Chapter 23 – All the small things

Details.
Rick Castle was a details-man. Being an author, it was kind of an occupational necessity. You don't write twenty-plus bestsellers without the details. And his favourite pastime for the last few years has been cataloging every detail and nuance of a certain beautiful homicide detective and engraving them on the slates of his mind.
Rick sighed. He never got tired of studying his muse.
His gaze swept over her in fervent reverence, silently worshipping every inch of her with his pilgrim eyes (which she, of course, found excessively creepy). He was rubbing gentle, slow circles on the long, slender fingers that were laid on his upper leg, occassionally running his thumb over the diamond encrusted wedding band. Her small hand rested on his leg with the familiarity of being there for the last fifty years. They were matching pieces of a puzzle, in synch and wholly besotted with each other and the life they have built.
His eyes came to focus on the column of her neck – he loved her neck; it was the first place he went to in order to draw out that first moan. It was the place he felt her life; her strong, pulsating heartbeat. He really, really wanted to kiss her there now, but if he did, he wouldn't be able to be held accountable for his actions which might include ripping off her $1000 dress and having his way with her in the back of a limousine (again) with Louis the Driver as a witness. His eyes slowly moved down towards her collarbone and bare shoulders to where his lips always seemed to be drawn out of their own volition. He couldn't stop himself – she was intoxicating. Her skin was soft and glowed and shimmered in the darkness (was she wearing that glitter body lotion he loved so much?). His eyes continued their journey and came to an immediate halt to where her chest was rising and falling, making him thank the powers above for figure-hugging dresses. His pilgrim eyes paid a lengthy homage to that beloved part(s) of her body before slowly making their way up again - this time to her beautifully sculptured face. God really outdid Himself with her. Rick made a mental note thank Him later.
He looked at her up-do hair which his hands loved so much to weave through. He loved it in any style, but mostly when the silky locks were haphazardly spread across his chest. He studied the curve of her jaw which he loved to trace with his fingers (and lips). Her high cheekbones that he loved to pepper with soft kisses. Her olive green eyes that he loved to see sparkle with mischievous amusement, scorching desire and genuine, unbridled affection. Her mouth which he loved, well, because it was the part of her that he first got a taste of. Her soft, trance-inducing, all-coherent-thoughts-melting lips.
He really, really wanted to kiss her now.
A thumb, however, was blocking his way. Rick cocked his head to the side and frowned as he brought all the details that was Kate Castle together. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes seemed troubled and her thumb nail was lodged in between her lips like when she was thinking really hard or over-analyzing something. His hand left hers on his leg and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, startling her from whatever she was obsessing about.
"Hey, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Rick asked softly. Kate smiled faintly and dropped her eyes from his.
"Nothing." She looked out the window again, her brow furrowing once more. His did too. "Maybe I should call Lanie and just make sure that she hasn't forgotten something. That they're alright." Rick's expression cleared when the realisation hit him: his tough detective was having a little bit of separation anxiety.
He stopped her when she started to pull out her cell phone. "Honey, I'm sure they're fine. We're talking about Lanie here. You know her right? She has five nephews and nieces and Esposito has about six. They've done this before... I think they can handle it."
She nodded silently (and reluctantly), her eyes and fingers suddenly finding his second anniversary cufflinks fascinating.
"Besides, they'll call if it's necessary."
Kate returned a brief smile and nodded. "I know. It's just-" She let out a breath and pursed her lips. "-what if she gets scared or something or what if her fever starts again. The doctor said that it could get worse. I mean, what if-"
He held up a hand and cut her off. "Kate, relax. She's fine. You saw her earlier, she didn't have a fever anymore and again, it's Lanie, who by the way is a doctor." He paused for a moment, watching her adorably chewing her lip, fighting to keep her emotions in check. "You're just having a little bit of separation anxiety, aren't you?" He stated softly; her eyes snapping up to meet his.
After a moment she nodded and replied on a sigh. "Yeah, I guess so."
He gave her a sweet, lopsided smile and pulled her closer. "It's perfectly normal, Sweetheart." Rick pressed a kiss on her temple and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They stayed like that for a few moments before he broke the silence. "You wanna skip the party?" He didn't want to; in fact he had been looking forward to this since they got their invitations a month ago. But whatever Kate wanted, he wanted.
She sat up, took a breath and shook her head stubbornly. "No. I've been looking forward to tonight for a long time... I'm just being silly."
He cupped her cheek. "You're not being silly." A teasing grin lit up his features. "Well, except when you're imitating the Chipmunks or playing guitar hero. But that's cute-silly and I love it when you're cute-silly." Kate rolled her eyes and smiled widely. Rick grinned broadly, pleased with himself for making her smile.
Her expression sobered after a few moments, her tone low and sincere."Thank you."
"Always." Kate pressed a sweet kiss against his mouth.
The car came to a stop amid flashing lights and loud screams.
"Well Mr. Castle, let's go and have ourselves a good time."
He gently grasped her chin. "You're sure?"
She nodded her head with a smile before leaning in for another kiss. "Yeah. I'm in need of some dancing and adult conversation."
"Hey, I'm adult conversation!"
She grinned widely as Louis opened the door. "Oh puhlease, Geekboy. Don't make me laugh!"

After surviving the red carpet, flashing cameras and irritating gossip mongers, the two Castles finally entered the arena for the Mayor's Annual Charity Ball that attracted New York high society. The ballroom of the Waldorf was a vision of gold and red, beautiful flower arrangements and elegant tables. They made their way to table 5 (heads turning as the dark-haired beauty passed by) and was met by two familiar faces.
"Rick! Kate!" Jonahtan McFarlane greeted with a broad smile. His wife, Denise, turned around and greeted them with the same expression her husband did. If there were ever two people who were made for each (other than our favourite couple, the Castles, of course), it was Jonathan and Denise McFarlane. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed beauties - and both doctors. They were freakishly alike. At first, Rick and Kate were skeptical about their 'charity buddies' and their perfect Stepford-Wiveish vibe (as Rick called it), but after bonding over boring speech after boring speech at the two previous charity events, they became fast friends.
"Hey guys!" Rick grinned, pulling out his wife's chair.
"Hey!" Kate greeted with genuine excitement as the two women hugged briefly. They exchanged the customary 'wow-you-look-so-gorgeous-I-wish-I-could-wear-that-like-you-do'-compliments and took their places at the table. After exchanging pleasantries, the conversation shifted towards the other patrons attending the shin-dig.
"So, who do we have with us this year?" Rick inquired, placing his arm around the back of Kate's chair. The McFarlanes glanced at each other then turned back to the Castles, their expressions unreadable.
Kate's smile dropped. "Please don't say Vivienne Rutterford," she said quickly.
Denise laughed and shook her head. "No, no! Luckily not. Table 12 has that delightful privilege."
"Thank God," Kate murmured.
"But we will be joined by Gary Johnson and his twenty-something bimbo wife... Again," Jonathan commented. Kate rolled her eyes and Rick shook his head in amusement. Gary Johnson was a wealthy seventy-year old banking tycoon who had an insatiable appetite for young playboy-bimbo's; it was his third wive in five years.
"That should be amusing. Maybe we should discuss Moby Dick again," Rick said. The four burst out laughing, recalling how one of Gary's bimbo's frowned upon hearing the name and asked whether 'Dick' was that famous, bald-headed DJ's surname.
"Other than that we don't know. We're hoping for the best," Denise commented. She turned to look at Kate as the two men started on a discussion about golf. "So, how's the baby? What's her name again?"
"Lizzy. Ah, she's great... perfect." She seached for her phone, her face alight with a beaming smile. "Here. Take a look." She handed her phone to Denise.
"Oh Kate! She's adorable!" Kate nodded and grinned proudly. "Aw, she's just beautiful. Congratulations," Denise said smiling, handing the phone back.
"Thanks," Kate replied still beaming. "She just grows so quickly, you know?"
Denise let out a laugh. "Tell me about it."
Before Kate could reply, Rick turned to her. "KC, do you want something?"
"Uh, yeah-"
"A glass of red wine?"
She smiled and nodded. "You know me too well."
He returned a cheeky grin. "See, staring is useful."
Kate raised her eyebrows. "Still creepy." He laughed and kissed her cheek before getting up.
Rick walked towards the bar, completely unaware of the predatory pair of eyes following him. He stood at the bar and placed his order, not noticing the predator stalking her prey.
"Richard Castle-" He jumped at the sudden voice behind him and turned around. Bottle blonde hair. White teeth. Boobs. Lots of boobs. "-what a pleasant surprise," Vivienne Rutterford said in a sultry tone, her eyes slowly raking over his tuxedo-clad form.
Rick instinctively backed up against the bar as she took a step closer. "Uh Vivienne... hi." He let out a nervous chuckle and immediately started to glance around for Kate.
The petite and attractive 40-something real housewife of New York took another step closer. "My, don't you look handsome in a tux." She flashed him a broad grin.
"T-thank you..." And as an afterthought he added: "You look well too." 'Kate, help!' his mind yelled.
Meanwhile back at table 5...
"...So that's why decided on contributing to Red Cross. It just made sense," Jonathan finished with a shrug. The three remaining occupants of table 5 were discussing the reason they were at this function in the first place.
"Well Rick and I thought about contributing to the NYPD's children's fund." Kate's brow furrowed as she started to look around for the mystery novelist. "By the way, where is my husband?" The other two also started to glance around for the fourth member of their little group.
"Uh-oh," Denise started. "Seems like Viv has cornered him, Katie," she continued, pointing towards the cougar and her helpless prey at the bar. Kate tensed, clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes.
"Excuse me." Her tone was low and strained.
Back at the bar...
"I really loved your last book, Richard." Vivienne flashed a perfectly white grin. "Especially the love scenes," she added in a mock-whisper.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks," he replied awkwardly. "I wouldn't be able to do it without-"
Vivienne cut him off and shifted gears. "Are you here alone?"
Before a clearly rattled Rick could answer, Kate sidled up next to him; possessively pressing herself into his side while taking hold of his arm.
Pretending not to see Mrs. Plastic Surgery, she chatted eagerly with her husband. "Honey, you will not believe what Nathan just told me!" If looks could kill, Kate would be dead and Vivienne Rutterford would be behind bars. "They got a little place on the French Riviera for a reasonable price. I think we-" Then pretending to notice the other woman she exclaimed in fake surprise. "Oh Vivienne, hi! Didn't see you there." Lie, lie, lie.
Vivienne flashed a stiff smile. "Kate." If it was said with anymore coolness, the world would be experiencing a second ice age. "So good to see you."
Kate returned an equally taut smile, laced with 'I'll-scratch-your-eyes-out-if-you-make-a-move-on-my-husband'-subtext. "You too."
Fake. Fake. Fake. Rick struggled to keep an amused smile off his face - his wife was on top of her game tonight. Despite being almost completely surrounded by women for most of his life, Rick Castle still found the polite cat-fights that the female gender engaged in, fascinating.
The other woman glanced back and forth between the couple and shifted uncomfortably. Finally she said: "Well, enjoy your evening." With that Bottle Blonde & Boobs went off to find fresh meat.
Kate immediately released her tight, possessive grip on Castle's arm and muttered a few insults under her breath as she stared daggers into the other woman's back. Vivienne Rutterford had been after Rick Castle for years... and she didn't care whether he was married or whether he had just become a father for the second time. She was Delilah and Jezebel all rolled into one; the kind of woman mothers warned their sons about. She was also the reason why Kate once had her way with Rick in one of the linen closets of the very same Waldorf Hotel (he was very fond of that linen closet). But that's a story for another day...
Rick grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "My hero." He let out a relieved breath. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Writer Boy," Kate smiled while adjusting his bowtie. After a few moments, she pursed her lips and frowned. "She just never gives up, does she?"
"No." A devilish grin appeared on Rick's lips. "Does this mean I'm getting a repeat performance of the infamous linen closet-episode?"
Kate returned a sly smile and bit her lip flirtatiously. "Not. A. Chance."
His impish grin grew as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Do you know how it turns me on when you mark your territory like that, Mrs. Castle? It's hot, incredibly hot." His breath tickled her skin and he heard her suck in an unsteady breath. His smile grew - she was just as turned on. Maybe that linen closet may well see a repeat performance tonight... A guy could only hope.
"Cool it, Loverboy." She looked at him, her eyes sparkling playfully. "I want dinner and dancing before dessert."

