A/N: thanks for the reviews guys, good and bad. I may not be the best, but I'm trying to be the best I can. If you saw some of my early stuff you'd cringe. Actually, you can. Just go to my account. That cheaper by the dozen fic was one of my really early works. Anyways I also wanted to say yes I've been around a while but I've never had a fic get this popular before. It's exciting but also nerve wrecking at the same time. I am continually trying to make myself a better writer and this is definitely helping. My mistakes are my mistakes and I take complete responsibility for them. Honestly, yes I should get a beta it would make things ten times better, but if we are being honest here I have no patience what so ever. I do not do the waiting game. I'm just so excited to get the content out to you I don't think I could wait for a beta to read over it. Please, if you don't like my writing or me, there's the door you can see yourself out and don't let the door hit you.
"How'd we get so much stuff?" Kate groans wrapping another plate and putting it in the box labeled kitchen plates.
"Well, let's see, you moved in with me, my mother used to live here, along with my daughter, we have four almost five kids, oh and a dog." Castle chuckles watching Kate and smiling softly off in dream land.
"That's a lot of people in and out of our lives. I guess you are right." She sighs softly. Putting the last plate in the box she tapes it shut and slides it over for Castle to put on the stack of boxes ready for the truck. She then Carefully makes her way up the stairs to check on her kids. They had not far to go and to make this process faster Kate had enlisted the help of her kids to pack their toys. Kate had come along first last night and boxed or moved the fragile stuff out of their rooms so they could hopefully be uninterrupted. Huffing as she reached the top of the stairs, she goes past Johanna's room to check on Sidney. She finds him on the floor having just rolled a car across it.
"How's it going, Sid?" Kate asks stepping in his room and walking over towards her son. He's not gotten very far, but she knew that was most likely because he'd been playing.
"I don't wanna move momma."
"I know kiddo, neither does mommy." Kate sighs softly and goes to sit on the boys bed patting it to call Sidney over to sit next to her. He does and sighs as he leans on his mother.
"Then why do we?" He asks his head tilting to look up at Kate.
"Because, baby Arejay needs room we don't have here." She tells the little boy wrapping an arm around him holding him carefully.
"Don't worry though, ok?"
"Gram will be living here with Papa Jim and you can come over whenever you want," Kate adds kissing the top of her son's head.
"Why don't you finish that box and I'll make sure you get to help the guys put it on the truck. How does that sound?" Kate asks watching the boy smile and shake his head.
"They let you do that?" He asks excitedly.
"They sure do!" She beams watching her son excited. Even at an early age her son loved trucks. I mean what boy doesn't. So she knew he'd have fun with this.
"I'm going to go make lunch, will you get your siblings and tell them it's lunch time?" Kate asks the boy getting up resting a hand on her stomach.
"Ok, momma!" He nods and leaves going to get his siblings to tell them about lunch.
The family is done eating soon after and Castle helps the kids back to their rooms to help them continue to pack. Kate is downstairs working on Castles bookshelf in his office. She knew he'd want to take these books and put them in his new office. Since the decision to move, Castle had pretty much put Kate on light packing duty. Kate had really wanted to help, but she knew this was for the best. She was helping in a way she could that would get things done. They had really no time restraint for all of this moving but Kate had wanted to get it all done sooner rather than later. Taking another book off the shelf she goes to put it in the box when a letter falls out. Carefully bending down she picks it up and glances it over. First she thought it was one of the many letters Kate wrote to Rick throughout the years but it's not. Opening it she notices it's in Castles handwriting. Reading it she smiles at the words he had wrote. It was a pretty old letter, but it was written to him from him. He was writing about being a dad for the second time and how he'd hoped he'd do good and how he mustn't mess up. Kate could tell that at the time of the letter he was scared, but now? Yes, I could see how he could be scared because of the news of the baby, but Castle was an amazing father. He need not be scared, need no notes, or help because he has this job in the bag. Castle was the best father on the planet. Grabbing the last book she puts it in the box and tapes it shut and she leaves it on his desk to be moved later. She's coming out of the office as she looks up to see Johanna carrying a box down the stairs.
"All done mom!" She smiles as Kate walks over and opens the gate for her daughter.
"Great, thanks!" Kate smiles at her and directs her to the pile of boxes in the entryway.
