A/N: Beta by Anika and Iris :)
disclaimer: not mine!
Kate arrived just as they finished cleaning Arriana's knee.
"There's my brave girl!" Kate greeted, rushing over to drop a kiss on Arriana's head. She exchanged a brief hug with Castle, conveying her love and gratitude to her husband – for being there when she couldn't – with a simple look as they linked hands. Rick gave her a quick squeeze before she returned her attention to Arriana.
"Mommy!"
"I'm here, моя дорогая, it's all right now," Kate said, taking in Arriana's condition with her eyes.
"Arriana Beckett's family?" a young man holding a file asked. He continued, "Hi, I'm Dr. Jones. Mr. and Mrs. Beckett, I'd like to talk to you about Arriana's X-ray results and her course of treatment."
"It's Castle," Rick corrected for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, sighing. "Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett. We got married recently, but you don't need to know all that. Please, doctor, continue."
"My apologies, Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett. The fall Arriana experienced resulted in a posterior elbow dislocation. The good news is that her X-rays show no signs of breaks or fractures. However, there are certain nerves and arteries that pass through this area of her elbow, so we'll have to make sure their functions aren't compromised."
The parents nodded, taking in the doctor's words. Since they seemed to be following his explanation pretty well, Dr. Jones continued.
"But first, we'll have to put her bones back into place. We'll be giving Arriana an analgesic to help with the pain, but there might still be some discomfort as we're carrying out the reduction. Either one of you can sit her on your lap to help her feel more comfortable and safe. Is she allergic to any drugs?"
"No, she has no known drug allergies," Kate told the doctor.
"Very well. I'll have a nurse prepare the analgesic and then I'll be carrying out the procedure. Once her bones are back in place, I'll check her range of movement to make sure everything's fine and her finger functions to make sure there's nothing wrong with her median or ulnar nerve innervations. It should all be pretty straightforward. Barring complications, we'll then give her an arm sling, and you can bring Arriana home. Do you have any questions?"
"Will she need physical therapy? When should she start using her arm again?" Kate asked. After all, she was more familiar with physical injuries and what they entailed. She had never dislocated her elbow before, but she does know of a few officers on the task force that have been through it.
"I'll give you an appointment two to three weeks from now to meet with a therapist so she can begin her physical therapy to ensure that she maintains the maximum range of movement in her arm once she has fully recovered. In the meanwhile, she can use her arm so long as it doesn't hurt her, but she should let it rest for the next few days. Most of the time we don't have to worry about children using their arms before it's ready because they don't like the pain or discomfort. In fact, we notice that most parents have to encourage them to use their arm and do the exercises once physical therapy begins because most kids would rather not."
The doctor answered a few more of their questions before carrying out the procedure. Kate sat Arriana in her lap, telling her daughter to close her eyes to lessen her anxiety. Arriana whimpered as the doctor adjusted her bones back into place while her parents whispered soothing words into her ear, assuring her it'll all be over soon.
Dr. Jones then asked Arriana to do different movements with her fingers and wrist, to which she complied halfheartedly. The seven year-old was so done with the hospital – all she wanted to do was to go home with her parents.
The doctor gave her elbow joint one last check before fixing her arm in a pink sling. "All done!" he told her with a smile. Arriana sat limply in Kate's lap, but a small smile peeked through.
"Скажите спасибо," Kate whispered into her ear and Arriana complied, speaking to the doctor softly. "Thank you, Dr. Jones."
"No problem, kid."
Rick shook the doctor's hand, thanking him as well. He then dropped a kiss onto Kate's forehead; telling her he'll handle the billing process and getting them home, allowing Kate to soothe their daughter.
Half an hour later they were ready to leave. Arriana was still moody and tired, so Rick offered to carry her. He perched his daughter on his hip as one of her arms clung to his shoulder tightly while she cradled her injured arm within the sling safely between their bodies.
