Thank you for continuing to stick with me on this journey!
Out of the Blue - Chapter 7
The look on her face says it all.
This is the last house on their list, the last one they'd both circled, and something about it just doesn't work. They haven't even made their way through the entire place, but her eyes tell him she'd be fine walking out right now.
His thumb skirts over her back, feeling the heat of her skin even through the loose cotton. The weather in New York has been mild for this time of year, but here in DC it's a lot like stepping into a sauna and not being able to leave. Kate's pulled her hair into a bun, just to keep it off her neck, and she shivers when he blows a line of cool air across her skin.
Their realtor pauses down the hall, waiting for them to catch up. She's been keeping up a stream of careful chatter about the house and the virtues of the neighborhood; it looks like the suburbs, but it's close to transportation, the people are friendly, and the schools are thriving, all good points.
It's a gorgeous house, but it's just not them.
Still, he smiles politely as she rattles off some tips on taking the current owner's loud wallpaper down and turn the upstairs study into a nursery. Kate nods beside him, even though he's pretty sure she has at least partially tuned the woman out. She gets the same look on her face when he dives a little too deep into his conspiracy theories. It's her placating face.
The tour's over soon enough, and they find themselves standing in the heat, discussing where to go from here. Kate covers her eyes with the flat of her hand, glancing around quickly before settling on telling Connie they'll be in touch once they've had the chance to talk things over. He agrees quietly, giving their realtor's hand a firm shake before leading Kate to the rental he'd picked up at the airport when his flight landed on Thursday.
The car's probably unnecessary, but it means they can come and go as they please instead of having to ride with Connie.
It also has the benefit of an insanely good air conditioner. Thank god.
Kate echoes his sentiment with a groan that's entirely obscene. His answering hum is probably close to the same level, but neither of them seem to care. In fact, they both train their vents onto their faces and shut their eyes. It looks strange for them to just sit there, he knows, but anyone spying on them will have to deal with it for a few minutes.
"Thank you, Castle," she murmurs finally. She smiles when he peeks an eye open, continuing, "For not knocking me up earlier in the year, thus causing me to be extremely pregnant during a heat wave like this."
He chuckles, partially from her conviction and partially because she said 'heat wave.' It's the little things sometimes.
"Glad to be of service, Beckett."
She answers with a toothy smile as he puts the car in gear and pulls away from the curb. Once they're back on roads he recognizes, he slips his hand off the wheel, reaching across the console for hers. As warm as they are, a kiss of palms is pretty much all they can tolerate.
"So that was…"
"Disappointing?" she offers when he trails off.
"Yeah. What was it for you? At this last one, I mean," he adds, glancing over when they stop for a red light.
"I don't know exactly. A lot of little things?" She shifts in the chair, exhaling when the fan blows over her side. "There was a lot of work to do, too. I hated how closed off the kitchen was. I mean, think about how often you talk from the kitchen as you cook in the loft. And that wouldn't have been a cheap fix to open it up, either."
He nods. He'd been thinking the same thing. "The bedrooms were small, too. Really small."
"Yeah, your mom won't like having to sleep on a twin bed when she visits."
Snickering, he shakes his head. "But can you imagine it? Richard, darling, we're going to have to talk about my accommodations," he mimics his mother's voice, grinning when Kate dissolves into giggles. "Now, I love you and Katherine both, but my room simply won't do. But don't fret, kiddo, I'm taking your credit card and reserving the President's Suite at the Four Seasons. See you in a few days, ta ta!"
That sets his fiancée off all over again. He actually has to take his hand back because her laughter keeps tugging on his arm, shaking his entire torso and rocking the car.
"You're awful."
"Awesome is actually the correct word, Beckett, but I'll give you a pass this time because you're tired and the heat's obviously getting to your beautiful brain."
Kate snorts. "Yeah, thanks for that." Her fingers curl around his thigh, squeezing gently. "So not the last house. What about the others?"
One shoulder lifts. "I don't know," he sighs. "They weren't bad, but something wasn't right about them."
"I know. That's what I thought, too. I thought maybe it was just me, but they were just… missing something."
Rick nods, rubbing her knuckles gently.
"We'll keep looking. And Connie knows what we like a little bit better now, too."
"Yeah she does." Kate yawns, scrubbing a hand over her face. He sees a disgusted look creep across her features when she realizes along with the sheen of sweat, she's also wiped away her makeup. "Thanks for doing the leg work on this one."
"I'll find us more to look at tomorrow. Not too many, but maybe we can find a couple open houses and explore."
She nods, wiping her fingertips on a napkin from the console. "You still heading back on Monday?"
