As always, I'd just like to thank everyone for their support of this story. We're getting close to the end, and I left you on a kind of crazy note last chapter, so I won't keep you any longer.

Out of the Blue - Chapter 14

In the end, there's no crazy driving; traffic is absolutely brutal the rest of the way and he spends more time thinking he can run faster than he drives. He finally makes it to the hospital over an hour later than he thought he would, parking his car haphazardly in the closest spot he can find before skidding across the street and into the maternity wing.

There are a number of reasons he and Beckett chose this hospital to have the baby, and he encounters one of them as soon as he makes it up to the proper floor. Three severe looking nurses block his path, only relenting when they check his ID and see he's on the list of approved people. It's comforting to know hospital security lives up to its reputation, that anyone who might have something against them will be blocked from getting to their family, but he huffs quietly and shifts his weight while they check everything out anyway. Once he's free to go, the added security definitely doesn't keep him from plowing through the swinging double doors and practically sprinting down the corridor to his fiancée's room.

He manages to stop himself just outside of Beckett's room, sucking in a few deep, fortifying breaths. He needs to be cool for Kate. If this is the real deal, he has to be reassuring and calming. Beckett's freaked out enough; he can't be a mess.

So instead of pushing inside, he takes a few faltering steps away from the door and sets his sights on the men's room at the end of the hall. He'll relieve himself and splash some water on his face. Then he'll hopefully be put together enough to remain by her side however long Beckett needs.

A few minutes later, he makes his way back to his partner's door. It's open a crack; left that way by the last nurse to exit, probably. He takes one last deep breath to steady himself, only to stop as he hears Kate address his daughter,

"Sorry I took you away from everything for the entire day."

"Oh don't worry about it. I'm glad I could be here."

He just knows Beckett's smiling a little bit at that.

"How's Pi? You haven't mentioned him lately."

"Oh, um… there's not much to tell. Pi was… it just wasn't working."

As much as he'd like to hear why, he can't stay away from his future wife and his baby – babies, although one is significantly older than the infant that might be arriving soon – any longer. He pushes the door open, smiling between the women.

"I'm here, I'm here. Hey, I'm here." He kisses Alexis first, squeezing her tightly in thanks. She accepts the affection with her usual grace, kissing his cheek before nudging him over to Kate.

Kate smiles, tired and soft at the same time, holding the hand without the pulse oximeter on her finger out to him. "Hey, Castle."

"Hey," he whispers, capturing her hand in his. Their lips meet and he feels more grounded than any amount of breathing deeply and pacing could manage. "How're you feeling? What's happening?"

Kate glances at Alexis as he perches in front of her, touching her belly. Alexis smiles, nodding in response to whatever silent question his fiancée asks. "They've stopped," she huffs. "They were strong before, more regular, and now they've just… stopped."

"They have?" He thumbs her stomach slowly, careful not to dislodge the fetal heart monitor.

Kate exhales. "Seems like it. Little twinges again. Nothing else."

"But you're both okay?"

She flashes Alexis a smile, the wordless equivalent of an "I told you so," before nodding to him. Her hand curls around his arm, brushing the inside of his wrist soothingly.

"That's his heartbeat," she explains, pointing to the monitor. "And that's mine. Both look fine so far. Dr. Halley explained that if his heart rate drops, or he ends up in distress in any way, the monitor will scream and we'll go from there."

Nodding, he kisses her belly, only to get a foot against his lips.

Beckett laughs softly. "Yeah I don't think he's enjoying this at all. But it's good that we can still feel him moving around in there."

"Don't blame him. Hang in there, R2."

He lifts his head in time to see his fiancée and his daughter share an eye roll.

"You love it, Beckett. You said so."

She pats his cheek gently. "Yeah, yeah. Just sit with me. Dr. Halley should be back in a few minutes to check on me. Hopefully she'll be able to tell us what's going on."

"Yes, dear."

Alexis snickers beside him. And though the noise is light and easy, he can't help but catch a glimpse of wistfulness in her eyes.

Yeah, he's definitely going to have to devote some time to her soon.

Kate's hand slips into his as soon as he's made himself reasonably comfortable at her side, and her cheek lands on his shoulder.

"Glad you made it, Castle," she murmurs, sliding her thumb against his.

"Sorry I wasn't here sooner," he apologizes, kissing her hair gently.

