To all my readers.

Please do not hate me for this

EPILOG

In the beginning…

There were two people who could not have been more different than these two.

One was a player. Always being on the prowl for another 'fun' time. Not caring who the fun was with. Not caring where they went. Not caring who knew or what others thought about it. Never planning on letting anyone close. There had been several close that caused pain. So never getting hurt again.

The other was a hard-nosed. By the book focused individual. This one wanted to find the solution to crimes that left a trail of dead bodies and broken emotions from one side of town to the other. Never letting the opposite sex close enough to get near the heart. She had been hurt and was never going to let anyone that close again.

Neither had any plans on finding someone to change their life. Let alone the other person.

But it did happen

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett!

Opposites but 'The Force' brought them to the same place at the same time and changed both of their lives.

For him, a crime scene with a woman murdered like he did in his books. A police officer who absolutely took his breath away.

For her a man who was a little more fun to be around. Made her smile, between the moments she wanted to shoot him, but even those comments were done in jest.

Or were they?

One day the earth stopped spinning. The stars rose higher in the sky than ever before. The grass was greener and the air fresher….

He stops typing and leans back in the very uncomfortable chair in the poorly lit desk and looks around. It is the same dull hotel room it was an hour ago. It has not improved at all. Glancing back down to the computer screen he sees the horrible writing that his life has dropped down to.

Q WHAT KIND OF TRASH IS THIS?' He asks himself.

It is still the same garbage he started so many times but never finished.

THEN it hits him.

He can tell their story, but tell it as a fantasy. A tale reminiscent of the King Arthur and knights of the round table.

Castle begins his first draft.

"A LOVE FAIRY TALE "

The crown prince, Richard, has decided to not follow tradition ruling the kingdom from the castle without caring about his subjects and, instead, go out into the countryside and meet the people who are under his rule.

He has gathered a small security detail and has begin traveling out into the kingdom.

His first stop is at a small village of Bretshire. Upon his arrival, he immediately asks to meet the village elders. He wants to let them know he is there and to not think of his visit as a threat, but a desire to really meet his subjects and see what the trone can do to help.

He is directed to the home of James, the village elder. When he arrives at the door instead of the man, he is met by a beautiful woman. He is instantly struck by her radiance. She is tall, lean long limbs even evident in her floor length peasant dress.

He is almost without words as he admires her beautiful green eyes, long brown hair and facial features that can pass what she is feeling inside to the outside world. Her current expression is a mixture of surprise, admiration, but mainly disinterest.

"Prince Richard?"

"He is trying to respond. "UM…Uh…yes. I am Prince Richard. Who am I blessed with?"

She pauses not really wanting to answer truthfully. The man standing before her is known for a long list of escapades with the women in the kingdom. She is not wanting to join that group, but she knows a lie will cause horrible retaliation from the Crown. "My name is Katherine, your Highness"

His train of thought is broken when he hears the front door open and the songstress voice of his wife announces she is home enters.

"Babe, are you home?"

"In the study" he responds.

Kate comes up behind him and leans into his neck intimately. As it happens, every time she does this, he lets out a little gasp.

"Are you trying the fantasy thing again?

He leans back to get a kiss from his wife. "Yes, but I have come up with a real story"

She begins reading and sees that it is them, but not completely. "What are you doing this time?" She moves around the desk and sits across from him.

He notices that, unlike most days, today she is wearing a skirt and blouse. "Some special occasion?"

"I had a meeting with the commissioner. But tell me more about this new story?"

He looks back to the computer. "This is just the beginning of a first draft, but I have an idea in my head that I wanted to get out, but now I will do a complete outline"

"So what is the story line?"

"Well. The prince has decided to change the story of the royals. He is traveling into the kingdom and create trust between the throne and the subjects. Instead of ruling by fear, he wants to create mutual trust and support."

"Interesting," she responds "Give me more"

"He travels into the kingdom and meets with each village elder and asks what they need. He also joins in with village traditions, goes to a wedding at one stop, and instead of claiming a royal privilege with the bride he, instead, gives the new couple a royal blessing. He insists they he pay for housing and food while they are visiting.

Kate is looking at her husband with love "And, of course, they are named Katherine and Richard?"

"Well Duh"

He looks at her dress again "What was the giant meeting with the commissioner about that brought you to dress up so much?"

Castle thinks he can see a sadness come over her. She suddenly drops her head and her hair covers part of her face.

"Kate. What is it?"

She takes in deep breath. "I have been asked to move up to Deputy Chief?"

"Chief! That's great. You deserve it. You have worked so hard in the …" he stops talking when he realizes she is not responding like she is truly not happy with the offer. "Kate…" softly "What's wrong?"

A sigh leaves her chest "If I take the position, I will move from the field. I will be stuck in an office, I will not be able to conduct investigations. I will no longer be the detective that I once was." after a pause. i will no longer be Nikki Heat"

Castle gets up and walks around the desk an kneels down in front of his wife. He takes her hands into his own and links their fingers "Kate, you have been doing this for over thirty years. You have done amazing things, put a lot of bad people in jail and brought closure to a lot of families who lost loved ones"

She nods her head. "I know. And I know it is time for me to make a change." She points toward the laptop where Rick has started a story "Just like you have started a different story from anything you have ever done."

"That is so true, Kate." He looks toward the desk "And just like I am going to write this story under a different name because Richard Castle writes murder and spy stories but not fairy tales. I am making a change in my life…"

Kate looks up to him

"We can both make a change in our lives"

She smiles at him "You think so?"

"I do"

"I will put- in my papers tomorrow"

She feels him wrap around her with more love than she once though possible.

From an irritating playboy to the love of her life.

"We will now both move to the next phase of our story"