As far as she was concerned, morning arrived far too quickly.

It hadn't even been a late night by their usual standards; after their shower and lazy soak in the tub, they had eaten a small dinner and settled in to watch a movie, one she had made it all of half an hour into before falling asleep on Castle's shoulder. Still, when her alarm sounded, she had to fight to shake off the blanket of sleep and roll her body out of bed to dress.

Castle noticed, of course, but other than pressing a kiss to her hair and splaying his palm against her hip as she stood at the bathroom vanity, he didn't say a word about her lack of energy.

"Coffee?" he rumbled, scraping a hand over his stubble. He was tired, too, but he seemed to be shaking it off more easily than she was.

"Mmm, please."

Kate watched as his eyes roved over the counter, landing briefly on her side, but she didn't have the chance to ask what had caught his attention before he retreated to give her some privacy.

"Coming right up," he added, flashing her a smile over his shoulder.

Her lips lifted in return. "Thanks, babe."

Turning back to the mirror, she started going about the rest of her morning routine, brushing her teeth (forcing herself to ignore the overpowering mint flavor) and smoothing her foundation over her face and neck. Her eyeliner and light eyeshadow came next, completing the transformation.

She just needed her coffee and then she would be ready to face the day.

"Here you are," Castle called, stepping back into their bathroom with their mugs.

Setting her eyeshadow palette on the counter, Kate turned to accept her coffee. She took a moment to breathe it in, allowing her eyes to flutter shut with the first sip.

"Good?" he asked, his voice warm with affection.

"Yeah."

"Good." His lips touched her forehead. "I'm gonna get ready and then we can go."

Her eyes slid open after a moment, finding him watching her from behind his mug.

"Perfect." Pulling his mug away, Kate lifted onto her toes to touch her mouth to his. "I'll check my messages while you do that."

Her husband smiled, slipping a hand along her side. "Kay. I'll be quick."

"Kay." She stole another kiss before slipping from the room and leaving him in peace.


"Morning, guys. Your text said you had something?" Beckett asked forty-five minutes later, stepping up to Esposito's desk.

"Uh, yeah. Got a call back from the 79th with some info on our camping group. They're going to fax it over as soon as they get the chance."

"Good." She nodded. "What else?"

"Waiting on a call back from Sing Sing about Walker. 'Cause I was thinking about it last night, and something just doesn't add up with his record."

Beckett nodded once more. "That's good thinking. Let me know what you find out in both cases."

"You got it," Esposito agreed, tilting his head to study her. After a second, he smirked. "Late start, boss?"

"What? Yeah, just adjusting to the schedule. Believe it or not, I got used to being able to sleep in every day."

Her detective chuckled. "Castle's influence, no doubt."

"What about me?" Rick asked, stepping close enough for his chest to bump her arm.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head in Espo's direction. "Just talking about getting back to our routines."

Castle nodded, looking thoughtful.

"And now I have to get back to my other routine: cleaning my inbox." Kate stepped away from the desk, giving Castle's blazer a gentle tug. He followed without protest, pocketing the phone in his hand. "How was your call?" she asked.

"Good. Everything's still on track for High Heat next month, I just need to make a personal appearance at Black Pawn in the next few days."

The beginnings of excitement fluttered through her chest, but she tamped it down, tempered it. "Yeah? So, um, when do I get my copy?"

Her husband grinned, leaning back in his chair. "You'll just have to wait and see. You never know what might be waiting on your pillow one night."

"One night… like tonight?" Kate tugged her lip between her teeth.

"Shameless," Castle teased. "Maybe tomorrow night if I make a couple calls. I'll distract you from your sorrow tonight," he added on the heels of her huff.

"Yeah, you better."

He opened his mouth to respond, but whatever he would have said was lost underneath the trill of her office phone.

"Duty calls," she murmured, relaxing into her desk chair and lifting the receiver to her ear. "Beckett."

While he would never turn down a chance to be with his wife, Castle had to admit there wasn't much going on at the precinct.

"You know, if you're bored, you could run by the office while I'm stuck working on this spreadsheet," Beckett murmured, glancing over the top of her computer. "Unless you're really committed to beating that high score of yours."

"Did that already," he said, waggling his phone at her. "Beat yours, too."

