A/N: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 16

After arriving at the precinct and finding his wife's desk void of her presence, Castle wandered the hallways in search of her and finally spotted her at a vending machine, pressing the button for a can of Ginger Ale. "Hey," Kate said, looking up as she felt his gaze upon her.

"Hey," replied; moving to her side quickly so that he could steal a kiss while they didn't have an audience. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Just a little queasy," she said as she popped the tab of her drink.

"Morning sickness?" he whispered.

"I don't really know for sure; it might be the take out I had for lunch. I felt fine until I ate…which means it could be either thing or both. It's hard to tell these days."

"Yeah, I can see why it would be," Castle replied, a frown touching his lips as he wished he could tell her to just go home and rest. "If you start feeling worse, I want you to go home."

"I'll be fine," Kate told him after swallowing a sip of her drink.

He knew better than to argue so he moved on to the next topic. "Anything new on the case?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "No; we've hit a wall with it for right now. We're going to have to go through everything again and see if there's some angle we missed. "We'll wait on Ryan and Esposito to get back from lunch first though; we're going to split up the case again, trade the areas we've each been working on."

"Good idea; we've had success with that before."

She nodded. "I remember; that's why I thought we'd give it a try again."

His brow furrowed with slight concern as she stifled a yawn; she was tired easily these days…a normal symptom of the first trimester but it made him worry that she wasn't getting enough rest. "Your mother sends her love."

Kate smiled. "That's always nice to have. Let's go sit down and you can tell me how lunch was before the boys get back."

"Well, she's still speaking to me," he quipped lightly as they made her way to her desk.

'That's always good to hear," she said with a soft laugh.

"It's good to experience too," he said with a nod. "She was late."

"Why?"

"Emergency vet trip."

"Oh God," Kate said; "Don't tell me the cat's dying."

"No; she apparently faked injury to keep Johanna home with her. The vet said she picked up on your mother's anxiety about going out today and tried to give her a reason to stay home."

"I thought Mom only had anxiety about going out at night…I thought she was over the daytime stuff; she drives herself to work three days a week."

Castle smiled as he settled down in his chair. "The fine print of the statement is that she gets anxiety about having lunch with me."

"Oh, I see…that I understand."

"Yeah…so I guess the cat has decided to go against me and fake injury to save her owner."

She laughed quietly. "Well the furball does love her…and Dad always tells her that Mom is her mommy…so…I think she believes that."

"That's probably true."

"So what else happened?" Kate asked. "What was today's topic."

He met her eye. "Alexis…you know, the great debacle."

She nodded. "Bet she loved that one."

"It went better than I expected, honestly. I think I understand her motivations at the time and they weren't what I thought when that all went down."

"I told you that then," his wife replied. "I told you that you should've just let her continue doing whatever she was doing because I knew she was gently persuading Alexis to come talk to you…Mom has a way of doing that so you'll think it's your idea and not hers. She would've got her home, Rick; she really would have."

"I know," he murmured. "I did a lot of damage."

"Yeah, you did."

"She said it was the day she stopped caring about what she said and did around me."

"I believe that but it had already been heading to that point anyway…not that it excuses the things you said to her that day."

"I know it doesn't…and I apologized to her…again."

"Did she forgive you?"

"She said she would…but there's a condition."

Kate's brow rose. "What condition?"

He gave a quiet nervous laugh. "Um…well…I slipped a little bit when she was speaking of the things she worries about in regard to her future grandchildren."

Kate's heart dropped as her jaw tensed. "Tell me you didn't tell her…because if you did, I swear to God, I'm going to take my gun out and shoot you right in the ass."

"I didn't tell her…and thank you for not shooting from the front, that would make this our only child," he remarked.

"Don't try to get cute," she retorted. "What did you say?"

"We were talking about her worries that sprung up because of the thing with Alexis; she wanted to know if we would punish her with not seeing her grandchild if one of us was mad at her. I told her no, we wouldn't use her grandchild as a pawn against her…that it wouldn't be fair to her or the baby. I meant to say child as I had been the whole conversation but then I said baby and I panicked a little…and I think she might be a little suspicious."

"Why do you think she's suspicious?"

"Well, some of it is your fault apparently."

"My fault!?"

"Yes; you see after I slipped a little and she caught my panic…we had a brief discussion about if I was thinking of babies and then she said she thought you wanted a baby based on recent conversations. She asked if we were both thinking about it…so I'm sure she thinks we're trying at least…I told her all I was willing to say was that we discuss it at times. She told me discussion isn't how you get them."

Kate put her head down on the desk. "Oh God," she muttered; "You've probably set off twenty little alarms in her head; her lawyer side has been activated; she's probably gathering evidence and analyzing every conversation we've had the last few weeks."

