A/N: This picks up midway through chapter 10 of It's Best If We Both Stay, although it's not required to have read that in order to read this. Just know that it begins during Kate's suspension, just before the Fourth of July, where Castle and Beckett are spending a couple weeks in the Hamptons.

EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED

Kate sighs, her hand landing on his thigh, her thumb rubbing lazy circles on his skin. "What if...what if I am? I've never really thought seriously about having kids. And we haven't been dating all that long...I mean if I am, then it happened pretty much right when we got together, and…"

Castle places his hand on top of hers. "Kate." He waits until she looks up at him. "We'd figure it out. I'll go get a few tests, okay? Then we can know."

"You alright?" Castle asks an hour later, as he leans against the closed bathroom door. Kate's been in there for a good five minutes, and she hasn't said anything for most of that time. He knocks a few times when he hears the faucet turn on. "Kate?"

Kate gives him a sheepish look when she opens the door, wiping her hands on a towel. "I haven't had to do that in a long time," she admits. "It's a little awkward." She drops the towel on the sink. "Not as bad as peeing in a cup, but-"

"Kate," he interrupts, his hand on her forearm. He backs against the wall adjacent to the bathroom and pulls her to him so he can lock his arms around her waist. "Are you okay?"

The corners of her mouth lift, and she leans into him, her head against his chest. "Just nervous. You set the timer?"

"Yeah, we have-" He checks his phone. "The longest minute ever."

Kate chuckles and loops her arms around his waist, tucks her hands in his back pockets. "Rick-"

"Don't." He drops his lips to the top of her head. "Don't stress yourself out until we know."

She takes a step back when the timer goes off, takes his hands in hers. "Ready?"

"Are you?" He lets her lead him into the bathroom, where she has the test upside down on the counter. When Kate reaches for the test, he tugs her back. "Kate, hang on. Whatever happens," he continues, reaching up to cup her cheek, "we're in this together."

Kate smiles and lays her hand over his. "Together," she repeats, wrapping her fingers around his. She takes a deep breath before picking up the test. She glances back at him, sighs, and turns it over. "Well..."

He takes the stick from her outstretched hand and looks down to see the two vertical lines. "Kate…" He turns back to see her biting her bottom lip, her brows furrowed, but the light in her eye betrays her. His breath stutters, he feels the love welling from his chest, and he can't stop the bark of laughter as he wraps her in his arms. "Kate...you're...we're…"

Kate giggles as he spins her around, wobbling on her feet when he sets her down. "So...you're excited, I guess."

"Excited?" His fingers tangle in her hair and he tilts her head up, meets her mouth in a kiss. "I know we haven't been together very long. We haven't even thought about the future, kids. But, Kate," he breathes, kissing her again, "God, now that it's a reality? I can't imagine anything else."

She loops her arms around his waist, lifts herself to her toes so their faces are even. "We'll be okay, right?" she asks, nose brushing his. "We'll figure it out?"

He smiles. "We'll figure it out. Together."

"Marry me."

Kate drops her head back to the pillow, nudging Rick's head off her sternum. "What?" she pants, taking a second to regain her focus. They're in the process of a thorough celebration. After Castle had managed to carry her to the bed despite her legs around his waist and her hips grinding, they'd quickly shed their clothes, and Castle had been making his way down her body when he'd spoken.

The man in question props himself on an elbow so he's hovering above her, and his other hand finds her hip, thumb rubbing lazy circles across her skin. "Marry me, Kate," he repeats, little louder than a whisper.

Kate presses her hand against his jaw, her lips in a smile. "I love you, Rick," she begins, and when his face brightens, she dreads the next words that come out of her mouth. "But no, not right now. Not yet."

"Why not?" Rick asks, sitting up at her side. "You're pregnant. We're going to have a family. Unless…" His brows furrow and his head drops. "Unless you don't want…"

"Castle. No." Kate stops him with a squeeze of his knee. "I do want," she assures him, ducking so she can look in his eyes. "Rick, I can't see myself spending my life without you. But we're not ready for marriage yet. I'm not ready. I said 'not yet,' Rick. That doesn't mean never." She pushes at his chest until he's on his back, and she crawls over him, settles on his thighs. "Just not now."

