So, this story has been in the works since we first saw Ryan's proposal, because I just thought it would be a hell of a lot of fun to write. And, several weeks and many hours of writing later, here it is! I would have had it up sooner but I got delayed in writing for a couple of weeks while I had to study for a couple of exams. But nevertheless, better late than never, right? ;)

And just letting you know now, this is going to be a two-parter, because although it was intended as a oneshot, it ended up reaching over 12,000 words, so I thought it'd be better for everybody if I uploaded it in a couple of parts. Seems oddly fitting at the moment considering the double episode (which, sadly, I haven't yet seen the first half of, and won't see it until next thursday) but don't worry, I'll be posting the second half soon. Probably tomorrow or the day after, just so I can finish it off and make sure it's edited.

Before I continue I'd also like to say a special thank you to Sandiane Carter, for her excellent communication way back when we were swapping plots for our wedding stories to ensure they weren't too similar :) Damn good teamwork right there.

Oh and you may have guessed from the summary, but there is a definite possibility that this story is going to be fluffier than a box full of kittens. You've been warned.

Actually, speaking of warnings, you might have noticed that this is my first ever "T" rated story, but technically, that rating is for chapter 2. It's possible it should really be "M" but I think it's okay as it is (those damn guidelines are so vague)... but anyway, just letting you know.

So, anyway, that's more than enough from me.

Enjoy.

"Esposito, your tie is crooked."

"Aw, man," Esposito huffed nervously, fiddling with the offending bowtie. "I hate this goddamn thing, it just won't sit straight, no matter what I do…" trailing off, he frowned, tugging vainly at the knot in frustration.

"And Castle, seriously, where are the ladies?" he asked a moment later, leaning around Castle to look down the aisle at the double doors, which remained resolutely closed.

"It's almost go time," he added, a tinge of worry in his voice. "Shouldn't they be ready by now?"

"I'm sure they'll be out any second now," Castle replied soothingly, but at the mention of the other half of the bridal party, he had to admit he was feeling some nerves of his own.

Kate. His heart began beating just that little bit faster, knowing that he would be seeing her soon.

Glancing again toward the end of the aisle, Esposito sighed. "Man, this whole thing is way too stressful. Why the hell do people put themselves through this?"

"Dude."

The word was quiet, the tone slightly unsteady. Looking to his right, Esposito grimaced apologetically.

"Sorry, Kev."

Looking extremely pale, Ryan simply nodded, his eyes focused straight ahead.

Castle chuckled quietly, putting a hand on Esposito's shoulder. "Relax. You know, if you're this worked up over being best man, I'd be almost afraid to see you on your actual wedding day."

"Seriously, I don't know how you survived doing this whole nightmare once, let alone twice," Esposito responded in a low voice, quiet enough that Ryan wouldn't hear. Shaking his head, he gave his tie a final tug, then looked up at Castle hopefully.

"How's my tie? Better?"

With a smile, Castle stepped forward. "Here, I'll fix it."

He was just finishing the final touch on the now-straight tie when the soft, slow music began to play, causing a sudden hush in the friends and family members seated in the pews. All heads turned expectantly toward the double doors at the end of the aisle, which were just beginning to open.

Quickly switching again with Seamus, Ryan's elder brother, Castle returned to his original position as third groomsman, then turned to face the front of the chapel.

Along with Ryan, Esposito, Seamus and the final groomsman– Jenny's brother, Patrick– Castle found himself standing just that little bit straighter, the five of them staring down the aisle with expressions ranging from cheerful anticipation to near-nauseated anxiety.

Surreptitiously wiping his suddenly sweaty palms on his pants, Castle fixed his eyes on the doorway at the other end of the chapel, watching as, one by one, the elegantly-dressed bridesmaids stepped across the threshold and began their slow procession towards the altar.

He barely glanced at the first two women, his gaze skimming swiftly over the redhead and the petite blonde to fix upon the tall, willowy brunette walking gracefully a few paces behind them.

