A/N: There will be a little break before I post the next chapter on Sunday. I hope you are enjoying this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!
They practically skip their way to the chapel. They walk through the entrance, their faces beaming with the three years of unspoken attraction and love that had poured from them in the previous twelve hours, and are greeted by a different receptionist than the night before.
"We have a reservation for 9 o'clock under Castle."
"Wonderful!" the receptionist says, "I see you've requested one of our intimate elopement packages. I'll have Nina, one of our wedding consultants, show you where the ceremony will occur and then set you up in one of our dressing rooms."
A petite woman appears almost as though the receptionist had summoned her. She holds out her hand to Kate and Rick and introduces herself as Nina.
After a quick walk by the room where their wedding will be held, Nina takes them to get their flowers. Kate chose a bouquet of pink stargazer lilies accented with blue calla lilies when they had made their reservation, so Nina disappears to collect the prepared bouquet leaving Kate and Rick in a dressing room until it's their turn to get married.
Kate holds a blue calla lily boutonniere that Nina left for them and stands in front of Rick admiring it. "Lilies were my mom's favorite," she says shyly. She looks up at Rick and smiles. "I wish she could have met you. She'd have loved you nearly as much as I do." Kate holds the flower to Rick's lapel to determine the perfect place for it.
"I'm sure I would have too," Rick says as Kate pins the boutonniere to him. He looks down at her hands working the pin. "It's almost like prom, except your dad isn't hovering nearby disappointed that he didn't scare me away."
Kate smooths an imaginary wrinkle in his suit and grins up at him, "well there's still time. We haven't told him about eloping yet."
"Should I be scared?" Rick asks, a hint of fear tingeing his voice.
"If he does scare you off, he'll be the least of your worries once I hunt you down."
"I guess I can't back out then." Rick teases.
Kate smile falters. Her eyes fall back to the flower she pinned to his jacket and without a trace of humor asks, "Are you having any doubts about this? I don't want you to think that you have to marry me now because this crazy idea has gotten us to a chapel in Vegas."
"Kate, us eloping is a crazy idea, but it is something I will never regret. After Alexis, you are the greatest thing to ever happen to me. The only regret I could have today would be if I didn't marry you." Rick palms her cheek forcing her to meet his eyes. "I love you, Kate. Don't ever doubt that."
"I love you too, Rick."
Nina reappears with the bouquet and hands it to Kate. "Are you guys ready?"
Rick holds out an elbow for Kate and asks, "Shall we get married now?"
Kate takes his arm and says, "Definitely."
Given that it is just the two of them, Kate decides to not have a formal bridal walk and instead she and Rick meet at the front of the chapel with the officiant to say their vows.
The officiant is a man named Gordon who is a few years older than Kate's father with a grandfatherly aura that is both calming and light. The older man smiles at the couple in front of him and asks them to start with their vows before he gets to the legality part of the ceremony.
Kate is the first to go. She takes a calming breath before taking Rick's hands and meeting his eyes to say the vows she worked out in her head just hours before.
"Rick, I was never one to believe in love at first sight and I still don't because I really did not like you when we first met, but I do believe in love at second sight. At first sight, you appear to be this rich playboy, but that is not you. At second sight, you reveal who you really are: a man who cares deeply for others, who loves without condition, someone who has my back and who I trust with my life. I love you, Richard Castle, and I'm honored to call you my partner in crime and now my partner in life. I fell in love with you at second sight and I'm grateful every day for being given the chance to see the real you, a man I want to spend the rest of my life with, someone to have a family with and someone who I can count on to be by my side until we are old and gray. I promise to love you, support you and protect you for always because loving you has given me more than I ever thought I deserved." Kate smiles and squeezes his hands as a signal for Rick to say his vows.
"Kate, I could write hundreds of books and still never come close to describing what I feel for you. I never understood magic until I met you, I never felt the power of soulmates until I looked into your eyes and I never believed in true love until I kissed you. The moment I met you, I knew my life would never be the same. You made me want to be a better person and being your partner for the last three years has given my life more meaning. I love you, Katherine Beckett and the mystery of you is one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring."
A single tear slips from Kate's eye and Rick reaches over to wipe it away.
Gordon smiles at Rick and Kate and asks for the rings. "Katherine, place the ring on Richard's finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow and always."
Kate slides the ring onto Rick's finger and repeats the words. Her face is beaming with joy.
"Richard, place the ring on Katherine's finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow and always."
Rick places the ring on Kate's finger and repeats the words too.
"With the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," Gordon announces.
Kate throws her arms around Rick's neck and Rick draws her to him leaving no space between them. For the first time as husband and wife, they kiss. Kate's heart is beating so fast she almost feels dizzy, but her need to continue kissing her husband keeps her from pulling away to catch her breath.
After they break their passionate kiss at the altar, they rest their foreheads together and whisper their love for each other.
They sign their marriage certificate, have a series of staged photos taken and information on how to obtain the pictures once they are home, and are congratulated as they leave the chapel hand in hand.
To celebrate their marriage, Rick and Kate have a late breakfast at a nearby diner.
"I could have gotten us into that five-star restaurant if you wanted," Rick says as they sit next to each other in a red vinyl booth, him with his arm draped over her shoulders.
"I like it here. It kind of reminds me of our first not-date at Remy's last year," Kate admits, looking from her menu to smile up at him. She gives him a quick kiss before returning to peruse the menu.
They both have perpetual grins on their faces through the entire meal. They pay and decide to walk the strip for a little while before heading back to their hotel to pack so they can make their flight.
When they arrive back to their room, Kate falls back onto their bed and watches Rick shuffle around the room.
"Hey, Babe, come over here," she calls, her arm lazily motioning for him to join her on the bed.
Rick stops what he is doing and grins, "did you just call me Babe?"
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"
"Nope," Rick says as plops onto his stomach beside Kate and turns onto his side to face her.
Kate reaches over, swipes her fingers against his cheek and says, "I can't believe we are married."
Rick gazes down at her then leans over and brushes his lips against the corner of her mouth.
"You missed," Kate says cheekily before yanking Rick back to her to kiss him properly. She positions herself and flips him onto his back and then straddles him as she starts to unbutton his shirt and remove his tie. Rick reaches behind Kate to slide the zipper of her dress down to rid her of her clothing too.
A/N: I don't write smut, sorry. I know I'd write it really poorly, so I don't even try.
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