115Authors Note: Well, this is it. The final chapter. I enjoyed writing this little story, and I am so glad you all enjoyed reading it! As of now, there are no plans for any sequel...but who knows what I may decide.
I hope you all love this chapter. And please tell me what you think! As always, thank you to alwayscastle2 for reading this for me. Love you long time my sista!
Reviews are love, leave some!
-Krystle
Rick wasn't involved in the pregnancy when Meredith was carrying Alexis. He wasn't allowed to feel his child kick; he wasn't welcome to the doctor's appointments. This experience with Kate carrying their first child was everything that Rick had wanted. The ups and downs of her emotions, the crazy cravings she woke him up with at two in the morning, the appointments, the tears when they found out the sex of the baby, the shopping…
He went through it all with her. In many ways it was as if this was his first child. As much as he hated missing out on the time when Alexis was developing, he's glad that he and Kate get to experience this for the first time together.
She hadn't started noticeably showing until week twenty, being her first baby; her doctor said that it wasn't uncommon that her belly wasn't visible right away. Kate couldn't wait until she was showing, she wanted the world to know that she was the one carrying Richard Castle's baby, and that the only reason this baby existed was because of the love that they shared for each other. Nothing and no one was going to take that away from her, from them.
He remembers her sitting on one of the couches curled up with a book during a stormy afternoon, and hearing her gasp in shock and call for him.
"What is it?" he had asked, walking out of his office.
She looks up at him, a radiant smile on her face, and her eyes shining, "The baby moved."
He walks over and sits next to her, placing his hand on her belly, "Really?"
"Yeah," she says, redirecting his hand to where she felt the movement. She presses their hands into her belly, trying to coax the baby to move so he could feel. After a few moments, they are rewarded with a firm kick. "See!" she says again, meeting his eyes; they share a smile, and a quick kiss. She rests her forehead on his and whispers, "Thank you."
He knows what she's thanking him for but all he can think to say is, "No, honey, thank you."
He knew what the books said about Kate's hormones running rampant…he was more than willing to satisfy his wife's hunger. There were times where she'd want him just from watching him clean up the kitchen from dinner, times where she would cry when he would tell her that he had a meeting which would then lead to her saying that he didn't want her anymore because she was the size of a beached whale.
He had called Black Pawn and canceled any and all meetings, press conferences, book tours, and deadlines until after the baby was born. His main focus was Kate, and making sure she was happy, and well taken care of.
He remembers sometime in the third trimester Kate being worried that the nursery wasn't perfect. She had had him rearrange the room four times, only to have all the furniture end up in the same spot as when he started – only this time it was perfect for her. He knew better than to point out the fact that they had just spent two hours arranging the room just to end up with everything as it was; he was crazy, not stupid. Nearing the end of her pregnancy, he knew that Kate was easily frustrated.
He remembers waking up more than once in the middle of the night to find her side of the bed cold and empty. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he makes his way upstairs, knowing where she'd be. He finds her asleep in the rocking chair by the window clutching a baby blanket and teddy bear.
Walking over to her, he kneels by her side and pushes hair from her face. "Kate, honey, come to bed," he whispers.
She stirs, and opens her eyes, gazing down at him. She smiles softly, "Hey."
"Hey," he says, kissing her cheek. "Come to bed. You'll hurt in the morning if you don't."
She nods, and he helps her stand. She places the teddy bear in the seat of the chair, and folds the blanket in half, draping it over the side of the crib. She runs her hand along the cherry stained wood of their custom made crib – he knew a guy.
He comes up behind her and she leans her head on his chest, "Two more weeks till my due date." She smiles when his lips brush across her temple. "I can't believe that our baby is almost here."
"I can't wait," he says. "You're going to be amazing. This kid, and anyone who comes after is so lucky to have you as their mother."
"You really think so?"
"I know so," he assures her. "You were amazing when we were taking care of Cosmo; I have no doubt that you'll be just as amazing, if not more with this little one."
Now, as he sits in the chair next to Kate's hospital bed, looking down at the sleeping little boy in his arms, all he can think about is how perfect everything has turned out to be. Everything that he and Kate had gone through over the years: unwanted shadowing, friendship, fights, boyfriends, ex-wives, shootings, rooftops, kidnappings, job opportunities…they had made it.
Somewhere along the way, they had fallen in love, and no matter what life threw at them, they always came up out of the rubble with their heads held high, leaning on each other for support, and loving each other more than anything.
The little boy in his arms wiggles, and begins to fuss, which has Rick readjusting the baby. Movement from the bed tears his eyes away from his boy to gaze at his wife. She's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, aside from his children. She was in labor for thirty-seven hours, had pushed for almost three, and he can't remember a time where she looked more beautiful than when she was bringing their little boy into the world.
"Hey," he whispers.
She smiles, "Hey. How is he?"
"Perfect," he answers, rising to sit on the side of her bed. She presses the button to raise her upper body so she can see her son. Rick leans over and places a soft kiss on her forehead. "But I think he's getting hungry."
Kate smiles, and opens her arms for her son. She has a son! She still can't believe that she is responsible for another life. This little guy is depending on her to feed him, clothe him, and shelter him. She kisses the soft skin of his forehead, and runs her index finger down his cheek. She doesn't even realize that she's crying until she feels Rick brush the tear from her face.
"He's beautiful," she whispers. "Alexander Ryan Castle. I still can't believe that he's here; that we created this perfect little person." She looks up at Rick and smiles, bringing one of her hands to his cheek, and pulling him to her for a sweet kiss. "Thank you for not giving up on me; for loving me; for making me happier than any previous moment of my life."
"Always."
