A/N: Hey guys this is a Castle wedding one shot! Let me know what you think!
Also just in case you can't figure it out, the italized paragraphs are Beckett's memories. This is almost all Kate POV.
Katherine Beckett took a good long look in the floor length mirror and what she saw in front of her wasn't something she had ever imagined. Her thick chocolate hair is done up to perfection, her skin is crème and roses, and she has a glowing confidence radiating off of her, but what really takes Kate's breath away is the lacy white dress her perfect arms are slipping through. It's classy, it's simple, and it's her. She has only one, scratch that two, pieces of jewelry on: her mother's ring nestled safely in on her chest where she knows it will forever stay, and a new addition to her wardrobe, her engagement ring. It's a simple golden band with three diamonds positioned perfectly on the top, not too flashy but gorgeous in its own right. She takes a deep breath and glances once more at her mirrored self.
She's getting married today, and to Richard Castle no less.
She smiles to herself as she thinks of the journey they have been on to get to this point, four years of back and forth, witty banter preventing them from ever saying what they truly felt. Even when they had started dating she skirted around the idea of really talking, preferring to spend her time in breathtaking kisses. Rick must've gotten really annoyed, she thought, he wanted to tell the world and I wouldn't even let him tell the guys at the precinct. She laughed a little as she remembered how he did tell them, then she corrected herself, I guess it was really me who spilled that one.
It had been about two years now since they came out with their relationship, it was a totally normal day at the precinct and she had actually overheard a conversation between Ryan and Esposito on the pool of money they had riding on Castle and Beckett as a couple.
"Dude," Ryan had said, "I'm starting to wonder if maybe I placed a little too much on this, and they don't seem to be in a real loving mood lately."
Kate fought to contain her laughter, in the two months that she and Rick had been dating they had become less friendly at work, probably because they had so much time to be friendly later.
"Nah," Esposito whispered trying to keep it so she couldn't hear, "They'll come around, and even Beckett is starting to look a bit into him."
"Looks like she may have some competition though," Ryan said pointing to a blonde lawyer who was flirting helplessly with Castle.
"Oh just his type too, damn I should've put more money on the Castle-gets-tired-of-waiting-and-finds-another-girl side of things."
Kate tuned them out and instead focused on this new "competition", she was pretty that was for sure. Her name was Casey something and she had worked on a few of Beckett's cases before. Had she always shown an interest in Castle? She wondered. Maybe she just hadn't noticed it before. Castle shot her a look as if to say "I'm confused! I am I supposed to ignore her or flirt with her? Which will make you happy, jealously or coming out with our relationship?" She shrugged and Castle seemed to go with something in between, he was flirting but at half his usual intensity. He discreetly led the blonde over to her desk, probably hoping she would get him out of this. Haha not like she was going to help.
Until that blonde lawyer did something unforgivable, she started to lean in for a kiss. Kate quickly stood up wrapped her arm around Rick's waist.
"Ready to go?" she asked as if nothing had happened. He nodded and they started to walk towards the elevator.
Before they could get in Casey turned and called, "Hey Rick, call me." At which point without even thinking Kate turned to him and brought her mouth to his with a totally heart stopping kiss.
When they were finished they boarded the elevator like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred but turned around just in time to see past Casey's shocked face to Esposito who was sitting there with his jaw dropped to the floor and Ryan who in surprised had dropped the phone he was holding and was now staring blankly at the elevator doors.
She was staring at the mirror smiling at the memory when Alexis came in, "Kate," she called, "It's time." With that Alexis turned and walked out the door, giving Kate a moment alone, as her navy bridesmaids dress shimmered behind her. She stepped down off the platform and began her rather slow walk to the door, when she opened it her dad was standing there waiting for her.
"Hi Katie," he breathed, "You ready?" She nodded her head and took a deep breath, "Don't worry honey, you're marrying a good man." She was. She had kept him waiting for six years, but when they had been together and when he proposed he did it just right at her pace.
The hiking trip had been Kate's idea, Rick wasn't too happy about hiking in the Catskills for their vacation that year, but he had ultimately resigned to the idea conceding it was her turn to pick. The hiking trip was to last two weeks, they were supposed to stay in hunter's cabins when they could find them but otherwise they slept out, not something Rick was accustomed to. Kate laughed at his obvious discomfort but was extremely flattered by how gracefully he took her teasing, this wasn't his thing but he was doing it because he loved her. And that was what a relationship should be right?
