This is so sweet and cute. Such a gorgeous look into what their life could have ended up as. Thank you!

Kate certainly does have a tender spot for strays. It's depressing to think of what their parallel lives in 2 cities would have meant in the long term. I think you were right on, though. Castle would have been supportive 'til the end.

Oh wow! Such a different take! Loved it!

not sure why but I love that we don't get her name.
we don't get much about her yet at the same time it feels like she's such a strong character.

This is fantastic. My heart just melted.

"Babe" (sigh) This is so cute

Every time seems like you've already described every possible scenario about CastleBeckettKids...But you're always able to create something new and very well written...Good work as always : )

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about this story...it's beautifully written and there are moments where it feels oh so right for the characters BUT the big conceit of Kate remaining with the AG's office after getting pregnant and having a daughter that she barely sees due to her work just makes me feel like Rick has gone to extreme lengths to keep Kate. That I personally have a struggle with being able to respect Caskett as a union and the members individually, since there's not even a glimmer or thought about getting Bracken put in the deepest darkest hole the US govt. can find...which make me think Kate is waving the stupid crutch of needing to process things on her own time around and letting her job dictate things.

With the show itself, Kate's gonna be put to the choice soon enough of "should I stay or should I go?" if only due to reaching a boiling point over government figures and organizations getting away with stuff - like a certain NY state senator and former ADA - but as much as unconventional relationships work, there's one partner letting the other control the who shebang disproportionately. And Kate's consistent selfish mindset has long exceeded its best-before date IMO.

Still...an excellent effort and I loved how you described Kate's interactions and relationship with her daughter. Just wish it was healthier for all parties...

I can't say that I liked this Kate at all, I mean she acted like Castle and her daughter were problems she had to deal with. That they got in the way of her more important job, and that they made her feel guilty for having that job. I watched the first 2 episodes of the 6th season, and the FBI part of the show was boring and by the end they needed castle to solve the puzzle to save the day. Then they gave all of the credit to Beckett like always. And in the end I think the best way to make everyone happy in this story is for Castle and Beckett to get a divorce, Castle gets the daughter, they move permanently to New York and Kate can be happy with her very important to her FBI job.

Awwww, so sweet! I actually love the idea of it. I'm not sure I'd want it to be canon but it's interesting:) I really hope there's more

I loved this story! I really loved that you didn't tell us their daughter's name - I don't know why I loved that little detail but I did. And of course, it's echoed in the fact that she doesn't know what to name her dog.

I truly laughed out loud when I read the first part of this, then my heart skipped a beat when I read the last part:
"Rick Castle. I have a gun. I would hold you here against your will if I had to, so no. That was not asking if you're going to abandon me. Us. Oh, my God, us."

And I loved this:
"I'm stepping out on faith," she says finally, pressing her thumb into the top of his thigh. "Remember Royal? I wanted a dog before this, and I was always waiting for the right moment, the perfect timing. Nothing comes to me when I think I'm ready for it, Rick. It's always in the fullness of its own time, and I'm learning to accept that."

Isn't that the truth? Life is what happens when we're busy making other plans, right?

Fantastic story! thanks.

"Hey, hey, but. But. We can do this too. We can figure this out. We've figured out everything else - I mean, we are figuring it out. That is, so long as you want to figure this out. With me. Do you want to figure this out with me maybe?" - He sounds like such a dope but so cute too.

Oh, yeah. Exactly like now. A biological weapon both. - Love that.

"Wow," he says slowly. "I... Kate. I'm so glad I didn't die." - YES THANKS FOR BEING NICER THAN BEE

She turns her head back to her daughter, the five year old with the thin shoulders and dark hair, Kate's own shadow. Like her father. - Ahhhh I love that wording.

"Can I play with one? Just so he knows he's loved." - NOOOO. That's such a CASTLE thing to say and cjjahsjjsjaxjsjs.

She looks like Alexis sometimes, talks like her too; there's more Castle in his daughters than he might think possible. - LOVE this. I think because so many people hate Alexis (me included) they never write a BC child with similar traits but of course there would be things, even small things that pop up every once in a while.

"Ah, of course. A Corgi." Castle stands in the doorway, broad and handsome in his suit, an ironic twist to his lips that matches the rakish and crooked set of his tie. "Kate, how could you?" - I cannot HANDLE this. Stupid family.

"We can't - we are not getting this dog," Kate warns again, shifting forward as if she can jump between her easily swayed daughter and the dog, protect her somehow. "There's no way to keep a dog, the way we live."

"We said that about her," Castle whispers, coming to sit beside her on the bench. "And yet." - Love love love this. Because that's such a Castle thing to say haha.

"I'll keep the dog here," she whispers.

"Kate."

"He'll come with me. Give her a reason to see me-" - WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE YOU?

"You're the same - the two of you. She's silly for me because she knows I need it. But she is most herself with you." - VERY EMOTIONAL

He raises an eyebrow but he slides his arm around her shoulders and tugs her into his side. "I'm not sure owning a Corgi was ever in my dream plan, but sure. Why not?" - LOL.

"I'm stepping out on faith," she says finally, pressing her thumb into the top of his thigh. "Remember Royal? I wanted a dog before this, and I was always waiting for the right moment, the perfect timing. Nothing comes to me when I think I'm ready for it, Rick. It's always in the fullness of its own time, and I'm learning to accept that." - I love this so much. I can't even tell you.

I actually kinda love that we don't know her name. I don't know why. I like that it's not about that but about fate and the plans we don't make and all of that.

I don't know why, but you have this need to describe someone using their thumbs...a lot. Always with the thumbs and I have no idea why.

"I'm stepping out on faith," she says finally, pressing her thumb into the top of his thigh."

Why is pressing her thumb into the top of his thigh important here? Isn't there some other gesture that would convey why stepping out on faith is so hard for her? Would squeezing his thigh work?

""Well," he murmurs, his thumb stroking along her shoulder blade."

More thumb action. If the same gesture happens over and over, does it lose its intimacy?

There is a high chance I am missing something or just thinking too much about the word choice. Maybe these versions of Castle and Kate dig thumbs. Hey, no judgement. I'm sure thumbs can be sexy if they want to be.

I will say that bravo for having Kate still rockin' the job. It's not a selfish act at all. Men do it all the time, and so do women. Every family is different. It doesn't make her any less of a parent. I really loved that aspect of this fic because it is far more realistic. Nicely done.

An interesting concept but given her own childhood and her experience with her mother, I can't ever see Beckett raising family like this.

I really enjoyed this story.

From the beginning, you made Kate and Rick find their way through a long distance relationship and they did indeed figure it out.

Then it's a few years later and they are still making the long distance work but they added a five year old daughter to the mix. Kate is really feeling the strain but is still all right with how things are while they are looking at a Corgi. Loved the part when Rick came in to join them and eventually Kate relented about getting the dog.

There is hope that Kate will be able to work out of New York so that they could be a normal family. Still, being able to give her daughter a dog helps in that regard.