A writer and his muse

Prologue

Caskett-prologue

It had been nineteen years since Rick had proposed to Kate. Since then they had four children together, a son, a daughter and twin boys. The first time Kate felt her baby move inside of she panicked but Rick had stayed by her side, waiting on her hand and foot even through her most emotional stages and weird cravings. She had been moved to desk duty after four months and then took maternity leave for three, calling Ryan and Esposito everyday asking about their cases.

Rick and Kate decided they wanted to keep the gender of their baby a secret. They stayed up late at nights and spent hours figuring out the perfect names for their child.

"Oh! What about Aaron? Or Thomas?" Rick stood in the doorway to the bathroom, brushing his teeth wearing just a towel wrapped around his waist. Kate looked over the top of a baby name book from on the bed. She had propped pillows behind her and was leaning comfortably against the headrest. She stared at him and he quickly disappeared back into the bathroom. There was a sound of water running and Rick came back out from the bathroom, done brushing his teeth, and laid down next to Kate.

"I've been thinking about-" Rick and Kate started at the same time.

"We've seriously got to stop doing this." Kate teased. "You first."

"How about Johanna Houghton for our little girl?" Rick studied Kate's face for a reaction. He was unsure if he should suggest her late mother's name, knowing it might cause controversy. Tears welled up in her eyes and Kate started crying tears of pure joy and happiness.

"Rick,-" she started but had to stop. She calmed herself enough to speak again. "Rick, I love it! I do. And if our baby is a boy, how about Cosmo?"

Two and a half weeks later, Kate smiled and said, "Richard Castle, meet Cosmo Alexander." Rick flocked Kate's side and smiled widely with tears in his eyes.

"Hi Cosmo," Rick gently took the frail little Cosmo from Kate's hand and

swayed back and forth. They stayed at the hospital another two days to make sure Kate and Cosmo would be fine. Rick stayed with Kate at the hospital, never leaving. He claimed it was only two days and he showered before they left for the hospital and he could shower once he got home.

Kate scooted over on the thin bed so Rick could squeeze in next to her and Cosmo.

After a year, Rick started thinking about a second baby. Kate wasn't sure she wanted a second child. But Rick wanted so badly more children,- "children to tell his- their- heroic tales to" he would always say,- and Kate couldn't deny him that. They decided to wait another year and raise Cosmo before having another child.

"Cosmo's in bed sleeping. We've got about two hours." With that, Rick stripped off his clothes and jumped on the bed next to Kate.

Nine months later Johanna Houghton was born. She and Cosmo were absolute joys. They got along perfectly and played nicely with each other. Rick and Kate had decided that two children was enough. Kate wasn't sure she could handle more kids.

Martha always found an excuse to return back to see her grandchildren- Alexis included,- who decided to live a semester at home and help with her new siblings. Alexis and Martha were great helps when Kate had to go to work and Rick decided to tag along. He once tried to bring Cosmo and Johanna with him and Kate to work until Captain Gates found out and scolded Rick.

Three years later Kate and Rick decided unanimously that their family just wasn't quite complete and that they both wanted a third child. After a first miscarriage, they both were devastated.

"Rick, I'm scared." Kate felt vulnerable and exposed while she was pregnant. She didn't like feeling that way and she wasn't sure she wanted to feel that way again.

"Don't be. There's nothing to be worried about. I'll be by your side the entire time. We can get past this, Kate." Rick soothed her.

Kate said that two children were enough but Rick urged her to try again. After six months of trying, they went to the doctor to get an ultrasound.

"Do you see that?" The doctor pointed at the monitor.

"What's that?" Rick squinted at the screen.

"What? What is it?" Kate panicked. She tried to turn enough to see the monitor without upsetting the ultrasound. She grabbed Rick's hand nervously.

"Mrs. Castle, you're having twins. Boys in fact."

Rick let Kate name one of the boys and he named the other. Kate named one of the boys Royce, after an old friend and training partner of Kate's and because it could be shortened to Roy, an old boss and friend of hers. Rick named the other boy Hunter, derived from Rick's dad's last name- at least his alleged last name, Hunt.

Around the same time Kate was pregnant with Hunter and Royce, Kate and Rick decided that their family needed a dog in their lives to protect their growing, new family. They got Cosmo and Johanna in the car and took a short road trip down to a dog ranch.

"We want a newborn." Kate told the person assisting them. She was led over to a large room full of all puppies. Cosmo and Johanna were in absolute heaven as they laid down and let the puppies crawl all over them.

Seventeen years past since Cosmo was born. All their children were beautiful and resembled a fair amount of each parent. Cosmo had Rick's strong jaw line and curiosity, while he had Kate's lean figure. Johanna resembled more Kate As they both shared the same wavy chestnut colored hair and stature. Royce and Hunter were both skinny boys. Each weighing less than 130 lbs. For twins, they hardly looked alike other then their eyes. All of Kate's and Rick's children seemed to inherit Kate's deep, intense, mysteriousness eyes and Rick's childlike gleam. A trait that seemed to unite them as a family.

Javier and Lanie finally realized they were meant to be together and that they shouldn't fight it anymore. Javi had proposed to Lanie two years after Kate and Rick were married. They had two stunning daughters, Charlene, who was 15, and Anna, who was 12. Javier cared for all his girls more then he ever cared about anything else. He changed after Charlene and Anna were born. He became more father like and compassionate, less stubborn and grouchy.

Jenny and Ryan had three children after Sarah-Grace, who was Alexis's age at 24. A daughter, 17 named Elise Jamie, a son, 16, Carter Javier and finally a daughter, Ciara Nicole who was 15.

Ryan and Esposito had been trapped in a burning building together at the time of Sarah Grace's birth and Ryan suggested to Jenny naming their unborn baby 'Javier' if their baby was a boy.

"You're going to name a white, Irish kid, Javier?" Esposito coughed out as they slowly roasted.

Ryan was determined that if he and Jenny had a son, they'd name him Javier. Jenny agreed on the name choice, but in the end, they settled on Carter as his first name and Javier as his middle name as they tried to keep an Irish theme going.

Carter and Cosmo played football and baseball for years together and became close friends. All eleven children grew up together since their parents were also good friends. They all went to the Precinct nursery at one time or another. They were always over at someone's house playing 'boys vs. girls' games and having fun together. The older children helped to watch over the younger children and raise them. And when the middle children grew old enough, they too looked after the younger children.

*****

He stripped out of his work clothes and into a pair of sweats and a tee. He stretched out and walked toward the kitchen to fry up some eggs. He never made it to the kitchen. A knife was sticking from his back as he fell down. The knife hilt snapped off as the man fell on it and spun away from the body on the wood floors. His assailant quietly and calmly shut the door behind him and left the appartment.