Happy Birthday LittleLizzieZentara.

This story is a gift for Liz who has been there for me since she first wrote a review for another one of my stories 3 years ago. Whether it's encouraging me with my writing, helping me through my latest life drama or for somehow knowing I am going to need almond M&M's two weeks in advance. (We live on different continents so its takes a few weeks for postage and we don't have almond M&M's where I live, only peanut ones and I'm allergic.) Happy Birthday. I hope you like this.

Warning. Never under any circumstances should you take any medication wether prescribed or over the counter that has not been recommended for you by a trained professional. Even if you have the same symptoms there could be multiple reasons for it.

I'll be there for you!

By

Natalie Elizabeth

Set late season 3

Castle sat down in his chair next to the extraordinary Detective Beckett who wasn't looking too extraordinary today. She was always sexy looking but she seemed under the weather and had for a few days. Beckett looked stressed and was currently rubbing the area under her sternum. Castle placed her coffee on the desk in front of her but she barely gave it a glance.

"Are you okay Beckett?"

She raised her brows. "I'm doing paperwork Castle. I thought you had a meeting with Gina."

Castle nodded. "I did."

"So why are you here?" she asked slightly annoyed.

Castle laughed. "Well I figured if I didn't leave when I did, I'd end up here anyway. Except in handcuffs for attempting to strangling my ex and publisher. Not to be picky but I was kind of hoping the next time I was handcuffed it would be to a bed."

"Cant help you there," she told him still looking down at the papers in front of her while rubbing her body.

Castle narrowed his eyes.

"Beckett are you feeling unwell? You haven't touched your coffee."

Beckett sighed and looked up at him. "The coffee is hot I am just letting it cool down."

Castle raised his brow at her. "And that's the reason you're rubbing your stomach."

Beckett immediately stopped.

"Are you feeling sick?" he asked again.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "You're not going to let it go are you?"

Castle scoffed. "It's like you don't even know me."

Beckett rubbed a hand over her face. "My stomach is burning okay."

Castle frowned "Burning? What like a rash or something."

Beckett shook her head. "No like inside. It's like someone is lighting matches in my stomach. I get this big burst of heat and then it tapers off. Then it's like another match is lit all over again."

Castle winched that didn't sound pleasant . "When did it start happening?"

Beckett shrugged. "I don't know maybe last week."

"You mean after we tried that new Asian restaurant that made Esposito sick."

Beckett seemed to be thinking bout it before nodding. "Yeah except I wasn't puking like Esposito was, although I have been feeling nauseous since then. It's put me off my coffee."

"Ryan was complaining it was too spicy. Maybe it didn't agree with you."

"Maybe."

"Have you been to see a doctor?" he asked concerned

Beckett rolled her eyes and went back to rubbing her stomach and examining her paperwork.

"I've been busy."

"You should see a doctor Beckett."

She sighed. "For food poisoning? I've got a day off next week, I'll go then."

"And suffer in the meantime."

"Right now you are causing my suffering Castle,"

Castle rubbed a hand over his jaw. "Right. Well I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I guess I'll leave you to it."

Beckett watched as Castle got up and walked away. She then looked at the coffee he left on the desk.

"Thanks for the coffee," she yelled after him.

Castle waved her off and kept walking.

Beckett picked up her coffee and took a sip. She attempted to swallow but for some reason couldn't. Beckett got up and ran off towards the bathroom.

Beckett walked out of the break room a bottle of cold water in her hand. The cold liquid gave her some relief and she often held the bottle to her body. Maybe Castle was right. Maybe she should go and see a doctor. Not that she would ever admit he was right to his face. He was insufferable as it was. As she rounded her desk she froze when she saw a person crouching underneath it. Beckett rapped her bottle on the desk top causing the person to jolt and hit their head.

"Ouch."

"Castle," Beckett exclaimed recognising the author's voice if not the author himself.

The man shuffled out from under her desk her hand bag in one hand a paper bag in the other.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she snatched her bag out of his hand and then walked around him to sit on her chair. Castle scrambled to his feet and sat on his own chair.

"I got this for you," he said holding up the paper bag.

Beckett looked at the bag warily. "What is it? Why were you trying to hide it?"

Castle looked away nervously. "I didn't want you to tip out the contents in front of everyone at the precinct. I was just going to tell you it was in there. I know you like your privacy."

