Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for this story.


The first order of business following Alexis and Javier's wedding ceremony was the signing of the marriage license by the bride and groom, Father Pete, and the best man and matron of honor as witnesses, which was accomplished with great solemnity in the foyer of Lyndhurst Castle.

Next came the official wedding pictures—seemingly dozens of them, as Javier and Alexis posed for several formal bride and groom portraits, then posed with Kate, Kevin, Lily, and Sarah Grace. Every possible combination of Rick, Kate, Lily, Reece, Jake, Kevin, Jenny, Sarah Grace, Nick, Martha, Earl, Jim, Lanie, Alan, Will, Victoria, Gerald, Father Pete, and finally Madison and Mark were located to be photographed as well.

And for the grand finale, Alexis insisted that the whole crowd of them be photographed together, and each branch of the tree of this family would receive a copy of the photograph of all of them together.

The photographer was retained to circulate at the reception, snapping pictures of the bride and groom's first dance and the cake cutting, and to take as many candids as possible.

The reception had begun under the large white tent on the great lawn of Lyndhurst Castle, guests enjoying a cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres while the wedding party and the family were having their pictures taken.

Finally the reception began in earnest when Alexis and Javier made their grand entrance, with the DJ hired for the evening's festivities announcing them as a spotlight shone on them entering the tent hand in hand, where it remained as they headed immediately to the dance floor to a round of applause for their first dance as husband and wife, to "Brighter Than Sunshine" by Aqualung.

Even though all eyes were on them, Alexis and Javier only had eyes for each other as they danced, while the family watched from the sidelines.

As Javier spun Alexis out from him and then back into him with a grin that overpowered the spotlight shining on them, Alexis threw her head back and laughed, unable to contain her happiness. Javier dipped Alexis, then, bringing her back up, began singing the song to her as they continued to dance, their gazes locked.

"I never saw it happening

I'd given up and given in

I just couldn't take the hurt again

What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight

But suddenly it seemed so right

Me and you, what a feeling

"What a feeling in my soul

Love burns brighter than sunshine

It's brighter than sunshine

Let the rain fall, I don't care

I'm yours and suddenly you're mine

Suddenly you're mine

And it's brighter than the sun

It's brighter than the sun

It's brighter than the sun, sunshine"

Alexis leaned in for a quick kiss, stopping Javier from singing, the two of them locked in each other's arms, still dancing all the while, and now she sang to him, their eyes fastened on each other once more.

"Love will remain a mystery

Well, give me your hand and you will see

Your heart is keeping time with me

"Oh, what a feeling in my soul

Love burns brighter than sunshine

It's brighter than sunshine

Let the rain fall, I don't care

I'm yours and suddenly you're mine

Suddenly you're mine"

Now it was Javier who cut Alexis's singing off with a kiss, before the final chorus of the song, during which Javier picked Alexis up off her feet and spun her around before setting her back down so they could end the dance with a dip and a kiss on the final "Brighter than sunshine."

Everyone applauded at the end of the dance, and there were a few whistles as well, before Javier and Alexis, hand in hand, made their way to their table.

Kevin handed Javier a microphone, and Javier addressed everyone. "Alexis and I would like to thank you for being here to celebrate our wedding with us."

Alexis leaned over so the microphone would pick up her voice and added, "Javier and I are so happy that all of you are here tonight, and we hope you have a good time. Now, everyone please enjoy your dinner."

Keeping in mind the tastes and needs of the kids, in addition to the wedding dinner of Smoked Tri-Tip with Barbecue Sauce on the side, served with Basil Butter Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Vegetable Sauté, Classic Cole Slaw, and an Artisan Bread and Butter Platter, Javier and Alexis also arranged for a kids' menu with Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza Rolls, French Fries, Corn, and Fruit Pops (long wooden skewers with grapes and miniature slices and sections of bananas, apples, and oranges on them), and plenty of milk, both white and chocolate, bottled water, apple juice, and although there was a fully stocked bar, for those who chose not to indulge in alcohol for whatever reason, a full complement of soft drinks, yellow and pink lemonades, and three varieties of iced tea (sweetened, unsweetened, and peach) were available for everyone to drink.

