The characters are not mine, of course, but sometimes they speak to me anyway. The final product was somewhat unexpected, but I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite episodes. Enjoy!

Fly on the Wall

Richard Castle had never been more thankful for the exhaustive list of contacts he had developed over the years. His friendship with the mayor had given him the opportunity to shadow his extraordinary fiancee, and his "guys" were now busily preparing his Hamptons home for the wedding he proposed a mere hour ago. Upon securing the officiant for the wedding (yet another Castle contact), he moved toward the bedroom door to share the news with Kate.

Before he could update her on the plans, however, he heard Kate talking to her father on speakerphone. He had promised Kate that he would not enter the bedroom until she gave him the all clear (her wedding trousseau was top secret), so he couldn't just peek his head in to give her the thumbs up. He also knew that he should let her have her privacy, but he was more than a little nervous that her father would not approve. After all, he would be hesitant if Alexis had a fiance who disappeared for months without an explanation. Needing to know the story, he hovered outside his bedroom door and prayed that Kate's father had truly forgiven him.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hi, Katie Bug. What's up?"

"Please tell me you're free this evening."

"Just planning on watching some old classics on TV. Why?"

"Rick and I want you to come out to the Hamptons with us."

"The Hamptons?" he asked, seemingly puzzled by her odd request for a weeknight.

"I want you there by my side when I finally marry the love of my life."

Castle's heart leaped with joy. He knew that Kate loved him, but he'd never heard her describe him as the love of her life.

"You're getting married...tonight?"

"We decided not to wait anymore."

"Oh. Well of course I'll be there, but..."

Kate cut him off. "Dad, I know you were upset when Rick disappeared, but he never would have willingly left me."

"I..."

"I also know that I lost faith sometimes and that you had to pick up the pieces, but he..."

Castle winced at the fresh reminder of of the pain he had caused during his disappearance.

"Katie, listen to me," Jim stated with enough force to get her to listen. "Rick Castle is the best thing that has ever happened to you, and nothing will make me happier than to stand by your side at your wedding."

Castle's eyebrows shot to his hairline in surprise.

"Oh, but you seemed so hesitant."

Jim chuckled. "I just dropped off my best suit at the cleaners, so I was trying to figure out how to look presentable."

Kate laughed in relief. "You had me worried there for a minute."

"Katie, it was apparent to me from the first moment I met Rick that he loves you the way I loved your mother. He had such awe in his voice when he talked about you, and I could tell that he would do anything in his power to take care of my little girl."

"Was that when you asked him to talk some sense into me?"

"You knew about that?"

"He told me about it a few days after I finally let myself love him in the way that he deserved."

"I hope you don't hold it against me. I couldn't let them hurt you, too, and I knew you wouldn't listen to me."

"I wouldn't listen to him either. We had a horrible fight, and I was shot before I could make it up to him."

"You should have seen him in the hospital waiting room, Katie. Rick was beyond devastated, but he took such good care of me. I was terrified that I was going to lose you and wanted a drink so badly, but he helped me stay strong for you."

"He never told me that."

"I suspect he didn't want you to think less of me."

She sighed in awe. "Every time I think I know everything there is to know, I find a new reason to love him. I'm so thankful he was there for you, Dad. You mean the world to me."

He hoped he would always find new ways to earn her love.

"And you, my darling daughter, are the light of my life. Now, let's go get you hitched."

Castle smiled broadly, recalling a conversation from long ago.

"Hitched, huh?" She laughed softly. "I can't wait. Rick is sending a driver over to pick you up in a hour. Can you be ready by then?"

"I'll be ready. I love you, Katie."

"I love you, too, Dad. See you soon."

"See you soon. Bye."

"Kate," Castle called out to her. "We have an officiant, and the venue will be ready upon our arrival. Can I come in?"

"Everything is packed safely away from your prying eyes, Babe. I take it there were no problems."

Striding purposefully toward her, he said, "I had to call in a few favors, but I can't think of a better reason to use them." Wrapping his arms around her, he emphasized his point with a loving kiss.

"You know, it always used to bug me that my exasperating tag-along had 'a guy' for everything, but I've learned to see the value over the years," she told him as she pulled away slightly from his embrace.

"The value of my contacts or me?" he asked playfully.

"Both," she laughed.

"Are you ready to get hitched then?"

"Don't you mean cuffed?" she teased.

"I mean married, but there's always the honeymoon for any other connotation you had in mind," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Smiling, she replied, "I might need to use the cuffs for another reason. How much did you hear?"

"All of it," he replied, looking like a guilty little boy.

She raised her eyebrow in response.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I just needed to know that he has forgiven me for everything I put you through."

"Rick, my father loves you," she told him earnestly, caressing his cheek. "In fact, he's been your cheerleader practically from day one."

"He has?" Castle asked in surprise.

Kate nodded. "I think he knew I had feelings for you long before I realized it. I remember that early in our partnership I was ranting about something you had done. He just gave a knowing grin and said, 'I'm glad to see you smiling again, Katie.'"

"I knew you liked me back then," he teased.

"Even when I couldn't stand you, I still had this nagging soft spot for you. You brought joy back into my life, and I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you, Rick, for loving me and for taking care of my father when I was in the hospital."

"I couldn't help you then, but at least I could make sure that your father had the support he needed."

She kissed him gently. "I wish I had let you take care of me, but I was too stubborn to see reason. I half expected you to push your way into my recovery like you had in every other aspect of my life, but you never came."

Castle's face fell. "Did you want me to? You seemed so sure that you needed time."

Kate smiled sadly. "My dad says I used to cry out for you in my sleep. He kept asking if he could call you, and I almost let him a few times."

"Why didn't you?"

"I missed you so much, but I told myself that I would call you when I was no longer broken. I wanted to be able to live up to the image of the girl you wrote about in your books."

Castle looked stricken. "You'd been shot, Kate! I just wanted to be with you and help you get better. Did I really make you feel like you had to live up to some impossible standard?"

"No, Rick, no," she said quickly, soothing him with the caress of her lips. "I was in pain, and I wasn't being rational. As I look back now, I realize that I was scared of how much I loved and needed you, so I retreated. I never even stopped to consider how much pain I was causing you, and that was so selfish of me. Luckily, you chose to forgive me."

"It took some time, but its one of the best decisions I've ever made. You're worth it, Kate."

"Then why are you so reluctant to believe that you deserve forgiveness? You were kidnapped on our wedding day...you didn't voluntarily leave without a word."

"We don't know that. You saw me on the surveillance tape making that money drop. Maybe I..."

"Rick, I have no doubt that, even if some part of your disappearance was voluntary, you had a good reason for doing it. I believe in you, Richard Castle," she told him, kissing him once more.

After a few moments of savoring her kiss and letting her words sink in, Castle broke away with a grin. "So, you believe in me, huh? Am I like the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy?"

She laughed heartily. Only Castle could ask such a ridiculous question in the middle of a serious conversation. "Actually, you're more like Java Claus—always bringing coffee to those in need."

"Java Claus...I like that. Will there be a special holiday to celebrate me?"

"I'm sure we can think of something, but I have another celebration in mind for today."

"Are you ready to become Mrs. Claus, then?"

She nodded. "Always."

On their first anniversary, he brought her coffee with a note that read:

I expressed my love for you in coffee long before I could do so in words. You are my inspiration and my always, Katherine Beckett Castle, and I am so fortunate to share this journey with you.

All my love,

Java Claus

Smiling brightly, Kate found numerous ways to celebrate him.