Hello! I'm back to finish the story. Quick note on one comment. The name Jim is commonly short hand for James. My father's name is Jim, his full name is James though. In my artistic license, I've given the same to Jim Beckett. Thanks :)

The following week Rick decided to take Kate up to the Hamptons, just the two of them and Christopher. She'd never seen the snow from their home on the coast and he thought it would offer them both a peaceful getaway for a little while.

The same backyard where they'd had their family and friends just a few short months ago was now covered in snow. It wasn't a heavy layer, as December was still early for the heavy snow that they knew they would find come late January and February in New York. This snow was lighter and powdery. It was perfect snow to take Christopher out into.

The boy, who was bundled up thoroughly, joined his parents as they tossed the cold and white powdery substance and threw it into the air. He smiled and lifted his face to the sky as he felt the flakes fall lightly onto his face. Kate and Rick both smiled at eachother, hand in hand, as they watched the boy take in his first experience of having snow fall onto his nose, cheeks and tongue.

He tried to grab some snow in his mitten-covered little hand while refusing to let go of Rick's with his other. At just over 10 and a half months old, Christopher was just getting the hand at how taking steps worked. That was only the case if he had the firm grasp of one of his parents to carry his weight, as he was still not able to take steps on his own.

After he tossed the snow and giggled, Kate grasped his other hand to prevent him from falling over or putting too much weight on the arm that Rick held. The three of them walked together through the snow, Castle and Beckett lifting their arms every now and then to bounce Christopher through the air and softly land back on his feet in the snow.

It was one of his new favorite games, jumping with the help of each parent on each side of him as they swung their arms, both linked with his hands. He would then look to each of their faces and laugh, waiting for them to do it again and give the boy yet another experience of flying.

After their time in the snow, Rick and Kate took Christopher back into the house to remove his now wet clothing and change him into something warm. Between the old snowsuit, and the new warm pajamas, was a warm bath where they warmed him up and played with him in the water.

Rick then fed the boy and placed him in his crib, which had been added to one of the spare rooms in order to guarantee the boy had a safe place to sleep whenever they visited. Kate had given Rick time to change his own clothing while she stripped Christopher and got his bath water ready. Therefore, he knew that when he took the boy to bed Kate would be ridding herself of her clothing too.

Although she'd taken care to strip herself of the wet clothing while Rick held their son in the tub, she was eager to get herself warm too. So instead of simply changing she removed the small bath tub belonging to the baby and prepared the bath water for herself. Stripping her own clothing off, she waited for the tub to fill.

She wanted the water to be much hotter than it was, but had read all of the baby books and knew that she wasn't supposed to exceed a certain temperature if she took baths while pregnant. As she thought about all of the things that she did to protect her baby, she caressed her swollen abdomen and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She didn't need to turn around to know his presence, as she saw Rick appear behind her as he walked through the door. Knowing that Christopher was in bed, she smiled and simply glanced back down to her body. She didn't even recognize herself anymore. Her body was all curves now, with her breasts much fuller and darker and her belly her most prominent feature by far.

Rick simply stood behind her and took her in. He never got sick of seeing his wife's body. He loved her body covered in clothing back when they were just partners and all he could do was imagine what she looked like. He loved her body when they first became lovers, reveling in the feel of her skin against his own on their first night together, lit by candle light in his loft.

He loved her body when she was scared and insecure, as he reminded her how strong and beautiful she was, and they had to avoid certain positions to keep her from pain. He loved her body when she was weak, not a single hair left on her body after having been ravaged by chemotherapy, and he had to remind them both of the hope for better and brighter times as he loved her tenderly.

Now, he loved her body soft, round and glowing with the child they'd created against all odds. He loved the long hair that now coursed down her back and the way her firm, long fingers caressed the rounded area of her body that harbored one of life's most precious gifts. All of this was conveyed to her as she caught the adoring expression on his face, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Sometimes I wish that I could see what you see." She said to his reflection as he wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands along her stomach. He rested his chin in the crook of her neck and met her eyes in the mirror, raising his brow to question her. She clarified her statement.

"You look at me like…well, like that." She motions to the mirror and to his loving gaze, "and all I see is that I'm as big as a house." He shifted his head to the side to kiss the side of her neck. "You're pregnant, and that's sexy."

"I'm the iceberg that could have sank the titanic." She deadpanned.

"Speaking of icebergs, you're cold and the water's warm Kate." He pulled lightly on her shoulders to direct her towards the bathtub, noting that the water was nearly at the right level. She smiled and walked towards the water, stopping and turning to him,

"Well?" She spoke.

"Well what?" He asked, shrugging as he did.

