Thank you, everyone, for your continued support of this story. Just as a heads up, with next Sunday being Easter, I won't be posting next weekend, but I will be back the weekend after with the next chapter. In the meantime, on to this chapter.
"Explain to me again how all of us got roped into this," Esposito said, looking at the thing with distaste.
"How do you think?" Ryan asked half rhetorically. "It was Castle."
"I made a perfectly innocent remark, which, I might add, I meant with all of my heart," Rick tried to defend himself. "Kate has been incredible throughout this whole pregnancy. Very few complaints, very few mood swings, saying over and over again how worth it all of this is. She's heading into her eighth month in another week, the fatigue is what's really bugging her more than anything else because she's so used to being so active all the time..."
"So you just had to go and say that if you could carry the baby for her, you would," Esposito said, shaking his head. "And then she just had to tell Alexis and Martha and Jenny and Lanie what a sweet, wonderful husband you were for saying that and so obviously meaning it, and now here we are, at the baby shower-not that I mind that part, 'cause I don't-but we are gonna look totally ridiculous, and you know at least one of them is going to be taking pictures! You're the father-to-be here, Castle! You do it! Why do the rest of us have to do it too?"
"Because my wife's been through this twice, and I apparently never made the same offer to Jenny that Castle made to Beckett," Ryan replied.
"Because it was Lanie's idea, she's my girlfriend, and I live with her," Alan said.
"Because I would do anything in the world for Kate, and all of you know that," Rick said.
Esposito sighed. "Because I'm part of the family, and because we all know you don't tick off Beckett, especially an extremely pregnant and extremely tired Beckett." He glowered at Castle. "But I want it on the record that if any pictures of us looking like this show up at the 12th, on Page Six, or anywhere on the Internet-"
"What's taking you guys so long?" Lanie shouted from the living room. They were having the baby shower for Kate and Rick, and thanks to Rick offering to carry the baby for Kate if he could after she had said that the one frustration she had was being so tired all the time now that she was almost in her eighth month, Rick, Ryan, Esposito, and Alan were in Rick's office, putting on 33-pound empathy bellies that Lanie had managed to get.
Looking down at his own torso, Ryan frustratedly said, "WHY won't the boobs stay straight on this thing?"
Esposito pulled a face. "Bro, I don't need that image in my head!" he exclaimed. "Does this really only weigh 33 pounds? It feels like more. I don't think all my gear combined was this heavy when I was in Special Forces."
"Boys, we're waiting!" Lanie called from the living room. "The clock is ticking."
"You said you weren't going to start the clock yet!" Rick called back.
"I haven't," Lanie replied. "Now get your butts out here so I can start it."
"Yeah, come on guys, we're waiting!" Jenny added.
"I already told them you'd look the cutest, Castle!" Kate exclaimed. "Get out here and prove me right!"
"They totally bet on this," Rick said.
"If they bet on who the cutest is, then you'll win," Esposito said. "Nobody's gonna argue with Beckett, especially not extremely pregnant Beckett."
"That's not the only thing they're betting on," Alan mused. When the others looked at him, he sheepishly ducked his head and said, "But I can't tell you what else they bet on."
"Why not?" Esposito demanded.
"Because I promised Lanie I wouldn't," Alan replied, slipping his own smock over his head and smoothing it down.
"So you sucked up to Lanie," Ryan said.
"I live with her, remember?" Alan retorted.
"So basically, we're doing this because we live in fear of our women," Ryan summed up.
Esposito handed Ryan his maternity smock. "Cover those things up already," he said, gesturing to the lopsided simulated breasts on Ryan's chest. "I'm gonna have nightmares for a month if you don't."
Rick pulled his smock over his head, and Esposito and Ryan followed suit. "Ready or not, here we come!" Rick called.
Rick, Alan, Ryan, and Esposito filed out of Rick's office one by one, each man wearing a 33-pound empathy belly, complete with breasts, a rib belt, a vinyl bladder filled with water, and a simulated heavy pregnancy belly, and all of them wearing a maternity smock over their empathy bellies.
Martha took one look at the quartet and started laughing so hard, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and had she not already been seated, she would have fallen on the floor.
