Sort of a prequel to Bound By Innocence. Set in the same universe but stands alone. Olivia is around five years old here and I tried to incorporate that in her speech. Also this is completely unbetaed so read at your own disposal.
Dedicated to asmilecuresanything :) Thank you for the prompt and I hope you like it!
Ever since she had her first daughter, Olivia, Beckett's been more in tune with her surroundings, her senses heightened. So when little baby James first began his morning cry, Kate was up and out of the bed before the first tear could fall. Who needs sleep anyway?
"Hi, baby boy," she coos reaching down into his large, white crib, passed down from his sister, and sliding him into her welcome arms. "What's the matter? Hmm?"
James looks up at her with big, blue, dazed eyes, an expression she receives whenever she talks to him. It reminds her of the look Castle used to give her when they first started dating, a look of awe he got whenever they'd make love or she'd tell him more about her past.
James has his father's eyes and smile and to get a double dose of this affection makes her heart swell, her eyes sting with joy. Sometimes she feels so undeserving, so unworthy of the love she's given by her husband and children, but she's oh so blessed to have them, doesn't know what she'd do without their love and warmth.
"Are you hungry, Jamie? Hmm? Don't cry momma's got you." James shrieks, kicks his little socked feet against her and digs his face into the curve of her arm.
With Castle away on a book tour- only one week left to go- it's just been her and the kids. She's still on maternity leave for another month or so and besides late night feedings it's been pretty quiet. Olivia loves to read and yesterday they went to library and she checked out at least eleven books, waddled her little butt to the car with a stack of books in her hand; Kate caught her awake at three am in the bathtub once, reading book after book with a cup of hot chocolate in her little palm, adventures dancing in her eyes. She wanted to be mad, upset that Olivia would disobey her and stay up past her bedtime, but how could she when she looks so much like her father when she's reading? That same joyful expression on her face that he gets when he's writing.
Kate takes the time to catch up on reading as well, rereads the story of how her whole life got turned upside down and the man responsible for it all. Last night, she called him in tears, Jamie on her hip as she paced the room, reiterating how much she loves him, how grateful she is for him and how she wouldn't change their story for anything, wishing he was home already.
James squeezes her finger and whines, hiccups as he pushes her finger into his mouth and this brings her out of her thoughts.
"Someone is impatient today. Okay, I've got some milk for you. How about that?"
He giggles as if he understands exactly what she's said and she releases her own laugh, smiles down at her son. Kate's fingers play in his baby hair as she walks him out of the bedroom to meet his sister who is on the couch when she shuffles in, a mug in her tiny hands and a book in her lap. No doubt something she's picked up from both her parents.
"Good morning, mom," she mumbles, never taking her eyes off the words on the page.
"Good morning, sweetie," Kate says as she walks past and kisses her daughter on the cheek. "I'm guessing that's hot chocolate you've got in that mug of yours."
"Yes, mom. But I makes coffee for you!" she smiles, her eyes wide with excitement. "Just like daddy told me."
Beckett's jaw drops to her feet, her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and throat, suddenly so overwhelmed with affection for her little girl. "Liv," she sighs, a smile blossoming across her face and she reaches out to kiss her daughter hard on the cheek. "Thank you, that's so sweet."
"You welcome, mommy. Daddy called while you sleep and he showed me what to do!" Liv tosses her book across the couch, sets her own mug down on the coffee table with careful hands. A little liquid sloshing over the rim, pools around the bottom of the mug, sure to leave a stain.
Beckett holds Jamie tighter to her chest when he pouts at her. "Give momma just a second, okay little man?" Liv comes over then standing next to her with both hands behind her back and a proud smile covering her face. "Thank you so much baby girl."
"Taste it! Taste it!"
Wrapping her free hand around the handle of the mug, she notices it's not warm, must've been sitting out all morning, and it looks more cream than brown. But Kate takes sip anyway, braces herself because her daughter is so much like her father; she loves to go overboard with sugar, gets enthusiastic over these little things and Beckett's reaction could hurt her daughter's feelings.
At first sip, she tries not to gag. It's way too sweet, as if she dumped the whole bag of sugar into the mug. It's luke-warm and there's absolutely no coffee flavor left, but Kate beams anyway, completely thrilled at her daughters thoughtfulness.
"It's delicious, baby girl. Thank you soo much! It's better than your dads."
"I can makes more when you finished?"
Kate's eyes go wide with terror and she shakes her head. "No, no just the one cup is fine. I really need to cut back on my caffeine." Liv nods, does a cute happy dance and wiggles her fingers.
"Wanna hold your brother while I warm his bottle?" Kate gently places Jamie in his sisters open arms when she nods her head.
"Can I sit down? I don't want to drop hims." Before Kate comments Liv is sliding down to the floor, her brother pressed tight to her chest.
Kate chuckles, shakes her head at her beautiful daughter as she grabs a bottle from the fridge. "Have you eaten breakfast or do you want me to fix some hot cereal for you?"
"I had a nanna and a sandwich," she mumbles, preoccupied with tickling her brothers feet. "'Lexis made it yesterday for me."
"What about lunch?" Kate takes a bottle and pops it in the microwave. "You want to go to Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jenny's house for lunch? Sarah- Grace would love to see you."
"Can Jamie come too? I don't want to leave him alone."
