"So tell me again why you dragged me out of bed at eight-thirty on a Sunday morning?" Kate asked, turning to look at her husband before taking the final bite of her rocky road ice-cream cone. They were strolling hand-in-hand in Central Park on a bright, sunny morning.
"A nice stroll in the park and ice-cream of course," Rick replied with a casual shrug and a smile. His ice-cream – like the overzealous child that he was – was already finished ten minutes ago.
He led her to a nearby bench to sit down, sensitive to how quickly she got tired.
"Uh-huh, sure… What do you want Castle?"
"Why do you always assume that I do something nice to get something out of you?... That kinda sounded dirty, didn't it?"
She ignored the last part. "Because I know you... So spit it out."
He hesitated for a moment. "Okay, listen the museum has this super cool dinosaur exhibition at nine-thirty and I really, really want to go." 'And I need to keep you out of the house for a few hours,' the thought vaguely rushed through his mind. He gave her his best lost-puppy expression. "Please."
Kate only shook her head and smiled. "Wow, I really did marry a twelve-year old."
"Oh come on, KC," he whined. "I deserve some sort of reward. For what else would I get up so early on a Sunday?"
"Some early morning nookie," she shot back after a beat.
Rick laughed heartily at this, his eyes creasing in amusement.
"Well, I didn't get any nookie this morning," Rick shot back, waggling his eyebrows.
"Uh, hello! Eight months pregnant here – a little impractical," Kate said arching her eyebrows.
"We could always work something out," Rick replied in a lowered tone, leaning in closer and flashing her a devilish grin. Instead of her usual eye roll or snarky comeback, Kate's expression dropped and her gaze immediately flicked to the ground. She started to absent-mindedly fiddle with her mother's ring around her neck with her free hand; a sign of vulnerability. Rick picked up on it, but hesitated to push her. After a few seconds passed by, she spoke.
"I- I kinda feel… unattractive right now," she mumbled softly, not meeting his gaze.
"Unattractive!" Rick exclaimed in genuine shock. To him, she has never been more beautiful than now. He looked at her in surprise, his brow furrowed. "Honey, what are you talking about?" She sighed heavily before looking up at him.
"Rick, look at me." She gestured to herself. "Swollen feet, swollen hands... swollen everything! I'm huge… and well...," she trailed off.
When he spoke, his voice was soft and reassuring. "Sweetie, you're not fat. You're-"
"Yeah, I know, I know… I'm pregnant," Kate interrupted him with a sigh.
"And very, very beautiful," he added quietly, leaning in and giving her a peck on the lips. "You know you're my girl, right?" She nodded, her eyes still not meeting his. "My very sexy, stunning, gorgeous, heavenly, flexible-."
She shook her head as a chuckle escaped her lips. "Okay, Casanova, I get it."
"Do you believe me?" He lifted her chin, serious cobalt blues meeting tentative emerald greens.
Kate watched him for a few contemplative moments before answering. "Yes... yeah, I believe you." Her eyes, however, again broke away from his. "It's just…" She bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling emotional; pregnancy hormones wrecking havoc on her state of mind. "I- I…can't do anything..." she trailed off, wiping angrily at her eyes still fixed on her shoes. "Damn it!"
His face relaxed as a tender smile tugged at his mouth.
"Katie-" He lifted her chin again, gently grasping it and holding her gaze. "-listen to me. You're allowed to feel a little unsettled, sweetheart. Your whole identity has been changing – along with your body. You're a cop… you're used to be out in field, in the thick of things or at least at the precinct doing your job… and worrying your husband." He smiled at her and she returned a faint one herself. "Now, you're going to be at home for a while… and, well, you feel-"
"Useless," she finished for him with an unhappy sigh.
"I was going to say overwhelmed."
"That too."
"Well, don't worry, I'll be there. I'll help you, I'll satisfy your every whim-" He only got an eye roll in reply. "-and I'll entertain you."
"More like drive me up the wall."
"Would you expect any less of me." He grinned at her again.
