Kate holds the camera up to her eye, finger hovering over the shutter as she waits. A hawk slices through the thick summer air, wings spread wide as it glides over the treetops. It flaps its wings and ascends, silhouette cutting across the bright yellow nylon of one of the hot air balloons drifting across the mountain face. Her smile breaks free as she depresses the button, burning the image onto the crystal coated plastic nestled inside the brand new Canon hanging from her neck.

She rests the camera against her chest and stands back, lets herself get lost in the grandeur. Dozens of balloons float through the sky, no two alike. Classic stripes mingle with checkerboard and tie dye patterns. Primary colors stand out against more subtle pastels and the ones shaped like cartoon characters outshine the rest. The camera lifts again and Kate aims, waiting for the shot she wants.

"Please tell me you're getting a picture of that one shaped like Snoopy."

Kate hits the shutter one last time. "Nope," she says, slipping the strap over her head. She tucks the camera into the backpack at her feet and pulls the zipper closed. "The dragon."

Rick groans. "You know how to hit a man where it hurts, Kate Beckett."

She reaches for the pack but he snags it first, shrugging the straps over his broad shoulders. The gravel crunches under her hiking boots as she steps up to him and presses a kiss against his scruffy cheek. Mountain man is such a good look on him.

"Dragons live forever," she singsongs into his ear, arms wrapping around his waist, "but not so little boys."

"I'm glad my childhood trauma amuses you," Rick says, hand coming around to rest at the small of her back.

It's really too hot to be pressed up against each other but she doesn't give a damn. Two years of dating and they're still caught in the blissful honeymoon phase. She really hopes they always are.

"I love how deeply you feel things," she says, chin resting on his chest as she looks up at him. "It's one of my favorite things about you."

His lips are warm and a little dry against hers. They sway on the spot and she lets more of her weight rest against him. One of his hands comes up to play with the end of her ponytail and Kate smiles into the kiss, his fascination with her hair still amusing. Sweat beads at her temples when they break apart and Rick swipes at it with his thumb.

"Do you wanna go down and check out the festival?" she asks, tipping her head toward where their rented Prius sits in the gravel parking area.

"In a little while." Rick steps back and takes her hand. "Let take a walk first."

He tugs her arm and she resists him for a second before following, enjoying the pull of the muscles in her shoulder. They amble up the trail together, fingers laced and voices quiet. She lets Rick lead, not really caring where they're heading as long as they're together.

Her heart beat ticks up when they round the bend and the grilled cheese sandwich she had at brunch starts to churn in her stomach. She can hear the roar of the waterfall now, a violent rush of white noise. The toe of her boot snags on an exposed root and Rick catches her as she stumbles, a strong arm wrapping firmly around her waist.

He walks her to the edge of the cliff, sandwiches her body between his and the wooden fence. His arms bracket her torso, hands wrapped around the top rail. They stand together, his chest pressed to her back, taking in the view.

They haven't been back here since -

They tried once before, made plans to come the previous summer for the hot air balloon festival. But then his novel became a sleeper hit and he ended up spending the entire school break traveling to promote the first book in a hot new series about the CIA agent who falls in love with a British spy while trying to prevent a presidential assassination.

She's so proud of him. Of how hard he works and the talent he has. But even if he never sold another book or wrote another word, she'd still be proud. Still love him with every fiber of her being. To the rest of the world now, he's Richard Castle, New York Times bestselling mystery author, but to her, he'll always be Rick Rodgers, the man who pieced back together her broken heart.

"I love this view," Rick says, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear and one arm moving to loop around her waist.

Kate hums, her fingers swirling through the coarse hair along his forearm. A light breeze kicks up, rustling through the treetops and making the hem of her hiking shorts ripple against her thighs. She turns her head, presses a kiss of agreement to the angle of his jaw.

Rick tilts his head before she can pull away, catches her mouth in a delicate kiss. His hand curls around her side and Kate's stomach dips when the other lifts to her face. The tips of his fingers feather against her jaw. Her breath catches and stutters in her throat and she leans back, seeking more. It still takes her by surprise sometimes, the way he can affect her, how he can turn her to jelly with the smallest of gestures.

