The Universe and You
Author's Note: As much as I would like to take credit for this chapter, every word of every sentence, belongs to Caskettastic. She is so incredible that her friendship makes me want to be a better writer. Every single time.
Chapter 6
She pulled away then to look at him, and he wiped the last tear from her cheek. He smiled and she couldn't resist joining in. He laughed then, and she looked around at everyone and they all seemed to have a look of pure joy on their faces. But she knew, none of them could feel the happiness that was overwhelming her right now. The joy of having her fiancé back where he should be, close to her.
He leaned in to grasp her lips, but she dodged him by tilting her face just enough to let his smooth, freshly shaven cheek brush against hers. She closed her eyes and whispered softly to him
"If you want it bad enough, meet me at the altar" she smoothed his tux lapel "and kiss me then."
He pulled away and looked at her with a warm smile and said "Let's get married."
There was an excited squeal from somewhere behind them, and Kate suddenly felt Alexis take her hand and start to pull her away, but she didn't let her eyes lose his gaze. She watched him with this sweet, hopeful smile on her face that told him just how much she's been waiting for this moment.
Her groom was finally here, safe and sound, and they were getting married.
When she was back in the house, Alexis and Lanie began to touch up on her makeup and help her freshen up a bit. The glow on her face after seeing her fiancé was so beautiful in fact that really didn't need any make up at all.
She stood up and looked at herself one last time in the mirror and in her mind, she said to herself
"This is it. This is your day. He's waiting down there to make you his."
A knock on the door sounded, and Kate turned to find her dad at the door
"You ready?" he asked, looking nervous himself.
And Kate looked back at herself in the mirror and said "I am."
Lanie came up to her and hugged her "You're looking drop dead gorgeous Kate."
"I think we could do without the morbid homicide jokes today Lanie." Kate laughed.
Lanie chuckled kissed her on the cheek one last time and left, saying "I'll see you, downstairs."
Alexis then came up to Kate and embraced her, long and lovingly, and kissed her on the cheek
"I love you Kate. I'm so happy you'll officially be part of our family today. We can't wait."
"I can't wait you Alexis, really, for all of this."
Alexis nodded and said "I've always told dad, falling in love with you was his best decision yet" Before walking out to join the others.
Kate turned to the mirror one last time and looked over her shoulder to see her dad still standing behind her.
She turned to him nervously "How do I look?"
"Even more beautiful than your mom did." he held out his arm and she linked her arm through it.
"Let's go" she said after taking a deep breath and Jim led her out the room.
While walking downstairs he spoke "Remember when you were a little kid and you'd dress up in your prettiest dresses and walk around with a bunch of flowers in your hand, doing a slow march across the room."
Kate chuckled "Yea, I've practiced enough for this day I guess."
"I'd tell your mom then, that letting you go to a man when you grow older would be the hardest thing to do, because even then I didn't like the idea of you dreaming about your wedding day."
Kate laughed some more. "Dad, I was 5. The only reason I did that was because I liked the idea of a long white wedding dress and pretty flowers. Hell, I didn't even care if there was a groom involved or not."
Jim chuckled. They had reached the end of the stairs and saw Lanie and Alexis and two of Jenny's nieces waiting there at the door.
"Well, the day's finally here, and I'm not going to say it's any easier to give you away, but knowing that you're happy with a man who loves and treatsyou well, makes all of this feel right."
"Thank you dad" she kissed him on the cheek and said "I'll always be your girl, you know that, right?"
"I know." He said with a smile and they walked towards the entourage.
"It's so stupid, did they really think we were going to postpone?" Kate heard Alexis grumble.
"What is it?" she asked. Alexis Castle was never really one to grumble.
"Some of the guests have assumed with all of the commotion, that maybe the wedding was postponed." Lanie explained.
"As long as I have my groom and all of you here to share this moment with us, we really don't need anyone else. Let's do this. I'm getting married today, guests or no guests." Kate said decisively.
In a few minutes, the doors were opened and the two little girls walked out, nervous little girls being summoned towards the altar by their uncle Kevin who was trying to get their attention right now.
Kate could see him waving out excitedly. She laughed. But the man she wanted to see was hidden. She could even see Alexis standing up there with them, looking beautiful and attracting all the attention for the other two best men.
Lanie walked out behind the girls and now it was Kate's turn.
