Thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing, and following. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. This chapter isn't as exciting as the last chapter, I'm afraid, but I promise, there's lots more good stuff ahead for everyone, especially Kate and Rick.


Just a few days after Dr. Elliott confirmed Kate's pregnancy, she woke up out of a sound sleep at 5 AM, feeling horribly nauseous. She tried taking deep breaths, but less than a moment later, she was vaulting out of bed and making a beeline for the bathroom.

Rick was awakened by the sounds of his wife retching, and that sent him vaulting out of bed and into the bathroom too. Kate was in the middle of throwing up when he skidded into the room, but he didn't miss a beat, hurrying to her side, dropping to his knees behind her, and holding her hair back with one hand while rubbing what he hoped were soothing circles in the middle of her back with his other hand.

When she was done, she flushed the toilet, put down the lid, and looked at Rick over her shoulder. "Thank you," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling responsible for her morning sickness.

"Totally worth it," she replied with a wan smile.

Rick helped Kate to her feet, then bent his head to talk to her belly. "Hey, Sweetpea, take it a little easier on your mom, will you, please?"

Rick already talked to the baby at every opportunity, and although she had looked it up and knew their child didn't have ears yet, Kate didn't have the heart or the desire to tell him to stop. It was just too sweet, too endearing, too him.

Kate brushed her teeth and then she and Rick shuffled back to bed, but when they were back in bed and Kate went to snuggle up to Rick, she couldn't because he was on his phone. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Looking up morning sickness remedies," he replied. "Hmm...ginger...peppermint...saltines..."

She reached over, took his phone out of his hand, and set it on his nightstand. "There's only one remedy that I really want right now," she said.

"What?" Rick asked eagerly. "Whatever it is, you've got it, Kate."

She laid her head on his chest and snuggled close to him. "Just hold me," she said. "If I need anything else, I promise, you'll be the first to know, but I feel better now that I threw up, so just hold me, Rick."

His arms wrapped around her, and he felt her smile against his chest. Within minutes, Kate was sound asleep again, and before Rick drifted off, he made a mental note to check and see how long morning sickness was supposed to last.


Alexis and Javier were both pacing like expectant fathers out of a 1950s sitcom or movie. Alexis checked her watch. "It should be almost over, shouldn't it?" she asked.

"Should be," he said.

Just then, the doors opened, and people came streaming out of the exam room. In the middle of the pack was a very disheveled-looking Kevin Ryan. His vest was rumpled, his tie was loosened, his collar open, one of his shirt collars was sticking up, and his hair was a mess from him having raked his fingers through it multiple times. "Kevin!" Alexis called.

He looked up when he heard Alexis call his name, and he made his way through the crowd, over to her and Javi. "So how was it?" Alexis asked.

"Brutal," Kevin replied honestly. "But I think I did okay. I won't know for a couple months."

"I remember," Javi said. "I'm sure you did great, bro."

"I did my best," Kevin replied, looking from Javi to Alexis and back again. "And I feel like I knew more of the answers than I did last time. If I pass, it's gonna be because of you guys."

"You did the hard part," Javi said.

"Yeah," Alexis added. "You worked really hard and studied night and day for the past few months, and you went in there as prepared as you could be."

"But you guys were there with me, helping me study, and making sure I learned what I needed to learn," Kevin replied. "Credit where credit is due, you know?"

"Yeah, bro, we know," Javi replied.

"Now comes the hardest part," Kevin said ruefully, running his hand through his mussed hair once more. "Waiting for the results."

"That is the hardest part," Alexis agreed, remembering her own wait to hear from Columbia Law School, "but we're rooting for you, and I'll be surprised if you don't pass."

"I hope I passed," Kevin said. "I already promised Jenny a car if I did. Well, a minivan."

"Not an SUV?" Javi teased.

"Jenny has her heart set on an Odyssey," Kevin said. "And if it makes her happy, that's good enough for me. And it's not like I'll mind driving it." Now he looked worried again for a moment. "But we can't afford it if I don't pass this test and get promoted to Sergeant."

"You'll make it," Alexis said confidently. "And whenever you think you won't, Javier and I will be here to encourage you."

"You know it," Javi said.

Kevin smiled at them. "I pretty much sweated through my shirt here," he said, "so I'd better get home and shower and change. You guys want to drop by and say hi?"

"I wish I could, but I have to get to class," Alexis said. "Tell Jenny and the kids 'hi' for me, though." Then she turned her attention to Javier. "And I'll call you later."

"Okay," Javier agreed. Alexis stretched up on tiptoe to kiss him, but at the last second, she remembered Kevin was watching, and, feeling awkward about that, she kissed Javier's cheek. "Bye," she told him.

"Bye," he said.