"She probably just thinks we're trying."

"She's out buying booties right now, I bet you."

Castle shook his head. "No…I don't think she's that convinced; just a little suspicious that we might be planning it, or trying to achieve it. I can prove it; when I asked if she forgave me and she said there was a condition; I asked what it was and she said she needed a grandchild. If she thought there was one already on the way she probably wouldn't have said that."

"And what did you say to her in regard to that statement."

"I told her to consider it done," he quipped.

"Consider it done!" Kate exclaimed softly; "Are you crazy!"

"What?"

"You said 'consider it done' to a lawyer…a very good lawyer, might I add…she's going to be all over that statement."

"I don't think she took it that literally."

"That's what she wants you to think…she'll try to trip you up the next time she sees you…and I swear, Castle; if you end up telling her or if you made her put the pieces together herself and I'm robbed of the moment I've been waiting for…you're not going to have peace for a very long time."

"I'm sure she thinks we're just trying."

"Consider it done implies a guarantee," Kate said, through clenched teeth. "If we were just trying, you couldn't guarantee success of the effort. Consider it done implies you know that it will be a done deal."

"I don't think she took it like that."

"I don't think you realize that she's a highly intelligent woman…one that graduated in the top ten of her class from Columbia with a law degree."

"It'll be fine…she's just mildly suspicious."

Kate opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, frustration written across her face as she reached out and flicked him in the forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You know what it's for," she said tersely. "I should've never let you talk to her until after she knew. I should've known you'd slip up and blow it or make her suspicious."

"These hormones of yours make it hard for me to win with you."

"Castle; I don't need to be hormonal to tell you when you've screwed up."

"But it was a good lunch; I should get points for that. I didn't make her hate me more than she already does. Do I at least get points for that? I also assured her that her future grandchildren won't be used as pawns against her if one of us is mad at her. We ended it on good terms," he said, his phone chiming in his pocket. He reached for it and checked the screen. "And look, she's even done what I asked, she's texted me a report about Scarlett; the cat's still fine so far. So see, we're good…just a minor little slip of the tongue but it's all fine."

Kate huffed in aggravation. "We'll discuss it later."

"There's not much to discuss; I didn't confirm anything…I mean she didn't specifically ask if you were…she just said she thinks you want a baby. I'm sure if she's suspicious it's only in the 'trying' area of the field and not the 'already on board' field."

"Uh huh."

"I'm sure it's fine," he went on, knowing he was rambling but unable to stop himself. "But you are still telling her this week, right?"

"Yes, Castle; I definitely am. I already said I was…and knowing she's suspicious just makes me need to do it all the more."

"Good…you should do it soon…before you have to shoot me."

Kate caught sight of Ryan and Esposito making their way through the bullpen and decided not to voice her next comment. "We'll talk about all of it when we get home; and believe me, I won't forget about it."

He nodded. "You've got your mother's memory…it's a steel trap that never let's anything free of its grip."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to start a fight with me? You managed to get through lunch with my mother without one so you want to bring it to me now?"

"No! God no. See, what I mean, mood swing."

"Keep it up, Castle, and the swing is going to knock you out."

He smiled. "I'm just going to set here and be quiet for a little while…you know, reflect a little."

"Uh huh…that will last a whole five minutes."

"Then maybe you should give me some work to do."

"I'm going to do better than that," she said, motioning for Ryan and Esposito to join them. "I'm putting us all to work."

"Good idea…work will distract us both…and then you won't shoot anyone," he remarked.

"Unless you continue to try my patience."

"I've been doing that for years, you've haven't shot me yet."

"Keep it up and your luck will run out," she replied; "And I'd really hate to do that…it's a lot of paperwork."

He smiled. "I love you too."

She couldn't help the smile that crept to her lips. "I'll try to curb the mood swings."

"It's okay, I understand," he said sincerely. "We'll talk more about lunch at home."

"Deal," she replied as her colleagues approached her desk. For now she'd have to put her worries about her mother's suspicions on the back burner and solve the case at hand…and then she could worry about if she needed to do damage control in some way or adjust her plans for telling the news.

"How's Scarlett?" Jim asked that evening after stepping through the back door.

"She's been fine all day; running, walking, playing, eating," Johanna answered as she put a plate of bread on the table and then made her way back to the stove where she was finishing dinner.

"No limping?"

"None; no favoring of the paw either."

