Chapter 32
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"Alexis!" Kate said in surprise when she entered the house after work on Friday and found the girl lounging on the couch, "I didn't know you were coming back! Did I get my dates wrong? I thought it was next weekend."
Alexis muted the television, "It was a last-minute thing. One of my friends are throwing a party in the city and invited me."
"Oh?" Kate was hanging her jacket up in the hall closet, "Who?"
"Uh… Evelyn," Alexis said after a brief pause. At Kate's furrowed eyebrows, she added quickly, "You don't know her. She's an old friend from highschool."
Kate nodded, "Well, that's nice that you still keep in touch." She walked into the living room and perched on the arm of the couch. "Where's Zoey and your dad?"
"Dad took Zo with him to buy something."
"Dinner?"
Alexis tilted her head. "Sure."
Kate wondered if Alexis was being intentionally vague for a reason. "Are you okay, Alexis?" Kate didn't miss the way the girl continued to keep her gaze firmly at the television screen.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alexis answered, with a nod.
Kate didn't say anything for a few more seconds but when Alexis didn't elaborate, she shrugged. If Alexis had a problem, she would talk to Kate eventually. She only hoped it wasn't something too serious. Kate slid down onto the couch, lifting Alexis' legs before replacing them on her lap. "So," she said, "What're we watching?"
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"Hey! It's Little Castle and Baby Castle!"
Kate looked over her shoulder from her position at the murder board when she heard Ryan's voice. Zoey, who was skipping her way across the precinct, reached her first. Kate picked her up and turned her around so that she wouldn't be able to see the graphic pictures tacked up on the board. "Hey, you two," Kate said, giving Alexis a side hug, "This is a surprise."
"Well, we were on our way to the park and dad wanted me to give you a message," Alexis held out a sealed envelope. Then, by way of explanation as to why he couldn't give it to her himself, said, "He's in meetings with his publisher all day."
Kate took the envelope from Alexis, amused – Castle frequently left notes for her at home (taped on the front door so she would see it before she left for the morning) and at the precinct (when he happened to drop by and she wasn't around) but this was the first time he had a third party deliver a message for him. "Your dad is a strange one," Kate said, shaking her head.
Kate was just about to open it when Lanie showed up. "Hey Alexis," she greeted and then leaning forward to ruffle Zoey's hair, said, "Hello Zo, Zo."
"What's up, Lanie?" Kate asked.
"Tox screen results," Lanie replied, holding out a large manila envelope.
"You know I was heading down to see you, right?"
Lanie shrugged. "I needed the exercise."
"Right," Kate said, knowingly glancing in Esposito's direction, "And it has nothing to do with wanting to see your fiancé?"
There was no denial on Lanie's end.
"Oh, Kate?" Alexis interrupted, "I have to use the bathroom."
"Sure thing," Kate replied, "You remember where it is?"
Alexis nodded and rushed away.
"Wow, she must've really had to go," Kate commented.
Lanie then noticed the other envelope in Kate's hands, "What's that?"
"Oh," Kate turned it over and ran her finger along the seal to open it, "Castle had Alexis deliver it—" she pulled out the single sheet of paper, "—Knowing Castle, it probably contains something suggestive or dirty."
"Most likely both," Lanie said. When Kate didn't answer and her expression turned into one of confusion, Lanie got curious. "Or not? What does it say?"
Kate handed Lanie the note. There were only two short sentences on it: Zoey has something for you. If she forgets, it's around her neck.
Both Kate and Lanie peered at Zoey.
"Zo," Kate started.
Zoey smiled widely, eyes wide and face oblivious. "Hi, mommy."
"Did daddy tell you to give me something?"
Zoey tilted her head, pondering and then bobbed her head once, "Yes."
Kate waited patiently for a few seconds. "Do you think you could show me, Zo?" she finally prompted.
Zoey was wearing a light blue autumn jacket and a cute purple and pink striped infinity scarf. At Kate's question, she attempted to lift the scarf over her head, failing until Lanie helped her. "Necklace," Zoey answered, fingers reaching for the silver chain around her neck.
Castle had gotten Zoey and Alexis matching lockets a couple of months ago. "Mhm," Kate said, "What about your necklace?"
Lanie gasped when Zoey managed to get the chain out of her jacket. She pulled at Kate's sweater.
"Yeah, Lanie," Kate said, eyes wide herself, "I see it too."
Hanging around Zoey's neck, right beside the tiny heart, was a platinum princess-cut diamond engagement ring.
Lanie lifted the ring to look at it. "That has to be at least three carats," she said.
"It's five." At Lanie's look, Kate explained, "Remember when I told you about our trip to the jewelry store in Paris?"
