Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

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I'd really love to hear from you :)

Chapter 25

Kate noticed the past tense. The past perfect. 'Had'. But she didn't let on.

"Kate, I know for a fact, that after everything that happened, it'll take me a while to reach that place again, but it's inevitable, that I'm going to ask you to marry me one day"

"Is it okay if I tell you now, what my answer is going to be?"

He chuckled.

"No, I want you to surprise me" he joked.

They were quiet for a moment then and he noticed she had her eyes on the little box in his hand.

He smiled. "Kate, would you like to see it?"

She looked up at him "may I?"

he opened the little box, and a rich looking stone, on a ring looked up at her. An engagement ring that looked so beautiful, that no woman would be able to say no to the man, even if they hated the bearer.

She looked back up at him, her words were lost the minute he opened the box.

"Do you like it?" he asked, needing to hear it, after watching her reaction to it.

"Rick.., it's… I... I don't know how to describe how beautiful it is…"

He shut the box immediately.

"That's how I feel about you" he said with a smirk. And she laughed. He looked back down at the little box and said

"I want you to have it. Keep it. But you can't wear it until the day I put it on your finger and officially ask you"

"Okay…" she said, the smile on her face seemed to be pasted there. She couldn't control the happiness she was feeling. She took the box he handed over to her and opened it up to look at the ring again. He watched again, as she sat there admiring the tiny piece of jewelry. And he told himself, he was going to start gifting her stuff again, and he was going to start with jewelry.

She turned to keep the box away, and so he sat back and tried to get settled for bed again, but thats when he saw she hadn't kept it away. She had turned to take something else out from her bedside drawer.

It was the necklace that held her mother's ring, the one she wore every day, the one she had taken off just a while ago. She unhooked the necklace, and took the ring from the tiny blue velvet box and put it there on the necklace, to hang beside her mother's engagement ring. She realized he was watching her intently. So she looked back at him.

"What?"

He raised an eyebrow.

She looked at the necklace and back at him and said

"You never said anything about not wearing it; you just don't want me to wear it on my finger."

"I see" he said with a smirk. And as soon as she had kept it away and turned back to look at him, she was attacked with the most passionate kiss they had ever shared.

Of course she should have expected it. It must have floored him. To know that that ring was important enough to share the same place as her mother's ring.

It wasn't really the ring. It was the thought. The thought of marrying him, it held that much importance to her and that floored him. It overwhelmed him. Almost brought tears to his eyes. But he channeled that emotion, that energy, into making love to this beautiful woman. This woman who made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

It was morning, and Kate was already up, he noticed. He could hear the sound of the water in the shower. He reached out to find his watch and realized the time. He needed to start the coffee if he wanted her to leave with a good breakfast in her tummy. He quickly got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen and began to get the coffee started. He debated in his head whether to make omelets or pancakes, and finally decided on pancakes.

Kate came out through his study then, all dressed up for work. She looked spectacular and the smile that donned her beautiful lips on seeing him only added to her beauty.

"Hey beautiful, good morning" he said to her.

She rounded the counter and found herself in his arms, greeting him in kind and no words, a soft yet breath taking kiss on his lips that left him wanting more when she pulled away.

"Why'd you wake up so early?" she asked him.

"Wanted to make you a nice cup of coffee and a good batch of pancakes."

Even before she could reply, the loft's two other women made an appearance, walking in at right that moment.

"So we get the bad batches of pancakes?" Martha asked jokingly.

And Alexis' yawn was interrupted with a bout of laughter. They sat themselves down while Castle served the three women pancakes and went about to get them coffee. Kate sat beside them and ate.

But unlike them, she was watching Castle's every move. She couldn't help but admire this side of him. This care- taker in him. He was a brilliant father, an amazing son, and had also become the love of her life.

Just as he put her mug of coffee before her, she took it from him, and for some reason, that slight touch of his skin made her shiver. She looked up to find him smiling at her. She took a sip and she couldn't help that beautiful feeling from taking over. She hadn't realized how much she missed this until this moment. Castle's coffee. It was more than just coffee to her. This was the start of something new for them.

He watched her smile after her first sip. And he had to ask,

"Is it alright?"

And she replied "everything's perfect."

And he knew she wasn't talking about just the coffee. He leaned in and stole a quick kiss.

Sometime during breakfast, Martha suddenly asked,

"So Alexis, where is this weekend's party at? The one you were going on about this past whole month?"

