Hello Casketteers! Here we go, the final chapter of this story. Thanks so much for sticking with me. Besides saying these characters don't belong to me…but they often own my heart, I don't have much more to add.
I hope you enjoy and appreciate all of your comments and thoughts that you've shared with me along this story's journey.
Sooo… here is Moments of Always: Chapter 12 - That Moment When (a baby is born).
KTCLF!
-adcg
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Kate stood at her husband's side of the bed and held her hand out, ready to nudge him from his sleep. It was 5:00AM.
It had been, what had become, a normal night for them…in bed around 9:00PM with Castle allowing her to twist and turn, wallowing on his arm, chest, stomach or thigh until she found a comfortable position and fell asleep.
He had made a habit of bringing a glass of water to his bedside table; a granola bar or some kind of snack; whatever book or books he and his wife were reading before bedtime; oh, and his phone, tablet and laptop. His bedside table barely withstood everything on it, but once Kate was asleep he did everything in his power not to move, too much, in order for her to rest.
This ritual had started around the eighth month of their pregnancy. Around the same time the morning apologies began and by eight and a half months Richard Castle had simply told his pregnant wife to, "Stop apologizing! You're the one carrying our child and I'm not complaining about your restless sleep. I, for one, am taking notes and plan to make an entire book about your various sleeping positions and things you say. Did you know you talk to our baby when you're asleep? I love getting a little extra insight about what goes on in that beautiful, pregnant mind of yours!"
That had worried Kate enough that she did stop apologizing and started accepting every night as something that would come back to haunt her in one of Castle's books. Geez, that never happened before…perhaps Nikki Heat was actually their first child together…
The other nightly occurrence and ritual that had also set in several weeks ago included a 3AM visit to the bathroom, a few minutes of breathing and stretching, and then a gentle - well, as gentle as possible - climb back into bed and into her husband's arms.
This wee-morning-hours bathroom trip had gone a little differently.
"Castle?" Kate whispered and pushed his shoulder with her fingertips. She waited a second but he didn't budge. "Rick?" She said with a little more insistence and a little harder push of her fingers.
After another moment of him not responding Kate took a deep breath and placed her palm on his shoulder. She knew he would hear the quiver in her voice the moment she tried to speak normally. "Daddy," she paused and tried to breathe in calmly, "I think it's time."
Kate figured it was her tone, along with her words, and the firm squeeze of his shoulder that made Rick Castle's eyes fly open and in the next moment he was sitting on the side of the bed looking at her.
"It's time?" His voice was soft and childlike.
"Mmm-hmm," her bottom lip quivered as she tried to answer him. "I got up for my 3AM pee session," she paused to steady her voice. "I sneezed for some reason while I was washing my hands and then I'm pretty sure my water broke."
Rick saw the glint of moisture in her eyes, even in the darkness, and reached out to take both her hands in his. "Are you having contractions?"
Kate pressed her lips together and looked at their joined hands, not her husband's face. "Yeah," she said quietly.
"How far apart?" Castle wondered.
Kate hesitated allowing him to hear the shakiness of her breath.
"Kate? What's wrong?" Castle pulled her closer to him until she was standing between his knees, her pregnant belly pressed against his chest.
She sniffled and shook her head not wanting to answer him.
"Kate? You have to talk to me. You're scaring me a little bit here, okay? Is there something wrong?" Castle asked as gently as he could through the fears rising inside of him.
"Castle," she swiped at the teardrop that betrayed her, "I don't think I can do this. What if my heart… what if my body won't handle it and that hurts our baby… I can't do that to you or to her. She needs to be fine but I want to be here…" the words came between quiet sobs that Kate had obviously been holding in.
"Mmmmm," she hummed as she cried, feeling another contraction beginning. Rick sat, watching her take one hand from his and cradling it gently under her womb. She began squeezing his other hand and lowered her head as she tried to breathe and cry and moan through the pain.
"Just breathe, Sweetheart," Castle coached. "Blow it out through your lips, all the way out," he found himself breathing with her which is what he was supposed to do - according to their childbirth coach.
"Mmmmmmm," Kate groaned again, "can't…I don't want to do…this…" her voice interspersed with her ragged breaths and Rick's encouragement to inhale and exhale. "Rick, make it stop," she finally managed to say before a full round of tears joined the chaos.
"Look at me," her husband instructed. "Beckett, look…at…me," he demanded softly.
As the contraction waned his look was more serious than she had seen from him in a while. "How far apart are the contractions?"
She tried to settle herself for his sake; eased the grip on his hand but looked down at her belly and rubbed her free palm all around it. "Five minutes," she admitted.
Castle's eyes widened again with surprise, wonder and was that a little bit of panic she saw. "What time is it?" he asked a bit too aggressively as he grabbed her wrist from her abdomen to look at the watch/step-counter/heart rate monitor that she now wore constantly. "Kate, it's ten after 5. When did contractions start? Did you say your water broke already?"
