital anymore. Her only worry remained though - how to serve the truth to her partner. She sighed against his chest and tried to loosen his grip on her. He was reluctant to let her go, but he obeyed and loosened his tight embrace. She stood in front of him, searching for his hand. She pulled his hand to get his attention.

"Castle, let's go and find someplace where we could sit," she said, starting to step away and leading him by his hand. He followed her lead. As he always did. She had always been his guiding light. They walked in silence until Kate spotted a bench in the shadow of a little bush. It was the perfect place to sit down and have intimate conversation. They walked to the bench and sat down in unison, their hands still joined. She turned her body to face his. She sighed. This conversation wasn't the easiest to go through. He eyed her with caution. Like she was a toy that could break in any minute.

She sighed, before she opened her mouth. "Castle." she simply said. Catching his attention. He squeezed her hand.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"There was a reason why I fainted," she said in serious tone.

"I... I would assume so," he answered her, trying to make a joke, but failing. She was silent. She didn't know what to say to him.

"The doctor said... uhm... he said..." she stuttered, not knowing how to break the news.

Castle, now dead serious, didn't know what to do, or expect. He stared at her intensively, hoping that the news wouldn't be so bad. Is she ill? Is she dying? What is going on? He closed his eyes to prepare him for the worst and hanged his head.

"Castle, I'm pregnant," she said with a quiet voice, barely a whisper.

Castle's head snapped up so fast that Kate could have sworn that she heard a whiplash.

"What?" he exclaimed. He had no words coming out of his mouth. The feeling was new to him, not knowing what to say. Kate was now observing his reactions. His eyes were glued to hers and his mouth opened and closed few times. He puffed out a breath of air. "Really?" he asked, finally smiling, his eyes full of hope and joy.

"Yes, really," she answered, squeezing his hand in her palms. "That's why I fainted in the precinct. The doctor said my blood sugar levels were very low and had been for a while. Since my body has now a new life growing inside, it requires more nutrition. And I have been neglecting to give nutrition to my body recently. You know, the last case we had. I am not even sure when I ate the last time..." she trailed off, feeling Rick's hands lifting from her grasp. She closed her eyes. She was still unsure how he could react. 'Did he even wanted children? What would become of this child if he didn't want it, what could...' her thought process was cut short when she felt his hands touching her neck and shoulder and pulling her closer to him gently. She managed to open her eyes for split second before she felt his hand under her chin and lifting it up. Blue eyes met hazel before they closed and their lips met. Rick pulled her closer with force, trying to cling desperately to her. He claimed her lips with passion, craving the taste of her. She kissed him back with the same intensity, feeling his lips part and his tongue searching for home.

Finally they broke away from each other, gasping for air they had denied to their bodies, their faces still connected. He pulled her into his lap even more and whispered to her ear. "I am so glad." He hugged her. "I thought you were dying or something... " he breathed out, feeling the heavy weight lifting from his heart.

Her face buried in his shoulder, she let out a chuckle. "Dying, really, Castle?" she asked.

"You fainted in the middle of the freaking precinct, what else I was suppose to think?" He chuckled too.

She slid her fingers through his hair, playing with them. "I should have known," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"Only you can be so overly dramatic..." she chuckled.

He joined her in silent laughter of relief. Then he moved away a little bit and raised her head. Their eyes met. "We are having a baby," he whispered and closed in the distance again, her lips meeting his halfway.

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"How could I not remember what day it is?" she asks from him surprised that he'd even ask this question. She reaches for his hand and just like she did all of those years ago. "It's the day our family started, all those years ago" she says, glowing with joy. He joins her and smiles too, remembering the day as it was yesterday. "It was the happiest day of my life," he agrees.

She snorts out a laugh and hums. "Mmm... I think we have had several happiest days. And today was definitely one of them," she agrees with him. She leans back and extends out her arm, trying to get something out from their picnic basket. Fumbling through things she can't find what she wants, so she shuffles closer to the basket. Finally, she finds what she was searching for and raises it up with victory. The bottle of champagne in her hands now, she finds two glasses and sits back to Rick's side.

She gives the bottle to her husband and says, "I think this is worth celebrating." Rick nods and smiles and starts uncorking the bottle. The cork flies off with a bang and the bubbly alcohol starts to flow out of the bottle, making Kate squeal. They both start to laugh in unison and Kate tries to catch the liquid with the cups. Finally they get the necessary amount of the champagne in the cups and he puts the bottle down. He raises his glass.

