When Lanie walked into the hospital room Castle was nowhere to be seen. She asked Kate, "Where is he?"

Kate smiled and then told her friend, "He went home to eat and take a shower. He looked exhausted Lanie."

Lanie laughed, "I'm sure he was. This whole thing can't be easy on him."

They heard Lillian stirring and Lanie asked, "Can I hold her?"

Kate nodded and watched as her friend went to pick up her baby daughter. She saw how her friends eyes filled with such an array of emotions. Then, she heard Lanie whisper, "She's beautiful Kate."

"I know."

It wasn't bragging, it was simply a fact. She heard Lanie gasp softly and that was when she knew that her friend saw it to. Lanie whispered, "Those are definitely Castle's eyes."

"I know. What I don't know is how. How can she possibly be his daughter?"

Kate looked at her friend and she could tell that something was bothering her. Something that had the potential to upset her. Kate finally asked, "What? You know something Lanie."

"Do you remember that case with the dirty bomb?" Kate nodded and Lanie continued, "Well, afterwards, we all went out for drinks. I've never seen you and Castle quite so drunk. I mean you were fall down on the floor drunk and Castle wasn't much better."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I don't know for sure, but the two of you disappeared into his office at the Old Haunt. No one knew where either of you were. For at least forty minutes. I was sure that the two of you were celebrating in your own way. After what the two of you had been through. We all figured that you wanted some time alone. To decompress in your own way and..."

"Lanie..."

"None of us really knew that you had actually done anything. I mean, you were married to Josh and supposedly happy."

"We were. At least I had made myself believe it at the time."

"Well, when you both came out of the office..."

"What?"

Lanie sighed. She had managed to push the thoughts of that night out of her mind. She had decided that nothing had happened between her friend and her partner. Nothing between them had changed. Things between them had been awkward since she had married Josh. Surely it would have gotten worse if they had slept together while she was married to another man. So, she decided that nothing had happened between them. She would have bet her last dollar on it. However, staring into the eyes of Kate's newborn baby daughter was like looking at a miniature version of Castle.

It was too much of a coincidence. That had been nearly 9 months ago. Sure, the baby could still be Josh's, but those eyes were all Castle.

Kate saw the confused look on her best friends face and she knew that whatever Lanie had to say to her wouldn't be good. Finally, Lanie whispered, "Your hair was a mess and..."

"And what?"

Lanie sighed, "Shit." Lanie felt the tears fall and she whispered, "You looked happy and..."

"Come on Lanie. I promise I won't be upset."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."

"Tell me."

"I hate this..." She heard Kate sigh and she whispered, "I could smell him on you. All over you. And I dismissed it at the time, but the smell of sex was all over the two of you."

Kate's mouth dropped open and she whispered, "I slept with Castle..."

It was more of a question than a statement. Then she asked Lanie, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because. I didn't have any proof. Besides, the two of you weren't actually parading around naked in the Old Haunt."

"We just disappeared for nearly and hour. God Lanie. He's going to hate me. Going to think that I lied to him and..."

Lanie shook her head, "Has he ever said anything to make you think he remembers?"

Shaking her head, Kate told her, "No. Never. I don't remember that night. Why did I have to get so drunk and.."

"Would you change it? Change the fact that your one night of love created this beautiful little baby? Would you call it a mistake? Because if it hadn't been for that 'mistake' she wouldn't be here."

Kate looked at her daughter in her best friends arms and she shook her head and whispered, "No. Never."

"Do you think it would change Castle's love for her?"

"No. If anything it would make him love her more. I know he's the kind of man that would raise another man's baby. He's proven that time and time again in the last few months, but Lanie... This is something that he might not forgive me for. Maybe we are better off not knowing. I..."

Lanie shook her head, "No. Girl, this isn't something that you can hide from. He's going to put two and two together and come up with four. Look, I'm not saying that it's going to be easy, but you can do it. Hell, he loved you like crazy when he thought that she was Josh's daughter and you agreed to let him raise her."

"I just wish I could remember."

"I know you do."

"I honestly thought that she was Josh's baby. I mean, I was married and thought that I had been faithful to him..." Kate ran her fingers through her hair and whispered, "God...I can't do anything right..."

"Stop it right there. I know you and I know that isn't true. I also know that you and Castle were meant to be. Hell, I've been front and center to the whole Caskett sideshow for nearly four years. He stood by you while you married Josh. He was there when your world fell apart and you needed him most. Do you really think that he's going to think any less of you for this?"

"I don't know Lanie... How drunk were we?"

"Lets just say I had to have Javi carry you to the car and into your house."

