626. Chapter 626

After Food to Die For

Episode 2.22

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'd make some sweet, chewy, delicious Casketty goodness, but I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

2016

As soon as he heard Kate's key in the door, Castle ran to open it for her. She stumbled forward when he pulled the door open and he caught her. "How was your day?" He asked.

"Don't ask." She moaned.

"That bad?"

She nodded. "Worse."

Castle ran his hand over his wife's protruding stomach. "How's our little girl?"

"I think she wants to be a tap dancer. She's been kicking me all day. I've had heartburn all day and I yelled at Espo and Ryan and LT and….just everyone today." Kate moved slowly to the couch and gratefully sat down. "Babe, can you take my shoes off? I can hardly reach them. They're too damned tight and I just bought this new pair of flats and my feet are so damned swollen…." Kate sighed as Rick carefully took off her shoes and gently massaged her feet.

"I made our dinner. I roasted the chicken, so it won't be at all greasy, and I made your favorite cornbread stuffing, the one with the pine nuts and the tiny chopped up pieces of sausage? And I made mashed potatoes and gravy. We'll have ice cream for dessert. How's that sound?"

Kate leaned forward to try to kiss him, but failed. He moved onto the couch and gently kissed her. "I love you, Mrs. Castle."

"You must to put up with all of this."

Castle kissed her again and got up. "I'll have dinner on the table in two seconds. Maybe three."

A bit more than three seconds later, he helped his wife up and helped her sit down at the table. With every mouthful, she told Rick how good the food was. Then she got a pained expression on her face, got up and ran to the bathroom.

Rick followed her as far as their bedroom and stopped. He knew that Kate hated for him to see her weak in any way. He waited and listened to the sound of her vomiting in the toilet. He waited and waited some more and finally decided he should see if anything was wrong. He opened the door and peeked inside. Kate was lying by the toilet with tears streaming down her face.

"Kate, is something wrong?"

She nodded. "Everything is wrong. You made a wonderful dinner and I just threw it all up. And I'm huge! And my ankles are swollen and my back hurts and I screamed at everyone at work and I know they think I'm the nastiest bitch ever and I'm just miserable."

Castle knelt by his wife and stroked her hair. "Need help getting up?"

She nodded and he helped her up. She put her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you."

"So? Some ice cream maybe?"

She shook her head. "Bed."

"That's how you got this way, remember?"

She giggled. "I just need to lie down."

He picked her up and carried her to the bed, gently putting her down. Then he lay down beside her.

"You'll be a great mother. I know you will."

"I just want to be a mother now." She said.

"Back rub?" He asked.

"Please."

He moved over to her other side and massaged her back.

"All you've ever wanted to do was to make me safe and happy. I love you so much."

"Always, Mrs. Castle." Then he asked, "Would you like some ice cream now?"

"Do we have the ice cream with the Butterfingers candy chunks, and some peppermint ice cream, and some salted caramel, and peanut butter fudge, and cherry Garcia?"

"Of course! What kind of a place do you think I'm running here?"

And so he led her to the kitchen for a small snack.

2019

Captain Kate Beckett stood up and waited until everyone quieted down. "First, I want to thank you all for coming to the Old Haunt tonight. Although I'm sure the free drinks and the free food had something to do with it." She waited for the obligatory laugh.

She reached out and brought her husband close to her. "I know that you all came here to help us celebrate our anniversary, but there's more that I want to tell you tonight. I have worked with the man that I love more than anything in the world for many years now." She rested her head on his shoulder. "And no one is more surprised than I am that for some reason he stayed with me."

Castle kissed her. "I did it because you're remarkable, extraordinary, and even more good things than even I can put into words."

"You tell her, Writer Boy." Lanie shouted.

"That's Writer Man!" Kate said with mock severity. She looked out at all of her friends and colleagues and smiled. "But this is more than our anniversary. I have been a New York cop for twenty years now and I've decided to retire and spend all of my time with my husband and children."

There was a chorus of "Nos" and other unhappy mumbling. Suddenly Lanie's voice cut through the noise. "Wait! Your children?"

Kate nodded. "We went to my OB-GYN yesterday and confirmed it. I'm pregnant again."

Over the cheers Rick yelled, "Drinks are on the house. Lemonade for my wife, please."

2021

Kate was woken by Rick trying to stealthily get out of bed. "Babe, what is it?"

"Shh. It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

Kate started to push the covers off of her and get up. Rick stopped her. "Go back to sleep, Kate." he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "It's a surprise."

She nodded and pulled the covers back over her.

A half an hour later she smelled coffee and other delicious smells heading for their bedroom. She slowly opened one eye just a bit and saw Rick carrying a tray with two little helpers with him.

"Happy birthday, Mommy." Johanna and Roy said, more or less together.

Kate sat up, trying her best to look surprised. "Why, Jo. Did you and Roy make me my breakfast for my birthday?"

Little Jo nodded. "Daddy helped."

"Help too." Roy said.

"I'm sure you both did a wonderful job. What did you make me?"

"Happy face pancakes, orange juice, apple juice, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast with butter, jelly and honey, and hash brown potatoes."

"My favorites. How did you know?"

"Daddy helped." Roy said solemnly.

"I'm sure he did, and I love you all so very much for this."

"Daddy didn't buy you any toys." Johanna said, looking accusingly at her father.

"I'm sure Daddy will have a toy for me later."

"A very big toy." Castle said with a smile.

2024

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle. Welcome, welcome. I have you're table all ready for you. This way, please."

Castle put his hand on the maître' d's arm. "Excuse me, George, but you should address my wife properly as Katherine Houghton Beckett Castle, Esquire, Doctor of Laws, Attorney-at-Law."

George smiled and bowed to Kate. "Congratulations, Doctor Castle."

Kate blushed "Please, George. I'm still just Kate. Rick has been acting like I've been appointed to the Supreme Court or something."

"That's next." Rick said quickly.

Once seated, Kate winked at Rick. "Thank you. As with most things I couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem. Are you going to take your dad up on his offer? He is getting on in years. He could use a partner."

She nodded. "I'm just going to work part time until both Roy and Johanna are in school. I'm a mom first and I want to act like one. I've already been totally dedicated to a career and god only knows what I'd be like if a certain ruggedly handsome writer hadn't shown me a better way."

Castle smiled happily. "Always happy to show you anything you want or need."

"It isn't easy for me, raising three children you know."

Castle looked up and stared at Kate. "Three? Are you pregnant again?"

She shook her head.

"Three children. I get it."

"And I will tonight, I hope."

2032

No one had said a word all through breakfast. Roy sensibly bolted down his breakfast as fast as he could and left the table.

Finally, Johanna spoke. "You had a motorcycle when you were my age."

Kate nodded. "I did. And I paid attention to the law. I never rode without a helmet and if I had an accident, I stopped. And I never went riding with a boy who had a suspended license and a record for possession with intent."

"I didn't know that. I can't very well get a police background report on every guy I meet. And so I made a mistake not stopping. It's not the end of the world."

"If you keep riding like that, it could be the end of the world for you, Johanna Houghton Castle. So, you're grounded for a week."

"What? That's totally unfair."

"Fine. You're grounded for two weeks."

"This is like being in prison or in some dictatorship." Johanna screamed, then got up and left the kitchen.

"We were never like that, we're we." Rick said.

"Never." Kate replied.

Then they both laughed.