As if she knew she was the topic of their discussion, Scarlett abandoned her dinner and made her way toward Jim, sitting down at his feet as he shrugged out of his jacket and laid it aside. He stooped down and petted her, gently lifting the paw that Johanna had told him about on the phone that morning. He examined it carefully, noting that their pet didn't offer any hesitation or signs of distress. "So what's this business of faking, Miss Scarlett?" he asked. "Were you trying to get your mommy to stay home with you?"

Scarlett meowed and he nodded. "Well you see where that got you; a trip to the doctor and a three hundred dollar bill for me because you had to have x-rays along with the exam. That's coming out of your allowance for cat treats."

Johanna laughed. "It is not, it's her first offense."

Jim nodded, his gaze still on the cat. "Alright, you've hired a good lawyer; we'll let the first one go…but don't make it a habit."

The cat turned and ran back to her dinner while Jim rose and went to the sink to wash his hands. When he finished, he caught hold of his wife on one of her return trips to the stove and stole a kiss.

Johanna smiled. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too. I missed you."

Her arms slipped around him, holding him tightly. "I missed you too."

He brushed a kiss against her hair and held on to her for a moment before reluctantly pulling away so she could finish getting dinner put on the table. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"Spaghetti," she answered; "It's ready."

Jim waited while she fixed him a plate and then he carried it to the table and sat down as she did the same with her plate. "How was work?" she asked him.

"It went pretty well today; the case is coming together."

A smile touched her lips. "That's good…are you going into the courtroom with Zach for it?"

A sheepish grin touched his lips. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Okay, probably."

Johanna laughed softly. "For a man who claimed he didn't miss the courtroom, he sure is sneaking in at times."

"Well I didn't miss it for awhile…but sometimes there's a case I like to see through with whoever I'm working with."

"It seems that Zach's cases are the ones that get you back in there."

"What can I say, sweetheart; he's a bad influence on me."

She smiled. "He probably says the same thing about you."

"I wouldn't doubt it," he laughed; "Maybe you should ask Monica the next time you talk to her."

"I might do that. Do you think about going back full time…having your own clients?" she asked; finally voicing a question she'd had for awhile now.

Jim shook his head. "No; not really. I'm alright with things the way they are. I work with several colleagues, and in the matter of Zach, I get invited to go into the courtroom on his and I take the opportunity when it interests me…but I don't want to rejoin in the firm in a bigger way. It's enough that I'm kept on the payroll as consultant and occasional second chair."

"I wouldn't be mad if you wanted your own clients," she told him.

"I know…but I have more flexibility this way and that's important to me, especially since you came home. If I took on my own clients, I'd worry I wasn't here enough with you…and honestly, I don't want the hassle again of my own clients. I like doing the building, I even like being second chair…but as for carrying it all alone; I'm good with being done with that part."

"Just asking," she replied, a smile on her lips to soften the comment.

"I know, sweetheart. How did your lunch date go?"

"Well I had to explain why I was late…it kind of reminded me of my father."

"Only kind of?"

"Yeah, the only thing missing was the 'you were even born late' part of the sentiment."

Jim laughed. "Was your excuse okay or do I need to give you a note saying you did go to the vet with the cat?"

"The reason was allowed. I ran into Karen when I got there."

"Oh yeah? I haven't seen her since she left Roche's firm and went to work with Devonshire; that's been awhile."

"She asked about you, I told her you were the same as always."

"How dare you," Jim said, teasing in his voice. "You should've built me up a little."

"Well I would have," she laughed; "but Rick was listening."

"Of course."

"She asked how I've been since my 'ordeal'," she told him. "I know it's silly but I hate getting that question. I just want to leave it where it belongs, in the past."

"I know, sweetheart; I still get that one at times too. It's not as often though, so maybe one day sometime soon, we'll just get the standard 'how are you' without all the rest attached to it."

"That will be nice. She said Katie is beautiful."

"She is; takes after her mother."

"That was mentioned. She brought up my famous son-in-law; I told her it wasn't as fun as it sounds."

"That's the truth but I bet Rick loved that."

"That's why I said it," she laughed; "But he did get a little offended about it even though I only meant it as a joke and Karen took it that way."

"Rick gets a little touchy sometimes."

"Karen got his autograph."

"Did you help with that?"

"It might've been my idea."

"I had a feeling it was."

"She sent me a friend request on Facebook; I accepted. She's a grandmother now."

"Yeah? Which kid came through for her?"

"Shelly; she has a baby boy."

"That's nice."

"She asked me if I'm a grandmother yet."

He smiled. "Not yet."

"That's what I told her…Rick got a little offended."

Jim met her eye. "Why? Did Katie have a kid we don't know about?"

"That's what I asked him, he said no…but that Alexis is technically my granddaughter by marriage."

"Oh, now he wants us to claim her," her husband stated. "Why is she suddenly ours after that big hissy fit he threw about her spending time here with us."