"Of course," she chuckles, so caught up in watching her daughter lovingly hold her brother that she doesn't hear when the microwave dings at first. Taking the bottle, she tests the temperature of the milk using the back of her hand, sets it aside for a few minutes to cool. "We'll go at noon."
"Can I take my books? Terry Turtle is about to learn an important lith lesson."
"Sure. Maybe you can read me the ending in the meantime." Beckett reaches out to take Jamie from Liv's arms. "Hey little man. You ready for your bottle?"
Jamie's small fingers reach for his bottle; he can't hold it up himself yet, but he's adamant on learning how.
"Alright, it's time to eat, I know, I know," Kate mumbles to Jamie when she sees his mouth water over and his grumbles of impatience get louder.
She moves to sit on the opposite end of the couch with Liv curled up with her book again, Jamie cradled in her arm while she holds the bottle up for him. His miniature palms hold the bottle under her own hands as he stares right into her. He's so eager to learn to do things himself, already trying to learn to crawl whenever she leaves him in his crib.
"You must've been really hungry, Jamie. You've never finished the bottle before. No you haven't."
"M-o-m," Liv giggles, using her book to cover her blush and smile. "You use the baby voice again."
"Nooo I wasn't!" Kate responds, not taking her eyes off her son.
"I gonna tell, dad."
Gasping, Kate whips her head around to face her daughter, whose face is red from amusement. "You wouldn't."
"You gonna owes him a nickel!"
"Oh, you're a traitor. I'll give you five whole dollars if you don't tell him," Kate bargains, brow raised to challenge her five year old with a smirk playing on her lips. "And…I'll let you stay up until nine thirty."
"Deal!" Liv settles back against the couch, laughter still bubbling out of her.
"Great! Now I'm going to go wash your brother. And then you can tell me what life lesson Terry Turtle is going to learn today."
"I already know it!" Olivia smiles, the "duh" is left to be implied. "I read it before."
"Well don't spoil it for me. I'll be right back."
Kate sets the empty bottle on the coffee table and lifts James up to her shoulder to lightly pat his back. James makes a deep humming sound after he's been fed, something she's learned must be the moans of contentment.
The first time he did it, she and Castle thought something might've been wrong, but the doctors all said he was in perfect health, one happy little baby. And now it's just amusing and Kate likes to hum along with him until he's gurgling and giggling against her, happily slobbering all over her while he kicks his feet.
"You want to take a nice, warm bath and change out of your nasty diaper? Yes, yes let's do that." She does do the baby voice, she hears it now.
James puts his fingers in his mouth as he watches her undo his diaper. With his free hand he drums his fingers long his stomach, thumb skimming his belly button.
"If your dad were here, he'd be really angry at me for changing your poopy diaper on his side of the bed." Kate leans into James, settles her hand at his ankle so he can't kick her and whispers, "So let's keep this our little secret, hmm?" she laughs tersely.
When his pamper comes off the hand skimming his belly goes down to touch his butt. He's done this since she came home the hospital, but the first time didn't notice he had a handful of poop and he ended up getting it in her hair. Castle, her wonderful husband tried so hard not to laugh at her, instead just cleaned it out of her hair and took over changing James. She'll love him forever because of that. But now she catches her son when she sees his hand on the go, her own coming up to catch his wrist, a devious glint in his eyes.
"Nuh, uh, uh." Jamie laughs, one of those evil "ha ha ha" ones and scrunches up his face, turns his head to bury it in the sheets. "You're so cute."
In the bath, Jamie splashes instantly, his laughter booming throughout the entire loft, his joy echoing and bouncing off the walls. Times like this is when he mumbles more and she thinks he's going to utter his first word. Castle is adamant that it'll be "mommy," but Kate is sure it's going to be a rendition of Liv's name. James once cried for ten minutes because she took him away from his sister.
Besides, she wants Castle to be here to hear Jamie's first word. Not a thousand miles away in California.
Her son always falls asleep when she begins gently wiping him down with the warm cloth, the soothing motions seem to place him under a spell, she jokes, and now she's only just started and his eyes are already beginning to droop. When she wraps him up in one of his plush baby towels he's completely sacked out, letting out short snorts every time he exhales, a sound Castle claims he inherited from her. Kate pulls him against her chest and he snuggles against her neck, one tiny hand coming up to rest on her shoulder.
He's in and out of consciousness while she dresses him, puts on an outfit Lanie bought for him the other day- grey shorts and a white shirt with baby elephants dancing on the front-before he goes back in his crib so Kate can get brush her teeth and get dressed herself.
As she's walking to get James when she's finished in the bathroom, she hears the chime of her cell phone across the room.
"I bet that's your dad," Kate says as she walks over to read the message. "It is your dad!" she exclaims, eager to read what he's said.
Hey, Mrs. Castle. Did you like your morning coffee? ;)
What do you think? lol
Too much sugar?
Yes. Tell her no sugar next time, k?
Got it, love. I miss you. Kiss the kids for me xoxo Rick.
Miss you more xo
She tosses her phone down on the bed with a sigh, turns towards her sleepy son with a grin, picks him and holds him against her chest.
When Kate goes back out to sit with Liv, she's got James squirming around in her lap, and a smile on her heart. "Come on, Liv. Read the rest of the book to us."
Thanks for reading! Happy Fanfic Monday everyone!