Epilogue

"Breathe, Kate."

Rick's voice brings her attention away from the ice, from the handful of girls practicing and warming up. The calming palm placed at the small of her back grounds her, allows the tension to slowly flow from her body.

"I'm breathing," she murmurs, rolling her neck.

He chuckles. "You're panicking," he counters lightly. "She'll do great, okay? The worst that can happen is she falls. She'll lose some points, maybe she won't win, but she'll get back up, she'll finish, and she'll get 'em next time."

She forces a nod, knows he's right, but it's her baby. All those hours of lessons and extra practices, the early mornings and tears, have led her here. She came in third at Regionals and second at Sectionals, and now her little girl is here at Nationals. Kate's been trying her best to keep up with the technical side of figure skating, all of the jumps and spins and what competitions lead where. Nationals, as Annie has been squealing about since she qualified, is generally used to determine the U.S. teams for the World Junior Championships, World Championships, Four Continents, and the Winter Olympics.

Kate's gaze trails back to the rink, eyes focusing in on Annie easily in her bright lilac dress. Rhinestones detail the bodice and the skirt is flowy, billows in the air with every glide of her skates.

She looks beautiful, her hair pulled into a neat up-do, little ringlet curls free in the front to frame her face.

At twelve years old, Annie's one of the younger skaters in the competition. She boasts that she'll be the next Tara Lipinski, heading to the Olympics within the next few years, and it's the pure determination in her daughter's eyes that has her believing she'll work until she gets there. It's the kind of fire she used to see in her own eyes, the flames ignited when she was working on her mother's case. She's glad Annie's end goal is less destructive.

"Thanks for coming," she breathes, leaning into Rick's side. "I know you have that publisher meeting, but it means a lot to her."

"Kate, please. You know I wouldn't miss this for the world," he says, turning his head to the ice, and it's the pure adoration that glimmers in his eyes as he looks out at her daughter that sets her heart on fire. She does know.

A long year and a half of conning herself into believing she only wanted to be friends wore her out and, well, denying the inevitable didn't really work out. She'd been a goner since the day he said he'd bring mini marshmallows for her kid just in case the cafe didn't have any. Even more done for when he'd made good on his promise.

Now it's been three years they've been together, her longest relationship to date, and she couldn't be happier. If she's being honest, Rick's the best thing that could have happened to the both of them.

Rick's nudge brings her attention back to the rink where the skaters begin to leave the ice, signaling the end of warm ups and the beginning of the event.

Annie's skating fourth, she's pretty sure, and the first girl is just finishing her routine. It's beautiful—of course she's here for her daughter, but she can't deny the talent of the other girls.

From where they're sitting they have a partial view of the curtain leading to backstage, the area where those in the wings wait for their turn, and a harried waving motion catches her eye. Turning her head, she sees Annie standing just behind the curtain, one hand clutched into the fabric as she tries to stay out of sight of the ice. The girl's eyes widen when she realizes she caught her attention, and she waves, makes a come here motion with her free hand before disappearing behind the curtain.

"I'll be right back," Kate whispers to Rick, running her hand over his forearm.

"What's up?" he asks, following her line of sight when she nods towards the wings. "Everything okay?"

Shrugging, she presses a kiss to his cheek. "I'll find out."

Crouching down so as not to obstruct anyone's view of the second skater now entering the ice, she makes her way down the few rows of stairs and squeezes past crew to sneak around the curtain.

Annie's pacing back and forth a few feet away, her hands wringing in front of her. She can feel the nervous energy radiating from her tiny body from here.

"Ann, hey," she says as she walks up, watching as Annie spins around to face her. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know if I can do this."

Kate sighs, squatting in place so she's level with the girl, her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Of course you can," she says, rubbing down Annie's biceps. "You know your routine front and back. You could do it in your sleep. Where's this coming from?"

Annie walks away for a second, peering out onto the ice to watch the girl reach the climax of her short program.

"They're all so good."

Ah. She follows her daughter, gently tugging her back, turning her on her heels so she's looking at her, not the skater.

"So are you, baby. You're amazing—you're here, just like they are."

"But they're so much older, Mom! I can't—they're bigger and faster and they can do more tricks than I can," Annie says, her foot tapping anxiously in place.

Kate offers a soft smile, her hand running along her daughter's forehead. Some of the girls are 16, 17 years old, and she knows that despite the facade her kid puts on most of the time, it's intimidating.

"You competed against girls the same age as them at Regionals and Sectionals, kid. And you beat them."

"But this is for—"

"I know," she soothes. Annie's confidence is always at an all time high when it comes to her skating—she's good, exceptional for her age, and she knows it. Never cocky, but always confident. But she knows this is getting to her because if she places well enough, she could very well be chosen to represent the USA at a number of high stakes competitions. "And that's wonderful; it would be amazing if you won, baby, but that's not what matters here, okay? What matters is you do your best."