"Not one word, Mother," Rick warned her.
Martha collected herself, then said, "Oh, no, Richard. One word wouldn't do it justice."
"I think they look cute," Jenny said.
"'Cute' isn't the word I had in mind," Victoria Gates said. She wasn't laughing outright, but there was no mistaking the very amused look on her face.
"Everybody smile!" Lanie exclaimed as she held up her phone to snap a picture of the guys.
"This better not wind up on Page Six," Rick said seriously.
"This is more the National Enquirer's speed, I think," Ryan said.
"Lanie, I'm not gonna get an irate phone call from Paula about a picture of me looking pregnant in the National Enquirer, am I?" Rick asked.
"No Page Six, no National Enquirer," Kate assured the men. "Lanie promised." She got to her feet, with a boost on each side by Alexis and Martha, respectively, and walked over to stand beside Rick. "And I'm afraid this is mostly my fault. Lanie insisted on there being some kind of entertainment at this baby shower, and I didn't want any of those ridiculous games like tasting baby food or Pin the Baby in the Uterus, so this is what Lanie came up with."
"Unless you specifically told Lanie to make us wear these things, then it's not your fault," Rick said.
"I think 'fault' is too strong a word," Alexis said loyally.
"It's definitely a creative thought, and it gives you men an idea of what pregnancy is like for women. They can't unstrap all that extra weight when they get tired of carrying it around like you can," Jenny added.
"I agree with Alexis and Jenny," Victoria said. "Besides, four pregnant-looking men is not something you see every day, the National Enquirer notwithstanding."
Jenny got up and walked over to Kevin. "I still think you look cute," she said.
"I have a whole new appreciation for what you went through when you were carrying Sarah Grace and Nick," Kevin replied honestly. "How did you not hit me over the head with a mallet, or kick me in the crotch ten thousand times? I haven't even been wearing this thing for half an hour, and my center of gravity is completely thrown off, my back's starting to hurt, and I cannot get the boobs on this thing to hang straight."
"That last part is a sentence you don't hear often," Alan mused.
"Speak for yourself, Alan," Martha said. "This is not the first time I've heard that from a man."
Esposito groaned. "I am begging you to stop talking about your boobs, Ryan!" he exclaimed. Alexis unsuccessfully tried to stifle a laugh.
"Okay, no more talking about breasts, and that goes for everyone!" Kate decreed. "This is a party, kind of, right? There's a stack of presents in the living room, so everybody sit down, grab something to eat and drink if you want because there's a ton of food and drinks in the kitchen, and Rick and I are going to dive into those presents."
A knock at the front door temporarily diverted everyone's attention. "I'll get it," Rick said. He waddled across the room to the door, silently acknowledging Ryan's point about his center of gravity being completely thrown off, and opened the door to his father-in-law.
Jim Beckett just stared at Rick. "What's that?" Jim asked, looking Rick up and down and gesturing with one hand at Rick's body.
"An empathy belly," Rick replied as he stood aside to let Jim in. Jim didn't come in, though. He just stood there, staring at his son-in-law. "They were Lanie's idea."
"I've heard of them," Jim replied. "If they had been around when Johanna was pregnant with Katie, I would have been wearing one from the fourth month until we brought Katie home from the hospital." He paused. "I wasn't expecting this, though. I needed you and the others to help bring in my gift to you and Katie."
"We don't have to take these off to do that," Ryan said.
"Speak for yourself, Ryan," Esposito said, eagerly removing his smock and empathy belly.
"And I'm out," Alexis murmured.
Rick looked over his shoulder at the others. "That's the bet!" he exclaimed. "You bet on which one of us would wear this thing the longest, didn't you?"
The look on Alexis's face gave it away.
"Well, I'm in it to win it," Rick said.
"Me too," Ryan said.
"And me," Alan added.
Jim looked at the trio doubtfully. "I really don't think those extra pounds are going to be conducive to moving what I brought from the hall into here," he said. He looked at Javier, considering. "I guess I really only need one of you. Javier, are you up for it?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Beckett," Esposito replied, making a big show of flexing his muscles.
"You just want to show off for Alexis," Ryan muttered.
