Cracks in the Castle

Chapter Nine

Most of you know I struggled with this story a bit more than the others. I appreciate all of you who take the time to give me feedback. There may be a sequel, Chaos in the Castle, if I can wrap my brain around it. Thanks for reading!

Rick Castle sat cross-legged on the floor, tapping away at the laptop on the coffee table in front of him. Sitting behind him on the couch was a very pregnant Kate, dressed in one of Rick's large tee shirt and boxers; her legs flopped over Rick's shoulders, her eyes glued to his computer screen. She was gently running her fingers through the hair on Rick's head, and he would frequently turn to place kisses on the inside of Kate's bare legs while never missing a keystroke.

They had spent the last four weeks like this, working on Rick's novel. After numerous attempts they had found their current position worked the best, allowing them both to have a clear view of the screen and Kate being able to stretch out and get comfortable, not an easy thing to do when you're eight months pregnant.

Rick was under extreme pressure to finish the novel and their sessions were long. But after the grueling two months of LSAT prep, this seemed almost like a vacation. The fact that Kate had done exceptional on the LSAT (98th percentile) and had received word that she was accepted into the fall class at Columbia made the atmosphere in the loft upbeat.

What surprised them both was how easily it had been to write collaboratively. Once they found this comfortable position, they fell into a rhythm almost immediately. They tossed out crazy ideas, critiqued plot points, argued constantly about dialogue, and soon were finishing each others sentences, all the while relying on their usual verbal sword play and witty banter to lighten the mood.

"'That line is sooo cheesy, Castle. Nikki would never say that."

"'My public loves cheesy, Kate. And Rook makes her do cheesy things. That's why she can't resist him."

"He's the one who can't control himself, Castle. Nikki manipulates him with just a look."

"In chapter nine, who shows up at Rook's apartment lookin' for a little loving, might I ask?"

"Yea, well maybe we should rewrite that and send Nikki off to get her needs filled by Dr. Nosh Pansy, instead."

"Now that's cheesy, Kate!"

Another typical exchange:

"We are not rewriting the sex scene again, Rick, it's fine."

"Come on Kate, can't we at least read it out loud to each other, especially the part where Nikki tells Rook how great he was?"

"No, Castle. And we're definitely not acting it out ever again."

"But it adds to the realism!"

"It's creepy, Castle! I can't believe you talked me into attempting that last night."

"Admit it, Beckett, you got into it big time. And very resourcefully I might add, given your current limitations!"

"Shut up and type, Rick."

Today they were trying to finish a chapter before breaking for lunch and Rick's afternoon massage and pampering of a very pregnant and somewhat miserable Kate. She felt huge and unattractive, but the truth was her weight gain was all in her abdomen. For his part Rick found the site of a pregnant Kate to be one of the most beautiful images he had ever seen, and simply couldn't stop worshiping her body in his own creative ways.

"I think this is where Nikki should have her 'aha!' moment and figures out the connection to the missing jewelry," Kate mused as they both stared at the laptop.

"Beckett, it's too early..." Rick answered, concentration etched on his face, his hand gently stroking the outside of her kneecap.

"Really?" Kate crinkled up her face, her right hand leisurely massaging his scalp. "You think so?"

"If you remember I had outlined it to come up in the next chapter. Rook actually makes the connection when he comes across one of his grandmother's old necklaces."

Kate wasn't convinced. "Oh really? We'll just see about that, writer boy. Because when we get to there if I don't like how it flows, I want to come back and put it in this chapter. It's a perfect fit to have Nikki have the insight while cleaning her apartment."

"Yes, writer girl, whatever you say." Rick said grinning. He couldn't believe how easily writing and creating came to his wife. She was a natural.

He quickly finished typing the paragraph and said, "I think we should take our lunch break now, and then to bed for your afternoon massage, followed by a long nap."

Kate sighed contently. She loved the way Rick would massage her, starting with her aching feet and slowly working his way up her body, stopping to plant gentle kisses on her very swollen abdomen. Despite being eight months pregnant and feeling like a beached whale these days, Kate was truly happy, thanks mostly to her doting husband. She decided the timing was perfect and reached into the table drawer in front of her and pulled out a small, eloquently wrapped box.

