Kate couldn't believe a month had already went through.

Noah was gorgeous, as she had expected him to be. He had this big blue curious eyes always looking around himself. Grabbing whatever he could with his tinny little fingers. Just like his Dad. His head still gobble a little bit, but he had started lifting it when he was lying on his crib. That made Kate specially proud, not that she would let Castle know.

She was secretly keeping a diary. She didn't what to be of those mothers that were always filming every movement their baby made. She didn't want to be totally crazy. But she didn't want to forget any special moment either. She wanted to be able to tell Noah every little aspect of when he was a cute baby. it wasn't like if she was writing a bestselling novel (she left Castle that). It was just short paragraphs which explained nonsense things that happened. Like the first time she took Noah by herself for a walk through Central Park. Or when she woke up one morning to find Castle playing with him lying over his chest. Or when they celebrated Alexis birthday at the Hamptons and they took him to the swimming pool for the first time.

So many things had happened along that four weeks. She wanted all of them written down.

And they were celebrating that. It was lame, but they were celebrating their baby's first month birthday with their family and their friends for the precinct. All of them (Lanie, Esposito, Ryan, Jenny, Martha, Alexis and even her Dad) were going to come to the loft for dinner.

They were excited.

Both of them.

It wasn't that they didn't enjoy the time with the baby but the also wanted some adult time. Adult conversation. Thinking it through, Kate found out that the only conversation that Castle and she had since they came back from the hospital had been about Noah. Not that she didn't like talking about him. It was just that she wanted to know about the precinct too. About her friends.

Castle was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She could hear the pans and pots crashing together making a terrible noise. She knew Noah was having tummy time, lying on the rug near the kitchen bar.

She walked towards him and sat on the floor, taking him to sit on her lap.

"Hey, baby boy. You know who's coming tonight?"

"Please tell me that's got a double meaning" Castle appeared wiping his hands to dry them up. He was wriggling his eyebrows.

Funny. But not funny in front of the baby.

"Castle. Not in front of the kid" she stood up and put the baby in his arms "But I guess is time, right?"

She whispered in his ear and left him there. Shocked. Excited for that night.

"Is there something left to do? Any arrangements before everyone comes?" she asked from the kitchen.

"Mmm.. I.. No. I guess there aren't any. Everything's set up. Just relax." He kissed the top of her head and she smiled.

How couldn't she be happy?

He was there. Wrapping an arm around her waist. With their baby in his arms.

She had a family.

"Why don't you take Noah for his bath. Get him cute and ready for our guests. I just have to check on the garlic bread I had in the oven"

"Okay. You sure you don't want to do it?"

It had been a fight two weeks ago. Not the bathing thing. Castle had complained that she wanted to do everything by herself. Everything that involved Noah. She really wanted to be part of his life. Of every second of his life. And if Castle changed him, fed him or bathed him she felt she was missing something. Castle had let her know he was there to help. He wanted to be part of the baby's life too. It was just after that fight that she realized she was acting crazy. She was crazy.

So since then she had tried to give them Daddy-Baby-time. As much as her maternal instincts allowed her.

"I'm fine. I'll take care of the feeding later"

"Diaper too?" that was something she wasn't that keen on participating

"Fine..." he pouted.

"Love you" she said briefly kissing his lips.

"Me too. A lot, actually. Come on. You're not going to be done in time."

"You underestimate my motherly abilities."

"Oh, no, honey. I don't underestimate you at all".

Noah was all set when the bell rang for the first time. The baby startled with the noise, making Kate laugh.

"Yeah, baby. There is someone ringing the bell. You ready to see everyone again?"

The baby looked at her and she took it as an agreement. She opened the door and smiled when she saw her friends.

"Hi friend!" Lanie exclaimed hugging her "How's my baby boy?" she extended her arms to take him.

"Yo, Beckett. You have a cute one there." Esposito said.

"He's cute" she agreed, proud of her baby.

"We brought him somethin'" he held a big blue package and gave it to her.

"Jenny participated too" Ryan added "She couldn't come. Sarah Grace has a flu and she wasn't feeling very well"

"Too bad... I wanted Noah to meet her"

"There's plenty of time. Open the present"

It was sweet. A stuffed blue pony. Bigger than the baby. Cute.

"I love it." Noah couldn't take his sight away from the animal "And seems that he loves it too. Thank you guys"

"It's nothing. Where's Castle, by the way?" Lanie asked. She smiled when Noah grabbed her necklace and started chewing it.

"Kitchen. Come in. I think dinner's ready"

"Hey guys!" Castle greeted them "Glad you made it. Dinner will be served in five. Want some wine while we wait for mother, Alexis and Jim?"

"Sure. Ryan's driving us back home" Espo said. Everyone laughed at Ryan's face.

They were having fun. All of them. Even Noah was having fun before he fell asleep on Castle's arms. They were joking and laughing as time hasn't passed at all. They talked about work too. Just to know how everything was going. Just until Alexis asked them to stop. In her own polite way.

Kate looked around the table. Watching all of them. They were good together. Their family and their friends. All of them. She had always wanted to be part of a big family. She had one now.