A/N: A few of you guys came forward with ideas for Christmas chapters and I'm so excited to work on them, thank you! This first one was suggested shanilivne, and the next one is coming from an anonymous reviewer who asked for ugly Christmas sweaters, so I hope you all look forward to that one!

People talked about the glow and about the joy, and that was all well and good, but after 36 weeks Katherine Houghton Beckett-Castle was more than fed up. She loved the child growing in her womb, but she was more than ready for it to come out and make itself known to the world. She was tired of the uncomfortable sleep positions, the elbows and feet flying into her ribs at all hours of the day and the weight that seemed to persistently settle on her bladder. She didn't want to even think about how awful her swollen feet must look, given that she couldn't see them past the massive bump her stomach had become. She'd given up with maternity clothes and instead wandered around the loft in her husband's biggest t-shirts and a pair of leggings, but really just how much bigger could her belly get?

Waking up and finding that she was now not only overdue by a number of days; but also couldn't fit into any of Rick's t-shirts answered that question.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kate muttered to herself as she pulled at the seams of the red t-shirt she'd worn to bed that was now clinging to her tightly enough that it felt like the material might pull apart at the seams any second. Groaning, she pulled the t-shirt off, growling and tugging when the material refused to cooperate, and stood in front of the mirror, inspecting her bump for physical changes. Frustrated at being unable to see the difference – though it had clearly happened because it was impossible for the t-shirt to simply shrink – Kate stalked into the bathroom, turning the shower on and waiting for steam to billow in the room before stepping under the hot spray.

Maybe if her husband hadn't managed to get snowed in in Syracuse after a literary festival he just had to attend in what was supposed to be her last week of pregnancy just days before Christmas, she'd be a lot calmer about everything. Unfortunately for Kate, her husband was snowed in in Syracuse and much as she tried to keep her stress levels down, she couldn't help worrying that Castle would still be in Syracuse when her water finally broke and his kid decided to make its entrance into the world.

Still feeling like a beached whale, Kate exited the shower with an anxious feeling spreading through her chest, simply pulling on her husband's robe rather than bother trying to find something that would stretch over her bump. Her phone flashed an alert where it lay on top of one of the bedside units – an update from Rick.

'Sorry, the blizzard's still raging. No flights leaving Syracuse Hancock International. How's Castle Junior?'

Sighing, Kate smoothed a hand over her belly as she felt their son begin tumbling within her womb.

'He's dancing up a storm of his own,' she typed back one-handed as she waddled her way out into the kitchen and pulled out a carton of juice. The health craze Martha and Alexis had gone on over the summer had been great for helping to replace the decaffeinated crap Castle had tried to pass off as coffee.

'Still no signs of labour then?'

'Don't you think I'd have called if there was?'

'He must be waiting till I get back then,' was Rick's only reply, swiftly followed by another message. 'Be there as soon as I can. Just hang in there.'

Leaving her phone with a clatter on the kitchen counter, Kate surveyed the loft with a heavy heart. The tree was up, dominating the living room with its sheer size let alone the red silk bows and gold baubles weighing down the branches. The presents were safely nestled underneath it, the wreath hanging on the front door, the candles lined up on the mantelpiece and the only thing left to do was get the grocery shopping done but, being the size of a blimp, that was a job Martha and Alexis were going to have to take care of. The baby furniture was in the loft, but unfortunately Castle had chosen the worst time to get snowed in since they didn't even have the crib set up in their room yet. Martha and Alexis had both been gracious in offering their help, but it was something that she didn't want to do without Rick.

"Morning Kate," Alexis said brightly as she descended the stairs, already dressed for the day. "Dad still stuck in Syracuse?"

"Unfortunately."

Alexis dithered for a moment, unsure as to what she should say or do. "Just try to stay calm and relaxed like the doctor said. I'm sure Dad will manage to get back soon."

Nodding, Kate recalled the doctor's advice from her last trip, when she went past her due date. She'd done everything the doctor had said – ate enough spicy food to have her physically sweating, had what had to be every herbal remedy under the sun, bathed and attempted what walking and exercise she could – all to no avail. Had Castle been with her, she was certain they'd have been able to induce her labour with sex. With that knowledge in mind, his absence was all the more irksome.