Kate's lips puckered as more tears dripped from her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was worry her husband. But she also wanted to be with him more than anything right now because… what if this was the last time she could ever spend with him?
"You'll let her know that I love her, right?" She avoided the pertinent questions he had just asked.
Rick finally stood from the bed, ignoring Kate's words in order to think about their life event that might be happening right here in their bedroom instead of at the hospital.
"Kate, focus," he placed his hands on her cheeks and looked into her eyes. "I love you, and I love our baby, and you will let her know that you love her every time you hold her in your arms once she's born. But to make sure your heart stays fine and her birth goes as well as possible, we need to get to the hospital. I need to call Dr. Ange and the first thing she's going to ask me is how far along the contractions are and when did they start and if your water's… you get what I'm saying."
At the end of his gentle rant, Rick pulled her face toward him and kissed her eyelids before placing his lips on hers with a tender, comforting kiss.
"I'm scared," Kate admitted.
"I know," Rick acknowledged. "You've been so strong. Ever since the accident, when you first found out you were pregnant. Through my whole debacle about your scar tissue and Josh…you've been the strong one. Now it's my turn. What's scaring you?"
Kate looked into her husband's eyes and took a deep breath. She stepped closer to him and let him wind his arms around her enlarged body while she rested her cheek on his chest. "Now it's real," she said slowly so he could understand her. "Now my body is telling me that it's time for our little princess to join us in this world and I really am wondering if my heart is strong enough to handle this. What if it's not? What if I don't get to hold her and tell her…"
She lifted her thumbnail to her lips and pressed her ear into Castle's chest, trying to hear his heartbeat.
"Shhhh," Rick stroked a hand over the back of her head. "Let's get you to the hospital where a lot of folks will be there to help us. You know we've got a whole village of people waiting for this call."
Kate nodded against his chest.
Rick reached for his phone on the bedside table. "You want to give me those answers before I call Dr. Ange or do you want to do the honors?" He asked truthfully, but with a little fatherly tone.
Kate took a shaky deep breath but didn't remove her head from his t-shirt clad chest. "I got up at three, pee'd, sneezed and I felt my belly tighten up. About 15 minutes later it tightened up again and when I went to the bathroom I had fluid running down my leg."
"Wait, your water broke nearly two hours ago and you're just now telling me?"
"I'm sorry," Kate huffed slightly but Castle could hear and feel the tears that came with it.
"Hi, yes, this is Richard and Kate Castle. Pretty sure our little one is about to make an appearance," he spoke when the obstetrician's answering service picked up his call. He paused for just a moment and then continued, "Yes, my wife says her contractions are about five minutes apart. Her water broke shortly after 3:00." He tilted the phone away from his mouth for a moment, "Sweetheart, scale of 1 to 10, how intense are your contractions?"
"Maybe a six?" Kate saw him nod.
"Right, okay, yeah. We'll make our way to the hospital right away. Thank you." Rick ended the call and pulled away from Kate who grabbed onto his arms before he was fully out of reach.
"Are you mad?" Kate wondered.
"No," Rick softened his tone, his features as he looked into her face. "I just know you're scared. And I'm concerned that we need to get to the hospital before the baby's born to ease your fears."
"Okay," Kate answered in her own childlike voice.
"Can you sit right there on the bed for me, while I throw some clothes on?" Rick asked as he turned her toward the mattress.
"I should change too," Kate attempted but Rick put his hand in the air.
"You are fine just like that. You're in comfy p.j.'s. We'll grab a jacket for you and your go-bag and we're off." He moved to the closet to grab pants and a shirt for himself.
"Can I wear one of your shirts instead of a jacket?" Kate asked, still trying to fight back the panic that was brewing inside of her.
"If that's what you want, of course," Rick supplied. He flipped through the various collared options on his rack and quickly pulled a maroon, long-sleeved button down off a hanger. "How about this one?" He held it toward her as he came out and tossed his own clothes on their bed.
"You know me so well," Kate blinked back tears and then hummed again at the beginning of another contraction.
"Okay, okay," Castle had barely gotten out of his tee and sleep shorts but came and stood in front of her in just his boxer briefs. He knelt down in front of Kate and took one of her hands in his. "Hey, look at me," he instructed.
Kate did as he requested and breathed with him this time, even as tears streamed down her face. Once the cycle ended, she let go of his hand to let her husband get dressed. "I'm sorry," she whimpered slightly.
"For what?" Castle wondered as he buttoned his jeans and slid a fresh t-shirt over his head.
"That I'm scared, I guess," Kate answered. "This is supposed to be happy but all I keep thinking about are the what if's."
Rick stood in front of her again, reached both hands toward her and then pulled her as closely to him as possible. "Do you remember the two of us standing in a dumpster searching for something to help us identify Baby Benny years ago? You told me, in that dumpster, that when the time came, there was no way you'd let me raise our baby on my own. Remember that?"