And dinner and dancing, a lot of dancing, were what Kate got. The two Castles got off the dance floor laughing and panting after a lively swing number; they've been on the dance floor on-and-off for the last hour or so. They were having a blast and Kate was thoroughly enjoying herself - this was just what she needed, what they needed. A night out on the town, a little bit of dancing and adult conversation. But, despite the fun she was having, a small, plump and adorable human bundle and that bundle's welfare were constantly in the back of her mind.
"What's the time?" Kate asked Rick once they were seated again.
"Uh... about eight-thirty," he replied after checking his watch.
"I'm quickly going to make a call." Rick nodded in understanding; she was going to call Lanie. "Excuse me," she directed to the rest of the group which now consisted of Gary and Amber (bimbo-wife number five) Johnson, a Peter Davies and his date for the night (Sue or Susan or something like that) and Scott Avery, one of the mayor's campaign contributors, and his beautiful, red-headed, but haughty wife, Michelle.
A few minutes later Kate returned, her expression a little bit more tense than usual. She smiled politely at something Denise said and tried to engage in conversation, but when she grew quiet during a particularly funny story that Scott Avery was relaying, Rick knew - from studying her closely for years - that something was off. It wasn't major, but it definitely wassomething.
He leaned in towards her while the others continued to laugh and talk. "Is everything okay, KC? What did Lanie say?" His voice was filled with concern.
She took in a breath and fixed her eyes on her hands in her lap. "Uh, yeah... yeah. They're fine," she answered softly, her brow briefly furrowing. Rick frowned; he was sure that nothing was wrong with their daughter, but there was something else bothering his wife. He turned his body fully towards her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Kate," he said firmly, but softly. She looked up at him, her eyes hesitant. "What's wrong?"
Her olive green eyes darted away from his and vaguely looked around the room before fixing them on her hands again. "She was crying," came her meek reply. She swallowed hard, frowned and pursed her lips. Kate looked up again and met his gaze; her eyes glistening with emotion. "When I spoke to Lanie, I heard her crying in the background."
He nodded. "Oh... And?"
She gave a noncommittal shrug. "When I asked Lanie, she said that Lizzy was fine, it was just some winds."
Rick let out a relieved breath, but his brow furrowed again. "Okay, so what's got you so upset?"
Her eyes snapped up to his again. "She was crying, Rick," she shot back heatedly. Her voice, however, quickly softened. "And I wasn't there," her tone was vulnerable and small.
He watched her for a long time, not sure what to say. Suddenly he stood up and held out a hand towards her. "C'mon." Kate looked up at him in confusion. "Come on," he repeated. She took his hand and he led her to the dance floor where a slow ballad was playing.
"Rick I'm not in the mood-"
He placed a finger on her lips. "We're here to enjoy ourselves, right?"
"Yeah, but-"
"No, Kate." His tone brooked no argument as he tugged her towards him. "We're here to enjoy our evening. We're not doing anything wrong, so stop feeling guilty."
She nodded slightly and sighed. "I know," she mumbled unhappily, letting her eyes drop onto his chest. He lifted her chin.
"Tell you what - we'll call Lanie again later to check up on things, okay?" She nodded again and smiled faintly. "That sound good to you?"
"Yes, okay." Kate let out a breath, her mouth curving into a grin. "Castle, if you're going to dance with me, we need to start moving."
He laughed and pulled her closer before kissing her deeply. "Aye, aye Detective."

Two hours later outside the Waldorf...
Rick pulled out his phone and dialled the familiar number. After a few rings, the petite ME answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Lanie," Rick greeted.
"Oh hey Castle." She checked her watch, 22:51. "You do realise it's almost eleven right?" Lanie reprimanded lightly. He shook his head and chuckled while turning around to look for his wife who was still inside.
"My apologies Dr. Parish." He paused for a moment. "So, I take it everything's still alright?"
Lanie sighed. "Castle, your daughter is still in one piece, I assure you. She's sleeping like an angel."
"Ah, that's good to know - especially the whole she's still in one piece-part," Rick replied sarcastically. His tone, however, grew sincere. "Thank you, Lanie. I was really just calling for Kate's sake. If I hadn't stopped her tonight, she would have been checking up on you every half hour."
Lanie's mouth curved up. "Separation anxiety, huh?"
He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."
"Well assure our girl that her mini-me is just fine... and incredibly adorable."
Rick smiled proudly. "She is, isn't she?"
"The most precious thing I've ever seen!"
"Again, thank you. Tell Esposito as well. We needed tonight."
"It's not a problem, Castle. We love her. Hell, I'm considering keeping her all to myself." He chuckled. "And Writer Boy?"
"Yeah?"
"Please get my girl laid, she's way too tense."

