Epilogue
One year later ...
When Rick got up he found the bed empty. He got up and walked into his Office which was currently used as a nursery for their son. With a smile on his face he found his wife fast asleep in the rocking chair, their son sleeping peacefully on his mother's chest. He watched them for a couple of minutes from the doorframe before he turned around and walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Half an hour later he walked back into the nursery with a tray loaded with two cups of coffee, pancakes and Kate's favorite kind of sandwiches: Turkey with salad, tomatoes and mayonnaise. He put the tray down on his office desk and sat down, waiting for his wife to be awoken by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
It wasn't long until Kate stirred awake, the smell of freshly brewed coffee in her nose. "Castle?" she asked with her voice still heavy from sleeping.
"Good morning beautiful," Rick replied with a smile and got up from his chair. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please."
He walked to her and handed the mug to her.
"Thank you," she said and took a big sip of the heavenly smelling coffee. "How long have you been up?"
"Half an hour. I found the bed empty and you sleeping in the rocking chair with AJ sleeping on your chest. I decided to wake you with breakfast. I know that the smell of coffee wakes you up."
Kate smiled and looked down at the sleeping four months old baby. "How late is it by the way?"
"8:30am."
"Urgh, I've been sleeping with our son on my chest for four hours? Heavenly!"
"He slept for four hours? He's going to wake up soon then."
"Yeah, he'll want to be fed again. I can't believe he's eating that much. I mean, he's so tiny."
Rick smiled. "Yeah, I know. Alexis was a good eater, too. Although, Meredith didn't breastfeed for longer than two months."
Kate bit her lip. She just didn't understand that woman. Nursing her little son was the best thing she had ever done! "I still don't understand how your career can be more important than your baby. Especially if it's such a cute baby as Alexis or AJ for the matter."
"I know, me neither honey," Rick sighed and looked at the sleeping baby on his wife's chest again.
Kate took another sip of coffee while she stroke her son's back with her other hand. He looked beautiful, his light blue onesie with the teddy bear on it's front matching his piercing light blue eyes. Kate smiled down at him just the moment he opened his sleepy eyes. "Good morning baby bear," she said.
AJ stretched on his mother's chest and yawn, making his mother smile even brighter.
Kate looked at Rick with this bright smile and found the exact same smile on his face. "He's so beautiful Rick. I swear I've never seen such a beautiful baby."
"He's half yours, half mine, what did you think? We do make quite beautiful babies Kate."
"Mmhh, I guess."
AJ started crying, getting full attention from his parents again.
"Seems like somebody wants to be nursed," Kate sighed and was already moving her son so that she could lift her shirt. Once she had lifted her shirt she cradled her son in her arms and began to nurse him.
AJ immediately stopped crying and started to suck on his mother's breast, eager to eat. His tiny fingers on his mother's breast as if holding onto her.
Rick smiled at the picture of his wife nursing their son. He had seen this about a thousand times, but it was still so exciting every single time. He watched her as she softly stroke her son's back while she smiled down at him. "Alexis is going to drop by later with mother. How about we go out for a walk in the park?"
Kate looked up and thought for a moment. "Sure, why not? It's going to be another warm and sunny day. And AJ loves to be outside, though he mostly sleeps. I think he would like it."
"I bet. I'll call them later and ask them to meet us at the park. I'll prepare some sandwiches and drinks."
"Yeah, and how about some salad? And don't we still have some leftover cake?"
"I think we do."
"Great. That should be enough food for the four of us. I'll nurse AJ before we go, so he should be fine for two or three hours."
Rick smiled and leaned over to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I love you."
She smiled back at him. "I love you, too."
Five hours later ...
They all met at the Turtle Pond in Central Park. Rick, Kate and AJ arrived first. While Kate held their little son, Rick laid out the large blanket for them to sit on. Once they sat down, Kate gave AJ to her husband and laid down beside them. She was wearing a nice white dress with a floral pattern that would still allow her to feed her son later. She lay down next to Rick and watched as he played with their son a little bit.
