Castle and The Originals

Chapter 14

"Darlings!"

"Hi Mother." Rick held the door for his wife to pass through.

"Hey Martha." Kate dropped the carry-on from her shoulder and embraced her cheerful mother-in-law.

The subsequent kiss on the cheek was a normal offering from Martha Rogers, but was something the younger woman was still growing accustomed to.

"You look marvelous." Much like her son and granddaughter, Martha took liberties with Kate's rapidly growing belly and immediately spoke to the other two, albeit non-visible, family members in the room. "Looks like you two enjoyed the trip as well."

Rick knew exactly what his mother was implying and was grateful that she had addressed the babies, not his wife. Unfortunately Stan, the doorman, had not been as sensitive to the sometimes fragile hormones of an over-tired pregnant woman. Needless to say, his boisterous comment about how much Kate had grown during their two weeks in Hawaii was not well received. Rick would be sure to have something delivered to him as an apology; maybe a gift card or a case of beer; on second thought, maybe both.

After wrestling their luggage into submission just inside the front door, Rick gladly greeted his mother in the same fashion. "Thanks for shopping by, I thought we would be home earlier. One flight delay I can understand, but two?"

"Not a problem dear. I had the delivery men put it in the study."

Before Kate could even ask what they were talking about Rick was tugging her coat from her shoulders. She was so used to wearing next to nothing that she had forgotten to shed the bulky garment. The late February weather in New York was a far cry from the tropical paradise they had been in just the day before.

"Kate, those jeans are just darling. I can't believe how many choices there are these days for expectant mothers."

"Mother, you don't wear jeans; not even back then."

Martha characteristically waved her hand in the air. "Maybe if there had been options like that I would have reconsidered."

"Did you ever consider it may be the body inside the jeans that makes them look so great?" Rick said.

On his way to the front closet, having finally shred Kate of her coat, Rick took the opportunity that the current conversation provided to slowly slide his open hand across Kate's backside. She really did look fantastic in those jeans, not to mention the black cashmere sweater she wore with them. 'Why couldn't she see that?'

"Now I really like a piece of meat." The corners of Kate's mouth curled upward and her cheeks reddened.

Rick had been victorious. He'd been trying to cheer her up since their encounter with Stan at the curb. She had even broken down in the elevator; he was surprised to hear her use words like 'huge' and 'cow' when referring to the current state of her body. He knew it was mostly a result of the fatigue that made her say those things but he still cringed as she said them. The long night of traveling and the time difference had combined to make for a very trying trip.

"Nonsense Dear, you could never be anything but absolutely gorgeous." Martha took Kate by the hand and they walked arm in arm to the living room.

Although his upbringing was unique and somewhat unorthodox; Martha had never been the typical mother, he wouldn't trade her for anything. In fact he found himself thanking God almost daily for her. She wasn't Johanna Beckett and was sure his wife would give anything to have her mother here to confide in, but at least she had Martha; the only woman in the small circle of people Kate trusted that had ever been pregnant, and subsequently the only one to have experienced childbirth. Kate never let on but he was sure she was in some way comforted knowing she had someone to turn to. He watched the two women for a few minutes. He loved that Kate willing accepted his mother's arm as she linked it in Kate's. He also loved how they talked. It mirrored the way Kate and Alexis often sat for hours; like two conspirators conceiving nefarious ways to outwit the man in their lives. Fortunately yet also unfortunate, he was that man.