She watches the sun rise over the ocean. Watches the waves crest, lap gently at the horizon, smudging into it. Watches the brilliant peach of the morning sun diffuse into the ink of the night sky.

Between sips of coffee, she rubs absent-mindedly at the empty space on her ring finger.

She's so in love with that man. When she was a little girl, she'd believed in the fairytale romance, in the whirlwind. She'd believed that one day she'd find a man who would sweep her off her feet and treasure her forever.

And then her mother had died and the illusion had shattered. She'd seen how it broke her father, how even if you were happy, it couldn't last. But Rick. Rick had made her see that it didn't matter if it wasn't going to be perfect forever. She just had to be grateful for the moments of perfection she was blessed with.

She wouldn't give him up. She wouldn't change a second of their past, the beauty and the heartache. She doesn't know what's in store, but it's ceased to matter. The feeling of his lips against hers, the unhurried whisper of his heart against her skin eclipses her fear.

"Good morning, beautiful."

She folds the fluid line of her legs over the lounge chair, settles her feet on the dusty wood of his deck and squints at him, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand.

"Go away." she pokes the tip of her tongue between her lips, crosses her eyes at him.

His face splits slowly into a beaming grin, criss-crossed lines like a road map of his mirth at the corner of his eyes. "Really? You choose now to uphold tradition?"

Her hand slips down her face to hide her smile behind slender fingertips. She closes her eyes fully, the sun's ascent putting it right at her eye line, blinding her. "Yeah. I don't want to see you, Castle."

He laughs, light and free in the early morning, and steps nearer to where she sits. Sinks to the floor in front of her, crossing his legs. He's only wearing shorts and his knees are solid and fascinating, the strong curve into the solid muscle of his calves.

She dips her head forward, her hair falling into a curtain around their faces. "You don't want to see me because we're getting married today."

She comes forward more, nudges at his forehead with her nose, breathing in the scent of him, toothpaste and aftershave and sleep. "Yes," she breathes, watches his eyelashes flutter against her breath, "yes, because we're getting married today."

He tips his neck back, finds her lips with his. She lets him brush them against her once, twice, and then she draws back. "I'm serious, Rick."

He pouts and it takes everything she has not to tug his bottom lip between her teeth. "Kaaaate, why?" He draws out the vowels like a petulant child and damn if it doesn't make her heart pound against her ribcage.

"Because I want to see your face at the end of the aisle when you see me in the dress for the first time." Her words are quiet, and so is he for a moment.

He kisses her again, smiles against her mouth. "You're going to ruin me. And I can't wait."

She laughs, pulls away, swats at his naked pectoral. He sighs and grumbles but unfolds his legs, gets to his feet.

"What if I just went and stood in the entryway and yelled 'I'M GETTING MARRIED', that'd get everyone up don't you think?"

She stands up too, drawn to him despite her desire to uphold tradition. She slings her hands low around his hips, locks her fingers at his back. "Let them sleep. They got here kinda late yesterday, it's only fair."

She smirks as he tries to look put out but only succeeds in beaming at her. She squeezes his flesh, warm where he's soaked up the early morning sun, and then shoves gently on his chest. "Go on. Go shower."

He turns to leave and she catches his wrist, dips her chin so she can look at him through the thick expanse of her eyelashes. "See you at the altar."

His jaw drops comically. "Oh my God. I always thought it'd be me spouting the cliché lines, never you. Katherine Beckett, I'm shocked."

She rolls her eyes at him, doesn't hide her smile. "Really though, I don't want to see you again until the ceremony. Remember the plan?"

"Yeah, I remember. Guys get the ground floor, girls get the first. I got it."

"Okay, good. See you."

He turns away slowly, hunches his shoulders and makes a show of looking as dejected as he can. The sun creates a glare on the sliding glass door; once he's over the threshold she can't see him anymore.

She sighs to herself and downs the last dregs of her coffee in one gulp before heading inside. Time for Lanie to get the hell up.

Kate flops down on the Latina woman's bed, curling her legs underneath her, and bounces up and down. The whole bed shakes and Lanie extends an arm to swat at Kate.

"Lanie, get up, get up."

Lanie rolls onto her back and groans, mashing her pillow into her face for a second before launching it at Kate with disconcerting accuracy.

Kate stretches out across the bed horizontally, ankles hanging off the edge. "Lanie, please wake up. I'm getting married today."