It wasn't long until Martha and Alexis joined them. Alexis demanded to hold her little half brother and played with him until he fell asleep, while she chatted with her father, her grandmother and Kate.
Once AJ was asleep he was handed back to his mother who settled him on the folded blanket that was spread across her lap.
"So, when will I meet my next grandchild?" Martha asked out of the blue, making Kate choke on the piece of cake she was currently eating.
"Sorry, what?!"
"You better go for it while you are both young enough. I always wanted a whole bunch of grandchildren, but I knew it was never gonna happen with Meredith or Gina, but look at you, and look at AJ! You two are the perfect parents."
"Um ... mother, we haven't really talked about more children yet."
"Oh come on son, you just have to have some more children. Look at what beautiful babies you two make!"
Kate's eyes grew wide.
Rick took a look at his clearly shocked wife. "Kate? Are you alright?" he asked concerned, seeing his wife's facial expression.
"I ... uh ... yeah," she stammered.
"Katherine, wouldn't you like another little baby? Or maybe a couple of them?" Martha asked her daughter-in-law straight forward.
Kate swallowed. "Well ... I ... um ... "
"No?"
"No, not no. It's just, we haven't really talked about it," she said with a glance at her husband.
"Yeah, but would you like more children?"
Kate looked at her son and back to her mother-in-law. "Yes."
"Great!"
Alexis chuckled. "Oh my gosh. You know you two are perfect for each other, and grams is right, you do make beautiful babies."
Rick smiled. "I guess we'll talk about it later then."
"Later," Kate nodded.
"Kiddos, would somebody like some ice cream?" Martha asked.
"Yes!" Alexis said immediately and got up. "Dad? Kate?"
"Um, mint chocolate chip for me, please, and vanilla cookie for Kate?" he said and looked at his wife who nodded.
"Sure thing dad. We will be right back!" With that the red head and her grandma disappeared to the man selling ice cream.
"You know this is only an excuse so we would talk, right?" Rick said.
"I know. So?"
"I think I'd love some more children. I mean, look at that little man. If all of our babies turn out to be so beautiful, especially the girls, we are going to have our hands full with them."
Kate smiled. "Yeah."
"How many more would you like?"
"I don't know."
"Two? Three? Four? Five? A whole baseball team?"
Kate laughed. "I don't think we could ever make this many babies to have a whole baseball team."
"You think?"
Kate swallowed. "How about two more? I mean if we want more we can still have one or two more."
"Sounds good to me. But I want girls."
Kate chuckled. "Yeah? You know they're going to break a lot of hearts when they are teenagers."
"Okay, lets stay with a boy and a girl? I definitely want a mini version of you, my beautiful."
"Mmhh, you sure?"
"One hundred percent!"
Kate grinned. "If that happens, we are so going to have our hand full with her."
"It will be worth it," Rick said and kissed his wife.
"Definitely," Kate said just as Martha and Alexis reappeared, carrying ice cream in each hand.
Alexis gave the ice cream to Kate and sat down next to her. "He's so cute when he's sleeping!"
"Yeah right?! He's such a peaceful little man, " Rick said proudly.
"Mmhh, he is. So?"
"So what?"
"Have you talked?"
Rick smiled at Kate knowingly. "About what?"
"Gosh, dad! You know what I mean!"
"Oh, you mean the 'More siblings for Alexis' talk?"
Alexis rolled her eyes at her father.
"Yeah we did Alexis. We talked and we came to an agreement. We won't try right away, but maybe in a year or two. If it happens it happens," Kate said before her husband could reply.
"I guess there is no way we could convince you to have another baby right away? He is so cute!"
Kate laughed. "Wait 'til you had your first kid, then we will talk again."
Rick and Alexis choked. "Whaat?!" they asked half in shock and with wide eyes.
Kate kept laughing harder.
"So not funny ... " Alexis protested.
"No?"
"No."
"I think it is. By the way, you still have time with having grandchildren. Wait until you are thirty. At least!"
