She finally gets him home. He finally fills the empty space in their bed, his scent once again permeating into his pillow. She can finally curl into his side and be wrapped up in him. She can finally breathe.

Castle pulls her onto his chest, holding her tightly. Kate snuggles into him as close as she can, being mindful of his injured knee. His fingers scrape through her hair and she sighs with content. This is the first moment she's gotten alone with him since he was released from the hospital. The first time in nearly over a month that she's been able to let him hold her.

"Thank God you're okay," she whispers, pressing her nose against his neck.

His hand tightens in her hair for a moment, before continuing to finger comb through it.

"I am. I'm okay," Castle tells her.

Kate tries to press herself against him further. "What do you want to do about the wedding?"

He winces. "I hate that they took our day away from us. All of the planning, everything we put into it…you should already be my wife."

She kisses his neck. "I'm still going to be your wife. That's not changing."

He sighs, his fingers untangling from her hair and pressing into her back. "I know it's not. It just really sucks."

"Tell me about it. At least you didn't have to deal with telling the guests that the groom is missing. All of our wedding presents are still at the Hamptons house by the way, unopened."

He exhales, kissing her forehead. "Kate, I'm so sorry you were stuck on the other end of that. I can't even imagine – I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. You didn't leave on your own free will."

Castle huffs, his hands snaking under the hem of her shirt, wanting to feel her skin against his. She hums at his touch.

"Did you get any pictures?" he asks softly.

"The photographer took some, but it's not really a day I want to remember. I really should just call him up and tell him to delete them."

"So that's it? I never get to see what you looked like wearing your mother's wedding dress?"

"We're still getting married, remember?"

"I thought you said the dress was ruined."

She shrugs. "Nothing a dry cleaning bill can't fix. The designer dress is the one that's totally ruined. But hey, hang on a sec."

Kate reaches for her phone from her bedside table and snuggles back into his side.

"Addie has a picture of the two of us from that morning on her phone. She sent it to me."

She opens her photos, finds what she's looking for and hands the phone to Castle. He takes it from her and stares down at the photo of Kate and Addison. They're both dressed for the wedding and Kate is hugging her daughter from behind, both of them grinning widely.

"You both look beautiful. And really happy."

She takes the phone back from him, looking at the photo once more herself, before putting the phone back on the table.

"I realized it was the first photo we've ever taken together."

"It's a great photo."

Kate readjusts herself at his side, his hands finding their way back under her shirt.

"So again I ask, what do you want to do about the wedding?"

"What do you want to do?" he asks instead.

She hums as his fingers massage into her lower back. "I don't want to wait any longer. I just want us to be married."

"So then let's do it. A small ceremony with just our immediate family, including our precinct family. We could go back to the Hamptons or just go the courthouse or hell we could even try to do it here at the loft. I don't care. But I don't want to wait either."

"What about your knee?"

"I can hold myself up for the length of the ceremony. After that my wife can help support me."

She grins, placing a quick kiss to his lips.

"I suppose we do have to go back to the Hamptons to get the gifts. You know, so we can thank people for them," Kate says.

"You okay with going back up there?"

"Can't hide from it forever. May as well go and make a good memory out of it again."

Castle hums. "Like that weekend we went up there and tried to see how many different places we could have sex around the house?"

She laughs. "Yes, exactly like that. I would much rather continue to associate the house with things like that instead of losing you."

"Well then tomorrow we'll make some calls, get your dress to the cleaners, and make the final, final plans for our wedding. This weekend good for you?"

"This weekend is perfect."

He grins. "Good. Now what are we going to do about our honeymoon? I don't know about you, but going a month without having sex with you is torture and I would very much like to make up for that."

She laughs again as his hands slip down from her back to cup her ass.

"I definitely agree with that. But I'm afraid our honeymoon is going to have to wait until after Addie's Nationals, remember? We should probably wait for your knee to get better too."

"But sex," Castle pouts.

She grins, running her hands over his chest. "No one said we have to wait to do that. We managed last time when your knee was in worse shape."

"Think we could manage something now?"

Kate shifts her weight so she's straddling his hips in response.

"Does this answer your question?" she husks into his ear.

His hands skim up to her waist.

"God, I've missed you."

She smiles and bends her head to capture his lips in hers.

He's finally back to being hers.


"So uh, second time's the charm?" Addison asks jokingly as she watches Kate put in Martha's earrings for the second time.

"The expression is third time's the charm. So please don't say that."

"Relax," Addison says, draping her arms around Kate's shoulders. "He's downstairs. I saw him with my own eyes."

"And everyone else who should be here is?" she asks, smoothing down her hair.