Kate nodded. That was a particular scene that was getting mentioned again and again over the past 9 months. She rested her cheek against his chest and he felt her hands tug at his shirt fisting the material so she could hang onto him tightly.
"I'm holding you to that, Katherine Houghton Beckett Castle. I know you're scared. I think you're feeling now, a little bit of that fear and panic that hit me that day in Dr. Ange's office. I just need you to do two things for me right now, okay?"
He pulled back and waited for her to tilt her head up and look at him. "Think calm and peaceful…breathe in and out deeply and think about what it's going to feel like to hold our baby - your little girl - in our arms. And remember all these plans that you and I have put into place to make sure that happens."
Kate pressed her lips together and nodded slowly at him before she tiptoed slightly to steal a kiss from his lips. "I love you Richard Castle, you know that?"
He smiled, probably the first one since she had pulled him out of bed a half hour ago with the news that their daughter was ready to come out and play. "And I love you, too. Don't you ever question that."
Kate did as he asked, trying to focus on the positives and the fact that they were right there together and at the hospital they'd be joined by even more friends and family. That's what she really wanted - whether things went spectacularly well, or if they went to hell. She wanted her and her husband to be surrounded by the most amazing support group they could ever know.
Rick was attempting to make another call while carrying Kate's overnight bag, his backpack of electronics and goodies, and with Kate leaning on him as they made their way to the parking garage.
As they stepped off the elevator she paused to look at him. "Who else do you need to call?"
Castle raised his chin, telling her to just wait a moment and then plastered a concocted smile on his face. "Hey, Dr. Davidson, it's Rick Castle. Sorry to bother you, but it's go-time for Kate and our baby."
Kate was aware that her obstetrician's office would contact Josh when she was headed to the hospital, so why did Castle feel the need to call him as well? And why was he referring to Josh as Dr. Davidson?
"Ah, okay, so Dr. Ange's office had informed you that we're on the way, she's in labor, contractions about five minutes apart?" He paused as Josh confirmed the information he had received. "I'm calling because I want you to be aware that Kate's in a little bit of a panic attack," Kate gripped his bicep with both hands and directed his attention toward her with a what the hell kind of look on her face.
Still, Rick spoke into the phone clearly and certainly loudly enough for Kate to hear - purposefully. "As you told me, in the aftermath of a cardiac surgery, the possibility of future problems don't really bother a patient until something causes reality to sink in. I apologize for scoffing at that when we talked the last time. I think I'm witnessing that right now. Josh, I'm not sure what to do to help her."
Kate ducked her head and they continued toward their vehicles. Her husband knew her very well and even in her calm but panicked state, she appreciated his words and actions, a lot.
"We'll be at the hospital in 30 minutes or less hopefully," Rick continued talking to Kate's cardiologist. "Okay, good, we'll see you there."
"When did you talk to Josh?" Kate wondered after he slid the phone into his jeans pocket.
"Last week," Rick informed her. "You seem surprised. Didn't you talk to him last week as well?"
"Yeah, but I'm the patient," Kate countered.
"And I'm the patient's partner," Rick added. "And in this particular case, the heart doctor knows the patient well enough to know that she can put on a superhero act for just about everyone around her, except her partner."
The two of them looked at each other seriously for a moment as they stood in front of the three vehicles that belonged to them.
"So he's been keeping additional tabs on me, through you?" Kate wondered and Castle was very happy to hear the hint of annoyance in her voice.
"For medical reasons… he was mainly asking about sleep patterns, Braxton Hicks, additional weight gain or swelling…blood pressure…"
"Did he think I was lying to him about those things? He asked me the same questions. Told me the same thing about -" Kate's voice stopped cold for a second.
"About potential future heart issues? So I'm guessing you scoffed at him as well?"
Kate bit her lip. She had - she knew she had. How many times could she tell her doctor that she was fine without the man saying to be careful because the fear and panic can sneak up on you? She refused to admit anything.
"Well okay then," Rick straightened his back and looked at his wife who was now pouting, "Now that we know they're setting up your party room at the hospital, how about we go join your doctors?"
Kate looked at him with the glare that warmed Castle's heart from the first day they met. She took a step toward the Ferrari convertible and pouted again when Rick tugged her towards the fleet-issued police sedan.
"The Ferrari will get us to the hospital more quickly," she complained.
"I'm not taking the chance on my baby being born in my car-baby," Rick countered. "Plus, that idea just sets all sorts of weird karma in motion for her future and ours. I'd never be able to make out with you again in that car. And that would be a crying shame…truly."
Kate smirked at him. "What if she was conceived in that car?"
Castle gave her a weird look. "No, that doesn't fit the time frame. Pretty sure she's a Hamptons-bred Castle kid. Now when you're ready to work on the other two, you let me know. Cause I know this great little secluded area off the beaten path where we can park the Ferrari, ditch our clothes and…mmm…"
"Caaa-ssssle…"
"I thought you might like -"
Her grip on his arm tightened as Kate's knees nearly buckled.
