We went Christmassy AU around The Fifth Bullet (middle of Season 2) so you might even like to think that Kate accepted Rick's invitation to the Hamptons that summer and they got together somewhere in Season 3, with all the added angst that would've come with them being together if/when Kate was shot. Maybe one day I'll write that story too, but for now...

It's somewhere around dawn, the sun rising in its inexorable way through the Manhattan jungle, when Kate wakes. The warmth she feels comes neither from the sunlight nor from the body of the man with whom she shares a comforter but rather the knowledge that, as of the day before, she is finally married to the love of her life. She can finally call herself Mrs Castle, something she's been secretly hoping f-...

Kate shoots up out of bed, the mattress bouncing as she jumps out and spins to face her suddenly awakened husband.

"Does this make me Mrs Claus?"

Rick blinks, rubs gritty sleep from his eyes, and takes in the vision of his wonderful, charming, frustrating, maddening, beautiful, naked, wife standing on the rug beside their bed.

"This was not how I imagined waking up the day after we got married."

"Rick! Ugh!" She growls his name, bunching her fists as she knocks the mattress to make it bounce again. It's when she starts pacing around the bedroom that he lets go of the dream of whiling away their first morning as a married couple by exploring each other very thoroughly - again - and throws the cover off, pulling his boxers on and grabbing his dress shirt from the floor.

"Here, put this on or you'll get cold." He holds the shirt up so she can slip her arms through, then spins her around to do up a couple of the buttons. "Let's make coffee and talk about it over breakfast."

"You make coffee," she throws over her shoulder and she heads into the bathroom. "I need to pee."

"Thanks for sharing." He laughs, shaking his head as he shrugs on his dressing gown. Getting to be Mr Beckett would never be dull, that's for sure.

Kate paces back and forth in the bathroom, muttering to herself as she fiddles with the sleeves of his shirt. "Get a grip, Beckett, you knew about this way back at the start. You knew who… what…" She grunts as she hears the knock of her husband's knuckles on the door.

"Are you done freaking out yet, honey?"

She yanks the door open, earning a surprised shriek from Rick. He recovers his voice rather quicker than his dignity. "Coffee's on the table and I'm ready to start pancakes if you want those?" Kate can't help but melt a little at his attentiveness and reaches for his hand, bringing it to hold between hers over her heart as she looks up at him.

"I love you." A dopey smile spreads across his face and makes him look years younger. "And I think coffee and pancakes sound like the perfect combination." She pulls his hand up and presses a kiss to the back of each finger, but pushes him away when he tries to slip his hand around her waist and pull her closer. "Don't go starting anything, mister. Feed me pancakes first." She grins at him as he pouts but does as he's told.

They move together into the kitchen and separate, she to the fridge and cutlery drawer for juice and forks, and he to the hob to begin the pancakes.

"So…" He clears his throat. "Wanna talk about it?"

Kate puts her things down on the table next to the cafetière and turns to him, leaning against the back of a chair. "I guess I'd just conveniently forgotten it was a thing. Put it in a box and gotten wrapped up in my own stuff, and…" She folds her arms and huffs a little. "I'm sorry."

Rick sighs in frustration. "Would you get over here so I can hug you while I try not to let these pancakes burn?" Kate is grateful to him for making her laugh when she was getting so serious, and unfolds her arms, pushing off the chair to return to the kitchen. She trails her hand up Rick's arm, down his shoulder and around his waist, hugging him from behind, squeezing a little tighter when he presses his hand on top of hers.

"You have nothing to apologise for, Kate. I've not had someone I can share it with properly in… well, ever, and I guess I forgot that I can share with you."

She frowns, her head still pressed between his shoulder blades. "But what about-..."

"Meredith and Gina? Yeah, no. Can you imagine either of them understanding? Or being supportive?" Kate's frown deepens. "I had a few rather exhausting Christmases but you'd be surprised how far the promise of a stay at a luxury spa will go."

"Oh, Castle…"

"No, don't feel sorry for me. Those years without a Mrs Claus helped me to modernise the enterprise." She feels the play of muscles across his back as he flips a couple of pancakes. "It was way too much work on the partner before. I'm amazed the previous incumbent could get his boots on the right feet the way the staff talk about him and his wife."

Finally Kate's frown eases, her eyes rolling with a chuckle. "And what will they say about the current postholder's wife?"

