Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites since I've been gone. I've finished my exams but start an internship in a few weeks so I'll try my best.

Disclaimer: Would have really liked to have been in the writers' room last week when they came back or whenever they discussed what an absolute fail the finale episode was and how so many people hated it and it got voted the worst finale. But I wasn't hence why I'm on FF not in LA.

Chapter 17: Granddad

Sat in her doctor's office, Kate is incredibly excited because today is the day of her twelve week scan. Her and Castle will get to see their baby shortly, the baby that she loves so incredibly much and has done everything to ensure that he or she gets the healthiest possible start in life. At times their fridge resembles the fruit and vegetable aisle at the supermarket; nobody knows that there is a baby Caskett on the way although she's pretty sure people have their suspicions. The slight change in diet, the nose dive in coffee consumption and almost certainly the change in wardrobe from tight slim fitting shirts to lose baggy ones will have caught the attention of those around them; even if the clothing thing is just in her head in Castle's opinion.

Kate has been incredibly lucky that morning sickness has not made her miserably ill but when she has been sick Castle is usually there holding her hair back. She doesn't need reminding how lucky she is to have him as her husband, he's doing as much for her as he can.

Right now though his hand is being squeezed as her OBGYN is doing an internal examination with her hands in an area where she only wants one person and it certainly isn't her no matter how nice the doctor is. But as pregnancy comes modesty and dignity goes. It isn't the most comfortable of experiences, legs up in stirrups and legs wide open, yep she's really not enjoying this.

Looking up at Castle, she can see the happiness in his eyes that they're going to be parents, but also the concern for her right now because she's so uncomfortable. She's drawn from looking at him when the doctor is lifting her legs up and placing them back on the bed.

"Okay, Kate. Everything is fine there so how about we take a look at your baby?"

"Yes please."

The doctor brings the machine around, squirts some gel onto Kate's lower abdomen then gets the transducer and begins to glide it across her stomach. The moment that the little blob appears on the screen twin gasps are heard from the couple that's before the doctor managed to say with a chuckle in response to the couple's quick realisation "There's your baby." She said pointing to the screen. "I take it that you want pictures?"

"Yes please."

"Okay, I'll get someone to print these off, can you get dressed and we'll have a quick chat. It's nothing bad, just what I do." The doctor got up and left leaving the couple alone.

Kate turned to her husband and said "I'm so relieved there's only one in there."

"You really thought that there would have been more than one?"

"No but the chance increases with age and I just wanted it to be one this time"

"This time?"

"Yeah, well at least I think that there will be a next time. Do you?"

"Whatever you want Kate"

Kate got dressed quickly so they could join the doctor in the next room. The chat was just about what will happen next and future plans. When they're making the next appointment the receptionist hands them the ultrasound pictures, Kate opens the card quickly and runs her finger over the white blob that is their baby.

"Look, Rick, it is our baby."

"Yes it is."

Later on the couple are sat in the Mercedes outside of her father's apartment building. It's his birthday and they were going to his for dinner. It was fortunate that the appointment fell on the same day and she hoped it would make it a fantastic birthday to remember. They had already gotten him a present but this would complement it. Kate had written on the piece of card holding the scan picture

Happy Birthday Granddad

Love From

Baby Castle

XOXO

She had promised him that he would be the first person they told and now she's in her second trimester it is okay. There was a little bump but really it just looked like she had eaten a few too many burgers.

"C'mon Castle. Let's go up, you're bored, you're hungry, I'm hungry and I want to give my Dad this." She said picking up the box that had been on her lap. They both got out of the car and when he had rounded the car to stand by her side he said.

"We shall go then my fair lady."

Kate could only smile in response, her man-child of a husband. It didn't take them long to reach her father's apartment and the door was answered promptly,

"Hey, Katie. C'mon in." Jim embraced his daughter then greeted Rick with a firm handshake. "You too, Rick."

"Smells delicious, Dad, what are you cooking?"

"It is your favourite."

"Really?"

"Yep, just the way you like it."

"It is meant to be your birthday not mine."

"I can always have that another time when you're not here."

"Can I get either of you a drink?"

"Just water for me please."

"I'll get it, you two sit." Rick said. The two Becketts then walked through to the lounge and promptly sat down, Kate on the sofa still holding her father's present in her hand with Jim sitting in his favourite chair nearby.

