Thank you to everyone for jumping into this pool with me! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to everyone individually yet, but I'll do my best to do so soon.

Out of the Blue


Paula's none too happy with him in the morning when he calls to tell her he's rescheduling his flight, but he's not going to feel badly about it. Kate's doctor is managing to fit her in just before lunch, nearly the exact time they would've needed to be at the airport and the choice is pretty obvious from where he's sitting. They can take a later flight; those leave almost hourly. The only consequence of arriving later is he has less time to wander the city and explore before his first engagement the next morning. He'd rather use that time to hold his fiancée's hand and find out more about the life they've made than figure out the best place to get a cheeseburger. He doesn't tell Paula that, but he makes it clear he needs to be here right now.

Finally his agent relents, reminding him not to miss the plane because he's playing it fast and loose today. She's loud enough for Kate to hear from her spot beside him, causing his partner to laugh into his arm.

"Are you ever not playing it fast and loose, Castle?"

He grins, stealing a kiss. Kate's still tired; they've been up and moving since 7:15 when her doctor called on her way in to work. Without a morning hit of coffee, she hasn't truly been able to shake the pull of sleep. It probably doesn't help that he's convinced her to stay in her PJs this long, either, but if she really wanted to change, she would've. Instead she seems content where she is; curled against him on the couch, long limbs tucked underneath her, and dozing in and out.

Meredith was never this tired when she was pregnant with Alexis, but then again she also spent the first trimester and even part of the second bent over the toilet in offering to the Morning Sickness gods. Kate's said so far she's been clear of that. If he had to choose – which he knows he's probably not allowed to at all – he'd pick extra naps over puking any day.

"It'll be fine, Paula. I'll be in my seat for the signing tomorrow morning and that's all that matters, right? Who cares how long it takes me to get there?"

He can feel his agent rolling her eyes through the phone. "Do it your way, Rick. Do it your way."

"Thanks, I will."

Kate snickers again, waiting until he ends to call to squirm under his arm and drape herself across his chest. "Always a troublemaker, aren't you?"

His hand slides from her shoulder to her hip soothingly. "If you think someday you're going to be able to pin all of our child's wildness on me, Beckett, I will remind you your dad has shown me your teenage pictures."

"Cause he's a traitor," she mutters, grinning into his chest in spite of her words.

"It was a display of solidarity. And that constant scowl was adorable, sweetheart."

She pinches him, but it comes from a place of love, he's sure.

"For that, I'm going to ask your mother to reprise her one woman show and this time include visual aids."

"You wouldn't."

She clucks her tongue. "You never know. Maybe I would. Maybe I'll even help her add to the story. Maybe I'll record it and show it to the baby when you're not home."

Instead of a rebuttal, she gets a kiss attack. Not that she complains. In fact she might even encourage it, if the fingers in his hair and the way she squirms are any indication.

"We have time?" he breathes, flicking his tongue over her lip.

"We do… but we can't." She looks apologetic. "No messing around pre-examination." Her hand slides up his neck. "Sorry, babe. We'll celebrate after?"

Right. The appointment. He remembers. "After's good. Mile high club?"

Kate swats him. "At the hotel. I will not have the memory of celebrating my first child's first appointment in a cramped plane bathroom… what?"

She gets a kiss instead of an answer. He won't tell her yet what she's said, what she's told him in just three words. Her first child. Their first child. She's known she's pregnant for all of a day and she's not threatening to make this baby the only one they have.

"Nothing, Kate, nothing. Hotel room is good, perfect even. We'll have room service for dinner, it'll be great."

If there's one thing he'll never tire of (not that there's anything he'll tire of when it comes to her), it's the way she lights up when she's happy. The way she smiles and the way her eyes thank him for being the one to make her feel that way. He's never going to get over it, any of it.

"Mhmm, deal. Now kiss me again. We have plenty of time for kisses."


