Let me just start off by saying I am completely overwhelmed by the kindness of all of my readers. Recovery has definitely been rough, but you have all made me smile with your thoughtful words and well wishes. I am truly humbled by the messages I have received. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and prayers, they mean the world to me! You really, truly are the best readers I could ask for! My writing will probably still be slightly sporadic as the tendon in my hand is still pretty tender and I am not really supposed to use it a lot. But, on the plus side, my cast is off, so that's progress! Thank you so much for sticking through this with me, I love you guys!

Chapter 51.

"So am I going to need to call you writer-woman now?" Lanie asked with a smirk.

The three women were seated around the fireplace in the living room chatting, while the guys were in the kitchen drinking beer.

Kate leaned her head to the side and laughed. "Let's not be too hasty. Wait until Black Pawn actually says they like something we write together."

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Girl. With the way you and Castle are always on the same wavelength? You're crazy. Whatever you write will be golden."

Jenny nodded in agreement. "I know I don't know you quite as well as Lanie, but it's obvious how in tune you two are. If your writing is filled with that same passion, Black Pawn is going to be elated."

"Oh stop you guys," Kate blushed. "I really hope this works. It really is the perfect idea."

"He's always thinking, that man of yours," Lanie added. "You're lucky. He'd move Heaven and Earth if it meant making you happy."

Kate frowned. "I know he would."

"And that's a bad thing?" Jenny asked, clearly confused.

"No…"

"Well someone should tell your face," Lanie piped in as she searched her friend's face for a clue as to what was bothering her.

Kate was silent for a moment. She looked to be deep in thought as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and rubbed her hand over her forehead. "I just don't want to let him down," she said quietly. So quietly in fact that both Lanie and Jenny had to strain to hear her.

"Kate, honey," Lanie reached out and grabbed her friend's hand. "I think you know enough by now to realize there isn't anything you could do that would let him down. Do you see the way he looks at you? Because from what I can see, he worships you."

"I know he does, but that's why I don't want to let him down. This is his livelihood. Our livelihood. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that."

"Well, I don't think that's possible. Castle's been writing for how many years now? Too many to count. He knows what it takes to write something his fans will love. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Lanie paused when she saw a tear trickle down her friend's cheek. She reached over and wiped it away. "I'm going to attribute this little conversation to pregnancy hormones, what do you think?"

Kate chuckled and elbowed her. "I can't wait until your hormones cause you to get all teary and emotional. I'm going to give you such a hard time."

"I'll tell you what, if I get to that point, I'll make fun of myself."

"If?" Jenny dissolved into giggles. "I'm pretty sure that if Kate has gotten emotional throughout her pregnancy you will too. I was a mess during mine. It's a wonder Kevin didn't divorce me with the number of times I was in hysterics over absolutely nothing."

Lanie glared at them, but it didn't quite reach her twinkling eye. "I can hardly wait."

Jenny and Kate laughed and it wasn't long before Lanie joined in.

When the guys came into the room, this is how they found their wives/fiancé. They were still seated in front of the fireplace, but they were all doubled over in full-blown hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?" Rick asked as he settled himself on the couch behind where Kate was seated.

Kate wiped the tears out of her eyes as she tried to get her breathing under control. "I don't even remember," she finally managed to get out.

"Me either," Jenny said before she started giggling again.

"Lanie?" Esposito asked, looking slightly concerned over their behavior.

She shook her head and paused to catch her breath. "No idea."

Rick, Esposito and Ryan looked at one another with raised eyebrows and shrugged in a "oh well," type fashion. They sat there for a few minutes and waited for the women to compose themselves as they sipped their drinks.

"Have you ladies finished?" Ryan asked skeptically as the three women finally say in silence, chests heaving for oxygen.

Kate nodded.

"Anyone hungry for dinner?" Rick asked. "I called over to Pino's and they don't have a wait."

"I'm starving," Lanie said and the other two nodded in agreement.

When they arrived at Pino's a short time later, there was a slight wait, but the host waved them over.

"Mr. Castle, Mrs. Castle! How lovely to have you! When you called, I had them set a table for you in the back. Please, please, follow me." The tiny man led them to a corner booth near the back of the restaurant and handed them menus before he departed.

"You come here often?" Esposito teased.

Rick shrugged. "Often enough. We like it here. It's a cute little restaurant."

And it was. The little bistro style restaurant was tastefully decorated in neutral colors with various pictures of grapes and wine. Between the atmosphere and the aroma of the food wafting from the kitchen, the rest of the group could see why Rick and Kate liked it.

They had an enjoyable evening at Pino's, full of laughter and stories of having an infant from Jenny and Kevin and stories of cravings from both Lanie and Kate. It was a toss up for the craziest craving with Kate's constant need of the infamous smorelette and Lanie's newfound desire for pickles to dip in her Wendy's frosty.

