A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and inquired about updates. You're all lovely, and I appreciate the support. I'll try to get the next chapter out much faster. I got sidetracked with work and the other Castle oneshot Cosmology, that I put out (*cough* shameless plug *cough)

He was looking at her like she was crazy, but really that was to be expected. She knew she was giving him a lot to process. Even Castle's imagination had its limits.

He opened his mouth to say something, but only a small, "-eh" came out. He closed his jaw and tried again, only this time he made a noise that made it sound like he had completely lost his voice. If he'd been eating, she would have been concerned that he was choking.

He pinched his lips together and his eyes shifted up to the ceiling in thought. One minute extended into two and she was surprised that she managed to breathe at all during those seconds.

"Well okay then," he said suddenly.

"Really?!" she blurted. She hadn't meant to sound so surprised.

"What do you mean really? This is your idea."

"I know, but I thought I would have to convince you. You just looked at me the way you did when I told you I preferred Nebula nine to Star Trek."

"Yeah, well I'm allowed a knee jerk reaction given the circumstances," he defended. There was a pause while he considered her. "You think he'll back off if we make him think you've disappeared?."

"Yes."

He started thinking out loud. "We make it look like we have no contact, like you really did up and leave. Then our family might be safe."

She loved the fact that he had just said "our" and she was so relieved that he was in sync with her on this. There was never any doubt in her that he would still want to marry her, even with everything going to hell, but she had been afraid he was going to insist they runaway together, use his money and contacts to hide. That he hadn't, that he understood it was time to make their stand and end this, it meant everything.

In the hours after she left her apartment, a dead assassin on her floor, she had tried to figure out the best way to leave Castle so that he wouldn't try to follow. She kept telling herself that he hadn't signed on for this, that it wasn't fair to him, and it was far too dangerous.

She rode the subway in a loop, lost in thought. Unconsciously, she had gone to switch trains and ended up at the stop nearest their swing set. Feeling safe enough, she had gone to street level and found herself at the park.

The last time she had been to the swings in the middle of the night she had made the most important decision of her life. She had chosen Castle, picked a future with him over her mother's case. Back in that same setting, sans the rain this time, she had realized that from that very first night she had gone to him, he had known full well what she was involved in, and he had still wanted her. She had chosen him, and he had chosen her. There was no going back on that just because she was afraid of the danger, afraid of losing him.

She stopped that particular train of thought to watch him pace a contemplative lap around the room. His body was still tense, but with every pace around the room she saw a little bit of the bounce return to his step.

"This is perfect," he said. He began ticking instances off on his fingers, "Think about it. The first time we kissed we were undercover trying to save our best friends from getting murdered. The first time I told you I loved you, you were dying in my arms with an assassins bullet in your heart. The first time we slept together was just hours after that same assassin tried to throw you off a roof. And the first time you told me you loved me you were minutes away from being vaporized by a psycho's booby-trap." He wiggled the four fingers he was holding up. "Maybe the whole cake and flowers thing was a little over ambitious on our part. This is much more us."

"Getting secretly married in an old speakeasy, hours after a corrupt senator ordered a failed hit on my life?"

He held up his thumb to count off number five. "Absolutely."

She pulled Castle down to her again, kissing him hard, making her own toes curl in delight. There wasn't any possible way for her to be more in love with this man. The idea that she had even entertained the idea of a life without him utterly astounded her. Together they were unstoppable. Her fingers found the hair at the nape of his neck, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, strong and maybe just a little possessive.

Esposito let out an uncomfortable cough to remind them he was standing right there. Kate untangled herself from her fiance.

"Sorry," she apologized to the other detective. She wasn't. She backed away a little to address Castle again. "We get married now and then I have some things to arrange. I'll need a week. Maybe two. Then we go on the offensive."

"I - I don't know that I like that idea," he said. She could tell he was treading lightly, trying not to be openly aggressive to the idea, but she could see the concern etching it's way into the corners of his eyes.

She ran a hand up his arm and to the back of his neck, resting it there for reassurance. "Hey, look at me. I'm not running," she promised. "This isn't the ideal plan, but it will be easier for me to stay under the radar and to get everything rolling if I'm alone. I'm not going straight at anyone. I know you want to have my back, I want that too, but can you trust me to take care of myself for this short while?"

He stared at her sadly for a long moment. "I do trust you," he said.

"Good. I need you here, playing dumb. Bracken really only has a peripheral understanding of what you know. They'll find a way to spin Vulcan's dead goon against me, so we use that. Make it look like you think I'm guilty, and that you believe I killed that man and ran off."

She felt his shoulders relax a little as she caressed his neck and upper back. "You want me to put on the jilted lover show?" he asked.

She put her other hand on his chest and leaned into him conspiratorially. "So that they give you a god damned Tony."

A wicked smile rose on his face and her heart loosened when she saw a hint of his playful twinkle return.

Suddenly, the door began scraping again and the pair separated. Before Kate could even reach for her own piece, she saw Castle level her Sig at the intruder.

A very confused Detective Ryan held his hands up. He was rumpled and bleary eyed, clearly having been woken as unceremoniously as the rest of them.

"Whoa, non-combatant," Esposito said.

"Kevin?! What the hell are you doing here?" Beckett asked.

He point to Esposito his hands still up, "He invited me."

