Shall Not Tear Asunder

Disclaimer: I still don't own it, and they're way more evil than me

AN: This story is essentially a multi-chapter follow up to the oneshot story Inchoate by ColieMacKenzie. I highly recommend reading that first, because it sets up the narrative and it's wonderful.

AN2: This was meant to be the end. But forces stronger than myself have prevailed, and there will be one more chapter, an epilogue, after this.

For CB, who always makes the words make sense. And for Nic, who offered unbelievable support and encouragement in allowing me to climb into her sandbox and build a whole new...well, castle.


When all said and done, she's a little bit surprised at how quickly it all goes by. It was simple, easy. Perfect. Exactly what they needed.

She sighs happily in the now empty loft, looks about her for a handful of moments, just a little bit lost. Castle had gone to see the caterers out, she thinks, and now it's quiet. Martha had insisted on taking the girls for the night, unplanned, but under the circumstances they weren't about to disagree.

When it takes him a little bit longer to come back than she expects, Kate goes looking for Castle, only to find him standing in his office staring at his phone.

"Rick?" She asks her husband. Her husband. It hits her anew, and she feels for the tenth time that night as if the world has finally completely righted itself again.

He startles a little, and looks up. "Oh, hey. Sorry. I got distracted by the pictures."

She smiled affectionately at that, when they had discussed it, the one thing they hadn't really been able to plan out in advance was a photographer. But Castle had insisted that everyone had a camera, cellphones being the way they are. And so he found some app that allowed everyone to send their photographs of the party to his own phone. It was a clever idea, she thought, and fit the atmosphere of the night.

"Anything good?" She asks, attempting to peer over his shoulder.

"I can't get over this one. My girls," he says. He tips the phone a little bit to show her.

It's her with Josie and Lizzie, Kate bending and whispering something in her youngest daughter's ear, while Josie looks on and giggles. But, she thinks, trying to remember back, Castle must've walked into the shot, because she's looking up, just off to the right of the photographer. All of the emotions of the night there on her face.

"Oh I like that one," she says. "Who took it? Alexis?"

He gives a noncommittal hum. "No," he says, tapping and swiping, and she assumes checking the origin of the photograph. "Lanie."

That figures, she thinks. Her best friend had been fairly stunned at not being warned of the wedding ahead of time, never one to abide by being out of the loop. But she had risen to the occasion, happy for her friends, and in the end fully embracing the idea.

She sighs and slips the phone out of his hand. "Later," she says softly.

"Yes, absolutely," he agrees readily.

She smiles warmly at his reply. "Hell of a night," she says.

"More like a hell of a few months," he returns.

She regards him seriously at that. "But I wouldn't change it, you know?" She says, phrasing it like question. "For all the difficulty, all the sadness, I don't think I could bring myself to take it back, not now. I couldn't bring myself to give up this chapter of our story."

He looks her over as she begins to pull him toward their room.

"I know what you mean," he agrees. "Let's just agree, never to go through that again.

"No," she murmurs. "No, never again."

They'll have their moments, and they both know it. But they have both learned, both grown from the experience of falling apart and mending again. Getting it wrong, and then finally right. They'll keep learning, too. Keep putting in the work. But the worst is behind them now, she can feel it.

Love is a strong and powerful force, hard to quell. But, the two of them together? She knows now. They are even stronger.