Chapter 25 - 11 Weeks

"Kate, wake up." He poked at her shoulder.

"Five more minutes, please, hasn't anyone ever told you not to wake a pregnant lady." She said, sneaking one eye open and rolling over on to her side to face him.

"You're showing."

She sat up in the bed, looking down at her stomach, and running a hand over her lower abdomen. "Really? Can you tell?"

"Oh yeah, you are definitely baby bumpin." He teased as he sat up, placing a kiss on her shoulder

She stood up from the bed, making her way into the bathroom to get a better look in the mirror. He followed behind, excited to see her reaction to her growing stomach. She pulled her shirt up over her head tossing it into the hamper and turned sideways to look at her body from the side.

"OH MY GOD." A smile broke across her face as she ran her hand down over her stomach.

He walked up behind her, sneaking his arms around her waist to run his hands over her belly. "Crazy, huh?" he placed a kiss on her shoulder, and another on her neck.

"I have to tell my dad. His birthday is next week, he is going to see me, and he is going to know immediately."

"Well, its probably time that we tell him anyway, we haven't told anyone else yet, plus you're almost out of your first trimester and that's when you usually start to tell people."

"How should I tell him? Should we take him to dinner, in a very public place? You know, so he doesn't try and kill you right then." She let out a deep laugh.

"Oh you're evil. Not funny, Kate."

She turned around in his arms, running her hand up his bare chest over his shoulders.

"He is going to be shocked, but he is going to be okay."

"I know," he kissed her, "It just, it's my first time meeting him, and I have to drop this kind of news on the man. I feel bad for him. I can't imagine Alexis bringing her boyfriend to meet me and telling me that she was pregnant all in the same day."

"Rick, he is going to be happy for me when he sees how happy you make me."

"How happy do I make you?" he ran his hands down her sides, hooking his hands into her underwear and pulling them down. She threw her head back and started to laugh at his eagerness.

"Not as happy as I make you apparently." She looked down between them where his erection was poking her in the stomach through his boxers.

"Shower?" he asked, as he began his attack on her neck, sucking on her pulse point.

"mmmhhhhhmmmm," she moaned pushing at his boxers, "If we can even make it into the shower first."

XX

As they walked into the restaurant, Kate tore Ricks hand from her waist, putting distance between the two of them.

"You okay?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yeah, just nervous, I don't want his first impression of you to be you groping me in a public place?" she rolled her eyes.

"Groping? I was not groping you." He glared towards her as she spun around and placed her hand on his chest, stopping his movement.

"I just know how he is, very protective of me when it comes to guys I date."

"Well, we aren't just dating, we are having a baby together, he is going to know we have sex."

"I know," she shrugged, "and that terrifies me."

He ran his hands down her shoulders, taking both of her hands in his and pulling them up to place a kiss on each one. "Calm down, lets go find him and have an amazing dinner, and then we will rip the band aid off before desert gets to the table."

She nodded excitedly, "We can do this, right?"

"Kate, there's not turning back now. This baby is coming in 6 months or so and you can't hide from him forever.

"I know, I know." She took his hand and began to lead him through the restaurant; she spotted her dad in a booth on the side and made her way over.

Jim stood from the table as they approached, giving his daughter a hug first, and then backing away to size Rick up. Kate swatted at his chest, "Dad, stop it." she said drawing a laugh from him.

"This is my boyfriend, Rick."

He extended his hand to shake Ricks, "Hello, Rick"

"Hello, Sir." Rick gave him a nervous smile as he shook his hand.

Dinner went off without a hitch, Jim and Rick hit it off from the start much to Kate's surprise. She had never seen her dad so accepting of any boy she brought around, but she had only been with Josh for the past few years so maybe age had a lot to do with it.

As they ordered desert Kate snuck her hand over into Ricks lap to grab his hand, giving it a nervous squeeze. Rick didn't know if she was seeking comfort or strength but he released her hand and snuck his around her shoulder, scooting in closer to her.

Jim was telling them a story about when Kate was a little girl and he could immediately sense the shift in attitude from both of them, pausing in the middle of the story to eye the both of them.

