Chapter Two:
I have made the correction from the Dating series and placed that the master suite off the den, not on the second floor. Forgive me, I just discovered this tidbit!
Kate prepared to storm the loft, ready for battle. She had needed to stay late at the precinct working on this new case, so it was after 8 PM. Her stomach had settled, the last bout of morning sickness having subsided that afternoon. Her temper however, was rising dangerously, as her displeasure with a certain author had pushed her close to the boiling point. She was glad that Alexis was staying with a friend tonight to study for an upcoming calculus test, since this was not going to be a pleasant discussion.
She pushed open the door and spied Castle lurking on the couch, a TV remote in his hand. He looked weary and disheveled, and if Kate hadn't been so focused on her anger she would have realized that she barely recognized him as the man she married just three months ago.
But she was angry, overcome with a resentment that went far beyond the bitchiness she sometimes exuded as a result of her pregnancy. She fired away at her target.
"Richard Castle, how dare you call me continually like that when I'm out on a case! And then to start bothering Lanie!" She was shouting, her body actually shaking with emotion.
Castle jumped up from the couch and glared in anger back at his wife. He usually tried to ignore her moodiness and deflect her nasty outbursts, but this was about her health and their unborn children. He couldn't hold back his frustration with her, either.
"But you promised you would call and let me know what Dr. Stevens said! I was worried something was wrong." His face was scruffy from not shaving and he had dark circles under his eyes.
"I said I would call when I had a chance. You should have respected that." Kate took of her coat and threw her briefcase down in annoyance, her irritability evident.
Castle waved his arms in aggravation. "Your appointment was at 9 AM. What was I supposed to think when I hadn't heard from you by 11 AM? I was scared to death, Beckett."
Kate put her hands on her hip. "You called me five times while I was in her damn office, Rick! And I told you this afternoon that she said everything was fine and you still kept calling me. Right now I'm so fed up with your obsession over this pregnancy I may never answer your calls again!"
Castle folded his arms over his chest in defiance. "If you had just let me come along on the appointment I wouldn't have had to call you so much."
A look of horror crossed Kate's face. "Absolutely not! The last time you came along we were in there over two hours, with you asking her so many hypothetical questions it was ridiculous."
"I wanted to make sure I had every possible scenario covered. It's the father's job to be thorough." He said smugly.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Really? So asking about how to deliver twins by yourself in a mountain cabin without electricity is being thorough?" She asked. "You're nuts, Castle," She added wearily.
"What if we decide to vacation in Vermont and there's a storm?" Rick retorted defensively. He was just trying to protect her from every possible complication.
Kate turned her back to him, shaking her head. "I can't take this, Castle." She was clearly exasperated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Castle asked suspiciously.
"I don't know." She turned to face him, her voice now serious. "You need to give me space, Rick. You're smothering me and I swear I can't' breath."
Castle' eyes grew wide and he moved toward her in concern, touching her belly. "You can't breathe? Are you serious? Should I call the Doctor?" He looked panicked.
"Castle, it was a figure of speech." Kate groaned and pushed his hands away from her.
"Well, you shouldn't scare me like that. I'm very sensitive about your health right now." He signed. "Kate, I didn't know that not being with you on cases would be so damn hard. I can't stop worrying when you're out there chasing criminals without me. It's dangerous."
"I did it safely for years before I met you, Castle. It's my job." Kate's voice was firm.
"You're pregnant with twins. Let someone else do it." Rick's was firmer.
"I'm perfectly capable of handling myself at work while I'm pregnant!" Kate was growing angry again.
"You know what? I think you care more about your job than this family!"
"That's not true and you know it, Castle!"
Rick decided to switch tactics and try pleading with her. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Kate, if something happens to you, I don't know what I'd do."
It didn't work. "What will you do if they lock me up for killing my husband?" she replied sarcastically.
"That's not funny." Rick glared at her.
"You know what? I'm tired. I'm done discussing this, Castle." She picked up her briefcase.
"Kate. I'm supposed to take care of you," Rick continued. He clearly was not done discussing this.
She became even more defiant. "I don't need to be taken care of when I'm working! Why can't you understand that? And if you try and call me tomorrow, I won't answer. I'll be out in the field all day with Ryan and Esposito." She walked quickly toward the study.
"But I need to check on you. What if you get sick? What if the squad car breaks down? Oh God, what if you would get injured? Or held hostage?" Castle was working himself into a panic just thinking about the possibilities.
She whirled around to and glared at him. "Castle, I'm the cop, not you. I've been trained to handle danger. And you've gone way beyond checking up on me. You're practically stalking me! It's embarrassing."
He looked like her words had physically wounded him. "So I embarrass you, is that it, Kate? I care about you and our babies and that embarrasses you?"
Se threw her hands up in the air, waving the briefcase. "We are so done talking about this. You just refuse to listen to what I'm saying."
"Kate, pleaseā¦" Rick looked intently at her, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Kate walked into the study. "I have paper work to do, but first I'm taking a shower. No, you're not invited!" She said emphatically before he could ask.
She suddenly stopped and looked directly into his eyes, her voice was soft but firm. "I don't want to fight anymore. Please, just stay away from me, Castle." And with that, Kate disappeared and shut the door, frustrated, irritable and to her absolute disgust, once again nauseous.
"Kate!" Rick wailed at the retreating figure, sighing gloomily when he realized she was gone. He sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, feeling totally dejected and absolutely crushed by his wife's latest harsh words.
And so it would go for Rick and Kate, argument after argument, night after night. Neither of them willing to give ground to the other. The magical glow of their summer of dating had been lost in the harsh glare of their hot tempers and headstrong personalities.