"I called for the town car to bring us home," Rick explained to Kate when they were met with David, their usual driver at the lobby.
"Mr. and Mrs. Castle, I'll bring the car around," David greeted politely. He looked at Kate hesitantly, giving them a heads up, "There are a few paparazzi waiting outside."
"Oh come on!" Kate groaned softly, more of a reflex than actual anger.
Rick reached for her hand, holding it loosely in his. "Sorry," he apologized.
Kate looked up at him in surprise. "It's not your fault," she told him, her eyes softening. "Let's just go home."
They only walked out of the hospital when Rick saw David pulling up with the town car. Immediately, the paparazzi began crowding in and snapping away with their cameras. David tried his best to shield the family and get them to the car but the flashes from the cameras were just too distracting.
"Alright guys, our daughter's injured, so we'd just like to get her home to rest. If you guys could give us some space, we don't want to hurt her any more than she already is. Just please, stay back, guys," Rick told the paparazzi good-naturedly, hoping they'd cooperate with him.
The paparazzi kept their distance but shouted questions at them, asking what had happened to Arriana. The adults ignored all the questions and quickly made it into the town car. As David shut the tinted doors after them, Kate exhaled slowly through her nose. Solace at last.
"She sleeping?" Rick asked softly when he saw Kate descending the stairs. Kate headed over to the kitchen to pour a glass of water, answering him, "Yeah, she's out like a log."
"Do you have to go into the precinct?" Rick asked, joining her.
Kate shook her head.
"I took the rest of today off, but I need to go in tomorrow." After a pause, she continued, "So what happened in school anyway? She fell off the monkey bars? How'd that happen?"
Rick deposited their glasses in the sink before tugging her along, heading for the living room. "Remember that boy who pulled her pigtails after Show and Tell last week?"
Kate nodded after thinking for a moment. Rick continued, "Well apparently, he must really like our daughter because he's been antagonizing her – pulling at her hairclips or ribbons, things like that. The students were playing at the monkey bars today and the Evans kid decided to pull her shoes. That's what Arriana said anyway – the teachers were dealing with another bunch of kids who were fighting on the other side of the field."
Kate rolled her eyes but remained silent, allowing Rick to continue his narration.
"This kid must be pretty thick in the head, because he held on to her foot as she fell, so Arri couldn't land properly or break her fall. She started crying and that brought the teachers over."
"Is the Evans boy facing any disciplinary actions? Did he get injured as well? Arriana should've at least landed on him or something. Stupid kid," Kate muttered, frowning as she picked off imaginary lint from her slacks.
Beside her, Rick grinned. "Katherine Beckett, I didn't know you have a petty side! A bit childish too, I might add," he teased, enveloping her hands within his.
"What?! He is a stupid kid!" she insisted, glaring at her husband petulantly, daring him to challenge or refute her.
Luckily, Castle was more than happy to give in to his wife when she was unreasonable-and-childish-in-that-adorable-manner of hers. "You're right, Mrs. Castle," he told her, "that boy is stupid for getting our daughter hurt."
Kate gave him a smile, knowing her husband was merely indulging her, but loving it all the same.
"We do have to talk about something else though," Rick told her, switching gears and broaching a more serious topic of conversation. He brought up the troubles he had explaining his relationship with Arriana to Jane at the Emergency Room.
Kate laughed aloud when he explained how he proved that he was Arriana's father using the Page Six article Ms. Summers had on her.
"The very same article that got you all worked up this morning, I might add," Rick told her.
"So what? Am I supposed to feel gratitude toward the paparazzi now?"
"Hey, it was a silver lining when I badly needed one, alright!"
They laughed over that for a while more before returning their discussion to the issue of changing Arriana's name.
"But seriously, Kate, where do you stand with the family name thing?" he asked.
Reaching out to hold his hand in hers, she gave their interlocked hands a few pats.
"Actually, I was thinking of legally changing my last name to Castle. What do you think?"
