So, this is the end to the story. Thanks for all the support throughout. Hope you enjoy this little ending to my very first Castle fanfiction! Enjoy!

It had been three weeks since Rick had been home from the hospital. Three weeks of spending time with his family, of meeting people he couldn't remember and seeing people who had changed so much. Kate taught him some of the ropes again, what his routine was like, where the kids went to daycare, what he usually did in the course of a day. He hadn't picked up the Nikki Heat book again, too discouraged with not being able to remember where he was heading with it to attempt it.

He spent a lot of time with the kids. They were great, explaining everything when he couldn't remember something, showing him where things were, telling him stories just to cheer him up. He loved his life, he just wished he could remember it.

Even after three weeks, not a single memory had come back. He had gone to see the doctor, and even though he said that things like this could take time, it wasn't looking very promising. He realized that things could in fact be worse. He could have lost all memories of his life, not known who anybody was at all. Not knowing Alexis or his mother would have devastate him.

Not knowing Kate would have killed him.

He even could have died in the accident, leaving Kate alone with Zach and Lacy and their unborn baby. Leaving Alexis and his unborn grandchild.

He was lucky that he hadn't lost all that much after all.

But it was still hard.

Him and the kids spent a lot of the time at the precinct. He met Gates a week after he was released, when Kate went back to work. She seemed okay, and everyone had told him that she had gotten better over the years. She was becoming softer as time went on.

Kate had informed her boss and her squad about the pregnancy. The boys and Lanie were over the moon with excitement and even Gates seemed happy for her. They, however, would no longer allow her to go into possibly hostile situations, claiming they wanted what was best for the baby. Rick agreed and Kate finally gave in. She spent a lot of her time in the precinct rather than in the field, at her desk, in front of the murder board or interviewing victims' families and friends.

At her desk is where Rick and the kids found her today. They had made a habit of visiting since Rick couldn't really remember where the kids usually liked to spend their time. Since the precinct was one of them, and he knew how to get there, it became their new go to spot.

"Mommy!"

Kate turned and smiled as she spotted Zach running towards her and hopping into her lap. Lacy clung to her father's hand until the moment they were in front of Kate, then she too tossed herself at her mother. Rick smiled with the greatest joy in his heart. It was amazing to see Kate like this, so motherly and warm. He still wasn't used to it. And knowing that her kids were his kids was the most indescribable feeling in the world. He was so in love. How did he get so lucky?

"Rick?"

Rick looked at Kate and smiled at her concern. "I was just looking at the three of you and thinking about how I am the luckiest man in the world."

She smiled back at him and got up in order to give him a quick kiss. Kissing in the precinct. How many times had he had that exact fantasy? Somehow, this wasn't the same though.

No, it was so much better.

"I swear you guys have come to visit me more these past three weeks than in your entire lifetime!" Kate told the kids with a giggle. They smirked and rolled their eyes, just excited to see their mom. "It's no wonder I've gotten no work done all week!"

"Actually," Ryan said, coming up behind them, "they're not here for you."

Kate looked between Rick and Kevin questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you see, Castle here was telling me that today was a special day and how he was looking forward to celebrating - if you know what I mean," he added with a wiggle of his brow, "and Jenny and I volunteered to babysit for the night. Lucas has been dying to have Zach over anyway, so it worked out well. I should be done here, in a few minutes."

Rick nodded as Ryan headed off towards his desk, tying up loose ends before the weekend.

"I, on the other hand, still have about an hour left of paper work left here," Kate said regretfully. "But I will be home around sixish, and then we can celebrate...?" She finished her statement as a question, not exactly sure what they were celebrating.

"I got a call from my doctor today," he started.

"And...?" Kate said, a smile building on her lips.

"I'm in the all clear. I can go back to doing whatever it is I did before the accident, and everything I did before the accident."

"Like your kickboxing," Kate said with a smirk.

"Haha," he said dryly. "You know what I mean," he added with a wink. Then he looked back at Kate, seriously. "Wait, I do kickboxing?"

Kate laughed. "Every Tuesday and Thursday morning after you drop the kids off at daycare. I figured there was no point mentioning it until you could go back to it. But it's up to you."

"Was I any good?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I've never seen you in action, but you insist you're incredible."

Rick nodded his head. "I'm nothing but."

Kevin came back, jacket on and bag over his shoulder. "You munchkins ready to get out of here?"

They nodded excitedly as they each took one of their uncle Kevin's hands. Rick passed Kevin their little over night bags. "If you have any problems-"

"Nah, bro, we've been doing this way too long," Kevin said with a warm smile. "There will be no problems and I have Martha on speed dial. You guys have a great night," he said with a laugh, heading towards the door. Rick watched them, it being the first time he was spending a night without his kids since he got home from the hospital.

