She's drawn back into him as if he never left her. His thumb traces her cheekbone, gentle and slow, and his pulse pounds beneath the curl of her fingertips at his wrist.

Their hearts are spilled all over the swings at their backs and she feels empty, weightless in a good way. Afraid and excited and wanting.

"Stay for the rest of the week and we'll talk more, figure out how we're going to make this work. If that's what you want," he adds, so much uncertainty in his gaze when she lifts hers to meet it.

"I told you what I want," she murmurs, even though it should scare her far more than it actually does this time. She should be terrified that he's going to break her heart all over again, but she wants to believe that he's more likely to put it back together instead, make it stronger.

"I just want you," he says, echoing her words from over a year before, four words that changed everything between them. "That's all I want and whatever I need to do to-"

Kate arches on her toes, fingers snagging in the lapels of his coat as she kisses him. The wrap of his arms around her is like coming home, the seal of his body to hers like absolution. She slides her hands up his chest to cradle his face, caressing his jaw with her fingertips and stroking her thumbs over the planes of his cheeks.

"I missed you," he breathes into her mouth.

The splay of his palms burns through the fabric of her pea coat, pressing her in closer.

"You too," she whispers, nudging her nose to his cheek.

She drapes her mouth over his one more time, hums at the perfect fit of his lips against hers, the tentative sweep of his tongue to the seam of her mouth. She wants so badly to take him deeper, kiss him longer and harder and more thoroughly, but they're both at least an hour behind schedule and while dinner with her dad is flexible, his family is waiting.

Kate grazes her thumb down his chin. "You're going to be late."

He sighs, knocks his forehead into hers, and opens his eyes. He's smiling, his gaze a magnificent blue gleaming back at her, and she can't help brushing her lips over his again.

"Can I call you afterwards?" he mumbles, trailing his hands up and down the length of her spine curving into him.

She grins. "Yeah."

"Or maybe you and your dad could just come over-"

"Castle," she murmurs, curling her fingers at his ear. "I would love that, but you haven't seen your mom and daughter in six months. I'm sure they want you to themselves and besides, we need to figure us out before we drag our families into anything."

He pouts, but he knows she's right, squeezing her waist and letting out a quiet sigh.

"I'll still save you a piece of pie. Pumpkin or apple?"

Kate presses one more kiss to his mouth before she untangles herself from his arms. "Surprise me."

They part ways at the edge of the park, the sidewalk taking them separate ways, but he's already texting her after only a block of walking.

Thanks for sharing a cab with me.

She buries her smile in the touch of her fingers to her lips. It's Thanksgiving and she just had a brief make out with her Richard Castle at their old spot and he wants her - still wants her - in a way that lasts forever. Kate shakes her head and pockets her phone, picks up her pace down the sidewalk.

She doesn't have time to go by her old apartment, heading straight for her dad's instead. She almost forgets the cranberry sauce, walking through the upper west side with her lips still tingling and the butterflies Castle bred returning from hibernation to perch along her ribcage.

"Katie," her dad greets once she finally comes through his front door. He looks so pleased to see her, his smile warm and welcoming, his eyes creasing with joy.

"Hey Dad," she grins, stepping inside the foyer and into his embrace. He hugs her tight, firm and secure in a way that's always managed to make her feel safe. Castle isn't the only man she's missed. "Happy Thanksgiving."

He squeezes her shoulders and draws back, accepts the plastic bag of cranberry sauce with a smile.

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, honey." She follows him to the kitchen, grabs a plate for him to transfer the sauce to. "Hope you're hungry. I made our favorites."

She assesses the assortment of sides and main dish of turkey arranged on the small dining table. Her mom was the one who always did the cooking when it came to holiday gatherings in their family, but after Johanna's murder, Kate spent many Thanksgivings forgoing family dinners for holiday shifts at the Twelfth while her dad drank his. Since becoming sober, though, her father seemed to find solace in cooking, going out of his way to prepare great meals when she came over.

They don't often spend holidays together, Thanksgivings eventually becoming bearable, Christmas usually too painful even now, but Kate's grown to enjoy those that they do. She enjoys sitting down across from her dad and savoring a home-cooked meal with him, feeling like a normal family for a little while.

"This looks amazing," she praises, undoing the buttons of her coat. "Mom would be proud."

