So sorry I haven't updated in weeks! My life has been a bit hectic as of late... but I hope this chapter makes up for it! :) I'm thinking we only have a few more chapters left in this story... anything you really want to see before it wraps up?
They had been home 5 weeks, Rick waited everyday for Kate to tell him that she was ready to go back to work, but she still hadn't. She was enamored with the twins that hey had barely left the house, which made everyone very happy. Martha came by almost every day, and Alexis slept over most nights, only leaving to go to her classes or spend a night with friends.
Kate had been right months ago, the twins did tag off. One would scream and cry, and the second it died down the other would start up. Even the new door they had put in didn't help, and Kate ended up sleeping in the rocking chair in the nursery a few nights a week.
Kate woke up at about 3 in the afternoon one day to a silent house. She glanced over at the Adrienne and Stephen's cribs, and they were both sound asleep.
Figures, she thought, getting up from the rocking chair. She walked over to Adrienne's crib and watched her sleep. Kate smiled, watching her daughter's tiny eyelashes flutter.
The nursery was adorable. Alexis and Rick had painted it in beautiful shades of green. There was a crib on each side of the room, and above them on the wall each baby's name was written in a typewriter font. Adrienne's bedding was pink with kittens on it, and Stephen's was blue with ducks. There was a bookshelf next to the rocking chair, filled with Kate and Rick's favorite childhood books.
Adrienne started to squirm, and Kate quickly lifted her out of the crib and rocked the baby in her arms, so she wouldn't start to cry and wake her brother. All those baby books had taught her well – Adrienne most likely needed to be fed.
Kate sat back down in the rocking chair, unbuttoning the shirt she had borrowed from Rick for moments just like these. She was breast-feeding a half-awake Adrienne when Alexis came in.
"Hey, Kate," she said. She had probably just gotten home, because she was still wearing her sweater. "Oh, do you want me to come back?"
Kate shook her head. "No, it's okay. Stay."
Alexis smiled, and Kate finished feeding Adrienne. Alexis took the baby from Kate's arms and placed her in her crib while Kate buttoned up her shirt.
"How was your class?"
"Fantastic! I really love art history, it's fascinating."
Kate smiled. "Good! I took a few Art History classes when I was pre-law at Stanford. I couldn't resist the pull of Monet and Picasso."
Alexis smiled and took Kate's hand. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"
"No," Kate admitted. "I just woke up half an hour ago."
Alexis pulled Kate out into the hallway, towards the kitchen. "Let me make you something – you need to eat, just like Ade!"
Ade was the family's affectionate nickname to Adrienne. Alexis was already joking about getting her a teeny-tiny lemon costume for Halloween so she could be lemon-ade. Stephen's nickname was Stevie – Stevie and Ade. Sounded like a band.
Kate and Alexis were sitting in the kitchen, eating grilled chicken salad (home-cooked by Alexis), when Rick got home. Kate grinned when she saw her husband.
"Hey, honey, how was your meeting?"
"Good! The newest Nikki Heat installment goes on sale in 3 weeks."
Alexis clapped and Kate stood up, giving Rick a kiss.
"Congrats," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Book tour?"
"I told them to keep it at 2 weeks, max. Only major cities, scheduled as tightly as possible."
"Well, the twins and I will miss you," Kate said with a sigh. Rick nodded.
"I know. I hate you leave you guys, but the look on Paula's face when I asked not to do the tour… let's just say we need to double-check all the locks before we get in bed tonight."
Alexis laughed. She glanced at the microwave and saw the time.
"Oh, I have to leave! It's movie night in the dorms."
Kate and Rick grinned like the proud parents they were, watching Alexis grab her bag and put on her sweater. She placed a kiss on Rick's cheek, then Kate's.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Have fun, sweetie," Rick called after her. He smiled at Kate. "How are the babies?"
"Sound asleep, thank god."
Rick smiled and pulled Kate up from the table and into his arms for a hug. He kissed her hair.
"I love you, Kate. So much."
Kate held onto him tightly, suddenly hit with a wave of emotion. "I love you too."
Kate pulled back and saw a few tears in Rick's eyes. His smile was wobbly, and he looked kind of adorable, like a sad puppy.
"Wow, crying? That's not very macho," Kate teased, placing a little kiss on the tip of his nose. He laughed and then sniffled a bit.
"I just really love our family," he said, letting Kate wipe away his tears. She smiled.
"I do too."
xxxx
6 months later, Stephen and Adrienne were sleeping more, as were Kate and Rick. Kate had gone back to work, and Rick was now a full-time stay at home dad, doing his writing during nap time. The boys missed having him around the 12th, but Kate could tell Gates didn't. Not that she cared what Gates thought. Kate just did what she did best – bring closure to families and catch killers. She put a framed picture of her, Rick, and the twins on her desk, and she looked at it constantly, torn between her love of her babies and her love of her job.
Her love for Stephen and Adrienne was bigger, though. She had taken a full week off for their first Christmas, which she had never done before. Jim stayed with them for a few days, and Christmas day was a huge celebration with family and friends. The whole holiday was full of love, and it made Kate so happy to know that her kids were growing up will so many amazing people. And last week, on Valentine's Day, Kate came home to the twins dressed up as little Cupids and a romantic dinner on the table, with Alexis at the ready to play with the twins in the nursery, leaving Kate and Rick to enjoy some quiet time.
Alexis and Martha offered to babysit frequently, so Kate and Rick had started going out on dates once a week. Dancing, dinner, or just a movie gave them time to rewind from the day and spend some much needed time together.
Tonight, Kate came home, shed her coat, scarf, and extra sweater, and immediately went to the nursery to hold her twins tightly and snuggle them until they squirmed. Her current case was about an abusive father who was suspected of killing his wife. They got more and more evidence on the guy every day, but not enough to take him down. And the worst part was, the couple had a 2 year old daughter, one Kate was afraid would end in foster care. Days like this made her glad that her kids were safe and had (mostly) sane parents.
