Long weeks pass with no movement on the murdered women found in shallow graves around the city.
Kate had kept herself busy, however, making sure all the paperwork on Ryan and Esposito's cases was filed quickly and accurately. In fact there was a congratulatory note sent from One PP noting that the 12th precinct was at the top of all stations in having their paperwork in on time and complete
Ryan walks up next to Beckett "Thanks boss. We got all kinds of kudos from downtown for being prompt completing the reports"
Beckett looks up at her partner "Yeah but the case closure rate has dropped to a four year low"
"That's because the department's finest two investigators are desk bound temporarily" The voice of her husband comes from behind Kate as he drops a cup of decaf coffee and a small sack in front of his bride
She smiles ever so gently "What's this?" looking at the sack
"A tiny reward for my lovely wife. The wife who has been so good in taking good care of herself and our baby. The wife who eats properly and never falls off the wagon"
Kate opens the sack to find a single pastry inside"
She has a laugh in her voice "A Cronut? Really?"
"You deserve it" he responds, then leans in very close to her ear "Anyway I wanted to be sure you to have all your strength when we go home for lunch"
Beckett looks down to her ever growing belly then back up to her husband and then she whispers "Are you sure you still want to do that?"
He chooses to break the rules against public display of affection and leans over and gives her a gentle kiss "We have not missed a day yet and I have no plans to start now"
She closes her eyes when he brushes her cheek and leans into his touch "I have another report to finish and the we can go to my doctor's appointment and then…" she smiles back up at him
"I will wait in the break room" and he walks away
Beckett completes the task in front of her and closes the file. Just as she is standing to go Detectives Ryan and Esposito walk back up to her desk
Ryan begins the report "We got a lead on another of the victims"
"How did you do that? We had no DNA or physical description to go on"
"We has uniforms canvasse several of the SROs in the area"
Esposito continues "We asked if they knew of any women who were expecting and near term and then disappeared"
Ryan finishes "And we got one" he looks at this notes "Mary Wilhite. She was living in a one room flat on 77th"
"The superintendent said he thought she was from the south. He said she had a deep accent. He thinks Georgia maybe"
"How long has she been missing?" Beckett asks
"He said about a year"
"What else did you find out? Like where she worked?"
"We got the name of a sandwich shop in midtown. Ryan and I were going to go just after lunch"
Kate acknowledges the statement as she is standing "Castle and I are going to my doctor's appointment then grab some lunch ourselves anyway. Why don't you let us take that" she pulls the paper from Ryan's hand "I want to get some time outside the station. I am going cabin fever crazy in here"
"You know you are not supposed to be investigating in the field" Esposito comments
"We are going to a sandwich shop. In the middle of the day and my husband will be with me…so it will be fine"
Kate turns and walks to the break room to get her husband "Hey babe, ready to go?"
"Yes I am" Castle answers as he stands then grabs his wife's arm and the two walk to the elevator
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
First stop of their outside trip is to Kate's doctor. When they enter the waiting room there are several other women patients present. All in the same condition as Kate. Some are yet to be showing but one looks like she might pop right there in the waiting room
It is only about ten minutes before Kate is called back to see the doctor. When she was younger her mother was always present during her physicals. When she came to maturity it was a very uncomfortable situation for her. Later in life, when she went to the doctor for check ups, she was alone. Always alone.
Now she is in an examination room wearing only a hospital gown with her husband sitting patiently beside her waiting for the doctor to arrive.
"Aren't you uncomfortable in here?" Kate asks of Rick
He takes her hand "No. I am not…well a little" he admits
"This is not so different for you. You had Alexis so this must be old hat for you"
"Meredith did not allow me to come into the examinations with her. She said it was too weird".
