All right... re-posting this so it gets another chance. This will be an AU. Which I have never done before.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters except for whoever I make up from here on out.

Prologue

The air is bitter. Snow flutters down in large fluffy flakes from the over cast skies, casting a gloom over the city. The snow covers the ground, iced over from a recent rain, making the sidewalks treacherous and hard to walk on. Cars rush by along the busy streets, leaving clouds of white vapor from the exhausts in their wake. the air is fogged up around the cold pedestrians. What few people dumb enough to venture out, walk the frozen streets of New York City. Their breaths visible and mingling with one another. They huddle together as they go about their day, seeking warmth. The quiet of this cold January day is soon interrupted by a man fleeing an alley. He his feet pat pat pating along the pavement, as he charges down the sidewalk, nearly slipping as he rounds the corner.

"Stop! POLICE!" Katharine Beckett's voice can be heard over cars honking and gasps from onlookers.

He looks behind him and collides with an open door of a nearby shop. Plucking himself up from the ground, he tries to ignore the scrapes on his hands just in time to see his female pursuer emerge from the alley he's just escaped. Everyone on the sidewalks stops to watch as she gains on the suspect. Kate pauses briefly, taking aim with her gun, but he's soon out of range. Now, her feet hit the pavement at a dead run. The slick asphalt clicking under her heels as her legs propel her forward. Her lungs burn with the effort to breath in the frigid air, and pain shoots up her ankles in the form of shinsplints.

But she holds pursuit, mentally fist pumping the air when the suspect slips on a patch of black ice trying to flee across the busy streets. He sprawls out on the ground in front of a taxi, who stops, honking the horn. She catches up, placing her foot on his back. Using the time to catch her breath, her hand retrieving her handcuffs from her belt.

"2135, this is Detective Beckett." She says into her walky talky. "I've got a suspect apprehended on 6th and Lex." She snaps the cuffs on both his wrists, now noticing that he's bleeding from a gash on his forehead. He's going to need stitches.

"We got him, Beckett." Esposito jogs across the street as she hoists the man up onto his feet. The guy groans, his long blonde hair falling from his ponytail, and sticking to the blood freezing to his forehead.

"Thanks." She pants, stepping out of the street to let traffic by.

"Welcome back." Her fellow detective grins with a raised eyebrow, having taken in her state, she's panting. "oh looky here." He then says, removing a 9mm from the guy who had it wedged in his pants.

"Did you miss this?" Ryan asks casually as he pulls up to the curb in his cruiser. The purple contrast of his gloves standing out against the black steering wheel. Esposito hands the gun through the window to Ryan, who bags it.

"You... Bet." Kate stands up straight, coughing and placing her hand on her chest, the other on her hip. Now that she's standing still, she notices the cold seeping through her tight jeans, and into her Bones. Her nose is frozen, and if she hadn't gone a little cross eyed, she'd think it was missing, or had fallen off.

"See you back at the precinct." Ryan says as Esposito shoves the suspect in the car and gets into the passenger seat. Espo nods at her and they drive off, lights flashing.

Kate bundles her black and tan plaid scarf tighter around her neck, removing her own purple latex gloves and replacing them with warm leather over her frost bitten hands. She had been at a crime scene going over the apartment for evidence when they realized a possible suspect was hiding in a closet. He had fled the scene, out a window and onto the fire escape. Kate was right on his heels. But she's a little rusty, so the suspect was quicker. She never thought she'd ever thank the winter weather. But if it wasn't for that patch of ice? He would have gotten away.

But she got him. She's still got it. With a proud smile at herself, she pushes her scarf up over her mouth, and puts her hands into her warm pockets of her black pea coat, before walking down the sidewalk and back to her car.

Her lips vibrate against the lid of her coffee cup on a hum as she leans back in her chair. Not only is this her first cup of coffee of the day, but her first in several months. Taking another long sip, she lets out a moan as the liquid warms it's way down her throat. Her eyes close in pleasure.

"Would you two like to be alone?" Esposito asks. Ryan snickers.

Kate's eyes flick to the empty chair by her desk, and then glare at the two in such a way, they back off immediately and try to make themselves look busy while they wait on ballistics. Setting her now half empty coffee down on her desk, she turns towards the murder board. It's well into the late afternoon now. Their suspect, now patched up, sits in holding. But it's starting to look like he's pretty innocent, which makes Kate grit her teeth. She just wants to go home. Another thought she never would normally think. She loves work, sure. Misses the sounds of the phones ringing, the fax machine spitting out reports, and the chatter of detectives and officers alike all around her. The general buzz of the bullpen...But now she has more to look forward to in life then late nights here, an empty apartment and a fridge full of leftover takeout.

