As always, my thanks to everyone still reading and enjoying this fanfic. I apologize for making you wait for this chapter.
Out of the Blue - Chapter 9
They really need to close on the house.
It's already been delayed twice,the most recent setback coming just yesterday, the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Apparently, their sellers haven't moved into their new place completely and the two month closing he and Kate asked for was contingent upon that happening. He's pretty sure they're more than set, but they just want one final celebration in their home before leaving. Of course, he has no proof and Kate – yet again – won't use her connections to find out. Party pooper.
Taping his last box for the evening, he makes a mental note to call Connie in the morning. She'd been apologetic yesterday, but he needs to find out how long this newest delay is really going to last so he can Kate can reevaluate things. Kate can't keep taking mornings off for closings that won't happen, especially not as the weeks progress.
Kate's second trimester was good to them, more than good to them (really he's never going to forget how thoroughly she exhausted him most days), but at twenty seven weeks they're on the cusp of moving into the third, and she's starting to get nervous. He is, too, if he's honest. It's been a long time since he did this with Alexis and experience has taught him that it won't be a cakewalk from here on out. He knows what could go wrong, he knows the exhaustion that's ahead of them.
Nerves aside, though, he's so excited. He's so excited to finally meet the little person who nudges his palm when he talks, and drives Kate up the wall with kicks when she just wants to relax. He's so excited to hold his child, to trace their tiny fingers and toes, to see them greet each day with innocent eyes.
He knows Kate's eager, too, and he also knows she'll be even more ready once things start to feel under control again. The changes her body's going through, work, the back and forth with the sellers, hell even the packing he's been doing have all been ganging up on her. He just wants to put a stop to that. He wants to give her that calm place they both fell in love with a couple months ago.
The clunk of the lock turning is enough to distract him from his annoyance. She's home early today.
"Hey, Castle," Beckett greets easily, shoving the door closed against the wind with her shoulder. "Mmm, it smells good in here." She shivers against the door. "And it's warm, too."
Scrambling to his feet, Rick pushes the boxes out of the way to get to her. It'd been much, much warmer this morning when she'd left for work, but yet another cold front moved in around noon. He should've brought her a heavier coat or the gloves she'd left at home, but security at her work frowns upon visitors showing up and walking in, even ones with good intentions.
"Hey, Beckett, c'mere, I'll warm you up."
His fiancée laughs easily, stepping into him without protest. His lips dust over her chilled cheeks, warming her without letting her overheat as she squirms out of her coat and tosses it onto the already full dining room table.
"Richard Castle, author by day, space heater by night," she hums, slipping her hands into his back pockets.
Her hands are cold but he doesn't flinch. Even when his lips brush her smile (and she looks entirely too pleased with herself), he pretends she doesn't have a death grip on his butt with her icicle fingers.
"That's world famous author by day, space heater by night."
Beckett nips at his mouth. "Better not be the other way around."
"Author by day, world famous space heater by night?" He grins when she pushes closer, her belly between them. Oh, she knows hers is the only space he's heating, but it's a little bit fun to have her stake her claim. "How was work?"
She smiles against his lips, flexing her fingers gently. "Good. Really good. McCord requested to make me the lead on the case we're working. She trusts my judgment when she's in the field."
"Well she should," he praises, rubbing his hands up and down her back. The press of his fingertips against her lower back earns him an appreciative sigh. "Because you're the best."
"I'm not the best, Castle," she refutes softly, dipping her head. "I'm just glad I finally feel good at the job I'm doing."
Dragging his lips along her hairline, he whispers, "Good. 'Cause I still think you're the best."
"You're biased."
"The best kind of biased," he agrees, stealing another kiss. "Dinner should be ready in an hour or so. Smoothie to tide you over?"
"Please." She lights up at the offer, making him almost a bit jealous of the nutrient rich concoction.
As much as his daughter's boyfriend still annoys him, Kate loves the smoothies Pi taught her to make. Not only that, her doctor's pleased at how healthy they are, so they've remained a staple in the Castle-Beckett household.
Kate leans against the counter, watching him toss the ingredients into the blender. He's an expert at preparation by now, so it only takes a few moments before the appliance whirs to life, swirling color around the glass canister.
"So now that you're lead on the investigation, does that change anything? Longer hours? Travel? Pizza parties?"
Beckett laughs, sliding her hand over her belly. "I wish there were pizza parties, but I'm pretty sure they know I'd eat most of it by myself. Not really a wise company expenditure."
His lips quirk, but he wisely chooses not to comment.
"No travel. This one's local – which you didn't hear – but the goal is to keep me in the office even if McCord is across the country. It's a trial run for after maternity leave if I decide not to do field work full-time. It's not ideal, but… it's also not jet setting and not being here for you both."
They've talked about this before, about the job not being what will define their relationship or the relationship she has with their child, but it's clearly something that's still on her mind. He doesn't try to argue with her; it's something that only time can show her. Instead, he passes the glass over, letting his hands fall to her belly.
He nudges gently in greeting. "Hey little one."
Kate swats at his hand. "Don't, it's naptime."
"Yeah, but naptime now means bladder dance party at 2 AM. You know you don't want that."
