A/N: Happy Anniversary, Castle fandom! Once again we celebrate the wonderful day this show came into our lives. It's done things for us all. I mean without that show, I wouldn't be here writing silly stories about a fictional family, would I? I just wanted to say how thankful I am for this show and for you guys. I love you nerds.

Okay, enough of that. Enjoy this special chapter.

Music played quietly from the speakers in the front, while a movie played in back. All five kids, plus the two dogs at their feet, and the cat whining in its carrier, listened to the movie with rapt for one girl, who looked away in favor of the scenery outside her window.

Except for one girl, who looked away in favor of the scenery outside her window.

They were on their way to spend a week at Kate's dad's cabin, and the city changing into the country and then into woods had always amazed the girl; it was like going into a storybook. She remembers her dad and grandfather telling stories of witches and fairies who lived in the woods around the cabin and the ongoing war between them and the Dark Wizard for control over the kingdom. The stories always seemed real to her, like how could her dad and Papa make all of that it? They knew everything, so their magical stories must be true.

"Momma?" she starts, turning away from the window. "Momma."

"Yes, baby?" Kate asks.

"How did you and Daddy meet?"

Kate chuckles, glancing at her husband in the driver's seat. "You know how, we've told you guys that story before."

"I wanna hear it again." Her voice was so pure and happy, how could Kate say no?

"Okay. Well, it all started when your Uncle Kevin, Tio, Nani and I got called to a crime scene because someone had been killed." With her kids' basic knowledge of her past job, Kate felt comfortable telling them that detail of the story. "When we got there, I noticed the body looked exactly the way someone in Dad's book had been killed. I told your uncles about it, and you know what they did?"

"What," the girl asks.

"They laughed at me! They thought it was so crazy I knew that and could see something was up with this case."

"They were so mean!" the girl agrees, knocking down her beloved uncles.

"I know!" Kate laughs. "Anyway, Nani took the body back to the lab and I went to find your dad and ask him a few questions about the murders because that wasn't the first body we had found that looked like Dad's books."

"Meanwhile," Castle interjects, telling his side of the story, "I was at a party for the launch of my last Derrick Storm book."

"But, if he still exists, why was it your last," Austin asks, more into the conversation in front of him than the movie playing over his head.

"Because, bud, at the time I was so bored and uninspired with him and I chose to end his stories for a while and think of something new to write."

"But he was out of ideas," Kate interrupts, smirking at her husband. "He couldn't think of anything to write."

"You were blocked," their daughter comments, using the phrase she had heard her sister, mother, and grandmother use one to many times.

" I kinda was, yeah," He says, owning up to it. "Anyway, Alexis and I were talking. I was telling her about how everything had become predictable and there was nothing new in my life." He sneaks a peek at Kate before continuing. "Until this utterly gorgeous cop comes up to and says she has to ask me questions about a murder that had happened that night. Well, I was so caught up by her beauty, that everything after that was a blur."

Kate's laugh fills their car. "Wow, Castle, really smooth."

"So what happened?" their daughter asks ."What did you do after Dad saw you for the first time, Momma?"

"I took him back to the police station and sat him down and asked him if he knew anything about the murders."

"And I didn't," Castle continues. "But it caught my interest. I mean how many authors can say they had a copycat? It was awesome!" Off Kate's look, he fixes himself. "I mean not the whole murder thing, but the person copying my work thing."

"But that guy was messed up! Do you not remember that?"

"He had a condition! And he was framed! Do you not remember that?"

"Of course I remember!"

"Then what happened?" their daughter asks, wanting to know the rest of the story.

"Well, then we found another dead body who was killed like another girl in Dad's books. And we knew we had a big problem on our hands and we had to catch the guy before he did it again. So we went out and talked to people and something your dad said hit a chord in my mind, and I guess he was thinking it too because the next thing I know, he's showing up at the next suspect's office even though I told him to go home."

"The guy we were going to talk to was the dad of the second girl mom found. And I knew we were onto to something; I could feel it!" Castle continues, explaining his past actions.

"So who did it?"

"Yeah! Who did it?"

"Be quiet! I can't hear the movie!"

"You be quiet! Mom and Dad are telling us a story!"

"Ow! Don't hit me! Mom! Austin hit me!"

"She deserved it!"

"Doesn't make it any less hurtful and wrong, Tin," Kate says. "Apologize to her. Now."

"Sorry, Finn."

"It's okay."

"So who did it?"

"It was the brother of one of the victims. He was jealous that after their father died his sister was gonna get all his money. So he killed her to get all the money."

"He killed his sister!?" Austin asks, shocked, looking at his sisters. He couldn't believe someone would do that. He wouldn't; not in a million years.

"Yeah. Jealousy makes you do crazy things sometimes," Kate says.

"And that's it? That's how you and Dad met?" Danielle asks, expecting there to be more.

"Yeah, that's the gist of it," Kate answers. "Your dad, even though he was really annoying, helped me and your uncles out a lot on that first case."

"And I've been your problem ever since," Castle says, chuckling. Kate laughs out loud again, her head falling backward. She finds his hand, and links their fingers, still smiling.

Awhile later, they pull up the dirt road and stop right in front of the cabin. And no sooner had Castle put the car in park and unlocked the doors, the kids all jump out and dash off into the surrounding woods to find their forts and sticks they had left behind.

"Stay close! Remember the rules!" Castle calls out to them.

"Come on, let's get this stuff inside," Kate sighs, going to the trunk and their bags. She's turning away with two duffel bags in her hands when Castle stops her with a quick kiss. They pull back, smiling.

"Love you," he says.

"Love you too."