Spirits
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10 December 10
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Carter is being impossible. Whiny, throwing things across the room, temper tantrums when he can't have Kate. Castle has been attempting to finish decorating the apartment, and willing to let the baby roam the living room and kitchen since Kate is keeping an eye out, but it means he's the one who has to run after the boy when he gets into new mischief.
Which is every thirty seconds.
"That boy," he growls, jumping to his feet to race after Carter. Kate is using a foot to keep the baby away from the table leg where he's trying to gnaw on the wood. "Carter."
"Car." Kate is gripping the kitchen chair to keep her balance, her lips blanched white from the effort of holding Carter off. Rick hates that look on her face.
"Carter," he insists, jumping the storage tub that he thought would keep the baby hemmed into the living room.
"We sure do wear his name out," she winces, right as Castle gets to her side. "Good thing we both like it. What were the names on your list?"
"What?" Castle hauls Carter away from the table and curses, fishes another Christmas figurine out of the baby's mouth. "What is up with you today?" he mutters, tossing the plastic angel towards the kitchen sink. It pings the ceramic and then slings back out, skittering across the kitchen floor. Chaplin lurches out from under the table and rushes for it, nudging it with his nose so that it goes shooting across the floor.
Kate laughs, a kind of helpless, pained sound that makes Castle turn around.
She waves him off, shakes her head, but she's bracing her stomach with a forearm.
"Names," he echoes belatedly. He wrestles Carter in his arms and scoops the angel off the floor, but he has to move fast to keep it away from the boy. He heads for the fridge, hides the angel on top and yanks open the freezer door. He finds one of the teething rings and squeezes it, mashing the gel inside to see how frozen it is. Not very. "Here, Car, try this." Kate doesn't like the angels anyway; she said they were creepy.
"Is he teething again?"
"I think so." When Carter opens his mouth wide for the ring, Castle ducks his head to look. "The two on the bottom might finally have another two on the top."
"Finally," she huffs. "He's been so late."
"I guess that's why he's chewing on the table and putting everything in his mouth."
"Wow, he's making love to that teething ring. Here, let me have him."
He eyes her at the uncomfortable kitchen table where she's been stringing garland made from her paper snowflakes and Alexis's old decorations. She has stacks of construction paper and glitter, and maybe she's ready for a break; there's no way Carter will leave all that fun stuff alone.
"On the couch maybe?" Kate says, apparently reading his mind. "I can push up from the table myself, but on the way down-"
"I'll be your spotter," he promises, shifting Car so the baby is face out and cradled in one arm. He has a tight hold of the teething ring too, so Castle's other hand is free to help his wife.
True to her word, she manages the straight up part, using upper body strength alone to get to her feet. She takes a moment once she's there to get her balance, and he's grateful for that, how she really has watched out for herself this time around.
"Rose," he says quietly, holding out an arm to brace her if she needs it. "And Maren."
"Maren?" she whispers, lifting her eyes to his. "That's different."
"Anna," he sighs, sliding his arm around her waist as she falters. Must be a no on Rose. "Anna. In case you..."
"In case?" She skates a hand down Carter's leg and watches the baby for a moment. "You mean a normal one in case I-"
"For your mom, kind of. If you wanted."
"Oh." She stares at him, her eyes reflecting back only the lights on the tree. "Anna."
"Just a thought."
"I really love the thought, Rick," she says softly.
But not the name? Or not naming their possible daughter after her mother? Hard to know with Kate. It was on his list for that very reason. "Bend your knees, I've got you."
She lets her knees release but he has a tight hold on her upper back, arm under her armpit and keeping her upright. It's a controlled descent, and they're good at this now, old pros, so that she doesn't even wince when her body settles onto the couch.
"That's only three," she says. "We said five each, pick from that list."
"I know," he chuckles, shifting Carter into her lap.
She wraps her arms around the baby and buries her nose in the top of his head. Her eyes close.
She looks beautiful. Adoring their son, memories of his birth, of holding him as a newborn, walking the floor with him in the middle of the night, feeding him Cheerios for the first time one by one, watching him figure out how to scoot across the floor, the thrill on his face when he learned to run.
All of that in one tilt of her chin and sweep of her eyelashes, as if he can read her mind or they're equally as desperately grateful for their miracle - this life together.
She opens her eyes, her cheek on the top of Carter's head. The baby has leaned back against her, looking sleepy and content as he chews on the teething ring, his eyes drooping. "Someone's ready for his nap," she offers, stroking her fingers around his chubby little legs. "I've never seen him so still."
"Me either," Rick says softly, sinking down to the couch with them. The loft is only half-decorated, mostly because despite the energy with which he tackled the project this morning, he's spent so much of his time rearranging furniture and running after a baby.
He rubs his knuckles against Carter's arm.
Kate eases into him, shoulder to shoulder, so that Castle is bracing her. He dips a kiss to the corner of her eye. "Grace," he sighs. "Rose, Maren, Anna, and Grace."
"And?" She nuzzles in against his lips for a moment, a breath at his ear. "One more, Rick. Fifth name on your list."
"I left it blank," he admits. "I left it - open to possibilities."
"A sign from the universe?" she teases gently. Her body has finally relaxed against his, the tension dissolving. "What would you have done if our nurse's name had been Ethel or-"
"Not like that," he smiles, drawing his arm around her and their son. "Not a sign from the universe but an open door. For you, Kate. For a name you had your heart set on."
She quiets, going still within the cove of his arm. Carter's eyes are dragging, the teething ring in his open mouth making him drool.
But Kate lifts a hand and catches Castle's ear, turning her head into him. "Rick."
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't follow the rules of our bet at all. I was just too grateful to have you and the unborn that I couldn't even think about-"
"Shut up. I'm in love with you, you big sentimental idiot." She catches his jaw in her teeth and groans. "I'm in love with you and I can't do a damned thing about it."
"I certainly hope not. Never want you to escape my trap."
She laughs, a little shaky, but he thinks they're back on even footing again. She knocks her cheek against his and he lays a protective hand at Carter's head, bringing the slumping boy back against her chest. The baby is asleep.
"Want me to put him down?" he whispers.
"No," she murmurs. "I want us to hold him right here until it hurts too much."
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