It's nearing Halloween and Castle is sitting at his laptop trying to find the best couples Halloween costume for him and Kate. Kate's almost hit the 32 week Mark so she's rather big and Castle wants something new and different. The kids had already picked out their costumes this year and all of them thankfully could be bought at the store. At first Johanna did not want to go with the family, but who wouldn't turn down a chance for free candy. Heading to the store Castle had his list in hand, Hannie wanted a Halo esque costume so she could be Sargent Calhoun from Wreck it Ralph, Nate was going simple this year and just wanted to be Mikey from the Teenage Mutant ninja turtles, Sidney for whatever reason was stuck on being Zorro, which was great because he had all the pieces, and Victoria wanted to be Anna from frozen. Castle had tried to get her to maybe be an undead Anna but she screamed at him and ran off like he was crazy. Walking in the costume store he picked up the costumes his kids had requested. He was excited because he had found the perfect costume that would work for Johanna. He was surprised she went with Agent Calhoun instead of maybe Vanellope Von Schweetz. He did not take her for the Tom boyish character, but he was not going to complain. Her idea was amazing, almost something he would of come up with. It was then as he browsed the aisles, he came upon a "Chuck" Costume from Cast away, the movie. Castle knew right then and there that he was going to be Chuck and Kate was going to be Wilson the ball. It was perfect. Perfect in the Castle sense. Castle had planned to have a party again this year, but with the baby coming and having just moved recently, he knew Kate would not be up to all the work involved with a party. They could, just hire people, but that was not Kate's MO. She liked doing things herself or with the help of Castle, but not hiring someone. Grabbing the costume in his size he takes the handful of costumes and goes up to the checkout and pays for them. Getting in his car it takes him longer to get home than he wanted, but it was rush hour so that was to be expected. Kate had been at the office for the day and Castle couldn't wait to see her and the kids when he got home.
Bags in hand, he unlocks the front door and announces himself as he walks though the door frame. He kicks the large door closed behind him as Victoria comes running up to greet her father.
"Hey, you!" Castle smiles as he sets the bags down and picks his daughter up swinging her around.
"How was school?" He asks kissing Victoria on the head.
"I had a green card all day daddy! I was very good, just like you tell me to be." She beams as she wraps her arms around her daddy's neck.
"So proud of you Little Sir." Castle smiles again, tugging his daughter close. He'd recently started calling her Little Sir because he felt she was getting too old for 'Baby Gates'. While he liked the nickname 'Baby Gates', he felt it was time for something new. Just as he goes to set her down, he see's Kate comes into his view and he couldn't be happier seeing her face.
"Missed you." Kate sighs softly kissing her husband as Victoria gives a loud 'eew'.
"Missed you too." He replies, hugging his wife carefully.
"Go get ready for dinner, Victoria." Kate says watching Castle. The little girl nods and runs off to go wash her hands.
"So, I decided on a Halloween costume for us." He says putting a hand on his wife's protruding belly.
"Really? What is it?" Kate asks, raising an eyebrow at her husband.
"Well, I was getting costumes for the kids and I found a 'Chuck' costume, you know, from Cast away the movie?"
"Yeah, I remember that movie." She says, shifting slightly. Arejay was sitting on her bladder.
"Well. I was thinking, I could be chuck and you could be the ball, Wilson. We could paint your belly and everything."
Kate has to chuckle softly at his idea, but in the end she really likes his idea.
"That's not a bad idea. It's actually kinda cool." She smiles softly and kisses her husband.
"You think it's not stupid?" Castle sighs sadly.
"It's not. It's cool, I love it."
"Good, then I think it's settled."
