It's been three months since she's seen him, two months since she's spoken to him. One month since she realized just how that trip would change them both.

X X X X X

She sat at home, Temptation Lane keeping the silence out of her apartment. It might have been on, but she wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was staring at her reflection, cast of the shiny plastic of the side of the television. Gosh, she looked awful.

On her days off, she would rarely leave the house. On occasion, she decided she should get some fresh air, a little bit of exercise, just so she wasn't sitting around feeling sorry for herself. Truth was, she was forced to take extra days off; she only worked four days a week now, unless she was called in. Unluckily for her, they had no case.

The shrill ring of her phone startled her, but she reached eagerly for it all the same.

"Beckett."

"Wow, you never used to get that excited over a dead body," Esposito chuckled from the other end, causing her to grin.

"Well, when you're stuck at home on Captain's orders, life gets a little dull," Kate replied, "What have you got?"

She quickly scrawled down an address, hung up her phone and began to organize herself. She moved surprisingly quick, considering, pulling on some clothes, collecting her badge, gun and keys before she headed out the door.

Within ten minutes of getting the call, Kate was already on her way to the latest crime scene. As she stopped at lights, she pulled her phone out and hit the first speed dial button, then froze.

No, he wasn't going to come to the crime scene. He hadn't in months. As far as Kate Beckett knew, Richard Castle hadn't even been in New York City since late May. It was now mid-September, and she was yet to see him after she returned from the Hamptons and left him behind.

There was promise of daily calls, and they happened, for a little while. Three weeks maybe, if not four, but that was all. After that, she hadn't heard from him again. It had been difficult to assimilate back into a Castle-less life, after he'd proven to be such a significant addition. Over time though, she was able to accept the fact that he was just like the others; Will, Royce, Demming, they had all disappointed her in the end.

She threw her phone onto the passenger seat in anger, stomping on the accelerator as the light changed to green. Wiping away a tear, she began to weave in and out of traffic, transferring her pent-up emotions to the traffic instead.

Still, Kate could displace it all she wanted. It didn't change the fact that she would always be reminded of him, no matter where she looked. There was always some part of her life that would link to Castle; she'd look at a dog, and remember the time he got excited at the prospect of his own furry friend, named Sherlock, donning a hat, glasses and a magnifying glass.

Every time she heard a bang, she thought back to the night Scott Dunn had blown up her apartment; how the first voice she heard had been the one she'd longed for. She could still almost feel Castle's arms around her body, dragging her from the rubble that was her old apartment to safety.

Whenever she would think of her Mom, somehow he would always be next. It was weird, granted, but it also made a great deal of sense. He was the one who pushed her, the one to convince her there was more to it, and that she didn't have to be consumed by the need for her Mom's justice. He never failed to be so frustratingly annoying, just when she needed him to be. She wouldn't admit it – well, maybe now she would – but she desperately needed him.

Pulling over in the nearest vacant space, she shut off her engine and sat. Just sat, staring at the steering wheel, silent tears making their way down her cheeks. She refused to say she was crying over him, learning a long time ago that no man was worth her sorrow. But hell, how she missed him. As much as she wanted him to come flying through her door, kiss her madly, proclaim his undying love for her, she knew it wouldn't happen. If he did come back, without an explanation, she could never forgive him for what he did.

She'd told him. Told him how she felt, that she had feelings for him, whatever you wanted to call it.

She'd told him.

They spent four days in the Hamptons together, walking and swimming at the beach, sitting inside talking or playing ridiculous board games. Through the nights, there was very little sleeping being done, and Kate had to grin to herself when she remembered just how great he was when it came to bed. Then she scolded herself; that's what got her into this mess.

Now consoled, she sniffed, turned her keys in the ignition and pulled back out. She had to compose herself, she was headed to work. Ryan and Esposito were already being a nuisance; she didn't need to give them any more ammo. It took her only a few more minutes to reach the crime scene, pulling up just by the yellow tape, cutting the engine and sighing back into her seat.

Work was taking a greater toll on her nowadays, with the days seeming longer and her exhaustion greater by the time they finally ended. As she slowly got out of the car, she began to head over, ducking under the tape and pulling her coat closed.