Castle almost choked on his coffee, and Alexis froze.

Kate looked at Castle first and then at Alexis.

"I'm not going to the party"

Martha looked at Rick and then back at Alexis and said "I'm sorry, did I miss something here. Isn't this the one you've been waiting all month for?"

"Alexis…" Kate began to say.

"No, grams, I decided I don't want to go"

"When did you decide that?" Martha asked.

"Yesterday"

"Alexis if…" Kate tried again.

"No... Kate,"

"Alexis I think you should just tell everyone the truth" Rick said.

"Okay, Grams, my initial plan was to party this weekend. But yesterday I had a change of plans. Kate and I are going shopping this weekend."

"Shopping?" Martha asked with an excited smile.

"Yea..."

"Wait a second" , Kate spoke, "Alexis, why didn't you tell me you had other plans?"

"Because I don't"

"It's alright you know, you can go for the party. We can go shopping some other time. I don't want you to feel obligated to spend time with me, I just suggested it cause…"

"No. I know. I'm not doing it as an obligation Kate. I honestly want to go out with you this weekend. In fact I can't wait."

"But you don't have to choose it over a party with friends... I wouldn't want you to do that"

"No Kate, you don't understand. I want to spend time with you. I think we'll have a lot of fun. I can find a party whenever I want one, but spending time with 'family' means more to me than a party."

Martha looked at Castle with an impressed nod. Castle himself was shocked. He didn't know how Kate would feel about Alexis' use of the 'f' word.

Kate was dumbfounded. She was looking at Alexis, but her gaze was suddenly distracted. She looked down at her hands. And in her mind she wondered if she had heard right. Alexis just called her family. It wasn't a farfetched thought. They all treat her like family anyway, but actually hearing it out loud was something else entirely.

She looked back up at the young girl, and in the next moment, she didn't know what made her do it, but she wound her arms around her and hugged her tight.

She felt Alexis smile against her and she smiled too.

"I can't wait for the weekend either" she said to her. And Alexis laughed.

"And maybe sometime in the near future, you and I can go party wild together" Kate assured her.

Castle's face changed at that.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"Mind if I join you guys then too?" Martha asked

"Of course." Kate said.

"what party are you talking about?" he asked.'

"I can't tell you Castle, it's a kind of party where the ladies go wild"

"Wait, so I'm not invited?"

Alexis and Martha laughed. Kate simply smiled to herself.

"What, you're not going to answer me?"

"I'm not allowed to bully you in front of your daughter, remember?"

She sauntered away after that line, and he looked at the other two women controlling their laughter. He made a face at them and followed after her.

"Kate!" he whined. She picked her bag up from where she had left it near the door, and turned back around to him. That smile on her face, there to torture him.

"What are you so worried about a party?

"It's Alexis that I'm worried about"

"Alexis is a mature young adult. It's me and your mother you should be worried about"" she joked and laughed. But realized he wasn't laughing.

So she put her arms around his neck and kissed him till she felt him relax and put his arms around her too.

"I'm just pulling your leg. Don't get upset about a ladies night out. There's still a lot of time for that to happen. Till then, I want to go out and paint the town with you. So why don't you arrange that for us."

"That I can do" he said with a smile.

"I'll be looking forward to it"

She was inches way from kissing him when her phone rang. It was her dad.

"Give me a sec" she told Castle, his arms still around her, and her arm still on his shoulder.

"Hey dad"

"Yea no…"she looked up at Castle and he wondered what Jim Beckett had asked her

"I'm not at home dad, I'm at Rick's place"

"Yea… I was going to call…"

"We're alright… I think" she said a little unsure. But Castle smiled, letting her know she didn't have to be so unsure.

"I'll come by for dinner tomorrow"

That's when Castle interrupted "call him over, we'll have dinner together." He told her.

"Dad hold on a sec." she said on the phone and then covered the receiver and asked him

"Are you sure? I mean… the last time…"

"Last time was different, we've come a long way…" Kate nodded and then spoke to her dad.

"Dad, Rick's inviting you over for dinner tomorrow",

"Yea, I'd love that too",

"I'll see you tomorrow okay, Bye."

She disconnected the call and then wound her arms around his shoulders again.

"You sure about this?"

"I am. I think it'll be fun" he said.

"Okay" she said. "I got to go now, if you need me to get anything in the evening let me know"

"Just come home safely."

"I will" she smiled.

He kissed her and said "I love you"

"I love you too" she whispered at his lips and then left for work.