A/N: Thank you for staying with the story. I hope you enjoy this update. Happy Castle Monday!

Chapter 25 – Let's Get Out of Town

The ensuing moment stretches out, passing from sweet and endearing to powerful and emotional, sweeping them up in its heady embrace towards a distant place that verges on overwhelming.

When they finally pull apart there are tears in their eyes.

Kate slowly eases herself down off her tiptoes, her body sliding down the length of her partner's, their coat buttons catching, and she leans against him, holding his hands in hers so they hang loosely between them. Castle fingers her engagement ring, rubbing the tip back and forth over the smooth band in the warm crease behind her finger.

A dog barks suddenly, loudly, nearby, and the noise is enough to stir them out of their quiet cocoon, drawing them back to the here and now.

"So…" says Castle, clearing his throat as he looks up at the courthouse and then back down at Kate. "We…uh…we have some planning to do."

Kate laughs nervously in response to the dramatic way Castle's eyebrows shoot up when he makes this massive understatement, and her heart begins beating rapidly as the full weigh of her own suggestion hits her. She hasn't even called her dad yet, and Castle is right, if they are to marry here in Luray, even in the simplest of ceremonies, there will still be a number of things to organize.

"Lunch," she declares, running a hand through her hair distractedly as she comes up with a plan. "Let's go back and get the car, drive somewhere out of town or…or to the next town over for lunch so we can talk things through."

Castle nods and offers her his arm. "Great idea," he agrees, and they turn back to head towards the pretty Inn that is currently standing in as a surrogate home for them right now.

By some small miracle they manage to miss both Jerry and Missy, who seem to be out running errands or at church or visiting friends or whatever innkeepers do on a fall Sunday in Luray. To say it's a relief to have more time to themselves in their newly coined 'bubble' is no exaggeration. They quickly let themselves in to the house with the key the Hudsons gave them, use the bathroom, collect a tourist map, the car keys and hit the road.

Kate finds an unusual restaurant in Harrisonburg, a 45 minute drive from Luray down Interstate 81. The restaurant is located in an elegantly restored Victorian Inn called Joshua Wilton House*, which is located in the historic, Old Town district of Harrisonburg.

Kate reads bit and pieces to Castle from the Inn's website on her cell phone, telling him about the five elegant bedrooms furnished with restored antiques and period reproductions, the seasonally inspired menus and the extensive list of wines by the glass.

But it's the quote she reads out, taken from Bon Appetit magazine's review of the food that finally sells it to him.

"The Joshua Wilton House is noted for fresh fish, locally raised veal and lamb...and a crème brûlée so ethereal it could steal a Frenchman's allegiance."**

"Well, I don't know about any Frenchman, but it just stole mine," says Castle, peering over at the map Kate has laid out in her lap to get his bearings.

He hits the interstate before he thinks to ask if the dining room requires a jacket and tie.

Kate snorts, her head resting lazily against her hand as she leans against the window watching him drive, something she finds sexy all of a sudden - his large hands on the wheel, how relaxed and in charge he seems - though in the past it was one of the many ways she used to deny him control. "Well, if they have a dress code, it had better include jeans and sweaters," she replies, plucking at the fine knit, pale lilac, v-neck she has on.

"What?" squawks Castle, reaching out to squeeze her thigh. "You look beautiful, elegant…"

He lowers the volume on the radio and then adds, "Kate, I don't think you know how stylish you are most of the time, how you turn heads and yet, to you it's like it's nothing…effortless. Actually, it is pretty effortless, because I know, I was there, I've lived with you. You just throw stuff on and somehow, magically—"

"I am so looking forward to that," interrupts Kate, immediately apologizing for cutting him off.

"Looking forward to what?" he laughs, surprised by this enthusiastic confessional burst.

"Living with you. Us, together, properly. Moving in together, Castle. Sharing stuff, buying things that we both choose, combining our CD collections," she giggles, poking him in that soft, ticklish spot beneath his ribs.

