Hopefully you guys enjoyed this small snippet of a story

Beckett hated bed rest. Going on her third week, she was more than ready for her son to come out and allow her to go more than just a few steps to the damn bathroom. She didn't complain though. Well not much anyways and she saved it mostly for her husband. The man was a saint and had the patience to go along with it. Everything she needed, Castle got it. The writer even spent every moment he could by her side whether that meant watching crappy movies, reading to her, pitching story lines, or simply lying next to her while she groaned about her restrictions. If it was possible, Beckett fell even more in love with her husband each day that passed.

"How about Joseph." Castle lay sideways on the bed so his feet dangled off the side and his head rested in his wife's lap. He looked up when she ran her fingers through his hair, "Or Henry."

Beckett wrinkled her nose, "No."

The corner of his mouth lifted, "You know that we have to pick soon, right? Doc says you can go into labor any day now."

"Well I hope that day comes sooner rather than later." Beckett mumbled rubbing her swollen stomach. "Oh."

Castle jolted upright in the bed, his smile gone and replaced with worry. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Rick. Calm down." Laughing, Beckett guided her husband's hand where hers had been a moment before. "He's kicking."

The pressure under his palm had Castle's expression changing again from worry to wonder. He felt the tears start to burn in the back of his throat, "He's strong."

"I think he likes the sound of your voice." Beckett reached up to wipe a lone tear from the writer's cheek. "He's always active when you read to me."

"Knock. Knock." Alexis called out slowly inching her way into the bedroom. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Alexis come quickly." Beckett beckoned wanting her to experience the moment as well.

Alexis darted across the room and all but shoved her father off the bed to take his place. "That's so cool." The future doctor looked down at her stepmother's stomach in complete wonder.

Beckett laughed at the utter delight on Alexis's face. She had also been another saving grace for Beckett surviving the last three weeks without going crazy or killing someone. Every day after class, Alexis would hang out with her until Jeremy came home from his class. They would watch reruns of Temptation Lane, eat ice cream, and just talk about nothing and everything for hours. Beckett cherished the time with her stepdaughter because soon life was going to get a whole lot crazier for all of them.

"Still arguing about names?" Alexis asked making room for her father as she shifted to lie down on the other side of Beckett. She pillowed her head on Beckett's shoulder laughing at the face she was making. "What did he suggest this time? Edgar?"

"That was last night." Beckett replied.

"There is nothing wrong with that name." Castle deafened with a small pout. "What's wrong with Joseph?"

"It just doesn't seem to go very well with Alexander." She explained, "What's your grandfather's name?"

"Angus." Castle shyly confessed, "We are so not naming our son Angus. He will never forgive us."

"Neither will I!" Alexis added looking up at Beckett, "What's your grandfather's name, Kate?"

"My dad's father was named Frances, but he died before I was born so I didn't get to know him." Beckett's eyes softened, "Mom's was named Nathaniel and he would always sneak me sweets to defy my dad. He was just a little bitter about Dad taking mom away from him. He got me into books by reading to me as many bedtime stories I wanted whenever he came to visit."

Castle propped his head on his hand, "I like Nathaniel."

"Yeah?" Beckett asked surprised.

He nodded, "I really like the fact that it's a way to honor your mother as well."

Beckett placed her arms around her swollen stomach with a teary smile. More than anything she wished her mother was here to experience this life event with her. "She would have loved this." Glancing back and forth between the two Castles, Beckett couldn't stop the stream line of tears. "Love both of you. Love the family that we created and all the memories we made. Thank you."

"Never thank us for loving you, Kate." Alexis placed her hand on Beckett's stomach and her father covered it. "We're family. Aren't we little Nate."

Her unborn brother took that moment to kick causing the redhead to jolt back. Castle laughed so hard that he slid off the bed with a loud thud. These were the moments that he lived for. That etched into the back of his mind so he could never forget.

"Oh!"

"Haha, Kate." Castle pushed to his feet, "Are you going to see how many times you can freak your husband out? Do you want-."

"Dad!"

Castle's gaze shot to his doubled over wife, "Kate." Humor gone, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder using his body to support her back. "What is it?

Alexis swallowed at the wetness soaking into the sheets and bed. "Keep breathing," She instructed lifting up the edge of the blanket fearing she would find blood. Her heart filled with relief, "Your water broke. Dad I want you to get the bag and put it by the door before pulling the car around."

Castle pressed a tender kiss to Beckett's temple, "Everything is going to be okay, Baby. Just stay calm and listen to Alexis."

Once Castle was out of the room, Beckett's hand clamped down on her stepdaughter's hand struggling to control her breathing as pain tore through her. "I'm only thirty six weeks, Lex."

Alexis did her best to sooth the terror from Beckett's face, "You're close to thirty seven which is perfectly safe to deliver a baby. I want you to concentrate on your breathing, Kate. Just focus on that and let me know when the contraction stops."

"No blood." Beckett was in far too much pain to look herself.

"No blood."

