Hey look it's back! Thank you again for Anna for looking over this for me. Now This is part of the AM series so it might be a little confusing if you haven't read 2 AM wake up call. This is the wedding set in that universe though it does pull things that happened from the show. Like this for instance, I've pulled things that happened out of the season 4 finale and will pull from early season five for it as well. So this story will have a few chapters and deal with some things to make some things said in 4 Am story make a little more sense. This was my long term plan with this series. I will also have a 3am story to bridge to remaining gap between 2 and 4 or well that's the plan we will see how it goes :D ENJOY PLEASE!

"Castle!"

The writer's heart leapt straight into his throat at the sound of pure terror in his partner's voice. Taking the rest of the steps two at a time, Castle burst through the door leading to the roof being blinded by the harsh glare of the setting sun. It was empty. Oh God! His knees went out on him in realization that she must have gone over. This couldn't be happening? The things he said to her now were the last words he would ever speak to her. "Kate!" He should have been faster. He should have picked up Ryan's call on the first attempt.

"Castle!"

Beckett's scream had Castle scrambling to his knees to bolt towards the side of the roof. There was no stopping the sob of relief from escaping his throat. Hanging by the tip of her fingers from his ledge was Beckett, with the most terrified expression he had even seen in his entire life. "Beckett!"

Her wild gaze snapped to his, latching on to them for dear life. "Oh god, Castle! Please pull me up!"

"Just hang on." He was already leaning down to grasp her wrist, "I got you."

"Castle, watch out!"

The warning came too late. Before the writer could even register her voice, something hard rammed into his side forcing him to lose his grip on Beckett's wrist. That something was Maddox and he came down swinging. Castle had the luck to block the first blow, but the second one hit him square in the jaw snapping his head backwards. Latching on to Beckett's frantic voice, Castle pushed past the stars blinding his vision. Castle never saw him as a particularly strong man and only acquired minimal self-defense skills when doing book research. Nothing compared to Maddox's Special Forces training. That didn't stop him from fighting with all his might. If he failed then that meant living with the fact he caused Beckett's death.

"Castle!" Beckett's frightened voice came from the ledge, "Help! I'm slipping."

"Beckett, hold on!" Hooking a leg around his attacker's waist, Castle twisted throwing Maddox off him. The move only gave him a momentary upper hand and he used it by ramming his fist into Maddox's face. The man recoiled revealing the gun tucked into his belt and Castle wasted no time diving for it. They began to grapple for it. Castle tried and failed to evade Maddox, but he didn't let them slow him down. Get the gun. Get the gun and save Beckett. Even if that meant taking a life. For Beckett he could do that.

"CASTLE!"

The sound of his partner's voice distracted Castle long enough to lose any gain he had on getting the gun. The strike from the metal barrel had him flat on his back dazed and bleeding from a large gash to his temple. Beckett's voice calling his name rang in his ear and there was nothing he could do. Maddox was now standing with the barrel of the gun pointed at his head. He failed. "Kate!"

A sinister smile crossed the gunman's face, "Can't help her now."

Castle watched helpless as Maddox shifted closer to the ledge where Beckett was hanging on by the tips of her fingers. "Please." Please what? Ask the mad man nicely not to shoot the woman he loved? To just let them walk away? That's right, just ask nicely and it would make everything will alright. This wasn't one of his books. He couldn't just write a happy ending for this situation.

"I hope you said your goodbyes, Mr. Castle." Maddox swung the gun down at Beckett and fired.

0o0o0o0o0o0

His throat was sore from a scream that was lodged deep down fighting to get out. With the gunshot echoing in his heart, Castle's eyes flew open sucking in a breath as he fumbled to untangle himself from his sheets that had wrapped around him like a cocoon due to his thrashing. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he feared it would break through it.

Beckett!

He reached out to the spot beside him to find it empty. He scrambled out of bed, falling onto his hands and knees. Sobs were forming in his chest. Beckett. Freeing himself from the sheets still wrapped around his legs, Castle scrambled to his feet and was out the door. His sprint didn't last long as the person he sought was in the kitchen bringing him to a halt. Breathing hard Castle took a moment to soak up the site of Beckett casually leaning over the counter reading with her morning cup of coffee. She was okay. It was just a dream. They were okay.

