Sorry I missed last week's update. I had a friend come stay with me over the last week (long story) and I just dropped her off at school today so I have plenty of time right now (keep in mind, I've already been given a preemptive assignment from my U.S. Short Story prof, but I am shirking that duty [heh] to be here and write fanfiction because I love y'all and I'd rather write than read right now).

Wow, that was an unnecessarily long Author's Note and I am sorry.

Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Forty Seven

As midnight loomed closer, Kate and Castle made their way around the room, mingling both separately and as a unit, trading off the sleeping toddler who'd, unfortunately, been unable to make it to the new year.

Now, Alexis snuggled against Kate's shoulder as she talked to Lanie and Javier, who were squabbling over seating charts and flower arrangements.

"My sweet auntie Laurel ain't getting sat next to your ornery grandfather," Lanie was saying as she walked up, stroking her daughter's back as she rolled her eyes at her friend and tried not to snicker at Javier's shocked expression.

"Abuelo isn't ornery!" he exclaimed. "He's just a little…particular about what he likes."

"Which he made clear is not me," Lanie rebutted, turning to Kate. "First day we met, he told Javier—right in front of me, I might add—that he could do better."

Kate winced at that and shook her head, shooting a look at Javi.

"At least he's honest," Javi offered, shrugging.

Lanie scoffed. "Well my auntie don't need his honesty, 'specially not after Uncle Ernie's passing; that poor woman's got enough on her plate without your grumpy ass—"

"Child!" Kate hissed, covering the sleeping girl's ears.

"That girl is out like a broken light," Lanie replied. "She can't hear me."

"You never know," Kate replied. Then, to change the subject: "Have you ordered the lilies yet?"

"Lilies?" Javi asked. "What lilies?"

"The ones that are gonna be in my bouquet, fool," Lanie replied, rolling her eyes.

"Chica, I'm allergic to lilies!" the Latino told her. "I'll break out into hives right in the middle of the ceremony!"

"You never told me that!" Lanie exclaimed, glaring at him.

"Of course I did!" he insisted. "You just weren't listening!"

"Just like you weren't listening the first time I told you about these lilies?" Lanie pointed out. "I musta told you at least a dozen times about them!"

They continued to squabble like that, as Kate watched, until it was about ten minutes to midnight. She wasn't too concerned about waking the child in her arms; when Alexis slept, she slept.

"She still out?" The voice from behind startled Kate so much that she had to catch her balance against Javier, who stopped midsentence to keep her upright.

"You okay, girl?" he asked. She nodded, blushing slightly as she turned to her fiancé, who grinned at her, amused. She glared back at him.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, mister," she said, looking down at Alexis as she stirred, turning her head to face outward, before letting out a tiny, adorable snort. Kate smiled and pressed a kiss to her head, before looking up at Castle, whose face was a mask of adoration. She smiled shyly up at him as she held the girl in her arms closer.

"Here," Javi said, behind her, "let me take the little rug rat."

Kate raised her eyebrow as she turned to him, already holding his arms out to receive the child.

"You wanna hold her?" Kate asked. Javi nodded.

"Why not?" he asked. "She likes me, right?"

"Yeah, he's her Uncle Princess Javi," Castle added, wryly, earning a glare and a cackle, from Javi and Lanie, respectively.

Kate just shrugged and carefully extracted the little girl's arms from around her neck, passing her over to the shorter man, who cradled her in his arms like a baby, looking down at her like she was this precious, delicate little doll that would break with one wrong move.

"Relax, Jav," Kate said. "You're not going to snap her in half."

"WHY WOULD YOU EVEN PUT THAT IMAGE IN MY MIND?!" he hissed, his eyes alight with fright.

"Good lord," Lanie grumbled. "Let's hope you're calmer with ours."

"You have years to practice," Castle added, in a consoling tone.

Just then, Javi and Lanie shared a look, not going unnoticed by their friends.

"Actually..." Lanie started. "That's something we wanted to tell y'all together…where's Kevin?"

"Right here!" the boy in question exclaimed, breaking out of the crowd that had gathered around the wall-sized television, currently broadcasting the ball drop in Times Square. He was holding a drink and the ridiculous party had he wore was askew, and he had more than a few lipstick marks on his face.

"Kevin Ryan, you lucky dog!" Castle exclaimed. The younger man rolled his eyes.

"I just got cornered by Javi's mom, who thanked me so much for helping out with the empanadas for your engagement party."

"That party was, like, three months ago, dude," Javier pointed out.

"That's what I said," Kevin sighed. "So what's the big news? What do you gotta tell everybody?"

Javi and Lanie shared another look, grins breaking out on both of their faces, before they turned back to their friends.

"We're having a baby," they said in unison, Javi reaching for her hand, while still juggling Alexis in the crook of one arm. Three sets of eyes bulged open at that and three mouths gaped open, comically, just as a roar went up around the room.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

It's very short, I know, but the next one will be longer, I swear!