"Meh, you missed the freak outs. Now you just get to deal with the boredom. Right, Alexis?"

Alexis smiles, moving her chair closer. "Right. You should've seen the look Kate gave an orderly. I think he's still scared."

Laughing softly, he squeezes Kate's hand. "Yeah, she's good at that look. She used to give it to me, too. Luckily I'm made of tough enough stuff that it didn't matter."

His daughter laughs, shaking her head. "You're lucky she loves you, Dad. This guy probably regrets getting out of bed this morning."

Well, he is that. He is that.

"What'd he do anyway?"

"Made a pizza delivery joke," Alexis explains, snickering into her hand. "And compared it to labor."

"Thirty minutes or it's free?" he offers, feeling Beckett huff against him.

"Yes."

He grins. "It's a little funny."

His daughter and his fiancée share a look, shaking their heads good-naturedly. "Men."

"That's right. I am man. I am man, hear me –"

"Talk constantly?" Beckett teases, covering his mouth with her palm.

Alexis giggles. "She has you there, Dad."

Yeah, she probably does. Turning his head, he kisses the inside of Beckett's wrist. Any other time he might lick her hand, or something equally as childish, but he doesn't. The prospect of having this baby today has made him sappy and sentimental.

"Knock knock."

The three of them look up to find Dr. Halley bustling in. Kate's hand slips away from his face, dropping to grip his fingers tightly.

"Hey, Rick. Glad you made it. How many speed records did you break?"

Chuckling, he shakes head. "Not that many, which is kind of a letdown, really. I'm just happy I'm here."

"Well, you had good timing because I have good news."

False labor. That's all it had been. After hours of monitoring her progress (or lack of), Dr. Halley concluded that Kate wasn't in active labor and sent her home.

Beckett shakes off his steadying arm as soon as they get to the elevator, leaving him and Alexis trailing behind carrying her 'go' bag, the discharge papers with their instructions, and the pile of things he'd retrieved from the house in DC. It's tight, and he's fumbled more than a few times, but he only wants to make one trip.

Kate's been quiet since they left the hospital, brushing her hand over her belly and murmuring to their son the entire way home. She feels sheepish about it, he knows. He can still see the flush on her cheeks, but he won't mention the ordeal until she brings it up. Instead, he'll put everything where she wants it and make grilled cheese for a late dinner before driving Alexis back to her dorm. By then he's more than sure Beckett will be ready to talk.

No one speaks on the way up to their floor, and the girls walk ahead of him. His fiancée reaches the front door first, holding the stuffed elephant in the crook of one arm as she slips her key into the lock. Without looking back at him, his daughter and his fiancée move through the apartment to settle on the couch.

Since he knows better than to hover, he simply makes a sharp left turn and heads to the nursery with his pile of stuff. He's on his way back downstairs, eyes trained on his fiancée's messy braid and his daughter's nearly identical one, when Alexis exhales, dropping her head onto Kate's shoulder.

"I broke up with him."

He watches Kate's head dip, but her words are still clear. "You said earlier that it wasn't working. Did something happen?"

"No, nothing really. We didn't even see each other by the end of it. Not for more than a few minutes at a time. He had his things and I had mine, and we stopped making the effort to make them mix."

Rick tiptoes down the stairs, moving to the kitchen to get started on dinner while the girls talk. He wants to step in, to be the one to offer hugs and advice, but Alexis didn't come to him this time.

In the past, he would've been worried, maybe even a little bit upset at that, but now it feels right. His daughter didn't come to him with her problems, she went to Beckett, and that's good.

"I just, I kept thinking about everything you and Dad did when you were in DC; all the phone calls, and the Skype dates, and the weekend trips here and there. When you were able to get together, you actually wanted to be together. When I was with Pi, it was good. But when I wasn't with him, I didn't really… mind. You know?"

A less-than-delicately slammed cabinet earns him a backwards glance from Beckett, but he just mouths sorry to her and she moves on. At least they both know he's listening.

"I know… probably a little too well. It's good that you did something, before you let it drag on too long and you both ended up really unhappy."

Beckett looks over her shoulder at him again, giving him a soft smile. They both know she's talking about Doctor Motorcycle Boy. Maybe his ill-fated second time around with Gina, too. He smiles back quickly, letting her know he doesn't mind her using either of them as an example; they've long-since cleared the air and lamented their mistakes about those relationships.

