After almost being late getting to the precinct I can't keep the smile off my face as I head to the break room to start the coffee as I watch my beautiful directive sit at her desk. A baby I keep thinking, who knew? What a twist in fate Kate was. I never thought my life would be this great. My thoughts are interrupted as I see that FBI guy walk towards Beckett. I watch as he leans over the side of her desk and sits in my chair. I see her glare at him as he does so. I pour the coffee into our respected cups and head towards her.
"Here you go Kate." I says setting her mug down
"Thank you`." She smiles up at me.
I nod and turn to the FBI guy. "Can I help you?" He asks.
"No, you are just in my chair." I tell him.
"Your chair?" He asks grabbing the arm rests and pushing up on it.
"Yes, Castle sits and helps me with paperwork, theorizing, and just to keep me company." Kate tells him turning to grab a file before standing. "Will you be joining us?" She asks him as she gives me a look and heads for interrogation 1.
"Was she talking to you or me?" FBI guy asks.
"You." I tell him following Kate.
I watch through the glass wanting to see how these 2 works before I do anything else.
They work well together from what I can tell so far. She is intimidating and tough and he's Mr. Nice guy.
"Kate?" I call as she walks back to her desk.
"Beckett." She tells me giving me a small glare.
"Beckett," I correct. "Let's get lunch or dinner or drinks and talk about this case. How we can both help each other."
"I'd rather not, you see..." She started but was interrupted by Esposito.
"Beckett, we got another. " He says hanging up the phone and the whole team is up and walking to the elevator. I follow.
As soon as you walk into the house the smell is over powering and I am hit with a wave of nausea. Hold it together I tell myself. I know castle sees me tense. "You okay?" He asks setting a hand on my lower back.
"No." I tell him as I turn back out the door and just make it to the curb before I start heaving.
I feel one of his hands pull my hair from my face and one running along my back. "Maybe you should let the boys take the scene." He says lightly.
"I don't want to." I tell him.
"I know you don't want to Katie, but you should." He says wrapping his arms around my hips as I turn into him.
"Okay." I whisper back.
"Hey, my girl okay there Castle?" Lanie asks, as she reaches us. "The boys said you looked a bit green."
"I'm okay, going to head back to the precinct call me with updates, tell the boys?" I tell her.
"Kate, are you pregnant?" She asks hands on her hips.
I can feel my cheeks heat up and I can see Castles wide smile and know that will give it away
"Yes." I tell her quietly.
"Oh my god, Kate." She says hugging me.
"Lanie, not to be rude but you smell and I might puke on you." I tell her taking deep breaths to calm the nausea I feel rise up again. Leaning back into Rick and calming myself.
"Here take this," she says handing me a bag. "I had a feeling." She says handing it over to Rick "Take her back and get her some ginger ale and crackers." She directs.
"Yes ma'am." Rick says pulling me closer and away from my friend to get back in the car.
"Maybe I should call the captain?" He asks.
"I'll be okay Rick, promise." I tell him taking his hand as he settles in the driver's side. He nods before turning back to driving.
"Detective, What happened?" Gates asks coming from her office. "You look like hell." She says looking me over curiously.
"Thanks" I tell her. "Can we talk for a moment?" I ask her.
"Yes, let's go to my office." She says walking away. "Mr. Castle." She says sternly
"He can come." I tell her. She opens the door and let's us in.
"What is going on Beckett?" She asks looking me over again.
"I am pregnant, sir." I tell her right out and see her slightly shocked expression.
"Pregnant." She says looking now between Rick and I.
Castle smiles and nods, "yes"
"Alright then, Beckett when did you find out.
"Just a few days ago, I told Castle yesterday." I tell her
"You will be placed on desk duty as of now." She says sternly. "Do you understand Kate? I will not put you in any kind of danger while you are pregnant" she says more gently.
"Yes sir, I understand." I tell her. I am not too happy with being put on desk duty already but I understand.