Kate looks at the man that picked her to be his wife and thanks her lucky stars that this is how her life is now. What she does not know is his feelings are identical when it comes to her
There is a gentle knock on the door and it opens to reveal Kate's OB/GYN, Dr. Polly Simpson" Hello Kate. How are you doing…oh hello Mr. Castle" she acknowledges Rick
Kate answers "Getting close to this" she pats her stomach "to come out and meet his mommy and daddy"
"Oh you having a boy?" she looks at the chart to see when that was determined
Castle answers first "No. We don't know. We are wanting it to be a surprise, so we asked not to be told"
The doctor glances at a few pages then smiles "How are you feeling, Kate" the doctor asks as she sits down on a stool beside the bed.
"Actually I feel great. I am more tired than I have been in the past"
"That's to be expected"
"I have to go to the bathroom a dozen times an hour" Beckett chuckles at her own comment
"That is also normal"
The doctor then goes on to ask several more questions of a far more personal nature. She then has Kate lay down and she examines her thoroughly.
After the doctor finishes she tells Kate that she and the baby are doing great. There are absolutely no problems with her or the child. Dr. Simpson tells Kate she can get dressed and go to check out and schedule her next appointment for two weeks
Castle notices the change in schedule "but we have been only coming once a month"
"She is only about six weeks from having a baby. I want to see her every two weeks until we deliver"
"OK" Rick seems very concerned about his wife and very nervous about how to ask the next question "So coming this close we need to alter our…uh…our alone romantic time?"
Dr. Simpson laughs at the question "No. Mr. Castle. You will not hurt the baby. You two can make love whenever the mood strikes you"
Richard Castle has never had to broach this subject "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I am sure. Now…I will see you in two weeks" and the doctor leaves the room
Kate climbs down from the table, with Castle's help, and puts her clothes back on. The couple walks back out to the counter and schedule her next appointment.
Once outside the building and in her cruiser she turns the car and heads toward the loft
"Where are you going?" Rick asks "The sandwich shop is the other way"
A cheeky smile crosses her face "We have been having lunch meetings at home every day. Why are you asking?"
"The doctor said you are only six weeks from having a baby. We need to be careful"
"She also said we can keep doing this…so listen mister. I intend to keep doing this as long as I can"
"Yes ma'am" he responds with a smile on his face
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\
'Dot's Sandwiches' is a quant small shop with a small but varied menu of hand held dinner faire. Once inside they notice only two patrons at the counter waiting for their orders. The crew behind the counter are moving like ants getting the customer's orders prepared
When Beckett arrives at the order point the young girl smiles "What can I get you today?"
"A six inch Italian on wheat and my husband wants ham and cheese on white"
Beckett holds up her badge "and the owner"
The clerk goes to the back to get the owner as her associate makes the two sandwiches for Castle and Beckett
An older lady arrives at the front "I am Dot, the owner, what can I do for you?"
"I am Detective Kate Beckett NYPD and I am investigating the death of one of your employees, Mary Wilhite"
The woman has a shocked look on her face "Mary's?.…Mary's dead? What happened?"
"We found her body a month ago but we just identified her. What can you tell me about her?"
"Uh! She…I don't know a lot about her. She kept quiet about where she came from. She never talked about her family. I assumed she did not have anyone"
"Was she expecting when she worked here?"
"Yes. How did you know?" Dot asks
"Do you know who the father was?"
"She never talked much about him. She only said he was not in the picture. If you want to know more, I can give you the name of her friend. Another woman who had been like a sister to her"
"That would be great" Beckett responds just as their sandwiches are finished
The owner returns with a note containing a name and phone number "This was Mary's emergency contact"
"Thank you" Beckett responds "Oh, one more thing. We did not find a tax return for Mary. How long did she work here?"
The shop owner reacts like someone with a secret "I…uh, paid her off the books. She had no insurance and was getting relief. If I started reporting her income, she would have lost that and the pay was not enough to live on but neither was the public assistance"
"So how did she afford medical care?"
"She went to a woman's clinic in midtown that provides some care for those without insurance"
"A public clinic?" Castle asks
"No it takes regular paying patients but they also provide services for those who can't pay"
"Do you know the name of this clinic?"
The woman thinks for a moment "Yes. It was Mid City Clinic"
"OK" Beckett responds "Thank you"
Beckett and Castle go back to the cruiser and return to the precinct
