Disclaimer: I own quite good time management this week, having this chapter ready by Wednesday (sorry for still waiting til Friday to upload). But I don't own Castle.
Hello again! Here comes Chapter 17!
I'm sorry to say this but the happy little bubble is about to burst again or at least it'll gain some cracks. But we get a little bit more of Martha, which is always so much fun to write.
I don't have that much more to say, so I'll just send you off to read and review (thanks for the reviews last week!). Enjoy!
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Castle had been right, with a few loose-fitted blouses just perfectly fitting the high temperatures of August she had no difficulties hiding the small bump that slowly started to grow. So Kate was able to maintain her little, yet growing, secret. But when she was at home, and strangely she found Castle's loft feeling more and more like just that, she did how he had told her to and proudly wore her tight yoga pants. And actually, she enjoyed it and even started to like the little bump. Also, it felt like a huge relief that there was no need to hide anything anymore when they were at home.
Over the last week, she'd seen her own apartment for about thirty minutes in total. The only reason they had stopped by there had been to collect more clothes and to Castle's surprise a quite big bag filled with stuff from her bathroom. But he didn't mind at all. In fact, he loved every piece of her belongings that was now scattered around his bathroom, and he didn't mind her clothes piling up on a chair since she refused to put them in his closet. She had clearly stated that she wasn't moving in when he had suggested making some room for her stuff. He had felt the urge to tell her that it was feeling that way but had stopped the words from slipping out of his mouth at the last second. Instead, he had smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead while she balanced another piece of clothing over the chair that slowly started to disappear.
He didn't care whether she was officially moving in or not, as long as she chose to be where he was. And though Kate had meant what she had said about moving in and didn't have any plans to give up her apartment anytime soon, she didn't feel the need to spend her time at her place. And so she was sitting curled up in one of the big armchairs in the living room, spending Saturday reading one of Castle's older books while he was in his office in a video conference with his publisher.
She was just reaching a passage she remembered reading about ten years ago, long before they had even met, and smiled to herself about the way fate seemed to work sometimes when she was distracted by footsteps on the staircase. She looked up and saw Martha making her way downstairs and over to her. "Wow, you look fabulous!" Kate smiled when she caught a look at the older woman's dress. Martha stopped for a quick pose and returned her smile. "Thank you, my dear." She came to a stand beside Kate's chair and Kate put the book away.
"Do you have any special plans?" She asked, looking up at her with her tone implying exactly what she meant. Martha winked at her and grinned. "Like a date? Oh no, darling. A dress like this can't be wasted on impressing a man. No, I'm having lunch with a woman who used to be my first cover in a show twenty years ago." Kate smiled and watched as Martha fastened one of her earrings. "So you're meeting an old friend." "Ha!" Martha exclaimed. "No, I hated her. Therefore, the dress. I can't risk her looking better than me." Both women started to laugh. Kate couldn't deny it, she loved the red-haired woman and her sense of humor.
Martha walked over to the wardrobe and got her purse and coat. "But she's involved in a production I've had my eyes on for months and she still owes me a favor. So hopefully sitting through lunch with a fake smile will be worth it." She once more walked over to Kate. "Could you tell Richard Alexis called me because he wasn't answering his phone?" Kate nodded. "Of course, he's in a video conference, he probably didn't even hear it. Is Alexis all right?"
"Oh yes, she just told me he wouldn't need to pick her up from the airport this afternoon. Her friend's father will bring her here." Martha answered. Suddenly Kate remembered that the young girl was returning from her trip today. Enjoying the last week free from worries and fear she had nearly forgotten someone else was living here too. She instantly felt bad about it. There was no way she could allow herself or the baby she was carrying to push away Alexis from her home. A lump started to form in her throat as she remembered that Alexis didn't even know anything yet about the changes that were going to affect her too.
Kate nodded and mumbled a quiet "Okay". And like a lot of times since she had started to spend time around her, Martha seemed able to effortlessly read her mind. "Don't worry, Katherine. Alexis will be more than happy to learn about this little blessing that's on its way." The older woman gave her a warm smile and reached out her hand to softly touch Kate's shoulder. "We all can call ourselves more than lucky to have you here as a part of our family. And this baby will be loved by all of us, you will see." Kate smiled back at her, thankful for the kindness beaming from Martha's voice and words.
The older woman gently squeezed her shoulder before saying her goodbyes and vanishing out of the door. Kate could still hear muffled voices coming from Castle's office, so she knew he was still busy. Martha's words had touched her more than she would have expected. She let her feet sink to the ground and looked down at her stomach. Placing her hand over it she could feel the tiny bulge under the fabric of her shirt and carefully caressed her thumb over it.
