A/N: Second Castle fic here. Wanted to get one more done before the semester started. Just some mindless fluff with the extended Castle family. Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, I would've stolen the promo and pictures and released them online already. And written Caskett makeout scenes in every episode.
Namesake
"We should probably call the boys, huh?"
Kate looks up from the little blue bundle asleep in her arms, finds her husband's soft blue eyes fixed on hers. He's exhausted, she can see it even though he'd probably deny it, but there's no mistaking the love and adoration gracing the gentle lines of his face. Even now after all this time, it still takes her breath away, his heart, his tenderness, his unbridled devotion to her and those he held dear.
"Let them know you aren't still trying to push the little one into the world," he continues, gently rubbing a thumb over the blue beanie that fit snugly over the baby's head while his other hand ran soothingly down her arm.
She chuckles. "Yeah, I'm sure they'll love that mental image."
They share a quiet smile, her heart very much in danger of falling out of her chest from the love swelling up inside her, before he leans in and presses his lips to hers, light and gentle and full of unending promises. When he pulls away, she misses him instantly but can hardly complain, not when he's walking over to the window where his phone is charging to tell the boys that all is well after sending only one rather unsettling text early this morning of "IT'S HAPPENING." As much as she loves being here with just the three of them, she needs to share this moment with the other two men who have never faltered at her side. Even if she does look like hell warmed over.
Castle's still fiddling with his phone when a soft rapping on the door pulls their attention elsewhere.
"We're here! We're here, we're here!" comes Ryan's loud whisper as he peeks his head through the door before stepping inside.
"Woulda came sooner if Gates hadn't wanted the confession asap," Esposito adds, following his partner into the hospital room.
From the window, Castle laughs. "We were beginning to think you guys wouldn't make it."
"What, and miss the little tiger's first few hours?" Ryan replies, slightly indignant.
"Hell no," Esposito confirms.
Kate throws him a glare at his word choice but the detective just gives a cheeky shrug, comes to stand by her bedside and says, "Let's see the little muchacho," as his partner mirrors his position on her right.
"You guys have a name yet?" Ryan asks, looking from her to Castle.
She opens her mouth to answer but Espo beats her to it. "'Course they do. Javier, right? After his favorite uncle."
"The hell kind of a name is Javier Castle?"
"A good one."
"Yeah, right," Ryan snorts. "Now, Kevin Castle. That's a name. Strong. Like his godfather. Hard K, hard C."
"Seriously, bro? You taking after Writer Boy now? Besides," Espo puffs out his chest and her eyes roll at his antics, "we all know godfather duties are mine."
"Since when?"
"Since I pushed Beckett outta the line of fire at that warehouse months ago."
"Oh, and who was the one who spotted the shooter in the first place?"
"Anyone could've made him. He was seven feet tall."
Ryan scowls, eyebrows drawing tightly together. "Whatever. I'm Irish. I'll be a badass godfather. It'll be like the Boondock saints." At Kate's sharp look, he blanches. "Okay, bad example but come on, guys."
"They ain't naming their kid Kevin Castle, bro."
A beat. "What about Ryan Castle?"
"Cruz," Espo quickly counters. "It's my middle name."
Ryan shoots him a steely glare. "Who's going with the hard Cs now?"
"Mine's cooler," Espo huffs and folds his arms across his chest.
"Well, maybe they aren't going for cooler. Maybe they want stronger."
Unbeknownst to the two men, Kate fights a smile. As much as the bickering is a hoot to listen to, she needs to set them on the right track. "Guys."
"Everyone wants a cool name," Espo plows on, paying no attention to her.
"Guys."
"That why you let us call you Javi?"
"Guys!"
At that, both men snap their eyes back to her. She glances between them, allowing her lips to tug into a smile.
"It's a girl," she says at last. "They ran out of pink blankets and beanies in the nursery. So they gave her blue ones instead."
She watches as the detectives gape silently at her and the sleeping baby girl in her arms then flick their eyes quickly at each other.
"Ryan's a girl name too," the Irishman offers after a moment. "Ryann."
"Lay off it, bro. She's not getting your name."
As the two launch into yet another argument over the merits of Ryan's name over Espo's suggestions, Kate glances at Castle still leaning against the wall by the window, grinning like Christmas had come early. She mirrors his smile, shakes her head at the scene unfolding before her. God, she hopes her daughter will be less of a handful than her two older brothers.
She tunes back to the bickering men, catches them having moved on from their name choices to who would be a better godfather, and her heart swells.
Then again, she hopes she'll be exactly like them.
A/N: I love Mama Beckett! And bickering Ryan and Esposito are always fun. Hope you liked it! :)
Check me out on twitter if you'd like: Dany_Jarvis