She lifted a shoulder. "I'll get it back next time."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he mumbled, letting his lips turn up at the sound of her laughter.

"Uh huh, sure," she drawled, tapping a few keys before looking back at him. "You should go talk to Hayley; let her know what you've decided."

His head bobbed. "I know. You're sure you're okay with it?"

Kate smiled, reaching over to touch his hand. "You need to be happy, Castle. If you're happy with the decision, then I'm okay. If you're not, then maybe take some more time to think about it. You don't have to give up your PI business just to be here."

Castle licked his lips, considering her words. He had been going back and forth with the idea all summer, but in the last few days, he had made the decision to turn things over to Hayley full-time. Assuming she wanted it, of course.

"No, I know. And maybe I'll change my mind when I get there, but I think right now it's better if I focus on the books and on being here to run circles around Ryan and Esposito."

His wife laughed, curling her fingers around his. "Then go talk to Hayley about it so it doesn't keep you up at night."

"You're right. Okay, I'll go now. Then I can come back and find out if I'm right about this case." Rick got to his feet, quirking a grin down at her.

Beckett narrowed her eyes, holding fast to his hand to keep him from going anywhere. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Checking the park. It's large enough that the group would probably go back again."

Her eyebrows jumped. "Even if their buddy died there?"

Castle shrugged. "Out of sight, out of mind. Corey Lewis said they didn't exactly make smart decisions. Besides, if someone there killed him... "

"They wouldn't want to alter their habits, it would make them look guilty."

He grinned. "Exactly. Okay, text me a picture of the boys' faces when they realize I'm right."

Before she could protest, Rick swooped in, stealing a kiss from her mouth. "I'll be back."

It didn't take him long to get to the PI office, and it was actually a relief to find the waiting area empty. He wouldn't have time to second guess himself.

"Be with you in just a second."

"It's just me," he called, strolling through the room to greet his friend in the doorway to what used to be his office.

Hayley Shipton's head shot up, a smile spreading across her face. "Rick! Well, look at you. When did you get back?"

Pushing his hands into his pockets, he offered her a smile in return. "A few days ago. Beckett went back to work yesterday."

"That's fantastic. How is she?"

"She's good. We're both doing well. How's it going here? Have I missed anything juicy and fun?"

Hayley laughed, shaking her head. "Good. And no, nothing juicy. Just the usual background checks and cheating spouses I know you try so hard to avoid."

"I do not! I do plenty of work. Just some cases I prefer to work on less than others."

His friend snorted, leaning against the desk. "So have you come to reclaim your office?"

"Actually, I want to talk to you about that. How do you feel about staying in charge a while longer?"

"How long is a while?" Hayley asked.

Rick lifted a shoulder. "How long do you want it to be?"

"Are you stepping down? Shouldn't you turn your business over to your daughter?"

"Alexis and I made a deal: she finishes school first, and if this is what she wants to do after that, then we'll talk."

"But in the meantime, you're asking me to run everything."

"If you want to. You're good - better than me - and it's a step toward putting down the roots you were talking about a while ago. Plus, it has all the coolest toys. Most of which I'll leave for you to play with."

Hayley let out a quiet chuckle, lowering her chin. "That's a big offer."

"After everything you've done for me, the way you watched out for Alexis and my mother? It's the least I can do."

Her cheeks darkened at the praise. "If you're sure."

"I am."

"Well, okay then." Her hand shot out, ready to seal the bargain. "You have a deal, Rick."

He took her hand, giving it a firm shake. "Fantastic. We can figure out paperwork whenever, though I think Alexis said she took care of that while I was in the hospital."

"She did. Most of it, at least."

"Good. Smart girl."

Hayley smiled once more. "Very smart."

Castle hummed, looking around. He did love this place, but it didn't hold the same pull for him, not the way the precinct did.

"You should probably get back," his companion said, lifting her chin toward the door.

"Probably."

"Of course, if you need some help with your case, you're welcome to stay. For a small fee," she added, her grin sly.

"Funny. But I'll have you know that I am just waiting to hear how I solved Beckett's first case back."

"Cocky."

His chest puffed. "Not cocky if you back it up. So I should…"

She waved him off. "Go on. Just don't be a stranger."

"I won't," Rick promised.

Hayley nodded, tapping her knuckles against the desk. "Good. But oh, before you go," she leaped to her feet, glancing around, "I can redecorate, right?"