Annie groans. "Mom."

"It's true," she chuckles. "I won't be any less proud of you if you completely mess up your routine, Ann. Which you won't. And neither will Rick. As long as you do what you know you can, and you go out there and have fun, that's all we could ask for."

"But I want to win."

"I know you do, kid. That's only natural. But if you only focus on winning, you'll psych yourself out and you won't skate your best. You know what I want you to do?" Annie shakes her head. "Forget about winning. Go out there and pretend you're skating for fun, pretend you're not at a competition—just do what you usually do and you can't go wrong."

Her daughter mulls over what she's said and then gives a small nod, lets out a heavy breath. "Okay," she says. "I'll try."

Kate grins. "Good. Do you feel better?"

Annie nods. "Yeah," she confirms, closing the space between them to throw her arms around her mother's neck. "Thanks, Mom."

"You've got it, baby," Kate whispers into her ear. "Now go out there and kill it."

"I will!"

By the time she stands from her spot on the floor, the third skater is rounding out her routine, almost finished, and Annie's being called to wait for her turn. Kate gives her one last thumbs up, making sure she's okay, and when she gets a genuine smile and thumbs up in return, she makes her way back into the stands.

Rick's already watching her as she sidles up beside him, taking her seat once more.

"She all right?" he asks, concern written on his face.

She gives a soothing smile, a nod. "Yeah, just some pre-skate nerves is all. But you're right, she'll be okay."

When Annie broaches the ice and the announcer introduces her, Kate's hand instinctively grasps for Rick's and he grips tightly, comforting. The little girl that skates onto the ice is a complete turnaround from the nervous 12 year old she'd just been talking to. This girl is confident, a bright smile on her face for the crowd. She finds the two of them in the stands and her smile brightens.

"She's beautiful, Kate."

Beaming, she can't take her eyes off of her child. "She is, isn't she."

The music starts and Annie glides across the ice just as smoothly as she did during her warm-up. Her dress flows behind her and her face lights up as she skates her short program, facial expressions vibrant and on point. She gets through her toe loop and soon begins her backwards glide to execute her lutz, which Kate knows is one of her favorite jumps.

Annie says it makes her feel like she's flying.

The beaming smile plastered on her face when she lands it perfectly allows Kate to release the breath she didn't know she was holding. Rick tightens his grip on her hand.

It's the last segment of the program she's concerned about; they've recently added a triple salchow, a jump Annie's only just begun to land. Kate had suggested she stick with a single or double, but Annie was adamant ("A triple is more impressive, Mom!"). She's been doing fairly well with it, landing two thirds of her attempts, but she knows she's putting so much pressure on herself and worries that may affect the outcome.

She almost looks away, but Rick draws circles on her palm with his thumb, soothing, and she forces herself to breathe.

"Come on, Ann," Kate murmurs to herself when the jump approaches. "You can do it."

She does. Mostly.

The landing is wobbly; she just about loses her footing and Kate's breath hitches, her body already easing from the seat, but Annie catches herself and balances out, saves it. Kate blows out a breath, and Rick tugs her into his side.

Annie finishes the program with a smile and an ending pose for the judges, but Kate knows her kid. The smile doesn't reach her eyes, and she knows she's upset with herself about the last jump.

Her daughter stalks off the ice and disappears once more behind the curtain. She's in the Kiss and Cry minutes later, sitting with her coach as she awaits her scores. Cameras are on, of course, so they can watch from the audience as she bounces her knees nervously. When the scores are announced, she's in fourth place behind the previous three skaters; the wobble cost her some points, letting the third place skater inch above her.

Knowing she's about to head backstage once more, Kate moves to stand, to make sure she's okay, but Rick puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Can I?" he asks, his eyes so expressive and hopeful, and she smiles, lowering herself back into her seat.

"Go ahead."

Rick returns the smile and makes his way to the same area Kate had met her daughter earlier. Annie's in the back, sitting on one of the benches with her elbows resting on her thighs, head in her open palms. Her skates are still on her feet; at least the skate guards are in place.

"Hey," he greets softly. "Is this seat taken?"

Annie looks up and offers a weak smile. "Hi, Rick."

"You were gorgeous out there, Ann," he says, and when he gets no response, he uses his index finger to tip her chin in his direction. "You were perfect."

The girl shakes her head. "No. I messed up the triple salchow," she sighs. "I messed it up! I landed it in practice. I didn't even place!"

"Hey, hey. These things happen, okay? You can't beat yourself up about it." She meets his eyes, raises a skeptical brow. "This is just the short program. There's still another program to go, and you can totally make up those points."

