Authors Note: Hey guys! So this is a future fic...set sometime around Christmas 2014...at least in my head. I took the idea of the 3 kids we were teased with Monday night, and this is what came of it.

Thank you to alwayscastle2 for reading this over for me. I can see us having a long and happy partnership.

As always, reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

She's never late. She's always been right on time, every month like clockwork, third week of every month, middle of the week. As she stares at the calendar on her computer screen she counts the days.

Twenty.

She counts, and recounts, so many times that her eyes start to hurt. She looks at the empty chair next to her desk. Her husband is suffering through a meeting at Black Pawn, which is probably a good thing. He'd know something was on her mind the minute he'd look at her, and right now, she doesn't need that.

She smiles, and looks down at her wedding band-the large diamond engagement ring is on her necklace, but she wears the wedding band on her finger. They've been married for six months. Every day with him was something new, he always found new ways to shower her with love, prove to her that there was no one else he'd rather be with. Despite her telling him that she knows how serious he is, he continues to surprise her. She loves it. She loves him.

They hadn't talked about kids, not since that ridiculous case with the man who said he was "from the future"-Castle had had fun with that one. Honestly, she needed an aspirin every time she thought about it.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, she absentmindedly grabs her phone, jacket, bag and keys, and heads towards the elevators. She needs to get out of the precinct. She doesn't even feel the eyes of her partners on her retreating back.

Esposito and Ryan's eyes follow her to the elevator, and when she steps in and the doors close, Ryan looks at Espo, "What's going on with her?"

"I don't know, bro," Espo says, "but whatever it is, it's personal."

CB

"Hey, Lanie," Kate says, walking into the morgue, making her friend jump.

"Girl, what have I told you about doing that?"

Kate pulls an 'oops' face, "To not sneak in like that."

"And yet, you still do," Lanie retorts, putting her clipboard down next to whomever she's examining. "Now, not that I'm not always thrilled with a visit from you, but what do you need? You and the guys don't have an active case right now, so this is a personal call."

Kate knows as soon as she says the four words on the tip of her tongue, that it makes the situation more real. Lanie's the only one she really trusts with this right now. She knows that Lanie would be more than thrilled for her and Rick. Hell, Lanie is probably their biggest cheerleader.

She closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath and whispers, "I think I'm pregnant."

Lanie's eyes grow wide, and a small smile appears on her face, and then she's launched herself into her best friend's arms, "Are you sure?"

Kate shakes her head and shrugs, "I don't know, Lanie. I mean, I'm late; and I'm never late. I'm almost annoyingly on time." A small smile graces her features, and a hand unconsciously rests on her stomach, "But I just-I have to know."

Lanie smiles, "Well, here." The medical examiner walks over to one of her cabinets and pulls out a plastic specimen cup, then returns to her friend, handing it to her, "let's find out if I'm going to be an Aunty."

Kate smiles, and hugs Lanie, "Thank you."

Once Kate returns with the specimen, Lanie gets to work. She occasionally looks over at her friend, who is sitting on an empty exam table so lost in thought that a body dropping from the ceiling probably wouldn't phase her.

"What are you thinking, Kate?"

Kate looks over at her friend and smiles, "This is the perfect Christmas present for him, Lanie."

Lanie smiles, she knows that Kate had wanted to get Rick something special for their first Christmas as a married couple. Who knew it would be this? The machine beeps, and Lanie watches as Kate's eyes fill with excitement, and hope. "You ready to find out?"

Kate nods, "Yeah."

Turning back to the machine, Lanie prints out the results, closes her eyes, and folds the paper. She wants to find out when Kate does. Something like this, she can settle being second, hell even third knowing.

Kate takes the paper from Lanie as the ME opens her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Kate unfolds the paper. Lanie doesn't need words of confirmation; the look on Kate's face is enough for her. Kate's eyes fill with tears, and a smile appears on her face and an unusually girlish giggle comes from her.

"Kate…?"

Looking up at Lanie, all Kate does is nod, and gets off of the table to meet her best friend in a hug. Both of them crying and giggling.

