Disclaimer: If I owned "Castle," it wouldn't be such a problem that I haven't been able to concentrate on anything but Caskett for the last two days.

Author's Note: Yet another fic based on 7x6, "The Time Of Our Lives," since it doesn't look like I'm getting over the Wedding any time soon. Also indulging my love of Jim Beckett's character.

Father of the Bride

Rick looked like possibly the calmest bridegroom Jim had ever seen. He was greeting the Justice of the Peace as if the man was a guest invited over for a regular dinner.

But then Jim caught sight of Rick's suit pants leg jigging although Rick was standing still and realized that Rick was not quite as relaxed as he appeared. Jim couldn't quite tell if it was nervousness or excitement making Rick jittery.

"No second thoughts about marrying Katie, I hope, Rick," Jim joked as he approached.

"No," Rick answered just a little too quickly and with just a little too much emphasis, belying his outward calm. "No. I'm ready, Jim."

"That's good to hear."

Rick laughed a little sheepishly. "I'm not sure if I should admit this but in all honesty, Jim, I've probably been ready to marry Kate for at least three years now."

Jim chuckled a little. "So this is an impulsive decision for you," he quipped, even as he had to hide a sudden swell of emotion. This man, who Jim already knew looked at Katie as if she were the miracle that she'd always been to Jim since the first moment she'd been placed into his arms in the hospital as a squawling, red-faced bundle of a baby more than thirty years ago. Yes, this man was the right man for Katie, deserved Katie if any man in the world did.

And at that moment, too, Jim felt the last of his vague, mostly unexpressed doubts stemming from Rick's unexplained disappearance vanish forever. Rick Castle had loved Katie, waited for Katie, had stood at her side through so much danger, had supported her and protected her for so long now. And there was no way that this man would have voluntarily left Katie at the altar, let alone disappeared for two months without a word.

Rick gave a brief chuckle and then sobered, meeting Jim's eyes. "Is this the 'if you hurt my daughter, I'll kill you' conversation that always happens at weddings?"

Jim pretended surprise. "No, not at all."

Rick smiled and Jim went on matter-of-factly, carefully suppressing any urge to smile, "This is the 'if you hurt my daughter, I'll have Javier and Kevin shoot you' conversation."

Rick blinked and then burst out laughing, as did Jim. "Right, of course. I forgot that you would have your own team of cops to back you up."

"Naturally."

Rick's smile faded and he straightened up ever so slightly. "I do love Kate, very much," he assured Jim seriously. "I would do anything for her."

Jim put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I know that, Rick. I've known that for years. And I'm not worried about that at all."

"Thank you."

Jim hesitated and then said quietly, "I'll be proud to call you my son. And I know if Katie's mother were here, she would feel the same way."

Rick blinked rapidly, glancing away, and then cleared his throat. "Thank you, Jim," he said, his voice a little rough with emotion. "That means a lot to me."

"And I know you haven't had—that is, if you want to, from today, feel free to call me Dad."

Rick swallowed. "I—I might do that sometimes. Thank you."

Jim caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eyes and saw that Martha had just come out of the house, along with Alexis. "It looks like Katie's ready," he observed and Rick swung around to look at his mother and his daughter. And the smile that broke over the other man's face said it all—so much love and happiness and hope and certainty that it was almost painful to see. Yes, Rick was most definitely ready to be married to Katie.

Martha and Alexis drew near, both smiling, and Martha met Jim's eyes, giving him a small nod. "She's ready," she confirmed as she reached up to give Jim a kiss on the cheek along with one of her flowery gestures that would have seemed affected on anyone else but which Martha somehow managed to make look so natural.

Jim smiled, rested a hand briefly on Martha's shoulder, and then bent to kiss Alexis's cheek. They would be Katie's family—and now, his family too. And he was so glad to know that Katie was joining such a loving family.

"Then I guess we're all set," he said, addressing all three of them.

Alexis smiled, slipping an arm around her father. "Come on, Dad, we'd better get into our places."

Jim paused to watch as Rick pressed a kiss to Alexis's hair, murmuring a few words into the girl's ear as he did so, and smiled to himself. That was something else he liked about Rick, that he was so clearly a loving father. Katie couldn't have done better in choosing the father of his future grandchildren, Jim reflected.

Jim went into the house, going upstairs to the bedroom which had been temporarily appropriated for Katie's preparations. He knocked briefly on the door that was ajar. "Katie?"

Katie turned to smile at him, although he could see the evidence of some tears on her cheeks. "Come in, Dad."

Jim lost his breath at the sight of her. "Oh, Katie, you look beautiful," he breathed.

