Title: Trouble Comes in Threes
Author: NickyM96
Rating: K+
Summary: Beckett faces a test she didn't study for and one she's not sure she wants to pass
Spoilers: Nothing big. You should be fine so long as you've seen Episode 5x17 – Scared To Death
Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own entertainment purpose and will return them for the next user when done.
Chapter 3
Beckett and Castle exit from the break room is met with silence and curious stares from their waiting friends.
"You two all right in there?" Lanie asks, voicing the question on everyone's mind. They all heard most of the argument through the closed doors, but not enough to know exactly what was going on.
"We're fine," Beckett assures them with a smile. "It seems there's something in the water because ..."
She turns to look at Castle. He comes up next to her and takes her hand.
"We're having a baby too," he finishes.
Ryan and Esposito go to Castle and congratulate him. Lanie and Jenny pull Beckett aside for their own questions.
"So the tests were right? All of them?" Jenny asks, looking at both Lanie and Beckett.
"Apparently so," Beckett smiles. "At least for me. Lanie?"
"Just hush, Girl," Lanie swats at her. "You know I'm pregnant too. Javi is going to flip."
"When are you going to tell him?" Jenny wonders.
"No time like the present."
Lanie takes a deep breath and heads over to where the men are grouped. Jenny and Beckett follow close behind, not wanting to miss this announcement.
They hear mutterings of "two out of three" and "escaping the bullet" before the men quickly fall silent and turn to the ladies.
"Escaping the bullet?" Jenny asks, staring at Ryan. "What is this about a bullet you're trying to escape? You're not referring to our child, are you?"
"Uh … of course not, Honey," Ryan says, flustered. "Esposito was just ..."
"Nah, bro. Don't drag me into this," Esposito laughs, tossing an arm around Lanie's shoulders. "We're not the ones about to be elbow deep in diapers and baby food like the rest of you. Isn't that right, Baby?"
When Lanie grows silent, Castle is the first to pick up on the uncomfortable way she tries to squirm away from Esposito. He puts two and two together and an amused grin grows on his face.
"Why Dr. Parish. You're awfully quiet all of a sudden."
"Lanie?" Esposito asks, confusion filling his eyes as she stares at her.
"Diapers and baby food for us too," she says, pulling out one of the positive pregnancy tests from her purse.
Esposito takes one look at the pink stripe on the stick … and proceeds to pass out.
"Did he faint?" Ryan asks with a laugh. Castle laughs with him.
"Just help him up," Lanie barks at the men, directing them to take Esposito to the break room couch. They get him settled and leave him with the very angry woman trying to revive him.
"If he's smart, he'll stay "unconscious" until her temper cools a little," Castle chuckles.
"He's faking?" Jenny gasps a surprised gasp.
Castle, Ryan, and Beckett all just laugh.
Castle catches Beckett staring at herself in the mirror later that evening.
"Come with me to the doctor?" she asks him. "I made an appointment for next week. I need to find out how far along I am."
She stands in profile, pressing her hand against her stomach, frowning when she doesn't notice a difference.
"Of course," he says, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I told you, I'm going to be there for all of it."
"Even when we tell my dad how you got his baby girl in trouble?"
Castle's face turns serious. He turns away and walks to his night stand. She hears a drawer slide open and then close again.
"I don't think we'll be telling your dad that," he says, walking back over to her. "But I do think I'll ask him if he minds if I marry the mother of my child."
He opens the box he held in his hand to reveal a diamond ring.
She gasps, shock filling her eyes.
"Castle?"
"Marry me, Beckett."
"Is this because of the baby?" she asks. "Because you really don't have to propose to every woman you get pregnant, Castle."
"No," he says with a nervous laugh. "This isn't just because of the baby. I want to marry you because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Plus, I have to cross off the number one item on my new bucket list."
He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to her.
Number 1 on this list: Marry Kate.
Her heart melts.
"Is this the list you wrote last week at breakfast?" she asks.
"I went out and bought the ring that afternoon," he admits.
She gives him a sly smile and goes into her own wallet.
"If you recall, we both revised our bucket lists that morning."
She hands him her own piece of paper and waits for him to get to her number one bucket list item.
"Let Castle be my one and done," he reads, tears clogging his throat. It fills his heart with joy to know her choice has nothing to do with the baby either.
"If you're still asking, the answer is yes." She holds out her left hand and sighs when he slides the ring on her finger.
"It's beautiful," she gasps, tears filling her eyes. "Just what I would have picked out."
Her reaches for her, pulling her into a kiss to celebrate the start of their new life.
"So, my soon to be wife," he mutters through kisses. "What was that thing you mentioned earlier about whipped cream?"
She lets out a happy giggle when his hand slips under her shirt. Leave it to Castle to remember that. She has a feeling this celebration is about to take a cold, sticky, sweet turn.
The end.