"But Kate, please?" Rick whined, following Kate into the kitchen of their loft. She was sure he was wearing his most pathetic face.
"No, Castle! Like I said, I'm not ready yet!" Kate exclaimed, sounding a little exasperated. She crossed her arms and turned around. "If you keep bugging me about this, I'll never be ready!" she said, attempting to glare at Castle.
Castle snuck his arm around her waist and pulled her close, his hand resting in the small of her back.
"But I just think you'd be a wonderful mother, Kate" he said, his eyes smiling as he looked down at her.
Kate blushed and looked down with a small smile. "I'm just not sure I can balance a baby and work. And right now, work is taking over my life." She looked up at him and rolled her eyes as she saw his eager expression.
"I want to, Castle, I just don't know what I'm doing. Besides, we've only been married for a year! Don't you want to enjoy our married life for a while before we try for a baby?"
"Oh trust me, Kate, I have been enjoying every minute of it," Castle said with a wink.
Kate rolled her eyes again and twisted out of his embrace.
"You are not convincing me on this one, Castle," she said. "Not until I'm good and ready."
Castle stepped towards her. "I know," he said, suddenly sounding serious. "I'm not trying to connive you into anything that you aren't ready for. We just haven't really talked about this yet, and I want to see what you're thinking."
Kate grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch. She dropped onto the seat and pulled Castle down with her. She put her hands on her knees and shrugged her shoulders.
"Ok, so, let's talk," she said, looking at him expectantly.
"Um…ok, well, I do want kids," Castle started. "Do you?" he asked nervously.
"I mean…I think so," said Kate. "But I have no idea what I'm doing. Or how to work and have a baby."
Castle grinned. "Kate, have you forgotten what I do for a living? I write. I can take as much time off as we need. I'll be at home anyways. I don't mind being a stay at home dad again."
Kate returned his smile, shifting her weight on the couch so her head was resting against his chest. Castle wrapped his arms around her as Kate traced the wedding band on his finger. She let her mind wander to all the little Castle babies they could have.
"Castle, do you remember the time I had to interrogate my friend Madison?" she asked.
"The blonde the owned that restaurant, right?" Castle asked.
"Yeah. I guess she was right about me wanting 'little Castle babies,'" Kate said with another small smile. She shook her head and laughed as Castle let out a chortle.
"Who would have thought that we, I, could have come so far?" she asked, turning to face him.
Kate looked up at him and smiled. "I love you," she said. "And I'll think about what you said. I do want babies," she said with an encouraging look. "But not quite yet."
"That's fine," said Castle. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss. "But in the mean time, can we keep practicing?"