Beckett's head snapped up startled by her fiancé's frantic entrance. "Castle?" Her voice was laced with concern at his wild appearance.

"Kate." He flew at her with her name falling from his lips in a soft sob.

Beckett found herself wrapped up so tightly in his arms that she could barely breath in. She didn't protest just simply curled one hand in the short strands of hair at the back of his head, while he dug into her shoulder. "Umpf," Beckett found that he could actually squeeze the life out of her, "Rick?"

"I couldn't… I couldn't…" Tears burned the back of his throat. "You fell. I couldn't get to you. I let you fall, Beckett."

"No you didn't." She did her best to sooth him by running her fingers through the locks of his sweat soaked hair. The rooftop incident happened over a week ago. After their huge blow out in the rain, they hadn't spoken about it outside the fact that she had given up her job in wake of Gate's suspension. "I'm right here, Babe. I'm right here. You saved me."

"I didn't…"

"It was just a dream." Beckett whispered reassurances in his ear, her heart breaking at the way his shoulders shook with sobs he was desperately trying to hold back. "Everything is okay. Just a dream."

Cupping the back of her head, Castle drew away to look down at her face as to assure himself that what she was saying was real. It wasn't enough so he pressed his mouth to hers sinking into her familiar taste and letting it wash away the horrible images in his head. "I'm sorry." Stroking his thumb over her cheek, he pulled away to nuzzle her nose, "I'm sorry."

"I've had my share of nightmares so you have nothing to apologize for." He was still shaking and Beckett pulled his hand from her face and laid it over her chest to assure him that she was alive. That she was safe. "You were there, Castle. You pulled me from the ledge."

"I could have lost you."

"You didn't."

"If I didn't take Ryan's call. If I…"

Beckett shushed him with a soft kiss, "Don't go down that road, Rick."

"Marry me."

"I already said yes." She answered on a laugh. "But if it helps I'll let you ask me again."

"No marry me." He repeated, "Let's get married. Now."

"What?"

"I think that we've proved that we can make this work for the long run. A piece of paper won't change that."

"Rick-."

"Just listen to me." He softly begged, "I know it was just a dream but it reminded me how close I came to losing you. I just don't want to waste any more time. I don't want to lose you without ever you being my wife. I know you think I'm being crazy I know that you probably dreamed of planning a wedding and making everything perfect. I want you to have all that, I do. It's just I-."

"Okay."

Castle's head jerked up, "What?"

"Okay." Beckett repeated, "Let's get married."

"Really?"

"Yes." She answered this time with a smile, "I don't need a big wedding, Castle. All I need is you to be there."

"God I love you." He slammed his mouth to hers muffling her laughter. "So much."

"Let's go."

His brow shot up, "Now?"

"What? This was your idea."

Castle pulled her tight against him and buried his face in her hair. How he was blessed with this woman he would never know and never would question it. This amazing woman loved him for whatever reason and that's all that mattered. "This weekend," he offered. "Let's do it this weekend. Gives us a few days to get things straight."

"Like telling your daughter for one." Beckett chuckled snuggling further into his arms. This was crazy, but she wouldn't have it any other way. In four short days she was going to marry Richard freakin Castle. The man who was her partner in every sense of the way. So he was right when he said a piece of paper would change nothing between them. They had jumped in with both feet a long time ago.

"We'll tell her." Castle swept his fiancé up into his arms with a goofy grin, "After I've had my way with you."

Beckett wrapped her arms around his neck so she could have easier access to nibble on his ear, "Ravish me writer boy."

"Man." He breathlessly corrected tossing her carefully onto the bed. "It's writer man."

Grinning, Beckett reached up to yank Castle down by the front of his shirt. The writer happily settled between her legs as her lips found his. "Shut up and ravish me."

"With pleasure."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Still glowing from the morning activities, Beckett knocked hastily on her old apartment door and waited very impatiently for Alexis to open the door. She had her key and was half tempted to use it when the time stretched on, but didn't want to ruin her soon to be stepdaughter's privacy. And for the fact the last time she used it, out of habit, she may or may not have walked in on Alexis and Jeremy in the middle of a heavy petting session. Thankfully she had been able to hightail it out of there before either of them noticed her presence. "Come on, Alexis." Beckett knocked again.