Lanie groans and arches her back, sinks down onto the mattress and finally, finally opens her eyes.

"Yeah I know. But it's-" she rolls her head to the side, looks at the clock on the nightstand. "Oh God. It's eight am and the ceremony isn't until one. That's five hours, and you're probably not even going to need five minutes."

Kate pokes her best friend in the ribs. "I'm not saying we have to start getting ready. I just- I'm so nervous and excited and I don't know what to do with myself and he's the only other person awake but I told him to go away because I don't want to see him until we're at opposite ends of the aisle."

Lanie sits up and shuffles back to lean against the headboard, the strap of her camisole sliding down her shoulder. "Kate, honey, deep breaths okay. It's gonna be fine. Girl, you're marrying the love of your life today. You got nothing to be nervous about."

Kate sucks in a breath through her teeth, nods. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I woke you."

Lanie laughs. "Don't be. Somebody's gotta calm your crazy and the usual suspect is out of bounds for today, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Lanie swings her legs over the edge of the bed and stands up, taking a second to stretch again. Her shorts and camisole show off her plentiful curves and Kate's hit with a momentary surge of jealousy before she remembers that it doesn't matter. Rick loves her body, worships it.

"Come on honey, let's get coffee, breakfast."

Kate climbs off the bed. "How about we make breakfast for all the girls and bring it to them in bed. After all, the ground floor is supposed to be out of bounds for us today, especially me."

Lanie laughs again, quietly. Usually her laugh is raucous, but she's obviously conscious of everyone sleeping. "Alright, I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

"Kate, darling, you look wonderful."

Kate turns to look over her bare shoulder, ignoring Lanie's sigh as she tries to pin up the chestnut curls. "Oh, Martha. Thank you."

She doesn't look all that wonderful really. She's sitting in front of the mirror in just a towel while Lanie plays with her hair. But she can see it, the glow of happiness exuding from her.

"Richard's going to be speechless."

All three women laugh at the idea of Castle actually being speechless. Lanie rolls her eyes. "Yeah, sure."

Martha moves closer and sinks gracefully into another chair next to Kate. "You know, it did happen once. The very first time he got to hold Alexis, he just opened and closed his mouth like a fish. Didn't say anything."

Something in Kate's heart swells. She can just picture it, Rick at twenty two, holding his newborn baby. She knows how deeply he loves his daughter, sees it in the way his eyes light whenever she's near.

There's a soft rap on the door and then the girl herself slips into the room. She hesitates for a second, eyes scanning the room. Jenny's sitting in the corner, resting one hand on the prominent curve of her stomach while she holds her book with the other. Lanie stands behind Kate's chair, with Martha sitting next to her.

Kate smiles warmly at Alexis. "Hi. Come and sit down. Once my hair's done we're going to do the bridesmaids' hair, so unless you haven't showered yet you might as well stay."

Alexis smiles then. "Yeah, okay. I already showered. You look great. Lanie's doing a good job."

The medical examiner shoots her a look as if to say 'duh' and then grins. "You next, girl. I can't wait to get stuck into that gorgeous hair of yours."

Alexis laughs and Kate turns around again, content that the girl feels comfortable. It's a strange feeling, hits her out of the blue sometimes. That she's not just getting a husband but a daughter too.

Martha reaches out to squeeze Kate's knee and her heart clenches. She's getting a whole family. She's getting a mom.

Her dad tears up when she comes down the stairs, the silk of the dress swirling around her ankles. Lanie and Alexis hang back at the top of the stairs, give them a moment of privacy.

Her father hugs her tight, careful not to disturb her hair. "Oh Katie. You look so much like her. She'd be so proud of you."

She swallows hard, buries her face at her father's neck. "Please don't make me cry. Lanie'll kill me if I ruin the makeup."

They share a watery laugh and then the ME is ushering Alexis down the stairs and past Kate. "Good luck honey." She calls over her shoulder and then she's gone.

Jim hooks his arm through Kate's and smiles at her. "Ready?"

She nods, unexpectedly mute, and he leads her towards the aisle.

He knows it's a cliché, but when she appears at the end of the aisle he swears his whole world pinpoints to her. He's suddenly blind to everyone else, can only see her. She looks so beautiful and so nervous and his heart hammers frantically against his ribcage. He can't believe he's hers. He just can't bring himself to believe that he's the one she's chosen, that he gets the honor of spending the rest of his life with her.

