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Kate stood there for a moment, just enjoying the closeness when she suddenly reached around and pinched herself. She chuckled at the fact that it hurt, but at least she knew she wasn't dreaming. Without moving too much, she reached over and pinched him as well. When he jumped back and screamed, she laughed.
"What was that for?" He exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot.
"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming." Kate answered with a smirk.
"You're supposed to pinch yourself, not me!" He cried out.
Kate just smiled at his childish behavior. He finally smiled back and pulled her closer again. He gave her a quick hug before releasing her and taking her hand. They walked together to the picnic table and sat down.
Her smile got wider when she looked down and saw the food. There were sandwiches, potato chips, fresh fruit, chocolate chip cookies and iced tea. The look on his face told her that he was responsible, but he didn't utter a single word. She just knew. It was not a fancy meal by any means, but considering their current residence, it felt like a gourmet dinner. She sipped the iced tea and looked over at him.
"What?" He said.
"I'm just so happy to see you, Rick. These last few days have been just horrible. Now, I feel like I can smile again."
"I'm pretty happy to see you too, Kate. It feels like it's been weeks, but it's only been 2 days." He said, with his eyes smiling at her.
They didn't say much during the meal; they just ate and snuck glances across the table. Kate would catch him looking at her and she would throw a napkin or a chip at him. He would just keep staring, and her cheeks were turning red. Pretty soon, they were both laughing and just being themselves.
Kate had finished her sandwich and was sipping at her tea. She suddenly looked sad and could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes. She put her glass down, and put her face in her hands. Before she knew what was happening, he was sitting beside her, holding her as she cried. He kissed the top of her head and held her close.
"Talk to me Kate. Tell me what's going on in the extraordinary mind of yours." He said softly, rubbing her back.
She pulled away slowly, looking down at the ground. His shirt was wet from her tears and she couldn't stop them.
"There's so much I wanted to do with my life, Castle. I just can't believe that this is where it's going to end."
He lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes were red and he could see the pain behind them.
"At least you aren't alone, Kate. I'm here too."
"I know, Rick, and you really have no idea how glad I am that you are here too. It makes everything a little easier on both of us. I'm sure you miss your family."
Rick pulled back just a little and sighed. "I can't believe I won't ever get to see her get married, Kate. I won't be there to walk her down the aisle, embarrass her during the father/daughter dance, or help her find her first house. I won't ever meet my grandchildren either."
Kate reached out and took his hand. She laced her fingers with his and leaned in resting her head on his shoulder. "I can totally see you at the zoo with your 2 year old granddaughter on your shoulders, just dancing away and her laughing at you. Her smiles would make your eyes light up even more, and you would completely be smitten with her."
"Would I still be ruggedly handsome?" Rick asked, teasing her, trying to keep from crying.
She rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't help but imagine him a little older…maybe a touch of gray at the temples. She smiled as she looked up at him, and said one word, "Definitely."
He smiled back at her and she leaned up to kiss his cheek. She pulled him in close as they sat there just holding each other. They didn't speak, they just held on. It wasn't long after that, the nurse came out and told them it was time to go back inside. Standing up, they walked hand in hand back into the building.
Meanwhile, the technicians were in the lab checking the levels on Kate and Rick's blood. They weren't seeing what they thought they would, and they weren't sure how to explain it. What they did know, was that everything was about to change.