"Beckett, you're going to get sunburned," Castle huffed, plopping down beside her on the two-person lounge chair he had bought for her. She had been unable to even think of admonishing him when he'd had the outdoor furniture brought over and positioned on the deck in front of the lake, she enjoyed the luxury of being able to rest comfortably under the sun too much.

She rolled her eyes and wiggled her toes into the tanned skin of his upper thigh.

"I'm wearing a hat," she defended, smoothing her hand down the loose material of her peasant top. "And my chest is covered."

"Unfortunately."

She cracked an eye open to glare at him for that, but he only grinned in response. He had seen her bare chested plenty of times during her recovery and she had almost been embarrassed in the beginning. Allowing him to remove the bandages for her and see her bare when she felt the polar opposite of attractive had been harder than she would have expected. But he hadn't been phased by it, too intent on taking care of her and making sure she was healing properly. And it was clear he was still attracted to her despite seeing her at her worst. He made it clear all too often, unfairly so, since they still couldn't do anything about it yet.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, his tone growing more solemn, but one of his hands traipsed up her bare leg, skimmed the edge of her shorts.

"Okay," she answered honestly. She could feel the progress, but it didn't make recovering from a bullet wound to the chest much easier. She still hurt, still grudgingly needed support for simple tasks. She still had the nightmares, the panic attacks, telltale symptoms of post traumatic stress, but it was slowly becoming less of a challenge to calm herself after waking from her own screams in the night or jerking to the ground if a flash of light caught her eye at the wrong angle. It helped that Rick was there, that he was patient and understanding. She hated when he saw her so broken, so damaged, but at the end of the day, she was selfishly thankful he had spent the last month by her side.

Alexis had visited the week before at Kate's insistence. She talked to his daughter nearly every day on the phone with him, but Kate had the feeling Alexis had been afraid to see her. In the hospital, the younger woman had been tentative and cautious around her, as if she was scared to break her, and that apprehension had never left. But when his daughter spent a few days with them - swimming in the lake, going on a hike with Jim, lounging in the sun with a book beside Kate - Alexis had steadily let go of the fear and fallen back into the ease of what their friendship once was.

"I'm so glad you're getting better," she had told her at the end of the weekend, unexpected tears springing to her shimmering blue eyes as they stood on the porch while Castle loaded her bags into the car Alexis had used to drive herself out. "I don't know what we would have done if-" And Kate had hugged her before she could finish that particular sentence, hugged her tight even though it made her diaphragm spasm.

"Good thing you don't have to worry about that," Kate had assured her, stroking her fingers through her lengthening locks out of habit before easing out of Alexis' embrace to lean against the wall of the cabin for support.

"I hope we never have to worry about it again," she'd said lightly, but with a remaining darkness lurking in the corners of her eyes.

"No one can make that promise, Lex," she had murmured back with a sad smile. "But I'll do my best."

Alexis had nodded before she had squeezed Kate's hand. "That's all I ask."

Castle had hugged his daughter goodbye and the two of them had remained outside to watch as she had driven away.

"You good?" he had asked, noting the seriousness of the conversation he had likely witnessed on her father's front porch.

Kate had tilted into his side and let him hold her up while she habitually rubbed two fingers over the angry red flesh between her breasts.

"Thanks, for allowing me to become part of your family," she had whispered, tears she refused to allow stinging at her eyes. She blamed the medication she despised for leaving her emotions so utterly unbalanced.

Castle had pretended not to notice, merely kissed the top of her head.

"You're always welcome. Thanks for wanting to join."

Castle, Alexis, Martha, her dad and herself - they made a nice little family. One she hoped to expand someday soon.

"Thank you for the smoothie, by the way," she said, blinking away the memories of the prior week, the fantasies of the future, and nodding towards the empty glass on the ground beside her chair.

"Hope it prepared you for the real food your dad is bringing for dinner," he teased, caressing his thumb over her anklebone and she felt her stomach rumble in anticipation.

She could eat small portions of solid foods, but it usually had to be shredded, mashed, or liquidized for the most part. Tonight her dad had promised to pick up some 'normal' food from the nearest restaurant, and although she would likely still have to cut her meal into tiny pieces, it was progress.

"Don't get too overexcited," he warned with a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Your heart's still trying to heal, don't want to overwhelm it."

She stuck her tongue out at him, just because she could, and because she enjoyed the way his eyes widened when she indulged in childishness every once in a while. But his eyes didn't grow alight with amusement this time and she tilted her head in concern.

"You okay?" she asked, reaching for him, and he nodded all too quickly, caught her fingers before she could bend forward.

"I'm great," he assured her, offering her hand a squeeze and a smile that was small but genuine before turning to stare out into the dark blue waters of the lake.

"You don't have to sit out here with me, you know," she murmured, leaning her head back against the chair, allowing the warmth of the sun to glide along the exposed skin of her shoulders.

"I know," he answered softly. She felt him rise from his place at her hip. "Hey, Kate?"

She realized her eyes had drifted closed and peeled them back open as she turned her head in the direction of his voice. Her damaged heart stuttered at the sight of him on one knee, a familiar engagement ring between his fingers, glittering in the sunshine as he held it up for her.

Her ring.

"If you want to wait-"

"No," she breathed, feeling the smile stretching taut across her lips. "We've waited long enough."

"Well then," he smiled back at her, gently stole her left hand from her side and brought it between them as she maneuvered herself to the edge of the chair. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered, trapping her upturned bottom lip between her teeth as he slid the ring into place. She wiggled her hand, reveled in the odd but comforting weight on her fourth finger, and released a soft breath of laughter as she watched the humble assortment of diamonds glisten at the movement. "Help me up," she commanded while she tugged on his hand, surprised to hear her voice had turned raspy, but for once it wasn't out of pain.

Castle eased her upwards from the chair, made sure she had her footing on the wooden boards of the sturdy dock and placed his hands on her hips to keep her steady. Once she was standing, she kissed him, smeared her smile over his and pressed her palms to his cheeks, relishing in the day old stubble that scraped along her skin.

"That went so much better than last time," he breathed in relief against her lips and she couldn't help the laughter that stumbled out. It shook her chest and pulled at the healing muscles, but the happiness bubbling inside of her softened the usual blow of pain, made every dull stab of soreness worth it.

"I would have said yes eventually," she mumbled with a smirk, circling her thumbs over his biceps. And it was true; no matter the path they would have taken, the choices, mistakes, they had made - it would have eventually led them here, to this moment she had been looking forward to for a while now.

His hand slipped underneath the hem of her shirt, skimmed up the small of her back and splayed along the expanse of her skin.

"I'm just glad it wasn't the drugs or the hypothermia talking when you told me to ask you again," he chuckled, still nervous, and she pressed her cheek underneath his jaw, to the warm skin of his neck.

"I always loved you, Castle," she confessed, lips tugging upwards at the gentle hitch in his breathing. "Nothing, not even last summer, changed that. Nothing ever will."

A/N: Thank you to all who stuck through this journey with me by reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. I'd never expected this little series to receive such a warm welcome and I'll forever be blown away by the kindness shown to it, and to me.

And greatest of thank you's to Laura for reading over every chapter, talking me through all of my doubts, and encouraging me to never give up on a story.

Feedback is always appreciated.