By the time they had come home, the boys were all a few beers in, and not quite ready to call it a night. After Jenny and Kevin talked to Jenny's mom (Sarah Grace had been fast asleep), the group opted to play another game.

"Cards Against Humanity!" Rick declared as he swayed slightly into Kate's side.

She arched an eyebrow at her husband, his cheeks rosy with the heat from the alcohol and the smile she could not resist. "I could play for a little bit," she said with a grin as he beamed at her.

The rest of them nodded in agreement. Kate pulled out the game while Esposito and Ryan went into the kitchen to get refreshments for everyone. They came back minutes later with a tray filled with beer for the guys and tea and cider for the women.

"Didn't know which you'd feel like," Esposito shrugged.

Rick looked back and forth between the beverages, clearly at a loss as to what he should choose.

Kate nudged him. "Rick, have another beer. You're on vacation, and we aren't driving anywhere."

He looked at her skeptically, his eyes slightly glossy before he smiled and grabbed the Corona that Ryan offered him.

Kate liked to see this side of her husband. He may act like a nine year old on a sugar rush, but she rarely got to see a drunk Rick. When he showed this side he melted and became even more lovey dovey than normal. Six years ago she would have hated it, but now, now she loved the fact that this man needed her and if she was honest with herself, she loved the fact that she needed him too. With that thought in mind, Kate settled herself on the couch next to her husband and wrapped her arm around him for a change. He turned to grin at her over his shoulder before he reached out to shuffle and deal the cards.

It wasn't long before they were practically rolling on the floor laughing. This game was fun no matter how you played it, but with three drunken men? Manly men (well, for the most part). Men who had now dissolved into the giggles of teenage girls at a slumber party. Their hysteria was catching. Jenny, Lanie and Kate couldn't help themselves. As funny as the cards were, it was hilarious watching the men in their lives letting loose.

"Okay, okay," Kate said and waited until the laughter died down slightly before reading her card. "Next from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of…"

Rick looked at his cards and sniggered before he selected one and slid it forward to the center of the coffee table. The rest of the group followed suit and Kate shuffled their cards so she wouldn't know who had given her which and looked at the cards.

She was too busy reading them in her head and laughing to herself and seemed to forget that she was supposed to read them out loud until Esposito coughed loudly. Kate's eyes darted up and she smiled. "Sorry guys. Okay. So. Next from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Being a Motherfucking Sorcerer, the Chamber of Harry Potter Erotica, the Chamber of Sexy Pillow Fights, the Chamber of BATMAN!, and last but not least, the Chamber of Vigilante Justice. Wow, guys, you really made this one difficult for me."

All eyes were on Kate as she tugged her bottom lip between her teeth as she weighed her options. She made a show of going back and forth between the cards much to the chagrin of the guys who grew more impatient with every passing second.

She finally decided to put them out of their misery. "I'm going to have to go with the Chamber of BATMAN! I know, I know, crossover craziness, but, hey, in my world that would be fun."

"Yesssss!" Rick exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air.

Ryan and Esposito scowled. "Cheaters," Esposito muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Kate asked with a smirk.

Lanie rolled her eyes. "He's just sore because he lost the hand." She reached out and patted her fiancé's arm.

"Or because they always know what the other is thinking," Javi retorted. He was definitely a sore loser.

The rest of the group chose to ignore his grumpy behavior. "Why don't we just do one more?" Lanie suggested. "I'm getting tired."

"Me too," Kate agreed. "Sounds good. Jenny, it's your turn."

Jenny chose a card and laughed to herself before she read it out loud.

"What don't you want to find in your Kung Pao Chicken?"

Esposito's face turned smug and Rick sniggered as he slid a card down onto the table. Kate, Lanie and Ryan were not far behind, and it was difficult to say who looked most proud of themselves.

Jenny picked up the cards and looked around their little group skeptically. "Ok. What don't you want to find in your Kung Pao Chicken? Oompa-Loompas, Shiny Objects, Grandma, Boogers, or Kanye West." She wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't want to find any of those in my Kung Pao chicken…"

"Girl neither would I. But you have to pick one," Lanie told her, clearly disturbed by the choices as well.

Jenny sighed dramatically and surveyed her cards once again. "I guess if I have to pick…I'm going to go with Grandma. I think that's definitely the most disturbing."

"Hey, that's me!" Esposito declared, suddenly all smiles once again.

Rick rolled his eyes, and then leaned into Kate as his eyelashes fluttered and he closed his lids.

"I think it's time I get this one up to bed," she said to the others as Rick's soft snores filled the room. Kate glanced at their friends and noticed that Ryan and Esposito didn't seem to be far behind her husband.