Alexis agrees quietly, and he watches his partner turn back to his daughter, devoting her complete focus to the girl. Whatever they experienced while he was on the road seems to have brought them so much closer together. Even working together on the nursery in DC hadn't managed that.

"It'll suck for a little while, but it'll get better. Pi was a nice guy, but that doesn't mean he was the nice guy for you," Beckett promises quietly.

"You think so?"

He ducks his head, trying to tune out their careful conversation in favor of prepping the grilled cheese. Beckett has this handled, and Alexis will come to him for his own style of comfort in her own time.

Sure enough, as he's plating their sandwiches, his daughter's thin arms wind around his waist.

"Thanks, Dad."

"For what?" His lips lift and he bear hugs her.

"Listening in and not gloating."

"Never," he murmurs, kissing her hair. "Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll set up the projector and we can have a movie marathon. Popcorn, candy, the works."

His daughter smiles. "I should say no…"

"But?"

She squeezes him. "I think we've earned it after today. And my classes tomorrow start late enough that I can stay up and not be too tired."

"Perfect, daughter. That is perfect. Now, I only want one pick. You and Beckett can have the rest."

Alexis grins, stretching onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Deal."

"Deal." He holds her for a moment longer. "Thank you for being there earlier."

Her head lands on his shoulder as they rest together. Another minute or two and they'll both turn their attention back to keeping Beckett's spirits up and preventing her from feeling silly about going to BABYCON 1 prematurely, but for now they take this moment.

"You were great, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you for being there even though you have probably a thousand other things on your mind and it was insane for a while."

She burrows a little deeper into his arms. "Thanks, Dad. I just did what I could."

They both know she did more than that, but he holds her instead of arguing his point. "And I'm sorry about Pi," he adds. "While he wasn't my favorite, he wasn't the worst person you could've been with. Believe me; I've heard stories of some of Beckett's teenage exes." He shudders for emphasis, grinning into Alexis' hair when she laughs. Across the room, Beckett mutters something about her father never keeping her secrets, and that only makes his daughter laugh harder.

"Someone has to be on my side, Beckett," he calls, circling his palm against Alexis' back. "You like to scare me far too much."

"Yeah, I do." She doesn't sound even a little bit repentant about it, either.

Alexis squeezes him quickly. "Thanks, Dad. Now, let's have some grilled cheese and get this movie marathon on the road."

He's glad they were encouraged to continue going about their day to day activities, because the trip to the Hamptons is exactly what they need. It's quiet, relaxing, completely rejuvenating. They follow the doctor's instructions of light rest to the letter, spending much of their break curled up on the porch, wrapped in soft blankets and listening to the waves. At night, they retire to their room to make love carefully. When Kate shows no signs of labor or discomfort, they actually extend the vacation a few days, coming back into the city in time for Beckett's next appointment with the doc.

It's a good appointment. Dr. Halley's pleased with both how calm Beckett is, especially after the false labor incident, and also the way she's progressing. It's not time yet, but they're getting there.

Once they're home, Kate focuses on putting the final touches on the nursery and organizing everything he'd brought back from DC. There isn't much to do, but he knows it makes her feel better, so he moves furniture around at her behest only to move it back the next day when she changes her mind. They finally go to a Lamaze class, too, after Beckett wakes him up in the middle of the night, babbling at almost eighty miles an hour about how she'll have no idea what to do when the time really does come.

To catch up on his chapters, he writes at night. Sometimes he takes his computer to bed, working until his fingers are sluggish on the keys and his eyes burn with fatigue, but Beckett almost always wakes up when he puts it all away and stretches out beside her. So most nights he kisses his fiancée and stays at his desk, slipping into bed as carefully as he can when he's done. Her sleep is already patchy and she needs all the rest she can get.

Maybe it's the rush of what's to come, but the words flow easily when he works. New possibilities for Nikki and Rook make their way onto the page, sometimes before he even realizes what he's written. It feels natural, organic, therapeutic in a way. He's on track to finish this book faster than he ever has before with just a couple more chapters to go. That has to mean something good about it.

