ODE TO JOY
The laughter subsides from Kate's comment on the handcuffs. Rick smiles at his lovely bride as he takes the cuffs away from Chief Brady and places them into his own pocket
"I think I need to hang on to these for the time being to protect myself"
Castle looks into the eyes of the beautiful woman standing beside him. He takes a deep breath then takes Kate's hand and turns back to Judge Markaway.
"We better get this over with before some dead body drops out of the sky at our feet"
Judge Markaway speaks to the assembled group
"We are gathered here today to join this man, Richard Edgar Castle, and this woman, Katherine Houghton Beckett, in Holy Matrimony.
"These two recently conducted a civil ceremony and they have now chosen this day to recite before this assembled audience vows that each one has written especially for this auspicious occasion."
Rick and Kate are now facing each other with their fingers firmly linked together
"Richard, Is there something that you wish to say to Katherine?"
Castle is no stranger to public speaking. He has done readings numerous times in front of large crowds but today Rick has tears in his eyes and he is having a difficult time speaking without choking up
.
"Katherine Beckett. I am standing here before you almost lost for words. Before you came along my life was empty except for my daughter and mother. I had no worthwhile direction to go. I had lost my focus then you appeared out of nowhere."
"From that first moment I laid eyes upon you, you took my breath away. Not just because of you beauty. Not just because you were flashing a police badge and asking me to come to the station. I think I told you that you could hand cuff me if you wanted to"
This brings chuckles from the assembled group
"I just knew somehow you were different. I knew I had to find out more about you. My problem then was that I letting Richard Castle get in the way. He didn't want to let me be the loving caring man that you deserved. Until you came along, I had no reason to change"
"But you did come along and from that very first moment with you I knew that I wanted you in my life. Starting that day that I met you, I wanted this day to come. You made me realize I needed you. I needed to become someone better than I was. You gave me that reason. You gave my life meaning, a new direction, a new purpose. You gave me the path for it to take. You made that happen.
You are the woman I have always dreamed about. I knew. I simply knew I wanted you to be my forever. You are the only woman who has ever truly taken my heart away
Kate, I think I fell in love with you that first day and it has simply grown stronger every second since then. I love you. Kate. You are extraordinary.
Katherine Beckett you are my ALWAYS"
"Katherine, Is there something you wish to say to Richard?"
"Before I met you my life was empty. My life was limited to work, and an empty apartment and an empty love life. I had one escape. A series of mystery novels written by a man named Castle. I will admit that reading the books made me a fan of not just the stories but the writer as well. I was a giant fan, but don't tell him I said that. Then I met you. After getting to know you I found out the Richard Castle on the back of the dust cover Is not the Richard Castle standing here in front of me. This Richard Castle is a loving father, a loving son. And a loving man. A man I have grown to love. You brought me out of my shell. Showed me a different side of life. You made me believe in magic and you showed me that Santa Claus is real"
.
"Having to arrest you and handcuff you, more than once was fun, and now that I have borrowed those cuffs from Chief Brady, the arrests may continue"
This brings more laughs from the crowd
"You protect me. I feel safe when I am with you. You support me. You are there when I need you next to me. But most importantly you make me feel warm inside"
She gives him that million watt smile
"You may be an arrogant, egotistical, self centered, jackass but I still love you
"You told me once that I deserve to be happy. I am here to say that I am happy. I have never been so happy."
"You Richard Castle are my ALWAYS"
The two have now moved into their normal eye sex that they have been doing for many years
Judge Markaway speaks
"By the power vested in my by the City and State of New York, I pronounce you man and wife."
"You may now kiss your bride"
Richard Castle places his arms firmly around the amazing Katherine Beckett-Castle and connects his lips to hers.
.
Cheers and applause fill the lawn.
After the crowd quiets down, judge Markowitx announces
"Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce for the very first time Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle
The string quartet begins playing the recessional and the happy couple step way from the alter
.
THEN
Everyone hears a thud
Rick and Kate look back over in the direction of the alter where they see a dead body has just dropped out of a clear blue sky
Kate reaches into Castle's pocket and takes out the handcuffs, grabs Rick's hand, and says
"OH! NO kitten! This time we are leaving this one for the locals to figure out"
As she pulls her husband toward the waiting limousine
.
END
This is the end of my story and the series. WOW. You people are great
I never thought anyone would read my dribble. But a lot you did and a lot of you
reviewed my work.
Many Thanks.
Until Next Time