Disclaimers: 'Castle' is owned by the genius that is Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC. I only own the story.

Summary: Castle and Beckett need a larger home for their expanding family. Post-Season 6. Seriously Post-Season 6.

A/N #1: After Chapter 11, I've had a lot of followers asking about baby Hope. Right now, all I have is a name. I planned on Caskett having three babies even before 'Time will Tell' aired. The only thing I knew for sure was I didn't want multiple births.

A/N #2: The song for this chapter is 'Our House' by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Chapter 13: The 2.5 Kids and a Dog

I'll light the fire

You place the flowers in the vase that you bought today

Staring at the fire, for hours and hours

While I listen to you play your love songs all night long

For me, only for me

"But, why do we have to move?" Six-year-old Ariel Castle asked her father, on a cold night in the late fall. "I don't want to move. I don't want to leave Eduardo. What's going to happen to our house?"

"Sweetie, your baby sister's going to be here in a few weeks," Castle patiently explained to his extremely stubborn daughter. "We talked about this. I thought that you and Jack were excited about the house. If we get the new house, you'll have a yard to play in. We can get a dog."

"I don't want a dog," Ariel whined. "I want a cat. Two of them. A gray one and a white one. I'm going to name them Salt and Pepper."

"Okay, we can get a cat, too. Ariel, if we stay here, you'll have to share your bedroom with Hope. Do you really want to share your room with a crying, stinky baby?"

"No, I guess not. But, can we come and visit Eduardo?" She asked, referring to the longtime doorman.

"Sweetie, you'll still see plenty of Eduardo. Gram's going to be living here in the loft."

"Really?" Ariel's face lit up.

"Yes. Alexis and Brian don't need to live here because they have their townhouse."

"Can I pick out my own room?"

"With the exception of mine and mommy's room, you can have your pick of the other four bedrooms."

"Thank you, daddy," Ariel threw her arms around her father's neck.

"Now, let's go downstairs before mommy and Jack eat all of the popcorn," he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before they walked downstairs.

Kate glanced toward the stairs when she heard Castle's heavy tread. "Castle, she's too big for you to carry like that," she warned him as he walked over to the sofa and plopped Ariel down next to her three-year-old brother.

It was family movie night in the Castle household, which always started out with the four of them cuddled close together on the sofa, but invariably, always ended up in a tangle of arms and legs when the tickling started.

"Daddy, stop! I'm trying to watch this!" Ariel protested when her father's fingers began tickling her ribs. "Stop! Mommy, help!"

"Hey, fight your own battles!" Kate told her daughter just as Jack got in on the act.

She loved being a mom. Watching her son and daughter grow and develop their own unique personalities always made her smile. So much had happened in the three and a half years since Jack's birth. She and Castle had each gone through individual and couple's therapy to get to where they were now. They made it a point to talk to each other about every issue that might come up, no matter how minor. There were no more secrets, no more running and hiding. Kate had even managed to curb some of the selfish behavior that had almost caused her to lose Jack.

She absently rubbed her hugely swollen abdomen, feeling her unborn daughter's kicks under her hands. "Can I feel? Is she awake?" Jack asked, placing his small hands on her belly, laughing when they both felt Hope kick. "Mommy, how does she get out of there?"

"I'll bring up the video on the Internet," Ariel offered.

"Uh, no you won't, either," Kate told her. "I showed you that video because you're older. Which was a mistake. I didn't know it was going to be that graphic."

"But, it's a good form of birth control," Castle added as Kate threw a handful of popcorn at him. "Hey, I don't want my daughter being a future 'Maury' episode."

"Is it like watching kissing in movies?" Jack made a face. "Is that how babies are born? I hate kissing!"

This pregnancy had been magical. The morning sickness had been minimal just like it had been with Ari. That was how Kate knew that it was a girl. And when they saw the ultrasound confirming it, she was thrilled, though she felt a twinge of sympathy for Castle, who was now going to be almost totally overrun with women. His only partner in crime was Jack, who was so much like his father that it made Kate laugh and roll her eyes alternately. But, they had also decided that Hope was going to be their last baby. Three babies, each being three years apart, were plenty, although Castle had suggested that they needed a summer baby since they already had a spring, fall, and winter one. Kate had been quick to veto that idea, quickly reminding him that she was the one who had to squeeze these babies out. She told him that the day he could do it was when he could dictate just how many they would have.

Now they were going to be moving into their new house. They'd found a five bedroom, four bath house in Massapequa, Long Island. It was an older home with a huge front and back yard, big trees in the yards, a good school nearby as well as a park. They were quickly outgrowing the loft, especially with the impending new arrival. They were closing in the next week and had plans to move in that weekend. Castle had already recruited the boys, Brian, and Kate's father. Kate had already been told that she wasn't to do a thing. She was fine with that. She just wanted to get the nursery done before the baby's arrival around the first of November.

Come to me now

And rest your head for just five minutes

Everything is good

Such a cozy room

The windows are illuminated

By the evening sunshine through them, the fiery gems

For you, only for you

"So, is Ari okay with the move now?" Kate called out to Castle, who was in the bathroom brushing his teeth.