Chapter 22 – Separation Anxiety

"Kaaaaattteeee!" She rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance at the whiny my-sibling-stole-my-chocolate-tone of her man-child husband. Still placing a few final pins in her up-do hair Kate walked to where Rick stood in front of the mirror; his expression similar to that of a helpless six-year old.
"I swear Castle, it's a miracle that you can tie your own shoe laces," she commented while she started on his bowtie. Leave it to the veteran of hundreds of black-tie parties, not to know how to tie a bowtie.
Utterly ridiculous.
He looked down at her - without her power heels, she was a head-and-a-half shorter than him - and grinned. She was more radiant than ever in a long, elegant, strapless and satin emerald green dress that brought out her eyes and hugged her figure beautifully - much to the appreciation of a certain mystery novelist-husband. He was not-so-subtly stealing glances at her 'girls'.
"I couldn't do the shoe laces-thing until I was ten."
"Why am I not surprised," she said absent-mindedly, her brow furrowed in concentration. An amused smile tugged at his mouth at her adorable expression.
"Well, I can't be perfect at everything." That earned an eye-roll… and a very reluctant upward tilt of her lips.
"There you go." Kate adjusted the bowtie, smiled and winked at Rick before turning away. But before she could get anywhere, he took hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him.
"Thank you." He gave her a quick kiss. "You look beautiful, KC," Rick murmured sincerely before kissing her again – a little more forcefully – before going on to plant feathery kisses on the edge of her jaw and side of her neck. Kate's mind fogged over as her eyes slid shut, enjoying the sensations for a few moments before snapping back to reality.
"Okay, down boy. We have a party to go to. Remember?"
"We can skip it." He continued to press kisses in her neck.
She laughed. "I didn't spend three hours in hair salon and more than seven hours in various boutiques with Lanie last week - which, by the way, was worse than torture - for nothing, Castle."
"You know I'm just gonna take it off anyway, right?" He grinned at her impishly.
She returned a sly grin herself, fiddling idly with his suspenders. "Yeeaaahhh… but not yet, Writer Monkey. Patience is a virtue." She patted his cheek while he pouted. Kate glanced over his shoulder. "Besides, we have an audience." Rick turned around and smiled broadly at the scene.
Their adorable, chubby-cheek four-month old baby girl was lying flat on her stomach in the middle of the bed, thoroughly engrossed in Snuggles. Snuggles, the soft, fluffy, chiming and always-smiling bear had become her best friend and closest confidant who never left her side. Ever. Snuggles was there when she went to sleep, when she got a bath (albeit not in the bathtub, but at least on the edge), when she got changed, when she ate her meals and also when she had to go to the Little Humans Doctor. Sure, her parents were great - Mommy fed her, sang to her when she was upset and played a strangely fascinating game where she would hide behind her hands and then pop out behind them, exclaiming peek-a-boo (she'll find out later why that game had such a silly, yet amusing name). Daddy was funny and made her laugh, especially when he spoke in silly voices and when he blew raspberries on her tummy. But, sometimes a four-month old just needed someone to relate to, you know? Like a fluffy bear who sang a song when you hugged her.
"Hey Sweet Pea." Lizzy greeted her daddy with an all gums-smile and Rick grinned widely. "What are you doing, baby girl?" He lied down on his side on his elbow and pressed the button on Snuggles that made the toy sing. Upon hearing the cheerful, albeit annoying, tune emanating from her fluffy companion, Lizzy let out a squeal of delight, clapping her little hands together. Her father couldn't resist flipping her on her back and blowing a few raspberries on her stomach making her squeal and giggle even more.
Kate smiled as she watched them in the reflection of the mirror. Her smile, however faded, as she caught sight of the baby bag on the floor. Tonight Lizzy was going to have a sleepover at her Aunt Lanie and Uncle Javi's so that Mom and Dad could go the mayor's ball and have some much-needed quality time together, which had been few and far between since their little bundle's arrival. Even though Kate knew that it was needed and even though she was actually looking forward to an evenig without diapers and baby spit, somewhere in her mother's heart she felt an uncomfortable tug. She didn't like it. At all. She didn't look forward at not seeing her little cupcake for a whole night. It was the first time that she was not going to be the one to get up at three in the morning to feed her daughter or to soothe her or to cradle her.
Her thoughts were interrupted with the chime of the doorbell.

"Wow, they're on time... for once," Rick said, getting up and looking at his watch. He turned back to Lizzy on the bed. "Probably because they're looking after the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world." With a kiss on her head, he hurried out the room to go and greet their babysitters; not noticing his wife's crestfallen expression.

Kate sighed and looked at herself in the mirror again. 'You can do this, Kate. It's just one night. Just one.'

"Where's my ridiculously cute goddaughter!" Lanie's voice echoed as she ascended the stairs.

"We're in here Lanie!" Kate called out.

"Oh hey-" Lanie stopped and nodded her head in approval while perusing her friend's outfit. "Wow, girl, you look absolutely gorgeous! What did I tell you?"

"Thanks Lanie." Kate smiled broadly.

"Uh-uh-uh. Thanks Lanie for going with me-"

"-and letting me spend more than seven hours in at least fifteen boutiques."

"Well, it was worth it, wasn't it?" Lanie smirked.

Kate nodded and returned a smile. "Yes, thank you, it was."

Lizzy gurgled and squealed again. The petite ME immediately turned her attention to the adorable bundle of plump limbs. "As glad as I am to see my best friend, I'm actually here to steal away this little cutie pie." She picked up her goddaughter who watched her with rapt attention. "Hey sweetie. You looking forward to spending some time with Aunt Lanie and Uncle Javi? We're going to have so much fun!" Lizzy smiled toothlessly and threw her arms around in the air. "Yes we are honey," Lanie continued to coo. She noticed the bag on the floor, picked it up and turned to Kate who finished putting on her earrings, her eyes a little more moist than usual.

"This her bag?" Lanie asked.

"Uh, yeah." Kate cleared her throat and turned around, briefly smiling at her friend.

Her brow, however, furrowed a few moments later. "Lanie, you still have the list I gave you right? She eats at just past seven and again at ten. Oh and she usually likes to take her bath before-"

"-she goes to sleep. I know Kate, you almost made me write a test on this."

Undeterred Kate rambled on. "Remember that Snuggles goes everywhere she does. She hasn't been feeling well, she had a bit of a fever the other day and the doctor prescribed-"

Lanie shifted Lizzy and cocked an eyebrow. "Kate. You know I'm a doctor, right?"

Kate let out a breath and smiled. "Sorry, it's just, well she hasn't been feeling well and-"

"Sweetie, we got this. Stop worrying."

Lanie noticed the subtle tension in Kate's expression and frowned slightly. "You okay, Kate?"

"Mmm-hmmm, yeah I'm fine." Lie. Lie. Lie. 'It's just one night, Kate. Just one.'

Lanie sighed and shook her head. Kate was a bad liar. "Girl, you and Writer Boy need to get some down time. It's just one night." A sly smile slowly pulled her lips upward. "Besides, it seems that you need to get laid. Maybe more than once... Seriously, you're way too tense."

"Lanie!" Kate blushed. "Not in front of my daughter."

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Lanie grinned. And then as if to sense Kate's inner turmoil she handed Lizzy over to her mother. "Here, you take her so that I can take the bag... and Snuggles."

The two and a half women descended the stairs and found Rick and Esposito engaged in an intense discussion about what shaving cream was the best.

"Hey, Carrie and Miranda, we're ready if you two girls are," Lanie smirked.

"We were born ready, chica," Esposito said, proudly pushing out his chest.

"We're the embodiment of readiness," Rick stated emphatically.

Lanie snorted and laughed. "Puhlease."

Rick turned to Esposito, his expression serious. "I hope you're ready for diaper-duty." Upon hearing this, the Latino detective's face paled considerably.

Rick smiled, but it faded upon realising that Kate wasn't involved in the friendly banter. Rather, she was quietly holding Lizzy and smiling uninterestedly at the conversation. He decided to ask her about it later.

"Hey Lizzy, you ready to go?" Esposito cooed, walking towards Kate; his fear of diapers momentarily forgotten. He planned to get himself out of diaper-duty while his fiancé was intent on making him practise. "Come to Uncle Javi." He grinned and held out his arms and Kate reluctantly handed over her daughter.

He turned to Lanie, who was busy watching him with the unmistakeable I-want-to-carry-this-man's-babies-expression. "You ready?"

"Yeah." They turned towards Rick and Kate. She was tensely wringing her hands together.

"Okay, guys enjoy your evening," Lanie said with a teasing wink.

"Oh we will Dr. Parish," Rick returned with a grin while wrapping an arm around Kate's (tense) shoulders. "We will."

"Say bye Mommy, bye Daddy," Esposito said waving Lizzy's plump little arm.

"Bye Sweet Pea," Rick said stepping forward and pressing a kiss on his daughter's head.

Kate stepped forward as well. "Bye honey." She kissed Lizzy's hand. "Bye baby, I'm gonna miss you," she whispered before kissing her head. With that the two babysitters left, leaving the abandoned parents to their own devices.

A few moments of silence passed with Kate staring at the door and Rick swaying back and forth, his hands in his pockets. He let out a breath before breaking the silence.

"You ready to go, KC?" He stepped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Kate sighed, leaned back into him and nodded. "Yeah... yeah I am."

"Well, let's get this party started then, Mrs. Castle," Rick said, pressing a gentle kiss on the side of her neck.

She turned around in his arms and draped her arms around his neck. "Lead the way, Mr. Castle."

