A/N - I was going to write one last chapter for this story, but, let's just say I got too carried away and ended up writing more than that. I hope you all enjoy this huge chapter. Please, review.

-Nina K.

"Next" the tall blonde woman standing next to whom she supposed was Rick called. She hadn't had the opportunity to take a good look at him from where she was standing previously, but now, as the line moved forward, her eyes caught a glimpse of his messy brown hair.

There were still about a dozen people ahead of her and, as she waited, hugging the book she'd bought and read a couple of days before tightly against her chest, she thought of her new job and the colleagues she had just met.

Kate Beckett was now a rookie at the 12th precinct, in the team of T.O. Michael Royce, who was a homicide detective, along with some other friends from when she went to school in New York, Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan. She had asked them about Rick and they said that they hadn't seen nor talked to him since graduation. According to the men, he had changed a lot when she left. He wasn't that fun guy, class-clown anymore. And, when he didn't get any letters from her, he just closed himself off anything that could remind him of her.

He had actually sent her the letters, but where the hell were them, then? She was sure she had never gotten any. Everyday, after school, she would check the mail box with her hopes way up high, only to get disappointed again, later, and there was no way the mail messed up with all of them.

It was finally her turn to get 'A Deadly Storm' signed. She walked to the desk and set the book on it. "Who should I make it out to?" he asked, not even bothering to look at her.

She cleared her throat lightly. "Kate. Kate Beckett."

He, then, lifted his eyes and met hers. The same way they used to do when they were younger. Sparks flew and they couldn't help but smile at each other. He broke off the nostalgic gaze and scribbled something on the book. "Meet me at the coffee shop on the corner in 15." he told her, and she did. She walked up to the shop he'd pointed out and waited the whole 15 minutes.

He rushed inside a couple of minutes after the time scheduled and found her sipping on her grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla. He smiled softly and joined her at the table. "So, you're Rick Castle now?"

"Yeah. Apparently 'Richard Rodgers' wasn't catchy enough and there is already that one who wrote 'Allegro'."

"I think it's nice, but what led you to that specific name?" she asked curiously.

He took her hand in his, yearning to touch her again, even if in the most innocent gesture. The touch of his skin on hers sent shivers down her spine. "That day at the Hamptons, we were walking together by the shore and you mentioned building sand castles with your mom. I just wanted to have a part of you with me at all times. Besides, it adds a nice ring to it."

She blushed vigorously, but kept on smiling. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. "I still have the 'Always' teddy bear you gave me the day I left." she confessed.

He drew his hand away and looked down at the cup a waitress, whose name he hadn't asked, had just given him. "Kate, why are you here? I'm sure it's not about me, you never answered any of my letters."

"I'm here for you, mostly. I'm also here to see my grandfather again and join the PD.." she took a deep breath. "And about the letters... They never arrived."

"What do you mean they never arrived? I sent you a letter per week for over a year!"

"I never got any. I just found out you had actually sent them to me, through Javi and Kev."

"Oh, Katie, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened, I sent them myself. I missed you all these years." he whispered that last part.

"I missed you too, Rick." she moved her both her hands to his and squeezed them reassuringly. "And I've kept my promise."

"I did too, Katie. But, um, I have to tell you something really important. I-uh-I have a kid.

She froze in place and stared at him. He could feel her stiffen under his touch and quickly explained "I adopted her! After the first book, I visited a foster home, mainly for publicity, and made some donations. Her mother had just dropped her off in that disgusting place and she was so little. She's almost a year old now." he said proudly.

"I'm sorry I thought less of you." she diverted her eyes from his, but he lifted her chin so she'd look at him. "Anyone in your position would, Katie. What do you think about coming over for dinner tonight? You could meet Alexis and see mother. We have some catching up to do anyway."

"Okay. Same place?"

"Yeah, but I'm the owner now. I bought your grandfather's loft for my mother, but she spends most of her time at mine."

She laughed at his frustrated face. "Okay, I'll see you tonight." she gave him a kiss on the cheek and left."

"Hello" said the too familiar voice at the other end of the phone.

"Dad, did you stop Rick's letters and hide them from me?" she asked angrily.

"Katie, calm down and -"

"Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down after everything you put me through?"

"It was for your own good. I couldn't lose you again and that boy would only mess with your life."

She inhaled a deep breath, trying to actually remain calm in order to not snap at him. "Dad, I want to read them. All of them. Send them to grandpa's apartment tomorrow morning. I'll know if there's any missing."

She knocked hesitantly on the door of his loft and waited.

After calling her father, she tossed her phone on the bed and opened the book to see what Rick had written. "To the woman I'll always love." it said.

Her eyes were filed with tears by then and she decided it was time to start getting ready to see him that night. She was nervous to see Martha again after so long. Would she be mad about how Rick's life turned out because of her?

When no one answered the door, she knocked again and suddenly she heard the faint sound of crying coming from the other side, and then, the door swung open. "Hey, Kate. I'm so sorry you had to wait out. This one just woke up and won't stop crying."

She took a look at the screaming baby in his arms. Her blue eyes were like the ocean and there was bright red hair on top of her head. When the little girl saw her, though, the crying subsided to slow sobs. Then, she threw her little arms up in order for Kate to hold her.

Rick laughed. "I guess she likes you. Uh-Would you mind holding her for a sec while I finish cooking dinner?"