Castle grins, amazed evidently. "You are?"

"Yes, I am. Why, aren't you?" frowns Kate, glancing over at him.

"No. No, I am. Very much so, now you mention it. I—I just hadn't thought about it, I guess. Everything's been so…"

Kate reaches out and pats his arm. "Crazy, I know," she nods.

"But good crazy," he assures her, keeping his eyes on the road up ahead.

Eventually they pull off the interstate and onto a side road bordered by trees. Signs quickly appear for the Joshua Wilton House, which is just a quarter of a mile up ahead. Castle turns the radio off completely and Kate revels in the quiet for a few moments, just scanning the countryside out the windshield of their rental car, her fiancé at the wheel, on their way to a lazy Sunday lunch to begin planning their wedding!

She feels like squealing and beating her heels in the footwell of the car. It's ridiculous how excited she is.

She begins to squirm in her seat, because it is, it's overwhelming and almost too much – how far they've come since they left New York.

"You okay over there?" asks Castle, with more than a hint of amusement in his voice.

Kate smiles, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to hide some of her joy, though her dazzling eyes really give it all away. "Yep. Couldn't be bet—oh, look. There!" she says, indicating a fancy wooden sign by the side of the road with an elegant, gold-leafed font instructing drivers to make the next right turn to reach the Inn.

Castle follows this instruction and they end up on a tree-lined, gravel driveway, which it pitted with ruts in places. At the top of the drive the trees give way to a large open space in which sits the Inn itself. A huge, green lawn stretches out in front, running all the way to the tree line. The main building is old Victorian architecture of turrets and peaks edged with frilly, ornate woodwork, arched windows, and a porch, which extends over half of the front of the house and runs right around the corner. The decorative woodwork beneath the peaks that rise above the front entrance and the right hand half of the house have been picked out in two colors, giving it a wedding cake feel, which seem entirely too coincidental for the reason they are here.

Castle parks the car while Kate stares up in wonder at the place.

"You like it?" he asks, releasing his seatbelt.

"I—well, don't you? It's so old and so different to New York."

Castle opens his door and a blast of fresh, damp, Shenandoah Valley air rushes in to greet them. "Come on. Let's go see if they can fit us in for lunch."

Kate follows him out of the car, and she stretches her legs, arches her back and takes a deep lungful of fresh air, while Castle gathers up their coats and her purse from the trunk. He helps her on with her coat and then, together, they walk up the red brick path that leads to a set of steps and the front door.

There are white painted, upright wooden chairs and tables sitting out on the porch, and the view they offer on a warm, sunny day must be spectacular. The old wooden front door is so pretty too, bordered either side by the original, colorful, stained glass panels from when the Inn was first built as a family home in 1888.

Castle takes Kate's hand just as she reaches for the bell and he slides his fingers across her palm. "Hey, do you know what this place would be the perfect setting for?" he asks, leaning in to kiss her neck. "A wedding," he whispers into her ear, raising his eyebrows when she whirls round to stare at him just as the front door opens and a member of staff appears to greet them.

They follow the woman inside, enquiring about a table for two for lunch, and are told that there will be a table free in twenty minutes if they'd care to wait in the lounge bar. The woman escorts them into a dark, wood-paneled room, which is decorated with leather upholstery and an old oak bar positioned at one end. She takes their coats and leaves them in the care of Cash, the bartender.

The bar is largely empty, save for one other couple enjoying a post-lunch coffee in a corner by the window and an old man reading a broadsheet Sunday newspaper in a wing-backed leather armchair. Kate chooses a sofa made for two positioned opposite the marble fireplace and settles down into its welcoming warmth as the barman comes over to take their order.

She touches Castle's arm as he eases down beside her, his hip pressed firmly against hers, their thighs lined up next to one another. "I'll drive back," she tells him, giving him a nod and a smile of encouragement.

