Right now I would just like to thank everyone that is reading this, I know at times you were probably ready to give up but I hope that the eventual ending will make up for everything. It may be some time before we get there though. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

The world thinks that Richard Castle is a man with everything he has ever wanted, but he is not. For years a certain something had always eluded his grasp, whether it be the identity of a lost love, a proper mother for his child, his own father and most recently the love of one Miss Kate Beckett.

Today he wakes up contented, curled up into his side lies his daughter, looking so much better than when they had fell asleep and with her head laying upon his chest Kate sleeps soundly with his arm wrapped around her. He is so busy admiring the view that he almost misses the absence of his mother. He pauses and hears her downstairs so he quickly puts all thoughts aside and begins to fall back asleep. He doesn't wake again until it is too late.

/

The duo awake suddenly to a flash of light, Kate sits bolt upright while Castle just groans, he automatically rolls on his side, panicking when he realises that absence of another body stopping him.

"She's in the kitchen, chatting happily with Jenny, we just popped by to see how she is. But I must admit this is a lovely surprise!"

Kate glares at Ryan, touched by his concern for Alexis, unsure why she feels like that though. She comes up with a nice reply and an explanation but forgets them when she sees the cause of the flash. A camera is in the detective's hand. Within seconds Kate has leaped at him and they leave Castle chuckling as they race down the stairs.

He follows moments later, anxious to see Alexis and make sure that Ryan was not injured. He finds Kate wrestling the young man for the camera and with one arm picks her up by her waist and carries her to the couch where he dumps her down.

"Castle, ever try that again and I will shoot you, plus what on earth will Gwen think when she sees the photo, we know nothing happened but she's a teenager, they have dirtier minds than you."

"I'm hurt, I'll have to work hard to beat them then, and anyway I'm sure she'll understand or be thrilled, she'll want all the leverage and bribing material for when I meet Antony."

Alexis decides to join the conversation, she can't help but smile Detective Ryan looks so confused.

"Yeah, that's true, Dad's done some really awful stuff to some of my boyfriends, I still don't forgive him for the severed head. And don't say he's not allowed to go all protective, he will ignore you and beg someone to do a back up check. "

Kate is beginning to feel outnumbered; she knows that once the boys understand they will be just as protective, well perhaps just a little bit less, but as cops that'd be scary.

"Fine, go all protective but when she goes mental at you I am not saving you, she is one person that I will never save you from. Understand?"

"Perfectly Miss" He salutes and begins to run, eventually using Alexis as a shield to save him. His fear sets the room off laughing and soon Kate can't even glare at him for laughing too much. Once they manage to stop their sides from splitting, Kevin introduces them to Jenny and Castle manages to be polite to her. He acts a perfect gentleman until he turns to Kate and speaks.

"You know, seeing as they have that picture, what do you say to making it really happen?"

Once again she goes to hit him and finds him running away. This time she doesn't give chase.

"While he is hiding, I think I'll go. I need to get some stuff ready for tomorrow, Alexis can you please get your cowardly father to text me all the details, times places that sort of thing."

She gathers up her stuff before wishing them all goodbye.

"I'm glad you're ok, just phone me if you need a sane conversation."

She kisses the girls head as they hug and waves at the others, minutes after she has gone, Castle reappears, totally confused.

"Where is she? I thought I had her then."

They laugh as his confusion continues, the girls are laughing too hard to reply so Kevin does. A smile plastered over his face.

"She left, said she wanted to do some stuff for tomorrow and wanted you to text her all the info, do I have to wait till tomorrow to find out what's going on?"

"Yes Detective you do, but trust me you'd never have guessed."

Castle smiles as his friend leaves with his girlfriend, leaving Castle with his family. Well most of his family. She smiles happily at the day so far and is still quite high half an hour later when Lanie calls.

"Castle"

"Hey, we need to step up getting over there, today hopefully, Gwen wants to be there like yesterday. She can't stand being here."

"I'll sort it out, same numbers?"

"No, just us two, the others will follow later"

"Ok, get to the airport, I will go pull some strings."

"Thanks Castle, best tell Kate though, bye."

"Bye Lanie"

Castle wanders off to his office and soon has the girls on a plane, he phones Kate and tells her the new arrangements, he suggests meeting at the Precinct to talk seeing as she is getting some paperwork done.

He whistles as he makes his way there, soon he will have everything he has wanted in the past few hours. To see Kate and Gwen happy in his presence, his dreams have been filled with family moments. He is wound up with anticipation.

/

Gwen can hear her heart breaking already as she prepares to do the tough thing. She understands now, her mother's pain. She feels it as harsh as Kate had all those years before for now she too must abandon a love for the sake of life. Surely with the two apart he will be safe after all the victim is her not him.

She sighs and begins to write;

Dear Ant,

Hey, I just have to explain everything. I owe you that much at least. I love you, I really do but my place is in America now and yours is here, with your dad. The months I have spent with you have been some of the best in my life. You make me forget my pain and bring me happiness and chocolate. I will always remember you fondly and it hurts me to say this but we cannot be.

The attack brought everything into focus, I need to spend time with my mom and I want to find my father. I am no longer the girl you love, Ant. I've changed my whole life has and I need to rebuild but not here, not with you.

I have rarely let you see me cry and I leave you now to stop our happy memories being washed away by bad ones. Being together now would destroy us. All I ask of you is that you find it in yourself to move on. I ask not for forgiveness for I know the pain I cause.

Farewell Devil, may your life be lived well

Guinevere

Tears mark the paper as she finishes, folds the letter up and carefully puts it in the envelope. After writing his name on the front she kisses it softly and places it down on the bench. With one last look at his garden she turns and leaves her happy place behind.

Behind her the leaves begin to fall from the great oak tree and as she steps into the car outside a cry sings out on the wind. A set of hearts are broken.

Next up Castle meets Gwen, unless I get distracted again but I will try to stay on task.