Oh look, Bogi finally writes again. The day before a math test. Such great planning.

Kate and Rick are AU in the sense that their personalities are a bit different. Their backstories will probably remain the same.

Edit: Not totally the same. And if the plot doesn't make sense, then so be it. It's MY story. If I continue it, I'll fix it up. The end.

I don't own any of the characters in this, except Nona.

Sitting in the back row, she attempts to watch the service play out. She hasn't been to something like this in a while; neither has he. But the two of them, although they just became acquainted, are at the ceremony together (her best friend Kevin is getting married, and she was a bit late getting there from work).

(He had introduced himself as "Rick", saying that the bride is one of his closest friends, and she smiled and shook his outstretched hand, murmuring, "Kate". His grin just grew bigger as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, his bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief. She feels a spark, and from that moment on she's hooked, but she's also desperate to make sure he doesn't find that out.)

Throughout the mass, there are grins of satisfaction, smiles of happiness for the excited couple. His shoulder is there to giggle into when the moment is too special to interrupt with her laughter.

But then he leaves, right when the vows are to be said. She doesn't move; she doesn't do anything. She's here for her best friend, she tells herself. That man is as important to her as a stranger might be, but then why does the regret settle in almost instantaneously?

She gets up and rush out of the building, ignoring the little voice in her head that's telling her to stop being crazy and stay for Kevin and Jenny's happy day.

She rushes into your car; starts the engine and shifts into gear. Her friends had decided to have their wedding in a quaint little town, and there are not many places he could've gone.

She takes the only route out from the little chapel and heads to the B&B where all the guests are staying (the owner is an adorable old lady who insists everyone call her "Nona". She barely speaks any English, but she's constantly fussing over everyone).

She sees Rick on the porch swing with Nona when she pulls into the driveway a little ways off, and her heart melts a little at the sight of him holding the elderly lady's hands tenderly and speaking to her. When she comes a little closer, she can make out a few words in Italian, and her heart is absolute mush because Rick is dwarfing the little woman and it's not something she can describe, but the sight is so heart-wrenchingly beautiful that she accidentally lets out an, "Aww".

Rick's face lights up when he sees her, and Kate has the urge to run up and hug him and never let go, but she represses it.

"Is this her?" Nona asks, looking up at Rick and smiling widely at Kate.

Rick's response is so soft that she almost doesn't hear it. "Yes."

The old lady pushes him towards Kate, and says something in Italian that makes Rick laugh, loudly (The only thought on Kate's mind is: God, he's so beautiful when he laughs. Make him laugh more).

The next seconds are a blur, because suddenly Rick is several feet away, and the next he's kissing her, and "oh my god oh my god oh my god I'm kissing a random stranger who's insanely attractive and holy shit what is he doing with his tongue," is the only thing that runs through Kate's brain.

Finally, they have to breathe. He looks down at her, and he smiles. He cups her cheek in his palm (holy crap her cheek is absolutely dwarfed by his hand), and pecks her lips lightly, before leading her up the stairs into the house.

Later that night, the two of them talk. And talk. He tells her about his two failed marriages, and she tells him about her mother dying and her father leaving the country in order to cope. They both live in New York City, and his face beams when she tells him that she's a homicide detective. She knows who he is, had figured it out after he told her about being a novelist (he's frickin' Rick Castle, one of her mom's and her favorite authors), and he had teased her on being a fan right after.

She shares the fact that Kevin had taken her in when she was abandoned, not yet ready to face the world at the tender age of 19, especially since that was the year she had truly began to appreciate her parents and what they'd done for her. The two of them lay in each other's arms, and as he's tracing symbols on her arms, he asks,

"When we first touched in the chapel... did you feel it too?"

She nods into his collarbone. "Yeah, and I almost ran away. I've never felt that with anybody before."

"Me neither." He clears his throat and sits them up a little, leaning against the pillows. She makes a mental note to thank Nona for bringing in extra sheets and pillows before they made it to the bedroom. "The last time I was at a wedding, my ex-wife was pregnant with my daughter. We were about to say our vows, and something, something, told me to not go through with it. I was right. Meredith took Alexis when she was about six years old in the middle of the school day to Paris. 'Lex contacted me for a few months but Meredith must've told her something because after about three months, I didn't hear from either of them." He takes a shaky breath and wipes at his eyes. "But I'm not sorry I left the ceremony, even if Jenny is one of my friends, because then this wouldn't have happened."

Kate's heart breaks at the sight of tears glistening in Rick's eyes. "I'm not sorry either. But... How old is Alexis now?"

He sighs, and holds her a little tighter to himself. "She's turning fifteen tomorrow. I've never told anyone that before, let alone so soon."

Kate nods in agreement. "Only a few people know my backstory. I think there's just something about you-" She's cut off by another kiss, and she's grinning now.

Then a thought comes to her. She breaks away to say, "I don't want to define us, right now. I have something with you I've never felt before, and I'd like to explore it a bit, if that's okay."

He presses little kisses to her face. "I'd like that to."

(Before they leave the next day, Nona gives them both mugs to remember the town by, and they promise to visit sometime soon, and Kate really wants to keep that promise. Hopefully, when she does visit, she won't be coming alone, though.)

This started out as a 200 word drabble.

I love Nona so much. If I continue this, it'll be purely to see her more because I adore elderly people much more than I like people my age or younger (lmao jk). I'm leaving this incomplete for now, because I feel like there could definitely be more of this AU Kate and Rick to tell, but I'm not sure.

Thanks for reading (and leave a review to help out this humongous migraine I have had for nearly two days now :) ).