"Yeah," she murmurs quietly. "Maybe."

"No maybes," he says, lowering his voice. "Definitely. I know just how good you are, and you'll go out there and show them that yeah, you fumbled a landing a little bit, but you're back and ready to take one of those top three spots."

Rick watches her relax a bit, and takes this as a good sign.

"You're a perfectionist, just like your mother," he says with a small laugh. "There's no doubt you're her child. But want to know a secret?" She nods. "She gets nervous too. And when she messes up, she gets upset just like this."

"She does?" Annie asks, twisting to face him.

He knows Kate keeps Annie away from some of her worse days, wants to avoid having her daughter see her at her lower and more down moments, but if Annie knows Kate—who's the girl's own personal superhero—feels like this too, he's certain she'll feel better.

"Of course, silly! When something goes wrong on a case, or when something really small happens that she knows could've gone better, she feels exactly like you do right now. But you know what she does?"

"What?"

"She gets back up and she faces the challenge head on. She doesn't let that small setback hold her down."

Annie nods. "I guess. I don't want to disappoint her," the girl admits.

"Oh, Ann, no." He wraps his arm around her, pulling her into his side. "You could never disappoint your mom. She's so proud of you no matter what."

He knows that Annie does know she could never disappoint Kate, especially not when she's out here doing something so incredible to begin with, but he also knows she's feeling down because of her misstep.

"So, what are you gonna do?" he asks after a moment, pulling back to look the girl in the eyes.

Annie grins. "I'm gonna go out there and rock my long program."

"That's right you are!"

"Thanks, Rick," she smiles, hugging him with force, her little arms wrapped around his neck. "I'll do better this time!"

He laughs. "You'll be perfect. Besides, there are no triple salchows in your long program," he reminds, and she smiles, nods enthusiastically. "You've got this. And regardless of the results, we're both so incredibly proud of you."

With Annie being called over by her coach for some last minute reminders regarding her last program, Rick returns to the stands and takes his seat beside Kate once more.

"She's fine," he assures before she can ask. "She was upset about the landing, obviously, but she's all right now."

Kate leans in, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Thank you."

It seems like forever before the long program starts, so many skaters after her daughter needing to first skate their short programs. Each skater goes, receives their scores, and they wait with bated breaths for Annie's turn. She skates better than her short dance, with a renewed fire beneath her skates and a flawless routine. No wobbles, clean landings, and a beaming smile.

When all of the skaters finish and scores are announced, Annie finishes third. Her score from the long program pushes her ahead and makes up for the first stumble, and Kate tears up, can feel herself getting emotional. When she looks over at the man next to her, she notices his glassy eyes too and she grabs his hand, clasping it between hers.

Despite coming in third, she isn't chosen for a US team. It's because she's too young, she's told. Requirements have changed recently, upping the minimum age to qualify for senior internationals to 15, and she vaguely remembers it being mentioned a few weeks ago but in the rush of practices they'd forgotten. The coach comes up to Kate afterwards, though, and explains that Annie has such potential and within the next few years, he has "no doubt she'll find her place on the Olympic team."

Annie clutches onto Kate's torso when he says he sees a lot of Tara Lipinski in her daughter, and she smooths a hand over her head.

As they're leaving the rink, with Annie's bronze medal securely around her neck and the bouquet of flowers Rick had given her tucked safely beneath her arm, Kate pulls her to the side and bends down. With both hands braced on her daughter's thin shoulders, she presses a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," she says. "So proud. You were beautiful out there."

Annie blushes. "Thank you."

Rick reiterates the sentiment, and the girl bows her head, as bashful as her mother is when receiving compliments.

"What do you say, Beckett ladies," Rick announces once they make it to the car. "I say this calls for a celebration. Remy's?"

The enthusiastic, in unison yes! that resounds from both women causes a loud laughter to break from his chest.

A few hours later, bellies full and hearts happy, they return to Rick's loft. He's become increasingly more anxious the closer they came to his apartment, but Kate hasn't mentioned it, just arches a questioning brow as she watches him fidget.

"I'll put your stuff on the counter," he says, taking the takeaway bag from her. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Annie makes a beeline for the television and plops herself down on the couch, but Kate follows her boyfriend into the kitchen.

"You okay?" she asks, coming up behind him.

"Yeah, of course."

"You seem a bit... off."

His head shake is too quick. Something's definitely up, which makes no sense, because he was fine during the competition and even through dinner. Well, okay, the weirdness began at dinner, as it came to a close.

"All good," he promises, giving her a smile as he tiptoes around her. "Can I take your coat?"

But she shakes her head. "We should probably get going, actually. It's been a long day."

"You could stay here, you know," he says.

As much as she'd love to...

"We don't have any clothes here."