He spends approximately half a second internally remarking upon how he didn't feel this way at either of his other weddings before they fall from his mind. Neither of his other brides were Kate. Neither of them had her shy smile, her bright green eyes fixed on his.

He swallows hard. He refuses to cry. Not yet, not before the damn ceremony even starts.

Her father cries first. She can see him from the corner of her eye, tears sliding silently down his cheeks. Rick's mother has grasped his hand in a vestige of comfort. She doesn't cry. She's never been one to cry with happiness. Rick's eyes are shining suspiciously but he controls it.

She watches his throat move, is so entranced that she almost forgets to say her part but she does and then they're married and then he's kissing her, bending her backwards for everyone to see and she doesn't care, can't feel anything past the slide of his lips against hers.

He loves this dress. He has one hand at her lower back, nestled in the achingly soft silk, the other resting on the softer still stretch of skin between the lines of her shoulder blades. They're not even really dancing. They'd considered getting lessons like Ryan and Jenny, but eventually decided against it.

He doesn't want to twirl her round. He wants this. Gentle rocking back and forth, feeling her shift in his arms, all muscle and supple skin and grace. Everyone is watching them. His mother and daughter, her father. Lanie and Javier, Kevin and Jenny.

Their family. They didn't want to invite anyone else. He's done big and showy twice already, knows now that really the only person he truly needs to be here is the woman in his arms.

He nudges the gentle curl of her hair out of the way with his nose, finds the shell of her ear with his lips. "Everyone's looking at you. You're so beautiful."

He feels her cheeks warm against him, has to force himself not to follow her heat when she pulls her head away slightly. "No, they're watching us."

He reaches his hand up to cup the back of her head; draw her in until she rests against him. She's barefoot in the sand and it puts her at the perfect height. Her ear rests over his heartbeat.

"Hmm, I guess so."

They're quiet for a moment, listening to the music and the waves. He's so glad they chose to do it here. It was beautiful this morning, watching her watch the sun rise over the ocean. It was beautiful this afternoon during the ceremony, the gentle breeze caressing them all. But now, now it's utterly breathtaking.

The sky is totally clear, the stars watching them again, just like the night he asked. Someone, his mother perhaps, has strung fairy lights through the railing on his deck. There's a bonfire crackling nearby, floating lights on the surface of the swimming pool.

Earlier, he'd watched the sun set with Kate in his arms, kissed her hair and whispered everything his heart needed her to know. Tried to convey his gratitude at being hers.

Now, though, he's immersing himself in their little family. He wanted to keep it as small as possible. There's no caterer: he, Kate, his mother and his daughter had spent the previous two days cooking everything. No DJ, just an iPod playlist he and Kate made in bed one night. No photographer, Lanie and Alexis are in charge of that.

The song ends and someone pauses the playlist. He turns around, catches Javi's pointed gaze and clears his throat. "Uhm, we'd like to do a father-daughter dance and then we'll open the floor to everyone."

Jim and Alexis step forward. He presses a last kiss to Kate's temple. "I love you," and then he lets her go, takes his daughter in his arms.

"Hi, pumpkin. Have I told you how beautiful you look?"

His daughter blushes, but it's true. Kate picked purple for the bridesmaid dresses, strapless and knee length. Both Lanie and Alexis look stunning.

"You look good, Dad. You look happy."

He leans in to kiss his daughter's cheek. "I am. So very happy." In his peripheral vision, he sees Kate and her father murmuring to each other. There are tears in both their eyes. He knows they're probably discussing Johanna.

He told Kate earlier that her mother would have been so proud, but he's trying not to dwell on it. He feels a tangible ache, can't even imagine how Kate has the strength to do this.

He wraps his arms around his daughter, starts swaying gently. "I want to thank you. For being so accepting of this. I know it can't have been easy watching me get married for the third time."

Alexis hums, is quiet for a moment. His daughter has never been one for outburst, always preferring to think everything through before she shares it. "It's not really the third time though. It's the first time it's been for you instead of me."

He's struck dumb by her. He suddenly knows with perfect clarity that she's not his little girl anymore; she's a beautiful, intelligent young woman. And she's right. He married Meredith because she was pregnant; he married Gina because Alexis needed a mother.

But Kate? He's marrying Kate because he loves her and he wants a life with her, forever.

She's watching him dance when Martha claps her hands to rally everyone into a circle.