He's been informed that someone will come get him when they're ready for him, leaving him to sit somewhat awkwardly in the waiting room with three woman. Two are probably late in their pregnancy, the other he's not sure about – Kate doesn't look pregnant either, so he can't say this woman's not – but all three look bored.

Kate hadn't been seated long enough to be bored. It's probably a good thing, because she also didn't have time to sift through these magazines the way he is. Something tells him they wouldn't help her decision about her job as the glossy pages covered in smiling babies debate the working mom dilemma.

"Rick?"

He looks up to see the nurse who took Kate back waiting for him by the door. She smiles warmly when he meets her eyes.

"You can go in with her now. Come with me?"

He's clumsy on his way to join her, bumping into what's probably an empty chair and apologizing to it before slipping into the restricted area and looking around.

"Second door on the left."

"Thanks."

His knuckles rap against the door gently before he tries the handle. Kate's answering laugh is joyous and only continues when he steps in, hand over his eyes.

"Put your hand down, Rick, the torture devices are out of sight. Come here."

She's already reaching for him when his hand moves from his face. Her eyes are bright, but she's not crying, so he hopes he'll be able to keep it together, too.

"Hey," he breathes, plunking onto a stool beside her. Their fingers lace as she gestures to the monitor beside the doctor.

"Look at that, Castle."

Wow.

Oh wow.

She laughs shakily, kissing his knuckles. "Yeah, wow."

"I said that?" He blinks, swiping his face quickly. He's already tearing up and all they can see is a blurry black and white blob. He's going to be a mess in a few months when they can see fingers and facial features.

"No, I could just tell." Her head lifts, mouth landing against his chin. "Me, too."

God, he loves her. He might've told her DC would be great, but this… this is going to be the greatest. Dipping his head, his mouth covers hers.

Kate's doctor has to clear her throat to get their attention, but the second he's not kissing Beckett, he's watching that monitor.

"So that's… is everything good so far?" Kate's hair brushes his cheek as she looks, too. Her question comes out strong, but he hears the tiny waver, the flicker of worry that maybe everything isn't as perfect as their untrained eyes think it is.

The doc smiles. "It is. I'll have instructions and some diet suggestions for you once we're done here, but everything looks perfect."

It's all they both need to relax. "So were we right?" he asks Kate, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Is this a 'Witchcraft' baby?"

His fiancée laughs, leaning into his hand.

"Looks like it. The measurements match up to the dates pretty well."

"We're good." Wow, they really made a baby that weekend.

Kate sneaks a kiss. "We're good," she agrees. Turning back the doctor she asks, "Can we um, can we get about a dozen copies of this?"

He must look confused, because she adds, "She says we can tell people if we want, so maybe after the trip, my dad, your mom, and Alexis? We'll start small, just in case, but I don't want to be superstitious."

He nods, grinning stupidly. She's cautious about this, of course, she wouldn't be Kate if she isn't, but she doesn't want to be fearful.

The doctor laughs quietly. "I'll see what I can do. Rick, I'm going to have you step outside again and we'll finish up here. Then you two can be on your way."

"Of course," he agrees, cupping Kate's cheek and kissing her breathless.

"Meet you outside," he breathes against her lips.

His fiancée's cheeks are red when he pulls away. Immediately she pulls her lip between her teeth. "Go, Castle."

He knows he looks like an idiot, but he's not going to even attempt to hide his smile or disguise the spring in his step. He'll over tip the cabbie on the way to the airport. He'll annoy their fellow passengers at the airport by whistling, by smiling at everyone around. And judging by the elation he'd felt thrumming through her fingers, Kate will probably join him in that endeavor.


He insists on grabbing a quick lunch after leaving the doctor's office before they drop by the pharmacy and grab all the prenatal vitamins she's been told to take. It's not the best idea he's ever had, since they barely make their flight, but even the mad dash through the airport isn't enough to sully their collective good mood. Kate rolls her eyes as they're seated beside each other – in first class, of course – but as soon as the seat belt is secure around her waist, her arms are around his neck and her mouth covers his. Her tongue probes his mouth slowly, meeting his with lazy ease.

