This is solely for Mary who has often been un-credited in the creation of the puggy family, and for this I do whole heartedly apologise. I love you. This entire thing is for you, lovely. Just to be clear, this doesn't take place with Kate and Rick, but will be with Mary and Alexis and Latte.

Disclaimer: more multi-chapter pugs yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

"Castle." He doesn't look up from his laptop, but he hums at her, the way he always does to let her know that she does have at least some sort of his imagination. "Castle."

"Busy, Kate."

"Yes, I know, and I wouldn't be interrupting you if it wasn't an emergency."

He looks up at her, his eyes suddenly wide with panic. "Kate?"

"Baby – I think the…" she winces, her hands white on the edge of his desk. "Baby – he's – now."

"Two weeks early? Are you sure?"

"No, Castle. No, I'm not at all. The feeling of having a baby trying to punch itself out of my stomach is completely damn normal. But I just thought that you might like to know." She turns away from him with a menacing glare that he hasn't seen in her eyes in a very long time, pushes back from the desk and reaches for the phone at the same time.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. But you know what I'm like – I panic and I get all –"

"Yes, I know. But phone the midwife and get her here." She's got her head pressed against the frame of his office door, a low moan falling out of her mouth. "Castle, seriously. Move."

"Here?! Kate – you need the hospital."

She shook her head, trying to take deep breaths. "Too long. Take too long."

"Oh jeez, you're serious aren't you?"

"That's what I've been trying to fucking tell you."

"Okay, okay, just breathe. I need – shit, Kate. What are we going to do with Mary and Latte?" He's already holding the phone to his ear, his palm low on her back and rubbing slow circles. He remembers that it helped with Mary- tries to do the same now – breathes a little easier when he feels her relax just a little under his fingers. "I'll phone Rachel and then I'll phone Alexis. It'll be fine." Kate's nodding dumbly against the wood, her hand fumbling towards the hem of his shirt. "Rachel? Hi, it's Richard Castle. Uh, yeah – two weeks early. No, Kate doesn't think there's time. I don't know, two maybe three minutes apart? I can remember mostly what to do. Fifteen minutes, yeah, I'll leave the door open." He's phoning Alexis almost as soon as he's hung up, huffing and puffing the longer it takes for her to answer. "Alexis! I need you to babysit. Kate's gone into labour and we can't get to the hospital in time. Can you come look after Mary? Just keep her and Latte up in her room, keep them distracted. Bring Jenson if you have to, I just I need someone here and you're my only hope."

"Castle, stop quoting Star Wars. Not what I need right now."

"No, I know, I'm sorry. Alexis I gotta go. Let yourself in." He doesn't even hang up before he's shoving the cell phone into his pocket. "Kate, you gotta get to the bed." He curls her hand at her elbow, but doesn't tug at her.

She grunts at him. "Just… give me a minute."

"Thirty seconds."

"Castle-"

"You can't give birth standing up in my office."

"I know, Castle. I just can't move right now. You need to go and talk to Mary."

"I need to be with you."

"Castle, you need to go explain to our daughter why she's going to have to stay in her room for however long and why she's going to hear her mother screaming blue murder at her father. I'll be okay."

Mary is sat on her bed, Latte sat up in her lap, both of them engrossed in whatever it is that Mary is watching on his iPad. Her socks are fluffy and almost up to her knees, her toes wiggling in time to the music. They both look content enough, and he's loathe to disturb them, but he doesn't want to have either of them walking downstairs and having to listen to the screaming and cursing that's no doubt going to emanate through the downstairs.

"Hey, Mary. What are Latte and you watching?"

"Fairy Parents." She replies, tipping her head back and smiling at him. "Vicky's icky."

He chuckled, crouched down next to the bed. "Are you okay up here?"

"Yeah, Daddy. Latte and me are good."

"Good, I'm glad. Because you're gonna have to stay up here for a while. You can't come downstairs."

"Why? What did I do? I didn't do anything!"

"No, no, you've been a good girl today. You're not in trouble. But you know Mommy's having another baby?" Mary nods, wrapping her arms around Latte. "And the baby wasn't supposed to arrive for another couple of weeks, but baby's in a hurry and wants to come out now."

"Are you going to the hospital?"

"No, we're staying here. There's no time to get to the hospital. Alexis is on her way, she's going to keep you and Latte company, okay?"

Mary releases Latte, twists herself around to look up at Castle with fearful eyes. "Will Mommy be okay?"

"We've got a person coming round to help. Do you remember Rachel?"

Mary shrugs, and Castle waves a hand around. "It doesn't matter. But she's going to come here and she's going to help Mommy, and she'll make sure everything's okay. So don't worry, alright?" Mary nods, but it's shaky, and he pulls her into a hug, presses a heavy kiss against the crown of her head. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? You keep the iPad, watch whatever you want. I'll send some food and drink up with Alexis."

Mary winds her tiny hands into his shirt, burying her head against his chest. "I want to see Mommy."

"You can, munchkin. Just not yet. Later, I promise."