Kevin watched Javier watching Alexis leave, then said, "So, everything's going okay with you two?"

"Yeah," Javier said, and Kevin was struck by the wonder in Javi's tone. Kevin had never heard Javi talk about any woman the way he talked about Alexis...when he talked about her at all. Kevin knew that his partner played things close to the vest, that he kept a lot of his emotions locked up inside, and from where he stood, it looked like Alexis might be the one to open those floodgates, in much the same manner her father had done for Beckett.

"If you ever want to talk, or you want advice, I'm here," Kevin said.

Javi nodded. "I know," he said. "It's just all so new still, but at the same time, it feels...ah..." He trailed off and looked at the floor, scuffing one shoe.

"It feels like what?" Kevin asked gently.

"It feels like I've been putting together a jigsaw puzzle for a long time, and there were so many pieces I couldn't find, let alone get to fit," Javi replied. Here he looked up at Kevin. "And now, those pieces are starting to fall into place. Stuff that I wasn't even aware was missing from my life is in my life now because of Alexis. It was the last thing I expected, and something I never thought would happen, but it is happening. I just don't want to screw it up."

"You won't," Kevin assured him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I could," Javi said. "You know my track record, Kev."

"Yes, but none of those women were Alexis, were they?" Kevin retorted.

"No. No, they sure weren't," Javi agreed.

"I'm glad things are going well. I'm happy for you, for both of you," Kevin said. "And I meant it before, Javi: if you ever do want to talk about it, or you want advice, I'm here."

"Thanks," Javi said. "I might take you up on that at some point."

Kevin grinned, his first real smile of the day. "I'll be standing by," he promised.


"And you're sure it's okay that Rick and I go up to the cabin this weekend?" Kate asked her father for the dozenth time.

"Katie, it's fine," Jim assured her for the dozenth time. "I wasn't planning to go up to the cabin this weekend anyway. If you and Rick want to go, by all means, go, and have a good time." He handed the keys to the cabin to his daughter. "You're sure you want to go to the cabin, though? You haven't been up there since..." Jim trailed off.

"Since I was shot the first time," Kate said wryly, "and I spent almost two months hiding out up there, mostly by myself, two breaths away from a panic attack at all times, until I gave up and came back to the city. Yes, Dad, I'm sure. I have a few old demons to face, and this is the time to face them, with Rick by my side. Plus I've never taken him up there, and I want to."

"I was up there about a month ago," Jim replied. "You'll need to take groceries, but otherwise everything's in shape. Extra blankets, all that kind of thing."

"Great," Kate said. She hugged her father, and he hugged her back. "Thanks, Dad." She released Jim and pocketed the keys.

Jim looked at his daughter. "Something's different about you," he said. Kate's heart started to pound then. He couldn't know...could he?, she wondered. If her dad figured it out, that would ruin the way she wanted to surprise him with the news, and, she fretted, if he figured it out, she couldn't very well lie to him, but she and Rick wanted to tell everyone all together at the same time, so no one would have hurt feelings over when they were told.

While these thoughts were racing through Kate's mind, her dad tilted his head quizzically, then finally straightened his head, and exclaimed, "I know! New haircut, right? Just a couple of inches, but your hair is definitely a little bit shorter than it was."

It was all Kate could do not to breathe a sigh of relief. "That's it exactly, Dad," she said, and she was telling the truth, because she had gotten a trim just the day before. "Just a little trim. Split ends."

Jim gave Kate a bittersweet smile. "That was always your mom's department," he said. Kate pocketed the keys to the cabin. "Have a good time," he said.

"We will," Kate replied. "I'll call you when we get back. We'll have a Sunday dinner to make up."

"Name the time and place, and I'll be there, even if it isn't Sunday," Jim said with a smile.

Kate left her dad's feeling very relieved that Sweetpea was still only known to her and Rick. Maybe one of the things they could discuss at the cabin was how and when to tell everybody all at the same time, she mused as she headed home.


When Kate got home, Rick wasn't there, since he had a meeting at Black Pawn, but Alexis was there, and on the phone. She was laughing at whatever the person she was speaking to was saying.

Rick arrived home just moments after Kate, and after kissing her hello, and exaggeratedly waving to Alexis, Alexis wrapped up her call by saying, "I should get going...my folks are here. Yeah, I'll talk to you later. 'Bye."

"You didn't have to cut your phone conversation short on our account," Rick said.

"So, who is he?" Kate asked nonchalantly.

The deer-in-the-headlights look on Alexis's face was so stark, it made Rick's jaw literally drop. Kate hid her smile at both of their expressions behind a bottle of water she had grabbed from the fridge.

"He who?" Rick asked, looking from Kate to Alexis. "Are you dating someone, Alexis?"

