A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Midterms. The show starting up again also distracted me from my story. Hope you guys enjoy!

Since our wedding was a secret we took the weekend off and stayed in the Hamptons. It wasn't much of a honeymoon especially since we both had to work. Rick promised me that we would go to Europe after the book was released and we were no longer under contract. I didn't need Europe to feel like I was on vacation.

Just looking into his eyes was enough to take me far away. It was one of the qualities I loved about him. No matter what was going on he could tell a tale so real that even I could be caught believing it were true.

We were cuddled up on the couch. There was no music or television, not even the distraction of tea or coffee. We were just holding one another close.

Our bags were sitting by the door. We had planned on driving back to the city several hours ago, but we hadn't the will power to leave just yet.

I looked up at Rick's sad expression.

I got up and pulled him to his feet. I took a couple steps toward the door having already decided what to do to cheer him up.

I turned and headed towards the bedroom smiling. "I'll call in sick."

I left the room leaving him grinning gleefully.

"You coming?"

Before I had finished the sentence he was in the room.

When we finally made it back to the city I was disappointed to have gotten called into work the moment my bags hit the living room floor.

Martha had made herself scarce by imposing on her closest friends for the next few weeks. Although Martha clearly expressed she was not moving out she told us it was not right to have a mother around for the honeymoon even if we weren't going away for one.

Rick and I made our way to the crime scene separately. It may be my imagination, but it was so much harder than it had been before to part ways even though our destination was the same.

The boys were none the wiser. Lanie spotted me and gave me the We have to talk Later look. I knew she wanted every detail from the weekend with Rick, but she'd only hear about, maybe, half of it. After all he was my husband. The thought made my heart jump.

Ryan came up beside me. His shirt collar was tilted upwards and his tie was knotted like you would tie shoelaces and his shirt looked as if he'd slept in it.

"You look like hell." I said.

Espo smiled and playfully punched Ryan's arm. He didn't even flinch.

"He has had to go to the hospital with Jenny like five times this week for false alarms. The baby is due any day now."

Ryan just nodded and he continued to do so for much too long.

I smiled at the sad state that Ryan was in and turned to Lanie just as Castle showed up behind me.

He nudged my side so softly with the edge of his hand and I took the coffee he had extended towards me. I made sure to brush my fingers against his as I took it and he smiled knowing that this exchange was actually I Love You.

My attention was split as Lanie described the condition of the body. Castle kept glancing over at me smiling sweetly. I kept running the edge of my thumb over the place where my ring should have been. I was already missing the feel of it against my skin.

"So he was strangled?" Espo asked.

Lanie rolled her eyes. "I said the eyes indicate that, but it could have been a few other things that sealed his airway."

He nodded.

"Any identification?" Ryan asked. His exhaustion was so evident. He shouldn't even be at work.

Espo shook his head. "Their combing the area for any of his belonging but it looks like they're gone."

"What's wrong with Beckett?" Ryan asked Castle, eyeing me oddly.

I looked around innocently. I hadn't done anything to indicate anything had changed. "Nothing's wrong with me." I protested. "I'm fine."

Espo looked over at me. "Something's different."

I looked to Lanie for help, but she was smiling.

Castle jumped in, only not to my rescue. "There is something different. What did you do Beckett?"

I glared at him. "Shut up." I said firmly.

He smiled.

In an odd way his teasing had helped the situation and detracted from the curious looks the boys were giving me. Somehow Castle had stolen the attention away from me. I was grateful for it.

When we got to the precinct we eventually identified the victim as a Mitcham Attler, a partner for an accounting firm. Castle and I looked into his work life but nothing stood out. I sent the boys to his house to see if the family life seemed suspicious.

We got back to the precinct before the boys. Castle started to spin in circles in Ryan's chair. He rearranged the items on Espo's desk and changed computer passwords. He was a trickster at heart.

He saw me starring. "Regretting it yet?" He asked from across the room. No one paid him, or his question, any attention.

"Just the opposite." I said. His boyish happiness added a level of fun to my life that I desperately needed. Now I had it forever. This realization overwhelmed me for a moment as he made his way over to his chair next to my desk.

He sat down and picked up my nameplate. "Are you going to change your name?"

The question took me by surprise. "I hadn't thought about it."

"We haven't talked about a lot of things, but I thought…" He seemed pretty neutral on the subject, but he was always like that when he knew I might have a passionate reaction to something.

"I might." I said flashing him a very playful smile.

Just then the boys came in with the wife in tow. She had voluntarily come in for questioning. That was always a good sign, but never a guarantee that the spouse wasn't involved.

Espo and I went in to ask her the typical questions.

Castle was all too happy to stay outside and talk with Ryan.

The wife seemed to pass in my opinion, she seemed genuinely upset that her husband was dead, but there was something off.

We left her in the room just in case we had more questions. I went back in without consulting the team.

"Hi, Mrs. Attler. You seem upset, but there was something about the way you reacted that just didn't sit right with me." I sighed. "If I lost my husband I would be devastated and in shock. You don't seem surprised."

She tried to avoid eye contact. "He gambled away everything and we couldn't pay anyone back. The water was turned off this morning and the electricity a few days ago."

"Why didn't you leave him?"

"I love him. Money wouldn't have come between us, but it definitely made things more difficult."

I nodded knowing what she meant. No matter how much money we had or we lost I would never leave Rick.

"Do you know who he owed?"

She nodded and bit her lip unsure of whether to speak.

"We'll make sure that you'll get protection if that's what you're worried about."

She nodded. "Titan Dawn."

I heard a groan from behind the mirror. It was Espo.

I had run into this particular bookie a long time ago and couldn't catch him. I couldn't go with them because he had refused to talk to me ever again.

Castle wanted to go with the boys. He wouldn't ask though. As they were leaving I just said "Go."

"You don't mind?"

"Tell Titan, Athena sends her regards. You'll love the look on his face."

Castle grinned deviously and I knew he'd tell Titan.

Gates found out about Titan and took me off the case. I knew it was best. I sat there hoping for another case to keep me busy, but no such luck.

My mind started reeling with all the questions that Rick and I hadn't talked about yet. We hadn't taken our relationship too fast, so why hadn't we asked each other these questions before.

Would I change my name to Castle? Would we stay at the loft? I hadn't had any inclination to move. There was one question I was worried about that I hoped he wouldn't bring up any time soon. I couldn't even think about it in complete sentences, the subject was currently unreachable.

"Kate?"

I looked up. Jenny was standing there. One hand rested on her swollen belly. She looked tired, but peaceful in an odd way.

"Where's Ryan?"

"I sent him to…" I trailed off as I saw her make a pretty terrible expression. "Jenny, are you…"

"Call Ryan." She commanded quickly.

I immediately picked up the phone and dialed all three of the boys, but none of them picked up the phone.

I called Ryan one more time and left a message. "Jenny's in labor. I'm taking her to the hospital. Meet us there."

I wrapped my arm around Jenny and started leading her towards the elevator.

"Kate, you don't have to…" She pressed her hand against her stomach at the start of the contraction.

"Yes I do."