Building New Dreams

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the character (but I wish I did) I just play with them for a bit then give them back.

This is the third instalment of my Dreams series. You may want to reading the first two instalments before starting this one though it can be read with it. I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

CHAPTER 4

They returned to the precinct late in the afternoon to find Ryan and Esposito knee deep in paperwork. Apparently they were going over phone and financial records for their latest case. She watched as they both looked up when castle and she stepped off the elevator and walked over to her desk.

"Everything ok?" Ryan asked as he put down the paper he was holding and turned to face her.

"Yeah everything's good, great even it's just" Kate stopped when she saw that rick had not taken his usual seat by her desk but had gone straight into the break room and was at this minute making coffee. Was he that worried about how she would take it if he proposed to her? She wasn't sure and she knew him well enough that he needed some space plus she needed to run her idea past the one person who would tell her what's what.

Getting out her phone she quickly flipped through her contacts until she found the one she wanted then hit send.

"Kate hi what can I do for you?" Lanie asked after a couple of rings

" Well I was wondering if you were free tonight I need to talk to you about something. And besides we haven't had a girl's night in a while." Kate asked quickly

Lanie could hear something in her friend's voice that she hadn't for a while worry. So she asked "is anything wrong?"

" No the opposite something is very right but I need to run an idea by you just to make sure it's good that's all. So are you free?"

" of course honey what time do you want to meet and where?"

Kate thanked her friend and told her where and when then hung up smiling to herself. If everything she was thinking and planning come together then she would soon be engaged as well as pregnant.

When Kate walked into her apartment it felt strange. Over the last six months she had spent very little time here but that wasn't the issue right now, she needed to get things ready for her girls evening. She had really missed them. Sure she had gone out with Lanie a few times in the past months but that had just been to the Old Haunt for a drink after a long day, tonight was going to be the real deal. Snacks, movies and drinks, non alcoholic of course due to her condition, but fun none the less. And she would use the time to run her idea past her friend and see what she thought of it.
It took Kate no time at all to get everything ready, including ordering take out and tidying up a little that by the time Lanie arrive Kate was done and waiting on the couch flicking through the channels to pass the time.

"So girl tell me what's on your mind. Why the impromptu girl nights?" the words were one of her mouth before she had rid herself of her coat and shoes. " And why at your old place?"

"Well the reason for both has to do with a certain writer and my current situation." Kate replied cryptically running a hand over her stomach.

" what do you mean, you said on the phone that nothing was wrong so spill"

"Well when I was in the hospital and we found out about my little hitchhiker Rick was talking to the baby as I was falling asleep and he said that we all had to work on their timing as he was going to ask me to marry him."

"Oh honey that's great so where's the ring you can't tell me he hasn't done it yet, that guys has waited four years I was surprised he didn't pop the question the week after you guys got together."

" Well that's just it. He hasn't and I think I know why"

Lanie was quiet for a second knowing Kate was going to continue

" you know his ex-wife."

"Which one?" Lanie asked not really thinking.

"The first one" came back the clipped answer.

"Sorry didn't think but yeah I know Meredith right."

"Well what you may not know is when she got pregnant with Alexis, the first thing Rick did was ask her to marry him. Doing the right thing in his mind, he once told me. And now I believe he thinks that if he asks me to marry him now I will take it as him doing the same thing to me"

" But you don't think that do you? And surely he knows that."

"Of course I don't , I know that he loves me but I'm saying that's what I think he's thinking. I know it's stupid. Anyway it's been well over a month since we found out and yes I know we've been busy but still he hasn't even hinted at it and you know how he can't hold anything back when he's excited so We've" she paused bringing her hand to her stomach " come up with a plan. One that will solve his problem and one that he won't see coming, haven't we Jelly bean" Kate said leaning back against the couch now rubbing her stomach.

"What! Don't keep me in suspense." Lanie all but screamed

"Well I'm going to propose to him and I have the perfect way to do it" and with that Kate outlined her plan to her best friend hoping it didn't sound too hokey.

When she'd finished Lanie sat silent for a few seconds making Kate worry then a huge smile spread across the ME's face and she replied " that's genius he is never going to see that coming. When are you going to do it?"

" next Friday we're going up to the Hamptons to for the weekend, were leaving in the afternoon so I'm going to do it that morning. What do you think?"

"That's perfect I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that but I'm sure that everything will go fine and if you need any help preparing anything just call me. Now I think we should tidy up and get on with the movie don't you."

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter as the two friends watched not one but three romantic chick flicks in a row while consuming coupés amounts of pop corn and ice cream. By the time the third film had ended the clock was telling them that it was well after midnight so they decided that they would stay where they were and leave for work from there the next day. After the ladies had each sent their respective others a text telling them the situation they turned in for the night.

