Silence. Kate smiled to herself. It seemed like everyday of her life was filled with noise and chaos. Rarely did she have a time when she was able to sit on the couch and just listen to deafening silence. Carefully balancing a picture album in front of her, Kate's eyes moved from one picture to the next studying their occupants.

"Hey Kiddo," Martha smiled sitting down next to her. "What are you looking at?"

Kate opened the book a little wider to show off the pictures. "Just some old family memories."

"Ah yes," Martha nodded understanding the girl's thinking. "A trip down memory lane. What may I ask sparked this?"

"Thinking about the future," Kate absent-mindedly touched her mother's ring. "Made me think of the past."

Martha knew where the detective's mind was going so without another word she wrapped the grown woman in a hug. Kate smiled as she shook her head. It never ceased to amaze her at how much the Castle family knew how to use a hug to diffuse a bad situation. Soon her mind went off on different thoughts of all the times she's gotten strength from one of their hugs. Martha leaned back and saw the tears welling up in Kate's eyes. Just then the front door opened breaking them apart.

"Mother, did you break her?" Rick asked with a playful tone as he held open the front door.

"Gram broke Mommy?"

"Are you really broken Mommy?"

"No I'm not broken," Kate chuckled through her tears. "Come here you two," She said opening her arms as her two children came running to her. They each placed a kiss on her cheek before going to their respective rooms.

"How were they?"

"Good," Rick sighed sitting down on her other side. "Jacob insisted he get new toy car for being so good. And for a dollar I couldn't argue with him."

"And Alyssa?"

"She insisted we get Mommy some flowers," Rick smiled pulling out a small bouquet from one of the bags he had brought in.

"Aw they're beautiful," Kate smiled taking in their scent. "Thank you," She gave him a quick peck before placing them down on the coffee table in front of her.

"So what were you ladies doing?" Rick asked looking between his wife and his mother.

"Going for a walk," Martha exclaimed dramatically. Kate laughed as Rick's face became confused.

"Down memory lane," She finished the thought holding up the picture album.

Rick looked over her shoulder to the page she was on now. "Hey I remember that," He said pointing to a picture.

Martha let out a sigh going back to that memory. "Me too."

Kate looked at the picture and studied the occupants. She glanced around the at the activity in the background. Shaking her head, she tried her best to hold in her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Rick asked looking up at her.

"Oh nothing, Matthew," Kate smiled biting her bottom lip.

"Oh Katie, you still won't let me live that down will you?" Rick groaned as he leaned back in the couch.

"Well it was mean of you to lie to a little kid," Kate laughed. The childhood nickname her mother used to call her no longer bothered her when her husband used it.

"And I was punished for that," Rick nodded the memory of that night playing before him like a movie. "No dessert that night."

"That's not what I remember," Kate smirked glancing at her husband from the corner of her eye.

"You," Rick warned with a mischievous smile as he wrapped his arms around her. Kate laughed as she leaned into his embrace. Being in Rick's arms was one of her favorite places to be. A content sigh escaped her.

"Was that the alien?"

Kate picked up her head. "It's not an alien," She chastised him. "That was you're son or daughter saying hi."

"How much longer?" Rick asked rubbing her swollen belly.

"About a month," Kate sighed resting her head on his shoulder as she interlaced their fingers.

A/N: Well this is the end of this story for now. We got to see this lovely couple bump into each other many times in the past but never go any further that one chance meeting every few years. I couldn't figure out when we should see them again after they had met over the Tisdale case so this is basically up to your own imagination. That's why I didn't list anyone's age like in the other chapters.

Anyway I think that's enough of my rambling. I have a few new ideas as well as a few current projects still in the works. But for now I leave you with "Until Tomorrow" cause you know it's more…..hopeful.