Lanie nodded.
"The store associate kept making me try on all of these rings and—"
"—this was the one you liked?" Lanie asked.
"Well, I didn't tell him that."
"No, I did." Kate whirled around at Alexis' voice.
"I should've known you were in on this," Kate said, shaking her head at Alexis, "Is that why you were acting so elusive yesterday?"
"Elusive? I was going for nonchalant," Alexis replied before unzipping her purse in order to go through it. "Oh, and—" she said, looking up, "Dad told me to remind you that today is October 18th."
"What's so special about the 18th?" Lanie asked as Alexis finally managed to pull out a second envelope and a small square box.
Kate furrowed her eyebrows, clearly just as clueless as her friend. She flicked her eyes to the ceiling, trying to remember exactly what had happened last year around this time and then… "It was when he first told me that we were forever..."
"Wow, my dad really is a sap," Alexis commented. She handed Kate the two items in her hand.
Castle's distinct handwriting was scrawled across the envelope: 'Read me first,' it read.
Lanie seemed to be more excited than Kate (though, Kate imagined, Lanie's heart probably wasn't beating as fast as hers was at the moment). "Open it, girl!" she exclaimed.
"Alright, alright," Kate said. The handwriting on the inside, however, wasn't the same. Kate recognized it immediately as her dad's:
Katie,
I gave you my watch to remind you of the life that you saved and your mom's ring to wear for the life that you lost but I think it may be time for something new. So, for the wonderful life that you have ahead of you spent with the person that you love: your mother and I give you our blessing. – Dad
Kate blinked back tears as she opened the red box. Inside was her mother's wedding ring along with the chain that it came on. Sliding her own engagement ring onto it, Kate felt the weight of both the past and the future as she put on the necklace. She knew that tomorrow, she would let the past go – not forever, just tucked away in a safe place where she wouldn't have to carry it around so much.
Kate heard the trill of her cellphone on the desk, informing her of an incoming text. She didn't need to look at it to know who it was from.
Sure enough, Alexis grinned at her. "You should probably read that."
"Let me guess," Kate said with her own grin, "You weren't actually going to the bathroom."
Alexis shrugged even though the jig was clearly up.
Lanie took the liberty of opening up the message."'We're out of orange juice'?" she read aloud, "That's… not what I expected."
The phone trilled again. This time, Kate snatched the phone out of Lanie's hand and read it herself before turning the screen around:
'…and I have a question to ask you tonight.'
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Kate entered the loft as casually as she could manage while having a million dollar engagement ring tucked underneath her shirt. Kicking off her heels, she walked into the kitchen where Castle was making dinner.
"Oh good!" he chirruped, "You bought orange juice!"
"Uh huh," Kate said, placing the carton in the fridge before greeting him with their usual kiss. "I got your message."
"Excellent." His focus was still on the stir-fry.
She leaned against the counter beside the stove, facing him. Popping a cut up piece of celery into her mouth, she said, "I got all of your messages."
"I hoped you had," he replied and then, "Could you pass me the snowpeas? They're in the colander by the sink."
"Mhm." She dumped them, along with the carrot chunks, into the large wok.
"So," he started, "How was your day? Anything special happen?"
"Nope," she deadpanned, "What about you? Do anything out of the ordinary today?"
"Nope," he echoed, "Can't say that I did."
He turned to look at her and she saw the sparkle in his eyes. Kate shook her head, her next sentence full of mirth, "My dad called me this afternoon, said you went by to see him."
Castle nodded, unable to keep the smile off his face now, "Last week," he answered, "I had something to ask him."
"He told me to tell you that he appreciated the gesture—" Kate gave Castle an amused look, "—even though it's a little antiquated and old-fashioned."
"I think some people like 'old-fashioned' even though they might not admit it."
Kate smirked at that, responding, "I think some people like it more that other people are thoughtful enough to give some person's father a heads-up."
Castle grinned. "Other people are just awesome like that."
"Well, those same other people haven't officially asked anything yet."
Castle looked at her and winked. "Oh, don't worry, other people know what they have and have not done yet. Some people just have to be patient."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh, she's plenty patient."
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Kate didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Castle was up to something when he casually suggested they go for a walk after dinner.
"Castle, where exactly are we going?"
The two of them had left Zoey and Alexis at a coffee shop a block back. Well, Castle had insisted they stay there and get warmed up; Kate would have been happy to stop walking all together. "We're almost there," he said now, in response.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Almost where?"
He had been holding tightly onto her hand and so when he stopped abruptly, she got yanked backwards. "Here," he said.
