Don't even think about reading this unless you plan on reviewing.
Disclaimer: I do now own Castle.. just the characters I make up.. So Alexander James Castle is mine... You can't have him.
Chapter One
The morning light shines in through the curtains. It is casting a glow over the bed, along her pillow, and onto her face. Sharp blue eyes stare into her sleepy greens as she opens slowly her eyes. Her heart skips a beat at the clarity of them, the ever mysterious specks of green that make them even more beautiful. She blinks a few times, trying to shake the sleep from her tired body. When she focuses again, all she can see is those eyes, peeking out from a head of long sandy brown hair. It lays disheveled over his forehead, brushing his cheekbones. Kate reaches out, pushing his hair from his face. He won't let her cut it.
"Mommy?" The beautiful blue eyed boy asks softly.
"Mm?" She replies, rubbing a thumb along his cheek, much like hers. He's almost absent of the usual baby face.
"Are you going to get up now?" He asks, batting his long lashes at her. His voice is soft as he leans his weight into Rick's pillow.
Kate pulls back, snuggling into the warm covers. "Five more minutes?" She asks burring her face in her pillow. She smells Rick in the soft sheets.
The boy sighs exasperated. Sitting up on his knees and looking towards the window. "I guess so." He relents comically sighing again, causing his tiny shoulders to raise up to his ears, and then drop back down on a long expel of air.
Kate sneaks a look at him. He's still looking out the window, purposely not looking at her. And then, she hears it: pans being placed on the stove and cabinets opening and closing. Then she smirks. She's watching as her sons ears prick at the sound, his body tensing. He's up to something.
She lets out a gasp when she hears a loud clang from the kitchen. She opens her eyes extra wide when her son looks back at the sound of her surprise. Her mouth drops open. "What's that?" She asks enthusiastically.
She sees him fighting back a grin. He shrugs. "Nothing, mommy."
"Xander." She fake warns, shooting her arms out of the warm haven to tickle the five year old.
"Nothing!" He shrieks, giggling madly as he tries to get away.
And then he's being lifted into the air, and tossed over his father's shoulder. "Breakfast is almost ready." Rick says casually, as his son flails on his shoulder.
Kate turns onto her back watching her husband stand in their bedroom on a Tuesday morning. His own sandy brown hair is in a disarray, blue eyes shining with mirth. He's dressed in a tight black T shirt, and red pj pants. The same ones Alexander is wearing. Not surprisingly, Rick was the one to insist on matching, against the small boy's teasing protests.
"Castle." Kate starts, sitting up. 'You are not making me breakfast in bed." Her hand rests on her stomach, smoothing the sheets while giving him a stern look in objection. She keeps glaring as he says nothing. Xander's backside is still to her, which has stopped struggling and now lays limp. A small sigh of defeat escapes him.
"Who said anything about breakfast in bed?" Rick asks coyly. "Did you say anything Xander?" He asks the boy who is turning so he now faces his mother.
"Not me, daddy." He shakes his head, clapping his hands over his mouth, attempting to not giggle.
Kate smiles at him, her heart is almost overwhelmed with the love she has for this tiny human being. And he's just so damn cute. She nods at him, winking and putting her finger to her lips in a hush. Xander winks back, a slow over exaggerated wink that makes Kate cover her own mouth. With a smirk, Rick turns to give his wife a smile, and then walks out of the room. Xander waves from his position on his father's broad shoulder, before he disappears into the study, and out into the loft.
Kate settles back into the sheets. She waits for the sounds of breakfast cooking again, and smiles to herself when she hears Xander giggle. Humming, she sinks even deeper into the covers of her incredibly warm bed. She doesn't want to get up. But she has work in a few hours. Work. Kate turns towards the nightstand. 6:17AM. Work is at 8AM. She has some time. Her eyes drift from the clock to the pictures on Rick's side of the bed. One is from five years ago. Kate in the hospital holding new born baby Alexander James Castle. How much he's changed since then! He's already loosing that baby fat, making his cheek bones as prominent and striking as hers.
The other picture is her boy at age one. His first birthday. Rick insisted on a huge party, extravagant cake. And her argument, was that he was only a year old. He's not going to remember any of that stuff. His retort was: "I'll remember it." And that was enough for her.