And suddenly, he lost the ability to breathe.

She was stunning. But she was even more than that. She was… indescribable. Given all the time and paper in the world, he knew right then that he could never write a description to do her justice. There were simply no words that could capture the sheer radiance that shone from beneath her skin, or the way her expression of shy happiness made her face glow with pure beauty. She was, quite literally, breathtaking.

Utterly transfixed, he could do nothing but stare as she slowly approached the altar, the silken emerald-green bridesmaid's dress accentuating her figure so perfectly that it seemed as if it had been designed for the sole purpose of driving him crazy. Unlike most brides, who deliberately chose unflattering bridesmaids' dresses to enhance their own beauty, Jenny had clearly broken tradition, choosing to go in the complete opposite direction.

The dress was strapless, hugging Beckett's body down to her hips, before loosening into a flowing skirt that ended in a diagonal cut just above her knees, highlighting the sheer length of her gorgeous legs. He'd never seen a dress suit someone so perfectly, and he had certainly seen his share of beautiful dresses; he was no stranger to fashion shows– having met many a new model girlfriend there in his younger days– but not one of those women had worn their designer gowns with half the elegance and style that he was seeing in Beckett right now.

Beckett had always been beautiful, remarkably so, but seeing her like this… it was something else. Something he couldn't even begin to understand, and something he knew he probably never would.

Suddenly, halfway down the aisle, her eyes lifted, meeting and holding his. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, his mouth suddenly going dry. For the briefest moment he forgot about Ryan and Jenny, about all the other people in the church and the real reason he was here. He could only watch her as she walked down the aisle towards him, the rest of the world simply vanishing from existence until there was only the two of them, sharing this moment that was theirs alone.

And then he blinked, and suddenly the world returned and the moment was gone. But, as he continued to watch her draw ever closer, he knew with certainty that that moment would haunt his dreams for a long time to come.

Beckett was within several yards of the altar now, her eyes still locked with his. He noticed her expression had changed just slightly, the smile tempered with an awareness that had his heart racing even harder as he wondered if, just maybe, she could have felt it too. And then all of a sudden she was at the altar, ascending the step to stand in her place behind the other two bridesmaids, directly across from him.

Regaining his composure, Castle carefully arranged his expression into a small, conspiratorial grin, feeling relieved and even a little aflutter when she returned the grin with one of her own. Just at that moment, the last bridesmaid reached the altar and the music changed, beginning the smooth tones of the classic bridal march.

Immediately Castle and Beckett turned towards the double doors, their gazes, like all the other eyes in the chapel, focusing on the beautiful woman in the white dress who was taking her first slow steps down the aisle.

Jenny was, quite simply, lovely. Despite her petite size, she walked with a stately grace, her brilliant smile shining through her sheer veil. Walking alongside her was her father William, looking as though he was currently experiencing the proudest moment of his life.

When they were only a few yards from the altar, Castle tore his eyes away from the beautiful pair and looked up at Ryan, grinning at the expression of awestruck happiness upon his handsome features. Castle recognized the look easily; it was clear that Ryan was completely and utterly in love. And for a brief moment, his grin faltered just slightly as he realized, deep down, that at neither of his own weddings had he worn that expression.

Ryan was about to marry the love of his life, and for that split second, Castle felt a flicker of jealousy mix with his happiness for his friend. Then it was gone.

The grin on his face reflecting his honest joy for the couple, Castle sent a glance at Beckett, and was startled to find her eyes on him. On impulse he gave her a playful wink, then grinned even wider as she returned it, her gaze holding his.

A moment later their eyes were once more drawn to Jenny, who had just reached the altar and was now stepping forward, eyes shining, to take Ryan's hand. Together they stood, hands entwined and gazes locked, and Castle knew that for the two of them, everyone else in the chapel had now ceased to exist, and there was only each other.