"Okay. Okay." A frazzled Castle entered the room, "Bag is by the door and car is being brought around. I called mother and Jim. I'll call the boys when we get to the hospital. Is it safe for her to walk, Alexis?"

"It actually might help."

Castle slid his arm around his wife's waist helping her onto her shaking feet once the contraction stopped. He instructed his daughter to fetch a fresh shirt from the drawers while working on the buttons of his shirt that Beckett stole some time during her pregnancy. He gave her a smile that lit up her entire face, "We're finally going to meet our baby boy." All of the heartache and pain of trying the last two years faded away because it all lead to this. To them being more in love and stronger than ever.

Smiling through the pain, Beckett cupped the back of his neck to balance himself as Castle switched out the damp shirt for a fresh one. "Rick, honey, I love you, but for the love of god get me to the hospital."

Laughing, he planted a soft kiss on her nose, "Yes, Ma'am."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Breathe." Castle coaxed from his spot on the hospital bed that positioned him behind his wife to help support her during pushing.

"I'm breathing." Beckett seethed reaching up and winding her arm to anchor her fingers in the short hairs on the back of his neck. Tara told her to break and she slumped gratefully against the writer's chest. "He's a stubborn one."

Smiling, Castle brushed her sweat matted hair from her brow, "Just like you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Castle confirmed on a laugh, "Never afraid to argue, never backing down or relenting. Taking years to take those walls around your heart and give into what it was saying."

"Regret the challenge, Mr. Castle?"

Castle peppered kisses along the arm curled around his neck, "Not a single moment. You were worth it all."

"I changed my mine." Beckett managed between her gritted teeth working through another contraction.

Castle barked out a laugh, "It's a little too late for that, my love. The baby is nearly here."

"No, not that." Beckett laughed wincing, "Don't make me laugh you idiot."

"Sorry."

"I want Alexis to be here." They had agreed to make the redhead wait with the rest of the family just in case something went wrong during the birth. To Beckett it felt like something was missing to make this moment perfect. Alexis needed to be here helping welcome her new brother into the world. "Go get her."

"Quickly." Tara advised looking up at the pair, "Nathan isn't going to wait much longer."

One of the nurses quickly bolted out of the room returning shortly with Alexis in tow.

Beckett reached out a hand for her stepdaughter and pulled Alexis close when she took it. She wanted to say something, but Tara told her to push. With the two Castles at her side soothing and chanting her on, she pushed with all the strength she had left. The world started to dim around her. She focused on the pain because it meant that she was alive. Her son would make it into this world if it was the last thing she did. Would he have Castle's eyes? Her smile? Her shade of brown hair or Castle's? Would he have his father's sense of childlike wonder? Would he be healthy? Would he know how much he was loved?

Her husband's lips pressing over and over against her temple brought Beckett out of her haze. Through the roar of noise, she heard Castle telling her he loved her with sobs of joy caught in his throat mixed with the wailing of a newborn. Relief came rushing in, "Is he okay? Is he okay?"

Castle let Alexis take his place supporting Beckett to look at the bloody newborn wiggling like a fish in Tara's hands. He waited for the doctor's conformation, "He's fine. He's okay." Castle carefully cradled his swaddled son in his arms. He was tiny, but had one hell of a kick and lungs of a banshee. Just looking everything seemed to be in place. To be sure, Castle peeked under the sheet, "He's perfect."

"Let me see him." Beckett softly commanded enthralled by the look on her husband's tear streaked face.

He leaned down to give his wife a heavy kiss full of love, admiration, and praise. "Thank you." He whispered, sniffling as he laid their son across her chest.

"He's beautiful." Alexis pressed her cheek against Beckett's hair smiling from ear to ear overwhelmed by power of the moment.

Beckett blinked the tears from her vision not wanting to miss a moment. Her son continued to wail and shake his tiny fists in obvious disdain of his new surroundings. She counted his toes, fingers, and like her husband, took a peek under the sheet to make sure that everything was where it should be. All the pain. All the heartache and tears faded into nothingness. It had all been worth it. Pressing her lips to Nate's small brow, she instantly fell in love. "Welcome to the world, Nathanial Alexander Castle."

The boy started to quiet at the sound of her voice and latched onto her with his small blue eyes.

Castle let Nate grasp his finger, "Welcome son."

"Hey there, little brother." Alexis choked back tears, "I want you to know something very important."

"Here," Beckett shifted so that Nate rested half in Alexis' arms and half in hers.

Alexis stoked a hand over her brother's tiny crown, "You hit the lottery, kid. You got the best parents in the world and a big sister that is going to teach you the ways to drive them up the wall. Most of all, you're loved by many and will always be there for you and protect you no matter the cost." She tilted her head towards Beckett's, "Thank you, Mom. For letting me be here for this."

"You're just as much my daughter, as Nate is my son." Beckett explained kissing her stepdaughter's cheek. "Never forget that."

A soft click of a shutter had Castle looking up to. Having left it on the table, Tara picked up his phone to snap off a couple of photos. Castle gave her a grateful smile before turning his attention back to his family. It was definitely a picture perfect moment.

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