Hi.

Thanks for all of your love. Reviews are greatly appreciated. This chapter is dedicated to ElizabethMe2 on Twitter. I am truly sorry for your loss. Sending prayers and warm thoughts your way. All my love.

Disclaimer: Castle and For Lovers Only aren't mine :/

[A New Journey]

With his bags all packed and his hotel room cleared, Rick made his way to the lobby so he could check out of his hotel. The smile he had tugging on his lips never left, and the happiness he felt was practically oozing out of every pore of his body. He couldn't help it. And it was all thanks to the woman who came back into his life.

He still could not believe she had agreed to see France with him. When he had asked her, the words uncontrollably stumbling from his mouth, he had no idea as to how she would react. Would she be thrilled? Happy? Upset? Appalled? He didn't know, yet, before knew it, she was kissing him again and whispering, over and over again, "Yes."

She was going to see all of France with him. She wanted to be with him, spend time with him.

It all seemed like a dream. A cruel yet beautiful dream.

But it wasn't. And Rick couldn't have been more grateful for that.

When he woke up this morning, he'd practically leaped out of bed and scrambled about to get his things together. He wouldn't be staying in this hotel any longer. He was going to see all of France with Kate. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could wipe the crocodile grin off of his face.

He was like this last night, too. As soon as he had got a taxicab for himself and Kate, he had her dropped off at her hotel. Before she disappeared behind the double doors, he'd brought her in for a hug and a peck on the cheek, unsure if she'd want a kiss on the lips. He didn't want to risk anything, especially since she'd said yes and didn't want her to suddenly change her mind because he made the wrong move.

He didn't, though. His lips barely met her cheek when Kate suddenly turned her head, their lips crashing against one another's. It was a sweet kiss good-bye; the two of them feeling sparks ignite as soon as contact was made.

It was a kiss of hope– a promise of what's to come.

Letting out a deep sigh, his mind replayed that kiss over and over again as he made his way to the front desk. After checking out of his room, he then asked the front desk clerk if he could show him a few ideal places to stop and enjoy the scenery.

Pointing to a spot on the map, he looked back up at the man behind the counter. "What about here?"

"Oh yes, the city of Marseille is beautiful, monsieur. It is the second largest city in France, after Paris of course." The man's accent was thick, so it made understanding him a tad difficult, but Rick managed. "If you go to Nice, France, then you will see all of the houses on the coast line. Very beautiful, too."

After more discussion, Rick eventually thanked the man and headed out of the hotel. He had the map, with several destinations and sites marked and circled. Now all he needed was the girl and a car.

The bright morning sun shone down upon the beautiful city of Paris, lighting up the city in an array of yellows and oranges. Today was the day, and Kate couldn't wait.

She quickly packed her bags, throwing her clothes and other belongings into the suitcase without folding them or organizing it. She was in a rush; the quicker she packed her bag the better. Double-checking the suite, she booked it downstairs to check out, her suitcase trailing behind her.

Kate checked out of her hotel and, at a slower pace this time, made her way through the front doors and into the fresh morning breeze. Once the doors opened, she came to a halt in her tracks at the sight of him standing there, a grin blossoming on his lips as he leaned against the rental car. A silver Buick Lucerne. Not bad. Not bad at all.

God, he looked so handsome. His eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses that gave him a dark, brooding look to him. But that didn't last for long, because as soon as he saw her he took them off and she could see that his smile reached those blue eyes of his. They sparkled with joy and a hint of mischief.

He looked happy. Very happy.

She smiled softly, unmoving.

This was it. Once she got into that car, there would be no turning back.

Second-guessing herself, she hesitated to move from her current spot. Her feet felt like they weighed two hundred pounds each, holding her solidly to the pavement. What was she so unsure of?

It was just Castle.

Just the one man she truly loved. The one man who she had run away from when things became too rough and too complicated. Just the one man who she desperately wanted to be with, but didn't know if he wanted the same thing.

All those uncertainties and insecurities she had felt yesterday came flooding back in massive waves, causing her eyes to brim with tears and her heart to pound loudly in her chest.

She could do this. She could.

Taking a deep, soothing breath, Kate finally lifted one foot and began to walk toward him. It was only Castle, not a big– actually it was a big deal. It was a massive deal, but she couldn't let him know or see that. Although, he always was good at reading her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

And besides, she needed to be honest with him. That was always her problem before, so now she was going to make sure that was changed. No more lying and no more secrets. Be honest.

"Hi," he greeted, bringing her in for a hug.

His hugs were so warm and made her feel so safe. She could stay in his arms forever and she would be the happiest person alive. She had to pull back, though. She had to be honest.

"You ready to hit the road?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. He was so happy and she was probably about to burst that happiness with just a few words.

Eyes cast on her feet and the cement ground beneath her; she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Be honest.

"I– uh..."

"You're second guessing all of this, aren't you?" Oh, he had her.

Voice shaking, she shrugged her shoulders indecisively. "Ye-yeah. Yeah, I am. I am second-guessing all of this because what if this doesn't end up working? What if this ends up being all for nothing?"

Gripping her hands in his, he pulled her in closer and held eye contact. "I know that all of those questions are going around your brain right now, they're going through mine as well, but we shouldn't worry ourselves into the ground with the unknown right now. Instead, we should be enjoying the present and living in the moment."

Kate was silent as she listened, keeping her focus on him as he spoke.

Rick went on. "I know you're scared. I am too. Believe me. But we can talk about this– about us– at a later date, okay? But for right now, how about you and I go see France together? Sound good?"

Nodding her head, she gazed back toward the ground as his words echoed through her head. He was right. She shouldn't be so consumed with the future that she misses the present. Enjoy now and worry about then later.

"Can I get a smile?" He teased, squeezing her hands and tilting his head to the side so as to grab her attention. "Come on, show me a smile."

Unable to help it when he talked like that, Kate smiled brightly for him. "How's that?"

"Beautiful," he beamed. "Okay, now are you ready to hit the road?"

"Not quite. One more thing I have to do first."

"Oh yeah? And what's–"

Before he could even begin to finish his question, his mouth was covered by Kate's in a sweet kiss. One that lasted a few seconds too short.

Kate pulled back, wiping some lipstick off the corner of his mouth her thumb. "Okay. Now, I'm ready." And with that, she grabbed her suitcase and put it into the back seat before taking a seat in the front passenger seat of the car, where she waited patiently for him to join her.

Rick remained where he was, standing beside the vehicle, a hand raised to his mouth where she kissed him. He would never grow tired of her kisses. Never. She tasted so sweet and he couldn't get enough. He could only hope there would be more kisses in the not so distant future.

"Castle?" Her soft voice calling his name brought him back. "You coming? Or are you going to stand there like a statue for two weeks?"

"Right. Right, coming." Running around the front side of the car, he hopped into the driver's seat, started the car, and with excitement practically radiating off of him, he turned to Kate and said, "Here we go."

There you go!

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