Prompt: At the end.
Disclaimer: Not going to happen.
"Kate, I'm home." Castle shouted as he entered the loft. He couldn't see his wife or their child, he figured that they must be upstairs in the nursery so he went up. As he was walking down the corridor he could hear Kate's voice try to sooth their child.
"C'mon baby, momma needs some sleep too." Kate had turned to singing in the hope that it would encourage Jack to go to sleep. "Hush little baby don't you cry, daddy is going to buy you a mockingbird." She was just humming the tune now as he looked on from the doorway. "I wish your daddy was here to buy you a mockingbird, maybe you would go to sleep then." The singing wasn't helping.
"Daddy is here." In her surprise Kate turns around to see her husband. "He hasn't got a mockingbird though."
"Rick, what are you doing here?"
"Surprising you."
"You weren't meant to be back for another three days."
"It got cut short, I would have thought you'd be happy?"
"I am."
"Then why the long face?"
"This one is teething and I've had about three hours sleep in the last two days and I'm sick and we need to talk but can you help me here?"
"Yeh sure." He took Jack from her arms and he hadn't realised that there were unshed tears in her eyes meaning something else is up. "Hey, Kate, what's got you upset?"
"Just can you get him to sleep and then we can talk."
"Sure, go downstairs and get us a drink while I sort this one."
"Thank you." She kisses her two favourite men on her way out.
"C'mon, Jack, why won't you settle for your Mum?" Fortunately Jack was beginning to quiet down. "What's wrong with her, eh?" Rick placed a kissed to his son's head. They stood there for a few minutes until Castle was sure that Jack was asleep. He carefully placed him in his cot before going in search of his wife.
She was sat on the sofa staring into her glass. He sat down next to her and removed the glass from her hand placing it back on to the table next to his mug. He hadn't noticed before that she had a glass of water and she'd made him a coffee. He took her hand and softly spoke "Kate, what's wrong?" No answer just heavy breathing, he picks his wife's legs up to twist her around so her legs are over his thighs. "C'mon, there's more to this than tiredness." He had absentmindedly started rubbing circles on her calf. She had her head on his shoulder waiting for the right moment to speak.
"I thought that I was just overtired and worn down from work and not sleeping but there's something else."
"You're not ill, ill are you?"
She lifts her head up from his shoulder to look at him, that wasn't the question she thought he would ask. "No, nothing like that."
"Then what?"
"I'm pregnant."
"What?" He replies in a state of shock.
"You know, with child? Like I was not so long ago."
"I know what pregnant is but we were careful."
"I thought so too."
"So why are you sad?"
"I'm not sad, I didn't know what to think. I only found out two hours ago but all the signs are there so it's not gonna be a false positive."
"No, so there's nothing else wrong then?"
"No, why?"
"It's just with Jack, you were overjoyed and now you aren't."
"No, no, no. I am pleased but just because I do not want to scream it from the top of my lungs right now is because I'm scared. Jack is still a baby, Jack was planned, I'm nervous and I'm still breast feeding my first. Isn't it just too soon? You've not said anything either."
"First, a baby is wonderful news. Not the news I was expecting but still it is great. Second, so what if Jack is still a baby, he'll be a toddler when this one is born." He said rubbing his hand over her stomach. "Thirdly, lots of people have babies who weren't planned and why are you scared?"
"Because, because..." She didn't really know how to explain why she was scared in a sentence, give her an hour and she'd be fine. "I just am okay, I wanted to at least have my first out of nappies before number two came along." She let out an exhale of breath before continuing, "I wanted a bit more experience and time for just us and Jack."
"There will still be lots of time."
"I know."
"Hey, c'mon. Smile. It is good news."
"I know, I'm happy. I'm just going through the morning sickness already and I was sick about two minutes before you arrived."
"As bad as last time?"
"About the same."
"Well I'm home now and I will do everything I can to help."
"Thank you." She snuggles into his neck, enjoying the feel of having him back. Two weeks alone with a teething child and a demanding job like hers do not mix.
"C'mon, let's get you and our second soon to be whiny teething baby to bed." She smacks him softly on the chest as he picks her up to carry her to their bedroom.
"You're terrible."
"You love it."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'm glad you're home. I missed you, the bed is cold without you." She says as he gently places her on their bed.
"So what I'm your bed warmer?" He says as he is walking around to his side.
"You are, amongst other things."
"Time for you to go nighty night." He pulls the covers up around them and brings his wife into his arms as they both fall off to a peaceful sleep.
Until three hours later when Jack wakes them up with his cries.
Prompt (from Tumblr): Castle has been on a book tour for a while and comes home to find Beckett upset because she just found out she's pregnant again and their (first) baby is still a baby and she's emotional and feels sick and Castle comforts her.
There, hoped you liked it. I wrote it on my phone in about half an hour.
Please review? Please.
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