Close Encounters 24

The drive was interminable when he was worrying, but it was lightning fast the second he stopped thinking about everything. When they arrived at their block, Castle bypassed the parking garage and found a spot not far from the front door; he didn't even have to double park.

Someone was looking out for them.

He turned off the ignition and got out of the Rover, moved around the hood to reach the passenger door. He opened it carefully but she'd fallen asleep against the strap of the seat belt and the side of the contoured seat, so it was holding her up. She looked young, even so exhausted, like maybe she was finally getting some rest when she slept.

"Kate, honey," he murmured. He closed his hand around her knee and leaned in to brush his kiss to her cheek. "Kate, we're home."

She stirred and her lashes fluttered like a kiss against his skin. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Home. Where's my baby?"

"Inside," he smiled back. "Want me to carry you?"

"Hell, no, Rick Castle. I can walk."

She could, but he still wanted to carry her.

Kate released the seatbelt and slowly slid her legs to the pavement, stood on both feet with only a slight sway. She clutched his arm to keep her upright, and then she moved from the passenger's side of the car to the sidewalk, finally letting him go.

Castle gave it to her, the space and dignity, and he shut the door of the Rover and stepped in at her side. He left the bag in the car, not even caring that he'd have to go back for it, and he took her hand in his as a pretense for holding her up. She seemed not to need the support though, and the way her fingers danced against the back of his hand was sweet, something so charming about it that it made his chest fill.

She was smiling; her lips were spread so wide that she seemed to drink in the moonlight on the street, radiant as the goddess. She came in closer and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked, clasped his hand in both of hers for a moment. She looked ready to shake off her old self, ready to run free.

Well, maybe not run.

Almost home, almost there. It was in every line of her body, that straining for home.

As they got closer to the front steps, he disarmed the alarm and unlocked the door remotely from his phone. He could hear the locks disengaging from the front stoop. Kate gripped his bicep as she took the steps, and then she pushed open the door herself.

Her father was standing in the entryway; evidently he'd heard the alarm going off and had come to meet them. He was holding James against his chest and the boy was awake, so very wide awake. His eyes were as bright and radiant as Kate's, silver as the moon as he stared at them.

Kate stopped just inside the foyer. "James."

Their six month old threw out his arms and grinned crazily at Kate, kicking his legs and lunging, babbling for her. Kate came straight to James and scooped him out of her father's arms, cuddling him against her chest, pressing kisses to his neck and cheeks and head.

"Hey, there, oh-" she laughed as his hand caught her mouth. "Hey, hey, little wolf. Oh, baby, we missed you so much. So much."

Castle shut the door after them and watched Kate, the way she handled their son, the reserves of strength she was calling up for him, for his moment. She had her forehead against James's, the boy was palming her cheeks and babbling words he seemed to think were so important, and Kate was talking back, humming with every reassurance, nudging in to kiss another cheek, whisper again in his ear.

"He do okay?" Castle asked her father quietly, standing back even as his chest ached.

Jim set his jaw and turned back to look at him with a sigh. "A week was too much. Two weeks was..."

Castle winced, rubbed his hand over his irritated jawline. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Us too."

"He's been crying himself to sleep these last few days," Jim said then.

"Oh, God."

"He was fine during the day. At night, he'd just stay up and stay up, and I couldn't get him to go down - like he was looking for you - and then he was past exhausted and he couldn't find sleep."

Castle nodded, his throat thick. Looking for them.

"But kids cry," Jim added. "Kids get in weird spells. Kate, when she was nearly two, she cried every morning when we came to wake her up for preschool. No reason for it. Just big fat tears. We felt like the worst parents."

Castle let out a shaky breath. "Yeah," he said, nodding even though it didn't seem okay at all. Worst parents was right.

"He'll be fine. Look at him. He's got you both and he's - ah, he's got his hands tangled in her hair. That's cute."

Castle watched his son twirl his fingers in Kate's hair, so short now that his twirling putting him right up against the back of her head, but Kate didn't even try to untangle him. It brought their faces close together too, and she was kissing his cheeks and laughing with him.

"Kate. Why don't you sit?"