Castle groans when she sneaks her hands between them, and he grips her thighs, encourages her to slide up his body. "Later," he suggests on a moan when she reaches back to tease him again. "Shit, Kate. Come here."

(8 weeks)

Kate is just pulling dinner out of the oven when she hears the short knock, followed by the door opening. "Hey," she calls out, recognizing the heavy steps of her boyfriend. "Perfect timing. My dad should be here in a few minutes."

Castle's hands grip her hips and he tugs her back into him, nips at her ear. "Hi," he grumbles, one hand sneaking around to rest low on her belly, over their growing child.

Kate leans back into him and lets out a contented hum. "Hi." She turns so she can kiss him, but keeps it chaste, mindful of his mother and Alexis, who had followed him in. "Can you finish setting the table?"

"You got it," Castle agrees with a grin.

Kate's dad arrives as she's giving Martha and Alexis a brief tour, and Kate watches from the corner of her eye as Castle greets him warmly. She can't help but swell with pride; her dad and her boyfriend are the two most important men in her life, and she'd always figured they'd get along. They didn't meet until over two years into her partnership with Rick, and had only seen each other a handful of times since, but both spoke of the other with the utmost respect.

"Are you okay, Kate?"

Kate turns to Alexis, who's regarding her with concern, and she realizes that her vision is blurry. She blinks back her unshed tears and smiles at Castle's daughter. "Yeah, I'm good," she assures the teenager, draping an arm across her shoulders. "It's just nice to have everyone here."

Alexis gives her a look, but doesn't say any more as they move towards the dining area. "It's nice to be here. Thank you for having us."

"Of course. You're welcome anytime, I hope you know that."

The conversation flows as they sit to eat, Martha inquiring about Jim's work and Alexis sharing stories from their recent European adventure with her grandmother. Kate mostly observes; Rick sits across from her, and her fingers itch for his, her skin tingles with desire to have his hand on her thigh, where it often rests when they sit next to each other.

According to her OBGYN, she's almost eight weeks along, but she seems to have avoided most of the terrible morning sickness she'd always heard about. And she's grateful, because her desire for him hasn't waned a bit. When she's not with him, she wants him. And when they are together, she wants him even more.

It had only been about two weeks since his impromptu bed proposal, and although she doesn't regret saying no, she knows that next time he asks, she'll say yes.

She clears the table after everyone finishes eating, shushing her guests when they offer to help. She doesn't argue with Castle, though, and she nudges his hip with her own when he joins her at the sink.

"How are you feeling?" he asks in a low voice after he turns on the faucet.

Kate pours a drop of dish soap in the sink as it fills, swirls her hand around to let the soap bubble. "Good. A little nervous."

"No nausea?"

"No." She shakes her head. "None. Come on, the dishes can soak" she continues, reaching past him for the dish towel so she can dry her hands. "I made brownies."

Castle just gapes at her. "How did I not know you can bake? Damn, I know how to pick 'em."

They dish out brownies and ice cream, and Kate ignores the wink Castle gives her when he retrieves the chocolate sauce from the fridge. "So," she begins as they start to eat, "I wanted to thank you all for coming over."

"Thank you for having us, Katie," Jim pipes up, setting his fork down. "I'm glad we could all get together."

Kate smiles. "Me too. Um, I have to admit, as great as it is, and I hope these family dinners happen frequently, Rick and I did have an ulterior motive tonight." She takes a deep breath and glances around the table, her dad on one side, Martha and Alexis on the other, the three of them gazing back at her with inquisitive looks. Her eyes meet Castle's, and he gives her a little nod before picking up where she left off.

"We're not ready to announce it publicly yet," Rick continues, "and we weren't exactly planning this, but, well…" He trails off.

"I'm pregnant," Kate blurts out, unable to hold it in any longer.

Martha lets out a cry of exclamation and jumps from her chair, first sweeping Kate from hers, then moving to her son. "Oh, congratulations, you two! How far along are you?"

"Just eight weeks, so, we want to keep it among us for now. Everything's okay," she quickly continues when she sees the concern on her dad's face, "we just want to be a little farther along before we tell more people."

