For Family and For Love

Sequel to 'When the Partnership Ends'

Chapter Two

Imogen walked into the now fully furnished kitchen with a smile on her face. It had only taken two weeks for them to get the house all sorted out and now that it was, it finally felt like home again. Kate smiled as she sat up cup of hot chocolate down in front of her niece/daughter and had a sip of her own coffee.

"Finally feels like home now Katie B!" Immy said with a grin. Kate smiled and nodded her head.

"I am still so surprised that Gates let me have the full two weeks off to be with you," Kate said with a smile. "Do you have to go back? I'll miss you!" Kate said trying to give Immy her best puppy dog look. Immy laughed and then gave Kate her biggest, brightest and most beautiful smile.

"I know…I'm always going to miss you when I'm not here with you but the sooner we finish filming, the sooner the press release is done and the sooner I am back here in New York full time. That has to be a positive yeah?" Immy asked with a smile looking at Kate. Kate gave Immy a small smile and took her into a one armed hug.

"I know I know. I can't help but never want to let you go. I love you Immy and always will and I hate it when you are gone and I'm the only one in this big ole house," Kate said.

"Well maybe you should invite Lanie over and you could have a SLUMBER PARTY!" Immy said with a massive grin. Kate rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Always the jokester Imogen. Always the jokester," Kate with a smile as she headed off towards her bathroom. Immy smiled and put her cup in the sink before heading to her room to get some of her school work done before she had to go back to LA and back to having a tutor on set.

CASTLE

Rick sat in the car and looked out the window at the house that he was parked opposite. It looked like an amazing house and he knew that Kate had picked a good one. He was trying to pluck up the courage to talk to Kate and let her know that they were done. That he didn't want to work with her anymore.

When he had first decided to sever all ties with her he had been running on adrenaline and now, now that he had had time to think about it the more he was trying to imagine living his life without her and the harder and harder is was getting to be. He knew that it was going to be hard but it was something that he had to do. He had to tell Kate it was over so that he could move on and do what was right for him.

CASTLE

Alexis was sitting in the lounge room when her dad walked in the front door and sighed heavily. Alexis stood and walked towards her father. Castle looked up at his daughter and shook his head.

"I couldn't do it. Imogen was leaving today and I couldn't break her heart even more that what it already was. She looked devastated that Imogen was leaving. I couldn't add to that," Castle said. Alexis nodded her head and wrapped her arms around her father as a few tears slid down his face.

CASTLE
15 WEEKS LATER

It had been a hard day of filming when Immy arrived back at her hotel room. She lay down on her bed with a dramatic sigh. The day had been emotionally draining and she was ready to just crawl into bed and go to sleep. She dragged herself up and decided to head to the bathroom for a shower.

She grabbed her PJs and headed for the bathroom when she heard her chime signalling she had a message. It could wait and till after her shower. Little did she know that there was huge news waiting on her phone in the form of a message from the one and only Kate Beckett about the things that had changed in her life in the space of 4 days.

When Immy stepped out of the shower, towel dried dressed and walked into the lounge room where she had dumped her bag when she got home earlier and pulled her phone. She unlocked her phone and looked at the message from KBex. Immy looked at the message in disbelief.

PREGNANT… WITH 'HIS' BABY!

Immy just didn't even know what to say in response. She knew that there had been a moment of weakness between the former partners and then everything went sour and the two hadn't spoken to each other in nearly a month. Kate had taken it extremely hard. There had been many sleepless nights with Immy when she had been on the phone to a devastated Kate and then had worried about her and hoped to god that she hadn't done anything stupid and now, now she was pregnant.

Um, are…are you okay? Does he know?

Immy walked into her room and lay down on her bed. This was going to be another long night for her. It wasn't long before she heard her ringtone sound and she knew instantly that it was Kate calling.

"Hey, how are you?" Immy asked as she answered the phone. She heard a deep intake in breath.

"Honestly, I don't know how to take this all in," Kate said in a small voice sounding very un-Kate like.

"Oh Kate. I am so sorry that this had to happen to you!" Immy said with a sad smile.

"I, ah, when do you finish filming?" Kate asked.

"Two days. Did you want me to come home?" Immy asked.

"No, no. I was actually thinking of coming to you," Kate said nervously.

"Oh really? I would love that Kate! We have to do some press stuff and then we have two months break," Immy said.

"Well, let's just go away for two months. Maybe go to Australia and visit Ian and Dakota…" Kate said with hope in her voice.

"I would love that Kate!" Immy said with a grin.

"Well I'll take some time off work. I'll talk to Gates and then text you. I'll let you get to sleep Imm," Kate said.

"I love you Kate! We're gonna get you through this. I promise," Immy said as they said goodbye. It didn't take long before Immy was asleep.

CASTLE

Kate was sitting at her desk staring at the closed door to Gate's office. She was just waiting for Castle and his new 'partner' to walk out of her office so she could go in. She heard the door open and looked down at her paperwork to avoid the eyes of Richard Castle. As soon as she knew they had walked away she stood up and headed towards Gates' office to talk to her.

"Beckett. To what do I owe the pleasure," Gates asked.

"Sir, I have some news and I don't exactly know how you are going to take it because it is pretty big news," Kate said.

"You're not quitting are you?" Gates asked. Kate shook her head.

"No. Not exactly," Kate said. "I, I'm pregnant and Castle is the father," Kate said looking down at her hands. Gates looked at Kate with her eyes wide. She did not expect to hear that especially after what had happened between the two.

"Oh. So no field work anymore," Gates said. Kate nodded her head.

"Actually sir, I was kind of hoping that I would be able to take a few months off. Immy finishes filming in two days and she was hoping we could go to Australia to visit Ian and Dakota," Kate said. Gates looked at her finest detective.

"I'm not happy that I am going to be losing you but how long are we talking here? Two, three months?" Gates asked.

"Three maybe," Kate asked. Gate nodded her head.

"The paperwork will be on your desk before you leave tonight. And Kate, I know that I may not be that great of a person but, I am here if you ever need to talk," Gates said. Kate nodded her head as she stood.

"Thank-you. I really do mean it," Kate said with a smile as she headed back to her desk. Gates smiled and watched as Kate left. She was losing a good detective but she knew that she was going to make a wonderful mother. She already did a great job with the sort time she has been with Immy and Ian and Dakota.

Kate walked back to her desk and quickly sent a message of to Immy letting her know that they were heading to Australia.

Australia is a go! :D

CASTLE

Richard Castle walked out of Gates office and looked over to where his former muse and former lover sat at her desk. She looked down when she saw him walk out and he couldn't help but feel guilty for the way he had ended their partnership. She looked different somehow and he just couldn't put his finger on what was different about her.

He walked past Esposito and Ryan who were talking quietly and caught the tail end of their conversation.

"She said she was going with Immy to Australia," Ryan said.

"I think it's because she doesn't want to tell Castle and she doesn't want him to find out," Esposito said in reply.

"But he's going to find out because she can't exactly hide it forever," Ryan said.

"It's not something that is just going to go away and disappear and never come back. It's with her for the rest of her life," Esposito said before he noticed Castle and the pair stopped talking about Kate.

What did Kate not want him to know and why did it seem like everyone knew but him? What was such a secret that she was leaving with Imogen for a while just so she wouldn't have to talk to or face him. Richard Castle had to know what was going on.

A/N: So there is the second chapter…I don't know if I really like this story so let me know what you think. There will be flash backs :) REVIEW PLEASE!