"I think that's a command," she murmured to James. "Not a question, was it? Yeah, think so. Let's sit down, baby. Give Daddy a break."

Castle watched her sink into the couch and pull her knees up to her chest to rest James against them. She curled around the baby, kissing his cheeks and talking to him, and it finally felt okay again.

She was going to be okay. James was going to be okay.

No more crying himself to sleep. Even if it meant he slept with them for the next few nights.

Sasha had been waiting so patiently, but now she made herself known, knocking her whole body into Castle as he and Jim still stood in the foyer. Castle let out a breath and glanced down, saw their dog nosing her head up, seeking his hand.

She had never - not once - pushed into his hand to be petted like this.

"Sasha," he croaked, dropping to a crouch and rubbing her down. The dog shivered and sidled closer, nearly pushing him over. "What's up with you, puppy? We've been gone from you longer than this. Huh?"

"She - uh - she seemed to feed off the baby," Jim said thickly. "It's been pretty sad in our house the last few days. We should have come to your place sooner. At least Sasha felt at home here."

Shit.

Castle dropped his head to look in Sasha's eyes, cupping her behind the ears and giving her a good, thorough rub. "Oh, Sasha, you love the woods, and the cabin. What happened? You gotta keep the home fires burning, pup. Be James's company." His packmate. Wasn't like James was ever getting a little brother or sister, not after all this. Hell. No.

Sasha whined and nosed deeper into him, her body circling in the small space made by Castle's spread knees. She turned again, licked his fingers as she circled, and Castle gave in and wrapped both arms around her, hugging her tightly.

Sasha wriggled like a dog, a little yelp of happiness in her throat. From the couch, he heard James make the same yelp, and Kate laughing at them, and so Castle just shook his head at the dog.

"You know you're losing cool points left and right, Sash," he muttered. "Where's the wolf?"

Sasha woofed low and bounded out of his arms, headed straight for the couch and Kate, like she had to move on to the next person who'd been missing from her pack.

"Oh, there's our puppy," Kate murmured from the couch. "Come on up, come on. We'll make room. Castle, help."

Jim reached out a hand and pulled Castle up to his feet, chuckling at Kate's imperious command. They both moved into the living room and Castle went to the couch where Kate was cradling a now-exhausted boy.

"He tired?" Castle murmured. It was late; he should have been in bed hours ago.

"So tired. Aren't you, baby?" she hummed. One of her arms was wrapped around James but she had her hand on top of Sasha's back, rubbing absently as the dog stood guard, muzzle on the cushions, watching them both.

"You want up with Kate?" Castle said to the dog. "Sasha. Jump. Come on."

"She won't," Kate said. "Too well trained. You gotta lift her."

"Can you scoot?"

Kate closed one eye and gave him a look; he sighed and shook his head, leaned over her to slide his arms under her knees. He put his shoulder into it and got her pushed to one end, and then he got down and scooped up the dog, deposited her on the couch too.

Sasha whined and looked between them, tail waving slowly, awkwardly stepping - gingerly now - over Kate's feet and right up at her side. There was only a narrow strip of cushion left but Sasha settled her head on her front paws, and Kate waved Castle off when he tried to move her.

"All right, fine," he said. "James okay?"

The baby twisted his head to look at him, big goofy smile beaming across his face. Castle laughed and leaned over him, brushed his mouth to the boy's forehead. He smoothed down that dark hair and James's hand caught Castle's ear, twisting.

"Hey, hey, ouch," he laughed, loosening the fist. He kissed those little fingers and tapped James's nose. "When Mom's had her fill, then it's my turn."

"Oh," Kate gasped. "No, Castle, I'm-"

"Stay," he insisted quietly, catching her earnest gaze. "Stay just like this, Kate. Ease my heart."

She bit her bottom lip, but Castle just rested a hand on top of the dog, rubbed her behind the ears before he stood again.

Jim was watching him from the doorway to the kitchen and the man put his hands on his hips. "So. It's late. You guys want dinner?"

Castle sighed, rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'll-"

"No. You stay, son." Jim nodded towards the couch. "I got this. You get them."