"Now isn't this better than me being up here and you being back there?" he teases when she pulls back, fingers brushing down her arms.

She rolls her eyes again, leaning into his touch. "Yes, you win. This is better."

"Told ya."

"Uh huh, don't gloat, buddy."

He zips his lips. "No gloating here."

If it's even possible, her lips curve higher. She hasn't stopped smiling since the doctor's office. "Good."

Silently, she moves the armrest between them to get closer. The doctor said she needs to sleep when she starts to drag and their Olympian-worthy sprints have worn her out. His arm curls around her easily, letting her get comfortable against him.

"Wanna look at the picture again?" he murmurs as they push back from the gate, slipping his hand under her shirt to caress her side. She curls into him a little more, grinning into his shoulder.

"Yeah I do. Your copy or mine?"

They haven't even reached cruising altitude when she dozes against his shoulder, her thumb caressing the bottom curve of the photo. Briefly, he considers taking it from her and tucking it back into their shared carry on, but when he tries, Kate presses it against her belly protectively.

That's a hint if he's ever seen one, and it's one he heeds. He'll let her be.

Halfway into the flight he manages to squirm for his tablet without waking her. It takes a unique combination of the case's handles, his foot, and a tiny lean but he does it. Normally he wouldn't even bother logging into the in-flight Wi-Fi, since the person he'd most likely be poking is sitting right beside him (and the second most likely person is miles away from a phone or a computer), but he has something on his mind that needs out: Real estate in DC.

If she decides to stay with the task force, they're going to need somewhere to live. Somewhere bigger than the tiny one bedroom place she'd leased before he could suggest shopping around. He still wonders what made her choose the place, charming as it may be, beyond the proximity to her work. A part of him thinks it was some sort of misplaced penance; just find a place with a roof and be happy with it no matter what. Another part of him has to think the lack of permanence she's established in DC means something about her real feelings for the job.

He won't make the decision for her, though, one way or another. He'll bookmark a few listings for now and get a feel for what's out there, just to make the process easier later on. If she stays, they stay. They'll make two homes work. Two nurseries, two rooms for Alexis, maybe even a room in DC for his mother if she asks nicely. If Kate doesn't stay with the AG, then he'll call it possible research for the next book. Nothing wrong with that.

They'll figure it all out, he's confident still.


He waits until the last possible second to leave her in the morning. He's done everything he can to stay beside her, returning after dressing, even drinking his coffee against the headboard while she sleeps. She's been curled up on her side since he had to slide out of bed the first time, one arm draped protectively over her stomach and the other tucked under her chin, but she reaches for his pillow as soon as he scoots away the final time. He pushes her hair off her forehead, kissing her brow delicately.

"I gotta go, Kate," he whispers, lips close to her ear. "Someone's gonna bring up coffee and breakfast for you in a little bit. I warned them to go half strength like the doc said. I'll keep my phone on me, so call if you need me. Or if you're bored. Or if you just want to come meet me and stake your claim."

She nods, but he's not sure she's really hearing him. "Mmkay, thanks. See you af'er."

He can't resist her sleepy pucker; it's adorable. Knowing that she hates not being kissed goodbye is just a bonus.

"See you later, Beckett."

"Loveyou."

Ugh, she can't do that to him. Now he wants to crawl back in bed and show her exactly what her sleepy murmurings do to him. But he doesn't, because Paula and Gina will team up and bury him alive if he misses the signing.

"Love you, too, Kate."

