The second they're entering the Castle household, Kate's enveloped in a hug by the oldest red head. Being welcomed so warmly still isn't something she's used to. The Castle's were huggers, and Kate however – was not. But feeling the motherly warmth from Martha Rogers – especially after tonight, filled her heart and made the ache and longing for her own mother subside just a little.
"Oh, Katherine – Richard, I'm so glad you're both okay." Martha's pulling back from having Kate, gripping her arms as she gives the girl a comforting smile before turning to face her son, her eyes landing on his bandaged hand and her brows pull together. "What on earth happened?"
Castle glances down at his hand hanging by his side, the other wrapped around Alexis who's now shifting and carefully lifting his hand. "Oh this? It's nothing, really." The edges of his lips curl into a small smile as he looks between his mother and daughter.
"It doesn't look like nothing, dad." Alexis adds, brow raising up at her father.
"Just a little bruised, is all. Nothing too major. Don't you worry about it pumpkin." He leans forwards to press his lips against Alexis' forehead before he's pulling back and looking over to Kate.
"Kate's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Just till the baby's born… and only if that's okay with you two, I really don't want to impose." Kate's teeth dig into her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth as she hesitantly looks between the two redheads.
Although Castle had pretty much not given her a choice in the matter, the opinions of the other two mattered to her a lot, and if they weren't comfortable with her staying; she wasn't going to make them feel uncomfortable in their own home.
Not only had she kept the secret of this baby from Castle for many months, but from the two red heads as well. She dreaded to think what they really thought of her for keeping such a thing from Castle.
"Oh, nonsense. You're family now, kiddo. You're more than welcome here anytime for however long." Martha shakes her head, brows pulling together and furrowing as her hand waves in the air.
"And you're carrying my little brother – why wouldn't we want you here, Detective?" Alexis pipes up, her smile growing wider, and it only causes Kate's heart to burst and the smallest of sighs of relief to slip past her lips.
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. And well, in that case – I think you can at least all me Kate now, Alexis. Detective seems so formal."
"Okay – Kate." Alexis nods, a smile still on her lips as she slowly retracts from her father to head towards the kitchen. "Are you thirsty?" Her brows raise as she moves around the island, and Martha clasps her hands together.
"You two must be starving – especially you, Katherine. You are eating for two after all – and I see the amount Richard eats – so if that boy is anything like him, well – you must be hungry."
"Hey, I don't eat that much." Castle's brows pull together, a small pout forming as they all move towards the kitchen.
"I think everyone would say otherwise, Castle." Kate quips, brow arching as she slides onto the stool in front of the kitchen island. "But – I am a little hungry. I don't think I've eaten since lunch." She's pulling her bottom lip into her mouth, a hand coming to rest at her stomach.
Before she got pregnant she was terrible when it came to eating. Her habits were all over the place. She barely had proper meals and when she did they were only ever take out. But the second she had found out she was carrying a child – her habits instantly changed. She made sure she ate properly, didn't miss any meals, and also made sure to cut down on the Styrofoam towers she always created.
"Well, we can definitely fix that." Castle's unbuttoning the cuffs on his wrist, grunting as he gets to the other one and Kate can't help but reach across the kitchen counter, her bump lightly pressing into the counter as she takes a hold of the buttons on Castle's wrist.
"Here, let me." She murmurs, glancing at the bandage wrapped around his hand as she pops the buttons open, her thumb smoothing against his wrist before she retracts, adjusting herself on the stool more as she clears her throat, gaze dropping to the counter as her hands come to rest on her bump.
Castle's pulse can't help but quicken at Kate jumping in so quickly, and there's a small smile playing on his lips, his eyes glistening as he watches the woman sit back and suddenly become so shy.
He carefully rolls up his sleeves, his hands soon connecting and rubbing together in the slightest as he pulls his bottom lip into his mouth. "Now – Miss Beckett, would you like to try my famous smorelette?" A smirk is forming across his lips, his brow's wiggling as he looks over at Kate.
"A what?" Both Kate and Alexis say in unison, the two girl's expressions both a look of confusion.
"A smorelette! It's like a smore… and an omelette!"