"That girl is a born politician," he said, turning off the bathroom light and coming to bed. "I think Simon Doyle called it wrong when he said you were the Senator."

"She's a born negotiator. My dad thinks she's going to go into law. So, what did she negotiate out of you?"

"She wants two cats. A gray one and a white one. Their names are going to be Salt and Pepper," he smiled at her.

"I thought that we were going to get them a dog."

"There's no law that says that we can't have both, is there?"

"No, I guess not," she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Hope likes listening to her daddy. Read us a story, Castle."

She lay back, smiling, as Castle picked up his Kindle Fire and began reading. "Hey, put that elbow back," Castle caressed the huge lump that suddenly appeared on Kate's abdomen. "No crazy escape attempts like your brother."

"I actually think that's a knee," Kate said. "Because her butt is right here."

"Okay, Hope Beckett Castle," Castle kissed Kate's abdomen as she giggled. "Go to sleep. Mommy and daddy are tired."

***CCC***

Our house

Is a very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy 'cause of you

And our la, la, la la la la, la, la

All of the adults were sitting in the living room, drinking beers, or in the case of Kate and her father, water while the two kids raced up and down the stairs. Their belongings and furnishings were all over the place. "When did we get so much stuff?" Kate made a face.

"It looks like a lot, but once you start making the place your own, you won't even notice it," Jenny Ryan told Kate. "Lanie and I will come over bright and early tomorrow to help you. Don't you do anything by yourself."

"I won't," Kate smiled.

They made sure that all of the beds were set up so that they'd have something to sleep on that night. Castle came into Ariel's room to say goodnight, smiling when he found her sitting on her knees in front of her window, head resting on her elbows. "So, you like this room the best?" He came over and knelt down beside her.

"You can see the church steeple," she smiled at her father, a smile that revealed two missing front teeth. "Daddy, are you still going to have time for me and Jack after Hope gets here?"

"Why? Do you think that I won't? Let me tell you something about mommy's and daddy's. I just had Alexis until you came along, so my heart got a little bit bigger. Then when Jack was born, my heart got bigger again. So, now when your baby sister gets here, my heart will be as big as the Empire State Building. That's how mommy's and daddy's do it when they have lots of kids."

"Daddy, we don't have lots of kids," Ariel stated wisely. "My friend Taylor has six brothers and sisters. Some are her mommy's, some are her daddy's, and some are both of theirs. It's very confusing."

"I'm sure that it is," he chuckled, scooping her into his arms. "But, right now, it's time for little girls to be in bed." He carried her over to her bed, and put her under the blankets. "Mommy will be in to kiss you goodnight in just a little bit. Sweet dreams, sweet pea."

Kate was in Jack's room, reading to him from Thomas the Tank, smiling as his eyes got droopier and droopier while he fought to stay awake. "When are we getting a dog?" He asked sleepily, his thumb falling out of his mouth.

"Soon. Do you want a big dog or a little dog?"

"A really big dog."

"Okay, daddy and I are going to talk about this really big dog. But, for right now, you need to go to sleep. Daddy will be in to kiss you goodnight. I love you, tough guy," she kissed his forehead as his chubby arms wound around her neck.

A little while later, she was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when Castle came in and stood next to her, preparing to brush his own teeth. "I just realized something," he looked at her. "We've been married for seven years, but today was the first time that I really felt married."

"Castle, we have two and three quarter's kids. We're going to be getting a dog and two cats. How is it that you're just now feeling married?"

"Because, until today we didn't have a house with a yard and trees. Sure, the loft was home, but could you have seen us in the loft with three kids, a dog, and two cats?"

"Not without a great deal of therapy," she grinned. "Or a referee."

"Just think," he said, following her into their bedroom after they'd brushed their teeth. "Now, I can invite Alexis over and we can have great laser tag battles."

"I keep forgetting something," she put her hand on her husband's chest. "I don't have four kids. I have five. Sometimes you're the biggest kid of them all."

"After you have Hope and she gets big enough, I can teach her to play laser tag, too. That way, when we play, it'll be even teams of three," he looked at Kate, his eyes shining brightly as she just rolled her eyes.

"Get some sleep, Castle, because tomorrow your son is going to start pestering you about getting him a really big dog."

"Cool! Can't wait," he kissed her before she turned off the light.

Our house

Is a very, very fine house

With two cats in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now everything is easy 'cause of you

And our la, la, la la la la, la, la

I'll light the fire

You place the flowers in the vase that you bought today

A/N #3: I included the five kids, because I would think by now that Kate would count Alexis as one of her children. So, with the two kids, Castle, and baby Hope, that makes five.

A/N #4: I gave the Unmuse the task of helping me come up with a story for baby Hope. I have a name. Why did Kate and Rick name her Hope? He's always up for a good challenge.

A/N #5: I made it to 100 reviews. Thank you everybody who has read, reviewed, and followed. I couldn't do what I do without you guys.

I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960.