So here's the third Chapter.

Just to clarify the setting, since I just realized I have not done that for this story yet, this story is completely AU from after Veritas. Basically, Castle never went missing, Beckett was not already married to Rogan, and absolutely nothing of Season 7 and later actually happened.

Oh, and I think I fixed the link to the picture of the necklace that Castle got for Beckett. You just have to copy and paste the address from my profile page into the address bar, just clicking it on my profile won't actually get you anywhere. Hope that helps!

Review responses:

Guest: Thanks!

TORONTOSUN - Maybe not, but the price might still make her a little uncomfortable (which is more what I was going for here).

PregoBeco - Then I hope you like this Chapter.

ceboy08 - Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

Bruhh forreals - Thanks!

Guest - Alrighty, the link should be somewhat fixed now. Just copy-paste the link into the address bar, that should take you to the right page.

Moochiecat (Guest)- Thank you, I'm glad you liked both chapters.

Ballyjamesduff - I'm glad I got that reaction from you then.

Guest - You're welcome.

conservativegirl - Aww, thank you!

Bianca (Guest) - You're most welcome, I hope you like this chapter just as much.

For that most incredible person I am lucky enough to call my best friend, who knows the song in my heart even when I've forgotten the words. There truly are no words to describe how much you mean to me. Thank you for everything.

Disclaimer - This would be completely canon if I owned Castle.

"Hey, dad. You're still coming over to the loft for dinner, right? Rick and I have some big news that we really want to share tonight".

On the other side of the line, Kate's father smiled. "Of course, Katie. I wouldn't miss it for the world. How are you doing, by the way?"

Kate smiled softly, sharing a look with her husband for a couple of seconds before replying. "I'm great, dad. Happier than I ever thought I could be, actually. Everything seems to have just… fallen into place lately, I suppose".

"That's good. I'm happy for you, Katie. Alright, see you soon then".

"See you, dad".

Kate hung up and set her phone aside before snuggling further into her husband's side as his arms wrapped around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder. "How long do we have until the rest of our family get here?" she asked softly, her eyes never leaving the blue eyes of her husband.

Rick reached out and picked up his cellphone from the table, glancing quickly at the time on the lock screen before setting it down again. "Six more hours. Do you think we should maybe invite the boys and Lanie to join us as well? We're going to have to tell them about this sooner or later, and they are practically our family too, so it might be a good idea to get it over with tonight".

Kate sighed softly. "I know we've got to tell them soon, Rick, but I kind of want tonight to be just the five of us. You, me, Alexis, and our parents. We can tell the others tomorrow. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. It was just a suggestion anyway. Whatever makes you feel comfortable is fine by me, Kate" her husband replied gently.

She smiled at him, sinking further into his embrace. "This makes me comfortable. Being around you and our family, Rick. That's what makes me comfortable".

"I'm glad to hear that, Kate. I really am".

As she snuggled closer to her husband, he reached over and picked up his phone again, swiping his finger across the screen and entering the code to unlock it, tapping something quickly before locking the phone again and setting it back down. "I've set the alarm on my phone to go off in about one hour and 15 minutes. That gives us time to have a quick rest before we have to start preparing dinner".

Kate smiled softly, leaning in and pressing a soft, quick, kiss to his lips. "Sounds perfect".

~6 hours and 30 minutes later~

"This is fantastic lasagna, Rick"

Across the table from his father in law, the writer smiled at the older man's compliment, sharing a soft smile with his wife before replying. "Thank you, Jim. I don't think that I could have possibly made it this well without Kate's help though".

Kate squeezed his hand softly in return. "Richard, you and Katherine said you had big news for us. What is it?"

The writer smiled at his mother's question. "Well, we were going to wait until after we'd finished dinner to say anything, but this is just as good a time as any"

Kate nodded, taking a sip of water to moisten her suddenly dry lips before speaking. "I first suspected something about a week ago, but it wasn't until I went to the doctor three days ago that I actually found out. I'm pregnant. I have been for just over a month, apparently, at least if what the doctor said is right. I told Rick when I met him at the airport when he got back from his book tour this morning".

Alexis was the first to break the silence that had fallen as Kate finished speaking. "Congratulations, both of you. I've always wanted a little brother or sister, really, so this is by far the best surprise ever".

Kate smiled at her step-daughter. "I'm glad you think so, Alexis. I really am".

She caught her father's approving look from across the table as Martha pulled the writer sitting next to her into a celebratory hug, and smiled back at him, before speaking again.

"Oh, and I've already told Gates that I'm taking the rest of the week off to focus on some family-related things that need to be taken care of. I didn't offer any information about what those things were, and she didn't ask, but judging by the way she was watching me as I left her office, I'm pretty sure she knows anyway".

Somehow aware of the look on her husband's face, she turned towards him, squeezing his hand slightly. "I didn't speak to Gates until after our last conversation two days ago, Rick, and after I finished speaking to her I decided that it would make a good surprise for you" she said simply, one hand reaching up unconsciously to play with the chain of the necklace hanging around her neck.

He squeezed her hand back, giving the younger woman a soft smile. "You thought right".

~A couple of hours later~

"Kate?"

The brown-haired detective glanced up from the book she was reading, meeting her step-daughter's eyes. Marking her page with the bookmark next to her, she closed the book and set it aside, smiling warmly at the younger girl. "What can I do for you, Alexis?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Kate shifted in her seat to give the girl space to sit down. "Of course, Alexis, you can ask me anything. What's the matter?"

The red-haired girl sank onto the couch next to her step-mother, folding her legs to her side almost in an exact mirror of Kate's own seating position. "Well, it's just that… You've been more of a mother to me over the past 7 years that we've known each other than my actual mother ever has been, and I was just wondering…"

Kate smiled gently, reaching out a hand to brush a strand of hair out of her step-daughter's eyes. She knew exactly what the girl was trying to say, but knew that this was something Alexis needed to ask for herself. So instead, she chose to reassure. "I'm listening, Alexis".

"I was wondering if it would be okay if I called you mom" the red-haired girl replied softly.

Kate reacted quickly, pulling the red-haired girl into a gentle hug and kissing the top of her forehead. "Of course. Of course you can call me mom, Alexis".

Just reuploading to fix a small typo in the Alexis/Kate scene at the end.

In case anyone's interested, the two songs I was listening to when I wrote this were:

I Won't Give Up, by Jason Mraz

Fields of Gold, by Sting

Hope you enjoyed the Chapter, please, feel free to leave me a Review with your thoughts, and I'll try not to wait so long between Chapters this time.