Paths; A Castle Fanfiction

Chapter One

AN: THIS STARTS JUST AFTER THE END OF 6x12

Castle stood watching his mother carefully. The case had been hard on him and in the heat of the moment he hadn't thought of his mother, for whom it would be harder still. Concern flooded through him but she must have sensed it and turned to her son. "Where's Katherine darling? Go get her. I'm going out to a friend's tonight-you have a good time with your fiancée now. And set a wedding date" she added.

Rick nodded and then laughed "We did Mother. September." His mother looked surprised and said "the book tour Richard." Rick chuckled quietly and immediately wished for Kate by his side. "Screw it. I'm not going to let a book tour get in the way of me marrying the woman I love. She's my world so Gina can deal with that. I will never, ever, prioritise ANYTHING over the love of my life. Kate is worth more to me than anything and if seeing her walk down the aisle in September means that my book tour gets messed up and my publisher gets annoyed, well that's a risk I'm taking because I'm counting the days until she's my wife." He finished emphatically to see his mother, eyes twinkling, gazing behind him and grinning.

"Rick" he heard Kate's voice and spun round, only to have her lips crash against his in a passionate embrace. He kissed back as soon as his surprise faded and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could.

When they pulled apart and had got their breath back Rick said "Kate! I didn't know you were coming!" She bit her lip. Rick had always loved it when she did that and he moved his hand in circles on the small of her back in appreciation. "Well I'm going. Have fun kids" his mother said and Rick and Kate muttered distracted farewells. "I had to see you Rick. My fiancé" she said and the pair grinned. "I love the sound of that." Rick said. "So why the kiss? I mean I'm not complaining but why?" Kate blushed and looked at her shoes. Rick tilted her chin back up till their eyes met. "I heard what you said Rick. I love you so much." And suddenly she was in tears.

Rick pulled her into his body, enveloping her in his warmth. "Happy tears right?" He asked after a while. Kate raised her face to him, love and adoration filling her eyes. "Happy tears" she confirmed and Rick met her lips in a soft kiss.

AT DINNER TIME

Kate pushed her finished take out box in front of her and slumped back in her chair, waiting as Rick finished as well. They sat in a comfortable silence, one that comes from two people who know each other so well that the quiet is no longer awkward. After a while, Rick stood up and offered his hand to his fiancée. Kate grinned and took it, letting him take her weight. They wandered over to the sofa where they collapsed.

They sat, saying nothing, for at least ten minutes, just feeling each other's warmth and contentedness. "Kate" Rick said after a while. Kate was half asleep.

Her voice was groggy and her head heavy, but she raised her face so her eyes met Rick's. "Yeah babe?" She used the pet name that she had only recently started becoming more flippant with; pet names had been another step down the long path Rick had led her on to get her to open up. The final pathway was the aisle. "Do you wanna move in with me?" The words came out in a rush and Kate's brain processed them slowly. Once she realised what he'd said, the answer came easily.

She captured his lips in a hard kiss. "Is that a yes?" Rick said cautiously. "Of course it is" she said. Rick's lips were on hers again and soon they were lost to everything but each other.

AN: I hope you like the first chapter everybody. I don't own Castle although I wish I did...