Wait, it doesn't freaking close anymore, she thought to herself, frustrated. Only about two of her many trench coats actually fitted her now; guess she had Richard Castle and her own stupidity to thank for that.

"What's up, baby mama?" Lanie called, looking up from her notes, grinning.

"Lanie, please, not today," Kate muttered, placing a hand on her swollen stomach. It wasn't something she really wanted to draw attention to at work, or at all, for that matter.

A smirking Lanie turned away to continue her exam, as Kate groaned, looking up at the body on the awning.

"I am so glad I skipped breakfast," she murmured to herself, crossing her arms. She'd moved past the morning sickness phase, but that didn't mean she was back to her usual, strong-stomached self.

"I don't think it really matters anymore, sweetie," Lanie said, "at least not for another five months."

"Yes, well, thank you for stating the obvious," Kate chided, turning to her friend, "what can you tell me?"

"She wasn't killed by the fall," Lanie sighed, "rather the multiple GSW's to her torso. As far as identity, she's –"

"Chloe Whitman," Esposito interrupted, walking up to the two women, Lanie glaring, "she's got a boyfriend, Evan Murphy, who's on his way in. Other than that, pedestrians heard the shots and saw her fall out of the window, but there was no doorman, so if someone fled the scene, nobody saw. When the Uni's got here, apartment was empty."

Kate nodded, turning to see Ryan walking toward her, before he paused, gazing into the store next door.

"Hey, it's Castle!"

Her eyes widened and her heart stopped. She felt like she wanted to vomit. It couldn't be him, could it? She was frozen in her spot, while Lanie and Esposito had rushed forward. Lanie gave a backward glance to her, but stayed where she was. Kate felt herself go white and light-headed, the world spinning.

He wasn't back in New York without calling her.

"Oh, it's just a cut-out," Ryan said, a tone of embarrassment and disappointment in his voice.

A wave of relief washed over, as she felt breath make it to her lungs again. She almost made a bromance crack, but thought against it. If she brought up the concept of a relationship with Castle, she mightn't make up to the crime scene. Damn, just thinking of it got her head spinning again.

"Come on, we've got a murder to solve," she stated, before turning on her heel, her awkwardly silent team following closely behind her.

X X X X X

After speaking to the boyfriend of Chloe Whitman, Lanie had discovered a note in her hand. It had an address in Tribeca scrawled messily on it, an address which Kate was headed to now, flanked by Ryan and Esposito.

"Address is registered to a Maya Santori," Ryan explained, as they headed up the stairs, "she's clean, no priors."

As she walked along the hall, she noticed an open door, her stomach dropping as she realized it was the one they were searching for. Esposito ran quickly back down the stairs, Kate rolling her eyes. Honestly, there probably wasn't even anyone in there, they didn't need their vests. Well, they didn't need theirs. Still a few minutes later, he returned, already wearing his own Kevlar, and handing one each to both Ryan and Kate.

Drawing their weapons, the boys pushed in front of her, a formation she still wasn't entirely used to, but knew it was necessary. She was actually extremely grateful for her team; they'd worked together for so long now, it was like a second family.

Pushing through the door, guns raised, the immediate room was clear, but there was movement in the next room. Esposito pushed forward to take point, Ryan following on his left flank, Kate on his right.

In a moment, the door was kicked aside, as the three detectives filed into the room, ordering the assailant's hands to be in the air.

"GUN!"

Ryan's shout saw Kate pulling back, her own sidearm still raised, while Esposito knocked his partner's arm out of line.

"Whoa!"

All sets of eyes were on the fourth person in the room, their mouths gaping at their companion.

"Castle?"

"Beckett?"

A moment of indescribable emotion was exchanged between the two estranged partners, before Kate broke the silence.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, as he looked around, flabbergasted, the small caliber gun in his hand drawing too much attention.

"DOWN!"

Castle jumped as the three other guns in the room pointed at him, amongst shouts demanding he drop it.

