Days Like These 4/? by elizagoth7, R
Beckett put the last of her clothes in the box, sealed it and wrote ‘Bedroom’ on the side. Picking it up, she carried it out to the living room where Castle, Ryan, and Esposito were moving the larger furniture down to the waiting moving truck. There was no one in the living room, so she took the box out into the hallway and began down the stairs.
Halfway down she met the three men, who all rushed to take the box from her.
“Sweetie, we talked about this. You shouldn’t be carrying anything,” Castle said, leading her back up the stairs as Ryan took the box to the truck.
“I’m pregnant, not invalid,” Beckett huffed, shrugging off the hand he put on her shoulder.
“It was a box. It’s not like I’m trying to carry the damn couch downstairs by myself.”
“I know, I know,” he placated.
“But stress isn’t good for Thumper. So just stay put and relax.”
She sat on the couch and glared at Castle’s back as he walked into the bedroom to gather more things. From the corner of her eye, Beckett noticed Esposito trying to keep from laughing.
“Something funny, Esposito?” she growled, folding her arms over her baby bump.
“Not a thing,” he said, following Castle down the hall. Beckett heard him laugh something about ‘Thumper’ and was glad to hear his yelp as her projectile shoe narrowly missed his head.
Between the three boys they managed to get the rest of her things moved out while Beckett alternated between bossing them around and reading a magazine. Finally the only item left was the old burgundy sofa she occupied.
“Alright, boys, let’s get this in the truck and we can get out of here,” Esposito said, as they approached the couch. They all stopped as Beckett remained seemingly engrossed in her magazine.
“Uh, Beckett?” Ryan said.
“Yes?” she asked innocently, not looking up from the images on the paper in front of her.
“We need to move the couch,” Castle said, starting to get a bad feeling.
“Okay, go on then. After all you told me stay put and relax,” she said, looking up at them and smiling sweetly. Castle looked to the other men for support, but they wisely moved to each grab one end of the couch.
“She’s not serious, come on guys,” Castle said as Ryan and Esposito carried Beckett and the sofa out the door. Realizing the stairs came next, Castle’s eyes widened and he hurried after them.
“Be careful,” he fussed, stuck behind Ryan on the narrow stairwell.
“I don’t see you helping Castle,” Esposito grumbled.
“And this is your fault,” Ryan agreed.
Finally, they reached the lobby and set the sofa down, panting heavily.
“God Beckett, what’s that kid weigh? Like Six hundred pounds?” Ryan gasped.
“It’s not my fault!” Beckett sobbed.
“I know I might have put on a little weight, but it’s not like I can help it.” Before he could apologize, she had run outside and into the cold. They all ran out the doors, following her, only to find Beckett laughing hysterically as she leaned on the truck for support.
“You guys are so gullible,” she said, sobering. All three men stared at her for a moment, waiting to see if she was serious before going back inside for the couch.
Hours later when the last item had been put in storage and the last piece of clothing hung up, Beckett lay tiredly on the bed she now shared with Castle. He appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame to watch her for a moment. She had lifted her t shirt up to rub the bump that was starting to show.
They had told Esposito, Ryan and Captain Montgomery shortly after she had agreed to move in with Castle. Her symptoms had begun to become more obvious and even Montgomery noticed her wardrobe had changed. Beckett still felt constantly tired, and her emotions were still all over the place, but her morning sickness had begun to abate.
Castle had spoken privately with the two other detectives, asking them to watch out for Beckett when she was in the field. He, himself made sure she ate properly and at least attempted to get adequate rest, much to Beckett’s annoyance.
“How’s Thumper doing?” he said, coming to lay on his side beside her.
“Fine, doing what all thirteen week old babies do” she said, putting his hand on her belly, knowing he wouldn’t do so without her permission.
“And Mom?”
She gave him a look. “Mom? Really?”
“Mommy? Mama?”
Another blank stare.
“Well she can’t call you Detective Beckett.”
“I guess it’s just going to take some getting used to,” Beckett laughed, rolling to face him. He pulled her close enough to feel the baby between them, kissing her deeply.
“Rick, I’m exhausted.”
“Don’t fall asleep yet, I’ve got one more thing to show you.”
She groaned, rolling onto her back and putting an arm over her eyes.
“That means I have to move.”
“Come on,” he said, pulling her up by her hands.
When she was standing, Castle gathered her into his arms as she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her to the room at the end of the hall, telling her to close her eyes before he opened the door. Beckett did as she was told and felt him carry her through the doorway and carefully set her down on her feet. Castle let go of her and walked to the middle of the room, telling her to open her eyes.
Looking around, Beckett took in the room, empty accept for a familiar antique rocker and Castle holding a plush rabbit.
“Wha-”
“I thought we could use this as the nursery. Your dad brought over the chair, he said it used to be your grandmother’s.”
“It was,” she squeaked, trying in vain not to cry.
“We have pictures of my mom holding me, sitting in it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was a good idea, I mean-”
She silenced his rambling with a teary kiss.
“It’s perfect. Now what’s with the bunny?”
“It’s for Thumper. When I found out Meredith was pregnant with Alexis, the first thing I ever bought her was Monkey Bunky. I thought a rabbit was fitting this time.”
Beckett took the stuffed animal from him, marveling at how soft it was. It had light salt and pepper fur, with a brown button nose and long floppy ears. The oversized feet contained bean bags to make them droopy.
“I named Monkey Bunky, but I figured you could name this one,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Bunny,” she whispered, stroking the rabbit’s soft fur.
