Soft light is streaming through the windows when Rick wakes on Christmas morning, and there's a peaceful stillness in the air. He loves the calm and tranquility that comes with the holiday, the warmth of home, and even the sweet, tantalizing smell of cinnamon rolls that has his stomach rumbling in anticipation.
Wait, cinnamon rolls?
He sits up with a start. Sure enough, the spot on the mattress beside him is empty, and the kitchen light is on. Kate must have gotten up early to make him breakfast. The gesture is sweet, but he had been planning to do that very thing for her. A quick glance at his watch tells him that it isn't even 6:30 AM yet- his wife must have gotten out of bed extremely early to get the jump on him.
Rick slides off the bed and slips his feet into his house shoes before padding across the room to the kitchen area. He finds Kate peering into the open oven, a faded blue oven mitt on her hand. When she hears him approaching, she turns around and smiles at him, closing the oven door.
"Hey, babe," she greets. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't wake me. That amazing smell did," he answers around a yawn. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep," she murmurs. "So I figured I might as well get up and make us breakfast."
"From a tube," he says with a smile, picking up the empty Pillsbury container from the counter.
"You know me and cooking," Kate says, shaking her head slowly. "But whether they're pre-made or not, cinnamon rolls are always delicious."
"I'm just messing with you, Kate," he laughs, tossing the tube aside so that he can wrap his arms around her waist. He pulls her into him, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Merry Christmas, Wife."
"Merry Christmas, Husband," she returns, smiling. "Coffee should be ready. You can pour it while I get the cinnamon rolls out."
Kate doesn't say much while they eat, which is nothing unusual. She's never much of a talker in the mornings, but given how excited she has been for Christmas, he figured this morning would be an exception. Instead she's silent, staring out the window at the snow-covered trees as she sips her coffee.
Normally, he wouldn't think anything of it, but today, he's worried. He can almost see the cloud of anxiety hanging over her head. That, coupled with the tension in her shoulders and the way she periodically sighs, tells him she has something on her mind, but he won't press.
His suggestion that they exchange gifts finally elicits a smile from Kate, and they leave their dishes on the table, settling on the floor in front of the tree. He pulls out the two small boxes that sit underneath and passes one to his wife. She purses her lips as she looks at it, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"You know this is my gift to you, right?" she asks, holding it up. "The one that you've been staring at for over a week now?"
"I know," Rick says with a grin. "And the one that I have is mine to you. It doesn't count as a gift exchange if we don't actually exchange gifts."
She rolls her eyes at him, but grins in spite of herself as they trade presents. "There. Now it's official."
"Absolutely. Now tell me, what's the one thing you're the most thankful for this year?"
Kate tilts her head to the side. "Hmm?"
"It's something Mother and I always did every year," Rick explains. "Before we opened presents on Christmas morning, we named the one thing we've been the most grateful for over the past year."
As a kid, he'd hated the tradition, too eager to tear into the presents from Santa to take a moment to talk about the year's blessings with his mother. And, as was typical for Martha, she wouldn't accept a flippant answer- she had forced him to construct a thoughtful response, and explain why the chosen moment was what he was the most thankful for that year. By age eight, he'd finally learned to think about his answer in advance, so that he could get the moment of sentiment out of the way in order to open his gifts sooner.
But the older Rick got, the more he came to appreciate the tradition. The past several years, he and his mother have laughed, talked, and reminisced for over an hour before finally opening their first gifts. It's a good way to stop and refocus on the true meaning of the holiday, putting aside the consumerism and materialism that the world tends to focus on.
His elementary school self would kick him for saying this, but he doesn't want to let the tradition go. He wants to carry it on with Kate, and their children someday.
"Oh, that's sweet," Kate says with a smile. "And the answer to that question is easy. The thing I'm most grateful for this year is having you in my life."
The effortless way in which she says the words causes his heart to melt. "You took the words right out of my mouth," he says, leaning toward her to kiss her forehead. "You're the biggest blessing in my life this year, too."
"Six months of being engaged, and six months of being your wife," Kate says. "I loved being engaged, but I have to admit, the year got even better after June 28."
"Absolutely," he agrees. "And I know that you- we- have had to sacrifice a lot since we got married, with our jobs, and academy for you, and not having much money, but…"
"None of that matters to me, Rick," she interrupts, taking his hand and squeezing it. "We could live in a cardboard box out on the street, and I'd still be happy, because I was sharing the box with you."