"And yet you went into my bag."

"I was trying to do the right thing," he told her.

Beckett looked at the bag in his hand. He was trying to hide it from everyone else for her privacy. She was wondering what it could possibly be. Looking at his face she tried to detect any humour or amusement. Nope there wasn't any. If anything he seemed concerned and worried. Beckett reached forward and grabbed the bag.

"I went to the doctor," he told her.

Beckett looked at the bag she had yet to open then back up at him.

"Are you feeling sick too?" she questioned.

Castle shook his head. "No but I know you probably won't get to go for awhile so I went to mine. I pretended like I was the one who was sick and told him your symptoms,"

Beckett gasped. "Castle you can't do that."

He shrugged. "Obviously I can."

She rolled her eyes at him and put both bags on her desk so she could open her water bottle. Her stomach was being set on fire again.

"Do you want to know what he told me?"

Beckett shrugged.

"He told me I more than likely had stomach ulcers,"

Beckett gulped the cool liquid as she took in Castle's information. Stomach ulcers. Yeah she guessed that was possible. She wouldn't be the first cop who had an ulcer

"Stomach ulcers aren't caused by stress as many think." he told her. "However stress can aggravate it, as can spicy or acidic foods. So if anything is causing the fire you talked about to come on then you should avoid it. And that means coffee."

Beckett looked at the paper bag on her desk. "So what's in the bag? Medication to treat ulcers?"

Castle nodded. "He said to take the medication and if it persists to come back and he will up the dose and do some tests. There is this breath test thingy they do to confirm the presence of this helicopterpylori bacteria,"

Beckett smiled. "Helicopter bacteria?"

Castle shrugged. "I don't know. It was H something. It has some complicated name but it's the thing that causes most ulcers. The test can confirm that the bacteria is present from your breath. If that comes back clear they can also do an endoscopy. Don't worry they don't stick a camera up your, well you know. It goes in your mouth. A camera then looks at your stomach. It's a pretty simple procedure and you are only out for a few minutes. However if the meds work you shouldn't need to do that."

Beckett smiled. He had really done his research, not that she expected anything less from him.

"I appreciate it Castle but I can't take medication that was prescribed for you."

Castle shook his head. "No its okay. I asked Lanie about it. Don't worry I told her it was research for a book. She said the type of medication they prescribed wouldn't harm someone who didn't need it."

Beckett nodded taking in what he told her. He really had thought of everything.

"I only got it for you to hold you off for a few days until you get to a doctor. I can see its taking its toll on you."

"Thanks."

Castle nodded. "Umm there is one thing,"

Beckett narrowed her eyes. Okay here it comes. "What do you want Castle?"

He shook his head. "No that's not what I meant. As I went to leave the doctor laughed and said if I were female and came in with those symptoms he would have diagnosed me with something else."

Beckett frowned. What did being female have to do with stomach ulcers? "What did he think you had if you were female?"

Castle refused to look at her. "Well umm he said..."

"What Castle?"

Did she have some life threatening disease because she was female?

Castle leaned in close and lowered his voice. "He said he would have thought I was pregnant."

Beckett froze. Pregnant!

"That really annoyed me," Castle told her. "I mean if I was female he wouldn't have gone down the ulcer route until I proved that I wasn't."

Pregnant.

Castle stood up from his chair. "So umm I wanted to make sure I covered all bases so there is one of those test things in the bag too. It's why I didn't want you to open the bag in front of everyone. Your personal life is your own. Anyway I should get home. I promised Mother and Alexis I would cook dinner. I hope you feel better and let me know if you need any help."

Beckett nodded as Castle walked away.

Pregnant!

"I got it," Castle called out to his family after hearing knocking on his door.

He wasn't expecting anybody although his mother was dressed to go out. Maybe it was one of her many beau's coming to get her. Attaching a hook on the back of the door for a scary mask to permanently reside was top on his list of things to do. That way he could use it to scare off perspective future step daddies. and son in laws no that he thought about it. Putting on his angriest face Castle opened the door.

"Are you alright Castle?"

Castle dropped his tough guy act. "Beckett. Hi. I am okay. Why?"

Beckett shook her head. "Because the look on your face suggest you haven't been to the toilet for a week."

Castle frowned. "I was going for scary not constipated."

