Rick Castle loved The Old Haunt. It was an investment he wished he had more time for. Tonight he had stopped by to mingle and throw back a few. His wife would be joining him on a rare night she didn't get caught up with a case. She probably was more involved than most captains with the day to day of the murder investigations at her precinct.

"Hey Mike!" Rick called to his long time bartender, "A glass of my usual and the wife is coming by so have her's on hand too."

"You got it boss!" Mike yelled over the crowd at the bar

Rick mingled with a few of the patrons but out of the corner of his eye he thought he spotted someone familiar, someone he hadn't seen in years. Yes, it was her.

Well I be damned he thought and made his way over to the table

"Well, as I leave an breathe, Agent Shaw." He smiled warmly

"Richard Castle." Jordan Shaw extended her hand, "It's been a long time. This is my husband David." Shaw gestured to the attractive gentleman sitting with her

"Nice to meet you." David stood and the two shook hands, 'Have a seat."

"It certainly has been a while." He said taking a seat, "Welcome to my humble establishment."

An expression of surprise crossed her face, "I didn't know you owned this place. You are a man of many talents."

Rick laughed, "And a master of none, my wife likes to point out."

"Wife?" Shaw arched an eyebrow in curiosity

"I'm only kidding. She happens to be my biggest fan." He said

"Hmm. I'd love to meet her." Shaw said, "You know I always thought you and Detective Beckett might finally act on all that pent up attraction you were so determined to hide. At least she was. Whatever happened with her?"

"Oh, that's an interesting story." He said as he glanced to the bar and saw his wife getting her drink

"Excuse me, there's my wife." He said, "I'll be right back."

Jordan watched as Castle approached a tall women with long chestnut curls curious as to Rick Castle had finally settled down with. As the woman turned around and they headed to Shaw's table her mouth fell open

"Agent Shaw." Kate Beckett greeted

"Well, I'll be damned." Shaw managed to say, "You two got married."

"Yes, three years now." Kate said as she removed her jacket revealing her pregnancy

"And I see congratulations are in order." Shaw smiled, "Your first?"

"Yes, a girl." Kate said as she ran her hand over her belly smiling broadly

"So you're the famous Beckett and Castle I heard so much about." David chimed in, "Jordan couldn't stop talking about working with you two all those years ago."

"Well, Jordan and her team were invaluable in stopping a deranged killer." Kate replied

"As I recall it was Castle here who was invaluable remembering the left hand vs right hand thing with Ben Conrad."

"Yeah, he's good with the details like that." Kate said as she squeezed his knee under the table, "Right Babe?"

"Well, what is a writer if he doesn't notice the details?"

"Touche" Jordan said

"So, what's new with you, Jordan?" Kate asked

"Well, our daughter just started college here at NYU. I've been in Washington the past several years. Just after wrapping up our case as a matter of fact. We're here visiting for a few days. But really, you have to tell me how you two finally got together."

"How much time do you have?" Castle asked

Shaw just smiled as Kate and Rick launched into the amazing story of how they finally got together and their many misadventures since then.

"Good grief, Kate. You were shot twice?"

"Yeah but thankfully everyone involved is either dead or behind bars for the rest of their lives. It's all behind us now and we have better things to look forward to." She said as she again gently caressed her belly

"You certainly do." Shaw said, "You certainly do."

"A toast." Castle said raising his glass, "To better things."

And they all raised their glasses

/

At home Beckett and Castle were getting ready for bed and he walked into the bathroom stopping at the door watching her. Standing there in just a tank top and boy briefs, the tank rode up slightly exposing a part of her growing belly. He smiled slightly but noticed the scar from when she was shot at the loft by Caleb Brown, it had mostly faded but it was still a reminder of how close they came to dying. Only by the grace of God and Martha and Alexis finding them in time did they survive.

"You're staring, Castle." She said as she rubbed moisturizer on her face

"I can't help it." He said coming over to her and resting his hands on her shoulders he kissed her neck, "You're irresistible."

"Yeah, irresistibly huge." She said

He reached around and placed his hands on her belly, "Don't you know how sexy you are pregnant?"

"Well, I don't feel very sexy. Heartburn and swollen ankles are hardly a turn on."

He gently turned her around to face him, "Watching you, watching your body change as our daughter grows inside you is the most beautiful thing in the world to me." the look in his eyes told her what he was really thinking behind the words he said

Kate was hardly a sap but when he talked like that adding in the hormones she got teary eyed, "I know, Castle. Me too." She kissed him sweetly, "Now let's get some sleep. If the kid here settles down."

They walked into the bedroom and settled into bed, he reached over and placed his hand on her belly, feeling their daughter doing her nightly routine of baby gymnastics, "She's a strong one alright."

Kate laughed slightly as she put hand over his, "She loves her nightly routine or maybe I just don't notice it as much during the day when I'm busy."

"So, you still like Lily for a name?" Castle asked

"Yeah, I do." She said, "What about you?"

"I think it's perfect." He said as he kissed her, "Good night."

"Good night." Kate replied and they turned off the lights

They settled in, Kate sleeping on her side with Castle spooned around her, his hand resting on her belly, "Good night, Lily,' She whispered