Mentioning her mother is always a risk, especially between the two of them, but her father beams at the compliment.

"Thanks, Katie." He nudges her towards the table. "How's Rick?"

She nearly drops the plate of cranberry sauce in her hands.

Kate swallows and glances to him over her shoulder, lifting an eyebrow in question. But her dad doesn't back down.

"Oh, c'mon. I'm your father, a lawyer, and you're smiling."

"I smile for you," she argues, but Jim Beckett merely rolls his eyes.

"Not like that, sweetheart. That's a smile I've only ever seen when Rick's around." Her dad maneuvers around her, plucking the cranberry sauce from her hands and carrying it the rest of the way to the table. "How long have you two been back together?"

She snags her bottom lip with her teeth, watching her dad take a seat, far too smug and proud of himself. Kate sighs and covers the last few steps to slide into the one across from him.

"An hour, maybe?" That evokes a flicker of surprise across his features. "I haven't seen Rick in six months. We ran into each other at the airport, ended up sharing a cab... we did a lot of talking."

"I'm hoping Rick did a lot of apologizing," Jim murmurs, but he isn't bitter. Her father has always liked Castle, has always shown a blend of approval and tentative affection for him, but he wasn't necessarily happy when Kate shared a brief summary of their breakup. How Rick was the one to walk away from her.

"We both did," she nods, curling her fingers around the fork beside her plate. "I'm actually going to stay the rest of the week after all."

The smirk on her dad's lips blooms.

"So, the dance continues?"

The question is already on her lips, until she remembers their last conversation about Castle, had in their favorite diner not long before her final meeting with Rick at the swings.

It's like we've been doing this dance for the past five years and… I mean, what happens when the music stops? That if all we were in love with was the dance?

"The music never stopped. I don't think it ever does," she murmurs, her cheeks growing warm. She isn't one for metaphors or prose, that's Castle's job, but her dad is watching her with soft understanding, with his usual and unwavering support, and her lips curve just slightly. "And I never stopped wishing we were dancing together again."

He isn't distracted throughout dinner, per say, but after spending hours catching up with his mother and daughter, hearing all about Alexis's summer in Costa Rica and his mother's spent here immersed in the theater, after regaling them with tales of his book tour across Europe that make it sound more fun than it actually was, once the ache of missing them is filled with the remedy of their presence, he can't help getting a little antsy.

Alexis has just ascended the stairs, exhausted from the extravagant Thanksgiving dinner she and his mother dedicated an entire morning to preparing, full from the slices of pie she indulged in with him on the couch. His mother is pouring herself another glass of wine in the kitchen, sauntering towards him with her the autumn themed satin wrap swaying around her shoulders.

"So, kiddo, did you talk to Katherine at all while in Europe?"

Rick shakes his head, but the corner of his mouth is curling.

His mother notices. She takes a slow sip of her wine and tips her glass to him accusingly.

"Don't lie to me, Richard."

"I'm not," he chuckles, straightening on the sofa and meeting his mother's inquisitive gaze. Just months ago, they were in this exact same position, sitting across from one another in the living room, discussing his relationship with Kate. But tonight, his stomach isn't thick with dread and his heart isn't scorned by secrets. Tonight, he's full of good food and his chest is alight with giddiness, because just a few hours ago, he was kissing Kate by their swings after six months of wallowing across Europe without her. "We didn't talk at all until today."

Martha leans in a little more, her eyes beginning to sparkle with both intrigue and concern. He knows his mother likes Kate, has always advocated for his partner when she felt it necessary, but he also knows that there is an equal amount of trepidation when it comes to their relationship. She never interferes, but she never wants him hurt; it has him sometimes wondering if a portion of his fear in loving so wholly and completely is partially inherited from her.

Neither of them tend to be fans of commitment.

But he wants to break that cycle once and for all with Kate. He's done holding back, done hesitating; he wants to commit every piece to her.

"Our flights were both late," he begins to explain. "She was slipping into the last cab, I didn't even recognize her until I was rushing to ask if we could share it. I - didn't realize just how badly I missed her,how much I still love her," he confesses, his heart fluttering with the words. "We spent a lot of time talking and I just... I can't believe I wasted six months without her."

He's almost tempted to hold his breath for his mother's response, but her blue eyes only soften, approval spreading through the lines of her face. "It's about time, kiddo."