"I suppose it's all a part of the big agenda, darling."

"I want to know what this agenda is."

"Me too; but if you haven't guessed, Alexis became the topic of today's lunch."

Jim swallowed the bite of his dinner he had taken. "How did that go?"

She shrugged. "Alright I guess…I went over it for the hundredth time. He says he's sorry and he was wrong to ruin the relationship we built with Alexis."

"He was wrong; we didn't do anything to her…but he wanted to act like we tainted her or brainwashed her."

"I believe I'm the one who got that accusation."

"But still, I was here with you so we'd both be guilty."

She smiled; he was always willing to take the fall with her…even when they were being unfairly accused of something. "He says he's sorry and I think he was implying that he understands."

"What brought about that sudden development?"

"I don't know; I guess whatever is going on that I'm in the dark about. He asked for my forgiveness."

'What did you say?"

"I said I would; but there would be a condition."

"What's the condition?"

"I'll get to that in a minute," Johanna replied; "During the discussion about Alexis, I mentioned how that debacle is why I worry about what role I'll be allowed in my future grandchildren's lives…like if the child will be kept away from me if one of them is mad and things like that."

Jim nodded. "That's an understandable worry all things considered."

"Yeah, and he was assuring me that wouldn't be the case, saying the child would be brought around; and he kept saying child; but then he got to this part where he said 'it wouldn't be fair to you or the baby' and he kind of froze."

His brow rose. "He froze?"

"Yeah; like he had said something he shouldn't have. So I asked what was wrong and he said nothing, he was trying to play it off, that he had just misspoke and meant to say child. I said a baby is a child, it shouldn't be an issue which word he said. I asked if he had babies on his mind and he said no."

"But you don't believe him?"

"No; he was too guilty about saying the word baby."

"Did you try to wheedle it out of him?"

"A little," she admitted. "I mentioned that I think Katie wants a baby…remember I told you I think maybe she's trying."

He nodded. "Yeah; I remember."

"He asked me what made me say that and I told him because of certain things during recent conversations although I didn't say what those things were. So I asked if they were both thinking about babies."

"And what did he say?"

"He said all he was willing to say was that they've discussed it at times. I told him that's not how they get them."

Jim laughed. "Well that's true."

"Very true; but he tried to get the conversation back around to Alexis and he asked my forgiveness. I said on one condition and when he asked what it was I said I was going to need a grandchild."

"What was the verdict?"

"He said consider it done."

"Consider it done?" Jim repeated.

"Yeah…how do you take that?"

"Well; I could take it a couple ways," he mused. "The most obvious is that the job is done…which would imply that you better get used to being called Grandma. On the other hand, Rick is one of those people who thinks everything will happen his way just because of who he is…"

"That's true, I've thought of that as well. He says it like a guarantee it'll happen, but there are no guarantees with having a child. Look at us, we had a baby…and then when she was three, I stopped taking birth control and we didn't do anything to prevent pregnancy from happening and yet we didn't have anymore children. So there's no guarantee you'll get one if you're trying or not."

"Exactly," Jim remarked; "But like I said, he could think they will just because he says so."

"I agree."

"So which way do you think it is?"

Johanna shrugged. "I don't know…I mean I don't really see Katie keeping it from me if she was already pregnant."

"Well, I'd like to agree about that but you know how she is with telling us things we should know."

"I know…but this would be different. This would be good news."

"Okay," her husband said, "I'll concede that point to you."

"At least I hope she'd tell me," Johanna said; "But maybe there's nothing to tell yet. I do believe they're trying, because of the way Katie's been acting."

"That's a good possibility; she might think her age is going against her, not that I think of her as being old but you know how they act of the news…like women in their thirties are doomed."

Johanna gave a short laugh. "You're right about that; they do act that way, unless it's a celebrity and then it's a different story."

"Do you think they're trying for a baby and that's what this whole thing with you is about? Rick's trying to mend fences because they need you to babysit?"

"Possibly," she said; "But I'd do that no matter what he thought of me."

'We know that…but this is Katie and Rick we're talking about," her husband replied; "They have their own world of logic."

"That's the truth," Johanna muttered. "Katie's been sick…or she was…she said she had a virus."

"Well, it is flu season," Jim replied; "It's not really evidence you can use to support anything at this point."

"Agreed…but do you think they're trying?"

"Oh I'd say so; and I say it's the reason behind these little lunch dates for you. They're trying to have a baby…and you need to be nice and mellow so you'll happily accept those 'Mom, I need a babysitter' calls."

"They don't have to call, I volunteer."

Jim laughed. "I don't doubt that."

She smiled. "I want to be a hands on grandmother."