"Well," he chuckles, pushing the pan away and turning off the heat, loosening her arms so he can turn in her embrace, "Considering they could tell I was in love with you before I even knew it myself, I think they'll be ecstatic."

Kate pushes up on her toes to taste his lips. "When's your next visit? I want to come along." Before she knows it she's tasting his smile too.

"So why didn't you guys go on a honeymoon anyway? My little intern here just shrugged when I asked her." Lanie's curiosity gets the better of her the next time they're standing over a dead body together in the morgue, and Alexis shrugs again, this time aiming it at her dad and new step-mom with an apologetic look in her eyes.

With a glance at the both of them, Kate takes over. "We are, just not yet. There's no time before the holidays."

"Girl, it's barely the start of October," Lanie frowns.

Rick jumps in, "Exactly! Hallowe'en is almost upon us! Then it's Kate's birthday, and Thanksgiving, and then Christmas and New Year! We'll go in January."

Lanie raises an eyebrow. "You sure it won't be too close to Valentine's Day, Castle?"

Rick's face drops. "Oh no, you're right. Damn…" He looks at Kate with a sad smile. "I guess we'll have to skip the honeymoon altogether."

Kate pokes his shoulder. "No, Lanie, it's because I have a lot of court dates coming up. We'll go in January, I already cleared it with the Captain."

Rick lights up with a grin at his wife. "You didn't tell me that!"

"What, I can't have a couple secrets now we're married?"

Rick shifts closer to Kate, forgetting their audience. "Say that again."

"What, I can't h-..." Rick pokes his tongue out at her and she flicks an eyebrow in reply.

Alexis fakes throwing up into a nearby pan, making Rick laugh while Lanie sighs. "When y'all are done being sickeningly cute, I'll tell you about our John Doe."

The following weekend, Kate stares open-mouthed through the window of the red plane her husband is flying from the nearest major airport to the small strip at the snow's edge.

"Castle, there's a welcoming committee of a hundred people… with a banner…"

The crowd is gathered in front of a sturdy hangar which has an attached control tower off to the side, both painted in the same red as the plane he's taxiing across the tarmac, the first snowdrifts beginning to gather at the windward side. They've arrived on a bright sunny October day but the buildings are prepared for the worst of weathers, and she spies a readied fire truck under an awning close by too.

Rick feathers his fingers across her knee, bringing her attention to him. "They're excited to meet you. I tried to tell them not to make a big deal of it, but… apparently some traditions don't change. Welcoming a newcomer to The North Pole requires the entire staff to turn out. They won't expect you to remember everyone's name, I promise. Just be yourself, Kate. They'll love you almost as much as I do."

Kate sighs. "You always word so good."

"I know, sorry," Rick laughs and kisses her on the nose. "Come on, there's so much I want to show you."

He pops the door open and jumps out, jogging around to the other side to open the door for Kate. She takes his offered hand and jumps down herself to the sound of cheers and whooping and hollering. Kate can't help but smile and wave to the gathered group while she clings tightly to Castle's hand. He presses a kiss to her temple, setting off a slew of adoring sighs from the crowd, and whispers, "You've got this," in her ear.

As they near the group, Kate realises the people gathered are not as far away as she thought. "Castle," she hisses, "they're-…"

"…elves, yes. And the average height is four feet eight inches." He grins at her and raises his hand to request they quieten down.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone! It's great to see you, and I know you're all excited to meet Kate." He glances at his wife with a beaming smile she can't help but return. "I'm only sorry we can't stay longer, but I promise to catch up with all the heads of department tomorrow morning as arranged."

"It's okay, Santa, we're right on schedule!" A slightly taller elf pipes up from near the front of the group, giving a thumbs up and eliciting nods from those around him.

"Good to hear, Jimmy!" Rick returns the thumbs up.

A child breaks free from their parent and runs over to Rick, barrelling into his legs, making him laugh as he whirls the girl up and onto his hip. "Well, hello to you too, Betsy."

The girl responds with a squeaky, "Hi Santa!" She looks at Kate and makes a waving gesture, opening and closing her fist. "Hi Missus Cwaus!" Kate smiles and waves back, drawing her hand onto Rick's shoulder and leaning into his body, beginning to relax despite knowing that the entire crowd is still there and watching.