"Kate!" He dropped both bags and held onto his wife, meeting her eyes that immediately filled with tears as the worry and panic returned.
"It's just another contraction, Sweetheart. Breathe. Come on now, Kate, breathe. We're gonna get in the Mercedes… breathe…" he looked at his watch. "That's still 4-5 minutes apart. Should we call an ambulance?"
Kate shook her head but Castle couldn't tell if that was a truthful 'we don't need an ambulance' kind of response or an 'I'm scared and don't want to face the truth' sort of action.
"More…intense," Kate sought his eyes for answers and encouragement.
"Okay…okay… big question here Mommy," Castle eased her back to lean on the hood of the car, "will you be okay with me driving you to the hospital if another one like that hits? Or do you want me to be right here with you, with someone else driving?"
"I just want you," she whimpered. "I just want you to take me and you by my side."
Castle took a deep breath, using some of the breathing techniques they had learned in the birthing class. He somehow got Kate situated in the passenger seat and said a quiet prayer as he rounded the car and climbed behind the wheel.
"Please let us get to the hospital before the baby is born. God, I'm not sure I can handle it if I'm by myself and something happens to Kate or our baby. Please let us make it to the hospital."
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Dr. Joshua Davidson felt a lump in his throat as he waited near the emergency room doors. Each one of his patients had lives that mattered. Each was a human being with hope for a future and reasons to survive. But not every patient was Kate Beckett.
Not every patient was the woman he had fallen in love with…literally saved her life…and then lost her to another man. He wouldn't/couldn't begrudge Kate's choices, nor her husband's.
Hell, if the story was reversed he would happily fill Richard Castle's shoes.
But they had worked through that angst and moved forward, obviously. Otherwise he wouldn't have turned down the 3-month stint in Brazil to wait on the Castle's baby to be born. Otherwise he wouldn't feel this case of nerves - similar to the same bout of anxiety that had struck him the day Kate was shot and he ended up in the surgery suite covered in her blood.
He took a deep breath and wished, for a moment, that he smoked…a cigarette might come in handy right now. He sucked in another breath of stale, ambulance-exhaust-filled air and thought back through the conversations he had shared over the past hour.
First was the notification letting him know that the Castle's were in labor.
Second was the call from Mr. Castle letting him know that Kate was panicking and fearful about the pending birth process.
And third was his face to face conversation with the OB/GYN who had promised the parents-to-be that she would see them through the birth of their little girl. That was the chat that got under Dr. Davidson's skin.
There had been various discussions between the two of them over the past few months. They had a plan in place for the potential complications that mom-to-be might face. Medically, they were prepared.
But when the experienced obstetrician spoke to him in this wee morning hour, he felt like he was talking to Kate's own mother. "Are you prepared for this, Doctor? I understand you have a history with this particular couple. Kate trusts you implicitly. If that trust is misguided, I need to know now so we can have the most objective cardiologist on standby."
Josh would be lying if similar thoughts hadn't crossed his mind. Hell, those thoughts had been there from the moment they had broken off their relationship years ago. Could he be objective in treating her? What if it was Castle instead of Kate? Would his emotions play a factor in any of this?
He had assured Dr. Ange that he was the best one to be in the delivery room with her and the Castle family. Truth be told, he didn't want any other heart doctor there for them. Much like Kate had expressed to him, it had to be him. Besides her own husband - who had no right playing doctor with Kate…okay, perhaps Josh wasn't completely over his grudge with Castle… no other doctor would care for her like he would. Period.
"Dr. Davidson?" The voice seemed to come out of nowhere but he recognized it. His thoughts settled as he turned to see the young woman with red hair standing not far from the hospital entrance.
"Hey, Alexis," he answered with an uncertain smile.
"Hey," She held her hand out and was happy when Josh accepted the gesture and shook hands with her. "You really did show up for the delivery. Are they here yet?"
"Ah, no, not yet. I've been waiting for a few minutes, kind of listening into the calls coming into the desk. Hoping they get here before your little sister decides to emerge," he explained with a more genuine grin.
Alexis laughed somewhat nervously at that thought and was happy to see a more familiar foursome wandering their way from the nearby parking garage.
"Josh, what're you doing out here?" Came a warning comment from Lanie who immediately wrapped her arms around Alexis for a hug.
"Dr. Motorcycle Man…" a touch of sarcasm was thrown in for good measure from Javier who still stuck his hand out in friendly style.
Josh rolled his eyes, took Espo's hand and countered with a "Detective Dumbass, I presume?"
The group chuckled as Kevin exchanged hugs with Alexis and all welcomed Martha, the nervous grandmother-to-be-again into their crew.
"Castle said we should expect a crowd in the waiting room for this event. But geez… you all know it's 6AM, right?" Josh looked at each one of them.
The doctor noted Lanie's side-eyed look again and turned back to answer her question. "Dr. Parish, I thought you knew I was in the mix for this party."
"I do," Lanie said pointedly, "that's why I'm wondering why you're out here and not scrubbed up and already in the delivery room."
