Sitting at her desk she continued to fill out yet another paper. It was frustrating not being able to be out in the field like her coworkers. Paperwork was boring and without the opportunity to leave it for a couple hours in order to do field work was killing her. Castle constantly tried to be positive and say at least they could be in on the theorizing and those bits but she wasn't even allowed down at Lanie's to examine the body because of the fluids down there and, argh, it's just so frustrating. Kate put down the pen for a second in order to wipe her face, she's starting to get tired as well. Only one hour left then she can go home and take a long, hot bath. Perhaps she could convince her boyfriend to join her. Speaking of boyfriend, she looked around to see if she could find her partner. He'd been gone quite a while and normally he didn't disappear for long due to not wanting her to become too bored with the paperwork.

After some looking around she finally got eyes on him being in the breakroom, making some caffeine-free coffee. She smiled at that, she knew it was killing him too not being able to give her the coffee he used to give her before the pregnancy but he'd somehow found a way to give her what she needed anyway.

"Hey Beckett, we got a fresh one. Can you see what you can dig up on a-uh…" Ryan started and looked down at the papers he'd written down the name on. "Kent Gunnarsson? Here," he handed her the paper and she looked down at the name.

Ever since she wasn't able to come with them to the crime scenes her best friend had made sure of giving the name of the victim to either Esposito or Ryan in advance in order to give Kate something to do. If it was possible that is, when the victim didn't have any I.D. there was nothing the M.E. could do other than wait giving the name until Ryan and Esposito had interviewed the people living around the area of the victim or gotten a picture of the victim to compare missing persons.

"Sure, thank you," she said and started up the search base on her computer to start the hunting.

Her two co-workers went off to the elevator, telling her to call them if anything sticks out and she telling them the same. As soon as they'd left she raised in order to go get her partner, who was still in the breakroom for some reason, and when she stepped inside she saw him talking to T.P. and Karpowski with an envelope in his hand. She stopped in her tracks immediately and stared at it. Once the two officers got wind of her their eyes widened and they scattered out of there like scared rats. Kate narrowed her eyes at her partner as she set her steps towards him.

"Beckett, what's going on?" Castle asked, trying to hide the envelope behind his back.

"I don't know Castle, what's this?" she asked as she managed to snatch the envelope from him, having a feeling of what it could be.

Opening it up to look into it she indeed saw a lot of money inside it, she took a deep breath and held it up.

"Didn't you learn anything the last time?" she scolded with a hissing in her tone. "No betting on victims or cases."

He shook his head violently. "It's not for cases, nor the victims."

She furrowed her brows before giving him a skeptical look. "Then what?" she questioned and he gulped.

He mumbled something incoherent and she gave him her look in order to get him to speak up.

"Our baby," he said a bit louder and she was about to scold him again when he quickly added. "I promise I didn't start it! Ryan is sure the baby is a girl and Espo is certain it's a boy and so they bet on it… and then somehow the rest of the precinct joined and so they asked me to be the money keeper. They wanted me to be in on the bet but I declined saying I didn't want to guess, I want to wait until I meet him or her."

She wasn't sure if she should be irritated that there was a bet going on or glad that her partner had avoided the temptation of joining. So, instead of saying anything she just gave him back the envelope and walked away, back to her desk in order to continue the search for that Kent Gunnarsson. She'd gotten pretty far with her search when her partner decided to join her, handing her a decaf with a shape of the heart formed on top of the beverage.

"I'm sorry, I should've told you," he said once he sat down beside her and she took a deep breath.

"I…" she started but wasn't sure what to say and so she closed her mouth again and tried to think of how she was feeling. "It's not something I approve of but, I guess it's already too late to stop it or have a say in it."

She saw his hand nudge her decaf closer to her hand and she bit her lip. He probably wouldn't feel as if she's forgiven him until she's accepting the cup. She glanced around for a quick assurance that no one is having their eyes set on them before she moves faster than usual in order to plant a kiss on his cheek. She then went back to her computer, taking sips of her decaf every now and then. It was easy to feel his eyes on her but she tried not to give into the butterflies in her belly, she had a job to do and she wouldn't give her romantic life any more attention than she already had.

Kent Gunnarsson turned out to be an immigrant who'd left his home country ten years earlier in order to escape the crimes he'd been involved in back then. And apparently his old life had turned up at the steps to his door, a young adult who claimed Kent had been the reason his parents were killed when he was no more than twelve years old. He didn't even try to deny the kill once Ryan and Esposito took him in for questioning, he wasn't regretting killing the man but he was indeed regretting not having had a better solution than the murder he'd planned for the last couple years. Knowing what it's like losing a parent Kate could definitely understand the anger and pain the young adult was in but she also felt the therapist the kid had gone to had failed him since the kid hadn't been able to deal with the trauma in the way that would be best for him. Now the kid would have to face prison in the United States for a crime someone could've probably prevented him from doing by giving him the help he'd needed.