—
It's October 31st. One of Castle's favorite holidays. Kate is 35 weeks pregnant. She's on the mark where if she had to deliver she could. She'd rather not, but she knew everything would be ok. Getting up the couple throws some clothes on before helping the kids get dressed in their costumes for school. There was a rule that I'm pretty sure was in place in most schools that said kids could not wear masks. So, Castle helped Johanna make a ski goggle helmet that would be school approved for her to wear at school with the other mask ready to go for trick or treating tonight. The couple had sent off the kids to school and then decided to get dressed themselves. Kate had decided that the couple should stop in to the precinct and show off their costume to her friends and colleagues before going out to lunch and being at the school ready to pick the kids up. Kate had not officially put herself on maternity leave, although if she could, she would most likely work till the baby popped out. Castle on the other hand tried to get her to start it early because of Arejay's condition and was scared that she would go into labor out in the field helping on a case. Getting dressed castle put his costume on and helped Kate with her shirt. Instead of painting her belly the couple painted a shirt to look like a volleyball and put 'Wilson's' face on it. That way, if it was cold, she did not have to walk around with a bare exposed belly all night. Getting to the precinct the couple takes the elevator up and step off when it dings and then soon after orphans. Kate has her hand in Castle's has the couple walks towards Kate's office. Kate was also going to use this time to check a few things on her computer and grab some paperwork she needed to finish. Reaching her office, Kate pulls her keys out and unlocks it stepping inside and setting her bag down.
"Go get some coffee, I know you want some." Kate chuckles goes around her desk and plopping in her chair turning on her computer. The computer sings as it turns on and the first thing to pop up was her email program. It's mostly just boring inter-company mail. One boring person to another about some meeting that Kate would unfortunately have to miss. It was busy out in the bullpen as Kate sat watching through her windows. Halloween had always been one of those holidays for all the weird things to happen. Kate should of stayed that day to work, but Castle had been trying to get her to start her maternity leave. Which in his words was 'nearly impossible'. After checking a few more things Kate closes her computer and stuffs a stack of papers in her bag getting up slowly and carefully as she heads towards her office door. She walks out and locks it behind her looking around to see if she can spot her husband. From her view she can barely see the break room, but someone turns and she can tell it's her shirtless husband. Walking over slowly Kate finally makes it to the door of the break room and peeks her head in.
"Hello boys." She chuckles seeing Castle, Ryan, Javi, and one of the new detectives all standing around the espresso machine waiting for it to finish as Castle shows them how to use it.
"Hey, you!" Castle smiles, taking he finished up of coffee and walking towards his wife.
"Get that paperwork you needed?" He asks sipping from his coffee cup.
"Yeah, sure did, and I see you are enjoying your coffee." She chuckles softly, leaning over to kiss him inhaling the smell of the coffee on his breath. The boys are watching and checking out Kate and her costume. They have to chuckle softly, thinking about what Castle had to do to get her to agree to this.
"Hey, good costume choice." Javi laughs looking the couple up and down.
"Yeah, it's pretty original." Ryan points out high fiving Javi as the two laughed.
"Oh, you are very most welcome." Castle smirks as he takes his wife's hand.
"We should get going, we have to pick the kids up from school." Kate sighs softly looking up at Castle.
"Yeah, we should, they hate it when we are late." Castle says tugging on his wife's hand. The two leave and grab a quick lunch before heading to Johanna and Nate's school to pick the two up and then heading off to Sidney and Victoria's school. The family waits outside for the two kids to arrive so they an go home. Johanna has a book in her hand reading trying to ignore Nate, who wouldn't shut up about everyone's costumes in his class. It's moments later when the van door slides open and Sidney and Victoria jump in.
"Hey, you!" Kate smiles brightly, waving at her kids as they get in. Sidney is buckling up as he snacks on some chocolate hoping to sneak it in before his mom sees him. He's not very slick as Kate looks back in the mirror and can see the chocolate covered face.
"Ok, those that have candy need to hand it over now." Kate demands, leaning over her seat and sticking her hands out to take any candy her kids had gotten that day.
"I promise you will get it later, I just don't want you to spoil dinner." Kate sighs as candy is being handed up to her. She puts it in a bag and slips it under her seat. Sidney the sugar king is pouting because he had to hand over his candy.
"Would you like me to not take you trick or treating tonight?" Kate warns him as he crosses his arms.
"Let's go Castle, he will be ok." Kate sighs and looks over at her husband. He pulls away from the curb and the family heads home. Kate's eyes are closed most of the way as she's trying to ignore the fact that Arejay was kicking up a storm and she had to pee. All she had to do was hold it in till they got home. It was hard to hold it in but she was going to do her best. Finally, after what felt like hours to Kate the family gets home. The kids are getting out, but Kate can't wait so she gets out, grabs her bag and rushes up to the apartment. She pee's and meets her family in the living room. Castle is in the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Opening the fridge he spots some chicken and figured he could could make chicken parmesan. It was something easy and Castle was always for easy. Pulling the chicken out he heats up the oven and prepares the chicken before putting the tray inside to cook. He sets a timer and walks out to finds his family in the living room playing a game of UNO.
