"Richard Castle lives in New York with his wife, Senator Beckett, and their three children."

It's only now that Beckett remembers the words of Simon Doyle.

It's only now as she looks over at her husband holding their new born son that she remembers the words.

And smiles.

Castle manages to tear his eyes off the baby for a second and notices her beaming at him. "What?" He asks, a smile forming on his lips.

"Nothing." Beckett replies, with that little smile still on her face. She tired and sore but happy. Carefully adjusting herself on the bed, she holds her arms out for the baby. It's still amazing to her that he's here and he's theirs.

Castle gets up from the armchair and delicately passes their sleeping son back to his mother. He kisses her on the forehead and gently touches the infant's head. It's still amazing to him that the baby is here and he's theirs.

"I know that smile. It's not nothing." He says. "It's the same smile you had when you told me you were pregnant." Castle grins back at her before he settles himself down in the horrendously un-comfy armchair seated next to the bed. There's been a lot of grinning today. After all the swearing and shouting and sweating of course but at least Castle's hand is still intact.

Beckett lets out a soft laugh. Curse this man and his attention to detail. "Fine. Do you remember that case we were on about five years ago with the guy that thought he was the time traveler?"

Castle wrinkles his nose, "There is a vague recollection of such a case."

"Well..." The baby suddenly awakens with a small cry. Castle watches as Beckett expertly lifts the baby up and gently rubs his back, cooing softly. The baby whimpers for a little while before settling down again. Beckett is oh so very good at this mothering thing. Just like Castle knew she'd be of course. There is very little that Kate Beckett is not good at.

Distinguishing Braxton Hicks contractions from real labor is something she is not good at but that is another story.

Beckett looks up, still gently rubbing circles on the baby's back. "Remember the story he told us? About the energy wars?"

"I remember you handcuffing him to a pipe once we caught him." Castle says waggling his eyebrows at her.

Beckett tuts, "Do you remember what he said about us?"

Castle furrows his eyebrows before his eyes suddenly widen. "Richard Castle lives in New York with his wife, Senator Beckett, and their three children."

There's a silence between them for a moment, punctuated only by the baby's little snores. There is no question about it. He's definitely his father's child.

"Woah." Is the first thing Castle says. It's actually surprising to him that Beckett remembered this. He thought she had just brushed it off with the rest of Doyle's crazy future predictions slash stories slash ramblings.

But apparently not.

"I know."

"It's not...true...is it? He wasn't...actually...?"

Beckett tries to forget the coffee stains on the letter match the ones on the letter in the evidence photo. She'd never told him about the stains and eventually put it down to spooky coincidence and then forgot about it. But still? Could he have been an actual...?

The baby lets out a little yawn and Beckett dismisses the thought with a small shake of her head.

"Don't be stupid Rick. Of it's not true."

Castle gets up off the chair and kisses Beckett. He takes the baby from her arms and walks around the room, slowly rocking his arms.

He's had two turns at this whole parenting thing already but it feels like new each time.

"Whatever you say Senator Beckett."


for emma

:)