Kate remembered the next morning that she had woke up with a headache and no memory of the night before. She had no idea how she had gotten home. She had always assumed that they had went out and celebrated too much and one of the boys took her home. She was right, but she wished that she could have remembered what had happened between them the night before. The night that their daughter had been conceived.

"How am I going to tell him Lanie?"

Lanie put her hand on her friend shoulder and told her, "Let me do the DNA test. First, you need to tell him what you suspect. Because if I see it...then..."

"Others will see it."

Lanie nodded, "Exactly. Don't lie to him Kate."

There had been enough lies between them over the years. He only deserved honesty from her. From the woman he loved. The mother of his daughter.

Lanie leaned down and kissed her friend. She pulled out a cotton swab and said, "Let me swab her cheek and then I will go to the loft and get his toothbrush. It will take about a week, but I can rush it.."

"Thank you Lanie. I love you."

Lanie nodded, "I love you to."

She leaned down and kissed her friends cheek. That was when they heard a knock on the door and Kate smiled when she saw her father walk into her room. He had a huge teddy bear in one arm and a bunch of flowers in the other.

He walked over and put the teddy bear on the chair beside his daughter and the flowers on the end table beside her. Then, he leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. She heard him gasp when he saw his granddaughter for the first time. He smiled at her and asked, "Can I hold her?"

Kate nodded with tears in her eyes, "Sure daddy."

Jim Beckett bent down and pick up the tiny baby girl. Then he turned to his daughter and said, "She looks just like you Katie. I remember that you were such a tiny little thing. I swore that I was going to break you. Your mother had to threaten me with bodily harm if I didn't hold you."

Kate laughed, "She would have to."

Jim nodded, "Yes. Then, when I held you for the first time, I didn't want to put you down. You were so perfect. So pretty. Then you wrapped your tiny hand around my finger and I was lost. I knew that I would do anything to make you happy."

Kate smiled, "You did..."

"Not always..."

"Dad. Not today."

Jim nodded and smiled when the baby stretched and starting making soft mewling sounds. Sounds that told him his granddaughter was hungry and wanted to be fed. He smiled and handed her over to Kate. He watched as his daughter held his granddaughter and he saw how happy she was. This was all he had ever wanted for her. Happiness.

The next few hours was a flurry of visitors in and out of the room. Espo and Ryan both showed up with stuffed animals for the baby. They weren't as big as the one that her father had brought, but they were still bigger than she had ever seen before.

Captain Montgomery came to visit and he smiled at the latest addition to their family. He held her and told Kate, "She's going to break more than a few hearts around the precinct."

Kate smiled at marveled at all the people that loved her and her daughter. At one time, she thought that she had nobody. Now, however, she realized that she had another type of family. The very best type. The type that was created by circumstance and sheer luck.

She only wondered where Castle had taken off to. He had been gone for nearly eight hours and she was starting to miss him. He finally showed up with Martha and Alexis in tow.

Kate smiled at him and he leaned down to kiss her softly. Then she whispered, "I've missed you. Where were you?"

He whispered, "I had some things to take care of."

Okay... That sounded very cryptic, but she didn't want to say anything in front of their family. So, she simply smiled and nodded. Then, she handed Lillian to Castle. He smiled down at the little girl and walked over to sit in the chair beside her bed. Kate noticed that Alexis was practically hiding behind Martha. She smiled at her daughter and told her, "Come sit with me."

Alexis shook her head and buried herself into her grandmother's leg. Kate looked at Martha and asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Instead of Martha answering, Castle said, "I told her not to bother you. You just had surgery and..."

Kate felt the anger well up inside her. She looked at Martha and said, "Can you possibly take her downstairs? Please?"

Martha sensed that this wasn't a question that she should say no to. So, she took Alexis by the hand and said, "Lets go to the gift shop and pick out a outfit for the baby."

Alexis didn't argue with her grandmother. She simply took her hand and led her out of the room. When Kate heard the door latch close, she turned to Castle and said, "I don't believe you told Alexis not to bother me!"

"What? You had surgery and.."

She shook her head, "I'm not going to break if she sits beside me Castle. I don't want her to feel excluded and that's what's happening."

"You need to..."

Kate shook her head again, "I need you to stop acting like I'm going to break. Why were you away from me all day? You should have been here with us. With your family. Instead, you were gone practically all day and you missed our family visiting us."

Castle looked around and noticed all the gifts from their friends and family. He sighed and told her, "I told you I had some things to take care of."

"Which is apparently more important that being with your wife and daughter."

"You know that isn't true."

"Isn't it?"

"No. It isn't. If you must know. Meredith showed up at the loft and tried to take Alexis again. Mother called Ryan and he and Esposito showed up there. I'm surprised they didn't say anything to you about it."

Kate shook her head, "I didn't know. What happened?"

"She's being charged with attempted kidnapping and assault."