"Ew, dad – that's gross." Alexis face scrunches, head shaking.
"Richard, you want to feed the woman – not make her sick." Martha chimes in, giving Castle a look. "I could always whip you something up dear." Martha's smile pulls wide though Castle's quickly cutting in, stepping closer to his mother and placing his hand on her arm.
"Mother, like you said – we don't want to make her sick."
"My cooking is not that bad, Richard." Martha rolls her eyes, shooting him a look as Alexis come round to her grandmother.
"I think she's forgetting about all the times she almost poisoned us." He whispers to Alexis, a small giggle eliciting from the young girl.
"Gram, why don't we let dad and Kate be?"
"Oh, don't leave on my account." Kate quickly adds in, her pulse skipping a beat.
"I've got a big test tomorrow that I have to study for anyways." Alexis shrugs, a smile still on her face as the two red heads slowly disappear upstairs.
Kate's brows pull together, teeth chewing on the edge of her bottom lip as she watches the empty space.
"Don't think too hard, Kate. They're not running off because of you."
The edges of her lips twitch as she glances over at Castle. "I just don't want to make them leave their own kitchen because I'm here."
"I promise you they're not. They really do love having you around."
"Even though I kept the fact I was pregnant from you?" Her brow arches, a small sigh falling from her lips as she watches Castle stiffen and Kate's gaze drops to her stomach, her hand gently rubbing at her bump.
"I know I was angry for a while, but I'm not anymore. It's all water under the bridge now – and Alexis and my mother don't hold it against you – they don't hate you Kate, they really do love you and see you as family – even before you got pregnant."
Her lips twitch a little more, her head lifting and eyes landing on Castle to see her giving her a comforting smile and her heart skips a beat. She really didn't deserve him, or any of them.
"Now – why don't we get on with this smorelette. I promise you that you'll love it."
"I highly doubt that, Castle." She shakes her head, her heart still beating fast as she watches him move round the kitchen, gathering all the equipment and ingredients he needs.
"Oh, I beg to differ. By the end of the night, you'll be begging me to make you one of these bad boys every single day. And besides – pregnant woman always have weird cravings." He shrugs.
"Funny, I didn't think you were pregnant, Castle." Kate muses, head tilting to the side as she glances towards Alexis trying her best to stifle a laugh.
"Ha ha, very funny Beckett." He shoots her a look before he's continuing on with his task.
"Castle, this is…"
"Incredible? Amazing? Everything you never thought it would be?"
"Something like that." Kate's face pulls together, a look of mere disgust washing over her face as she slowly spits out the remnants of Castle's smorelette into her napkin.
He pouts, brows pulling together. "What? You don't like it? Was it too much marshmallow?" He sticks his fork into the smorelette, helping himself to a decent bite as he chews it before swallowing it and ponders for a moment. "Yeah, definitely too much marshmallow."
"Among… other things." Kate shakes her head, slowly pushing the plate away from her as she reaches for the glass of water to wash down the horrible taste lingering through her mouth. "I think I'll make some toast, Castle. Unless you've suddenly invented some sort of toast combination?" Her brow arches, mockery dripping from her tone as she slips from her seat to move into the kitchem.
He rolls his eyes, starts to clean up before he sees Kate pulling out the bread and he's quickly stepping towards her and swiping the loaf away from her. "Uh, uh. You sit, I'll do this."
"Castle, I'm pregnant. Not incompetent." She frowns at him, reaches for the bag but he simply steps back, holding it away from her.
"I never said you were. But, just let me do this, please? You've still had one hell of a day, and I just want you to put your feet up and relax. Hey! Why don't you run a bath while I make you something to eat, a proper meal – that I promise won't be a smorelette and will actually be edible."
Her brow raises before pulling together, her teeth digging into the corner of her bottom lip as she looks up at Castle. The idea of slipping into a nice warm bath – a bath she had grown accustomed to when she stayed here last already has her body tingling and buzzing with want. His bathtub was bigger than hers, and the salts he had were far more luxurious. And if she needed anything to calm her down after the past few days she's had, it would be a nice long bath.
"If you promise it'll be something that's actually edible, then we have a deal." She nods, a small smirk playing at her lips and Castle beams at her.