"Okay, guys, this is not what it looks like!" Castle pleaded, looking pleadingly at Kate, who followed her better judgment and pulled out her handcuffs.

"It never is," she said, moving forward, turning him roughly and slapping the cuffs on his wrists, "Richard Castle, you are under arrest for murder."

X X X X X

Back at the 12th, Kate stood in the observation room, watching Richard Castle through the glass. She wasn't sure how this interrogation was going to go.

For starters, it had been over three months since they'd last seen each other. It had been two months since they'd spoken on the phone, their last phone call ending tensely.

"Rick, when are you coming home?" Kate asked, trying to keep the longing out of her voice. From the frustrated sigh on the other end, she knew she hadn't succeeded.

"Kate, I told you, I have to finish the book," he said, "and I don't know how long it's going to take."

Biting her lip at the acidic tone in his voice, she fidgeted on her bed, lying on her stomach, fiddling with the hair that hung over her shoulder.

A sigh on the other end caught her attention, followed by his voice.

"Kate, I'm sorry –"

"It's fine," she said curtly, her teeth ravaging her bottom lip.

"No, it's not," Rick demanded, "I – I'm coming back to the city."

Surprise overtook her for the moment, her mouth falling open, her hand dropping onto the duvet.

"Really?"

"Really," he mimicked, "and, uh, without my muse, I'm not exactly getting much writing done."

Feeling her cheeks flush, she let a smile spread across her face, as she thought about the premise of Rick coming home.

"When will you be back?" she asked through a smile, her hand finding its way back to her hair, twirling it around her finger.

"Umm."

Uh-oh. That didn't bode well. Kate could sense the tension building, and her bottom lip was once again paying the price.

"Probably not for another week," he explained, Kate absent-mindedly letting a groan escape her.

"Look, I'm sorry, Kate, but I do actually have work to do, just because you don't seem to think it's important –"

"Whoa!" she cried, sitting herself up abruptly, "Where the hell are you getting that from?"

"I'm sorry Kate, but I can't just put everything on hold for you, not when it's so overdue," he exclaimed angrily, his voice nearing a growl.

"I never asked you to!"

"Oh really? So every time you called about a body was just orders, was it?"

"Rick, I never forced you to come to those crime scenes, you came on your own!"

"Well if you didn't want me, maybe you shouldn't have called."

"Maybe you should sort out your priorities if this has become such an issue!"

"My priorities?"

"Yes, your priorities!"

Silence erupted from the both of them, Kate fiddling with the corner of her shirt, Rick pressing his palm into his eyes. For what felt like an eternity, there were no words exchanged, as the two tried to figure out what to say.

Rick cleared his throat, signaling the silence was over, and then began to speak.

"So, I'll call you when I get back to the city?" he murmured, Kate nodding absent-mindedly.

"Uh, okay," she replied, holding back rebellious and unwanted tears, "but, Rick?"

"Kate, I have to go, okay?"

"Oh, right, yeah," Kate muttered, "lots of writing to do."

"Yeah…"

There was another moment of silence, but this one was far less uncomfortable than the last.

"So I'll see you?" Kate asked hopefully, knowing there would be some much-needed talking once he came home.

"Yeah, see you."

"Good night, Rick."

"Night Kate."

That was their last phone call. That was the last time they even spoke. And now he was sitting there, in her interrogation room, looking about as uncomfortable and pained as she was.

If that wasn't enough, he had no idea she was pregnant. Although, that fact he could probably get his head around; it was the part where he was the father she figured he'd have the most trouble grasping.

Taking in a deep breath, and feeling like losing her dinner from last night, she walked quickly and purposefully from observation and into the worst interrogation she was sure she'd ever be subjected to.

X X X X X

So, this little plot bunny came to me in a dream (no, I'm not Stephenie Meyer – sorry Twihards), and it was begging to be written. Never fear, it is not going to be a one shot, it will continue, to where, I don't know.

So, read and review? Thanks lovelies!

Kayla x

P.s. this is story number four on my repertoire, with all the others still going (The Little Things, The Way It Should Have Been and Diary of a Daughter). If you feel like it, check them out (=