Castle and The Originals

Chapter 7

"Here try this." Rick handed Kate a bottle of eye drops before reaching up and tousling her hand a bit. "Are you sure this is a good idea? It seems kind of morbid."

Kate quickly shook off the question. "She's well acquainted with morbid."

She ran her fingers through her husband's hair a few times. He looked too put together for the little ruse they had planned for their favorite ME. She gives him a sideways glance and a fake pout. He mirrored her expression and watched her drizzle some of the liquid on her cheeks. Kate took a deep breath and they entered the morgue with somber expressions.

"Hey." Kate couldn't manage much more of a greeting having caught a glimpse of Rick out of the corner of her eye.

He followed about a foot behind her with his hands shoved into his pockets. She could tell they were balled into fists. His eyes were focused on the ground and they almost looked glazed over. 'Man he's good.' Kate bites her top lip and concentrated on her own performance. She breathed in a little sniffle and ran a fisted issue under her nose. The timing was perfect because Lanie had just turned to greet them.

"Hey Kate, hey Cas..." Lanie's excited expression quickly turned to fear and concern.

Kate felt instantly guilty. Lanie had known this morning was their first OB visit. They had promised her the details, but she also felt the need to torture her best friend a bit so she sniffled again and wiped her wet eyes. She could hear Rick shuffling his feet behind her.

"The body, Lanie." Kate used her stern Detective Beckett voice and nodded to the victim on the table between them.

Lanie watched her friends in horror. She had expected them to float through the door with news and pictures of two perfect little babies. She expected hugs and smiles not tears. Well maybe some tears but not these kinds of tears. And Rick hadn't even looked up; he was practically drilling a hole in the floor with his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Lanie's voice cracked.

"What's wrong is that we have a dead body here and the Medical Examiner has yet to clue me in on dea..."

Kate was really laying it on thick now. Her voice faltered at the last word, she crossed her arms and again wiped her eyes. She felt her co-conspirator's hand squeeze her shoulder. She turned her head slightly as if finding his gaze was the only lifeline to keeping her composure. She even managed a little hitch in her breath as she sniffled for a third time.

Lanie could tell Kate was not going to give her an answer so she addressed the shadow. "Castle?"

Rick cuts her off instantly.

"Look Lanie, we got some." He paused for effect. "Unexpected news this morning and now we just need to move forward. Please?"

Proud of himself for not actually having to lie he nodded to the sheeted corpse.

They both knew Lanie was not going to give up without a fight. She was like a dog with a bone. In fact it was that tenacity that made Kate and Lanie such great friends. Before Rick, Lanie was the only one that stuck with Kate through all of her crap.

"Hell no we aren't moving anywhere until you two tell me what the hell is going on."

That was about as far as either one of them could take it.

"Fine, if you really need to know!" Rick reached into his front jacket pocket and tossed a small piece of paper on the tray in front of Lanie. "That is what's going on!"

Lanie was afraid to look down. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know; she steadied herself for whatever it was. With shaky hands she picked up the square of parchment. For a few seconds she knew nothing but confusion. She was obviously looking at an ultrasound picture. She was a doctor; she had done an OB rotation. She noted the words and letters in digital print and then two tiny arrows; Baby A, Baby B. Then she noticed the slight movement from across the room. 'Was her best friend actually feeding the birds'?