Dinner was a relaxed, enjoyable affair, as everyone made as many trips to the food serving stations as they wanted, and Nick kept asking where the cake was, despite the number of times both of his parents, and even Sarah Grace three times, informed Nick that he had to eat his dinner before he would get any cake.

Near the end of dinner, Kevin tapped a fork against his water glass, then picked up his champagne glass and retrieved the microphone. "While we're finishing this incredible dinner, for those of you who may not know me well, or at all, my name is Kevin Ryan, and as the best man, it's traditional that I start the toasts for this evening."

"How afraid should we be?" Alexis asked Javier in an undertone.

"Not as worried as if it were your dad," Javier replied.

"Javi and I have been partners and best friends for a very long time. He's truly my brother. He's the godfather of my children, the best friend I've ever had, next to my wife Jenny of course. He's always had my back, and I've always had his, even when we were fighting. There is no man I'm prouder to know or to call my friend, my brother, than Javier Esposito. I told you once, Javi, that I'm with you 'til the wheels fall off. And that will always be true."

Ryan's eyes lit with a gleam of mischief now as he went on, "But here my boy is, all grown up and married."

"Just remember, bro, I didn't get to do this to you at your wedding reception," Javi warned him.

Ryan put on the perfect innocent face and ignored Javi's comment. "And I now salute his bride, Alexis. I think I was a witness to the newlyweds' first argument. They had become friends, and we were planning a belated wedding reception for Beckett and Castle, and a certain green-eyed monster reared its jealous head at the mere mention of another man's name. A very happily married man named Brian, who runs The Old Haunt for Castle and was helping us plan the party. I don't know if he's here tonight, but Brian, if you are here, take a bow, because you helped my knuckleheaded best friend and brother realize that he had feelings for Alexis and that he wanted to pursue those feelings."

Javi groaned. "He's gonna talk about us sneaking around, I just know it," he muttered to Alexis.

Kevin heard Javi. "I don't think it counts as truly sneaking around when pretty much all of us knew about it except Beckett and Castle, and they even knew about it before you were going to tell them," he needled. "Getting back to Alexis, though, Alexis, you are the best thing that ever happened to Javi. I knew this day would come right before Beckett and Castle showed up at the Precinct to bust you guys after having spotted you at the Christmas tree lot making excellent use of some mistletoe the day before, because Javi kept staring at his phone all day, and I got it away from him to see what it was, exactly, he was staring at, and it was a picture of the two of you together, in front of the first Christmas tree he had had in I don't even know how many years. It has been a privilege to see your relationship unfold and evolve over these past three years, and I am very happy that the two of you have found each other, because there is no one else in the world that I would trust with my brother's heart the way I trust you."

Kevin raised his glass then. "To Javi and Alexis," he said. "May you never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must steal, then steal away each other's sorrows. If you must lie, may you lie in each other's arms. If you must cheat, may you cheat misfortune. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."

Everyone clinked their glasses and toasted to Javi and Alexis. Sarah Grace, Nick, and Lily all carefully clinked their plastic drinking glasses of milk and juice together, just like they saw the grown-ups do.

After Javi and Alexis had both hugged Kevin, and he had resumed his seat, it was Kate's turn to give her matron-of-honor toast.

"I have the great privilege of being not only the matron of honor but someone who has known both Alexis and Javi for many years. And to give you an idea of how crazily wonderful our family tree is, I've actually known Javi longer than I've known Alexis," she began. "For as long as I've known him, Javi has been an exemplary police officer, a true friend, and a man that I now how have the honor of calling my son-in-law. But Javi, you and I had something else in common for the longest time: deep down, we each wanted to be part of a family, we each wanted to love and be loved in return beyond all measure. And there was a time when neither of us thought that would happen for either of us. But look at us now: part of the same amazing family. Well, I should say officially part of the same amazing family, because that's the thing about the Castles: they take you in and make you one of their own right away, and it's for life.

"Alexis, I am proud to be your matron of honor, but more than that, I am proud to be the mother of your heart. You are a loving, caring, compassionate, brilliant young woman, and having watched you grow into that woman has been a joy. And now, as you move into your future with Javi by your side as your husband, I'm very happy for both of you. To Alexis and Javi." Kate raised her glass, and everyone else followed suit. "They say that you don't marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can't live without," she said, looking at Alexis and Javi. "I think that sums up the two of you perfectly. I wish you a long life together filled with happiness, adventure, and lots of wonderful memories."