After some initial introductions, they have a few minutes to refresh themselves after their journey. Rick shows Kate around The Cottage, a small but perfectly formed house right in the middle of the small - but perfectly formed - village in which the elves live. "Of course, they had to make this house a bit bigger than the others, on account of Santa usually being taller than them," he explains, indicating to Kate to duck her head to get through the front door. He watches her eyes light up as she takes it all in, everything just slightly too small for Rick's wide shoulders, and he shivers when she dances her fingertips over his shoulder blades as she passes him.

"Still not quite big enough for you, though," Kate laughs, Rick following her into the garden. He runs a hand over the yew hedge before claiming her hand with his and leading his wife over to the large building in the centre of town.

His wife.

He still can't get his head around the idea that his wife is here at the North Pole with him. Can't believe his luck that his wife is Kate.

Shaking his head at himself, he tries to focus on the here and now instead of the disaster area his love life always used to be. Halfway around their tour, he sees one of the staff - Naomi, one of the best seamstresses on the team and a particularly good listener whenever he's been in need of an objective opinion - giving him a knowing look and he feels his ears heating, certain she knows what just crossed his mind. She only winks at him before she places a gift bag overflowing with delicate tissue paper into Kate's hands.

"Now, dear, please don't wait till Christmas to open this. It's a little something from the textiles team, and even though someone refused to give us your measurements I think it'll be just perfect."

He can see his wife's curiosity is piqued, and it's barely a surprise that his is too. He leans closer to try to get a look under the tissue paper but Kate moves the bag away from his prying fingers. "Who says you're allowed to look?" He almost laughs at the look of annoyance that flashes across her face; she's so cute when she's like this.

"I'm allowed to spot check every item in this enterprise. Perks of the job."

Naomi snorts, "'Spot check'! You mean play with…"

Rick fakes his indignation, "It's an important part of the process!" Kate's shove against his shoulder puts the grin firmly back onto his face.

The next day while Rick meets with the department heads as he promised, Kate is invited by Naomi to join her and her son, Jimmy, for their baking marathon. She walks there from The Cottage, having been given precise directions by Naomi, though the awkward feeling as she said hello to the elves she passed lingers, as if she's Gulliver intruding into their Lilliputian world. She's bending down to find the doorbell when Jimmy throws open the door on his way to heft groceries from a cart that's parked in the front yard.

"It's our turn to make the cookies for the workshop this week," Jimmy almost squeaks in his enthusiasm.

Kate's jaw drops. "The whole factory? That's over a hundred people!"

"Ah yes, but you see with so many of us we only have to make them once a year," Naomi grins. She passes Kate a spoon that seems to shrink as it moves from one hand to the other, making Kate wonder if there's something more at work than a simple size difference. "And we have a secret weapon this week."

"Other than magic cooking implements?" Kate asks.

"Oh yes, dear. You!" Kate's puzzled look encourages Naomi to continue. "The cookies we make with you will turn out bigger than the ones we would make without you. It's just part of the magic of this place."

Jimmy trots in carrying four bags of flour. "Sometimes, Mrs Claus, I find it's easier to just go with the flow when it comes to my Mom… even when she's pulling your leg!" He plants a kiss on Naomi's cheek and puts the flour down on the table. "I'll just get the sugar and butter in from the cart and then we're all set."

When Jimmy's out of sight, Naomi rushes around the table again and whispers, "So, did you like your gift?"

Kate blushes bright red at the instant memory the question evokes. Oh, she liked the gift, for sure. Rick certainly enjoyed peeling it off her body a few scant minutes after she put it on too.

"I'll take that as a yes, dear," Naomi's eyes sparkle. "I'm not so old that I don't remember that first flush of honeymooning. Howard and I had Jimmy so soon after the wedding that people assumed I was already pregnant when we married."

Suddenly Kate's mind fills with the possibility of a little boy with Rick's cheeky curiosity and blue eyes, and she makes a mental note to check the monthly cycle app on her cell as soon as her hands aren't covered in sugar, butter, and / or flour.

"Okay, let's start, Mom!" Jimmy arrives with the rest of the ingredients and the three of them set to work, chatting amiably about their lives at the North Pole and in New York while Naomi directs proceedings.

It's when Jimmy asks Kate very specifically about a certain store in New York that the penny drops. "Jimmy, can I ask… have you ever seen the movie Elf?"

He grins at his mom, "I told you she'd figure it out!" He turns back to Kate, "Not only have I seen it, but it was written about me, Kate!"

Naomi chuckles but Kate's jaw drops again, and she briefly wonders if she will ever stop being surprised by all the surprising things she keeps being told in this bewildering place. "Did Castle, I mean, Santa… did he write about you?"

