Hi everyone, yes it's me again! surprise! haha... it's the same old thing really, just bored at my internship so I have loads of time to write. Before you start reading I wanted to address a few things. Yes, I know, chapter 6 was very fluffy. Maybe I should have warned before hand. Some reviewers 'complained' about it because they want more angst. I understand, but for me to continue this story I can't keep up the angst the whole time you know... But anyway, I still hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know! x
Kate was relieved to finally be rid of her bra and let out a sigh and pulled on one of Castle's oversized shirts to sleep in, it being one of the few things that still 'fitted'. She didn't even bother to put on some shorts. Exhaustion had taken over, even brushing her teeth felt like an impossible task. But as always she managed and moaned as she slipped under the covers still missing the fact that she was once able to sleep on her stomach.
Castle was sitting up in their bed, reading… something; she didn't even care as her eyelids drooped
"You look exhausted" Castle commented as he laid down the book next to him and scooted down a bit, he pulled up the blankets a bit so she was fully covered.
"I am exhausted" she breathed out and faintly smiled, her eyes already closed
"Kate?" Castle carefully asked, not even sure if she was already asleep
"Hmm" she hummed
"Maybe you should consider going on maternity leave already".
She barely even react, just shook her head "no, too much to do"
Castle sighed but then smiled, he could get so frustrated by her stubbornness but it was also something he loved about her. He knew that she would eventually cave and stay home, not that he would stop trying though.
"Kate?" he repeated
"Hmm" she responded again
"I was thinking, maybe we could invite your dad over, get Mother and Alexis and have a nice family dinner, just to celebrate being together".
Kate's eyes shot open as she propped herself up on her elbows. Castle noticed her sudden change in posture and raised his eyebrow
"What's wrong?"
Kate forced a smile and swallowed "nothing, it's just um- dad, he's still at the cabin, not really reachable you know, so I don't think he'll be there… but we can still have a nice family dinner"
Castle looked at her feeling suspicious "well we can always try right?"
Kate shrugged "I'll try calling him". She was still sitting up and seemed alarmed by something as simple as a family dinner
"What are you keeping from me?"
Kate covered her face with her hand as she let herself drop back down on the matrass, her head cushioned by the pillow "I'm tired Castle, can we talk about this later?"
Castle looked at her in silence "is it your dad?"
Kate could see the hurt on his face and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out
"It is your dad". Suddenly everything fell into place, how she never mentioned her father to him anymore and when he asked she just waved it away by saying he was still at the cabin…
"Kate?"
"I'm sorry Castle"
"I thought we weren't keeping secrets from each other anymore!" he exclaimed, his voice raised.
"I know, I know and I'm sorry but I just thought dad would come around but-"
Castle sighed and tried to calm himself "come around to what? Is he angry at me?" Castle's eyes widened "of course he is, why hadn't I thought of that"
Kate sat up again and reached for his hands, forcing him to look at her as he had averted his gaze "Rick-" she said, hoping he would listen to her if she called him by his first name "he's not angry at you he's just… being a protective father. When you were missing and all the evidence lead to you being a willing participant to your own disappearance, I kept believing in you but he… he thought I was just blinded because I loved you so much and then I found out I was pregnant and it was… just too much for him I guess"
Castle slowly nodded as he took it all in "I can't blame him, if something like that happened to Alexis…"
Kate kissed his knuckles "you're a good dad" she smiled.
"We need to fix this" Castle said, breathing out as he slumped back down into the bed
"I called him today, telling him about the wedding and asking if he wanted to be part of the wedding, or at least be there"
"What did he answer?"
Kate shrugged "voicemail" as she scooted closer to her fiancé's body and rested her head on his broad chest, silently listening to his heartbeat as she entangled her legs with his and moved into a comfortable position so her belly wouldn't weigh her down.
"He'll call back" she whispered and massaged his chest with the palm of her hand, rubbing soothing circles.
Castle just sighed, "I thought we were over… this mess you know" "I know, I'm sorry, let's just go to sleep"
Castle huffed out and dimmed the lights. Normally he wouldn't 'give up' like that be he knew she needed her sleep. He heard her breathing even out, a sign that she was asleep. Not that he was able that night.
Jim Beckett had arrived to a dark apartment. He sighed and dropped his heavy messenger bag and hung up his coat before even turning on the lights. Stretching out his limbs and popping the joints of his fingers he headed to the answering machine.
Sure he had a cell phone, mostly because it was quite impossible to be a lawyer and not have one. But he was old-fashioned and he liked his coming home routine after a long day; which consisted of dropping his bag, hanging up his coat, walking to the answering machine and listening to the messages as he would untie his shoes on a chair next to it.
He pushed the little red button and sat down. Just when he was about to untie the laces of his shoes the voice of his daughter pierced his ears.
"Katie" he breathed out and listened intently to what she had to say. She sounded a bit sad to him as guilt struck him. He never intended to ignore her but he couldn't just look and stand by how she was thoroughly consumed by the disappearance of her fiancé. All the damning evidence lead to him but she just ignored it all. She ignored it, his daughter, the most rational, sometimes even worryingly rational person he knew. And when he finally returned he had amnesia? As if it was some cheesy daytime soap opera? Jim shook his head again; he knew he had to set aside his mistrust. For her and for his soon to be born grandson. A smile crept up, he was getting a grandson, he was becoming a grandfather. If only Johanna was alive to see it. She'd probably had already set him straight and scolded him for not trusting his own daughter's judgment.
Jim stared at the machine and hesitated before pushing the button again so the message would be repeated, he loved hearing her voice, which started to sound more and more like his late wife. He'll call her back in the morning.
