Disclaimer: All these wonderful characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC. I'm just borrowing them for this little story and I promise to return them to their rightful owners unarmed.

A/N: I seem to be on a roll these last couple of weeks now. That's the third story I've written in a short span of time. Little titbits of episodes from this beginning of seson 6 seem to inspire me... ;)

This one came to mind because Castle's look at the end was begging for it and because Andrew is all about the foreshadowing and that little coffee trick was just too good to pass up...

« She's gone ». That's all he says as soon as she opens the door.

He doesn't even make a move to step inside her apartment. She reaches for him, not saying a word, and leads him by the hand into her living room.

She lets go and he just stands there, his tears welled up eyes shining brightly and his stature completely deflated. She's about to turn to go fetch the bottle of red wine she just opened along with two glasses when she catches sight of her usually vibrant fiancé looking more like a little boy whose best friend just moved out of town and it kills her to see him like that.

She reacts on instincts, more and more comfortable in doing so lately. She cradles his cheeks with her hands, running her fingers in his soft hair and finally settling them at his earlobe, gently tilting his head for him. Their eyes lock, hers searching his, desperately trying to communicate that everything is going to be fine.

His watery gaze tells her it's too soon for him to believe her yet though. So she tries to comfort him the only way she knows how. She kisses him softly and sweetly on the lips and then pulls him into her embrace.

His face buried in her neck, he clings to her. After a while she runs her hands down his back and then back up to cup his skull, gently forcing him to look at her. This time, he's the one leaning in to give her a light kiss... a silent thank you. The small upturn of her lips, her way of saying always...

They eventually make their way to her couch, each holding a glass of Sancerre.

They settle down in what has become Kate's favorite position... nestled in the crook of his body, her back to his chest, his arm nonchalantly draped over her left shoulder, their fingers slightly entwined.

For a while neither says anything. They just sit there, basking in the rightness of their situation.

But before long Castle breaks the silence. "So... Three kids, huh?" He nudges her, clearly getting his footing back.

"I see you're still stuck on that one" chuckles Kate, relieved to witness the darkness lifting a bit.

"Oh come on, Kate. You gotta admit that Simon guy was pretty awesome."

"Of course you would think time travelling could actually be a possibility", she laughs. "I get that wild theory comes with the territory... writer's imagination and all. But you know me, Castle" she continues turning her head to look at him, "I'm all about the facts! And what they tell me here is that Simon Doyle was and is nothing more than a delusional individual who's actually pretty smart if he managed to fool the shrink during his psych eval"

Castle appears to be thinking about the point she just made before stating, rather enthusiastically

"Still, it would be amazing if any of that was true"

"Would you really want to know what the future holds?"asks Kate, curiosity getting the better of her. "And better yet, should you be given the opportunity, would you go back in time and change it?"

She knows it's a delicate issue because that's all she's been thinking about since she left the precinct.

Sure she would want nothing more than spending a little more time with her mom or for her to never have been taken away from her and her dad but... knowing what she knows now...

How far back would she go?

Better yet, what random event should she change to keep the dominoes from falling?

Should she go as far as preventing her mother to become a lawyer? But then again, if she did that, she might not have even met her dad...

No... the truth of the matter is she's at a place in her life right now where she's happy and looking forward to see what their future holds... even if it's a kid or three?!

Castle's voice resonating at her back breaks her musing when he speaks, his answer in synch with hers, as always.

"Like I said, I would make sure to live every present moment to the fullest but... I wouldn't change a thing", his lips brushing her temple for a kiss and his fingers lightly squeezing hers.

The smile that adorns her face is the only proof he needs to know she feels the same.

"So, you'll gladly agree that this whole case was nothing more than a loopy theory from a very disturbed man", the practical side of Kate coming to the fore front and wanting to have the last word.

"OK. I'll admit that it was a little far-fetched... But let me ask you this...

How come there was no record of this Garret Ward before 6 years ago?

How did he know so much about Deschile?

How did he manage to have a picture of Deschile's letter to Dr Wickfield?

Come to think of it... Why was the letter on the picture stained if the original is still unarmed?

Kat bites the inside of her cheek to prevent her from saying "because I hadn't spilled my coffee on the letter yet!"

Instead she gives a more matter-of-fact answer, hoping he won't press the issue any further.

"It's just a coffee stain, Castle!"

thoughts?