"So how are you? I've not seen an as much of you lately."

"I'm fine, Dad. Honestly. It has just been a bit hectic a work, settling in and getting to know new people but it is calming down now and I hope that it is going to stay that way."

"What about you, Rick?" Jim asked his son-in-law as he walked into the room placing the tray of drinks on the coffee table.

"Good, the new book is coming along well. How about you?" Rick asked sitting down beside his wife.

"I'm great, I like having the junior partners they do all the work now; allows me to have some more fishing time."

"Preparing for retirement early?"

"No, Katie, no. You know me, it will be a long time before I retire properly."

"Well, Dad I know dinner will be a few more minutes so I'd like to give you your present now if that is okay?"

"It's fine by me."

"Here you go then." Kate passes her father the box then looks to Castle with a smile, he knew that she couldn't wait to tell her father.

"Wow, I didn't expect a present never mind a box."

"Just open it and see before you get any ideas."

Jim does as his daughter asks, he removes the wrapping paper then opens the box. He picks out the envelope first, opening it quickly. When he opens the folded piece of card no words are required, the intake of breath, the dropping of his jaw when he first laid eyes on the sonogram picture and the smile that takes over his face. "Katie?"

"Yeah, Dad, you're going to be a granddad." Jim places the box that contains the rest of his present that he hasn't seen yet so he can go to his daughter, they both have tears in their eyes when they come together to hug one another.

"This is the most amazing news I've had in a long time. I'm so happy for you." Jim looks to Rick this time, "For you both."

"Thank you. We're really happy and can't wait for him to get here."

"Him?"

"Yes, Kate thinks it is going to be a boy."

"Castle thinks it is going to be a girl."

"Ah, you know your mother and I were the exact same. She was convinced you were going to be a boy, all the troubled you caused her. We were both exhausted and that was before you were even born, you'd keep her up all night with your gymnastics. I'd always get up with her, so Rick you had better do the same."

"Yes sir."

"Dad, look what else is in the box."

"There's more? I'm guessing it continues with the theme."

"Kind of."

Jim goes back to the box that he put down, a few minutes ago now, retrieves it but then goes to sit next to his daughter on the sofa. He unfolds the tissue paper on top of it to reveal rubber ducks. Elephant rubber ducks to be precise.

"You got elephant rubber ducks?"

"Yep, there's a whole family of them."

"Does this mean I need to get a new mop?"

"I think you've got a while. If this baby is at all as bad as I was you're going to need all the browsing time you can get."

"Your mother would be so happy."

"I know she would. She always wanted a grandchild."

"I was talking about the elephants."

"Oh, those."

"No, the baby is what I really meant but she would have loved these." Jim said holding up one of the elephants. "I love them too. They'll be going on the side of the bath tonight."

"Excuse me, I just need to use the bathroom." Kate said, she quickly got up leaving the two men on the sofa.

"Rick, thank you. I really can't thank you enough, you've got the old Katie back and now I'm going to be a grandfather."

"It's no problem at all, anything I can do to put a smile on her face."

"You've certainly done that. I don't know what she's told you but from the moment you walked into her life it changed for the better. She loathed you at first but after a year or so she talked about you so much sometimes Alexis and your mother. It was 'Castle said this, Castle did that' I knew from then that you'd end up together. I never once heard her talk about her boyfriends like that, hell the first time I met that doctor was in the corridor of the hospital."

"Yeah, I didn't like him."

"No, she knew that and for the record nor did I. Even then she talked more about you than him."

"Really?" Rick asked with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, I'd sometimes try to ask about Josh but the conversation lasted about thirty seconds."

"Well the past is in the past, let's leave it there and look to the future."

"Yes. Does it feel different with Katie? In comparison with Alexis' mother."

"In so many ways." Rick replied as he looked at his wife standing in the doorway who had returned from the bathroom.

"Let's go have dinner; smells like it is ready." Kate said.

"Yeah, I'm hungry. It is so hard cooking when you just want to eat it."

"I'm hungry too." Rick interjected.

"I know, I've listened to your stomach for the past hour."

"I'll get the drinks while you two serve."

"Dad, I didn't hear all of the conversation but isn't it a little too late to start grilling him?" Kate asked as she walked with her father to the kitchen.

"I'm not, we were just discussing you." Jim said smiling while he picked up the oven gloves and removed the food from the oven.

