Who would've thought?
Chapter 1
"Mommy?"
"Yes Anna"
"Why is daddy so dramatic?"
Katherine Castle turned to her 4 year old with a smile on her face. Leave it up to little Joanna Castle to start up the morning conversation in the most exciting way.
"What do you mean munchkin?" She smiled
"Yeah, I'll also like to know what that's supposed to mean," Richard Castle said with mock hurt
"See? Like that! Daddy, you're so over the top!"
"How do you even know what dramatic means, Jo?"
Joanna stuffed a waffle in her mouth, "from Grams!"
Kate tried not to laugh, but leave it up to her stage coach of a mother-in-law to teach her daughter daily theatre vocabulary.
Castle turned toward his wife, "Mother can no longer look after Jo while we're at work"
"Actually daddy, mommy is at work catching the bad guys. You're just observing and annoying."
They both looked at their daughter as if she had just unlocked some kind of secret code.
Joanna shrugged, "Grams."
"Okay missy I think that's enough sass out of you for one morning," Castle threw her over his shoulder and proceeded toward the stairs
"Wait! I didn't even get to finish my waffles!"
"There'll be more waffles tomorrow."
"Mommy!"
"Castle"
Castle turned around and walked back over to the table. He turned back around facing the opposite direction and kneeled down so Joanna could pick up her waffle off of her plate.
"Mommy, is it true that you call daddy Castle because all of daddy girls from his playboy days call him Rick, plus Gina and Alexis mommy?"
"Jo?!"
"What? Grams!" She shook it off before taking a big bite into her waffle
"Okay! Time for a bath and then you have to get ready for Grandpa. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
Castle couldn't stop laughing and Kate shook her head. She knew from the start that Joanna was going to be a mini Castle. The little girl was adventurous, unpredictable, dramatic, and very unique. She was the spitting image of Kate, but everything else was definitely Richard Castle, including her blue eyes.
"Oh, good morning Katherine darling," Martha smiled waltzing through the door
"Good morning Martha. Actually, can I speak with you for a second?"
"Oh no, what did Joanna and I do now?"
"Dramatic, observing and annoying, playboy days?"
Martha cringed, "now, now, I know that maybe I gave the little princess too much information, but the girl is like a miniature you. Whenever I would make up some crap to answer her questions, which I don't like doing might I add, she'll call my bluff. I finally said, what the hell."
"Martha she's 4 years old."
"Yeah, but with a father like Richard Castle she might as well already be 16."
"Martha"
"Okay, okay. I do apologize, but how do you expect my granddaughter and I to bond?"
"Not over gossip, especially gossip about her father."
"I hear you. Never again. Although I should warn you about-"
"Kate!"
They both looked upstairs from where Castle's high pitched scream had just come from and Kate sighed. She glanced back over at her mother-in-law with a knowing look. Martha raised her hands up in defense.
"No more."
"Thank you."
"You look tired Katherine?" Martha busied herself making a cup of coffee
"Yeah I got in pretty late last night," she sighed taking a seat back at the kitchen table
"Oh darling"
"Yeah I came home to Castle and Jo asleep on the couch. I guess they tried waiting up for me. I just crawled in Castle's lap and laid Jo on top of me."
Martha took a seat across from her, "Couldn't be the most comfortable sleeping arrangement"
"No it wasn't, but I woke up laying in our bed next to Jo, out of my works clothes and in one of Castle's shirts."
"So you got some rest, just not enough?"
"It just feels like I only slept a couple of minutes. I feel like I did when Jo was a few months old."
"Welcome to the world of a working mom. It's just that, well, you're a NYPD working mom."
Kate groaned.
"How about I make you a huge cup of coffee?"
Kate nodded her thanks before letting her head drop to the table. She only lifted her head up when she heard the front door open, but, seeing as it was Alexis, she allowed her head to fall right back down.
"Whoa. Mom what's wrong?"
"Katherine is in major need of a vacation."
Kate lifted her hand up from the table and waved it around in agreement. Usually she wouldn't even allow herself to think about a vacation, but times have changed. Being a detective, a mom, a wife, and trying to make it home for dinner every night is slowly started to take a toll on her. She seriously wouldn't mind a week in the Hamptons with her family, and a couple of nights with just her husband wouldn't be so bad either.
