Castle and The Originals

Chapter 2

Rick wasn't sure what just hit him. Only moments after reading the word pregnant on the little plastic stick, Kate went into hyperdrive. It was like watching someone go through the six stages of grief. Well she only really hits four of them, and he wasn't actually grieving, but he knew no other way to describe it. What usually took someone months to work thru; Kate experienced in a matter of thirty minutes.

Stage 1: Shock or Denial

"Rick, I can't be. That would mean we got pregnant on our honeymoon, it couldn't be that easy. Maybe the test is wrong. I think I need to take another one."

Luckily Rick had thought ahead and pulled two more tests out of the bag from the Pharmacy. After successfully peeing on both sticks simultaneously and pacing the bathroom floor for three and five minutes consecutively, she was convinced.

Stage 2: Guilt

"Oh God, I was so reckless. I'm sorry Rick, if you and Dad hadn't talked some sense into me, I could've. We would both be dead."

Rick didn't know what to say to that one. She was right, had she gone after those responsible or if the sniper in the cemetery had hit the mark, his wife and child would both be lost to him forever. He just pulled her to the floor and held her, but it wasn't long before the next stage hit.

Stage 3: Anger

"How long have you suspected? Why didn't you say anything to me? Boy, what kind of mother am I going to be if my husband knows I'm pregnant before I do?"

Rick apologized for not telling her, but he really had wanted to give her a chance to figure it out. That just made her angrier and she pounded him in the chest a few times before crying on his shoulder. Luckily she skipped depression and loneliness or he may have gotten angry. Finally she came to the last stage which was happiness and acceptance.

Straddling her husband on the bathroom floor Kate begins to laugh hysterically. She clung to Rick so tightly she almost cut off his oxygen supply, but he didn't care. He hadn't heard that laugh in so long; it was music to his ears. She threw her head back and tucked her bottom lip behind her teeth; she could barely get the words out between fits of laughter.

"Rick, what are we going to do with a baby? What were we thinking?" For a minute his heart sank; he misunderstood her, lips met his. It was quick and almost chaste because she was still struggling with moments of uncontrollable laughter, but did manage a few words. "It's killing you isn't it?"

"What?"

"Having to wait this long to tell me how Big Rick took care of business."

An hour later, Rick and Kate were walking arm and arm through the mall looking for Alexis. The place was packed with last minute shoppers. Kate had never seen so many fur coats and pearl necklaces in her life. And any other day she would have felt uncomfortable; she was sure she would never be the typical Hamptons wife and she and Rick were both fine with that. He hadn't bought the beach house as a status symbol. It was a place for him and his family to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Today, not fitting in wasn't even close to being on her mind. All she felt was happiness, all she knew was the warmth of Rick's arm hooked in hers. She was overcome with a hope she had never felt before; a hope she would have never thought possible with the circumstances of the last few months. It was Christmas Eve and she was carrying a child, his child, their child.

They had quickly decided not to tell anyone yet. They wanted to get thru the holidays and see the doctor to verify that everything was okay before telling anyone. They also wanted to enjoy their little secret for themselves for just a little while.

"What's up with you two?" Alexis was on to them the moment they arrived at the restaurant for lunch.

Clearly they were going to have to be a little more subtle.