Hi! It's been a while. But this is a labor of love and a different theory for why they're so intent on giving us all the wedding details rather than we're not going to get the wedding at all. That and some time around the 100th Terri Miller tweeted something about wait until you see how Castle gets her back for his birthday. So here it is.

If you hadn't guessed I don't own Castle.

Finally Got It all Right

He's prattling on about how he has to get some writing done today, case or no case, while he scrambles eggs. I'm really only half-listening flipping through the newspaper scanning the headlines for anything of interest, popping the strawberries he set out into my mouth one by one. It's a good morning, the sun is up, dispatch hasn't called, and we're having breakfast together before I go in to catch up on paperwork and he stays to catch up on the latest adventures of Nikki and Rook.

Buzzing in my back pocket jolts me out of my domestic bliss, but I can't help but smile at the groan Castle emits, "We're not even going to get breakfast together are we?"

"Dispatch," I confirm sliding off the stool, "Beckett." Listening to dispatch I pull on my blazer and slip round the counter next to him, where he's now assembling my coffee in the to go mug. "It's murder," I confirm, hanging up the call. "Sure you don't want to come?

I know he can't, besides he hasn't even showered yet and he's wearing sweats and a t-shirt, a sure sign that he's going to spend the day writing. Nevertheless, he still looks put out, "I wish. I'm so far behind with the caseload and planning the wedding, the book is due next month and I'm only half done." Heaving a dramatic sigh, he hands me the coffee, "You're just going to have to catch the bad guy all by yourself this time."

"However, will I manage?" I smile as I kiss him goodbye grabbing the coffee and heading out. "I'll call you later, see how you're getting on."

"Love you." Comes back across the loft as the door closes behind me, leaving me feeling warm and happy as I head out for the day.

I'm humming along with the radio when I pull into the address dispatch gave me, something's off. There's only one blue and white and its lights aren't on, the uniforms leaning against the door tip their heads in my direction, but don't actually seem to be doing their jobs. Moreover, there's no sign of the CSU personnel or equipment. Lanie's M.E. vehicle is a couple cars down but there's no sign of transport. I shrug, draining the last of my coffee. It was close to the loft, sometimes we beat the forensics but the lone squad card was weird.

Just one strand of crime scene tape was stretched across the alley, a lousy perimeter. I turn back to the squad car to ask them to do their jobs, only to find them in their vehicle pulling out. What the heck is going on?

Lanie and Alexis are both standing at the far end of the alley clutching clipboards but neither of them are doing anything in particular, wearing gloves, or seemingly interested in anything. "Hey guys, I didn't know you were back at the ME's office Alexis? Or is this something we're not mentioning to your dad until he figures it out again?"

Alexis laughs, "Nope, this is something a little special."

I frown, glancing behind them, because there's still no indication of an actual crime scene. "Soooo..." I rocked back on my heels, "Where's the body?"

"Did we have to meet at the end of an alley?" Martha's voice rings out, echoing off the walls.

"It's a clean alley Gram," Alexis calls back walking back towards her grandmother.

I glance over at Lanie, but Lanie looks like she's doing her best not to laugh, and barely managing it. "Martha, what are you doing here?"

"Katherine dear, I do believe that this is your pay back." She comes to a stop, the trace of number five that follows her everywhere reaching my nose. Martha digs into her purse producing a thick parchment envelope, with my full name written on the outside in beautiful calligraphy, and presses it into my hand. "Here you go, this should explain it."

I take the envelope from her trying to a get a read on my best friends face, or my fiancée's family. "My pay back?" I have no idea what is going on here, but they all just watch me expectantly waiting for me to do as asked. Huffing a sigh, I open the envelope, pulling out the cream cardstock, plum calligraphy adorning the page. The exact invitation that I've decided we'll send as soon as we have a date and a place.

Richard Alexander Rodgers Castle

Katherine Houghton Beckett

Would cordially like to invite you

to join them in celebrating

their marriage

on

Friday May Ninth, Two Thousand and Fourteen

At the Skyline

Ceremony to commence at 7 pm

Reception to Follow

My heart is thundering in my ears, the world feels like it's closing in around me, I press the invitation to my chest looking at the three women in front of me. This can't possibly be happening. "Today is Friday May 9th."

"Yes, it is girl. So we should probably get moving the salon appointment is in twenty minutes." Lanie links her arm through mine, dragging me out to the alley entrance, "Mani, pedi's and champagne, massages, a late lunch and then we're going to get our hair and make-up done, put our dresses on and then you are going to get married."

"Guys, guys..." I stumble a little between them, trying to slow this down in any way possible, "I can't get married today?"

"Of course you can," Martha waves her hand, "and there's the car. Perfect timing." She grins at everyone and the slides into the back of the sleek limousine.

"Don't worry Kate, Dad took care of everything." Alexis smiles herself disappearing inside into the town car after her grandmother.

"Lanie?"

She just smiles at me, looking oh so pleased with herself. "Relax Kate," Lanie squeezes my arm, "you're getting married today." Then I'm standing on the sidewalk with the chauffeur trying to wrap my head around it. Still not getting anywhere.

Locking eyes with Jack, our regular driver, "I'm getting married today?"

"I'd say you are if you want to Miss Beckett."

"I'm getting married today." I repeat with more conviction, "I'm getting married today." I can feel the smile breaking out, it's not going anywhere any time soon.

"Congratulations Miss." He says with a nod gesturing to the interior of the car. Clearly, he's been in on this just as long as everyone else, but I can't even complain as I fold myself into the car. Martha's pressing a mimosa into my hand before Jack has even closed the door and making a toast that goes in one ear and out the other.

