Disclaimer: The only part of Castle that I own is the TV on which I watch the show.
"Do you think it's safe for us to go?" Beckett is looking anxious around the edges as she opens the passenger door, slides into the car and buckles her seat belt.
"Ouch, Mom. That's too tight! You always drive, so you're not used to being on this side."
"Says the woman who four days ago, alone and gunless, charged down the street, into an alley and kicked a thief in the balls."
"And safely caught him," she says, loosening her seat belt a little. "That was different than this, Castle."
"How could what we're doing right now be riskier than that?"
"The little twerp was unarmed—and before you say anything, yes, I could tell because he had on skin-tight clothes with no room for a weapon of any kind—he's at least four inches shorter than I am and in crappy shape. Besides which, I'm trained. And I was acting on instinct."
"Pff! Instinct!"
"Are you condemning instinct?"
"Yes."
She turns her head sharply and looks hard at him. "Says the man who, after our first night together, made me hide in the closet when he heard his mother's voice, and claimed he was acting on instinct."
Castle clears his throat and makes the judicious decision not to pursue this line of reasoning, especially when it's at five-thirty in the morning and he's driving. He makes sure that his voice is reassuring. "I think that it's very safe for us to go out to the Hamptons, Beckett, even though your due date is close. The doctor assured us that it was fine. We're a two-hour drive away. If there were an emergency and you suddenly went into labor, Chief Brady, who owes us way, way beyond big time, would personally put us in a helicopter that would take us to the hospital." He caresses her thigh, then squeezes it gently. "And it will do us good to get out of the city for a little bit. Fresh air. Sunshine. Quiet. Naked sunbathing."
Good, that makes her laugh. "Naked sunbathing?"
"Yes, I have it all planned. It was supposed to be a surprise, but do you want to hear about it now?"
"Of course I want to hear about it. I'm guessing that it's something more something elaborate than me lying unclothed on a chaise by the pool at our house? Did you find a nude beach for pregnant women?"
"No, but that's a fantastic idea." He's almost jumping out of his seat at the suggestion. "Do you think there is one?"
"Absolutely not."
"Oh." He's disappointed, but only for a moment. "No matter." He's already cheered up. "It will be a one-pregnant-woman-and-her-husband nude beach."
"And me."
"And just where is this beach at which you expect me to be a gravid ecdysiast?"
"What's that mean?"
"Ooo, Beckett, I love it when you talk dirty, only classy."
"Lalalalalalalalala."
"I'm trying to be dignified, Castle. So where is this beach?"
"It's our beach, in front of our house, but I'm adapting it specifically for you. I know how much you've hated not being able to lie face down lately, so I am going to dig a hole in the sand and line it with towels. Presto! You just pop your stomach right in there! And I'll set up the beach umbrella so that you'll be in the shade, and your back, not to mention your perfect derrière, won't get burned. How's that?"
"Am I going to like this?"
She reaches out for his hand and kisses his palm. "You are an incredibly thoughtful and resourceful man. I love you."
"I love you, too. And how about this? We're going to hit the Sunrise Highway right at sunrise. That's a first. And we'll be first in line at the farm stand, where the dew will still be glistening on the corn."
Beckett laughs again. "Corn is the direction where this conversation is headed."
"Only because I'm happy."
"Me, too."
Two hours later—Castle still crowing about having been the first customer at the farm stand, as if it were some kind of Olympic event—they're standing at the kitchen island, eating just-picked raspberries. "I'm going to go out now and move the earth for you," he says, licking berry juice from his chin.
She pinches his bicep. "You frequently make the earth move for me, Castle,"
"Ah, so we're moving from corn to cheese?"
"Yes, and I know a set-up line when I hear it. Although technically you're moving sand, not earth."
"True. In any event, I gotta get going."
By the time she has put away the farm-stand produce and changed from her clothes into a robe, he has finished digging. When he comes into the bedroom, she starts to hum, play air guitar, and dance.
" 'Enter Sandman'?" he says, pulling off his pants and grabbing his bathing suit. "Good one, Beckett. Oh, and that reminds me." He picks up the pants that he has just removed and takes an iPod out of a pocket. "Got a special playlist for you."
"Gimme," she says, extending her hand.
"Nope, you'll have to wait 'til we get outside. You ready?"
"Yup."
True to his word, Castle has prepared a perfect hole in the sand, lined it with soft towels and put an enormous umbrella next to it. She takes off her robe and he rubs suntan lotion on her from nape to feet. She's moaning before she even hits the sand, and wiggles until she finds the right position. "Wow. This is incredible. I haven't been this comfortable in ages. It's my Beach Belly Bowl."
"Mom! Mom! What's going on? I feel like I'm hanging from the ceiling. That's what bats do, right? Am I going a little batty? Ha! Good one."
"Would you like your music now?"
"Yes, please."
He passes the iPod to her and she slips in the earbuds. He watches her for some time, trying to decide which song she's listening to by the way she moves. Or smiles. Sometimes it's obvious, because she starts to sing. Eventually he pats her on the bottom; she lifts her head and removes her ear buds.
"What, Castle?"
"Are you listening to 'Bust It Baby'?"
"Yes. I can't believe you did this. Are they all Baby songs?"
"Of course. What's your favorite so far?"
" 'Be My Baby.' "
"Mine, too, Mom. And I am. Your baby."
"I could tell right away when you got to 'Baby Love,' you know how?"
"Should I be afraid to ask?"
"You were twitching your cheeks to it. And I don't mean the cheeks on your face. I made a video."
"Mom has other cheeks? Where are they? Do I have some?"
"Castle!"
"Kidding, I'm kidding."
"This is actually really relaxing. Okay," she pops her ear buds in again, "time for more."
His reading is interrupted by a shriek, and he feels the slap of a hand on his ankle.
"Castle!"
Hmm, she must have found one of the ringers. "Yes?"
"I cannot believe you put 'She's Having My Baby' on here. Ugh."
"Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Or if your taste had changed."
"Yeah, well the answer to the first is yes and to the second, no. In big, fat letters." She puts her head back on her arms and relaxes. For about five minutes. "CASTLE!"
Yup, she hit the other one. "I guess you found it."
"Seriously? 'Baby Likes to Bang'?"
"Just testing. I promise you'll love all the other ones."
She does. And she even naps. Later they take a swim and make lunch from the farm-stand bounty. The rest of the day is equally idyllic; they walk into town for an early dinner and get ice cream cones to eat on the way home. They're almost at the front door when Beckett stops.
"I want to go home."
"Home, home?"
"Yes."
She's seems calm, but he's immediately on edge. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. You don't mind, do you? This has been a fantastic day, you were right about how good it would be. But I just feel like I have to go back to the city. I feel like I'm getting close."
"We'll drive back right now. You sure you're all right, though? Did you have a contraction?"
"No," she smiles. "Just a feeling."
"I got a feeling, too."
A/N With the previous chapter, this story collected its 1,000th review. I'm stunned: it's an enormous milestone for the story and for me. Thank you! There are two chapters to go: the next will cover the birth, and the baby will come home in the last. A number of people have asked me about a pool. So: PM me if you want to leave a guess on gender, weight, height, date and time, all of which I've already chosen. Keep in mind the baby's due date is Aug. 31, not our actual date. I'll reveal the winner in the last chapter. The prize: bragging rights.