"Her name is Johanna."
"But Kate! If you call her Johanna and I call her Annie, she'll get confused."
Kate sighed, turning to look up at her husband. "Then maybe you should stop calling her Annie. It isn't her name."
Rick pouted. "But Smooth Criminal is her favorite song."
"Rick, she's two months old. She does not have a favorite song."
Three days ago, Kate came come from work to find the Michael Jackson song blasting from their stereo system with Rick dancing around the living room with their daughter in his arms. Johanna giggled as he bounced her in his arms, her first laugh.
"Did you ever think maybe she laughed because she thought you're a clown?"
"No. Clowns are scary. Besides, don't you want to come into her bedroom in a couple years after she has a nightmare and say "Annie, are you ok?""
"No, I don't. You know Smooth Criminal is about a murder victim, right?"
"I think it's fitting," he said with a shrug. "You know, same way Caskett is."
She shook her head, walking away from him. "Castle… just… no."
He followed her into the hallway, watching her as she crumpled near the couch, her face in her hands. "Kate?"
"She's already named after one," she told him, her voice so low he barely heard her.
"One what?"
"Murder victim."
He dropped his head. "I wasn't… I didn't mean to…" he stammered, trying to think of a way to talk himself out of the hole he'd accidently dug.
She shook her head. "It's fine. Um… maybe when she gets older she can… decide on her own if she wants to be called Annie."
He nodded, moving to sit next to her. He put his arm around her, kissing the side of her head softly.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh as she relaxed against him. "I don't want her to grow up without a mother."
"She won't. She'll always have you," he told her. "I'm pretty sure you're immortal."