Epilogue

Castle stood outside the quiet brownstone, taking in the first floor bay window, the detailed brickwork, and the red front door. The building was empty inside, waiting to be filled with furniture and memories, things to turn it from a house to a home.

Kate climbed the front steps, her gait light and body loose as she slipped the key into the lock, entering their new home for the first time since the closing, since they'd become co-homeowners. She stuck her head back out the door, long, silky curls falling over her shoulder, and called to him. "You coming, Castle?" Her hand reached out, fingers wiggling, beckoning him to her so they could begin this next chapter together.

Light reflected off the shiny scar that wrapped around her wrist, catching him by surprise and reminding him of all they had been through. Six months of fighting to get her back, beginning with a week of hospital detox from the Sodium Pentothal and then a month of daily therapy sessions to help her break through the haze of manipulation. She still met with Dr. Burke twice a week as she continued learning how to trust her memories and how to let Castle back in.

It was a slow process, taking patience and consistency on his part as she still had moments where she questioned his commitment, but she was getting there. They both were. This – buying their house – was the first serious step forward that they'd been able to take since the incident, and seeing her now, framed by their doorway, the afternoon sun making her eyes sparkle, he had nothing but hope for their future.

"Castle?" She called to him again, her face clouding over slightly at his continued stillness. The worry he saw startled him out of his trance and his lips lifted, revealing a wide, toothy grin, as he bounded up the stairs to her.

He bypassed her outstretched fingers completely, choosing instead to lightly tangle one of his hands in her hair and, wrapping the other around her waist, he drew their hips together. She startled at the contact but didn't pull away, another knee-jerk response she'd had to overcome, and he rested his forehead against hers just for a moment, breathing her in, before dipping his mouth to hers.

He kissed her slow and sweet, drawing his tongue along her lower lip until she opened for him, arching her body into his as she entwined her arms around his neck, erasing the distance between them. She deepened the kiss, releasing a sinful moan when he dug his fingertips into her hipbone, and it was all he could do to keep himself from pushing her through the door so they could begin the adventure of christening each room of their home.

Reawakening their sexual relationship had been the last thing they'd done due to the fact that that's what Dr. Nieman had exploited the most. Even after Kate saw Samuel Cory's dead body, she'd had a hard time separating the facts from the fiction Nieman had force fed her. Castle had been attentive without pushing, anything Kate needed whenever she needed it to get her to the point where she could trust him again.

And now they were there. They were moving forward, better than ever so he gently walked her backward through the open door, spinning her around to push her up against it. Shutting front doors with her captivating body had always been a thing for them. His hands roamed, savoring the feeling of having her in his arms again, and he threaded his fingers through her hair, resting his thumbs against the jumping pulse in her neck. He soothed her, calming the inferno he could feel thrumming in the lines of her body, and pulled back just enough so he could look in her eyes.

She was slow to open them, her cheeks pink, lips glistening with the remnants of them both, but then her gaze focused on him and his heart stuttered at her beauty.

"I love you, Kate."

She smiled, a gorgeous flush traveling up from her chest as she ducked her head. He didn't want her to look away, though, so he tucked his thumbs into the hinge of her jaw, forcing her to look back up. "I love you."

"Castle," she started, shying away from him, still sometimes uncomfortable with the force of his feelings, but he pressed on, determined to wipe away any doubt that still lingered.

"No, Kate. I. Love. You." He punctuated each word with a kiss, the first on her cheek, then her temple, and her other cheek, before finishing with her lips.

Without giving her a chance to respond he grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the door so they could explore before the movers showed. "Come on. Let's look around." She smiled at him and nodded before falling into place next to him, partners in all things once again.

Upstairs in one of the extra bedrooms, Kate trailed her fingers along the blank sky blue wall listening to Castle ramble about his visions for their home. He hadn't mentioned it, not willing to push her, but in her mind this room would someday be a nursery. She wasn't ready for that step quite yet, but standing here, watching the enthusiasm ooze out of him, she could see it.

There would be a dark wood crib on the wall opposite the large picture window and a matching rocking chair ready for snuggles and late night nursing over in the corner. She could see Castle's large frame cradling their precious baby boy, telling him stories of wild adventures and great love as he rocked him to sleep.

She was proud of herself for all the progress she'd made over the last six months. It was hard at first, still was hard some days, but Castle had never wavered, never walked away despite everything she had said and done to him. He was a solid statue, the only constant that she could cling to as the storm raged around her every single moment for months, and slowly but surely she'd worked her way back to him.

Being able to trust in him again had lifted such an enormous weight off her shoulders and she was so thankful everyday for his patience and his love. Kelly had kept saying that he didn't deserve her but it was the other way around. Kate didn't deserve him but that didn't stop her from wanting him, from trying to be worthy of him.

He stood at the window talking about how nice and quiet the tree-lined street was when she walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek between his shoulder blades. She felt his hands trace down her forearms before his fingers laced with hers.

"You okay?" he asked her quietly, whispering it into the silence of the room.

She hummed as she loosened her grip on him, ducking under his bicep so she could bury herself in his chest, looping her arms around his neck. "Yeah. I'm just happy we made it here, Castle." She took a deep breath before forging on. "I know it hasn't been easy, fighting with me all this time, but I want you to know how much I appreciate it…that you never gave up on me."

"Oh, Kate." He sighed as he ran his fingertips along her waist, dipping just below her shirt. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, his warm breath dusting over her collarbones, causing a shiver to shoot down her spine. "Never. I couldn't even fathom a life without you so whatever it takes, I'm here."

A tear slipped from her eye as she tucked her nose into the space below his ear, her mouth open against the skin of his neck. Her words were gone so she just savored the feeling of being surrounded so completely by him, every sense consumed by him.

The sound of the doorbell broke their quiet moment. She ran her fingers through the hairs at his nape and whispered, "That'll be the movers," before pulling away to catch his gaze. Excitement infused itself in her veins and washed away the regrets, leaving only happiness in its wake. "You ready for this?"

His crooked, perfect smile, the one he reserved just for her, lifted his lips and crinkled the skin around his eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose and said, "Let's do it."

The end.

Thank you so much for every single favorite, follow, and especially every review. This has been an incredible journey for me and I'm happy that I was able to share it with all of you.

And to Kylie - my dear, I don't even have the words to express my gratitude for everything you've done for me and given me over the last six months. You are an amazing human and I'm so lucky to call you my friend.