The door opened a moment later to a flustered Alexis, "Kate?"

Oh god not again. Beckett cautiously glanced over the red head's shoulder, "Is Jeremy here?"

"Maybe." Alexis shifted to block Beckett's view, "Is Dad with you?"

"Lucky for you he's not. But I need you to say goodbye to that boyfriend of yours and come with me?"

"I do?"

"Well if I'm getting married on Saturday I need to go get a dress so I'm dragging you and Lanie around town until we find one."

"Wait. Wait." Alexis stopped the detective from ramble on, "You're getting married this Saturday?"

A smile blossomed on Beckett's face, "Yes."

"With my Dad, right?"

Beckett couldn't' help but laugh, "Is it supposed to be someone else?"

"Well, you don't seem like the type-."

"Alexis!"

"Come on." Alexis tugged the woman into the apartment causing her boyfriend to snap up right on the couch and do his best to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes. The redhead all but shoved the detective onto one of the bar stools, "Now what the hell is going on? Has something happened? Are you dying? Is Dad?"

"Lexis-."

"Oh god!" Alexis snapped a hand over her mouth in realization, "You're pregnant!"

"No, I'm not pregnant." Beckett assured both Alexis and Jeremy. The outburst had drawn the attention of the young man who had jumped over the couch to join their conversation. Of course, that's where everyone's thought would go and Beckett struggled to find a way to explain it in a way that they would understand. When it came down to it they simply didn't want to wait to be husband and wife. Couldn't wait to start the next chapter of their lives together. "Nor am I dying and as far as I know neither is your father."

"Haven't you guys only been engaged for what, a week?" Jeremy asked trying to catch up with what was going on.

In response, Beckett twisted the ring on her finger, "Five days."

"And don't usually people wait for at least a couple of months before walking down the aisle?" Alexis pointed out.

"I know this all sounds crazy but when it comes down to it it's very simple. I love Castle and he loves me. There is no need to wait in either of our minds." Well that was a good way to put it and thankfully Alexis seemed to accept it without further need for an explanation. "Of course we won't do this without your approval, Alexis."

"Are you kidding me!" Laughing, Alexis caught her soon to be stepmother in a tight embrace, "Of course I approve, Kate. And this way you won't have time to realize that you bit of more than you can chew when it comes to my Dad."

Beckett squeezed tighter, "I think I've had plenty of time to realize that, Lexis. If I didn't kill him yet then we should be all right. So..." She drew away to search Alexis's face, "You ready to go find me a dress?"

"Duh!"

0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They met Lanie at some dress boutique in the city and thankfully the ME seems to accept Beckett's explanation without too many questions. Beckett figured it was due to Lanie's excitement to go dress shopping. If there was one thing that Lanie loved - it was shopping. They were on dress number four when Beckett started to get a bit frustrated. She didn't think that finding a dress would be easy, but figured that she would start to get an idea after a few of them.

"No to…" Alexis waved her hand in an attempt to get her point across.

Beckett looked at herself in the mirror once again and let out a heavy sigh, "Not me."

"Well, on to the next one." Lanie was already on her feet handing another dress over to her friend.

Rolling her eyes, Beckett reluctantly took it before heading towards the dressing room. This time after she stripped off her current dress she took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Clad in only her under garments she could see the scars that branded her body and found herself wanting to look away. Some were fading and some were still healing. She gingerly touched the bright pink patch of raised skin about an inch, maybe two, long that was near her left hip. Pressing down caused a sense of strange pressure that almost felt like pain as if the wound was still fresh. Beckett knew that it was her mind recalling the night that Grey's knife had pierced her body. Recalling the fear that coursed through her as she lay bleeding in Castle's arms. Recalling the terrified feeling that her mother hadn't had that comfort hadn't had anyone in that alley where she was stabbed to death.

