A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and encouragement! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

"That was amazing," Rick says trying to catch his breath.

Kate giggles beside him. "Yeah, it was. We should have done that years ago."

Rick looks over to her and smiles. Kate turns toward him, places one hand on his chest and leans forward to kiss his lips. She pulls away, but Rick quickly yanks her back to him for another kiss. They lie, side by side, with their faces inches away from each other, both grinning like fools.

"Kate," Rick finally says, breaking the trance they were in as they stared into each other's eyes. He props himself up with one arm before continuing, "in case it hasn't been obvious, I am in love you."

Kate buries her face into her pillow to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks. She looks back at a still-smiling Rick where only his eyes betray his worry. "I love you too, Rick. I wouldn't be marrying you if I wasn't hopelessly in love with you."

His anxious stare transforms into a flirty gaze. "Oh, Soon-To-Be-Mrs. Castle, you sure know how to make a guy swoon."

Kate rolls onto her back, flinging her arm above her head. "God, I almost don't want to go back home. I just want to stay here forever with you."

"Wow, I never would have expected Detective Beckett to be so sappy and romantic."

"Yeah, well, strange things happen when a woman gets properly laid," Kate laughs.

"It's a pleasure to serve you, my dear." Rick makes an exaggerated hand gesture like he is bowing.

"You up for another 'serving' then, Castle?"

Rick hums. "I can be persuaded."

"Good, because I am very good at persuasion," Kate smirks before pulling Rick on top of her and kissing him.

The alarm on Kate's phone startles her awake. She had the foresight the night before, even despite her love-addled brain, to set the alarm to go off so they would wake up for their wedding. Kate grabs her phone and shuts off the alarm. When she turns to face her future husband, Rick isn't there.

"Castle?" Kate calls out.

There is no response, so Kate gets out of bed, grabs her shirt that Rick tossed on the floor the night before and covers herself up. The suite is silent from inside their bedroom and given that Rick is rarely quiet, she preemptively assumes he isn't even there.

Kate opens the bedroom door and there is no sign of Rick in the living area either. Dropping into the couch, she tries not to worry. Rick wouldn't abandon her on their wedding day. He isn't that kind of a person. Rick wouldn't just disappear for no good reason. He loves her. She loves him.

"He probably just went to get coffee or something. There's no way he would change his mind and just run instead of telling me," Kate said, hoping that speaking the words aloud would make it be true.

Kate gets her phone from the bedroom and pulls up Rick's number to call him. When it goes straight to voicemail, her anxiety spikes again. She falls into the couch again and waits and when her waiting turns to brooding, she makes herself get up to start packing. She hopes it will keep her mind off Rick not being there when she woke up, but as she puts away her clothes, she feels a heavy pressure under eyes. She wishes she could drive away the tears that start to fall from her eyes, but she just wipes them away along with her hope that Rick was only getting coffee.

A mechanical click from the front door startles Kate, but her heart jumps in relief when she spots Rick walking in. She quickly tries to wipe away the evidence of her tears, but her nose is runny and eyes puffy. Rick will know immediately that she's been crying.

"Where were you?" Kate says, trying to make her brittle voice as normal as she can make, but a small hitch in her throat gives her away.

Rick's grin turns to a concerned frown. He sets down the two garment bags and a small gift bag he was holding on the couch and approaches her. "You didn't see my note?" Kate sniffles and shakes her head. Rick pulls her into a hug. "Oh God, Kate. I am so sorry. I'm not changing my mind. I am definitely not changing my mind. I was hoping you would have seen my note; I left it on the nightstand. But I went to pick up some stuff for today."

Kate inhales the scent emanating from his shirt. Her heart calms and she cuddles into him. "What were you getting?" she finally asks, pulling away to look at him.

Rick's grin reemerges and he runs back to get the bags he came back with. "I was picking up a suit for me," he unzips one garment bag and shows off the high-end outfit, "and a dress for you." He then unzips the other bag and shows off a white sleeveless dress with a flowy skirt. "I was also getting this." Rick reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small box.

He looks to Kate and smiles. Her look of shock grows into a smile when Rick pops open the box and kneels in front of her.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, you are the most extraordinary person I have ever met, and I am hopelessly in love with you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me…" Rick takes a quick look at his watch, "…in about an hour?"

Kate starts to cry again, but her tears are no longer from devastation. "Of course I'll marry you." She pulls him to a standing position and kisses him as though her life depends on it. They break apart and Kate says, "I love you."

"I love you too." Rick plucks the ring from its box and slips it on Kate's finger.

"Where did you even get this at six in the morning?"

"They have 24-hour jewelry stores for people spontaneously deciding to get married, just like us. I also got our wedding rings and I had them engraved." Rick grabs another bag from the couch and pulls out the box inside.

He hands the box to Kate and she opens it. The two rings inside are simple, but elegant, both platinum and when Kate looks at the inscription she sees they both say, "KB & RC – Always."

"Castle, they are perfect."

"We should both start getting ready if we are going to be on time to our wedding," Rick announces, handing Kate her dress.

"Yes, we should!" Kate exclaims. "But first, I need to do this." Kate swoops in and plants a kiss on Rick's lips, which he deepens. They reluctantly pull apart and Kate whispers, "I love you," before rushing into the bathroom.

Rick stands in the bedroom doorway trying to unscramble his brain, a dopey grin gracing his lips.

Kate cracks open the bathroom door and calls out, "Rick, are you ready?"

Rick is adjusting his tie in the mirror over the dresser by the bed. "Just about. I'm dying to see you in that dress, though."

"Okay, well I'm going to come out now. You aren't going to make me a widow before I'm legally your wife, are you?"

"I'll go a happy man if I do." Rick turns toward the bathroom.

Kate opens the door fully and reveals herself. The dress hits just below her knees and dances and flares around her when she does a half twirl.

Rick is speechless. His eyes sparkle like the diamond he just gave Kate and he glows with awe. "Oh my God, Kate. You are stunning. I don't know what to say…you take my breath away."

Kate floats over to stand in front of him. She takes Rick by his lapels and draws him into a kiss. Still stunned, he doesn't reciprocate right away, but when he finally does Kate finds herself moaning.

"We have to stop this if we are going to make it to the chapel fully clothed," Rick states, reluctantly pulling away. "We can finish this after the ceremony though." He smirks.

"Let's go then, lover boy. I have plans for you later," Kate hints and drags him toward the front door.

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