"You can tell they don't drink that much anymore," Jenny laughed. Lanie nodded her agreement as Esposito drifted to her shoulder.

The group said their goodnights and made their way up the stairs. Kate guided Rick past the guest bedrooms and into their own room. He was still half asleep as she walked him over to the bed and helped him plop down. Rick gazed up into her eyes, and Kate went weak in the knees. He may have been slightly drunk, but the love that radiated from his twinkling blue eyes made it clear that he had one thing on his mind. She didn't waste any time. Kate lunged forward to capture her husband's mouth with her own as he fell backwards and pulled her on top of him.

Rick woke with a start to the sound of a crash from the floor below. He hastened a glance at his wife and saw that she was still sound asleep. Maybe he had imagined it. He glanced at the clock – 4:47. Rick paused to listen for a moment and then he heard it again. He looked over at Kate again and saw that she hadn't moved. It was up to him to go defend their house (not that he wanted her to go, but, she was the former cop after all). Rick pushed up and out of their bed with a new element of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he heard the sound for a third time.

He crept down the hall as he searched for something he could use as a weapon. Why hadn't he thought to grab Kate's gun out of the safe in their closet? Rick glanced in his office and saw the large, gun shaped paperweight sitting on his desk that Kate had gotten him as a gag gift. Well, at least he could throw it or hit someone in the head and cause some serious damage if it came down to it. And who knows? From a distance it could look like a real gun. Probably.

Rick held the weight at his side as he moved silently down the stairs, taking them one at a time as he paused every few steps to listen. There hadn't been a sound for a few minutes, so Rick stood up a little taller, choosing to believe the threat had either been imagined or had already left. That's when he heard it again. From the kitchen.

Rick sprang into action and pushed through the door with his paperweight gun drawn and yelled, "Freeze dirt bag!"

A surprised Ryan and Esposito turned around and burst into laughter at the sight before them. Rick was crouched down with the paperweight gun drawn, clad in only a pair of navy sweatpants.

"Not funny guys. I thought you were an intruder," Rick said grumpily as he set the paperweight down on the counter.

"So…you were going to what? Shoot us with your fake gun?" Esposito snorted.

"It's a paperweight," Rick said defensively. "It's heavy. I could have used it to hit you in the head."

"Good to know you can keep your head in a moment of need," Ryan teased as the guys erupted into laughter.

"Aren't you two supposed to be sleeping off your alcohol? What are you doing down here anyway?" Rick asked in an attempt to change the subject.

They shrugged.

"We're manly men," Esposito said as he stuck out his chest. "Manly men don't get hangovers."

"Speak for yourself," Ryan admitted. "Do you have any Tylenol?" he asked Rick.

Rick nodded and moved to the cabinet above the sink.

"Hey, uh, can I get a couple of those?" Esposito asked nonchalantly.

Rick smirked. "I thought manly men didn't get hangovers?"

Esposito glared at him, but took the bottle that was offered.

"But in all seriousness, we've gotten used to these early mornings," Ryan explained. "Seems like people are always finding bodies at two or three in the morning so, I guess for us this is sleeping in. Sorry we woke you man."

"It's alright. Something for breakfast?" Rick asked as he moved to look through the refrigerator.

"Is there any more of that cake?" Ryan asked as he peered over at the box on the counter knowing full well the majority of the cake was still there.

Rick chuckled and grabbed three plates and a knife to cut them all a slice. "I'm amazed you didn't wake the others…"

"I remember when Jenny was pregnant she slept like the dead," Ryan laughed. "We've been so sleep deprived lately that I think she's loving the fact that she can sleep the whole night, even if she is missing Sarah Grace."

"Now that you mention it, Kate has been sleeping pretty soundly lately. I guess her body has to rest up for all it's going to go through," Rick said thoughtfully as he stuffed a bite of cake in his mouth.

"See what you have to look forward to?" Ryan nudged Esposito with his elbow and the three men chuckled. "But in all seriousness, it's the best feeling in the world. Being a parent. Isn't it?"

Rick nodded. "It sure is. I can't wait to do it all over again. It's going to be nice to have someone there with me this time. A real partner. Someone to share the love with."

Ryan and Esposito shared a look. They knew Rick had basically raised Alexis by himself, but it wasn't generally something they heard him talk about.

"You're lucky bro," Esposito told him. "Kate's going to be a great mom."

"We're all lucky," Ryan added. The other two nodded. "Who would have known we'd be so sappy so early in the morning?"

They heard a throat clear and all three heads whipped around to find Lanie, Jenny, and Kate standing in the doorway.

Rick popped out of his chair. "How long have you ladies been standing there?" he asked in what he hoped was a casual comment.

