Disclaimers: 'Castle' is owned by Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC Studios. I'm just playing mad scientist and playing with their creation.
Summary: A lot of stuff is going on in this chapter. A wedding, a surprise, pre-trial stuff. I'm going to cram a lot of stuff in here.
A/N #1: In the last chapter of 'That is True Love,' I have Kate nine months pregnant with hers' and Castle's second child. This chapter starts that process.
A/N #2: Since Alexis is getting married, I have to include Meredith in this final chapter.
Chapter 10: Hope for the Future
Almost two years later
"Grandma, what big eyes you have," Castle read in a squeaky little girl voice as the small girl at his side giggled in delight. "All the better to see you with, the big bad wolf said."
"Daddy, you didn't make him sound mean enough," Three-year-old Ariel complained.
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"
"Daddy," Ariel whined. "Is mommy sick?"
"Why are you asking me that?" Castle closed the book and focused all of his attention on the little girl with the tumble of brown curls, whose smile was so much like her mother's.
"Because she had to throw up this morning. I heard her."
"I'm sure that mommy is just fine," he got up and pulled Ariel under her covers. "Tomorrow you get to wear your pretty flower girl dress."
"Is Lex getting married tomorrow?"
"No, the day after tomorrow. We have the rehearsal dinner tomorrow. Do you remember when mommy and daddy told you about how we all have to practice before Lex's wedding?" Ariel nodded solemnly. "That's why you get to wear your pretty flower girl dress."
"Mommy said if I'm really good she might let me wear a little makeup," Ariel's blue eyes grew huge in her face.
"I'll let you take that up with mommy. Goodnight, sweet pea," he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"'Night, daddy," she rolled onto her side, her hand wrapped in her favorite rag doll.
Castle left the bedroom, pulling Ariel's door partially closed before he went downstairs in search of his wife. He found her on the bathroom floor, leaning against the bathtub. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm terrific, Castle," she looked up at him with a look of shock, awe, and love all mixed together written all over her face.
"Ariel said that you were sick this morning. Are you sure that you're okay?" He lowered himself to the floor beside her. "Maybe you should go to the doctor."
"Oh, I will," she bit her lip and smiled before she pressed something into his hand. "I'll make an appointment first thing in the morning."
He glanced down at the object in his hand, a long white stick with a blue '+' sign. He stared at the plus sign for a good five minutes before looking at Kate, who was smiling broadly. "So, you peed on a stick and we have a plus sign?" She nodded. "My guys finally asked for fucking directions!" He crowed as she quickly hushed him. "Sorry."
"I've suspected for a few days. So I decided to buy a couple of tests. They both came up positive. I probably won't be able to get in to see Dr. Caulfield until after the wedding, so please don't say anything."
"Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?" He kissed her as she laughed against his mouth. "How do you feel?"
"Honestly, god awful. I think it's a boy this time, Castle."
"Well, we'll know soon enough," he kissed her again.
The next morning, after spending part of the morning retching over the toilet, Kate literally crawled into the shower. She felt so weak and shaky. She had a feeling morning sickness was going to kick her ass this time around. She heard the shower door open, followed by Castle's strong arms circling around her waist, pulling her against him. She turned and leaned into him, allowing him to hold her up. "I can't be sick, Castle. I have too much to do. I have to go to work. I have to get ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight. I don't have time to be sick."
"I'll make you some tea and crackers for the road," he kissed the top of her head as she suddenly pushed away from him and threw up all over the shower. He held her up as she violently retched.
"I'm so not looking forward to three months of this," she groaned.
"Are you done?" He asked as she nodded.
Until Ari's announcement that she wanted oatmeal for breakfast sent Kate bolting back to the bathroom. "See? I told you mommy was sick," Ari told her father.
"Mommy's going to be fine. What kind of oatmeal do you want?"
"Strawberry. Daddy, can Jane go to the wedding?" Ariel asked, referring to her rag doll.
"No, sweet pea. Jane has to stay home."
"But, she'll be alone and she won't have anybody to play with."
"She'll have your other toys to play with. They always come out to play when you're not at home."
"Like Doc McStuffins?" She asked, referring to one of the shows she was allowed to watch.
"Exactly," Castle finished mixing Ariel's oatmeal as Kate once again came out of the bedroom.
"I have to go," she came over and kissed Ari's long curls. "Be good for daddy."
She then walked into the kitchen and tried not to look at the concoction in her daughter's breakfast bowl. "Call Dr. Caulfield," he whispered in her ear.