"I already hate this." I say without thinking as I sit at my desk. I turn to look at Rick and see the heartbreaking look on his face. "Babe, what's wrong?" I ask concerned as I move my chair in front of his and take his hands in mine.
"Do you want my baby?" He asks so quietly and unsure.
"What, of course!" I exclaimed. "Why would you ask me that?" I asked saddened that he would think I don't want this baby.
"You just said you already hate this." He says looking back at me.
"Not this." I say laying a hand over my still flat stomach. "I'll hate missing my job but I would do it over and over again for this." I tell him. I pull him up and head to the break room.
"What are we doing?" He asks as I close the door.
"This." I tell him before I pull him into a kiss. He pulls me tighter to him as I lay my head on his shoulder.
"I like this." He says pulling back a bit to kiss my head.
A throat clears and we pull apart and turn towards the noise. "Sorry to interrupt, but the ME wants to talk to you. Said I was to send you over." Anders tells me.
"Okay, come on Castle." I pull him by his hand towards the elevators.
"Mind if I tag along, I have some questions for your ME?" He asks already following.
"I suppose." I tell him as the elevator doors open.
The ride was to quiet. The handholding and his glances were annoying. How did this bubbling baboon get with the striking directive? It was dumbfounding.
"So Kate, know any good restaurants?" I ask hoping to start a conversation with her.
"That's more Castles thing. He knows all the best hidden places in the city." She says glancing for a split second at me through her rear view mirror. She turns and smiles at the baboon before turning back to the road. I don't hear whatever he says about some restaurant. I interrupt him, "Thanks, I heard the 2 other guys talking about some bar that you guy are all going to later this week, something about an announcement. I wasn't invited." I ask curiously.
"Yes, it's a family thing so only those close to us were invited." She explains. "We're here."
"Hey Lanie, what do you got." I ask walking into the morgue. .
"No girl, tell me everything." She says coming over to me. "Castle get a chair for her." She says glaring at Castle.
I laugh as I talk, "I'm not dying Lanie."
"Girl I am so happy for you." She says hugging me. "Even you." She laughs hugging Castle.
"Thanks Lanie." W says at the same time.
"How are you feeling?" She asks, "Why is he here?" She asks confused about Anders presence.
"Said he needed to talk to you about the case." I tell her.
"Oh, well I guess we'll talk later than. Heard we're all getting together at the old haunt in a few days?" She asks.
"Yes." Castle confirms.
"Well why don't you follow me and we can talk details. You two I'll see you later." I go to ask about Anders when she waves her hand. "Javier, can take him back to the precinct. He's on his way over for a copy of a report."
"mm hum." I tell her turning to leave. "See you, Lanie."
A few days pass and they finally got a break from Anders always being there.
"I'm glad we got rid of him for a bit he was driving me crazy." Kate says slumping against her seat.
"You sure you're feeling okay Katie" I ask her placing my hand on her thigh.
She smiles over at me, "I'm okay, promise. A little hungry actually."
"Then let's go home and get some food in you and then we will be ready to head to the old haunt to tell the team about this little Castle." I smile still overwhelmed. I move my hand to caress her flat stomach. I start daydreaming about her stomach swelled with a little boy or girl. "It's okay to touch you still, right?" I ask hesitantly moving my hand from her. Meredith didn't like it when I touched her during her pregnancy.
"Of course Rick." She says her brows crinkle with confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well when Meredith was pregnant with Alexis she didn't like when I touched her. I didn't get to be too involved. I never felt her kick or went to the doctor appointments. I just wanted to check with you first before you pull a gun on me." I try to tease the hesitation and nervousness in my voice.
"Rick," she says gently placing my hand back on her stomach, entwining our fingers. "I love you as a dad, you are amazing and this baby is so lucky to have you. I want you there for every thing that happens in this pregnancy." She leans over to give me a kiss and I meet her in the middle.
"I love you so much." I tell her.
"I love you too, besides what am I going to do during my Horney stage of my pregnancy if you can't touch me." she asks as she starts to drive back to the loft.
"You are an evil woman Katie." I tell her moving my hand to brush over her jeans.
