A/N: Reason this one took me so long? I hemmed and hawed over names forever. I had one in mind, then second guessed myself all over the place until I ended up with the first one again. Life lessons y'all.
"Okay, so we have fifty candy bars for the kids and fifty gift cards for the parents," Alexis notes, moving things around on the counter. "Think that'll be enough?"
"We don't usually get that many trick-or-treaters," Castle answers, putting the king sized candy bars into a plastic pumpkin and setting it by the door. "Whatever's left I'll take down to the precinct."
"You okay with not having a Halloween party this year?"
He thinks for a moment, leaning over the counter and picking at the bowl of candy corn before he answers.
"Didn't have one the year you were born either. Your mom… she was all for it until the day of, but she was so cranky, exhausted, not in the mood for company. We cancelled and ate all the candy ourselves."
"I like that story," she smiles. "You never seem to have any normal stories about you and mom."
"There's one or two in there occasionally. Now, I know it's still early in the day, but do you want to start deciding on a movie lineup for tonight? I printed out a list of best horror movies of all time, but I think we've seen them all."
She nods and moves to the stove to finish making breakfast, laughing at her own unsuccessful attempts at pumpkin shaped pancakes. The idea had seemed great when she woke up that morning, but in actual execution, it was not to be attempted again.
"Well, we could always watch them in another language," she shrugs, dumping the first pancake into the garbage. "Or in fast-forward. Or make up our own dialogue."
He laughs and nods his head as Kate comes out of the bedroom brow furrowed in frustration at her ever-increasing waddle.
"We could go with Young Frankenstein," she suggests, stopping midway across the room to rub her hand over her back.
"Frahnk-en-steen," Castle corrects. "This one over here has never seen it."
"It's not my fault that Gene Wilder is the stuff nightmares are made of when you're five."
"You're scared of Willy Wonka but you've been watching every gore flick known to man since you were in elementary school?"
"Maybe…"
"Okay, that settles it. I am deciding what kind of entertainment this new child will take in."
She sits down on the barstool with a wince, biting her lip and puffing her cheeks out.
"Something going on over there?" Castle asks, eyebrows raising in question.
"Just a few contractions, I think. Not that close together but they've been going on since about three this morning."
"You didn't say anything?"
"Why would I? If this was going to be the day, you were going to need your sleep anyway."
He sighed and Alexis pulled two plates down from the cupboard, filling them with orange pancakes.
"She's right dad, you would have just hovered and driven her crazy."
"Right. When it's time, you'll know but I don't think it's time yet. Besides, these could just be practice, I'm not even due for two weeks."
"Well fine."
"Geez, it's not like I'm kicking you out of the delivery room."
"Okay, you win."
"I will take the victories wherever I can get them. Orange pancakes?"
"They were going to be pumpkins until I realized I am not a pancake artist."
"I see. And are they… uh… normal in all other ways?"
"They have pumpkin pie in them."
"Festive. Okay, I'll take the plunge."
"You tried the S'morelette without argument and you've been eating cheese dipped in steak sauce for three dinners straight, but you're wary of my pumpkin pancakes? I'm hurt."
"I'm just kidding, pass the butter?"
Alexis smirked, rolling her eyes in amusement.
"Okay kids, I've got to head to the library-"
"On a Saturday?"
"And get some studying done-"
"On a holiday?"
"But I'll be back in time for movie night. Don't get into trouble."
She breezes out the door and Kate sighs, curling around her belly and breathing hard.
"What's wrong?"
"They're a lot worse than I said but I knew if I said that she'd stay here and she needs to go study for finals so I just kind of…"
"Lied for the sake of my kid's education? Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
She nods as the contraction ends, then smoothes her hand over her stomach.
"I wonder how long this is going to take."
They spend the day cleaning the loft, debating the handful of middle names they still can't choose from, and timing contractions. After a few calls to the doctor with updates they've decided to make the trek to the hospital. They're just grabbing the bags and the carseat from the front closet when Alexis and Martha return home, gabbing about something or another, a conversation that halts when they see what's going on.
"Is this it?" Martha asks delightedly.
"We think so."
"Oh good! I'll go get changed and eat something and meet you at the hospital later, if that's alright."
"Of course that's alright, but this could take hours."
"Hours and hours," Castle adds, and Kate pinches his ear. "Okay, ow."
"Either way, we want to be there when the baby comes. Right darling?"
Alexis nods eagerly.
"It's settled. We'll meet you there in a while. At least we can keep your father company, Katherine. I'm sure he won't even think about being anywhere else tonight."
"Probably not."
"Okay then, off you two go. Breathe well, darling."
With a laugh they're out the door, leaving the two redheads alone in the quiet loft.
"Well then," Martha starts, drawing Alexis into her arms. "I suppose this is our last night of life as we know it."
