Epilogue

As they slip from one path to another, heading deeper into Central Park, his fingers twitch in hers. For the most part, he's been silent the entire way, content to follow her lead, but after they pass two of their usual stops without so much as a second glance, he has to know.

"Okay, where are you taking me?"

Kate tosses her hair – already so much longer than it had been the day they met ten months ago – over her shoulder, the corners of her mouth turning up at his inquiry.

"Thought you liked surprises, Castle," she teases, not waiting for an answer before she steps into his space to smudge her lips across his. "Trust me."

"I do," he promises, feeling her smile widen at his words, the less-than-subtle reminder of the day last week when he had dropped onto one knee on the concrete outside her apartment and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.

They're getting married.

"Mhmm, so just relax. I'm not leading you astray." Her fingers brush his chin, smoothing over a nick he hadn't been able to avoid when he shaved earlier. "I don't know any good places to hide a body in the park anyway."

His fake huff only makes her smile widen. They both have an odd fondness for gallows humor – something about being a writer and an almost-cop, he's sure – but it's obvious the jokes are benign. In spite of her family, in spite of the pain she has endured, Kate Beckett's heart is sweet and hopeful and good. Her actions each day showcase that.

He had stood at her side as she had announced her business decisions to her family. By the middle of next year, the transformation within the Sarto organization will be final. As expected, there had been resistance from some at first; complaints from an uncle so old Rick hadn't been sure the man would live to see the end of the meeting, and a cousin who whined about the family losing its edge. But in the end, Kate had made one thing clear: they were not organized crime thugs, not anymore and never again. For herself and for her mother, that would not be their legacy.

"Yeah, yeah. You bosses always get others to do your dirty work," he retorts, tripping his fingers down her side.

It's still fairly warm for early November, especially today, but she shivers at the touch, her body drifting closer to his.

"Me? But you're so good at doing dirty work, baby," she drawls, allowing her eyes to sink toward his waistband. He suppresses a shiver of his own.

"Not cool, Beckett. Not cool doing that while we're in public and I can't do anything about it."

She barks another laugh, stepping out of his grasp to tug him along, around a gaggle of people taking pictures.

"You may think it's especially mean once we get where we're going," she singsongs, grinning over her shoulder.

He can't help but whine. How is she so good at tormenting him?

"Will you at least give me a hint? Are we staying in the park or cutting through?"

Her fingers tighten around his as the crowd grows around them. "Staying in."

Well that's one clue. And the fact that they hadn't eaten before leaving the diner is probably another one.

"Are we having lunch here?" he asks, testing the theory.

She hums in confirmation, turning her sun-warmed cheeks toward him.

"I know it's kind of touristy, but I thought it might be fun. I made reservations."

Rick grins, leaning over to steal a kiss from her lips. "It will be fun."

Her cheeks darken, telling him she's pleased. "Good. Now walk, or we're going to be late."

He falls into step beside her once more, trusting her to keep an eye on the path ahead of them while he studies her. There's something else going on, he knows, something more than an impulsive lunch in Central Park.

Wait…

"Are you pregnant?" he blurts, the words leaving his mouth before he has the chance to censor them.

This time she's the one who pulls to an abrupt stop. "What?" She blinks.

Rick eyes her. Is she making sure she'd heard him correctly, or buying time? "Is this… doing something special and out of the ordinary – is this your way of telling me you're pregnant?"

Her face blanks for just a split section before laughter spills from her lips. Raucous laughter. Laughter that rocks her body so hard, she doubles over, holding up a hand when he makes an attempt to help her up.

"I'll take that as a no," he drawls, lifting an eyebrow.

Finally, Beckett manages to suck in a deep breath, forcing herself upright.

"No, Castle. There will be no pregnancy announcements today. Why?" she asks, hooking her arm through his to get them moving again. "You want me to do it that way? Shout it to you in front of a restaurant full of people?"

"Please, Kate, I think you know me better than that."

"Ah, a skywriter, then," she teases, bumping his hip with hers. "Very subtle. Very you."

That pulls a quiet laugh from his lips. "Oh, I was thinking an announcement on the ticker in Times Square."

Kate purses her lips, hiding her laughter.

"Well, I'll see what I can do when the time comes."

His heart flutters against his ribs at the promise. It's not even a question of if; no, it's when. When this incredible woman will tell him she's ready to grow with his child, to endure the aches and pains and frustrations for the joy of starting a family – expanding the family they're already building – with him.

Clearing his throat, Rick manages to catch himself before he gets truly misty-eyed. Kate lifts her head, her entire being tender and soft. She knows anyway.

There are times when she's guarded, when she can be hard and unyielding, but there's more to her than that, and he's so damn fortunate to be the one she allows to see past her walls.

"Come on," she husks, touching her mouth to his. "Time for lunch."

He nods, allowing her to pull him along.

As soon as he sees the lake he knows where they're eating, and his enthusiasm for her choice only makes her smile widen.

"We can rent a boat after, if you want. The boys know I'll be out of my office for the rest of the day, so there's no reason we can't play at little bit."

"That sounds great."

Like he would ever turn down the opportunity to spend more time with his fiancée.

"Good. And we can come back with Alexis another time if you think she'll like it."

"Are you kidding? She'll love it. She'll want to get two so the three of us can race. Girls against boy, of course."

