Frozen Love (A Castle Fanfiction)

4ever in 7 Days

"You- want to elope. And have another baby?" Castle questioned in disbelief.

My brow further furrowed as I flatly told him. "Absolutely." He looked at me strangely and bent down closer to my face, laying his palms on my cheeks and then the back of his hand on my forehead. "What are you doing?"

"Checking for a fever or something that might explain why you're delusional."

I rolled my eyes, forcing his hand off of my forehead. "Castle, I'm not sick."

"You've always said you only wanted one kid. And I know you wanted a big wedding. I know it. I know you. What changed?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I took his hand in mine and paused for a short moment, contemplating how thoroughly I'd thought this true. As much as I knew in the moment that this was what I wanted, I hadn't thought it through. I didn't know how to explain my change of heart to him for a second, but- I had to just say what I knew. "Rick, I love you, and I love Brayden, but- as much as I've always pictured a big wedding, I didn't ever picture my groom having two failed marriages and to have my son in the audience. I mean, I don't need the big ceremony. The thing I love most about those things is the way the groom and bride look so dazed, together in their own special world, love bound with tunnel vision the entire time, and- I already get to know that I will never stop looking at you that way or vise verse. I love you more than anything in the world, and no matter how or where we say it, it doesn't change the fact that we're promising our lives to each other. I don't need the ceremony. I just- need you.

"And I want to bring another life into this world with you. I want to have those two point five kids everyone always dreams about with my dashing husband. I want B to have siblings. I want the chance to either raise a darling little princess or have another little slugger to lug around in the back seat. As much as my mind is flipping, because I'll admit, it is, I want this. I think- I think I've always wanted this, I just didn't know it. I'm not just saying this out of no where, Rick. I really want this. But I only want this if you're alright with it."

He breathed and let a small fraction of a smile drift onto his lips. While he watched my eyes, still lowly crouching in front of me, he searched for something I was apparently unable to show him. Then, with a sigh, he took his place beside me on the bed and faced me while I turned to him. He eventually breathed, "Well, let's give it a few days, alight? I mean, if next week you still want to elope, we can. But- I just- I don't want to rush into this and have you regret it later."

"I'm not going to change my mind, you know," I told him. He didn't seem to believe me, but I couldn't blame him.

After a short moment, he looked back up at me and questioned, "Are you alright, Kate? I mean, not about any of this, but- I know the holidays aren't easy for you and I know you wanted your dad here tonight."

"Of course," I lied for his sake. "I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely," I stated. He again nodded, not really believing me, and then smoothed his hand over my neck, lightly kissing my forehead and telling me I should get some sleep. I did as was suggested and fell asleep shortly after he got into bed. Christmas morning was blown through like a whirl wind. The greatest moment of that day was Brayden flatly rejecting his toy my father had dropped off for him a few days earlier, and instead being fascinated by the gathering of sticky, shiny, silver, red and green bows piled up in the middle.

Two days later, he finally got used out of the rattles his grandpa bought. That night, while he was sitting up on the floor, I helped him stand and watched him chew on the teething ring he was holding. He was staring out, back behind me toward Martha who was happily staring at the two of us with a gleeful grin. Rick was somewhere upstairs with Alexis, missing out on our son smiling and laughing, but I didn't quite mind. It wasn't as though I didn't love having him around, I was just too engulfed in baby boy time that I didn't need man child time too.