"Yeah, Alexis is only at home until Friday and then I'm moving her into the dorm so she can get settled over the weekend. Pi's on the waiting list for Columbia housing, so by noon on the first day of her classes I'll know if he's going to need my now-extensive skills as a house hunter or if someone gave up a spot he can take."
Kate smiles, rubbing his leg firmly. "At least he won't be sleeping in the middle of your living room anymore."
"And I cannot be happier about that."
She chuckles, looking around quickly when she realizes he's passed their turn. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know about you, Beckett, but I need a cold milkshake and a cheeseburger right about now."
Her stomach rumbles before she has the chance to admonish him about sticking to their healthy eating plan. "Okay, okay, then we're good for dinner. Baby wants a cheeseburger and a shake. And let's take it home, okay? I can't be in these clothes anymore."
"No arguments here."
His bride-to-be rolls her eyes. "No, of course not." She smiles a moment later, though. "And this way we can look for more places while we eat."
"Deal." He punctuates it with a kiss to her palm.
Monday morning comes entirely too soon. Not for the first time, they're both awake before the alarm trills, trying in vain to prolong the weekend by holding one another close and sharing soft, slow kisses. Even after forgoing more house hunting and spending most of the day in bed on Sunday (they still have months to find a bigger place, after all), they're not quite ready to be apart. When they finally do leave bed, it's only to step into the shower together. The stall is cramped for two of them, but Kate doesn't complain when he uses their lack of space to press her against the wall and slip his tongue into her mouth.
Surprisingly, it's his phone that rings and not Beckett's, interrupting the easy silence they've established as they prepare for their day. He spits his toothpaste into the sink quickly, swishing with the cup of water Kate hands him before reaching for his phone.
"Castle, it's Ryan. We called your place, but Alexis said to try you on your cell."
"Uh, yeah, I'm in… DC with Beckett. What's going on? Do you miss me? It's okay to say you miss me."
Beside him, Beckett rolls her eyes and hip checks him to get to the sink. He drops a kiss on her cheek as he steps away.
"Sure, Castle. Actually, uh, we have a bit of a situation. How quickly can you get here?"
"I, ah, well I'm dropping Beckett at work and then going to the airport. I don't think I can get an earlier flight?"
"No, that'll be fine. I'll text you the address."
"Yeah, okay, sure. I'll let you know when I'm on my way."
Kate tilts her head, waiting for him to pocket his phone before she lifts an eyebrow in the mirror.
"What was that all about?"
"He's going to text me an address; there's a situation and they want me there? He didn't say what it was."
"That doesn't sound comforting." She drops her mascara wand, turning to face him fully.
"Ah, I have a feeling it's just Ryan messing with me. It'll be fine," he promises, curling an arm around her waist to pull her closer.
"Kay, well, keep me updated on the situation." Her mouth lifts a little bit. "Especially if it's just Ryan messing with you."
"Of course." He steals a kiss. He knows Beckett misses the guys and their playful antics, too. "But now, it's time to get you to work and for me to, reluctantly, leave on a jet plane."
His fiancée sighs, ducking her head quickly to keep him from seeing her face fall. It gets harder to say goodbye every time, and he has a feeling that won't change as her pregnancy progresses. There's so much happening and she asks so many questions and amazes him with new factoids each time they speak, plus they just plain miss each other.
"But you'll be back at home in two weeks," he reminds her softly, using their embrace as an excuse to sway with her. "And we'll have to actually decide if we want to know if it's a boy or a girl. Sixteen weeks."
They've gone back and forth a few times. One moment he doesn't mind the idea of it being a surprise, the next he desperately needs to know. Kate's been the same way. Part of her wants the chance to control something in their out of control lives, but he knows she's also kind of excited by the magic of not knowing.
Beckett exhales. "Sixteen weeks. Four months, Castle."
"In two weeks." He presses an open-mouthed kiss to her cheek. "Fourteen as of yesterday or the day before, maybe Friday."
Her laugh is breathy. "It's a little weird, you know, knowing almost exactly when I got pregnant."
"Mmm yeah that is." He chuckles. "Forget I said that."
"Yes, let's." She kisses his chin quickly. "And I want something greasy for breakfast on the way to work. Please."
Beckett slaps his wandering hands away, keeping him from getting to her skin one last time. They really don't have time for it, especially not if he's needed in New York.
"Done."
Her smile returns, even if it is tinged with sadness.
Later on, he finds himself wishing he'd taken a few extra minutes to make them both late because offering himself up in exchange for hostages hadn't been the first thing he wanted to do when he got back to the city. It wasn't on his mind when he called Beckett to fill her in on the situation as he knew it upon arrival.