They had been hiking for six days and had almost reached their halfway point, a mountain peek overlooking a gorgeous valley and a lake. They planned to spend two days at a cabin there before beginning their trek down the mountain. About a half mile from the top a stray tree root caused Kate's sure feet to slip, she fell back a few feet and eventually into Rick, who caught her. On her quick descent she had twisted her ankle, a fact she only noticed once he had helped her to a nearby rock to sit down.
"Oh crap," she groaned, "My ankle, I think I sprained it."
"Are you alright?" He asked as he began rummaging in his back for medical supplies.
"I just hurt my ankle Rick and we are on a hiking trip. How do you think I feel?" she glared at him.
He just chuckled a bit and began splinting her ankle, the finished product was a perfect hospital worthy splint and hopefully something that could help get her down the mountain. When he was done they sat in silence for a while just being. Finally Rick leaned over and whispered, "You are gorgeous you know that?"
She smiled at his compliment, "Yeah, I'm a real supermodel. I'm covered in dirt and sweat from hiking and now my ankle is swelling to the size of an elephants."
He looked with worry to her ankle for a moment just to reassure himself that she was just exaggerating, "You know I love you don't you?"
"Of course I do Rick, I love you too you know," her gaze had turned to curiosity as she wondered where this conversation was going.
"Then you wouldn't have any objection to marrying me?" He said as he pulled out of his shirt pocket a simple navy box, and opened it to reveal the most perfect ring Kate had ever seen. She was shocked, taken aback, and she thought for a moment. I never thought he would do it like this, but if he's willing to take me at my worst… It only took a moment before she nodded and he slipped the ring on her finger and brought her lips to his.
Kate brought her hand to her lips as she remembered, she was almost able to feel that particular kiss, one of the most memorable she had ever experienced. She blushed slightly and tried to quash her butterflies as she slipped her arm through her fathers and the big church doors opened. As she entered the traditional wedding march began to play and all eyes were on her, but that didn't matter because the only place her eyes ever drifted to was the man standing at the altar waiting for her.
Castle sucked in a breath as he watched her enter, she was breathtakingly beautiful and her hazel eyes were wide as she looked up at him. As she finally reached the altar the priest said, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
Jim Beckett smiled and said, "I do." Rick however could also hear the end of the statement, "take care of her Rick." He responded with a quick nod.
Kate stood there taking it all in, the man she loved was in front of her, she was standing at the altar in a wedding dress, and she was happy. Kate Beckett was not accustomed to being truly happy and suddenly she began to worry about what could go wrong. What if her job took her away from him? What if he got hurt? What if no matter how hard they tried they could never make this work? What if….. What if…. Then she looked up into those bright blue eyes in front of her and she knew that all of those what ifs didn't matter, they loved each other and everything would be fine. They came to the part of the ceremony for the vows, they had elected to keep it traditional with one small change, they weren't going to say I do.
"You don't want to write your own vows?" Kate asked Rick shocked, she was sure the writer in him would want to come up with something extraordinary to say.
"No, I don't actually. I can't think of a short enough and adequate way to describe the way I feel about you."
"No. Huh?" she grinned, "What about always?"
"Little too short for vows don't you think Kate?" he stopped as an idea crossed his mind, "But you know what we could use that for…."
She raised her eyebrows and asked skeptically, "What Castle?"
"How do you feel about changing the 'I do' part?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by Rick as he looked deep into her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger and said, "Always."
"And Katherine," the preacher began, "Do you take Richard to be you lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poor, as long as you both shall live?"
Rick looked at her with a question in his eyes almost as if to say, this is it, are you going to run away now? She happily proved him wrong, and with a confident tone in her voice she answered back, "Always."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride," the preacher finished. But Rick and Kate were already ahead of him. They had pulled each other close and took part in probably the most beautiful kiss anyone in the church had ever seen. They held each other like they would never let go but when they finally did the first thought that came to Kate's mind was that the kiss on right after their engagement was now the second most memorable she had ever experienced.
Author's Note: Okay wow done! What did you think? Now I have a really important question for you guys: Should I continue? I wanted to make a series of one shot's all involving Kate and Rick's first year of marriage. They wouldn't be saved as a series because they wouldn't be in chronological order but they would all be entitled A Very Castle (insert word or phrase here). So should I? I want to write them but won't do it if nobody is going to want to read it. Let me know. Until next time~ Cate