Disclaimer: I do not own Castle
Chapter 10
"Come here" he said and she leaned back into his side
he kissed her head and said,
"You love her. I can see it in your eyes when I just gave you the slightest hint that she'll be taken away"
"that's not enough"
"oh but your wrong. And don't fight me on this…"
she listened carefully.
"everything you need, to take care of our little girl will be born out of this love you have for her"
"you have more faith in me than I do"
"It's cause I know you better than you know yourself. I know what Avril means to you, I can see the way you look at Alexis with so much of love, even though she was not your daughter biologically.
What makes you think just cause of this incident, that you will not be a good mother to this little one?"
Kate finally saw it. And all this time, this was just what she needed. This assurance from her husband. And suddenly now, she had a hunger in her. A hunger to see her baby girl., the little life she'd been housing inside her for 6 months, the tiny human being that was a part of her, the angel who had taken over her life and filled her thoughts at every moment of the day and night.
That little blessing was sleeping a few doors down, thirsting for a mother's touch, for the kiss of her mother's lips, to reconnect with her mother once again, after coming out into this world. And she suddenly felt bad that she had denied her baby girl this love for all this while.
"You and I, we're both healing right now."
"What if I can't cure myself"
"it's not your job to cure yourself"
she looked at him, waiting to hear more.
"It's my job to heal you," he pointed at her heart, "and your job to heal me" he pointed at his own heart.
"And soon enough, we'll both be as good as new. our love will nurture her" he pointed in the direction of the room in which their baby girl was fast asleep.
She smiled. "You have such a way with words."
"You married a writer for a reason" he winked.
They shared a comfortable silence then and Kate couldn't stop thinking about her baby girl.
Castle read her mind.
"This evening, I'll ask them to bring her in here. And you and me, and Avril and Alexis, we're going to hold our new born baby for the first time."
Kate nodded against his side.
"And I promise you Kate, You're going to be the best mother there is, I'm all too sure of it."
A pause and then "You already are" he said with a chuckle.
And she looked up with a smile to admire his smiling face, and she realized he was looking toward the door of his room. And out there, stood both their teenage daughters, smiling giddily, holding a big bunch of balloons, a bouquet, and a heart shaped box of chocolates.
"What are they doing?"
"I'll tell them to postpone the party for the evening"
Kate laughed.
"For now, I just want you to lay with me longer"
"that's fine by me" she said with a wink and laid her head back down against his shoulders.
It was late evening now.
Kate had refused to leave his side the entire day. And he had no intention of letting her go either.
They were now sitting up. Kate had helped put enough of cushions behind rick's back to see that he's in no pin whatsoever. And he stretched his arm around her, needing her close at all times. Being awake with her near was keeping him sane. He feared going back to sleep.
Avril was seated cross legged at the end of the bed near their feet, munching away from the box of chocolates she and Alexis had brought in. and Alexis was seated beside the bed, close enough to them, holding her Dad's hand.
"They're just getting a few tubes taken off to bring her in here. She'll be in here any moment now." Alexis told them.
Kate unknowingly took a really deep breath and Castle could feel her nervousness. He kissed her cheek softly and said "you're beautiful"
she smiled and kissed his lips softly. "You're an amazing man, Richard Castle."
"Someone's here to see you" came a young nurse's voice from the door, and all their heads turn to look at the young lady holding a bundle of pink.
"She's here" Avril squealed in joy and clapped excitedly.
As the nurse moved closer. Kate found herself getting a little more eager to hold her baby. Her baby, who up until now had only ever been held by strange arms, none of those people had been as familiar to the little girl as her mother would be.
Kate found that she had her arms outstretched by the time the nurse had reached her side, and slowly she laid the little girl in her mother's arms.
Kate lost her breath, and she was sure she skipped a heartbeat too. For, the little girl wrapped in that little pink blanket was no ordinary baby. She was perfect, she was beautiful, she was angelic and she was Hers.
Castle watched as something in Kate changed at that very moment. Cause at that very moment he knew, Kate had taken on that role of a mother again. The role she took on so well when she had Avril, and the role she practiced too much with their two teenage daughters.
He watched, because right now, Kate couldn't take her eyes off their baby. Her eye's brimmed with tears of Joy and awe as she looked on at their bundle of joy in her arms.
Kate felt something shift in her the very second that her baby was laid in her arms. Cause now, she was looking at her own creation. She was looking at something beautiful created because of her love for her husband and his love for her.
