AN: Hey, so once again, sorry…. I have been extremely busy lately with school, extracurricular activities, and personal reasons. This chapter begins with a time jump to help push the story forward; however, there will be multiple flashbacks in the upcoming chapters. Also, thank you to all who have stuck with me from the beginning, through the lapse of time for the upload of each chapter, to now! Without you guys, I would have no reason to write, so thank you.

Castle felt a tiny pair of arms wrap around his legs just as a matching little body slammed into his own. "Thwank ywou, Caswell." He simply looked down and smiled his reply back to Emily, who then repeated her actions but to Alexis this time and she answered in the same way as well.

Castle walked back over to the doorway to leave the two girls be to entertain themselves together as he went to go freshen up in his own bedroom, yet, when he turned around to inform them of his departure, he could not help himself but take out his phone and capture a picture of the moment that he was witnessing before him. A moment that he could only pray would be occurring much more in the future, he just had to finish convincing a certain detective the same thing and then eventually ask her out to dinner one night. Soon.

Castle turned and as he was walking down the stairs, grabbed his cell phone again out of his coat pocket and sent the picture to the detective who was putting a Cheshire cate size smile on his face. No caption, no emoji's, no comments, nothing, just simply the picture.

"A picture speaks a thousand words."

One Month Later….

He stands in the lobby of the hospital waiting for her to come out of the restroom so he can take her home, relieved that she was finally discharged and can go back to the loft with him, and to their daughters. Catching a glimpse of his watch he sees that it is already eleven o'clock, their morning having felt like it took all day long with the adrenaline rush from when he woke up wearing off as every second passed by. He helped her change out of the gown that she had had draped over her thin frame for the past month, and then they both eagerly waited for the doctors instructions while filling out her discharge papers. That particular process had begun three hours ago, and now they could flee from this dreadful, but thankful, place that they had both become accustomed too.

He hears the click of her heels against the tile floor and he really should not be surprised that she begged him to bring her heels; it isn't like he could find anything else in her closet anyways. She walks up to him and he offers her his hand with a smile on his face, their relationship having progressed farther than either one of them thought possible within the span of a month. She takes it of course, and he's caring a bag with her paperwork and close in his left hand and her small hand, slim fingers, gently in his right when they walk out of the hospital doors to his personal car. She had asked him to bring it so they could just be alone.

Castle places the bag in the backseat after opening the passenger door for her and making sure that she is comfortable and safe before running around the back of his black SUV and jumping in the driver's seat. He puts the car in drive, reaching over to intertwine their fingers together with their palm's kissing. She breaks the silence first.

"How was Emily this morning?" She's watching him and he has to resist the urge to look over and just gaze at his beautiful girlfriend, the mindset that if he looks away they will crash being the only thing that keeps him from smiling at her.

"Perfect. She had a couple of waffles for breakfast and Alexis chopped up a bunch of fruit that she and Emily bought together yesterday at the market." He steals a kiss from the back of her hand when they pull up to a red light.

"That's good. Oh, God, Castle, I miss her so much." Beckett's head falls back against the headrest and she squeezes his hand in response to his kiss. He squeezes her hand back in response to her statement.

"I know. She missed you too, actually, we all did."

It does not surprise Castle that Beckett insist on getting out of the car and walking up to the loft all by herself. Yet, he finds himself yearning to touch her, hold her hand, as they stand side by side in the elevator in the comfortable silence with a buzz of nervous energy surrounding them. He grins at her, their height equal due to her heels, when she leans her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes for the few seconds left of the ride.

She is still clasping his hand in hers when she tugs him out of the elevator after her and heads towards his loft door, walking there with a confidence that takes him by surprise but has him grinning nonetheless. They arrive at his door together and he inserts the key into the lock as quick as possible knowing that she won't be able to hold out much longer and he can already hear the little footsteps running towards the front door. The scream of her name has him wincing as a smile stretches across his face, smaller than the one that she cloaks her face in.

"Mommy!" Her daughter's body crashes with her legs as she bends down and picks the child up into her own arms and cradles her tightly to her chest ignoring the look of concern sketched so clearly in Castle's eyes when she has to bite her lip to try and not groan in pain. She merely just turns in circles around his spacious living room carefully running her hand down the now sobbing toddler's back.

"Shh, baby shh. Mommy's home, it is okay, Mommy's right here." Castle tried to ignore the fact that she referred to the fact that his loft was her home, pushing the thought aside to the fact that she is trying to calm Emily down. He walks pass them heading towards his home office where he sets her bag down and proceeds to the bedroom walking straight through to the bathroom in order to buy the girls more time alone.

Beckett watches as he finally emerges into the living room and she smiles up at him from her place on his extremely comfy couch as she rocks a now sleeping Emily in her arms. She nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of his voice. "You know, I can take her form you if you would like? Maybe go put her upstairs in her bed or something?"

"No," she says and it comes out on a breath of a sigh. "She's fine, and plus. I think I would like to hold her for a little bit anyways."

"Of course." He gives her a smile before walking past her into the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to eat, or drink, maybe?"

"Not right now, rick. I just want to sit here with Emily and you. By the way, where are Martha and Alexis?" She asks, worrying now falling upon her at the newfound idea of her baby girl being left home alone, no matter how many times she keeps telling herself that in no way would the two women have done that to her daughter.

"Don't worry," he says, as if reading her mind. "Mother and Alexis went upstairs to give the two of you some privacy when we got home. It was right after you picked up Emily, you were probably just too focused on her, as you should be, and did not see them. That's all." He finishes off by bringing her a glass of water with some painkiller, bluntly ignoring her refusal of needing anything, and sets them down in her hands waiting for her to swallow before taking the cup from her and setting it down on the coffee table in front of her. His own glass being set down right beside hers before he takes a seat on the couch next to her, his left arm wrapping around her shoulders, his thigh brushing hers, and his lips coming to connect with her right temple. She can feel his grin as she melts into his half-embrace, her own completing his half.

