A/N - I personally liked the end of the finale, and I know that this is totally never going to happen. That being said, I still wouldn't mind if did.

Kate can hear someone calling her name, but it resonates in her mind as nothing more than a faint echo. They call out over and over, the tone full of concern, and each time her name rings out it gets louder. Then she feels a hand on her shoulder, the touch soft at first, then firmer, then it starts to shake her gently.

"Kate," she hears again, "Kate, look at me," the voice adds.

It's a familiar voice, a comforting one, but not comforting enough. Not for the nightmare of seeing the car the love of her life had been driving engulfed in flames. Too many thoughts are rushing through her head for comfort to find its way in. Who did this to them? Is it Bracken's revenge? Has Tyson made good on his promise to come back? Did someone do this to get at Castle's father?

"Kate," he calls out. She hadn't realized it was a 'he' before. "Kate, look at me."

She wants nothing more than to look away from the flames, to pretend that this isn't happening, but she can't bring herself to do it.

"Hey," now there is a hand on each of her shoulders, "come on, Kate," he's getting desperate, she can hear it the waver of his words. "Wake up, Kate."

If only this were a dream and she could wake up. Then the horror and fear and despair would be gone.

"Kate, please wake up," the man pleads.

She opens her eyes and - wait. Why were her eyes closed? Could it be that this actually is a dream? Could she be that lucky? She gets her answer when her vision focuses on the worried face looking down on her.

"Castle?"

Before he can reply to her confused question she throws her arms around him and uses all her strength to pull him down on top of her.

"Kate," he huffs out, "hon, I'm going to squash you. Let me up."

"No," she chokes out, "please, Castle. Stay right here."

"Alright," he coos, "I'm not going anywhere," he slides his arms under her and hugs her tightly.

They stay like that for a long while, just silently clinging to each other in the dark.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Castle finally breaks the silence.

"Not really," Kate sighs into his chest, "but I should anyway."

Without having to speak to coordinate the move, they turn on their sides so they're facing each other, heads close together on the pillows, fingers interlaced between them, and legs tangled up.

"I was having a nightmare," Kate begins.

"I'll say," Castle interjects. "I've never seen you so distressed in your sleep."

"I was dreaming about being married."

"You were that upset because of marrying me?" his face falls.

"No," she says without hesitation, "no, Castle," she reaches up and caresses his cheek. "It was before our wedding, and I was married to some guy I knew in college. You and I were trying to get him to sign the divorce papers and there were all sorts of problems and the wedding plans kept getting screwed up and our family and friends barely got everything taken care of in time to have the wedding," she pauses to take in a deep breath. "Then you called me on your way up to the ceremony and said you were only twenty minutes away, but an hour later I got a call about an accident and I arrived at the scene to find your car burning in a ditch and it all felt so real, Castle," she sobs out his name.

"Shhhh," he draws her closer until their foreheads are touching, "It was just a bad dream," Castle whispers soothingly.

"It was one of the worst dreams I've ever had," she nuzzles her nose to his.

"I'm sorry," his breath brushes across her lips.

"Help me forget, Rick."

Castle spends the better part of the next hour helping his new bride forget her nightmare to the soundtrack of waves lapping gently against the shore of their private island.