"Rick called me," he answered somewhat calmly. "He said Kate was in a little panic and wanted a medical someone to meet them and give her some reassurance." He was quite happy that Lanie accepted that response.
"Dr. Davidson? Kate's heart," Alexis started with concern, "I know you're here as a precaution but do we need to be worried about this? She's good at downplaying stuff. But what are we really looking at?"
Josh took a long slow breath. He hadn't wanted an audience of sorts, but the distraction was nice as they all waited. He could only imagine Kate had sworn her husband to sharing the bare-bones of their potential complication. So with no intention of scaring their family and friends, he did his best not to downplay the risks.
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When the silver Mercedes Benz pulled up at the e.r. Richard Castle climbed out quickly and handed the car's keys to Kevin Ryan who practically ran to meet them along with medical staff. "Two minutes apart," Rick looked directly at Josh with slight concern.
"Alexis, there should be wheelchairs just inside the door there," Josh looked at Castle's older daughter and pointed around a corner. "Grab one for us, would you please?"
Alexis nodded, looked at her father and then went inside as instructed.
Josh stepped toward the passenger door of the vehicle, along with Rick and looked at him. "How's her anxiety?"
Rick breathed in and out with his thoughts. "She hasn't spoken to me in 10 minutes. As the contractions got closer, she's been silent except for breathing and humming through the contractions."
The cardiologist stood back as Castle opened the door and Alexis hurriedly pushed an empty wheelchair beside them.
"Hey there, Mama," Josh smiled, turning on his doctoring charm which made Rick cringe ever so slightly.
Kate looked at them both and then at Alexis who simply waited.
"Kate, we've talked about this," Josh started again. "You are a strong, healthy woman who has taken good care of herself and this baby. I know you're worried and I know you're worried more about the baby than you are yourself. We are here to take care of both of you. But you've gotta communicate with us. You know your body better than anyone."
Castle had practically given up trying to get her to talk to him over the past 15 minutes of their 18 minute drive. He knew his wife. He couldn't force her to talk to him. He knew labor pains were a completely new source of discomfort and fright for the woman who was rarely scared of anything.
But he also knew that this baby was the one thing she was truly focused on. From the moment Kate and Alexis had determined that she was pregnant all those months ago, becoming a mom had topped her list.
That's what he focused on when Kate stopped talking and went into her breathing techniques. Castle thought back to her buying a package of newborn diapers and a tiny little pink onesie that declared 'Daddy's Little Princess'.
At that point she had told him that she finally understood the shopping spree that Rick had taken when little Bennie/Cosmo was in their care. She had never been one to nibble on babies' toes or coo at them to make them smile. But that sentiment had changed each time an ultrasound gave them a new view of their baby daughter.
He recalled how Kate had gasped and cried as they watched the little black-and-white fetus lift its hand to its face to suck on that tiny thumb.
Now he stood there hoping that she would talk to Josh or Alexis or Lanie or Dr. Ange. She didn't have to say another word to him. He would be right by her side and she could stay silent or give him her meanest left hook. It didn't matter as long as Kate and their baby were okay.
"Kate," Josh was staring right into her eyes and she was looking through him.
"Kate?" Alexis's voice sounded from just beyond Josh's hunched over stance. "When is Papa Beckett gonna get here? You are always strong for him. Is that who you need right now? I know he's on his way."
Kate squinted her eyes, blew out a breath and grimaced as another contraction began. "Dad's not here yet?" She reached a hand out the door of the car and Josh immediately took it to help her but she waved him off. "Castle?" She looked beyond Josh toward her husband and the doctor immediately moved, allowing Rick to be by her side.
"I called him, Sweetheart. Jim's on his way. I'm sure he'll be here-"
"No, help me out of this blessed car, please," Kate directed him more than anything, making Rick smile widely at her.
He knelt down in front of her as she turned her body, setting her legs out of the car and onto the ground. "Hey," Rick caught her eye, "We're all here, okay? We're all here for you and our little girl."
Kate pressed her lips together as a few more tears escaped but she nodded at him. "I'm not gonna let you raise our child by yourself," she mostly whispered and Rick nodded, knowing exactly what she was saying.
"Clearly, I'm not capable of doing that…" he glanced up at Alexis who had not fully heard Kate's words but was looking back and forth between her father and stepmother/friend.
"No," Kate placed her hands on his shoulders to make her way out of the Mercedes, "You are more than capable, but I want the chance to raise another amazing human like that one." She looked directly at Alexis who still wasn't sure what was going on between her parents but smiled and tried her best to encourage Kate again.
"Shouldn't we get you into the hospital?" Alexis suggested somewhat urgently.
Kate stood up, hands on Castle's shoulders as he stood as well, and then she immediately bent forward and put her head against his chest. She moaned, and he encouraged her to breathe through the pain.
"I wanna push," Kate declared loud enough for all of them to hear.