"You mean like you and Castle are showing off for Jenny and Beckett, and Alan's showing off for Lanie?" Esposito retorted.
"Enough with the testosterone!" Lanie said, rolling her eyes. "Or I'll send these pictures in emails to everyone at the 12th!"
That got the guys to stop the posturing, and Esposito helped Jim haul a giant something stacked on a pallet and covered by a gift-wrapped refrigerator carton-sized box.
Kate knew this had to be the rocking chair, since it was from her father. But she had no idea why her dad's eyes were gleaming in a way she hadn't seen since before her mother died.
"All right, let's get things started!" Lanie exclaimed, since she was throwing the shower, even though everyone had gathered at the loft.
"Gifts first!" Kate exclaimed.
"Do I get to help you open any of them?" Rick asked. He tried to ease himself down on the couch next to Kate, but he ended up very ungracefully flopping down and then sinking into the cushions. "I don't think I'm getting up anytime soon," he said, looking at Kate.
"Not without help, you're not," she agreed.
Unable to wait any longer, Lanie started bringing over the wrapped gifts. Everyone but Kate and Rick helped themselves to the brunch buffet while the parents-to-be opened their presents. Alexis's present was a stuffed dog. "Continuing the tradition," she said. "I had Monkey Bunkey, and hopefully she'll have this little...guy? Girl? This little cutie here."
Jenny and Ryan gave Kate and Rick a big box filled with several bibs and a few dresses, including a fancy, frilly pink and white dress, and some adorable onesies and tiny little leggings.
Esposito's gift was a teddy bear dressed like a police officer, complete with hat, and sewn-on badge and replicas of all of Kate's ribbons and decorations.
Martha gave them a Diaper Genie, and Victoria's gift was one of those soft infant carriers that Kate or Rick could wear front or back to carry the baby with them.
Lanie and Alan had been unable to agree on a gift, so theirs was "a two-parter," as Alan put it. Lanie's part was a nursery monitor. Alan's part was a long-sleeved white onesie that said "Zombie Hunter" in black block letters over a giant red splotch, and a picture book titled Star Wars ABC-3PO: Galactic Basic Edition.
Finally, the only gift that remained was Jim Beckett's. Alan had shed his empathy belly in the middle of Kate and Rick opening all of their gifts, but Rick and Ryan were still wearing theirs.
Alexis and Martha once again helped Kate to her feet, and once Kate was standing, she held out both her hands for Rick to grab. With Gates giving a good push between Rick's shoulder blades, he was able to get to his feet.
Kate and Rick approached the giant box. Jim stood beside it, his hands tucked into his pockets, looking both happy and hopeful. Kate was looking at the box, wondering how to open it, when Jim said, "Just pull the rope, Katie." He gestured, and sure enough, although the carton covering the gift was wrapped in white paper with pink and silver polka dots, the side of the carton that had already been slit open was only loosely covered with wrapping paper, and had a cord of rope attached that had been tied into a loose knot.
Kate stepped up to the box, gave the rope one good yank, and the sides of the carton fell away to reveal a rocking chair.
But it was not just any rocking chair.
It was the rocking chair that Johanna Beckett had rocked baby Katie in, and that Jim had lovingly restored. The dark wood arms, frame, and runners had all been freshly stained and polished, and the padded seat and back had been recovered in a neutral ivory fabric that wouldn't clash with the pink-and-white nursery Kate and Rick had designed for their daughter.
Kate's hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened. She looked from the rocking chair to her father. She slowly lowered her hands from her mouth, but before she could ask the question, Jim smiled and said, "Yes, Katie. This was the rocking chair your mom and I bought when we were expecting you...the rocking chair that Johanna rocked you to sleep in when you were a baby. She said even back then that someday she wanted to hand this down to you, so you could rock your own baby in it. When you told us all at Christmas that you're pregnant, I remembered this."
Kate moved slowly, her default setting these days, until she was standing in front of her father. "Thank you, Dad," she said thickly. "I love it." She hugged him, and he hugged her back.
"I was really just the messenger, and the handyman," Jim replied, "but I'm glad you love it so much."
