Castle gently cupped her face again, and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Everything's going to be okay, Kate. Trust me. I'm going to get the doctor, and everything's going to be okay. I promise."

Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.

Dr. Bernstein seemed relieved that Kate was finally conscious. After a quick once-over, he asked her a few questions, focusing on concerns Castle voiced to him before he entered the room.

"Miss Beckett, what year is it?"

"2012"

"How old are you?"

"32"

"What's your occupation?"

Kate paused. "I don't think I have one. I think I'm taking economics at NYU."

"Are you familiar with the 12th precinct?"

"No, I've never heard of it."

"How are you acquainted with Mr. Castle?"

Kate felt herself blushing. "I like reading his books. I met him at a book signing recently."

Dr. Bernstein continued to ask Kate questions and finally asked to speak to Castle privately. Castle followed him outside the room.

"Mr. Castle, it appears Katherine is suffering from some amnesia, which, in light of her head injury, is not uncommon. She knows what year it is, how old she is, and where she lives. What she doesn't remember is that she's a homicide detective or works at the 12th precinct. She doesn't remember much about you either. She believes she recently met you at a book signing. She also doesn't remember the accident. I didn't ask her, but I'm sure she isn't even aware she's pregnant."

Castle felt his stomach twist in knots. "What can I do?"

"Well, the amnesia should be temporary. Her memories should return in a week or so, as the residual swelling in her brain subsides. However, she may never completely remember the accident. Try to let her remember as much as possible on her own instead of filling in the blanks for her. Don't overwhelm her. Keep visitors to a minimum. Other than the temporary memory loss, her vitals have been strong and stable, so she can be discharged later today. She will need someone to stay with her for a few days. She will also need to follow-up with her own doctor. By the way, she does need to be informed about the pregnancy because the nurse needs to check the baby's heartbeat again before discharge. I can inform her if you want."

"No, I'll tell her." Castle swallowed nervously, "At least she doesn't have access to a gun right now."

Castle finally returned to Kate's room. She was waiting for him, nervously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. He sat down in the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his.

"Kate, I talked to the doctor. He said you do have some memory loss. He believes it is just temporary and will return in about a week. He wants you to try to remember things on your own. He says you can go home later today, but you will need somebody to stay with you for a few days. I don't want you to argue with me, but you're stuck with me for awhile. No questions asked. You can stay at my loft in the guest room. My mother's out of town, and my daughter, Alexis, is busy getting ready for graduation." Rick paused and locked his eyes with hers. "Now, I have one more thing I've got to tell you, but it's really big, and you might have a hard time wrapping your mind around it. Are you ready to hear it or do you want to wait for a little bit?"

Kate's eyes were wide and scared. "I...I'm ready. Just go ahead and tell me."

Castle sighed uncomfortably, ran his fingers through his head, and continued, "Kate, you're right. We have slept together, but the last time was a little over two months ago. What you're not remembering is that we've actually known each other for four years. No, we're not married, but you are my best friend and my partner. Kate, there's no easy way to put this...but...you...you're almost three months pregnant with our child."

Kate's voice was small and frightened, "No...I can't be...We only...I don't understand..."

Castle took her hand and placed it over the small swell of her lower abdomen. He could see the realization dawn beyond the tears in her eyes. He stood up, pulled her head to his chest, and wrapped his arms protectively around her. "I'm not going anywhere, Kate. We'll take this one step at a time. Everything's going to be okay."

Castle finally decided he needed to go home, take a shower, and get the guest room ready for Kate. Kate was relieved to see him go because she definitely needed a little time to herself to try to put everything into some type of perspective. Before he left, things were somewhat awkward between them. It was like they were lovesick teenagers. They made small talk, both avoiding more serious topics for the time being. She would catch him glancing at her; she would blush and smile, and then he would shyly smile back. Then, she would study him; he would catch her and smirk, and she would blush again. Meanwhile, he held her hand securely in his own. She could feel the electricity coursing between them. She found herself longing for him to push her back against the bed and claim her lips with his own. She wanted to taste his mouth and feel the heat of his hands exploring her body, while she explored his body as well. She felt the same draw and attraction to him that she did in her imaginings when she was unconscious. However, this was reality. And in reality, she was having Richard freaking Castle's baby! She couldn't believe that she, Kate Beckett, was actually pregnant. She lovingly placed her hand on her little baby bump. This was their baby...hers...and Richard Castle's. He said they were best friends and partners for four years. Partners? What exactly did he mean? He also said they weren't married, but they were definitely having a baby, so they must be in a committed romantic relationship. Maybe he considered them to be "partners" in that respect. She knew that there was definitely a strong, almost magnetic, pull between them.

It was hard to believe that she was involved in a committed relationship with Richard Castle, her favorite author. His books had gotten her through some really rough patches in her life. She remembered how excited she was at the book signing to meet him and have him sign her book. Wait. That was a dream. She pinched herself for reassurance that this wasn't just another figment of her imagination. It wasn't. Even though she couldn't remember their life as a couple, she did feel a strange sense of familiarity and belonging when she was with him that she couldn't deny. On the flip side, she didn't remember how she got into the accident or conceived this baby. Was it planned or unplanned? She supposed they decided to raise it together. Did her dad know? Was he okay? Was she an economics major or something else, something more? She definitely planned on getting answers to her questions. Richard Castle or not, he wasn't going to get away with avoiding her. She decided right then and there that she was going to get back her memories, all of them. If that meant exploring the more intimate details of this relationship between her and Richard Castle, then so be it. Bring it on. With a renewed sense of Kate Beckett determination, she smiled smugly and looked forward to spending the next few days with Richard Castle.

Almost there. I promise that next chapter will be lots of fun. I was going to elaborate on Kate's unconscious dream, but I think I'll put that on hold for now.

By the way, did the finale make your hearts stop the way it did mine? He had me at "I bring you coffee to see you smile." September is too far away!

Please review! I need to know if this is worth continuing. Your reviews keep me going.