The sentiment is so sweet that he can't help but tug his wife in for a kiss. Kate pulls back with a start shortly after their lips touch, and he realizes that the movement has pushed the corner of her box into her stomach. She grins as she rearranges the present in her lap.
"So, speaking of sharing boxes…"
Rick chuckles. "Hint taken, Mrs. Rodgers. Okay, enough of this mushy-gushy stuff; it's present time. Ladies first," he says, nodding toward her.
She runs her finger underneath the flap at one edge and begins carefully unfolding the paper once the tape is loose. Kate's always been meticulous about opening her gifts, removing the paper as if it were every bit as important as the gift inside. It drives Rick crazy- he's always impatient to see the look on her face when she sees his gift- but he forces himself to sit and wait, knowing her reaction will be worth it.
Sure enough, Kate squeals in delight when she pulls a complete anthology of Emily Dickinson's poetry out of the box. She's still holding it in her hand as she throws her arms around his neck. "I love Emily Dickinson! Thank you!" she exclaims. "But Rick, this is expensive. You shouldn't have."
"Nothing is too expensive for my beautiful wife," he says with a laugh as she pulls away from him, opening her book to the table of contents. "Besides, I got it from the bookstore with my employee discount."
"Shh, you're not supposed to share your trade secrets with me," she teases, running her finger down the page. "Wow, this seriously has everything. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. And I have a guess as to what you'll be doing for the rest of the day."
"Oh, you'd better believe I'm going to dive into this." She smiles, setting the book on the ground beside her. "Okay, your turn."
Unlike Kate, Rick rips the paper off of his package as quickly as he can, tossing it to the side with a dramatic flourish that makes her giggle. He pulls the lid off of the box and unfolds the tissue paper inside, unearthing a beautiful black Moleskine notebook and a calligraphy pen, a bottle of black ink carefully nestled in the corner.
"It's a new notebook for you to write in," Kate explains. "And I know you've been wanting a calligraphy pen, too."
"Kate, wow," he breathes. "How did you know?"
"I talked to your boss," she admits, a shy smile on her face. "He said you'd been eying those notebooks for quite some time. And he helped me find a store where I could get a good pen."
"This is perfect!" he says as he sets the box on the floor in front of him, leaning over it to steal a kiss. "Seriously perfect. Thank you so much. I'm going to play with this pen all afternoon."
"You're welcome." The smile fades from her face a second later, and she presses her lips together as the earlier tension returns to her body. "I, um… I know we said only one gift each, but I actually have another one for you."
So this is what she's nervous about? Rick wants to laugh, but tamps down his amusement, offering Kate a reassuring smile. "That's convenient, because I have another one for you, too," he says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad. I guess neither of us can follow the rules very well."
The corners of her mouth turn up slightly, and she lets out a slow breath. "I guess we'd better go get them, then."
He helps her to her feet, and she walks toward the kitchen- an odd place to hide a gift, he thinks- as he heads for their bed. He's stashed his gift under the corner of the mattress, and he pulls it out, arriving back at the tree just as she does.
"I love that we both had secret gifts for each other," he starts, glancing at the small box in her hands. "Great minds think alike."
"Yeah," she chuckles. "Where did you hide yours?"
"Under the mattress," he says. "It was easy, since it's just an envelope. What about you?"
"In a pot we rarely use in one of the kitchen cabinets. I was so worried you would decide to cook something and pick that pot, then find this."
"And I was worried you'd move the mattress while cleaning and find this," he says, laughing. "I guess we're both lucky, then. Want me to go first this time?"
Kate nods, but before he can to tear into the package, she stops him, placing her hand on his. "Rick," she starts, her voice quiet. "Before you open this, I…"
She pauses, her breath caught in her throat, and he realizes that her hands are shaking. He can't imagine what could be wrapped in this tiny box that's causing her so much anxiety.
"I don't know what you're going to think," she finishes with a sigh. "I want you to like it, but…"
"Kate," he interrupts, lacing his fingers through hers. "You don't need to be nervous. Whatever this is, I know I'm going to love it. Unless it's a dead lizard."
