The site was having major problems last week, so if you missed last week's chapter, you'll need to read that before reading this, because the ending of that chapter leads directly into the beginning of this one, and this one is a very important chapter for especially Kate and Rick, but, really, for everyone. So if you haven't read Chapter 49 yet, it's a must before reading this one.
Thank you all for your continued enthusiasm for the story. And I would like to extend special thanks to Nkeagle for her help with this chapter. It would not be what it is if not for you. And to my guest reviewers, thank you for taking the time to review.
Okay, now on to what you're really here for: the birth of Kate and Rick's daughter. :-)
Kate insisted on showering. "I'm gonna be all sweaty and gross by the end of the day. I'm not going in there smelling badly. Besides, my water hasn't broken yet, so we have time."
"Okay," Rick said. He paused. He was nervous because he hadn't actually gone through this part with Meredith and wasn't sure exactly what to expect. He knew there would be physical pain, and that he would hate seeing Kate in physical pain, despite her assertions that the pain was totally worth it because they would have Lily at the end of it. But he was also determined to be Kate's rock, to keep calm for her so that if her composure slipped, and she started cursing him out or broke his hand or whatever reaction she might have when they got closer to the actual giving birth part of the process, she would have him to lean on no matter what happened, no matter what she might say or do.
Kate took a quick shower, only having one more contraction while she was actually in the shower, to her and Rick's relief. Since her pregnancy had been treated as high-risk because of the gunshot wounds she had sustained almost a year ago, they would be staying overnight at the hospital, just as a precaution, and much to Rick's relief. He would get to stay too. In fact, things had changed a lot since Alexis was born; Lily wouldn't even have to stay in the hospital nursery. She could stay right in the hospital room with him and Kate, which they were both very happy about.
Needing something to do for those ten minutes that Kate was in the shower, Rick retrieved the bag she had packed a few weeks ago for her overnight hospital stay. He put it in the middle of their unmade bed so that Kate could check and make sure she hadn't forgotten anything while he grabbed a quick shower himself. Kate double-checked her overnight bag while Rick was in the shower. When Rick emerged from the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved button-down sky blue shirt, their bed had been made, Kate's overnight bag was sitting at the foot of the bed on her side, and she was standing in front of the bassinet, one hand resting on her lower back, as she stared down into the bassinet. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail now, a few errant strands escaping and curling down the back of her neck. She wore yoga pants, her Nikes with white ankle socks, and a plain gray t-shirt of Rick's.
He came to stand next to her. She was still looking down into the bassinet. "Tomorrow, Lily's going to be sleeping in here," Kate said softly.
"Yes, she is," Rick agreed. "How are you doing?"
"My back hurts, but it's not too bad, at least not yet," Kate replied. "Contractions are still ten minutes apart. I guess it's gonna be slow and steady, at least until my water breaks."
"The sun's coming up," Rick said.
He went over and opened the blinds on the windows, then returned to Kate's side. They stood there together and watched the sunrise. In the middle of the sunrise, Kate said, "Oh, another one," and grabbed a hold of Rick's arm to keep herself upright as the pain surged through her body.
"Breathe," Rick said, rubbing her lower back, where her hand had been a few minutes before, and they breathed through it together.
When the contraction ended, Kate looked at her watch. "Seven minutes since the last one," she said. "They're getting closer together." As hard as he tried to hide it, the briefest flash of panic showed in Rick's eyes. Kate remembered what Rick had said about Meredith having a scheduled C-section, so she had been induced. He hadn't been through this part before any more than she had. Squeezing his hand, she said, "We'd better be getting to the hospital. Why wait until the last minute?"
Rick exhaled heavily, and Kate knew deep down that it was a sigh of relief. "Okay," he said. "Oh! But shouldn't we call Dr. Elliott first?"
Kate looked sheepishly at Rick. "Yeah, we should," she said.
So Kate retrieved her phone from her nightstand and called Dr. Elliott. Dr. Elliott was already at the hospital, having already delivered two babies. "Absolutely, come on in," Dr. Elliott said. "Even though your water hasn't broken yet, that could happen at any time, from what you're describing, and since you've been having contractions for almost three hours, I'd say you're in the early stage of labor. We'll want to get you hooked up to an IV and a monitor, and see how much you've dilated, if at all."
"We're leaving now," Kate replied. "We'll be there in ten minutes."