"Dearly beloved, we have come together today in the presence of God to witness the joining of Kevin Archibald Ryan and Jennifer Scout Duffy O'Malley in Holy Matrimony…"

###

"Beckett, girl, you better put that drink down and hurry up or we're gonna miss it."

Unwillingly, Beckett looked up from her drink to meet Lanie's eyes briefly before sending an uncomfortable glance over at the dancefloor, where every single other female guest at the reception seemed to be congregating, all tittering like a flock of overexcited canaries in formal wear. Her eyes travelled from the gathered crowd to the source of their excitement, the tiny, beaming figure of the bride who stood up on the stage in front of them, husband by her side and bouquet in her hand.

Trying to hide her utter lack of enthusiasm for the idea of taking part in this particular aspect of the wedding, Beckett shook her head, giving her best friend a small smile.

"Really, I'd rather stay here with the guys. But you should definitely go," Beckett said quickly, then added hopefully, "And just think, without me there, you'd have one less contender to compete with."

Lanie put her hands on her ample hips and fixed Beckett with an impatient glare. "Girl, either you put that drink down right now and come with me willingly, or I'm gonna smack it right outta your hands and then drag you over there. Do we understand each other?"

Beckett opened her mouth to argue, but before she could even get a word out, a large, warm hand was covering hers, gently disengaging the glass from her grip.

"Let me look after that for you," Castle said graciously, and she shot him an irritated glance, the glimmer of mischief in his eyes simply confirming her suspicions. Her supposed partner was selling her out.

So much for having her back.

The moment her hands were empty, Lanie seized them, pulling her towards the oestrogen-fuelled crowd with surprising strength for a woman her size. Throwing a you'll-pay-for-this look over her shoulder at Castle, Beckett finally stopped resisting, instead following Lanie resignedly as they moved quickly toward the back of the pack of gathered women.

Just as they neared the small horde of female guests–most of them from the bride's side, judging by the proportion of petite blondes– there was a sudden cacophony of high-pitched squeals and shouts, and Beckett looked up just in time to see the bouquet sailing over the crowd, Jenny's impressively long toss sending it far further than anyone had expected.

As it passed above her head, Beckett reacted reflexively, reaching up on her toes to catch it one-handed. Then, immediately realizing what she'd done, she swiftly tossed the bouquet to a startled-looking Lanie, then took a hasty step backwards and tried to look innocent. The entire movement had happened so quickly that most of the women hadn't even had time to turn their heads, and Beckett couldn't help but grin and join in the applause as they all surrounded Lanie, exclaiming excitedly and offering congratulations.

To her credit, Lanie played along graciously, all the while sending Beckett meaningful looks over the heads of her sudden entourage. Grinning even wider, Beckett skilfully extricated herself from the crowd, rejoining Esposito and Castle, who were both eyeing her with amusement.

"That was a sneaky move you just pulled," Castle said as he held her glass out to her, his eyes twinkling. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone move that fast."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she responded innocently, "As far as I'm aware, Lanie was the one that caught the bouquet."

"Mmm-hmmm, after you threw it to her," Esposito said, raising an eybrow, then suddenly paused, looking concerned. "Hey, the whole being the next to marry thing doesn't still apply if you catch the bouquet second-hand, right?"

Hearing the sudden panic in his voice, Castle and Beckett glanced swiftly at each other, then burst into laughter. Esposito crossed his arms and scowled at them both, simply making them laugh harder. Clutching Castle's arm to steady herself, Beckett struggled to regain composure, biting her lip to keep herself from grinning. Controlling himself, Castle put on his best poker face, his eyes shining with mirth as he put a reassuring hand on Esposito's shoulder.

"I believe that the bouquet toss is done purely out of tradition," he said in a solemn voice, fighting back a smile. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"What would he be worrying about?" Lanie said suddenly, having finally escaped the clutches of the other ladies to rejoin them.