Once they were out of sight, Rick turned back towards Kate. She took in the look on his face right away and got up in order to wrap her arms around his waist. "Oh hun, it's always tough the first time. It gets easier with time."

Rick nodded and laughed. "I had always imagined I'd be the one telling you that."

Kate raised her brow in question. "Always imagined, huh? How long had you been picturing us having kids there Castle? I mean, I know you were in love with me from day one," she said teasingly to which Rick rolled his eyes - a trait he picked up from her - "but I never knew it had gone so deep."

Rick smirked. "Well if I remember correctly, you were the one who wanted to make little Castle babies." Kate rolled her eyes in turn, but it didn't last long. She looked him in the eye, and Rick could see depths to her that shocked him and pleased him all at once. As much as this was the same woman he had spent three years following and falling for, she was a whole new person in so many ways too. Her eyes were so unguarded, her feelings so clear and evident. It made her that much more beautiful.

"Hey Rick?" she said, as she rubbed her husband's back. "You may have lost hope, and don't say you haven't - I can see it in your eyes -". She took a deep breathe. "But I haven't. I still think that you're going to remember. And I won't rest until the day you do."

Rick gave her sad look. "I...thank you for having so much faith, but-"

She cut him off with a kiss, then turned and sat back down at her desk, indicating their discussion was over.

"You can hang around here until six if you would like, but it probably won't be as much fun as you remember. Then again, you could discover the magic of paperwork."

Rick made a face that made Kate laugh.

"No thank you. I'm actually meeting Sam and my dad for a coffee," he said with a smile. He had gotten close to his father and half-brother in the past three weeks and they spent a lot of time together. Kate knew before Rick even spoke what he was going to say next. "We might be a few hours, so you might be home before me."

Kate nodded. "In that case, why don't you call me when you get home and I'll get as much paper work done here in the meantime?"

Rick nodded one last time before leaning in and leaving her with one last kiss. "God, I hope I never get bored of that."

Kate smirked. "You won't," she said with a wink.

"Chinese?" he called out as he headed towards the elevator.

"Sounds good," she called back. She loved how normal that simple statement sounded. She would find his memory. She swore she would.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"I don't know if the thought of not getting my memory back is getting easier or tougher."

Samuel and Frederick nodded as Rick played with his cup of coffee.

"I can't imagine what your going through right now," Sam confessed. "I wouldn't be able to do it, but you, you've taken it all in and accepted it, at least somewhat accepted it. I would have crawled into a corner and probably nursed a bottle for the rest of my life." He paused, then added. "Sorry Dad."

Freddy nodded. "I know what Sam's saying though. I would have gone back to the bottle too."

Rick sighed. "It's mostly been a front for the people around me. It's killing me, tearing me apart, but I need to be there for Zach and Lacy and Alexis, not to mention Kate. Kate, God, she's been so great with all of this. She hasn't given up on me, not once and I can't even remember our wedding day. I can't remember our first real kiss. I can't remember any of it. I know I loved her, I've loved her for a long time, but I don't know when she first said the words back to me. I don't know when we fell in love with each other. There's only so much someone can tell you. Right now, I'm not remembering things, I'm just remembering people telling me things that happened in my life, and it's not the same."

"Oh Rick," Freddy said. "I didn't know how much this was really getting to you."

"Like I said, I know how to put on an image."

Sam cut in. "Not with us, okay? When it's just the three of us, you tell us what's nagging you, no filter. You need to talk about it to someone and if you don't know who, then we volunteer."

Rick smiled a little. "Thanks Sam."

Sam returned the smile. "Anytime bro."

Rick laughed. "I always wanted a brother. Older, younger, it didn't matter, but actually having one is much better than I imagined. Although I don't know if it would have been the same if we were kids."

Sam laughed. "I know exactly where your coming from. Getting to know you has been absolutely the best, but I don't think I would have been as pleased with you had we have been kids."

"You guys would have been great friends, even as kids," Freddy said. "There's just something about the two of you. I can't put my finger on it."

"I guess we'll never know."

Rick took the last sip of his coffee, and got up from the bench. "Thanks for the evening, but I have to get going."

"Got big plans tonight?" Sam asked, noticing the way he had been checking his watch most of the night.

Rick smiled. "I do. It's the first night Kate and I have alone since the accident and I was cleared by my doctor today so..."

Freddy and Sam both laughed. "Big plans indeed."

Rick smirked. "You could say that."