"Hey now, don't push your luck," he answered, giving a playful quirk of his eyebrow as he walked out.


He wasn't quite sure what made him stop on his way back to the precinct, but just a few minutes after leaving the P.I. office, he was stepping into a drug store and making his way up and down the aisles. His fingers closed around a bag of M&Ms for Kate's desk, and after a second of thought, he scooped up a bag of gummi bears as well. After all, the sugar might give his wife a little bit of a boost. She looked like she was running on empty today.

It wasn't the first time, though. She'd been off for the last few days, he'd noticed, the energy she had gained during their recovery seeming to fade. They'd both been given a clean bill of health at their last check-up, but a small part of him couldn't shake the idea there might be more to it than just adjusting to being back.

"Hey, buddy, you gonna keep staring at those or are you gonna move and let me get what I need to get? Some of us have places to be."

Rick jolted, twisting to face the source of the taunt. "Ah, sorry. Have at it." He stepped away from the shelf, only to realize exactly how far back into the store he had wandered. And which display he had just blocked.

Could it be-?

The fatigue, the change in her appetite… it would fit. It would be a long shot, but it would fit.

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all," the woman continued, snatching a box from the display and holding it close to her chest. "Get a life, pal."

"Hey, I have a -"

"Whatever," she muttered, stalking off. "Freak."

"Am not," Rick retorted, grabbing his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.

Bro, you gotta see this. Get to the park. West side.

Oh, he had so been right.

Shoving his phone back into his pocket, he regarded the display. Maybe he would be right again.

He grabbed a box, dropping it on top of the candy and making his way to the checkout.


"He's going to gloat. You know that, right?"

Ryan glanced at his partner before looking back at the spectacle in front of them.

"It's Castle. Of course he's going to gloat."

"Well, he was kind of right," Beckett reminded them, stepping beside Esposito. She had been coordinating with park police to keep people back and make it easier for them to get into the trees. "He did send us back here when we were looking for crime scenes elsewhere."

Esposito narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't take his side."

Beckett grinned, clasping her hands in front of her and glancing up at the branches above. "How are you doing up there, Jesse?" she called.

Their new suspect's expletive-filled reply made them laugh.

"Not our fault you're stuck up there," Esposito said. "So tell us, whose bright idea was it to camp in the trees, anyway? What happens if you have to go in the middle of the night?"

"Water bottles, bro," Ryan murmured, smothering a laugh at the look of horror that crossed his partner's face.

"You mean like the one he dumped out to stop us as he was trying to get away?"

"Uh huh."

Esposito groaned. "That's nasty."

"Pretty sure that one was just water, though. So your shoes are still safe."

"Hey, isn't it cruel and unusual punishment to leave me up here?" Jesse called. "You can't question me like this, I know my rights."

The cops looked up once more, finding their guy glaring their way. With him upside down, strapped to a branch, it didn't quite have the same effect as it might have another time.

"We're waiting for the fire department, pal. They've had a run on retrieving cats from trees this morning."

Beckett laughed behind her hand, shaking her head. "We'll get you down as soon as we can. However, if you'd like to take your mind off of things, you could tell us about Andrew Sutton."

"Don't know him."

Ryan shook his head. "That's funny, because the three people we saw packing their stuff while you were still waking up said you were buds; that you had brought him into the circle. So what happened, Jesse?"

"Alright, get me down and I'll tell you. Deal? I can't feel my brain."

"We're gonna get you down. Relax." Beckett waved over a trio of firefighters, lifting her eyebrows as her husband came jogging up on their heels. Her eyes cut to the plastic bag in his hand.

"Snacks," he explained, breathing a little heavily. "Candy for your desk, the jerky the boys like."

Ryan grinned. "You shouldn't have, Castle."

"Yeah, you should be buying me the treats, 'cause I was right. Wasn't I right?"

"Yes, fine," Ryan conceded. "You were right. We found our crime scene just over there."

"As I said you would."

The detectives rolled their eyes before Ryan continued, "It had been overlooked because the rest of Andrew's camping equipment looked just like someone's squat, but upon closer inspection, we saw broken branches and signs of the body being dragged. So we decided to look around. Which is how we found our camping group here."

"And Batman, apparently."

