Kate Beckett wakes up feeling different. Something about today is different. As she comes fully awake the reason for the new feeling washes over her. She's getting married today.

Her fiancé's arm around her waist serves as a reminder of just how far they've come. 6 years and they are finally here becoming husband and wife. Her excitement bubbles over and she can't wait to wake him up any longer. Rolling over carefully, making sure his arm stays around her, Kate isn't prepared for the set of blue eyes that greet her. "Good morning Mrs. C to-be." She lifts up to capture his lips in a quick kiss before settling on his chest. "Good morning to you too. How long have you been awake?" He looks away for a split second and she can tell he is weigh telling her the truth or not. "Castle?" Her tone a little more stern than she intends but it does the trick. "A couple hours. I couldn't sleep. I'm too excited." His smile grows as he talks and she can't blame him. She's just as excited as he is.

"So my almost husband you sure you're not having second thoughts. No cold feet?" she teases.

"Kate, my feet have never been warmer." He shows her just how warm by rubbing a foot up and down her calf under the sheets while his hands rub similar circles on her sides. She can't but lean up and kiss him. She also can't help deepening the kiss, tongue teasing and tasting his. She can't help her hands that grab the back of his neck and explore his naked chest. She can't help the moan that escapes her throat when he rolls them over, his weight pressing her into the mattress. She can't help but spend the next hour in bed with the man she is going to marry today.

When they finally make it out of the bed and the shower and off the counter she has never happier to ignore Lanie's advice about spending the night before the wedding apart. They have never been a traditional couple so why start now. She puts the last of her supplies in her bag in the closet when he reappears with a cup of coffee. "Thank you." His "You're welcome." comes automatically. But today Kate has more to share with him. More love to show him. "I'm serious Rick. Thank you. I don't know if you realize what each cup of coffee you have brought me over the years has meant to me. They have always been more than coffee to me. They have been that one small piece of each other that we could share even before we were ready for all of this. So thank you for sharing with me. For putting that smile on my face. For being you." She is choking back tears by the time she finishes. His arms around her waist pull her back from the emotion and she hugs him back with everything she has.

She is seated at the island when Lanie arrives to take her to the church to get ready. "Girl you ready to get married." Lanie's excitement for her only ratchets up Kate's already building nerves and excitement. "I have never been more ready for anything." Lanie helps her gather the last of the supplies she needed to get ready and waits by the door as Kate goes to find her almost husband.

She finds him sitting on the bed in their bedroom. He has the ring box housing both of their wedding bands open in his hand. "Deciding which one is prettier?" Her voice startles him but he smiles when he says "Yours definitely. Look at it sparkle." He stands to meet her in the doorway, box still in hand. "I can't wait for you to put this on my finger so I can show the world that Kate Beckett is mine, forever." She chokes on her first attempt at a response mouth opening and closing a couple times. She finally says "First of all after today it's Kate Castle. And second I've always been yours. It just took me a while to figure that out."

Lanie's voice in the living room drags them from their moment. "Kate, don't make me come in there and drag you away from him. Castle you'll see her in a couple hours, let her go." They laugh at her words knowing that it is time to separate.

"I'll see you soon Mr. Castle. I'll be the one in white."

"I'll be looking for you. I love you Katherine Beckett."

"I love you too Richard Castle. Always."

Richard Castle is a nervous wreck. Standing in the small room in the side of the church alone he waits for his bride. The idea of the first look photo seemed good when they selected it but now he is not sure. He fights to not let his nerves seep over, to cause him to pass out, to keep himself calm but he can't. He can't wait to see Kate.

She's had the dress for months. She's hidden any evidence of the dress for months. She's kept this one small piece a secret for months. Not that he blames her, a little bit of tradition in a very untraditional relationship/wedding is a good thing but he might lose it. Richard Castle likes surprises but he can't wait for this one to be over.