"Everything okay?" he directed the question at Kate, and when she didn't answer immediately he knew something was up.

"This wasn't just a friendly dinner invite was it?" he asked, and Kate shook her head.

"Daddy," she started but before she could get anymore out, soft tears starting trailing down her cheeks.

"Katherine." His eyes started nervously running between the two other occupants of the booth.

She wiped at her face, drying the tears before looking to Rick who gave her a simple nod.

"We're pregnant."

He didn't respond immediately, tugging at his tie, trying to loosen it. She could physically see how uncomfortable he was but he still hadn't responded.

"Dad?"

"I heard you, its just, is it getting a little hot in here?"

"Hot?"

"Yeah I feel hot."

"Dad….. did you hear me?"

"Of course I heard you, I was just hoping that maybe I heard wrong."

He looked to Rick who was looking over at Kate, rubbing up and down her arm nervously.

"So you got my only daughter pregnant before she graduated college, before she was married?"

"I, uh…"

"Dad, he didn't just magically get me pregnant, I was a willing participant in the whole thing."

Jim looked towards his daughter, and she could see the anger building.

"You're nineteen, Kate. Rick how old are you again?"

"26" Rick responded quickly.

"Old enough to know how to use a condom I suppose?"

"DAD!" Kate jumped in, coming to Ricks defense, "We messed up, we know that, but there is no turning back now. I know you're shocked, and I am sure you're pretty upset, but we… We are very happy about this baby." She looked towards Rick, a smile taking over her face as she made eye contact with him.

"You're happy about this?" he questioned.

She nodded, "We are, right babe?"

He agreed, nodding his head excitedly.

"Kate, what are you going to do about school, and work. I mean you're only nineteen. You can barely take care of yourself, much less a baby."

"Dad, it's not like I'm alone. We might not be married but we are committed to each other and this baby."

"What happens if things don't work out between you two?"

"Dad, we are going to be fine, I promise. We love each other, and no matter what we are going to love this baby."

"How are you going to afford a baby Kate, or your apartment?"

"Well, we haven't really discussed it yet, but I'm sure once its closer to the baby coming I'll probably give up my apartment, and the baby and I will live with Rick and his daughter."

"His daughter? So you already have another child, with another woman."

"DAD, STOP IT!" Kate snapped at him.

"Well?" Jim asked Rick adamant for a response.

"Yes, I was married to her mother, but things didn't work out. I have full custody of Alexis now."

"I see."

"Dad stop being so judgmental. I might be young but I am an adult, and I know that me finishing school would have been ideal before I had a child but sometimes things happen. This is just the path my life has taken."

"So you're just giving up on your dreams? Stay home and play housewife and mommy?"

"Dad, law school was not my dream, that was yours and moms. And i'm not playing housewife and mommy. I am going to be an actual parent to a real baby, and I have an amazingly supportive boyfriend, who can take care of me and our baby. I wont have to stress about paying bills, and buying diapers, Rick is more than capable of taking care of us."

"So you're just going to live off him."

"Yeah, she is, for a while anyways." Rick jumped in to help Kate out. "I have plenty of money, if she doesn't want to work ever that's fine with me. She can do whatever she wants after the baby comes. She will still have the opportunity to chase her dreams. I am great at playing mister mom. I've been doing it for four years already."

"Well you two seem to have it all figured out." He said as he placed his napkin on the table, sliding out of the booth.

"Dad, where are you going?"

He turned to look back at them sitting in the booth, "I cant give you the response you'd like from me. I'm gonna need a few days to process this."

She nodded at him as he turned to walk away from the table.

XX

"Rick," she yelled from the bubble bath that he had run for her. He was trying to help her relax after the stressful dinner they had just endured.

He peeked around the door frame, he had been watching tv in bed, waiting on her to get out and come cuddle.

"What babe?"

"I'm hungry."

"Again?"

She nodded.

"What do you want?"

"Something salty."

"I'm going to need you to be more specific."

"I want popcorn."

"Popcorn I can do."

She got out of the bath, pulling on one of his over sized t shirts and sliding into his side of the bed. He came back with a bowl full of popcorn and a glass of chocolate milk.