Jim stands and holds his arms out for Kate, and she closes her eyes when she sinks into his hug. "Congratulations, Katie," he whispers. "You'll be great."

Kate pulls back from her father's embrace to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You'll be a great mom."

She smiles. "Thanks." She notices Alexis step away from Castle's hug and move to the side, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Alexis."

The teenager lifts her gaze from the floor, a shy smile on her lips. "Congratulations," she says quietly.

Kate studies her for a moment, trying to read her, but she has a better poker face than her Castle. Since Alexis had returned from Europe, Kate had made an effort to get to know her better. Over the previous year, since Kate had been shot, Alexis had regarded her with caution. She's polite, of course, but gone is the 15 year old who'd confided in her about her desire to study overseas. Kate understands completely; the summer she'd spent recovering from being shot hadn't exactly been a picnic for the Castle family, either.

Thankfully, Alexis had agreed to a few lunches, where they'd had open and honest conversations. Kate knows it will take some time to fully regain Alexis's trust, but she'll gladly do whatever it takes.

"Thanks, Alexis. You ready to be a big sister?"

That seems to break the tension, and with a laugh, Alexis wraps her arms around Kate's waist in a tight hug. "Absolutely."

(9 weeks)

Kate studies her profile in the mirror, playing with the hem of her shirt. She's not showing yet, it's way too early, but she can't help but feel like she sees a bump, sees her growing baby. It's impossible, she knows, the result of her overactive imagination.

"You can't tell," Castle says as he joins her in her room, holding out a mug. "I mean, I can tell, because your boobs are bigger." When Kate shoots him a look, he backs away and perches at the foot of her bed, his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "They're not obvious, Kate. Don't worry, no one will know before we want them to."

"I know." Kate sighs and takes a sip of her coffee, nose scrunching in disgust. While she'd avoided most morning sickness, certain smells and tastes can make her queasy, and the coffee isn't playing nice with her sense of smell today. "I hate not telling the boys," she admits, taking off her tight blouse and pulling out a loose button-down instead. "I know I said I wanted to wait, but I'm not sure anymore. They'll totally find out. Ryan figured out we were together, remember?"

Castle reaches for her, his hands on her hips as he tugs her between his legs. "You're the one that wanted to," he argues softly. They've had this conversation before, including just last night, but they'd agreed to keep it quiet, save for their immediate families, until she passed into the second trimester. "Just...you'll be careful, right?" His knuckles brush against her stomach, low, above her uterus.

Kate covers her hand with his and leans forward to kiss him. "Of course. I wish you could come in today," she admits on a sigh, her forehead resting against his.

"Me too. Stupid meetings."

Kate chuckles. "Yeah, Gina sure knows how to mess with your tight schedule," she teases with another kiss. She starts to deepen it when her phone pings with the arrival of a text, and she reads it with a sigh. "I gotta go, there's been a murder."

"Well damn," Castle groans, dropping his head to her shoulder with an exaggerated sigh. He follows her to the door, slips on his shoes after she zips hers. They head down the stairs in silence, and when they have to part outside her building, he pulls her in for a kiss.

Kate groans and leans into his embrace, allows his tongue to sweep against hers. She has to stop her hips from canting into his. They're in the middle of the sidewalk, causing pedestrians to have to walk around them, so she slows the kiss after just a few moments, ends it with a few pecks. Her fingers feather through the recently cut hairs at the nape of his neck. "I love you," she whispers, smiling at the way his face lights up at her words.

Castle's grip on her hips tightens, and he lowers a hand so his fingertips flutter against her ass. "I love you too. Call me later?"

Kate kisses him once more before giving him a nudge. "Goes both ways, babe."

(12 weeks)

She had no idea how hard it would be to keep her secret. She thought it would be easier without Castle there, but the minute she'd Lanie, the moment her best friend insisted that something was different, she almost blurted it out right then and there. Lucky for her, Ryan and Esposito were too focused on being mad at each other to pay attention.

But she managed to hold it in, managed to avoid Lanie's requests to have her over for drinks. Lanie wanted scoop, wanted to know how the relationship was going. And she didn't tell Lanie anything, but everything was wonderful, and perfect, and her baby was being perfectly nice to her, not making her sick so much that she couldn't hide it.