I'm getting married today.

The dress is hanging from the window as a photographer snaps pictures of it from different angles turning on us as we come in the room. There was a different guy as we were getting our nails done, but he went off to photograph the boys, doing whatever it was that Castle had them lined up for them. Lord knows between the three of them it'll take them as long to get ready as it will take the girls.

It's then that the tears start, I can help it, it's really just hitting me. He planned all of it. It's the venue that I fell in love with. The invitations are just what I wanted, and I'm willing to bet that everything is exactly what I wanted. He'd been listening so carefully, deliberately making progress on things, even when it seemed that it was going nowhere until we made a few key decisions.

"Hey, we don't you to have puffy eyes before the photographs," Lanie chastises.

That startles a laugh out of me, "Sorry, overwhelmed. It's not like I had any idea this was happening today." Turning on them, these co-conspirators, "How did he even pull this off?"

"Help." Martha exclaims dropping her bag on the bed, "We had a planner, and I've tasted a lot of food. Why did you think I'd taken up going for walks around the park, I needed to fit into my dress, there's only so many crab puffs one can eat without putting on five pounds." The women that's about be her mother-in-law comes back to her, folding her hands between her own, looking her in the eye, "Besides darling it's everything you picked out, wanted, or dreamed. I promise."

I have to pause and suck in a deep breath, this woman really doesn't understand how much she means to me, and I find myself nodding holding back tears again. "Ok. Ok, dream wedding here we come."

Martha smiles pulling me in for a hug, "It's really magnificent. We were a bit worried that you wouldn't get a dress on time; you'd shown no sign of even making an appointment. But then you were given it so it was easy."

"Now sit, we have to tame this beautiful mane of hair into something worthy of the wedding of the century."

My dad slips into the room just as Lanie is doing the final button on the dress. "Oh Katie bug," he gasps covering his mouth as a tear slips down his cheek. "You look beautiful. Just like your mother.

"Dad," I spin round to him, the dress flaring out around my ankles, making me giddy all over again. "Don't you look handsome."

"Me, have you seen yourself?" He reaches into his coat, pulling out a box. "I know that you didn't get a direct hand in planning anything but I think that he covered all the bases. I was in charge of the something blue and something old side of things." He pops open the box, a tennis bracelet of sapphires, "It was your mothers, I gave it to her for Christmas the year you were born. I thought that instead of my watch you could wear this today?"

"Dad..." I'm fighting for words.

"I'm sure your mom would have made a whole production out of it, but I wanted you to have something that was ours today."

I have to bite my lip and take a deep breath, attempting to get myself under control. "Put it on?" I offer him my wrist that his watch usually adorns, blinking trying to keep the tears from spilling over.

Lanie, Alexis, and Martha have disappeared to pictures with the rest of the bridal party or something, I wasn't really listening. I'm standing on the balcony of the hotel room overlooking the city in the spring air, taking a few deep breaths as I play with my engagement ring. The wedding band will be less ostentatious, more work appropriate, because like a month ago he'd side tracked us into the jeweler to look at rings, not to buy anything, "just to look," he said.

But there'd been one that was just perfect, simple, would go with the engagement ring when there's the occasion for it, but I'll be able to wear it on a day-to-day basis. That'll be the one that he's bought to give me today.

Today. At our wedding. That he plan for us.

I'm having to take slow steadying breaths. I'm going to marry my favorite author and best friend. I'm going to marry my partner and love of my life and it's so surreal even if she's standing in her wedding dress and all day has been dedicated to wedding things.

"Kate..." Then he's there standing in the doorway, looking absolutely blown away.

I can't stop myself from going to him, tangling my fingers with his. "You don't get to look surprised mister I have to write today." She's fighting the urge to hit him, because it is their wedding after all. "You knew when we got up this morning that we were getting married today."

His fingers slip through mine and he brings a hand up to run a finger along my jaw, tears pooling in his eyes, and he seems to be at a complete loss for words. "I... Kate you've made me the happiest guy in the world. I just wanted to give you everything..."

I just step into him, silencing him with a brush of my lips. "Babe, all I've ever wanted was you."

He doesn't know what to say to that and so he's quite pressing his forehead against mine, deep blue eyes that are so full of love it almost hurts. I don't know how long we stand there just taking each other in but it feels like the world has come to a stop just to let us get our bearings. Then there's a shudder click from somewhere near by alerting us that one of the photographers has found our hiding spot.

Then there's five minutes of shuffling and posing, but mostly it's candid as we laugh, trying to comply with the camera man's ideas, and then my dad reappears and Castle is pressing a kiss to my forehead and slowly extricating himself so that he can get upstairs before I do. Before he's out of reach I wrap my fingers around his elbow giving it a squeeze, "Thank you Castle... for everything."

His answering smile is so beautiful. "I love you," and then he walks out of the room he leaving me alone with my father for just a moment before we can hear music filtering down and the ceremony starts.

The first moment that we have to ourselves after the ceremony is when he leads me out onto the floor and the first notes of our song fill the air. Castle being Castle spins me out dramatically, the skirt fanning out stunningly, just as every little girl imagines it will before he pulls me into his body. The metal of the new wedding bands pressing into mirroring palms.

"It was perfect Rick, everything was absolutely perfect." My cheeks hurt from smiling, and I have has the irrepressible urge to keep touching him, "I'm never going to be able to give you something equal to a surprise wedding."

"You give me every day with you Mrs. Castle, you give me every day." We stop moving on the floor when he captures my lips in a kiss that has their audience wolf whistling.

I just needed there to be a wedding even if we don't get to see it. Ok it's out of my hands now. Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought.

Babyrose