Kate makes it home from work late, their most recent case proving to be a real pain in the ass. She finds Addison curled up asleep on the couch, the TV still on, a blanket half on her and half on the floor. The girl starts her freshmen year tomorrow and Kate assumes she was waiting up for her. Addison usually doesn't make a habit of falling asleep on the couch.

Castle appears in the doorway to his office, no doubt having heard the front door open and close. She nods toward their daughter.

"Why isn't she in bed?" Kate whispers, crossing the room toward her husband.

"I tried," Castle whispers back. "She was waiting for you."

She places a swift kiss to his cheek. "I'll be in, in a little a bit."

"Did you ever catch the guy?"

She sighs, shaking her head. "Just be glad you left when you did."

He gives her a soft smile, brushing his hand across her back before turning and heading back into their bedroom. Kate moves to sit on the edge of the couch, lightly brushing the hair off of her daughter's face. Addison stirs at her touch, her eyes opening into slits.

"I hear you've been waiting for me," Kate says softly, brushing at her hair again.

Addison sits up, stretching her arms over her head and pulling the blanket into her lap.

"What time is it?" she yawns.

"Quarter after midnight."

"And you're just getting home?"

Kate shrugs, helping her to fold the blanket back up and drape it over the back of the couch. "Tough case."

"Did you at least make some progress on it?"

Kate sighs, scrubbing a hand through her hair. "No. Our main suspect won't confess and we don't have the evidence to…" she trails off, tired of thinking about this stupid case. She changes the subject instead. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Nerves, I guess."

"Hey, remember what I told you before? This is your fresh start. Bigger pool of people, you're not the school oddity anymore. And your friends will still be there for you. Plus you'll probably end up making some new ones."

"Jaclyn will still be there," Addison groans.

Kate scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion. "I thought you said she was going somewhere else?"

"So did I. Apparently her plans changed…if they were ever really even different at all."

Kate sighs, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Well, like I said, bigger pool of people. With any luck maybe you'll never even see her."

"Even if I never see her, what's to stop her from talking shit about me again?"

"That happens and you subtly start telling people she didn't even place in the Top 5 at Nationals, a competition which you won."

That gets Addison to laugh.

"Look, I know it seems scary now, kid, but –" Kate starts.

"That's just it. I've seen scary in my life, I've seen terrifying. I know a lot about what you've been through, about how hard the world can be. High school should be nothing in comparison."

"You're 14, Addie. And as mature as you are, as much as you've seen, it is completely normal to be nervous about starting high school. Don't compare it to your parents' murder or Castle being taken. Embrace the normalcy of it."

Addison smirks at her. "I feel like I heard in some movie once that being normal is vastly overrated."

Kate laughs, standing up as her daughter does the same.

"Yeah well, from what I remember about being a teenager, being normal is exactly what everyone strives to be."

"So being a rebel was the standard back then?"

Kate pushes her gently as they head toward the stairs. "Seriously, what does Castle tell you about me?"

The girl just laughs, stepping onto the first step. "Nothing but the good stuff, mother dearest."

Kate hits her arm again before pulling her into a goodnight hug. "Don't listen to him. He's full of lies."

"Why, because he's a writer and makes stuff up for a living?" Addison asks, pulling away from their embrace.

"That is exactly why."

"Just remember, Mom. You married him."

She smiles, looking back over her shoulder toward their bedroom. "Yeah. I did, didn't I?" She turns back to Addison. "Now go to bed. Falling asleep in class on your first day does not make for a good first impression."

Addison rolls her eyes. "Please, like the perfectionist in me would ever allow that to happen."

Kate shoots her a look and Addison just grins, turning to head upstairs. She watches her disappear around the corner toward her room before she finally heads to bed herself. She finds Castle reading in bed, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Seven o'clock body drop too early for you there, Castle?"

"When will murderers learn to sleep in?" he yawns, giving up on the book and placing it on his nightstand.

"Lanie said time of death was around 2 AM, remember? Whoever killed our vic very well may have slept in."

She disappears into the bathroom, grabbing her pajamas and stripping out of the day's clothes.

"Okay well then can the people who find the bodies wait until, oh I don't know, at least nine to do so?" he calls after her.

Kate sticks her head back out and shakes her head at him, her mouth around her toothbrush.

"Don't you agree it would be more convenient?" he adds.

She disappears again to spit out her mouthful of toothpaste.

"Sorry that murder doesn't operate on your timetable, Castle."

She finishes up in the bathroom and crawls into bed with him.

"I really don't think I'm asking for too much," he tells her as she curls into his side.

Kate stretches her neck up to kiss the corner of his jaw, before settling back down against his chest.

"You don't have to come in with me so early, if you don't want to. It's not your actual job, after all."

Castle huffs. "I'm your partner. It is too my job."

She smiles, scraping her fingers up his chest and tapping them along his collarbone. "You never use to get up so early with me."