Before she knows it she's crossing into her second trimester. She's starting to show, barely noticeable even to her. But within a few days it's unmistakable, and she finds herself staring in the mirror one morning before work, hands pressed against her bare belly. She looks up when Castle joins her, slipping his large hands over hers, and leading her to sit on the edge of his bed.

He kneels between her legs, but instead of undressing her like he so often does, he presses his lips to her belly, not a kiss, but a caress. "Hi baby," he whispers, his breath washing over her skin. "It's Daddy. I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but I love you very, very much, and I cannot wait to meet you."

Kate barely registers the tears sliding down her cheeks until Rick looks up at her and wipes them away with his thumbs. He speaks to their child regularly, and although at first she thought it was strange that he was essentially talking to her stomach, today she's overwhelmed with emotion. Her hands lift to cover his, and she leans forward to kiss him. It's slow and deep, but soon her need for air has their mouths separating. Her arms around his waist keep him close, and she opens her eyes to see his still closed, nostrils flaring as he controls his breathing.

"Ask me again," she whispers, and his eyes pop open, surprise shining in his gaze. She's sure that he knows exactly what she means; they haven't talked about it in almost two months, not since the Hamptons. But she still feels the need to clarify. "Rick, ask me to marry you."

Castle's eyes dart over her face, studying, almost as if to make sure she isn't lying, won't change her mind. After a moment he just stands and retreats to his office. Kate hears the keypad of his safe, hears it open and close, and she bites her bottom lip.

Of course he already has a ring. Her silly, romantic man.

And when he kneels in front of her again, it's with that ring between his fingers, and love radiating from his entire being. "Kate, will you marry me?"

She says yes before he even finishes the question.

He convinces her to call out sick.

(20 weeks)

Their most common argument during the first months of her pregnancy is whether they want to find out the sex. He wants it to be a surprise, wants the mystery, the guessing game. But Kate, she wants to know. She wants to be able to refer to it as "he" or "she," as her baby boy or girl. And although they're doing the nursery at Castle's loft with a gender-neutral safari theme regardless, she hates having one side of the room dedicated to girl clothes, and the other side to boy clothes.

Because if there's one thing she should have anticipated, it's the ability and desire of her family and friends to buy a lot of baby clothes.

She also should have anticipated the longing she feels for Castle's arms around her on the nights they spend apart. Eventually she'll move in, but with the baby and her job and Castle on the tail end of a three-week book tour, she just doesn't want to deal with it yet. And they haven't even begun talking about a wedding date.

He was supposed to be back before her 20-week appointment, but his flight had been canceled due to a storm, and all his sweet-talking and negotiating had failed to get him on a different one. So he's stuck in Detroit, and Kate's trying not to worry that she hasn't heard from him in a few hours. He had mentioned his intention to get some sleep, she reasons with herself as she pulls on her sweater. He's probably curled up in the first class lounge, bag safely tucked away, getting some much needed rest.

She's so lost in thought as she makes her way through the living room that it takes her a moment to register the key sliding into her lock, the door opening. Her hand flies to her hip on instinct, where her gun usually sits. By the time her brain catches up, Castle is stepping through the door, looking tired and ruffled but here. "Rick?"

Castle rushes towards her and sweeps her into his arms, buries his face in her neck. "Hi," he chokes out, his breath ruffling the ends of her hair.

Kate grips his shoulders, so tight that he might have bruises later, but she doesn't care. She tucks her nose into his collar; he smells of travel and deodorant, but there's an underlying scent of him. Of the bargain detergent he uses when he travels, the subtle hint of aftershave. "What are you doing here?" she finally manages to get out. She leans back so she can look at him. "I thought you were stuck in Detroit?"

"Found a charter," he explains, his hands cupping her cheeks. "It cost an arm and a leg to get him to fly me here, but I needed to come home." His thumbs brush her cheekbones, flirting with the circles beneath her eyes. "You look tired," he states.

Kate closes her eyes and leans into his touch. "I don't sleep as well without you," she admits. She cants into him, her mouth open, seeking his, and a moan comes from deep within her chest when their lips touch. Her leg hooks around his thigh almost automatically, and she feels his hands on her ass, encouraging her to rock against him.

