Title: The Importance of Being Alexander
Summary: Castle visits Kate in the hospital.
Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.
Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!
Castle took a deep breath and checked his reflection in the window just outside the hospital room. He fluffed up the flowers in the vase he was carrying and took a deep breath before opening the door.
He entered the room and saw Kate sitting up in bed, looking at her lap. He felt the air rush from his lungs. She was pale, random pieces of her hair were sticking out haphazardly, and her polka-dotted gown was wrinkled. But Castle had never seen her look more beautiful.
Kate seemed to sense Castle's presence and she glanced up. A smile spread across her face and she waved him over. He happily obliged and walked quickly to her bedside.
"Hey." He said quietly.
"Hey yourself." She replied before sighing. "You were staring at me. I must look horrible."
"Oh no." He smiled. "I was struck immobile by your beauty."
"Wow." Kate chuckled. "Corny much?"
"I can't seem to help myself."
"Obvisouly. So, did everyone head home?"
"Yes." Castle answered. "Well, Ryan, Jenny, Esposito, Lanie, and your dad did. My mother went to the airport to pick up Alexis. They should be back in about an hour. Alexis is sad that she wasn't here in time, but she is excited beyond coherent sentences that everything went well."
Kate laughed again and nodded towards the flowers Castle was holding.
"Why don't you set those down and join me."
"There's not room."
"Don't be silly. This is the biggest hospital bed I've ever seen. I'll scoot over and there will be plenty of room."
"Okay." Castle said with a smile.
He stepped over to a short table and put the vase on top of it before slipping off his coat and laying it over the back of a chair. By then Kate had maneuvered herself far enough over to give him room to sit. He gently positioned himself so he was flush with her.
Once they were both settled they turned to each other. A moment of pure, unspoken joy passed before they leaned in to share a deep kiss. Kate pulled away first and she locked her eyes with Castle's.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too, Kate." He whispered back.
"Want to hold your son?" She asked.
"Absolutely." He answered with an excited smile.
They looked down at the sleeping baby in Kate's lap. Richard Alexander Castle was dressed in a bright orange onesie that read 'I just spent 9 months on the inside', socks that looked like sneakers, and a knitted hat that resembled a red apple. Suddenly Kate laughed and looked back at Castle.
"I still can't believe you got the nurses to put that outfit on him."
"I can't believe you left it on." Castle grinned mischievously. "But I like it."
"I do too. Although I got dibs on dressing him whenever we are going out in public." Kate said.
She kissed him again before he could say whatever he'd opened his mouth to say. When they broke apart she reached for their bundle of joy and picked him up. Castle took him from her and cradled him in his arms.
"He looks so tiny." Castle said in an awed whisper.
"Well, my dear, that's because he is tiny." Kate replied with a quiet laugh. "And those giant hands of yours don't make him look any bigger, that's for sure."
"I've never heard you complain about my hands before."
"I'm not complaining. Just stating a fact." She explained as she laid her head on Castle's shoulder.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they sat and stared at the little human they'd created. After a few minutes Castle spoke, his voice breaking slightly.
"Look what we did, Kate."
"We did good, didn't we?"
"Yes we did. He's so beautiful and wonderful and precious and I love him so much." He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to the baby's nose. "Hear that, Ricky? I love you. And I always will."
Almost as if he knew Castle was talking to him, Ricky stirred and his dark blue eyes fluttered open. He stretched his chubby arms out and his tiny fingers spread apart. He blinked as he tried to focus on the two faces looking down at him. A small spit bubble formed between his lips, bringing laughter from his parents. Then he cooed softly and promptly fell back asleep.
"Well Rick, he is definitely your son." Kate said with another laugh.
"I can't argue with your logic this time." He agreed.
"Well, I can't argue with Penny Marchand."
"What?" Castle asked as his face scrunched up in confusion.
"Remember when she told me about someone named Alexander?"
"Oh yeah. It was while we were investigating her mother's murder. What about it?"
"She told me that an Alexander would be extremely important to me. I now know two Alexanders, and both of them are indeed extremely important to me."
She smiled and kissed him briefly before laying her head back on his shoulder. He placed his cheek on her head, and they again fell into silence as they watched Ricky sleep. A new chapter had begun in their life, and neither of them could wait to see the story continue to unfold.
A/N - Thanks go out to behindgreeneyess, whose manip on tumblr inspired this story.