I'm so sorry for the long wait! Writer's block and ADD are not a good combination. Time for the epilogue of my 1st multi-chapter fic. Love to hear your thoughts!

Castle stood at his kitchen island, nursing a glass of wine and watching the love of his life whipping up a simple but delectable sauce to put on the pasta salad she was making them for dinner. Knowing her every habit and motion as well as he did, he was easily able to see the exhaustion coloring her movements. He ached to go and take over for her despite his own exhaustion from their irritating day of chasing leads up and down and up and down the city like a game of hopscotch and having nothing to show for it, but the conversation they'd had when they first came in held him back.

The two of them practically tumbled through the door, fatigue and frustration weighing down their muscles. Knowing that they both badly needed to relax and that neither of them was in the mood for the umpteenth takeout meal since they got this case yesterday morning, Castle prepared to tell Beckett to go relax while he took care of dinner, but she beat him to it. An objection was on the tip of his tongue when he was cut off.

"Rick, you're exhausted. Let me take care of you this time."

"Kate, you're falling off your feet too, don't think I can't tell."

"I know you can tell Castle, and I know that you'd be willing to take care of me despite how you're feeling. But I want to let you take a load off sometimes too, not just take care of me every single time."

"Don't ever think you're a burden to me Kate. I take care of you because I want to."

"I know you do Castle. And I love you for it. And that's just the point." Beckett paused and moved closer to where he was standing by the coat rack and placed one hand on each of his shoulders. "You take care of me when I'm tired all the time. It means something to you to be able to take care of me. You enjoy it. Because you love me. Well, guess what Castle. I love you too. It means just the same thing to me to be able to take care of you when you're out of it. So go grab a bottle of wine, pour us both glasses, and take a load off while I fix dinner. Please."

Even if he weren't so touched by the words, he could deny this woman absolutely nothing when her eyes pled with him like that.

"Okay."

He got his own reward by the beatific smile she gave him before kissing him lightly and trudging off into the kitchen.

Castle smiled at the memory. He'd been the one doing the TLC in his family since Alexis was born. Not that he minded, he loved taking care of his family. And it's not like he had to do all the work. His daughter (and occasionally his mother, though he'd never say it out loud) were too good for that. But when all the family were dead on their feet at the same time it was always him, because he was the caretaker. Meredith and Gina would certainly never consider doing it, they barely ever did it even when they weren't tired. He held no resentment for it because he loved in such a full way that seeing their smiles was its own reward. Far from being upset about it, it was a point of pride with him. But the idea that Kate felt the same way, that she got the same satisfaction, the same longing to have been the one to put a smile on his face, meant the world to him. It told him something about how much she loved him. It showed him that they weren't just building a relationship, they were building a family.

Kate Beckett.

Building a family.

With me.

He'd swear in court there was no way he could love this woman any more.

Kate's voice broke into his reverie.

"Here Castle."

Beckett brought over a plate with a generous portion of pasta salad and exchanged it for the glass of wine he'd poured for her. The first bite was delicious, and he said as much. Even so tired, her smile was still to die for. He opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped as both of them turned to the sound of keys in the front door, which opened to admit his daughter.

"Alexis! Hi, I didn't realize you were coming home tonight! How's- pumpkin what's wrong?" For as Castle had started moving toward his daughter, he'd gotten a look at her face. Her makeup was smudged, her face marred be tear tracks, and her red-rimmed eyes bore into him with the look he'd come to recognize from the first time she'd skinned her elbow, the look that preceded charging in for a desperately needed hug. He opened his arms as she began running.

Closer.

Closer.

Almost on top of him.

And…

Right past him.

Huh?

He turned to look at her only to find her with her arms around Kate, sobbing into her shirt about how her boyfriend had dumped her. Torn between wanting to find the punk and beat his head in and the need to be there for his daughter, he stood there frozen as Kate clutched Alexis and whispered quiet, gentle, (presumably) comforting words in his daughter's ear.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to him, his daughter's sobs faded, being replaced by only the occasional sniffle.

As the haze of her crying faded, Alexis seemed to realize just what she'd done and took a step back. "Oh… Kate… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

But Beckett would have none of it. "Alexis, don't ever apologize, I'm always here for you. Max is clearly an idiot, and he is not worth your tears."

Alexis gave a weak nod and shot an embarrassed look between Kate and Castle. "I'm sorry for interrupting your evening. I'll just…"

"You'll just go put on pajamas and pick out which flavors of ice cream you want for our appointment on the couch with nice chick flick."

Had the reason not been so sad, the widening of Alexis' eyes at this statement would've been comical. "But, you and Dad…"

"…were only eating plain old dinner Lex. No big evening plans. You interrupted nothing. And now, your father is banished to his office for the rest of the night, and my evening plans is a girl's night in. What do you say?"

Alexis began to tear up again. "I've… nobody's ever done that for me before."

"Oh sweetie… any time you need. I'm always here for you."

Beckett grabbed on and held Alexis tightly as she began weeping yet again, but differently this time. No longer the tears of a fresh wound, these were the tears of dozens of age old scars at least beginning to heal.

Looking up over the mesh of red hair on her shoulder, Kate blushed deeply at the look she was getting from Castle, a stare filled with such raw tenderness that she thought she might begin to melt. Through sheer force of will she found her voice and stabbed a finger in Castle's direction. "You," she shifted her finger toward his office, "in there."

Unable to speak, Castle simply started shuffling sideways toward the door to his office, keeping his body positioned so as to be able to keep drinking in the sight of her, at least until…

"Castle!"

"Dad!"

"I'm okay! Just forgot we have a coffee table, sorry."

"Yeah, well, that's why most people tend to look where they're going Castle." But Castle could see the remnants of that blush on her face.

"But my dear detective, you're so much nicer to look at." And the blush returns, but why am I feeling like I forgot something else…?

"Dad! Ewww! I sooo didn't need to hear that! Into the office, shoo!"

Oh yeah, that's why.

"Sorry. But maybe instead of the office I'll just go out and…"

"No Castle! The last thing I need is to have to explain to Captain Gates why I need to place you under arrest. Take your dinner, go into your office, and stay there."

Castle pouted as Alexis giggled. "So bossy," he muttered as he turned and began to actually navigate his way into the office.

"I heard that."

Castle winced and sped up trying to outrun more girly giggling at his expense.

As he closed the door on Kate questioning Alexis about what movie she wanted to see, he reflected on what had just happened. That woman, that saint, that… that… that… angel (yeah that works) had just volunteered herself to help his daughter heal from a broken heart. On a night where she was exhausted from the day and from trying to take care of him after said day. And states she'd always do it. Something that meant so much more to Alexis than normal because her own mother had never been willing to show her that level of care.

What was that he had been thinking not five minutes ago about not being able to love that woman any more than he already did?

Boy, was he an idiot.

Maybe it was time to bring that ring out of the safe….

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