"Yes," Alexis said after several seconds' pause.

"And you didn't say anything?" Rick asked, somewhat hurt.

"I'm saying something now," Alexis replied. "It's still very new."

"When do we get to meet him?" Rick wanted to know. Then he looked horrified. "Wait...you're not back with Pi, are you?"

"No!" Alexis exclaimed. "No, Dad, I am not back with Pi. Or Max, or Ashley, or anyone else I've previously dated."

"So, a new guy," Rick said.

Alexis looked to Kate for help. "Did he ever tell you about the first time he met Ashley?" she asked Kate. "He walked in the front door when Ashley and I were kissing on the couch, carrying a dueling pistol. He freaked Ashley out so much, Ashley all but ran out of here."

"I remember that case," Kate said. Then she looked at her husband. "Rick, you didn't!"

"He did," Alexis said. "So please, Kate, tell me that you, at least, understand why I'm not in a big hurry to introduce this new guy to Dad."

Kate looked at Rick. "Oh, I get it, believe me," she said, addressing Alexis. "You overreact to all her boyfriends, don't you?"

"Hey, you didn't think Pi was that great either," Rick reminded her.

"No argument there," Kate said. She looked at Alexis. "He's older, isn't he?"

Alexis couldn't bring herself to feel anything but admiration for Kate. "How did you know?" she asked.

"Just a hunch," Kate replied.

"Wait a minute, you're dating an older guy?" Rick asked, his voice going up an octave.

"Not a professor, I hope," Kate said, and Alexis was touched by the concern in Kate's eyes.

"No, he's not a professor," Alexis assured.

"But he's older than you," Rick reiterated.

"You're older than me, Castle. By a decade," Kate said before taking another sip of water.

Rick just looked at Kate. "That's different," he said.

"How?" Kate and Alexis asked in unison.

"It just is!" Rick exclaimed. He gestured between Kate and himself. "You and I are married. And we were meant to be from the moment we met." He looked at Alexis now. "What is this guy's deal?"

Before Alexis could say anything, remembering the way both of her parents interrogated her boyfriends (though she had been younger than Alexis when they did that), Kate said, "What field is he in—law, medicine, research? Is he getting his doctorate so he can be a professor? Is he a hot TA in one of your classes?"

Rick's head dropped into his hands. "Do not use the phrase 'hot TA' in association with Alexis, please, Kate," he groaned.

"Law," Alexis replied, reminding herself that this was technically true.

"And he treats you right?" Kate asked.

Alexis smiled. "He's a true gentleman," she said, which was also true.

"And it's still new," Kate said.

"Very," Alexis said. She looked at Kate and Rick earnestly. "I'm not trying to keep anything from you guys. I want us all to sit down together and have dinner and talk. Just...not yet, okay? We're still figuring out where this is going."

"But we will get to meet him?" Rick pressed.

"When we're ready for that, Dad, yes, I'll bring him to dinner with you and Kate," Alexis replied.

"Soon?" Rick asked.

"When we're ready," Alexis repeated.

"We're going up to my dad's cabin this weekend," Kate said. "You're welcome to come along if you'd like."

"Thanks, Kate, but I have plans this weekend," Alexis said.

"With Mr. Mystery Date," Rick grumped.

Alexis crossed the room to give her father a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll always be your little girl, Dad," she said seriously.

Rick pulled Alexis into another hug. "Yes, you will," he said firmly. When he released her, he said, "Just promise you won't have Mr. Mystery Date over while Kate and I are at her dad's cabin. Not because I don't trust you," he hurried on when Alexis opened her mouth to speak. "Because I don't trust him."

"Okay, I won't have him over while you and Kate are gone," Alexis promised.

Alexis then hugged Kate. "Thanks for having my back," she said so only Kate could hear her.

"Part of being a mom, isn't it?" Kate asked. "I heard you tell your boyfriend that your folks were home."

"You're the only real mom I have," Alexis said. After releasing Kate, she pecked a kiss to her cheek. "And I'm glad it's you. You were worth the wait."

"She certainly was," Rick chimed in.

After Alexis had retreated to her room, Rick smiled at Kate. "What?" Kate asked.

"I was just thinking about how lucky Alexis is to have you," he said. Then he moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, "And how lucky Sweetpea's gonna be to have you for a mom."

"We have to come up with a plan to tell everybody at the same time," Kate whispered back. "When I went to get the keys to the cabin from my dad, he said there was something different about me, and I was afraid he was going to figure it out. But he just noticed I had my hair trimmed yesterday."

Rick glanced towards the stairs, making sure Alexis wasn't about to come bounding back to the main floor, then splayed his palm on Kate's belly. "We'll figure that out this weekend," he said.

"Among other things," Kate agreed with a smile.