Alexis nudged the wheelchair to the back of Kate's legs. She had barely finished her breath when she noticed Lanie, who had pushed her way past Josh. The medical examiner poked a finger into Kate's bicep. "Girl, I'm gonna smack you!" she threatened strongly enough that every man in their group cringed with fear.
"Get your ass in that wheelchair, get into that hospital and have this baby! You did not pull me outta bed at 5AM to stand outside the e.r. and watch you give birth in the parking lot! I've had your blood on my hands once Katherine Beckett Castle - this time it's not my turn and you're gonna be fine. You hear me?"
"Lanie, I'm in the middle of a- " her fingers dug into Castle's shoulders and he worked to maneuver her backwards and into the chair that Alexis was ready to roll into the medical facility.
"Go!" Lanie pointed her sharp tipped fingernail toward the doors and gave Kate the most mothering look she could bolster.
As Alexis and Rick rushed Kate inside, Lanie shook her head, looked up at the sky and then looked at Josh, Kevin, Javier, Jenny and Martha. "Good Lord, that woman!" She huffed and then eyed each member of their little group again.
"Dr. Davidson - delivery room, please," she shook her head again. "Kevin, Jenny, why don't you take Martha and head to the waiting room. Javi, you and I are gonna wait here for Mr. Beckett and get him to the waiting room as well. Josh!" she called before he got too far away. "Tell Beckett we'll take care of her dad and we will all be here to celebrate this little girl."
Josh appreciated the way Lanie had taken charge and gave her a nod of approval before turning back to head inside. Between Dr. Parish and Kate's stepdaughter, there was a female influence - or maybe it was a maternal one - that strengthened the woman who had been fearful in labor.
He was sure the fears were still there but, at that moment, he was also sure that Kate was going to be just fine.
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"Cutting it close here aren't we Castles?" Dr. Ange addressed Kate, Rick and Alexis as nurses wheeled Beckett into the delivery room.
"There was a party in the parking lot that she didn't want to leave," Rick joked and Kate immediately smacked a hand to his arm. "Ouch!"
"Dad!" Alexis chastised him. She had been very quiet since Kate got into the wheelchair and they actually were in a location where she could get adequate, qualified medical attention.
The eldest Castle daughter had been to several of the appointments toward the end of Kate's pregnancy and was more than excited and thrilled when they invited her to be in the delivery room for the birth.
Rick had realized that somewhere along the way, his two favorite women had formed a bond that went beyond stepmother and stepdaughter. It warmed his heart and if the little incident in the parking lot was an indication, it served as another option to squelch Kate's anxieties if they came up again.
But he now also wondered if Kate's anxiousness had transferred to Alexis during that little exchange - especially when Lanie was barking at them.
As Dr. Ange and the nurses began attending to Kate, quickly putting in an i.v. and settling her into the chair and stirrups, Rick stepped toward his daughter.
"Hey Pumpkin, you okay?" He watched her cross her arms across her chest, her eyes never leaving Kate as the medical staff helped her get situated.
"Josh is really just here as a precaution?" she asked as the cardiologist came into the room and also stepped toward Kate.
Rick put a hand on Alexis's crossed arms and bent his chin down without saying a word until she looked up at him. "He really is here as a precaution," he stated calmly.
"But what about Kate's panic attack? And she didn't want to tell you she was in labor? Could that be some kind of sign? I mean, all she's talked about is that she's fine and couldn't wait to have the baby but then she starts panicking out of the blue?" Alexis fired the questions at her father as quickly as they had hit her when Rick had called to tell her what was happening earlier.
"Alexis," Rick squeezed on her wrist. "If anything goes wrong, we are in the best possible place with the best possible people to take care of her and the baby. If you had hit me with these questions 45 minutes ago you would likely see me on a gurney in here. Cause Baby, I was freaked out too. I had to hold it together for her. And you know you brought her out of her panic, don't you? Mentioning Papa Beckett? Letting her know that he's on his way here too…that we're all here for her… You were the first one she responded to, Alexis. Not me, not Josh, but you."
He could see the worry still painted on her face as she gave him a small smile and took a deep breath. "Now, Lanie had her own way of breaking down Kate's walls but I think that was good too. Got us in here, which is where we need to be, right?"
Alexis laughed at the scared face that he presented while thinking of Kate's best friend.
"So now," Rick continued calmly, "with the doctors and nurses overseeing everything," he distracted momentarily as he watched Josh placing the pads of a heart monitor on Kate's chest, over the bullet scar that still remained between her breasts, "you and I get to be the cheerleaders and breathing coaches, right? Leave the worrying to the doctors."
Alexis took another deep breath, looked toward Kate who was inching into another contraction, and then quickly followed her father to Kate's side.
A paper curtain served as a visual barrier just above Kate's baby bump, to keep Dad and big sister from seeing all the intimate details of Dr. Ange's workspace. Josh was off to the side, carefully monitoring Kate's heartbeat, her blood pressure and other vital signs. Rick looked toward him once and Dr. Motorcycle Boy gave him a simple nod. So far, so good.