"Nothing," said Esposito hastily, sending an alarmed glance down at the bouquet she still held. "So you get to keep that thing, huh? That's great," he said awkwardly, then added suddenly, "Want to go get another drink?"

Castle and Beckett shared an amused glance, and she had to take a quick sip of her champagne to hide her smile. Lanie gave them all an odd look before putting down the bouquet on the table beside them.

"I'm trusting you two to guard this. I noticed a few of the more desperate vultures had their eyes on it, so if you value our friendship and your lives, you will protect it by any means necessary."

Sending a sly glance at Beckett, she added, "even if you have to… distract them somehow. I'm sure you two have a couple of ideas if it comes to that."

Then, she took Esposito's arm and looked up at him with a smile.

"How 'bout that drink?"

"Yeah, let's go," he said slowly, his forehead creased slightly in confusion as he tried to understand what had just passed, and why Castle and Beckett's expressions had both just gone carefully blank. Giving them one last curious glance, he turned away, disappearing with Lanie into the crowd.

Shaking her head slightly, Beckett cleared her throat, feeling slightly awkward. She wasn't sure how Castle would react to the fact that she'd told Lanie about the little ruse they'd carried out back when Ryan and Esposito had been kidnapped. Although, to be fair, she hadn't so much as told Lanie as had it tricked out of her; Lanie had a real knack for that. But for her to bring it up in front of Castle himself... it was a low blow, perhaps deserved, but still low.

Glancing up at Castle, she was surprised to see that he was smiling at her. Caught off-balance, she simply stared silently at him for a moment, before he dropped his gaze to the bouquet, picking it up carefully.

"So…" he began casually, "you've been a bridesmaid a seventh time now, thanks to your longstanding friendship with Ryan and newly blossomed friendship with the lovely Jenny. So, tell me, Detective," he said, looking up at her with eyebrows raised, "just how many times have you caught the bouquet?"

Beckett gave him a wry smile. "Actually, if you count this time–" he nodded, indicating that he did– "then it would only be twice."

"You mean this," he said slowly, holding the bouquet a little higher, "and Kira's are the only bouquets you've caught?"

"Yep," she answered nonchalantly, taking another sip of her drink. Then, noticing his thoughtful expression, she frowned slightly. "What?"

"I simply find it intriguing," Castle began musingly, "that of all the weddings you've been to, you've only caught the bouquet on two occasions, those occasions being the only two instances where I was also present."

Putting the bouquet carefully back onto the table, he looked up at her, smiling gently.

"Quite a coincidence, huh?"

###

The evening wore on, and now that the formalities were over – after some truly great speeches, including a surprisingly poignant one from Esposito that had more than a few guests reaching for their tissues– the reception was now in full swing. Over a dozen couples of varying ages and skill levels occupied the dancefloor, the band playing skilfully up on the stage, filling the elegant ballroom with smooth music.

Sipping her champagne, Beckett listened contentedly as Esposito and Lanie chatted pleasantly with Ryan's parents, Tobias and Mary. Ever since he'd been partnered with Ryan, Tobias and Mary had considered Esposito to be somewhat of a second son, and Beckett found the mutual affection between them– which was clearly apparent to anyone who observed them– to be very sweet. She was also glad of it, because it meant that the Ryans' interests were suitably focused upon their honorary son's new girlfriend, allowing her to let her attention wander as she liked.

Her eyes strayed idly around the ballroom, roaming from the swaying couples on the dancefloor to the small clusters of guests scattered around the beautifully decorated space, her observant gaze passing from one elegantly-dressed figure to the next.

Her eyes were still roving slowly around the room when she felt a tiny nudge against her side, and looked down at Lanie, frowning slightly when she saw her knowing expression.

"What?" Beckett asked, hearing the slightly defensive note in her voice.

