Bathroom Ballad

CHAPTER TWO

"Castle."

"Hey, Lanie," Castle glanced at her before turning back to stare at the restroom door.

She frowned at him, "You alright?"

Unable to trust his voice, Castle nodded without looking at her.

"Seen Beckett?"

When he answered his voice was deeper than usual, Husky, she decided. "She's in there." He tipped his head toward the bathroom door. With a last quizzical glance at the hunched and uncharacteristically grave figure standing in the hall behind her, Lanie disappeared into the restroom.

"Beckett? You in here?" she headed for the single latched door in the long line of bathroom stalls.

"Lanie?" Kate's voice sounded tight, squeaky in her own ears. Inside the stall, Beckett closed her eyes as she dashed the tears from her cheeks and fumbled to open the door.

"Girl, what is going on? Castle is standing out there looking more like a lost puppy than a man with his kind of money and looks has any right to and you're hiding—" Her words trailed off and her eyes widened at the sight of her friend's face, flushed with emotion. Her eyes all the brighter for unshed tears.

Beckett's chin dimpled as she choked on her emotions. She gestured Lanie to follow her as she stepped into the more spacious end stall.

"Honey, what is going on?" Lanie breathed, and was mercifully silent, waiting.

"Oh God, Lanie!" Kate paced the tiny area, her arms folded over the tight knot in her belly. "He's out there waiting and I, oh God! What am I going to tell him?"

"Tell him? About what?"

Kate stopped pacing and faced Lanie. "I—" her glistening eyes were wide, frightened. "I'm_" she swallowed, closed her eyes and reached into her pocket and pulled out a white capped plastic stick.

"Wha—? Girl, if that's what I think it is then you've got some explaining to do." Lanie took the test from her but kept her eyes on Kate. "You're pregnant." It wasn't a question.

Kate nodded.

"And Castle's the father."

"Yes! Oh God! Why him?"

"Just off the cuff, I'd say it's because he's the one you slept with." Lanie threw Beckett a calculating look, the corner of her mouth turning up, "So, how was he?"

"Castle?" Beckett fixed Lanie with an incredulous stare.

Lanie grinned back at her, "Was he as good in bed as he thinks he is on paper?"

Beckett pinched the bridge of her nose, "I can't believe we're having this conversation right now." She shook her head.

"Alright, details later." Lanie glanced at the test. "If you stay in here much longer then he's liable to come in after you."

Pacing again, Beckett nodded reluctant agreement.

"You can try to leave without—"

"Kate?" They hadn't heard the door open, but his deep voice called out hesitantly.

"Damn," she looked to Lanie for help.

Lanie handed the test back to her friend. "Tell him," she whispered.

Beckett gritted her teeth, "I'll be right there." They heard the door close and inwardly Kate congratulated herself for how normal her voice sounded. "He's gone."

Beckett pushed the door open and headed to the sink, running refreshingly cool water over hands. She patted her face carefully before checking her reflection. She sighed, "You're right. He'd never believe me if I lied. She took a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, left the room.

Castle tried to look relaxed as he lounged outside the women's room, staring without seeing the FBI's most wanted board. A slight creak from the opening door jolted him and he whirled to face Kate Beckett as she walked toward him. He met her in the middle of the empty hallway, wanting to speak but finding himself strangely without words.

She wasn't smiling. Her jaw was set and if he'd had to name it, he would have said she looked determined.

"Kate," he began.

He glimpsed something small just as she slapped it into his hand. "Congratulations, Castle," she muttered grimly as she walked away.

He gasped, looking down at the test in his hand, at the one vivid fuchsia line, indicating the test worked, and a fainter line next to it. Clearly, the test was positive. Oh my God! "Kate!"

She was already down the hall, head down and did not react to his voice. Lanie passed him, pausing just long enough to give him an unreadable glance as she hurried to catch up with Beckett.

I've had a few pregnancy comments, and since it doesn't spoil the story enjoyment, here's a little background. First, pregnancy tests can give a true positive in as short a time as 2 days. The earlier the test is taken, the fainter the line is going to be. If the line is there at all, it indicates a pregnancy is progressing. Second, the morning sickness. Of course every pregnancy is different. Some women in my family have indeed experienced it that early, although that certainly isn't the norm. This may not come up later so I don't mind telling you now, Kate didn't actually throw up. She felt sick to her stomach and left the room suddenly, but that's as far as it has gone at this point.

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