"I'll be here," Dr. Elliott assured Kate before ringing off.
Rick was holding Kate's overnight bag when she hung up. "Let's go," she said.
Rick nodded. They walked out to the living room together. Rick opened the front door, and Kate stopped and looked back over her shoulder at the loft. She looked for a long moment, then looked at Rick. "The next time we come home, we'll have our baby with us," she said, smiling at him.
"I can't wait," Rick said, his voice hoarse with emotion. He took Kate's hand in his, and then they were off to the hospital.
And so it was that by 8 AM, Kate and Rick were in the maternity ward of New York Presbyterian Hospital—Lower Manhattan. Kate was in a bed in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV, a heart monitor, and one of those monitors that kept track of her contractions and Lily's heartbeat fastened to her belly. She was dilated to four centimeters already, and her contractions were getting closer together and more intense, and lasting longer.
"Are you wanting an epidural, Kate?" Dr. Elliott asked. "Because now's the time for it if you do."
"It's safe for the baby?" Kate asked.
"Completely safe," Dr. Elliott promised.
"Then yes, I want an epidural," Kate said.
While Kate's epidural was administered, Rick finally started contacting their family and friends. His first call was Alexis, who was with at breakfast with Esposito. They promised to be right down, though Rick told them that it was still going slowly, so they could take their time. He also called Kate's dad and his mother. He texted Ryan, knowing he and Jenny and the kids would be at Mass, and Lanie, who would be with Alan since they had moved into their apartment a couple of months ago, and lastly he texted Gates.
Jim Beckett was the first to arrive at the hospital. He knocked on the door of Kate's room, which was ajar. "Dad!" Kate exclaimed, greeting him with a big smile.
Jim looked nervous and excited. "How long have you been in labor? And why didn't you call me right away?" he asked as he hurried to his daughter's side and carefully hugged her.
"I went into labor at 3:48 this morning, Dad. We figured you'd rather wait until the sun was up, at least," Kate said.
"Next time, if there is a next time, call me right away," Jim scolded gently. "I don't care if it is 3:48 in the morning."
"I promise," Kate said.
Jim frowned slightly. "I know it's been a few decades, but your mom wasn't this calm when she was the one in that bed," he said.
"I had an epidural," Kate said. At her dad's blank look, she continued, "A totally-safe-for-the-baby anesthesia to take the edge off the labor pains for me. Had it in my spine, so I'm not having those horrible back pains anymore, at least."
"I wish they'd had those when you were born," Jim mused. "I probably wouldn't have had to duck quite so many ice chips if your mom had had one."
"Did they even have epidurals back then?" Kate wondered. Then both hands flew to her abdomen, though she was careful not to upset the monitor attached that was keeping track of both her contractions and Lily's heartbeat. "Here comes another one," she said as she reached out with her left hand.
Rick was right there, and she grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed as they breathed together. Jim rounded the bed so he was on Kate's other side and watched the machine tick upward through the intensity of the contraction.
This was the scene when Martha, Alexis, Esposito, Lanie, and Alan all came crashing into Kate's hospital room. "Oh lord, she's having a contraction!" Lanie exclaimed. "Breathe, Kate, breathe!"
Martha winced in sympathy, her own labor pains with Richard being remembered now. Esposito and Alan both looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Alexis was wide-eyed with curiosity and even a little bit of worry.
When the contraction ended, and Kate and Rick had both taken a deep breath, they and Jim looked up to find the quintet staring at them like they were an exhibit at the zoo.
"What, did you share cabs?" Kate asked.
"We did," Alexis said, motioning between herself and Javier and Martha. "We ran into Lanie and Alan downstairs."
Lanie charged forward. "How are you doing, Kate?" she asked. She reached for the chart at the end of Kate's bed.
Kate looked at Lanie, amused. "You did a great job delivering Sarah Grace, but you do know you won't have to deliver this little one, right?" she asked.
"I was under the impression that labor was a lot more...well...violent than this," Alan said in an undertone.
"It usually is," Martha said. "Some of the words I used when I was giving birth to Richard...I wasn't even aware I knew words that filthy."
"It must be her police training," Esposito said.
"Really?" Alexis asked, looking at him in surprise. "You think police training is a match for labor and childbirth?"
"Well, it didn't hurt," Kate piped up, having heard their exchange.
Alexis approached Kate's bed and hugged her, then hugged Rick. "How are you guys holding up?" she asked.