"What else?"

"You've got nothing to worry about, honestly."

"No, you haven't Kate. He was just telling me about how you always talked about me so much even before we were together."

"Dad, did you really have to tell him that?" Kate asked while taking her seat at the table.

"I tell no lies."

"He's right, I did talk about you a lot although at first it was mainly how much you annoyed me."

"That's true too." Jim interposed as he served the food. "Tuck in you two."

"Thanks, Dad. This really is delicious."

"Yes, Jim. It's a shame Kate can't make it this good."

"I can, I just don't do it often enough to perfect it."

"Guess next time I do it, you'll have to come around earlier so I can teach you both."

"I think we can do that."

"It is nearly as good as what your mother used to do."

"I beg to differ, she was always good but this was something you mastered."

"Thanks. Anytime you want a home cooked meal just let me know and I'll make more."

"At the rate this one is going, I'm wanting more than the basic three meals a day."

"You're just like your mother already; I put on a lot of weight when she was pregnant just because of the increase in the quantity of my food consumption."

"Pretty sure Castle will be the same."

"No I won't. Okay, maybe a bit."

"Hmm…"

Dinner continued as usual the three of them catching up and discussing recent events. It was nearly nine pm when the evening began to wrap up, it had been a long day for all of them especially Kate who had the added toll of being responsible for the growing and incubation of a human. The three were standing by the door as the couple were preparing to leave.

"Thank you Dad for dinner, it was great."

"No problem, I really enjoy it when you come around."

"I think next time it is on us, maybe my mother and Alexis will join us."

"That would be nice, I haven't seen either of them in a while."

"I'm not entirely sure I've seen much of Martha this week and we live with her."

"She's always doing her thing, I still don't really know or want to know what it is."

"We oldies all have our own way of living."

"I've hope we have made your day, Dad. Happy Birthday."

"You've more than made my day, it has been a birthday that'll I'll never forget."

"Good, can't have you losing your marbles just yet. Do you remember what you said about being able to teach them baseball? Well give it a few years."

"Ah yes, definitely."

"Happy Birthday, Jim."

"Thanks, Rick. Looks like you two need to get off if the yawn Katie has just let out and how she looks is any indication of your tiredness."

"Gee thanks Dad, surely I don't look that bad?"

"You look like the minute you sit down in the car that you'll be asleep just like you used to as a girl."

"C'mon then Rick, you better get me home otherwise you'll be carrying me to my room."

"Let me have a hug from my daughter then I will release you." Kate steps into her father's arms to give him a hug. "I'm so pleased for you Katie, you will make a wonderful mother. Your baby will be very lucky in the fact he or she will have you two as parents."

"We're really looking forward to it."

"I bet." Jim releases Kate to look at her, "You need to get her home Rick, she looks like she's going to fall asleep on me."

"C'mon then Kate, let's go home." Castle shakes Jim's hand then leads Kate through the door.

"Bye Dad, love you."

"Love you too." Jim replies as he closes the door waving to the couple. On closing of the door he leans backs against it and looks up to the ceiling, "Well, Jo, you sure would be proud of our Katie, Captain Beckett is going to be a mother and I'm going to be a granddad. Wherever you are, continue to look after her."

Castle puts his arm around his wife's waist as she leans on him while they walk down the corridor to the lift.

"Thank you for letting my Dad to be the first to know, it's just been us for so long and I promised him too. We can tell your mother and Alexis tomorrow at dinner."

"I don't mind, what matters is that they get told and we don't spring a surprise on them in about six months."

"It would be kind of hard to cover up a bump to people that we live with."

"Yeah that would be difficult."

"C'mon babe, I'm tired and my dad was right because I could actually fall asleep now."

"Let's go then, I can carry you up to the loft but it is a bit harder when you're not about four feet tall and weigh about thirty kilograms and there's nobody to open doors for you."

"I think I can manage that."

One more chapter (probably be two as it is getting long), there's another big time jump. I wanted to show them telling Jim on his own rather than Alexis and Martha all together. Sorry if you wanted to see that.

So opinions, boy or girl? Name?

Also thinking of doing something called 'The Duck Chronicles' which will just be a random collection of Castle family moments if anyone would be interested.

I would love it if you could leave a review, I've missed them.

THANK YOU :)