"What? Who did she assault?"

"Me."

That was when she noticed the scratch marks on his face. She asked softly, "What happened?"

Castle sighed, "She found out about the adoption. It made it's way into the papers. As well as Lillian's birth. Apparently she decided that she would try to get Alexis again while I was distracted with Lillian being born."

"Are you kidding me?"

She heard Alexis say, "No mommy. She scared me and Grams. I..."

That was when Alexis walked over to her bed and practically threw herself at Kate. Kate kissed the top of her head and patted the bed. She whispered, "I need my big girl to sit with me."

"Are you sure mommy?"

"I'm positive."

She watched as Alexis crawled into bed beside her and snuggled up to her. She breathed the scent of her daughter in and kissed her head again. She wrapped her arm around her and whispered, "She won't ever bother us again Alexis. I'm your mommy and always will be."

"Promise?"

"Pinky swear."

Kate held out her pinky finger and Alexis wrapped hers around hers and then she little girl started to cry. Kate held her tightly and when the tears finally stopped, Kate whispered, "Are you ready to meet your little sister?"

"Yes."

Castle started to hand Lillian to Kate, but she shook her head and whispered, "Let her hold her."

"Are you sure?"

Kate nodded softly. This was an important meeting for the two sisters. So, Castle showed her how to hold her baby sister. Alexis sat stiffly at first, but after a few seconds she relaxed and looked down at her sister. The baby yawned and then opened her eyes and looked at her sister. The two girls held each others gaze and the adults watched them with fascination. Alexis finally lowered her head and whispered to her sister, "I won't ever let anyone hurt you." Then Alexis kissed her on the forehead.

None of the adults in the room were able to keep from crying at the exchange. Martha finally asked, "You never told me her full name."

Kate looked at Castle and whispered, "You tell her."

Castle nodded, "Her name is Lillian Rose Castle."

Martha put her hand on her chest and whispered, "After me?"

Kate smiled, "Yes. You and my mother. Two of the strongest women we know."

"I...I don't know what to say. Thank you."

Kate reached out her hand and Martha offered hers. Then she whispered, "Thank you for welcoming me into your family. For believing in us when I didn't even believe that he could or should love me. You can't even begin to imagine how much that means to me."

Martha waved her hand in front of her and said, "I'm going to cry."

Castle smiled as he watched the exchange between the four most important people in his life. They were all practically in tears and Castle smiled when Alexis said, "I think you need to change her diaper daddy. She's smelly."

Everyone laughed and Castle took Lillian from Alexis and went to change her. He smiled and changed her diaper. Then, he wrapped her back in the blanket and she sighed and went back to sleep in his arms. She was definitely a daddy's girl already and Castle was perfectly fine with it. His family was absolutely perfect now.

After another hour, Kate yawned and Martha took a reluctant, but very tired Alexis home. Leaving Castle and Kate alone. She looked at her husband and said, "We need to talk Castle."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's not bad. At least I don't think so."

"Okay..."

"I need you to promise that you will listen to me. Really listen to me and not jump in and interrupt me."

"I promise."

Kate took a deep breath and then said, "I think... God this is hard..."

Castle reached out and took her hand and squeezed it softly. Then he whispered, "You can tell me Kate."

Kate sighed and finally whispered very, very softly, "I think Lillian is your daughter."

Castle was so quiet that she thought that he hadn't heard her. She looked at him and asked, "Did you hear me?"

He could only nod and stare at her. Then he asked, "How can she be? We never..."

She shook her head, "I don't remember it, but apparently we drank too much the night after the dirty bomb case. We disappeared into your office at the Old Haunt and... The rest is history..."

"She can't be mine..."

"She has your eyes Castle. Those bright blue eyes are yours and Alexis'..."

He was dreaming. He had to be. What other explanation could there be? He didn't remember sleeping with her that night. He actually didn't remember anything about that night. At least not after they had arrived at the bar. He had woken up in the office of the Old Haunt. Fully clothed, but with a pounding headache. He hadn't went to the precinct because it had taken him the whole day to recover. The only thing he remembered was that he smelt like her. And sex. Oh God...Had he slept with her when she was still married to Josh? He felt like he was going to be sick.

He looked at her and whispered, "I need to go. I..."

Castle stood up and kissed her softly on the forehead. Then, she watched as he hurried out of the room. She knew that she shouldn't have told him. She turned to look at her daughter and she whispered, "He will come back sweetheart. He has to. He just has to..."

With that, she closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep. Wondering if she had made yet another mistake in her life...

A/N There was just no good place to break this up. so, it's longer than normal. I know, another cliffhanger. I promise to update soon and remember, all my Castle stories have happy endings. It just takes a bit to get there...