Disclaimer: I'm asking Santa for the rights to Castle this Christmas. But until then…it's still a no!


Fertile Imagination Epilogue

Fruition - Part 6

Eight months and one week later…

Friday July 12th, 10.55pm

"Okay!" yells Dr. Gabby Shapiro energetically, clapping her gloved hands together. "We're at ten centimeters, people. Time for the hard work to start. I hope you both have some juice left in your tank," she tells the Castles. "You wanted to push, Kate? Show us what you've got. Because it's time to start pushing this baby out."

Castle flashes Kate an excited grin and squeezes her hand.

They've moved to the Labor and Delivery room, and he's up near the head of the bed at Kate's insistence, a green hospital gown over his clothes that does absolutely nothing for his skin tone. They've only been married for three months, and dating for less than a year before that, so she's no where near ready to surrender all of her dignity by letting him observe down at the business end while she pushes their baby out.

He's secretly hoping she'll change her mind.

Her birth plan is for an all-natural delivery if she can manage it. She has said no to drugs, passed on the Entonox, rejected the epidural, and it's past the point of no return now anyway. She's going to stare the pain down like she did as a four year old rejecting a nightlight. This will not get the better of Kate Beckett-Castle.


"On the next contraction, Kate, I want you to sit up for me, grab the back of your thighs, and then bear down with everything you've got. We'll count you through it. Hold on for as long as you can, and then I want you to blow out that breath and take a rest. You ready?" Gabby Shapiro asks, keeping an eye on the monitor trace.

Kate nods. Her heart is hammering. But she feels as if she's trained her whole life just to get to this point: delivering a child of her own.

When the contraction comes, it ripples through her body from her back to the front of her belly, the pain centering on her pubic bone. The pressure low down in her uterus and rectum is enormous, and she uses it to push against.

Castle gets his arm behind her back to help her lift her body forwards, and she tenses and applies as much force as she can to move the baby down the birth canal, inch by precious inch, bearing down hard.

She takes a deep breath just before the contraction hits, and then holds it, just like Gabby asked, forcing all of her energy towards the point her body needs it most.

"Good, good, and hold, hold, hold. That's great. Keep going, Kate, for five, four, three, two, and relax," says Gabby, patting her knee. "Good job, Kate. That NYPD fitness training's gonna stand you in good stead tonight. You are in excellent shape. Trust your body. You were made for this," she says, such an excellent coach and cheering squad rolled-into one.

Castle's so glad they chose this woman. Every cent they're paying is more than worth it. He can see Kate responding to her encouragement. She looks re-energized already, like she got her second wind; the adrenalin kick finally being able to push has given her adding to the effect.

He takes the cool, damp flannel and presses it to her forehead, then tucks her hair back behind her ear. She's a little out of breath from the last one, but she grabs his arm when he turns away to put the cloth down.

"My dad?" she asks, a hopeful look on her face.

"My mom called him a few hours ago, Kate. He's on his way back from the cabin with Bill now. Should be at the hospital any time."

"Good," she nods, giving him a faint smile. "That's good."


She pushes with the same level of effort another couple of times, resting back on the pillows after each one, exhausted, her breath coming in burning heaves. Her recovery time is getting longer, and Castle can see her tiring again. She's feeling nauseous, and has started to shake uncontrollably from the physical effort and the rapid flood of hormones and chemicals through her body.

He hates seeing her suffer like this, wishes he could take over for her, but knows he'd be a ridiculous, whiny, cry-baby, compared to her stoic, warrior-like strength.

He tries not to let her see that he's worried when she presses her hand against her scar after a particularly long contraction, her lungs burning, chest heaving. But she meets his eyes after he sneaks a worried glance at the heart monitor they have her wired up to, and he tries to ignore the paleness around her mouth, the blanched, bloodless look of her normally pink lips.

"I didn't almost kill myself in the gym and at physical therapy after I got shot to have my own baby knock me on my ass," she tells him, some of the feistiness he loves about her coming back into her eyes and her voice.

"Then let's kick some butt," says Castle, leaning in to kiss her on the side of the head. "You ready?"

