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Chapter 120

Alexis leans back in her seat as Rick drives the family to Manhattan. "I think it's so cool that Holly and Mark are going to Wolftrap for their honeymoon. They'll get to see the park and the performances and stay in a great hotel and everything. Holly has friends on staff there, too, so she can get behind the scenes. But I don't know how much there will be for Mark to do."

Rick chuckles. "If I know Mark, he'll try and figure out how the hotel can make its foodservice more efficient. With Imagination Patch closed for the week, he won't have to worry about anything there. And he'll get to spend time with a happy Holly. That's what he wanted."

"Isn't your restaurant going to lose money closed down like that?" Martha asks.

Rick clears his throat. "Closed down is a relative term. It won't be functioning as a restaurant, but we'll be hosting writers' seminars all week. We'll be serving plenty of snacks, and to-go will still be available. Chef Auchincloss is taking the opportunity to try out some new recipes. He figures the writers are his most adventurous audience. Considering that a lot of the ones starting out live on Ramen, they're willing to try anything if the price is right. In the case of the newest creations, I believe that's free, at least for the first order."

"We need something like that for actors just starting out, too," Martha mulls. "And Ramen is a terrible staple. All that salt makes you retain water."

"Mother, somehow, I don't think starving writers care. I know there were times before I sold "In a Hail of Bullets" that I would buy one beer and practically live on the peanuts and pretzels the bar put out. Talk about salt!"

Martha sniffs. "At least peanuts have some decent protein in them. But Darling, we really should talk about putting together something for young actors."

"Mother, if you want to come up with a plan, have at it, but quickly. Soon, Kate and I are going to be very busy with a different kind of peanut."

Kate grabs for Rick's arm. "Sooner than you think, Babe. My water just broke."

"The kid is three weeks early," Rick protests as he hits the accelerator."

Kate squirms on an increasingly wet seat. "I don't think babies can read a calendar."


Jim Beckett rushes up to Martha and Alexis in the waiting area of the hospital's obstetrics unit. "Have you heard anything?"

"Kate went into labor on our way here. Dad's staying with her, but he's texting," Alexis explains. "He said the doctors reversed the heparin Kates been taking to prevent clots, to keep her from bleeding too much. But she's still considered high risk because of her history. So they have a bunch of monitors and stuff on her. She didn't want anyone but Dad in her room with all of that. We had her go-bag in the car with us, so she has everything she needs for now. Dad's going to let us know if she wants anything else."

"Can you ask your father to tell her I'm here?" Jim requests.

Alexis' fingers are already moving when she replies. "Doing it right now."

"Other than being ahead of schedule, the Peanut's timing is actually pretty good," Rick remarks between Kate's contractions. "Holly and Mark are beginning a life of wedded bliss. Except for a couple of guest appearances as a writing coach, I don't have to deal with anything at Imagination Patch this week, and I'm ahead with Black Pawn. I can give you and the little one my full attention."

"Do me a favor," Kate entreats, "and stop calling the baby a 'little one.' Right now, it doesn't feel so little."

"The doctor did an ultrasound when you came in," Rick reminds her. "If you're willing to hear boy or girl now, we can talk about names."

Kate shakes her head, vociferously. "We've come this far. I'm not doing anything to jinx this baby now."

Rick grins. "Whatever you want, but for someone so rigorously logical when solving crimes, you're strangely superstitious."

Kate's grip on his hand tightens as another contraction comes on. "I don't give a f**k!"


Jim Beckett and Martha lean in at the sound of Alexis' text alert. "Kate is fully dilated. They're going to the delivery room."

"If your brother or sister is anything like you were, Alexis, it shouldn't be long now," Martha asserts. "From what your father told me, you could hardly wait to get into the world. The doctor pretty much just caught you."

"That's not the way my mother tells it," Alexis responds.

"Meredith may not be the best actor, but she's always been a drama queen," Martha insists. "Your father waited on her hand and foot for weeks after you were born. I can't see Kate expecting that."

"I can't see her allowing it," Jim interjects. "My daughter has always been independent. Sometimes too independent," he adds under his breath. "I need to stretch my legs a little, at least as far as the vending machines. Anyone want coffee?"

"Hospital coffee? I'll pass," Martha declares.

Alexis stares at the screen of her phone as if she can will more information to appear. "Thanks, Mr. Beckett. I'll take some."

Rick hardly notices as a nurse slips a gown on him. He pulls on gloves by crime scene rote. Moving through steps practiced until they were ingrained in his neural pathways, he takes his position to support Kate. With almost no time between contractions now, he can see pain dueling with determination on her face. She needs no urging to push the baby out. The newborn arrives, squalling a protest at the sensory assault of light and sound.

"It's a girl," the OB attending announces.

"Is she all right?" Kate demands anxiously.

The doctor examines the newly emerged and still objecting infant. "Apgar nine. That's good. Give us a minute to clean her up. You can both count fingers and toes, but it looks like everything is there and in the right places."

Alexis holds up a text with an attached picture of a newborn with a wide-open mouth. "I have a sister. The doctor says she's healthy, and Kate's doing fine."

Jim Beckett studies the image. "She looks a lot like Katie did when she was born. She had an opinion right from the start."

"So did Richard," Martha offers, catching Jim's gaze. "We're going to have an interesting grandchild."


Invisible, even to Kate, Johanna observes the family gathered around admiring the baby now blessedly asleep. With Kate in no danger. Rafael strictly forbade her to materialize, but at least she can watch. "Have you decided on a name yet, Katie?" Jim Beckett asks.

Holding her daughter close, Kate looks up at Rick. "We thought we'd name her after Mom's favorite flower."

"That was a lily because it always meant Spring was coming," Jim recalls.

Kate smiles, stroking the dark strands already on her daughter's head. "Yes. I remember. And I also want to keep a traditional family name going. So, Lily Houghton Castle."

Martha appreciatively surveys her younger granddaughter. "That's lovely, dear."

"It is," Alexis agrees.

Warmed by her daughter's choice, Johanna returns to The Father's realm.


It seems to Jack that he lurked for hours waiting for Baby Castle to be transported to the nursery so he could see his new grandchild. He gazes through the glass. The little girl is perfect, just perfect. He can hang onto that as he starts his new assignment.

Finis

A/N Thanks for staying through the highs and lows of this journey. We know that Castle is a master of trivia. Celebrities go on game shows to win money for charity all the time. I think many of us saw Seamus Dever's incredible triumph on "The Chase." Dean Cain helped a bit but readily admitted that Seamus did the heavy lifting. By coincidence, Game Show Network reran it yesterday.

For the next story, we'll stay in the same universe, but Rick is going to do quizzer battle. Join me tomorrow for "Recollection Rick." And for The Rookie fans, I post my weekly chapters on Mondays. The current story is "Restoration," and we're coming up on chapter 60. In case you hadn't heard, season three of The Rookie starts airing in the U.S. on Jan 3, 2021. Love, Sally