He danced with his daughter and then his mother. With Lanie and with Jenny. There was some sort of freestyle thing with the boys that she refused to even watch, buried her face in her champagne and dragged Lanie to the bathroom to touch up her makeup.

He keeps coming back to her, their inexplicable magnetism stronger than ever. She finds him at her side again now, his palm hot against the small of her back.

"Now my son and my lovely daughter in law are going to release a sky lantern and then we have more if anyone else wants to as well."

Rick groans and buries his head at her neck. "Trust my mother to turn this into a tacky cliché."

She runs a hand up his spine, cups the back of his neck and guides his mouth to hers. "Shh, it's fine. Come on, they're waiting."

He forgets to watch the lantern again. He just can't help himself. He's absolutely transfixed by Kate and the delight that softens every line of her face. His wife.

He can't think about that yet, doesn't trust himself not to weep. He crowds her back and wraps his arms around her, palms at her stomach. Her head falls back to lean against his shoulder and he rests his lips at her temple. She's so beautiful.

Once their lantern is out of sight he does another with his daughter. Kate and Jim do one, the boys another and his mother, Lanie and Jenny the last one.

Everyone's very quiet as the lanterns rise, stunned into silence at the unexpected beauty of them. He knew, has never forgotten the sight of the light rising through the inky sky and Kate's joyous smile as she said yes. But even he was not prepared for the magnitude of emotion that swells in his chest now.

Kate comes back to his side and rests her cheek at his bicep, her nose nuzzling into the fabric of his shirt. "You okay?"

He smiles down at her. "Yeah, just… feeling grateful. For my family, for you."

She stretches onto her tiptoes, a hand at his shoulder for balance. Her lips are so soft against his and his blood sings in his veins as she works over him. His wife. She pulls back and nudges at his nose with hers. "Yeah, I get it. Love you."

He kisses her again for that. "Oh Kate. I love you so much."

It's ridiculous, but when he calls her Mrs Castle she almost wells up. Even though there have been two before her, even though she's still Beckett at the precinct. It just gets to her.

How far they've come. She's proud of herself, and of him, for overcoming everything that stood in their way. He knew long before she did that this was worth waiting for, worth fighting for, and she's still not satisfied that he understands how grateful she is.

"Kate?"

Oh. She got so caught up in her thoughts she forgot to actually answer his question. "No, Castle, I don't have a bouquet to throw. Lanie and Jenny are already taken so that leaves either your mother or your daughter. Is that what you want, one of them to be the next to get married?"

She laughs at his exaggerated shudder. "Didn't think so."

Lanie appears at her side, nudges her hip against Kate. "We're all gonna head to the hotel now honey. You two have fun, try not to break anything."

Her cheeks heat as Rick laughs and she smacks Lanie on the arm. The three of them follow the others out to the cars; make sure everyone has their luggage. Rick hugs his daughter and Kate hugs her father and everyone very pointedly does not mention the reason that they're going to a hotel instead of staying at the house.

Kate still blushes every time she remembers that it was her father who suggested the guests clear out after the wedding to give the newlyweds 'free reign'.

He holds Kate's hand at the end of the drive, waves to their family as they pull out of the driveway and onto the road. The two of them watch until they can't see the cars anymore and then he turns to her.

He wraps an arm around her shoulders, the other behind her knees and then he lifts her. She shrieks and wraps her arms around his neck. "Are you seriously going to carry me over the threshold?"

He grins, wants to kiss her but doesn't allow himself. When he kisses her, he loses all concentration, and he really doesn't want to drop her. "Damn right. And I'm going to do it at the loft as well, so prepare yourself."

She rolls her eyes at him but tightens her arms. He takes it as permission and sets off up the drive. He sways precariously at the steps but he makes it onto the porch, walks all the way around and in through the sliding glass door to the kitchen.

He carries her all the way over to the counter and settles her on it. Her legs wrap around his waist and she pulls him in to her, devours his mouth.

He pulls back, pants, has to go back for more because the sight of her lips smudged with his kiss is an aphrodisiac so strong he has no hope of resisting. "I love you, Mrs Castle. I love you so much."

He presses his lips to her breast bone, skirts her clavicle and traces a path up to her ear with a hot line of open mouthed kisses. She moans when he sucks on her earlobe, her hands at either side of his face to keep him there. "Oh God, Rick. Castle, take me to bed."