"Your evil, I'm driving." She tells me and I move my hand back to her knee. "When we get home you can do what you want with me." She whispers and my eyes widen.
"Promise?" I ask. She nods and focuses back on the road.
Entering the loft while kissing her senseless was harder than thought it would be. She just takes over all his senses and he can't function. He lets her kick her shoes off and helps her out of her jacket before picking her up and taking her to their room. He drops her on the bed and starts removing her cloths. He can smell her once all she has left are the lacy underwear she slipped on earlier this morning. "God Katie, I can smell you." I tell her.
She whimpers at the words. "Rick, please."
Taking them off I lay my head on her thigh and just enjoy the simplicity of her and the heavenly smell of her. Her hand moves to my hair and I willingly take my first taste of her. She moans at the contact and her hips jump chasing the feeling. I hold her hips down and continue to work her up. She pulls on my hair and I move away from her. "What's wrong?" I ask her.
"Nothing, want you." She says breathless and still trying to pull me up to her.
"After." I tell her and go back to pleasuring her with my tongue. It doesn't take long and she falls over the edge on a long cry.
"Rick need you now." She says as soon as I am over her. She wraps her legs around my waist and I don't waist any time entering her. She moans against my ear. Her sounds alone could make me come for her. "Katie, I love you. You are the most extraordinary person I have ever met in my life. I didn't think I could love you more until I found out about this baby." I just keep telling her how much I love her as I move in her.
"Harder." She says and I am helpless to do anything but what she asks. She comes hard against me and it brings me over the edge with her.
The Old Haunt is for the most part deserted except for a few regulars in the corner and the team takes up the other side spread out talking and laughing as we enter. These people are their family and they want to tell them. They don't want to hold on to this secret longer than they have to. They were going to wait a bit longer but plans never go right when it comes to us. I know she wanted to tell her dad, but she couldn't get a hold of him. I did leave a message about the little get-together we have planned because, of some news.
"Beckett what is this get-together for?" Ryan asks.
"I guess we can tell you before we get drinks." I tell them as I turn to Kate to see who was going to break this to the boys.
She steps towards them. "I am pregnant, Castle and I are having a baby." She tells them with a smile on her face as she reaches for me.
"Congratulations, that is so exciting." Ryan says hugging Kate and then turning and doing the same to me.
"Beckett, you will be a great mom." Esposito tells her as he hugs her. He reaches a hand out to me, "Congratulations Castle."
It was nice to have the whole family know now.
"Katie." I hear come behind me.
"Dad." She says smiling moving over to her dad hugging him. "What are you doing here?" She asks.
"Rick said you had some news." He says turning to shake Castles hand before turning back to me. "Is something wrong?" He asks.
"No." She says quietly, looking a bit shy, she turns her face towards me and I know she'll need a bit of encouragement to get it out and tell her dad.
"No Jim, everyone is fine. It's good news." I tell him walking to Kate; I place a hand on her back giving her some strength.
"Very good, I'm pregnant." She tells him smiling.
"Katie," he says a bit breathless as he hugs her. "That's great."
He pulls away from her and turns to me again. "Congratulations... I'm going to be a grandpa." I can see when it hits him, his face looks a bit panicked and then a smile takes over.
"You are." Kate says "We're celebrating, can we get you anything."
"A soda would be great." He says and I walk to the bar to get it so he can stay and talk to Kate.
Every one was talking and having a good time. I was watching Rick talk to my dad as I sat down for a few minutes. I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to smile at Lanie and take my drink but my smile drops as I turn to see Anders.
I kept an eye on Kate as I talked with JIm. Lanie left her with a smile heading to the bar. Must be getting her a drink. She looks happy and content. I turn to look at Jim as he asks me about how Kate has been. "She's been good. Started getting morning sickness a bit and is tired out more easily but other than that they are both healthy." I tell him and turn my gaze to Kate again to see the frown on her face as she stands and turns to Anders. "Really?" I say out load. "Sorry Jim, excuse me." I say walking towards her.