"Okay," he says. She can see something in his eyes, something she can't pinpoint. "But before you guys go..." He gestures to the living room where Annie is sitting comfortably, still donned in her leotard with sweatpants thrown over top, and Kate follows. He disappears into his office for a minute before returning.

"I uh... there's something I've been wanting to say. For a while now, actually, but I couldn't find the right time." Annie's paying attention now, her attention on Rick. "But then I realized any time can be the right time, and waiting isn't what I want to do anymore."

She's... confused. Intrigued, but confused.

"Kate, meeting you was—it was one of the best days of my life. Now, obviously, the circumstances on both our sides were less than ideal, but because both lovely ladies involved are completely healed I can say I am grateful that the universe brought us together."

She chuckles, her lips quirking. Sometimes the best things come out of bad situations, her mother had always told her. She was right.

"These past three years have been incredible, and my life is so much more rich because the two of you are in it." Kate watches as Rick looks to Annie, and the two share a look; Rick gives her a wink and her daughter grins, almost... almost as if she knows what he's doing. "You're the most stunning woman I know, both inside and out—brilliant, fierce, and undeniably hot, of course." Her cheeks blush. "I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to be in your life, and for giving me the pleasure of knowing you, and your daughter. She's... I love her like she's my own, you know, and I would do anything to keep the two of you happy and safe."

Tears fill her eyes now, her hand coming to cover her mouth. This seems like... but it can't be.

He's not, is he?

"I'm the best version of myself when I'm with you, and Annie," he starts, and then he reaches into his pocket as he descends onto one knee and oh my god, he is. She's crying now, both hands clasped over her mouth as tears cascade down her cheeks. "There's nothing more in this world that would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you."

He opens the box, revealing the most beautiful ring she's ever seen, and looks up at her, nothing but love reflected back.

"So, Katherine Houghton Beckett," he says, his voice hitching with emotion around her name. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

It's Annie who answers immediately, jumping from the couch, and neither adult can hold in the laughter that bubbles from their throats. Kate wipes the tears from her eyes, engulfing her daughter in her arms as she continues to laugh, and meets Rick's eyes over the girl's head.

"What she said," she grins, reveling in the happiness that breaks across his face.

With Annie between them, Rick slides the engagement ring on Kate's finger and slants his mouth over hers. The girl steps back, hands clasped together happily as Kate to wrap her arms around him, burrowing her face into his neck.

"I love you," he breathes into her hair, then looks down at Annie. "Both of you."

"Love you, Mom and Rick," Annie beams, hugging the both of them. Kate re-adjusts herself, one arm around Rick and the other around her daughter to include her in this group hug. "Glad you finally asked!"

Kate pulls back. "You knew about this?" she laughs, wiping at another tear.

"Uh huh! Since Rick asked me if he could."

She turns her attention to Rick now, eyes wide and a new wave of emotion brewing in her stomach. "You—asked Annie if you could marry me?"

He... asked her daughter's permission?

"Of course," he says, so easily, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, the most normal thing to do. "She's the most important thing in your life, Kate. She comes first, always, and if she wasn't going to be okay with this I wouldn't even think about making her upset."

Oh, this man. She doesn't even fight the fresh tears that come now.

"How did I get so lucky," she mumbles, kissing him again before hiding her face in his chest.

From a father who didn't want to be a father, who treated his own daughter as a burden he couldn't be bothered with, to a man who has no obligation to her daughter but loves her as his own, who thinks about her opinions before asking her to marry him... she's speechless.

"I don't know, I feel like I'm the luckiest man on earth."

"Does this call for an ice cream celebration?" Annie interjects, and both adults turn to look down at her, smiles stretched across their mouths at her innocent face. "Because I definitely think we should have ice cream."

Laughing, Kate and Rick pull apart, and she tugs her daughter into her side as she moves them towards the kitchen.

"I guess we could break the late night snack rule tonight," she teases.

Following close behind, guiding the two of them into seats as he rounds the island, Rick grabs two containers of ice cream from the freezer.

"So, Ann, how do you feel about the three of us being a family?" Kate asks once they're all seated, three full bowls of ice cream in front of them.

Annie looks between the two of them, brows furrowed in confusion.

"I thought we already were a family."

She didn't think it possible, but Kate's heart swells even more. Annie's right; this makes it official, in a sense, but they've been a family for a while now. Meeting Rick's eyes as she brushes Annie's bangs from her face, she smiles.

"You're right, baby. We are a family."

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Between midterms and applying to grad schools, the past few weeks have been much busier than I'd anticipated. Thank you all so much for sticking with this story, and I hope this final installment was worth the wait!

Also, for the sake of the epilogue let's pretend the rule upping the age of eligibility for senior international competitions from 12 to 15 happened recently and not in 1996.