"Oh my gosh," Kate says, still letting the news sink in. "I'm gonna be a mom."

Lanie smiles, "When are you gonna tell Rick?"

"Christmas morning," Kate answers. "It's only two days away. I should be able to keep a secret for that long."

CB

It had been harder than she thought. But, Christmas morning was finally here, and she was up before Alexis and Rick. Martha had decided to spend the holiday in the Hamptons, which was odd, and made Kate feel slightly hurt, considering what she was going to share with the family.

After Kate uses the bathroom, she climbs back under the covers, and pulls out a tiny box from her bedside table drawer. She rolls to her side, and places her hand on her husband's chest, her head propped up on her left hand.

She taps the hand on his chest, "Castle…Castle."

"Hmm," he finally mumbles. "What time is it?"

Kate smiles, "5:30. Wake up."

Rick opens an eye, and looks at her smiling face, "You woke me up at 5:30?"

"Yeah," she smiles, nodding her head. "It's our first Christmas as a married couple, Rick."

Who can argue with that? He rolls to his side, pulling her closer to him, and leans in to kiss her, "Yes it is. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Castle."

Her smile is wide, and she leans into kiss him again, "Merry Christmas."

"You know," Rick says, rubbing her hip playfully, "Alexis won't be up until at least eight."

"Oh, really?"

"Mmhm," he replies, leaning down to nibble on her neck. "We could always keep ourselves occupied."

Her eyes roll back into her head as his tongue darts out to tease her. She has to remind herself that she has a plan.

"We could," she says, and he thinks it's in agreement, until she pulls away from him slightly. "Or, you could open your present."

"You're supposed to be my present," he says, leaning back in, and pouting when she pulls away and turns to her bedside table to retrieve a box, held closed by a red bow.

"Please, Rick?" she says, putting on a pout of her own. "It's been really hard to keep this a secret. I promise it'll be worth it."

He has to smile at her excitement, and nods his head. "Okay, Kate, I'll open my present."

Kate smiles as he moves to sit up with her. Once he's comfortable, she hands him the box, and sits with her legs underneath her. She watches as he carefully unties the bow, and tosses it to the side, he then takes off the lid to the box, and discards it as well. She feels tears start to burn her eyes as he moves one piece of tissue paper to the side, followed by the other, to reveal a folded up piece of paper. She bites her lower lip as he picks the paper up out of the box and unfolds it.

She'll never forget the look on his face. As his eyes skim over the paper, his breathing becomes a hair faster, a smile forms on his lips, and his eyes look like they are starting to water. It feels like an eternity until he finally looks up at her.

"Really?" he asks, as if the confirmation in his hand wasn't enough.

Kate smiles, nods, and laughs, letting out a choked sob, "Yeah. Really. Lanie ran it twice. We're pregnant."

"Come here," he says, and she launches herself into his arms, her hands locked behind his neck, and his around her waist. Her tears fall freely from her eyes, as he whispers to her, "This is the best present ever."

Her smile is radiant as she pulls away slightly to look at his smiling face, before he captures her lips in a searing kiss. He gently lays her down on the bed, smoothing out her hair and resting his forehead on hers when their kiss breaks. Her hand comes to rest on his cheek, and she smiles at him again. "I love you, Rick. So much."

"I love you too, Kate, more than you'll ever know."

He slips his hand under her night shirt, lifting up slightly, and burns a trail of soft kisses down her neck, to her breasts, to her stomach. She sees his eyes fill with love, as he whispers into her skin, "I love you, baby."

He kisses her stomach where their baby is nestled, and her hand runs through his hair, a tear escaping from her eyes. She could live the rest of her life on cloud nine knowing that she's the one who's made him this happy.

He's given her more than she could have ever asked for. He's shown her what love really is. He's helped her face her demons. He's helped her find her mother's murderer. He's made her a wife. He's given her a beautiful daughter. He's made her a mother. Something she always dreamed of, but was never really sure would happen. But it has, and she couldn't be happier with where she is in life.

As her husband smiles down at her, she leans in to kiss him.

Merry Christmas indeed.