Castle covered both her hands with his larger one, stilling Kate's nervous tick.
"I'm flattered..?" Pulling Kate to lean against his chest, he continued, asking, "Kate, where's this coming from?"
Kate blew a short stream of air, directing them upwards so her hair fluttered before settling to the side.
"It's kinda embarrassing," she admitted, "Just- tell me, are you against it?"
"No, of course not, but Kate, there's nothing to be embarrassed over. You can tell me anything. Come on, I want to know what this is really about," he coaxed gently.
"Okay, don't laugh at me-"
"-I won't. Promise," he murmured, falling silent so she could continue.
"After what happened yesterday, with Anthea, and earlier today in the hospital-" Kate broke off, gathering her courage to say the next part. "I want to be introduced as Mrs. Castle."
"Okay, so with Anthea I'm guessing you're looking to mark your territory, which, by the way, I am more than alright with," he said, nudging her playfully, "But the hospital?" Rick trailed off, waiting for Kate to elaborate.
"Rick, we're a family. I just think that we should be presented as a unit," she told him, shrugging to play it off as something unimportant. But they both knew how much family meant and how significant it was for them to be presented as one.
"Kate," he choked, filled with emotion.
Kate turned her upper body so she could look at him.
"Castle, are you crying?" she asked incredulously, quick to turn the tables and put the spotlight on her husband. They were going to forget about her embarrassingly soppy admittance all too soon.
"No! I'm not crying," he insisted, blinking rapidly. "Your… hair was poking my eye."
"Rick, we're married now. There's nothing to be embarrassed over. You can tell me anything."
"Are you patronizing me?"
"Wouldn't dream of it. Now, out with it. What happened?" Kate's quip was rapid in it's coming, but towards the end of her sentence, she had softened her tone just enough to show him she really cared.
"I was just- I'm touched, okay?" Rick admitted, holding Kate's gaze. "I can't help but be amazed by how far we've come. I mean, when I first started shadowing you, you couldn't stand me!"
"Well, you were an ass!" she retorted, laughing at him.
"Which just goes to show how far I've come," he quipped, waggling his eyebrows at her.
Kate bumps him with her shoulder, a small grin plastered on her face as she settled her back against him once more.
But Rick wasn't done. He continued softly, "It also goes to show how far you've come; how far we've come as a partners – at work and in life."
A pause, and then, "Anyway, as I was saying, I'm touched that you would want to take my name. Meredith and Gina never did."
"Yeah, well luckily, I'm not like either of them."
Oh he knew that all right. Kate was as different from both his ex-wives as night and day. That was why he was so confident that his third marriage would last. That and the fact that she was a mystery he would never solve; the woman he could never stop loving.
However, Meredith and Gina were different from each other as well, but they had both told him the same thing, which is why he felt like he should share this with Kate.
"You're right. But Meredith and Gina were different from each other as well, yet they both told me the same thing. Well not the exact words, that would be creepy, but the context was similar. Both of them told me they were strong, independent women and they didn't belong to me, they belonged with me."
Rick paused, letting his words sink in. He broke the austerity of the moment, aiming for levity with his next sentence. "But, I guess that didn't work out too well anyway. Anyhow, that's why I hadn't asked if you wanted to take my last name, because Kate, you're ten times the woman they ever were. You're so much more independent than either of them, and I figured you'd somehow like to assert that even after we got married."
Kate lay against him quietly, tracing faint patterns against his hand as she digested his words. She attempted to gather her thoughts and mentally construct a reply that could let Rick see things from her point of view.
"Rick, I know who I am," she started slowly, trying to be as open and communicating as she could get. "I'm confident and… self-assured of my identity enough that I don't feel threatened by taking your last name. I don't belong to you like… like… potatoes belonging to a farmer, but I do belong to you, and you belong to me as well."
She got more passionate as she talked, unconsciously releasing her hands from his so she could gesture as she tried to get her point across.