I wrap an arm around her waist and she unconsciously leans a bit closer. "Here Katie." I say pausing the conversation between the two.
"Hey babe." She says turning towards me, taking the water I brought.
"How are you feeling?" I ask her softly.
"Getting tired honestly." She tells me.
"Well we can head home whenever you'd like." I tell her, kissing her forehead.
"Soon, I want to talk to my dad a little and then we can go." She says looking over my shoulder at her dad.
"Go ahead." I whisper in her ear. Encouraging her to go to her father. She looks at me and nods. She gives me a quick kiss and heads to her dad.
I turn back to Anders. "No one said they invited you, didn't think I'd be seeing you tonight."
"I over heard someone talking and thought I'd come see what was happening." He says as his eyes follow Kate.
"Everyone here understands this doesn't get in the papers. You are new to this group of people. I just want to make sure that Katie's privacy is respected." I tell him.
"I thought she hated being called Katie? I won't tell the press." He says.
"Katie?" I turn and call across to her.
"Yeah babe?" She asks, turning her body back towards me.
"Just love you." I smile at her.
"Love you too." She smiles back and turns back to her dad.
I turn back to Anders, "Only a select few get the privilege of calling her Katie. I don't know what I did in this life to deserve her but I thank every thing there is that I did."
"I feel the same way about you Ricky." I hear her whisper behind me. I turned shocked she's there and heard what I said. "Best thing that's ever happened to me." She says kissing me. "I'm ready to go home... And maybe celebrate a different way." She says low and seductively.
"Anything you want." I smile and kiss her hair. "Have a good rest of your night. If you do end up telling the press, there will be consequences." I tell him as I pull Katie tighter to my side and head for the door.
"Oh and Anders?" Kate asks turning towards him.
"Yeah." He smiles at her.
"I think we closed our case, you can ask Espo and Ryan they wrapped it up in a nice bow for you." She says turning her eyes back to me. "Let's go baby and I are tired but I want to celebrate a bit before." I kiss her and we head home for the night.
Barely making it through the door before Rick is on me. "Rick?" I question.
"I just want you." He says pushing back against the door, closing it as well. It reminds me of our first night and my heart swells a bit more for the man in front of me.
"I love you." I whisper with so much emotion I almost choke on the words.
He pulls away lightly to see the stubborn tear fall. "I love you too, Katie." He says wiping the tear from my face. "Thank you for making my dreams comes true, for loving me, for always, and for this." He says kneeling in front of me, lifting my shirt, and placing a kiss to my stomach.
"Always." I whisper back before the rest of the night is filled with our love for each other and celebration for what that love had made.
They wake to Castles phone ringing. He groans reaching for it. "Hello." He answers. "What?" He says sitting up fast. He practically growls with his next words. "I know who did." He hangs up and turns towards me.
"What?" I ask.
"He told." Is all he says and I know what he meant. Anders told the press. He was not going to be able to get out of this one.
"I'll call Espo and Ryan and they will Handel it. We can't get involved. We need to make a statement." I tell him.
"I really just wanted family and our closest friends to know for a while. To make this special, just to get use to it a bit more. God Kate, I am so sorry." He says turning guilty in a split second. "I shouldn't have said anything to him. I should have just let him be till he left. I just didn't like how he looked at you or how he pestered."
"Rick it's okay. Things happen. It was bound to get out. Besides, he is not going to get away with it the force will be on him before he can leave the building this morning."
"How, you know he will be there after the paper this morning?" He asks,
"Because I will be there. Isn't that what he really wants. I bet he thought this would hinder our relationship, but he doesn't know us. He doesn't know what we've been through, how much I love you, and how much you love me. Maybe we could use this to our advantage." I say thinking.
I go to grab the paper to see the story written about us. I skim and stop multiple times as it announces our engagement, the baby, and I stop dead in my tracks on the way to the table. "What is it?" Alexis asks seeing me pause as she enters the kitchen.
"Nothing." I tell her trying to hide the shock and sadness I know she will see.