For the baby, they thawed a bottle on the counter and then warmed it up while her dad finished making them spaghetti. Castle handed it to her and she tried to offer him the baby, but he shook his head.

"All you. I'll just watch."

He was breaking her heart with those looks. "You'll watch over here," she dictated, nodding to the couch. "Sit with me."

She hadn't moved from this spot herself, and neither had James. He wasn't a clingy kid, but he wasn't the kind that had to be busy all the time, so it wasn't unheard of for him to be content in their arms for a few hours, especially at night.

She leaned forward, squishing James only a little, and Castle came to the corner of the couch and sat behind them. She wormed her way back into his arms, James grabbing for the bottle eagerly, and when they were settled, it was Castle's arms that came around their son and held him up.

Kate held the bottle even though James could take it for himself. He just gazed up at her for the longest time, sucking eagerly at first and then slower as he got into a rhythm, one hand hanging on to her wrist, the other wrapped around her thumb. He was usually trying to take the bottle out of her hands these days, but not tonight.

Tonight he watched her.

Castle's chin came to the top of her shoulder and he sighed. "We're home."

James's eyes darted between them, blinking hard. His foot kicked out and nudged Castle's arm, as if in encouragement. Kate could feel Castle smiling, and she tapped her cheek against his even as he reached a hand for James.

The baby let go of her and waved an arm before catching Castle's wrist. Rick quickly flipped his hand to curl around the baby's, and the boy grinned around his bottle, milk forming in the corners of his smile.

"Drink up, baby," Kate said. "Don't waste it - not getting any more than what we've got frozen."

James had no idea what she was saying, only that she was talking to him, and he gurgled up at her, spitting milk. Castle laughed at her shoulder and startled James; the baby dropped right off the bottle and stared, and then he laughed back.

"Hey, now," Castle chuckled. "Calm down, son. You're drooling milk all over us and the couch both."

"Oh, the couch," Kate sighed. "It's already stained and ugly, isn't it, baby? Tell him it doesn't even matter."

James blinked up at them, but he released Castle and Kate both, clamping his hands on the bottle. She rubbed his lips with the nipple and he sucked it into his mouth, working furiously now.

"There you go," Castle whispered. From behind her, he finally reached out and stroked his hand over James's head, laying his hair down. James's eyes drooped at the movement, popped back open when Castle's hand passed over him. He struggled with the bottle, getting it in his gums and chewing, and then he went back to sucking, watching Castle now.

Kate barely moved, tried not to ruin the moment.

Castle skimmed his fingers over the boy's forehead and down his temple, along his cheek. James only stared, remembering in spurts to feed again, and then stopping to stare. He'd missed his daddy too, not just her; it was Castle who usually came and got him out of bed in the morning so Kate could shower, Castle who fed him breakfast.

All those routines disrupted, all the mornings his daddy hadn't come to get him, all the nights he had wanted to be rocked and held and look up and see his parents.

"You okay?" Castle murmured.

"I'm fine, fine," she whispered. She was fine; she was home. Everything would be fine.

"Hey, guys. Dinner's ready," Jim called.

She lifted her head and her father was standing in the doorway with an indulgent, satisfied smile. He came towards them and leaned down to see James. The baby reached out a hand to him and opened and closed his fist, fingers in Jim's face.

Jim turned and kissed those fingers, then leaned in and brushed a kiss to Kate's cheek. "You look better, sweetheart. You think you can eat?"

"Of course," she murmured, smiling at him as he stood. "I'm even hungry. Castle?"

"Yeah, me too," he said behind her.

She chuckled and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yeah, babe. But I meant - take the baby, will ya?"

He huffed and cupped the side of her face, kissed her cheek roughly. "All right, I got it. Here, give him to me. James, you're coming with me, son. Sorry to take you from such a beautiful sight."

James didn't even bat an eye at being shifted, and Kate finally stood with her father's help.

Once in the kitchen, Castle put the bottle in the sink and cradled James against him, but the baby wasn't interested in falling asleep any more. Castle had to turn him around so he could see, and he followed their movements as they dished out spaghetti, even lunged for Castle's meatball.

"Hey, how about giving him some noodles?" she said, nodding to the strainer.

