A/N: Reminder. This is not a continuation of the last chapter but is a separate scenario for why Kate decided to change her wedding dress.

Scenario Two: Surprises

Kate stood alone in the living room of the loft, pacing impatiently and pausing every few laps to glare at the door as though doing so would make Castle magically materialize. Of all the nights for him to get home later than her. Of all the nights for—

A key rattling in the lock caused both her thoughts and pacing to stop. Kate's breath hitched as she turned back towards the door, hoping against hope that is was her fiancé and not his mother or his daughter. Not that she didn't love Martha and Alexis. She did. They were practically family now, but she needed to talk to Castle and this wasn't really a conversation she wanted to have in front of an audience.

"Kate!" Castle exclaimed as the door burst open, his smile wide. "You're home earlier than I thought you would be."

Kate felt her entire body relax. He was here. Finally. She ignored the voice in her head that reminded her she'd been waiting for less than twenty minutes and instead responded to Castle. "Yeah, I had an appointment so I left the precinct early and since we didn't have a case I came right home afterward."

Castle finished hanging up his jacket as she spoke and turned to study her shrewdly. "You've been pacing."

Kate blinked. How the hell could he tell?

He raised an eyebrow knowingly as he strode towards her and answered her unspoken question. "Your back is straight, your shoulders raised and I can practically see the path of your feet on the area rug. Besides, you always pace when your anxious or nervous and I can tell from the way you're chewing on your bottom lip that something has you worked up." He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "What is it Kate? Was there a new break in your mother's case?"

Kate shook her head and tried not to grin. How this man had come to know her so well was beyond her but she wouldn't have it any other way. "Let's sit down." Kate settled herself on the couch and waited until Castle was seated facing her, their legs entwined.

"If it's not about your mom, what's going on? You look worried." His voice was soft and tender and something about it made Kate feel more solid than she'd felt since leaving the doctor's office an hour earlier.

She took a deep breath. "I…" She'd practiced at least a dozen times in her head when she'd been pacing, but now that he was here in front of her, the words didn't seem to want to come. She closed her eyes and tried again. "I went to see my doctor today because—"

Castle squeezed her hand. When had he taken it? It didn't matter. She squeezed back, the contact giving her courage and she opened her eyes to meet his intense gaze as she continued.

"—- I was late and I've been feeling unusually tired and achy lately so I thought —"

"Kate," Castle interrupted, his voice rough with emotion. "Are you trying to tell me that you're pregnant?"

Kate nodded. "I know we haven't really talked about kids yet and the timing isn't exactly perfect but we are getting married soon and —"

Castle was suddenly crowding her space and pulling her against him, his mouth swallowing her words as he engulfed her in a kiss that managed to be both achingly tender and scaldingly passionate. When he pulled away, his face was bright, a wide grin stretched across his features. "We're going to have a baby."

Kate kissed the upturn of his mouth. "Yes. We are." She froze, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "I'm gonna need a new dress."

A/N: There's a small chance there will be a third, slightly longer scenario but I'm not promising so for now I'm marking this as complete.