The next is of Alexander and Rick at the park. The two have their backs to the camera. Hands holding as Rick looks down at his 2 year old son. Next to it is a similar picture of Alexis and Rick walking hand in hand. It's been wedged into the picture frame. Two kids...Alexis is very much her daughter, as Alexander is her son.
"Breakfast is served." Rick calls out. He walks into the room holding a tray. Kate can see a plate with pancakes and fruit, a glass of orange juice. She wishes it was coffee.
"Why are you bringing me breakfast in bed?" She asks, sitting up once more. "It's not my birthday." Xander rushes in, jumping onto the bed. "Or mother's day." She adds.
Xander bites down on his lip. A trait he got from his mother, and looks to his father. Rick however, shows no indicators. He just sets the tray on her lap. Kate doesn't look at the breakfast, but between her two boys.
"Do you want something?" She asks. Remembering how Alexis used to make Rick a special breakfast before she asked him for something big. And Rick, has also taken up the habit, and passed it onto their son.
Xander giggles "Nooo." He exclaims bouncing by her feet. Rick sits down beside her.
"Come on you two. You know I don't like surprises."
"Really now?" Rick asks all smug. "Because you sure like to keep them from us." He accuses playfully.
She raises an eyebrow, eyes drifting down to her breakfast. Pancakes with something written in blueberries across them. She bites her lip.
"Yea, Mommy." Little Xander tries to mimic his father.
Kate takes a blueberry, squeezing it gently between her fingers. "I was going to tell you... I just wanted to be sure." She looks at Rick apologetically.
He stares, for a moment, looking down at Xander with a raised eyebrow. The little boy nods, grinning. And then Rick's eyes light up. That smile she loves so much wrinkling the corners of his brilliant blues.
"So it's true?" He asks through his wild grinning.
Kate picks all the blueberries that are shaped like a question mark at the end of the word 'Baby'. And hands them all to her son. "Yes." She says her heart swelling at the sight of her two boys whooping in excitement.
Rick leans in, pressing a kiss to her lips and hugging her around the shoulders before pulling back and letting Xander kiss her cheek. And he just keeps grinning. She thinks she can even see a patch of moisture brimming in his eyes. She remembers the first time she told him about Xander. The pure joy and love radiating from that man could light up the entire city. And now? She's caught in the emotions of his soul.
"How did you know?" She finally finds her voice, almost choked up.
"Daddy is sightful." Xander pipes in, popping a blueberry into his mouth.
"Insightful." Rick corrects gently. He also steals a blueberry or two. "You made yourself a peanut butter sandwich the other day." He says over the juices in the tiny fruit.
"So." She replies drinking her juice. Oh how she wishes it was coffee.
"So, Then you ate it, with a pickle."
"Gross!" Xander pipes. He covers his face and makes a cute sound in disgust.
"Gross is right!" Rick tickles his ribs.
Xander falls back on the bed in a fit of giggles, and Kate watches this little morning exchange. Her hand rests back on her stomach absently. It's things like this that make it that much harder to go to work everyday. And now, there will be a new addition. She smiles softly to herself, watching as Rick lets Xander overpower him. Her thumb rubs the flat plane of her stomach through her shirt. She finds herself day dreaming about this new baby. What she'll look like. Yes, she would like a girl this time.
"Are you going to help us pick out a name?" Rick is now asking their son, who is now calming down from the tickle assault.
Xander stands up on the bed, almost losing his balance as his little feet pad along the bedsheets. He flops down besides his mother, pushing the tray down her legs, and pulling up her shirt to look at her flat stomach. His little finger comes up to his chin, and his head tilts in thought. She sees so much of Rick in that one expression.
And then Xander smiles, inspiration hitting him. "Sherlock!" The little boy proclaims raising his finger into the air with so much excitement.
Kate shakes her head as Rick bursts out laughing. "He's your son, alright."
Rick sits upon a bench later that day. It's mid afternoon on a beautiful spring day, the leaves now vibrant and green. Rick's jacket lays beside him. His usual spot is always layered with sunlight. He sits with a notebook and a pencil, leg crossed over the other where the paper rests. His eyes dart up every now and then to catch sight of Xander who runs around with the other kids on the playground. He can hear the laughter, and chatter of the kids, loud but pleasant amongst the small breeze batting at the leaves. The birds have also returned for the warmer weather.