And this is no longer about control for her, it's about sharing the load with her husband-to-be, allowing him to enjoy a drink or two while she contents herself with water. It's about giving back for all the times Richard Castle has put himself out on her behalf.

"You sure?" he frowns, quickly turning to the barman when she nods again to order himself a Tanqueray and tonic.

"Sparkling water," adds Kate, letting out a long sigh of pleasure when she sinks into the sinful velvet cushions of the aptly named love seat as soon as the barman leaves to prepare their drinks.

"Are you sure about just having water? I'm more than happy to drive us home, Kate," Castle persists.

Kate lets herself lean into his side, dropping her hand down onto his black jeans to scratch his thigh through the rough fabric until he shivers with pleasure and has to still the movement of her hand with his own before he slips up and moans aloud in the midst of this quiet, elegant room.

"I'll have a glass of wine with lunch, okay? Make you happy?" she chuckles, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Are you mocking me for wanting to enjoy this outing with my fiancé? I'm only thinking of you, you know. We're planning our wedding, Kate. We should at least be able to toast each other. Because this is big," he stresses, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"It is. It is big," she concedes, running her nails along the inseam of his jeans. "And I will toast you with a glass of wine. Now, do you want to make a list or…I could use my phone. We can jot ideas down and then write them up later tonight. What do you say?"

Her eagerness, her 'all-in where do we start' attitude is getting to him; getting to the tender, healing man inside. He loves her so very much, has done for so long, barely hoping at times that it would ever come to this lest he spoiled his own fantasy vision of the future. But now they are here and the fantasy is taking shape and Kate is at the helm, eagerly driving them forward.

So he kisses her rather than answering her question. With people watching them quietly from the corner of the dark room and the barman on his way over with their drinks and a couple of large leather bound menus, he kisses her slowly, throughly, lovingly.

When he pulls back, stroking her jaw with his thumb, her eyes are closed, dark feathery lashes resting on the pillows of her cheeks – no sight more beautiful, no sight guaranteed to make his heart swell more than this. "You have no idea how happy you make me," he whispers against her cheek, before sitting back to accept the drink the barman is waiting to hand him.

Kate blinks, dazed, her cheeks dusted pink when she accepts her glass of fizzy water with a barely uttered thank you. She immediately turns to face Castle again, curling her fingers under his to hold his hand. "To us," she says, clinking her glass against his, her smudged lips forming a warm smile as she comes round from the drugging kiss.

"To us," he agrees, the wordsmith lost for any better words to make a toast with right at this moment because his beautiful wife-to-be is stealing every thought in his head along with the very air from his lungs.

They settle back to peruse the menu together, spreading just one of the large books on Castle's lap so that they can share. The food looks great, and since Missy's breakfast is now a distant memory they are both plenty hungry.

Ice cracks in Castle's glass and he swirls it around, watching the wedge of lime skirt the outside of the heavy crystal tumbler in a fluid circuit. Kate sips her water and gnaws on her lip, unconsciously tapping out a ratatat repetitive rhythm on the arm of the sofa with her fingertips.

"Hey, what's up?" asks Castle, attuned by now to every nuance in her mood.

"Hmm?" she murmurs, glancing his way.

"Something's on your mind, Kate. What is it?"

Kate nods, her lip drawn back between her teeth. "My dad," she admits, giving Castle a wan smile. "I meant to call him on the drive over here but the scenery was just too pretty and I forgot," she winces, looking guilty. "Is that bad?" she whispers, curling into him when he smiles sympathetically and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

Castle chuckles as he shakes his head. "We're both pretty overwhelmed. I probably wouldn't have called Alexis if she hadn't called me first," he admits, patting her leg. "Why don't you call him now, if it'll make you feel better?"

"I know I only spoke to him yesterday morning, but I feel like maybe I should tell him about the engagement before we start planning the actual wedding."

"Go! Go! You are such a thoughtful daughter," he tells her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Why don't you take a walk outside? Table should be ready by the time you finish your call."

"Thanks," nods Kate, setting her glass down before standing.