"Now as I've told Kate, unless something out of the ordinary comes up, she's gotta do this the old fashioned, natural way. She's waited too long to get an epidural unless a surgery is required. And…" Dr. Ange looked at all three of the family members, "she's already dilated enough…" she shook her head, "Kate, you really were trying to have this baby without us weren't you?"
Kate couldn't say a word as the next contraction hit with a vengeance.
"Push Kate," Dr. Ange said gently.
Kate looked toward her husband with those scared tears forming again.
"Deep breath in, Kate," Alexis instructed as she moved to Kate's other side and took her hand.
"Forgot…picture…you…Alexis…" Kate whimpered as she tried to take the breath.
Rick shook his head, "We've got it, in the bag…I just didn't have time to…"
"Dad! Quit making excuses, she needs to push!" Alexis shook her head as one of the nurses chuckled at them.
"Can't…" Kate seemed like she was trying to hyperventilate and kept looking into her husband's face.
"You can, and you will," Rick finally said. It was one of just a few times that he basically ordered Kate Beckett to do something. Consequences be damned, his wife needed to do as she was being told. Of course, he also pulled her hand up to his mouth and placed a quick kiss on it. "Dr. Davidson?"
"All good," Josh spoke calmly from his perch near the monitors. "Blood pressure is a little high but that's to be expected. Heart rate would be better if she'd breathe through the contraction," he tried to put on his best doctoring voice.
"Breathe in, Kate," Rick instructed again and this time she composed herself and sucked in a long breath.
It had only been a matter of seconds but Dr. Ange again told her, "Push!"
Kate squeezed Castle and Alexis's hands as she beared down and felt movement unlike she'd ever imagined.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Dr. Ange smiled at the dad who was grimacing because his wife was squeezing his hand hard enough that he thought his pinky was probably broken - but didn't dare say a word.
"Believe it or not, one more push and B.C.'s head will make its first appearance," the doctor informed them.
Kate leaned her head back as the contraction subsided but then lifted it again almost immediately. "Now? Can I push now?"
Alexis smiled to herself as Dr. Ange told Kate to wait momentarily for the next contraction and Castle did his best to soothe his wife into waiting while he tried to soothe his hand which was still in Kate's grasp.
True to her word, as Kate pushed on the next contraction, B.C.'s head appeared, followed somewhat easily by her little shoulders and the rest of her lengthy body. The verbal cheer in the room was followed by tears from the three older Castle's and a cry from the newest member of the family.
Josh took a deep breath, noting that everything on the heart monitor was as it should be. No blips, no indications of anything wrong whatsoever. He wandered over to the family and watched as Rick cut the umbilical cord and the newborn was laid on Kate's chest.
The new mom was timid at first, holding her breath as she nuzzled her nose and cheek against the tiny, bare naked body that seemed to fit perfectly in her arms. "Castle?" she whispered his name and Rick placed one large hand on their baby's back.
"That's your little girl," he let the tears fall at will.
"She's our little girl," Kate smiled at him and then looked at the big sister who also had tears streaming down her face.
"J.B.," Kate addressed the newborn, "this is your big sister, Lexis. She's gonna help Mommy figure out the right way to raise you so you end up like her and not like your Daddy," Kate somehow joked making Alexis laugh, Castle laughed and rolled his eyes and the nurses got a kick out of the prodding as well.
After a few more moments of everyone just looking at the content baby and Kate who was still in awe of the new life, the nurses took the little girl for her official weight and to get her cleaned up to meet the extended family.
Kate pouted as they took her to the other side of the room and even added a "Don't take her too far," as the nurses smiled and 'J.B.' cried out thanks to the movement.
"J.B.?" Alexis looked at Kate and Rick. Everyone knew they were having another girl, but the name had been kept a secret - partly because it had been an ongoing discussion, and partly because they needed at least one element of surprise left to their little girl's story.
"When I was little," Kate started in a nearly exhausted voice, "I loved the name Lily. It was my mom's favorite flower and she used to tell me that they considered naming me Lily. But once I was born the name just didn't suit me. But I always had an imaginary best friend named Lily. And I thought, if I ever had a little girl, that's what I would name her," Kate smiled up at Rick who again took her hand and now placed a kiss on the top of her head.
He jumped in to fill in more of the story as Kate leaned her head against his side. "But Kate's imaginary friend, Lily, was always pretty delicate. Kate always had to take extra care of her because she would get scraped up when they played. And, as we started talking about names, she decided that maybe Lily wasn't the best option - at least not for this little one. Instead, we decided that she should be named for someone strong, someone who could stand up to whatever life might throw at her."
Alexis still gave them a questioning look then focused on Kate as she picked up where Rick left off. "I hope you won't mind," she watched Alexis's eyes for any hints of disappointment, "we decided to name her after my mom - Johanna Beckett Castle. J.B. will take the place of B.C. now," Kate smiled with a light sheen of tears on her eyes.