Kate looked around her, confused for a moment, before noticing the sign. The store had changed – in fact, it had expanded to include a second floor – but she still recognized it. She turned to Castle. "Is this—"
"—the bookstore where we first met?" Castle finished and then nodded, "I thought we should come back here so that we could both remember the encounter this time."
Kate was about to open her mouth to say something when Castle held up a finger to stop her. "Just wait," he said, "I have one more thing to show you first."
He let go of her hand and walked up to the front door – the only thing that divided what would have been a giant window. Where there should have been displays of the newest releases, however, the blinds had been drawn on both sides.
He knocked three times – an obviously pre-arranged signal for whomever was inside – before stepping back to rejoin her… just in time to see the blinds open and a flood of lights simultaneously illuminating the storefront. The sight made people on the streets stop and stare.
Hanging from floor to ceiling were, what had to be, hundreds of Polaroids. What was more – they were arranged to spell a phrase. One on each window.
"I wasn't in meetings all day," Castle murmured.
Kate's eyes flicked from the windows to Castle and back again. "Those are all—"
"—pictures of us," he finished, "You, me, Zoey, Alexis… there are some from the precinct and of you with your dad…"
"How did you—?"
"I had a lot of undercover agents," he replied with a grin.
Kate's fingers, shaky as they were, managed to pull out the necklace where the two rings still hung. Neither she nor Castle noticed the crowd that they had acquired on the sidewalk behind them. Nor did they realise the traffic jam they had inadvertently caused while cars slowed down so that people could read the two simple phrases in the window:
I love you.
Marry me.
"You can keep the ring even if you decide to say 'no'," Castle said, though his nerves made the joke fall slightly flat.
Kate unclasped the chain and Castle's heart jumped at the possibility that she actually was going to say no. But, the glimmer in her eyes when she removed the engagement ring before putting the necklace back on erased any remaining doubt.
"This is it for me," she said, "You're it for me." Kate reached for his hand and placed the engagement ring into it. "So, Rick?" she continued with a sly smile, "Why don't you try asking me again, not with words on a screen or Polaroid pictures but aloud – with the voice that spins crazy theories about murders in order to make my job more fun; and soothes our daughter when she's scared; and whispers against my ear when we're making love; and makes me believe that everything will be okay…"
She got cut off when Castle pulled her into a deep kiss. Obviously, he had gotten the point.
He gestured to the cold sidewalk. "Would you prefer I—"
Kate grinned and swept her arm out as if to say, 'by all means'.
He held her hand as he got down on one knee. And then, in a voice so loud that Kate – and a good portion of the people around them – actually jumped in surprise, he yelled, "Katherine Beckett! WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
Kate laughed and pulled him up, Castle already slipping the ring on her finger even though she hadn't yet replied. Her answer was a foregone conclusion.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a series of light kisses. "Yes," she finally whispered against his lips, "Of course I'll marry you."
They pulled away when Alexis and Zoey burst through the rapidly dispersing crowd.
"Mommy said 'yes'!" Castle said as he picked up Zoey.
Zoey's smile and subsequent 'yay!' had more to do with everybody else's reaction than her knowing exactly what had happened.
Alexis, on the other hand, was giving Kate a happy and excited hug. "I knew you would say 'yes'!" she exclaimed, "I mean, isn't this just the happiest you've ever been?"
"I don't know," Kate answered lightly, "I've had a lot of happy moments since I've met your dad." She met Castle's twinkling eyes with her own. "Though I have to admit this one is pretty spectacular."
Alexis beamed, taking Zoey's hand when Castle set her down on the sidewalk again. "We have the best family ever, Zo," she said, "And now it's forever."
Zoey looked up at the three of them. "Forever?"
Castle nodded. "That's right." He clasped Kate's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Forever."
Kate looked at him and smiled. "Come on," she said finally, "Let's go home."
A/N: Originally, this was where I was going to end the story but enough of you would like me to continue that, yay, I am! However, for the few that didn't… you could always stop reading here… I think this is a very happy-happy sorta place for Castle & Beckett :)
Also, shout-out to anonymous reviewer Aubrey: I just wanted to thank you very much for your lovely review(s). I'm glad that you are enjoying the story! I am, however, terribly sorry that I made you cry but I'm also happy (not about the you crying bit ;) but the emotion...) because it means my writing was able to touch you so profoundly. It's the most a writer could ask for.
FINALLY, I really, really hope this proposal – well, more like a three-part proposal – lived up to your expectations (and kind of surprised you as to when it would happen)! I feel like I got to a happy medium where it was big ('cause it's Castle, after all) yet intimate (with the pictures and the notes and all the quiet moments leading up to it…) I really didn't want to do something that had already been done before so I'd love to hear what you thought of it all! -Violet.