It wasn't long after that that Rick was sitting in his car, heading towards home. He had been cleared to drive not long after he got out of the hospital. He quickly realized that cabs were a lot tougher with two children and got used to driving the little family car that Kate told him he used. It was sporty, but practical. He still had his old Ferrari for special occasions, but the car got more use. Kate had a van like vehicle, but it had been the van that Rick had been driving when he got in the accident. Kate was using one of the departments vehicles until hers got fixed.

While stuck in some typical Manhattan traffic, Rick pulled out his phone to let Kate know he was on his way. He wondered why she didn't pick up, but didn't think much of it. He figured she was on her way home too and just hadn't heard her phone in her bag or that she was already home and that her phone was in another room. She wasn't on call tonight so she wouldn't worry about calls from work.

The drive was slightly longer than Rick enjoyed, but he figured you got used to it. Tonight, however, it drug on and on. It didn't help that the Chinese food in the back seat smelt absolutely delicious and he was absolutely starving.

He was glad when he saw his street and, before long, his house. There was no car in the driveway, but Kate liked the garage, contrary to him. He found it too crowded and didn't like backing out of it. Since it was a two car garage, and the Ferrari took one space, he let Kate have the other. Or so she convinced him.

"Kate?" he called out as he walked in the front door. There was no answer so he figured he'd try to give her another call.

He walked into the kitchen and put down the Chinese then headed towards the living room, dialling Kate's number. He didn't make it there.

"Hands behind your head!"

He dropped his phone in shock at the voice and felt his heart drop when he looked up and saw a masked man, dressed in all black, with a gun pointed towards him. He did as the man said and rested both hands behind his head.

He had been in similar situations, and he knew he needed to stay calm, but it was harder than it seemed.

"Do you want money?" he asked. "I can get you money. I can give you my Ferrari. You can take whatever you -"

The masked man cut him off. "I don't want money damn it! I want you dead!"

Richard nodded slowly, and gulped. "Okay, okay. You want me dead. Why?"

"Shut up!" The man yelled as he brought the gun closer the his face. "Shut up and get down on your knees!"

He did as he was told, as to not further anger the man wielding the gun. He had no idea who this man was or what he had done to make him this angry, but then again, he didn't know a lot of things.

Then a thought hit him.

Kate.

"Where's my wife? Is she here?"

The man gave him a laugh, one that had no humour to it whatsoever. " Det. Beckett will get what's coming to her."

"Don't touch her!" Richard yelled. "Shoot me if you want, but leave Kate out of whatever this is! We... we have kids, a family. Don't-"

"Shut up!"

Richard nearly started to sob. It was one of those ironic moments. Survives a major car accident and a coma, only to be shot to death not a month later. What were the chances?

The man brought the gun to rest against the back of his head, so that he could no longer see him. "So any last words M. Castle?"

Richard closed his eyes. And as he did this, he was hit with images and images, things he couldn't believe he was seeing.

"So, you're on board with this, right? It's not some 'Oh, I quit my job, I almost died, I'm in crisis' thing?"

"Uh, no. Not for me."

"Okay, me neither."

"Daddy fall 'gain!"

"Daddy's funny when he's being silly, isn't he Zach?"

"Daddy still be funny with baby?"

"Daddy will always be funny, I promise."

"Dad you promised you'd be good."

"Alexis, when am I not good?"

"I really like this guy, and I think he could be the one."

"Woah, it's too early to be thinking about the one."

"Dad... I promise that you'll like him."

"Doubt it."

"Okay Kate, I'm going to need you to push."

"I'm not ready! Rick, I'm not ready!"

"You're ready hun, you can do this, I believe in you. It won't be long, and we'll be holding our baby boy and you'll forget all about this."

"I can't believe we're going to be parents."

"I can't believe I'm having a baby with Kate Beckett. What happened?"

"Rick."

"Yeah, Kate?"

"I love you."

"I can't believe my baby girl is getting married."

"Dad, you need to stop because if you cry, I'm going to cry and I can't afford to cry right now because I can't let my makeup run."

"You're all grown up."

"Dad."

"You're leaving me."

"Dad."

"You're going to start you're own family."

"Dad."

"You're going to - "

"I swear, if you don't stop, I'm walking down the aisle alone."

"Okay, I'm done."

"Kate..."

"What is it Rick?"

"What's this?"

"That's called a pregnancy test."

"When was it taken?"

"This morning."

"The plus sign means...?"

"Baby."

"Who's... Who's is it?"

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"We're having a baby."

"So this is what a first date with Richard Castle looks like."

"You like?"

"Everything but the gawking girls who all look like they want to cry when you touch me."

"What about when I kiss you?"

"Yeah, they look suicidal."

"Castle, Gates is watching."

"And?"

"You're holding my hands."

"And?"

"She's not going to be happy."

"Then she's going to blow a fuse after what I do next."

