A/N: Hi! Thanks for stumbling upon my little story. It's my first addition to the fanfic universe, so I apologize in advance for any hiccups along the way.

I'm obsessed with the idea of a little Castle family sometime in the future, so here's my idea of how it might turn out. I'm not sure how it will all play out- I envision it with some continuity of chapters and other random one-shots thrown in as well. There's a chance I might include some flashbacks or flash forwards, so I'll include a date at the beginning if that's the case. I included one in this chapter as well, to give you an idea of where it all begins.

Thanks in advance for the read and feedback! {Title borrowed from Matt Hires' brilliant song}

Disclaimer: I wish I was cool enough to own Castle...

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Tuesday, June 16th, 2015.

After packing up their bags and saying their goodbyes and thank yous to the hospital staff, the Castles were finally alone with their new baby boy. Kate climbed into the back and clicked Henry's car seat into place, sitting beside him ready to soothe and protect on his first car ride. She could barely keep her eyes off his tiny features, still having trouble believing that this was real, instead of a cheesy, perfect dream. He was beautiful, charming, tiny. He was hers. No, even more so, he was theirs.

As he started the car, Castle turned around from the front seat of their Range Rover with the biggest smile on his face. A rush of memories flooded through her system as Kate revisited times she had seen that smile: when she said yes, when he had seen her coming down the aisle on their wedding day, when she had told him she was pregnant, and yesterday, when their baby was born. It was the smile he saved for those he loved; for extraordinary moments even the author lacked words to describe. Now, he graced her with it one more time, as she settled in to take their son home to the loft.

"Are my two favorite people ready to go?" He smiled, again, and reached out to run his thumb down their baby's silky cheek. Damnit, Kate thought to herself. If he keeps that up, she'll never make it to six weeks without ripping his clothes off.

She settled for a quick kiss on the lips and leaned over to whisper a quick I love you in his ear. She lingered for a minute to breathe in his familiar scent but a squeak from the car seat had her quickly returning her gaze to her baby boy and kissing him too.

"Hi, my sweet boy." She said softly. "I love you too. Always and forever." One more kiss and a sweep of his baby soft wisps of hair and then she told Castle to take them home already.

"Sorry, Henry. Mama is always this bossy, I'm afraid."

"Castle... Don't forget about my "raging hormones."" Kate warned. It had been his favorite phrase for months now.

"I'm just kidding, of course. Mommy is beautiful and extremely intelligent and captivating and incredible and she's never, ever bossy." He winked at her and turned around to put the car in gear. "Let's go home."

Kate leaned against the window and watched for a brief minute as familiar scenes passed by. The park where she'd learn to ride her bike, the coffee shop she and Castle frequented most Sunday mornings, the bookstore where she first met the love of her life- it was almost like watching a slow-motion montage of her past. But now, as she took in her habitual surroundings, a different clip began to play. The park where Henry would first pedal a two-wheeler, the coffee shop she and Castle would push the stroller to for Sunday brunch, and the bookstore where she'd introduce her son to his parents shared love of literature.

Now that Henry was here, everything would be different. Normally, such drastic change would scare the hell out of Kate, but the natural way she was settling into motherhood was one of the best things she had ever experienced. The only thing that made it better was doing it side by side with her partner, who couldn't stop glancing into his rearview mirror to check out his wife and son.

"Eyes on the road, Castle." Kate said sternly, but with a hint of a smile. "Precious cargo."

He nodded sheepishly, turning his eyes back to the road, and spent the rest of the ride daydreaming, as well. Like Kate, he had taken this route so many times before, and so he drove on autopilot, using most of his brain cells to try and figure out how the hell he got so lucky. It's no secret that his first two marriages were complete failures, and the only good thing that came out of either was Alexis. He'd spent the last two decades raising her by himself, and even though it was the greatest time of his life, he hadn't noticed the void he'd been nursing until Kate filled it. As cheesy as it sounded, she was the puzzle piece he didn't know he'd been missing. He silently chuckled to himself as he imagined what Kate would say to that. She'd probably poke him in the chest and roll her eyes, but he knew on the inside she'd agree. Life was so much better together.

Kate sat in the back watching her baby boy sleep in his carseat. She'd picked it out- it was a simple red and grey, and it easily transferred between cars, strollers, and arms. Kate Beckett was a woman of no fuss, and she made sure to buy the seat that operated without any difficulty. Henry was snuggled in comfortably, and she adjusted the straps yet again, making sure he was buckled in just so.