"Well strip!" She demanded in the typical Beckett fashion. He laughed as he pulled his shirt off and stepped out of his pants and boxers.

"I love it when you get all demanding and detective-y when you command me to strip." He teased.

She simply smirked and waited for him to step into the tub. He turned the water off and offered her his hand so she could step in as well. He held to her firmly to assure she wouldn't slip and waited for her to get her footing in the tub before helping her to sit in the center of the tub. He then sat behind her, in his usual place, and pulled her back to him.

Once they were comfortable he picked up a wash cloth and began to rub her familiar cherry scented wash into her skin. She stretched her legs out and rested herself against his stomach and chest as he continued to wash her. She allowed herself to relax into the comfort of his arms as she absent-mindedly pulled water up onto her chilly stomach, which would not submerge now that it was all baby, and let it fall back into the tub.

"Castle?" She broke their contented silence.

"Yeah?" He replied, letting go of the wash cloth and brushing the edges of her hair, which were wet with bath water, from her neck to give his lips more access.

"Do you really think that she could be ok?" Kate asked.

He was silent for a moment, trying to find the words to express himself, as he wasn't sure how to answer her question. He deeply inhaled and held his breath for a moment before letting it out again.

"I don't know Kate." He spoke. "I know that I want to believe that she's going to be ok." He continued to speak, "and I know that if anyone is deserving enough of a miracle, after everything they've been through…," he paused to gather a handle on his emotions, "Then I believe that it's us Kate."

She felt him move his arms, his hands sliding down to where hers were rested on her abdomen. They laced their fingers together and rested them back onto her pregnant belly. With the change in angle, his face was closer to hers and he placed a kiss on her cheek, directly over where the tear had slipped down her face.

"If I could keep her in there I would." Kate spoke, her voice breaking.

"I would keep her safe, warm, supported and protected. Nobody could hurt her and she'd be alive and strong." She leaned her head towards Castle's resting it against his forehead.

"I know Kate. I know."

They returned from the Hamptons on Christmas Eve, knowing that Alexis would be home and ready to spend the holidays together. They'd enjoyed the weeks they were able to spend in solitude, as if in some protective bubble where they could wait out the remainder of 2013 in peace. However, as Christmas approached they knew they couldn't keep out the world forever. It was time to return to it.

When they walked in the front door, Kate bundled up in her winter jacket for warmth, and Rick carrying Christopher on his hip. Although the boy often objected to it, it was getting much more difficult for Kate to carry him long distances. Her physical state simply made it too cumbersome to manage and the extra weight was exhausting.

They stepped through the door and were immediately greeted by both Martha and Alexis, eager to greet the both of them and remove Christopher from his father's arm. For Alexis, her primary concern was helping Kate out of her jacket to see how much she'd grown in the weeks since Thanksgiving.

It was very interesting for Alexis, who didn't see Kate every day, to watch her progress through the pregnancy. Each time she saw her she swore she'd grown bigger than the last time she'd laid eyes upon her. She also enjoyed the time that they spent together, planning things that they would do with her once the baby arrived.

All of that had changed following their receiving news of the baby's potential birth defect and poor prognosis. Still, both women reveled in the chance to spend quality time together, especially when they would both play with Christopher.

On that evening they all sat around the giant Christmas tree, which was decorated with ornaments that spoke of holiday's past and memories of childhood. Twinkling lights were strung throughout the loft, offering a warm glow as they listened to carols and enjoyed an intimate dinner as a family.

Tomorrow their friends would join them, but for tonight it was just family: Martha, Jim, Alexis, Christopher, Rick and Kate. As was a Castle custom, each person was entitled to opening one present on Christmas eve. When all of the gifts had been passed out, each member of the family had one, except for Rick and Kate. They didn't say anything about it as they watched their loved ones open their presents, but both were confused as to why they'd been left out of the exchange. Were they supposed to exchange with eachother? They wondered about this as they exchanged glances.

Soon Alexis was standing and Martha was joining her. They looked at the couple and smiled, before Alexis spoke.

"While you've been in the Hamptons, we've been busy." She spoke, motioning to herself and the other two adults in the room. Castle and Beckett looked from Alexis to the others in the room and saw the same knowing grins on their face.

"You've done such a wonderful job at creating a home for Christopher, and we know that things are a bit up in the air with Audrey right now," Alexis started to explain, "but we wanted to show you that we are in this too, no matter what." With that she took one of her dad's hands and one of Kate's hands and urged them to stand up.

Soon they were following her towards her room. When they arrived they were shocked at what they'd found. Instead of the teenager's things they were met with new furniture and decorations. Alexis had taken the time to transform her old bedroom into a nursery for Audrey.