Her eyes linger on the empty chair again. And she misses Castle... a lot. She's not afraid to admit it. He couldn't tag along with her. He has things he needs to take care of at home, and writing for the next Nikki Heat book. But as she stares at the chair, grabbing a handful of M&M's and gulping down her last sip of coffee...she can't help but wish he was here to offer some insight. Not only would it help the case along, so she can go home, but she would also feel less lonely. Along with the ache in her chest, a longing. She can feel the pain crawling from her toes to her ankles. She bends down, rubbing at her leg. She ponders briefly on why in the world she ever wore heels to work. But then she remembers, they give her a sense of power. But still. To be able to go home, slip out of these heels and crawl into a nice warm bed. Seems pretty good to her right now.

"Yo, Beckett." Espo calls to her, snapping her out of her daydream. She looks up over the top of her desk, having been still rubbing at her leg.

"Mm?" She hums, grabbing for her mug, thinking about refilling it.

"Ballistics just called. Look's like the bullets from our boys gun, don't match the wounds in our vic." He stands from his desk, walking over to the whiteboard and moving the picture of their suspect. A Mr. Levi McKinley, from person of interest to possible witness.

Kate sets her mug down on the desk harder then she meant, and sighs. Her hand comes up to sift through her hair in a frustrated fashion. Now with her hand on her hip, curling tightly into the hem of her black blouse. The other one is still in her hair, clutching at her roots just as tight. Kate stares at Esposito as if he can do something about this. He offers her an apologetic shrug. His eyes dart to the pictures adorning her desk before finding Ryan and heading out, and back to the crime scene for more evidence. Kate however, collects her mug and pulls her phone from her pocket as she makes her way to the break room. Once inside, she sets the cup under the spout, leaning her hip against the counter and texts Castle.

Looks like it's going to be a late night.

It takes him five minutes to reply. By now she's walking back to her desk. Her heart fluttering in her chest in anticipation. Holding down the fort. Is all it says. But somehow it puts her at ease.

Kate quietly unlocks the door to the apartment. Slipping inside and closing the door carefully behind her. She locks it back up, setting the keys on the hook by the door, and then moving further inside. She braces herself on the door frame, lifting one foot, and then the other to remove her heels. She lets out a soft sound in pleasure. Freedom. She curls her toes, closing her eyes and biting her lip to then open them, surveying the apartment. It's cloaked in darkness, aside from the light shining under the crack of the door across the room.

She makes her way through the apartment after removing her coat, and stops at the closed door. Pressing her ear to the hard wood, she hears nothing at first. And then the sound of clacking keys. She smiles softly, placing a hand on the doorknob, and pushing it slowly open. Kate peers around the door, one hand on the knob, the other curled around the door, cheek resting on the hard angle. The first thing she sees is the smart board in the corner of the room. It's screen dark and unused. She can't help but think back to the day she found it with her picture staring back at her. How she tentatively stepped up to it, curious. But when her finger tapped her face, her heart had seized to beat in her chest for just one painful moment. What she saw there nearly tore them apart.

What she sees now, as her eyes fall from the board to find the source of the clacking... stops her heart in a whole different way. It picks back up again, filling to the brim with warmth and love.

There, sitting at his desk is Richard Castle. His feet up, laptop in his lap, chair leaning back as far as it will go without tipping over. The only source of light, a lamp on his desk, casts a lovely shadow over his relaxed features. From this angle, his back is mostly to her, but she can see his brow knit in deep thought over what he's still typing. He's wearing one of her favorite shirts. A tight blue T, showing off those roguish biceps and broad shoulders. Kate bites down on her lip again, as her eyes follow the path from his jaw downwards until they reach his arms, muscles flexing a little as he types. But what really captures her. Is their baby, curled up on his chest fast asleep. Lulled into slumber by the clacking of the laptop keyboard. The bright light from the screen illuminates his tiny little body, and sandy brown hair.

She slips into the room then, not being able to stay away much longer. The day has been brutal on her maternal heart. When she's right behind Castle, she places her hands lightly on his shoulders to get his attention without startling him, and then smooths her hands down to his chest. She lightly touches their sons little head, before wrapping her arms around her husbands neck.

Kate buries her face in the crook of his shoulder, dropping a light kiss there. "I missed you." She whispers. Breathing him in. "Both of you." She then adds, kissing his neck and lifting her head.

Castle has stopped typing, his head turns towards her, brilliant blue eyes staring into her soul. "We missed you too." He says, giving her a smile. His eyes drop to their son, along with hers, and then their eyes meet.

She leans in then, capturing his lips with hers, humming against his mouth. Oh has she missed him. She doesn't know how she's going to leave her two favorite men each day to go to work. She can't take them both with her. And Castle can't even shadow her anymore because of this little one.

When she pulls back, she places a hand on his cheek. "Why isn't Alexander in his crib?" She then asks, her voice slightly stern, low in a hushed whisper.

She's constantly walking into their room to find he's never in his crib where he should be taking his naps. Often finding him in here with Rick, laying on his chest, or in his carrier as Rick types or reads to him. Once she found him in his carrier, mounted atop the piano while Martha played for him. Another time, when Alexis was home from college, the red head stole him and held up in her room with him for an hour. At first Kate would panic. A new mother as she is, and rush around the loft looking for him. And then she would scold Castle furiously, clutching the boy to her chest as she calmed down.