"Okay, Grams should be here any second. Any last requests before we get the groceries? Ice cream?" Alexis suggested, remembering how many tubs Kate had managed to get through in just one week of her pregnancy.

The door opened, Martha waltzing in while she was deep in thought, mentally cataloguing the existing contents of the kitchen.

"Feeling okay, kiddo?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you, Martha."

Castle's mother took one look at her, before squeezing Kate's hand with a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Before you know it, you'll be wishing he was still in there, Katherine," she said, nodding towards Kate's swollen belly. "Need any more bio-oil?"

Attempting a smile, Kate shook her head. "I think I'm all good, Martha." She was fairly certain that the bio-oil she'd dutifully rubbed into her skin every night would do little to save her from permanent stretch marks. Thankfully, she knew that a few stretch marks would mean nothing to her husband.

"Okay, we're just a call away should you need anything," Martha told her, holding aloft her cell phone for emphasis, before taking Alexis' arm and heading out of the Loft with her.

"Bye Kate!"

She waited a few moments before growing tired of the ache in her back that always developed whenever she was stood up for more than a ten minutes, and crossed the open space of the apartment slowly to ease herself into the couch, knowing full well that it would probably be hours before she could get back up, at least without any help.

She was woken from napping by insistent knocking at the front door.

"Hold on!"

Confused since there was no way Martha and Alexis could be done already and the doorman hadn't rung up to announce anyone, Kate waddled as quickly as she could towards the front door, wondering just who could be on the other side and finding that it was the last person she expected.

"Castle?"

"Surprised?" he laughed in her ear, having stepped forwards to wrap her up in his arms the second the door was open wide enough.

"Rick? How? I thought you were still stuck in Syracuse, that there were no flights-"

"-Yep, I hitched a few lifts instead, even got to ride in a snowplough for a while, Kate," he explained, grinning widely. "Had to get back to you and this little guy, couldn't have him making his big entrance without me." His palm smoothed over the side of her bump, his touch swiftly causing one of Castle Jr's feet to extend into her side. "And I've got a few other surprises too," he told her, suddenly remembering the few items he'd picked up along the way back through New York, "Come on." Shuffling further into the Loft, he helped Kate move backwards, grabbing his bag before he shut the door and escorted her back to the couch.

"Just sit right here."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Kate eased herself back and watched as he pulled his bag towards him and carefully opened it, leaning over it so she couldn't peak as he began removing one or two items.

"Okay, close your eyes," he said, waiting until she had done so before he spun around. This time she couldn't help rolling her eyes before acquiescing to his request anyway. "Hands out."

The rough warmth of Castle's fingers and palms rolled her fingers out to accept the first of his gifts.

"Now I didn't get time to wrap them – and they're not actual Christmas presents anyway," he rambled, "but, okay, open your eyes." The lines of happiness and the smile crinkling the skin at the corners of his eyes were the first things she noticed when she opened her eyes before dropping her gaze to the soft material she could feel in her hands. "Like it?" Castle asked before she had even had a chance to unfold the present. "Alexis said you were having trouble finding things to wear," he explained as she held the item up to see that it was another red shirt, an exact replica of the one she had appropriated from him oh so long ago now – just a few sizes larger.

Feeling warmth in her chest, one of those star-bright slow beams lit up Kate's face as she lifted a palm to her husband's cheek. "Babe, it's perfect. Thank you."

"Ah-" Rick cautioned, holding a finger up to stop her. "There's a second part."

Kate didn't have to be told to close her eyes this time. Nor when to open them. The second she felt more soft cotton against her skin she was eagerly opening her eyes and holding up the tiny, newborn-sized matching item.

"Do you think it'll fit?" Castle asked, resting his now empty hands on her knee caps.

"Let's see."

With the greatest care, Kate laid the miniature t-shirt over the biggest part of her belly, smiling as Rick began to chuckle, squeezing her kneecaps with the emotion.

"Looks perfect to me," she murmured, lifting the shirt again, wondering how the person who had been growing and developing inside her for nine months could really be that small when she had practically become the size of a barge. "Now he just needs to hurry up and get out of me so he can wear it properly."

A/N: I really wanted to get this finished and up today, since it's obviously Christmas tomorrow. The other Christmas themed chapter(s) will hopefully follow on Boxing day. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!