A/N: Thank you for the great feedback for the last chapter. You are great! This chapter follows directly from the previous one - I warn you, it's quite fluffy.

Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: yeah, there wouldn't be a fracking hiatus.

Chapter 60 - Flowers In Your Hair

Pregnant.

Oh, wow. They were going to have another baby. Jeez, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. With everything that's happened in the last two weeks, that had been relegated to the back of his mind. He was staring at her, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

"So, yeah, congratulations," she muttered, her voice cracking as she struggled against the tears.

Damn hormones. Damn pig-headed husband.

Kate started to stand up, but was stopped when Rick pulled her back towards him, wrapping his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

"You're pregnant. W-we're having a baby," he murmured in awe, his breath tickling her hair.

"Yeah. I had a whole speech planned, but thanks for battering that out of me, Castle. You sure know how to make a girl feel special," she commented around a broken laugh.

He stilled around her and pulled back slightly. "God, I'm sorry." He cupped her face, his fingers roaming over her cheekbones and jaw. "I'm so sorry."

Her brow furrowed as she swiped her fingers underneath her eyes to catch the moisture, dislodging his hands.

"Why did you react that way?"

He shrugged. "I panicked."

"Panicked? About what, Castle?" She gave him a puzzled look.

"It's stupid," he deflected, trying to give her a smile. She wasn't convinced. "Just my silly writer's imagination."

She huffed, her mouth pulling upward, her forehead creased with a frown. "Rick, is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," he deflected again. Before she could corner him again, he changed the subject. He didn't want to talk about a crazed stalker fan.

He wanted to talk about their baby.

"How far along are you?" He asked, gently pressing the palm of his hand against her abdomen, his whole face slowly lighting up with joy.

She melted a little, her smaller hand coming to cover his. "About six weeks," she said with a growing smile.

He grinned, his eyes crinkling as he kept them on their hands resting on her still-flat stomach.

"Kate - wow. Oh, wow. We're having a baby."

She let out a note of laughter and pressed her smile against his. Their moment was broken when two little hands knocked loudly and persistently against the door.

"Momma! Momma!"

Rick nuzzled his wife's cheek, chuckling into her skin. "You're on call, Mommy."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Coming, baby!"

However, before she could move away, he grabbed her hand. She turned questioning eyes on him, her brow pulling together.

"Kate, I'm sorry."

She blinked back the sudden emotion and nodded, swallowing thickly. She rubbed her thumb over his fingers, glancing off his wedding band.

"I know. We'll talk later."

Rick sighed and nodded, letting her go. He watched as she opened the door to scoop up their daughter - that silly, pink dog still in her arms - and blow raspberries in Lizzy's neck. He sank back with a soft smile and watched them walk off - giggling and whispering secrets shared just between two girls. In a few months, it might be three.

Or two girls and two guys.

Who knew?

"Kate?"

"In here," she called out, her voice muffled from behind the bathroom door. He could hear splashing sounds and Lizzy's enthusiastic chatter. They must be having a bubble bath. It has become a bit of a tradition over the last few months. Lizzy started going through a phase where she wanted to have a bubble bath with her mother.

Rick opened the door and laughed, steam billowing all around him. He tried to wave it away, finding it difficult to see them amid the mountain of bubbles. Kate turned to look at him, giving him a distracted smile as she washed Lizzy's hair. The two-year old was thumping the bubbles with her bath toys - Nemo and Daffy Duck.

"Hey, what are you doing here, Castle? It's girls' night."

He sat down on the edge of the bath and lifted a shoulder, his gaze sliding down her figure without volition.

"I got bored."

God, she was beautiful.

"Eyes up, bud. We've got a toddler in here."

He grinned - completely unrepentant - as his eyes slowly walked up her body, milking it for everything it was worth.

"Can't help it - it's basic biology."

She laughed and turned her attention back to her daughter, shaking her head in reproach. She tipped a cup of water over Lizzy's head, causing her to sputter and cough. She whined and tried to jerk away from her mother, but Kate kept a hand against her daughter's chest and repeated the action. The little girl started to cry and pushed her small fists into her eyes.

"Oh, baby, so dramatic. You know it's coming - every time," Kate sighed to her daughter, wiping down Lizzy's face with a washcloth. "You're on duty for the next bath, Castle." She turned towards her husband with a raised eyebrow. "Not that you would get the dramatics; she does everything her daddy asks."

"We're thick as thieves," Rick murmured, his mouth lifting into a soft curve, his eyes regarding them affectionately. God, he was scared today. Out of his mind with fear. Yes, it was stupid and irrational, but. . . this is his family. The two of-

Three. Soon there would be three.