"Katie, what does it say?" He asks before turning to his mother and daughter to tell them about the news leaking to the press.
"It just tells about our engagement and the baby and." I pause to look up at my family. They are mine all mine and I love them so much and for some stranger who doesn't even know an ounce of what we've all been through together to tell stories makes me sick.
"And?" Rick asks taking the paper from my hands. He skims and stops. "Oh my god." He says getting to the part that made me stop as well.
"What does it say?" Alexis asks. I can't help but let a tear fall at the girls concern. "Mom?" She asks hugging me.
"Love you." I tell her hugging her back and kissing her head.
"Love you too." She says hugging me a bit tighter.
"Dad?" She asks not letting me go.
"It says that you and Kate don't get along and that the baby is a way of starting a family without you in it. That we are only having a baby because Kate wants a kid that's hers." He says shocked.
"What?" Alexis yells pulling away from me.
"Lex it's not..." I start but she stops me.
"I know it's not true mom. You've always been there for me. I never felt like it was just because of dad. He doesn't know us doesn't know anything. Maybe we should have him over so her can see what it's really like here. Don't tell him you know he's the one that told. Make it seem like someone else did. That way he can see what we are all really like around each other." She explains.
"I think that might actually be a good idea." I say, turning to Rick to see what he thought of the plan.
"Okay." He simply says.
Arriving next at the precinct as normal. We head to her desk and notice Anders staring. He probably wants to see what we will do. "Katie," I start, "I know you're upset that Annie told the press, but don't let it get to you to much." I tell her gently starting our plan.
"I know, it's just she's suppose to be my friend and then too just betray my privacy and Lexi's. She said such awful things Rick." She says almost in tears. I wasn't sure if she was faking until her eyes sought mine and I saw the hurt.
I put a hand on her knee and gently caress it. "I know love, I know." I glance up and catch Anders eyes. "Good morning.' I say as I meet his eyes.
Kate turns to look at him as well. "Hi, sorry you had to over hear." She tells him turning back to her desk.
"It's okay." He says stepping closer. "That's a crappy thing for a friend to do."
"It is especially since she never spent time with just Alexis and I, but people will say anything for a good story." She tells him. "Sorry about last night." She turns to him again. "We weren't very nice. We're just Leary of new comers." She stands ad with her heels she's easily taller making him look up a bit to keep eye contact. "Why don't you come over for dinner? Rick is a great cook and the Castle's are great game players." She tells him smiling.
He has the decency to look a bit shocked as he processes exactly what she said.
"That's not what I meant when I asked you out to dinner." He tells her and I have to take a calming breath to not curl my fists.
"Then, a no?" she questions.
"No, I would love too. Do I need to bring anything?" He asks.
I do a little victory dance in my head as he's fallen right into the plan.
"No, just yourself." I finally get out. "Tonight, 7?" I ask. He nods and walks off.
"Faze one complete." She says smiling turning back to work.
"You ready for this?" I ask Rick and Alexis.
"Yes." They both say.
"Gram, said she'll make her entrance a few moments after we let him in.
"Okay." I say as know king starts. "Here we go. Just be ourselves." She smiles.
She answers the door and ushers Anders in. "Anders..." She starts.
"Mike." He says smiling at her.
"Okay, Mike..." She pauses, "You know Rick." I say as we walk towards the kitchen. He waves at Rick and than turns back towards me. "This is Alexis, our daughter." I tell him as we approach my girl. I smile as I wrap and arm around her shoulders in a side hug.
He shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you." Alexis smiles.
"You as well." He says turning back to me. "You're daughter?" He asks.
"Yes, legally adapted not to long ago, but we keep that pretty private. It shouldn't matter when or how she is my daughter, just that she is." I say smiling at Alexis.
"Love you too, mom." Alexis says before turning to help Rick.
"Can I get you something to drink?" I ask him.
"Beer?" He asks.
I nod as I head to the fridge to get it. "Second shelf, had to move something's around a little." I hear Rick as I open the door. I grab it and hand it off to Mike.
"Thank you."