"Sweetheart; I'm sure when the time comes, you'll have your hands on that baby as much as possible."

"It would be nice though, wouldn't it? To have a grandbaby?"

He smiled. "Of course it would be."

A teasing smile touched her lips. "Are you prepared to be a grandfather?"

Jim chuckled lightly. "Well if Michael and Frankie can do it, so can I."

"No doubt in my mind."

"Being the grandfather has advantages that being a father didn't," he remarked.

Johanna swallowed the sip she had taken. "Do tell."

"The big one is that when you're done playing with the child, you can send it home…I couldn't do that with Katie; we had to keep her."

His wife laughed. "I guess you have a point about that."

"Of course I do. If it has too many tantrums, we send it home to be its parents problem…with maybe a dollar in its pocket to do the job real well to pay back it's mother for that time we took her to the toy store and she laid down in the middle of the aisle kicking and screaming because we wouldn't buy her a 6ft stuffed unicorn that cost a hundred dollars."

"Hell, I might pay five dollars to get even with her for that one," Johanna declared. "That was…a hellish nightmare of epic proportions."

He nodded. "It was also the day she got her ass smacked in the parking lot and taken home without anything."

"Yeah, I remember that old woman in the parking lot telling us we were bad parents because you smacked her ass and I told her she was sitting on time out when we got home."

"She needed discipline and she got it," Jim said; "It didn't hurt her a bit; getting a swat across her backside was a rare occurrence for her; it only happened when she was really bad…like that day."

"I know, but we were judged for it."

"Who cares; it was our kid, we didn't hurt her…she learned a lesson."

"That's true."

"So, are you prepared to be a grandmother?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Johanna nodded. "I think so…I think it would be nice."

"I'm sure it will be, when the time comes."

"Maybe it'll come sometime soon," she remarked.

Jim nodded. "That would be nice; we're still young enough to enjoy it."

"That's what I told Rick."

"What did he say?"

"He said they'll see what they can do."

"He kind of gives conflicting messages, doesn't he? In some ways he implies it's a done deal…in others, it's still up to chance."

"Yeah; that's why I wanted to share the theory with you. I'm more inclined to believe that they're at the 'trying' stage but who knows."

"Well, sweetheart; all we can do is hope…and maybe go ahead and get used to the idea of being grandparents…and you should go ahead and get used to the idea of calls to be a babysitter…you know, just in case it all works out."

"I volunteered for babysitting long ago…but you know, when I was being assured the child wouldn't be used as a pawn, Rick did mention picking up and dropping off for babysitting."

"Uh huh, that's why he wants to be on your good side…they're going to need you," her husband laughed. "They're going to need you a lot."

"I don't mind doing a lot of babysitting," she declared before pausing for a moment. "You don't think Rick will stop going to work with Katie, do you? I would worry more if he didn't go with her…and it would cut into my babysitting time."

"I don't really think he would give it up completely; he might stay home a few days but I don't see him quitting altogether because he does get a lot of ideas for his books from the cases they work and the procedures and all that…plus there's going to be times when he does need to stay home and write and he might want you to have the baby here while he does that so he can concentrate."

She nodded. "That sounds logical…but would it be wrong for me to pose the question hypothetically at the next lunch?"

"No, I don't think so…I hope he continues to go with Katie as well, because I do feel she's safer that way…so, you know, mention that."

"Subtle encouragement, I like it," Johanna said as she twirled some spaghetti onto her fork. "That means more babysitting for me."

"What about your job though?"

"I'll switch to Tuesdays and Thursdays and be available in afternoons if need be."

Jim smiled. "I see you've thought about it."

"Of course. Maybe we should look at the crib one day and see if it needs repainted or anything."

He glanced at her. "Where are we putting the crib?"

"We'll put it in Katie's room…we'll have to rearrange the room and maybe take something out but not the bed. I want to keep the bed in there in case Katie would need to stay for some reason. I'm sure she'd rather be in her old room than the guest room."

"We could take the desk out and move the bed over by the window; that would give some room for the crib on the other side of the room closest to the door."

"Yeah, we could do that; we could take out a nightstand too if need be."

"True…but what about a changing table? Are we going to need one of those; because we got rid of Katie's when she stopped using it to put her toys on."

"Well a changing table does make changing easier on the back," Johanna remarked. "I guess we should get a new one…when the need arises."

"But where will we put it?"

Johanna thought for a moment. "There's nothing hanging in the closet, Katie keeps her spare clothes in two of the dresser drawers. I've seen in magazines that moving the dresser into the closet is a space saving idea. So we could do that, put it in the closet and then I could use the other two drawers for baby clothes…and then we'll have space for a changing table."