"Deal. There should be candles and salts already in the bathroom, along with fresh towels – play some music if you want to, I know my iPod's around there somewhere."
Kate's smile grows wider, teeth slowly sinking into her bottom lip as her body already starts to relax from the mere idea of slipping into a warm bath, candles lined around it and warm salts caressing her skin.
She starts to head towards the staircase, but not before Castle's taking a hold of her arm to spin her around and she raises her brow at him in confusion.
"Use the tub in my bathroom."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, yeah, because you'll be sleeping in my bed – I-I mean, my room." He quickly corrects himself, blinking a little too fast as his adams apple bops.
"Castle…" Her heart skips a beat, her pulse beginning to thump as she looks up at him.
"I'll be sleeping in the guest room while you're here, and you'll be taking my room. No funny business, I swear."
She swallows the small lump in her throat as she tries to tame her pulse from combusting. She wouldn't have minded any funny business, or even sharing a bed with Castle. But she knew if they were ever going to get to that point – they had to have a serious talk and lay out all the cards on the table. Something the two of them always struggled to do.
"Castle, I'm not going to kick you out of your room."
"You're not. I'm kicking myself out of my room. Because soon you're gonna have trouble going up and down those stairs, whether you'll admit that or not, and I don't want to take any chances of you possibly slipping or struggling – so, you'll take my room. That way you have everything you could possibly need right here on the ground floor. And no, you won't be fighting me on this one, Beckett." He smirks at her as he spins round to retreat back into the kitchen.
"When exactly did the roles reverse between us?" She asks, brow raising as her head shakes in the slightest.
"Hmm?"
"Usually I'm the one giving orders between the two of us."
Ever since she'd told him he was the father, he'd grown so protective over her. Even when he'd been angry at her and could barely look at her, he still strode into the Precinct every morning – still accompanied her out in the field. He rarely ever left her side and was always making sure she was comfortable and well.
She gathers after the events of tonight he's gone into overprotective mode, and although she'd usually hate being told what to do – being ordered to do this or that, she didn't mind it coming from Castle.
"I just want to take care of you, Kate. The both of you." His voice is softer, a whole lot softer for the light-hearted joke she'd been trying to make and her chest rises as she stares over at him. There's so much she wants to say – wants to do. But words have never been her forte, nor has expressing herself.
"Now – why don't you go run that bath, then I'll call you when dinners made, okay?" The edges of his lips curve, lifting into a smile as he waits for Kate's reply and she soon nods, does her best to reciprocate his smile before she's stepping off the first stair and heading towards his bedroom.
"Uh, Castle?" She comes to a halt, turns round to face him, just mere inches from his bedroom door and he turns round in the kitchen, looks over in her direction as his brows raise.
"I don't… I never brought any of my stuff over."
After they'd left the warehouse, they had headed straight for Castle's loft; neither even thinking to stop by Kate's apartment to grab a few things.
"I'll find some things for you, don't worry about that. We'll go get your things tomorrow, okay?"
She nods at him, the edges of her lips slowly lifting into a small smile. "Okay. Thank you, Castle."
He beams at her before turning round and proceeding with his new task as Kate watches him for a moment, her heart beating fast before she's spinning round and heading into his bedroom.
She takes her time in the bathroom; lines out candles and slips some rose smelling salts into the tub. She ties up her long curls into a bun, slips off her clothes and stops in the mirror to examine her body. She stands to her side, hand smoothing over the exposed bump as the edges of her lips curve into a wide smile.
It still weirded her out at times to look down and see her stomach popping out, or that she could feel her son moving around at times, causing nothing but butterflies to explode inside of her. But she loved what she saw whenever she looked in the mirror.
She carefully turns Castle's iPod on; can't help but beam at the fact he has a jazz playlist that she knows he only has because of her.
She'd been playing soft jazz throughout the loft one night when everyone had been out – he'd come home early and caught her of course. But he never pegged her for a jazz fan, wouldn't have expected her to listen to the tunes in her spare time. She had told him how her mother used to play a lot of it when she was younger, told him it relaxes her and makes her feel at home.