"Are you putting it in the nursery, or the master bedroom?" Alexis asked after everyone had oohed and aahed over the chair, and complimented Jim when they learned he had done all of the restorations himself.
Kate and Rick exchanged a look. "Good question," Kate said, biting her lip. "She'll be in with us for the first few months, so I guess it doesn't really make sense to haul it upstairs yet, right?" she asked Rick.
"I think there's room for it in our bedroom, yeah," Rick agreed.
Jim carried the chair into Kate and Rick's bedroom and put it in the corner of the room that Kate designated for it.
After everyone pitched in to help clean up, and Ryan removed his empathy belly, making Rick, and therefore Kate, the winners since Rick kept his on the longest, they all said their goodbyes and left, Alexis leaving with Javier because they were going out for dinner, so Rick and Kate were alone together.
Rick followed Kate to their bedroom, where she sat down in the rocking chair and began to slowly rock back and forth. Rick, still wearing that big belly, went to her side and, with considerable difficulty, knelt on the floor beside Kate's chair. "You're my hero," he told her. "You've been my hero for a long time, but this..." He gestured to his belly. "For seven-and-a-half months, you've been carrying our little girl, keeping her safe and healthy, and not letting the more uncomfortable aspects of being pregnant get you down. You amaze me every day, Kate...and you're going to be the best mom in the world."
Kate extended her hand and Rick caught hold of it. "I never thought I'd be a mom," she said as she stopped rocking and looked deeply into Rick's eyes. "I'm kind of nervous about how good I'll be at it."
"Lily and I will always be there to let you know how well you're doing," Rick said.
"Up until she's...oh god, if she takes after me, about seven," Kate replied, grimacing a bit at the thought.
"It'll come and go," Rick hastened to assure her. "We'll have good days and bad days right from the start, because we're all only human, Kate. But the good days will far outweigh the bad. We're both going to make mistakes, but they won't be anything catastrophic. Our daughter is going to know that she's loved...well, I hope she already knows it. And I hope Lily takes after you."
"I hope she has the best parts of both of us, but I want her to be her own person too," Kate said.
"She will be," Rick assured Kate, squeezing her hand. "And when she's a teenager, if any boy tries to get out of line with her, you'll have long since taught her to break his nose."
Kate laughed, but Rick didn't, so she knew he was serious. "Well, of course I'll teach her to defend herself. Don't worry so much about her dating, though. We're a long way away from that, babe."
"Yes, we are," Rick said, relieved. "And she's going to be amazing, just like you."
"I can't wait to meet her," Kate said, stroking her belly. "This is going to be the greatest adventure of our lives: being Lily's parents. I wouldn't have done this with anybody else but you, Rick."
Rick tried to stand up then, but he couldn't get his feet under him with the huge pregnancy belly. "You can take it off now," Kate told him with a smile. "It was very sweet of you to wear it for as long as you did, but now it's getting a little weird."
Rick pulled off the smock covering the empathy belly, and Kate burst out laughing seeing the breasts on it. He fumbled with the straps, and Kate got to her feet, walked around behind him, and undid the straps for him. "Thank you," he said as he removed the belly apparatus and laid it aside. Standing up, he pulled Kate into his arms. Her own pregnant belly was resting against his abdomen, and Lily kicked then, so they both felt it. "Wow," Rick whispered.
"It won't be much longer now," Kate reflected. "Although your birthday is coming up in a few days, so we have that before her birthday."
"And the Lamaze class," Rick said. "That's in a few weeks."
Kate leaned forward, resting her cheek against Rick's chest and wrapping her arms more tightly around him, resting in his hug. "I'm not sure which I want more right now, a nap or a back rub," she said.
Rick gently rested his chin on the crown of her head. "Your lower back again?" he asked.
"Yeah," Kate replied.
"But no Braxton-Hicks, right?" he asked.
"Nope, no contractions, Braxton-Hicks or otherwise," Kate replied. She kicked off her shoes and headed for their bed. When she was curled up with the pregnancy pillow she had bought several weeks ago to support her belly, Rick massaged her lower back until she fell asleep, and then he kicked off his own shoes and spooned her, one hand protectively splayed across the baby bump where Lily continued to grow, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep too.
