Thank you all for taking this ride with me. I hope you've enjoyed this story and find nice closure for our characters.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.

Kate stood in front of the window, looking out of the 4th floor bedroom of their Chelsea townhouse. She wore a whimsical smile on her face. It was snowing. The first snow of the year always held a special place in Kate's heart. It reminded her of her mother, who would wake her in the middle of the night just so they could experience it together. She remembered one winter night in particular. It was one that held special meaning for her now.

"Katie, wake up sweetheart." Her mother whispered, brushing the hair from the young girl's brow. Kate woke, disoriented. It was still dark outside, so surely it wasn't time for school. Besides, it was a Sunday. Why was she awake?

"Mom?" She whispered. "What is it?"

"Guess!" Johanna whispered to her twelve year old daughter. There was a hint of excitement in her tone.

Kate looked to the left of her mother to see the matching mugs of hot chocolate placed on her dresser. The young girl smiled.

"It's happening, isn't it?" Kate questioned conspiratorially.

Johanna nodded to her daughter, peeling back the covers on her bed and taking her hand. Kate hastily grabbed her robe and slippers, as eager as her mother to make it outside. Soon they were down the stairs and out the front door, standing under the streetlight together. Their road was quiet, deserted even. It would seem that the entire world was asleep. That is, all but Kate and her mom. She loved that feeling.

"Can you smell it?" Johanna asked her daughter. Kate simply nodded, smiling. Sure enough, within minutes it began to snow. The young girl never could figure out her mother's sixth sense, her ability to tell when it was going to snow. She never questioned it. Instead she enjoyed this special time.

"What time is it?" Kate asked her mother.

"About 3 am." Her mom told her with a smirk. "Would you rather I let you sleep in?" She asked tentatively. Johanna was sensitive that her daughter was changing. She'd started to take more interest in her friends, in her appearance, and in the boys in her class. Johanna sensed Kate caring less about her cherished toys, and less about spending time with mom and dad. The woman sighed sadly, feeling a pang in her heart that could only be explained by passage of time. Her little girl was growing up.

Kate simply turned and smiled, the metal from her braces glinting under the artificial lights of the city street. Johanna ran her fingers through her daughters soft hair, a shade nearly identical to her own.

"Never, mom. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Promise to wake me always, ok?" She wrapped her arms around her mom's waist, burying her face in the fluffy robe Johanna wore.

"I promise to wake you as long as you want me to." Kate rested her head against her mom's shoulder then, raising her head to watch the fresh snow start to fall. She always thought that the streetlights made snow look magical, glittering and glinting as if they were made of shining gold. It held magic for them both, and would always be something Kate wanted to share.

She shifted uncomfortably then, moving her hands to her lower stomach and groaning in response to the foreign pain there. Her mother brushed her fingers through Kate's hair.

"Feeling cramps, Katie?" The girl nodded and blushed. While she knew that this would happen to her, that she would start her monthly periods at some point, Kate had no idea it would hurt so much. She started three days ago and she hated it. It was messy and painful and she resented all of it.

"It's not fair, mom." She complained. "Why don't boys have to go through this?"

"Oh, boys have their own challenges to bear, sweetheart." Johanna spoke softly, "besides, one day you'll be so glad for your gift. I promise you that." The look of love in her mother's eyes made her smile, but soon the stubborn streak reared it's ugly head.

"A gift." Kate grumbled. Sure, she knew what it meant biologically. Afterall, she read. She knew it meant that one day she could get pregnant and have a family of her own. Kate just couldn't imagine ever wanting to do that with a boy. Sure, they made her feel butterflies when they smiled at her, but still…

Johanna laughed at her daughter. "One day you'll hold a baby of your own in your arms, Katie. I promise you will." She turned to face her daughter, lifting her chin so that their gazes could meet. "and when that day comes, I'm going to say I told you so."

Kate smiled as she remembered that night, touching her fingers to the window pane. The November night was cold as the snowflakes fell. She stared out the window with a whimsical smile. She wondered why she'd awakened. Surely something had awakened her.

As if on cue, she heard giggles start to sound on the monitor beside their bed.

Beckett looked to the clock, it was 3 am. What is he doing? She thought oddly to herself.

The detective quietly made her way from the bedroom, pausing to gaze upon her husband's sleeping form. It amazed her that when their son awakened likes this, happy and playful, Castle could sleep through it. Yet, if anything was wrong he would awaken suddenly, sometimes before Caleb would cry for them. Father's intuition, she smiled to herself. Afterall, the phenomenon was taking place in that very moment. Caleb was all giggles and Castle was sleeping like a log.