"So far so good," Kate said. "The epidural is one of the greatest inventions of all time."
All of the women exchanged looks and said, "Oohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," at the news that Kate had had an epidural. No wonder she was so calm.
"This says the last time they checked you, you were at five centimeters," Lanie said, closing Kate's chart and hanging it on the foot of her bed once more.
"Lanie, you're my best friend, and I love you, and you're going to be a godmother, but I really think it would be oversharing if you checked how far I'm dilated," Kate said seriously. Suddenly her face contorted and she squirmed a bit in the bed. "I think my water just broke!" she exclaimed, meeting Rick's gaze.
"What's your doctor's name?" Esposito asked, instantly going into cop mode.
"Dr. Elliott," Rick replied.
Esposito dashed into the hall, calling for Dr. Elliott and announcing that her patient had "broken water."
"Are you scared?" Alexis asked Kate.
"No, not really," Kate said. "I know it's going to be very painful eventually, but I also know it's going to be completely worth it."
Esposito returned with Dr. Elliott. "Kate, I hear your water broke," she said.
"I'm pretty sure that's what happened, Dr. Elliott, yeah," Kate said.
"Okay, all of you are technically creating a fire hazard," Dr. Elliott said. "And I need to check my patient, so I'm going to ask all of you to step into the hall now, except you, of course, Rick."
Jim kissed the top of Kate's head. "We'll be right outside, Katie," he said.
The others added their well wishes and assured Kate they'd be right outside too. Lanie was the last one out of the room and closed the door behind her.
"The gang's all here, I see," Dr. Elliott said as she pulled on a pair of gloves.
"Actually, they're not," Rick said. "We're still missing a few people."
"Relax your legs for me, Kate," Dr. Elliott said. "That's it." As she checked Kate, she asked, "How many is 'a few'?"
"Three or four, depending on if Ga—Victoria brings her husband," Kate said.
"And if Ryan and Jenny can get a sitter," Rick added.
Dr. Elliott nodded. "Your water definitely broke," she confirmed for Kate. "You're at six centimeters now, and your cervix is thinning out. Your labor is going to pick up in intensity now. And when you get to the magic number of ten centimeters, we'll be adjusting the epidural so you'll be able to feel the pain and your body will do what it's supposed to do during the birthing process." After she had tossed her gloves in the trash, she said, "We'll need to change the sheets on the bed, so you'll have to get up for a few minutes.
"Right," Kate said. "I just, uh...I can take the IV with me, but not the monitors." She gestured to the heart monitor and then the monitor attached to her belly.
Dr. Elliott hit the call button for the nurse and had detached Kate from her monitors by the time the nurse arrived. "Mrs. Castle's water broke in bed. We need fresh sheets, please," Dr. Elliott told the nurse.
"Right away, Dr. Elliott," the nurse, a young raven-haired woman, said.
When Dr. Elliott opened the door to the room to exit into the hall, she almost collided with Lanie. Victoria and Gerald Gates had arrived in the meantime, and had joined the group. "Everything is progressing normally, but it's still going to be a few hours," Dr. Elliott informed them all.
"How many hours, do you think?" Alan asked.
"Babies have their own timetables," Dr. Elliott replied. "The little one is really running the show here. But Kate's doing very well. And as long as all of you don't crowd into the room at the same time, because it is a fire hazard when you do that, you can take turns visiting her if you want, and if she's up to it."
Dr. Elliott's beeper went off then, and she excused herself, since she had another patient who needed her. A moment later, Kate and Rick were standing in the doorway, Kate pushing her IV pole, and Rick standing behind and beside her.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Esposito asked, shocked. "The baby could fall out!"
Alexis smothered her smile. Kate didn't bother to smother her smile. "That's not how it works, Javi," she said. "I'm only at five centimeters, anyway."
"Halfway there! That's encouraging!" piped up Kevin Ryan. He and Jenny were rushing down the hall hand in hand. "And that also means we didn't miss it."
"We were just leaving Mass when Kevin got your text, Rick," Jenny said. "We had to drop the kids off with my folks in Queens and then drive all the way back here to Manhattan. Wow, Kate, you're up walking around. I didn't really have that option either time."
"I'm just waiting for the nurse to finish changing the sheets," Kate replied. "I can't walk around because of the epidural, but it's a worthy trade-off."
"How are you holding up, Castle?" Ryan asked.