He huffs, but she lifts an index finger.

"I knew you two breaking up was a bad idea all along," she continues, relaxing back into the cushioned armchair and crossing her legs. "I tried to tell you-"

"You gave me vague advice about my own shortcomings."

Martha hums around another sip of her wine. "I was trying to push you in the right direction without explicitly telling you what to do, as any good mother would."

Castle sighs, but the grin is already tugging at his lips again as he rises.

"You're definitely a good mother," he murmurs, stepping forward to lean towards her, press a kiss to the top of her head. "How do you feel about me taking you and Alexis out for breakfast in the morning?"

"Sounds wonderful, darling," his mother smiles, swallowing the last of her wine. "Now, you don't have to entertain me any longer."

His brow furrows. "Entertain you?"

"Be polite, stall, whatever you prefer to call it," she says with a flourish of her hand through the air before standing. "It's getting late. Go see her and I'll see you in the morning."

He should argue, stay and keep his mother company, it's been six months, but... she's right. He really wants to see Kate again.

"See you in the morning, Mother," he echoes while she starts for the stairs.

"Give Katherine my regards," she winks, turning her back on him to climb the stairs.

Castle sighs, his heart feeling as full as his stomach. He heads for the coat closet before pivoting on his heel, detouring to the kitchen. He promised her pie.

Kate is curled on her couch, watching a pre-recorded airing of the parade they avoided earlier play across her TV screen through half slit eyes.

She's lucky her apartment was free from her usual renter, her younger cousin returning home to Boston for the holidays, allowing Kate to stay in her old place for the rest of the week. It no longer feels like home, all of her furniture still intact, but most of her belongings gone, still in boxes scattered across her place in DC.

It has a strange homesickness flaring in her gut, has her missing him a little more. He was supposed to call, but she knows he's spending time with his family tonight and she's glad for it, wants Martha and Alexis to be able to enjoy his full and undivided attention after six months. But she's beginning to drift off waiting up for him.

The knock on her door has her brow creasing, her eyes sliding the rest of the way open.

She hopes it's not one of Sofia's friends thinking she's still here.

Kate pushes the throw blanket from her legs and swings them over the edge of the couch, padding across her old living room to the foyer. She checks the peephole and her heart skips.

Her fingers stumble a little over the locks, but her arm is steady as she pulls the door open. Her lips bloom into an immediate smile at the sight of Castle standing on the other side with a matching grin and a plate of mismatched pieces of pie beneath a shield of saran wrap.

"Hey," she greets, stepping back to allow him inside.

"Hey, so I know we just talked and I don't know if we're actually back together or not yet, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you and well, I told you I'd save you some pie. I couldn't decide which you would like best, so I brought the pumpkin and apple, but there was also cherry and then Alexis made a cheesecake-"

Kate eases the plate from his fingers and sets it safely on the kitchen counter before turning back to him.

"We still have a lot to discuss," she murmurs the affirmation, her fingers catching in his coat pockets and tugging him forward. "But we're together."

He cradles her face in his hands and she rises on her bare toes, feels him grinning against her lips before he's humming into her kiss. She gets lost in the tangle of his hands in her hair, the sweep of his tongue to her lips, past them when she opens her mouth, yearning for more. She's missed many things about him, but especially the way he kisses her, like he's trying to unravel her with solely the work of his mouth and caress of his tongue.

Kate fists her fingers in the handholds of his coat pockets, feels something poke against her palm.

She parts from his mouth for a breath, dips her fingers further into his pocket out of curiosity. She frowns as they drag across velvet that feels scraped raw.

"What is this?" she mumbles, curling her hand around the small box, drawing it out of his coat pocket.

He freezes against her, forehead bumping hers as he jerks his gaze downwards.

"Kate," he chokes, still a little breathless from kissing her. "Don't-"

But she's already flipping the top of the worn jewelry box open, revealing a ring inside, platinum and covered in a delicate assortment of diamonds that glitter in the low light of her apartment. Her mouth goes dry.

"Who's is this?" she whispers, unable to tear her eyes away from the engagement ring. It looks brand new, never worn, definitely not matching the battered state of its box.

"I - it was supposed to be yours," he confesses and her eyes fly up to meet his. "I bought it back when we were dating and that day on the swings when we broke up... it just went all wrong. I wanted to marry you, Kate."

