Well, my dear readers, we have reached the end. I'm so glad that so many of you have enjoyed this story so much! I hope you'll love the very end just as much. I'm going to go ahead and dedicate this last chapter to all of you. (:

Song of the Chapter: "Marry Me" by Train.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Castle, or the song above, or anything affiliated with them.

Enjoy!

October 15th, 2020:

"Bro, you smile anymore and it's gonna get stuck." Esposito said with a smirk.

"I can't help it." Castle said with a shrug. "I'm marrying this smart, beautiful, brave, sexy, incredible woman." He shook his head and chuckled. "I'm still waiting to wake up."

"Alright, lover boy, we get it." Ryan said jokingly. "I'm starting to think you can't talk about anything but Beckett."

"You actually expect me to on my wedding day?" He raised an eyebrow. "Besides, you're one to talk. You were the same way when you married Jenny."

Ryan opened his mouth to object, and then realized this was fact.

Castle stayed silent for a moment. "This all just feels so right." He looked at his friends. "It didn't feel this way before my other weddings. Kate's…Kate's the one." He smiled again. "God, I love her."

Esposito smiled too. "Good…because, ah…if you hurt Beckett, we're going to have to kick your ass."

Ryan nodded. "No offense."

"None taken." Castle chuckled.

Jim Beckett came from the back room at that moment. "And if you don't do it, I will." He added. "Castle, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Castle looked a bit surprised. "Um, yeah. Yeah, sure." He stood up, and followed the older man into the back room.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Jim asked him.

Castle looked taken aback. "Of course." He shook his head.

"You're sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life." Castle told him seriously. "I love your daughter more than I ever knew it was possible to love someone. I would do anything for her. That includes, as a very real possibility, dying for her. I know from first hand experience, that my life without her is nothing, and on some level, I knew I would love her from the moment I saw her." He paused, thinking of how to word what he was trying to say. "Kate is an unbelievable woman. I honestly don't think there's anything that she can't do. And all I want is to spend the rest of my life making her feel…loved."

Jim analyzed Castle for a moment. "You know, Castle? You're all right. I always did like you better than that Josh fellow. When I came in here and asked him the same thing, all he said was he loved her."

"I take pride in the fact that I'm not him." Castle smiled.

Jim laughed, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright then. I'll get out of your hair." He began to walk away.

"I hope you'll be a part of the family." Castle called after him.

He stopped and turned around. "I'll be related to you." He pointed out.

"Not what I meant." Castle shook his head. "I mean I hope you'll come over for things like Christmas and Thanksgiving. I hope if Kate and I ever have children that they'll spend a lot of time with you. You mean a lot to Kate, and I don't want her to have to choose between us."

Jim smiled broadly at him. "Thank you." He told him sincerely. He had taken a few steps before he turned once more. "Oh, and you might want to know that your friends out there bet on if you would marry Kate."

Castle laughed.

Kate examined herself in the mirror, smoothing the stomach on her gown.

"Girl, you look gorgeous." Lanie said in a singsong voice behind her.

Kate grinned. "You really think so?"

"Mmhm." Lanie nodded. "You're going to blow that boy's mind."

"Yeah?" Kate bit her lip. "I hope so."

"I know so, Mrs. Castle." Lanie said with a wink.

"I'm not taking his name." Kate rolled her eyes.

Lanie looked at her skeptically. "Writer Boy goes all fairytale wedding on all of us, and he's okay with you not taking his name?"

"Well, we both agreed that since I'm not leaving the precinct anytime soon, it's easier to keep my own name since nobody's ever known me as anything but Beckett except for the few months I was Detective Davidson, and even then people took to just not saying my name. It's easier for everyone. Besides…" she looked down and tried to suppress a grin. "Rick told me that all that really matters is that I'm his."

Lanie gaped at her. "No he did not." She said in disbelief. "That boy is too romantic. If Javi knew half of what he did…"

"Esposito loves you." Kate told her, still smiling. "He does his best."

"I know, I know." Lanie waved a hand. "But we've been together for almost 10 years! Why hasn't he proposed yet? I mean, seriously. We live together, we go grocery shopping together, and we even have a damn dog. The only way we could be more married is if there was a ring on my finger."

"Maybe he's afraid you'll say no." Kate pointed out.

Lanie considered this. "I never thought of that."

Kate could have told her friend that Esposito had been planning to propose on their 10-year-anniversary for months now, but she didn't.

The door opened and Alexis came in, in a dress identical to Lanie's, along with Jim Beckett.

"Kate, you look beautiful!" Alexis chirped, smiling.

"Thank you, Alexis." She smiled back at the 27-year-old.

"She's right." Jim said, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder. "You're stunning."

Kate's face softened. "Thanks, Dad."

Jim shook his head. "I can't believe my Katie is getting married."

"I've done it before." She reminded him.

He waved a hand. "That wasn't a marriage, that was an agreement."

"Is that why Rick was the only one who came to see me right before last time?" She looked at everyone in the room.

"Girl, we didn't trust ourselves to keep our mouths shut." Lanie informed her.

Kate shook her head and smiled, unable to be mad, and looked back at her dad.

"You love him?" He asked her.

Kate looked curiously at her dad. "Of course."

"You're sure?"

She smiled a bit more. "Rick has always been there for me. He's never broken a promise. He's loving, and kind, and a great person. He makes me laugh even when everything's going wrong…hell, he's the whole reason Mom's case is closed. I just, I had this feeling the first time I met him that he was special. I've never felt like this about anybody else. He's a wonderful dad, and he always knows what to say. He's exactly who I want to be with for the rest of forever."

He stayed silent for a moment. "Your mother would be so proud of everything you've become."

Kate looked at her hands. "Do you um…" she swallowed hard. "Do you think she would like him?"

Jim nodded. "I do. She might think he was a little odd, mind you…"

Kate laughed lightly.

"…But she would love him. If nothing else, just for how well he treats you." Tears sparkled in his eyes. "And how much he loves you."

Kate nodded and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Don't cry, Katie." Jim soothed, brushing the tear away with his thumb.

"I just wish she were here." Kate almost whispered.

"She is. Somehow." He told her. "Your mother wouldn't miss this for the world."

She wrapped her dad in a long hug, and then took a step back, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"How do you feel?" Jim asked her.

She thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Ready." She said, and nodded.

"Good." Jim linked arms with her. "It's time to go."

One last review? (: