In a world where Castle and Beckett's wedding was successful the first time around. AU starting at 6x23. Moments in chronological order.

The characters (so far) are not mine. They belong to the creators of Castle.

1. The Wedding

Kate gives Martha a hug, feeling so overjoyed by current events. She is getting ready to be married to the love of her life, surrounded by family and friends. They release each other quickly, but before anything else can be said, Beckett's phone rings. "Oh, excuse me," she says as she reaches for her phone. She lets out a little squeal of delight at the sight of her caller ID. "It's him!" Martha leaves the room, wanting to give the couple some privacy, telling Beckett that she will be waiting outside.

"Hey, lover. How close are you?" she asks.

"Twenty minutes. And you'll be happy to know things went smoothly with the judge. You are a free woman." Castle answers as he's driving. "But not for long. I've got our marriage license in my pocket and I will be there soon…And Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

It is a beautiful day in the Hamptons. The sun is shining brightly over the back yard where all of the guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin. Castle has just made his way to the altar, so it won't be long now. His daughter and two best friends, Javier and Kevin, are standing by his side. They are all dressed in black suits, Alexis' a little more feminine that the rest. She and her father share a look, and small smiles adorn their faces. Alexis is happy to finally be here. After all of the planning and the obstacles they ran into, she just wants this day to end well. Her dad and Kate both deserve it.

The music startles her from her thoughts, and she, along with everyone else present, turns their heads in the direction of the house. The first person to come into sight is Sophia, Beckett's cousin and bridesmaid. Although they are not as close as they used to be, they have kept in touch over the years. Sophia is followed by Beckett's high school friend Maddie and then by her maid of honour, Lanie. All three women are dressed in elegant leaf green dresses. Each are a little different thanks to a few small details. Finally, Kate comes into sight, looking absolutely stunning in her mother's dress. Her arm is linked with her father's as they make their way down the man made aisle between the rows of seats. She looks nervous during the first few strides, until her eyes meet Castle's. Just like that, the butterflies in her stomach are gone and she can't help but smile widely.

When Kate reaches the altar, she gives her dad a kiss and a hug. Jim then shakes Rick's hand and makes his way to his seat. Kate lets out a small giggle. "Hi," she says, a whisper that only Rick can hear. "Hi," he answers, and Kate looks down at her feet timidly, still smiling.

The ceremony was beautiful. The couple exchanged their vows, and when the officiant said "You may now kiss the bride", Castle did just that. Everyone clapped and cheered as Castle and Beckett kissed passionately. They rested their foreheads together for a moment, taking it all in. When they came apart and made their way back down the aisle, they were ambushed by people wanting to say their congratulations.

Later that evening, after dinner and having been on the dance floor with her husband (how she loved the sound of that), Beckett was taking a break from the crowded dance floor and enjoying a glass of wine. Sophia took a seat next to her underneath the white wedding tent set up in the backyard. They sat for a minute in silence, appreciating the white Christmas lights that twinkled, creating a romantic ambiance.

"It's beautiful," says Sophia, still looking around.

"Thank you," replies Kate. "And thank you for being here, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, Kate."

They are quiet for a little longer before Beckett says: "Remember when we were younger? We would sit in the tree house at Papa's. Our favourite time to do it was at night because Papa and Nana lived on the mountain, so we could see the whole city from that spot. It was an amazing sight, all the lights in the distance."

"Mhmm, I remember. That's exactly what this reminds me of too." Sophia replies.

The reminiscing doesn't last much longer because Aunt Theresa comes over and steals Kate away.

She is very thankful when Alexis interrupts their conversation. She loves her aunt, but you definitely need to take her in waves, not all at once. She can become a little overwhelming.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Webster, but could I steal Kate from you?" Alexis asks politely.

"Oh dear, please call me Aunt Theresa."

Alexis nods her head, "Okay, Aunt Theresa," she tries out the new name.

"Wonderful! And to answer your question, yes. You can take Katie, I will see you both later." Aunt Theresa makes her way to Jim Beckett who is sitting with Martha. Kate and Alexis share a knowing look that says "Best of luck to them".

Beckett and Alexis haven't seen much of each other tonight, with so many people to catch up with. They start walking in the direction of the house to get away from all the noise.

"So what's up?" Beckett asks when they've put some distance between themselves and the huge tent full of people.

"I just wanted to say congratulations. We haven't really gotten a minute alone."

"Thank you, Alexis. This would have been impossible without you." Beckett says with so much emotion. "I am so grateful, this night turned out perfectly."

She hesitates a second, but then wraps her arms around her step-daughter, tight and hard.

"I'm glad, Kate. You guys deserve the best." Alexis says into Kate's hair.

It is at this moment that they hear Castle's voice sound out through the microphone.

"Alright, where is my beautiful wife? We have a surprise for you!" he says way too enthusiastically. Kate is a little terrified of what is to come.

Beckett's shocked expression is priceless. She squints her eyes at Alexis, "Did you know about this?"

Alexis just laughs in response. Yes, of course she did. They walk, arms linked, back over to the tent. Beckett is indeed surprised, although she shouldn't be. Castle, Espo, and Ryan have all mastered a dance to the song What Makes You Beautiful. It's sweet and funny. One Direction has been a joke between their team for a while now, the boys always acting like fangirls when the boy band is mentioned.

Beckett smiles, clapping along with everyone else when the song (and dance) ends. Her husband walks over to her. She shakes her head at him.

"That was amazing, babe."

"Yeah? We can do an encore if you want," he teases.

"Oh don't worry, I'm confident someone got a video of that. I'll be able to get an encore whenever I want."

Alexis, still standing beside Beckett, pipes up: "We made sure to have video proof of it," she says smiling.

"Traitor," her dad says trying to be serious, but failing.

They all laugh and go back to the dance floor, joining their friends and family.

The night was more perfect than either Kate or Rick could have imagined.