Her heart can only burst seeing he'd made a playlist – that he had most likely played these tunes and let them linger through the air of his loft while he types away or brews himself a coffee, and it warms her heart, as well as a small pang of longing and want.
She carefully steps into the tub, rests her head back and lets her lids fall closed.
She's not sure how long she spends in the tub soaking up the warm water and salts, but it's long enough for a sensation of comfort food to hit her senses and have her stomach growling.
There's knocking coming from the bathroom door, and Castle's voice soon filling the air from the other side. "Beckett? Dinner will be in five."
"Okay, Castle."
"I've laid some clothes out on my bed for you as well."
She smiles wide as she hears him moving away from the door and she carefully steps out of the tub, grabbing one of the fresh towels to wrap it around her body before she's draining the tub and blowing out all the candles.
She heads out of the bathroom, comes to a stop in front of the bed and her teeth pull her bottom lip into her mouth as she stares down at one of his t-shirts and some baggy sweat pants.
She sits on the edge of the bed, bringing the material of the shirt to her face as she inhales, and her heart skips a beat at the smell of him hitting her senses.
She still has the red t-shirt he'd given her after her apartment had blown up. She ended up taking it with her, it being one of the first things she slipped into her new set of draws when she found her own place.
She comes out of his bedroom wearing his baggy sweatpants that are rolled up at the top and a plain navy blue t-shirt, that despite her bump sticking out – still managed to cover her like a small dress. Her hair was still wet, now forming into soft curls around the frame of her face as she pads towards him in the kitchen, her stomach grumbling as she takes in all the different smells.
"Castle it smells so good, what'd you make?" She digs her teeth into her bottom lip, hands coming to the counter as she rises to her tip-topes, brows raising as she looks over to try and peek at what he's pulling out of the oven.
He places down a dish on the counter and turns around, his lips gaping in the slightest as he stares at her.
The first time he saw her in his clothes had been after their first night together when she'd been in his kitchen cooking breakfast and he didn't think his heart could beat anymore fast than it did in that moment.
But seeing her now – wearing his clothes, her makeup less face and damp hair with her bump sticking out and his child growing inside, his heart was bursting, beating faster than ever before. She'd never looked more beautiful than she did now, he thinks.
"What?" Kate's brows pull together as she glances down before back up at Castle, her head titling to the side.
"Uh – nothing." He swallows, quickly turns back to face the dish of paste he'd made as a light shade of red dusts across his cheeks from being caught gawking at her. "I made carbonara, I hope that's okay?"
She shrugs off the look that had been in his eyes when he was staring at her, and focuses on the meal he's made her. "It's more than okay. It smells delicious. Will Alexis and Martha be joining us?"
"Uh, unfortunately no. Mother and Alexis already ate earlier. Mother actually headed out when you were in the rub, and Alexis, bless her – is still studying away. So, you're stuck with just me."
"That's fine with me." She shrugs her shoulders, looks at him a little longer as her teeth sink into her bottom lip before she's moving towards the table where he's set up the cutlery and dishes.
"Castle, you should definitely stick to that and not a smorelette." Kate laughs slightly as she carefully falls down onto the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as her hand comes to rest against her stomach. "But that was really amazing, Castle – thank you."
Dinner had been lovely. The two had sat and made small talk, a few jokes here and there, and the occasional flirting that Kate had been pushing a bit more of. She felt braver after the kiss they'd shared – how close they'd been growing over the last few days. And what she could see in Castle's eyes, she definitely knew was in her own eyes.
"I'll try not to take offense to that." Castle muses as he sits beside Kate on the sofa.
She smiles at him before feeling the butterfly sensation in her stomach and Kate's reaching out without thinking to take a hold of Castle's hand and place it against her stomach. "I think someone else agrees with me."
"I can't believe that both of my children are against the smorelette. I feel ganged up on." He pouts, thinking back to Alexis reaction earlier. Though there's a hint of amusement in his tone as he shifts closer to Kate, brings his other hand to her stomach as he feels the small kicks.
She smirks down at him, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth as she watches him beam down at her stomach, his hands beginning to gently rub back and forth.
"You know, we really should start thinking of names." Castle's brow arches as he looks up at Kate.