The writer's eyes drift down to his page once more. The stark white contrast against his dark blue jeans. But the pages lay blank. He can't seem to flit his mind anywhere else than to his son running around happily, and his wife, at work. Of course, his mind is always on them, but now he has more to think about. He has another one on the way. He's never had more than one small child running around. Alexis is all grown up now. With a good fifteen years difference between her and her little brother. Rick wonders how other people do it.
He looks up from his notebook, abandoning the idea of getting any sort of writing done. Instead he surveys his surroundings. There is a few groups of parents around. They seem to pair off in cliques like students in the cafeteria. To his left, are a half dozen or so mothers at a picnic table. Two of them have infants while the rest of their kids play together. Diaper bags and lunches are scattered on the old picnic table. Drinks and snacks for their children. Rick looks down to his side. All he has is a bottled water and a package of gram crackers in his jacket pocket. And he is the one who ends up eating them anyway.
He shrugs, fingering the blank pages absently as his attention goes back to the other parents. Off behind the group of mothers, who gossip loudly to themselves, is a lone woman sitting under a tree. He sees her here pretty much every day like all the others. Like himself, she must rather keep to herself. And then there are the men, or single fathers who lean against the swing sets. Chatting each other up about last night's game, and complaining about their working wives. Rick actually finds them more fascinating.
Xander breaks his focus on the group of men. He is getting his father's attention with his panting and raspy breaths. "Dad." He says, standing with his little body heaving in exhilaration.
Rick sets his notebook down, resting his hands on his son's shoulder to steady him. And then goes into his inside pocket for the boys inhaler. Rick shakes the inhaler a few times and put the mouthpiece to Xander's lips. Xander sucks in his medicine, and then Rick offers him the bottle. Putting the inhaler back into his pocket for safe keeping. They do this at least once or twice each day at the playground. It's nothing to worry about really, as long as the inhaler is always close at hand. Rick is sure it will go away with age. He had it himself as a young boy.
"Thanks, Daddy." Xander says turning to rush off.
Rick snatches his wrist before he can dash away. "Stay close." he says, giving him the eyes.
"Always." The little blue eyed boy recites with a grin and runs off to play for another hour.
Rick Castle smiles proudly. And then leans back against the bench pulling his phone out. He texts Kate. Telling her they are having a lot of fun at the park, and that they wish she was there. But he doesn't get a reply. This does not worry him. He knows that she must have a case. With a sigh, Rick draws his notebook back into his lap, tapping his pencil against his lips. But then a loud shriek startles him from the page. His eyes snap up to the playground, his heart seizing in his chest. There is a lot of commotion as a few mothers dart up from the picnic table, and a father from the other group rushes in. Some of the mothers shout for their kids.
"Alex!" He thinks he hears one of them yell.
And then the father who ran in, comes out from behind the monkey bars holding his crying daughter. She must have fallen. Rick still stays on alert, knowing that his own son adores the monkey bars. But then he sees him. A flash of sandy brown hair in the sunlight. He's up on the slide, about to go down. Rick pulls out his phone, taking a video right as Xander waves to his father. Blue eyes bright and shining with laughter before he slides down and out of sight.
Kate sits at her desk exasperated. She's been on her feet most of the day chasing down leads. And just wants to sit for a few minutes. But she still has several hours to go. Kate's phone chimes with the second message from Rick in the last few hours. She got the one about them being at the park, and a picture of Xander running around. This one, is a video of her beautiful blue eyed boy sliding down his favorite slide. She smiles to herself, letting the feeling of home wash over her, and sinks into her chair further.
It gets her through the next half an hour. No new leads and added frustration. Standing by the murder board, Kate's hand goes to her stomach as it growls. She checks her watch and sees that it's well past two in the afternoon. Rick and Xander will be on their way home now. Her stomach growls again. She should eat. She is now responsible for the new little being growing in her stomach.
But just as she stands up, Esposito comes out of the elevator in haste. "Hey! There was just a sighting of our guy down town."
Kate snatches up her jacket and jogs to him. It appears she won't be eating anytime soon. She really needs to get this guy. And it's just her and Esposito today. Ryan is home with his sick daughter Ellie. They were working with Martinez and Harrison today. Kate's phone chimes with Rick's ringtone. She sighs, and answers as she gets into the elevator with Javi.
"Rick, I can't talk right now we are just about to bring down a suspect." She says hurriedly as the doors close.
"Kate." Ricks terrified voice filters through to her ears. Her heart freezes up. "Xander is missing."
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