"What if I told you I was pregnant," the young student asked totally innocently.
This time three people choked and looked at her in shock.
"You should see your faces right now!"
Kate was brought back into reality when she felt some movement in her lap. She looked down into her lap to see her son smiling at her and stretching.
"See? Even AJ thinks it's funny," Alexis said with a smiled and stroked her baby half brother's tiny hand with her index finger.
AJ quickly gripped his tiny fingers around his half sister's index finger and held onto it. He smiled brightly and stuck his little pink tongue out between his gums.
Everyone cooed and smiled at the little baby, knowing just how lucky they were to have him in their lives.
Kate and Rick walked into the 12th Precinct around 4pm. Everybody greeted them and smiled at their little son, whom had become something like the 12th's mascot.
"Good afternoon Detective, writer and Junior Detective," LT greeted the family.
"Hey LT. How's work going?" Kate asked with a smile.
"Good good. How's your work going?"
"Wonderful. He's sleeping a lot, not crying much. The perfect baby for a first time mom."
LT smiled. "It was great to see you. Have a nice day Detective."
"You too LT," Kate replied and together she and her husband walked towards the elevator. Kate rocked the half sleeping baby in her ams and Rick pressed the button for the elevator.
"Think the boys are going to fight over whom gets to hold him first again?"
"I'd bet on it," Kate said and chuckled.
The elevator doors opened and the couple stepped inside.
"Me too. As if Ryan didn't have enough baby at home. By the way, have you heard anything from Jenny? Didn't you want to have a little play date for AJ and Lillian?"
"Yeah, they're coming over on Friday afternoon."
"Sounds great. Lillian is such a cutie!"
"She most definitely is. We have to watch them, maybe they'll become a couple one day."
"That would be so cute!"
Kate smiled and leaned over to steal a quick kiss from her husband.
AJ, not having his parents' attention anymore, started crying, forcing his parents to look at him again.
"Hey, what's the matter baby bear?" Kate soothed him quickly by stroking his little head with her fingers.
Together they stepped out of the elevator and into the busy bullpen. Their co-workers were busy with their computers and weren't noticing them. Whom noticed them on the other hand was Captain Gates, whom had just exited her office.
"Detective Beckett! Mr. Castle," she said with a smile and walked towards the little family, causing everybody in the bullpen to look towards them.
"Good afternoon Sir," Kate greeted.
"How are you doing Kate? Motherhood looks good on you! I knew it would suit you."
"I'm doing great, thanks. AJ is just the perfect baby for a first time mommy. He sleeps a lot, cries little and eats well."
The Captain smiled and watched as AJ stretched in his mother's arms and let out a small 'awww' when he yawned and stuck out his little pink tongue. "He's adorable!"
"Just like his mommy," Rick added with a glance at his wife.
Kate rolled her eyes with a smile on her lips before she looked towards Captain Gates again. "You want to hold him for a while?"
"If I'm allowed to?"
"Sure," Kate smiled and carefully handed the baby over to her Captain.
AJ grabbed hold of a strand of the Captain's hair right away and tugged on it, laughing as he played with her hair.
Captain Gates smiled down at the little baby boy and gently rocked him in her arms.
As Kate leaned into her husband, he wrapped one arm around her wife and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.
"Yo Beckett!" Esposito said as he and Ryan came over. "How're you doing?"
"Great, thanks."
"And our little man?"
"AJ's doing just wonderful," Kate said, the love for her son clearly swinging in her voice.
"That's good. Seems like he's pretty cosy in Gate's arms over there," he said and nodded towards the Captain holding AJ a couple of feet away from them.
"Yeah, I think he's wrapped her around his little finger."
"That he did for sure. Just look at her. She's only got eyes for him," Kate chuckled.
- The End -
I know it took me some time...ahem, a huge amount of time, but I hope you still like it! I was busy planning on One Night Stand and my Christmas present for you guys! I hope this makes it a little better :)
Anyway, tell me what you think!
xoxo,
OneWriterGirl