"Well you failed," she told him.

"Think I could get Espo to show me how to do his scary face. I thought it was a guy at the door for Alexis. Or worse my mother."

Beckett laughed. "I think you would have more success wearing an Esposito mask."

Castles face lit up. "I was just thinking I should out a hook on the door to hang a mask. Great minds think alike."

Beckett shook her head. "No disturbed minds think alike."

Castle frowned as he looked at the woman in front of him. Normally she teased him, rarely did she tease herself.

"Are you disturbed?" he asked her.

Beckett shoulders slumped. "Can I come in?"

Castle steeped back and allowed her into his home.

"Detective Beckett. Why hello."

"Martha. Hello. Good to see you. Alexis," she said acknowledging Castle's daughter.

"Are you here to arrest Richard again?" Martha asked walking over to her.

Beckett turned around and raised a brow at the man in question. "Why, what has he done?"

"What hasn't he done?"

Beckett turned back to look at Martha and smiled. She loved the relationship Castle had with his mother. Castle wouldn't have been an easy child to raise, but Martha probably gave as good as she got.

"I am sure you keep him in line more than I can," Beckett told her.

Martha laughed. "I wouldn't be so sure about that dear. Anyway sorry to love you and leave you but I have a date. Ta ta."

Beckett watched as hurricane Martha left the room.

"I'm going to go do my home work. Good night Detective." Alexis told her before leaving the room.

Beckett spun around to look at Castle. "They didn't leave because of me?"

Castle shook his head. "No this is a regular occurrence here at Casa di Castle. Why do you think I hang out at the precinct so late, and no it's not just to annoy you," he laughed but she didn't seem to pick up on the 'just' part.

"Castle can we talk in private?"

Castle looked around the empty loft. "Umm we are alone."

Beckett bit her lip. "I don't want Alexis to come down and over hear. Or if your mother comes back for some reason."

Castle narrowed his eyes. What was going on.

"I need to talk to you about the package you got for me today," she told him.

Castle eyes widened. "Oh. Of course I understand. Come on."

Castle hurried over to his office. He hardly thought she was here to discuss her ulcer. Unless of course she got one of those million side affects that was listed on the instructions. He was a dead man if she got rectal itching.

"Can we go in there?" Beckett asked.

Castle turned to see the direction in which she was pointing. "Umm that's my bedroom."

Beckett bit her lip and nodded.

As inconspicuously as he could, Castle pinched his arm. He hoped his winching didn't alert or alarm Beckett. This wasn't a dream. Beckett was asking to go into his bedroom. He numbly turned and walked into his room. What the hell is happening?

"Castle."

Castle turned and looked at Beckett. She looked so nervous and somewhat scared. He watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a rectangular shaped box.

"I umm. I haven't done it yet."

Castles eyes widened. She hadn't done the pregnancy test yet. Was she here to give it back to him? Because seriously he didn't need it. Okay so once he had bought one when he was drunk. He just wanted to see what would happen, but that was years ago. Not to mention the test came out negative.

"Lanie and Espo," Beckett shook her head. "I don't even want to know what they are up to but I didn't want to disturb them."

"So you came here?" he questioned her.

Beckett shrugged. "I didn't want to do it alone."

Castle tried to keep a straight face. He didn't want it to show the internal freak out he was having. Beckett needed to do a pregnancy test and she wanted him to be with her while she did it.

"Okay," he told her. "Why don't you go into the bathroom and pee on the stick. I am sure you don't need my help with that. I'll be out here waiting."

Beckett bit her lip. "Do I literally pee on the stick or do I dip the stick in it or what?"

Castle raised his brows. "You have never done this before?"

Beckett shook her head.

Castle sat down on the bed and beckoned her over. "Sit down and we will read the instructions. They are all pretty similar but we will just make sure."

Beckett hesitantly sat on the bed next to him and kept her head down. Castle observed that her hand that was holding the box was shaking.

"Here why don't I open it?"

He leaned over and gently took the box from her hand. Using his nail he tried to lift the protective sticker but it just wouldn't budge. He then took the cave man approach and tore then end of the box open. Shaking the box the pregnancy stick and the instructions slid out. He placed the stick in Beckett's hand.

"That's for you," he then quickly read over the instructions. "Okay well you can pee on the stick or dip itin a cup of your pee. I can get you a cup if you like."