Though she tries to play it cool, it's no secret that Alexis is a little bit in awe of Kate Beckett; if there's a chance for the two of them to be on the same side of a competition, his daughter jumps on it.

Kate beams, pressing her face into his shoulder, allowing him to feel how pleased she is by his confirmation. "Okay, done. Prepare your concession speech now."

"You mean you're preparing yours," he retorts, feeling her laughter through his shirt.

"Sure, Rick. Keep telling yourself that."

His next comeback is lost when he sees her attention shift to the restaurant entrance. Or, more specifically, the older gentleman standing by the door, scanning the horizon.

Kate's hand lifts in a wave, stopping the man's search. Rick watches a smile spread across his face, somehow nervous and eager at the same time, and it would stop him in his tracks if not for the woman at his side tugging him along.

He knows that grin.

"Katie," the man murmurs once they're close, holding out his arms.

Kate slips her hand out of the crook of Rick's elbow, stepping into the circle of the man's arms without hesitation. They seem to sink together, eyes falling shut as they draw comfort from the embrace.

"Hi Dad," she greets finally, confirming exactly what he'd known. "Thanks for meeting us for lunch."

The stranger – no, not a stranger, Kate's father – smiles, cupping his daughter's shoulders. "Of course. I'm glad you called."

Kate's lips curl higher. "Me too. How has the… has the press finally left you alone?"

The first two months after Bracken's arrest had been brutal. Every news anchor and investigative reporter on the east coast had wanted the scoop from Johanna Beckett's family. The fervor had only intensified when it became public knowledge that Rick's involvement had been at Kate's behest.

Jim Beckett nods, looking relaxed in spite of the touchy subject.

"Haven't seen a reporter in weeks. What about you?"

Kate exhales, squeezing him once more. "That's good. We're still seeing a few here and there, but they keep their distance for the most part."

Without fresh information coming from the FBI, the news cycle has largely moved on from Bracken's crimes. Instead, the media's focus lately has been on the – as the Ledger has dubbed it – "unlikely romance" between the acclaimed writer and the mob boss with the tragic backstory and a heart of gold. The questions range from almost sweet to invasive – when did they start dating, had they known each other prior to looking into Bracken, did Beckett seduce him to get him to investigate, is Kate over the moon about being the inspiration for Castle's next novel, are things getting serious between them – it's a crapshoot what they'll get. Kate can't stand it.

Personally, he can't wait to see the looks on their faces when he and Kate announce their engagement. Their engagmen–

Shit. He asked her to marry him and he hasn't even met her father.

He looks up, startled, only to find Kate offering him a lopsided, knowing grin. Oh, she figured it out before he did and set all of this up. This is her surprise.

"Rick, this is my dad, Jim. Dad, this is Rick Castle," she pauses, bouncing on her toes in anticipation, "my fiancé."

To his credit, Jim takes the announcement in stride, offering nothing more than an exhale and a look of quiet surprise at the news. He doesn't miss a beat, either, extending his hand to shake Rick's, the gesture friendly and simple.

Castle likes him already.

"It's nice to meet you, Rick."

"You too, sir."

"Jim."

"Jim," he echoes, pumping the man's hand once more. "I'm sorry we haven't met sooner."

"I think you can be forgiven this time, given the circumstances. You've had a busy few months. In more ways than one."

Kate's arm loops through Rick's once he takes his hand back, her cheek falling to his shoulder. He can't help but turn to drop a kiss against her hair, proud to be the one who gets to be close to her even in front of her father.

"Rick proposed last week," she explains, flexing her fingers against his bicep, allowing the sunlight to dance off of her engagement ring. "So I figured I should let you two meet sometime before the wedding."

Jim chuckles, shaking his head in exasperated affection. "How thoughtful of you, Katie."

Her lips turn up. "Yeah, well, I try. And in his defense, he did ask to meet you months ago, but it wasn't the right time. Just don't think this gives you carte blanche to tell all the embarrassing stories to get back at me."

Rick bobs a little bit at the prospect, earning a grin from the elder Beckett and an eye roll from his fiancée.

The light in her eyes gives her away, though. She loves it. And she trusts him with her father, her family, her heart.

"How 'bout a compromise," he starts, following both Becketts into the restaurant, trusting that his future wife is listening even though she has her back to him. "Instead of all the embarrassing stories, we start with just a few."

Kate laughs, reaching back for his hand to draw him near once more. "One story."

"Five stories," he counters, crowding against her back, palming her hip to keep his balance.

"Three stories," she says, glancing over her shoulder at him, letting her eyes linger on his lips in a way that's practically criminal with her father standing right there. "Take it or leave it."

Rick grins, giving her a nod. "Deal."

After all, an offer like that is impossible to refuse.

A/N: And that's where this leg of their journey comes to a close. Final word count: 30,121. I cannot say thank you enough to you all. Your enthusiasm, your support, your joy and your glee has filled me up and kept me going through some exhausting, trying weeks, and I'm so grateful to you all. Thank you to Lindsey, Ally, Callie, Rachel, and Valen for being enablers, for being the ones to say "WRITE IT," when this idea somehow turned from a joke into a true prompt, and for encouraging me to continue and push through my doubts when I felt like this would never work. I heart you guys. <3