"Come again?" He responds, staring at her in confusion. She is bundled in pea coat that is cinched at the waist with a belt, as she sits in his office chair.
"I am pregnant," she repeats.
"Good for you. I am happy for you."
Her nostrils flare, in irritation, "With your baby."
He shakes his head, "Kate that isn't possible. We haven't been together in a biblical sense since November. I mean it has been three months."
"I know."
"You got pregnant in November?"
"Yes," she nods in confirmation.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"There was never a good time."
"When did you find out? How long have you known?"
"Since Christmas."
"What?"
"I found out on Christmas."
"Unbelievable."
"I need you not to be angry right now."
"You can't tell me how to feel."
"I need you to talk to me."
"I am too angry to talk to you right now. This is too much. You don't want to be married. You want to chase down some boogeyman, in the dark, behind my back. You push me away at every turn. You are chasing some dangerous monster, and you're telling me not to be angry? I have every right to be angry. You're my wife, and apparently you're carrying my child. Whatever it is that you're chasing, whatever rabbit hole you've gone into, you're done. I have given you leeway. I have let you do it your way. I would be devastated if something happened to you. I am not going to lose you. Whatever it is that you're chasing, you're done."
"You can't make that decision for me."
"Someone has to look out for you."
"I can take care of myself."
"You are continuing to put yourself in harm's way, despite the fact that you're pregnant? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that what you want?"
"No, of course not. I am so close. Castle this is so big. I can't just give up now. I almost have everything I need to end this, and move on."
He shakes his head, "No, you don't. It is always some big, bad, faceless entity. You want to rid the world of injustice, but you can't even be present in your own marriage. You can't even take a step back, and put yourself in my shoes for five seconds. The woman I love is running around chasing dangerous, nameless evil, and I have to just sit back, and let it happen. Kate, enough is enough."
"I just need a few more weeks," she begs.
"Sign the papers," he shakes his head.
She shakes her head, and looks at him in confusion. He hands her a black ink pen. She pulls at her collar.
"I don't understand."
"I love you, but I can't be married to someone who has complete disregard for her own life, and the life of our unborn child."
"Please. I'll explain everything, when this is over."
"It doesn't matter. You have chosen this over your family. I thought that you were different."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"What happens when that child is born, and you still haven't found whoever it is that you're looking for? You're not going to take him, or her with you. Are you just going to walk away, like Meredith walked away from Alexis? Huh?"
"No."
"I am not going to let you put my child in harm's way."
"Rick!"
"I'll tell you what, you keep chasing your big bad evil, and I will raise our child."
"Don't do this," she begs.
"You can have the Hamptons house, you can have the car, and the stock options. I don't care. Take them all, but it is obvious to me that you aren't thinking clearly enough to be a safe, and active participant in that child's life."
"What are you saying?"
"I want custody."
Her heart sinks. She shakes her head, "This was not what I was expecting. I thought you would react differently. I thought that you would be happy."
"I want so badly to be happy. I want to be happily married, with a child on the way, but it isn't what you want. It is never what you wanted."
"You went missing for two months."
"You've been absent for the majority of our marriage. Kate, I'm sorry."
"What happened to us?"
"You froze me out. You wouldn't let me in. How am I supposed to be married to someone who can't even look me in the eye, and tell me the truth? How am I supposed to trust you? I wanted so badly for this to work, but it takes two people to make a marriage work. I am over here killing myself trying to make this work, and you are giving zero effort."
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Fix it!"
"I don't know how," she admits.
"Then the best thing for us to do is to move forward with our lives, separately."
"How can we have separate lives? We are going to have a baby."
"You can visit."
"Please don't be so cold."
"How are you going to be primary custodian when you spend thirteen hours a day at the office, and however many hours a night being superwoman?"
"That is unfair, and you know it."
"Is it? Do you have time to give a child the love, and attention that it needs, right now?"
"I am going to cut back my hours."
"Every time you leave I think that the next phone call I am going to get is Laney, telling me that they've found your body. I picture your body lying in an alley somewhere, because you couldn't let anyone in."
"I don't want you to get hurt. I am trying to protect you."
"Too late, Kate!"