"And tell Jim I said hi," adds Castle, holding onto her hand until he's forced to let go and can only watch her leave the lounge.

Kate collects her coat from one of the staff members and puts it on before she goes out to sit on the front porch to make her call. But she gets nervous sitting still when her dad's phone begins to ring, so she stands again and begins to pace the wooden deck, eventually walking over to the ornate balcony rail to lean while the call connects.

"Hey, dad!" she says brightly, her voice immediately reflecting how she's feeling – nervous, excited and unbelievably happy.

"Hi, Katie! What a lovely surprise. Everything okay?"

Kate laughs as she pushes a hand through her hair. "Yeah, dad. Just thought I'd give you a call."

"Twice in two days? That must be some kind of record for you. Unless you count that time you lost your credit card when you were in college and you called to ask me to wire you some money," he chuckles. "You aren't calling for money, are you?" he adds as a comical afterthought.

Kate laughs too. "No, dad, I don't need money. I was calling with a little good news, actually."

"I see," says her father quietly, and she can hear the happy, contained anticipation in his voice, as if he already knows what she's about to say.

"Yes, Rick and I went out for dinner last night," she explains, pausing for a beat to catch her breath. She presses her hand to the center of her chest to calm her hammering heart. "I proposed to him, dad, and he said yes," she grins, covering the phone with her hand to prevent a nervous, over-excited sob of emotion from spilling forth and reaching her dad's ears.

"Oh, Katie, congratulations. I'm so pleased for you. For both of you."

Kate bites her lip to stop herself from crying, emotion clogging her throat. "Thanks, dad," she manages to choke out, thankful that her father starts to speak again almost immediately, relieving her of that responsibility.

"So, you were the one who proposed, huh? That's my girl. Your mother would be so proud," he laughs, since they both know what a strong woman and feminist Johanna Beckett was.

"I guess she would be," admits Kate, a little ruefully, since it hits her again that her mother will never get the chance to meet Castle and will not get to be a part of their shared joy.

"So, Rick is doing better, I hope?"

"He— Yes, he is. So much better. He said to say hi. We're actually in Harrisonburg right now at an old country Inn for lunch. The fall colors here in Virginia are just...stunning. I wish you could see it."

"That's great, Katie. You sound…well, you sound truly happy, love. I'm so pleased for you. Everything worked out well in the end, huh? All those worries we talked about…all gone now."

"Seems like a long time ago," admits Kate, referring to their lunch not long before Castle proposed to her, and before she took the job in DC.

"Doesn't matter how long it took you to get here or the route. Point is you two are good for each other. Any fool can see that. Even this old fool."

Kate laughs affectionately at her dad's self-depreciating remark. "There was never any pulling the wool over your eyes, dad." She goes quiet for a few seconds before adding, "This break has been so good for both of us. I can't tell you how great it's been to get away from everything. Just to have time alone without any of the usual interruptions."

"Well, enjoy it, Katie. Don't be in any rush to come back. The world can wait. Your job can wait. You've worked so hard since you left college. Take this time for yourself. Everything will still be here waiting for you when you get back, me included. So take this time to make sure you're rock solid as a couple before you put your relationship or Rick under any strain. Promise me you'll do that, Katie? Look after yourself. Just this once."

Kate bites her lip, torn as to whether or not to tell her father their plans. But he's telling her to do this for herself and Castle, so she takes a breath and simply replies, "I promise, dad. Don't worry. I'm committed to this and so is Rick."

When she rings off after her final goodbye, she turns to reenter the Inn and finds Castle watching her through the lounge window. She smiles at him and he raises his hand in a little wave, indicating that he'll meet her out in the hallway. Their table is ready and they have a lot to talk about.

TBC...

* The Joshua Wilton House is an actual Inn in Harrisonburg, VA. If you want to see it you can look up their website or take a look at the picture I posted on Twitter. You can find me at livwilder2

** This is an actual quote from Bon Appetit Magazine.