Disclaimer: The only part of Castle that I own is the TV on which I watch the show.

"Since you brought up ice cream, Beckett," Castle says, "it makes me realize that it's time for a snack."

"Technically you're the one who brought it up," Beckett says, "by suggesting that we call the baby Serendipity. And speaking of baby, The Nameless One is telling me that it's snack time—but fruit, please, not ice cream."

"I didn't say that, Mom. You're supposed to tell the truth. And you're a cop! I definitely want ice cream."

"No ice cream for you, then. How about a pickle? I know it's a vegetable, not a fruit, but close enough."

Beckett laughs and rolls her head off his chest. "How about an orange?"

"At least you chose citrus. Do you know that I hate bananas? And kiwis?"

Castle rises from the sofa. "One orange, coming right up."

There's considerable crashing and banging coming from the kitchen, but Beckett knows better than to ask. When he walks back to the sofa, he's carrying a plate, which he hands to her, and a bowl, which he keeps.

"Aww, that's adorable. You made me a baby face out of orange sections. Thank you. I love that you used the peel for the hair. It looks like a punk rocker's. You think the baby will have hair this color?" she asks, holding up a bit of peel. She reaches out to tilt his bowl toward her and peer inside. "You're having orange sorbet, Castle? That's so, well, restrained of you."

"I'm keeping you two company, Beckett," he says happily, sitting next to her again. "Healthily."

She pops a piece of orange into her mouth and chews on it. "Yummy. You have your phone ready? For the boys' names?"

"I do," he says, briefly relinquishing his sorbet and calling up the list. "And away we go. First, Jayden."

"Really? I don't know a single baby named Jayden."

"How many babies do you know?"

"Good point. I admit it: only one. Sarah Grace Ryan."

"That'll be changing in a hurry, Kate, believe me. So. Number two, Ethan. Number three, Jacob. Four, Daniel. Five, David. Six, Noah."

"Wow, that's a very Biblical group, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And to finish, seven, Michael; eight, Matthew; nine, Alexander, and ten, Liam."

"What do you think, Castle?"

"I think that I'm glad that Tom isn't on the list. Even gladder that Josh is conspicuously absent."

"Oooh, still jealous after all this time?"

"Pot to kettle, Beckett, pot to kettle."

"What's the matter with those names? Dad sounds like he really doesn't like Josh. Hey, was Josh mom's whatchamacallit? Her muse?"

"No Tom and no Josh," she says, poking him in the ribs. "You think the parents of sons had better taste than the ones with daughters, Castle?"

"Well, I could easily have picked Noah, but now that I know a zillion people already have, I won't. What about you?"

"Alexander's beautiful, and it's your middle name, which would be nice, but it's so much like Alexis. Alexis and Alexander as siblings?" She shudders. "It's like bad twins. Too cutesy."

Castle noisily licks his spoon. "Agreed."

"I suddenly need to take a nap," Beckett says, unable to suppress a yawn. "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to talk about names, but at least we still have plenty of time to come up with one."

"And we've eliminated twenty, or nineteen, thanks to the double Sophia," he says, lifting Beckett's legs onto his lap. "But at some point we'll have to discuss middle names, too."

She looks at him through half-closed eyes. "The kid won't need one. With Beckett-Castle for a last name, and whatever we choose for a first one, that's enough of a mouthful, don't you think?" And she falls asleep, right there on his shoulder.

"A mouthful? I don't know what that means, but it reminds me. I'm hungry! That orange wasn't nearly enough."

TBC

A/N I'm stunned by your response to this story. Thank you!