"We'd have to make sure the dresser fits in there first….and cart those boxes of Katie's in there up to the attic."

"If it doesn't fit, we can put it in the guest room; there's room in there."

"Why don't we just make the guest room a nursery?" Jim suggested.

"Because…I want it to be in Katie's room…her baby in her old room. That's one of the things I always liked about going to my grandmother's. She'd always put me in my mother's old bed and tell me it was hers…and when Katie would stay with Mom, she'd put her in my bed in my old room. It's just…I don't know, special I guess."

He smiled. "Alright, we'll put it in Katie's room. We'll figure it out somehow."

"If we can't, then I'll reconsider the guest room."

Jim gave a soft laugh. "We could be getting ahead of ourselves though."

"Yeah, we probably are…but at least we have a plan if it should happen," she replied with a quiet laugh of her own.

They were silent for a few moments and then Jim met her eye. "We'll need a car seat."

"Definitely; and a highchair."

"I liked those little ones that Greg and Sammi bring when you babysit occasionally; I like that they just hook onto the regular chair."

"I do too," Johanna replied; "I'd definitely rather have one of those."

"But still, we're getting ahead of ourselves."

"We are," she said with a nod; "But I just look at it as planning for the future."

"We should probably stop," Jim replied; "Or you'll be in there ordering onesies and baby shoes before the night is out."

"I wouldn't order anything until I know there's a confirmed baby…and I don't think it's there yet…but we're hoping it will be soon."

"Agreed," her husband replied, a smile coming to his lips. "You'll be a beautiful grandmother."

Johanna laughed. "And you'll be a handsome grandfather."

He smiled. "But for now, we'll just be us."

She nodded. "There's no one I'd rather be than us."

That evening, Kate paced the bedroom while waiting on her husband to finish his phone call that he was conducting at his desk. She caught herself gnawing on her thumbnail and forced herself to quit; after all, she had more or less kicked that habit when she was seven…when Elizabeth Beckett had put that gross tasting sauce on her fingertips. She grimaced thinking about it, the memory of the taste making her stomach churn and she had to take a few breaths to keep it from rebelling once again. God she hoped morning sickness would pass soon, she mused; before her thoughts returned to the issue at hand. How had they let this happen?

Before Kate could ponder it longer, Castle stepped into the bedroom and closed the door, laying his phone on the dresser. "They won't change my meetings," he told her, regret in his tone."

"Why?" she asked, hoping it didn't sound as anguished to his ears as it did to hers.

"Because they want to get the ball rolling with the new series, discuss cover art, when I can have the final draft done; all the platforms it'll be released on; which I figure means it's getting the full treatment instead of just e-book. They want to get things set up for the release of the first Nikki Heat e-book novella, the cover for that, updates on the Derrick Storm book. I guess they want to get everything set in stone before the holidays set in. I couldn't really give them a good reason for rescheduling because I don't want our news leaked to the media right now…we discussed that and want it kept under wraps until you're further along," he explained.

"I know," Kate replied; "And I still agree with that choice; the longer we can keep it contained with family and friends, the better…but I can't reschedule the sonogram again…I already did that twice because of work and they won't do it a third time. The nurse said it needs to be done…it should've already been done; they want to confirm the due date, see if it needs adjusted to earlier or later in May and make sure everything is on track."

"I know," he answered; "And I did try to get the meetings moved, Kate…I can't believe I forgot that was the date of your appointment when I was told that they wanted these meetings."

"It's alright," she soothed; "I forgot about the appointment until I got the text alert reminding me. I guess I was caught up in the case. But what are we going to do?"

He gave her a small smile. "You're just going to have to keep the appointment and go without me."

Kate frowned. "I hate to do that, Rick."

"I know…but we don't seem to have another option. You can't reschedule and neither can I. It's okay if you go, I want you to go. I want to know the baby is doing alright and have the confirmation for the due date."

"I do too…I just feel like I'm taking something away from you."

He tugged her into his arms. "You're not; don't feel that way. There will be other sonograms; and I'll make sure I'm there for the next one, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"I swear to you I'll be there for the next one," he replied quietly; "I do feel like I'm letting you down this time though."

Kate shook her head. "No, don't feel that way; you're not letting me down. I'd rather you could come with me but I understand that sometimes things come up…look how many times I've had to walk out the door when we've had plans or are in the middle of dinner…parties, lazy days off. We can't always control the demands our jobs make on us."

"That's true, but it doesn't make us feel any better about it, does it?"

"No," she sighed. "I just…I guess I feel a little selfish having it all to myself tomorrow…and I didn't really want to go alone."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, brushing a kiss against temple.