Chapter 21 - The Joys of Parenthood

Exhaustion.
Otherwise known as: tiredness, fatigue, collapse, overtiredness or, if you want to be creative, zombiness. Yeah, that pretty much was their life right now. Gone were the days of solving complex murders or going to star-studded book parties or having romantic dinners in fancy restaurants or making love for a whole night. Nope now it was all about feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, bathe the baby, soothe the baby, try to get the baby to sleep. And repeat cycle.
Unfortunately, Lizzy didn't get the whole sleep-thing or the please-stop-crying-thing her parents had going on. Because, you see dear sympathetic outsider, cute Baby Castle had colic. The really bad kind. And, well, it left her usually briliant parents clueless. Absolutely freakin' clueless. And absolutely freakin' grumpy. And absolutely freakin' tired. And absolutely freakin' frustrated out of their heads. So much so that you could cut the tension inside Casa del Castle between the two adult Castles with a knife. Of course that didn't help the situation with the little human being whom they both came to love with their whole hearts and minds.
Mama Castle - in a few words - was tired, had sore boobs, was tired some more, was frustrated and generally felt like a failure every time her daughter started crying for a seemingly no apparent reason. Papa Castle - in a few words - was also tired, felt completely helpless when he couldn't get his little girl to stop crying, was tired some more, and although he didn't have sore boobs, had a very serious case of sexual frustration. It really didn't help that his gorgeous wife's already alluring breasts were, ahem, enhanced. He had never in his life had so much 'private' bathroom time...
Ultimately the culmination of all these factors plus a heat wave that engulfed the city, brought them to the breaking point.
"Did you remember to buy milk?" Kate asked her husband as she searched through the grocery bags. The usually well put together detective was looking a little like a train-wreck survivor. A really attractive train-wreck survivor, mind you. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her eyes had dark circles underneath them, the casual t-shirt she had on was covered in splotches of baby spit and other stains. In short, Kate Castle went from being a ridiculously gorgeous woman to merely a beautiful woman. To Rick, however, she was still ridiculously gorgeous... even with baby spit all over her.
He went to sit down at the kitchen counter and frowned at her question. "Uh, milk? Should I have?" His ruggedly handsome features were a little paler and scruffy than usual and his cobalt blue eyes were a little duller, their usual playful spark momentarily absent.
Kate lifted her head, briefly closed her eyes as her jaw clenched and let out a frustrated sigh. With the last strand of her patience, she slowly turned her head towards her equally exhausted and grumpy partner-in-life. When she spoke, her voice was steady, but her tone dangerously low. "I asked you very nicely to buy milk, Rick." Her tone was clipped as she said his name. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his scruffy features.
"Sorry, it must have slipped my mind," he said wearily with a shrug. Kate's jaw clenched even more and her actions became rigid and abrupt as she pulled out the items she sent her dear husband to buy a few minutes before.
"Great, just fantastic," she commented through gritted teeth, trying desperately to keep her cool.
Rick shifted in his seat and his brow furrowed. "I said I was sorry, Kate." His tone was a combination of exhaustion, frustration and irritation; he was also struggling to keep himself from snapping at her.
With her back turned to him, Kate continued to store the groceries. "I ask you to do one thing. One thing! And you don't get it right. So friggin' typical." Her voice was strained and low.
"Oh for Pete's sake, it's not like I did it on purpose!" He exclaimed loudly, losing his cool and throwing his arms up in the air. "Shit, you make it sound like I cheated on my taxes!"
She whipped around and glared at him. "Shhh! Keep your voice down, I just put her to bed," she hissed. He was about to respond when the sounds of their daughter's crying sounded through the baby moniter. Kate closed her eyes, pursed her lips and momentarily threw her head upwards. When she glared at her husband a few moments later, her emerald green eyes were more moist than usual and her voice more a little shakier.
"Thanks Rick. Thank you very much. I just spent more than an hour and a half to try to get her to finally sleep!" She spat, tears of exhaustion and frustration forming in her eyes. Rick immediately felt worse than a North African dictator and followed his upset wife as she stomped out of the kitchen.
"Kate, I'm sorry," he said, gently grabbing her arm and turning her towards him. "Honey, I got this, okay. Let me-"
She abruptly pulled her arm from his; her wet eyes flashing with anger. "No, I got this. Just... stay here," she said with a sigh before making her way up the stairs to their crying baby. He stood at the edge of the stairs in defeat and watched her go up.
He meandered around aimlessly, storing the remaining grocery items and straigthening things up while he listened to Kate singing soflty to their daughter in a desperate effort to soothe her. After about fifteen minutes, much to his relief, Lizzy was finally quiet again. He waited for another ten minutes before he went in search for his wife.
Fully expecting Kate to still be with their daughter, he quietly peeked into the nursery. His brow furrowed in confusion when he didn't find her there and after kissing his baby girl goodnight, Rick walked to their bedroom. He found his tough detective sitting on the bed with her head in her hands and her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as she cried silently. Rick's heart broke a little when he saw her and he made his way to where she was sitting. Like a lot of new mothers she was feeling insecure, unsure and scared. Add exhaustion to that mix and you got yourself a recipe for an emotional breakdown.
He sat down next to her and gently rubbed soothing circles on her back in an effort to comfort her. After a minute or two, her crying subsided.
"Katie, look at me." When she didn't respond, he lifted her chin in order to look at her. "Honey, look at me." Her wet, blood-shot emerald greens briefly met his sympathetic cobalt blues for a few seconds before she darted them down again; seemingly embarassed by her emotional breakdown.
"Hey... what is it, Sweetheart?" Rick coaxed softly, tenderly rubbing a thumb over her tear-stained cheek.
She blinked furiously and swallowed hard in a desperate effort not to start crying again. "I'm... just so, so tired, Rick," she admitted softly. "And she just won't stop crying." Tears were by now dripping one by one over the thresholds of her eyes. "I... don't... know... what... to... do... anymore," she gasped, the tears now flowing freely once more. "I... feel... like... such... a... failure."
Rick pulled her into a tight hug while she started to sob again, staining his shirt with her tears. He cradled her and periodically pressed soft kisses in her hair while murmuring "I love you", "You are extroadinary" and "Everything is going to be fine." After a few minutes, she calmed down and slightly pulled away from him.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly after a few moments.
Rick gave her a soft smile while he tucked a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled shyly at him and briefly locked her eyes with him. "Me too, Sweetheart, me too." He gave her a gentle kiss before drawing her in for a quick hug. Suddenly, he released her and got up, making his way to the bathroom. After a few moments, Kate could hear the sound of running water and frowned in confusion. Another few minutes later, her husband appeared again and held out a hand to her. He led her into the bathroom where soft candlelight flickered and where a warm bubble bath awaited her. Rick drew to her him and gave her a peck on the lips.
"Why don't you take a nice, long bath while I get started on dinner, hmmm? I'll bring you a glass of wine," he said with a smile. He released her and started for the door when she grasped his arm.
"Thank you," Kate responded with a soft smile. "Sometimes I don't deserve you."
He returned a gentle smile before it quickly turned into a mischievous smirk. "Can I please get that little confession on tape, Mrs. Castle?"
"Shut up," she muttered before pulling him down for a searing kiss. After breaking the kiss, Kate gently pushed her obvioulsy affected husband towards the door.
"Castle, dinner isn't going to make itself."
"I'll order some take-out," her murmured, trying to take hold of her again.
She laughed. "Well, that glass of wine isn't going to bring itself up here." He stood his ground and pouted like a six-year old. Kate decided to use her age-old winning tactic: teasing.
"Honey, the sooner you get me my glass of wine, the sooner you can watch me take a long... hot bubble-"
His eyes grew wide and before she could say 'bath' he was out the door.
She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. "Works every time."

3:07 am.
"Your turn," Kate murmured sleepily, nudging her husband in the ribs. Their little girl was testing out her lungs again, much to her parents' dismay.
"Nah-uh," he responded, pulling a pillow over his head.
"Castle, I went last time. C'mon, it's your turn," she whined.
Still he stayed put, hoping that she would take the hint.
Kate huffed and sat up, deciding to use another tactic. "Fine, but next time I take a bubble bath, I'm locking the door."
He didn't need another incentive to get up.

Chapter 20 – Daddy's Little Girl

Pallid sunlight was starting to filter through the windows, gently illuminating the room and chasing away the shadows of the night. 'Today was going to be another scorcher', he absent-mindedly observed. Rick was lying on his side, propped up on his arm as he watched his exhausted wife while she got some much needed sleep. In the last four weeks since Kate and baby Lizzy returned from the hospital, Mommy and Daddy have been pulling near all-nighters with the newest addition to the Castle clan. Lizzy was proving to be a handful, an adorable and mesmerizing handful nonetheless. With each passing day, Rick felt his heart swell with pride (and a little apprehension) as his daughter became more and more beautiful. He had no doubt that Elizabeth Johanna Castle was going to be as gorgeous as her mother. Unfortunately, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry about that prospect...
Kate's lovely features were relaxed, despite the dark circles under her eyes, her breathing was even and her body was (cutely) pulled up into a fetal position, her hands clutching the pillow her head was laid on. Rick smiled softly as he brushed a dark strand of hair off her cheek – she was adorable. She looked like a little girl: sweet, innocent and vulnerable. He felt a stab of protectiveness (and possessiveness) tore through him as his eyes continued to study her in silent admiration. In this moment, she wasn't one of the NYPD's finest (and toughest) or his enigmatic muse or his sensual lover or even a new mother.
She was Kate. Simply… Kate.
The Kate only he got to see – the small, vulnerable one. Not even she got to see that Kate. This was his right, his privilege. He smiled at the thought and bent down to press a gentle, but lingering kiss in her hair. He felt a familiar and powerful longing tug at his senses as he inhaled her scent. He really couldn't wait to make love to his wife again...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a stirring and gurgling sound emanating from the baby monitor. Their baby girl was seemingly starting to wake up. Deciding to give Kate a few minutes more to sleep, Rick extracted himself from bed – clad only in his Spongebob boxers – and quietly made his way to the fairytale-character inspired nursery.
"Hey baby girl, hey there Daddy's princess," he cooed softly as he picked up the small, wriggling form. He held her against his bare chest, nestling her protectively against his warmth.
"Couldn't sleep anymore, huh? Me too, Sweet Pea, me too." Baby Lizzy only opened her eyes sluggishly as she searched for the source of the familiar voice; her tiny mouth opened and closed a few times while bubbles escaped her lips. "Guess, you got your old man's bout of insomnia." Rick placed his forefinger in her tiny hand, smiling broadly when she immediately grabbed hold of it.
Yeah, he was done for it. Richard Castle was out for the count, bowled over, knocked out. And he didn't mind one bit - this was a fight he didn't mind losing. Just like with Alexis, he was completely and utterly smitten and he knew that he would be for the rest of his life. Elizabeth Johanna Castle was his little girl to love, protect and care for and he was her daddy; her silly, overprotective and playful daddy. At least they had Kate who would be the adult...
He went to sit down in the nearby chair, his attention fixed on his baby girl. "Okay, listen you and I need to discuss something. It's important," he said, his voice soft and mockingly serious. As if on cue, Lizzy squirmed in his arms and scrunched up her small face. Rick laughed lightly at this. "No don't worry, you're not in trouble, Sweet Pea... It's just..." He sighed heavily. "You can't grow up as fast as your big sister did, okay? You just... can't. I mean before I knew it Lex was all grown up and leaving the nest." Lizzy gurgled and briefly threw her tiny arms up in her air. "You need to promise me... pinky promise-" He placed his pinky in her small hand. "-that you'll always stay my little girl. Are we clear on that, Baby Bird?" Her response was to yawn and wriggle. He chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes," Rick said, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss on her head and breathing in her sweet, baby-shampoo scent. "I love you," he whispered against her ear.
Her heart melt and the butterflies danced in her stomach at the sight. Kate was leaning against the doorframe, watching Rick softly talking to their daughter. She had been there for the whole 'Conversation' without her husband noticing her presence. Kate was convinced that if he was going to keep being this adorably sweet, that she would not be able to wait to make another little human being with him. He was in a word, irresistable when he was being all bare-chested, domestic and fatherly. It was official: her husband was the sweetest, most endearing and cutest man on the planet. Kate felt herself fall a little more in love with him because of it. She smiled and pushed herself away from the doorframe, walking towards the two loves of her life.
"Mr. Castle, you are in serious trouble." Rick's head snapped up and he frowned in confusion. When he saw Kate smile broadly at him, he returned one himself.
"How so, Mrs. Castle?" He asked as she came to stand slightly behind him, clad in her usual sleep attire: yoga pants and one of his dress shirts.
She bent over his shoulder and gently brushed a finger over her daughter's head, while resting her free hand on his shoulder. "Well, your little girl has got you wrapped around her tiny finger already."
"So?" Their attention was on their baby.
"So, you're going to spoil her rotten."
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Well, I'm going to have to be bad cop, while you play good cop." He grinned widely at the whiny tone of his wife's voice. He and Lizzy was going to be a mean team.
"Ah, c'mon KC, you don't know that."
She pouted for affect and scoffed. "Hmm, sure I do... You two are going to gang up on me. I just know it."
He chuckled heartily at this and turned to look at his wife, who was still sporting a rather dramatic pout. "How so, Sweetheart?"
She shrugged before answering: "'Cause that's what fathers and their daughters do - they gang up on Mom." Her expression softened as a wistful smile tugged at her lips. "Bellieve me, I know." He watched her for a moment while she kept her eyes on Lizzy.
"Well, I let you be good cop once in while," he said with a smile. "Deal?"
She briefly looked at him, rolled her eyes and smiled. "Deal," she replied before pressing a lingering kiss against his lips. They returned their attention back to the infant in her father's arms.
After a while Kate spoke again. "But it still doesn't change the fact that she's already Daddy's little girl."

