Kate was sitting on the little bed, her eyes fastened on the little body sleeping under the sheets. Her whole body radiated with love and love, and- hell, he was a writer, and he couldn't even find another word to describe what he could see on her face.

'D'you know who's she reminding me of ?'

Kate smiled seing Castle resting on the threshold of the room. He had a cute smile full of pride, and she found it really sexy. She crossed her legs and he came closer to the bed and put a hand on her shoulder, massaging it slowly.

'Well, she certainly reminds me of yourself, Daddy.' She brushed her lips against his, and pressed her forehead to his.

'Yeah ?'

His face lit up with a giddy smile and she giggled, trying not to be too loud. Jo was making a fuss each time her mother took her from her dad to put her to bed, she didn't want to wake the three year old up or she'd never be able to cuddle against her husband to fall asleep herself.
'Yeah.' She took the little hand that was clinging to the sheet in hers, and pressed a kiss on it.

'Actually, she reminds me of Alexis when she was her age.'
Alexis- she had been delighted when she had seen Jo for the first time at the hospital. Her little sister had made her forgive Kate for choosing Washington over her father. It had been a very hard time for every one of them. Kate had been afraid to become a Castle by accepting his proposal, and she had run away, accepting the job the FBI had offered her. That had broken Rick's heart. He had stopped writing, and had locked himself in the room they had shared for months, sinking slowly into depression, smelling the scent of her body everywhere around him which had receded and then vanished, leaving him distressed. That had gone on for nearly a month, until Kate had found out she was seven weeks pregnant. She had showed up at his loft, crying from shame and fear. She had been afraid of being rejected, and that's pretty much what he would have done except for the baby. 'I don't want our child to grow up without a father.' That choice of words had gone right to his heart. The first few weeks had been full of bitter love and sweetish hate, but they had made it through. They were married now, and they were fine, Jo had brought them closer than ever.

'You're right, they've got the same hair.' Kate smiled. Jo was a cute red-haired girl, just as her sister was. Right now, her hair was messy, and as if she was hearing her parents admiring her, the hand Kate was carressing went to her head to scratch it. She sighed and turned on her side, facing them.

'That is hilarious.' Rick whispered in his wife's ear.

'What ?' She asked eyeing him.

'From behind, she looks like Alexis, but she has your nose, and your mouth, and your eyes. Kate, she is a little-you. Isn't that wonderful ?'
Kate lowered her eyes. She had noticed that before. A few weeks ago, when Jo had fallen on her knees and smiled to her mother while getting back on her feet, she had seen her own mother alive in front of her. She felt a rush of love for her daughter and brushed her lips against her little cheek. The toddler pouted in her sleep and rubbed her cheek.

Rick closed his arms around Kate's waist and put his chin on the top of her head.

'I love her so much- our little girl.'

He smiled. Kate had never used 'my' to describe Jo. It was always 'our daughter', 'our baby'. They were a family, the one they had always dreamed of. He wanted to hug his girls- Kate, Alexis, Martha and Jo- tight, and never let them go. Never.

'Come on, let's go to bed. I don't want to wake her up. What about giving her a baby brother instead ?'

She thrust her elbow in his rib, making him gasp and she chuckled.

'Know what ? I'd be glad to see a little you running around, playing with your brand new remote-control helicopter and breaking your laser tags and crying when bumping his feet into something and dressing up in zombie and all, but- for now, let me enjoy the little time we have left for us, okay ?'

He nodded and kissed her.

'You are soooo right about this !'

They smiled and he led her out of the room, glancing at their daughter soundly asleep.