"We're married, and I want to be possessive over you. Heck, I want you to be possessive as well. Not like a farmer and his potatoes, but like a- in a possessive caveman way. Does that make sense?"
Her question was mostly rhetorical though, because Kate ploughed right on ahead as Castle looked on awestruck with his wife. She lights up and gets so passionate about things – whether it was their marriage or a murder case – and it makes him fall deeper in love with her every single day.
He can't believe that she chose to fall in love with him.
Rick was drawn back to the present as Kate continued her soliloquy.
"And if anyone has the right to- to mark their territory, or to stake a claim at me, it's you, Rick. Only you."
Kate had finally run out of steam. Blushing, she realized she may have gone off tangent and said a bunch of things that had sounded a lot better in her head. Laughing in a self-depreciating manner, Kate summed up her little speech.
"So I guess what I'm trying to say is-"
"Take my name, Kate. I want to introduce you as Mrs. Castle, and to claim you in every possible caveman way, and I would be honoured-"
He had to break off his sentence then, because Kate's lips were suddenly on his, and he could see where this caveman thing could go.
Yeah, he could definitely go with the caveman thing.
They finally broke apart, resting their foreheads against one another's, matching grins painted on their face.
"Alright Mrs. Castle, now that we've reached an accord and sealed it with a kiss," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively which earned a playful smack from Kate, "what were we talking about?"
"Arriana, but first, you won't mind if I continue using Detective Beckett at work, right? It's just going to be less confusing and-"
"Of course, Kate. I respect your career, and we should respect those boundaries at your job, keep it professional at work. It'll be less confusing as well when someone calls either of us, but everywhere else, it's going to be Mr. and Mrs. Castle," he warned her.
"Deal."
"So, back to Arri. I don't think we should change her name," he said. "I mean, I know we should probably obtain a medical power of attorney for me, but I don't think it's necessary for her to change her name."
"What? Why?"
Rick had actually given this a lot of thought, so he had a whole arsenal of reasoning laid out neatly in his mind.
"Well, at first I didn't want to make her go through that because it could come across as confusing. I don't want her to suffer from an identity crisis because of this. She has her own history, and she should be proud of who she is. I don't want to make it seem like we're trying to cover up her past, or worse, erase it as though it was something shameful. Besides, being a Beckett is a testament to just how strong you had been, raising her as a single mother."
He continued, "Now, I've thought about hyphenation as well, but what's it going to be? Beckett-Castle? Castle-Beckett? Personally, it feels like a mouthful to me though. What do you think?"
"Rick, Arriana won't suffer from an identity crisis because we'll tell her anything she asks about her past, as soon as she's old enough to comprehend and understand, of course. But since we're a family now, changing her last name to Castle could come as an acknowledgement of that as well."
Rick seemed receptive to her opinion, so Kate continued.
"Raising her as a single mother was hard, yes, and I hope she'll come to appreciate it one day when she's older, but we're going to raise her together now, me and you. Don't you think it's time to start making our history together, marking the beginning of it with her name?"
He nodded slowly, agreeing with Kate. She had a valid point after all.
"So we're integrating our little family without compromising anybody's past?" he asked, wrapping his head around this idea.
"Mmhmm. It might be somewhat strange for her at first, but she'll get used to it. Besides, don't you think she'd feel left out being the only one in our family who isn't a Castle?" Kate asked.
"Well, when you put it like that," he trailed off, momentarily distracted by the wedding bands on Kate's finger. She had been tapping away at her knee, and her engagement ring happened to catch the light.
"You do want her in your family – our family, right? I mean, we've been together for so long-"
Rick quickly cut in, "-of course I do, don't you ever doubt that. I'll get Mark to sort that out along with the adoption."
"C'mon, lets start on dinner so we can check on Arri in a while – I think her pain meds will start to wear off soon."
A/N: Thoughts? :)