Thanks for all your love!
Just a quick side note, I have the rest of this story planned out and will be stopping it at 5 chapters. It was only meant to be a quick little story :) but I'm working on some other ones, so keep your eyes out for those.
Disclaimer: Castle is not mine :/
[Chapter 3]
August 27th, 2019
The credits were rolling, and the movie had ended. Empty bowls and spoons were sprawled out at their feet as the three occupants of the fort were fast asleep.
Braden had dozed off about half way through, his eyes unable to stay open to watch. Kate was the next to fall asleep, passing out a little bit after her son. Rick was completely knocked out toward the end, only staying up long enough to see the beginning of the race.
They remained asleep for about an hour after the movie ended, needing the down time to catch up on some much needed sleep. Braden woke up, his stomach lurching.
"Dad?" He moaned tapping Rick on the shoulder with one hand as the other was on his stomach.
Rick opened one eye, staring up at his son. "Brae? What's wrong, buddy?" He asked, sitting up and taking in Braden's posture and demeanor. His eyes were watering, the unshed tears glistening as the light caught them. He looked even worse. Great.
"M-my tummy."
Rick sighed; the boy looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. It didn't go passed him how Braden kept his mouth and eyes tightly shut. "Come on," Rick told him, crawling out of the fort, and Braden right behind him.
They were heading toward the bathroom in Rick and Kate's bedroom when Braden stopped suddenly in his tracks. His eyes were wide and his lip was quivering, his small hands clutching his stomach. He looked pale.
"Daddy..."
Oh not good.
Rick quickly picked Braden up by the armpits and ran toward the bathroom, lifting the toilet seat lid just in time as Braden got sick.
"Rick?" He heard Kate call from the living room. "Where are you?"
Rubbing a hand up and down the boy's back, he answered, "In the bathroom." He could hear her making her way toward them.
"What's-" the words got caught in her throat as she saw what was happening. Her hands braced the frame of the door, keeping her steady. "Rick?"
Her husband turned his head to look at her, silently telling her that now was not a good time. She understood, starting to look a bit sick herself. Kate slowly left to sit on the bed.
The four-year-old remained over the toilet for a few more seconds, the tears in his eyes sliding down his cheeks. Rick flushed the toilet, closing the lid and turning Braden around. The kid looked...relieved.
"You okay, buddy?"
Braden nodded, a small sigh leaving his lips. He was starting to gain his color back.
Lifting him up, Rick set Braden on the counter top and reached for a wash cloth, wetting it under some water. He gently wiped his son's face clean of any residue.
"Is Mom okay?" Braden wondered, directing Rick's attention to his wife.
The bedroom was in clear view from the bathroom. He could see her sitting on the bed, head in her hands as she tried to even out her breathing.
"Yeah, she'll be okay. Just startled, that's all," Rick reassured.
Braden kept his focus on his mom as Rick finished cleaning up his face. He set Braden down, the boy scampering to his mom. She immediately enveloped him in a hug, whispering soothing words.
Rick shut the bathroom light off, sitting down next to Kate as she held onto Braden tightly in her arms. He could tell that this had an affect on her. A big one.
"You're okay, sweetie," she murmured over and over again, kissing the top of Braden's head. The mantra was more for her sake than the boy's.
Rick had never seen his wife this clingy in a long time. The last time she was like this, Braden was a year old and he had been sick. She never let him out of her sight. It was just the worried mother in her.
"Hey, Brae," Rick whispered, squeezing the boy's upper arm. "Why don't you go pick out another movie. We'll be right out."
He nodded, hugging his mom once more before getting off her lap and heading toward the living room. As soon as he was gone, Kate was in Rick's arms. Her breathing was shaky and uneven. He kissed her in the forehead, his lips lingering on the soft skin.
"He's okay, Kate."
She sniffled, "I know. I just- he's our son and I...I don't like seeing him like this."
He pulled her closer. "It was just a one time thing, he's fine. Braden is fine."
She took in a deep but shaky breath. Her grip on his arms loosened as she tried to calm herself down. She wiped at her face, getting rid of any tears that had run down her cheeks.
After a few minutes, Rick broke the silence. "Come on," he ushered, slowly standing up. "I've got an idea." He held out his hands for her to take which she slowly did. They walked out to the living room to find Braden in front of the shelves looking through the DVDs; he had Teddy in his hands.
Rick picked up the phone, Kate staring at him in confusion. "Rick, who are you calling? I thought we were going to watch a movie."