Beckett shook her head. "I dropped the cup in the toilet once. Another time I peed on my hand. I think I'll try see how I go with the stick."

Castle froze he wasn't sure how he was supposed to take this new personal information Beckett was divulging to him. Did she even realise what she was saying? Probably not. The possibility of being pregnant was very new to her and it had to be hard. After all, the person who was half responsible for the predicament she was in was half way around the world. Is that what was bothering Beckett? The fact that Josh wasn't there with her?

"I thought you hadn't done this before."

"Drug testing and a few tests with the doctors."

Castle nodded. He had done the same thing. Well not drop the cup in the toilet but he had to do tests for doctors. And okay so he had peed on his hand once before too.

"Beckett why don't you go and pee. We can talk while we wait if you like."

Beckett nodded.

"You pull the end off," he told her. "Pee on the stick for five seconds then put the lid back on and lay the stick flat. Wait five minutes and then we should know."

Beckett stood up and gave him a small smile. He watched her walked over to his bathroom and shut the door. When he heard the click he let out a long breath he didn't even know he was holding. Was it wrong to wish Beckett had an ulcer? It's not that he didn't want Beckett to have children, he did. If that was what she wanted? The forlorn look on her face was suggested that maybe she didn't. Or at least not right now, in this situation, with her boyfriend abroad. Maybe her mind would change once she saw two pretty pink lines on a stick. Meredith's hadn't, but Beckett wasn't Meredith. She was warm, loving and kind, the total opposite of Meredith.

"I did it."

Castle looked up as Beckett walked back into the room. If Beckett could pee that quick then why did woman take so long in the bathroom?

"Where is the stick?" he asked not seeing it in her hands.

"I left it in there. I am not going to bring a pee covered stick in your bedroom."

Castle shrugged. He wasn't bothered. It wouldn't be the first time there was pee in his room.

"I think it's better in there anyway."

Castle turned to look at the bathroom door. It was firmly closed as if Beckett expected the pregnancy test to escape.

Castle leaned his head to the side indicating the empty spot next to him. "Want to sit?"

He pulled out his phone and set a timer for five minutes. "So have you talked to Josh?"

Beckett sat down next to him but didn't speak.

"Beckett?"

"Josh and I..." she didn't finish the sentence just left it there hanging.

"Josh and you what?"

Beckett took a breath. "We are kind of on a break, sort of."

Castle frowned. "Either you are or you aren't."

Beckett sighed. "When he went to Japan he wasn't sure how long he would be gone. He really wanted to help people and I didn't want to stop him. So we agreed that we would call things off, temporarily. When he gets back he will give me a call and we can go from there."

Castle rubbed his hand over his face. "Was this your idea or his?"

"His but I agreed to it,"

Castle scoffed. "So you pretty much gave him a free pass to screw around on you while he was in Japan with no consequences."

"It works both ways. Besides we don't have to start dating when he gets back."

"Do you want to?" Castle questioned.

Beckett shrugged. "If we are having a baby I..I.. I.. ,"

"You don't know that you are," he interrupted. Was Beckett seriously considering getting back together with Josh only because she was having his baby? By the sounds of it they hadn't ended their relationship simply paused

It but still.

"But what if I am," she snapped at him as she stood up and walked away. "What if I am pregnant Castle? What if I am having Josh's baby? I don't know if I can do this Castle. He is always gallivanting around the world. He loves doing it and I can't make him stop just because I'm having his baby. I am all alone Castle."

"No you're not Beckett," Castle got up and walked over to her. "You have your Dad, Lanie, and the guys, and me."

Beckett turned to look at him. "So my kid will have a bunch of mischievous uncles and an aunt who plays with dead people as babysitters."

Castle gulped. He knew Beckett didn't intend to be mean, she was just stressed and acted out.

"We will be more than sitters Kate. We will be here for you every step of the way. Just like I am here with you now."

He nervously reached a hand out to her and stroked her arm. Beckett looked down at his hand then up at him. He watched as her shoulders slumped and a smile twitched to her lips.

"You really will help me?"

Castle nodded. "Of course. Now come and sit down. You are not well for whatever reason."

Beckett nodded and returned to sit on his bed.

"I am sorry for lashing out," she told him as he sat next to her.