Kate Beckett always wanted to be a mother. No one ever knew that of course. She never expressed it. What with her job, and tendencies to be closed off. Hiding behind that wall. But now? As she lays a hand on her sons back. She can't see her life being any different. She has taken to motherhood rather quickly. And With Castle by her side, she knows she has nothing to worry about.

"Sorry." He says sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders a little before dropping his gaze to his son lovingly. "Just wanted to keep him close..." He then says, voice dipping low and husky as he trails off.

Kate rubs a thumb along the sleeping Alexander. His warm body filling the gap in her heart. The one she's been carrying around all day. He's what she's been missing all day. She's missed his tiny ears. The ones Castle swears are just like hers. His tiny nose. Castle's nose, and chin. But Alexander has her cheekbones, and the crease between his eyebrows when he's distressed. Just like Kate when she's deep in thought. His mouth, is upturned just a little bit, at the corners. Kate's mouth. And when he opens his big beautiful eyes, they shine up at his parents in the bluest of blues. Only, he has a splash of green in them as well. Like Kate's green, have a splash of brown every now and then. The Castle's have no idea what color they will end up being. But either way, he is the perfect mixture of both his parents.

Kate lets out a yawn, stifling it with the back of her free hand. "Bed?" Castle asks, hopefully. One eyebrow raised as her mouth still hangs open on another yawn.

"Mm." She replies, soothing a hand along Alexander's soft baby face. "I'll take him." She whispers, reaching her hands out anxiously.

Castle chuckles. His chest rising the infant sound asleep up and down rhythmically. "Okay, I will meet you in there in a few minutes...I just want to finish up this chapter." He pecks her softly on the lips, and then turns his attention back to his word document.

Kate slides her hands under her baby boy, carefully lifting him to cradle against her chest. Her heart sings on contact. A feeling she only gets when holding her precious son. She presses her lips to the top of his head, and makes her way into the adjoining room. Once she's in there, she stands in the middle of the spacious bedroom. Her eyes resting on the crib, the bed, her dresser where her pj's are, and then down to Alexander. Another yawn escapes her. Little Alexander lets out a soft sigh in his sleep, burrowing deeper into her embrace. She smiles, eyes closing as she breaths in his baby scent. She's missed him way too much today to put him in his crib.

So she crawls onto the large bed with him, settling his sleeping form on the sheets next to her. Kate sighs, letting her head drop sleepily to her comfortable pillow. Her arm wraps protectively around her son, and she just stares at him. Feels his tiny breaths under her hand. Hears the soft expel of air through his slightly parted mouth. There is nothing else like him. He's everything sweet and good in this world. A world she once only saw as harsh and unforgiving. But looking down at Alexander James Castle, a breath of her own life...he shows her the innocence she's been missing out on.

Kate closes her eyes, breathing in his tiny life into her body, along with the smells of the room. Of Castle. Before long, she feels the bed dip with Castle's weight, feels his hand rest on her hip, his warm breath on her cheek. He hums softly, and she opens her eyes. Her green catch in his blues, seeking refuge there. Home is there in his eyes. The only place she wants to be.

"I just want him close." She murmurs, resting one hand on Castle's stubbly cheek.

He closes his eyes at her touch. "I know." He says. "I understand how hard it must have been for you." He muses. His hand drops from her hip, resting on the one wrapped around their son.

"I love my job...but at the end of the day... All I want to be is here with you two. You're all I need." Her thumb caresses his jaw, smoothing over the hard lines, and making her way to his lips.

Kissing her finger, he squeezes the hand holding their son. "You know I will never keep you from what you want to do." He says. Ever since their first child was born, Rick Castle has become even more terrified for his wife's safety.

Kate sighs, pressing her thumb lightly against his lips, and then dropping her hand to his chest, moving her head closer to his, her body curling around Alexander's. Her eyes roam over Rick's face, seeing a softness in the lines of his features. But it's his eyes that give him away. "Shh." She soothes, bringing a hand up to push back the hair from his forehead. Calming his racing mind. She can practically hear his thoughts.

His eyes leave her green reassuring eyes, to rest on Alexander. The way she cups his small body against hers. Her hand protecting the little being they created, as if her very life depends on it. And it does. He knows for sure. But it's that life, he's most worried about. He would hate to have to tell Alexander, and maybe any other children they might have in the future, that their mother is not coming home.

"I will always come home to you." She whispers. There is something in the way she says it. It's more then reassuring, more then a promise, it's the truth.

Chapter one will be posted in a few hours.

Thoughts? reviews are like my elixir of life...my muse. my...motivation... so you know what to do ;)

P.s. This idea, came from a drawing I found on tumblr. and this is what it looks like : h t t p : / / t a m m y c o c c i n e l l a . t u m b l r . c o m / p o s t / 1 5 6 8 8 1 7 1 9 0 5 / o k - f i r s t- o f - a l l - s t a n a - h e r e - u - g o - n o w - y o u - h a v e