"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togever tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam..."

-The Impressive Clergyman, The Princess Bride

Two years later

"Katie, you look beautiful," Johanna whispered, desperately blinking back tears as her daughter stood before the full length mirrors, turning this way and that, a pleased dimple playing at the corner of her mouth.

"You really think so?" she asked with uncharacteristic shyness.

"I really do," murmured Johanna proudly.

"Oh, Kate, it's gorgeous," Alexis broke in, her voice filled with awe.

"Doesn't she? Katherine, Richard is going to flip!" Martha predicted. "You'll be lucky if he'll still has his knees beneath him by the time you get down the aisle."

Kate looked from one to the next, finally landing on Lanie, waiting for her to say something. "Damn, girl," her best friend finally choked out, breaking out into a slow, sincere smile.

The bride looked back at her mother. "This is it?"

Johanna beamed. "This is it."

Kate glanced at the assistant. "This one," she said softly, her gaze pulled back to her own reflection in the dazzling white gown.

"Thank you for coming with me," Kate said sincerly as she pulled up in front of her parents' building to let her mother out.

"Katie, it's my job. I'm thrilled you wanted to include both Martha and I," Johanna smiled at her daughter.

Kate bit her lip. "It's something I thought I would never get to do with you," she said quietly.

Johanna smiled sadly. "Me, too. Which is why it means more, right?"

Kate nodded, not trusting her voice. Johanna leaned over the console to kiss her daughter farewell. "You and Rick still coming to dinner on Thursday?" she asked as she gathered her things.

"Unless we have a case, we'll be there," Kate replied. Johanna opened the door, about to leave when Kate call after her. "Mom?"

Johanna paused, glanced back at her daughter. "Yes, Bug?"

Kate smiled. "I love you," she said simply.

Johanna grinned back. "I love you, too, Katie. Now, get going. You shouldn't be double parked like this, you're an officer of the law," she teased. A car behind them honked angrily as if to back up Johanna's point, and both women laughed. Johanna sprang out and shut the door, waving as Kate pulled back into the traffic before turning toward her building.

"Who'd have thought our baby would grow up into such a fine woman," Jim's voice broke into her thoughts, and she glanced to her left to see him waiting calmly nearby. "Did she find a dress?"

Johanna's stomach fluttered the same way it did every time she came home to her husband. It was a feeling she still treasured, and she stepped into his comforting embrace. "She did. And she looked stunning. When Rick sees her, he's not going to know what hit him."

Jim laughed a little. "You're late to the party on that one," he teased. "We've all been predicting that since they met. For once, it'll be us telling you 'I told you so!'"

And grinning, he tugged her into a short, sweet kiss, enjoying his daughter's happiness and his wife at his side.

"You may now kiss the bride," the minster beamed, and Castle swept Kate into a deep and enthusiastic kiss, completely oblivious to the hollers and cat-calls of their wedding guests.

"I told you so," Jim whispered into his wife's ear.

"No, Jim. We told each other so," Johanna whispered back, swiping away another tear as she applauded, leaning into her husband as she watched her daughter at the alter, kissing the man who had waited for her.

"Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.

The End."

-Grandpa, The Princess Bride