"Put it there so it can be loaded into the truck," Kate tells her daughter as she walks over and puts an arm around her oldest.
"I know your siblings can be annoying at times, but I wanted to ask you, are you doing ok with the news of the new baby?" She asks watching her daughter. The two hadn't talked much about the new baby. Kate was worried her daughter was mad at them.
"I was upset at first, but when you said the baby was sick I got scared."
"Will the baby be ok?" Johanna asks reaching out to grab her mom's hand.
"Do you want the honest answer?" She replies softly as Johanna nods.
"Well," Kate starts.
"Your brother has what's called Spina Bifida. It's where a small part of the babies spine and spinal cord don't grow right and they stick out of the babies back in a little sac." She continues.
"Its kinda gross looking to be honest." Kate chuckles softly.
"Anyways, when Arejay is born they will cover it up and within two days he will go into surgery to get it repaired and put back inside."
"Then, when he gets older he might need a walker or even a wheelchair." Kate explains to her daughter in the best way she can that she will understand.
"So, he's not going to die?" She worries feeling scared for her mom. She has no idea how hard this must be.
"No, Arejay will be fine." Kate smiles softly giving her daughter a quick kiss before getting up.
"I have to go check on your father, will you be ok?" She turns to stand in the doorway.
"You go, I'll check on the babies." Johanna chuckles softly. She'd called her siblings babies since Sidney had been born and it was almost natural.
"Thank you." Kate sighs and walks out of the room and carefully down the stairs to find Rick.
"Just finished the kitchen, I hope you're ok with take out for the next few days." Castle chuckles taping the last box.
"Oh of course, less work for me." She adds laughing slightly walking over to put her arms around her husband in a hug.
"Oh by the way, I finished the books in your office." Kate smiles kissing her husband softly before letting go.
"Thanks, now we just have to start with the family pictures." Castle sighs as Kate groans.
"This moving is to much work, I just want to be done already!" She rolls her eyes and leans on the counter with one arm, the other resting on her stomach.
"I love you little guy but that hurts." She sighs as Castle comes over wrapping his arms around his wife resting his hands on her stomach.
"Arejay, I thought I told you to not hurt mommy." Castle chuckles jumping when he feels the baby kick.
"Woah, Hi buddy, you must be having a good time in there."
"You keep that up you might just kick your way out." Castle chuckles kissing his wife's belly.
"But don't though, mommy is not ready." She sighs softly thinking about this babies future and how much it scared her.
"Don't be scared ok? I'm here, always." Castle sighs as Kate tries to hold back tears. Castle lets go and shifts them so she is in front of him.
"I promise you, Arejay is going to be perfect, it will be a long road but I will be here Kate, every step of the way." He tells her bringing his wife's head to his shoulder and rubbing her back carefully.
"Now I remember why I married you." Kate hiccups as Castle takes a finger to her tears.
"And why did you?" He asks softly waiting for an answer.
"Because you're just amazing. you always have the right words." She smiles softly leaning in for a kiss. He kisses back lingering a moment before pulling away and staring into his wife's eyes.
"You're beautiful you know that?"
"Me? rea-" Kate is cut off by three of her four kids bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen. The three of them complaining all at the same time about being hungry.
"Hey, were's Victoria?" She asks watching the three standing in front of her.
"She fell asleep." Nate says rolling his eyes.
"I tried to keep her awake, but I think she played to hard instead of packed." He added, Castle moving to see his kids better.
"Well, since daddy packed the kitchen, how about we go to that pizza and games place for dinner you all love so much? Mommy could use a break." Kate suggests. She knew Castle would be up for it, just needed to get the kids excited.
"YEAH!" Sidney smiles jumping up and down.
"50 tokens each too, I think we all deserve it!" Kate is smiling now watching her excited kids.
"Go get ready, so we can head out." Kate explains as Castle watches his wife.
"I'll go get Victoria, I know how much the stairs kill you." He smiles softly and heads toward the door.
"Thanks!" She smiles and goes to the couples bedroom and freshens up a big grabbing her mom purse slinging it over her shoulder. Walking out she finds Sidney in the living room struggling to tie his shoes.
"Here, let mommy show you." She smiles and walks over showing him the correct loops and how to loop them.