As her dad took the first step forward she moved with him, and slowly, she found herself floating towards the front of the aisle. And halfway down, her eyes met his, their gaze obstructed only by the thin net veil that hung down before her face.
And just like that, she became ignorant to everything else around her. It was his gaze on her that carried her forward,hypnotizing and beautiful that it was, he looked at her with pride and love and pure admiration, and she reflected the same for him. This was finally happening and every cell in her body, every pore on her skin sang with joy to be here, to be alive this day and to be walking towards him, her life to be.
She hadn't even realized she had reached the altar, until Jim softly took her hand in his, and faced her.
"I love you, Katie" he said, kissing her cheek gently.
"I love you too dad" and with that, he led her up the final two stairs and placed her hand in the hand of the man she'd come to adore and love unconditionally over the past few years.
And as Rick took hold of both her hands, she felt a shock of warmth go through her veins, and startle her senses. Is this what it feels like to finally be here? She thought.
"Hey" he said softly with that charming young smile he always sported
"Hi" she said with a beautiful wide smile that spoke volumes.
The minister present then began to speak,
"Dearly beloved, we have all gathered here today to witness the marriage of Richard Edgar Castle and Katherine Houghton Beckett… From what I've just been told about them by their family and close friends, this day has been a long time coming."
Kate laughed and Rick had that childish smile on his face. This day had sure been a long time coming. In fact, Kate had to admit, somewhere during her partnership with him, it was a given, that someday, she would be standing here with the intention of marrying him. And now, standing here in her wedding dress, Holding his hands, looking into his beautiful baby blues and having all of her loved ones here to witness this moment was all too overwhelming for her. so overwhelming, that her cheeks ached in a good way with that smile that she couldn't manage to tame. Why would she either. This day was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, and it was turning out to be just that. Nothing could best describe her state right now other than Pure, unadulterated joy.
"Marriage is a union of two hearts, to no longer be called two, but rather, to become one and staythat way for eternity."
Rick turned to look at the minister and corrected him "Always"
"I'm sorry, what?"
Kate laughed quietly and squeezed his hand.
"Nothing, sorry" and he looked back at Kate to find her rolling her eyes at him. As the minister continued his monologue about marriage, Rick mouthed the words "Our word is always!"
"Yea, but he doesn't know that" Kate reasoned.
"If anyone has reason as to why these two shouldn't be joined in matrimony, speak now of forever hold your peace."
There was silence, and the minister looked back into his book to continue. Rick began tracing little circles on Kate's hand with his thumb, and she felt warm all over. She smiled that signature smile of hers, the one where she slightly bit her tongue between her that smile did so many things to him. His insides felt light and warm and so filled with love everytime she did that. That smile was his. He knew,she only ever smiled that way for him.
There was a sound from among everyone seated there before them, someone cleared their throat, and for a second, Kate's hands went cold. Both of them turned to look at who it was, who was it who may have a problem with them tying the knot.
All eyes turned to Aunt Teresa.
She looked around in confusion, and then stated with a warm smile "What? Oh no! No! I don't have a problem with them getting married. I just have a bad cold."
"Girl, if she wasn't Kate's aunt, I would've smacked the daylights out of her" Lanie said to Alexis. And the entire crowd relaxed.
Kate breathed a sigh of relief and Rick laughed. "Is she always like that?"
"Calling her an Attention seeker would be putting it too mildly" Kate said.
"You went cold there for a second" he admitted, while staringdown at her hands.
"I'm warm now" She gave him a reassuring smile. She was alright. He squeezed her hand and looked to the minister to continue.
"Moving on," the minister said. "Richard and Katherine, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"
"Yes we have" they replied in unison.
"Will you honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?"
"Yes, we will" came their reply.
"Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?"
"Yes we will" Rick lightly tickled her hand with his finger this time, and she saw the gleam in his eyes. She wanted to kiss this man senseless. He was driving her crazy, even at this moment.
"Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent." said the minister.
This was it. The time to declare their vows to each other had come. They'd been preparing for this for a long time, and Kate's heart beat hard in anticipation to hear what Rick, her writer, had in store for her.
"Katherine... Kate," he started "the only ever thing I've ever done for a living is write. I write and write until I can create something to please my readers, but mostly I write to please myself. Innumerous chapters have been discarded much before they've reached my editors hands, only because I didn't believe what I was writing.
