Here, have a one shot. =) It's based on the song Congratulations by Blue October. If you haven't heard the song, please look it up! It's really beautiful.

Hope you like the fic. ^^


It was the day he had been dreading ever since he got the invitation. Kate Beckett's wedding. Four years after he finished shadowing her, not having heard from her since, but then again she hadn't heard from him either. Then one day, out of the blue, Castle recieved a card, inviting him to her wedding with...well with whats-his-face. Castle stopped reading after he got past Beckett's name.

"This is a bad idea." He told himself, as he surveyed himself in the mirror. He was wearing a simple, yet formal suit. In all honesty, he had no idea why he was going. As if his heart wasn't broken enough because of her. Now he was willingly going to watch the woman he loved get married to someone else. Once he looked presentable, he grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. Regret was already overwhelming him, and he had just left.

The venue where the wedding was being held was fairly nice. The parking area wasn't very crowded.
"Must be a small wedding." Castle mused, "but, then why would she invite me...?" For what must have been the thousendth time that day alone, Castle pondered why he was here. He stood outside the church for a few minutes, just thinking. Remembering. Missing. Wishing that he could go back in time to when he and Beckett had been unofficial partners. Writer and Muse.
"Why hadn't I just told her?" He whispered, wondering where those four years had gone.
"Why didn't I contact her?" He had been telling himself that he had been too busy with his writing to call, but the truth was that he was afraid. Afraid that since the Nikki Heat series had ended, Beckett wouldn't want him around. That was why he had left in the first place.

Castle was jarred from his thoughts when a small group of people brushed past him to enter the church. One of the people in the group, a women that looked kind of like Beckett suddenly turned to him.
"Rick Castle!" She yelped. He simply nodded, not really in the mood to socialize.
"I'm Kate's cousin, Jessie! It's good to see you here, Kate always talked so highly of you. Well, seeya inside!" She said, turning to enter the church. Beckett said good things about me? That doesn't sound like her. He thought with a chuckle, holding on to the fond memories of them jokingly bickering and teasing eachother.

Jumping back to reality, Castle hesitantly let himself in. As soon as he saw the inside of the church, he had the vicious urge to tell Beckett what he had been keeping bottled up for years. No. I can't do that to her. I told myself I was just here to watch. I. Will. Not. Interfere. Yet, no matter how much his brain internally scolded himself, his heart just told his brain to shut up. He noticed Jessie standing on the other side of the room, and quickly strode over.
"Hey, do you know where uh..Kate is?" He asked.
"Oh, yeah! She's over in the dressing rooms." She said, pointing in the direction of a door. Castle thanked her and started towards the room, frantically trying to convince himself to just leave the situation alone. Alas, the smart part of him failed the internal battle, and Castle knocked softely on the door. A few moments passed, then a crash and bang echoed from inside. Castle was about to go in to make sure no one was hurt, when the door swung open.

At that moment, Castle came face to face with Beckett. She was in her wedding gown already, and Castle was shocked at how gorgeous she looked. The stared at eachother for what seemed like eternity.
"Castle?" She asked, sounding almost...dissapointed to see him. Not quite what he expected.
"Beckett." He said. Beckett looked down in embarrasment.
"Sorry. It's just...I didn't expect to see you here. It um, it was Kurt's idea to invite you." That must be the groom.
"Oh." It was uncomfortabley silent for a few minutes, the whole time, Castle was trying, and nearly failing to work up the courage to tell her how he felt.

"Look, Beckett...Kate. I was hoping I could talk to you." Silence. After a few more moments of awkwardness, she stepped to the side, inviting him into the small back room.
"Okay, what did you want to say?" Beckett asked.
"Well, I uh just wanted to say that...you know what, nevermind. I wouldn't want to cause complications." Castle said, quickly changing his mind. He turned to leave, wanting to get the hell out before he said something he'd regret. He placed his hand on the door knob, ready to open the door when Beckett put a hand on his arm.
"No, I want to know."
Castle gulped nervously.
"Um, okay..." He began.
"I've been wanting to say this for a while. Even back when we worked together. I guess over the years that I shadowed you, I kinda...fell in love with you." Beckett's eyes widened in shock as she opened her mouth to say something. Castle held up a hand.
"I'm not finished, and I know it's out of the blue and really inappropriate to bring up at your wedding of all places, but I felt it had to be said." So that was that.
"I hope you're happy with...him. Congratulations, Kate." Castle finished, feeling broken. Beckett still didn't speak. She simply nodded. Castle left feeling empty and confused.

Castle didn't know what had posessed him to stay thorough the ceremony. No doubt Beckett didn't want him to. Castle had zoned out through the whole thing, just watching Beckett with sad eyes.
"Do you, Kurt Bedford take Katherine Beckett to be your lawful wedded wife to have and behold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" The minister asked the groom. As long as you both shall live. The phrase rung in Castle's ears, knowing from this day on he would never have a chance with Beckett. He wanted her to be happy. He really did, but it killed him seeing her up there with another man.
"I do." The groom said, and Castle felt slightly nauseous. The minister turned to Beckett.
"Do you, Katherine Beckett take Kurt Bedford to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and behold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Beckett stood, rooted to the spot, not speaking or even visibly breathing. The crowd was filled with hushed whispers.
"Kate?" The groom whispered.
"I-"
"I'm sorry, I can't do this!" Beckett bolted back down the aisle, tears in her eyes. Castle hadn't seen Beckett in cry since they had solved her mother's murder, which had been six years ago. His first instinct was to comfort her, just as he had that day many years before.

The groom was muttering incoherently. Isn't he going to go talk to her? Castle thought angrily. With possibly the whole crowd watching, Castle stood and ran after her.
He found Beckett in the parking lot sitting in a heap near her car. He rushed over to her.
"Are you okay, Kate?" He asked gently reaching out a hand to help her up. She nodded, taking his hand.
"Can we go for a walk...away from here?" She asked, brushing tears off her face.
"Yeah, of course."

So they walked. They walked for nearly a half hour in a perfect silence.
"You wanna tell me what happened back there?" Castle asked, stopping and looking at Beckett intently. Beckett fidgeted, as if she was choosing her words carefully.
"I guess over the years you shadowed me, I kinda fell in love with you too."