She'll tell him it's corny and ridiculous if he ever admits it, but he knows as soon as she walks into the bookstore. He can't see the door, but he sees the way heads turn and just knows the people in the back of the line are being distracted by her. He just knows they're distracted by the way she sweeps her hair off her neck when she's warm – as she no doubt is after the walk from the hotel in the mid-day sun – or the way every movement of hers is graceful. Of course, maybe they're not distracted by just one thing, maybe they're just distracted by her as a whole, by the way she radiates confidence and peace.

Of course, when he sees her, he knows how she's distracting people today. He's mid-sentence with one very lovely young woman when he catches her out of the corner of his eye, perusing a shelf. Her hair is braided, but the strands right by her face – remnants of bangs she hasn't had in years – have already come loose, framing her cheeks delicately. The top she chose when dressed is one he bought for her on a whim one day; it's light and gauzy, blues and purples that make her eyes bright. Her legs go on for years in her khaki shorts, and his eyes trail down, taking her in all the way to her purple toes and gold sandals.

She knows he's looking, too. He can tell by the purse of her lips and the curve of her cheek as she swipes her hair behind her ear. Even that gesture is purposeful, because now he knows she's wearing his ring.

It makes him stutter his way through the rest of his conversation, which thoroughly delights the woman in front of him (a quick glance down at the book in his hands tells him her name is Amanda) and he makes sure to send her off with a wink now that he has his bearing again. It's not every day that suave Richard Castle gets tongue tied in front of fans.

He shouldn't look for Kate again, but he can't resist the pull she has. He uses his cup of nearly full ice water as a cover to look over again. Just in time to see his bride-to-be wink over her shoulder at him and saunter off.

Oh, that's just evil.

He has just enough time between people to text her, asking if she wants to come sit with him. He knows her answer, of course, but he'll extend the invitation anyway. Her refusal comes later than he expects, but when he spies the pile of books in her arms a few seconds later, he understands why. What could she possibly be buying that they don't have at least one copy of at home already?

It all makes sense an hour and a half later after he's signed the last book, thanked the last person he needs to thank, and wandered off to find her. She's curled up in one of the cushy chairs, cheek on her hand, thumbing through a baby book.

She bought a stack of baby books. Way more than they probably need, but he knows she's probably painstakingly chosen each one for a specific reason.

"Hey," he calls, swallowing thickly. "I'm done for the day and ready whenever you are."

She looks up with a lopsided smile, crooking her finger at him. "Almost done."

There's not enough room for him to squeeze into the chair with her, so he perches his still nearly-numb ass on the arm instead. He could rest his arm over the back, but curling his fingers around her shoulder to keep his balance sounds far more enjoyable. Humming in what he'll assume is agreement, she drapes her arm across his knees, palm resting on his thigh.

"You looked busy earlier," she murmurs, turning to the next page. "Good feedback on the book?"

"So far, yeah. You distracted me, though."

Kate's eyes are bright when she lifts her head. "Good. I was trying to."

"Tease."

She turns the page. "Uh huh. But you were thinking about me the rest of the time."

"I was thinking about you the whole time," he admits, tugging on her braid to get her eyes. His back protests at the angle, but he kisses her anyway. Her hand tightens on his leg, the hum of contentment vibrating through her lips.

"You want to get lunch and go back to the hotel?"

"Mmm, Mister Castle, that's not sightseeing with me," she singsongs.

"Maybe not, but you're certainly a sight to see."

Her groan makes them both laugh. "I'm so disappointed in you, Castle. You spent all morning with boobs in your face; surely you have better game than that."

"Hey, I signed no chests today. I was very specific."

Kate's hand slides over his thigh, the movement firm instead of tempting. "I know you were, Castle."

"I just thought you might want to rest while it's warm and we can wander around when the temperature drops." He thumbs the ball of her shoulder gently. "Of course, you know I'm game for anything else you might want to do at our hotel, too."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh I'm very aware of that. Two more pages and then lunch. And after that, we can see." She settles back in, eyes on her book. "Besides, when you see what else I bought today, you won't want to leave later, either."

If she wasn't being evil before, she certainly is now.