She shook her head and took the now giggling girl gratefully in her arms. "Hello, beautiful. I'm Katie." Alexis played with a lock of her hair as Kate continued whispering "You're daddy obviously loves you very, very much. He's so proud of you, already." she told the girl while swaying from side to side. Little did she know that Rick was watching their interaction from a distance.

When he announced dinner was ready, Kate tried to give Alexis back to him, but the girl didn't let go and it was even worse when Rick tried to take her, so Kate ended up eating with a bouncing baby girl on her lap, giggling every time the ring on the chain swinged. Later, Kate fed her a bottle and, after the girl burped, she put her to sleep and lay her in the crib.

"You're going to be a great mother some day, Katie."

"I don't think I'll even be a mother. It's not that I don't want them, I do, but I don't want my children to go through what I went through."

"You mentioned joining the PD. Which department?"

"I want to work homicide, but there's still a long way until I get there. Until them, I'll be just an ordinary uniform and probably end up working vice."

"That's so hot! I always pictured you as a cop, I even made Nikki Heat up!"

"Oh, I remember that! The book you were writing about me. It was great, by the way."

"You said that the last time, but we were too young."

"Will you publish it someday?" she asked

"I'd probably have to revise it and make it more suitable and detailed, but I don't see why not. Speaking of books, did you read the dedication from 'A Deadly Storm'?"

"No. No, I didn't."

"Let me grab a copy, then." he stood up and walked in his office. He walked back in the living room with the book in his hand and handed it to her.

It was already opened in one specific page. "To the extraordinary KB, whom I love beyond time and distance"

Her eyes teared as she looked at the page. He really did love her after all those years... She looked up at hm and lightly touched his cheek, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone as her hand moved to his neck. Her eyes met his in that familiar spark and she couldn't help but give one of those shiny smiles she only had for him.

"You still love me?" she asked knowingly and he nodded shyly. "Good. Because I still love you too."

Soon, his soft, warm lips were on hers. It felt just like she remembered, but yet it felt better. "Richard, I'm home!" Martha yelled as she walked in the loft. The woman froze in place at the sight of the beautiful young lady, who now sat at the other end of the couch. "Oh, God. Katherine Beckett? Is that you, my dear?"

"Yes, Mrs. Rodgers. I'm back."

The older woman rushed to her and forced her to stand up in order to give her a crushing hug. "Oh, finally. I told Richard you'd come back."

Kate gave Rick a questioning look, but he just shrugged. "Mother, will you let Kate go? We still have some, uh, talking to do."

"Sure, kiddo. I just stopped by to grab something to eat. I'm going to head off to my own loft now. It was great seeing you, darling. Please, don't leave again."

"I don't plan on it, Martha."

When Martha left them alone again, she sat next to him and he wrapped his arms around her "Tell me about the things that I missed. Like, what happened to our friends?"

"Well, Javi and Kev joined the PD, as well - I'm sure you've seen them, already, right?"

"Yes, I have."

"Lanie and Javi broke up and made up a few times along the way, but now they're together for good. She's in med school and taking forensics. Jenny and Kevin are engaged and she's working part time as a teacher, but studying economics in NYU. Meredith -" Kate made a funny face and he laughed. "Well, Ms Jealous, Meredith is in L.A. trying out as an actress. Gina is the assistant of my editor/publisher which sucks."

"Wow. Seems like everybody's good then. I didn't hear from anyone. And, I found out what happened to the letters. Dad hid them. How could he do that?"

"I don't know, Katie. But I do know one thing. You're here now, we're together and we love each other more than ever. That's all that matters to me."

"Always?"

"Yeah, Katie. Always." And they shared another passionate kiss, this time a little more heated, each showing the other how much they'd missed being 'them'.

They had been together for about six months in their new relationship when it first happened.

Right after Alexis' first birthday party, to which Kate's - then forgiven - father attended, Rick started working on the little girl's speech. Despite of his endless efforts to make the child say 'daddy', her first word was 'momma'.

She first said it the night Kate came home from the precinct a little later than usual. As soon as Alexis spotted Kate by the door, she squealed "Momma!", leaving both parents frozen in astonishment.

Kate had moved in a couple of weeks before that, which was about the time little Lexi was taking her first steps.

While Kate remembered those recent happy moments, sitting on the bar stool and drinking her typical morning coffee on her first day off in ages, Rick watched her intently. He appreciated her presence in his life and wanted to make it official, but Kate was way too important for him and he wanted to do it right.

He knew she wasn't the kind of girl who'd like to be proposed to in air balloons while flying over God knows where. She was the kind of girl that would rather have it done more intimately, maybe just the two of them or some friends and family around.

He also knew she had become more close to Lanie. Those two could be called 'best friends for ever and ever'. Kate had probably shared whatever kind of information he needed and he was going to make Lanie it spill it out to him.

Kate's phone rang, startling both of them, and she answered it quietly, secretly hoping it wasn't anyone from the precinct needing something. Rick watched as her face changed from surprised to worried and then to something he ruled out as regret. "Okay, grandpa. I'll make sure to stop by ASAP. Yes, I'll bring them with me. Okay, bye."

As soon as she ended the call, she walked towards Rick, who was standing by the oven. Her beautiful green eyes were filled with tears. She hugged him tightly and just smelled the scent of his cologne, which she loved.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "What's wrong, Katie?"

"Erin was just admitted in the hospital. She's in a bad condition." she sniffled and tightened her grip on him "She wants to see me.