Running his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time he paces the small space. The light knock at the door has his heart beating so fast he's afraid he might have a heart attack. When their photographer steps in asking if he's ready to see her he has to hold himself back from ripping the door open. She instructs him to turn around away from the door. Delay the reveal a little longer. He reluctantly complies, knowing the pay off will be worth it. He's waited this long, he can wait a couple seconds longer.

When he hears the sound of her heels hitting the tile floor he holds his breath. This is it. This is the moment he's been waiting for. The small tap on his shoulder has him spinning around almost knocking himself off balance. She's here. Kate Beckett is here in front of him and the tears form instantly.

He can't see past her face at first. The face he has grown to know better than his own. The face of so many expressions, so many emotions that is radiating the love and happiness he feels inside. For several moments he only sees her face. He reaches forward and kisses her quickly, just needed the contact to ground him. That contact is all it takes for his eyes to take in the rest of her.

Kate Beckett has always been beautiful. She's beautiful in sweets when she's sick, she's beautiful in her power suits chasing down murderers, she's beautiful in the dresses she wears to his book launches and other events, she's beautiful in his clothes – the one's she has managed to make her own over the years, she's beautiful naked laying next to him in their bed, she's beautiful in anything. But she has never been more beautiful, more breath taking than she is today.

The dress is more than he dreamed. It is her in every sense of the word. A designer could not have made a dress just for her that would have looked better. He reminds himself to send Matilda King a thank you note. She is a beautiful bride. She's extraordinary.

"Castle. Are you going to say anything?" It's only when she speaks that he realizes that he has been holding in everything. His breath, his voice, all too shaky to share. "You look amazing. Better than amazing. You are literally breathtaking." He takes her hands placing them on his chest to show her the effect she is having on his poor heart.

The smile that breaks out on her face only enhances her beauty. She is glowing and it's all for him. "You're not so bad yourself Mr. Castle." Her words come out so soft that he almost thinks he imagined them. But one look says it all. They both feel it. They are both beyond words, beyond love. They are each others everything and today they get to become so much more.

"I love you." The twin statement brings on a round of laughter that has the serious vibe in the room breaking. A quick kiss and a long hug follow as they both relax for the first time since they separated this morning to get ready.

"Are you ready to become Mr. Richard Castle?" he questions knowing her answer.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Good because you're stuck with me." He kisses the top of her head, breathing in her scent.

"I'm afraid it's time to start. Kate if you'll come with me we'll get you to the back of the church." They both jump at the voice of the photographer they forgot was in the room with them. When Kate is standing in front of him Castle forgets there is a world outside the two of them.

"I'll see you out there Mr. Castle." She smiles as she pulls away leaning up for one last quick kiss.

He is reluctant to let her loose but knows he will see her again shortly. "I'll be the one at the end of the aisle. Come and find me?"

"Always."

Kate can't believe the sight in front of her. The flowers are beautiful. The lace along the aisle perfect. The church stunning. It's everything she never thought to dream of. Everything that he gave to her. Richard Castle has given her more than she thought possible. And he just keeps on giving.

They are getting married. Married! She is going to be Mrs. Castle. All she has to do is walk down this short space and her future their future can start.

Then she looks at the man waiting for her. She just saw him during their photos but seeing him there, surrounded by the candles and flowers that they selected together he is a dream. A dream come true. From the first look he is all she can see. The room fades away, her father no longer holding her arm. It's just them. Like's it's always been.

Her feet don't move fast enough, the distance seeming to expand with each step. She just wants to get to him, to make sure he is real. That all of this is real. Narrowing the gap the tears fall down her face. Happy tears that do nothing to mask the smile on her face. Kate Beckett has never been happier, more in love or more excited in her life.

She's marrying her best friend if she can just get down the aisle.

She finally reaches him, taking his outstretched hand. She thinks Lanie takes her bouquet, she thinks her father kisses her cheek, she thinks the priest is talking next to them but she can't know for sure. All she knows is Richard Castle standing in front of her, looking as handsome as he ever has, tears forming in his eyes and he is going to be her husband.

