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TITLE: Full Circle
RATING: T
SETTING: May 2016 – December 2016
SUMMARY: Post-Crossfire. Castle and Kate receive shocking news in the aftermath of the loft shooting.
A/N #1: I've been trying to get back on track with my writing. I wondered if Kate was pregnant at the end of 'Crossfire,' or if Lily was conceived a little later. I know that I covered Kate's pregnancy with Lily in 'Forgetting,' but the nice thing about being a writer is the ability to change the narrative.
FULL CIRCLE
PROLOGUE—A Happy Ending
December 23, 2016 – 2:45 a.m.
Kate could hardly breathe, staring down at her newborn daughter. Lily Johanna Castle was barely an hour old, and Kate was totally enraptured with her. She remembered what Castle had told her a couple of years before regarding the very first time he'd ever held Alexis. He had described it as being struck by lightning. Kate had never truly understood what he meant until now.
She didn't remember the hours spent in labor. The only thing Kate could remember now were the angry howls of Lily when she emerged, wet and slippery, from her body. She and Castle had both laughed and cried tears of joy over that most welcome of sounds.
Castle had stepped from the room while Kate's nurse had changed her bed and made her comfortable. Now she was anxious for him to return and bond with their baby girl. The past several months had been hell. But delivering Lily, safe and sound, had made those months worthwhile.
Lily was nothing short of perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes, and everything else in the right number and where it was supposed to be. Caleb Brown's evil hadn't marred her after all. That had been Kate's biggest fear from the moment she had learned that she was expecting. The news had come two days after she and Castle had almost died in their home. It had taken her days to come to terms with the fact that she had almost lost their unborn child. She hadn't even suspected that she was pregnant.
She looked up from staring at Lily when she heard the door open. She smiled at Castle's beaming face. "Hey," she continued smiling when he entered the room.
"How is she?" He came over to the bed, continuing to smile down at his wife and soundly sleeping daughter.
"She's perfect. She's so quiet."
"She's quiet now," Castle carefully settled in beside Kate. "There was nothing quiet about her earlier."
"It was safe in there. I don't blame her for not wanting to come out."
"We'll keep her safe, Kate. We fought too hard to get her here."
"We've got our very own Christmas baby, Castle. Would you like to hold her?"
Kate held Lily out to him, smiling when he scooped Lily into his huge hands, before cradling her to his chest. "Did you do a complete inspection?"
"Yeah. She's perfect. Am I forgiven for being so paranoid?"
"Absolutely," he leaned toward her, softly kissing her.
"You were right."
"About what?"
"It does feel like being struck by lightning. You told me that about Alexis. Do you remember?"
"I do remember that. And it just gets better."
"I already love being a mom, Castle. Thank you."
"For what?"
"For Lily. For making us a real family."
"Always."
Resting her head on Castle's shoulder, Kate found it hard to believe that this beautiful, peaceful moment was almost shattered by violence and gunfire just seven months before.
A/N #2: I will be posting each chapter on Monday. For those of you who hated Season 8, I apologize. There will be mentions of LokSat, but I will try to keep these to a minimum.
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