"Castle, I swear if you kiss me in the precinct I will... Rick? What are you..."

"Kate Beckett, we have had quite the relationship. Many ups and downs and we've spent more time avoiding our feelings then acting upon them, but I think that that brought us even closer. Our relationship started in this very precinct and grew with the years in this very precinct. We were standing in this very spot the moment I knew you were ready to give us a try, when you told me your walls were coming down and I'm glad I was there when they did."

"Yo, Kev. Is Dad doing what I think he's doing?"

"I think Mom's going to cry. And Mom doesn't cry."

"I've loved you for a long time, even though you didn't want to accept that, but we're here now and I can't imagine being anywhere but. You complete me Kate Beckett and I can't imagine my life without you. In saying that, will you marry me?"

"Oh Rick... Yes, yes yes!"

"It's about time you two got your heads out of your asses."

"I think Gates knew."

"Dada."

"She said Dada. Rick, Lacy said Dada."

"I told you she was a daddy's girl."

"Rick, we're married."

"I know. I can't believe it either."

"I didn't think I'd ever be this happy, especially because of a man but..."

"I'm glad I make you happy Kate Castle."

"I'm glad you make me happy too Rick."

"Kate?"

"Yeah Castle?"

"I'm madly in love with you."

"Rick..."

"Don't say it's too soon, don't say it hasn't been long enough. It's been five years, we just didn't figure that out quickly enough."

"I was going to say I'm madly and irrevocably in love with you too."

"You always have to one-up me, don't you?"

"Always."

"I remember," Rick whispered, forgetting about the gun pressed to the back of his head. "I remember."

"You remember?"

All of a sudden, the gun was gone and the voice, having lost it's edge, sounded familiar. In fact, he knew exactly who it was.

"I remember," he exclaimed. "My life literally flashed before my eyes."

"Kate," the masked man called out. As he did this, Richark smiled when the man pulled off his mask and revealed his true identity.

"Rick," Kate said as she ran out of the bedroom. "I didn't know what else to do. Nothing was working and the doctor told me that extreme measures sometimes brought out the memories and I'm sorry but I needed to do something and -"

He cut her off by wrapping her in his arms and kissing her senseless.

"It worked. I remember and there's nothing to be sorry about. I can't believe you pulled this off."

"Years of being undercover man," Esposito, the now unmasked man said, bringing Rick in for a manly hug. "I can't believe you didn't recognize the voice. That hurts man."

"With a gun pressed against your head, it's hard to think about anything."

Kate smiled. "But you remember?"

"Everything. I made you an enormous breakfast in bed on our first anniversary, which we ended up eating for supper because..."

"Didn't need to hear that man," Esposito said as he covered his ears.

"We have kids, Espo. You must have figured out how that happened," Kate said with a laugh.

"Zach was born three weeks premature. We were worried, but he was just fine. Lacy, however, was a week late and you couldn't wait to push when the time came.

"We almost had our first real kiss in a bank, after I was held captive and a bomb blew it up. You were so happy to see me alive that you were mere seconds away from leaning in and kissing me, if it weren't for my mother."

"I was not!" Kate argued. "I was just glad you were okay, and wrapped up in the fact that my best friend had almost died."

"Keep telling yourself that," Rick said, which earned him an eye roll.

By this point, Esposito had snuck out, leaving the couple to themselves.

"Rick, do you remember what I told you the day of the accident?"

He smiled. "Of course."

"I meant it."

"I know you did."

"Rick?"

"Yeah Kate?"

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Only every day, and I can't get enough of it."

"Have I ever told you that I'm so glad we didn't let this, what we have, pass us by?"

"I do believe you've told me that on a few separate occasions."

"Have I ever told you that you're the best thing that has ever happened in my life and that I don't know where I would be without you? That if you ever left me, if I had to go a day without knowing whether I had you or not, I probably wouldn't survive? I never wanted to be this person, the person that feels like her life would be over if a man left her, because I was always the person who mocked those girls, but I feel like that with you and I know it's because you're the only person in the world that understands me and loves me all the same. You're the only person in the world that I wouldn't be able to live without. Rick, if I didn't have you, I don't know what I would do."

"Kate.. I... You know I'd never leave you. Hey, wipe those tears. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. We're going to grow old together, and lose our minds together. We're going to die wrapped in each others arms, so that way one of us doesn't have to live without the other."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"I made a promise that day Kate, and I don't intend to break that promise."

Kate smiled as she wrapped her arms around the man of her life. "Good. Because I'm looking forward to the many years ahead of us."

"Me too, Kate. Me too."

TADAA ! All done ! I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it (:

Thanks for reading and reviewing. It was greatly appreciated !