Chapter 19 – The Arrival

"No, no, no!" Rick called out in frustration, lost in the world of the characters on the screen.
He was the epitome of an overgrown twelve-year old boy complete with Superman boxers, adorably ruffled bed-hair and a half-eaten bowl of Cheerios on bed stand next to him. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his tongue on occasion peeked out of the confines of his mouth as his two thumbs worked furiously. Halo was proving to be a formidable challenge for the Master of the Macabre.
Kate sighed and shot a sideways glance at her husband as she continued to page through a magazine; her jaw set in annoyance. It was just past nine on a Saturday morning and he was playing video games, much to her irritation. Kate had been on bed rest for the past week – on doctor's orders – and was by now ready to go into labor at any minute. Obviously, her incorrigible, overprotective, man-child husband insisted that he do everything in their room to where she was confined to for the rest of her pregnancy. This 'everything' also included playing marathon rounds of Halo, Drake's Fortune, Medal of Honor and Resident Evil. Rick claimed that Alice reminded him of Kate – strong, feisty and hot.
His claim was met by a dramatic eye-roll.
"Shouldn't you be writing?" Kate asked, her attention back to the pages of the magazine.
"Mmmm," was his only response, his tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth and his brow knitted together. Kate looked at him and failed to suppress a broad grin from overtaking her features; her annoyance dissipating in an instant. He turned to look at her momentarily and caught her expression, his brow furrowing even more.
"What?"
She bit her lower lip and smiled at him, simultaneously raising her nine-month pregnant body up towards him. "Nothing… You're just adorable." He returned a smile before Kate pressed her lips to his in a sweet, lingering kiss. She broke from the kiss and flashed him a sultry grin, her face inches from his. His eyes kept darting from her enticing mouth to her emerald green eyes, the remote control in his hands momentarily forgotten.
After a moment she spoke, amused at how quickly she could distract her husband. "Uh, Honey, I think they're about to kill you."
"Huh?" He turned his hazy eyes to the screen and quickly snapped into action. "Oh crap!" She laughed and moved to get off the bed.
"I'm going to take a shower."
"Mmmm," came his distracted reply. "No, no, no!"
About three minutes later…
The bathroom door swung open, revealing a relatively calm, but in labor Kate.
"Rick."
His attention was still glued to the screen. "Yeah?"
"My water just broke," she replied evenly. Rick snapped his head in her direction and his eyes grew wide. He leapt up and stumbled off the bed, falling over and crashing into the nearby lounge chair.
"Ow! Shit!" He absent-mindedly rubbed his injured shin. "Uh, okay, okay. Nobody panic! Just- just stay calm," he stammered, spinning around like a headless chicken. "Crap, uhmm, where are my pants? Dammit!"

XXX

"You okay?" He glanced at her for the third time in the space of fifteen seconds, his brow furrowed and his eyes wide with concern.
"For the millionth time, yes I am fine," Kate replied through gritted teeth as they hurriedly weaved through mid-morning traffic. "You just concentrate on the road."
"Remember to-"
"I swear, Rick, if you are going to tell me to breathe one more time, there's going to be a murder!" She snapped.
"Okay, okay… Just breathe."
If looks could kill, Richard Castle would be a dead man.

XXX

An few hours later… The waiting room of the Mount Sinai's maternity ward.
The waiting room was cluttered with six impatient and excited figures: one grandfather, one grandmother, one sister, an aunt and two uncles. The only person missing from the group was the Captain who had ordered Ryan and Esposito to keep him updated on Baby Castle.
"I bet you fifty bucks she threatens to kill him," Javier Esposito said to his partner with a broad grin.
"Too late, she already has. I heard her all the way down the hall," Lanie quipped with a smirk of her own.
"Bro, it's Beckett. Of course she's threatened him already," Ryan added with a wide smile.
The smile dropped from Esposito's face and his brow knitted together as he thought of another wager they could make. Apparently waiting for a baby to arrive wasn't the most exciting thing to do. He was bored out of his head. But he wasn't going to miss the arrival of Baby Castle for anything, so he suggested they do what they did best: bet on the Rick and Kate.
"I'm surprised Katie doesn't have her gun with her," Jim Beckett commented and everybody laughed, knowing full well that Kate, if she could, would be carrying her gun.
A wide smile overtook Javier's features as he turned to Lanie. "I bet you twenty he records everything."
"Count me in, bro!" Ryan said, quickly pulling his wallet.
"Yeah, that sounds like something Dad would try," Alexis said with a knowing grin and an eye-roll.
"And I bet you she threatens him with grievous bodily harm before he gets the chance to," Lanie shot back, quirking up an eyebrow.
Martha held out a twenty dollar bill to Lanie and smiled broadly. "I'm with you on that, Darling. Gun or no gun, my son is too scared of his wife to even try that."
After a few moments, everyone turned to Jim. "Well, Mr. B? You in?" Esposito asked, waving the few notes in his hand around.
Jim Beckett considered the offer for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "I bet you fifty he tries and loses a limb in the process."

XXX

Meanwhile…
"Smile sweetheart, you're doing great." Rick held up his iPhone, recording his panting and grunting wife while she all but broke his free hand in a death grip. She turned to look at him, hair plastered to her clammy forehead and her face flushed.
When she spoke, her tone was low and menacing. "Richard Castle, get that thing out of my face."
"But-"
"Castle, I swear if you don't stop recording now, I'm gonna shove that phone so high up your ass you'll cough it up!"
He immediately complied and said a silent goodbye to his hand in her death grip. 'Writing with one hand shouldn't be so bad,' the thought crossed his mind.
Dr. Anna Jones lifted her head over the blue sheet to look up at the dark-haired detective. When she spoke, her voice was firm and reassuring. "Alright Kate, it's now or never… I'm going to need you to push as hard as you can, okay? Just follow my instructions." Kate pursed her lips and only nodded in reply. She tightened her grip on her husband's hand, completely unaware of how he winced in pain. She didn't notice and he didn't care – they were about to meet their daughter. And that was all that mattered.
Ten minutes later…
"Aaaaarrggghhhhhh!"
"You're doing fantastic, Kate! C'mon, I can see her head!"
Rick pressed a kiss against his wife's clammy temple. "Honey, you're doing great." He was by now seated on the bed with her, his body wrapped around hers in an effort to lend both moral and physical support. She was now crushing both his hands in death grips.
"Okay, Kate, stop and take a breath for me. We're almost there," Dr. Jones calmly instructed.
Her face was red and she was panting, perspiration making her skin slick. "Aaaahhhhh!" She threw her head back against his shoulder in pain. After a moment she swung her head around to face her husband, her expression contorting in pain and her voice full of venom.
"I hate you!"
Rick looked at her in surprise, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Hate me? Why?"
"You and your stupid penis got me pregnant you bastard!" If it was any other situation, Rick would have laughed, but given the context and his wife's state of mind he only flashed her a sheepish smile. But then in typical Rick Castle fashion, he shot back:
"I and my stupid penis apologize, Sweetheart." If looks could kill, Richard Castle would be dead. Again.
Dr. Anna Jones couldn't help but smile in amusement at the exchange.
"Alright Kate, only a few more pushes. C'mon, I know you can do it!"
"I'm right here, Katie. I'm right here."
"I hate your penis and your stupid ssspppeeerrmmmm!" She reiterated through clenched teeth. "Gaaawwwwwwdddd!"
'We're never having sex again, are we?' the thought absent-mindedly rushed through his mind, his crushed hands by now numb with pain.
"The head is out, alright c'mon one more push. One more big push. You can do, Kate."
Kate was shaking her head vehemently, tears of pain and exhaustion and emotion streaming down her face. "No, no, I- I can't."
He planted a tender kiss in her hair. "You can and you will," Rick whispered into her ear as she continued to shake her head. "I love you. You can do this. You can do anything."
His soft assurance seemed to elicit one final surge of energy from her and taking a deep breath, Kate put her body through one final, excruciating push to bring their daughter into the world.