"Guess so."
"How are you feeling, kiddo? This is a big change."
"I know, but I'm excited. It'll be… well, I'm sure it's going to be a lot different than I'm anticipating, but good all the same."
"Alright then. How about I make you your favorite dinner and we can relax a bit before heading over."
"Uh… well…"
"What if I order in your favorite dinner then?"
"Yes, that sounds good. I'm just going to go and put all this stuff away."
Martha nods as Alexis heads upstairs, dropping her bookbag on the bed and looking around the room. She hasn't been home for more than a dinner in a few weeks, and for some reason it all feels foreign to her. The lights are different or maybe it's too cold? She's note entirely sure, but she closes the door behind her before creeping across the hallway and pushing open another door.
The walls are a gentle gray color, an off white plush rug is in the center of the room, and above the crib are the letters spelling out her little brothers name. She smiles at it, running her eyes over all the little trinkets and things that have been purchased over the last few months, Her eyes scan the closet, the rocking chair, the changing table and the curtains, and it feels like it all belongs, they all belong.
It feels like family and home, and all the things she's always thought she had, but didn't know there were missing pieces of. Everything was together now.
"You raised a very brave man."
Martha lifts an eyebrow and looks across the table at Jim, to find a little smile on his face while he stares down into his coffee.
"Oh?"
"If I know my daughter, labor is going to make her crazy. He won't even step out of that room for a moment. Like I said, brave man."
"They seem to keep each other in check, though I'm curious to know how they're going to do this."
"I thought Johanna had been possessed when she was in labor. Never heard her curse before in my life, but that night…" he trails off and chuckles a little in remembrance. "Let's just say, I don't envy women for what they go through to bring life into this world."
"It's not a picnic," Martha notes. "When Richard was born, I had been wishing for a girl. I thought it would be so much easier to raise a daughter alone than it would be to raise a son. I didn't even have brothers, I had no idea what to do with a boy. But the moment I saw him, I don't think it ever crossed my mind again. All I really wanted was him."
Jim nods in understanding.
"I barely remember what life was like before Katie came along. I'm sure we were happy of course, but I don't think we knew what we were missing until we had it."
"Did you get that moment," Martha begins, light twinkling in her eyes. "Where everything stops?"
"Nothing else in the world matters," Jim confirms, smile breaking ever larger across his face. "I still feel that sometimes when I look at her. Especially now. If it weren't for Katie my life would still be full, but I doubt it would be very rich."
"Here's to our children, and our grandchildren," Martha toasted, tapping her Styrofoam cup to his. "Making life worth living."
"Amen."
They smile together and settle back into the plastic chairs of the cafeteria, observing the few groups of people that are scattered around after normal meal hours. They've been here a while now, and being Halloween, the waiting room in the maternity ward is packed to the gills, standing room only. Alexis found a quiet corner early on, and she's been curled up on the floor with her school work and headphones, while the two of them milled about, exchanging pleasantries with the other people waiting, then deciding that there were at least a few chairs in the cafeteria.
It's a comfortable silence they're sharing, and while it's not borne of a long familiarity with each other, it's somewhat familial all the same. They have very important people in common now, and their opposite hobbies don't seem nearly as important as they once did. It didn't take Jim long after that first dinner to admit that he had simply been teasing, something Martha would have picked up on if their children hadn't been so nervous and over-sensitive themselves.
"Katherine is going to make a wonderful mother," Martha says after a while. "I know she has her reservations about the whole thing and she worries, but she'll be as incredible at this as she is at everything else."
"I think so too. She and Rick make a good team."
"What was she like as a child? Every time I ask her, she just laughs and changes the subject."
Jim grins.
"Oh, she was sassy. She was very certain that her way was the right way and she had no qualms about telling me or her mother so. She'd stand there tapping her little foot, jabbing a pudgy finger in our direction as she laid down the law about naptime or the proper way to make a sandwich. Her hands were almost permanently attached to her hips and I will swear that she was rolling her eyes before she was rolling over.
"But she could be the sweetest little thing," he continued, looking much younger than his years. "Never met a stranger. Held my hand crossing the street until she was ten at least. Hung on her mothers every word. And she had the squeakiest little voice, even when she was upset she sounded like a cartoon character. That doesn't mean she was the perfect child of course. She was always getting into one scrape or another, usually with those cousins of hers, though the way they tell it now, she was often the instigator of their little shenanigans. Kept us on our toes but made us slow down at the same time."
"Sounds like not much has changed."
"Deep down, she's still baby Katie with those hands on her hips."
"This grandson of ours is going to be something else, that's for sure."
"I hope he acquires his parents more tame traits."
