Twice a Daddy
The elevator doors opened, revealing an expensively clad, self-proclaimed "ruggedly handsome" middle aged, best selling novelist. He was dressed in his usual well tailored dark suit with a midnight blue button down shirt. If anyone noticed him they would not have been surprised by the two cups of coffee in his hands or the cheeky grin on his face. They would have, however, taken notice of the whistling and the all but skipping down the 12th precinct hallway into the bullpen. Ah, his home away from home and today was the day. He finally got to reveal his big news and he hadn't been so exited since…well since he had the news to tell. He glanced around making sure all the players where in. A quick glance showed Detective Ryan on the phone at his desk and across from him sat his partner, Esposito, talking with his girlfriend M.E. Lanie Parish. Then of course, there was the lovely Kate Beckett, best friend and detective extraordinaire. He set the coffee in front of her and gave her a smile in greeting. He watched as Ryan hung up the phone and eagerly bounced up and down on his heals waiting for everyone's attention.
Esposito spoke up first, "Okay Castle, What's the big news?"
Richard Castle looked around, all eyes on him, his grin grew bigger and he burst out, "I'm going to be a daddy again!"
There where stutters and things dropping to the floor, which included the three jaws of Lanie and the boys. After a minute of silence Ryan was able to pull himself together enough to look quickly at Beckett and then return his eyes to the man who had dropped the biggest bombshell in the office in the past year. "Ah. You're going to be a Dad. Again?"
"Yeah! I can't believe it. I didn't think it would happen again, but it has. I'm so excited!" He all but squealed to his friends in front of him. The others finally recovered and glanced between Castle and Beckett trying to get a read on how this piece of information was affecting her. She sat quietly looking at her friend with a small smile on her face. "This calls for celebrating. I'll order the pizza. She quickly stood and made her escape to the break room wondering who the first to follow her would be. Out in the bull pen the smile on Castles face began to fade as he noticed the angry daggers his friends where shooting him. If looks could kill, he'd be dust. And if he knew his friends at all, it would be a very slow, very agonizing death. Lanie looked at him in disgust and stomped after her friend, deciding to let the boys handle the dirty work.
"Ah guys. Why don't you look happy?"
"How dare you! Why don't we look happy? What about Kate? You know how she feels about you! And you just waltz in here saying you're gonna be a daddy again. What were you thinking?" Esposito exclaimed advancing toward the writer, his finger making contact with his nose as the last word was uttered.
"What about Kate? This has nothing to do with her. And for your information, she's being really supportive of me right now. Unlike you guys who seemed to have lost your minds." The squabbling continued outside the break room, Rick trying to defend himself against the verbal assault that the two overprotective detectives brought down upon him.
In the break room however a different mood was present. Lanie entered the room as Kate hung up her phone. The petite dark skinned medical examiner made her way over to her friend wrapping her in a warm embrace.
"Are you okay honey?" she asked in a calm quiet voice.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Cause writer-boy just announced he was going to be a daddy again."
"I already knew. He called me when he first found out. I can't wait to see the little one" she gushed.
"You're really okay with this?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah. I figure that since I don't have time for one of my own I could play with his. He even said I could take it overnight when it was old enough."
"Don't you think that its mom might have a problem with that? Her eyebrows rose.
"No, she is super sweet and gentle and we get along great. I actually introduced Castle to her."
"Girl, you better tell me what's going on or ima gonna smack you!"
"There's nothing going on. Come on the pizza will be here soon. I don't know why you're making a big deal out of this. Its great timing. With Alexis going away to collage soon he's going to need the company. I think this is a good thing for him. She finished as she went out to join the others.
"So Castle, did you show them the picture yet?"
"Oh thanks K.B. I was so excited I forgot. Come on guys take a look. I got the first picture this morning." They all gathered around him as he whipped his phone out, hit a couple of buttons, and displayed his biggest smile yet. The others gasped in surprise as they looked at the picture held out in front of them. "That's not a baby Castle" Ryan choked out.
"No, of course not. This is the cutest little chocolate lab puppy that has ever graced the world with her presence. Oh, wait. You all thought I was having a baby baby."
The others just let out a breath of relief. No murder would have to be committed by them today after all. Kate walked over to Castle and looked at the picture again. It really was the cutest puppy ever.
"Besides" said Castle "My girlfriend and I haven't been together long enough to be considering kids. Although I wouldn't be against the idea in the future"
Again all eyes rose to their companion. Wrong again. There was definitely going to be a homicide. Kate stood on her toes leaned in and kissed his cheek first and patted it twice. "Not until after the wedding sweetie." Castle lifted his phone up and snapped pictures at his three friends. Mouths once again open in shock and bewilderment. He looked at his best friend, his love, and as of two months ago, girlfriend, and smiled.
"That was fun."
"It was wasn't it, and you executed it perfectly."
"Well it was your plan. How could it go wrong?" the banter continued as he snaked his arm around her waist pulling her close to him and waited for their friends' responses. The happy couple looked on as they continued to open and close their mouths; words wanting to find voice but not able to be formed properly. Oh yeah, that was fun.