"I'm sure he'll be back any minute," Lanie said slyly, her words quiet enough that only Beckett could hear. Beckett arched a brow at her, then rolled her eyes as a slow grin formed on her friend's lips. Looking away from her irritatingly perceptive friend, Beckett focused her attention on Tobias, pretending to be listening attentively to the conversation he was exchanging with Esposito.

But really, her thoughts were still on Lanie's comment, which had once again proven the depth of her friend's insight into her mind. Until Lanie had voiced it aloud, Beckett had been completely unaware of what she was doing, but now she had to admit that Lanie was right.

She'd been looking for Castle. All evening, he'd stuck close by her, barely straying more than a few feet from her side ever since the conclusion of the ceremony, when he'd walked her back down the aisle, his body warm and close beside hers.

Exhaling softly, she remembered the way he'd leaned in close, his warm breath feathering against her ear as he spoke, his voice low and sincere as he'd told her how beautiful she looked. She'd smiled and quietly given a witty reply in response, determinedly ignoring the unexpected fluttering in her stomach. Reliving the memory now, she felt another faint flutter, a soft echo of the first, and took a deep breath to steady herself.

Blinking, she shook her head, silently reprimanding herself for her foolish reactions. Okay, so maybe she had been seeking Castle in the crowds of merrily conversing guests, searching for any sign of his tall, broad-shouldered figure. She knew it had only been a matter of several minutes since a phone call from Alexis had pulled him away, but she'd simply grown so used to having him constantly by her side that she couldn't help but feel odd and strangely unsettled without his familiar presence nearby.

Suddenly, Lanie intruded once more upon her thoughts, nudging her gently in the side.

"There you go, girl," she said softly, tipping her head towards a spot across the room where a small crowd had gathered. "No need to worry that pretty head of yours. Looks to me like he's doing just fine."

Following her gaze, Beckett focused her attention on the small throng of guests– almost entirely women– who were all eagerly surrounding a single familiar figure. Castle was easily visible above the crowd, standing a good head and shoulders taller than most of his admirers. As Beckett watched, he made some smiling comment, causing his entourage to dissolve into peals of laughter which carried clearly to Beckett, despite the distance of many yards between them.

Beckett half-smiled, torn between amusement and odd, inexplicable feeling of irritation as she observed Castle and his little fan-club. Suddenly, as if feeling her gaze upon him, he looked up, meeting her eyes squarely.

For a moment they simply stared silently at one another, Beckett's breath catching slightly in her throat at the intensity of his gaze. Unable to tear her eyes away, she watched as he gave her a slight nod, then dropped his eyes, addressing the crowd of adoring women before him. His voice was too low for her to hear from this distance, but whatever he had said, it was clearly not what the women were hoping to hear. Every face showed some degree of disappointment, and many protests were made, but Castle simply smiled and shook his head, making one last comment before graciously extricating himself from amongst the gathered guests.

Surveying the cluster of women, most of whom were staring after him with expressions ranging from mild intrigue to true, heartfelt longing, Beckett couldn't help but smile at the reactions he was able to evoke in people, seemingly with no effort at all. Shifting her gaze to watch him approach, she was startled to find his eyes focused intently upon her, his gaze never leaving hers as he wound his way across the room towards her.

"You know, you should really try breathing," Lanie said quietly from beside her, "I'm told it's real good for you."

Beckett didn't respond, unable to break Castle's intense gaze. Swallowing slightly, she watched as he joined their party, his eyes lingering on hers for a brief moment longer before he turned to Ryan's parents.

"Tobias, Mary, it's great to see you both again," he said warmly, giving them both a genuine smile as he took Mary's hands in his own. "Mary, you're looking lovelier than ever, and may I take this opportunity to offer my congratulations on the acquisition of yet another beautiful daughter for your family," he added gallantly, smiling down upon her.