"I've already left a message. I'll talk to you at lunchtime," she kissed him. "Be nice to your ex-wife," she warned him.
Castle rolled his eyes at the thought of having to see Meredith. Since his marriage to Kate and Ariel's birth, things had been somewhat rocky between the two of them. The reason for this was due to Kate and Alexis's burgeoning relationship. Meredith complained that she was being shut out. Castle felt like telling her that you actually have to be 'in' in order to be shut out, but that concept was foreign to Meredith.
"I'll be civil to her," he smiled at her.
"I'll be home by five. Will you do me a favor and try to have her dressed?" She nodded toward Ari. "I'll do her hair when I get home."
"I'll manage. I can even manage her hair, if you want. I was quite the hairdresser when Alexis was growing up."
"I'll do her hair," she repeated.
***CCC***
"I just don't understand why you have all of your father's friends in your wedding party," Meredith complained once again as Alexis rolled her eyes.
"They're not all in my wedding party," Alexis corrected her. "Some of my school friends are in my wedding party, too. I asked Javi and Kevin to be ushers because they're dad and mom . . . Kate's best friends and they've always been there for me. Jenny Ryan's my matron of honor because I don't know any other married women except for Kate –"
"Who you decided is the mother of the bride," Meredith said in a huff.
"Mom, please stop," Alexis pleaded with her. "You're my mother and I love you, but we've never had that kind of a mother/daughter relationship. It doesn't mean that I love you less, because I don't. You're the one who wants to go shopping with me. Kate doesn't do any of that. But I can talk to her about sex and falling in love. She's the one who sets me straight when she thinks I'm headed in the wrong direction. Please tell me that you're not going to make a scene tomorrow afternoon. This is the most important day in my life."
"I'm not going to ruin your wedding. Oh my god, my little girl is going to get married," Meredith gushed while Alexis fought to keep the eye rolling to a minimum.
She remembered a conversation she'd had with her dad and Kate a few weeks before when they were discussing the wedding.
"Dad, how are you going to answer when the minister asks 'Who gives this woman to this man?'"
"Well, the traditional answer is 'Her mother and I do.' Why? Do you want me to answer differently?"
"Well, this is Meredith that we're talking about. If you say, 'her mother and I do,' then she's going to assume that you're talking about Kate."
"And she would be correct," Castle told Alexis.
"Dad, I don't want my wedding to be 'Film at 11.' We need to amend that statement, somehow."
So Castle had amended the statement so that both Kate and Meredith received equal billing. Alexis hadn't realized how much planning a wedding involved being a circus juggler, as well. She was falling in bed exhausted every night when she wasn't crying in Brian's arms, wondering out loud why they hadn't eloped.
***CCC***
Kate was sitting in front of her computer fighting off massive waves of nausea. She'd gotten lucky and had managed to get an early afternoon appointment with Dr. Caulfield. So that just left getting through the morning. "Are you okay?" She looked to her right to find Ryan standing there. "You look exhausted."
"Thanks, Ryan. You look great, too."
"Um, Beckett, I saw on the news last night – they were talking about Bracken's trial. Is it really going to start in two weeks?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "I've been so busy helping Alexis with the wedding that I haven't given it a lot of thought."
"That's probably a good thing, though."
"I guess."
It had taken more than three years for the former Senator's trial to start. He'd been in custody for five months, but had then been released on house arrest ever since. Kate remembered those days of being guarded after an attempt had been made on her life. After it was all over, the FBI had found a recording; a recording that Kate and her father still hadn't listened to, where Bracken was heard specifically ordering the hit on her mother. She'd already been warned that the recording would be played at the trial. The prosecution had managed to get it admitted into evidence, despite Bracken's defense team's objections.
***CCC***
Castle was at his laptop while Ariel played with her dolls in a corner of the office. He smiled as he listened to her chatter. Kate often commented that their daughter had inherited her father's gift for gab, because quiet, she wasn't. If she wasn't asking hundreds of questions, she was making observations. And Castle had noticed that although barely three years old, Ariel Johanna Castle was very observant. He was convinced that she'd inherited that trait from Kate.
He looked to his right to find a pair of bright blue eyes watching him. "Yes, ma'am? How may I help you today?"
"Why is Lex so big and I'm so little? Haley's three, but Braxton is four. Why isn't Lex my age?"
"Because, you and Lex have different mommies," Castle lifted Ariel up and placed her on the edge of his desk. "Meredith is Lex's mommy."
