Ok I have been married 22 years and that little library scene stressed me out... :)

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I was wondering if you'd delve a little more into their communication issues, and there you go. Perfectly spot-on the way you evolved this story, from the little fights to the post-its with quotes, to the first attempts at fixing what's wrong. I admire how stubborn and determined in their own ways they both are, it takes a lot of courage to admit there's a problem, when things seem to be going wonderfully.

This series just shows how human they all are, and it's disarmingly beautiful.

Thank you for writing this, I don't think I thanked you in the previous stories, so I'm doing it now. You deserve it all.

This one pretty much centered on Rick and Kate and them going to therapy.

Once again, I am amazed at how I understand what's going on with them in the future as their kids get older. This fills in the blanks. We also got to see Rick and Kate put in the work to make their relationship better and you did an awesome job with that.

Loved the ending.

OMG. This one actually may be my absolute favorite favorite Dash piece yet. I would actually love to see a piece of this in the show - with them both feeling like Castle loved her 'more'..and since as of now she hasn't even said it in real Castle land...

"Nikki can't possibly - at her core - love Rook like he loves her."

But seriously chez, you may have even outdone yourself with this one.

Love it.
CastleAddict

I feel lucky to have this universe of wonderful things to make me feel better when I feel bad. While I mostly just want Dash or Ella, I really enjoyed reading this. It was really nice, I liked it a lot!

Mathilde

You are so close to getting my normal reviews again. Hopefully after this weekend I can go back to reviewing like a champ for the most part. Fingers crossed.

But man, I really loved this story. I love so much that they sort of mock the therapy but at the same time take it to heart so much that they allow it to change them, to make it better. Like the mocking in him appreciating her tongue and what he was really saying just made me so happy because they WOULD do that. That's who they are but they also love each other enough to just make it work. I love that it was easy because they both wanted it.

It's something I always say when I read the companion pieces but I love going back in time to see who they were and knowing where they end up. I love knowing that once Ella is born they're entirely stronger and Castle doesn't need to wonder if her job comes first like it once did because he just knows it doesn't. I love that their lines of communication are so much stronger and I even love knowing just who BK becomes (and I seriously want Burger King every time I see that, so kinda glad this story is over because no, I need Burger King.)

But yeah, I'm not glad it's over because I really did love it so much.

wonderful

Lovely, just..so lovely! I adored the concept of this fic, making kate realize their comunication problem builds a wall between them, prohibits them to see what they truly think and feel. And I loved the venue you too, and the work you made them put in, and this totally sold the fic to me:

""Won't make you late?" he says, and she hears it for what it is rather than for what she's always thought it means.

Will she be late to work if she takes Dashiell to preschool? and not Are you okay being his mom for the next twenty minutes or are you just going to prove all over again that your job is more important?"

Because yes, when ppl have a problem understanding the other person, they tend to make up what they think the motivations behind that other persons words are, and it makes you paraniod, for you always just end up reflecting your own incesurities back at you, when mostly its just as simple as that, mere words meant as they are spoken, no hidden agenda. So yes, you totally made the fic work for me Laura, on more than one level. Thank you!

I loved the bedroom banter about she tongue. That felt very real. But then again my hubby and I are the crazy couple who celebrated the Giants win with a tickle fight. (I didn't win)... I like this whole idea of showing them in therapy without it being an angst fest. Very real.

I'm not sure I want this story to be over yet! But the Dash universe lives on, right, so I guess it's not really over :)

I really enjoyed traveling through the progression of their attempts at better communication, from the difficult to the playful to the heartfelt moments. Lots of great parts, but here's one that stood out to me (a heartbreakingly realistic depiction of Castle's insecurity):

He has this instant of quick, dark panic that there's just nothing, absolutely nothing she appreciates, and he feels the ripple of agony that rips at his chest before her mouth opens again and her eyes set as she studies him and finally gets it out.

Love love LOVED this last chapter! This is exactly what a relationship is about! :) Great job with this one! Would love to see more relationship work between Castle and Beckett... and more about Beckett being pregnant with BK! ;)

Very nice :)

So glad they're on the right path here.

Awww... that chapter was soo sweet! Loved it!

Noooo! Say it ain't so?! I've told you time and time again how much I love the Dash series and this last chapter was just beautiful. I love the communication between them and what we see later in "future" Dash series. I'll miss this snippet in their lives. Oh. So. Good. Okay need more Dash and Ella.

I really really really like this companion to the original Dash series because I've been going back and reading both Dash Away and then Dash it All and it's never occurred to me, the rapid character growth between one child and another and this, the couples therapy, the insecurities is the perfect middle step, between Kate pre-Ella and Kate post-Ella. It's like there was a whole chapter missing that I didn't even notice until I read this companion. Can't wait for the next chapter!