They exchange the words, the rings, the vows. They make it official and seal it with a kiss. A kiss that teeters on appropriate for a church with family around. But Kate doesn't care. She is married to Richard Castle. The priest announces, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle." She feels his grip on her hand tighten as they race down the aisle under a shower of bubbles. She stops him as they reach the back of the church, pulling him into her. Her hands come around the back of his neck pulling his lips to hers. She keeps it chaste but puts her forehead against his when they separate. "I love you Mr. Castle." His words have her stomach fluttering. "I love you too Mrs. Castle."

The night is perfect. The reception is a success, family and friends laughing, dancing and sharing in the love they have created.

When Castle finds a brief moment alone between mingling with their guest he steals off her to a side room. Wanting nothing more than to just be with Kate for a couple minutes alone. Castle pulls her close to him, arms tightening around her waist. "Castle, we have guests out there." Her words are stern but her grip around his neck says she doesn't mean them. "I just wanted a second alone with my wife." He buries his head in her neck hugging her closer, not that they could be any closer. Her whispered "Wife." has him smiling in the crook of her neck where he places a kiss. He follows that kiss with another and another moving across her neck up to her jaw. When he finally comes to her mouth he puts all the love, desire, passion he has been feeling in the last 6 years they have known each other into it.

In the minutes that they surrender to their love Castle can think of nothing, forgetting the reception, the people on the other side of the door, the responsibility they still have. All he knows is Kate, his wife and her body that is pressed so tightly to his. Her hands grab at his neck, back, arms while his skim every inch of skin and dress he can touch. He faintly hears the knock at the door. He faintly registers the voice of his daughter on the other side. He faintly hears the door open. It isn't until the scream of "Oh my God. Get a room you two." in Alexis's voice that he comes back to reality.

"Pumpkin. Hey. I believe we did get a room if you haven't noticed." He tries to laugh off the embarrassment while holding Kate against him to hide any further embarrassing situations that have come to rise. Kate ducks her head in his chest and he can only rub a reassuring hand up and down her back.

"Well when you two are finished acting like teenagers they would like to cut the cake." Alexis turns, shutting the door before either can respond and Castle releases the breath he didn't know he was holding. "That was embarrassing."

"Embarrassing. Castle your daughter just caught us making out at our wedding. If she had come in a couple minutes later who knows what she would have seen. I don't know how I'm going to be able to face her." Kate pulls away from him. The instant pang of lose when she is no longer pressed to him has him reaching for her again. He grasps her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Mrs. Castle. Look at me." His use of her new name has a smile forming on her lips before her eyes meet his. "You are my wife now which means I am allowed to make out or do other things with you whenever we want. Alexis has walked in on us before. No harm, no foul. We will all laugh about this in the near future. But as for right now how about we go cut that cake, hear some toasts and get this reception over with so I can take you to our honeymoon suite and finish what we have started here."

He doesn't need to hear her response. It's written all over her face. He knows her well enough to know that no matter what has just happened she is happy, completely and utterly happy. "Why Mr. Castle I do believe that is the best plan you have ever come up with." His quick kiss on her lips will have to do him for now. He runs his fingers through his hair and over his tux trying to hide the damage they just inflicted on each other as she does the same.

Taking her hand in his he walks them out of the door and back into the reception. If anyone noticed their absence or their slightly rumpled appearance they don't say. As they make their way to the cake on the table on the opposite side of the room Castle registers Kate's fingers rubbing over the band that now resides on his ring finger. He can't help but kiss her temple and whispering, "I love you too Mrs. Castle. Always."

A/N: Being my first attempt at a longer story I welcome any reviews. Personally I can't wait to see how this wedding plays out on screen. I haven't been this excited for a TV wedding since Cory and Topanga on Boy Meets World.