"We're not naming him Cosmo."
"Dammit. I tried." He pulls his brows together, a smile still playing on his lips as he glances down at her stomach.
"Do you have any names in mind though?"
Kate chews on the edge of her lip her eyes focused on her stomach and Castle's hands. "I hadn't really thought about it."
They'd only just found out the gender a few days ago, and everything had been so hectic since then. She hadn't really had the time to sit down and think of possible names for their son.
"What about Derrick?"
"Castle, we're not naming our son after your first novel." She shakes her head at him, lightly shoving his arm as his smirk grows wider at her.
"Well, do you have any better ideas?"
Her brows pull together as silence fills the air between them.
"Didn't think so."
She rolls her eyes at him, shaking her head as she glances down at her stomach, small kicks still pressing into her stomach.
"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we just list off some names – and whatever reaction we get from the little one, we go with?"
She looks over at Castle, brows pulled together and one slowly raising as she refrains from laughing.
"Don't give me that look." He pulls his own brows together before leaning down towards her stomach.
"How do you like the name, Cosmo, little one?"
Kate's rolling her eyes, a small huff of air escaping her nostrils.
"I said we're not naming him, Cosmo, Castle."
"Hey, if he had've given us a reaction, then who are we to deny his fate?"
She shakes her head at him, a small laugh eliciting her lips.
"Your turn now, come on."
Kate bites her bottom lip, glances down at her stomach as she brings her hand to rest against it, rubbing it softly.
"Okay… what about, James?"
There's still no movement from the little one in Kate's stomach, and so the two keep listing off names – trying to get some sort've movement from the one inside Kate's stomach.
"Joseph?"
After what seemed like nothing – Kate even suggesting the little one had fallen asleep, there's a kick against her stomach and Kate's pulse skips a beat.
"Joseph?" She tilts her head, looking up at Castle who's eyes are focused on her stomach, but the sound of the name filling the air causes another kick and Kate's lips curve.
"I like that name." She murmurs, glancing down to her stomach. "Do you like that one, little guy? Huh?"
"I think he likes the name, don't you Joseph?" Castle's head tilts, rubbing Kate's stomach and earning another kick which has the pair smiling, both now beaming at each other.
"I think I know why he likes that name – why he knows it's his." Castle quips, gaze moving back down to her stomach and Kate's head cocks to the side.
"Well, it's sort've a variant of Johanna… in a way." He looks up at Kate, a soft look on his face and her pulse stops for a moment before thumping repeatedly beneath the cage of her ribs.
A lump forms in her throat, tears beginning to burn the rims of her lids as she stares over at him, not sure what to even say.
"We can call him Joe or Joey for short." His head drops, gaze locking on her stomach once more as more kicks elicit from her stomach and her heart bursts, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Joseph Beckett. I like it." Castle's smile widens and he looks up at Kate with hopeful eyes his brows soon creasing and smile dropping as he sees the tears in her eyes and he's quickly sitting up, a hand reaching out to brush away the tear rolling down her cheek. "Kate, hey – I'm sorry."
She shakes her head, lids falling closed as her fingertips wrap around his wrist, stopping him from tearing his hand away from her cheek. "No, no. I love it." I love you. She almost let's fall from her lips as her chest rises and she slowly opens her eyes to look at him. "But, not Beckett." Her head shakes as she swallows the lump in her throat and she watches Castle carefully. "Joseph Castle." She pauses, watches the edges of his lips twitch, the blue in his eyes seeming to brighten and the hitch in his chest. "Joseph… Alexander Castle." Kate's tongue darts out of her mouth to sweep across her bottom lip, her smile growing wide before it all sounds so perfect – so meant to be, and Castle's smiling so widely at her, can see the tears forming in his own eyes.
"What do you think?" Kate sniffs in, swallowing another lump as Castle's face breaks out into a smile, his thumb brushing across her cheek.
"I love it too." His eyes drop from her face to her stomach and he slowly leans down, pressing his lips over the fabric covering her stomach, his free hand coming to rest over the place he's just kissed.
"Joseph Alexander Castle." He murmurs to himself, such awe in his voice as he stares at her stomach.