God how Beckett wished that her mother was here to help her find the perfect dress. To gush over Castle and Alexis. To give her the advice on what makes a marriage work and how to be a mother. Damn it her mother should be here! But she wasn't thanks to the likes of Coonan and Maddox and whoever was behind them pulling the strings. For the first time since the rooftop incident Beckett stopped to think about the fact that Maddox was out walking the streets. Sure she had no regrets about stepping away from her mother's case because it was clear that it was consuming her. It was coming close to destroying the one thing in her life that mattered the most - Castle and Alexis. They had become the most important thing in her life. More important than bringing justice to her mother's death. The fact that she had forgotten that and started chasing the shadows that filled her with anguish for the things she said to Castle and for implying that he was secondary in her life. The fact that he had fought to keep her instead of deeming her not worth the trouble made tears burn in the back of her throat.

"Kate?" Alexis peeked her head around the curtain instantly becoming concerned at the detective's lack of dress. She stepped inside before arousing any suspicion from Lanie that something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Beckett looked up startled.

"Does it hurt?"

"What?" She repeated looking down to where she was still touching the scar, "Oh. A bit I guess."

This was the first time that Alexis had seen the scar on her abdomen from the knife Beckett took in exchange for her safety. A little over a year later, Alexis couldn't look at the jagged scar on the detective's neck without being overwhelmed with guilt. Now seeing the other made her feel ten times worse as well as amazed that this woman who had no obligation to her other than being her father's partner was willing to die in order to keep Grey from hurting her.

"Look at me." Beckett curled a finger under the younger woman's chin and lifted until blue eyes met her hazel ones. "Every time, do you understand? Every time I'm faced with the choice I will protect you no matter what the cost."

"But..."

"But nothing." Beckett cut her off, "I love you."

"I love you too, Kate."

"Good now let's get this dress on before Lanie comes barging in here to do it herself."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Good. Mother, you're home." Castle, sitting on the couch, looked up from his tablet with a wide grin at the redhead rushing through the door.

"I'm only back for a moment, dear." Martha waved at him and started for the stairs.

"Mother wait!" Leaping over the back of the couch, Castle managed to stop her before she got too far. "Kate and I are getting married."

"Yes dear, I know this." Martha patted her son's cheek with a smile, "And I have expressed just how delighted I am by the fact that you finally realized that she's the best thing to happen to you and asked her. Now congratulations again, but I must be quick."

"Kate and I are getting married as in walking down the aisle with rings and everything..." That got her full attention. "This Saturday."

Martha's brow furrowed, "But why? Oh, goodness is she pregnant."

"No, she's not pregnant," Castle assured her though the thought of seeing Beckett swollen with his child was a very pleasant thing to think about. Having children wasn't something to rush into, but maybe it was a conversation worth bringing up after the wedding. They hadn't really discussed what Beckett would do now that she turned in her shield. The possibility of her going back was still on the table. As much as he might not like the constant danger of Beckett's job, he had accepted a long time ago that being a cop was who she was. "We just don't see the sense in waiting."

"Oh Richard, that's great. I've always preached the greatness of seizing the day. There is so much to do in so little time!"

"That's why I need your help."

They hadn't gotten very far in planning when Alexis and Beckett returned to the loft empty handed. Castle frowned when his daughter flung herself back dramatically on the couch on a long sigh. The writer shot his fiancé a look, "No luck?"

"No!" The answer came from Alexis. "Three stores and over a dozen dresses and nothing!"

"You would think she was the one that had to try them all on." Beckett whispered leaning against the counter joining father and mother.

"Heard that!" Alexis stated.

Castle rubbed a gentle hand down Beckett's back, "Sorry that it was a bust."

"I figured after that many dresses I would have some type of an idea on what I was looking for." None of them felt right. She looked at herself in the mirror it was just painfully apparent even though Lanie ohhh and awww-ed with everyone. Though she was the farthest thing to an expert on weddings, Beckett knew that when it came to the dress she was supposed to take one look at herself in it and just know with every fiber of her being that dress would be the one. The dress that would stop Castle dead in his tracks as she walked down the aisle to him.

"It's only the first day."

"I don't know if I can go through another one like today. As much as I love Lanie I was ready to kill her every time she pulled out another dress."

"Do you want to wait?" The question was asked on a soft voice. As much as Castle wanted to get married to this wonderful woman the last thing he wanted to do was push her into anything she wasn't ready. He had proven by now that he was willing to wait for her to reach the next step. After all he did patiently; okay so maybe not to patiently, wait for Beckett for four years for her to see he was more than just a partner.