Her eyes narrow mid-sip and he knows he's got her. She swallows, licking her lips quickly. "Fine. Poke away."
Grinning, he does exactly that until the moment he feels a nudge in return. He imagines being on the receiving end of a Beckett scowl as the tiny foot kicks at his hand.
"Hey, don't give me that attitude yet. You must be ex utero before that starts."
Beckett laughs, rubbing the other side of her belly. "Your daddy's just saying hi to you, goof ball."
"Goof ball? That one's new."
Kate grins, sipping her smoothie. "But accurate."
Well, she's right about that. Their kid's already funny, already full of personality, even from the womb.
He dips to brush his lips against her belly through her button down shirt. "You want to change? Laundry's on the bed; I washed your leggings."
"Perfect," she exhales, rubbing his neck gently. "Thank you. I am sorry I'm making you do everything around here."
"My idea to move, Beckett. I'll take care of it." His hands curl against her hips. "Go get comfortable, I'll check on our food."
"Or," she hums, beckoning him to rise. "You come with me and give me a hand with this outfit."
"Even better."
Her tongue pokes out from between her teeth. "Yeah? You can spare a minute or two?"
Growling, he drags her closer. "I think we both know it's far more than a minute or two, Beckett."
She shivers against him, clucking her tongue. "Prove it."
"You're still coming, though, right?"
"Of course we are, Alexis. We just… might be a little later than we expected to be. We might be on time, too. It just depends on the case Kate's working."
"Kay, Dad. As long as you're still going to be here."
The plan was to be waiting for his daughter at the loft when she gets home from school on Wednesday, but with it being almost Tuesday already, and the case taking longer than she expected, it might actually be Thursday morning before they make it back to New York.
"We'll be there, pumpkin," he promises. He just has to hope his mother has followed his instructions and shopped for their supplies, because if she hasn't they'll be ordering takeout for Thanksgiving dinner. Not exactly the way he wants to celebrate the holiday, but as long as he's with Kate and Alexis, they'll make everything else work.
"Okay, good. In that case, we'll see you on Wednesday or Thursday."
"Yeah you will. And um, if you get home before we do, check to see if Gram got everything we need for dinner? I gave her the list we always use, but you know your grandmother."
Alexis laughs lightly. "She likes to get creative," she finishes for him. "I'll do even better. I'll stop in at home tomorrow before my class and check. That way there's plenty of time to get anything we might need."
"You're a life saver, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. And I know I'll be rewarded handsomely for my help."
"That you will, daughter. That you will. Extra pumpkin pie at dinner. Provided Beckett doesn't eat it all. She's been on a pumpkin kick since that fake coffee thing you got her last time we saw you."
"Oh that stuff is great. Just wait until she can have the real thing again. Delicious. I'll learn to make it for her, since it'll be out of season by then."
Smiling, he shifts against the headboard. He wants to wait up for Beckett, but the living room is so cluttered after three straight days of packing, it's more comfortable in the bedroom. Of course, that comfort usually means he dozes off before Kate comes walking in, but he'll have to risk it.
"Yeah I bet she'll like it." His fiancée isn't normally a fan of pumpkin, but for Alexis, he knows she'll try it.
"So speaking of caffeine bans how is my baby brother or sister?"
Subtle, Alexis, subtle. He and Kate agreed to torment the family before finally telling them at Christmas and ever since she learned that he knew and she didn't, his daughter has been trying to wheedle the answer out of him. This isn't one of her more creative efforts.
"Oh, they're fine. I've started waking them from their mid-evening nap because they keep Kate up at night otherwise."
His daughter sighs. "You're really not going to give me a hint are you?"
"Nope. Not a one."
"But what if I want to buy Christmas presents early? Do I buy things for a little girl or a little boy? What if Jim wants to buy presents for his grandchild?"
"Don't they make adorable little onesies for either? Maybe something with monkeys, or teddy bears, or space ships. Ducks. Fruits, veggies. You know there's nothing inherently gendered about little heads of lettuce or cabba – "
"Dad," she cuts him off with a whine. "I should at least get a hint."
"It's a baby, not an alien."
"No more X-Files on Netflix for you."
He laughs, whistling the theme obnoxiously.
Alexis heaves a sigh. "I hope you annoy Beckett less than this. Otherwise she has my permission to strangle you."
"Definitely less than this. She knows what she's having, too."
"Castle," Beckett chides from the doorway. "Stop teasing your daughter before you slip up and spill the secret."
Startled, his eyes dart to find her leaning against the doorjamb. She wiggles an eyebrow, or she tries to, but the exhaustion on her face keeps it from going very far. He moves to welcome her. Holding her up is only a secondary goal, but if she needs it, he'll do it.
"I'll have you know that I keep secrets wonderfully, even under bragging conditions."
Alexis laughs into his ear again. "Okay, Dad, I'm going back to my studying. I'll take care of everything here. You guys just get here in time to eat."
"We will, pumpkin," he promises again, brushing a hand down Kate's side as she reaches for the phone. "Wait, Kate wants to talk to you."
"Hey, Alexis, I rescheduled for the last flight out on Wednesday. And if that doesn't work, we'll rent a car and drive. Either way we'll be there in time for the parade Thursday morning."