"I don't know, it might be fun to watch Richard try and wrangle a child who's curious about everything. Alexis was so easy, I'd like him to get a real taste of what normal parenthood is like."
"Well if that doesn't work out, grandparents get to fill them with sugar and send them back to mom and dad."
Martha chuckles and nods in agreement. Whoever said getting old was a bad thing? Every year that went by seemed to be better than the last.
"Hey, pumpkin."
"Dad?" she whispers, sitting up from where she's fallen asleep against the wall.
"Hi sweetie. You're a big sister."
She smiles wide, fully awake now as he reaches out his hand to help her up, crushing her into his chest with a hug. She returns it, but only for a moment, as excited as she is to meet her brother.
"How is he?"
"He's perfect."
"And Kate?"
"She's incredible. C'mon, you can come see them."
"Are you sure?" she hesitates, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "I mean, isn't she tired? Does she want company right now?"
"We've had our time with him, she told me to come out and get you."
"Okay."
"Where are the grandparents?"
"They went down to the cafeteria about… two hours ago I guess."
"I'll call them in a bit then. Let's go see your brother."
She follows him down the hallway and through the big doors, around a corner and to a room at the end of the hallway, where the lights are slightly dimmed and silence meets them.
She can not explain why her stomach jumps, nor why she has to convince herself that it's okay to go in, but she feels like a timid church mouse as her shoes squeak against the linoleum. She stands just inside the threshold for a moment, watching as her father takes the bundle from Kate, talking softly to the baby in his arms and smiling as if nothing bad will ever happen again. It settles those nerves as she realizes this is how he looked holding her for the first time too.
"Hey Kate," she says after a moment, leaning down for a hug. "Heard you screamin'."
"Very funny. You'll be happy to know that your brother does not have a conehead, so you're welcome."
She giggles and settles into the chair next to the bed, expecting to have another moment or two before the baby is handed to her, but suddenly her arms are full and she's staring down at the tiniest face she's ever seen. His eyes open and close slightly and he yawns, as if he's completely content with the way his life is turning out. He fits perfectly into the crook of her arm and she looks down at him, trying to figure out who he looks like, but he's already so much his own person.
"Hey buddy," she whispers, running her fingers over his cheek, delighting in the soft skin before she kisses his little forehead. He doesn't seem to register the affection but her heart swells with so much love that she's sure she'll cry.
"So, should we throw him back?"
"Don't even joke about that, or I'll throw you back," she retorts, unable to look away from her brother. "You're not my main guy anymore dad, deal with it."
"I'm wounded," he jokes as the baby starts to fuss. Rather than panic, Alexis changes her position a little and settles him against her legs so he can look at her. He blinks hard and his hand creeps out of the blankets, grabbing onto the finger she offers him before going back to sleep.
"Well that's it, I can never move out of the city," she declares with a half grin. "Thanks a lot guys."
"Our plan worked!" Castle says, holding his hand out so Kate will high-five him.
"Excuse me, but your children don't think that's very funny. What we do think is funny is that it's now two against two, parents versus kids, and you are going down."
"Oh you think so?"
"Come on, like you've already built up an immunity to this chubby little face."
"Face it Castle, we're doomed."
The door clicks quietly open and Jim pokes his head in.
"Ready for us?"
"Yeah, come in."
Kate simply sits back and watches the moment unfold, the tears in her fathers eyes as he reaches for the baby, drawing him up to look at him, laughing quietly with joy. She doesn't realize until this moment how much she wanted this for him as well as the rest of her family. He kisses the baby's cheek and cradles him close, moving gently side to side to keep him comfortable. He's much more of a natural than she assumed he would be; grandfathering seems to be in his blood.
Martha is obviously more colorful in her observations, gently covering parts of the baby's face to see whose features he has. She talks to him in a hushed voice and that's when he wakes, staring up the source of the noise and letting out a little squawk before stretching and going back to sleep.
"I think they're smitten," Alexis grins, perching on the edge of the bed. "How about you?"
"I think I'm still in shock," Kate grins, eyes still on her son. "I didn't even know I was done until they put him on my chest."
"You should have seen her face," Castle chuckles. "So surprised. Plus, he was born two minutes before midnight so I got my Halloween baby."
"Yes, victory is yours," Kate smiles, watching closely as the baby is passed back to her father. "What do you think, dad?"
"Can I move in?"
They all laugh, knowing he's mostly joking. It's going to be hard for him to leave.
"I guess it's unanimous," Castle says, still giddy. "We're good at this child production business. I suppose we're going to have to do it again, you know, let the supply meet the demand."
"Can we not joke about that while the feeling is coming back to my lower half? Thanks."
He laughs and leans over to kiss the top of her head while Jim brings the baby back to her.
"Welcome to the family, Finn. And hold on, it's going to be a bumpy ride."