Castle pulled one out and looped it over James's little fist. The baby squealed and jerked his hand and the noodle slid right off and to the floor.

"On a plate, Castle," she muttered, rolling her eyes at him. She took her own plate to the table and sank down to her usual spot. Her father brought her a glass of tea and the fresh parmesan he'd grated, and she smiled up at him. "Thanks, Dad."

"Yup. It's just spaghetti from a can, but it's the same kind your mom and I always made you."

"Mm," she hummed, taking her first bite of meatball. He always used to make those for her too, roll out big chunks of ground round for her in the sauce.

"Oh, this is good," Castle said from her right. She glanced up and saw that James had been put in his high chair and had a trayful of spaghetti noodles. He kept poking a finger into the pile and dragging them along the plastic. It worked.

"It is good," she said, smiling. "Dad always made me spaghetti whenever I came home from camp or after some trip. Even when - after Mom died." She glanced at her father; he was only smiling softly. "When exams were over each semester, you made me spaghetti."

"Tradition," he said gruffly. "And easy to make."

"Tasty tradition," Castle said with a nod. He glanced over at the baby. "And looks like James is getting a good initiation."

Kate looked over as well and saw that James had mushed a noodle against his face - close, but not quite getting it in his mouth. It was also in his hair, his ear - how had he gotten it everywhere so fast?

James saw her watching him and cast her a shy, beaming smile, ducking his head and practically batting his lashes. Kate laughed and reached out, nudged a noodle away from James's ear.

"Oh, baby. You're adorable, you know?"

Castle chuckled. "Oh, he knows."

Kate curled against the couch with James fighting sleep in her arms; he looked almost as exhausted as she felt. Poor baby, it was late and he had always liked to stay up late with them. She wondered now just how much sleep he'd gotten; she had heard Castle tell her father, Don't tell Kate.

"You okay?" she whispered to James, nudging his cheek with her nose. She pretended to eat his ear and he giggled, that over-tired sound that still made her happy. His fist curled in her short hair and tugged, and she had to patiently unwind his fingers. "I don't know how you manage to get tangled when my hair's barely to my shoulders. Magic. Huh, baby? Is it magic?"

James gave her that shy smile, lashes dusting his cheeks as he fought sleep. She rubbed his belly and lifted away from his hand, brought him to her chest instead.

"You're okay now, aren't you?" she murmured, cupping the back of his head, stroking through the hair at his nape just like she did to Castle. "You'll sleep for me, get good sleep so I can too."

He wasn't much of a talker, but he liked to snuggle with her. His body wormed down closer and she had to use the back of the couch to prop him up, her arms trembling with fatigue. She didn't have the endurance to even hold him.

Two weeks was too long. "Too long," she murmured to him. "Wasn't it? It's late for you, little wolf. You and me both - we'll sleep so good tonight."

"Kate?"

She lifted her head and winced when James caught another fistful of her hair, fingers already twirling in it. But Castle was right there to gently pry up the baby's grip. He sank down to the couch at her hip.

"I'm okay," she promised. "Really tired, but so is he. Dad, has he been sleeping?"

Her father had just walked out of the kitchen and now his eyes shifted away. Kate frowned between the two men, Castle hesitant at her side, her father unwilling to speak. They were still looking at her like she was the most important thing in the room, but she really wished they would stop. She was tired of being the source of all the anguish.

James's turn now. He was the one they needed to be focused on.

"Dad-"

James babbled, rubbing his face into her shirt. She glanced down at him and cupped the back of his head. He mewled and tried words again. "Muh-muh." A whimper in the sound and he was clearly looking right at her.

"Was that for me?" she murmured, kissing his forehead. He had Dada - or he'd had the sounds before they'd left. Neither of them were sure he knew it as a name to call his daddy with, since he'd been saying it for both of them. "Are you talking, Jay?"

But James gave a short cry and huddled pitifully against her chest.

"Okay, bedtime," Castle declared. He reached down to take James from her and the boy sighed and clung to Castle now. His little fists had a death grip on Castle's shirt but his eyes were on her, pleading.

She shifted her feet to the floor and stood as well, one hand coming out to circle the boy's ankle. "I'll come say good-night, James. Go with Daddy."