That elicits a small smile from her, and she reluctantly pulls her hand back, giving a nod to indicate that he should open the package. Rick removes the paper carefully this time, flashing her a reassuring smile as he drops it on the floor. His lips quirk when he notices that she has painted the small box black, hiding whatever writing may have been on it. He opens the flap at the end of the box, tilting it toward his hand, and a small white stick drops into his palm. It looks like a thermometer, but as he lifts it to his eyes to study it, he sees it's a pregnancy test - with two pink lines etched onto the tiny screen.
If he's not mistaken, that means the test is positive.
Rick's eyes widen as her gift's meaning sinks in, and he's suddenly unable to breathe, his heart pounding in his chest. "Tha- that's not a dead lizard," he finally manages, his voice hushed.
Oh, smooth, Rick. Really smooth.
"Before you say anything else," Kate starts, her voice little more than a quiet squeak. "I know we weren't planning on having kids for a while, and that we can't afford a kid right now. But I'll have a full time job with the NYPD, so that will give us extra money. It probably still won't be enough, but it'll be okay. We can reduce our payments on our student loans for the next year, too. And yeah, I don't know what job I'll have with the police, since a pregnant cop can't exactly do much, but…"
The word "pregnant" finally snaps Rick out of his trance. He shuts his mouth and looks up from the test in his hand, finding his wife watching him with tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Kate," he says, his heart melting. He touches a hand to her cheek, brushing a tear away with his thumb. "Honey, this is… amazing. This is incredible. You're really pregnant?"
She nods as the tears begin to spill out of her eyes. "The timing is awful, I know, but…"
"The timing is perfect, babe," he interrupts, chuckling. "It couldn't be any more perfect. Look at this."
Much as Rick wants to tear into the envelope himself, he passes it to his wife, allowing her to study it. When Kate reads the writing on the front, her eyes widen. "Is this…?"
"Open it," he urges, grinning.
Wiping away the last of her tears, Kate flips the envelope over and begins to open it. She works slowly, almost reverently, as if she were holding a precious jewel in her hands. She's even holding her breath- it's as though she's afraid to get her hopes up again.
It dawns on him that she's suffered through every rejection letter with him, and that she has shared the sadness he's felt with each one. She's been so supportive in the process of trying to find a publisher that he hasn't realized how invested she is. She wasn't joking when they said that they were a team, that they were in this together, and he loves her even more for it.
Kate pulls the piece of paper out and gingerly unfolds it. "'Dear Mr. Rodgers," she reads, her voice quiet. "Thank you for submitting your manuscript In a Hail of Bullets. We are happy to…' oh my God!" She looks up at him, her eyes wide.
Rick laughs. "Go on."
"'We are happy to accept your request for publishing. We are certain that this novel will be a hit, and cannot wait to see more works from you. I will be contacting you in the next five to seven business days with more information. Sincerely, Gina Cowell, Black Pawn Publishing.' Rick!"
Kate squeals and drops the letter, throwing herself into his arms. "Rick, this is incredible," she breathes. "You did it! I knew you could do it! Oh, wow. I'm so happy for you." Her voice is thick with emotion, and she pulls away slightly, looking up at him. "And I was so worried about the timing of the baby."
"Oh, Kate." He moves a hand to the back of her head, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I hate that you were stressed. I figured the letter could be a Christmas surprise, but if I had known, I would have told you about it when it came in the mail two days ago."
"Two days ago?" Kate pulls herself out of his arms, her eyes wide. "That's when I took the test!"
"What a coincidence! We've both been hiding something from each other," Rick says. "The letter came in the afternoon mail, while you were at work. What made you take the test that day?"
"I'd been suspecting it for a couple of days, so I bought the test when I went to the grocery store," she says. "I took it when I went to change clothes before we made cookies."
"So that's why it took you so long to change," he muses as the pieces fall into place. "And that's why you got so stressed when I mentioned our budget. I get it now."
"And I understand now why you've been so unusually cheery the past couple of days."
Rick reaches for her and pulls her in, and she leans into the embrace, sinking her head into his chest. He rubs his hand between her shoulder blades and can feel her sag in relief as the weight is lifted from her shoulders. They stay that was for a long time, letting the shock of adrenaline from their news wear off. When Kate finally pulls away from him, she has a smile on her face. She giggles, giddy with excitement, and he laughs with her.
"This calls for more coffee," she manages between chuckles, scooping up both of their coffee cups and heading for the kitchen.
She returns a moment later and passes a steaming mug to him, then sits down in front of the tree, cross-legged, smiling up at Rick. He follows suit and sits down beside her, placing an arm behind her back to support her. She probably shouldn't be sitting on the floor like this, but he'll let it slide for now. After all, there really isn't anywhere else to sit.