She nods wordlessly, takes his hand and leans forward to let him get in behind her again, doing this as a team.

The monitor by the bed starts to beep, and both Kate and Castle's heads swivel simultaneously to stare at it.

"Okay. Looks like baby's heart rate has slowed a little, and mom, your cardio output was a little elevated during that last contraction. So I'm gonna give you a little oxygen just to make sure baby isn't in any distress, and to help you get that breathing under control," she tells a very worried looking Kate.


The mask stays on through one long push, but then Kate pulls it off, determined to get through this as quickly as possible now, the urgency renewed if there's any chance her baby is at risk.

"Okay, on three," yells tireless, cool-looking Dr. Shapiro, her diamond stud earrings sparkling under the special delivery room LED lighting.

Kate takes a deep breath, and then holds it, her face turning red from the effort she's putting in, the vein in the center of her forehead visible under the strain.

"Baby's head is crowning," announces the doctor, smiling encouragement at the parents-to-be. "Let's switch to nice, little panting breaths now, Kate. Give your body time to adjust. No pushing for now. We're gonna get junior out without a tear if it's the last thing I do," she promises, since this had been one of Kate's fears about natural childbirth when she first visited Dr. Shapiro at her office.

She dons the oxygen mask during this pause, glad of the break, trying to her her heart rate back under control with slow, even breaths.

The doctor encourages Kate to reach down between her legs and feel for the top of the baby's head to spur her on, let her see that she's nearly at the finish line. She's reluctant at first, but when she finally feels the warm, damp softness of baby hair, her face opens right up, a look of amazed surprise dawning on it, and she turns to Castle and nods for him to take a look.

"That's our baby," she says, tears springing to her eyes.

Castle jumps at the chance to see what Kate just felt, to get an early glimpse of their baby's head, and so he peers over Dr. Shapiro's shoulder, squinting in the brightness of the surgical lighting.

"I can see dark hair," he squeals, pressing his fingers over his mouth as he looks up at Kate, who currently has tears running down her cheeks.

But he doesn't linger, knows Kate wanted him to share this, but that she'd rather he was up at her end, supporting and encouraging her, than down looking over the doctor's shoulder for the rest of proceedings. For once he's determined to do what she asked!

"Your mom would be so proud of you," he whispers into her ear when he resumes his position by her side. "I'm so proud of you, Kate."

She nods, smiling through the tears, and then gears up for the next onslaught, sucking on the oxygen supply to fill her lungs.


She feels her body behaving in ways she never thought possible over the next couple of pushes. The baby's head is rocking against her pubic bone, on the verge of appearing completely, and it's a tricky balance to get the right amount of pushing and panting to let her body stretch to accommodate the baby's head without causing a tear or damaging any of her muscles, and without letting the baby slip back in and lose the momentum they've gained. She feels an intense burning and stretching, and has to grit her teeth to stop from crying out with the pain.

"Okay. On the next one, I want you to bear down with everything you've got," says Gabby. "Really give it your all, Kate. You're so close. Once we deliver the head, you're gonna rest for me while I clear baby's airway, and then we can deliver those shoulders and that neat little body we've seen on screen. You good with that?" she asks, checking Kate's comprehension levels, since she can see how exhausted the woman now is.

"I love you," whispers Castle into her ear, kissing her damp forehead, and clutching at her hand. "Squeeze as hard as you need to," he tells her, when she wraps her fingers tightly around his. "That's what I'm here for."

"I thought you were here for the cute nurses," Kate quips, and he stares at her, amazed she can find the energy to joke about anything right now, her eyes a little hazy, a drunk looking grin on her face despite the complete lack of drugs.

"You…uh…god, you're amazing," he tells her. "Isn't she amazing?" he asks the doctor, dragging her into this little scene too, since she can hear every word they share and has probably seen it all before anyway.

"How about we help her to be even more amazing? Kate, it's time. Get ready for you're big moment, Mrs. Castle. Deep breath in and then push, Kate, long and hard," she instructs, her fingers playing gently at Kate's opening ready to help the baby out.


