Reminder that in this universe the events of season 8 didn't happen.

Veritas

January 22, 2016

"Hey, Castle?"

He appeared in the doorway on cue, boxers slung low on his hips, t-shirt in hand. He was silhouetted against the light in the bathroom, and Kate was momentarily distracted by the sight, the strong outline of his body.

Castle was smirking when she finally dragged her eyes up to his face, eyes twinkling smugly. "Yes, Detective?" he husked.

"I, uh," she swallowed, forced herself to look away. Her eyes dropped to her hands, catching sight of the notebook clutched in her grasp, and only then did she remember the question she'd been planning to ask.

Right. Focus, Kate.

"Did we miss some?"

"Miss some…?"

She nodded downward to their journal. "Letters."

Castle shrugged the shirt over his head as he crossed the room, came to a stop next to the bed. "I didn't think so."

Kate flipped open to a page near the end of their first journal, held it up for him to examine. "This doesn't look familiar."

Castle skimmed the words, and though he remembered writing it, he didn't recall them ever reading or discussing it. "Maybe we did."

"The day of our wedding…"

"You found my letter," he recollected.

"And you read mine."

"And we kept reading from there, didn't we?" he asked, brow furrowed.

She nodded. "I think so."

Castle climbed into bed, sliding across the mattress and extending his legs beneath the blankets as his back came to rest against the padded headboard. "In that case, care to do some reading?"

Kate settled against his side, warm and cozy in stark contrast to the blizzard that raged outside. "Don't mind if I do."

Together, they lost track of time, drawn in by Castle's words, reminiscing about things past as they read his letters one page at a time. Both had completely lost count of the number of pages they'd covered by the time they stumbled upon the entry from a very memorable date: the day the man behind Johanna Beckett's murder was finally taken down.

May 5, 2014

Dear Kate,

I don't think I have the words to write to you today. I'm just so damn proud of you and I'm so happy for you. More than anything and anyone else in the world, you deserve this. You deserve justice.

I remember during the Dick Coonan case, you told me you'd let your mother down. I never thought it was true, but I know you believed it. But knowing who you are and how hard you fight for answers – not just your own, but answers for every single victim – you could never let your mother down. It's impossible. Speaking as a parent, I know she'd be so unbelievably proud of you every single day.

I know that today, she's up there smiling down at you and shedding tears of joy.

You're incredible, Kate. The way you carried yourself today was amazing. What you accomplished today was remarkable. I've never been more proud to stand by your side.

And I love you more than words can ever convey.

Rick

"We did it," she whispered as she reached the end of the letter, the words caught in her throat.

It had been a long and harrowing process following Bracken's arrest; his arraignment, court hearings, and finally the multi-day trial, leaving the entire team at the Twelfth – but especially Kate – utterly burned out and exhausted.

But it was over, Bracken sentenced to life in prison, and the constant threat of death lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't realized just how much it had been weighing her down until it was gone.

"We did it," Castle echoed, tightening the arm draped across her shoulders, pressing her into his side.

Kate came willingly, curling her legs and allowing her bent knees to fall to his thighs as her cheek came to rest against his collarbone. Castle set the journal aside, found her right hand with his left and twined their fingers together against his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, exhaled softly.

There wasn't any more to say. They'd been through it all together, side by side, and rehashing it now would serve no benefit. This case had torn them apart on multiple occasions, was the catalyst for some of their nastiest fights. But in many ways, it had also brought them closer, and they were stronger because of it.

They were more solid now than they'd ever been.

And it was finally over.

Thoughts?