She's missed him, missed his mouth, his touch. Nineteen days without her boyfriend - no, fiancé - is much too long. But they need to go; she doesn't want to be late. So she steps away from him with a sigh, runs her fingers through his hair to tame it. "We gotta go."

Castle groans and drops his forehead to her shoulder. "We'll pick this up after, right?"

"You're kidding, right?" She nudges his head up, fixes him with a glare. "We'll be lucky if we make it out of the car."

Her prediction is fulfilled just a couple hours later.

She slumps against Castle, her body heaving against his. "Shit, Castle," she gasps, fingers holding his head to her chest as the town car makes its way through the streets.

"I missed you," Castle mumbles against her chest, lips and teeth teasing her through her bra. "I missed this."

Kate chuckles. "What, car sex?"

He lifts his head to look at her, a lopsided grin on his face. "That too." His hand sneaks between them, but before they can move against each other again the car comes to a stop. He curses softly, but helps her climb off his lap, fastens his jeans as she adjusts her sweater. "I can't believe Cosmo wasn't cooperating. You know, for your sake," he teases.

Kate just rolls her eyes as she pulls her pants back over her hips. She's not thrilled with the nickname he's taken to using, but it isn't worth arguing. She's more upset that they couldn't tell the sex; apparently, they have a modest baby.

Not that it would have mattered, since Castle still insists that he doesn't want to know. But she has two weeks to convince him, and as he pins her against the wall of the elevator and rolls his hips into hers, she doesn't think it will take much.

(25 weeks)

"What about April?"

Kate looks up from her book to see her fiancé staring at her, his face scrunched in concentration. "To get married?"

Castle shakes his head. "No, for a name."

"We don't know what we're having yet, babe," she points out, setting her book down and holding her hand out to him. Five weeks and two appointments in a row that the baby hasn't cooperated, so its gender is still a mystery. She thinks it's a boy, but he insists that it's a girl, and every name he's been suggesting is a girl's name.

Castle plops down next to her with a sigh. "I know, I know. Maybe if we decide on a name, she'll actually cooperate next week."

"That's sweet, but I don't think he works that way." Kate can't help but smile at Castle's obvious frustration, and she has a feeling it isn't just from the lack of known gender. They've barely discussed when to get married, or when she should move in permanently. And, to add to his stress, Gina's starting to pester him about an outline for the next Nikki Heat book.

She reaches for him. "Come here," she instructs, shifting so she's leaning against the arm of the couch. She runs her fingers through his hair when he lies between her legs, his cheek on her belly. He hums as her fingers massage his scalp, and she feels him relax under her touch. "How about autumn?"

"For a name?"

Kate smiles down at him. "No, to get married. September; it's not too hot, not too cold, he'll be about six months old."

Castle slides her shirt up, rests his large palm on her bare belly. "September. It's perfect." He chuckles. "We could name her Goldilocks."

"Yeah…" Kate brackets her legs around his waist, keeping him on her. "That name isn't gonna happen, babe. Especially since it's a boy."

Castle strokes her stomach, his thumb caressing the area above her navel. "Okay, I'll humor you with boy names," he teases. "How about Michael?"

Kate winces, even though he can't see her. "First boyfriend. Nicholas?"

"Rick and Nick? Maybe." He presses his lips to her stomach, "Isaac? Ian?"

"Ian," Kate repeats, her fingers stilling on his scalp. "I like it. After Ian Fleming, I assume?"

Castle smiles against her skin. "Actually, that wasn't my first thought. I just like the name. What's your dad's middle name?" He shifts again, twisting so he can look up at her.

"William. What are you thinking?" She brushes back the flop of hair that has fallen over his forehead, and her fingers trace the worry lines she uncovers.

"If it's a boy," Castle says, rising above her, "Ian William."

"If it's a girl?" Kate cups her hand at the back of his neck and tugs him down, brings his mouth to hers. Her tongue sweeps against his and she slides her hands down to his ass, and squeezes. "Rick. If it's a girl?"