His eyes were on her even as Castle carried him towards the stairs. When they had disappeared, Kate moved towards Jim and hugged him, both arms tight around her father. He grunted and hugged her fiercely back, a shaky sigh in his throat.

She gripped him tighter, pulled back a little to see his face. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You okay now?" He lifted a hand and put it on top of her head, like he'd done to her as a very small child. It made her go still, surprised, touched. "Everything in working order?"

She gave him a smile for the attempted joke, the gruffness. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we've got it figured out. Kind of a balancing act," she admitted. "Thank you. James - thank you. I don't know that..."

"Rick told me that his father saved your life."

She clutched her father harder for a moment before letting him go. She glanced towards the stairs but Castle was definitely gone.

"He did," she said finally. "As... bewildering as that is, he did. You know neither of us wanted to go to that meeting; we dragged our feet and tried to put him off about it. But if we hadn't been there, with him, then I don't know that I'd be alive."

Jim took a shallow breath and nodded, rubbed a hand down his face as he stepped back to the couch. But he didn't sit, he just stood there. She waited on him, knowing he had more to say, more he needed. She was so tired and her baby wanted to see her before he fell asleep, but she waited.

"Two weeks is too long," Jim said finally.

It was the only indictment she'd get from him, and she would gladly take it. It was true - two weeks was too long.

"It won't happen again," she promised.

Even if they had to go out of the country, she'd get them back here, hell or high water. They weren't able to recover or process without the safe confines of their own home, having all the pieces back together again. James made it impossible to feel whole without him in sight; he was Castle's son, he was her son, they needed him.

Two weeks was too long.

"Do you want to stay the night?" she asked her father. "James's room has a bed or you could-"

"No, no, I won't stay. James needs you and not me right now."

She bit her lip. James needed her to come get him when he cried in the middle of the night, not her father. James had wanted her, wanted Castle, and they hadn't been here. Had James woken up often? Had it been too much?

Her father wasn't exactly old, but he wasn't as young as he used to be. Maybe he-

"No, Kate, don't look at me like that. I'm blessed to have him so much, really I am. That you're confident he's safe with me. But now you should have privacy, be a family together after all this. Katie, you need to rest, you hear me? Rest. Don't do too much. Let Rick do for you."

He wrapped his arms around her again and she got a kiss to the cheek, the gruff clearing of his throat. He had always been a solitary, self-contained man; she remembered her mother rolling her eyes at her father's ways. Two weeks was too long for all of them.

"I'll let Castle-" she started.

"You let him baby you too," he choked out. "Like you're doing to James. Don't think that man doesn't want to coddle you."

"He better not coddle me," she grumbled.

"You need to let him," her father said again, squeezing her harder now, clinging to her. She had nearly died; she knew it, but she just - it just didn't register sometimes what it did to people.

"Okay," she said finally. "I'll let him. I'll let him."

"Good." Another hard squeeze before he let her go. "Good. You do that. Makes for a stronger marriage."

"What?" she startled, laughing.

"Sometimes a guy needs to feel strong. Especially when he thinks he's failed."

"He didn't fail," she gasped.

"No, but you try telling Rick that."

She stared at her father, mouth open, and then she launched herself back into his arms, strangling him around the neck in her strange flare of grief and joy.

"Love you, Dad," she laughed against his ear. "Thank you for loving my husband, loving my son."

"Of course," he gruffed. "Course. He's - the best part of my day. Your son, I mean. I'm sure Rick is just fine too."

She pulled back to share a laugh with him, and he narrowed eyes that were suspiciously bright.

Jim's gaze went towards the stairs. "I'll leave now."

"Do you want to say goodnight?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "No. Not - no. I've said - what needed said. You give James a kiss for me and I'll see you all this weekend. And tomorrow?"

"No, we're not going into work," she winced. "We can't. It's - we were listed as MIA, officially, when we failed to report in last week."

"Holy shit," her father blurted out.

Kate shook her head. "Our clearances - that's all. We don't have keys to the building, Dad. Castle will call the Director personally tomorrow, once we get in touch with Reynolds. It's fine. It'll be fine."

