The Time of Our Lives (Editing)

Chapter 7: Awake

My eyes open and I am laying in my bed. Our bed. My husband lays next to me, and I look at the clock on my nightstand. 5:30 in the morning. Next to the clock, sits the baby monitor and the light is flashing. I sigh, and turn it up so I can hear it better. 

Sure enough, the cries of an infant fill the room. I sigh, and get up, making my way to my son's room. In his small white crib, he cries. I pick him up and walk over to the rocking chair, trying to shush him. Rick had a long day yesterdsay, and I would perfer not to wake him. 

Ander still cries, and I assume he is hungry, so I make my way downstairs to the kitchen. I make the bottle quickly, as making five a day for the past two weeks has made me quick at it. I tip the nipple into his mouth, and he automatically stops crying, sucking away at the bottle, trying to get as much of the stuff as he can. 

I make my way becak upstairs and sit in the rocking chair, rocking him back to sleep. He makes it about three quarters of the way through the bottle before he falls back into a heavy sleep. I smile at my small child, and lay him gently back in his crib. 

I tiptoe back to mine and Rick's bedroom and lay under the nice warm blankets once more. My husband still sleeps, so I turn and face the other way, and close my eyes tightly. 

-

"Captain, why are you here?" Detective Esposito asks as I walk into the Twelfth. I shake my head. "Well, I do work here," I say and he sighs. "You just had a baby," He says. "Go home." I shake my head and wak over to my office, sitting at my desk. "Nah, Castle's got 'em." I say and open my computer. 

"You are impossible," He says and walks out, defeated. I smile, and pull out my many different files of paperwork. I have two week's worth, and I better get started. 

About twenty minutes into my many hours of paperwork, my phone rings. "Captain Beckett," I say and a man's voice fills my head. "Captain, we need your detectives, there has been a murder." I nod, though he can't see me, and tell him to send me the address and any information he has already. I thank him, and hang up. 

I call the medical examiner, Lanie Parish, first. Next, I call detectives Esposito and Ryan, followed by our newest trainee, Rivers. He is only 22 years old, straight out of the academy, and has no real experience as a detective. I look at the three of them and inform them of the murder. The three of them leave, and I call Ryan and Espo back in for a second. 

"I want you to let Rivers come," I say, and they both sigh dramatically. "Captain," Espo says and I sigh, but listen. "He is so annoying, and he drags us down. Makes us both have to go slower, explain the stuff to him." I raise my eyebrows. "I don't care." I say and the two of them walk out. 

I sit down, and continue to work. 

Hours later, my phone rings. Ryan. "Captain Beckett," I say, and he informs me they are going to talk to the next of kin, as well as gives me any information the M.E. told them. I thank him, and hang up. 

Checking the time, I decide five is late enough and I skedaddle out of the Twelfth. 

I arrive home, and I see my husband and baby sleeping on the couch. I smile, and wake the grown man, and let the small one sleep. "Hey," He says and lays Ander in the pack-n-play we have set up in the living room. I smile, and give him a quick peck on the lips. "How was your first day back at work?" He asks and I nod. "There was a murder," I say and he nods this time. 

We sit down at the table intended for a small family, and I smile. I have a family. I have a husband, and a son, and we are happy. I will be here for my family, I decide. No matter what happens, I will be here.