A/N: oh wow, I'm glad I wasn't the only one crying at the last chapter! Here's Rick's speech - which marks the end of the story, thank you so much if you're still with me!
Castle was so proud of Kate right now, he knew she wasn't one for words and that speech she had just given had blown him away. She had been so clear and eloquent and her words had gone straight to his heart. He had thought the day after they got together that he couldn't love her anymore, but each day she surprised him and he fell harder everyday. Oh god, he was such a sap where Kate was concerned, he couldn't remember ever being this mushy over anyone else! Planting one last kiss on her lips, he stood up to deliver his speech to their guests.
"Hey guys, can I have your attention please?" He called out, waiting for quiet to fall. Quite a few guests wee still looking a little emotional after Kate's speech - not that he could blame them, it had been heartbreaking, he had no idea how she could be so strong in that situation, she really was extraordinary.
"Thank you. First, I'd like to echo what my lovely wife said, thank you all for coming today, it really does mean a lot to us. Also, thank you again to those who have given speeches this afternoon, they were all so lovely and we're so pleased you made them." He looked around to his daughter and mother, new father-in-law and friends. And Gates, of course. "And a special thank you to Captain Gates for saying a few words, I did half expect her to say no when I asked!" Everyone laughed and Castle felt at home. He had been the class clown at school and laughter was what he thrived on.
"Ever since I started shadowing Kate at work, I have made some wonderful friends. Espostio and Ryan, you two are incredible. I know how much Kate respects the two of you and you're both brilliant detectives. You've both been so accommodating of me, I'm sure I was a little annoying at times," Esposito and Ryan nodded, "great, thanks guys, thought you might defend me there! Anyway, thank you for agreeing to be my best men, it was a huge pleasure having you up there with me today.
Also, Lanie - I know you're Kate's best friend, but that hasn't stopped you from helping me out a few times. Kate is lucky to have a friend like you and I know how much you mean to her, which means you mean a lot to me, too." He smiled at the ME and she smiled back.
"Mother, where do I start? I didn't exactly have the most conventional of upbringings but I think I turned out okay in the end. Well, I might be a little screwed up but I have like 31 bestsellers and a beautiful wife so I think I've done more than okay for myself," the guests laughed again and his mother and Kate rolled their eyes at his drama. "Even though it was hard when I was a kid, bringing me up on your own, I know you did your best to provide for me. I may have had a handful of crazy nanny's but when it really mattered, you were there. Even now I know I can come to you with whatever I need and I know how much you adore Alexis and Kate, thank you." His mother sent him a tearful smile, and that's how he knew it had been third time lucky - at his first two weddings, his mother had been drunk before the ceremony was even over, not exactly a fan of either of his brides.
"Jim, I know Kate will always be your little girl and I'm so pleased you're happy with her choice of groom. As a father of a little girl, I know how protective we become and I can't even imagine Alexis getting married, not ever. She'll always be my baby, no matter how grown up she gets and I promise you I will look after her. Although I'm sure Kate h made us all aware that she can look after herself," he shot a smile at his wife and one at his father-in-law.
"And to my Pumpkin," he sent a huge grin to his daughter, "Alexis is the best child a dad could possibly wish for. Though it sure would have been nice if she let me stay out a little later sometimes.." Laughter rang though the room, those who knew Castle best knew the kind of relationship he had with Alexis, her quite often playing the role of a parent with a teenager. "No seriously, she's the most responsible, hard-working, intelligent young woman ever - goodness knows where she gets that from!" He looked to Kate who was rolling her eyes - as per usual - and shaking her head.
Kate still didn't understand how Castle could say things like that - he was hard-working and intelligent and on occasion he had been known to be responsible, he really didn't give himself enough credit where Alexis was concerned..though really, it was just like how Martha didn't give herself enough credit where her son was concerned.
"Anyway, I want to say a massive thank you to Alexis, I know I haven't always been the best dad and I'm sorry for that. All I want is the best for you and you're way too easy to control, I wonder what I did to deserve that.. Also, I know it hasn't been easy for you growing up with the newspapers writing stories about me, most of which weren't true, but you never once complained, you just got on with it, you really are amazing. I know you've not been the biggest supporter of my relationship with Kate, but once I started treating you like the adult you are, I think you realised how complicated this was - but also how important it is. Your speech was beautiful and the relationship you have with Kate makes me so happy because I always worried you didn't have anyone to go to when you couldn't come to me. You're my two favourite girls and I know we're gonna be so happy now!" He practically squealed at the last part and his 'two favourite girls' both rolled their eyes. "Don't think I didn't catch that, Alexis. God, you have been spending way too much time with Kate if you're rolling your eyes like that, I get enough of that from her! Ow," he complained as Kate pinched his leg. "Oh and Alexis - mandatory ice cream for breakfast tomorrow!" Alexis laughed and ran over to give her dad a hug, whispering "you've always been the best dad" in his ear as she did.
"I know Kate already did a beautiful job of mentioning those who couldn't be here today, I was lucky enough to meet Royce when we had a case a few years ago and it was an honour to meet a man that Beckett obviously held in such high regard.