"I heard that."

Castle snickered, lifting his eyes toward the tree.

Ryan did the same. "Yeah, apparently they don't just camp on the ground, they sleep in the trees. Meet Jesse Morgan. You see, he's in this predicament because when he spotted us, instead of calmly loosening his harness and coming down, he panicked, scrambled, and fell over. Lucky for him, he was still strapped in, because we would be having a different chat right now if he hadn't been."

Castle nodded, looking thoughtful. "Well, good of him to hang around."

"Castle," Beckett chided.

He blinked, innocent. "What?"

"Anyway, he's agreed to talk to us once he's back on terra firma."

"Good of him," Castle said, shifting his weight as the four of them watched the firefighters loosen Jesse Morgan's harness and brought him down from the tree.

They gave the man a moment to collect himself, to let the blood return to the rest of his body before stepping closer.

Morgan swiped at his red face, pushing stringy blond hair off his forehead. "I didn't do anything."

"After that display, you expect us to believe that?" Ryan prompted, tilting his head. "You didn't do anything, but you tried to run? Come on, Jesse, be straight with us. Cause if you think you'll be able to pretend this never happened, you're fooling yourself."

Esposito jumped in. "Did he piss you off? Did he tell somebody he shouldn't have about your excursions?"

Jesse shook his head, averting his eyes.

"We talked to his brother, man," Espo continued. "He said Andy went to bat for you, said you guys were legit. He said you were his friends."

"We are. Were. We were."

"Prove it," Ryan challenged.

Jesse sucked a deep breath into his lungs. "It was an accident."

"What happened, Jesse?" Beckett asked, her voice quiet, but firm. "Start from the beginning."

"It was stupid. All of it was stupid. I was messed up, not thinking clearly at all. We'd been giving each other hell all night, like normal. It's what we did."

"But you got mad, and you -"

"No. No. I wasn't mad. It was normal for us. But he started to get up to go take a leak and I thought I'd mess with him. So I knocked him, just screwing around you know? Just knocked his knee like this." He demonstrated on himself, pushing one knee into the other. "But he fell. He lost his balance and just fell. Hit his head on the branch below us. He was gone before I got to the ground."

Esposito glanced over at Beckett, taking point again. "Why didn't you call the cops? Why drag the body and leave him in his sleeping bag in the bushes?"

"I don't - I freaked out. I've already been to prison a couple times, and I was messed up, I panicked, I was the only one awake… so I just did it and told the others that he'd bailed." He deflated. "I didn't mean to kill him."

"I believe you," Beckett said, nodding to Ryan. He waited a beat before slipping the cuffs from his belt. "But you did."

"Jesse Morgan, you're under arrest for the murder of Andrew Sutton," Ryan started, clasping the other man's hands behind his back and securing the metal around his wrists.


"Beckett? Can we talk?"

Kate looked up from her book, furrowing her brow. She had been reading since they'd gotten home from the precinct, letting the words on the page and the quiet tap of his fingers on his keyboard lull her into tranquility. "Since when do you ever ask my permission to talk?"

"Good point," Castle conceded, lowering himself onto the seat beside her on the couch. "I just want to make sure that you're okay. You haven't exactly seemed like yourself the past couple of days."

"I don't feel any different than usual," she replied, gingerly folding the edge of her page down and shutting the novel. "Just a little tired. It's no big deal."

"Just a little tired," Castle echoed. He was choosing his words carefully, deliberately, a fact made even more obvious by his insistence on repeatedly scratching his ear. And, for whatever reason, it was annoying the hell out of her. If anyone was acting weird, it was him.

"Castle," she snapped, stopping him mid-scratch. "Would you stop that and just tell me what's going on?"

To her complete exasperation, he grinned, happiness radiating from ear to ear. He was freaking beaming.

"You just snapped at me," he said, that silly grin still on his face. "That's… I think I know what might be going on."

"Castle, there's nothing going on…"

"Just humor me, honey," he interrupted, reaching out to rest his hand atop hers. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but honestly, nothing about our lives has been normal lately."

She snorted. "You have me there. So what's this theory?"

Kate watched him lean over and pull a bag off the floor. The same drug store bag she'd seen just hours earlier, when he'd surprised her with treats for her desk.