"Whose winning?" Castle asks walking over and sitting on the couch to watch them play.
"Team Arejay." Johanna says rolling her eyes.
"Moms so close to winning again I don't know if I wanna keep playing." The girl sighs softly.
"Come on, one more game after this and deal me in." Castle smiles moving from the couch to the floor to be closer to the table. It had looked like Kate was going to win but Sidney came from behind and slammed his mom with cards and ended up winning. The family goes to play another round this one a close game between all of them. Castle thought he was close to winning but Johanna overtakes him and wins. She's all smiles as she slaps the card down on the table telling out 'UNO' cheering.
"Good game, good game." Castle says patting his daughters back as the oven goes off.
"Sounds like dinner, whoever has setting the table needs to get up now and go." He speaks getting up and going to the oven to pull the chicken out. Dinner is served and the family is now getting ready to go out trick or treating. The original plan was to maybe find a neighborhood near the Hampton's place and just go out there, but when Kate has heard the building was big on candy and trick or treaters they decided to stay. It would end up making it so much easier on the family. Kate knew that she could go home any time of need be.
The kids are bounding down the hall as they reach their first apartment. Sidney knocks and the four of them all call out 'Trick or treat!' A woman comes to the door with a baby on her hip as she holds her bowl of candy.
"Why hello, you must be the Castle's." She smiles and kneels down slightly so Victoria can get some candy.
"That we are." Kate smiles nodding.
"I'm glad you decided to stay here tonight, you will have so much fun. Get to meet a lot of your neighbors." The woman smiles softly.
"I'm Jane by the way, Jane Rook." She adds.
"It's nice to meet you Jane." Castle says perking up watching his kids admire the baby.
"I see you have another one on the way." She notices glancing over at Kate and her belly.
"Yeah, number five, 35 weeks, just five weeks to go." Kate smiles rubbing her belly softly. She's got a hold on Dax's leash with her other hand so Castle can watch the kids. She knows the dog is close enough incase he has a seizure. Which she hopes he does not.
"Wow congratulations." Jane beams at the couple.
"Thanks." Castle smiles. They talk for a few more minutes and exchange phone numbers incase they need anything from each other. The family then continues on hitting a few more apartments. They hit about two floors before Kate is complaining she's tired and Victoria is yawning. She knows her daughter is tired and Kate can't help but laugh as she watches her try to stay awake. Picking the tired girl up Castle directs the kids back to their place and helps them out of their costumes. He puts Victoria down and tucks the rest of his kids in with Kate before going out and giving the candy a quick once over. He's not going to be super strict with the candy but he's got a few rules in mind to keep them from eating it all in one day. Which he knows wouldn't be hard for Sidney. He's sitting with Kate in bed as she's nodding off. He'd wanted to talk to her about a few last minute baby things and prep items for the birth but she was nodding off so he just let her go to sleep. Castle on the other hand was not tired so he turned the lights off and pulled out his kindle turning it on so he could read. He could of left his light on but Kate was sleeping and he could do without. Her sleep was more important than his reading. He could quit any time and just go to sleep. Castle reads for about an hour more and finally finished the book he was reading. It was one he found on Amazon that was newly published and a quick read but he enjoyed it. The book was called "Shadows Of The Present" and it was about a woman who finds herself back with the man she had once loved but he had changed. The man had dissociative identity disorder and was quite an interesting character which Castle enjoyed. Happy he was done and having enjoyed the book he turns off his kindle and snuggles in bed with his wife falling fast asleep moments later.
A/N: ok plug here. "Shadows Of The Present" is an actual book written by me and can be bought on Amazon and Nook. It's only 2 bucks. Don't feel like you have to buy it but I just thought you'd want to know. Also, one more chapter and then finally we can have this baby. Yay! I can't wait to reveal the middle name to you. It's quite unique and I hope you all like it. Enjoy!