Chapter 11

It was early morning and Castle was climbing back into bed for the third time. He had tried to be quiet while checking on Alexis during the course of the night, but this time Beckett stirred. "Shhh," he whispered, stroking her hair. "Go back to sleep."

Beckett opened her eyes. "Alexis?" she asked.

"Fine," Castle answered. "Sound asleep."

"Have I ever told you how much it turns me on to see you as a father?" Beckett asked.

"No, want to tell me now?" Castle quipped.

"Or I could just show you," Beckett answered, putting her arms around his neck.

"Detective Beckett, I am your willing student."

Beckett pulled Castle's t-shirt over his head, brushing the hair off his forehead and smoothing it into place. Holding him tightly to her body she ran her hands up and down the skin of his back while their mouths found each other. They kissed more and more deeply as she touched him everywhere until their bodies drew so closely together that their was no separation. They moved together in frantic need and still she touched, until Castle could barely stand the feel of it, but couldn't bear for her to stop. Still the sensation grew until there was no more containing it and it burst free, leaving them limp in each others' arms.

When Castle and Beckett went in search of coffee, Martha was in the kitchen. "Darlings," she announced, "my students will all be off at auditions today, so I thought I'd spend some time with Alexis. Richard, if you want to spend the day with Katherine, I can take care of things here."

"Are you sure, Mother?" Castle asked, "because I can stay."

"We'll be fine, Richard. You two just do what you do."

Castle smirked. "I thought we just did," he whispered to Beckett who gave him a little punch in the chest.

Castle made breakfast for everyone, including Alexis, before he and Beckett left for the 12th, not trusting the task to his mother. "I'm not really sure what I'm doing next, Castle, Beckett told him as they looked at the murder board. The method and opportunity are solid, but all we have is conjecture for the motive."

"Do you have the results of his genetic testing?" Castle asked.

"No," Beckett told him. Those are covered under privacy laws. We'd need a court order."

"You want to go see Judge Markaway?" Castle asked.

"It's worth a shot, Beckett said.

Castle and Beckett told Markaway their theory about Donnegan's fear of having a hemophiliac child.

"That's quite a theory, you two," Markaway told them. "I'm not sure its enough. He's a male. If he has the gene, wouldn't he have the disease himself? Why would he be afraid of it?"

Beckett and Castle looked at each other. Markaway had asked a good question. "Maybe," Castle suggested, "the testing wasn't for Donnegan. The mother had a known genetic defect. Maybe the testing was for the baby."

"That, I can allow you to find out," Markaway told them."If the results are for the baby, they could be pertinent."

Armed with Markaway's order, Castle and Beckett went to Brooklyn, to Better Care Labs. They sat down with the in house geneticist, Dr. Berkline. "Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle," Berkline began, These test results are from chorionic villus sampling. That is a test than can be done to detect genetic abnormalities before amniocentesis is possible. The tests show that the baby was heterozygous for hemophilia. She would have been a carrier, but not symptomatic. But there was something else. There was a mutation in MECP2 gene on the male copy of the X chromosome."

"What does that mean?" Castle asked.

"The child would have had a relatively rare disorder called Rett syndrome. It appears mostly in girls and presents something like autism, but has many physical symptoms as well and tends to be degenerative. She probably would have required round the clock care."

"I know that look, Castle" Beckett said as they were leaving the lab. "What's the matter?"

"As bad as Rett syndrome sounds, why would it make Donnegan kill Maggie? There has to be something to make the story make more sense. How much do we know about his background?"

"Not much," Beckett answered.

While Beckett handled the inevitable piles of paperwork, Castle went over all of Donnegan's financials and credit card information again. He found a stream of small but steady checks to a Christine Holloway in Union New Jersey. An internet search revealed Christine Holloway to be Donnegan's sister. Castle convinced Beckett to make a road trip.

The most noticeable thing about Christine Holloway was how tired she looked She was hesitant to let them in and insisted on talking at the door. Beckett had barely gotten a word out when they were interrupted by a horrific scream and the sound of banging. Christine ran back inside the house. Beckett drew her gun and ran behind her followed by Castle. When Beckett saw the source of the scream, she holstered her gun. A small boy was banging his head against the wall while letting out unearthly wails. Christine picked him up, holding him so he couldn't hurt himself, but the boy sank his teeth into the skin of her arm and twisted. Christine winced, but continued to hold the boy tightly, while rocking her body to calm him down. "I'm sorry," Christine said. "I can't talk right now."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Castle asked.

"No," Christine answered, "he'll calm down faster if you leave. Just please go."

For the first half hour of the trip back to New York, neither Castle nor Beckett spoke. Finally Castle did. "Working with Up, I saw some kids with problems, but nothing like that."

"I've never seen anything like that either," Beckett said. "but I think we need to talk to Donnegan again. I'll set it up in the morning."

Returning to the loft, Castle bounded up the stairs to Alexis' room, gathering her to him in a desperate hug.

"Dad, what's that for?" Alexis asked.

"I'm just glad that you're you," Castle told her.

As Castle came down the stairs, Beckett handed him a scotch, a match for the one in her own hand.

Martha gave them a questioning look, but Castle just shook his head.

Heading up the stairs to her room, Martha told them, "I'll just leave you two to whatever is going on. Alexis and I've had dinner. Leftovers are in the fridge."

Beckett and Castle stood, clinging to each other.

A/N Unfortunately I can tell you from personal experience that there are many parents faced with challenges like Christine Holloway's every day. This Thanksgiving, remember to count your blessings.