Kate slid her hand around Castle's wrist and eased the gun down, she slid it from his hand and put it down on the card table. They were all a little high strung and loaded weapons didn't really need to be added into the mix.

"We've legalities to consider here," Espo explained. "If you want this wedding to be legal, we need a witness."

Beckett pinched the brim of her nose, this wasn't part of the plan. Though just as quickly as the anger flared it faded. She would have had to bring Ryan into this sooner or later, but he had a baby now, and she had been hoping it would be later.

"Javi gave me the cliff notes," Ryan said, his tone was firm but his eyes were soft. She could see him staking his claim in the room, letting them all know he was a part of it. "You okay Beckett?"

She nodded. "I will be," she said.

Ryan came over to hug her. He let her go and then gave Castle a friendly slap on the back. "Not the best circumstances, but what do you say we get you two hitched?"

Kate looked at Castle who nodded a little over-enthusiastically. He looked like a puppy who realized he could stop chasing his tail because it was already attached to him. Her mood shifted, and an overwhelming girlish excitement bubbled up, foaming up over the horror of earlier that night. He was going to be her husband.

"Okay Castle you stand here," Espo directed, pointing with his left hand and then gesturing to Kate with his right, "Beckett you stand there, Ryan get on Castle's right."

Kate's heart quickened as she stepped to Castle's side. It was possibly the most important five feet she had ever moved.

"Now let's get started," Espo said, taking a little black book from his back pocket. "I'll be brief with the pleasantries. We know why we're gathered here."

"Yeah, you two finally got your act together and put us out of our second hand misery," Ryan quipped.

Espo shot him a look, "Yo peanut gallery, this is a wedding."

Ryan put a hand up in apology and took a step back. He gestured for Espo to continue.

"As I was saying, we're gathered here because you two have fought harder than any two good people should have to in order to be together. It's my honor to seal that bond as permanent."

It was downright sentimental coming from Espo, but she supposed if there was ever a time for it it was right then.

"I know no one here objects to this so we'll skip that part," Espo said and flipped a page in the little book. "Here we go then. Do you Richard Castle, take Katherine Beckett to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

The words came instantly. "I do."

His eyes were shining as he held her gaze. It healed a part of Kate's soul knowing that that look was for her.

"And do you Katherine Beckett take Richard Castle to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"Of course I do."

They leaned in to embrace one another, but Esposito suck his arm out to block them from kissing. "Excuse me, but there is an order to this," he scolded. "Do you have the rings?"

Castle's face fell. "Alexis has them," he nearly pouted.

"It's alright." Kate quickly took the necklace out from beneath her t-shirt and unclasped it, slipping her engagement ring out from where it rested next to her mother's ring. She put the chain back around her neck and handed the ring to Castle.

"I'm the writer," he began, "I'm supposed to have the words. But it just doesn't seem like there are any that are sufficient. I've written five novels about us, and I could write a hundred more and never do proper justice to how incredible we are together."

He took a long breath to steady himself. She could feel the nervous energy coming off of him in waves. It was more than a little adorable.

"You did the two most incredible things for me that anyone has ever done," he continued. "You said no, and you made me wait. Back when we met, I was used to getting what I wanted and you absolutely had my number. I was an ass. If you hadn't brushed me off, hadn't made me work for you, that Rick Castle might not have stuck around long enough to fall in love. It's a scary thought, because the version of me standing here now is a thousand times a better man for loving you and being loved by you." He reached out to cup her cheek then, and only then did she realize the tears that were falling. He gently brushed one away with his thumb. He slipped the engagement ring back on her finger, "So for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, forever and always, all of me is yours."

A tear trickled down his cheek now and she let out a breathy laugh how maudlin they were being. She reached out and brushed it off his cheek and wiped her own eyes again.

She offered him a watery smile and took his left hand with both of hers. She had to find the words somewhere. How do you tell a man he's your world without it sounding trite? How do you thank him for venturing into the lion's den with you. "I'm not good at this. You know I'm not good at this," she said, frustrated with herself.

"There a script in here if you want, Beckett," Espo offered quietly, holding up the little book.

She waved him off, and Castle gave a little chuckle. He squeezed her hand in encouragement and right then it hit her that she didn't have a ring for him either. An idea struck her and with it everything she needed to convey. She let go of his hand and undid her watch, the words slowly coming as she did so. "I told you once why I wear this everyday," she began, holding up the accessory that had belonged to her father. "It's my keepsake of strength, my reminder that battles waged in love can be won." She took his hand again, "You are my reminder now. I don't worry anymore that darkness will swallow me one day. It simply can't if you're here to light the way. Our journey to this point wasn't simple, but loving you is easier than anything I've ever done. So through the good and the bad, wherever the path takes us, you have my heart, for always." She fastened the watch around his wrist, and kissed his knuckled in conclusion.

"And now, by the power vested in me by Universal Life Church online, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may-oh well…" Espo trailed off.

They were in each others arms before the proclamation was finished. This time they ignored his pointed coughs for much longer.

A/N: So there you have it. Another big of the delay on this chapter came from not wanting to write their vows. There are about 8 terrible drafts of that scene on my computer. LOL :) So I hope that one read well.

Also, insert my standard apology for typos. I'm without a Beta and can only re-read/proof my own drafts so many times before going cross-eyed. ;)

Leave me a review all you beautiful people who got this far down the page.