Again, everyone toasted to Alexis and Javi.

Then the DJ really got the party started, and the dancing began.

Rick and Alexis had their father/daughter dance to "My Girl" by The Temptations.

"You're holding up remarkably well, Dad," Alexis said as they danced.

"To Lanie's eternal disappointment," Rick replied. "I did cry during the ceremony. But it's hard for me to be sad when I see you so happy, Pumpkin."

"I feel like I'm ten feet off the ground and I'm never gonna come back down," Alexis replied.

Rick smiled at Alexis's obvious joy, and just savored the rest of the dance.

The family mixed and mingled throughout the evening, as Alexis danced with Kevin, Jim, Earl, Alan, and Father Pete, while Javier had dances with Martha, Jenny, Victoria, and Kate.

"I just realized that, for all intents and purposes, you're my mother-in-law," Javi said as he and Kate danced to "That's What Friends Are For."

"I am, aren't I?" Kate mused. "I've never seen you this happy, Javi."

"I've never been this happy, Kate," Javi replied seriously.

"Just don't call Rick 'Dad' and we're good," Kate assured him.

"I'm no fool," Javi said with a laugh. "I can't even call him 'Rick.' He'll always be 'Castle' to me. Although we'll have to explain to the kids why I call their grandpa 'Castle.'"

Kate pulled a wryly comic face. "Okay, really don't talk about making Rick a grandpa tonight. I'm too tired to deal with his reaction. What energy I have left is going to be devoted to getting Lily and Jake to sleep."

"If Reece were older, I'd be offended that he's sleeping through our wedding reception," Javi cracked.

"I'm amazed he can sleep at all, even though my dad took him into the groom's room," Kate mused.

The song ended, and Nick came running out to the floor and grabbed Javi by the hand. "Uncle Javi, Uncle Javi, it's finally time for cake! Aunt Alexis said so!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Duty calls," Javi said. Before Nick could pull him away, Javi said seriously, "I'll take care of her, Kate."

"Take care of each other," Kate corrected him.

"Advice from the old married lady. Got it," Javi said seriously before grinning.

"Hey, I'm your mother-in-law now!" Kate reminded him with a laugh as Nick practically dragged Javi towards the wedding cake.

After Alexis and Javi had cut the cake and fed each other the first bite, they sneaked outside with the photographer for some nighttime photos of just the two of them under the night sky while the dancing continued inside.

Rick took to the dance floor with Lily standing on his shoes, and Kevin and Sarah Grace also danced together. Kate took Jake out on the dimly lit dance floor, gently swaying him as his head rested on her shoulder, since he was almost asleep, and she and Rick exchanged a look and a smile at one point.

By the time those parent/child dances had ended, Will had conked out in Alan's lap, and Lanie followed Kate as she went to put Jake down in the groom's room with Reece and Jim. "Jim, why don't you go on back out there and dance with Kate or Lily?" Lanie asked. "My feet have had it for tonight, and Alan's gonna be bringing Will in here in a minute. We'll watch Reece and Jake for you guys."

"If you're sure you wouldn't mind, Lanie, I'd love to dance with both Katie and Lily Jo, since the only dance I managed to get in earlier was with Alexis," Jim replied, reaching for the tuxedo jacket he had abandoned earlier and shrugging into it before hastily re-tying his undone bow tie.

Alan entered the room a moment later, carrying the sleeping Will. "Thank you, Alan," Jim said quietly, so as not to wake Will.

"It's our pleasure," Alan replied just as quietly. "Go have some fun, Jim."

After Kate got Jake settled, and checked on Reece, she turned to Lanie, who was settling herself on the couch Jim had just vacated. "Thanks," she said simply.

"We got this, Kate. Go dance with Writer Boy. I don't think you've had the chance yet, between the duty dances, and him dancing with Alexis and Lily," Lanie said. "I might fall asleep soon myself, unless my feet start to hurt more."

Alan, knowing a cue when he heard one, this being the second pregnancy he and Lanie were going through, sat down on the couch, untied his bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt collar, then reached down and removed Lanie's shoes before settling her feet in his lap and beginning to massage one of them.