Castle was sitting on one of the high bar stools at the kitchen. A cup of coffee warming his hands. He stared into the dark liquid as he felt the steam warm his face.
Kate had already left for work complaining that she couldn't stand the scent of the amazing coffee they had at home that filled the loft with it's smell and that she has to stay abstinent of.
His mother walked into the kitchen with her familiar flair and got a cup for herself as she sniffed from the coffee and breathed out with satisfied sigh "coffee warms the hands and the soul!" she commented and turned to her son who was slumped down at the kitchen table.
"Are you alright, kiddo?" she asked as she leaned against the kitchen counter.
Castle looked up. Martha didn't see any of the familiar playfulness of her son and sensed it was serious. "Beckett's dad, he distrusts me," he eventually answered after a few seconds of deep thought.
Martha nodded and let out a sigh "I know"
"You knew? Why didn't you tell me?"
Martha waved at him "I just figured it was something between you and Katherine, there was happening so much I didn't want to bring that up too"
Castle grunted and looked back into his mug.
Martha walked up to her son and laid her hand on his shoulder "he's just being protective of her, just like you are of Alexis"
Castle nodded, not even bothered to look up "I know, I know, I get it, I just don't want him to hate me"
"Oh, Richard. He doesn't hate you" she answered, tapping his shoulder so he would sit up "what if it happened to Alexis? What would you want from the boy when he returned?"
Castle shuddered not wishing that upon his daughter or imagine his little girl pregnant "I'd… want him to come and talk to me… eventually, I guess"
Martha smiled "see! Go talk to the man, he'll be grateful"
Castle faintly smiled at his mother "you're right, thank you"
A tight-lipped, serious looking Jim Beckett was sitting in front of him. He could see the likeliness of Kate and her father when she was angry with him, and it was scary to say the least.
Jim had a rare day off from work and wasn't really interested in spending it in silence with his soon-to-be son-in-law. He had eventually called his daughter back. Kate had asked him if they could meet up at his house and he agreed. There was a big smile on his face when she walked through his door, marveling at her fast growing stomach, but the smile quickly faded when he saw that Castle had followed her in.
And now they were sitting on the couch. Kate sipping from her tea, her baby uncomfortably rolling around inside of her, as Castle rotated the empty coffee mug between the palms of his hand.
Jim sighed and smiled at both of them, trying to break the awkward silence as he rested his elbows on his knees. "Look I know why you guys are here, and of course I'll be there for the wedding, I am your father Kate, I wouldn't miss it for the world"
Kate smiled back at him "Dad, I understand but it's not me getting married you know… I am getting married to him and I need you to be ok with that"
Jim glanced at Castle and back at his daughter "I understand, could you maybe give us a second Katie, I'd like to talk to him"
Kate nodded, a smile crept up "I need to pee anyway" she said as struggled the get from the couch. Both men stood up to help her out as they reached out their hand for her to take. Kate grinned as she took both their hands and walked off to the bathroom.
Jim's smile soon turned back into a frown as he ushered Castle to sit back down and moved his chair that stood opposite of the couch closer before sitting down. "Look, Richard, I know she loves you, but don't forget that I am not just her father, I am also a lawyer… and your story does not add up"
Castle was taken aback by the sudden bluntness of his fiancée's father but before he could answer Jim continued
"I don't have much family left and she is the most important thing to me, so I am going to play along, I'll give her away and I'll have a piece of wedding cake and sip the champagne, but don't forget for a second that I won't be there to protect her when you leave again"
Castle felt anger rush through his body as he tried his utter best to keep himself contained. He didn't get angry easily but no one ever doubted his love for her and even though somewhere deep down her understood where Jim was coming from he felt that he had no right.
"You are not going to give me a chance to explain?" he muttered, but Jim shook his head
"I know enough"
Castle jaw stiffened, not being able to keep himself composed anymore
"But you don't! I love her. I love her so much. I know the story doesn't add up because I have spent days and nights trying to figure out what has happened to me! Do you really think I'd leave her on our wedding day? Willingly leave my own daughter for six whole months?! I know that you are a lawyer but I am a writer, I make up stories every damn day, it's my job, do you really think I'd come up with such a terrible one to safe my own ass?"
Jim's jaw dropped but before he could answer a grunt came from behind them
"Kate are you ok?" Castle asked as he stood up, seeing her in agony, and made his way to her.
She nodded, her face twisted in pain as she had both of her hands pressed against her back "i'm fine! Why can't you two just work it out, I don't want some charade from you dad! I want you to be for me- ah- and Castle"
Jim and Castle shared a look
"I'm going to call 911" Jim spoke and walked up tot he phone
"No, it's ok, it's nothing"
"Kate, I think you are in labor, we need to get you to the hospital" Castle spoke soothingly.
She shook her head "no, not before you two talk this out"
"It's not important right now"
"It is!" she said gritting her teeth as she felt the pain surge through her body "it's not time, they're just Braxton hicks contractions, I've been having them all day"
Castle shared another look with Jim who had hesitated calling, but didn't anymore as he dialed 911.
"Look at me Kate, your dad and I we'll figure it out but we need you both to be safe ok?"
Kate looked at her father who had a terrified expression on his face and nodded, suddenly she started to feel scared too as it dawned on her that these contractions weren't as innocent as she thought they originally were. Now only thinking about her baby she nodded "ok, you're right"
ohhh cliffhanger! sorry about that! there will probably be another chapter update tomorrow. Thanks for reading! (like always, it hasn't been beta'd, sorry!)