"To anniversaries!" he says.

"To perfect days," she adds.

They clink their glasses together and raise them to their mouths. Taking few sips of that delicious, bubbly liquid, they put the glasses away together. She raises herself up a bit and plants a little peck to his chin.

"Thank you for making me take a break," she says in a low voice. "I needed it. I needed this, today."

"You are welcome," he says, putting an arm around her.

They settle down and chat together for minutes, a half an hour, stopping every now and then to take a sip of the champagne. They haven't had this kind of peaceful moment for a while and they are catching up with each other.

"Javier called the other day," she says interrupting the silence.

"Oh?" he is surprised at the statement.

"Yeah, he seems to be quite happy in the 9th precinct," she shares. "The position as a Captain there has made his ego grow bigger at least two sizes," she snorts out.

"Haha," he laughs with her. "I am quite sure he is pleased with his place there. He is a good leader".

"He really is," she agrees. "He also said that Carlos is finishing off his first year in Harvard with excellent grades. He is one proud papa." She smiles.

"Carlos is really good boy too, he could make every papa proud," he says, his eyes travel around the horizon. His gaze halts and he notices something in the background. He mumbles, "Speaking of being a proud papa," and he nods towards the east side of the park, making her look the same way. She notices the same thing as Rick.

"Ooohh..." she breathes out.

As the two figures get closer, both Kate and Rick stand up to greet them.

Rick opens his mouth first. "James!" he stretches out his hands and pulls him in a big bear hug, huge grin on his face. "Why on earth didn't you tell us you were in the city?" he inquires, reluctant to let him go.

"It wouldn't been surprise for you then," Jamie answers back chuckling and hugging Rick back hard. Finally Rick lets him go and James turns to hug Kate.

"Mom," he says, wrapping his arms around her. "I have missed you." He hugs her tightly. Kate smiles so intensely she feels her cheeks hurting.

"Oh, my baby boy," she sighs. "You are back at home. Oh, I have missed you too, dear boy." She hugs him tightly, trying to make up for lost time.

Maddy, who has been observing them from a distance, now comes closer, big smile plastered on her face, holding a little tray of coffee cups on her hands. As her brother and her mom finish their embrace, the family settles down on the blanket. Maddie puts down the coffee tray and sits between her dad and her brother, trying to stay close to James. She has been missing her big brother so badly this year. She takes two cups from the cupholder and gives them to her mom and dad. Kate accepts it with a thankful nod and takes a sip, closing her eyes for a moment.

James notices the glasses and the bottle and mentions, "I see you have been celebrating here already"

"Indeed we have," Rick answers. "It's a beautiful day outside and I succeeded to get your mother out of her work. I think it needed celebration." Kate only grins. She knows that he has been trying to get her out of the office for weeks, but days have been busy in the NYPD Headquarters. Being a Chief of Detectives wasn't an easy job, but she had managed it wonderfully so far. But she had really needed that break. And he had masterfully planned that vacation out.

Maddy looks at Jamie and they both grin in unison. They both have that sparkle of mischief in their eyes and their father catches it almost immediately. After all, they are his children.

"What's going on with you two?" he asks.

"Well, now that you ask," Jamie starts. "We have been planning a surprise for you two. I am glad you haven't figured it out yet, dad," he smirks.

"A surprise?" Kate asks.

Maddy butts in "Since it is your anniversary today, we thought we should do something special for you, guys," she shares.

"Anniversary?" Kate asks, raising her eyebrows. She is mentally checking all of the biggest events in her's and Rick's lives but nothing pops out right at the moment. Rick's face displays the same amount of confusion as well, when she looks at him.

Maddy rolls her eyes at her mom and asks "You guys don't remember at all?" She smiles widely now. "How can you guys not remember the day you met each other?"

Kate looks from Maddy's face to Jamie's face and then to Rick's face. Rick meets her gaze with a surprised expression at his face.

When their children were little, she and Rick used to tell them stories about when they met and what had happened before they started living together and before they were born. Apparently, the children had remembered the stories, and now, they are up to something.

Rick smiles in awe. "It is... " he stutters. "It really is the anniversary, Kate." He beams at her now. "Today, 25 years ago, you tackled me down at my book-launch party, making me follow you around and eventually, making me fall in love with you."

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A/N: Thank you PenguinOfTroy and Fooxoo for all of your support, and making this chapter happen. I wouldn't be doing this without you guys.

Please review if you like the story. I know the story I am writing, I just need a little bit encouragement :)