Alexis smiled too, seeing the love and feeling the emotions behind their decision. "Johanna Beckett Castle… I think it's perfect. I can't wait to hear the stories that you and Papa Beckett will tell J.B. about her… wait, what grandparenty name would J.B. call your mom, do you think?"
Kate smiled, wondering what was going through Alexis's mind. "Probably Nonna," Kate answered. "That's what I called my mom's mom. I think it was the name that my mom came up with for my grandmother. Why?"
"I just want to make sure I use the right names when I'm telling J.B. about her grandparents. I can tell her all about Grams," she smiled and rolled her eyes, "and there's Papa Beckett, of course. And I want to learn all about Nonna Beckett too, so I can include her as part of J.B.'s family tree."
Kate smiled and shook her head, "Can you move back in with us, tomorrow, please?"
"I'll be around," Alexis promised as the nurses brought a cleaned up bundle of baby back toward them.
"Mama, you want her back?" the nurse offered but Rick interjected slightly.
"Can I, please?" he looked at Kate who nodded and gave him an understanding smile.
He cradled the little bundle in his arms and looked at Kate, then Alexis, then back at baby Johanna. "Oh," was all he could say.
Kate looked up at him, her husband, silenced by their new baby. She saw it immediately and sucked in a breath. Rick's face was practically glowing as he looked down at his daughter. His smile changed from an Oh My God excitement type look to a humbled I love you with everything inside of me.
It was a look reserved for Alexis, and now for J.B. as well. Kate understood what he meant when he talked about Alexis's birth and the immediate bond. She had felt it when they placed J.B. on her chest and now she could see it in his eyes.
Alexis saw it too. It was an ever so slight change in her father's features - and she also saw the serene shift in Kate's aura as well. It was a bond they would share for eternity and she didn't mind. Her dad deserved it and so did Kate.
"I'm gonna go see the crew in the waiting room," Alexis spoke softly as she wandered around and peeked at her little sister over her dad's elbow.
"Do you wanna hold her?" Kate asked Alexis, only to notice the slight pout on Castle's face at that idea.
"I will soon," Alexis assured her. "Right now I think you will be lucky to get her back."
"Hush, we're bonding," Castle explained and then went back to simply staring at the baby girl.
Alexis snuck out of the room and took a deep breath. She felt excited, exhausted and absolutely enchanted all at the same time. She couldn't wait to let the others know that Kate and baby were both doing just fine.
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"Seven pounds,12 ounces and 18 inches long," the nurse was telling Kate and Rick when they finally started paying attention to the medical personnel again. "Her eyes are blue for now, but Mom, with that dark hair on her head I'm guessing they will end up being a hazel color like yours."
"Mmm-hmmm," Kate hummed slightly as Rick passed the baby back to her and shushed the infant who was now swaddled tightly in a hospital blanket with a tiny pink cap on her noggin.
"How you doin'?" Came a familiar male voice as he stepped toward the threesome.
"Good," Rick looked at Josh and spoke with a quiet voice. He stretched his hand out toward the cardiologist and both grasped firmly as they shook. "Thank you, Josh," Rick added humbly.
"I'm very glad I wasn't needed," Josh smiled down at Kate and the baby, "but it was very cool to be here. I know it wasn't in any of your plans, but thanks for letting me be here to experience this with you. I wish you all the best and if you need me again, just call."
Kate smiled at him sweetly. "Josh, I can't thank you enough. Saying 'I owe you'..." she looked down at the grunting little girl.
"You don't owe me a thing. I'm just glad everything went better than expected," he smiled again, put his index finger against J.B.'s nose and made a little kissing sound. "Kiddo, good luck. You've got two amazing parents but you've got your work cut out for you," he joked.
"Hey!" Kate exclaimed and then softened her tone, "Don't listen to him J.B., even if he might be right."
The three adults laughed and then Josh made his exit, leaving the three Castles snuggling closely together.
"I'm sorry I freaked out earlier," Kate nuzzled her nose against Rick's bicep as he worked to somehow cradle both his wife and baby.
Rick shook his head, "As long as you're okay now, and J.B. is healthy, that's all that matters. We got here and you both are fine. That's all I care about Kate."
"I do love you, you know that?" Kate added and accepted a kiss to her forehead.
"And I love you too, both of you," Castle hesitated, making Kate nudge him to find out what else he was thinking.
"Next time, let's do this without all the chaos, what do you say?" Rick truly just wanted to see Kate's reaction to that idea.
"Next time…" she simply repeated his words, looked into the face of their little girl and felt every ounce of love that she could imagine. "Next time."
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And there you have it Casketters - I hope it's the ending you were hoping for! I've written a couple of J.B. adventures already - if you need links or story titles, please just let me know!
There will likely be a short epilogue to this one, so I'm leaving it as an In Progress story until I can put that together.
Thanks again for sticking with me. And if you're so inclined, please feel free to leave me some comments or thoughts about this story! Your reviews feed my muse.
KTCLF!
-adcg