Getting shot – in the vest – by said hostage-taker definitely hadn't been on his list of plans.
He's okay, though. Sore and wishing Beckett could be here to baby him in her no bullshit way, of course, but he's okay. And once he solves this case, he'll go home, call his fiancée again, and tell her what happened from a hot bubble bath. That'll soothe the aches, right? Not as much as having her beside him would, but he's not going to dwell on that.
He just needs one of the guys to listen to his theory a little longer. He's onto something, he knows.
"Castle!"
His neck protests sharply when he swivels to find Beckett storming the bullpen. She looks harried, face flushed, hair windswept, and he wonders how many blocks she had to run because the cab was just taking too damn long to get her to the precinct.
"Hey, Beckett, hey," he tries for cheerful, hoping she won't notice him grimace as he stands. Judging by the narrowing of her eyes, she doesn't miss it. (Who's he kidding, anyway, Beckett sees all. She's going to be the best mom on the planet.) "What are you doing here?"
"Ryan called," she explains breathlessly, hands landing on his shoulders to steady herself as soon as she gets close enough. "He left me a message when I was in the air. He said you were shot, Castle."
"I, ah, yeah. She hit me in the vest, I landed on a coffee table, it was all very dramatic, but I'm fine. I'm fine."
Beckett's hands move to his cheeks. "I'll believe that when I see it. Move," she orders. "Locker room, go."
Experience tells him arguing is pointless when she's making that face, so he moves. Satisfied with his compliance, her hand falls to his back as she follows him. Her grip on his jacket doesn't hide the tremble in her fingers.
"Were you checked out? By a paramedic?"
"I was. They said I'm fine, but if I get too uncomfortable to go see a doctor."
Her hum is noncommittal but her fingers relax minutely. "And did they check you for head wounds? You have scratches on your neck."
"Ah, those are from you, Beckett. Remember? You needed a grip in the shower this morning"
"… right."
Looking back takes effort, but it's worth it to see the pink tinge to her cheeks. "But they did check me out. I have a knot on my head but no cuts. And no signs of concussion, either. And I think I got all the glass out of my hair."
Licking her lips, Beckett nods. "Good." She holds the locker room door for him, barely glancing around to see if they're alone before she orders him to take his shirt off.
He does, keeping his face as neutral as he can when the motion tugs at the rapidly growing bruise on his chest. Across from him, Kate crosses her arms, swallowing hard as she sees his discomfort.
"Beckett, hey, I am okay."
"Castle, you were shot."
"And yeah it hurt, but I know who the killer is!"
Her hand touches his side, halting his squirm from foot to foot. "Who's the killer?"
"Okay, so Emma – "
"The person who shot you," she supplies, brushing her fingertips over his chest. Pain flares the closer she gets to center, but he swallows and soldiers on.
"Yeah, her. She's accused of killing her boyfriend, but she didn't do it. Someone's setting her up. Come to find out she's adopted and her boyfriend stole her adoption records. Why would he end up dead if those records weren't protecting the killer?"
"I –"
"Exactly. What if her birth parents don't want to be found? What if they'd stop at nothing to keep Emma from finding out the truth?"
"Castle," she sighs, fingers probing gently.
"I know I'm right, Beckett." He tries to hide the hiss at the contact.
"Sorry, sorry." Her mouth dips, lips opening against his skin. "Sorry. No more poking. I have some stuff at home that'll help. Are you ready to go?"
Shaking his head, he exhales. "I have to stay. I can't leave yet."
"Okay, okay. We'll stay." She thumbs his bicep gently, taking his shirt from his hands and helping him into it again. "Do you have ice already?"
"Not yet, we pretty much just got back here."
"Okay, I'll get you some in a second." Deftly, she rebuttons his shirt, leaving an extra button open to keep it from pressing into his skin.
"Thanks."
He sees her swallow down whatever emotion she's feeling and it hits him that she shouldn't be here. She was in DC this morning; he dropped her off at workin DC this morning. She really had hopped a plane and taken a cab and probably jogged a block or two at least to be here. And she hadn't done it after he'd been shot, there was no time for that.
"You left work to fly up here?" His hands fall to her hips after she helps him back into his coat.
The laugh she releases is watery. "Of course I left work for this, Castle. You went into a hostage situation willingly. You were shot. My baby's father wasshot. What the hell else would I do? I was coming to help." Her cheek lands on his shoulder and her arms wind low around his waist, keeping as much contact as possible without touching his chest. "I threw up on the plane, I was so worried," she adds abruptly, pressing closer.
His fingers slide through her hair, hopefully soothing her fears and calming any part of her stomach that's still rolling.
