Beckett sighed as she walked out of the interview room. She and Castle were getting out of an emotionally straining conversation with the victim's wife. How do you tell someone their spouse was found smashed into a billboard like a common bug on a window? How do you tell a woman she won't be needed to identify the father of her children because his body doesn't even look human anymore? You can't, because stuff like that isn't meant to happen.
Almost an hour later and they hadn't really learned anything pertinent to their case. At least they had learned a little more about their victim but there was nothing to explain the tableau that had been painted for them that night. Sebastien Franklin had been missing from his bed in the morning. It was a safe bet to assume he was the vic stuck to the 'Budlight' advertisement billboard in the early morning.
They seemed like the typical middle-class family. He was an electrician; she was a third grade teacher. They had 2 grade school level kids and no financial problems, no known enemies. More importantly, the wife couldn't recall a single person in their entourage that either owned a plane or knew how to pilot one. Nothing popped up for either Beckett or Castle during that interview; nothing triggered their 'lizard brains.' Without even talking, the single glance they shared as they got out, both agreed she wasn't their killer. The partners walked towards the murder board to fill in the little information Beckett had managed to extract from the wife between the incontrollable sobs of the wife.
Castle, leaning against the edge of the desk, checked his watch as Beckett finished up with the timeline. It still looked very bare. Mr. Franklin had finished work at 5, like millions of New Yorkers, and headed home in the packed subway. He had gotten home around 5:30 and their evening went on normally, they had dinner, put the kids to bed, watched a little bit of television. It was routine. The victim and his wife had gone to bed around 11. She hadn't realised he'd slipped out of the bed until the next morning when she had woken up at 6:30 and he was nowhere to be found. The time of death, until confirmation from Lanie, was set between 11pm and 4am.
She capped the marker and brought it to her lips. Kate abstractedly tapped the cap on her lips as she studied the board and pondered. The angle between the two of them, gave Castle the perfect view. Only he wasn't looking at their board. She turned around a smile grew on her face when their eyes met and he could stay like this forever. The attraction he felt at that moment was magnetic. He checked his watch again and stood up. It was time.
"You ready, detective?" Castle whispered into her ear, his chest accosting her back.
His smell was overpowering and it was plain torturous. She breathed in loudly and Castle smirked as he pulled away.
"Yeah, I'm starving," she answered with a teasing grin.
"Remy's?" he asked completely impervious.
Castle had been the keeper of time for the better part of the pregnancy, telling her when to eat when she was at the precinct or when they should start thinking about leaving. In the beginnings, she thought she'd quickly get annoyed by his constant controlling, regulating and hovering. Had it been anyone else, she probably would be. No, she definitely would be. But even though she pretended to be; secretly she loved him even more for it.
She shook her head and smiled, biting her lower lip. He was right though, she was getting hungry, for food too. "Not exactly what I was thinking but sure, Remy's is fine," she muttered.
"I'll go check if the boys have the time to come."
She watched him walk away practically skipping and she chuckled to herself with a hand posed on her bump, having an internal conversation with her son.
Daddy's pretty clueless, right buddy?
She felt a slit kick and smiled, rubbing the spot.
That's right, you chose wisely, little man. You and I teaming up will be so much fun.
Taking the time to eat lunch together almost every day had been very beneficial for the entire team. Not only was food somewhat crucial to the mortal human, but sharing a meal with the people they love distracted them from the incredibly hard stuff they came across every day.
Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Esposito were laughing loudly when the waitress came back with their orders.
"Come on, we all know who has the better detective skills here," exclaimed Ryan pointing both thumbs to himself with a confident smile.
Castle coughed loudly, pretending to choke on his lemonade.
"We might be considered like team B by Pulmutter, but we do most of the heavy lifting for you guys! We'd definitely win!"
Beckett added teasingly, "You guys found out I was pregnant, I was almost 4 months along! Your detective skills are definitely in question here."
Esposito screamed in defense, "That's low. And unfair. Why wouldn't you tell us?
Beckett laughed.
"You told everyone but us! You told Lanie and you didn't even tell us," added Esposito.
"Of course I told Lanie! I swore her to secrecy though and was quite surprised the blabbermouth she is managed to keep her mouth shut. I wanted to see how long it would take you guys to figure it out on your own. As it turns out, it's a darn longtime!"
Flashback
"You ask her," whispered Ryan nudging Esposito in the ribs.
"You crazy? You ask her!"
"If she's not we're both dead, you know that right?"
They both sighed as they watched the detective in her chair not too far from them give them a questioning look.
"We are, bro, we are."
Ryan came in, trying to defend their honor, proclaiming "It's not bad detective work. It takes balls to ask a woman if she's pregnant point blank!" He exhaled loudly before adding, "Especially when that woman is you!"
Castle and Beckett burst out laughing. Esposito just shook his head, "Bro, you're so not helping our case right now."
"What?" asked Ryan perplexed.
"Balls? You really want to talk about balls right now? Now your manly hood is also in question. You didn't even have the balls to ask her!" Castle shot out.
Beckett, Castle and Esposito couldn't help laugh at the face Ryan was giving them. Castle and Beckett burst out hysterically and Esposito continued to shake his head with a grin.
Flashback
They turned their backs to the detective, trying to devise a plan away from her incessant stare.
"Ohhh I know!" exclaimed Ryan in a hushed whisper.
"You know what?" questionned Espo, always skeptical when it came to his partner's 'ideas'.
"Let's ask her much less scarier half."
Both of them smiled and nodded.
They heard the commotion in the break room and when they saw Castle inside, they knew it was their cue. They marched to break room and leaned on the counter looking at him, arms crossed.
"Hey, guys. Coffee?" asked the writer who was busy pouring two cups.
"Nope. We're good," answered Esposito as they both continued to stare Castle down.
"Okay… What can I do for you guys then?"
"Beckett's been acting strange, right?" said Ryan nervously.
"Didn't notice." claimed Castle, shrugging his shoulders, trying to hide a smile.
"Oh come on!" replied Esposito, "She's pregnant, right?"
The three men immediately turned around at the sound of her voice. "You guys insinuating I'm getting fat?" challenged Beckett leaning into the doorway.
The two detectives looked at each other with panic, eyes widened. It only took a few seconds for Castle and Beckett to burst out laughing.
"Took you guys long enough!"
Esposito exhaled loudly, "Not cool, Beckett. So not cool."
Ryan jumped up and down smiling, "Mom and dad are having a baby," he burst out as he went over to Beckett and hugged her tightly. Beckett couldn't resist the smile as she replicated to the embrace.
"You're too hard on us! You managed to hide it pretty well," pointed Ryan.
"Gates knew."
"She didn't figure it out. You had to tell her."
"She figured it out before I even had my appointment!"
Esposito gave Beckett an unimpressed look, "You're the one to talk, Beckett! That appointment you had, you were already 11 weeks along."
"Touché, detective Esposito, touché."
They all chuckled, as they went on devouring their burgers.
A couple of minutes of small talk later, Ryan suddenly stopped eating, hit by a revelation, "Wait a minute, guys."
His three partners looked at him questioningly before he exclaimed, "Did we just all agree, that Gates was the better detective here?"
They all look at each other before shaking their heads and simultaneously answering, "Nannnn!"
I had so much fun writing this one, hope you enjoy!
As I did a 2 and ½ month time jump, you'll sometimes get flashbacks. If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know! I'll try to incorporate it somehow.
Thoughts? Comments? Complaints?