XXX

Fifteen minutes later...
Rick Castle was walking on air, utterly and wholly smitten. Completely, punch-drunk, head-over-heels in love with the tiny, pink (or rather reddish) bundle that came screaming into the world. It was love at first sight for them both. And he was sure that it would be the case for everyone who laid eyes on Elizabeth Johanna Castle.
He was grinning like an idiot as he turned the corner, blissfully unaware of anything outside the bubble that had enveloped him. He was a puddle of happy mush. If someone asked him to sign over his fortune right at that moment, he would. He would even hug it out with the world's worst dictator, he was so happy.
"Who's got two thumbs and a new baby girl?" He greeted with a large smile as he approached the small group in the waiting area. "This guy!" He pointed his thumbs to himself and laughed, his cobalt blue eyes shining brightly. The close family of loved ones leapt up and burst out into enthusiastic 'congratulations' and joyous 'we're so happy's', tight hugs and teary kisses.
For the following twenty minutes the proud father went on to gush about his healthy, 7.4 pound daughter while everyone listened intently. He swore high and low that she was the most beautiful baby in the hospital and very possibly the whole of New York. Or better yet the East Coast. Kate, by the end of his (colourful) version of events, was made out to be a combination of Rambo, Superwoman and G. I. Jane. He did, however, leave out the parts where she threatened to make him cough up his phone, where she cursed him and his male anatomy and also where she had weeped in pain and exhaustion. This whole experienced only confirmed what he already knew: she was extraordinary, he was happy and they were a family.
And that was all he needed.
"Bro, did you get to record it?" Esposito asked.
Rick's mouth quirked up into a sardonic grin. "I have a clip of about two minutes... before I was advised that my physical wellbeing would be compromised if I continued."
Consequently, and rather reluctantly, the pot was split evenly between the gamblers.

XXX

The next day...
Kate's eyes fluttered open lethargically as she felt the sensation of fingers gently weaving through her hair. She blinked a few times and glanced around before her emerald greens settled onto the familiar pair of cobalt blues watching her.
His features were engulfed by a bright smile. "Hey," Rick greeted softly, continuing to rhythmically comb through her hair.
She smiled faintly and tilted her head. "Hi." Her voice was still raspy due to sleep. "You watching me sleep again?"
He chuckled lightly and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah and I'm not apologizing for it." He bent down to kiss her gently, his lips lingering for a moment before breaking away.
"Still creepy," she commented, her eyes drooping once again. Suddenly remembering the small bundle that she had in her arms not to long ago, Kate's eyes shot open and she jerked upright. "Where's-" She turned her body to the other side as her eyes frantically searched for the little human being.
"She's right here, Honey," Rick said gently, moving out of her line of vision to reveal the tiny, sleeping and occasionally wriggling form of their daughter.
Kate sighed and relaxed before sitting up. "Give her to me," she said, smiling gently and holding out her arms. Her husband complied and carefully lifted the infant out of the cot, pressing a soft kiss on her head before handing Lizzy over to her mother. He went on to sit on the bed next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her.
A wide, all-consuming and completely mesmerized smile overtook Kate's features as she took the baby in her arms. "Hey there, Honey. Hey there Mama's big girl... Did you miss me, huh?" The small form wriggled and stretched, her tiny eyes blinking a few times and her little mouth opening and closing a few times before she settled into her mother's arms. Kate watched her daughter with rapt attention, a small smile fastened to her lips. "I love you." She briefly tilted her head up towards Rick before turning her attention back to Lizzy. "Me and Daddy love a lot, baby girl," she continued to coo.
They sat in content silence as they studied their beautifully crafted daughter carefully. Rick rested his chin on Kate's shoulder and braced the arm that was around her, next to her on the bed.
"She has your mouth," he commented.
Kate smiled and nodded. "She has your nose."
"Really? You think so?"
"Mmm-hmm."
Rick pressed a kiss against his wife's cheek. "She's perfect." His voice cracked slightly and his eyes became moist. Kate turned her head towards him and smiled tenderly before pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
"Yes, she is."
"We make beautiful babies, don't we Mrs. Castle?"
The small smile that graced her lips now blossomed into a wide grin. "We sure do, Mr. Castle."
Silence descended once more as they sat quielty for a while, watching her sleep. Suddenly the sanguine smile on his face faded as his brow knitted together.
"Hey Kate?"
"Mmmm?"
His expression turned dead serious. "You don't really hate my penis, do you?"

X-X-X-X

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile

Castle & Beckett **...how do you know when you're in love?**

Do You Miss Me?

Hey so here are two more chapters for you guys can't wait to share with you all baby Lizzie's arrival and I hope you love it as much as I do. I'm so excited *squeals* *coughs* I mean its no biggie(YES IT IS!!!!). I was able to post because I had no classes because of Rosh Hashanna but that also meant a shitload(excuse my language) of world history, physics, and french assignments. I do However have classes tomorrow and will try to post (a.k.a. force myself to for the love of CASTLE) Lizzie's birth and even more chapters. On another note (for people in america because I don't how the seasons run in other countries but we're on season 4) how was Rise-4x01 and Heroes and Villains-4x02 I thought they were epic and  really awesome especially that game changer at the end of Rise. It completely threw me off guard when she said she remembered everything about the shooting wich meant she remembered Castle saying he loved her. I hope that this means that they will get together *squeals and jumps around excitedly effectively waking up everyone at 1:27 in the morning*. 

P.S. And one of you guys sent me a few fan pics but you need to tell me your name when you send me stuff so I can give you credit whoever you are please email me your name so I can post them hope fully this weekend.

P.P.S. Please guys send me fanfiction so I can post your stories as well and if you don't want to be known just write anonymous I love everyone who has commented *digital hugs and kisses*.

Chapter 18 - Bearing Gifts

"Yeah, ok sweetie… Mmm-hmm, we'll be heading back soon…"
Kate spotted her husband as she emerged from the ladies' bathroom for the third time in the space of an hour. He was talking to someone on his iPhone again and she, ever-the-detective, was starting to get suspicious. Kate narrowed her eyes and frowned as she slowly walked (or rather waddled) over to Rick who had his back turned to her; completely oblivious to her presence. When she got in an ear-shot distance, she heard him say:
"Just make sure that everything is ready-" Rick abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he turned around and came face-to-face with his wife who was arching a curious eyebrow at him.
"Uhhh," he stammered as he eyed her anxiously. "Ok Paula, yeah that's fine. Send it over. 'K bye." He hastily ended the call, ignoring the protesting voice at the other end of the line.
Kate tilted her head, narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Hey, you ready to go?" Rick asked as innocently as possible.
It didn't fool her.
"What was that about?" She asked, still with her arms crossed.
"Hmmm?" He was slightly nervous now. Kate, even an eight-months-pregnant Kate who was currently a head-and-a-half shorter than him without her power heels, was still extremely intimidating. Extremely.
"What were you talking about with Paula? Your next manuscript isn't due in like six months."
"Oh. Yeah. Uh, she just wanted to..." 'Shit, don't blow it Rick,' he thought, his Adam's apple bobbing anxiously.
Kate arched one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "Well?"
"Uh, it was just about a- a few book signings." He smiled, relieved and slightly impressed with himself that he didn't break under his wife's intense interrogation-room stare. Which was scary, really scary. "You know, promotional stuff for the movie." He flashed Kate his boyish grin that often melted her resolve. "So are you ready to go home, Mrs. Castle?" He draped an arm around her shoulders as they started to make their way out of the Museum of Natural History.
Kate watched her husband for a few moments, not entirely convinced by his answer. But, deciding that she wanted to go home and clean out their fridge, she opted to end her interrogation. For now.
"Yeah, I wanna go home and have you make me something delicious and fattening… I, we-" She placed a hand on her stomach. "-are starving." He chuckled, pulling her closer and placing his other hand on her large stomach as they walked leisurely down the sidewalk.
"Daddy to the rescue then, huh Sweet Pea?"
"She's rolling her eyes at you now, you know that right?" Kate said with an amused grin.
"She would never do that to me," he brushed off her comment before turning his attention back to the baby bump. "We're going to make a mean team. Isn't that right, Lizzy?"
"You're going to expose her to laser tag and Star Wars, aren't you?"
"Well, you exposed Alexis to eye-rolls and Gone with the Wind and…" He shuddered. "Barbra Streisand."
"Hey, that wasn't just me. Your mom had a hand in that... From very early on, I might add." She grinned at him and his face fell slightly.
He narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying?"
"Let's just say that Alexis has 'Papa can you hear me?' on her iPod and she knows the lyrics by heart... And she has all, and I mean all, the movies. Funny Girl, What's up Doc? On a clear day you can see forever-"
He grimaced as if in physical pain. "Please don't say Yentl."
"-Yentl, A star is-"
"Please stop. I've heard enough!" He placed his hands over his ears. "You mean to tell me that my eldest has been exposed to that from an early age?"
Kate shrugged and nodded solemnly, continuing their silly verbal sparring game. "Yes, Castle, I'm afraid so."
"This is indeed a dark day," he mumbled. Suddenly he channeled a dramatic diva… or bad soap opera actor. "Why? Why Alexis, Kate? She's just a child. It's- it's just so... unfair."
She laughed at his silliness. "Shut up. I happen to love Babs. Do I seem damaged by her talents?" A slow grin spread across his face. "On second thought, don't answer that," Kate quickly said, placing a hand over his mouth. Rick removed her hand, still grinning.
"If you wanted me to shut up Mrs. Castle, you could've just kissed me." He shrugged and waggled his eyebrows.
Kate watched him for a few seconds. "Fine." She stood up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips before retreating mere sentimetres. "Shut." She pressed her lips to his again. "Up."
He smiled broadly. "What? No tongue?"
She slapped him playfully on the chest and chuckled.
"No nothing until you get me home and get me and lil' Castle-" She patted her baby bump. "-some food!"
"Aye, aye-" He grinned at her and winked. "-Mama Bear."