"But you're Lex's daddy, too?"
"Yes, I'm Lex's daddy, but Lex was born a long time ago. I met your mommy and we got married, and that's when we had you. Does that make sense?"
"No."
"Well, you know what? You'll understand when you're older."
"Is your next little girl going to have another mommy?"
"What? No. Sweetie, you're too little to ask such big girl questions. Why don't you go play?"
"Can we play CandyLand?"
"Yes, we can play CandyLand," he chuckled, saving his document and closing the lid on his laptop.
***CCC***
Early that afternoon, Kate was lying on an examination table in her OB/GYN's office, tears rolling down her face as she stared at the image on the ultrasound. "I told you that all you needed to do was relax and be patient," Dr. Caulfield smiled at her patient. "I'd say that you're about six weeks pregnant, which would put your due date at early January."
"Everything looks okay?"
"So far, everything looks great."
"I've been so horrendously sick the last few days," she complained.
"Every pregnancy is different, Kate. Just keep some saltines on hand to nibble on when you feel queasy. Listen to your body, just like you did with Ariel. Congratulations."
***CCC***
"I love my pretty flower girl dress," Ariel twirled in front of the full-length mirror in the master bedroom. "Do you know why, daddy?"
"No, why?" Castle smiled at his miniature version of Kate.
"Because it has my best colors in it. Pink and purple. And it has flowers on it."
It was a beautiful dress. The bodice was pink with bright flowers on it while the skirt was purple with flowers along the bottom. It was full and Ariel loved to twirl around in it. Paired with white tights and white patent leather shoes, Ariel totally rocked the flower girl look. "Mommy is going to fix your hair as soon as she gets home, so I need for you to do something for me. As soon as I finish getting you dressed, you need to go upstairs and play in your room."
"Can I play with my board?"
"No, not the chalkboard!" Castle answered in horror. "Why don't you have a tea party with Jane and your other dolls?"
"Daddy, tea parties are only for gram," she gave her father an eye roll that her mother would've been proud of.
"Please play with your dolls," he begged her.
"Okay."
He sighed as he tied a perfect bow in the back of Ariel's dress. This child was three going on 23. She was far too smart for her own good sometimes. As soon as he finished with the dress, Ariel kissed him and ran up to her room. He glanced at his watch. His mother was due over in the next hour. He was hoping that Martha could keep the boundless bundle of energy that was Ariel occupied while he took a shower and got dressed himself.
***CCC***
When Kate went back to the precinct, she spent 45 minutes in the bathroom sobbing over the sonogram picture in her hand. While she was thrilled to be pregnant, the timing couldn't have been worse. Bracken's trial was about to start, and she feared what the stress would do to her body. She knew that Castle had a trip to L.A. planned for the early fall to promote the newest Nikki Heat movie, Frozen Heat. He also had a book tour planned for later in the year. It was short by his usual tour standards, only three weeks, but that seemed like a lifetime with the trial and a new pregnancy hanging over her head.
She took her phone out when she heard it buzz. 'How r u feeling? Sending u a picture of Ariel in her pretty flower girl dress. ILY.'
Kate smiled when the picture uploaded to her phone. When did her tiny baby girl start looking so grown up? She dialed Alexis' number. "Hey, did you see Ari in her dress?"
"Yeah, dad just sent me a picture. She's going to be the cutest flower girl ever."
"I just hope she doesn't pick tonight or tomorrow to remind us that she's three," Kate cringed at the thought of her small daughter throwing a ill-timed temper tantrum.
"Well, if she does, we just have to keep in mind that she is three, although she doesn't act like it most of the time."
"How are you holding up?" Kate asked.
"I'm nervous."
"Are you still coming home with us after the rehearsal dinner?"
"Yeah. Everybody is insistent that it's bad luck for Brian to see me the night before the wedding."
"Well, we'll see you at the hall at six. I love you."
"I love you too, Kate. I'll see you soon."
Kate hung up, knowing that Meredith had to have been within earshot, because lately Alexis referred to Kate as 'mom.' She'd told her when Ari was a baby that it was just less complicated, but she'd finally admitted during a girl's night with Lanie and Jenny that she considered Kate to be more of a mom than Meredith. She smiled thinking of the young woman that she'd watched grow from a shy teenager into a young woman who was getting married in less than 24 hours.
***CCC***
When Kate entered the loft shortly after five, everything was quiet. "Hello!" She called out.
"I'm getting dressed!" She heard Castle's voice calling from the bedroom.