As Kate lay back on her bed she pulled the pillow close to her hugging it tight. Just as she was drifting off she breathed in deeply smelling the faint scent of Rick's aftershave realising that she really was pretty much moved into the loft as when they had first started dating her pillows smelled so much stronger of his scent and when was the last time she had actually slept here or for that matter on her own. Kate woke the next morning not needing to rush to the toilet which in her mind was the best way to wake up well apart from early morning sexy time with Castle. And as she got out of bed she smelled the heavenly scent of bacon and eggs wharfing into her room. Quickly she grabbed her robe and after slipping it on headed toward the kitchen where she found her friend busy making breakfast.

"Morning girlfriend, how'd you sleep?" Lanie smiled at her as she flipped the bacon onto a plate

"Good and I didn't want to puke this morning so even better. "She said coming to sit at the counter opposite her friend.

"Well that great. I'm just about done so grab your plate and dig in then if you don't have plans I was thinking we could go shopping. I know you're not on call till this afternoon so have the morning off, what do you say?"

Kate thought for a second. She had been thinking about going shopping for some new clothes as she knew that as her pregnancy progressed she would need them, so agreed knowing that Rick was going to be using this morning to write.

The two women entered the mall a little after ten and headed for a small bouquie that Lanie loved. Once inside Lanie went off looking at the racks while Kate slowly walked over to one of the nearby displays and started looking at the clothes. Most of what was on offer was for her pre-pregnancy figure she mused. Pre-pregnancy now that's a word that she wouldn't have thought she'd be saying anytime soon about herself but now here she was 12 weeks pregnant with Richard Castle baby no less shopping for maternity clothes. It was all a bit surreal but at the same time right.

Kate was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realise Lanie had was standing next to her until she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey you ok? You looked spaced out"

"Yeah I'm fine just thinking. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Of course did you doubt me, now let's get out of here and go and find you some sexy mama maternity clothes." Lanie replied holding up her purchase fretting bagged before tugging on Kate's arm and leading her out of the shop.

As Kate had never been pregnant before or had any close friends who had been either she was at a loss as to where to go for maternity clothes but on the other hand Lanie seemed to be an expert on where to go, to which Kate was quite amused until she found out that Lanie had been busy and had googled local outlets the minute she had found out her friend was going to have a baby.
Lanie had been watching her friend all morning and was pleased at what she had seen. Kate Beckett was a complex person; she held her cards close to her chest and never really showed her true self to many people. Lanie had known her a long time but she had never seen her this happy, this open. And what made her laugh the most was the person that had helped her get to this point was someone you would never have thought Kate would have given the time of day let alone fallen for, cause that was what had happen her friend had fallen hard for the mystery writer in a way that was only written about in book's and like every good book the author had weaved a story that was fantastical and thrilling but in the end gave the readers what they wanted the two leads getting together and living happily ever after.
For the next couple of hours the two friends traipsed round the shops looking for suitable clothes for Kate and they were very successful too. So by the time Kate was ready for a break they had gotten a lot of things she was going to need for the coming months. Also in one of the many shops they had visited Kate couldn't stop herself from moving over to one of the displays when she had seen the cute onesies that had sported silly slogans and in no time at all was picking them up and holding them against her stomach asking Lanie what she thought. Lanie had smiled and told her friend that she was being silly but to get them anyway.

While Kate went over to the cash register to buy her items Lanie let her mind drift to everything that had happened over the past year and how it had changed all their lives for the better. She was brought out of her musings by a hand on her arm.

"Hey I'm ready for a break how about you?" Kate asked eyeing up her friend suspiciously

"Yeah I could. Just let me pay for these then we can go." And with that Lanie headed toward the cashier with her purchases.

A few minutes later the two women left the clothes store and headed for the nearest coffee shop for a well earned break. They found one a short distance from where they had been shopping. As they got close to the coffee shop a young couple exited holding hands, heading toward the edge of the street and flagged down a taxi. Kate thought to herself 'they look happy' before she realised that the young redheaded woman looked familiar. It was at that moment that the couple turned slightly and Kate got a better look at the young woman in particular. The young woman was none other than Alexis. Kate was taken aback for a second not expecting to see her, let alone with someone else. Kate stood rooted to the spot and watched as the young couple embrace just as a taxi stopped next to them then saw Alexis reach up and kiss the young man with a passion she'd felt herself but was surprised to see Alexis exhibiting it, so she knew Alexis was dating this young man but she hadn't realised that it had gotten this serious just yet. As she turned to say something to Lanie she noticed that the ME wasn't quite as shocked by this display as she was. when Kate turned back to watch the young couple she got the shock of her life, because as her hand came up to cup her boyfriends face Kate saw there was a ring sitting on one of Alexis' fingers, a finger that when it held a ring meant something.
Kate felt a pressure on her elbow as Lanie tried to get her attention just as Alexis turned and noticed them for the first time.

"Oh hi, I didn't expect to see you here. Are you guys out shopping?" She asked looking directly at the detective.

For some reason Kate couldn't make her brain work. The words were there but they wouldn't come out. It wasn't the shock of the situation it was something else. It was if she was disconnected from the world for a second everything was in a fog.

"Hey, are you ok?" This was the last thing she heard Alexis say before the world began to spin and everything went black.