True to his word, he was at her door at 4:30 sharp. He knocked at her door and waited. He heard a "come in" from the inside and entered her apartment. He closed the door behind him.

"Rick?" Kate asked from her bathroom

"Were you expecting someone else?" he asked, laughing and going to her bedroom.

He had barely sat on the bed that she was coming out of the bathroom. He just couldn't take his eyes off her. She was wearing a long black evening dress with a low neckline. It had just one strap going around her neck, leaving her back bare. Her hair was curly, perfectly framing her face. He couldn't help but notice how her makeup made her eyes look even bigger and greener than the usually were. She moved around her room. His eyes just followed her. She finally turned around to face him.

"Why don't you say anything? You don't like it? Oh my God I don't have to change and …" she was cut off by his lips attacking hers. He tried to put all his admiration for her in his kiss.

"I love it Kate! You are absolutely perfect" he said, kissing her once more. "But I'm not sure you should go like that"

"Why not, you just said …"

"It just wouldn't be fair to the other women present. Everyone will be looking at you and … oh I just realized I don't really like the idea of all the men looking at you" he said

"Don't worry Rick, you are the only one who's got to see what is under the dress" she said, winking at him "and I can tell you that tonight it's particularly worth it", turning around to put her jewelry on.

He was trying to see through her dress, imagining what she could mean by that.

"I hate Superman!" he said

"Where does that come from?" she asked, looking at him in the mirror

"He has X-ray vision" he answered simply. He approached her, seeing that she had put her mother's ring and the pendant he had bought her on a small chain. For once, everyone would be able to see it. He went behind her and pressed her against his chest. He toyed a bit with her necklace and, slowly, lowered his hand on her chest.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked, still looking at him in the mirror

"Making up for the lack of X-ray vision" he answered, kissing her on the cheek before letting her go. "Did you pack a bag for tonight?"

"Yeah, it's in the hallway. So, shall we go?"

"Your father's not coming with us?" Rick asked, suddenly realizing he hadn't seen him when he arrived.

"He already left. He wanted to go to the cemetery first. He'll meet us there."

"Ok, let's go then!" he declared, offering her his arm, which she gladly took once she had gathered her things.

On their way out of her apartment, he pick up her other bag and they went down to his car.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

When they arrived at the hotel where the fundraiser was taking place, Rick took Kate in a secluded corner outside before anyone could see them.

"Kate, I know that it's going to be hard for you. Promise me that you'll tell me if you're not feeling well or anything."

"I promise" she said, touched by his consideration.

"Now, I know that you don't like the press but they are really important in cases like these. If the press is present, people are usually more generous. We need them here. But they were selected very carefully. Only quality press and only on the fundraiser and the scholarship. Nothing personal about anyone. Just to be sure there is no paparazzi, I have a security agency surrounding the building. Do you have any questions?"

"What did I do to deserve someone like you?" Kate asked

Rick simply smiled before continuing. "I'm not the host tonight, not at this party anyway, so I will be with you ok? I just have a speech to make and then I'm all yours" he smiled. "I love you Kate, I'm sure your mother would be happy to see you tonight and to see everything you're doing for her."

"You're the one doing everything for her Rick, and you didn't even know her" Kate said, trying to blink back her tears.

"But I know you, that's enough for me" he said, kissing her softly, drying the few tears that had made their way down her cheeks. "I told your father to meet us here and …"

"When did you tell him that?"

"I may have borrowed your phone when you were in the shower this afternoon …" he answered the most innocently he could. 'I knew that you wouldn't want for us to be seen together just now so I called him just so you'd do it together and …"

His explanation was cut off when Kate all but threw herself in his arms. "You are nothing but the perfect man Richard Castle. Please don't leave me, ever."

He took her face in his hands and fixed her in the eyes. "I will never leave you Kate. Never. You're stuck with me for the rest of your life" he said

"Good" she simply said before kissing him.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

All the guests had now arrived. It was time for Rick's speech which was supposed to launch the evening. While he was talking, Kate was studying him. She was not really listening to what he was saying, she knew it would be funny and serious at the same time. It would just be Richard Castle type. She knew pretty much what he would say even if they hadn't talked about it before. For now, she was busy studying him. His attitude. The way he interacted with the audience. She saw him look at her a few times while he was speaking. She would smile at him even if she had no idea what he was talking about. She was too busy imagining him meeting her mother. She had no doubt she would have been annoyed at first. Just as she had been. But she would have fallen for his charms in the end. Just as she had. She couldn't help but feel more like herself since they had (finally)accepted and shared their feelings to each other. She felt almost as free and safe as when her mother was still alive. She felt some tears fall down her cheeks. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt someone put an arm around her shoulders. She turned to see that it was her father.

"She would have loved him" he simply said, kissing her on the cheek

"I know" she answered, completely turning round and hugging him just as she used to do when she was little.

"Everything ok Kate?" she heard Rick ask.

"Yeah, everything is fine" she said, letting go of her father. "You were … just perfect" she told him, smiling through her tears. "Can I see you outside for a moment?"

"Sure" Rick said, following her.

Behind the hotel was a garden, reserved for the clients. She sat on a bench by a fountain and waited for him to join her. When he was next to her, she took his hand and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you Rick. For everything. Really I …"

"It's ok honey, you don't have to thank me, for anything …"

"Yes I do." She said, sitting up to look at him. "I don't if you realize what you mean to me. You … kind of saved me. Twice in fact. After my mom's death, you saved me by writing your books. I would read them over and over again. I think at sometimes I even know some extracts by heart" she laughed, trying to stop her tears. "And when you started working with me, you saved me from my work. It was not as bad as when I started and worked on my mom's case for the first time, but I needed someone to get me out of the precinct. I confess that I first I left mainly because I couldn't stand you for too long at a time but now … I guess what I'm trying to say is, you managed, more or less directly, to make me get back to my old self. I feel like when I with you I can really be me and …"

She was completely sobbing now. He took her on his lap and hugged her as hard as he could without actually crushing her. He kept kissing her head and whispering reassuring words in her ear until she calmed down. By the time they got back inside, the party was starting to fade out. Most of the guests were starting to leave. They joined their friends at the bar.

"Ah here you are you two!" the Captain said "as I just told the others, Well Ryan and Esposito because Lanie and Jenny don't work for me, I give you this week off. You all worked really hard cases lately, you deserve it. You even more Beckett, if you don't take some of your vacation days soon, I'll just have to cancel them. You can't just let them pile up and retire by the time your 45. I'm pretty sure it's even illegal". Everyone laughed and bid him and his wife goodnight.

Her father left some time later, declining Rick's invitation to his party. By 10:30, the six friends decided to move their gathering to Castle's.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare to party Castle style !" he announced before everyone went to their car.