She entered the bedroom and smiled as she watched Rick tying the tie for his Armani suit. "I love that suit," she walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "You smell wonderful."
"Thank you," he turned and clasped his hands together behind her. "Mother is upstairs with Ariel, having a tea party. How was your day?"
"I have something to show you," she bit her lip as she opened her purse and removed a small envelope and handed it to him.
He opened the envelope and removed the contents as his eyes filled with tears. "It's official then?" He asked as he stared at the sonogram picture.
"It doesn't get much more official than that."
"Oh Kate, this is great! I'm so happy! Can we tell everybody tonight?"
"Uh, why don't we wait until after the wedding? This is Alexis and Brian's time. I don't want to take anything away from them."
"Okay. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm more than okay. I'm just a little nervous about the trial and you having to go away in the fall."
"It's going to be okay."
"I know. I have to get dressed or we're going to be late."
After she dressed and did her hair, Kate placed Ari between her knees and began the task of meticulously curling the toddler's almost waist length hair. Everywhere they went, strangers would comment on Ari's hair. Kate had remembered when she was small how her mother would take her curls and twine them around her fingers, until ringlets would form. So, that was what Kate now did with Ari's hair. It was a long, time consuming process, but the end result was so worth it. After creating eight ringlets, Kate tied her hair back and fastened a huge bow in it. "You look scrumptious," Kate kissed Ari on the neck, causing her to break out in giggles.
"Can I have some makeup?"
"Daddy is going to kill me," Kate whispered as she took her makeup brush and applied a small amount of blush to her daughter's cheeks.
Kate stood up and brushed the stray hair off of her dress with a lint brush before grabbing her wrap and taking her daughter by the hand, they left the master bedroom to the living room where Castle and Martha were both waiting.
"Katherine, you look amazing," Martha breathed.
"Thank you, Martha," Kate smiled as her eyes met Castle's. Kate's dress was midnight blue and clung to her like a second skin. She had paired it with a sapphire necklace, bracelet and matching earrings.
The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch. Ariel had fallen asleep in the Town Car on the way home so Castle carried her up to her room and put her in bed before coming downstairs to the living room. He smiled at Kate and Alexis sitting at the kitchen counter. "Is the loft going to look different after I get married?" Alexis wondered out loud.
"No, but you're going to feel different when you visit," Castle kissed the top of her head.
"I remember sliding in the upstairs hallway in my socks and having insane laser tag matches. Do you remember when I dropped from the ceiling?"
"How can I forget? You and your gram set me up," he frowned. "So what are our plans for your last night as a single lady?"
"Wedding movies," Alexis looked at Kate as her father groaned. "'Steel Magnolias,' 'Father of the Bride,' 'My Fair Lady.'"
"You're missing the best of them all. 'Bride of Frankenstein,'" Castle beamed as both women rolled their eyes.
They all settled on the sofa as Alexis put the first movie in the DVD player. Kate rested her head on Castle's shoulder and that was the last thing that she remembered.
She woke up to the feel of someone removing her clothes. "Castle?" She whispered, her voice thick with sleep.
"Yeah. Go back to sleep."
"So tired," her voice was slurred as she rolled over and wrapped her arms into Castle's pillow.
He got undressed and crawled into bed beside her as she transferred her arms from his pillow to him, curling herself into the warmth of his body. He smiled at the feel of Kate snuggled so tightly into his body, once again carrying his child. The miracle never failed to fascinate him. He knew how badly Kate wanted to give him a son this time, but the only thing he hoped for was a healthy child. That was the only thing that mattered.
***CCC***
"Daddy, is Kate okay?" Alexis asked the next morning.
"She throws up a lot," Ariel told her sister.
"Ariel," Castle gave his daughter a warning. Even at such a young age, she knew what it meant.
"Dad, is Kate –" Alexis glanced at her sister before continuing, "is she p-r-e-g-n-a-n-t?"
"We wanted to wait until after the wedding to make an official announcement. I just found out yesterday."
"That's great!" Alexis ran around the counter and hugged him. "I'm going to go check on Kate!"
At the moment, Kate just wanted someone to shoot her and put her out of her misery. How could she be sick when there was nothing left in her stomach to come up? She curled up by the side of the toilet and let the coolness of the tile floor wash over her flushed skin. She didn't even hear the tapping on the bathroom door until she felt someone kneeling down beside her. She opened her eyes and groaned when she saw Alexis sitting there. "I'm going to kill your father," she groaned.