"Let me know when you need daycare," he said, giving her a smile. And then he was kissing her cheek again and heading for the door, and that was it.

Kate was alone downstairs, and she needed to be up there - saying goodnight to her little boy.

When she made it upstairs - and it took her a while, it took her time to navigate each step and get her breath - Castle was standing perfectly still before the wide window, humming to his son in his arms.

James wasn't asleep. He was fighting it. Kate shifted in the doorway and came inside, and Castle turned and saw her there, his face relaxing. "Hey."

"Hey," she murmured back, nodding her head to the baby. "He's still fighting it?"

"Still fighting it," he whispered.

"You told my dad not to tell me," she said. A question, it was still a question. "Not to tell me how bad it got with him. Didn't you?"

He nodded but his hand came up and cradled James's head. The baby rubbed his face tiredly against Castle's chest, but the movement turned his head to her and he sighed, hand stretching out for her.

James had missed them. Six months old and two weeks is too long.

"Has he cried for us?" she said, exhaustion pouring through her. She swayed and came to Castle, burying her face next to her son. "He cried for us." James leaned for her and got an open-mouthed kind of kiss against her nose. "Are you going to sleep for us, baby? You need to sleep, James. Please, sleep."

"Kate."

She couldn't even lift her arms to take her son; she was too tired to do much more than lean against her husband and hope she wouldn't fall down.

Castle untangled an arm from James and wrapped it around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. "Kate, we had no choice."

"I know."

"It was only at night. Jim said he stayed up with him, held him. He was only sad at night."

James had never needed to be rocked before, not even as a newborn. He always dropped right to sleep and woke up happy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had to convince him to sleep when he was this tired.

"Kate, it's fine. He'll never remember it. Kids cry."

"I want to go to bed," she said into his shirt. "All of us."

"All of us," he echoed.

She lifted her head from his chest and kissed James's cheek, then his little hand as he tried to grab her hair, like he was trying to keep her. "We can have him with us in bed for a little while? You'll have to get up and put him back, but-"

"I won't make him go back," he said quietly. "We can keep him between us."

"I don't want to roll over on-"

"You won't," he said shortly. "I'll stay up. He should wake up and see you."

See us. James was still clinging tightly to Castle's shirt, had gone to his father from Kate's arms without even a backward glance. James needed both his parents.

"I need to sit down," she said, sinking to the gliding chair in James's room. Castle caught her by the arm and helped keep her from hitting too hard, but she was okay. "Just tired."

"If you can take him, I can take you both," Castle said, bending over her. "Carry you in to bed."

She caught his eyes and then had to laugh. "You are not serious."

"I am."

He was serious.

"Castle-" she started, sighing, elbows on her knees. She felt so tired. God, so tired, and James was whining pitifully as if in sympathy, me too, mommy, me too. "Castle, don't be ridiculous."

"God damn it, Kate," he growled.

She jerked upright, staring at him, and the baby, strangely, had gone very very still.

"Rick."

"You died. Your heart stopped," he snapped. "Don't sigh at me like you're just fucking tired. You're not just tired, and you need to rest - you need to stay in bed for at least another week-"

"Week!"

He pinned a dark look on her that had her remembering, suddenly, that black wolf tattooed on his chest. His beard and the dark shadows in the room gave a fierce contrast to the shocking blue of his eyes.

"A week," she swallowed.

"At least. At fucking least. And I don't want him in his room alone, either, so that's settled - he's with us, and you stay in bed, and the whole medical team comes in tomorrow to run tests."

"Tests," she echoed, hopes crashing.

"Don't look at me like that. You were dying - you could still be dying for all I know. You-"

"Stop," she choked out. "Stop. You're scaring him." Me.

Castle cupped his hand around James's ear like that helped things at all. "Well, I'm fucking scared. And he should be too. You nearly didn't make it back to us. You almost died, Kate, and you can't keep pretending like now we're home everything's fine. It's not fine. It's not - I'm not... we're not fine." He sucked in a ragged breath and dipped his head to James, lips brushing the top of the boy's head. "I know, I know, I'm sorry. Don't cry."

He'd made her baby cry. He was crying. They were both crying, silent fat tears.

