Nice Day for a White Wedding...Dress

"Girl, why are you frowning? You look amazing!"

Kate Beckett smiles at her best friend's scolding exclamation, but her eyes are still looking critically at the vision in the mirror. When she'd first tried on this designer wedding dress she'd been thrilled with it. It was designer, and with it's silver lace and pant like bottom it had been a very different kind of wedding dress. Untraditional - just like her and Castle. Looking at all the wedding magazines with their poofy white dresses that reminded her of Cinderella she'd known what she absolutely did not want. Different had been high on her list. The creation she is currently wearing is also the only dress she'd actually tried on. Miranda's gift had shut the door to even considering anything else.

Now, with two days before the wedding, Kate found she couldn't get the dress from her latest nightmare out of her head. White and classical - without looking like she was wearing a hoop skirt - she'd looked like...a true bride. In her dream it had been her mother's wedding dress, but she and her mom weren't built alike at all. Not only had she been three inches taller than her mom, but Johanna Beckett's figure was more along the lines of Marilyn Monroe. The dream dress had the stylings and details of her mom's - but no way could she have just stepped into it...

"Kaaate..."

"Sorry Lanie...I was just thinking."

"I know. And whatever it is doesn't have you looking too happy. What's going on?"

Biting her lip, Kate looked at Lanie's reflection in the mirror.

"I think...I mean, this is going to sound crazy..."

"Honey, if something is bothering you, you'd better speak now or forever hold your piece."

"I, I don't like the dress."

She waits for Lanie's freak out, but instead Lanie just grins.

"Finally! I was thinking you might be walking down the aisle before you realized it."

"What? How, I just figured it out myself!"

"Honey, I always know - and I know you. "You are an amazing detective, but when it comes to your heart it's the wrong skill set. The facts can't tell you what you really want. It may be a fabulous designer dress - but it isn't you."

"But it's two days before my wedding!"

"Which is why it's a damn good thing I'm your maid of honor. I'm guessing you still have that credit card Castle insisted on giving you."

Kate frowns. The only time she's used the gold Amex card with her name without telling Rick first was for his birthday party. It had been a bone of contention when he first presented her with it, but he'd won the argument by saying if they were going to really be a couple she had to get comfortable with his money.

"I have it."

"Good. Rush jobs are expensive. Now, call your Dad and tell him we're stopping by to pick up the dress."

"What dress?!"

"Your mom's wedding dress. Ann Hamilton's is going to use it to make yours."

"But how did you know -"

"- That your dad had your mom's wedding dress? Sweetie, I I started looking into alternatives as soon as I saw that designer thing. No way was a one and done girl going to get married in a shiny pair of harem pants."

Lanie's matter-of-fact reaction makes her laugh. Really, she hadn't noticed it before, but the skirt did remind her of something out of Arabian Nights. There is no reason to get all Castle-like in her thinking. The fact that she'd dreamt about wearing her mom's dress had to just be a coincidence...

End of Chapter Two

Okay, so this is not a one-shot. I know this chapter is short and not at all Casketty, but one of the few things I liked about 6x23 was that they got rid of that first dress. Honestly, it never felt like something Beckett would wear, so it was interesting for me to think about why she might have loved it. Besides, we never get enough scenes between her and Lanie. I also wanted to address the fact that Kate couldn't just step into her mom's dress. The designer I mentioned is a real one. She specializes in reworking and refitting vintage wedding dresses. You can google her if you're interested. I plan on finishing this before season seven starts, so stay tuned!