"I'm doing fine, Ryan, thank you," Castle replied. At the triumphant look he saw Ryan shoot first Esposito and then Lanie, Castle's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Ryan asked innocently.
"Those looks you just gave Esposito and Lanie. What's that about?" he asked.
Ryan didn't say anything. But Kate said, "You guys bet on whether or not Rick would be a basket case, didn't you?"
"Well, we also bet on how much of a maniac you would be," Lanie said. She shook her head. "I have got to learn to stop betting on you two. I lose a bundle every time!"
Rick opened his mouth and looked at Alexis, but she said, "I had nothing to do with this. They did offer to include me, but I declined. I knew you'd be a rock, Dad."
"Well, thank you, Alexis," Rick said. "It's nice to know you had faith in me."
The nurse informed them that the bed had clean sheets, so Kate and Rick went back into the room then, and Kate was hooked up to the monitors again once she was back in bed.
Alan offered to make a run for coffee and donuts, muffins, scones, whatever people wanted, since it was a little after 10:30 in the morning by now, and after getting everyone's orders, he and Lanie left. The others adjourned to the maternity waiting room, where, under Victoria's direction, they set up a two-at-a-time visitors' rule.
Martha and Jim went in first. "What was that you were saying earlier about you had to duck ice chips when Mom was in labor with me?" Kate greeted her dad.
"Well, you know your mom could have a temper when she got mad," Jim said. "And she was really angry at the pain...and by extension, angry at me for putting her in that position. So yes, there was a point, along about hour fifteen of her labor, when she started throwing ice chips at me while calling me a lot of not-very-nice but nevertheless deserved, at least as far as she was concerned, names."
"As a woman who has given birth, Jim, I assure you that you absolutely deserved those names," Martha said.
"That's what I told Johanna at the time," Jim replied. "She apologized after Katie was born and the pain was over."
"How are your reflexes, darling?" Martha asked, looking at Rick.
"They're fine, Mother, thank you," Rick replied.
Alexis rapped on the door then. "I come bearing ice chips," she said, holding up a large container of ice chips, which she rattled enticingly.
"Bring those over here," Kate called. "Do you think you could sneak some Chinese food up here after your sister is born? Because I've been in labor since 3:48 this morning, so I haven't had anything to eat since last night."
"Of course," Alexis agreed. "Just let me know what you want. I'll sneak it in when you're back in your room. After I've met my baby sister, of course."
"You're the best," Kate said.
Alexis took Kate's hand and squeezed it. "Not today. Today, you are definitely the best."
"She's the best every day," Rick said, smiling at the moment between Alexis and Kate.
"Two visitors at a time, people!" Victoria exclaimed from the doorway in her best "Iron Gates" voice.
Martha gave Rick a hug, then hugged Kate. "I'm so excited and happy for both of you, and very proud of you both," she said before exiting.
"I'm in awe of how calm you are, Kate," Alexis said. She handed the cup of ice chips to Kate. Kate accepted it gratefully.
"This is one of the greatest days of my life," Kate said as she plucked an ice chip from the cup and popped it in her mouth. "Any pain is worth it to bring this baby into the world. I've waited a long time for this." She looked at Rick now. "We both have."
Most of the afternoon passed in this manner, with everyone taking turns visiting Kate and Rick, as Kate's labor steadily progressed. Kate moved through the active labor phase fairly quickly for a first child. She was at eight centimeters a little after 12 PM, and the epidural had worn off. Because "the magic hour," as Dr. Elliott referred to it, was approaching, they couldn't give Kate another epidural, so those last two centimeters were going to be a battle.
Kate was, by this point, becoming "all sweaty and gross" as she had told Rick she would that morning. Rick helped her secure her ponytail after a particularly intense contraction. Once her hair was tamed again, as he lowered his hands, she grabbed hold of them. "It was only ever gonna be you," she said as they looked into each other's eyes. "Even before losing my mom, I never really thought about having kids, other than that's just what most people end up doing. But really wanting children...that didn't happen until you, until us. I just, I don't think I ever told you that before, and I wanted you to know that this was only ever gonna happen for me with you."
Rick brushed Kate's sweat-drenched hair off her forehead. "I knew that I was going to marry you long before we got married...or engaged…or even got together."
Another contraction hit then, an intense wave of pain slamming through her whole body; still not as much physical pain as being shot, but close. "When?" she asked with great difficulty, holding his gaze as she squeezed his hand until it turned white. He knew she was asking when he knew that he would marry her.