"Rick." She pressed her hands into her eyes and held them up to him. "Rick, give me my son and come - come pick me up."

Castle shuffled forward, obedient, hang-dog, his eyes not meeting hers. He laid James against her chest, and she cradled the back of the boy's head, but she kept her gaze on her husband. He stood awkwardly for a second, but then he moved to get his arms around her.

She stayed still, didn't try to resist, and he picked her up easily. "Whoa," she murmured.

The baby stirred, struggling against her, reacting to the sudden change in height.

"James," she hushed, brushing her fingers at his ear. It was - effort to hold onto him. She was that exhausted. "James, need you to be good and still. Stay still, baby. Daddy's got us. Strong Daddy."

Castle huffed, but he sounded better. His burst of anger was gone, though he still held her fiercely, not gentle. In her arms, tucked into the vee made of her chest and thighs, James huddled close, stayed quietly against her, seemed to be watching their progress down the hallway. At their bedroom, the door was open wide, the bed unmade just as they'd left it.

Castle brought her to the bed and lowered her down, a hand coming up to help steady the baby. She laid back against the pillow, letting exhaustion weigh her down.

James followed, lying on her chest, but Castle tutted softly and moved him off. "You can sleep on me, son. Not on top of mom. Not for a while."

She bit her bottom lip but she didn't contradict him; she watched him pull his shirt off and then his jeans, pile everything on the floor. James watched him too, from the spot at her hip, his head tilted back to see his father.

Castle leaned in and tugged on Kate's pant leg. "Want these off?"

"Yeah," she said, moving her hand to pop the button and unzip them, then lifting her hips.

He scowled at her and she stopped trying to help.

"I guess you're not going into the Office any time soon either?" she murmured.

He glared at her.

She chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "And what... we're going to have a big slumber party in bed all day?"

Castle's gaze flicked up to her face and he yanked hard on her jeans and brought them down her legs. She moved to kick them off and his fingers wrapped around her ankle and caught her. "I'll use the handcuffs, Kate Rodgers. Don't think I won't."

"Don't tempt me," she husked.

James rolled forward flat on his face, ruining that little moment as he startled himself. Kate choked on a laugh, tried to hold it back; it wasn't funny. Neither of her guys thought this was funny. James rolled onto his back and stared at them, an injured expression on his face.

"Oh," she laughed, gasping. "Baby, that's - you're so tired, you fell asleep sitting up. Jay-Jay, come here, honey. Come here, Rick. You too. All of us."

"Your shirt-"

"It's a t-shirt, I can sleep in it. Come here." She tugged on James's foot, gestured to Castle.

James let out a disgruntled noise, but Castle put his knee on the mattress and leaned in, scooped the baby up as he came. He settled hard right beside her, and James was on his chest, patting awkwardly at the inked wolf.

"He sees your tattoo," she murmured, turning into them, resting her cheek against Castle's shoulder. She felt it now, so tired it was bone deep - not the good tired, either. The bad, forgetting to breathe tired. James, at least, was on his father's side, not where she might roll onto him.

"You like it, kiddo?" Castle kissed the top of James's head, but his free hand came up into her hair, stroked. His next kiss came to her forehead, pressed hard in apology. "Kate. I just-"

"We're all tired," she murmured. "We're all traumatized. All of us. I don't want to traumatize you further."

"Please don't." Please keep breathing.

She would. She would be good, even slumber party for a week, even... even if he wanted her in this bed a month, she would - she would try. Kate reached across Castle's chest and laid her hand on top of Castle's at James's back. "Sleep, baby."

"Me or him?"

"Both," she sighed, turning her lips to kiss his bare skin. James had settled down now too, eye-to-eye with the wolf. He seemed to be petting it, fingers patting Castle's skin even as his eyes dipped to sleep.

It was going to take some time, but they were going to be fine. They'd bounce back, they could recover. Just time.

"Sleep, Kate. I got you. You need to sleep too."

"I am," she mumbled, and at the last, she felt Castle's fingers at her neck, twisting in her hair, just like James.

the end of Close Encounters 24: Moonraker

stay tuned for Close Encounters 25: Role of Honor