The little girl was awake, but quiet as can be. Kate leaned closer and very gently, softly touched her lips to her tiny forehead.
Kate could feel every little soft breath she took. She could feel the rise and fall of her against her hands as her tiny lungs filled with air and emptied out every few seconds. She concentrated on that. That was what would keep her going.
She kissed her cheek then, those soft little cheeks that felt like cotton to her lips. She kissed her chest, feeling the thrum of her heartbeat against her lips, and a tear fell from her eye. Kate was grateful for that sound, for that movement of the tiny red muscle in her.
She felt a tiny little hand touch her cheek and Kate kissed it too. She then closed her eyes and cuddled her little baby closer.
The three other people in the room couldn't help but get a little sentimental themselves at the sight of this exchange between mother and daughter.
"She's so quiet" Alexis softly exclaimed
"this is unbelievable" Avril said with a sparkle in her eyes
"What's unbelievable?" Rick asked them, not willing to take his eyes off Kate and their baby girl.
"Dad, up until now, she's never been this quiet in the arms of anyone for this long. She'd usually start crying within a few seconds of us holding her"
Castle chuckled.
"That's the difference here. She knows Kate's touch, more than she knows any of yours"
Kate however couldn't care less about the conversation going on around her. She was too engrossed with the perfection in her arms. She was rocking her softly and whispering to her ears, and having her own little conversation with her baby.
She didn't care how many minutes had passed by that she was ignoring the world around her. Cause her attention now, was all for her child, her baby girl.
"I love you… I love you…" she repeated like a prayer into the tiny ears of her girl.
Her fingers played in the tiny silky strands of hair that had grown on her head. And her other arm held her close to her.
Kate felt one with her again, as if she was never taken out of her, as if she was still part of her. That familiar feeling of having her closest to only her.
She knew she owed something to this little girl and she was going to give it now. She brought her lips close to the girl's ear and whispered
"Mommy's sorry..." and she found it difficult to go on as her sobs threatened to re-surface. There was a storm of tears inside her that fought to overflow.
"Mommy's sorry baby, for not being able to take care of you. Mommy's sorry for almost killing you, for denying you this caress and love even after you survived your mommy's ignorance"
Kate felt Castle's arm wrap tighter around her.
He knew what she was doing. And his touch, in some way, gave her strength.
"I promise you baby, I'll never do that again, I'll never put anything before your needs. I'll never stay away from you when you need me the most. I'm always going to be here for you"
Avril and Alexis had no clue what the new mother was whispering to their little sister, but from the sight before them, from the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, they knew what this was about.
The little baby started on at her mother, blinking now and then and her tiny hand reached up to her chin and then let go, and that was enough to tell Kate that this baby was finally glad to be re-connected with her mother. To be close to home.
She fell asleep in her mother's hold, and Kate kissed her some more. After knowing for sure that she was in deep sleep Kate finally looked up at her family. And they were smiling at her, with eyes of pride and love.
"You did it mom" Avril said
Kate nodded. She had been rendered speechless by this moment with her baby. She was finally reunited with a part of her, that had been temporarily taken away from her.
"I did" she said softly. And then she turned her head a bit to look at her husband and his proud smile, and she couldn't resist.
She leaned in close and clashed her lips against his, and they kissed. Their lips brushed beautifully against the other. The power he had over the kiss, left goosebumbs on her skin and told her just how much He loved her and the family they had built together.
And when they parted he whispered to her "I have a perfect wife, and three beautiful daughters. I can die now, and have no regrets"
"You're not going anywhere. And that's an order."
"I like it when you boss me around"
she kissed him again, more fervently. And Avril smiled at Alexis.
"Can I hold her now?" he asked when they pulled apart again.
And even before Kate could answer, Avril spoke in a panicked tone
"No wait dad, your stitches will hurt"
Kate hesitated. Then he said,
"I'll be alright. Don't worry"
she slowly laid their little pink bundle of joy in his arms, and he held her close to him. He was glued. His eyes transfixed on her. His little baby girl.
"Reminds me of the day you were born" he said as he looked on at Alexis with happiness gleaming in his eyes. He kissed his baby angel, and Kate kissed her too.
She then asked him "Do the stitches hurt?"
"And without taking his eyes off of his girl he said "more than anything"
and the three women in the room all panicked.
"Castle!" Kate exclaimed
"dad, give her back to mom. Please…" they said to him.
"Don't worry. It's all worth it. The happiness overpowers the pain" he said to them. "it's almost like it heals"
AN: What do you think of this story? :) Please leave me a review guys. :)