7x14 was everything I could've asked for and more, and the promo for next week's episode literally made my heart hurt (my angst loving self cannot wAIT), so I'm going to focus on this story for the week and hope it'll make time go faster!

The idea started with the baby conversation Castle and Beckett had at the beginning of the episode, and I blame my friend Heather for giving me more idea's and fueling it.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Warning: there are spoilers for (obviously) 7x14 but also 7x15.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

"Next time I will be." It was a slip, and Kate was glad Castle didn't see through it, or notice the way she ducked her head, bit her lip and turned away from him for a moment. She threw him off instead, acting nonchalant and as if babies hadn't been a constant on her mind ever since she took the test the day before. He always knew when she was lying or hiding something, and this was the biggest secret she'd ever kept from him.

Not that she was keeping this from him, she told herself. She was simply waiting for the right moment to tell him. With an inward sigh of relief, Castle bought it, shaking his head in agreement.

"There never is."

At his words, her stomach dropped and she couldn't keep the panic from forming in her eyes and twisting her mouth into a frown. He didn't want a kid, not right now. Quickly, as if he read her thoughts, he continued. "But then again, there's never a wrong time either," and she sucked in a breath of relief. Of course he wanted a child. He was a fantastic father the first time around, and Alexis meant the world to him. Another baby now or in the future didn't make a difference to him.

She took a drink of her tea, which she had secretly swapped with the coffee he had originally given her, and paused, watching him as he stood there. His eyes were unfocused and trained on the wall behind her shoulder as he absentmindedly sipped from his coffee and she couldn't help but imagine a scenario exactly like this one now, but with a dark, curly haired child running around by their feet, giggling and crying out words like "Mommy, look at me," or "Daddy, look what I can do." She imagined Castle placing his coffee on the table and moving to pick up their child, planting a kiss against their cheek as he-

Her phone buzzed to life, pulling her from her daydream, and she sighed regretfully.

Tonight. She'll tell him tonight.

The moment the elevator doors opened and her eyes landed on Kelly Nieman, her hand instinctively came to rest on her stomach, only for a fleeting second, before she dropped it and marched forward.
"We meet again, like the song says."

The woman frustratingly didn't take her bait and acted confused, playing the innocent card too well. Kate asked to see a list of her patients, hoping she could get a reaction out of the doctor, a sign of panic, or a flash of anger but she simply ignored Kate's taunts with a smile and a tilt of her head. She knew Kate had nothing solid, and seemed confident she wouldn't find anything, but Kate affirmed she'd be back with a court order anyway.

"Oh, Detective?" Kelly called out to her as Kate turned to walk away. She froze, head swiveling to stare at the woman. Kelly's eyes were on her stomach, a chilling smile gracing her perfect features.

"Congratulations."

Her world spun on its axis.

Jerry Tyson was alive, and standing right in front of her. She couldn't keep the horror off her face as he turned towards them, and she found herself immediately wanting to run out the door, run somewhere far away where she, Castle and their baby could be safe.

She never ran. Fight or flight was not ever a consideration; she always chose to stay and face the danger head on, but this need to protect her child at all costs practically had her going against everything she believed in.

She nearly asked Ryan and Esposito to question Tyson, but as she watched Castle stare through the glass at the man who had almost ruined his life, she knew he needed this. Needed answers. Needed justice. She couldn't let him do it alone.

Tyson couldn't hurt her. Not anymore. He was handcuffed, in custody, and with enough evidence to lock him up for good.

It was almost over.

Kate ruefully watched as Amy walked away, her business card crumpled in her hand. Amy's refusal to believe the truth about Tyson and accept her help had an uneasy feeling settle in her stomach. It was irrational, Kate knew that, but she couldn't help thinking that if she couldn't protect Amy, how could she ever protect her own child? So when Amy called later that night, her voice laced with fear, she jumped at the chance to get to her, to keep her safe.

"Don't move, I'll be there okay?"

She hung up, and turned to Castle who was watching her with questioning eyes.

"She's the only person who might be able to connect Susan Watt's murder to Tyson. I have to go get her."

Castle nodded, moving to grab his coat hanging over a chair behind him. "I'll come with you."

"No," Kate shook her head as she pressed her hands against his chest, trailing them up his shirt to cup the back of his neck. "I need to do this alone, we can't risk scaring her off."

Castle frowned, arms reaching to wrap around her waist and she could tell he didn't agree with her. After a moment of studying her face he nodded anyway, sensing this was important, even if he didn't exactly understand why. A wave of affection for her husband welled up inside her and she tilted her head to press her lips against his, whispering her love for him against his mouth. He tightened his hold on her and leant back slightly to rest his forehead against her own. They stayed like that, both content in each other's arms as the stress of the day all but dissipated, until Kate's eyes flew open, images of Amy getting strangled by Tyson taunting her and she untangled herself from her husband's arms, sighing apologetically as she did so. She couldn't help but smile as his lips pursed into a pout and she reached for his hand, gripping his fingers reassuringly.

"I'll be right back," she murmured as she stepped backwards.

"You better."

She held onto him as long as she could but as she reached the door, she found her arm was extended as far as it could go. With one last squeeze of his fingers she dropped his hand and turned around, striding confidently towards the elevator.

The last thing she remembered before slipping unconscious was a sharp sting of something stabbing into her arm and she opened her mouth to shout, to cry for help but her body was unresponsive, and she unwillingly found herself crumbling to the ground.

Kate came to as freezing water was thrown in her face, and she jolted in surprise, choking as the water found its way into her lungs. As she coughed it out, she felt it run down her body, over her bare skin, and noticed someone had stripped her of her jacket, shoes and t-shirt, leaving her in a singlet and jeans. She was freezing, and knew the water had done little to make her feel that way. The bitter chill of the air around her was well below freezing and she could feel her body beginning to scream in protest. She attempted to lift her hands to brush the hair that had fallen over her face but found them strapped down instead. The table she was lying on was metallic, icy against her skin, and was supporting her at an almost diagonal angle.

What the hell?

A chuckle sounded from her left and Kate jerked her head in its direction, wincing as the movement caused the pounding in her head to intensify. The sound belonged to the man standing beside her, who hands were toying with one of her guns as he leered at her, and she couldn't contain the gasp that escaped through her clenched lips.

"Hello, Detective Beckett."

Without a single doubt in her mind, she knew this man was Jerry Tyson.

The real Jerry Tyson.

It all made sense now. The man they had custody, the one who claimed to be Michael Boudreau, was simply a distraction. They wouldn't be looking for the real Jerry Tyson if they thought they had him. Her visions for that night, her images of Castle's face when she told him they were going to have a baby vanished before her eyes. She was never going to get the chance to tell him, never going to raise a family with him. The crippling loss she felt for her unborn child and her future stole her breath away and she closed her eyes, head bowing remorsefully.

They fueled Tyson's game, played right into his trap, and now he was going to kill her and her baby.