"When I read the ending of Storm Fall at that bookstore," Rick replied. "I was almost at the end of the final paragraph, and I saw you walk in and drop that red overcoat. You were wearing a sleeveless fuchsia dress and black heels that made your legs look like they went on forever. And then you gave me a hard time about the 'wind gathering her hair' and said you decided to bother me at my work since I was bothering you at yours, and then Mother let it slip that the character based on you would be named Nikki Heat, and you stalked me around the bookstore demanding that I change it because it was a stripper name."
"You said...you had...artistic...integrity," Kate panted, proving that she remembered that night too. Her grip on Rick's gradually loosened as the contraction's intensity lessened.
"You were and are smart and beautiful and dedicated, you gave great banter, and still do, and you called me on everything, and still do," Rick concluded. "That night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I thought to myself, 'If I ever get married again, Kate Beckett's going to be the one, and it's going to last forever.'"
"I wore that dress and those heels to get a reaction out of you," Kate said, the contraction having passed.
"It worked," Rick replied.
"Obviously," Kate deadpanned, gesturing to her belly. Rick burst out laughing, which made Kate laugh too.
"They're laughing in there?" Jenny asked, surprised, since everyone could hear the laughter in the relatively deserted OB wing on this Sunday afternoon. "Okay, I went through that twice, and at no point did I feel like laughing."
"Castle and Kate have always been somewhat unconventional," Victoria reflected. "I never thought I'd be sitting here, waiting for the birth of their first child, but I wouldn't be anywhere else."
"None of us would be anywhere else, Sir," Esposito said.
"I'm sorry Johanna isn't here," Jim said then, "but I'm grateful I'm here."
"And you really didn't get even a hint about the name?" Martha said, looking at Alexis now.
"I understand why they wouldn't tell me. They didn't think I could keep it to myself, and I admit, they're right. I wouldn't have been able to keep it to myself. But they honestly didn't tell you anything, Alexis? Not so much as an initial?"
"No, Gram. I'm pretty sure they have a name picked out, but I think they decided to wait until she's here to make sure the name fits her, and so they can tell us all at the same time, like they told us about Kate's pregnancy last Christmas Eve," Alexis replied.
Esposito shifted his empty coffee cup from one hand to the other. "I've had so much coffee, I'm gonna slosh when I walk," he said.
"I think we all have," Ryan agreed.
"We should probably start cleaning some of this stuff up," Alan said, gesturing to the coffee and end tables that were littered with empty cardboard drink trays, paper cups, crumpled napkins, and sandwich wrappers.
Alan, Esposito, and Ryan cleared away all the trash. Ryan loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar. Jim Beckett checked his watch. "How long was Johanna in labor with Katherine, Jim?" Martha asked.
"Seventeen hours," Jim replied.
Alexis looked her own watch. "From what Kate said earlier, she's at just over ten hours," she said.
"I was in labor for twenty-one hours with Richard," Martha said.
"But every woman is different, right?" Alan asked. "I mean, I know that first babies generally take a long time, but 'long' is a relative term, right, Lanie?"
The longer Kate's labor went on, the more preoccupied Lanie became. "Hmm?" she asked. "Oh. Yes, every woman's labor is different," she said. "The first baby usually takes the longest, but 'long' is a relative term."
Alan, having noticed that the longer Kate's labor went on, the more preoccupied Lanie became, made a mental note to talk to her about her preoccupation later.
"And if you have back labor, it's possible for you to be in labor for several hours and not realize it until your water breaks," Jenny said, drawing at least Alan's attention back to the conversation.
"That happened to one of my sisters," Ryan agreed. "I'm still not sure if it's a blessing or a curse."
Alexis's phone binged then. "Who in the world could be texting me? The closest people in my life are all here," she said as she pulled her phone out of her purse. She read the text message, then grinned. "It's Dad!" she exclaimed.
"What does it say?" almost everyone asked, almost in unison.
Alexis read the text aloud to the group: "Headed to the delivery room! Texting because I don't want to leave Kate's side. It won't be much longer now!"