"Are you going to be okay to attend my wedding?"
"Oh sweetie, I might have to sit in the front pew with a bag over my mouth, but I'm not missing your wedding," Kate struggled to sit up. "I'll be okay. The worst of it usually eases up by mid-morning. I might be nauseous, but I'll survive. Your grandmother and your mother are supposed to be here soon. Do you think you can handle things until I'm feeling a little better? I'll get Ari dressed."
"I've got it under control. Do you need anything?"
"What's Ari doing?"
"She was eating breakfast."
"Can you send her in here?" Kate smiled. Alexis left the room, but minutes later, Kate smiled when she saw a vision with flowing curls, wearing Dora the Explorer pajamas stick her head around the bathroom door. "Hey, chunky monkey. Come here a minute."
"Mommy, did you eat too much candy? I always get sick when I eat too much candy."
"No, sweetie. I didn't eat too much candy. I'll be okay in a little while. Sit and tell me a story until I feel better." Having a writer for a father had given little Ari a vivid imagination. Like her older sister, Ari was something of an old soul. "What have Jane and Alice been up to?"
"They went to the zoo," Ari warmed up to her audience. "And a tiger got out."
"Oh no, not a tiger," Kate smiled while Ari wove her tale, complete with grand hand gestures and sound effects.
***CCC***
By early afternoon, Kate felt well enough so that she could function. She got herself dressed before she went to work on Ari. "I want to see Lex's dress!" Ari protested while Kate ran a brush through her tangled curls. "Mommy, I want to see it!"
"We're all going to see it in a few minutes. Please be still so that I can do your hair."
"Mommy, it hurts!"
"Ariel Johanna Castle, don't make me put you in time out!"
Crossing her arms over her chest in defiance, Ari finally sat still enough for Kate to do her hair. She could hear Alexis and the other women in the living room. Like Ari, she couldn't wait to see Alexis' dress. Castle had left the loft an hour before to get dressed at her father's house. He'd told Kate that if he saw his daughter before he walked her down the aisle, he'd lose it. "Where's my daddy?"
"He went to Grandpa's house to get dressed."
"Why didn't he get dressed here?"
"Because he doesn't want to see Lex in her dress until the wedding."
"Why? Her dress is pretty."
"I know, but daddy wants to be surprised."
"Why?"
"You'll understand why when you're older. Let me look at you," she turned Ari around to face her. "Now remember not to dump all of your flower petals out at one time, but don't drop them one at a time, either."
"Mommy, I know," Kate laughed at how old Ari sounded.
"I know. You're the all seeing, all knowing Ariel," Kate kissed her on the cheek. "Come on, let's go see Alexis."
Kate came out of the master bedroom with Ari and they sat beside Martha on the sofa. "Meredith's upstairs with her," Martha smiled.
"That's good," Kate smiled back. "They needed this moment together. Meredith needs to see that I haven't commandeered her daughter," she held Ari's ears as she made the statement.
Upstairs, Alexis was standing in front of the full length mirror on her closet door as her mother stood right behind her. "Oh my god, Alexis. You look ravishing. Brian is a lucky man."
"Thanks, mom," Alexis smiled.
The dress was Vera Wang. It was white and covered in intricate lacework. It didn't have a train because Alexis hadn't wanted to have to deal with one. She remembered when her father had married Kate. Kate's train had gotten in the way every time she turned around. She turned to face her mom. "You look so beautiful," Meredith breathed as her eyes filled with tears.
"Mom, thank you for helping me get ready. I'm not sure I could've done this without you."
"Oh, you're welcome, baby," she hugged her tightly. "Are you ready to head to the church?"
"Yeah," Alexis smiled.
Meredith came down the stairs first followed by Alexis. Martha and Kate looked at each other and then at Alexis. "Oh Alexis," Kate breathed. "You are absolutely breathtaking."
"Thank you, Kate."
"Alexis, I loaned this to Kate when she married your father and I want you to wear it when you marry Brian," Martha came behind Alexis, clasping the ruby and diamond choker around her neck.
"Thank you, gram," Alexis turned and hugged her grandmother.
"We'd better go. The car is already downstairs waiting for us. Your father has been texting every 10 seconds."
When they got to the church, the women went with Alexis into one of the rooms to finish getting ready. They were there when they heard a knock on the door. Martha opened it to let Castle in. Kate thought that her husband looked extremely dashing in his tuxedo. His eyes filled when he got his first look at Alexis. "Wow," he managed to breathe. "Are you almost ready? Because I've been told that this is the part where I'm supposed to have a few words alone with my little girl."