The uncertainties feel less daunting, too, even as the days tick by until Kate's due date is nearly upon them. Beckett says she knows exactly what he means when he mentions it one morning. Two and a half weeks ago, they weren't ready, but they are now. They're totally ready.

Of course, then she ends up going past her due date and all bets are off.

The serenity of the last couple of weeks is replaced by frustration and restlessness. Beckett's become fond of asking how a kid who tricked her into thinking he was coming early can end up late, but still they roll with it.

Tonight – three days overdue – she's haunting the loft, wandering through the house because she's unable to get comfortable for more than a few minutes at a time, and unapologetically interrupting his work every hour for back rubs. Not that he could ever, ever mind her distractions. This time, though, he doesn't let her leave after the massage ends. Instead, he stands, rolling his neck and shoulders to work out his own aches, before he leads her to squish with him in one of the armchairs.

"We need a couch in here, Castle," she murmurs, rubbing her belly. She's been doing that all day. He has a feeling he knows why, and just by the look on her face, she does, too. But neither of them wants to jinx it this time, not until they know for sure. "Five of us won't fit in here."

"Pick one out," he grunts, helping her squirm in his lap. Since he values his life, he'll never tell her the added weight actually hurts. "A small sectional might work."

"Good. I'll look tomorrow."

It's unconvincing, the way she says it, but he nods anyway. They both know they'll be preoccupied tomorrow.

"Leather's easiest to clean."

Beckett stiffens in his arms, body coiling with tension, only to relax a few moments later. "Leather's good. Works with the style of the room," she hisses.

Pressing his lips to her neck, he helps her breathe through it. The closeness helps right now, though he already knows she won't want to let him anywhere near her in a little bit.

"Yeah it does." His hand slips over hers, thumb curling against her knuckles. "Or we could move the TV into the other room, if you wanted more space than what we have in here."

Beckett shakes her head. "No, I like it in here. It's cozy and it helps keep the chaos contained. I like using the projector for a big movie night."

"Kay, me too," he agrees, nuzzling her neck. "We'll just get different seating."

"Mhmm, thank you."

His hand slides over her belly again. "We can look right now."

"Nah, stay here. This is nice."

He agrees quietly, shifting a little bit more.

Kate's lips brush his. "How's writing going? I noticed you didn't hesitate to jump up and forget about it just now."

Snickering, he kisses her again. "For your information, Beckett, I am almost done with the book, but I need to let it rest until tomorrow." He laces their fingers, lifting her hand to his lips. "I'd offer to let you read it, but I know you'll tell me no."

She grins. "I just like waiting until it's finalized so I know you won't be able to change things to mess with me."

"Would I do that?" He feigns innocence.

"Yes. Without question," she says automatically, clamping down on her lip. He doesn't ask if she's okay. She'll tell him if she's not; they have a deal.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He grins, rubbing her belly slowly. "I'd totally do that."

"Yeah," she breathes, relaxing once more. "Yeah you would."

"Spoilsport."

"It's what I do best," she reminds him, turning her lips up quickly.

Ah, she's given him the perfect opening to ask the question that's been on his mind for the last several hours.

"Speaking of what you do best, what'd Gates wanna talk about earlier?"

Kate exhales, turning her head against his, seeking his mouth eagerly. His tongue swipes at her lip, tasting her tea from earlier as she grants him entry. She kisses him hard, holding the back of his head to keep him near even after her lungs demand a deep breath.

"She offered me a job, my job to get technical. Sully was reassigned to the 74th, and Gates is willing to wait to bring in more permanent personnel until after what would've been my maternity leave to make sure it's me."

Slipping his hand under her nightshirt to stroke her back, he grins. "Yeah? Gonna take her up on the offer?"

"Should I? I told her I'd think about it and talk it over with you. I learned my lesson about that from last time," she adds, dipping her head a little bit.

Affection swells in his chest. She's not asking his permission to go back to work, to change jobs yet again, she's just including him in the discussion. It's all he's ever needed.

Gratefully, he kisses her again, taking a slow, easy drink from her mouth before he pulls away. "I think you loved being a detective, and I think you'll having something to do again."

"You don't think I should stay home with him longer? Do you think I should ask Gates for more time?"

"Kate, I think you'll be itching to do something after just a few weeks."

She frowns, but he stops her from confusing his words with an insult about her parenting or her willingness to parent,

"And that's okay. Hell, I'll be itching to do something after just a few weeks, too. Laser tag doesn't really work with an infant."