Cheers went up from the entire group. Esposito and Ryan fist-bumped. Jim wiped his damp palms on the thighs of his pants. Martha kept exclaiming over and over how wonderful it was. Alexis hugged Javier, her grandmother, and eventually made her way around the waiting room until she had hugged everyone, even Gates and her husband. Alan put his arm around Lanie's shoulders, and Jenny smacked a kiss to Kevin's jaw before resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped both his arms around her. Gates gave a satisfied smile and when her husband rested his hand on her knee, she covered his hand with hers and they exchanged a bittersweet glance, for they had never had children of their own because they were physically unable to, and Gerald's overbearing mother had threatened to disown Gerald if he and Victoria adopted a child because, in her narrow-minded words, "that child would not be a true Gates!" Victoria was the one who was infertile, but Gerald, knowing his mother's opinion of his wife, had lied to his mother that he was the one unable to have children in an effort to spare his wife more grief from his mother than she already routinely received. They had been married several years before Victoria found this out, when her mother-in-law had let it slip during a tense conversation the two women were having, and the fact that Gerald shouldered that burden for her, lie though it was, made Victoria love her husband all the more.
The moment they were all waiting for was at hand: the newest addition to their family would be making her way into the world very soon, and they chattered excitedly and nervously as they waited to hear that she had arrived safely.
"All right," Dr. Elliott said from behind her surgical mask in the delivery room, "are you two ready to have this baby?"
"Yes," Kate and Rick said in unison. Rick had unbuttoned his button-down shirt, so the white v-neck tee he was wearing underneath it was now visible. Kate's ponytail was starting to fall out again, and she was more tired than she had ever been in her life, even after her most grueling physical therapy sessions, even after the drugs and anesthesia from her surgeries to remove bullets from her body, and the epidural was no longer in effect, so she was feeling every bit of pain, every contraction that now wracked her entire body. Kate reached back to adjust her ponytail, and Rick was right there beside her.
"You're at ten centimeters and 100% effaced," Dr. Elliott pronounced. "On the next contraction, Kate, I want you to push for ten seconds, then take a breath."
"Okay," Kate said. She turned her head to look at Rick. His heart was in his eyes. "I love you," she said.
"I love you too," Rick said. He brushed a quick, soft kiss across her lips.
"Oh boy," Kate said, breaking the kiss. "Here it comes."
"Rick, support her back," Dr. Elliott directed.
Kate leaned back against Rick, who was now half sitting on the bed behind her. "This is it!" Kate exclaimed as the pain rolled through her body again.
"Push, Kate!" Dr. Elliott exclaimed.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," Rick counted softly. "And, deep breath." Kate sagged back against Rick and sucked in air. "That was so amazing, Kate," he said. "You're so amazing."
Kate breathed in slowly through her nose, and out through her mouth. "You can go again whenever you're ready, Kate," Dr. Elliott said.
"Son of a bitch!" Kate exclaimed as the pain and pressure became almost unbearable. "Count, Castle, count!" she shouted.
Rick counted, Kate pushed as hard as she could, and at the end of the ten seconds, she sagged back against him again. "I'm sorry," she said.
"For that?" Rick asked. "That's nothing to apologize for. I'm pretty sure I was way worse during physical and respiratory therapy last summer."
"Baby's head is coming down," Dr. Elliott announced. "It's not out yet, but you're getting there, Kate."
"I have to push," Kate said. Now that she was actually going through childbirth, she was ready to get it over with.
"Wait for the next contraction," Dr. Elliott instructed. "I know it's hard, but take a few breaths. It should be just a few more seconds."
True to Dr. Elliott's prediction, Kate's next contraction hit a few seconds later. Rick looked all around him for a cloth to wipe the sweat from Kate's face, and, not seeing one, he whipped off his unbuttoned shirt and, quickly crumpling it up, used one of the shirttails to wipe the sweat from Kate's face. "I'm sorry it's not a cool cloth," he said apologetically.
"Now who's apologizing unnecessarily?" Kate asked. She blew out a breath. "Here we go again," she said. She sat up, and Rick braced her as he counted to ten.
"That's it, Kate, that's it!" Dr. Elliott exclaimed.
"Unnnggghhh!" Kate groaned, gritting her teeth, sweat practically exploding from every pore, diving into the pain and making it work for her as motivation, the way she had in physical therapy on two prior occasions.
Kate all but collapsed back against Rick, practically boneless. "The head's out," Dr. Elliott announced. "You're almost there, Kate. Just a few more pushes, and your daughter will be here."