"Well I'm glad to see you. I was already missing you terribly."
"I'm glad you're still breathing for me to see," she confesses, swiping at her eyes quickly.
"Doing more than breathing, Beckett, and if you'd like to fulfill a personal fantasy of mine, I could show you right here."
That gets the laugh he'd been hoping for. "Sure, Castle. I'll just get us both kicked out when neither of us technically work here."
"But what better a time to do it? We can't get fired, we can't be censured, because we don't work here."
Her lips slide over his. "Another time."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
She smiles finally, her arms relaxing around him. "Good. Now let's go solve your case, super cop."
They do solve the case. There are still going to be consequences for Emma, and he's fairly certain he'll be called on to testify at her trial, but she isn't going away for murder thanks to them. His chest hurts more now, but he accepts her hug of thanks before introducing her to her birth father and leaving them to it. It wasn't the day he'd expected to have, but it feels good either way.
Kate's hand slides over his arm when he joins her at her old desk. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he assures, smiling softly. "I'm okay. You're not flying back tonight are you?"
Her hair tumbles over her shoulders as she shakes her head. "No, Castle. Tomorrow morning."
"Good. Old Haunt for dinner? We can invite the guys, and Lanie and Jenny, too."
"Sounds good," she agrees, leaning her cheek on his shoulder quickly. "Hey, Espo. You hungry?"
"Is your fiancé buying?"
He laughs, nodding. "Yeah, I'm buying."
"Good. Then I'm starving. Ryan, call Jenny. Castle's buying."
Kate snorts behind her hand. "I'll call Lanie and have her meet us there."
"Perfect," he hums. It'll be good to have all of them together again.
His arm curls around Kate's shoulders as soon as they clear the precinct doors and he feels her slump a little more against his side. Ryan's lips turn up, but the tease they all know is on his tongue stays unspoken.
"Jenny's so excited to see you, Beckett."
Beckett smiles against his shoulder. "Me, too. How's she doing? Is she feeling better than she was the last time we talked?"
"Oh yeah. It was just a bug she picked up at work, but her doctor didn't want to let her take anything."
She smiles. "Yeah, there's not much you can take for that. I started reading up on it after you told me she was sick. Just in case," she adds, lifting a shoulder quickly.
"Speaking of, how are you doing, Beckett? We still don't quite believe that whole 'you and Castle having a baby' thing, you know."
Beckett laughs, sliding her hand over her sweater. Pride blooms in his chest when she pulls it taut over her belly. "Believe it now?"
Yeah, they did that together.
"Nah. Could be a pillow. Or maybe they're feeding you really well with the AG. Who knows what you do in DC."
"Not a pillow, Espo. And not the result of a really good company meal plan. Actual baby," she drawls, squeezing Castle gently. "And at least now we've got a jump on the 'when are you going to have a baby' question we'd get after the wedding."
"Yeah, but now you're gonna be asked when you're getting married," Espo points out, eyebrow lifted. "When are ya getting married anyway?"
"Ah, well," Kate stutters, looking up at him. "We're still –"
"Choosing the best date," he answers for her, grinning at their friends. "Mother has her set of rules, and we want to make sure Alexis and Kate's dad are able to make it. Plus I think we're kind of waiting out Pi, so we don't have to photoshop a fern in his place in the wedding pictures later o- ow, Beckett!"
"Be nice."
"That is nice. And practical."
His fiancée rolls her eyes, looking back to Ryan and Esposito to make sure they see her suffering as well.
"You're marrying him, Beckett."
"And procreating with him, too," Ryan adds cheekily.
"Fine. Getting back to the subject of dinner, you didn't make the menu changes you were talking about yet, did you?"
He blinks at her rapid subject change. "Um, no? Not unless Brian was especially on the ball last week. Why?" The Old Haunt's kitchen isn't exactly large so they generally stick to the same menu, but he's been considering making a few tweaks to it for the last few months. Nothing crazy. Bar food is bar food, but rotating things every so often never hurts.
"Because I need that buffalo chicken sandwich right now," she groans. "I've been thinking about it all day and I don't even know why."
Oh-kay. Buffalo chicken sandwich stays on the menu until the baby is born and Beckett hates it again. Even if the menu says otherwise, he'll make sure everyone knows.
"For you, there will always be an exception made."
Her lips press against his cheek. "You're sweet."
And a smart man, too, if he's allowed to give himself that title. She carries a gun most of the time; he will not disappoint her when she has a craving.
A/N: I can't remember if I've said it here, but barring any unforeseen changes, this story will be 13 chapters. So we're just over halfway there! Thank you to you all for reading!