Caleb Alexander Castle stood in his crib, a toothy grin on his face as he spotted his mother. His auburn curls were a mess on his head. Of all the things they anticipated, their son being a red-head was not one of them. Granted, it was so dark that most would consider him brunette. The auburn glints didn't show unless he was in direct light. Sometimes Kate thought it changed from day to day, as did their growing boy. Their very own honeymoon baby.

When the doctors told her that she was pregnant, and that the baby would be due on May the 30th , Kate was afraid that their child would come early. Afterall, May 30th was just two weeks after it happened. She feared that he would be born on the anniversary of the day she was taken, the day they were supposed to be married. Kate couldn't imagine anything worse than the birth of their first child being marred by memories of their terrible ordeal. As it turned out, her intuition was right and those fears came to pass.

On May the 12th, one year from the date of her abduction, Kate gave birth to their son. While she was worried at first, concerned that she would always be haunted on that day, Kate found it to be the most joyful experience she'd ever had. In fact, in the life-affirming moment she held their infant son for the first time, she knew it was a gift. For the rest of their lives it would not be a day to haunt them, but a day of celebration. That was eighteen months ago.

"What are you doing, little man?" She spoke softly to her son. He burst into giggles once again, pointing at his nursery window. Kate turned to see the snow falling.

Her breath caught as she stared back at him quizzically. There was no way he could see, yet understand the snow from outside of his dark room. Yet, there he was, laughing and pointing. Kate could nearly hear her mother whispering to her,

"I told you so."

She laughed at the thought, moving to take Caleb into her arms and walk him towards the window. It would be the first winter that they boy could truly experience snow, considering last year he'd only been months old. She couldn't wait to share it all with him.

Kate loved all of Caleb's new experiences. Through him she felt that she was seeing the world for the first time. Motherhood seemed to capture some piece of magic that had been lost on her long ago. Sharing in the journey with Castle made it even more meaningful. He truly was her partner in all things; first as a writer and his muse, then friends, partners and finally lovers. Now they were so much more, they husband and wife. They were parents, together in everything.

Kate laughed as she thought about how she would have reacted had someone told her about her life back then. Back when she was the straight-laced detective who could barely admit to herself that Castle might be human; that vowed she would never let him seduce and man-handle her like another one of his conquests. How might she have reacted had someone told her that she would fall madly in love with him, that they would join their lives together; that they would create life together?

She stared down at their beautiful son, now falling asleep in her arms. I had no idea, Kate reflected.

"What are you doing?" Castle whispered behind her, startling her from her thoughts.

Kate turned to face him and watched as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. "He's just fallen back asleep." She told him, rocking the small boy gently her arms.

Castle moved towards her and held his arms out, offering to take their son. She declined, smiling to him, "This is my favorite part." She spoke. Laying they boy down in his crib, she kissed Caleb's forehead. Castle knew how much Kate loved to put him to bed, those moments as he fell asleep. She loved to watch the rise and fall of his little chest, the noises he made.

The writer moved to join his wife at the crib, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Kate smiled, thinking again of all the changes in their lives, and of the changes yet to come. Yes, she sighed to herself, so much more to come.

They made their way back to the bedroom, Kate pausing in front of the window again to watch the first snow of the year. Soon he joined her, turning off their bedroom light to gain a better view of the snow under the streetlights and wrapping a blanket around the both of them. She sighed contentedly as she laced her fingers with Castle's, intertwining their hands. She moved them to rest low on her abdomen, cradling the newest life they'd created.

Through the baby monitor they could hear soft sighs; Caleb was shifting in his crib. They knew he would settle again and soon he did.

"We make beautiful babies, Kate." He whispered, prompting her to smile knowingly once again. He still had no idea. Then again she'd just confirmed the pregnancy herself. No time like the present, she thought to herself as she held their hands in place. She relished the feel of the solid, warm palms of his hands over yet another precious growing life.

"Caleb is perfect, Castle." She began, turning her head towards him with a sly smile on her face. She planted a soft kiss to his neck and let her secret slip.

"I think this one will be perfect too." Castle stiffened behind her as he felt her put pressure against where his hands rested at her lower stomach, communicating the meaning of her statement through her actions. He slowly absorbed her words before spinning her to face him. He needed to see her face, to confirm what he suspected she was telling him.

The bright smile she wore spoke volumes and Castle was speechless. He pulled her into an embrace and together they stood, watching the snow fall and dreaming of the incredible future that was in store for them.

It was a future they began to create the moment they met, and one they would cherish for the rest of their lives.

The End.