"Don't be. Having a kid is a big thing. If you're not ready for it, it can be very frightening. Trust me I know."

"But Alexis is great,"

"Thank you but I think the TV needs to take more credit for that, than me."

Beckett smiled. "So is that your parenting tip number one. Make sure I have a good TV."

Castle nodded. "Yep."

"And number two is?"

Castle rubbed his jaw. "Always have a Richard Castle around."

Beckett smiled. "Oh right then I'd have two kids to look after."

Castle laughed. Yeah she was probably right. He played around a lot when Alexis was little. His mother of all people told him to stop acting silly. Where did she think he learned it from?

"Seriously Beckett. I'll be around to help."

Beckett nodded "Right. You will be around for the 2 am feeding."

Castle shrugged. "Well yeah. I mean if you have to do this on your own then I'm here for you. You could come and stay here for the last few months of your pregnancy. That way you always have someone to take care of you when you are two big to reach the kitchen sink to do the dishes. Then once you have the baby you can stay until you can manage on your own."

Beckett raised her brows at him.

"Stay here?"

Castle nodded. "Yeah. We have the room. You might have trouble waddling up the stairs so I might have to trade rooms with you but apart from that I don't see it being a problem."

Beckett sat there in stunned silence. He had overstepped hadn't he. The truth was the words just fell out of his mouth before he even thought. Not that his offer wasn't genuine, it was. If she was going to have this baby without Josh there to help then he would be. No matter what his romantic feelings for Beckett were she was still his friend. She was going to need help wether she wanted to admit that or not.

"I can't believe you would willingly let an eating, screaming, pooping machine into your home."

Castle shrugged. "I buy your kid a fancy expensive dress and she'd be my mother."

Beckett bit her lip and tried to stop herself from laughing. "It's a generous offer Castle and I do appreciate it but..."

"Kate we don't even know if you are pregnant."

"But what if I am Castle? You can't just throw out a proposal like that because you betting on the 50/50 chance that I am not pregnant."

Castle shook his head. "The offer is genuine Beckett."

Beckett was looking at him curiously.

"What?" he asked.

Beckett shrugged. "I don't know. I am just surprised you were willing to do so much for me considering I may be having Josh's baby. I got the impression you didn't like him."

Castle winced. "I guess I am not very transparent am I."

Beckett shrugged. "Why don't you like him?"

Castle shook his head. He really didn't want to get into this conversation. "I don't want to say anything in case you get back with Josh."

Beckett shook her head. "We won't be getting back together. I mean I know I said I possibly would if I was having his baby, but no. I just was talking without thinking. I don't want a relationship like that. I do want to get married and have kids someday. This experience showed me what life might be like with Josh. It's was a lonely scary future Castle. I would be wasting my time seeing him again. I am not saying I walk down the isle tomorrow but I would like to see marriage in my future if I met the right man. I know Josh isn't that person"

Castle took a deep breath. "This isn't going to come back and bite me in the ass is it?"

Beckett shook her head.

"Okay. It's not that I don't like him it's just that I thought you deserve better. He is never around and he is okay with that. How can he be happy spending no time with you? Doesn't he realise how incredible you are. I don't like him because he doesn't see that side of you. However that's not your kids fault. You can't choose your parents; the baby shouldn't have to suffer. I know what it's like to grow up with only one parent. I also know what it's like to be a single parent. It's not easy for both the parent and child. If I can help you and your child avoid that struggle then I will."

Beckett bit her lip. She went to reach over to grab his hand when his phone started beeping. The noise had Beckett jumping. Castle quickly swiped over his phone to stop the alarm.

"Time's up," he told her.

Beckett nodded but didn't move.

"Do you want me to look?" he asked her.

Beckett's bottom lip trembled. "I'm scared."

Castle reached over and squeezed her hand. "It's going to be fine Kate. No matter what happens we will get through this together. Okay."

Beckett squeezed his hand back. "Okay."

Castle got up and walked into his bathroom. He looked at the counter and saw the stick that could change both their lives. Castle tentatively walked over. He didn't want to admit it to Beckett but he was scared to. Castle looked at the two little windows. Two windows, but only one line. A smile broke out on his face and yet he felt immense sadness too. Taking a deep breath he picked up the stick and walked back into his bedroom. Beckett sat there ringing her hands. He gave her a brief smile. This was happy news as well as sad. He sat down next to her.

