future

"You nervous?" Castle cradles his wife's hand in both of his, drawing the slender lines of her fingers up so he can dust his mouth to her knuckles in gratitude.

Kate shrugs, watching the sonographer as she takes the gel from the warmer and runs it over her abdomen. It's so utterly fascinating.

All of it, but mostly Kate. The soft thickening at her waist, the faint beginnings of a curve. It knocks all the breath right out of him every time he stops to think about it. She's carrying his baby.

They're going to have a baby.

"Mostly I just have to pee." His wife murmurs and the sonographer, Kelly, turns to give them both a soft smile.

She's sweet, petite and reassuring. And he knows that Kate needs it. She's been worrying a lot. Of course, as soon as they found out she was pregnant they had to tell the captain, and Kate is no longer allowed on takedowns.

She can still be in interrogation though, and at crime scenes. And that scares her, scares them both. If something happened to their baby because of her job, Kate would never forgive herself.

"Most women focus on that until I get the picture up, and then everything else seems to drop away when they see their baby." Kelly says, busying herself with the transducer.

It seems still so far away, nothing to solidify it. And after today, they'll have a picture to look at, a way to prove to themselves that this is really happening.

"We can't know the sex today though?"

Kelly laughs, setting the transducer at Kate's abdomen and rolling slightly. "No, too soon."

On the screen, he sees hazy black. No baby yet, but this is weird enough. Looking at his wife's insides. Her brows are furrowed and Castle shifts his chair closer, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her cheekbone.

And then suddenly. . .there he is. Or she, whatever. Their baby.

Blue-grey and squirming, the little peanut blob shifts. In profile now, they can make out the head, the tiny stumpy legs. Kelly showed them a life size model before, but even so Castle can't quite believe how tiny he is.

A person. Their baby. Right there on the screen.

Kate's breath hitches – Rick sees the catch and release of her chest in his peripheral vision - and when he looks at her she's biting back tears.

He sets his mouth to the thread of tension in her jaw, the hand not ensconced in hers coming up to cradle her cheek. "That's our baby. Kate."

"I told myself I wouldn't cry." She grits out, laughing as a tear breaks free of her careful control and dives down toward the cliff face of her jawline. Rick can't help but grin too, brushing at her tears with the circling sweep of his thumb.

"It's okay. Wait until he's born. First time I held Alexis I couldn't even see her I was tearing up so hard."

She grins at him and then she's turning back to the screen, watching the fluid shift of their baby. He can't even imagine how strange it must be for her to see, to know that there's a tiny person full of stories and quirks and desires inside of her.

Oh, he loves her. So much.

"I love you, Kate. Thank you for our baby."

His wife nods, clutching tighter at his hand so their palms kiss. Kelly is busy at the machine again, he hopes arranging for them to get a copy of the image. "You helped."

"But you're doing all the work." Castle says, suddenly grave. He wishes he could shoulder some of it. The nausea, and later the aching.

And watching her give birth, totally helpless and outside of the fortress of her body as she is wrecked over and over-

It's going to kill him.

"You said when he's born. You think it's a boy?" Kate raises an eyebrow at him, taking the tissue that Kelly offers to wipe the gel from her stomach.

He shrugs, tucking an escaped curl back behind her ear and leaning in to kiss her properly. "I have no idea. Do you want to find out, when we can?"

"I don't really mind. I'm not a huge fan of surprises, but I can wait. It's up to you."

And yeah, he knows she's trying to involve him the way Meredith never could bring herself to. It only makes him love her more, fierce and protective.

His whole future, everything his life is, all of it is Kate Beckett and their baby. "I'd like to know. Makes deciding on names easier, and decorating the nursery, and buying clothes."

"Oh jeez. Let's not talk about that for another few months, okay?"

"Right, yeah. Sorry ." Castle stands up from his chair and swallows back the urge to help Kate up too. She can do it on her own, he knows that. He just wants to keep her safe.

Her arms come up around his neck, her body crashing against the cove of his as she steps in close, and Rick sets his hands at her hips. Surprise floods through him at the unexpected hug, stuttering arrhythmia in his veins and in the wake of it, pathetic gratitude.

Everything she offers is more than he's ever dared let himself hope for.

Kelly hands them the scan pictures, a copy each, and shakes both of their hands. "I'm putting the due date at August 18th. Congratulations."

Castle returns her warm smile and winds his arm around Kate's waist, pressing his mouth to hers again on their way through the door. "You are amazing."

"Thanks." She smirks, nudging her elbow into his. In the elevator, she takes a moment to collect her thoughts. Rick can almost see them spooling into organisation across her face. "You know, I'm excited now."

"Oh, me too." He couldn't be happier. A future with Kate Beckett.

There's nothing else he needs.

A/N: And that's a wrap! If you're interested, I just posted a list of the chapters in chronological order with the dates at which they occur over at my tumblr (I'm katiehoughton).

Thank you all so much for your wonderful, kind words. I can't possibly begin to explain how much it has meant to me. My sincerest thanks to all of you that have reviewed and kept me going with your lovely encouragement. You have made this an amazing experience, and I am so grateful. Thanks also to The Midnight Club. You guys rock my socks. Thanks for putting up with me.

Don't worry! I'm nowhere close to done with this universe.