She smiled and shrugged. "No, I guess not."
He let go of her hand and draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him and pressing a kiss on top of her head. They sat like this for a while, quietly observing the activities and people around them - couples walking hand-in-hand, a few brawny young men playing football, a little girl yelping in delight as her father swung her around in the air. After a silent minute or two, Rick spoke again in an effort to lift her hormonally-dampened spirits.
"FYI... I love seeing you pregnant. In fact I intend to get you pregnant about three or four times more, Mrs. Castle." Kate whipped her head up to look at him. He smiled broadly at her, obviously pleased by her stunned reaction.
"W-w-what?" She stuttered and let out a nervous laugh. "Uh-huh, Writer Boy. Not happening."
His face fell slightly. "What? Why not? You don't want any more babies with me, KC?"
"Not- not three or four more! I don't want to be pregnant for the rest of my life! I haven't even given birth to this one." She placed a hand on her protruding baby bump.
"Okay, okay. Another two then."
"One."
He pouted at this.
"One more or... you get snipped. That's my final offer. Your pick."
"Fine... one more," he breathed, pouting once again. Kate tried to suppress a smile as she wrapped her arm around Rick's lower back, leaning further into his side.
After a few quiet moments, she spoke again. "Tell you what... if you agree to buy me another ice-cream, we can go the museum."
Rick eyes lit up with childlike enthusiasm. "Really?" She smiled and nodded. "Okay, deal!" He hastily got up from his seat and held out his hands toward her. "C'mon, KC, I don't wanna miss the t-rex." Kate laughed as he pulled her up.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're such a man-child."
"I'm your man-child."
She smiled before leaning up and pressing a sweet kiss on his lips. "And I woulnd't have it any other way."
He gave her another kiss, while his phone chimed with a text message - the second one that morning from his firstborn.
'Dad, I hope you have a plan, cause we still have a lot to do. Call me when you're in the clear. Over and out, Little Bird.'
A/N: I wanted to do write a long chapter, but I've instead decided to split this theme into two chapters. I just felt that the interaction between the two here could stand on its own. So, you will only find out in the next chapter what Alexis is going on about.
"A nice stroll in the park and ice-cream of course," Rick replied with a casual shrug and a smile. His ice-cream – like the overzealous child that he was – was already finished ten minutes ago.
He led her to a nearby bench to sit down, sensitive to how quickly she got tired.
"Uh-huh, sure… What do you want Castle?"
"Why do you always assume that I do something nice to get something out of you?... That kinda sounded dirty, didn't it?"
She ignored the last part. "Because I know you... So spit it out."
He hesitated for a moment. "Okay, listen the museum has this super cool dinosaur exhibition at nine-thirty and I really, really want to go." 'And I need to keep you out of the house for a few hours,' the thought vaguely rushed through his mind. He gave her his best lost-puppy expression. "Please."
Kate only shook her head and smiled. "Wow, I really did marry a twelve-year old."
"Oh come on, KC," he whined. "I deserve some sort of reward. For what else would I get up so early on a Sunday?"
"Some early morning nookie," she shot back after a beat.
Rick laughed heartily at this, his eyes creasing in amusement.
"Well, I didn't get any nookie this morning," Rick shot back, waggling his eyebrows.
"Uh, hello! Eight months pregnant here – a little impractical," Kate said arching her eyebrows.
"We could always work something out," Rick replied in a lowered tone, leaning in closer and flashing her a devilish grin. Instead of her usual eye roll or snarky comeback, Kate's expression dropped and her gaze immediately flicked to the ground. She started to absent-mindedly fiddle with her mother's ring around her neck with her free hand; a sign of vulnerability. Rick picked up on it, but hesitated to push her. After a few seconds passed by, she spoke.
"I- I kinda feel… unattractive right now," she mumbled softly, not meeting his gaze.
"Unattractive!" Rick exclaimed in genuine shock. To him, she has never been more beautiful than now. He looked at her in surprise, his brow furrowed. "Honey, what are you talking about?" She sighed heavily before looking up at him.