"Not pregnant."

Beckett blinked a few times before nodding. He watched as her mouth started to twitch and her brow started to furrow. Castle placed the stick on the bed.

"Come here," he beckoned ushering her forward with his hands.

Beckett shook her head. "I'm fine."

Castle placed a hand on her shoulder. "No you're not and that's okay."

Beckett turned to look at him as a tear ran down her cheek. She then slowly slid her head onto his shoulder. Castle wrapped his arm around her body just as it started to shake. She was crying.

"I didn't want to be pregnant Castle. At the same time I am upset that I am not pregnant too. I know my body clock is ticking but I am just not ready. I want children but not like this. A father who isn't there for me and my child isn't how I wanted to do it"

Her body started shaking harder and Castle tried to sooth her by rubbing her back.

"It's okay Beckett. I'll admit to being a bit disappointed when I saw you weren't pregnant. I was looking forward to bouncing a baby Beckett on my knee but you are right, this isn't the right time for you. Some day you will get pregnant and you will make an awesome mother, just not today."

Beckett nodded against his shoulder. "Are you sure I'm not pregnant. I seem to be pretty emotional."

Castle chuckled. "Do you need to pee again?

"No."

"Then you're not pregnant."

Beckett wiped her face on Castles shoulder before sitting up.

"You know you're crazy."

Castle pretended to be offended. "This is the way you treat me after I offered to look after you and the little one,"

Beckett rolled her eyes but smiled. "Thanks for the offer."

"No problem. I had an ulterior motive; I was kinda looking forward to a new playmate,"

"You really were huh."

Castle shrugged. "It's been awhile since I've spent time with a baby. Alexis grew up to fast."

"Or maybe you didn't grow up fast enough."

Castle laughed. "Yeah maybe."

Beckett stood up and wiped off her face trying to regain some dignity.

"Umm well thanks for helping me. I think I have embarrassed myself enough for tonight. I should probably go home and take that medication you gave me."

Castle stood up. "Wait you don't have to go yet. We could watch a movie or something. I promise no Three Men and a Little Baby or Look Who's Talking. I won't even break out Alexis baby videos that I have had put on DVD."

Beckett bit her lip. As much as she had a bit of a thing for Tom Selleck and John Travolta she wasn't up for baby movies. However seeing Castle with little Alexis held some appeal. Beckett knew that most proud parents loved showing off their children but rarely did other people want to see or hear about it.

"Actually I wouldn't mind seeing your home movies,"

Castle's face lit up. "Really?"

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. I mean you offered to help look after my child if I was pregnant. I need to make sure he or she would be in good hands."

Castle's face dropped slightly. "Umm. Okay I can just skip through a few scenes."

Beckett laughed. She might have to fight for the remote while watching his home movies. Even though there were thousands of parenting books she knew some of it was trial and error. No one was perfect.

"Come on. I'll make some popcorn. Popcorn should be okay for your stomach. No coffee though."

Beckett frowned at this.

Castle shrugged. "As soon as you start taking the medication you should get better and then you can go back to your coffee addiction. Come on we have apple juice that wont effect your ulcer."

Castle started walking off but Beckett stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Hey Castle. I just want to say thanks."

Castle shrugged. "Hey it's no problem. It's what friends do."

Beckett smiled. "I know you say it's no problem and you actually mean it. I just want you to know that I appreciate your help. Not just for today but for what you were willing to give up for me. You're home, you're bed, you're nights of restful sleep."

Castle smiled before grabbing her hand. "Come on."

He expected her to fight him but she didn't. Beckett simply squeezed his hand tight.

"So do you have footage of when you collapsed at Alexis birth?" Beckett asked. "Because I'd pay big money to see that."

The end.

I would once again like to stress. Never under any circumstances should you take any medication wether prescribed or over the counter that has not been recommended for you by a trained professional. It could have fatal results.

Also I would like to point out if you are not happy with a diagnosis from a doctor get a second or third opinion. Multiple times I have been misdiagnosed for several different issues. (4 times I had to pee on sticks to prove to different doctors that I wasn't pregnant before they would even go down the ulcer avenue. Funny, not once did they ask if I was sexually active.) Thankfully none of the new diagnosis were life threating but it means I can get the proper treatment I need.

Never give up. Stay as healthy as you can.