The trip home is uneventful other than the fact that Agent Gray was waiting inside the café they selected for takeout. After turning the list over to the agent and ordering Rick and Kate are on their way to their Hampton's house
"How does he do that?" Kate says just as they pull out from the parking place
"I wish I knew, but he is always one step ahead of whatever we are doing"
Kate laughs gently. "There is one thing he is not ahead of 'us" She reaches for his fingers
"Do you remember the first time you met him? He commented about the sex scene in the first book?"
She smiles "Maybe he did know that it would eventually come true?"
The rest of the trip home is silent as Kate, once more, contemplates her…their future…their future together
After getting home and setting out dinner, Rick calls up to the family to come down and eat.
The entire family is sitting around the table chatting about their day and what they did. His mother and her father are speaking happily about another day they were out with the two grandchildren. They had taken the pair to the park and let them play followed by lunch at a taco stand on the pier followed by looking for shells on the beach
During the meal, Kate is almost completely silent just looking at the happy family she now has and the fun they are having
After dinner Martha and Jim tell Beckett and Castle they will go help the children with their baths while the couple clean up the kitchen
Alexis tells the crew she is going to go do something that has been a distant memory to her for years. Going to bed before 7:00pm and she bids everyone goodnight and heads up the stairs
Kate is still quiet as her and Rick finish cleaning up in the kitchen. Castle notices and is just about to ask a question from his wife as they close the last cabinet when they hear the two littlest Castle's running into the room.
"Mommy…Daddy" is almost screamed from the little ones. Both are carrying different books. "Will you read us a story "Jimmy asks first as he pushes his book in the direction of his parents
"NO! I want my book" Alecia is trying to get in first and she seems to want to cry thinking her brother will get his book first
"I'll tell you what, you two" Kate starts to comment "Daddy will read to one of you and I will read to the other one"
"Good" Jimmy remarks "I want mommy to read to me" and he jumps into his mother's lap
Alecia chimes in "I want daddy to read to me as she runs over and grabs her father's pant leg "Read to me daddy"
"Alright little one. We need to go over here" he pulls her toward the far side of the room from Kate and their son "So we won't disturb mommy and big brother" and the two move to the opposite side so they can also not be disturbed
As the two parents settle down with their children Rick begins reading to their daughter. Jimmy is actually starting to read the story without his mother's help.
Kate sits quietly just listening to her son exhibit his father's talent for words. Kate was told by his school that he was reading at a higher level than his age and his reading of this story is a perfect example of his ability
Her ears are listening to the boy's smooth delivery while her eyes are locked on her husband and daughter on the other side of the room. She watches as the little girl is mesmerized by the words being spoken by her daddy
Kate's eyes begin to glisten over as tears are trying to form from her behind her eye lids
Jimmy is growing sleepier with each page as he reads from his story.
In reaction to Kate's pulling him closer he looks up to his mother's face and sees the tears trying to escape
"Mommy…why are you crying?"
Kate looks down to her son "Because I am so very happy"
"Happy? I thought you cry when you are sad"
"Yes you do that" she hugs him tighter "But sometimes you are so happy you cry too…and today for me is happy. I am happier than I have ever been in my life"
"Are you happy with me?"
She moves her arms up around his head pulling him to her chest "Oh yes, little man…I am so proud of you, and your sisters, and your daddy…"
"And grams and granddad too?"
"Yes and don't forget Alexis...now are you ready to go to bed?"
He nods his head to Kate and she takes the book from him. Placing it on the side table as the little guy slides down from his mother's lap. He walks across the room "Sissy, let's go to bed" he reaches out and she takes his hand and drops down off Rick's lap. Come on" he says as they begin to head upstairs
"Brush your teeth and we will be right up to tuck you in" Kate says as Rick stands and walks toward her.
He reaches down to her and pulls her up to a standing position. He wraps his arms around Kate and pulls her to his chest where she goes willingly
"Are you OK?" he asks
She nods "Yeah"
"Then why are you crying?"