I worked with Montgomery for three years and I guess I have him to thank for not letting Kate throw me out when she wanted to! He was a wonderful man and I know those who knew him will never forget him.
The one person I never met was the late Johanna Beckett. I've been told she was an incredible woman and there's no better evidence of this than the woman who just promised to spend the rest of her life with me. Kate is an extraordinary woman and I know her mother had a huge influence on her. She must have done given that Kate was planning on following her with her chosen career. And although you became a cop instead, I'm sure she couldn't be more proud of you." He smiled at Kate and she smiled back, trying to keep the tears in again. He squeezed her hand before he continued.
"So now I move onto my beautiful bride. Where do I start? Well, like with all good stories, I'll start at the beginning! The day I met Detective Kate Beckett, I was bored. I had just killed off Derrick Storm - oops, spoiler alert - and I was struggling for new ideas. And in came the most intriguing woman I had ever met. I'll admit, at first it was about getting into her pants." He heard Kate mutter "shit" beside him and suddenly realised not all of their guests would want to hear that. "Uh Jim..Alexis - you didn't hear that!" He was relieved to see they were both smiling at him.
"Seriously though, I was used to women falling at my feet but Kate? Oh no, she made me think perhaps I should be falling at her feet! She was so self-assured and confident and it was refreshing..my usual dates - I use the term loosely because let's face it, they were nothing more than-"
"Castle!" Beckett hissed and he realised mentioning sleeping with other women was probably not suitable for their current audience.
"Despite how she was with me when we first met, it soon became clear there was a hell of a lot more to her than what she first showed you and even to this day I am still discovering new things about her, even when I thought I'd found them all.
Anyway, there she was all prim and proper and she brushed me off like I was dirt on her shoe!" More laughter rang out as the guests saw how offended Castle was pretending to look.
"I was a best-selling author - her favourite, I might add, and she acted like she didn't even want to talk to me! Now, many people would take that as a hint to never come back but not me. Oh no, I managed to secure myself a place shadowing this mysterious woman, well how could I not, I was hooked!
Now, as I'm sure many of you have heard, Beckett will try and convince you all that it was me that was into her first - and yes, I have just admitted that I found her attractive when we first met but did she really need to be so mean to me? She's lucky I stuck around you now, lesser men would have fallen at the first hurdle." He looked to Kate who was glaring at him. No surprise there then.
"So, I stuck around for four years and found myself falling for the woman who was determined not to let me in - which makes no sense, I know. But as a writer, you pick up on detail and that's how I broke down her walls. I memorised her coffee order the first day we stopped for coffee and from then on, I brought her one every morning we had a case just to see her smile," a chorus of "awh" rang through the room at that.
"I know, I know, I'm amazing." He didn't even look at Beckett to know she was rolling her eyes, at him right now. "Anyway, I won't bore you with the details of those four years we weren't together, but I think Kate was right when she said we have those years to fall back on now when things get tough. It's never been an easy relationship, but like all good stories - something bad has to happen in the middle to keep everyone entertained. Also, I don't think the words 'easy' and 'relationship' correspond with each other where Kate Beckett is concerned, but I wouldn't change a thing." It was official, Katherine Beckett turned him to mush.
"When Kate showed up at my door that night almost two years ago, sopping wet from the rain and telling me she wanted me, I thought all my birthdays and Christmases had come at once. The woman of my dreams was standing in my house, finally letting me in, it was all I had ever wished for and at that point, I didn't even care about all the problems we'd faced through the previous four years, all that mattered was that she was there, with me." He smiled to himself, lost in the memories of their first night together. It had been sheer heaven and he didn't think anything would ever come close to how he had felt that night with her wrapped up in his arms.
"And here we are, six years later. I finally convinced her that she was meant to be with me and she agreed to marry me! I have loved spending every minute at the precint and helping out with cases, and basing a character on her was the best thing I've ever done in my career. I know at the precinct it's all 'cop-like' - it didn't take long for them to start calling me 'Castle' - how cool is that?! But I think 'Beckett' and 'Kate' are two different people. 'Beckett' is my partner, the one who can leap tall buildings in a single bound and take on the world single handed. But 'Kate' is the woman who stole my heart and ran with it. I'm in love with all sides of her but to me, they're different people." Another round of "awh" echoed through the room at that.
"I meant what I said just under two years ago, Kate - you are the most remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating woman I have ever met, but I love you. I think I've been in love with you for a lot longer than I care to admit and I'm so glad I can finally call you mine. You're an extraordinary woman, Katherine Houghton Beckett-Castle, but now you're mine, always."
He looked around the room, spotting tears on a few peoples faces, before his gaze settled on Kate. She stood up, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I love you, Mr Castle," she whispered.
"I love you too, Mrs Castle, so much," he whispered back, capturing her lips with his.
A/N: and we're done! Thank you so much to everyone who read this story, your reviews really did keep me going on this! I'd love to know what you think of this chapter too! Thank you again for reviewing/following/favouriting, really means a lot to me!
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