I can't write what I don't believe in. But Kate, eversince I met you, ever since I began writing about you, the words just flowed. They still do. And I know they always will, because with you, everything I write about you, for you, with you, all ofit is what I see for real in you, your strength, your heart, everything about you inspires me, and all of you makes me believe.
When I'm with you, I believe in magic, cause really. That's all you ever make me feel like. I wish you knew the power you have over me, Kate. No woman, none of my muses before you have ever managed to entrance me this way. You've put a spell upon me like no other. I'll never run out of words for as long as you're with me. Words come easy when they're about you, and if I could, I'd write a lifetime supply of books in your name Kate.
Writing now, feels meaningless, if it isn't about you."
Kate's eyes had turned moist. She'd never wanted to cry this much out of joy. She'd never felt an emotion this strong and overwhelming before.
"So, here it goes- "he continued with the most charming smile she'd seen him wear.
"I, Richard Edgar Castle, take you, Katherine Houghton Beckett, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." He lifted her hands and brought them to his lips, and while never leaving her gaze, he reverently kissed her knuckles.
Kate looked at him with eyes of love and gratitude and suddenly she found herself forgetting everything she had prepared herself to say to him. Her mind went blank, because now all she could think of was the beautiful things he just said to her.
"Ms Beckett, You may now declare your vows" the minister said.
She nodded then and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
And after a moment's pause she said to him
"I'm no wordsmith, I catch criminals for a living, and really, that's all I've done for a major part of my life. You know me Rick…
"Better than anyone" he interrupted and Lanie shushed him from behind Kate.
"Sorry"he mumbled and Kate laughed. She continued.
"But there's one thing you don't know. I encountered a criminal once, but never put him behind bars. He stole something from me, long before we first met, and he still doesn't know how."
Rick looked confused and eager.
"He made me feel emotions I've never had before. Jealousy, anger, and really, I wanted so bad to put him behind bars because he had stolen a major part of me.
But after everything he did, I will never find it in me, to arrest him. Cause among all the emotions he brought out from me, he showed me something I never thought I'd experience. He showed me Love."
This criminal, broke every law I'd made for myself, invaded every part of my life he could find and really, I had every right to put him away for life, but I chose to take him formyself to love and to hold for Always."
"I guess by now, you know who this criminal is, Rick"
"I'm sorry, are you talking about Esposito?" he asked. And the crowd roared with laughter. She hit him playfully. "Shut up Rick!"
"Nono, I'm just kidding I get it.. But wait, you said I stole something from you long before we met… "
"That brings me to the second part of what I have to say to you here. Rick, your words were my shoulder to lean on, my solid ground, during the toughest part of my life. I've never really told you this, but your words were the only thing keeping me going. After my mom died, I found one of your books in her bedside drawer, and her bookmark was on the second last chapter. Rick, she never found out who the killer was. So I took it up to finish the book for her. And in a way, it motivated me to find her killer. She needed closure and I realized later I needed it more than she did.
You don't even know the mountains I'vecrossed just cause I had you Rick. You and your words. And today, If I'm standing here with all the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders it's only because You've stuck by my side, even when I tried my best to push you away. I'm not letting you go anywhere. Now that we're finally here Rick, let me tell you, the past 24 hours have been the most stressful, because really, my greatest fear was losing you. I'm never letting you out of my sight from this day on. You're stuck with me babe, to have and to hold for the rest of our lives." she said with a wink.
"That's supposed to scare me I think.. But it doesn't" he said, and she laughed.
"Stop interrupting my vows" she told him with a mock glare and he zipped his lips.
"I, Katherine Houghton Beckett, take you, Richard Edgar Castle, to be my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Her eyes gleamed with happiness and it reflected off of his.
"Now that you've declared you vows before everyone gathered here, you may now exchange your wedding rings."
Lanie stepped forward with a two boxes and each of them took theirs and opened it up, returning he boxes back to her and keeping their rings in hand.
Rick took her left hand in his, and lightly brushed his thumb over her ring finger and spoke with utmost confidence as he acclaimed "Kate, with this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love" he reverently placed the ring on her finger, sliding it up with ease and affection and making sure it fits her finger well. It was perfect.