He just smiled, phone pressed to his ear. He mouthed, "You'll see," before walking into his office, shutting the door.
Kate stared at his retreating form for a moment before joining Braden at the shelves. She knelt down, ruffling his hair. He was okay. Her son was alright. "How's my boy feeling?"
"Good."
She saw him bit his lip. "Want some help deciding?" He nodded, eyes sparkling. He seemed to be doing much better. That was a really good sign.
The two of them sorted through the movies, trying to find the best one to watch. Rick came out of his study moments later, a huge, mischievous grin on his face.
"Have you guys picked out a movie yet?" He asked, bending over to see what they had.
Kate smiled up at him. "We can't decide between Finding Nemo and Toy Story."
That made Rick smile even more. "We're in a Pixar mood today, huh? How about we watch both?" He suggested, looking between Braden and Kate.
Holding Teddy in the air, Braden shrieked, "Yes!"
They put Toy Story in first, the three of them settling into the fort once more.
"Rick," Kate whispered, looking over at her husband. "Who did you call?"
He just shot her a Cheshire grin. "Patience is a virtue, Kate. It's a surprise."
She sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to budge. And besides, she'd find out soon enough.
The opening credits started and all conversations ceased.
Kate and Rick noticed through out the movie that Braden seemed to be doing a lot better. There were still a few coughing fits and sniffles here and there, but that was it. Kate sneakily checked his fever, placing her hand on his forehead as she moved some stray hairs away. His fever was slowly going down.
The doorbell rang just over halfway through the movie. Rick grinned as he paused the movie and crawled out of the fort, moving for the entrance. Braden and Kate popped their heads out, curious as to who was at the door.
"Rick, did you order food?"
He shook his head no. "Not exactly." Opening the door, Rick immediately enveloped the person in a big hug, kissing the top of their head. From Kate and Braden's point of view, all they could see was Rick's back. "Thanks for coming," Rick stated as he ushered the guest inside.
Once Kate and Braden could see who it was, the four-year-old shot up and ran for the door, his arms flailing at his sides. "'Lexis!"
The red-head grinned as she bent down to pick up the boy as he ran full speed at her. "Hey, little brother," she greeted, kissing him on the cheek. "You've gotten so big."
Kate made her way over, her arms wrapping around Rick's middle. She smiled at Alexis as she talked with Braden. "You did good, Daddy." She kissed him on the lips, a double groan pulling them apart.
"What?" Rick asked his arms still wrapped securely around Kate.
"In front of us? Really, guys? Can't you at least get a room or something?" The twenty-five year old teased, covering Braden's eyes with her hand.
Braden pushed the hand away, wanting to see what was going on around him. "'Lexis, I wanna see."
Rick mumbled a "sorry" as Kate stood there blushing. They just got in trouble by the kids. Oops.
Alexis set a squirming Braden down and took the two steps needed to reach to Kate, giving her a fierce hug. "Hey, Kate."
Kate returned the hug with just as much force. "Hey, Lex."
They pulled apart. "I take it Dad didn't tell you I was coming," Alexis smirked, flicking her eyes at her dad as she placed an arm over Kate's shoulder.
"Yeah, he forgot to mention it," Kate winked at Rick. "But that's okay, because you're here now."
Rick added in, "We're watching Toy Story."
Braden popped up between Kate and Alexis. "Buzz Light-year to the rescue!"
The three adults laughed as Braden grabbed his sister's hand and led her to the fort. Alexis quickly set her purse down on the side table before she was taken too far away.
"Oh wow. You guys made a fort?"
"It's so cool on the inside!" Braden grinned, tugging her inside.
Kate and Rick stood a ways away and just watched the interaction between Alexis and Braden. They embraced in a hug once more. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" Kate questioned, resting her cheek on the middle of his chest.
"You might've mentioned it once or twice," he returned. "But it definitely wouldn't hurt a few more times though."
"I'll make a note of it."
Their lips met in a searing kiss, both smiling. The kiss was sweet and languid, each of them just enjoying one another.
"Dad! Mom! Come on!"Braden cried out from beneath the fort, Alexis laughing.
"Be right there!" Rick called, capturing his wife's lips once more.
The duo eventually trudged over to the fort, climbing inside. Rick and Kate sat on the outside while Alexis and Braden were squished in between them.
With the flick of a button the movie came back on, all eyes focused on the screen as Woody and Buzz sprang to life.
And there you go!
BTW: Alexis is working in New York, so she is close to home. If you have any more questions, please let me know! :) Until next time!
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