So TORONTOSUN mentioned that she wanted to see the judge granting custody of Thomas to Rick and Kate and honestly I'd forgotten about that but I've written it and I hope you like it.

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has read this story. When I first started I had no idea if I would reach the 50,000 word target in time for it to count but because of all of your amazing reviews I somehow managed it, so thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed or favourited what is by far the longest things I have written to date. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I also want to thank dtrekker again for the amazing cover.

Here's the update for this story, I hope you like it.

A few weeks later Rick, Kate and Thomas were all sat in the corridor that ran through the court house. Thomas was sat playing with Clint, talking quietly to bear. Now that he had gotten used to his new home Clint didn't always have to be around, he no longer needed to constant comfort that the stuffed bear provided. However, today, there was no chance that Clint was going to be left at the loft as he sometimes was when Thomas went out with Rick, Kate, Alexis or Martha or a mixture thereof.

Rick and Kate were sat close together in silence, watching the small boy. In the few short weeks that he'd been in their care he had come much further out of his shell, although it was clear that he still missed his mother and father terribly. He had also started having nightmares. Not every night but enough that Rick had decided to put a baby monitor in the boys room so that he and Kate would know if he needed help. They only happened a few times a week for which both Kate and Rick were glad, they both knew that it could have been a whole lot worse.

As they continued to watch the child Rick leant in close to Kate and whispered in her ear. "Maybe while we're here we should kill two birds with one stone." Kate turned and levelled a half glare at him. Rick smiled before continuing to say, "It would be so easy just to walk down the hall to the registry office and get married right here and now."

"No Castle," Kate responded in a quiet voice, "Just because I said no to getting married in space doesn't mean that I want to get married in the registry office. I don't want something big, you know that, but I do want something bigger than that."

Rick stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes in response. Ever since she'd said yes Rick had taken to making jokes about where they should get married, the latest being in space. Kate though wanted to do it properly, well at least semi properly, and she wanted to do it on solid ground.

Before either could say anything more the door in front of them opened and the three of them all stood, Kate tapping Thomas on the shoulder to get his attention, and headed into the room.

They all sat and the man behind the table smiled at them. Off to one side Gloria sat, also smiling. The judge looked at the three of them in turn, his gaze lingering on Thomas, who held the older man's gaze for a few seconds before he looked down at his lap at Clint.

"I'm happy to say," he begun, looking between Rick and Kate, "That after reviewing the case I am awarding full custody of Thomas Reynolds to Mr Richard Castle and Detective Katherine Beckett. All the evidence I have seen and everything I have heard puts no doubts in my mind about how well this child is going to be cared for."

Rick and Kate beamed at each other while the judge continued, his eyes now shifting to Thomas once again. "Does that sound ok to you Thomas?"

Thomas nodded happily, a huge smile on his face. The judge smiled in response before he held up a pen and some paper. "Just sign here and then your family will be free to go," he instructed Rick and Kate.

Without hesitation the two moved forward and one after the other signed on the dotted line.

The judge smiled again and then bid the four of them farewell. Rick, Kate, Thomas and Gloria filed out of the office. Once they were back in the hallway Gloria turned to them and said, "I hope that you are all very happy together."

Rick smiled in return. "One step closer to being a complete family," he stated, smiling at his fiancé and their son.

Thanks again :D