She puffs a laugh against his shoulder, pressing her face into his shirt. "It won't make me a bad mom for doing that? Needing to work like that?"

Shaking his head, he presses his lips to her temple. "It makes you you, Beckett. You'll protect him at home and then you'll protect him at work each day."

"So you think I should tell her yes?" Her fingers grip his shoulder a little bit tighter. "Even with the risks?"

"We face risks every day, and we don't put our lives on hold for those. I don't want you to avoid doing something you love, I just want you to be safe about it. For all of us."

Her mouth collides with his chin. "I can be safe; I will be. For you and for him. For me, too."

"Good. And I'll be here to hold you to that. Besides, isn't being a badass detective at home better than working by zipping around the country at a moment's notice?"

He feels her inhale sharply and holds her steady, subtly massaging the cramp in her back all the while encouraging her to match her breathing to his. Her fingers curl in his shirt in response, a subtle indicator that she understands what he's doing.

"Yeah," she grunts. "Yeah it is. I won't be Jordan Shaw, but I won't miss his birthday ever."

Her conviction makes him smile. "I know you won't, Beckett. Best and coolest mom ever."

She laughs softly. "I hope so."

"Did Gates say anything about me coming back, too?" he asks a moment later. "Even if it's just once in a while when your father, or my mother, or even Alexis can watch the baby."

Kate bites her lip, lowering her eyes. Oh. Bad news. Okay, that's okay. Once the baby's old enough, he can always throw his weight around a little bit if he needs to.

"Well," she starts, fingers relaxing again finally. "I asked her about you. And she said… given the circumstances, she's willing to accept you consulting by phone as soon as I start back with the occasional visit into the precinct when R2 gets older."

Oh. Oh.

Sneaky little…

"Mean, Beckett. That was so mean," he mutters, ignoring her giggles in favor of kissing her hard. "Deal. That's a good deal. I'll take it."

"S'what you get for saying you'd write fake stuff just to mess with me. Anyway, I thought you might," she hums, holding his cheeks. "So when I start back eight or so weeks after he's born, you're back, too. Just differently than you were before."

He nods. It'll be different, but so will everything else that's about to happen for them. It'll be weird, and maybe take a little while to get used to, but they'll manage. "Perfect."

Beckett hums again, leaning her cheek on his shoulder. "I'll tell her, then. In the morning. She said she was leaving for an awards ceremony at her daughter's school."

He squeezes her neck. Sometimes he forgets Gates is a mom, too. "We should celebrate. Super special midnight snack?"

His fiancée grins, patting his chest. "Good plan. You get it started; I have to pee again. Let me up."

Together they stand, sharing almost giddy grins and a few quick kisses. "Kay, one midnight masterpiece coming up."

He can't help but watch her hips as she walks – okay, now it's really a waddle – into their bedroom, waiting until she's out of sight before heading to the kitchen. He has the perfect snack for this moment.

Whipping up the smorelettes takes a little longer than he expects, but so far Beckett isn't complaining. In fact, she hasn't emerged from the bedroom yet. He won't wake his mother by bellowing for his fiancée, but the urge to call out and check on her is strong. Especially since they both know those contractions she's been having all day are real.

Maybe he'll stick his head into the bedroom once it's done, just to tell her that and see if she wants him to bring everything to bed.

He's just slid hers onto her plate, licking his finger delicately and mentally congratulating himself for getting the flavors just right, when she pads into the room. Her legs are no longer bare; instead, she's covered herself with her favorite pair of yoga pants, folding the waistband down below her belly.

"There you are." He grins. "Smorelettes are ready."

She offers him a wan smile, combing her hair into a messy bun with shaky fingers.

"What's wrong?" He asks, dropping the plate onto the bar with enough of a clatter to make him wince. He rounds the counter to get to her, his hand automatically reaching out.

Beckett shakes her head, slipping her fingers into the curve of his palm. "I'm okay, it's okay. Just… we need to eat fast, really fast, and then you need to put some pants on and wake your mother. She needs to make the calls for us like she said she would. We're having this baby tonight."

A/N: My - now four-year-old - cousin faked his parents out the same way Baby Castle did, only to hang in there for a few days after his due date.

Just one chapter left! Thank you all again!