"This baby will be loved by all of us." About a week ago she had been doubting whether this baby would be even loved by its own mother. She was extremely grateful seeing this little creature on the ultrasound had been able to change that perspective. Yes, she loved this little human. A week ago it had been unthinkable for her that she could feel this content and secure feeling of affection towards this little person in her stomach. She'd been so frightened of everything involving it that there wasn't any room for even imagining what it would be like to finally see it as a baby, her baby. But all these negative feelings had been replaced and she couldn't be happier about it.
Caught up in her thoughts she didn't notice the sound from Castle's office fall silent. She startled a little when the door to his office cracked open and he entered the room, the look on his face telling her this conference didn't go like he'd wanted it to. She turned her head to face him properly. "You couldn't agree on new conditions for the book?" He snorted and walked over to her. Letting himself fall onto the cushion beside her he put an arm around her and pulled her close. She willingly cuddled up to him and rested her chin on his shoulder so that she could still look at him.
"Nearly two hours of talking and next to no results. But I don't see why I should be the one giving in on everything. It's not like I'm new in this business." She chuckled and held up the book she'd been reading. "Definitely not. I first read this when I was still in college." He looked at the cover of the book and made a face. "That one I wrote on a typewriter." Kate let out a laugh and playfully clapped the book on his thigh. "Ew, you're old." She grinned and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips to let him know she didn't mind his age at all. He savored the kiss and pulled her close again.
Slowly he parted his lips from hers and whispered "Firstly, I'm not old, I used a typewriter just for the feeling." He brushed his nose against hers, their lips only a breath apart. "And seconds, I would have loved to watch you read it in college." She smiled as he grazed his lips over hers again. She allowed him to deepen the kiss and trail his hands down her back. He settled them under her hips and tried to lift her onto his lap but she slowly pulled away from him, earning a disappointed look that was already a little dazed with lust.
"Talking of colleges…" she started "Before I forget to tell you: Your mother asked me to tell you, you won't have to pick up Alexis from the airport. Her friend's father will bring her here." She started playing with the top button of his shirt hoping the interruption won't keep him from continuing what he had in mind just seconds ago. He blinked as if he was just realizing his daughter was coming home in a few hours just like she'd been shortly before. "Oh, that's good." He mumbled. "Did you forget about her?" Kate asked and the guilty look on his face told her she hit the spot.
"Well, that won't get me father of the year award. Luckily, she can come with her friend, or she would have probably waited for hours for me to pick her up… I don't know how I could forget she's coming home today!" And he meant that. He had enjoyed the last two weeks with Kate to the max, but he had been also very aware of the emptiness Alexis's absence had left at his home. "You're just very busy today, don't blame yourself." Kate smiled and gently caressed his cheek. She could sense it troubled him that he didn't think of his daughter.
He slowly nodded and blankly stared at some spot on the other side of the room. "Yeah.." He mumbled and pulled himself out of his guild-ridden thoughts. "And I will be too this afternoon. They are trying to contact the editor and we'll give it another try after lunch." Kate frowned and let out a little hiss. "That sounds exhausting." She stated. He nodded and looked at her. "It is. So it's good I don't have to get Alexis." He went quiet again for a second and then searched for her eyes again. "Do you want to tell her tonight? I really don't want to let her in the dark any longer."
Kate gently nodded her head and he tentatively put a loose strand of hair back behind her ears. "No, you're right." She smiled. "She should know. We can tell her when she's back." A wide smile spread over his lips and he felt excitement spreading throughout his chest. "I probably won't be able to hold it back for another second as soon as she walks through the door." With a surprising verve of his hands, he pulled her onto his lap and she couldn't help but laugh at the pure happiness beaming from his face. "Gosh Kate, I am so happy." He rested his forehead against hers. "And I can't wait to share it with the world."
She softly chuckled and placed her hands on the side of his face, her thumbs gently caressing the skin next to his lips. "Well, the world will have to wait a little bit longer. But yes, it's time to tell Alexis she's going to be a big sister." Hearing these words from her sent a vibrating feeling of joy through his body. This was his family. This beautiful woman, his wonderful daughter, and the child that would soon be in the middle of them all. How lucky could one man be?
He closed the gap between them and kissed her again. Knowing they were alone and there was plenty of time until after lunch Kate quickly deepened the kiss and Castle didn't need anything more to revive the feeling from a couple of minutes ago. His hands on her hips he pushed her down on him so she could feel just how easy it was for her to remind him of what he had wanted to do.
Trailing her hands down his chest she effortlessly opened the buttons of his shirt and let her fingers wander under the fabric to feel the skin it exposed. With a smooth movement, he tore his hands away from her hips and lifted her shirt over her head. Instead of returning his lips to her mouth he grazed them along her neck, and she let her head fall back, a little moan escaping her lips. Driven by the urge to get more of her, touch more of her, he opened her bra, and she tossed it to the side.