xxx

'Big Eagle and Mama Hen have landed. I repeat we have landed. Be ready.' Rick smiled as he covertly sent the text message, careful not to alert Kate to his actions. They had just entered the building, hand-in-hand, and were walking towards the elevator. When they got in, Rick's phone chimed for the second time in ten minutes. His wife again grew suspicious.
'Big Eagle and Mama Hen? Seriously Dad, you're losing your touch. Anyway, we're ready. Little Bird.'
A chuckle escaped his lips before he could help it. Kate watched him closely and narrowed her eyes.
"Something you want to share with the class, Castle?"
His head snapped up and he stared at her for a few moments.
"Uh, no." He let out a nervous laugh. "Just a dirty joke from Esposito." The elevator dinged and the doors opened.
Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head as they stepped out of the elevator and started to walk down the hallway. He took her small, slender hand in his and smiled broadly for no apparent reason, Kate had noticed. They reached the door of the loft and Rick went about unlocking it.
"You know what I'm in the mood for?"
"Mmmm?" Rick replied absent-mindedly as he opened the door. He gestured for her to walk in, suddenly grinning again.
She stepped into the loft, her head still turned towards him. "I was thinking a movie and piz-" Before Kate could finish she was met by a loud chorus of "Surprise!"
She snapped her head around and gasped. And then let out a surprised laugh. There were balloons and banners and a lot of friendly faces - all female of course since this was a baby shower. She immediately spotted two familiar redheads at the front of the small crowd. A bright smile engulfed her features.
"Lex! Martha!" The young woman was grinning from ear-to-ear, the very likeness of her father, as she bounced over towards Kate. Martha was smiling broadly as she elegantly made her way to her daughter-in-law whom she came to adore as a daughter. No one could ever fill the void Johanna Beckett's death left, but in Martha Rogers, Kate found an unlikely mother figure. Someone who she relied on. Respected. Loved. Yes, Martha Rogers was her mother now, just as Alexis Castle was her daughter. Kate had fallen in love with the two women just as much as she had fallen in love with Rick. They, with Rick and Baby Castle, were her family. And she was theirs. She belonged with them and they belonged with her.
"Hey Kate!," Alexis greeted as she hugged the dark-haired woman.
"Hello Darling," Martha greeted as she stepped in for an embrace once Alexis released Kate. "I hope Richard has been treating you and my grandchild well," she added, glancing at her son and putting a hand tenderly on Kate's baby bump.
"What- how- what are you all doing here?" Kate asked, not able to rid herself of the smile that had encased her lips.
"What does it look like, girl?" Lanie spoke, stepping out from behind Karpowski. "We're all here for a baby shower. So get your pregnant booty upstairs, 'cause there are some diapers and fairy wings that have your name on it." The ME smirked at her best friend who seemed a little flustered.
"Uh... okay."
Rick came up beside her. She had momentarily forgotten that he was still there. "Well ladies, I'll take this as my cue to leave. Enjoy yourselves... and call me if my daughter decides to come early." He pressed a kiss against Kate's cheek and disappeared out the door before she could respond. A few moments later she was being hauled up the stairs by her diminutive and feisty friend.
Five minutes later, Alexis' phone vibrated and chimed with a new text message.
'Good job Little Bird, I'm proud of you. We make a good team, don't we? Anyway, enjoy the party and call me if anything happens in relation to Baby Bird. Or anything for that matter. I'll be at the Haunt with the boys. Love you with jelly tots on top, Big Eagle. ;-)'

xxx

The Old Haunt was a hub of activity as Rick Castle, owner and not-so-regular customer, walked in. He heard happy laughter, loud chatter and the jovial chimes of the piano as he made his way to the '12th'.
"Hey, it's Papa Castle!" Montgomery greeted to loud cheers from the other men as Rick approached the three men sitting at 'their' booth.
"Hey fellas," Rick greeted, taking off his coat and sliding in next to the Captain. He turned to a waiter close to him. "Mike! A round of scotch here for everyone." He turned his attention back to the men. "How's it hanging?"
"Good, man, good," Ryan replied with a smile before taking a sip of his beer. "And you? How's Beckett?"
"Yeah, how's your baby mama?" Esposito chipped in with a wide grin.
"Stubborn, tired, a little pissed about not being able to work and did I mention stubborn?" Rick replied with a wry smile.
The other men chuckled in response.
"Well, why am I not surprised?" Montgomery commented with a smile.
"Yep, that pretty much sounds like her," Esposito added.
"So, did it work? Was she surprised?" Ryan asked, referring to the baby shower.
"Yeah, she was." Rick smiled smugly before his expression sobered up. "Luckily not enough for her water break, though."

xxx

Meanwhile back at the loft...
"Oh this is adorable!" Kate exclaimed for about the tenth time to a chorus of "aawwwweess" as she held up a cute pair of tiny pink slippers and a white onesie that had 'Mommy & Daddy's Little Trouble Maker' written across the front. She was seated in front of the small group of friends which included Martha, Alexis, Lanie, Karpowski and a few other female friends she had made over the years.
"So, Kate, do you think Rick's going to help you change nappies?" Susan, Kate's yoga instructor and friend of the last five years, asked with a broad smile.
Kate let out a chuckle and glanced at her step-daughter. "Definitely. Besides, he raised Alexis, so I'm sure he knows how to change a nappy."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Kiddo. The few times I saw him change Alexis, it was a disaster," Martha chipped in, returning to her seat with a refilled glass of punch; the one with the alcohol in it. "This one time when she was about a year old-" She turned her attention to the rest of the women. "-the prospect of changing a dirty nappy almost had him in tears. So what does Richard decide to do? You've guessed it, he opts for a hosepipe. Mind you it was the first time he had to take care of her on his own." The women laughed heartily at this.
Alexis' eyes grew wide. "Grams, you're not serious!"
"Oh don't worry, Darling. Luckily, I was around that time and stopped him before he traumatized you." She turned her attention back to Kate.
"I'll shoot him if he tries to pull a stunt like that," Kate said, shaking her head with a smile.
"If he's not willing to help you, Kate, dear, just tell me. I'll set him straight," Martha said with a wink and the women smiled at each other.
"Alright, this one is from... Madison," Lanie said, handing Kate another bag. "There's a card in there too."
Kate pulled out the card and flipped it open.
'See? I told you. You wanted to have Castle babies and now here you are, Becks.' Kate laughed heartily at this. 'Congratulations, I know you're going to be a great mom. Just like Johanna.' She smiled sadly reading the last line and felt her eyes becoming moist. Everyone she wanted to be involved in this journey was there, except the one person that she needed there the most - her mother. Johanna Beckett would have been over the moon and would have fussed and hovered and hurried her grandchild along. She briefly closed her eyes as she toyed with the ring around her neck before going back to reading the note. 'I'm sorry I couldn't be there today, but we'll catch up soon. Lots of love, Maddy.'
She opened the bag and pulled out another item of miniature clothing to a fresh chorus of "awweesss".