He can feel her chuckle against his chest "I'm happy…so very happy" she looks up at Rick "Let's go get the kids in bed then we can go be alone for a while" she slides her fingers across this cheek "and talk"
Even though his marriage has been greater than anything he ever imagined possible he cannot help but have a little tension inside while waiting for the conversation that will soon happen in the quiet of their bedroom and what the outcome there might be
Getting the two tired children tucked-in is easier that they thought and as Kate goes to the bedroom and gets ready for bed, Rick finishes closing up the house for the night
When he finally gets to change and enter the bedroom, he finds Kate sitting up at the head of the bed. She is propped up on pillows against the headboard wearing a long housecoat and her hair up in a messy bun
As Rick begins to turn off the lights, Kate tells him to leave the lamp on, at the bedside table on her side for now
He walks around the bed, pulls back the covers and places himself down beside his wife
The room is silent for several long beats before Rick starts. "Are you ready to talk and tell me what is happening inside that beautiful head of yours?"
She nods her head "I think so"
Kate slides down the bed and turns to face her husband. She reaches out to touch his arm "Castle I want you to know that I don't want to do anything to make you stop loving me"
That remark catches him totally off guard "Kate. Where did that come from?"
"I know when you first showed up in my life, you were after my body and not anything else"
"We definitely…or rather I have come a long way past that. Kate what I fell in love with was not just your beauty, but your intellect, your heart, your tenacity, your love for finding bad guys, and due to what happened to you, getting justice for others"
She touches his arm again "I know. That is what scares me"
"Kate, I don't understand. What scares you?"
"Rick…You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I love you with all my heart. That is something I never thought was possible. To love someone like this"
"And what exactly is scaring you about this?"
"I see us…our life together all based on my police background…but…"
"There that butt comes in again"
She smiles a little "Will you stop talking about my…"
She stops when she sees the light in Rick's eyes
"I also never thought I would have all this. This life you gave me" she waves her arms around "This home" she points toward the door "Those beautiful children you gave me…"
"Well YOU did have most of the work doing that"
"Castle I want to keep this. This life we have. The life you gave me because I LOVE IT. I am afraid of missing out on all of this…but…"
"There is that but word again"
She pulls over to Castle's side and wraps her arms around him "I was afraid if I was no longer a cop, you might not want me anymore"
He was not prepared for that thought
"Kate. Do you think I love you just because you're a cop?"
She gives her shoulders a little shrug
He pulls her face toward him "Katherine Houghton Beckett-Castle…my love for you began with the cases, then moved to your follow up…then your love you showed my family…and I fell hard. I mean harder than I intended. Think about this. If I stayed around during the Will Sorenson's…The Tom Demming's…The Josh Davidson's. There is obviously more to my feelings for you than even I was willing to admit at first. Kate there was nothing…there is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you. EVER!"
"So if I stopped being a cop, you would still love me?"
He leans down to kiss her "Absolutely"
"And if I continue being a cop…we still get to be a family?"
"Yes. Of course"
Another pause is finally filled in when Rick asks a question "If you were to retire, what would you do with your life?"
She hesitates in her answer "I thought about writing a book"
He looks into her face "A BOOK? Are you going into competition with me and Nikki?"
"No…just had some thinking happening…"
"What would you write about? Real Crime Stories…The Teenage Axe Killer and the story that shocked America…?"
"No silly…"
"Kate, even if you don't retire, you can still write when you have a few minutes and I will help you"
"WAIT! What do you know about teenage axe murderers anyway?" she snuggles in tighter
"Nothing…but I am willing to learn, as long as you teach me"
"You don't need to know anything about teenage murderers"
"But we can still write hard and spicy tales"
She pulls away and stands up confusing Rick. She turns away from her husband and pulls off the housecoat that she was wearing. When she turns around to face her husband, he sees what she was hiding from him under the robe.
A totally sheer, every short nightgown currently outlining her body by her standing between him and the table lamp giving him a very sexy view
She turns on her most sultry voice "And our sex life will also continue being sexy, spicy, and great?"
He has lost all control of his voice and several strange sounds come out. One does vaguely sounds like the word 'yes'