After checking his forehead to make sure he wasn't overheating in the car- it was a surprisingly hot day for the middle of June- she studied his features for what was probably the hundredth time. Long and skinny with brown hair like Kate, but paired with his father's bright blue eyes, which were stunning even at a day old, little Henry was the perfect mix of Castle and herself. She was already noticing the mannerisms they both contributed as well. He took after his mother's sharp senses, and when he was awake, he took in everything around him with a concentrated brow. But he was a cuddler like Castle, and would much rather be held than anything else.

From the day she'd seen the plus sign on the stick in the bathroom, she'd imagined what he'd be like. Now that he was here, he was a riddle she got to spend the rest of her life figuring out. Her detective skills and observational techniques would not be put to waste raising her son; in fact, she had a sneaking suspicion he would make chasing suspects look both simple and boring at times. She loved her job, but she already loved him so much more.

Smiling at the thought, she brushed his hair back from his forehead and traced her finger down his nose and over his lips. His mouth opened up naturally and she let him suck on her finger for a couple minutes.

Soon, they were pulling into the parking garage. Castle parked the car, and ran to her side to pull open the door before she could do it herself. He smiled when he saw her fast asleep with her head tilted towards Henry, and wondered what she'd been thinking about when she dozed off.

Since he knew she was exhausted, but wouldn't admit to it, he decided to give her a couple extra minutes of sleep and take up the bags they'd accumulated at the hospital.

Once he got upstairs, he took a few minutes to arrange everything just so. He pulled the bassinet into the bedroom next to Kate's side of the bed, and laid out a couple receiving blankets on top of the boppy pillow Jenny swore would make breastfeeding so much easier. Next, he filled a random basket with some cold water bottles and the trail mix Kate had been obsessed with for the past month. Finally, he grabbed the "push present" he'd picked out for her the day they found out she was pregnant- a simple heart-shaped necklace with Henry's thumbprint and initials. (He'd had his partner in crime- Alexis- sneak out and have the print engraved the day before.) Of course, he'd paired it with a ring made up of diamonds and their baby's birthstone, always one to go overboard. He was pretty proud of the gifts- together they were the perfect combination of the pair. The necklace was understated, just like Beckett. The thumbprint accented the gift flawlessly, given that fingerprints were such a vital part of her career. The ring was stunning and completely over the top, just like Rick. He had thought about giving the presents to her at the hospital, but she hated opening his gifts in public (something about flaunting his wealth and/or hating the attention.)

Satisfied, he rode the elevator downstairs to his sleeping family. They were still passed out when he got there, and he snapped a quick photo on his phone before kissing Kate softly on the forehead.

"Kate, sweetheart, we're home." He whispered into her ear. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with his favorite Beckett smile- the one she wore still a little drunk on sleep and dreams, the one he knew was only for him.

"Hey, Castle." She said huskily, a little out of breath, and leaned into kiss his jawline, then softly on the lips. "We're home."

Henry squeaked beside her, almost as if he too had realized they were home. Kate leaned over to unbuckle him and pull him into her arms. He snuggled in, sucking on the sharp edge of her clavicle in anticipation of the feeding he knew would be coming soon.

Castle helped the two of them out and grabbed the car seat, then his wife's hand, and led them upstairs. The elevator ride was silent, but comfortably so, as the reality of parenthood continued to set it.

Once outside the loft, Rick paused to unlock the door and grin at Kate. "Guess what?" he whispered in her ear, so as not to wake the sleeping baby.

"Mmm?" she responded, still half asleep.

"It's our first time bringing a baby home together."

Kate smiled in reply, letting the wave of emotion run over her. The last time she was at the loft, she had a baby inside of her, kicking to get out. Now, that same baby was in her arms, fast asleep and breathing heavily. She looked at Castle, and kissed him slowly on the lips, murmuring a thank you into the gesture. She quickly memorized the moment, cataloguing it deep in her mind.

Kate Beckett may not believe in ghosts, or zombies, or Bigfoot, but she believed in this: her own personal fairy tale, with blank pages to be filled with dreams and laughter and memories for as long as she would live.

Once upon a time...

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Thoughts? :)