"Hey, Ade. Mommy's home!"
Kate lifted Ade out of her crib and cuddled the baby to her chest, placing kisses all over her furry head. Both Adrienne and Stephen had a thin, chestnut-colored hair just like hers. Stephen had gotten Rick's eyes, and Adrienne had hers. Other than that, they seemed to be a perfect mix of their parents.
"Hard day?," Rick asked from the other side of the room, where he was changing Stephen's diaper. Kate nodded, bouncing Adrienne up and down gently.
"Abusive dad, maybe k-i-l-l-e-d his wife, 2 year old girl caught in the middle."
Rick frowned. "That sucks." He re-buttoned Stephen's pants and held him out to Kate. "Trade?" She nodded and they carefully switched babies, using a technique they had perfected within the first month after they were born. Kate placed a huge kiss on Stephen's cheek he made a cute gurgling sound. She smiled.
"What did you do today?," she asked Rick, sitting down in the rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth.
"Well, nothing as badass as you," Rick said, finishing up with Ade's diaper. "I took them to a check-up, then we walked around Central Park for about an hour. After lunch, they napped, and I listened to Paula yell into the phone about how I should have done an extra week of the book tour back in the fall because the book was only number one on the NY Times Best Seller List for 2 months. Now it's at the ghastly number three."
Kate snorted and rolled her eyes. "You need a new agent."
"Tell me about it. Oh, my mother called. She is having a party tomorrow night – well, she called it a soiree, but whatever – to celebrate the 3rd year of her acting class, as well as the new donation made by an old friend of hers, and she wanted us to come by. Alexis has a date, but Jenny said she and Ryan would be happy to take the twins. Actually, Ryan said he would be happy to bring Amanda over here so they could all hang out. I think he just wants to use my xbox once the kids are asleep."
Kate laughed. "Sounds fun. Another date for Alexis, huh?"
Rick nodded, his face neutral. "It's been 2 months. She keeps saying we'll get to meet him, but…"
"Rick, let her have her fun. She'll introduce us when she's ready," Kate said. She kissed Stephen's head again and Rick grumbled.
"Ade, you don't get to date boys til you're thirty, okay?," he said to the baby, holding her up and staring into her green eyes. "Or maybe 45."
Ade waited less than 5 seconds before dripping a little spit-up onto Rick's t-shirt. Kate burst out laughing, and Stephen continued to make his gargling noises, which sort of sounded like laughter. Rick couldn't help but laugh too, before grabbing a washcloth to wipe Ade's mouth. He set her back down in her crib and pulled his shirt off, tossing it in the laundry basket.
Kate stood up and put Stephen in his crib, then whistled at Rick. "Damn."
He grinned and flexed his muscles. "That's right, daddy does workout during naptime some days."
Kate wrapped her arms around Rick's neck and pulled his mouth down to hers for a passionate kiss.
"Mhmm, you're pretty hot for someone who calls himself 'daddy' and gets spit up on every day," she whispered. Rick wiggled his eyebrows and hitched Kate's legs up around his waist, carrying her into the bedroom.
"You want to see some of my moves?"
xxxx
The next night, Kate was getting dressed for Martha's party. She had forgotten what it was like to get dressed up in a pretty dress and go to a party. Yes, she and Rick had their weekly dates, but they were casual. Not that Kate had ever been the fancy party kind of girl.
She slipped on a long-sleeve Elizabeth & James mini-dress and a pair of charcoal gray platform pumps, watching herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her chestnut waves, then gathered them in a elegant low ponytail.
"Wow," Rick said, coming through the bedroom door. Kate turned around and grinned at him. She stuck a sultry model pose, sticking out one of her incredibly long legs. Rick smiled and Kate walked over to him and took his hand, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Ready to party?"
"Maybe we could just stay here…," Rick mumbled, staring down at her legs. Kate laughed and steered him through the bedroom doorway and his office doorway so he wouldn't run into the wall.
"No way. I'm no party girl, but I want to interact with people who aren't dead or infants."
Rick laughed as they entered the living room. Ryan sat on the floor with Stephen in his lap, and Jenny sat on the couch, cradling Adrienne in her arms. Amanda sat next to her mother, watching the baby intently. Kate smiled. Amanda was adorable, a miniature Jenny.
"Hey, you look fabulous," jenny gushed, turning to look at Kate. Kate blushed.
"Thanks."
Ryan glanced over at Castle. "Hey, good job, bro. You dressed yourself."
Rick stuck out his tongue and Ryan made a stupid face. Jenny sighed.
"Boys," she said to Amanda and Adrienne. Ade gurgled and Amanda giggled, clapping her hands.
Kate leaned over the back of the couch to place a kiss on Adrienne's head, then came around the couch to kiss Stephen.
"Have fun tonight with uncle Kevin and aunt Jenny," she whispered to Stephen, kissing the tip of his nose. "Mommy and daddy love you, we'll be home soon."
Rick said his goodbyes, and then he and Kate slipped into their coats.
"Have fun at your party, guys," Ryan said. "Relax and enjoy yourselves. The twins are in great hands."
Kate smiled warmly at Ryan. "Thanks, Ryan. You have a good night too."
"Will do, Becks," he said. His blue eyes conveyed to Kate that she was a wonderful mother, and he was proud of her. She nodded and smiled at him again before looking away. She laced her fingers through Rick's and they left the apartment, chatting about Martha's party. Kate didn't feel safe about many things, but she had never felt safer with Ryan to protect her. And now her kids were part of that too. The safe, loving environment she, Rick, and their friends and family provided.