Disclaimer: The only part of Castle that I own is the TV on which I watch the show.
"Do you think this blouse looks too tight on me?" Beckett asks worriedly as she stands in front of the full-length bedroom mirror.
"There's no such thing as a blouse that looks too tight on you," Castle says, walking over to her for a close inspection. "Told ya. It's perfect."
She pulls sharply at the hem. "But my boobs are bigger now, so this blouse is tighter than usual."
"That's why it's perfect," he says, his grin the antithesis of her frown. "And a couple of months from now when your boobs are even bigger, the blouse will be beyond perfect."
"No, a couple of months from now I won't be able to button this over my boobs or my belly. I'll have to walk around naked."
"That's even better, Beckett. You walking around naked is beyond beyond perfect."
"Dad likes it when you walk around naked, Mom? That means he'll like me a lot, too, because I'm naked all the time."
"Thank you, Castle, even though you're no help whatsoever." She smiles wanly, unbuttons her blouse and moves to the closet shelf that holds a pile of sweaters. She pulls a few out, holds them up one by one, and finally settles on a dark blue cashmere turtleneck. "This should work," she says, and pulls it on over her head. "Good thing the weather is still cold."
Half an hour later, they're loading their breakfast things into the dishwasher. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Castle asks, before swallowing his last bite of bagel. "Moral support? Diversionary tactic for the boys?"
"Nope, but thanks. I think I should deal with this one on my own. It'll just be Gates and me, quivering on the other side of the desk."
"Did you forget about me? I'll be there. I go everywhere with you, Mom."
He helps Beckett on with her coat and kisses her goodbye. "You'll be great. Nothing to worry about. Besides, Gates has been in your shoes." He peeks at her feet. "Maybe not in shoes quite that high, but still."
"I'll call you later, tell you how it goes," she says, waggling her fingers as she leaves.
When she steps off the precinct elevator, she's relieved that neither Ryan nor Esposito is there; she had intentionally left home early in hopes of speaking with the Captain unobserved. She walks to Gates's office and knocks softly on the door.
"Do you have a moment, sir?"
"I still don't know why you call that woman sir. Dad never calls you sir."
"Of course, Detective," Gates says, gesturing to a chair. "Sit down."
Beckett is high on nerves, and decides there's no point in dragging this out. "Sir, I wanted to let you know that I'm pregnant. Expecting. Pregnant with a baby."
"That's wonderful news, Kate," Gates says with a genuine smile, "though not exactly news. At least, not to me."
The unflappable Beckett is flapping. "Um, what?"
"I figured it out a few weeks ago."
Beckett is blushing. "You did, sir?"
"Yes, I did. I am a woman, you know, and a mother. I have two kids, so I've been in your position. And condition. Only the captain I told was a man and he said, 'Too bad we wasted time training you as a detective, Gates, since you're gonna stay home with your kid now'."
"That was his response, sir? Didn't you want to smack him one?" Oh my God, what did she just say?
Gates doesn't wait even half a beat. "I did. Mentally I smacked him all the way to Jersey." Her lips turn up a fraction. "When are you due?"
"Just before Labor Day."
"I imagine that Mr. Castle is quite pleased with himself? Gives himself credit for perfect timing?"
Beckett coughs. She could swear that Gates chuckled. She had, she definitely had, which produces a bigger chuckle from Kate. "Yes, sir, he does. And he also thinks it's hilarious. When we found out he said, 'I can't think of a better way to spend Labor Day, can you, Beckett?'"
"Is Captain Gates laughing, Mom?"
"Dude! Is Gates laughing?" Espo asks, standing at his desk with an obstructed view of the Captain's office.
Ryan is gaping. "Yeah."
"Damndest thing I've ever seen. She's cracking up, bro."
"And it's Beckett in there with her."
The two women are recovering from their unexpected laugh fest. "Well, Detective. I assume that you're feeling all right."
"Yes, sir, fine. I'm very lucky."
"You'll have to go on desk duty eventually, but for now everything remains the same. Just be careful."
"Desk duty, what's that? Does she mean you have to sit at your desk all day? What am I supposed to do? You'll be so bored, Mom. And if you're bored, I'm bored. I have to think of something."
"I will. And sir, Doctor Parish knows that I'm pregnant, but I haven't told Esposito and Ryan yet."
"You'll have to tell them soon."
"I know, sir. Otherwise they probably wouldn't figure it out until we send the birth announcement."
At that, Beckett and Gates howl. They laugh so hard that the Captain has to get a box of Kleenex from a drawer so they can both wipe their eyes. "Thank you, Captain. I was nervous coming in here and you made it easy."
"You should see what it's like in here when you laugh like that, Mom! I'm kind of flying around. Do that some more."
"You're welcome, Detective. Now go out there and catch me a killer."
"Will do, sir," Beckett says, rising from the chair. She sees Ryan and Esposito hovering.
"You wanna tell us what all that was about?" Ryan asks when she gets to her desk.
"Good morning to you, too, boys," Beckett says, pulling out her chair and turning on her computer. "No, I don't. It was girl talk. You wouldn't get it."
"Oh, God," Esposito says. "Seriously? I thought better of you, Beckett. I'm going over to my desk now, and do manly things."
She gives him a look. "Manly things? Shouldn't you be saving those for home, Espo?"
Ryan snorts. "Shut up, man," his partner says.
An hour later, Beckett takes a break to call Castle and fill in him on her conversation with Gates. Except for the part about him.
"Sounds like it went really well, Beckett. And you can still be out in the field."
"Yup, for a while."
"I want to talk to the baby for a sec."
"What?"
"Just put your phone on your stomach so I can tell the baby something. You're rolling your eyes, right?"
"Right. Okay, I'll do it, but only because no one can see me." She puts the phone flat against her belly.
"Hi, baby, it's Dad. Listen, I've got the coolest idea for a present for mom, but it's for you, too. Don't tell her, though. Bye."
"A secret! My first secret! And my first present! Dad, this is the best day!"
A/N Many thanks for your wonderful support for this story. I love hearing from you. You can even use baby talk.