A/N: Here you go :) Thanks for sticking around. My immense gratitude goes out to Diana for constantly being an awesome beta.

Disclaimer: not mine.

EPILOGUE

Three months later…

Richard Castle dotted the last full stop onto the page, leaning back as he capped his pen. When he began seeing a therapist, she'd suggested that he should keep a journal. He could write anything – his thoughts, what he felt, if anything happened that made him happy or sad.

At first it had been hard, which came as a surprise to Castle. After all, he was a best selling author. Ironically, that was his undoing as well. He coated everything with beautiful words, packing them into a nice little parcel. For this exercise, he had to strip away everything superfluous.

He couldn't hide behind adjectives or metaphors – he had to deal with the raw truth of who Richard Castle really was as a person. How he reacted to situations and the way he interacted with others.

It took him weeks to get the hang of it, but his therapist was right – it really did pay off. He could see the gradual changes within himself as he read his older entries. They also helped him understand himself better – what triggered an emotional response and what caused him to withdraw.

It only seemed apt to pen another entry today. Castle slowly shut his notebook, preparing to put it away.

"Grande skim latte, two pumps sugar-free vanilla for Kate," a barista cheerfully called out.

His head popped up, ears perking immediately. He looked over to the pick-up counter, trying but failing to remain calm. Could it be her? They had never discussed where or what time they would meet, just that they would be at JFK if they'd wanted to pursue their relationship.

And then he saw her.

She had a mega watt grin on her face as she took the cup of coffee from the barista and thanked him.

Kate.

She had gotten tanned and looked like she had gained some weight. Somehow it suited this version of Kate better. She seemed softer, not as harsh around the edges anymore. Her trek across India (Alexis had mentioned in passing the other day that it was in fact where she had gone), must have done her wonders.

He unconsciously rose to his feet, still staring at her.

She must have felt his gaze on her, or maybe it was her cop instincts still in play, but Kate paused, looking around. She didn't flash him dazzling smile the way she did to the barista upon seeing him, but her bright eyes more than made up for it. The smile she gave him was subdued, but her eyes – they spoke volumes.

Both of them slowly made their way across the coffeehouse, weaving through the sea of people coming and going.

It felt as though they were two strangers again, meeting for the first time. Shy and awkward, neither one knowing how to greet the other.

Both of them had undergone such vast changes over the past months, they were almost unrecognizable to their old selves. They were meeting with clean slates, almost as though they needed to introduce themselves once more.

But there was something faintly familiar and comforting under the surface. It was like returning home after an extended period overseas. There was simply a sense of belonging, a soothing balm that gently made its presence known.

They were old friends, reuniting after a long time, but meeting like strangers with a fresh start.

"Hi, I'm Kate," she said, a small smile on her face as she extended her hand, ducking her head as she looked up at him demurely. No, Kate Beckett didn't do demure, but the look she gave him was certainly coy, with a hint of insecurity.

A flash of light distracted Castle. He dropped his gaze to look at its source, and noticed that there were two rings hanging on her necklace. One, of course, belonged to her mother. The other was his ring, the array of diamonds shimmering up at him from their place over her heart.

He smiled and took her outstretched hand in his.

"I'm Rick."

The End.

A/N: So there you go. Please leave a review to let me know what you think of this story. Thanks again to each and everyone of you who have taken the time to leave a review in the earlier chapters.