"How are you feeling?" He asks.

"I'm fine." She responds and judging by the look on his face she's quick to change her answer. "Honestly?" His simple nod is her encouragement to continue on. Plus, they had promised each other just a couple of weeks ago when their relationship had begun that they would try to be more trusting with each other. "My head is pounding, my ribs are killing me, and I'm having trouble breathing but am not moving my baby for nothing. I would rather be in pain then miss out on this moment right here, right now, with the both of you." Their eyes lock on the last few words of her sentence and he has to bite his tongue to hold back the gasp that is stuck in his throat and is causing him to choke up. "Come here."

She speaks those words on her own accord as her hand reaches over to cup his palm and pull him in for a quick, but intimate, kiss that leaves the both of them smiling like teenagers having their first kiss. Ironic, he thinks to himself, because that is exactly how it feels. She pulls her hand back, still smiling at him, and call him selfish but he does not want the moment to end so soon, and so, he cups the back of her neck and repeats her actions with his hand on her check as she leans into his touch and he bends down to capture her lips for a longer, slower kiss.

They both break apart at the sound of footsteps arriving at the top of the stairs and gradually descending to which he lets go of her and looks up to see both his mother and daughter walking towards them.

"Katherine! Oh, dear, how are you doing? I can only imagine how relieved you are to be home." His mother embraces his girlfriend in both a gently and strong hug while running her hands along Emily's back.

"I'm doing better, Martha, thank you for asking." Kate answers while trying her hardest to return the warm gesture one-handed.

"I see the little one is out, huh? She was all hyped up and thrilled this morning that you were finally coming home! Well, to be truthful, I think that we are all happy to have you back with us."

"Yes, Martha. It is so good to be back with my daughter again, and all of you. Also, I want to thank each of you personally for being so accepting to Emily and me staying in your home." Kate said while looking each of the Castle's in the eyes, locking their gaze to show her gratefulness.

"Kate, I wouldn't have it any other way, you should know that by now." Castle responding rubbing his hand over her shoulder and pulling her closer to him as his right hand went to shift Emily's weight half way off of Kate and on to him.

"Of course, Katherine, like Richard said, we wouldn't have it any other way." Marth said while simultaneously throwing her hands up in the air in a classic Martha flare.

"Detective Beckett, it truly is out pleasure to help the both of you out. Plus, I'm enjoying having Emily around a lot." Alexis said while sitting down next to her dad on the arm of the couch.

"Alexis, first, please call me Kate, and second, I want to thank you personally because from what I hear Emily wouldn't have a room, wardrobe, and toys to play with here like she does. Most teenage girls would be out in their free time partying with their friends, but you volunteered your time to caring for a two year-old, and for that, thank you!" Kate looked at Alexis with a sincerity that almost had everyone in the room in tears.

"Of course, Kate."

"Well, Alexis why don't you and I go get started on an early dinner and leave your farther and Katherine to just be alone together." Martha suggested while standing up from the chair that she was seated in across from the couple and toddler. The couple looked on as the their favorite two red-heads left in search of something to make for supper.

It isn't until they are getting ready for bed later that evening that she notices it. The small plastic box wrapped in black wrapping paper with blue going across it, accompanied with a bow on top. The package wouldn't necessarily catch her attention except it is on the nightstand that Castle proclaimed to be hers along with the side of the bed and as she is walking over to inspect the suscpicous container her mind floats to where he currently is. The bathroom, she thinks to herself and remembers that he was going to go freshen up for bed while she was putting lotion on her legs.

The gift has a nametag on the top, situated just under the bow, and it reads a name that she is all too familiar with, hers. And she does not even need to ask who it is from because she is pretty sure she already knows who.

So she picks up the box very cautiously and cannot help the urge to just slightly shake the container to which she is met with complete silence, and sets it back down. She vaguely remembers the sound of the faucet turning off and his footsteps becoming heavier with each fall as he nears the door connecting both the bedroom and his en suite.

She reacts merely out of curiosity and instincts when she rips open the lid to the present and she can automatically feel her breath catch in her throat as she has to close her mouth to prevent some ungodly sound from escaping within her without given permission because of the contents. The contents that has tears forming in her eyes and she should have known that he would have done something like this to try and show her just how much he cares about her.

Because it is her father's watch, repaired and in mint condition, which she thought, she had lost when her apartment was blown up.

His presence is not detected by her until he is standing right behind her, she tries to recall the sound of the doorknob being turned, but cannot conjuring up any memory in her mind.

"I found it amongst the wreckage and knew that I couldn't give it back to you all broken and chipped, so I got it repaired for you." His voice sends her heart racing more than it was beforehand, having tripled when he wraps his arms around her waist and to the front of her torso, giving her just a slight squeeze as he turns his head and kisses her temple.

Suddenly, she pushes out of his embrace to give her enough space to turn in his arms and kiss him. Her hands are on his cheeks dragging him down for a kiss that reaches a whole new level of intimacy, one that they have not quite reached in their relationship yet. But neither one of them pull back till the need for air becomes dominant for her, since her ribs are still in poor condition. They lean their foreheads on to each other's while smiling to one and another, their actions speaking more than they are physically capable to at the moment. However, she breaks the silence first, equally surprising the both of them.

"It's perfect, thank you." She begins.

"Always." He finishes.

AN: I hope that you all enjoyed!