While waiting for his thoughtful food-fetching bride, Castle wandered between the lounge and Meredeth's birthing suite. He'd taken it upon himself to act as Esposito's comic relief, since nothing put Esposito on edge more than his Danish angel in distress. They talked about the draft of Castle's novel and he'd found a topic he could use to get a friendly rise out of his pal to break his tension.

'So I was thinking,' he said conversationally, 'the way Meredeth announced her water breaking would be great for in the book.'

Esposito gave him a look. 'Forget it, bro. You're not touching this one.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'But it's just so-'

'No.'

'But-'

'Castle!' Exasperated, Esposito could only laugh as he dragged his palm over his smooth scalp. 'You are not putting this into your book as the birth of Maggie and Ochoa's baby. It was bad enough what you did for the scene with the conception!'

Castle snickered, thought of how he'd used Ryan's embarrassment to his advantage: he'd written into the latest Nikki Heat novel that Maggie and Ochoa recording their lovemaking wormed its way onto the Internet and everyone got to see just how Ochoa had knocked up the beautiful Maggie wearing his ring. He hadn't told them about that one until he'd given them all a preview copy before the book launch and he'd gotten a call from a rather irate Meredeth over using the moment without consulting her first. 'At least I asked this time,' he pointed out.

Esposito rolled his eyes, then took his coffee into Meredeth's suite along with a cup of chipped ice for her; Castle watched him go and felt satisfied he'd done his job. Alone once more and feeling more than a little unsettled, he dialed his own beautiful bride on her cell to get her ETA.

'Where are you right now?'

'Just about to come into the hospital, and I brought food for everyone.' Beckett looked at the two bags of sandwiches from Gennaro's in her hands. 'Think we can find somewhere to stash a few for Meredeth?'

'We'll figure it out. You remember the way up?'

'Of course. Be right there.'

Beckett hung up and pressed the button for the elevator; they stopped on two and she grinned when the doors opened to Daniel Brick. He was wearing his Power-Rangers scrub-cap and a relieved expression. He saw Beckett and his face brightened considerably.

'Evening, Detective.'

'Daniel, how's it going?'

'So far, so good.' He nodded at her bags. 'Food for the crew?'

'Mm-hmm.' On an impulse, Beckett held them out. 'You want one?'

'Sure. Mind if I snag something for Andy, too?'

Beckett nodded and he gave her a grateful smile as she stepped off the elevator. She headed down the hallways and saw her husband outside the lounge with Lanie and Honey-Milk. When he saw her, Castle's eyes went not only happy but relieved.

'Hey, you're here,' he sighed, giving her a hug as she approached and taking the food from her. 'Sandwiches?'

'And chips and sides. What is this?' she asked, gesturing to the gift bags in their hands.

'Oh just a couple of little things we picked up for Meredeth and the babies. Come on, we're going to relieve Javier for a few minutes, let him get a sandwich,' Honey-Milk told her.

The trio walked into the birthing suite to see Esposito holding Meredeth's hand as she finished huffing and puffing her way through a contraction. The almost-mother gave them a tired smiled as she saw them enter.

'Athos, Porthos and Aramis, welcome,' she sighed with a little laugh as her husband wiped down her sweaty brow with a cool, damp cloth. 'Oh that feels so good, baby.'

'I know.' Esposito pursed his lips to try and fight the smile.

'How?'

'It's the same tone of voice you use when we making love.'

'Ew,' Lanie winkled her nose, 'over-share.'

'Out you go, Javier, it's girl time now,' Honey-Milk told him in her sweet no-nonsense voice. 'We'll send up a smoke signal in fifteen.'

Esposito looked at his wife, so beautiful and strong. 'Mere?'

'Go get something to eat, I'm sure Castle's bought share in Famous Ray's by now.'

'Actually it's Genaro's Sandwiches and he's already saved three of your favourite ones for when Harvey gives you the all-clear after the birth,' Beckett reassured her friend, remembering all too well how it had been almost a year before and she'd was so hungry. 'My first meal as a mama was fish and chips, and Sprite.'

'Really?' Lanie sat down near Meredeth's feet, gave them a rub. 'Mine was Meredeth's home-cooking with Carey, with Violet it was fried chicken, biscuits and sweet corn.'

'Mine was pizza, though the twins seem to want

The door opened and Andrea came in to check Meredeth's blood pressure and temperature, read the fetal monitors. 'Looking good, Meredeth, you're cruising,' she told her, patted her shoulder with a gentle smile that didn't really reach her eyes.

Honey-Milk saw it too and gave her friend a look. 'Andy, everything okay?'

'Yeah, just...Daniel's been really weird lately, not like acting funny or lying about what he's doing, just...a little more wound up than usual.'

'It's almost Hallowe'en, right? People are starting to get twitchy, psychos take advantage of the mental vulnerability of Hallowe'en which means his free time is getting eaten up a lot more, isn't it?' Beckett pointed out, speaking from experience.

'I suppose. We do have the mandatory lab time for a week starting on the twentieth in addition to the usual Hallowe'en crazies, that could be it, too.'

'There you go.' Meredeth gestured with her IV-tubed hand, making the plastic pipes dance. 'I don't even bother trying to make plans with Javi from the twentieth to the thirty-first, I save myself the headache.'

Andrea nodded, then grumbled at her pager when it went off. The moment she was out of the room, Meredeth fluttered her hands and wiggled her toes in excitement. 'I know what's going on,' she sang, then remembering her promise to Daniel groaned. 'But I can't tell you.'

'Oh, it's so obvious girl,' Honey-Milk giggled. 'Daniel's going to pop the question, and I'm so excited for them. They're so cute together.'

'I know, and you can totally tell he's going to be a crier when he does it,' Lanie added, then went into doctor mode when the beeping of Meredeth's monitors increased slightly. 'Another one?'

'Yeah this one isn't so bad...no, wait, I lied, it is.'

As Beckett and Honey-Milk were sitting on either side of her, they took Meredeth's hands as she breathed through the contraction. Her face was flush from the effort but she made it through another one, and they pulled the loose strands of hair off of her face, patted her skin with the damp cloths. 'Where's Javi?' she sighed. 'I want my Javi.'

'Okay, honey.' Beckett stood up, kissed Meredeth's forehead. 'We love you.'

She headed out with her friends and wasn't surprised to see Castle in the hallway on his feet. 'Where'd Espo go? Meredeth's asking for him.'

'I think he went downstairs, he got a text and headed for the elevator.'

'I'll go get him.'

Beckett once again headed for the elevator and did indeed find Esposito outside, looking like he was waiting for something. 'Hey,' she called out when she walked up. 'Why are you out here?'

'Waiting for someone.'

'Who?'

Beckett's question was answered when the taxi pulled to the curb and a silver-haired, outdoorsy looking man popped out, shook Esposito's hand vigorously.

'Terrance, good to see you.'

R&R&Enjoy.