xxx

The Haunt... a few hours and quite few drinks later.
Their rambunctious laughter reverberated throughout the confines of the booth, melting with all the other loud noises of The Haunt. An array of glasses and bottles adorned the table, along with a pack of cards and cashew nuts. Currently the men were swapping horror boys-meet-dad and dad-meets-boys stories.
"Cap, you didn't really do that, did you?" Ryan asked, a residual chuckle escaping his throat.
"Ryan, I most certainly did. That little sucker was scared shitless. It took him a year to go from calling me Captain Montgomery to addressing me as Mister Montgomery," Roy replied with an amused grin and a twinkle in his eyes.
Rick grinned wildly as he imagined a stern-looking Roy Montgomery slowly cleaning his shotgun while his teenage daughter's teenage boyfriend watched on, gulping nervously. "Classic... Did it work?"
"No, he's my son-in-law now," Roy deadpanned and the others burst out laughing.
Rick smiled and grew thoughtful. "You know I never got to make Alexis' boyfriends squirm. I mean really squirm. I wanted to do the whole severed head and blood-soaked maniac-routine with one of her dates once, but she stopped me before I could... Such a killjoy." He sighed, shook his head and took a sip from his now watery whiskey.
"Don't worry Castle, you'll get another shot at it again with Elizabeth," Montgomery smirked.
Rick groaned. "Well if she looks anything like her mother and inherits my natural charm, I'm gonna have my hands full."
"Don't worry, bro. She has uncles who will help you out," Ryan said, clinking his beer bottle with Castle's glass.
"And a mother who owns a gun and handcuffs," Montgomery added, also clinking his glass with Rick's.
"And an aunt who will help you get rid of the body and evidence if anything unfortunate happens to a frisky young teenage boy," Esposito finished doing what the other two did.
"Good to know, thanks." Rick grinned and raised his glass. "I would like to take this opportunity and make a toast to my unborn daughter. So gentleman, please raise your glasses to... Elizabeth Castle!"
"Elizabeth Castle!" The others echoed his sentiments and raised their glasses.
"To the little heartbreaker who's gonna give her ol' man a real hard time!" Roy quipped with a broad grin.
"Hear! Hear!" Esposito and Ryan added, laughing.
Rick groaned and dropped his head.
He knew that if Elizabeth Castle looked anything like her mother, that they were going to have their hands full. Right then and there, Rick decided first thing tomorrow that he was going to buy a shotgun.
As that thought crossed his mind, he lifted his hand and ordered another round of drinks.
He needed it.

xxx

The loft... an hour after the baby shower.
The three (and a three quarter) Castle women were bundled together on the large leather couch with Martha in the middle and Alexis and Kate on either side of the matriarch. The two younger women were sipping carefully from their cups of hot chocolate while the older woman periodically took a sip from her glass of red wine. The loft was still recovering from the baby shower as balloons still floated around and banners still hung from the walls. Currently the three women's attention were focused on a photo album. More specifically, Richard Rogers' photo album.
"Wow, I can't believe Dad was blonde when he was little!" Alexis exclaimed as she held up a yellowing photo of her father when he was toddler.
"Aww, he was so adorable, Martha," Kate commented with a broad smile before her expression fell slightly. "Just don't tell him I said that."
The older woman grinned and patted Kate's hand. "Your secret is safe with me, Dear."
"How old was he here, Grams?" Martha took the photo from her granddaughter and carefully perused it.
"Oh he was just a toddler. Maybe about two." Her face softened as a sentimental smile tugged her mouth upwards. "He was such a good boy. Lively, mind you, but good." Her expression, however, sobered and she sighed. "But, before I knew it he was all grown up and getting into all sorts of trouble."
Kate chuckled softly as she continued to page through the album. "Mmmm, I can only imagine all the trouble he got in to."
"He still gets into trouble," Alexis pointed out with a laugh. The other two women nodded and smiled in acknowledgement.
They grew quiet for a few moments as they continued to slowly page through the album before the young redhead spoke. "Kate?"
"Mmmm?"
"What type of kid were you?"
Kate smiled and sat back. "Uhmmm, well I was pretty good when I was young. My mom used to say that I was 'Daddy's little girl' and that I had my dad wrapped around my little finger."
"Sounds familiar," Martha commented, giving her granddaughter a sideways glance. The two redheads smiled at each other.
"But then the hormonal teenager years started and well, I kinda entered a wild-child phase much to my parents dismay."
Alexis' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"
Kate grinned and nodded slowly. "Oh yeah. I wasn't you, Lex. I was rebellious and drove my parents, especially my dad, nuts. My mom was a little more laid-back. She understood that it was just a phase."
"What did you do?" Alexis asked.
Kate diverted her gaze to her hands in her lap and smiled, slightly biting her lip. "Let's just say that by the time I turned eighteen, my dad owned about three shotguns," she answered, looking back up. Alexis laughed and shook her head.
"Well, Darling, I think you better get yourself armed then," Martha commented with an amused smirk. Kate only frowned in confusion.
"Between you and Richard's genes, this little one-" She placed a hand on Kate's stomach. "-is likely to be a little trouble maker."
"And a real heartbreaker," Alexis added with a broad smile.
Kate laughed nervously. "Uh, maybe- maybe not. I mean look at Lex, she was practically raised by a man-child and look how well she turned out. You have none of your father ormother's wild-child tendencies."
Alexis shrugged and fought to keep an amused smile off her lips. "True, but maybe Lizzy is going to be Dad's punishment for his many, many sins."
Kate's face dropped. "Please don't say that."
"Oh don't worry, Kiddo," Martha said, wrapping an arm around the younger woman's shoulder. "We'll be here to help you out." Kate returned a warm smile and nodded. "Who knows, maybe she'll take after her good old Grams."
Kate groaned and dropped her head.

xxx

The door clicked open and a slightly intoxicated mystery writer stumbled in before shutting the large door as softly as possible. He almost tripped over his own feet as he gingerly walked into his home. He attempted to check his watch, trying very hard not to fall over in the process and coming to the conclusion that it wasn't very late. The light in the kitchen and TV were still on, indicating that there was still life.
"Hey Dad." Rick jumped as his daughter's voice startled him.
"Shit! Alexis... you *hic* scared me!" He exclaimed, slurring slightly. His eldest sat up from her spot on the couch and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Did you have fun?"
"Uh, yeaaahh. *hic* Lots and lots *hic* of fun." He gave her a sheepish grin while swaying slightly.
Alexis bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt not to laugh. "Mmm-hmm, I can see that."
"How was *hic* the baby *hic* shower?"
Alexis pursed her lips. "Great, it was also a lot of fun."
He nodded slowly and blinked his eyes as he looked around the living room. "Where's *hic* Grams?"
"She went out with some of her thespian friends." He nodded and smiled.
"And Kate?"
"I think she went to bed."
"'Kay, I think *hic* Imma do that *hic* too." He turned and staggered towards the stairs. "Night *hic* Pumpkin."
Alexis shook her head and chuckled. "Okay, Dad. Night."
XXX
He slowly and carefully walked up the stairs. Once he reached the hallway, he kept his body close to the wall.
"Ka-tie, Ka-tie," Rick sing-songed quietly as he opened their bedroom door. Kate was sitting on top of their bed, legs crossed, unpacking all the gifts from the baby shower.
Rick grinned widely when he saw his beautiful wife on the bed in comfortable shorts and one of his dress shirts, her hair pulled back into a casual pontytail. Kate looked up and raised her eyebrows in amusement when she saw him staggering unsteadily in the doorway.
"Hi," she greeted, biting her lower lip in an effort not to laugh at her obviously intoxicated husband.
He smiled sheepishly at her as he walked over a little wobbly. "Heeyyy Katie." He fell onto the bed next to her and propped himself up onto his forearms and looked up at her; his blue eyes a little duller than usual.
She let out a laugh. "Katie, huh?"
"Mmm-hmm... my beeaauutiffuul Katie," he slurred pushing himself up towards her.
"Oh really? Sounds like someone had fun." She giggled when he nuzzled her neck.
"Mmmm... I sure did." He placed a kiss on her cheek before plopping down onto the bed, lying on his back.
"A little too much fun it seems." Kate looked down at him and grinned. "You know you're going to have a hangover tomorrow, right?"
His eyes were closed and his speech slurry. "Nah-uh," he mumbled, turning on his side and draping an arm loosely over her lap.
Kate lifted her hands. "O-kay, just don't expect any sympathy from me when you wake up with one hellavu headache."
"Mmmm" Was his only reply. After a few moments he stirred and turned look at what she was doing.
"What's all this?"
"Gifts from the baby shower. Our little girl got a lot of great presents. Didn't you, Lizzy?" Kate patted her baby bump.
Rick had a vacant expression as he perused the items on the bed; intoxication and weariness clouding his usually sharp and attentive mind. "Huh, that's nice." He laid back down, draped an arm around his wife and closed his eyes before mumbling. "Remind me to buy a shotgun tomorrow."
She looked down at him, her brow furrowing in sudden confusion. "What?" But before she could get an answer, her husband was already snoring. She shook her head, rolled her eyes and smiled sardonically.
"Lizzy, your daddy can be very silly." A wide grin split her lips as she leaned down to place a soft kiss on top of his head and affectionately run a hand through his hair. "But, we love him for it."

Chapter 17 – My man(-child)

"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.

It's All About You Guys!

Hey everyone hows it going. Now things have been pretty hectic with the start of the new school year so I haven't posted and neglected you guys. Please don't hunt me down and kill me! So with that being said I want you all to tell me how was your first day of Highschool, College, etc. because I reall want to hear about you guys. I have noticed that most of my viewers are from America and Germany and I wanted to thank you for all the support. So leave comments for me and say what counrty you're from and I'll try to give shoutouts and metions to as many as possible. The same goes if you have a birthday or one of your friends who is a CASTLE as well still leave a country so I can be specific. Also I wanted to see wich country has the biggest CASTLE fans so keep visiting get your friends to visit and I'll post the top three countrys with CASTLE fans. There will be a few new posts either later today or tommorow. Love you guys and you know what to do.

P.S Leave comments about what type of CASTLE stories you want to read (Mystery, Romance, Angst, Comfort, ect.).