A/N: because fuck that finale.
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Rain lashes the streets of New York in one of the biggest storms of the year as the wind howls through the abandoned roads like a ghost out for revenge. Safely tucked away in his loft with his family, Richard Castle stands at the window of his office musing about what needs to be done tomorrow. Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice his wife come up behind him with a glass of wine in each hand.
"Rick, don't think so hard. You'll hurt yourself." Castle startled at the sound of Kate's voice and turns to face his wife with a loving smile.
"Only because you said so dear." Beckett hands him a wine glass and graces him with a smile of her own.
"I just got Aurora down for the night. She's out cold for now." Rick grins and sets his wine glass on his desk and wraps his arms around Kate's waist, pulling her slim body against his large one.
"You're such a wonderful mother Kate. I'm so blessed to have you in my life." Beckett hides her face in her husbands neck as a blush creeps up her neck.
"Babe stop it. You're just as wonderful of a father." Castle snorts dismissively and sways gently to imaginary music, thanking whatever powers that be that Katherine Houghton Beckett had chosen him to spend the rest of her life with and become Katherine Houghton Beckett-Castle. As the pair sway around the room, a massive thunderclap shakes the apartment the same moment the lights flicker twice then go out completely. The couple stands still for a few moments in total darkness, fighting off the instinct to snatch up their daughter and hide away in their room. Even after all these years, darkness to them is synonymous with bad and terrifying things. After taking a few moments to collect themselves and ground themselves in reality, Kate and Rick split apart. Castle speaks first, keeping a soothing hand on his wife's back.
"I'll go find the candles and such if you'll make sure that the windows and doors and locked." Kate gulps in air and nods before remembering that Castle can't see her.
"Yeah. After that we can relax in your study." Rick places a soft kiss at her temple and heads in the general direction of the closet by the stairs as Kate goes around the loft double checking that the floor-to-ceiling windows are tightly locked against the roiling storm outside. When Beckett returns to her husbands study, Castle is placing long white pillars of wax on every available surface and lighting them with a Zippo lighter. Surrounded by gently flickering candlelight, the last of Kate's irrational fears melt away as she steps into the candle covered room. Rick turns at the sound of footsteps and smiles at his wife, handing her the wine glass she abandoned when the power went out.
"Come relax on the couch with me. We haven't had alone time in a while." Beckett pads over to the couch and curls up at one end, draping a worn blanket over her lap with a sigh, knowing the lack of alone time is caused because of her irregular hours as a homicide detective. She'd been offered many promotions since her and Castle got married, but accepting the promotions means she'd have to give up field work and be trapped behind a desk all day, which Kate Beckett-Castle will not do. Deep in her thoughts, Beckett doesn't register the slight movements of her body as Castle sits next to her and gently pulls her into his lap, doing his best to keep their wine glasses from spilling. She's roused from her musings by soft, gentle kisses being placed along her neck by her husband.
"Mm Rick what are you doing?" Castle offers his beloved wife a trademark grin full of boyish charm as he takes her wine glass by the stem and sets both of them on his desk.
"You look stressed. Figured you could use some relaxation." Kate rolls her eyes and rests her head on his shoulder, snuggling against Rick's broad frame.
"It's just been a long week." Castle gives a sympathetic nod and holds Beckett close, running his fingers up and down her arm gently while the storm continues to rage outside. As the couple starts to drift off wrapped in each other's arms, a tiny voice pierces the blankets of sleep and shakes them from their stupors.
"Mama, I'm scared." Kate cracks an eye open to see her 6 year old daughter Aurora standing at the doorway of the study with wide, fearful blue eyes that are exact copies of her fathers as she clutches her favourite stuffed rabbit against her chest.
"Come up here then monkey so daddy and I can protect you." Aurora scrambles up onto the couch as Beckett peels the the blanket back for the little girl to curl up in her lap. Once settled, Castle rearranges the blanket back over the two, making sure his little girl is tucked safely in her mothers arms. With each thunderclap, Kate can feel her daughter flinch and tremble, terrified of the storm. Rick leans around Kate and rubs a soothing hand along his daughters arm, getting her attention off the rolling thunder.
"Remember what mama and I told you about thunder little one?" Aurora sniffles and nods, trying to put on her big girl face.
"Thunder is just Gamma Jo saying she loves me from heaven." Kate clutches her daughter closer and closes her eyes, trying to fight off the tears that threaten to overcome her from hearing her daughter talk about her mother.
"That's right monkey. It's just Grandma saying she loves you." Castle watches in awe with Beckett as their daughter slowly falls back asleep snuggled against her mother. Just when they thought the little girl was finally asleep, her drowsy blue eyes open again.
"Daddy will you sing me the piano song?" Castle smiles softly and agrees to his little princess' demands.
"Of course angel." Beckett rests her head and joins in with Castle as they start in on Billy Joel's "Piano Man". Rick strokes his daughters hair and sings until she falls into peaceful oblivion. Kate kisses her forehead and cuddles closer to her husband before falling asleep herself. Castle watches the two sleep and thanks his lucky stars for his life before falling asleep just as well.