"How did you know I'd want chocolate milk."

"Because you've been drinking it with every meal. Which is disgusting, but your cravings are your cravings. Why are you on my side of the bed?"

"I like to face the outside of the bed, but I want to lay on my left side. Is that okay? If not, I can move."

He rolled his eyes, "Like I am going to tell you that I cant sleep on the other side even if I couldn't."

"Well now I know it bothers you," she said as she slid back over to her side.

"Kate you can have whichever side you want."

"No, I'm fine, just don't get mad at me for not letting you cuddle me because I need to lay on my left side."

He lay the popcorn down on her lap, sitting the milk on her bedside table. He slid in next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"I'll force you to cuddle with me."

She turned her head towards him, wearing a straight face, "NO"

"Wow, okay," he took his arm from around her making his way back to his side.

She took the bowl of popcorn sitting it on the bedside table and made her way to him, throwing herself halfway over him and relaxing against his chest.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it, it just takes over me."

He ran his hands down her back, tracing her spine with his fingers. "I get it, I'll gladly be your punching bag for the next few months."

"I don't want you to be my punching bag, I want you to be my soft cuddly teddy bear."

"I can be both."

She draped her arm up over his shoulder, pulling her body up over his to kiss him.

"Im kinda horny," She whispered, bringing the rest of her body over his to straddle him.

"You're always horny, Kate." He arched his neck up, catching her mouth in a kiss, and pulling her hips into his.

"Are you complaining?" she teased, biting his bottom lip before deepening their kiss.

"Not complaining," he said, sitting up so he could flip her over to lay her on her back.

She pressed her hand to his chest, pushing him back down on the bed, "I want to be on top." She slid down off the bed, stripping her underwear off, and then climbing back in between his legs. She pulled the waist of his boxers down, freeing him from the constraints of clothing, and took him in her hand. She worked him with her hand before taking him in her mouth, releasing him with a pop of her mouth and running her tongue from his balls up to the head.

They heard a small knock on the door, and someone trying to turn the handle, they both shot their heads in the direction of the door.

"Is it locked," Rick whispered, pushing Kate over to her side of the bed.

"Yeah, I locked it," She slid off the bed and ran to the dresser to find a pair of his clean boxers. "You should probably head to the shower," she winked at him, "I'll take care of the munchkin."

He ran for the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him and she headed for the bedroom door. She pulled the door open to a little red headed girl sat on the floor in front of it, blanket and teddy bear in tow.

"Kate." She stood up, reaching for Kate to pick her up.

Kate picked the little girl up and threw her over her hip. Alexis laid her head down on Kate's shoulder, nuzzling into Kate's neck.. They settled in on the living room couch.

"You okay Lex?"

"I want my daddy."

"He's in the shower, but he will be out in a few minutes and then I am sure he would love to cuddle with you."

Before Rick even made it out of the shower Alexis was out. Kate didn't want to risk waking her so she just sat there rubbing the little girls back.

Rick walked out of the bedroom and noticed the two cuddled up on the couch. At first he thought Kate too was asleep but then realized that she was still soothing the little girl.

"She out?"

"Yeah, didn't take long."

"What was wrong?"

"She didn't say, she just wanted you."

"I'm sorry," he said, taking a seat at the end of the couch.

"For what?"

"For making you take care of my duties."

"Hey, they are about to be just as much my duties as yours, might as well get some practice."

He laughed out loud at that, and Kate shushed him.

"If you wake this little girl up though I will never forgive you." She teased.

"Really? So no more midnight blow jobs?"

"Castle, stop." She blushed, and her whole body became warm at the reminder of what they were in the middle of before Alexis interrupted.

"Hey, I'll take her up and put her back in bed, you meet me back in our bed and we can finish our playtime."

She nodded her head, and Rick took the little girl from where she lay in the crevice of Kate's arm. He carried her up the stairs and tucked her in, which took less than 5 minutes, but by the time he made it back to his room Kate was already sprawled across the bed on her stomach.

He lifted her arm from his pillow and slid in underneath her, pulling her to rest at his side.

"Of course you're already asleep." He placed a kiss on her temple and pulled the blankets up over them.