"Yeah well, that was before we started sharing a bed."

Kate hums, her fingers still dancing across his chest.

"Hey, everything okay?" Castle asks her, after she falls silent for a moment.

She nods her head against him. "I'm just thinking about Addie."

"Is she nervous about tomorrow?"

"Yeah. How did Alexis handle the big transition to high school?"

"She was excited. But you know my kid; she loves to learn."

"Maybe I should have her talk to Addie. High school feels so long ago for me. Alexis could probably relate to her better."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to," Castle says, catching her hand against his chest. "They seem to get along really well."

Kate nods again. "I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for how well all of us seem to get along."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just…how well your family has accepted not only me, but my daughter, into your lives. How even though I never told you about her, and I should have, you see her as being your daughter too now."

"I could say the same thing for you and Alexis. You care about her just as much as I care about Addison. We're a good parenting team."

She bites her lip, hesitating on her next thought. It's something that's been on her mind for a while now, but that she's never actually found the time to bring up. She figures it's as good a time as any now. "Good enough that we should start thinking about having one that belongs to both of us genetically?"

Castle looks down at her tucked into his side. "Are you trying to ask me if I want to have a baby with you?"

"I mean, Addison's settled in now and having her here makes me want to experience all of the things I missed out on doing with her. And let's face it, neither of us is getting any younger –"

"Kate."

She stops her rant, looking up at him.

"I would love to have a baby with you. Our next big adventure."

"Yeah?" she smiles. "You don't think the timing is bad?"

He laughs. "Is there ever a right time to have a baby?"

She laughs at that too, readjusting her position against him so she can reach his lips with her own.

"I do have one request though," Castle says, tangling his fingers through her hair.

"And what's that?"

"I'd like a son for a change."

Kate smiles, pressing her forehead against his. "You're the one who contributes the sex determining chromosome. So that's all on you."

He hums against her lips as she kisses him again. "No pressure."

"Don't worry, Castle. I'd be more than happy with either one."

Kate catches Addison as she's pouring herself a bowl of cereal before they both head out for the day. She starts making herself a cup of coffee, since Castle is refusing to get out of bed and join her this morning. It won't be as good as his, but the caffeine will do its job. She pauses with her hand on the coffee maker, realizing she'll have to start drinking decaf once she's pregnant. She is not going to be a very pleasant pregnant lady. Was she like that with Addison? She can't remember being as addicted to caffeine back then.

"Hey kid, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," Kate starts, leaning over the counter while she waits for her coffee.

"Okay," Addison hedges, lifting another spoonful of cereal to her mouth. "Something to temporarily take my mind off of school, I hope?"

Kate nods. "Castle and I were talking last night and we decided that we want to try to have a baby."

"Is there a question in there somewhere?" Addison asks, scooping up another spoonful of cereal.

"Well, I just don't want you to feel like –"

"Mom, relax. You guys both of have kids, but you don't have one together. It makes sense that you would want that. And besides this way, I get to be a big sister. Oh wait, this means I'm the middle child. Aren't they one who always gets ignored? I swear I saw an episode of Full House about that once."

Kate reaches out and squeezes her arm before moving back to check on her coffee. "Trust me, you're pretty hard to ignore."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment."

Kate shoots her a smile over her shoulder while she pours her coffee into her mug.

"But in all seriousness," she starts. "Are you okay with this? Because if you feel like you need more time to adjust, we can wait. It just sort of came up in conversation last night."

"I'm good. I promise. If you and Dad want this, then I say go for it. I've always wanted to be a part of a big family."

Kate walks around to the other side of the counter and pulls her into a side hug.

"I can only hope our next kid turns out as amazing as you."

"It probably won't, but I'm sure we'll all love him or her anyway."

Kate shakes her head. "You have your father's ego without even being biologically his."

Addison smiles. "It's a gift."

"All right. I'll try to actually be home in time for dinner tonight," Kate says gathering up her bag and keys while trying not to spill any coffee. "And you, Miss Addison, have a great first day."

"That sounds like an oxymoron, but I'll try."

"Even your father's love for literary terms. You have been spending way too much time with him."

"Well maybe someone should stop working through dinner," Addison says around a mouthful of cereal.

"Okay, okay. Point taken. Love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Now go ahead and leave before you're late."

Kate smiles to herself as she pushes through the front door and hits the button to call the elevator. She's always wanted a big family too. And now, she's finally getting that wish.

AN: I want to thank everyone for their support throughout all of this. I'm so glad I could welcome you all into Addison's universe and have you fall in love as hard as I have. After some thought, I've decided to end the story here and continue on at a later date. I would like to make this universe into a series. I just need some time to develop ideas for the next arch. I also have several other story ideas floating around in my head I'd like to give some time to, so I need to lessen my writing load a little. I have no intention of saying goodbye to this universe, so expect a Heartbeats 2 sometime in 2015.