"Rick, look at me." She gestured to herself. "Swollen feet, swollen hands... swollen everything! I'm huge… and well...," she trailed off.
When he spoke, his voice was soft and reassuring. "Sweetie, you're not fat. You're-"
"Yeah, I know, I know… I'm pregnant," Kate interrupted him with a sigh.
"And very, very beautiful," he added quietly, leaning in and giving her a peck on the lips. "You know you're my girl, right?" She nodded, her eyes still not meeting his. "My very sexy, stunning, gorgeous, heavenly, flexible-."
She shook her head as a chuckle escaped her lips. "Okay, Casanova, I get it."
"Do you believe me?" He lifted her chin, serious cobalt blues meeting tentative emerald greens.
Kate watched him for a few contemplative moments before answering. "Yes... yeah, I believe you." Her eyes, however, again broke away from his. "It's just…" She bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling emotional; pregnancy hormones wrecking havoc on her state of mind. "I- I…can't do anything..." she trailed off, wiping angrily at her eyes still fixed on her shoes. "Damn it!"
His face relaxed as a tender smile tugged at his mouth.
"Katie-" He lifted her chin again, gently grasping it and holding her gaze. "-listen to me. You're allowed to feel a little unsettled, sweetheart. Your whole identity has been changing – along with your body. You're a cop… you're used to be out in field, in the thick of things or at least at the precinct doing your job… and worrying your husband." He smiled at her and she returned a faint one herself. "Now, you're going to be at home for a while… and, well, you feel-"
"Useless," she finished for him with an unhappy sigh.
"I was going to say overwhelmed."
"That too."
"Well, don't worry, I'll be there. I'll help you, I'll satisfy your every whim-" He only got an eye roll in reply. "-and I'll entertain you."
"More like drive me up the wall."
"Would you expect any less of me." He grinned at her again.
She smiled and shrugged. "No, I guess not."
He let go of her hand and draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him and pressing a kiss on top of her head. They sat like this for a while, quietly observing the activities and people around them - couples walking hand-in-hand, a few brawny young men playing football, a little girl yelping in delight as her father swung her around in the air. After a silent minute or two, Rick spoke again in an effort to lift her hormonally-dampened spirits.
"FYI... I love seeing you pregnant. In fact I intend to get you pregnant about three or four times more, Mrs. Castle." Kate whipped her head up to look at him. He smiled broadly at her, obviously pleased by her stunned reaction.
"W-w-what?" She stuttered and let out a nervous laugh. "Uh-huh, Writer Boy. Not happening."
His face fell slightly. "What? Why not? You don't want any more babies with me, KC?"
"Not- not three or four more! I don't want to be pregnant for the rest of my life! I haven't even given birth to this one." She placed a hand on her protruding baby bump.
"Okay, okay. Another two then."
"One."
He pouted at this.
"One more or... you get snipped. That's my final offer. Your pick."
"Fine... one more," he breathed, pouting once again. Kate tried to suppress a smile as she wrapped her arm around Rick's lower back, leaning further into his side.
After a few quiet moments, she spoke again. "Tell you what... if you agree to buy me another ice-cream, we can go the museum."
Rick eyes lit up with childlike enthusiasm. "Really?" She smiled and nodded. "Okay, deal!" He hastily got up from his seat and held out his hands toward her. "C'mon, KC, I don't wanna miss the t-rex." Kate laughed as he pulled her up.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're such a man-child."
"I'm your man-child."
She smiled before leaning up and pressing a sweet kiss on his lips. "And I woulnd't have it any other way."
He gave her another kiss, while his phone chimed with a text message - the second one that morning from his firstborn.
'Dad, I hope you have a plan, cause we still have a lot to do. Call me when you're in the clear. Over and out, Little Bird.'
A/N: I wanted to do write a long chapter, but I've instead decided to split this theme into two chapters. I just felt that the interaction between the two here could stand on its own. So, you will only find out in the next chapter what Alexis is going on about.
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