"You ready to go home?" her partner questioned her as she wrote the last sentence on her paperwork.

She put down the dot and sighed. "Yeah, I am." As she raised she didn't hesitate before she turned in the report to her captain and bid him a good night before gathering her things and leaving the precinct with her boyfriend. Once they were inside the elevator, out of sight from everyone else, their hands easily found each other. Kate knew the people at the precinct knew about their relationship having turned more than just a work partnership, especially since she wasn't able to hide the bump anymore, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with holding hands when her coworkers could see. They'd been stealing moments to kiss each other's cheeks and foreheads but she had told him that kissing her lips were still a no.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" Castle asked as they got into the car, him in the driver's seat and she in the passenger. She'd given in and let him start driving his car into work in order for him to drive them home once she was too tired in the evening to drive herself.

"I feel like pizza," she told him and he smiled.

"Homemade or bought?"

She thought about it for a while and then bit her lip. The thought of the pizzas he was able to make was watering her mouth. "Homemade." she said with determination.

"Sounds like a plan," he said as he drove out of the parking garage and set the car towards his loft.

Maybe she should start thinking of it as their loft though, they had decided she would move in a week later, she'd even taken time off work in order to be able to move all her things. She was actually looking forward to the change, she found it both exciting and scary but most of all she felt like it would be such a relief. It wasn't long left to the due date and every day was one day closer, obviously, and in one way she's actually glad he talked her out of finding out the gender of their baby.

Once they set foot in the loft he went to start with the food immediately, thinking she's most likely hungry. She went to grab a book before sitting down at the kitchen island to be able to watch him work every now and then, and steal some of the mushrooms she knew he would put on the pizza. She managed to read one and a half chapter of the book before she felt his arms embrace her from behind and felt his lips in her hair.

"Pizza's in the oven," he said when she hummed in question. "What do you think of the book?"

She quickly finished the page before putting her bookmarker inside it. "It's good, I enjoy it," she told him before she put the book on the counter in order to be able to turn in his grasp. She put her arms around his waist and looked up to him. If someone would've told her seven months ago the two of them would have this domestic relationship she'd have laughed her ass off and told them to get out. Now she kind of couldn't see it happening any different. Sure, she'd been afraid at first, had said it was all a mistake and tried to run away from him. But now she was glad a baby had come into the picture. She was miserable without him, and if it weren't for the baby she didn't know if she would've let him back into her life as easily. She would like to think she would, because gosh she loves him, but she couldn't be sure of it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked carefully and smiled at her.

"Just thinking about us," she told him and he tilted his head a little. "How everything has changed since we found out about peanut. How everything will change again in just… nine weeks when we finally get to meet…"

"Peanut?" he cut her off with a smirk and she felt her cheeks blush.

"What?" she questioned.

"I've just never heard you say it before, I like it," he said and moved his hands onto her belly. "Did you hear that peanut? We'll get to meet you in nine weeks." He looked towards her belly and she bit her lip in excitement. He bent down just to kiss her belly and she couldn't stop the giggle from coming out of her mouth which resulted in him looking up at her before raising to claim her lips on the way up.

When he pulled away she grabbed a hold of his shirt to pull him back, claiming his lips once more. God, she couldn't get enough of his kisses. The kiss turned deeper when she opened her mouth in order to run her tongue along his bottom lip and he opened to let their tongues meet. She moaned when his taste filled her mouth and she felt his hands go round her body to her back, pulling her closer. Her baby bump bumping his firm stomach, he's been working out alongside her through the whole pregnancy and while he'd gotten firmer with more muscle she'd only gotten bigger.

They didn't pull away from each other until the timer was going off, stating their pizza was most likely ready. The two of them both groaned at being interrupted but just slightly pecked each other's lips before pulling apart completely. When he bent down to take out the pizza she couldn't help but take a quick peek at his ass and bite her lip. Later. Now they needed food, both her and her little peanut still growing in her belly.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews and comments that you've given me for the past chapters! Like I've stated earlier there's 8 chapters and an epilogue which means, next chapter is the last one (I know, already?!). I think the reason it's gone so fast is 1. I'm bored at home, 2. I already had this fic finished before I started publishing it, and 3. I can't help but publish every day since I've had nothing else to do or look forward to. So, will see if I publish the last chapter tomorrow and then the epilogue on Saturday, hopefully I'll remember it. Anyway, have a great Easter and until next time, xxxx