Kate bit back a smile. "Long enough." She handed him his robe. "I saw this lying next to mine and thought you might be a little chilly."

Rick pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Babe. I…uh…left a little quickly this morning and didn't think to grab it."

"Oh?" Kate asked with an arched brow.

"What the heck is this?" Lanie picked up the gun paperweight and looked it over.

Ryan and Esposito laughed like hyenas as Rick's face reddened. "Long story," he muttered quietly.

"I think I speak for us women when I say we'd love to hear it," Lanie teased.

Rick glared at her and the guys before he sighed and began his story. "I heard a lot of noise coming from downstairs this morning. I thought there was an intruder so I went to go see what it was. I forgot to grab Kate's gun, so when I passed my office I grabbed the first thing I found. It just so happened to be a gun shaped paperweight." His face had flushed a pale shade of crimson. "I figured the intruder would either think I had a gun or that I'd be able to throw it or just hit them with it. But, it was these two idiots down here making noise instead."

"He came in here with the ever popular 'Freeze dirt bag!'" Esposito managed to say with a straight face before he and Ryan erupted into laughter all over again.

Kate rolled her eyes and squeezed Rick's hand affectionately in support. She knew he meant well. "He'll remember the gun next time."

Rick nodded.

"So what were you two doing up so early?" Jenny asked as she turned her attention to her giggling husband and his friend.

"No rest for the wicked," Esposito managed to get out between breaths.

It was Rick's turn to roll his eyes. "They woke up hung over and were trying to find some medicine." He smirked when his friends immediately stopped laughing.

"Not cool, bro," Esposito said.

"Couldn't handle your alcohol boys?" Lanie asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Ryan and Esposito scowled.

"And cake for breakfast?" Jenny smirked as the guys opened up their mouths to explain themselves. She turned her attention to the other two women. "They didn't offer us any!"

"How silly of me," Rick said as he stood to grab three more plates. "Can I cut you ladies a slice of cake?"

All three nodded their approval and sat down around the table to join the men in their lives.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Kate finally asked, "So what do you guys want to do today?"

"I'd like to do some shopping," Jenny said as she looked around the table, clearly prepared to face some sort of defiance from the men. She was pleasantly surprised though when they nodded.

"Sounds good," her husband agreed. "It would be nice to explore a bit. Maybe eat lunch out somewhere then come back here and just relax."

"We could do that," Esposito chimed in. "Maybe find a good place for ice cream?"

"Boy, you just had cake." Lanie shook her head at her fiancé as she watched him scraping the remaining icing off of his plate. She contemplated for a moment. "Well, I guess ice cream might be good."

"I know the perfect place," Kate grinned.

"Leave it to the pregnant one," Esposito teased until he withered under Kate's stern stare.

"You were saying?" she asked.

"Uh, I didn't say anything at all. I'm just looking forward to some ice cream," Esposito said as he sat a little taller and the rest of their group laughed as Kate's eyes twinkled in amusement.

"So should we all go get ready?" Ryan asked as he looked around the table.

Jenny giggled. "Kev, honey, look at your watch. It's only 6:05. I think we've got some time to kill."

"Well, what should we do for the next couple of hours then?" he asked.

"I don't know about you guys," Rick began. "But my sleep was disturbed this morning, so I wouldn't mind a little lie down."

Kate nodded in agreement. "Just leave the dishes for now guys, we can take care of them when we get back this afternoon or evening."

The rest mumbled their agreement, suddenly looking like a group of people who had not gotten a full night's sleep rather than a group who should be running around on a sugar high. They all wandered up the stairs and into their respective rooms, perfectly content to fall into bed for just a few short hours of sleep.

Rick closed their bedroom door behind him, and smiled at his wife who had already slithered under the covers. She turned on her side and waited for him to join her. Once he wrapped an arm protectively around her, it didn't take long for Kate to fall asleep. Soon, the quiet was only interrupted by the soft sound of her breathing. Rick looked at the woman in his arms and took a moment to relish in the fact that he was the luckiest man in the world. His hand slid down over her now prominent belly and he felt the slight kick of one of his children. Soon their children would arrive. Soon their family would be complete. But here, now, Rick knew that he would enjoy the company of the rest of his family later on in the day. They would sleep for a few hours in preparation for an afternoon of shopping with those who he had realized had been far more like family than the families many people had.

It's funny how these things worked. Before he met Kate, Rick hadn't realized what he had been missing. He hadn't known true love; he had only known the love of a parent and child. Now, he had everything. Everything he never knew he always wanted.

Everything.

Always. And with that final thought, Rick drifted off to sleep.

As always, thanks to BurningxRedxCaskett for the read through! If you're on twitter, feel free to follow me - always_castle2 – As always, thanks for reading, please share your thoughts! xoKristen