"More candy, Rick?" she teased, nudging his thigh with her toe. "I hate to break it to you, but a sugar high probably isn't the answer in this case."

"Ah, no. Not candy. I think you should take this."

He held out a small cardboard box to her, his eyes hopeful.

"I- Castle, I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure? We have been practicing quite a bit, after all." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Because it's too soon? The doctor said it could take-"

"I know what the doctor said, but think about it? You've been so tired, and you looked at little bit green at your favorite Chinese place the other day? And you just snapped at me for no reason, too."

"I snapped at you because you're annoying me," she retorted, lifting an eyebrow.

"Kate," he cajoled, refusing to allow her to change the subject. "What could it hurt?"

Kate pulled her lip between her teeth, looking between her husband's face and the EPT box in his hand. After a moment, she exhaled. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

Truthfully, she didn't want to get her own hopes up either.

Castle shook his head, abandoning the box on her thigh to take her hand. "Hey, hey. There are no expectations here. No pressure. If you're not, you're not, and that's okay. But wouldn't you rather know one way or another?"

His fingers caressed her knuckles, drawing soothing circles on her skin, sending her heart fluttering in her chest.

He was right. No matter how remote the possibility, she needed to know.

"Okay," she agreed, releasing a breath. "Okay, I'll take the test."

Castle beamed, tugging on her hand as he got to his feet. "Great! Come on, let's do it now, before my mother and Alexis come over. Alexis said they left late, but they're on their way and they're stopping to pick up dinner."

"Let's?" Kate replied, bemused. "Castle, there is a distinct lack of teamwork necessary in taking a pregnancy test."

"Well yes, but I can wait for you in the bedroom." He thumbed her knuckles again, giving her a moment to consider his proposal.

"Oh, all right. Come on." She let him haul her from the couch, managing to catch the test box before it tumbled to the ground.

"Excellent reflexes," Castle praised, dodging her swatting hand and leading her to their bedroom. "Okay, I'll just wait here."

"Uh huh," she agreed, fighting the nervous rolling in her stomach and pointing him toward the bed. "I'll be back."

Clutching the box to her chest, Kate padded across the bedroom and stepped into the bathroom.

When she walked back into the bedroom a minute later, Castle was pacing back and forth across the floor. The moment he spotted her, he began bouncing on his toes, his hands clasped together in anticipation.

"Well?" he asked, hurrying toward her. "What does it say?"

"Nothing yet," Kate answered, watching as his face fell. "It takes a minute or so for the results to register, so I figured we could watch it change together."

"Oh, goody." Castle perched on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside him for her to sit. "Come on. This will be just like watching paint dry. But better."

"Hey now, this was your idea," she reminded him, giving him a playful jab in the ribs as she settled onto the bed beside him.

"Touché," he murmured, tugging her hand, and the test, between them.

Together, they watched as the test window began to change from a blank space to two pink lines, faint at first, but growing stronger and darker with every passing second.

Kate stared at the test, slack-jawed. "I… is this…"

Castle's hand slipped into her hair, turning her face toward his, his mouth seeking hers. She canted into him, letting his joy wrap around her, letting her astonishment blossom into anticipation.

"A baby, Kate," he breathed, taking another kiss from her as her smile widened. "We're having a baby."

"A bab- oh. We're, wow."

Her husband laughed, brushing his thumb over the curve of her jaw. "Yeah," he agreed, feathering his lips over hers again. "Wow."

"You were there, weren't you?" she blurted, pulling away to stare at the test once again.

"When we made a baby? Yes, I remember being there for that."

Beckett shook her head, clearing her throat quickly. "I'm quite certain of where you were for that. Just… the doctor said it wouldn't happen this fast. That it would take time for-"

Castle's hand covered hers, loosening her death grip on the plastic stick. "The doctor did say that, but you know what she didn't take into account?"

"What?"

The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. "Us. The way no matter how bad it gets, how dire it seems, we always manage to beat the odds. Just like all the great love stories."

"We do, don't we?" she hummed, touching her fingertips to his chin.

His head bowed, forehead touching hers. "And we always will."


Episode beta work by honeyandvodka and acertainzest

Castle Season 9 is produced by Team Planet and the writing team of Castle Season 9. Executive Producer is encantadaa.

For a full list of season 9 authors, please look at our ffnet profile.

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