AN: I'm back with another chapter. The next chapter may be the last one, but I'm not sure yet. I have some more ideas, but I must decide if want to put them in this story or to create another one. Until then, enjoy chapter 7! :D

CHAPTER 7

Kate wanted to throw up. She felt like she was in a dream before and now she was starting to wake up to real life.

"I'm sorry. Did you say I'm pregnant?"

"Exactly that. You're around 8 weeks pregnant. Congratulations, Kate!"

"Ehm, thanks!" was all Kate could manage to say.

"You can book another appointment for next month if you want. You can go to another doctor. The decision is yours."

After seeing Kate won't respond, doctor Robins started talking again.

"I know it's a lot and you have to process the news. Why don't you give me a call in the following days to let me know what you want to do, okay?" she said while looking at every Beckett member.

"Thank you, doctor Robins. We will let you know after we figure everything out. Have a nice day!" Johanna told the kind doctor.

"You too! And Kate, remember you don't have to go through this alone if you take this decision."

"Thank you again, for everything. We'll talk soon." And with that, the family of three, or now, four, left the doctor's office.

Kate couldn't think straight. She started thinking of every scenario: what if Rick won't want the baby? What if she keeps it and raises it without Castle but she won't be a good mother? What if she will give the baby to adoption? Would that make her a bad parent or a good one?

Would she be able to tell what's wrong with her baby?

"Honey, what's wrong? I can hear you thinking. My spidey sense is tingling." Speaking of feeling what's wrong with your child.

"Just thinking."

"Sweetheart, talk to me. Don't close yourself. I want to be able to help."

"I will be downstairs to prepare diner. It's great to be a part of this whole discussion thing, but sometimes you need just your mom. I will help with anything and everything I can. You just have to tell me."

"Thank you, dad. And I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I feel like I'm pushing everyone away, even if it's been only a few hours since we found out. I don't want you to feel left out. I will always need you two." Both parents hugged their daughter.

"I'm not feeling left out. And I know you well enough, Katie, to know that you need time to process everything. I will be downstairs if you need me more than now."

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Katie bug. You too, Jo!" and Jim left the two women to talk.

"Now, will you tell me what's bothering you? And don't try to tell me it's nothing. I can feel something is upsetting you, but I can't figure out what. So, I want you to tell me because I want to help you. I don't want to feel so helpless."

"You're right, mom. Don't let this get to your head." Kate said smiling while looking at her mother.

"It's not nothing. I keep thinking about everything that could happen. Rick and I just started talking again, what if he doesn't want to be with me when he will find out I'm pregnant? And what if I must raise the baby alone and I won't be a good mother? What if I fail?"

"Oh, baby. Come here. It's normal to be scared and to have all these fears. That's exactly what will make you a great mother. You just found out you're pregnant and you already think about the baby. And you didn't think for one second about giving it away. I know we didn't talk about this and if you want to consider this as an option it's perfectly fine, but I want you to think about it. And first, I want you to talk with Rick. He needs to know. And if he doesn't want to be a part of this? That's okay, he wasn't the right person for you. But I think he will be more than happy." Kate gave her mother a look and Johanna felt like she could hear the 'mom, how do you know that?'.

"I know that because of the way that boy looks at you, from the way he's treating you. He's been nothing but respectful. Don't make the same mistake he did two months ago. Talk to him."

"I don't want to give the baby away." Said Kate on the verge of tears.

"But I don't want Rick to hate me either. So what should I do? I can't choose between them."

"Honey, I can't help you decide. I can give you advice, yes. But I can't tell you what to do. That's your decision to make. Only your heart can tell you, and you must decide if you listen to your heart or your fears."

"I think I will learn from my fears, but I will do what my heart says. I can't be wrong, right?"

"Sweetie, there's no right or wrong decision. What now feels wrong may be right in a few days, months, years. Who knows? That's true to a wrong decision too. I can tell you what feels right from my point of view but for you, it may be wrong. Only time can tell this. But if you listen to your heart, you will always know you took the right decision."

"Thank you, mom. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Anytime, honey. We are always here for you like your father said many times in the last 24 hours." Said Johanna laughing, remembering every single time Jim used the word 'support' in the last hours.

"Mom, I want to tell Rick, but I don't want to tell him through the phone. I want to go there."

"It should be better this way. But neither I nor your dad can come with you. We can't take any more time off now. We need to save the days for when the baby is here. Your dad told you we want to help."

"That's okay, mom. I was thinking of Lanie. I'm not ready to tell anyone about the pregnancy, but Lanie is my best friend. She might help me figure out some more things. And she talked with Rick recently. She knows how to handle that."

"Poor guy. If he won't listen to you Lanie would make him listen. I think it's a better idea to go with Lanie than to take either of your parents." Johanna almost couldn't say it without bursting into laughter.

"Stop, mom, my stomach hurts." Said Kate with tears in her eyes.

"Well, it's true. Give Lanie a call. Ask her to come here, anything you need. I will go downstairs to help your dad with dinner. And to tell her what we talked, because he's dying to know, I can feel it from here. Take all the time you need. We will call you for dinner." Johanna left her daughter laughing in her room.

After checking her phone and sending Rick a quick text, Kate called Lanie.

"Hey, girlfriend. What's up?"

"Hey, Lanie. Can you please come to my place? I want to talk to you, but I don't want to do it on the phone. Nothing's wrong, but I need your help with something."

"Oh, girl. You scared me for a second. Don't do this ever again. I'll be there in an hour. Talk to you soon."

"Talk to you soon."

Now Kate was left alone with her overwhelming thoughts again.

AN: I know when I started this story I said Kate, Rick, and the gang just finished college, but I wanted to let you know that they are around 22-23 years old. I'm not sure how long a college program is elsewhere so I decided to go along with the program I followed.

Let me know what you think about this chapter. Until next time!

~Alex~