"Rick, it's my turn to spoil you with something," Kate grinned while handing him the slim box.

"For me?" Castle's eyes were wide with excitement. He pulled himself up and sat on the couch next to her. "Is it a picture of you in that new sexy nightie I like?" He asked breathlessly.

Kate slapped his arm playfully. "Only you would think I look sexy when I'm eight months pregnant with twins, Castle. This is better. Trust me."

Rick looked at her with a quizzical eye. She nodded her head, indicating he should open the box. He complied, and inside found an envelope addressed:

Rick,

You've done so much for us, this is for you.

Love, Kate and your kids.

He looked even more confused as he opened the envelope and pulled out the small card inside. He immediately recognized it as a Social Security card. Rick turned the card so he could read the name on it. His mouth fell open and his eyes looked up and met Kate's.

"Kate?"

"I'm not a detective anymore, Rick. I'm just your wife." Kate said solemnly.

"You really changed it?" Rick was slightly in awe.

"Yup. I'm Katherine Castle, now. It's official." Kate beamed at him, knowing perfectly well how much her gesture meant to him.

"But when did you do this? We haven't spent any time apart in months!" He was truly bewildered.

"Remember when Lanie insisted on a girl's out afternoon? We actually spent the day in line at the Social Security office!" Kate announced proudly.

"He leaned in and kissed her deeply. "Just Castle? Not Beckett-Castle?" Rick asked gently.

"Nah, that's overdone. Besides, I'm pretty sure our kids will want us all to have the same last name." She placed her hands on her abdomen.

'Thank you, Kate. One of the best present's ever!" He sat smiling, looking down warily at the card in his hands as if trying to make sure it was real.

"Did I mention this present is another twofer?" Kate inquired mischievously.

"Really?" Rick was nervous. The last time Kate said that, part two was a real doozy.

She grinned at him, raising an eyebrow. "Want to try and guess?"

"Kate, it's not triplets, is it?" He swallowed hard.

"No, Rick! Please don't even joke about that. But remember yesterday at my appointment with Dr. Stevens when you had to step out to take that conference call with Paula?"

"I'm sorry, Kate. I know I missed almost the whole visit. You said she wants you off of your feet as much as possible…"

"Well, I didn't quite tell you everything she said." Kate took his hand.

"Is there a problem? Kate, whatever it is…" Rick' heart started racing and he turned ashen with worry.

"No, its fine. Good news actually, at least for me." She rubbed her extended abdomen. "It was just a bit of a shock," Kate added reassuringly.

"Kate, I know you keep saying you feel so big for just twins…" Castle teased her, feigning mock horror. "Don't tell me you're the next octomom?

Kate rolled her eyes and lightly punched his shoulder. "Stop that, Castle! I'm not that big."

She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. "Rick, we're going to have our hands full because these two are already stubborn. And they've made a decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"They've decided to come early."

"Early? Like how early?"

"A month."

But that would mean..."

"Anytime now, Rick, anytime."

"What? But Kate! The nursery still isn't done and we need to finish the book and wait...are you OK? Are you having contractions?"

"Rick, slow down. I'm fine. But something tells me it's not going to be much longer. I can just tell."

Rick's brain was in overdrive. "I thought we had another month, a few weeks, at least. I wanted everything to be perfect for you! I have so much left to do... Do I need to let people know? Or do they know already? You didn't tell Lanie before me, did you? We should call Alexis right now... Oh! We haven't packed your hospital bag! What about the nursery? The furniture doesn't even get delivered until next week. Kate, we're not ready for this! I don't know where to even start. What should we do?" For once, the usually unflappable Rick was truly overwhelmed.

Kate calmly reached for his hands and held them tight for a moment, then guided them to her abdomen, imitating their familiar routine of comforting their babies with gentle strokes.

"Rick, do you know what we're going to do?" Kate said soothingly, a hint of confidence creeping into her voice.

Richard Castle raised an eyebrow curiously at his wife.

Kate Castle smiled and said triumphantly, "Dive in."

The end for now!