"You've trained him well, I see," Kate said.

"Oh, like you didn't train Castle," Lanie retorted.

Kate considered this for a moment. "I think I had him mostly trained before we ever got together," she mused.

"All good husbands require training," Alan piped up then. "At least, if they want to be good husbands, they do. The smart ones know it, because they know that the important thing is keeping their wives happy."

Lanie smiled. "That's my husband that said that," she bragged.

"I know the kids are all sleeping, but keep it PG-rated in here anyway," Kate said before heading back out to the dance floor, where she saw her father dancing with Lily standing on his shoes, Martha and Earl dancing, Alexis and Javier having returned from their last photo session and dancing, and Kevin and Jenny seated at the head table with the sleeping Nick stretched out on two chairs pushed together and Sarah Grace seated between her parents, her head drooping against her mother's arm as she fought off sleep. Kate danced with her father after he danced with Lily, and Lily danced with both Earl and Martha.

The DJ announced the last dance of the evening, and the floor was soon crowded. Lily was getting tired now too, so Jim picked her up and carried her off the floor, shooing Kevin and Jenny out to the floor with everyone else for the last dance of the night. Lily and Sarah Grace both slumped in their chairs tiredly and Jim sat with them and Nick, watching the others dance and reflecting on what a wonderful wedding it was.

"Grandpa?" Lily asked sleepily.

"Yes, Lily Jo?" he asked, turning to focus his full attention on his granddaughter.

"Will you dance with me again sometime?" she asked.

"I sure will," he promised. Then she crawled into his lap, laid her head against his chest, and fell asleep.

Out on the dance floor, the song was the long version of Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." Alexis and Javier were barely moving, their foreheads touching, arms around each other. Martha and Earl agreed that they liked the song well enough, but it wasn't one they would consider "theirs." Madison and Mark talked quietly about starting to prepare in earnest for their own upcoming wedding. Jenny laid her head on Kevin's shoulder as they danced, and Victoria and Gerald kissed, unnoticed by everyone else.

"You did great today, babe," Kate said as she and Rick danced.

"So did you," he replied. "I used to picture this day, every once in a while, when Alexis was a little girl. It wasn't anything like I thought it would be."

"You probably pictured an entirely different groom," Kate agreed.

"It wasn't even about the groom," Rick said. "It was about everything I didn't picture, because I hadn't met you yet, or your dad, or Ryan and Jenny, or Lanie and Alan, or Gates and her husband, Madison and Mark, or, yes, Esposito. And I never dared to dream of Lily and Reece and Jake until I met you. No, when I used to picture Alexis's wedding, it was just Mother and me and a bunch of Alexis's friends on the bride's side. But because of you, we have this big, and as you so aptly described it, crazily wonderful family. That's what I never pictured. And it's so much better than what I did picture."

He framed her face in his hands as Bryan Adams' voice soared through the declaration that no other person could give more love, and that "there's nowhere unless you're there, all the time, all the way."

"Alexis and Mother and I...we got along all right as a trio. But the night you walked into my life, Kate...In my wildest imaginings, I couldn't have pictured that we'd wind up here, with three Beckett-Castle babies, to co-opt Madison's phrase, of our own, asleep nearby, with you the mother of Alexis's heart, with this big, crazily wonderful family we've put together. I had a lot of dreams and a lot of fantasies about you before we got together, and I've had a lot more since we've been together, but all of this?" Not wanting to let go of her, he tilted his head at the wedding reception going on around them. "But then, it's only fitting, because every dream, every fantasy I've ever had involving you? The reality has always surpassed them. And that's because I married the person I absolutely can't live without. I've done that, and since none of the kids are around, I can just say it: I suck at living without you."

Kate turned her head and pressed a kiss into the palm of Rick's hand. "Well, then, it's a good thing you don't have to," she said. "And for the record, I suck at living without you too. Even when I was too broken and too scared to tell you how I really felt about you, I missed you when you weren't around, and I hated not hearing your voice or seeing your face, even if you were driving me crazy."

"If Alexis and Esposito can be even half as happy as we are, as a dad, I can't ask for more than that for her," he replied.