The baby's head comes out with something of a quiet pop, accompanied by a gush of amniotic fluid, which leaks out onto the absorbent pad beneath her bottom. Castle leaves Kate's side briefly to dart down for another look, while Dr. Shapiro uses a bulb syringe to gently suction mucus out of the baby's nose and mouth. Then they quickly focus on the next stage of delivery.

Baby's head had turned to the side as the shoulders entered Kate's pelvis.

"With the next contraction, I want you to push again for the shoulders this time, Kate," she instructs. "Nearly over. You're doing great."

The doctor angles the baby's head towards the floor and as Kate bears down, the top shoulder appears. Once the doctor angles the baby's head towards the ceiling the second shoulder slips free of her pelvis, and Kate feels an immense flood of physical and mental relief when the baby slithers out between her legs.

The room is silent for a few tense seconds, until Dr. Shapiro lifts the newborn baby up, holding it in the air for Kate to see.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Castle. Meet your baby daughter," she says, placing the squirming baby on Kate's belly. "You have a beautiful little girl."


She's dark purple in color and covered in blood smears and a creamy layer of vernix, her dark hair plastered to her little head, but both Kate and Castle think they've never seen anything quite so beautiful.

The baby mewls a little, squirming from side-to-side, her little fists punching at the air like a prizefighter, long legs drawn up towards her tummy.

"Daddy, would you like to do the honors?" asks Gabby Shapiro, offering Castle the chance to cut the umbilical cord. "11.57pm," she tells the nurse for her to record the time of the baby's birth.

Kate holds her breath while Castle cuts where the doctor indicates, and then they both beam at their little girl, ridiculous, besotted grins on their faces as she starts to cough and cry a little, before shocking her own eyes wide open with the cutest little sneeze, blinking and squinting in the bright, delivery room lights, her fingers splayed wide.

"Oh god," whispers Castle, stroking her tiny foot, "she's…Kate, she's just perfect. Thank you so much," he tells her reverently, kissing her right next to her ear. "Thank you," he whispers again, rubbing his nose against her cheek.

Kate looks up at him, exhausted, but so full of love for this man who has just given her everything: his friendship, his love, his faith, his family, and now this - their very own child.

"No, Castle, thank you," she says, stroking the baby's cheek so lightly with the tip of her finger, watching her little mouth pucker up as she turns her head towards the sound of Kate's voice, rooting around, a flash of her tiny pink tongue, until the nurse comes over to take the baby over to the warmer to be checked out and cleaned up a little, while Kate prepares to deliver the placenta.


"Mother?" says Castle, pacing out in the hall on his cell phone, his whole body trembling in shock. "It's me. Alexis there too? Yes, put me on speaker. A baby girl," he cries out, his voice shaking with emotion as the sound of two screaming female voices echo through the phone. "Yes, another daughter. Pumpkin, you have a little sister. Kate's fine. Yes. She was amazing. Baby's doing fine too. Just being weighed and checked out right now. No, I'm good," he tells them, his voice wobbling as the tears start to flow. "Great. Thank you. Yes, I'll tell her. Love you too. We'll see you soon," he chokes out, before hanging up and frantically wiping his eyes.

Castle turns to go back in to Kate, and then it hits him like a train. He suddenly realizes that he has a wife and two daughters. A wife and two daughters. He's a husband and a father of two. The thought is so overwhelming he thinks his heart might just burst. So he paces back down the hall a little way, and gets out his phone once more, needing just a little time, but also needing to share.

"Jim? It's Rick. You have a beautiful baby granddaughter," he tells his father-in-law, grinning at the man's joyful reaction to the good news. "Not five minutes ago," he reassures him. "Katie's doing just fine. She was a real star, Jim, quite extraordinary. You should be so proud. How far out are you? Great. She's dying for you to meet the baby. We'll see you in the next hour. Drive safe."

Family. It's all that matters, Castle thinks, as he hangs up the call, and he truly believes that he has some of the best there is.

A/N: Well, I was in need of a lie down after that, let me tell you! I almost had tears in my eyes as the baby was born. (Think I might be overdoing the visualization a little!) :D Hope you enjoyed that. Probably one more chapter to go. Hope everyone's having a great weekend. Liv