Katie smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

And she did look beautiful. The white pantsuit was much simpler and less formal than a wedding gown and Katie's hair and makeup this time had not had the benefit of as many hours and helping hands as it had for the wedding-that-had-never-happened. But she was still beautiful. And he could admire her freely without so many of the poignant memories that had assailed him the last time in seeing Katie wearing Johanna's dress. He'd been happy for Katie to wear it, knew Johanna would have appreciated it too, but it had been harder than he'd expected, to see Katie, looking so much like Johanna, in the same dress Johanna had worn and which Jim remembered Johanna wearing to walk down the aisle with as much clarity as if it had been just a matter of months and not from memories more than thirty years old.

Oh, Johanna, if you could see our little Katie now… His throat suddenly felt tight, missing Johanna's phantom presence, missing the way Johanna would have hugged Katie and fussed over her hair and make-up and straightened her lacy blouse unnecessarily just in order to have an excuse to stay close to Katie in these last few minutes before they would give Katie away to another man. Missed the way Johanna would have laughed gently at Jim's teary eyes and emotion-filled throat, even as she would have been wiping away her own tears.

A parade of images, of memories, flitted through his mind—his precious baby girl, Katie, sleeping in her cradle; Katie as a stubborn 5 year old insisting that she was a big girl and she didn't need a nightlight anymore; a teenage Katie curled up under a blanket with Johanna after some silly teenage boy had broken Katie's young heart; rebel teen Katie (still Katie to Jim and not Becks) dressed all in black; Katie and Madison with their heads bent together as they giggled over something that had happened in school that day. Katie looking gaunt and haunted at Johanna's funeral. Katie in her police officer's uniform as a rookie. Katie looking quietly devastated and severe as she told him that she couldn't lose another parent and unless Jim got sober, she would no longer see him—the last ultimatum that had worked and set Jim out on the long road to recovery. Katie laughing as she told some story about Rick from the early years of their partnership.

Jim blinked, mentally pulling himself back to the present, and cleared his throat. "You all set?"

She let out a breath and then nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. I just… I wish Mom was here," she admitted softly.

Jim sighed. He'd promised himself he wouldn't cry but of course he felt tears welling up in his eyes. He swallowed back the emotion in his throat. "She would be so happy for you, Katie-bear," he managed to say, the old childhood nickname slipping from his mouth without conscious thought.

She smiled a little at the pet-name. "I know."

"And she'd be teasing you and Rick about when we can expect grandkids," he added, trying to smile.

Katie let out a rather shaky laugh. "That does sound like Mom."

"She would like Rick and approve of him, just like I do," he added, suddenly remembering a long-ago, almost-forgotten conversation he'd had with Johanna about one of Katie's high school boyfriends, when they'd briefly allowed themselves to speculate about what Katie's future husband would be like. Or more accurately, Johanna had speculated aloud and Jim had mostly been of the mindset that no man would ever be good enough for his little girl. Jo had only laughed at Jim and told him that their Katie was smart and would eventually meet the right one and would marry him. And as always, Jim thought, Johanna had been right. Katie had met the right one and was marrying him. "He's a good man and he loves you."

Oh. Oh wow. Jim lost his breath, again, at the way Katie's expression changed, the radiance shining out of her smile and in her eyes. He had seen his daughter in just about every mood, seen her at some of her happiest moments and at her saddest moments. But he'd never seen her look quite as uplifted and… oddly serene… as she did now.

"And I love him, Dad, so much," she confessed.

Jim had to laugh a little. "I know, Katie. It's written all over your face."

He stepped forward and hugged Katie fiercely, shutting his eyes against the sting of tears. And prayed with every ounce of his soul that his Katie and Rick would be granted many, many years of happiness. And thought of Johanna. Watch out for them, Jo, he thought.

And fanciful as it was, he could swear he heard Johanna's soft laugh, could picture her smile. Felt her happiness for Katie and somehow knew that, wherever she was, she approved.

He drew back and pressed a kiss to Katie's forehead. "Let's go get you married."

Smiles and tears warred for dominance in her expression. "I love you, Dad," she whispered, holding onto him for one second longer.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said rather gruffly.

She swiped at her cheeks to clear off the few lingering tears and then gave him a smile as she linked her arm with his. "I'm ready," she said, picking up the simple bouquet of flowers that Alexis had prepared.

Yes, she was ready.

And together, he and Katie walked through the house and outside towards Rick and his family. Towards Katie's future.

And Jim was happy.

His little girl was marrying the right man, a man who loved her, and after all, what more could any father want for his daughter?

~The End~

A/N 2: Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what everyone thinks.

And now to swoon and cry over Monday's episode for what's probably the millionth time…