"Mom are you okay?"
She could hear the concern in Alexis's voice, and it made her happy and sad at the same time. She lifted her head up to see the young woman kneeling down on the side of her. She smiled at her oldest daughter, step daughter was never a choice in her eyes.
"Sweetheart, I'm fine. I promise. I just need some sleep, a lot of it. I'm okay." She kissed her on her forehead and was relieved to see her blue eyes regain that familiar sparkle and a smile return to her face
Pleased with her answer, Alexis got up and greeted her grandmother before handing her mom the cup of coffee. Kate took a sip and silently rejoiced feeling the caffeine work its way through her body. She was definitely going to need a lot of this today.
"Lexie!"
She smiled hearing the excitement in her youngest daughter's voice for her older sister. They had such a close relationship. But Kate soon felt the fatigue set back in, and she let her head fall back on the table.
"Lexie what's wrong with mommy?" Joanna pouted
"Jo, Mommy is really tired. That's all."
"You sure?"
Kate could hear her daughter's voice breaking and could just imagine her bottom lip poked out, quivering, trying to hold in her tears. She lifted her head back up and reached for Joanna. Once in her mommy's arms, Jo placed her hands on either side of her face and made sure she looked her mom in the eye.
"Mommy, you okay?"
"I am baby. I really am. Like Alexis said, I'm just tired."
"You promise?"
These were the moments she lived for. The moments where her daughter was scared or upset and she would look for her. She thought she knew love once, but nothing beats the love she has and feels for her daughter.
"I promise." She kissed her cheek and made sure that beautiful smile was back on her face, "where's your daddy?"
Jo cuddled into her mother, "upstairs changing his shirt."
"A splashing battle broke out huh?"
"He started it!" Jo quickly defended herself
"I did not," Castle argued coming down the stairs
"Is the water off my bathroom floor?" Kate asked
"Yes ma'am," Jo and Castle answered together
"Well no one's in trouble. Come on Castle, we gotta get going. Gimme a kiss baby."
Jo smiled and planted a kiss on her mother before wrapping her arms around her neck, "be careful and catch bad guys today. Be safe mommy"
"I will Anna," Kate smiled before passing her over to Castle
"Make sure you protect mommy daddy!"
"What about me Jo?" Castle pouted
"If mommy watching after you, you're going to be okay. Mommy is the best! I mean even you're scared of mommy. It hurts when she pinches your ear right?"
Everybody looked at her. Joanna shrugged, "Grams."
Kate rolled her eyes and looked at Martha. Castle mimicked her.
"Um, Jo, let's go get your jacket and rain boots so you can be ready when your grandpa gets here"
Jo quickly kissed her daddy's cheek and grabbed her grandmother's hand. Martha quickly walked up the stairs whispering something to Jo.
"Did I miss something?"
"Your grandmother and little sister have been bonding over gossiping about me," Castle sighed helping Kate up
"Do I even wanna know about what?"
"No. Don't ask. Thank you babe," Kate stretched a little and pulled Alexis in for a hug
"Be careful out there today mom."
"I will. Don't be worried about me."
"Now, we both know that's going to happen regardless. I love you."
"I love you too"
"And don't work too hard."
"Oh don't worry, she won't," Castle smiled pulling Alexis in for a hug as well
Castle and Beckett walked out of the loft hand in hand. They got in the elevator and Kate leaned back against the wall. She held her hand up and the car keys were dangling from her finger tips. Her eyes were closed and her head was back against the wall.
"Babe, you're driving"
"Kate, baby, you need a break, a serious break," he pulled Kate into his arms and started rubbing circles on her lower back
"Castle I-"
"Hamptons. This weekend. Just us"
Kate cringed, "3 days away without Jo?"
"3 days away with your ruggedly handsome husband doing anything it is that you want him to do," his hands were slowly moving down to her ass
"Anything huh?"
"Anything."
"Well I am overdue for one of your famous Richard Castle massages."
"Well then we'll have to fix that this weekend won't we?" He smirked guiding her out of the elevator
"Just get us to the precinct, Rick"