Let's just think happiness, fluff and Caskett babies. :)
"The Dinosaur let out his first roar at 4:21?" Beckett read. "I can't believe that that was how you announced the world that our baby is born," she said, handing the phone back to Castle.
"Well, James started it, the press liked. It's not like I said anything horrible about our little guy," he cooed at the baby, "isn't it right, Jack?"
Beckett sighed and gave in, "Alright, ok, it's not that bad. And he does look really cute in the onesie Alexis got him," she admitted, cradling her newborn son in her arms.
"Are we there yet?" James impatiently asked from his booster seat.
"Almost," Mackie told him.
James looked at his big sister sitting next to him, "Mom had a dinosaur?"
Joan giggled, "No, you silly. You were the one who said she was having a dinosaur. She had a real baby."
"Ah," he mused aloud, "next one can be a dinosaur?"
Mackie laughed from the driver's seat, "I don't think that there'll be a next one, kiddo."
Soon enough they arrived at the hospital. As Mackenzie predicted, there were a few journalists at the entrance. He promised to give a statement on the way out, as he rushed Joan and James inside. The kids were used to the media following their parents around, and the general audience knew their names and faces, but still Castle and Beckett preferred that the kids stayed as far away from the cameras as possible. Castle got Mackie's text and met with them on the entrance lobby. He guided them to the elevator that would take them to the floor where Beckett was.
"So, are you excited to meet you dinosaur brother, James?" Castle asked, ruffling his son's hair.
James heaved a sigh, "Joan said it's a real baby, not a dinosaur."
"Well, you might get a little surprise," he grinned and then discreetly winked at Mackie. "And you, Joan? Ready to be twice the big sister?"
"Yeah. I'm excited to meet him. Alexis said he's really cute."
"He is," Castle smiled, leading Mackie and his children down the hallway.
Beckett was almost ignored by her children who directed their attention to their baby brother.
"He's so cute," Joan squealed, leaning over the plastic basinet to get a good look of her little brother.
James, on the other hand, was standing on the tip of his toes, attentively observing the baby.
He turned on his heels and promptly asked, "Where's the surprise, Dad?"
Joan tapped him on the shoulder and then pointed at Jack's onesie, reading to him what was written on the baby's garment: it had the words "never forget" written over the head of a little blue dinosaur.
It all started as a joke, obviously. Three-year-old James had as a fertile imagination as his father. One night, far too bored at a dinner gala, James stole the spotlight, as usual. Wherever that little boy was, all attention was focused on him; something of a Castle's charm, one would say.
Joan was as elegant as an eight-year-old could be on a gala event; she wore a high-low hemmed light blue dress that had a gorgeous ribbon belt around her waist, and black ballerinas with a small block heel. On her head, a black bow headband pulled back her brown hair. She greeted everyone that passed by her, and she was orderly standing by Mackie's side, – who was always on the move because of her little brother – enjoying a few appetizers. That was until she noticed her father throwing a glance at her from across the room. And then another one. She told Mackie she was going to meet with Castle and crossed the hall on a leisure pace.
"I need my Daddy for a second," Joan offered a bright smile to the woman talking with Castle. "Mind if I take him for a bit?"
"Well, of course. Take him, dear," the woman said, walking away with her champagne glass.
"Thank you, Joanie," Castle sighed, relieved, walking hand in hand with his daughter. "I owe you a big bowl of strawberry ice cream."
"I saw you signaling so I went to the rescue," the girl said with a cheeky grin.
"And you did well. You saved me from a boring conversation."
Joan tugged on his hand, pulling him to where she wanted to go, "Let's meet Mom? Mackie said dinner will be served soon."
"Alright, then let's take a seat with her."
Beckett was already sitting on her chair, discreetly toeing off her shoes under the table – no one would notice she was barefooted because of the long tablecloths. She thought that being pregnant would only get easier, but the older she got, the more difficult it felt.
Castle put a kiss onto her hair, "How're you?"
"My feet are killing me and we still have a couple more hours to go. Have you seen James?"
"No, but he's with Mackie," he said while taking a seat. "He'll bring him here, don't worry."
Beckett squeezed her feet into her shoes again once she saw her son's thick head of brown hair, "I'm going to get James. Be right back."
She found her son standing in the middle of the journalists. They were gathered in a circle around the boy, in a fit of laughter, while James was calm as Buddha. She smiled at the sight; he looked downright adorable in that gray three-piece suit, with a navy blue tie and black lace-up leather shoes. Mackie – more of a bodyguard and a babysitter than of a spokesman for Beckett – was standing by the boy's side, chuckling as well.
"What's the reason for all the laughter?" Beckett asked, resting one hand over her yet small but already protruding belly. "What did you say this time, James?" she looked at her son, fixing a few unruly strands of his perfectly gelled hair.
"Nothin' bad," he told her, offering his mother a tooth-gaped grin.
"We haven't yet congratulated you and Mr. Castle on your dinosaur. When are you due?" a journalist asked with a clear playful tone on his voice.
"A dinosaur?" Beckett looked at her son, a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips.
"They askeded me if I want a brother or a sister. I saided I want a dinosaur."
"Your mother said you can call him dinosaur," Castle told his son, "but not all the time, alright?"
A devilish gleam appeared in James eyes as he looked at baby Jack again and greeted him, thinking he was whispering, "Hi dinosaur."
"This one is on you," Beckett said.
Later that day, they read on the news:
"The Dinosaur let out his first roar at 4:21". This was how novelist Rick Castle announced on social media the birth of his third child with NY's Senator Kate Beckett. Castle, who's already father of 30-year-old Alexis Harper from his first marriage, and Beckett welcomed Jack Cosmo Houghton Castle last night at 4:21. The parents are "thrilled and excited" says Mackenzie Baxter, the Senator's spokesman. Jack joins siblings Joan Elanie Martha, 8, and James Roy Alexander, 3. Both mother and baby are alright and are expected to return home in the next days.