"It's not your fault; your hands were tied."

They were tied, he thought with a frown, but then an idea came to mind that had him pushing her back a pace so that he could see her face. "You don't have to go alone."

"I don't?"

He shook his head. "I know you had a plan, and I'm sure it was a good one…but you should take your mom…what better way to tell her that she's going to be a grandmother than by letting her get a little sneak peek?"

A smile began to tug at her lips. "Really?"

"Yes, take your mother," Castle stated. "I'd feel better if you did."

"You really wouldn't mind her being there when you can't?"

"No, of course not…who better to be there if I can't be?" he asked; "Besides, I think I owe her this one."

Kate's eyes glimmered with tears. "As your grand gesture? I thought you had an autographed copy of one of her favorite books on the way to her?"

"Actually, I have the whole autographed series on it's way to her but that's just a little gift," Castle replied; "This would be a gesture, but not the one you mean…it'll be my way of showing her that I want her exactly where she wants to be, in our lives, being a hands on grandmother. I'm not trying to usurp your plans for the moment…but I think you should take her with you."

"You're sure?"

"Positive; I'll feel a lot better knowing she's there with you, that you have someone to share the moment with who will appreciate it."

Kate caught his lips in a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. You should call her and make sure she's available."

She hesitated for a moment. "I can't tell her why though…I don't want her to know until we get there and I can't say doctor appointment or she'll have those alarm bells ringing again…especially after your slipups today."

"Good point…just send a text, ask if she's available when she gets off work tomorrow."

"What do I say when she asks why?"

Castle paced a few steps as he tried to think up an excuse. "I don't know…I've got nothing."

"Seriously!"

He shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's a fine time for your brain to short out," she muttered.

"It was doing alright a few minutes ago though, wasn't it?" he quipped.

"It was," she agreed; "Sorry…I just want this to go right."

His hand slipped into hers. "I do too…I feel like I took your plan away though."

Kate shook her head. "No, actually you didn't, I can do both."

"How?"

"Well, I had planned to get her a copy of the sonogram and frame it. I was going to wrap it and give it to her and when she'd open it, she'd know. I'll just give her the frame before we go in for the sonogram…both ideas are combined that way; because knowing her, she'll definitely frame the sonograms until she has a baby picture to frame."

He smiled. "I can see her doing that."

"So there's no harm done with your idea…and I like your idea, I will feel better if she's there with me since you can't be and it'll be a nice way to tell her. I just have to think of an excuse."

"Tell her you're getting off work early…you have to use some personal time."

Kate nodded slowly. "Yeah…I can say that…I can say maybe we can go out and spend some time together."

Her husband smiled. "That's good; she can't resist mother-daughter girl time."

"That's true," she agreed as she moved to the nightstand to get her phone. She sat down on the edge of the bed and he sat down beside her as she tapped out her first message to her mother.

"Hey, are you free tomorrow after work?"

"What if she isn't free?" Castle asked.

"We'll have to figure out a way to make her free," she answered, her eyes glued to her phone, waiting for a response.

"How would you accomplish that?"

"I don't know honestly; but let's hope we don't have to cross that bridge…because it would probably involve a lot of lying."

He laughed. "That doesn't sound like a bridge we want to cross."

"Definitely not….come on, Mom; answer," she muttered.

"She'll answer, she always does…she might be in the shower."

"That would just figure," Kate stated; "Or playing with Scarlett."

"Or someone else in the house," he remarked, glancing away.

She nodded. "Yeah; I wouldn't doubt that either…that seems to be their hobby at times."

He laughed. "True…but hey, good for them still being interested at this stage of their lives."

"True; it gives us all hope for the future doesn't it?" she laughed.

"It does," he replied as her phone chimed.

"I don't have any plans after work; why?" Kate read out loud.

"Oh good, we don't have to walk across the lying bridge," Castle remarked as she hurriedly typed her next message.

"I'm getting off work early tomorrow, I thought maybe we could go out a little bit, have some girl time."

"Did that sound alright?" she asked after pressing send, wondering if she should've thought of a better excuse.

"It's good, it sounds genuine."

"That sounds nice; how come you're getting off work early?"

"Personal time," he reminded his wife after she read him the message.

"I've got some personal time I need to start using up," she typed. "What time will you be home from work?"

"I'm home by one; what time did you have in mind?"

"Can I pick you up at one-thirty?"

"Yeah; that's fine. What do you have in mind for us to do?"

"Oh my God, what do I say?" Kate asked, panicking and shoving her phone at her husband.

"Why are you giving me the phone?" he laughed; "It's like it's suddenly a time bomb to you and you're getting rid of it."