Jimmy rolls some of the cookie dough into a ball in his hands before placing it onto a baking tray. "Well, yeah, sort of. A lot of it he just came up with by himself, like being adopted and that kind of stuff. But I did visit New York with him once and it was so amazing! And I guess he decided to write about that."

"Oh, here you are!" Rick pokes his head around the door jamb and grins.

Kate whirls around, "Yes, here I am, making cookies and learning that I'm not your only muse!" She mock-glares at him and he rushes into the room, his hands going straight for her hips.

"You are the only muse I'm interested in forever more, if that helps." He tries to placate her, though it earns him an amused eye roll. "And yes, like many other Christmas movies, Elf was written under a pseudonym. Previous Santas have written iconic Christmas pop songs as well as movies, and the profits from these are what makes it possible for the business to thrive and be able to focus on making children happy in the way it does." He picks up a cookie dough ball from the nearest baking tray, popping it into his mouth and moaning around it. "Fis is delifus!"

Naomi touches Kate's shoulder. "Probably best to take him away before he eats it all before I can get any into the oven like last time…"

"Hey!" Castle rejoinders, mouth still processing the sticky treat. "I did not eat all the cookie dough before you could bake it last time!" He clears his mouth and grins, "It was the time before that!"

Kate rolls her eyes and drags Rick away by his elbow. "Come on, big mouth." She turns to Naomi and Jimmy, "Thank you both so much for letting me join in on the baking!"

"Anytime, Mrs C!" Jimmy assures alongside his mother's affirmative response.

"Now, listen up young man," Naomi starts as Rick comes over to say goodbye to her, leaning down as she beckons him closer to whisper in his ear. She lowers her voice a little but not quite enough for Rick's liking. "You look after that girl, don't let her go, you hear? She's a keeper."

Rick cringes, "Naomi, please! Keep your voice down. I know you're right, and I don't intend to let her go. I married her, didn't I?"

"You married twice before, and they were duds, so what does marrying her have to do with it?" Rick glares at her but without much heat behind the look. What is it with him and strong women?

He feels Kate's hand on his back and turns to see her inquisitive eyes flit between him and Naomi. "Everything okay?" she asks as Rick snakes his arm around his wife's waist and pulls her close.

"Naomi's getting all mother hen before I go, as usual." He grins at Naomi and looks to Kate. "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost, just need to say goodbye to this mother hen," Kate smiles at them both and moves to hug Naomi, almost forgetting the height difference now they're friends. "Thank you for a magical time this weekend."

"You're welcome, Kate. Come back soon."

Rick holds his hand out for Kate to slip hers into and they wave goodbye to Naomi, Jimmy, and the few others who are gathered at the air strip to see them off. He helps her into the red plane before completing his final checks so they can get into the air, and soon enough they're shooting back towards civilization.

"Yo, Beckett, we're outta here." Kate stops humming along to the Christmas song filtering in from the radio in the breakroom and looks up from the start of her paperwork.

"Thanks guys, good work today." She smiles at her boys and gets up to give them a hug each. "Merry Christmas."

"You too, Kate," Ryan chimes in. "Hope it's steady overnight, let us know if there's any more reports of the Stealing Santas."

Kate grimaces, the dual layer of the crimewave sweeping the streets of New York this season grating on her once again. Bad enough that there's a group of scumbags dressed as Santa holding up mom-and-pop stores, and so many of them that Homicide are having to help the Robbery detectives out, but she's had to send Rick home on a couple of occasions before he accidentally says something about how he's personally affronted on account of actually being Santa.

"See you in a couple of days." She sends them a wave as they get into the elevator and returns to her paperwork, the task numbing her mind to almost all outside stimuli, excepting the half ear she has on the scanner broadcasting from the corner.

"Dispatch, this is seven-Adam-fifteen, I've got a member of the public here, reports a sleigh pulled by reindeer above Broome and Crosby, can you log that for me? Over."

Kate grins and shakes her head. Old Saint Rick flies again. She's looking forward to welcoming him back home.

Thanks to Joan for the encouragement and beta'ing, and thank you for joining me on this Christmas journey once more. This year has been a tough one for me, mostly because of work, and I have struggled to find time and the energy to write. I won't be making any promises about coming back to long-forgotten stories in 2019, but rest assured that if the muse strikes me...

Wishing you and yours a peaceful New Year.