"I know that space is an issue now and I didn't want you guys to have to move. So I decided that I would donate my old room." She explained.

"Besides," she smiled while looking at Kate, "I want my baby sister to grow up in the same room I grew up in."

Kate was awe struck. She recognized the soft pink walls that were once Alexis', but where there used to be posters and photographs there were now flowers and butterflies, painted in various shades of pink. White trim aligned the window and the base boards.

In the center of the room was a beautiful crib, soft pink and white lace with tiny flowers on the mattress cover. Matching furniture, including a dresser, organizer, changing table and Rocking chair were also placed about the room. Finally, it was adorned with a variety of stuffed animals, along with a brand new version of the soft monkey that Alexis dearly loved as a child.

Rick was overwhelmed by the sentiment and pulled his daughter into an embrace, while Kate thanked Martha and Jim for their help. She then approached Alexis and wrapped her arms around the young woman. She kissed her cheek tenderly, whispering in her ear, "I love it, and I love you." She couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she took in her baby girl's room.

The next evening, after all guests had headed home and Martha had settled in, Rick, Kate and Alexis sat in the living room by the glow from the fireplace and the Christmas tree. They enjoyed holiday cookies and milk, while Alexis picked through her stocking. The day had been perfect, starting early that morning with a very excited Richard Castle.

At 9am she felt the gentle pressure on her shoulder, that began to shake her awake further. "Kate." Her name was whispered." She smiled to herself, choosing to ignore it and remain in the blissful warmth of their bed. The shaking became more urgent,

"Kate. Merry Christmas Kate, wake up my heart." His words were followed by his warm, wet lips placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck. Finally she acknowledged his presence,

"Hey, watch those kisses mister, unless you intend to back them up." She teased him. Sex wasn't exactly high on their list of activities, as it had simply become too uncomfortable for Kate. Still, their relationship was full of intimacy and affectionate touches. They found other ways to express their love during the later weeks of her pregnancy.

"I certainly will," he began, "but later." She turned her head to smile at him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I'll never get tired of waking to you Rick." She tenderly spoke, waiting for him to respond in kind with a kiss on her lips. After he did, he helped her out of bed and she slid into her robe and slippers. Together they walked into the living room, where Kate saw the abundance of gifts placed under the tree and about the loft. Stockings were overstuffed, one for each member of the family, including Kate's father.

Alexis approached the couple with a giant smile on her face, handing each of them a steaming mug of coffee. She kissed her dad on the cheek first,

"Merry Christmas daddy, I love you." She spoke warmly before turning to Kate, sipping on her mug of decaf happily. "Merry Christmas Kate, I love you too." Kate kissed the girl on the cheek in return and walked over the couch, seating herself next to Martha. On the older woman's lap sat Christopher.

Rick had gotten the boy up and dressed that morning, he was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with tiny holiday sweater vest and a pair of black pants. His hair, which was losing its curl as he aged, was brushed and styled in such a way that the boy melted the hearts of all who looked upon him.

Once Kate was seated, Christopher crawled to seat himself between the two women, his hands gently squeezing two of his favorite people in the whole world. Kate smiled at Martha, giving her a hug and a Kiss and wishing her a happy holiday, before turning her attention to Christopher. They boy was eager for a hug and a kiss of his own, as he'd patiently awaited her to join them since he'd been up hours ago.

Jim walked from the kitchen and placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead before taking a seat on the other side of Martha as the family started unwrapping gifts. As was custom, Castle played Santa and distributed gifts. Soon after they'd begun it became apparent that Christopher would be better off on the floor where he could receive proper room and assistance with his gifts.

After the gifts were unwrapped, Christopher playing happily with empty boxes and paper while his actual toys sat untouched, the family enjoyed breakfast together. Kate was helped from the couch and assisted with clean-up in the living room before joining her husband in the kitchen.

Her favorite gift was the body pillow from Castle, who admitted that Lanie was of help in picking it out. She laughed out loud when he promised her that he would still be her primary pillow, and that the goose down material was simply a supplement. The morning was a great reminder of how much she loved her husband and her family, and a good distraction from the pain over the unknown outcomes surrounding their own child.

Once their friends arrived they enjoyed a quiet afternoon, complete with classic movies and a fantastic dinner. It was during this time that the impact of Rick's earlier words truly reached home. These people were her support system. They were her family, and she needed them. She vowed as they reached the end of that year that she would do what it took to allow her loved ones to be the support network that she knew they wanted to be. She also knew that they would all need it in the coming months.

My wireless router broke, along with the modem. Lovely! At least things are working again :)