Mary giggled and blushed like a young girl, her husband smiling warmly at Castle with obvious amusement and regard. Lanie and Esposito were both grinning broadly, and even Beckett, who had worked side by side with him every day for almost two years, found herself feeling surprised and impressed by his charming and somewhat gentlemanly manner. From anyone else, the words would most likely have sounded hollow and trite, but he said them with such charismatic sincerity that none could doubt him, nor hope to resist his charm.

Lowering Mary's hand slightly, he smiled winningly at her before suddenly feigning seriousness.

"Now I must apologize," he began, putting on a mock-solemn tone while his eyes sparkled with mischief, "Because sadly, I have not come to join your conversation, but rather to deprive you of the lovely Miss Beckett, who I am hoping will do me the honour of sharing this dance with me."

He released Mary's hands and held his hand out to her instead, inclining his head imploringly. The others were all smiling at her– from Mary's delighted beaming to Tobias' encouraging grin, Esposito's smirk to Lanie's sly smile– but she barely noticed any of them, her eyes fixed solely upon Castle's face.

For a moment she didn't move, until, in an odd symmetry with the earlier events of the night, Beckett felt her drink being gently pulled from her hands, and looked down to see Lanie holding her glass.

"I'll finish that for you," Lanie said craftily, giving her a devilish wink and a grin.

Glancing around at the others, Beckett smiled, then stepped forward to place her hand in Castle's.

"Excuse us," she said with a grin, then allowed him to lead her away, winding through the dancers to very centre of the dancefloor, where the other couples protected them somewhat from the view of curious eyes.

As naturally as if they did this every day, they came together, his hand resting at her waist and her arm draped across his shoulder, drawing in close and beginning to move effortlessly to the music.

After a moment Beckett grinned, turning her head to speak close beside his ear. "Exactly how much have you had to drink tonight?"

"Quite little, actually," he responded, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering what brought about the sudden transformation from the Castle I know to the modern-day version of Mr Darcy. I thought for a minute that I'd stumbled into some kind of period-drama alternate universe or something."

"Ah," Castle nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "I find that there's simply something about weddings that brings out the 18th Century English nobleman in me."

After a few moments of silence, he added thoughtfully, "Although, I can't say that describing me as Mr Darcy is all that accurate, because, great man though he was, he was pretty widely thought of as a pretty proud and unpleasant guy, and was notorious for being very poor in social situations. So, if you're going to liken me to someone, I'd prefer it were Bingley, or, following a similar vein, perhaps even Captain Wentworth. He seemed like a good guy, and I think I'd really enjoy being a Captain."

Beckett laughed. "Wow, Castle, I never would have pegged you for an Austen fan," she said lightly, grinning in amusement.

Castle made a slight shrugging motion. "What can I say, the lady knew her stuff."

Beckett bit her lip to hide her smile, the two of them continuing to move gracefully together in a comfortable silence. After Castle had expertly twirled her around the dancefloor for a few minutes, Beckett spoke again.

"You know, Castle, you're actually a pretty good dancer."

"Always the same tone of surprise," Castle answered mischievously, shaking his head slightly, "Honestly, Detective, you have so little expectation of my abilities that it wounds me."

"Remind me to find you a bandaid later," Beckett retorted with a grin, then added, "Martha totally made you get lessons, didn't she?"

"Only for like three years."

"Seriously?"

"Complete truth. For three whole years while I was in high school I went to dance classes every single week. Although, technically, Mother only demanded I go along for a few months."

"So how come you stayed?" she asked, then suggested teasingly, "Discovered an ardent love of dance?"

"Hell, no. I enjoy dancing enough, sure, but back then–like any self-respecting teenage boy– I was totally only in it for the girls."

Beckett laughed. "Of course you were."

The song they were dancing to drew to a close, and the band immediately began the next, a slow, soft love song. Without consciously realizing it, the two of them shifted closer, moving slowly to the music.

"I love this song," Beckett sighed happily, then without really thinking about it, began singing quietly along. Suddenly Castle went still, and Beckett pulled back to look at his face.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing," Castle said slowly, his eyes wide with surprise and some other emotion she couldn't quite decipher. "I just didn't realize you had such a beautiful voice."