Whatever his daughter says is lost to him, but Kate's smile tells him it's positive. "Right. Yes, he's excited about it. Uh huh, that'll be great, thank you. I owe you one or twenty."
Okay, what's that about?
Kate laughs softly, palming his chest to keep him in place when he tries to move closer. They're conspiring, they have to be. Her lips quirk at his huff.
"Yeah he is," she laughs. "That's your dad. Okay, see you in a couple days. Bye, Alexis."
He waits until the phone screen returns to the dial pad to swoop in for a kiss. His fiancée hums her approval, curling her fingers around his biceps as the affection rocks her off-center.
"Are you two ganging up on me again?" he rumbles, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.
"She's picking up my costume, Castle. Don't you remember? Your family dresses up for Thanksgiving," she mimics, pulling him in for another kiss.
Right, that. It's not too mean to prank a pregnant woman is it?
"Uh huh." He palms her hip. "We do. It's great."
"Yeah, so she said she'd pick it up for me since they'll no doubt be closed by the time we get in on Wednesday."
"Oh, good thinking."
Her nails tease down his arms. "I know." She pecks his mouth again. "Now let me change for bed, I have to be in early to try to get this done in time."
It's sheer luck that has them making it onto the plane on Wednesday. As of lunchtime, Kate's case had stalled. Then, at 4:30, their suspect flat out got stupid, and they were able to jump on things. They had the guy in federal custody just an hour and a half after that and she was able to grab her bag and dart out of the office, meeting him at the ticketing counter to print their boarding passes with just enough time to get their bag checked without a fuss.
Now they sit in their seats awaiting pushback from the gate. Kate has the window seat beside him. From the way her eyes are closed, the adrenaline has clearly worn off, but her face is happy so he doesn't ask if she's okay.
He checks his messages again, letting Alexis know they're on their way for real. He'd been hoping for an update on the case Ryan and Esposito caught this morning, but that might have to wait until they land in New York. They seem to have their hands full at the twelfth.
Of course, just as he's about to kill the power on his phone, a picture message from Espo comes in. Oh, that is priceless.
"What are you laughing about?" Kate murmurs, hand sliding off her belly to reach for his. Their fingers slot together effortlessly and he turns the phone for her to see.
"Ryan texted me this morning asking about diapers and I thought he was just doing research. Turns out, not so much; this little guy is somehow connected to their case and he's in their custody for a while," he explains.
His fiancée stifles a laugh. It's a pretty funny picture, he can't blame her. Ryan's holding an incredibly unhappy baby, terror written all over his face.
"Oh, poor Ryan."
"Apparently he does that every time Ryan picks him up. It's stressing him out," he chuckles, swiping at the phone to turn it off before the economy class flight attendant gives him the evil eye again.
Beckett clears her throat, banishing her laughter at their friend's expense. "Well I don't blame him. It would stress me out, too. Hell, that could be me." Her brow furrows and her eyes widen. "Oh god, Castle, what if that is me? I have no idea what to do with a baby, no matter how many books I read, I still have no idea. Everybody else always wants to play with babies and take care of them, and I've always just let someone else hold them. Do you know how many babies I've held in my life? Three. Three, Castle."
"Hey, hey, it's not going to be you, Kate. It's not. The baby knows your voice, you're comforting. Ryan's a stranger, well-meaning as he is, and the poor kid's probably scared and missing his own mom and dad." His fingers stroke the back of her hand. "You're going to be fine. More than fine, you're going to be great," he adds off her dubious look.
She takes a deep breath, looking out the window at the passing tarmac. "What if I'm not?"
"Then you have me. I don't know if you know this, but babies love me. I'm the baby whisperer."
Her lips twitch. "You are, huh?"
"I am. And that," he pauses, leaning over to dig through his carry on before he continues, "is why I know you'll be amazing, Kate. But, if for some reason you want to win the kid's favor, I'll let you take the credit for this next Thanksgiving."
His fiancée laughs tightly when he splays the ridiculously adorable, fall colored striped sleeper with a turkey bib on her belly.
"There's a hat, too, but I think you get the gist."
Kate laughs again, brushing tentative fingers over the gift. "Oh this one I get to claim?"
"Well, our family does dress up for Thanksgiving." Sure that's only half true, but the sleeper is cute.
She shakes her head affectionately, pressing the onesie against her chest. It's not the first piece of baby clothing he's bought, but just looking at her face, he knows she appreciates the gesture.
"Only you, Castle, only you." Her cheek lands on his shoulder. "You won't let me suck at this, being a mom. Will you?"
"Kate," he murmurs against her ear as the engines whir a little faster. "You won't suck at being a mom. That'd be impossible. But if pigs ever start to grow wings, I won't take advantage of it to become the favorite parent."
It's a stupid joke, but it's worth it to hear her laugh, to feel her release her tension as the plane lifts off the ground.
Her fingers lock around his, pulling his hand to splay across her belly. The baby pushes against his palm in response. "My hero."
A/N: I know I said there would only be 13 chapters to this fic, but I've actually added another one, so there will actually be 14!