"No." Beckett chased the thought away with a kiss, "We still got a few more days. I will find something. What have you been up to?"

"Looking up places to get married." Castle informed invoking a confusing expression from his partner, "What?"

"Why not just go to the Hamptons?"

The writer started drumming his fingers against the counter, "I just well I didn't know about your views on getting married in a church."

"Do you want to get married in a church?"

"No." He answered a little too quickly thinking back to his second trip down the aisle.

Beckett cocked her head to the side with that look that made the most hardened of criminals cringe, "That sounds like it has a story attached."

"No it doesn't."

A head of red hair popped up over the edge of the couch, "He married Gina in a church because her parents insisted on it until they were blue in the face. Let just say it ended with Dad knocking over a candlestick and nearly setting Gina's wedding dress on fire."

Castle glared at his daughter all the while why his soon to be wife slapped a hand to her mouth to try and fail miserably to hold back her laughter. "Traitor."

"Sorry Dad," Alexis swung her legs over to the side and pushed to her feet. She patted his back, "Just think, I'm getting you use to when you guys have a kid of your own and you never win at anything ever again."

"I never do now." The thought of Beckett carrying his child brought back that pleasant feeling he had earlier. Catching Beckett's beaming face Castle could see she felt something similar to what he was thinking. Maybe they weren't that far away from that after all. "I figured that you would want something more meaningful."

"Like the library you arrested Richard in." Martha suggested pleasing everyone with the idea. "I'm sure with the right amount of convincing, that we can work something to work by this weekend."

That convincing was money. Beckett nixed that thought with a wave of her hand. Money wasn't something they really fought about and Castle wasn't the type of guy that flaunted it around every now and again. When they moved in together, the start of their combined life in Becket's opinion, she wanted it to be stated for the record that his money held no interest to her. Beckett wanted everything to be split down the middle as best as they could. Even this "shotgun" wedding they were planning. "I think the Hamptons are a good idea. Plus we don't have to worry too much about decorating the place and everything. Plenty of room for the people we do invite to stay over."

"Speaking of which who do you plan on inviting?" Martha wondered tapping her pen on the pad of paper in front of her. "Dr. Parish of course and the boys."

Beckett's gaze flickered to Castle's or a brief moment before settling on the older redhead. "I'm not so sure if we can get them both. I talked to Lanie today and apparently they aren't very happy with each other."

This raised Alexis's interest, "What happened?"

"Well," Castle rubbed the back of his neck in a clear stalling tactic. They hadn't really told the redheads about the circumstances that was the true reason leading to their engagement. Not that it started out with their intention. Yes, Maddox was out there and yes, he had tried to throw Beckett off a roof and yes, he might try again, but the last thing they wanted to do was alarm their family. Beckett had stepped away from the case for good hopefully cutting all ties that would draw Maddox back to them. "The last case was a bit rough on them. They didn't agree on what the right thing was to do causing them to splinter."

"They'll be fine." Or at least Beckett hoped. After all it was her blindness that caused the partners to have the standoff in the first place. "Maybe the wedding will bring them together or at least they can pretend to stand each other for a short period of time."

"Well it was fun today, Kate, but I've got a lot of homework that I have to get back to."

"I'm sure that's not all there is." Beckett managed to murmur at the right moment when the writer's attention had been brought back to the tablet so was none the wiser to the murderous look Alexis shot her way. Castle might like to maintain the peace of mind that his baby girl was not having sex even if all the signs pointed to it. Beckett did what she could do to help him keep that innocent way of thinking, didn't mean that she was going to miss a prime opportunity to tease the younger redhead. "I'll call you after your last class and give you an update to see if you want to join Lanie and I for round two of dress shopping."

"Hope you can handle her on your own until I come to the rescue." Alexis bided the adults goodbye and threw over her shoulder just on her way out the door, "Love you."

"Wait for me." Martha grabbed her clutch from the counter, "Good luck you too."

Beckett watched the Writer's brow furrowed, his gaze focused on nothing and full of worry, "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?" There. He finally got the courage to ask the question. He wanted nothing more to marry the woman and spend the rest of his life with her. But the events leading up to their spontaneous engagement were still something they hadn't really fully addressed.