While she ran her hands through his hair she leaned back a little bit more to let his lips reach the spot they both wanted them to be. Cupping his mouth around one of her breasts he pulled one hand away from supporting her back to trail his fingertips over the soft flesh of the other one and then gently squeezing it, causing her to moan louder. Feeling his arousal growing uncomfortably in their current position he tore his lips away from her body and brought them back up to her ear. "I feel like we should move this to the bedroom." He murmured. In agreement, she put her arms around his neck, and with a strong move, he got up and lifted her into his arms to carry her into the bedroom.
After nearly two hours spent in a pleasured daze under the sheets Castle reluctantly had to return to his desk to try again to find some common ground with all the people involved in publishing his new book. Kate went for a quick shower to free her skin from all the sorts of fluids their actions had remained on her body and then returned to her spot in the living room, putting away her shirt and bra, seeing that would be a strange sight for Alexis when she came home. And while the muffled voices in Castle's office started to appear again, she picked up her book and quickly found the page she had left it on.
Time flew by while she was reading, and she found that this book was just as engaging to her as it had been when she last read it. And when she heard the cracking of a door she was slightly startled again, only this time it was the front door. Looking up she saw it opening and a second later the red-haired head of Alexis appeared, her cheeks slightly flushed from shifting her luggage through the door. Kate quickly glanced over to the door of Castle's office where the voices were still involved in a heated discussion. Maybe that was good. So the poor girl would get a moment to take a breath before her father let the life-changing news crash down on her.
Kate got up and greeted Alexis with a wide smile, which was returned by the young woman. "Alexis! It's so good to have you back." Reaching for one of the suitcases with one hand, Kate stretched out her other arm to give Alexis a quick hug, which she happily accepted. Finally managing to get all of her belongings inside Alexis closed the door and sighed. "Yeah, it's good to be home." Looking at her face Kate could instantly tell something was troubling the girl in front of her.
"Oh, didn't you have a nice trip? It sounded like that from what your father told me out of your text messages." Alexis looked away from Kate's face and hesitated. Kate gently reached out for her and touched her shoulder. "Hey, what is it?" Alexis turned to look at her again and Kate could see the tears shimmering in the ice-blue eyes. "Oh, come here!" She said and without further thinking pulled the girl into a tight hug. Alexis rested against her, and Kate could sense she was gathering her strength to stop herself from crying to be able to talk.
After a few moments, Alexis pulled away from her and gave her a weak smile. Kate led her to the couch she had been sitting on and Alexis let herself fall onto it with a defeated sigh. Slightly concerned Kate eyed her from the side as she took a seat beside her. Even after such a short time this girl meant a lot more to her than she would have expected when her relationship with Castle first started. And the hormones roaring through her body probably did the rest to make her feel like it was her responsibility to take care of Alexis.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She asked carefully, unsure if Alexis thought of her as the right person to talk about whatever was on her mind. But she slowly nodded her head and then turned to Kate, her eyes still covered with tears. "It's just…" The girl started and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I should have enjoyed this trip. I should have been happy about all the opportunities lying in front of me. About the time that's coming up, with heading to college, getting to choose all the things that I want to do in life." She looked over at Kate who could just give her a puzzled look. "But I didn't enjoy it. It was terrible. Anna was out of her mind, and it was like she couldn't start college soon enough. And I was just counting the days until I could go home again. Back to where everything is safe, and I don't have to decide anything."
Now it clicked and Kate understood why Alexis was so fed up. She remembered that feeling well enough. She smiled and reached for Alexis's hand. "Yeah, growing up sucks." She said and was happy she could coax a little laugh out of the girl next to her. But Alexis's features quickly grew serious again. "It's not just that." She mumbled and Kate gave her another questioning look. "While I was away, I got the college acceptances. I got in everywhere." Kate squeezed her hand. "But Alexis, that is amazing!" Kate said but the young girl just shook her head. "No, it isn't." She sniffled. "It's just overwhelming. How can I ever decide what to do when all I want to do is go up to my room and hide under the covers?"
Well, the cause was different, but the feeling was all too familiar to Kate since she had been able to leave it behind just one week ago. She gave Alexis a sympathetic smile. "I know what you mean. But let me tell you, as soon as you find the courage to put the covers away, you'll find there are so many wonderful things awaiting you that there is no need to feel scared." She suppressed the impulse to bring her hand to her stomach. Alexis just let her shoulders sink. "I don't know how I can do that. I've been spending nearly two weeks talking myself into everything that's coming up but I…"
While they had been busy talking Kate hadn't noticed the voices in Castle's office had once more stopped. And so, both women looked up in surprise as the door to the office opened and Castle walked into the living room, apparently in an excellent mood. And as soon as he laid his eyes on his daughter his grin even grew. "There you are!" He exclaimed and walked over to them with quick steps. Kate realized he was way too excited to notice the expression on his daughter's face. He shot Kate a quick look. "You didn't tell her without me, did you?"
