Chapter 2.) We're Falling in Love

Beckett felt so confused. They had passed the restaurant over half an hour ago.

"Pi, where are we going," she finally asked.

"Mr. C said there was a slight change of plans." He turned to look at Beckett for a moment before turning back to face the road. "Don't worry Detective B I'll get you to your fiancé in no time. We're just taking a detour."

"A detour, to where?"

"To where Mr. C will be of course."

"Of course," Beckett said, Pi's answer not making any sense.

Hours later Beckett was baffled when they drove up to their place in the Hamptons. The only lights that could be seen for miles were the ones that decorated the house: white lights making the house come to life, and luminarias marked the pathways contrasting nicely with the white of the house. Colored lights covered each of the windows. What continued to baffle Beckett were the rows of cars in the drive way.

Pi didn't say anything. He pulled out his phone and texted someone, Alexis most likely, and then escorted Beckett to the house and both walked inside.

"Package delivered Mr. B," Pi said as Jim Beckett came to the door.

"Thanks Pi," Jim replied.

Pi smiled, "Alright then if my duties are done I'm going to go find Alexis."

Jim and Beckett both watched as he left. "He's a weird one."

"Well you're no stranger to that after all the guys I put you through." Beckett looked around and then focused on her dad. "Really dad, what's going on? I was supposed to meet Castle over two hours ago but Pi brought me here instead."

Jim nodded and smiled, "On Rick's orders," Jim's smile widened more. "Welcome to your wedding Katie."

"My what?"

Jim laughed at his daughter's reaction. "I'll let Rick explain everything later."

"Oh there she is, there she is," Martha said coming into the room with Alexis and Lanie. "Oh Katherine you look stunning, doesn't she look stunning?"

"You really do Kate," Alexis said with a smile.

"You guys all knew about this?"

"Oh but of course," said Martha. "It was Richard's idea but how else was he going to pull this off?"

"And it's not like any of us could pick you up," said Alexis, "Otherwise that may have been a little too obvious so I figured Pi could do it."

"And Castle let him?"

Alexis smiled, "He had to if he had any chance of pulling it off."

"Well he certainly managed that."

The song 'Through the Trees' by David Tolk began to play.

"Okay ladies that's our cue," said Martha. "We'll see you out there."

Beckett watched as her bridesmaids made their way through the open doors. From what she could see Castle had gone all out. What would have led to a wide open space of green lawn with the ocean a small distance away and below had instead been transformed. The weather had called for cold temperatures and snow and Castle had clearly covered those bases. The lights in what Beckett considered now to be 'the other room' was soft and elegant to not be overwhelming.

"You ready?" Jim asked.

Beckett wasn't sure what she was ready for but given all that her family had done there was no time for cold feet now.

She smiled at her father as she took his arm, 'Through the Trees' still playing as her father walked her down the aisle. The other room was bigger than she had initially thought and the guests stood as she and her dad stood on the steps that led out of the main house.

It was a very small an intimate gathering of only her partners and boss from the precinct, her best friend, the family she was entering into. Even Meredith and Kira were there. Beckett didn't mind having them as Meredith was mother to Alexis and despite the awkwardness between herself and Kira when she worked her case several years ago there had been no hard feelings and after a resolve Kira had even invited her and Castle to her wedding. She stood there with her husband and four year daughter.

The room smelled of vanilla and pine mixed with a hint of lavender. Hickory wood covered the flooring while Oak covered the wall panels on the inside. The outside wasn't a total loss as windows surrounded the room, natural frost and condensation around the edges of them. Off to the side stood a Christmas tree decorated with white ornaments. Castle stood near it with a minister and Ryan and Esposito as his best men.

When the pair finally made it down the aisle Jim kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"Take good care of my girl," Jim said to Castle before placing his daughter's hand in his.

"Always," Castle said marveling at his beautiful fiancé.

Beckett had so many questions and things she wanted to say but with Castle's one simple word the thoughts melted away as her focus turned to him and a word that had come to mean so much.

"Please be seated," said the Minister. "We are gathered here today to witness the unification of Richard Edgar Alexander Castle and Katherine Houghton Beckett. I promised Richard that I would keep this short and simple. Rather than reading from any religious text Richard has ask that I read from Poe's "Annabel Lee":

Our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we
Of many far wiser than we
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride

"Castle," the Minister said nodding to him.

Ryan handed his buddy the ring.

Castle smiled as he slipped the ring on Beckett's finger, "I figured Poe was appropriate given my name."

"Oh so this is about you now," Beckett teased.

"Not technically, it's about you too but give the guy some credit. That was one of his few romantic poems. Enough about Poe, tonight is about us. Beckett, Kate: My whole adult life I always thought I knew what love was but it turned out I knew nothing about it until I met you. You're a strong, determined, most stubborn woman I have ever met but you challenge me. You're a mystery that I'm still never going to solve and that's what makes you extraordinary. I will spend the rest of my life trying to unravel that mystery and even if I should uncover it nothing will ever change how I feel about you. I love you Katherine Houghton Beckett, always."

Beckett did her best to compose herself, ignoring the tears that were streaming in a soft trickle down her face. She turned to Alexis who handed Beckett the ring which she placed on Castle's finger.

"Rick: You're the writer so whatever I say somehow feels inadequate but here you are, the writer I have admired for years, choosing me, standing in front of me. You once told me that your dreams come true, well so do mine. I never thought in a million years that you would be interested in a girl like me, a cop but with you it's so easy to forget who we are in this world and simply just be. You're a stubborn egotistical jackass but you're my stubborn egotistical jackass and it's one of the many things I love about you. You make me see the world in a variety of colors that I didn't know existed. The second you stepped into my life I couldn't imagine my life without you and yes I'm finally admitting to it. Montgomery was right, you are good for me, probably one of the best things to happen in my life and I look forward to spending that life with you. Richard Edgar Alexander Castle, I love you too, forever and always."

Castle's eyes were gleaming as were Beckett's.

"Be with Kate," said the Minister. "That was Rick's number one on his list and now here we all able to witness that two dreams, from two different worlds, can come together as one. Richard Castle, you may now kiss your bride."

"About time," said Castle.

Beckett laughed and the two made their way in slowly at first and then filled with a deep passion that surpassed all other kisses they had shared before, intimate sexual moments excluded. Beckett had once thought of what she thought was her favorite kiss but none of them could prepare her for this one. She could feel herself on the verge of wanting to undress him right then and there and she could feel his urgency to do the same. Nothing else mattered in this moment except for the two of them and they were perfectly fine with that as long as they remembered, however faint in the back of their minds that they were not alone, that their family and friends were clapping in the distant background.