"Because I didn't expect that question and you always think you have all the answers!"

He put the phone back in her hands. "You don't have to give her specifics…just say you have some things in mind…and she'll find out tomorrow."

Kate's brow rose. "Leave her with suspense?"

"Yes; it might make her forget anything I said at lunch that she's suspicious about."

"Good point," she replied; settling her mind as she began to type her response. "Oh I have a few things in mind, you'll find out tomorrow. Don't worry, they're fun, you'll like it."

She pressed send and then panicked. "Did I say too much?"

"No, I think that's just right…that will have her anticipating the day and she'll know it's nothing to stress about. It's all good, you've got this."

The phone chimed and they both glanced at the screen. "I'm intrigued but won't press for more so you don't change your mind," Johanna had written. "I'm looking forward to it though."

"Me too; see you tomorrow afternoon."

"See you tomorrow, sweetheart. I love you, goodnight."

"I love you too, goodnight."

Castle patted her knee as she put her phone back on the nightstand. "See, that wasn't so bad, she didn't try to pry it out of you. It's all going according to our hastily prepared plan."

"Thank God."

"Oh I am."

Kate smiled at him, her hand covering his. "I guess this is the last night that it's just our little secret."

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess so…but that's okay, it feels like it's meant to be this way."

"You think so?"

"Yeah; I think it's going to be a good moment for both of you."

"I hope so…but it's been kind of nice having a little secret just between us."

Castle smiled. "It has been…but it's time."

"It is," she agreed; "But we still have tonight to have it all to ourselves."

"True," he said, brushing back a lock of her hair before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. "Should we have some sort of celebration, marking the end of our period of intense secrecy?"

Kate smiled, her hand caressing his face. "I think we should…especially since I'm feeling pretty good at the moment."

"Hmm, you don't think there will be any interruption?"

"No, I think we're good to go this time…I think the baby understands that it's an important occasion."

"Smart kid," he quipped; "Must get it from me."

"No, it's definitely from me."

"We'll debate that another time," he replied; "Let's just agree that it'll be perfect."

She smiled as she leaned close to kiss him once more. "It'll be perfect…just because it's ours, it'll be the most perfect little being there ever was."

"And that's definitely worth celebrating," her husband remarked before silencing any further words with a kiss.

"I might not be home when you get off work tomorrow," Johanna said as her husband returned to the living room, carrying a drink for each one of them.

"How come?"

"Katie sent me a message; she's off tomorrow afternoon; she wants us to go out for a little while."

Jim smiled as he put the drinks on the coffee table and settled back down beside her. "That sounds nice; what does she have in mind?"

"I don't know, she won't tell me," she answered. "All she said was that she had a few ideas and that I'll like them."

"Must be shopping," Jim quipped as he picked up the bowl of popcorn they were sharing while they watched a movie.

"Maybe so," Johanna replied, a smile on her lips; "So I don't know when we'll get back…I can't promise dinner will be waiting on you when you get home."

He put his arm around her and tugged her against his side. "That's alright, sweetheart; you go out with Katie and have a good time. I can fend for myself until you get back."

"I know, but…I guess I always feel a little guilty if I'm not here when you get home."

Jim shook his head. "No need for that; especially when it's Katie. I'm glad you two have been getting to spend more time together lately."

"Me too…I feel like we've been getting back our closeness."

"You have been and it's good to see; I think you both have found your balance…it gets better all the time."

"I'm glad…and relieved; we've had so much bad between us and I hated it."

"I know you did," he replied, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "But it looks like you two have better days ahead; it's going to be the way you always wanted it."

"That would be nice."

"It'll happen, I'm sure of it. How come she's off tomorrow afternoon?"

"She said she has to start using up some of her personal time."

"Oh," he said with an understanding nod; "She's probably got to get all of that used by the end of the year so she's starting now."

"I'm not complaining," Johanna quipped; "Maybe we'll have a few more girls days because of it."

"Maybe so; and don't feel bad about any of them. I know you'll be home to me when you girls are through with your fun…and you always let me know your stops."

"Take care of Scarlett if I'm not back in time to have dinner; you'll have to feed her so she stays on her dinner schedule."

"I'll feed Scarlett," he assured. "You just have fun with Katie; you two deserve a little after work downtime."

"I'm looking forward to seeing what she has in mind…and why it's a secret."

Jim chuckled. "Oh she's probably doing that so you'll think about it a lot and anticipate it. She knows how you are with surprises."

She laughed softly. "That's probably true…it's a sign of those better days, right?"

He nodded. "That's right."

Johanna snuggled against his side; she'd take all the better days and girl time with her daughter that she could get.

A/N: Next chapter…you all know what it is ;)