"Yes, you two are. But maybe me and this one-" She touched her stomach. "-will be a tag team."

A laugh bubbled out of his chest, heart thumping against his ribs; the reality of it making him breathless. "Not if it's a boy."

"Especially, if it's a boy," she shot back, quirking an eyebrow at him. Her eyes sparkled, her mouth soft with happiness. "Just think - a little boy following me around everywhere I go-"

"Like someone else you know," Rick quipped, winking at her.

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Face it, Castle, if we have a son, he's going to be a momma's boy for at least the first few years of his life."

He shrugged. "I can live with that. I've been one my whole life and I turned out pretty awesome."

She smiled distractedly and finished wiping Lizzy's arms with the washcloth.

"There you go, Sweet Pea - all done. Nice and clean, baby." The little girl abandoned her toys and turned around, launching herself into Kate. She clambered all over Kate, wrapping her small arms around her mother's neck.

"Momma. . . lovies you," she breathed, her soft, little-girl voice reverberating right into her mother's heart.

Kate squeezed her daughter tightly, painting her cheeks with kisses. "Oh, baby, Mommy loves you too. So, so much." She pecked her on the nose. "It's time for you to get ready for bed." Kate turned to look at her husband who had been regarding them silently. "Castle, take her please." She handed her daughter off to her husband. "Momma's gotta shave."

Rick groaned as he wrapped Lizzy tightly in a towel, hugging her little body to his chest. The little girl burrowed into him, her hands playing with buttons of his shirt.

"Oh, man, I wanna to watch. You know how much I love to watch you do that." He wiggled his eyebrows, grinning. "Call me crazy, but it's kinda arousing."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a razor.

"Uh-uh, not tonight. Consider this your punishment."

He frowned at her, rubbing his daughter's back. "My punishment?"

"For acting like a jackass earlier and going off at me like you did."

Oh. . . right. That.

He strode towards her and reached a hand out to touch her cheek, sliding his fingers across her damp skin. She turned her attention to him and he bent down to dust his lips over hers, his fingers coming to cradle her chin.

An apology, an offering of atonement.

"I love you, Kate," he whispered into her mouth.

She let out a breath. "Love you too."

Rick cleared his throat and stood up. "You finish up in here and I'll get this one-" he gestured towards their daughter, whose head was drowsily cushioned on his shoulder; her wet hair staining his shirt. "-dressed and ready for bed."

The moment they entered her room, Lizzy squirmed in his arms to be let down. He relented and watched her dart butt-naked to her underwear drawer. At least there was heating in the room. He managed to stop her from throwing out all of her panties on the floor.

"Whoa, baby girl," he said with a huff of laughter. She was standing with both hands full of underwear, a mischievous grin playing around in her eyes. "You only need one." He took one out of her hand and proceeded to get her dressed - most of the time without a fuss. She was good with him. Sometimes with Kate she would run around the room - stark naked and cackling - just to exasperate her mother. With him though, she obediently gave her cooperation.

Well, most of the time.

"Jammies, Daddy."

He chuckled again and nodded. "Yes, sweetie, we have to put you into some pajamas so that you can sleep tonight."

She nodded enthusiastically, using her small hands to push back the mass of wet hair off her face. Rick pulled open the second drawer where her pajamas were placed. He knew by now already, that Lizzy the Independent Two Year-Old would like to have the final say in what sleepwear she wanted to be dressed.

"So, what'll will it be tonight, Sweet Pea?"

"'Mo! 'Mo!" She squealed, jumping up and down.

He laughed. "Okay, okay. Elmo jammies it is."

He quickly dressed her in the long-sleeved, pink pajamas with Elmo's face on the shirt asking for hugs.

"Can I get a hug, baby?" He was still on his knees and opened his arms to his daughter, giving her a lopsided grin. Immediately, Lizzy crashed into him, clambering up against the wall of his chest and wrapping around him like a clam, her arms tight around his neck.

"Oh, that's so good. Thank you, Lizzy-bug," he murmured, pulling back slightly. He pecked her on both cheeks causing her to give him a shy burst of laughter, her small hands playing with the collar of his shirt.

He stood up and deposited her on the bed, making her bounce. She fell into a fit of giggles, rising on to stand on her knees and holding out her arms for her father. Rick plopped down next to her, scooping her up and dropping her into his lap to brush out her hair. He did this regularly - Kate left too early for work sometimes or came in too late to do this. It has become their special time together.