"Yes, everyone's accounted for. This is really happening. You're actually getting married today."

Kate sighs, spinning around in her chair to look at her daughter. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

"Practice," Addison grins. "And you and I are a lot alike. I just tell you what I'd want to hear."

She rolls her eyes, standing up and smoothing down the sides of her dress. "So how do I look? As good as I looked last month?"

"Even better."

"Wow," Kate laughs. "You really are good at this."

Addison shrugs. "I try. So Gates is giving you next weekend off too right? I compete my solo Friday night and then Saturday –"

"Addie, I know your schedule. Don't worry. We'll be there rooting on your solo and your group dances. I put in so much overtime working Castle's disappearance, the NYPD is probably glad they don't have to pay me for a couple of days."

She laughs. "I'm just checking."

"I've got you covered, babe," Kate says, smoothing down one of the girl's curls. "You've been there for me this past month, and now it's time for me to be there for you."

"But you have been here for me. Without you, I'd be in the foster system right now. Heck, without you, I wouldn't even exist."

Kate smiles, still playing with her hair. "I love you, Addie."

"I love you too. Now, want me to go tell everyone that you're ready?" Addison asks. "And get your dad so he can finally walk you down the aisle?"

"I'll just come down with you. But you can run outside and tell everyone the bride's walking."

Addison smiles and moves to give her a quick hug. "Will do."


Alexis hits play on the iPod situated in the portable speaker and "Canon in D" starts playing. It isn't as good as the string quartet they had originally arranged to play for them, but Castle is just grateful to have finally made it this far.

He watches as Addison and Lanie make their way down the makeshift aisle which Martha had the idea to mark off with flower petals. And then he sees her. Her arm linked through her father's, her mother's wedding dress pristine and swishing around her. She smiles at him and he nearly loses it. This is finally happening. He's marrying Katherine Beckett. That stubborn cop who refused to let him in is moments away from becoming his wife.

She makes it to him and lets go of Jim, slipping her hands into his instead.

"You look beautiful," Castle breathes.

"You're not so bad yourself, Castle."

They exchange another smile and turn their attention to the officiant.

"We're gathered here today to join Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett in marriage. It's my understanding that it's been a long road getting here, but we've finally made it. So why don't we start with the vows? Katherine?"

She looks back at Castle, rubbing her thumbs over the back of his hands.

"This past month I started to lose hope that I would ever get the chance to say this to you. So it makes me incredibly happy to be standing here with you now, surrounded by all of the people we care about most." Kate looks over at their friends and family, before turning back to him.

"I never expected to fall for you the way that I have. Sure, your books helped me get through my mother's murder, but I used to think that was all you'd ever do for me. But you have done so much more, helped me through so much more. You've been my rock these past couple of years. You helped save me from a case that was threatening to drown me. You made me want more, made me to want to fight for something for myself. You made me believe in love again. I can't wait to start this next adventure with you. You're the most amazing man I've ever met. And I love you with all of my heart. Always."

She squeezes his hands, her eyes starting to fill with tears. He feels like he's about to start crying himself.

"Richard?" the officiant says, turning to him.

Castle nods, looking back at Kate.

"When I first met you, I was determined to learn everything about you, figure out what it was that made you tick. That's why I started writing Nikki. Because you fascinated me. I knew that you were different from the very beginning, a mystery I was never going to solve. But I didn't back down. I basically forced my way into your life and never left. And doing so was the best decision I've ever made. You're my best friend. We've been through hell and back together, all the while managing to save the world a couple of times. There is nothing that I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you. As your partner. As your friend. And as your husband. I love every part of you, Kate. And I promise that I'm going to continue to be there for you. Always."

He watches as a tear rolls down her cheek and reaches up to wipe it away. She holds his hand against her cheek until the officiant asks for the rings and Alexis hands them over. In turn they each say 'with this ring, I thee wed' and slip the wedding bands onto each other's ring fingers.

"By the power invested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Castle pulls her face to his, bumping their noses together before capturing her lips with his own. He has to force himself to pull away. When he does, he finds her smiling up at him with that smile that lights up her whole face.

"Why Detective Beckett, I do believe I get to call you Mrs. Castle now."

She wraps her arms around his waist.

"Does this mean I get to call you Mr. Beckett?"

He quirks an eyebrow at her.

"No, just kidding. That's my dad, it sounds weird."

He laughs, returning her embrace.

"You can call me your husband."

"Can I really?"

"Yes, I do believe that is the correct term."

She laughs as they start to head back down the aisle, toward their grinning guests.

"We finally made it here," Kate whispers as she starts to pull away. "We're finally married."

"Just like you said, so starts another great adventure. Together."