Epilogue

Stepping out of the shower, Kate Beckett wrapped a fluffy, luxuriously soft towel around her chest and hummed at the softness on her skin. Prior to motherhood she had most definitely taken all showers for granted—particularly those she shared with her husband—but now twelve minutes beneath a hot spray while she lathered and rinsed seemed like the most exotic vacation in the world—until she came face to face with her post-partum underwear and nursing bra resting on the vanity; then she came crashing back to reality.

Only ten days had passed since the birth so she still felt as though she was in a total haze and existing only in those three or four hours between round-the-clock feedings, but with each passing day it grew easier. She was as tired as she'd ever been in her entire life, but she was also the happiest. It was truly shocking how much her life could change in not quite two weeks.

As Kate moved to the bedroom to exchange the fluffy towel for cotton lounge pants and a t-shirt, she caught a glimpse of the countdown calendar Rick had posted on the back of the closet door and chuckled to herself at the fact that they still were not at the official due date and, had all gone according to the doctor's estimated plan, she would have still been pregnant at that moment; such a notion seemed absurd considering what they'd been through.

When her water broke thirteen days before her due date, both she and Rick had been very concerned and remained that way until ten hours later their daughter arrived weighing a petite six pounds, one ounce and was declared healthy by the hospital staff. The next few hours were filled with tears, laughter, and each of them taking turns cuddling Hannah to their chests; it was perfect.

Fully dressed, Kate made her way out of the master bedroom towards the main living area of the apartment, but paused when she spotted her husband sitting on the couch with a swaddled Hannah balanced in one arm while he held his cell phone to his ear with the other. Kate cracked a smile at the way their tiny infant barely extended more than half-way down his arm. She just looked so small compared to him! That would never stop being amusing.

Smile still on her face, Kate took in her husband's conversation as she entered the room.

"I'm sorry, Gina; I can't. You can be mad at me all you want, but my family comes first. No—no. Just because Hannah is here doesn't mean I can…no, two more weeks won't be enough time. Maybe in two months but—Fine. Fine. Call me in four weeks and we'll see, but I make no promises!" He ended the call, tossed his cell on the couch beside him, and grinned down at his daughter, clearly obvious to his wife's presence. "No, Daddy can't leave you Hannie; he can't. I'd miss you too, too much." He cooed before bringing her tiny body closer to his face so he could snuggle his head against hers.

Kate felt tears prick her eyes as she observed the scene before her. Though she knew her emotional swings were partly hormonal, she also knew endless love for the man who, from the very first moment, had been the most incredible father she'd ever witnessed.

Clearing her throat, she stepped further into the room and asked, "Everything okay?"

He smiled at her. "Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Gina still insisting you go on that book tour?"

"Of course, but it's her job."

Kate hummed and sat down beside him so she could gaze at Hannah, who seemed to be just waking up from her latest nap. She stroked her hand down her daughter's arm and asked, "Did she tell you the debut number?"

"Oh. Yeah. Number one on The Times."

His tone made it seem as though it were the most casual thing in the world, but Kate knew it was anything but. In fact, it was his second in a row to debut at the top and third to reach that position, but all five of his releases had been in the top twenty at one point or another. Kate leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Rick, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you!" Truly she was and had been since the beginning.

When their romantic relationship officially began, it had started out rougher than either anticipated, with both of them trying to make the transition between friends and lovers while also navigating their relationship insecurities thanks to events from their past. On top of that, it was Christmastime—Rick's favorite and her most dreaded time of year. By February, they'd hit their stride and everything went well for them through his book release and first mini-tour. In fact, everything seemed perfect until July when in one week she took a bullet to her vest (resulting in two cracked ribs but nothing major other than Rick's terror and heartbreak) and Rick's past kidnapping was revealed by the media. They were immediately bombarded with paparazzi and interview requests from dozens of outlets. Rick had spent several days cowering in Kate's apartment, regretting his decision to publish at all. Kate's support never wavered in that time and by the end of the following week not only had Rick given a poignant interview for national television, but they were engaged as well.

As their relationship felt like a whirlwind at that point, they decided on a long engagement while Rick worked on converting some of his other pre-written works into a more publishable form. They waited over a year to marry and even longer to start their family and though her coworkers made her feel silly for waiting for so long, Kate disagreed. They did what was right for them and their family was perfect.

A slight rose color crept into his cheeks as he said, "Yeah well Black Pawn is pretty proud, too. Gina told me they're sending over a bonus check in the next week and…well, let's just say I can finally get that Ferrari I've wanted."

Though she knew he was mostly teasing, Kate still gave her husband a pointed look. "Baby seats do not go in Ferraris."

"I'm not getting rid of the Mercedes—this is an addition!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Uh huh; well, we'll see."

He grinned and leaned in for a long kiss. "I love you."

She smiled back at him. "I love you, too."

A/N: I really cannot begin to thank you all so much for your support of this AU. I'm so thrilled that you all enjoyed it and thank you all for your reviews/follows.

Up next I'll have a 3-shot that's an AU-is inset for "Rise" and then another multi-chap "The Other Side of Broken"