She greeted his unexpected arrival on her doorstep with giddiness, with renewed desire that lit the hope in his chest and fed the need twisting through his stomach. Their talk on the swings earlier went better than he ever could have hoped for and they may not be starting over completely, but things feel wiped clean between them, all of the messy hurt he bestowed upon them both finally healing. But now, all of that fades away, swallowed by her wide eyes staring up at him.

"You..." Kate glances back to the opened jewelry box in her hand, the engagement ring sparkling back at her. "Why do you have it now?"

"I didn't mean to bring it, I just - I always have it on me." Castle runs a hand through his hair. "It's stupid, I know-"

"Even in Europe?" she asks on an exhale, some of the shock receding from her features.

He sighs, but nods. "Yeah. I don't know why, but I couldn't - I can't let it go."

"I carry my mom's ring, you carry mine," she mumbles, brushing her thumb over the decimated surface of the box. His heart seizes at the comparison. "Reminder of what you lost?"

The memory is still sharp in his mind, sitting beside her in those first few months, her hair short and stained auburn, her fingers curled around the delicate chain, the ring it held, letting him see for the first time.

This is for the life that I lost.

Shit. He never made the connection, but is that... is that what he's been doing this entire time?

"I - I guess so," he gets out, watching her touch the glittering band with the tip of her finger. "But I think it's time I stop holding onto it now."

Her gaze flickers back to him, a question tinged with uncertainty in her eyes.

Rick reaches for her hands, gently easing the box shut and closing her fingers around it.

"Keep it."

Her throat bobs with a swallow. "Castle, I'm not ready for-"

"No," he chuckles, withdrawing his hands. "I'm not asking you to marry me. Well, not yet anyway. I know it's too soon, but for the record, Kate, I will be ready when you are."

She lowers her eyes to the box in her hand, stroking her thumb to the surface as he has too many times to count in the past six months.

"You really think we'll get married after all this?" she asks, returning her gaze to him and chewing on her bottom lip. But she doesn't look doubtful or sardonic. She looks like she wants him to say yes.

"I do," he says with confidence. "So hold onto the ring, give it back to me when you think the timing's right, put it on yourself - do whatever you want. But it's yours."

Her lips quirk and she lets the box disappear within the embrace of her palm. "Okay, but Castle?"

Her hand is warm on his chest, spilling heat over the space above his heart. She curls her fingers over the spot, claiming, and he covers his hand with hers.

"You didn't lose me." Their fingers twine and Kate lets their laced hands fall between them as she draws him back towards her bedroom. "I never stopped loving you either."

He flies out to DC every weekend, sometimes extending his stays for an extra few days or flying out at the last minute just because he needs to see her. His daughter's eyes roll every time she finds him packing a bag with haste, but the exasperated gesture eventually begins to hold affection.

"As long as you're happy, Dad," she tells him. "As long as she makes you happy."

He is and she does.

A long distance relationship is far from easy, factor in her job and it's even more difficult, but he'll do it every day for as long as necessary if he has to. He'll happily take it over being without her.

"No, Castle, don't waste your money," Kate chuckles over the phone, the sounds of traffic blaring in the background. "Just wait."

"What's the point of having money if I can't spend it on what I want?" he complains, pacing in front of his desk, debating. She's coming home for Christmas on Friday, staying for an entire week, and then he's flying back with her for New Year's. But it's Tuesday and he would much rather be in her quaint but charming house in DC than alone in his office.

Besides, he has business to attend to in the nation's capital. He has at least two apartments he's looking into and wants to visit in person.

"Rick, it's nearly midnight," she huffs, but the loud honk of a car horn muffles the point of her sentence.

"Yeah, where are you?" he questions with an arch of his brow. "Ooh, are you going to meet Rachel to investigate another top secret case?"

"No, I'm trying to get home," she grumbles, but it doesn't make sense.

"Your street is never that noisy."

He can practically feel her smirk across the line, hears it in her voice. "I know."

It all clicks.

Castle nearly stumbles over his desk in his haste to get to the door. He steps into the first pair of shoes he can find by the front door and jogs down the hall, forgoing the elevator in favor of the stairs. He's spilling out into the freezing December air, onto the sidewalk, moments later. Just as Kate is reaching for the door to his building's lobby.

She's wearing his ring on her finger.