“Bunny? How original,” Castle grinned, kissing her forehead. She gave him a pouty frown and he relented.
“Bunny it is. A bunny for our little Thumper.”
Halfway down she met the three men, who all rushed to take the box from her.
“Sweetie, we talked about this. You shouldn’t be carrying anything,” Castle said, leading her back up the stairs as Ryan took the box to the truck.
“I’m pregnant, not invalid,” Beckett huffed, shrugging off the hand he put on her shoulder.
“It was a box. It’s not like I’m trying to carry the damn couch downstairs by myself.”
“I know, I know,” he placated.
“But stress isn’t good for Thumper. So just stay put and relax.”
She sat on the couch and glared at Castle’s back as he walked into the bedroom to gather more things. From the corner of her eye, Beckett noticed Esposito trying to keep from laughing.
“Something funny, Esposito?” she growled, folding her arms over her baby bump.
“Not a thing,” he said, following Castle down the hall. Beckett heard him laugh something about ‘Thumper’ and was glad to hear his yelp as her projectile shoe narrowly missed his head.
Between the three boys they managed to get the rest of her things moved out while Beckett alternated between bossing them around and reading a magazine. Finally the only item left was the old burgundy sofa she occupied.
“Alright, boys, let’s get this in the truck and we can get out of here,” Esposito said, as they approached the couch. They all stopped as Beckett remained seemingly engrossed in her magazine.
“Uh, Beckett?” Ryan said.
“Yes?” she asked innocently, not looking up from the images on the paper in front of her.
“We need to move the couch,” Castle said, starting to get a bad feeling.
“Okay, go on then. After all you told me stay put and relax,” she said, looking up at them and smiling sweetly. Castle looked to the other men for support, but they wisely moved to each grab one end of the couch.
“She’s not serious, come on guys,” Castle said as Ryan and Esposito carried Beckett and the sofa out the door. Realizing the stairs came next, Castle’s eyes widened and he hurried after them.
“Be careful,” he fussed, stuck behind Ryan on the narrow stairwell.
“I don’t see you helping Castle,” Esposito grumbled.
“And this is your fault,” Ryan agreed.
Finally, they reached the lobby and set the sofa down, panting heavily.
“God Beckett, what’s that kid weigh? Like Six hundred pounds?” Ryan gasped.
“It’s not my fault!” Beckett sobbed.
“I know I might have put on a little weight, but it’s not like I can help it.” Before he could apologize, she had run outside and into the cold. They all ran out the doors, following her, only to find Beckett laughing hysterically as she leaned on the truck for support.
“You guys are so gullible,” she said, sobering. All three men stared at her for a moment, waiting to see if she was serious before going back inside for the couch.
Hours later when the last item had been put in storage and the last piece of clothing hung up, Beckett lay tiredly on the bed she now shared with Castle. He appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame to watch her for a moment. She had lifted her t shirt up to rub the bump that was starting to show.
They had told Esposito, Ryan and Captain Montgomery shortly after she had agreed to move in with Castle. Her symptoms had begun to become more obvious and even Montgomery noticed her wardrobe had changed. Beckett still felt constantly tired, and her emotions were still all over the place, but her morning sickness had begun to abate.
Castle had spoken privately with the two other detectives, asking them to watch out for Beckett when she was in the field. He, himself made sure she ate properly and at least attempted to get adequate rest, much to Beckett’s annoyance.
“How’s Thumper doing?” he said, coming to lay on his side beside her.
“Fine, doing what all thirteen week old babies do” she said, putting his hand on her belly, knowing he wouldn’t do so without her permission.
“And Mom?”
She gave him a look. “Mom? Really?”
“Mommy? Mama?”
Another blank stare.
“Well she can’t call you Detective Beckett.”
“I guess it’s just going to take some getting used to,” Beckett laughed, rolling to face him. He pulled her close enough to feel the baby between them, kissing her deeply.
“Rick, I’m exhausted.”
“Don’t fall asleep yet, I’ve got one more thing to show you.”
She groaned, rolling onto her back and putting an arm over her eyes.
“That means I have to move.”
“Come on,” he said, pulling her up by her hands.
When she was standing, Castle gathered her into his arms as she laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her to the room at the end of the hall, telling her to close her eyes before he opened the door. Beckett did as she was told and felt him carry her through the doorway and carefully set her down on her feet. Castle let go of her and walked to the middle of the room, telling her to open her eyes.
Looking around, Beckett took in the room, empty accept for a familiar antique rocker and Castle holding a plush rabbit.
“Wha-”
“I thought we could use this as the nursery. Your dad brought over the chair, he said it used to be your grandmother’s.”
“It was,” she squeaked, trying in vain not to cry.
“We have pictures of my mom holding me, sitting in it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was a good idea, I mean-”
She silenced his rambling with a teary kiss.
“It’s perfect. Now what’s with the bunny?”
“It’s for Thumper. When I found out Meredith was pregnant with Alexis, the first thing I ever bought her was Monkey Bunky. I thought a rabbit was fitting this time.”
Beckett took the stuffed animal from him, marveling at how soft it was. It had light salt and pepper fur, with a brown button nose and long floppy ears. The oversized feet contained bean bags to make them droopy.
“I named Monkey Bunky, but I figured you could name this one,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“Bunny,” she whispered, stroking the rabbit’s soft fur.
“Bunny? How original,” Castle grinned, kissing her forehead. She gave him a pouty frown and he relented.
“Bunny it is. A bunny for our little Thumper.”