"Yeah, well I don't really sing in front of people," Beckett said self-consciously, looking away. Silently she moved closer once more, and Castle bent his head, his lips close to her ear.

"Then I'm honoured that you made an exception," he said quietly, as the two of them resumed their slow, flowing dance. "But please, don't stop."

For a moment Beckett hesitated, uncertain, then took a deep breath. As they moved slowly across the floor in graceful patterns, she sang softly for him, her voice for his ears alone.

As the song ended and another began, Castle lowered his head slightly, his jaw brushing softly against her cheek, sending a faint tingle across her skin.

"You know, you really should sing more often," he said in a low voice, sounding quietly impressed, and Beckett couldn't resist smiling.

"Yeah, you know what? Maybe I should start putting on lunchtime performances at the Precinct. I'll charge admission, maybe make a little cash on the side."

"Sounds like an excellent idea," Castle responded readily, playing along. "I'll be your manager, and together we'll take the world by storm. First stop, busking at the Twelfth, next stop, singing the national anthem at the Superbowl."

They both laughed quietly, and Castle added, "Seriously, it's the perfect plan. And honestly, it sure would be nice to have someone sing the anthem without messing up all the words for a change."

"I wouldn't start drawing up my contract just yet, Castle," Beckett said playfully, adding, "Like I told you, I don't sing for an audience."

"You sang for me just now," he challenged mischievously, directing her into a smooth twirl. Gracefully she whirled away, then spun swiftly back into his waiting arms, smiling.

"Yeah, well, it's just you," she responded wryly, trying to suppress her grin. "You don't count."

Castle chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure whether to be flattered or insulted. But, if I truly don't count, then you can have no problem playing that guitar of yours and singing for me sometime. After all, you've already shown that you can handle an audience of one."

"I'll make you a deal," Beckett said, grinning, "You buy me dinner first, and then I might consider playing for you. Maybe."

"Deal," Castle answered readily, then paused and added, "As long as you're sure it won't upset the good doctor."

"I'm completely sure it won't," Beckett responded, her mouth quirking slightly, then added teasingly, "Really, Castle, I thought you were supposed to be observant?"

Castle stopped dancing, pulling back to look down at her in surprise.

"You and Josh broke up?"

"Almost a month ago. Right after he got back from Africa," she said, then paused. "I thought you knew."

"No, I didn't," Castle said slowly, then pulled her gently back against him, the two of them beginning to dance once more.

"I'm sorry," Castle said after a moment, his voice low. "It must have been hard for you. I know you cared about Josh a lot."

Beckett shrugged slightly, making a noncommittal noise in her throat. "It was actually easier than I expected it to be. I think we both knew that ending it was the right thing to do. For both of us."

Castle made no reply, and for several moments the two of them simply danced together in silence. Slowly, the music faded away, and the band immediately struck up a new song, a swift tango.

Beckett paused, pulling away slightly. "Do you know how to tango?"

Castle grinned down at her, lifting his eyebrows mischievously. "Let's find out."

So, that was part one! I really, really hope you enjoyed it, and I would absolutely love to hear any thoughts/views/suggestions you may have. :)

(oh and it's currently 3:30am and my eyes are blurring because I've been at this for hours, so if there's any mistakes or anything, please let me know so I can fix them!)

Anyway, chapter two should definitely be posted within a couple of days, so keep an eye out for that.

Oh, and I didn't actually include the lyrics, but in my mind, the song that Beckett was singing along with was "Can't Stop" by Mozella, which was actually used in the show (in the scene in 2x04 where Beckett has a 'date' with Naked Heat, and is reading it in the bath) and I seriously LOVE it. It's a brilliant Caskett song and a fantastic song in general. Check it out on Youtube :)

Anyways, thanks so much for reading!