"Richard Edgar Castle, do you take Katherine Beckett to be your lawful wedded wife, for as long as you both shall live?" The minister asked.
"I do." Rick responded with his usual crooked grin. He looked so handsome in his black and white suit, with the little red rose sticking out of the lapel of his jacket. His eyes met Kate's and he winked at her. Standing behind him were Javier and Kevin in their police uniforms. Behind Kate were Alexis and Lanie, wearing pale lavender gowns.
"Katherine Houghton Beckett, do you take Richard Castle to be your lawful wedded husband, for as long as you both shall live?"
That question. That short, simple question. It made Kate's mind flash back to that first day; that first day that she met this man standing in front of her.
"Richard Castle, you are under arrest for felony, theft, and obstruction of justice!"
"You forgot 'making you look bad.'" Richard responded calmly, leaning back in his chair and smirking at her. Leaning down, Kate looked him straight in the eye and said,
"You know, for a minute there, you actually made me believe you were human." She stood up and looked at the cops accompanying her, "Cuff him," she ordered. They followed suit and Castle stood up. Even in arrest he was snarky and crude.
"Oh, bondage," he said, "You know my safe word is 'apples.'"
Annoyed, Kate looked at the cuffs behind Castle. "Oh, there's no need to be gentle." she told the other cops.
"How'd you find me, anyway?" Castle demanded.
"I'm a detective," She responded coldly, "It's what I do."
As if he couldn't be more sarcastic, Castle responded, "My mother told you, didn't she?"
As the cops carried him off, he added, "By the way, the rose petals in the Tisdale murder, they're granda flora."
"I'll make a note of it." Kate shouted.
The next day, after she thought she was through with the stubborn jackass, Castle showed up at the 12th Precinct, saying that he needed to 'shadow' Kate, for his next book series.
Almost a year later, Kate showed up at a book signing for the final book of Castle's "Derrick Storm" series. She met Rick's mother, Martha, and his daughter, Alexis. After Martha told her son about how he shouldn't have believed the bad reviews, she said, "Let's just hope Nikki Heat does as well."
"Nikki Heat?" Kate asked.
"The character he's basing on you," Martha replied, matter-of-factly.
"Nikki Heat." Kate repeated. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Pulling Castle aside, she demanded, "What kind of a name is Nikki Heat?"
"A cop name," Castle said, as if it was no big deal.
"It's a stripper name." Kate said.
"Well, I told you she was kind of slutty," Castle said innocently.
"Change it, Castle," Kate was getting very annoyed with him.
"Wha- hang on, think of the titles; "Summer Heat," "Heat Wave," "In Heat,"
"Change the name," Kate demanded again.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Change it."
"No."
"Castle-" Rick picked up a conveniently placed cardboard cutout of himself and used is as a shield from the relentless detective.
"Sorry, I have artistic integrity to-"
"Artistic integrity? Change the name. Today."
The argument continued, but Kate eventually gave in reluctantly to Castle's name choice.