"You think I don't want to marry you? That I'm just what? Going along-."

"No. No." This was not how he wanted this conversation to go. Reason why the question had been so hard to work out in the first place. "I love you and want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I just want you to be sure. That this isn't not some oh-I-quit-my-job-i-almost-died-now-I'm-not-sure-what-do-in-life thing."

"No...Not for me." The anger that swelled at the question leveled out. It wasn't like Beckett could blame him wondering such a thing. "Castle's it's always been all or nothing with you. That's why I dragged me heels when it came to my feelings for you. I just knew that it never could be just a few nights. I knew that you were it."

He squeezed her hand, "Same."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

After an hour of two going back and forth on where to have the ceremony, the couple decided that the Hamptons was indeed the perfect place. All that was left now was to get some rings and tell Beckett's father. So that's what brought her to the special diner she always met her father and order herself a strawberry milkshake while she waited. For some reason Beckett was nervous about telling her father about the plans to speed up the wedding. She had no clue why. He had been ecstatic when she told him about the engagement. What Beckett failed to mention was the events leading up to the surprise engagement. And if it was left up to her, he would never know. They had an understanding that Beckett would let her mother's case go. No more chasing after shadows.

"Katie."

Snapping out of her cloud of thoughts, Beckett looked up to her father's slightly worried face. "Hey Dad." She stood to give him a nice hard hug. "Thanks for coming."

Jim drew away, searching her face for the unanswered question swirling in his eyes, "Never miss a chance to have dinner with my best girl." He slid into the booth across from his daughter, "Rick not coming?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you alone."

Jim caved and asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Beckett replied doing nothing to reassure her father judging by the skeptical look on his face. "I have some good news in fact. Rick and I are getting married this weekend. Before you ask, no I'm not pregnant."

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile, "That's a hell of a shotgun wedding there, Katie. What time?"

Beckett hesitated for a moment, "You're not disappointed?"

"Why would I be disappointed? You love him, right?"

"More than I thought I could love anybody."

"Then I don't see any reason for the long wait. If you love a person then why wait. Your mother and I didn't have a particularly long engagement."

"A bit longer than a week."

Jim laughed, "Yes,"He reached across the table to take her hand in his, "Rick is a good man. More importantly he loves you beyond measure and he makes you happy. I didn't think any man would be good enough for my little girl, but Richard Castle is. Your mother would say the same."

The mention of her mother, after all that had happened in the last week, brought tears to her eyes. More than anything, Beckett wished that she was here to experience this moment with her. Right there she came to the painful realization why she was dragging her feet ever so slightly. This was something Beckett had always envisioned sharing with her mother. "You think so?"

"I know so," Jim softly assured. "So the question is, do you think you can pull a wedding off in a week? Don't you have any open cases?"

"I... umm, well," Beckett played aimlessly with the straw of her milkshake. Lying to her father wasn't something she liked to do, but in this situation it called for it. Telling him about her choice to turn in her shield would only lead to a slew of questions she wasn't ready to answer. "I took some vacation. I had quite a bit saved up."

"Have you found a dress?"

"Alexis, Lanie, and I tried today but none felt right. I must have tried on a dozen."

"Have you thought maybe about using your mothers?"

Well no she hadn't. Beckett took a moment to do it now. She remembered seeing pictures of their wedding day and thinking just how beautiful her mother looked in it. Even snuck into the attic where it was kept when she was younger to try it on herself. Of course she had been caught. But thankfully her mother hadn't been mad. In fact told her that she had hoped that Beckett might even wear it to her own wedding. Beckett recalled her reaction to marriage had been one of disgust. After all she had been no more than six.

"It would have to be altered, but would save you a lot of trouble trying to find one in such a short time."

"I think it's a great idea."

"Great." Jim pulled out the menu with a huge smile on his face easing whatever worry Beckett had. "You sure you're not pregnant?"

Shaking her head, Beckett laughed, "No."

"Damn." His gaze drifted to the menu, "Looking forward to being a grandfather to a little one."

It warmed Beckett's heart that her father had taken to being one to Alexis and that the redhead embraced him with welcoming arms. "Maybe some day soon."

So? Whatca think? Would you guys let me know because it does help every now and again! :D
Erin aka Tonks