Kate then took his hand and said "Rick, with this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love." and softly she added "always" and he whispered it back to her.
There were smiles all around and the minister continued
"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife"
"You may now…"
And even before the minister could finish his sentence, Rick pulled his bride into his arms and kissed her, deep and passionate, they were a real adorable sight to watch. Holding her close, he poured out into the kiss all his love for her, and she reciprocated the same. The feeling of finally being one, tied together in matrimony for the rest of their always. She had this smile on her face even while they kissed and really, he'd never seen her look more beautiful than she did today. As he pulled away to look at her, he saw the sparkle in her eyes and new this was the start of a beautiful life with her.
"Congratulations Mrs. Castle" and if he thought her smile couldn't get more beautiful, he was wrong. Her cheeks flushed and she leaned in close to him, letting her smooth skin brush against his cheek, sending warmth down his spine and she kissed him just near his ear and whispered "Congratulations babe".
They kissed some more and their family and friends applauded and cheered for them in their joy. Life would never be the same she thought to herself as she kissed this beautiful man. He was hers and she was his, and they'd stay this way forever, she was no longer alone, they were no longer two individuals, they were one from this moment on, and she couldn't wait to start living out life with him.
Her lips brushed softly and lovingly against his, and neither of them wanted to stop. She kissed him and it spoke volumes. He could feel her gratitude, her promise in it. She was giving herself wholly to him and telling him something. She was letting out all the emotions she had felt in these last 24 hours in all her fear of losing him, she was conveying to him, just how much she needs him, and just how much she wants him. She kissed him to make up for all the worry and stress she underwent all because of that stupid nightmare. He was her beacon of hope, her light when the universe was cruel enough to bring only darkness before her eyes, so she kissed him, and meant to give him all the love she could.
He could read her all too well and when she finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and he said
"We did it!"
She chuckled
"We made it!" she said.
"You can't tell me you really thought we wouldn't" he asked.
"I can't deny the fact that I almost lost myself with the idea that you were hurt"
He kissed her again softly and sweetly, reassuringly and said "I'm never going to leave you" she smiled and said
"I know"
He leaned in again to kiss her some more, but this time, a cat call from Espo reminded them that there were a huge bunch of people around, waiting to greet them on their new life together.
"Save some for the honey moon"he had called out. And Rick laughed without looking directly at him.
"Oh I have a lot planned for our honey moon"he mumbled only to Kate and her cheeks flushed again. Why was this happening? Why was she blushing? She's slept innumerous times with him before, why was she blushing at the idea of tonight.
Oh yes. She was his wife now. It was a new stage in their relationship, one of complete commitment to eachother. And the idea of being in the arms of her husband tonight was setting her body on fire. Sheneeded to feel him, and feel all of him. So when he put a little more distance between them and took her hand in his to lead them towards their guests, she missed his proximity and the heat he radiated. But she went along.
When Martha came up to them and wished them, she said to them "I've attended countless weddings in my time, but at none of them have I heard vows so heart felt. Both of you, you brought tears to my eyes."
Rick pulled Kate in closer to his side, and kissed her temple. She looked up at him and said "I love you"
"I love you too" he replied.
After all of their close friends and family had greeted them, Alexis ran up to them and said
"So, should we get this party started, or do you guys need a while to freshen up?"
Kate looked up at Rick and bit her lip. Immediately he knew what she was thinking. And she knew what he wanted too. There was no chance like now.
"Uhh... actually, I need to go freshen up a bit..."
"Yea..." Kate began.
"And I'm sure, Kate, you want to freshen up a bit too?" he asked her.
"Yes. I need to... I should probably..."
"Alright then, you guys take your time, we'll keep everyone entertained till then." Alexis chirped excitedly.
"Thanks Pumpkin. You're the best"Rick kissed his daughter on the cheek and then grasped his wife's hand and hastily led her to the house. Everyone was outside, this was their best chance.
"I can't believe this. Are you like reading my mind or something?" he chuckled as he asked her. They were making their way to the door.
"Just goes to show how in sync we are today."
"That's left to be seen. Prove it to me." He said while wiggling his eyebrows naughtily.
"Challenge accepted" she said confidently as he pulled open the door and carried her inside, quickly shutting it closed behind them.
Author's Note: Told ya that girl is talented! Here *offers chocolate* Now, reviews? Its only fair!