"Good job!" She cheers as the you boy ties it correctly.
"You are so smart!" Kate tells him kissing his head softly. She pulls away and ruffles his hair as she hears more footsteps coming. Castle has Victoria in his arms. She has her famous tutu on and is talking to him a mile a minute as he nods trying to keep up. Nate is coming next slowly but surely as Johanna is trying to pass him down the stairs. The kids are always messing with each other on the stairs. Slowing each other down or jumping in front of each other. Anything to make the other mad.
"We should go, mommy and baby are starving." Kate chuckles and walks towards the door. The six make it out of the door and to the elevator moments later making it to the parking garage and to the van. Kate unlocks it and helps the kids in as she gets in the passenger seat watching Castle and Dax get in the driver seat. They arrive at Pizza Palace about ten minutes later and find themselves a table.
"Woah, wait, wait, wait!"
"We have to order first before we can play." Kate reminded them. The four knew they had to wait but that was the hardest part of having dinner at Pizza Palace. The games were the best part. Besides the pizza, that was good too. The waitress comes to the table and they order two cheese pizza's. The kids are practically jumping up and down and if it weren't for Kate and Castle sitting on the ends of the booth the kids would already be out and off to the games.
"Ok, ok, you can go. just come back in like ten minutes pizza should be here then." Kate explains pulling out a 20 dollar bill and handing it to Castle.
"Let daddy take the money and get the tokens and he will hand them out ok?" She says carefully getting up and letting the kids out and plopping back down in the booth watching the five of them get up, dog in tow and run over to the token machine. Castle puts the money in the machine and it spits out the tokens. He then counts them out making sure each kid starts out with 20 tokens. Castle takes the five he got for himself and heads over with Sidney to the skeeball and they play a game.
"Wow, you beat me!" Castle huffs as the two head back to the table.
"Guess what mommy!?" The boy smiles bounding to the booth and attempting to climb over his mom. She stops him carefully mindful of the baby as she sets him on on the seat next to her.
"What baby?" She asks him smiling.
"I won! Daddy and I played that fun ball game, and I won!" He beams so excited to have beat his dad in a game.
"Did you let him win babe?" Kate chuckles looking up to see the pizza.
"Honestly no, Sidney beat me fair and square." Castle explains seeing Nate and Johanna come back dragging Victoria.
"Not done yet!" The girl cries pouting and poking her sister.
"You think I care?" She rolls her eyes sitting in the booth reaching for her pizza.
"Come on you two, chill. Let's eat and you can go back to your games." Castle sighs as the family digs into the pizza giving a small piece to Dax. The family is done a while later and Kate lets them go back for another round of games. Castle this time decides to hold back. He was getting older now and honestly he was getting slightly tired.
"No games for you my love?" He asks looking across the table having just wiped his face.
"Nah, I'm going to let the kids have fun, plus, I'm pretty tired." She yawns softly.
"Arejay getting the best of you?" Castle sighs softly a little worried.
"Well, a little yes, but nothing out of the ordinary." She tells him getting up.
"We should go, we have lots more packing to do tomorrow and I'd love for a good night sleep."
"Sounds like a plan." Castle nods and takes his wife's hand as they walk with Dax to go find the kids. They all load up and finally after a good time, head home. Its about nine, way after the kids bedtime when they get home. They walk in the door and Castle hangs up his jacket taking Kate's and hanging her's too.
"Ok, everyone up to bed, its late and we still have lots to pack." He yawns and ushers his four kids up the stairs and to their rooms. He tucks them in and slowly, tiredly makes his way down the stairs finding Kate in the bedroom. He climbs in bed after changing and grabs his book.
"I think the kids had a fun time." Kate says climbing into bed next to her husband and snuggling next to him yawning again.
"Yeah I think so, I got beat for once, I can't believe it." He chuckles softly.
"Oh, like you haven't been beat before."
"Would you not?" He pouts crossing his arms.
"Oh I'm so sorry." Kate chuckles rolling her eyes.
"Come on, we should sleep, its been a long day." He sighs and takes his reading glasses off setting them on the night stand along with his book. Sliding down he puts his head on his pillow pulling Kate close to him.
"Night love." He smiles softly.
"Nigh-" Kate mumbles dozing off quicker than she'd had in a while.