Eye of the Storm

Chapter 21

Jackson Hunt had been on the ground in New York State for about an hour before receiving the text from Richard. His isolation surveilling operations in Niger for the better part of the last nine months had been almost complete, permitting communication with his handler by satellite phone, but only at infrequent and agreed upon intervals. When he'd finally been rotated out, he'd slept through most of his journey on the transports back to the states, the most reasonable thing to do when his ass was suspended in netting. When he landed in Newburgh, he wanted little more than a shower and a good meal that didn't come out of a hermetically sealed, mil-standard approved pouch. The secure cell phone the supply master handed him, contained all his regular contacts, classified and otherwise.

He stared at the message that dinged as soon as he activated the device. Sonofabitch! He hadn't even known Kate was pregnant. He'd received word that there were no further threats to his family, and he'd had to work damn hard to get that, but there was nothing else. The trip to the city would take about two hours - less if he pushed it. He would just have to requisition some transportation. He'd had dealings with the sergeant who ran the motor pool before. The man had a weakness for poker and couldn't read a bluff if his life depended on it. He was sure the sergeant could use a few extra bucks, and one thing a good intelligence asset always accessed was cash. He'd obtained a fat wad of it before the last leg of his flight. He'd have wheels within a half-hour.

Jim Beckett stole a glance at his watch. It was smaller than his old one, which was a permanent fixture on Kate's wrist, but the numerals were easily readable, even for well-over-fifty eyes. It was six-o'clock and opposing counsel was still droning on. When he'd requested a meeting in chambers, Jim had hoped for a quick motion. But his adversary had apparently sensed Judge Lowry's reticence and was citing every remotely relevant reference back to the Civil War. Lowry looked both bored and hungry. That was a good sign. Jim wanted to get out of there.

He knew it was still a week short of Katie's delivery date, but his little girl had been in a hurry. He and Johanna had barely made it to the hospital. If his grandchildren followed suit… He'd be glad when he was no longer under the judge's prohibition against turning on his phone, and he could make sure labor was not in progress.

Castle sipped the 20-ounce coffee Alexis had brought him. It was decaf, but there was no chance he would be anything but wide-awake. Medication had eased Kate's pain, but she could still feel pressure. They both could, and no one was offering him any sedation. Not that he'd take it if they did. He wanted to live every minute of the experience.

When Alexis had been born, he'd had no idea how he'd react. He'd gone through the classes with Meredith, just as he had with Kate, but it had all had a feeling of unreality. He couldn't really believe that he was about to become a father until the tiny bundle had been placed in his arms. Then he couldn't imagine being anything else.

It would be different this time. Kate had no intention of flying off and leaving him with all the diapers and the midnight feedings. As much as he loved his daughter and enjoyed taking care of her, he'd spent months in a state of total exhaustion. While wise parents slept when their babies did, at least during the first few weeks, he'd pried his eyes open to meet Black Pawn's deadlines. Between blowing the profits of "In a Hail of Bullets" and Meredith's addiction to the use of his credit cards, he had to make sure the income would keep flowing for both him and Alexis. His daughter would have everything he missed - and then some.

He was more secure now. Not only did he have books in the pipeline, as well as his investments and property, but he also had a life partner in whom he had total confidence. It was true that he was a lot better with poop and snuggles than Kate was, but she'd shown her willingness to do her share. The N.Y.P.D. allowed maternity leave, and after that, they'd work it out.

The important thing now was that his family would come out of the birth experience healthy. So far, things looked OK. Kate's blood pressure had crept up a little but not to dangerous levels, and there were no signs of fetal distress. Dr. Kalisha had pronounced her at nine centimeters. There was not far to go.

Jim turned on his phone the minute he exited Lowry's chambers and immediately ran to the elevator. It seemed forever before he was able to catch a cab, but he left no doubt with the driver that the size of his tip would depend on the speed of the trip. The taxi peeled away from the curb.

Jackson cursed the construction that had limited the speed on FDR Drive. His trip down the highway had taken less time than his crawl through city traffic. But he was not far from the hospital, now. If the piece of junk the sergeant had claimed was the only vehicle he could spare, would hold up, he'd make it.

Rick slipped into the sterile gown the nurse offered him before he took his place in the delivery room. He and Kate had been breathing in tandem while she had been wheeled there, and he still kept up the rhythm. He took his place to lend support and encouragement while she pushed, but with the strength she had taken so much care to instill in her muscles, it didn't take much. "Your daughter is out," Dr. Kalisha announced, before placing her on Kate's chest and encouraging Castle to cut the cord.

"Hi Ruth," Castle greeted the infant whom he and Kate had agreed to name after her idol, a Supreme Court Justice. The nurses took the baby for cleaning and wrapping.

"One more," Kalisha proclaimed. "Keep pushing, Kate."

"Come on, Stephen," Castle urged his emerging son. "Do your namesake, the world's most badass TV writer, proud."

"He looks perfect," Kalisha assessed as an immediately squalling boy protested leaving the safety of the womb.

Kalisha smiled. "No worries about those lungs. Looks like Apgars will be good on both of them. The pediatrician will check them out upstairs while I make sure everything is right with you and then you can all have your family reunion."

Castle leaned down to kiss Kate's lips. "Best delivery ever!"

Jim Beckett strode along the corridor to the nursery to view his grandchildren. He'd been told that they'd be brought to Katie's room very shortly, but he couldn't wait. He stared down at the two babies tagged Castle. Other than Johanna and Katie, he'd never seen anyone more beautiful. He noted the tall white-haired man who stood nearby, looking intensely at the twins. He was sure he'd never seen him before, but there was something familiar about him. "I'm Jim Beckett, their grandfather. Are you a relative of Rick's?"

The man nodded and offered his hand for Jim to shake. "I've been out of town on business. I just wanted to make sure the kids were OK. I can see that everything is under control. I'll see you again some time. Jackson's long legs quickly carried him toward the elevator and his next mission.

Finis

A/N I hope you enjoyed this. Now for something different. If you've been following my stories for the past few years, you know that I occasionally write from the viewpoint of a character other than Rick and Kate, my favorite being Jim Beckett. I'll be doing that again, starting with the time immediately after Kate and Rick are shot by Caleb Brown in "Crossfire." That will be in a different universe than my future history was in "Life Goes On." We'll see what happens in "After the Fall." Until tomorrow, love Sally