A rocking chair. That'll be their first big purchase, when they get their paychecks from their new jobs. It will be good for Kate both before and after the baby arrives, and until they move, they can put it here, where the Christmas tree currently sits.
Their tree is still just as pathetic as it was the day they got it, if not more so- its branches have started to droop, and there are faint hints of brown on the edges of the needles. Despite that, though, it's still bright and festive, the ornaments and popcorn-cranberry garlands adding splashes of color. He'd made sure to take plenty of pictures of it yesterday with the brand new digital camera the Becketts had given them for Christmas.
"You know, it's sad that we're going to have to throw this tree away soon," Kate says, releasing a wistful sigh. "I've kind of gotten attached to it."
"Me, too," Rick agrees, taking a sip of his coffee. "But we got plenty of pictures last night."
"Yeah." She smiles. "I think the one you took of us kissing in front of the tree is my favorite."
"Me, too. But the one of me standing beside it is a close second," he says. "I'm twice as tall as it is."
Kate laughs. "I'm going to miss this tree, but next year, we won't have to get a three-foot-tall wimpy tree. We can get a real one- one that's actually taller than you."
"And we can put it in our new apartment," Rick adds. "One with two real bedrooms- one for us, and one for the baby."
"Two bedrooms," Kate sighs, a dreamy look on her face. "God, that will be like a castle compared to this place."
"A castle," he echoes. "Our own little castle in the city… wait!"
An idea strikes him- one so obvious he can't believe he hasn't thought of it before- and he slaps himself on the forehead with his palm.
"What?" Kate's voice is filled with concern, and Rick laughs, shaking his head slowly.
"Castle," he says. "I've been trying to think of a name for months, and I managed to go through all possible chess terms except for that one. It's not the proper name of a piece, so maybe that's why I didn't even think of it until now."
Kate stares at him, her brow furrowed, lips pursed together and head tilted to the side in contemplation. "Richard Castle," she says, testing the name out.
"Richard Edgar Castle." The name feels good on his tongue; it's powerful, yet simple. He'll be the only "Castle" in the world of literature. He'll stand out.
Kate must agree, because her eyes light up as he says the name, and she grins. "It's perfect," she whispers, tears beginning to prick at her eyes again.
"Kate, babe." Rick immediately moves toward her, concerned, cupping her face in his hands. "What's wrong?"
She sniffs, blinking rapidly as the tears begin to fall. "It's just s-so perfect," she stammers, her voice choked with emotion. "So p-perfect."
His concern melts away as he realizes why Kate's crying, and he lets out a giddy laugh, brushing the tears from her cheek. "And you're hormonal. Oh my God, Kate, we're going to have a baby. We're going to be parents."
"And you're going to be a published author," she adds, smiling through her tears. "I can't believe my wish came true so quickly. Before Christmas, even."
"Your wish?" he asks, his eyes widening. "Is that what you asked Santa when we were at Macy's? For me to get published?"
Kate nods, taking his hands in hers. "It's all I really wanted. I knew how much it meant to you."
"To both of us," he corrects. "But there was something more important to me than getting published. And I got my wish, too. Well, I guess technically, I won't get it for another few months, but…"
"A baby?" Kate interrupts, her eyes lighting up. "You wished for a baby? Oh!"
The tears are streaming down her cheeks again, despite the grin on her face, and Rick chuckles as he pulls her into his side, enveloping her in an embrace.
"This is the best Christmas ever," she whispers a moment later, sniffling.
"I agree," Rick says. "But you know what? I think the best is yet to come."
Author's note: Look, it's Christmas in April. :)
And with that, this Winter Ficathon story is now complete! This is my first multi-chapter story to actually finish, and I'm excited that I've finally done so. Am I a real writer now?
First and foremost, thanks so much to my wonderful beta, Cathey. She's done so much for this story, and she is wonderful! Thanks also to Jill and Jo for their promotions with the Ficathon, to Ellie for making suggestions throughout the story. Finally, thanks to all of you readers who stuck with me throughout this story, even when I continued posting long after Christmas was over. Your reviews mean a lot to me!
This is the "official" final chapter, but there is an epilogue to come soon. The story will not be marked as complete until it is published.
Thanks again, everyone! This has been fun!