"We're ready," Kate held her hand out to Ari as she followed the other women out of the room.
"We did good, didn't we, Ricky?" Meredith whispered in his ear before she left the room.
"Yeah, we did great," he forced a smile. He waited until they'd all left the room before he turned to face Alexis once again. "Just yesterday a nurse was handing me a redheaded screaming bundle in the hospital. When did you grow up?"
"According to you and gram, a long time ago."
"This is supposed to be a happy day, and it is, but according to my father-in-law, it's okay for me to feel a little sad, also. You're marrying a good man. But that good man will never love you as much as I do."
"I know, daddy," tears filled Alexis' eyes. "I love him, daddy, but you're always going to be my go-to guy."
"Sweetie, Brian is going to be your go-to guy from now on, and I'm okay with that. Because that gives me a chance to be Ariel's go-to guy."
"I hope that someday my kids think of Brian as the cool dad. You're the best, daddy," she kissed his cheek.
"I guess that the only thing left to do is to get you married," he grinned at her.
In the sanctuary, everyone was anxiously waiting for the ceremony to start. Meredith turned to Kate and took her hand. "I know that you and I have had our differences since you and Rick got married. But I want to thank you for being there when Alexis needed you. I know that I've made a lot of mistakes, but I love my daughter very much."
"I know that, Meredith. She loves you, too. I was glad to be there for her."
At that moment, the organ music changed to 'The Wedding Processional' as everybody rose to their feet. Kate grinned proudly as Ariel marched solemnly down the aisle, slowly dropping rose petals from her basket, but stopping to give her mom a wave along the way.
Everybody gave a collective gasp as Alexis came down the aisle, escorted by her very proud, albeit tearful father. When he reached the altar, he placed Alexis' hand on Brian's arm before giving her a kiss on the cheek. He then came and took his seat beside Kate, who took his hand and squeezed it. "Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?" The minister asked, looking toward Castle.
"Her mothers' and I do," he answered in a clear voice as both Kate and Meredith smiled at him.
"Perfect," Kate kissed his cheek.
"Hey, I couldn't let my baby girls' wedding be film at 11."
The ceremony was a blur, but tears streamed down Castle, Kate, and Meredith's faces when Alexia and Brian shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
The reception was held at The Four Seasons, where the main ballroom had been transformed into a flower filled wonderland. During the father/daughter dance, Castle held his firstborn close to him as they moved around the dance floor. Alexis smiled as they watched Ariel playing on the dance floor with Ryan's two-year-old son, Liam. "So, do you think Ariel's dancing with her future husband over there?"
"Are you kidding? I'm sending her to a convent tomorrow."
"I bet you said that about me at one time, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I probably did. You were the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."
"More beautiful than Kate?"
"No comment. Let me just say the most beautiful redheaded bride I've ever seen. How's that?"
"Okay," Alexis smiled. "I'm so glad that you're my dad."
"Oh, I'm happy to be your dad. Have I told you that you're the most amazing daughter ever?"
"Laying it on a little thick, aren't you? You're not losing me, daddy. This is just my next chapter."
"I love you, pumpkin."
"I love you too, dad."
Rick and Kate were on the dance floor later when Kate felt small hands tugging on her dress. "Hey, sweet pea," Rick scooped Ariel up and placed her so that both he and Kate could hold her between them while they danced. "Are you having fun?"
"I miss Jane," she yawned. "Can we go home now?"
"We'll go home soon," Kate told her.
Castle took her and held her so that she could put her head on his shoulder while he pulled Kate to him with his other arm. "She's asleep, isn't she?" He asked after a couple of minutes.
"Yeah, she's out," Kate smiled. "You're such a good daddy."
"That or my shoulders are just really comfortable to sleep on. All of my girls seem to like them," he smiled at her.
"Well, I like every part of you, Castle, but your shoulders are a huge favorite."
"Just think in a few months, we're going to be a family of five," he grinned at her. "Are you excited?"
"Very. I love you, Castle."
"I love you, Kate," they shared a tender kiss as one baby rested her sleepy head on her daddy's shoulder and another slept inside of its mother, protected for the time being.
A/N #3: The final part of the trifecta might be a while in the making because I need to take care of my other fan fiction universe for a little while. I've been neglecting them for a while.
I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960. The fandom is in an uproar over the seating for the Paley panel. Really?