Set after 6x22 - Vertias. Just a little moment to celebrate the end (and beginning) of an era.
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Kate dragged Rick through the cemetery by intertwined fingers, sparkling with her engagement ring. "We have to do this quickly or we'll be late for our appointment with the reverend."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." He stumbled into her as she came to a halt at an all too familiar stone. The couple stood still for a moment, staring at the letters etched in stone.
Vincit Omnia Veritas
Truth Conquers All
It took fifteen years but truth finally conquered all. Rick looked at Kate when she squeezed his hand tightly, their meeting flesh turning white with the effort to keep their emotions contained. She looked put together, staring somberly down at the headstone but he saw the little ticks in her face that no one seemed to notice. The way her nose twitched, the way she clenched her jaw so tightly. The way her chest rose as she gathered her courage there before she finally spoke.
"Richard Castle, I'd like to introduce you to my mother Johanna Beckett. Mom, meet Richard Castle, the one I've told you about."
When Rick didn't respond – didn't move – she hazarded a glance. He was staring at her, stunned to silence for a moment but her lost look brought him back. He released his fiancée's hand and stepped forward, straightening his blazer.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Beckett. Please call me Rick, after all we're going to be family soon." He heard Kate gasp but he continued "I do regret that we didn't get to meet in person but I think getting to know your daughter these past five years has let me get to know you a little bit. I think you would be very proud of the woman she is. I know I am. Now I'm not sure what Kate's told you about me but I can assure you: I am not the man I once was. Meeting your daughter was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Next to meeting my own daughter. Oh, you would love Alexis. She's in college now but even when she was little she was so mature and level-headed. In fact I remember this one time…" Rick continued telling his story, his stance relaxed but animated as he recounted stories about Alexis growing up. He didn't stop until Kate whimpered and gasped behind him and he turned like he'd forgotten she was there. Her nose was red and her lip was quivering as tears fell rapidly down her face. Oh.
"You're a jackass." She whispered as he approached her.
He smiled as he cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears away. "I know. But you mom understands. You know this isn't the first time I've met you mother."
Her head shot up with wide-eyed curiosity. How he loved those eyes. So expressive – even in the days when she couldn't speak her mind. "It's not?"
"No. About three years ago. When you were…when you'd been shot – and you refused to talk to me – I came here." He dropped his hand, looking at her with such sad regret. "I was just so angry that I stormed over to your mother's grave and just ranted and raved about you for hours." He turned quickly back to the headstone and bowed his head. "I'd like to apologize, Mrs. Beckett, for being so rude earlier."
Kate turned his face back to her with a gentle hand on his stubble. She kissed him sweetly before laying her head on his shoulder and cuddling into him as they looked back at her mother. "Call her Johanna." He kissed her forehead and she felt his smile. "To be honest I've done my fair share of ranting here. She's a good listener. At first I was yelling at her, I was so angry with her for leaving but as the years went on I just started…telling her about my day. She became a confidant for all my darkest secrets."
"Kind of like a diary."
She chuckled, "I've told you before, Castle, I'm not letting you read my diary for 'research'."
"Oh fine." He pouted with his chin resting against her head and she smiled, snuggling a little closer.
"And then when I met you, the ranting started again."
"What?" He shot up but she soothed him with a hand on his chest.
"I vented to mom about all the idiotic things you did. And all the sweet things. All the wonderful things. She was the first person I told; when I knew for sure that I was in love with you, she was the first person I told."
He kissed her hair again. "I'm glad you shared this with me."
"My mom was one of the very first things I shared with you." She turned in his arms to look at him, her eyes alight with love. "And I'm so glad I did." She kissed his lips with all the love she felt bubbling in her chest. "I meant it, Castle, I couldn't have done this without you. Hell, I probably wouldn't be here without you."
"It's the least I can do."
The intensity of his loving gave made her turn back to face her mother – a little too overwhelming in her emotional state. "You know, my mom would have been hard on you but she would have loved you." She turned back to him with a new smile. "Much harder than dad is on you."
He scoffed, "wait, your dad actually likes me?"
She turned to him with a raised eyebrow "Castle, my dad loves you. This is the nicest I've ever seen him act towards a guy I like. It's actually a little scary."
"Well it's a good thing you're marrying me then."
She grinned into the kiss. "Very good." They stood for a long moment, their foreheads resting against each other, nuzzling their noses as they shared the space between their breaths. "I suppose since you've already met my mom we can get going."
"We can stay as long as you like."
She pulled back, taking her hands in his. "No. We can go. Besides, I want to get to the venue before a body drops."
"I thought we agreed not to do the dead body in the aisle thing."
She stepped out of his warmth and winked as she walked away. "I made no promises."
Rick watched Kate walk back towards the path with lighter steps than he'd ever seen. Long ago, he would have only hoped to see the woman he loved so happy. He swore he would do whatever it took to make her walk lighter and smile brighter and now here they were. For the first time in years he could sleep easy knowing she was beside him and, as cheesy as it sounded, he still couldn't believe that this extraordinary woman was about to agree to spend the rest of her life with him.
He paused at the headstone before he chased after his fiancée, reaching a hand out to trace the top as he whispered "I think you and I are going to get along very well, Johanna."