"Hey."

His head jerked up at Kate's soft voice. She pushed off the doorframe and made her way towards them, a smile dancing on her features. She was wearing a pair of leggings and a worn-out, comfortable NYPD-top, her face scrubbed clean and her hair gathered in a messy bun.

He returned a smile. "Hey."

Lizzy by now was resting against her father's chest, her eyes drooping.

"You guys getting ready for bed, Sweet Pea?" Kate murmured to her daughter as she sat down. She brushed a few fingers along her daughter's cheek causing Lizzy to thrust out her arms to her mother.

"Momma, uppie."

Kate chuckled and lifted her off Castle's lap. "Story time, baby?" She whispered to the little girl. Lizzy nodded, turning electric blue eyes up to her mother and burrowed further into Kate, taking a strand of stray hair in between two small fingers.

Kate shifted up the small bed, her daughter resting against her chest. She shot Castle a look, quirking an eyebrow at him, a smile lifting her mouth.

"Daddy, would you do the honours?"

"My pleasure," he said with relish, flopping down next to them. Lizzy giggled at her father, giving him adoring grin for his silly efforts. Rick pulled a face to make her giggle even more and quickly leaned in to kiss her on the nose. He turned to sit against the headboard, his feet dangling off the end of the small bed. He wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulder and pulled her against him, Lizzy in between them. He pressed a kiss against his wife's temple, nuzzling his nose against her skin.

Finally, they all turned their attention to the storybook.

His voice flowed in a low, smooth cadence, casting a spell over the room.

"Once upon a time. . ."

"When did you start to suspect something?"

They were lying in bed, Kate's head cushioned on his chest, slowly being pulled into sleep. She sighed, her eyes fluttering open as she peered up at him.

"Mm?"

He chuckled quietly. "When did you suspect about being knocked up?"

She groaned and half-heartedly slapped at his chest. "Do you have to put it that way?"

He rubbed a hand across her back, smiling in the darkness. "Okay, sorry. When did you suspect that you were with child?"

Kate laughed and pushed herself up, her forearm resting on his chest. "Really? 'With child'?" He shrugged. Even though it was dark, Kate could basically see him wiggle his eyebrows.

"When did you suspect that I impregnated you?"

She puffed a laugh and punched him lightly. "Stop it!"

He grinned and pulled her down against him. "Fine. So, when?"

She sighed and got comfortable, playing with the soft, worn collar of his sleep t-shirt. "Uh, about two weeks ago. I took two pregnancy tests, but got a negative and a positive result. So, I made an appointment with Doctor Jones and went for a blood test instead." Her mouth stretched into a wide, beaming smile. "The rest is history."

His brow pulled together and he glanced down at her in the darkness.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She was quiet, her eyes not meeting his. "You've been. . .distant the last couple of weeks."

His heart kicked up a gallop inside his chest. "Distant? What do you mean, Kate?"

She flicked her eyes to his, something fragile in them contrasting with the beauty of her sharp, angular features.

"Just. . .you've been distracted. I can see that something's eating at you, Rick, and that you're under pressure to get the book done."

Castle pushed himself up, lying on this side to look at her. "Hey, that doesn't matter. You should tell me these things - no matter what, Kate. Come on, we've been married for ages and-"

"Hardly ages, Castle," she commented sardonically.

He ignored that. "-we shouldn't keep stuff from each other."

Except if you knew about a crazed stalker fan targeting your wife and child.

"I wasn't keeping it from you, I just wanted to make sure and then tell you. Give you some good news. Like I planned to do today."

He winced. "Yeah, sorry about that - again."

She bit her lip and watched him from underneath her eyelashes. "You gonna make it up to me, Rick?"

His jaw grew slack, his eyes widening comically. He flipped over and pinned her to the bed. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" He murmured, grinning.

She wound her arms around his neck, arching her body into his.

"Only if you make it good, Big Guy."

He groaned and captured her lips in a heated kiss, sucking and nibbling on her lower lip.

"It's always good."

She offered him a lazy, feline smile. "Oh, yes." She dragged his shirt over his head, smoothing her hands over his shoulders.

"But I bet we can make it better."

[] [] []

Be still and know

That I'm with you.

Be still and know

That I am here.

Be still and know

That I'm with you.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this - I'm looking forward to exploring this new facet of their story. The stalker storyline is still in the pipeline and Kate will find out about it soon.

Apologies for grammar/spelling mistakes.

Title - from the Lumineers song, 'Flowers in your hair'. Lyrics at the end - 'Be Still' from The Fray.