This is when the tears started in earnest for both Kate and Rick. Rick looked down and saw the baby's head, her face scrunched up, eyes closed, brown hair plastered to her head, and the resemblance to Kate was immediately noticeable to him: Lily's furrowed brow exactly matched her mother's when Kate's brow was furrowed. Rick swallowed hard, unable to dislodge the lump in his throat. Overcome, he pressed several tiny kisses to Kate's temple. "She looks like you," he whispered thickly. "She's...God, Kate…"
Kate brought her arm up behind her and cupped the back of Rick's head. She could feel his hot tears wetting her temple and her own hot tears building in her eyes. Anything Kate might have tried to say was cut off when another contraction tore through her. She dimly heard Rick thickly counting to ten as her body instinctively pushed, knowing this was what she needed to do.
"We have shoulders!" Dr. Elliott exclaimed. "One more good push will do it, Kate!"
Rick sniffled, his button-down shirt falling to the floor forgotten in the heat of the moment. Kate pushed with the contraction, Rick counted to ten, and an instant later, a loud wail split the air as Kate sagged back against Rick, laughing and crying at the same time.
"It's a beautiful baby girl!" Dr. Elliott announced. "And she looks great!"
Tears poured down Rick's cheeks unchecked as the baby was wrapped in a blanket and placed on Kate's chest. Kate's arms instantly went around the tiny bundle, and, just as Rick had said happened to him the first time he held Alexis, she felt the lightning strike, that instant, inexplicable love for her and Rick's daughter that Kate would feel for the rest of her life.
"Welcome to the world, Lily Johanna Castle," Kate said softly to the baby through a ten-mile-wide smile and a face streaked with tears. "I'm your mom."
"And I'm your dad," Rick said, marveling at Lily. "And you are ours...always."
"Always," Kate echoed. She turned her head, and Rick met her lips in a tender kiss as Lily cried on Kate's chest. Kate and Rick broke their kiss and both kissed Lily for the first time, Kate kissing the baby's forehead, and Rick kissing the baby's cheek.
Rick cut the umbilical cord where Dr. Elliott specified he should, and the baby was whisked away to be cleaned up and given her Apgar tests while Kate delivered the placenta. Plastic bracelets were fastened around Rick's, Kate's, and Lily's wrists, and Rick and Kate both had to spell their daughter's names more than once for the nurse recording the official information for Lily's birth certificate. "This is not that difficult," Kate finally said. "Her first name is 'Lily' with one 'L—L-I-L-Y,' like the flower. Her middle name is 'Johanna'-J-O-H-A-N-N-A. Her last name is Castle. C-A-S-T-L-E."
And so it was, as her birth certificate would state, that Lily Johanna Castle was born to Richard Edgar Castle and Katherine Beckett Castle at New York Presbyterian Hospital—Lower Manhattan on Sunday, May 7, 2017, at 2:03 PM. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 18 inches long. She had brown hair (of course), brown eyes like her mother (to her father's delight), and once she was clothed in a diaper, tee shirt, little cap, and wrapped in a blanket, she was returned to her parents.
Holding Lily in her arms, with Lily pressing her cheek into the warmth of Kate's chest, not yet seeking food, merely comfort, Kate stared down at her in awe. She was a mom. Rick was a dad again. This was their daughter.
Rick wiped at his eyes before sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping his arms around Kate, resting one hand on one of her elbows and gently resting his chin on Kate's shoulder as he gazed down at Lily, resting in Kate's arms. "I love you, Katherine Beckett Castle," Rick said. "And I love you too, Lily Johanna Castle."
"And we love you, Richard Edgar Castle," Kate replied. Lily let out a small sob followed by a hiccup, and then her tiny hand curled around Kate's finger. The look on Kate's face in that instant, as she looked down at Lily, blinking owlishly up at her, her tiny hand gripping Kate's finger like a lifeline, was something Rick would remember for the rest of his life.
Kate couldn't find the words to tell Rick what she was feeling, and Rick couldn't find the words to tell her that he knew and understood exactly how she felt. She gave him a tremulous smile, and he nodded, kissing her forehead before reaching out and stroking Lily's downy soft cheek with one fingertip.
Rick Castle knew better than anyone the full effect of Kate Beckett on a person who loved Kate. In this instance, it was definitely a fact to say that, at just a few minutes old, Lily definitely took after her father in this regard: loving Kate fiercely and without reserve...just as Kate loved Rick, and now Lily.
