My entry in the 12th precincts Valentines day competition. Thank you so much to those that voted and hosted the competition. And in the UK it's officially the 14th so Happy Valentines Day one and all.

"Sing to me, sing to me sweetly."

Kate hummed, the soft tone of her voice settling around them and she sighed, letting her back fall against the arm of the couch and her knees rise up from beneath her. It took a little bit of wiggling but she finally found herself in a comfortable place and with a poke and a tug, a gentle slide, she pressed the tiny head against the width of her thighs, pulling the small chubby knees and feet onto her chest.

Once the baby was in position she shuffled back and smooshed them both down, until her chin rested on her chest and the baby was angled above her, staring down.

"There." She smiled sweetly up at the child, pleased with herself. "No muss no fuss, happy baby, comfy me." She ran her finger over the little girls nose, drew a circle at the tip before her thumb danced out to join the others and she found herself caressing her soft bottom lip. "Don't tell anyone." She whispered conspiratorially to the infant, "But this is actually pretty easy."

Hearing a snort from behind her, Kate rolled her eyes and pressed the baby's nose again, watching as she scrunched in on herself at the contact. "He is going to disagree." She whispered again, just loud enough to be sure Castle could hear her. "But you can ignore him, I do."

"Just wait for the screaming and the three a.m feeds." Castle chuckled. "Diaper rash and temperatures, hissy fits and baby vomit."

Kate heard the soft shuffle of feet as he moved closer, felt a hand cup the back of her head and she looked up into the upside down, smiling face above.

He laughed and she pushed his hand away with her head, "Don't make fun." She warned, one hand sliding over the baby's pudgy tummy as the other drew slower circles on her cheeks.

"I'm not." He promised, dropping down onto the floor next to them both, "I was laughing at her, watching me. Copying you already."

"She did?" Kate asked, ridiculously pleased and smiling at the little girl.

Castle watched as Kate fussed and cooed at the baby, completely relaxed and unaware of how adorable they both looked, then just as drastically her demeanor changed. She bit her lip frowning, a single digit tracing the shell of the baby's ear.

"Promise not to make fun?" She breathed, angling her head so she could see him again. Her eyes so wide with hope and something unknown that he would promise her the world if he thought it would make her happy.

Castle pulled himself up, until his head was level with the baby's and together they stared back at Kate. "I won't." He smiled softly, nudging his nose against her fingers where they rested at the little girl's ear. "You can tell me anything." The unspoken 'you know that' resting between them until she drew in enough breath, and courage, to let her secret out.

"I...I kind of want...to keep her." Kate scrunched her nose and smiled, and Castle's head dropped onto her leg as he laughed.

"I think we're stuck with her for a while at least." He gestured towards the door and the bags upon bags that littered the floor. "We did agree to the whole weekend, you know, for Valentines day."

"I know." She flicked out her finger, deliberately missing the tiny head cocooned in her lap and hitting the big dopey one instead. "I meant beyond the whole weekend, babysitting thing...I want to-"

She stopped abruptly, shrugging, not knowing if she had said too much, not enough or the wrong thing entirely.

"Oh." He blinked a few times, "Oh...You wanna go on the lamb and kidnap the Ryan's baby?"

"Little bit, yeah." She laughed, relieved that he understood.

"It could be arranged. I know a guy." He winked, and grinned when the tone of his voice so close to her little head made the baby turn to watch him. Her eyes opened, wide circles of the lightest blue darting rapidly as she followed him, her mouth parting and popping open and closed like a fish.

Castle let himself sink into the gentle peace of the contented baby as she grunted, smacked her lips together and made a squeaky sound. Her little fists danced in the air, pleased with herself, before she caught hold of Kate's fingers and tried to pull herself up.

"She's so -"

"Beautiful." Kate said softly, but when he looked up her eyes were focused on him, shimmering gently in the muted light before she turned back to the baby.

The silence held for a few seconds, disturbed only by their breathing and the occasional baby squeak. He let the quiet pass for as long as he could, holding onto her thigh and brushing the back of the baby's hand with his thumb.

"So." He pressed his lips together, watching as she smiled again, so freely and serenely at the baby who held her attention. "You wanting to keep her, what does that-?"

"I don't know." Kate answered honestly. She held the baby in place with one hand so she could reach for him, brushing her fingers through the hair that fell against his forehead. She wished she could be more giving, more open with her answers. She wanted so much for him to not always be waiting on her ifs ands or maybes. It wasn't fair.

He nodded as if he already knew that would be her answer. Their second Valentines day as a couple, no ring on her finger and a tentative agreement to move in together at some point, all vague possibilities of a future they were working at creating, whilst not actually doing much to cement it.

He felt her fingers still in his hair, but he had to ask, "Does it mean maybe?"

There was such hope in his voice, infused to the very depths of his gentle, kind and loving eyes, that it pressed at her heart, making it feel full to bursting and painfully empty at the same time.

The need she had to give him more of herself, let them both have more of what they deserved, so powerfully intoxicating and all resting in her hands.

"No." Kate shook her head, closing her eyes to stem the tears that rose immediately the moment she saw the light in his own diminish. "No. It doesn't mean maybe."

His fingers fell away from the baby's chest and he gripped her arm tightly, holding on until she opened her eyes. "It means one day." Kate vowed, lifting the baby to her chest and shuffling to sit up so she could pull him. One hand on his sleeve she dragged him up with her on the couch, cradling the babbling child as she did.

She gave the girl up willingly into his safe and waiting hands so she could burrow into his side, finding her head on his shoulder and her hand on the small curve of the girls spine as they shared his chest.

Kate pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat, listened to his heart beating a little too fast, just like her own. She breathed in the scent of him, her partner, her Castle and the overpowering smell of baby that lingered against his skin.

"One day." She said again, softer still as the little girl's eyes drooped, "I want this for us, for you, Castle. I want to give this to you."

A sense of family and peace and somewhere to belong. Somewhere to curl up and feel loved and protected, somewhere to spill your secrets and feel safe enough to ask not to be laughed at. She wanted to create something magical with him.

"I want this for you too, Kate." His voice quaked with a rough, raw edge that made her rise up and press her lips to the corner of his mouth. So much of what he wanted to give her going unsaid as she kissed him, tasting every little bit of it on the tip of his tongue.

"Soon." He pleaded to her retreating lips as she slowly pulled away.

"I don't know how soon is-"

"Move in." His hand curled tightly around her back, the tips of his fingers pressing at her neck and holding her to him. "Properly, after this weekend, the first chance we get." Her forehead fell against his and she hummed in agreement.

"Yes." She said, so faintly he wasn't sure she had actually spoken the words until he opened his eyes and saw her smiling down at him. Her hot breath fanned across his lips and she held tight, nose to nose, not moving away.

"We won't need to kidnap the Ryan's baby." He whispered up into her smile, "We can just make a whole heap of our own."

He felt the slight shiver run through her body, the soft and gentle shudder that he wasn't sure belonged to the side of her terrified by the idea, or the part of her longing for it, aching for it as much as he was.

"Let me unpack a bag first." She challenged back, not moving now save for the soft drift of her fingers against the sleeping child's head.

"I saw what you packed for the weekend, Kate." Castle teased quietly, "Underwear, heels and your gun. What more do you need?"

He took in the soft tumbling wave of her hair over one shoulder. The luminescent way her eyes lit up with the everything and all of their future and he drew in an unsteady breath, waiting.

"You." She answered honestly, leaning in for another kiss, finding it so very easy to divulge her secrets when he was the one hearing them.