Now Kate did break Rick's hold on her, to seek out Alexis and Javi across the dance floor, where they weren't even dancing anymore, just standing still, arms around each other, kissing. He followed her gaze to the newlyweds. "I don't think we have anything to worry about with them," she said.

The song ended, and it was time for Alexis and Javier to leave. Rick had booked several rooms at the nearby Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson, and pretty much everyone in the family was going to stay there overnight. Since Javier had taken charge of the honeymoon, as was traditional for the groom, he and Alexis were booked in a Luxury Suite at a different nearby hotel, the Castle Hotel and Spa. They would fly out of JFK Airport the next morning for their honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii.

The family, minus Lanie and Alan, who were still in the groom's room with the still-sleeping Will, Reece and Jake, and Jim, who had the sleeping Lily in his lap, and was keeping watch over the sleeping Sarah Grace and Nick, knew that Alexis and Javi were ready to make their departure, and as the majority of the guests drifted outside, the immediate family gathered around.

Alexis and Javier took turns hugging and thanking everyone, making it a point to go over to the table and thank Jim, who shook Javi's hand and squeezed Alexis's hand. Alexis kissed Lily on the forehead and whispered, "You were an awesome flower girl, Lily." They then ducked into the groom's room, where the only one still awake was Alan, who promised to tell Lanie that the newlyweds had said goodbye before leaving. Alexis kissed the sleeping Reece, then the sleeping Jake, telling them, "Don't change too much while Javier and I are in Hawaii, okay, guys?"

When Alexis and Javi returned to the tent, the only ones still waiting inside were Rick, Kate, Martha, Kevin, and Jenny.

"Thanks, bro," Javi told Kevin.

They hugged, and Kevin told him, "Anything for you. And welcome to the club."

"The club?" Javi asked as Kevin released him.

"Yeah, the Husbands Club. You're now officially a member," Kevin said, clapping Javi on the shoulder.

Javi grinned. "Yeah, I am," he realized.

"You are the most beautiful bride there ever was," Martha declared as she and Alexis embraced.

"Not that you're biased or anything," Alexis said.

"Completely objective opinion," Martha replied. Javi had just gotten a goodbye hug from Jenny, and he joined Alexis and Martha. "And you," Martha went on, addressing him. "My grandson-in-law." She hugged Javier, then said, "Have fun, you two, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." With a wink and a grin, Martha then stepped back. Javi's only reaction was to blink and look at Alexis uncertainly, and Alexis and Kate both burst out laughing, while Rick looked at Esposito sympathetically.

"Thanks for everything, Mom," Alexis said as she and Kate hugged. "I love you."

"I love you too, Alexis," Kate replied.

"So, Mother-in-Law," Javi said with a smirk. Kate smirked back at him, but then they grew serious. "'Thank you' doesn't seem like near enough."

"It is," she assured him. She hugged him, and he hugged her back. "Take care of each other," she said.

"We will," he promised.

"And know that whenever you two have a fight, I'm on her side," Kate said as she let go of Javi and stepped back, smirking at him again.

"You've known me longer, you said so in your speech," Javi pointed out.

"She's my daughter," Kate replied, no trace of the smirk now. "That means I'm on her side for eternity."

"And that's as it should be," Javi said.

Rick and Alexis were hugging. "Be happy," Rick said.

"We will," Alexis replied. "We have great examples to follow."

"I love you, pumpkin."

"I love you too, Dad."

Esposito approached then, hanging back slightly. Castle saw him, and he gave Alexis one more squeeze before letting her go. "Esposito," he said.

"Castle," Esposito said.

"If Alexis ever goes to jail," Castle began.

"I'd break her out in the first five minutes she was in there," Esposito swore.

Then Castle surprised everyone, including himself, when he engulfed Esposito in a big hug. Startled for a second, Esposito recovered quickly and hugged Castle back.

Castle let him go after several seconds. "You're a good man, Javier, and I'm glad you're my son-in-law."

"I am too," he replied.

Alexis beamed at her father. "Thanks, Dad," she said.

Rick gave her a wistful smile back as Kate threaded her fingers through his and rested her cheek against his bicep.

Then everyone headed outside to see the newlyweds off before heading back inside to collect their things, and for those who were parents, their children before going to their respective hotel rooms for the night.