Castle's hands drift to the waistband of her yoga pants, and he tugs them down. "According to you, we won't need a girl's name, because it's a boy."

Kate chuckles into his mouth, the laugh turning into a moan when he breaks away and ghosts his lips down her body. "Doesn't hurt to be thorough," she gasps, fingers threading through his hair again and nudging him down.

She curls against his side later, blanket tucked over their bodies as they cool down. "How about Tiffany?"

"No. Definitely no." Castle's fingers flutter across her shoulder blades. "Emily."

"Brooklyn." Kate looks up at him when she feels him jerk beneath her. "No?"

Castle cups her cheek. "I like it." He tucks the blanket tighter around them when she shivers. "I want something after your mom, too."

Kate squeezes his waist and presses a kiss to his chest. "Hannah. Brooklyn Hannah."

(34 weeks)

He wakes to an elbow to his back and a muffled curse, and he turns, rubbing a hand down his face. "Kate?" he whispers, reaching for her.

Kate turns over so she's facing him, an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry," she whispers back. "Didn't mean to elbow you."

Castle tucks one arm under his head, palms her belly with the other. "Everything okay?"

"No," Kate admits with a tired sigh. "Your son is restless tonight."

Castle glances over her shoulder at the clock; it's just after two in the morning, and she's due at the precinct at eight. He doesn't think anyone would fault her for showing up late, but they're in the middle of a tough case, and she's been working longer hours than everyone else; her way of making up for not being able to be out in the field.

He ducks his head beneath the covers and scoots down until his face is even with her belly. "Hi Ian," he whispers, but he's interrupted when the comforter lifts above him. He glances up to see Kate staring at him, lips lifted in amusement.

"What are you doing?" she asks, fingers slipping through his hair.

Castle takes her hand and presses a kiss to her palm, then her stomach. "I'm talking to my son. Close your eyes, sweetie. Try to sleep." He slides his hand across her hip to her stomach; he can feel nudges against his hand and he lightly presses, feels return pressure.

"Hi Ian," he repeats, lips directly above where his son seems to be. "I know you're awake, and you want us to know that you're here. And your mommy and I love that about you; we love everything about you."

He leans into Kate's hand as she continues to run her fingers through his hair, caressing his scalp. It's soothing, but he squeezes his eyes shut to stay awake for just a few more minutes.

"But, baby," he continues, "your mommy works hard to keep the city safe, and she needs her rest so she can keep slaying dragons. Just a few hours. You should be resting too, resting and growing so we can meet you in a few weeks." He presses his ear to Kate's belly and falls silent, listening and feeling for movement. He smiles when he feels a nudge against his cheek, then nothing.

Kate greets him with a kiss when he emerges from beneath the covers. 'I love you, Rick," she breathes against his mouth. "I love you so much."

Castle smiles and helps her turn back over, plasters himself to her back. He curls his arm around her, knee nudged between hers, palm wide over her stomach. "I love you too," he whispers, lips at her ear. "Sleep, honey."

(38 weeks)

Castle pauses just outside the door when he hears the hushed voices of his fiancée and her father. He's glad Jim is here; they'd had to come to the hospital straight from the precinct, and while they'd been mostly ready for Ian's arrival, their son had decided to come almost two weeks early. After the initial flurry of visitors over the first day, Jim had insisted that Castle go home to clean up. Castle hadn't wanted to, but he admittedly felt rejuvenated after a shower and change of clothes.

But despite being gone just over an hour, he misses Kate, misses Ian, wants to hold his son in his arms. He opens the door slowly, smiles at the scene in front of him when he steps inside.

"Hey you," Kate says quietly, face splitting in a grin. "Welcome back."

Jim leans forward and kisses Kate on the forehead, then stands, Ian in his arms. "I'll see you later, Katie."

"Bye, Dad. Love you."

"Thanks for staying with her," Castle says quietly, reaching for his son.

Jim smiles and leans down to brush a kiss against Ian's forehead. "Of course. I'll stop by later, if that's okay? Call me if you need anything."

Castle looks down at Ian; he's fast asleep, his fist curled up under his chin, and he's so tiny and looks so vulnerable that Rick feels tears well in his eyes.

"Rick."