"I love you," he murmurs, lips still brushing against hers.

Kate hums into the kiss, toes curling inside her boots. "I love you too."

Their lips part, Rick's forehead pressing against her as his hand falls away from her face. Sunlight bleeds through her closed eyelids and she breathes deeply, pulling the moment in, imprinting it on her heart like an image on film.

"This is perfect," she says, the tip of her nose brushing his.

"Almost," Rick says. "There is one way it can be better."

Kate giggles. "Sex in the woods?"

"Okay, two ways," he laughs, his chest vibrating against her back as his left arm comes up to join the right around her waist.

Rick tips his head and Kate looks down, heart leaping up into her throat. An open velvet box sits in the palm of his left hand, the ring inside simple and perfect. The center stone - a topaz almost as blue as his eyes - refracts the afternoon sunlight, throwing tiny rainbows out over his palm. Tears pool in Kate's eyes and her vision doubles.

"Rick -"

"The last two years have unquestionably been the best of my life," Rick says, his voice suddenly tight and low. "I've accomplished more than I ever believed was possible. And it's because of you, Kate."

His hold loosens as she leans forward, the need to see his face in this moment overwhelming. Kate turns in the circle of his arms, her hands rising up to rest on the broad plane of his chest. Wetness clings to his eyelashes as he looks down at her, the hand holding the ring box pressing against the small of her back.

"You swept into my life with your passion and your talent and your incredible heart and nothing has ever been the same. Watching you chase your dreams gave me the courage to go after my own again. Everything good in my life right now has one root cause. You."

The tears break free and she makes no effort to stop them. She wants to speak - wants to tell him that he is a wonderful man with an immense talent and that would be true whether she was in his life or not - but the words won't come. All she can do is curl her fingers into his shirt as she wills her legs not to give out.

"I love you, Kate. I love -" He stops and swallows, adam's apple bobbing. "I love waking up next you every day, never knowing exactly what adventure we might have together. Falling in love with you has been the best thing to ever happen to me and I am so grateful and-" His voice breaks and she reaches up, thumbs smudging at the wetness trailing across his cheeks. "So grateful," he repeats, eyes locked on hers, "and so humbled that you love me back."

Kate fights to keep her eyes open, to keep herself present in this moment with him. She never wants to forget this, the way it feels to be standing here on this cliff with him - in almost the exact spot where she handed him her heart two years ago - waiting for him to ask the question they both already know her answer to.

He smiles down at her and Kate's stomach clenches, goosebumps raising up on her sun warmed skin. Rick takes a deep breath, his chest pressing against her bent elbows as it expands, and Kate inhales with him, so very ready for what comes next.

"Kate, will you marry me?"

Her lips are on his before the last syllable has hit the ground. Her hands cup his face and she breathes her yes into his mouth, every inch of her body tingling with certainty and joy. He was right.

Now it's perfect.

We know the journey to get to this point was long and tortured and we appreciate so very much those readers who stuck by us and never gave up hope that we'd get here. Your support kept us coming back to this universe. Hopefully the end to this story was worth the wait. Thank you for reading and, as always, your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.

A/N (Alex): Thank you to everyone who enthusiastically read and championed this story over the last year and a half. I hope we brought even half as much happiness to your lives as you brought mine with your flails and kind words. Thank you to Jenny for approaching me with this idea. It was an honor to get to write this story with you. You have true talent and I look forward to seeing your words on a shelf one day soon.

A/N (Jenny): This universe has been so much fun to create and play in and the reactions of the readers have made that even more true. Thank you all for your encouragement, enthusiasm, and patience as we worked to make this story into something we love and are proud of. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Alex for putting up with me during this process; You have the patience of a saint and I'm so glad you agreed to write this with me. Also a giant thanks to Kate Christie for all her beta work and cheerleading. We couldn't have done it without, KC!