Kate just shook her head, her lips pressed together, hoping he would get what she tried to tell him with her expression. He didn't. "Great!" He sat down by Alexis side and the girl just looked from Kate to her father, the look of utter confusion about her father's excitement written on her face. "Tell me what?" She asked.
"Castle, I don't think…" Kate tried to stop him, but it was pointless. Reaching for Alexis's hands he looked at his daughter and then over her shoulder to Kate, who once more shook her head to keep him from talking. But again, without any success. "Kate and I have news! And we've waited for two weeks now to tell you." The grin on his face seemed to grow a little bit more if that was even possible.
"Kate and I are expecting a baby. By February next year, you will be a big sister." He blurted out. Kate could see the shoulders of the girl beside her stiffening. A few seconds passed before Alexis brought out a muffled "What?"
"We are having a baby!" Castle happily repeated, again not catching the tone in his daughter's voice. Alexis turned to look at Kate and she could see the usually pale skin of the girl's face looking even a little lighter. "Is that true?" Alexis whispered and Kate just gave her soft nod. She could sense this wouldn't have a good outcome.
And fitting her expectation just right Alexis pulled her hands away from her father's and got up, facing them both. Baffled Castle looked up to his daughter, but Kate knew what was coming now. "You waited two weeks to tell me? You knew before I left?" Her voice was filled with anger and Kate could hear she was trying her best to hold back tears. "Alexis…" Castle started, too shocked by her reaction to come up with the right words, so Kate stepped in.
"We have known for seven weeks now. But we, I mean… I… had some trouble processing it myself, so we didn't tell anyone right away." Alexis just looked at her open-mouthed. "Seven weeks?" She shouted in disbelief. She squinted her eyes before looking back at her father. And the look in her eyes sends a shiver down Kate's back. It was full of hurt and betrayal. Suddenly the girl's voice was calm.
"Well, that's just great. You've got nothing better to do than knocking up your new girlfriend just in time when I must leave for college. Fits just right I guess; you've got an empty room for the nursery then." Castle got up and took a step in his daughter's direction, but she backed away from him. "And you didn't even have the guts to tell me." She hissed. "So much for you want to be honest with me and this is my home too. Seems like I don't get to know or decide anything here anymore. But who cares, I'll be gone soon anyway, right?"
And with that she turned on her heels, not granting her father or Kate another glance. "Alexis!" Castle found his voice again and tried to walk after her, but Kate held him back by reaching for his wrist. She got up without letting go of his arm and softly said "Let her go." They watched Alexis reaching for the smallest suitcase still standing by the door and within the blink of an eye she stormed out of it and slammed it shut behind her.
In shocked silence, it took Castle a few moments to turn around to Kate. His confusion and hurt written on his face he asked, "What was that?" Kate gently shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you caught her in the worst moment possible." She stated and started to give him an insight about the talk she had with Alexis right before he came out of his office.
Sitting back down with his eyes pinned to the carpet he listened to her. Coming to a close Kate said, "I think getting these news while she's feeling she's losing all security she has known until now was just a little bit too much." He frowned and intertwined his fingers. "But why does she feel like that?" He mumbled. "This will always be her home. That won't change when the baby arrives. And what was that about her room? Nobody is taking it from her." Kate sighed. "Oh, come on Castle, it isn't about her room. It is about the fact that you are starting a family, a new family, while she is feeling like she has to leave hers. She feels alone, shut out, and insecure about everything that lies ahead of her. And now everything she thought would stay familiar is changing too."
She paused for a second before she continued. "I understand her. Only a couple of days ago I felt quite the same. This baby is a huge change, not only for us." He looked up at her, the frown still deep between her eyebrows. "But she is just as much a part of this family as the baby is." Kate reached for his hands. "Yes, she is. But I think she'll need some more time to see that. Give her some time, just like you gave me." She smiled softly, knowing this was more than hard for him. He had been looking forward to telling Alexis about the baby and hadn't been at all expecting her to react like this.
He slowly nodded his head, looking down at their intertwined fingers. "But I'm responsible for her. I have to find out where she's gone." Kate brushed her thumb over the back of his hand before he pulled them away and got up to get his phone. She looked after him and it pained her to see his hanging shoulders and the sadness radiating from his body.