The sound of his first name is the only thing that breaks his concentration, and he glances up to see Kate smirking at him, one eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

Kate holds her hand out. "Come here, will you?"

Castle starts to sit in the chair that Jim had vacated, but Kate shifts in bed, pats the empty space next to her. "Kate, I shouldn't-"

"Come here, Rick."

He gives Ian to her so he can slide in next to her, perched on one hip so he's sitting sideways and doesn't take up too much of the bed. Kate grips Ian tighter when he tries to take him back, though, but Castle just chuckles and slips his arm around her. "I have to hold him sometimes, you know," he teases, his mouth at her ear so he doesn't wake their son.

Their son.

Castle's heart swells with pride; labor was unexpected, but Kate had been a champ, and everything had gone smoothly. He's always proud of Kate for one reason or another, but the way she's gazing down at Ian, barely a day after bringing him into the world, makes him want to shout from the rooftop how in love he is.

"I want to get married." The words slip out of his mouth before he realizes they were even thought, and when Kate looks up at him in surprise, he knows exactly what he wants to say. "I know we've been planning for September. And if you want to keep that, we can. But I don't want to wait that long, Kate. There's no reason to."

Kate considers him for a moment before tilting her head, a silent plea for a kiss that he fulfills. "Okay," she whispers, and when his head jerks back and he looks at her in surprise, she just smiles at him. "There's nothing I want more than to marry you."

Castle kisses her again, pulling back before she can deepen it. "When?"

"Now." She leans her head on his shoulder, nuzzles his neck with her nose. "I want to get married here, now. As soon as we can. As soon as I can leave I want to go get our marriage license."

"Or," Castle interrupts, "I can call in a favor. See if we can bring a clerk to us."

Kate smiles against his skin. "I know a few people too, just in case."

Castle scoffs, and when Kate begins to fall heavier against his side, he coaxes Ian out of her arms. He manages to slide out of bed without waking either his fiancée or his son, and he whispers a few words of love into Ian's forehead before he lies him down in the bassinet. He slides his phone out of his pocket and snaps a few pictures, taking care to ensure that the flash is off so not to disturb Ian, then slips out of the room to make some phone calls.

"You ready?" he asks a few hours later, as they stand in her hospital room.

Kate grins, presses a kiss to Ian's forehead before handing him to Martha. "Absolutely. Good thing we got our rings already, right?" At the hospital chaplain's nod, she takes the ring that Alexis is holding for her, and slips it onto Castle's finger. "The moment I met you," she begins, her voice cracking, "my life became extraordinary. You've been my annoyance, my backup, my partner. My strength. I love you, Richard Castle. And I look forward to spending the rest of my life being your partner, living in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace." She blinks back the tears in her eyes, smiles at the mistiness in his. "Always."

"The moment I met you, my life became extraordinary," Castle repeats, slipping Kate's ring onto her finger. "I was lost, aimlessly wandering through life before you walked in. You inspire me every day with your strength, your compassion. Your heart. I can't wait to grow old with you, with our family. I love you, Katherine Beckett, and every day I fall in love with you more. You're my best friend, my partner. Always."

Castle reaches for her as soon as the chaplain pronounces them husband and wife, cupping her face in his hands and drawing her in for a soft kiss. "I love you," he murmurs against her mouth, his smile matching hers.

Ian chooses that moment to wake and start wailing, and they both chuckle through tears.

"I guess that's my cue," Kate jokes, but before she can reach for him, Castle takes him from his mother's arms. "Rick-"

"Come here," Castle instructs, drawing Kate into his side, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. And in that moment, with his son in one arm and his wife in the other, their family and friends surrounding them, he doesn't think that life can be any more perfect.

And he's never been happier.

A/N 2: So much thanks goes to Cathey for looking this over and fixing my super awkward sentences. Any further weirdness or mistakes are my own fault.

A/N 3: This fic is a belated birthday gift to Callie, beta and friend extraordinaire, who deals with my random brainstorming and without whom I would be a lesser writer and person. She was firmly on the "pregnant" train when I gave Kate the "IBIWBS" pregnancy scare, so, this hopefully should make up for the lack of preggers in that fic.