A/N: Based on a tumblr prompt that someone sent me. Will be posted at the end of the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or the characters used in this story.

A Bend in the Road

Set right before 5X05 (Probable Cause) takes place.

For the purpose of this story, there are at least a few weeks in between 5x04 and 5x05.

Kate stares down at the plastic test that's lying on the sink in her bathroom. She mentally calculates the date in her head, squeezes her eyes closed when she realizes that her period is little over a week late. Three minutes is starting to seem more like ten.

She'd insisted on staying at her place last night. After their weekend in the Hamptons she'd been staying with Castle almost every night. She had to fight the roll of her eyes when he started pouting after she'd told him she was out of clean, work appropriate clothing. Castle had only stopped whining when she'd promised him that he could come home with her tonight after work. The privacy that her apartment offers is always welcomed.

She had also bought the test on her way home last night. She still had herself convinced that it was just the stress of work and everyday life, but this morning's queasiness along with the absence of her period had her pulling the test from the brown paper bag and hastily carrying it into the bathroom with her.

She peed on the damn thing what seems like fifteen minutes ago now, and yet her phone still says there's thirty seconds left. Her hands tremble at her sides as she waits, trying to focus on anything but the white plastic stick that could change her life.

Finally, her phone chimes, signaling the end of the three minutes and she holds her breath as she lifts pregnancy test. Her breath catches in her throat, the test falling to the floor as her hands grip the sink so hard her knuckles turn white.

It's positive.

After a good thirty minutes of panicking, she pulls herself together and heads to the precinct. This thing with Castle is so new and fragile. They spent four years dancing around their feelings for each other and they've only just began to embrace them. A baby is not something they've discussed or planned. She may actually be freaking out more about Castle's reaction then the fact that she's carrying his child right now.

Their child.

They're going to have a baby.

She puts on her best poker face throughout the day, but her refusal of coffee has Castle suspicious almost immediately. By the time they make it back to her apartment she's all nerves and Castle is seriously hovering.

"Kate, what's going on?" he asks because he's said at least three different things to her since they walked through the door and she hasn't responded to any of them.

She turns towards him, notices the mixture of concern and fear that's written on his face. She tried to plan this conversation in her head throughout the day, but now that they're standing here she's not sure she can go through with it. She's already trembling, her breathing starting to speed up and she may pass out before she ever gets the words out.

She wrings her hands together in front of her, swallows thickly as she tries to find the words—any words to get him to stop looking at her like that.

"Castle, I…" she tries and fails to finish her sentence because suddenly she does feel faint and she has to grip the edge of the counter as she starts to sway sideways.

Castle rushes to her side, steadies her with the grip of his hand at her hip. "You don't look so good, let's go sit down." He keeps her steady as he walks with her towards the couch and then he eases her down before sitting softly beside her.

When she's still silent after several minutes have passed, he starts to freak out a little bit.

"Kate, you're scaring me. Please talk to me."

He's pleading now and she's terrified of what this conversation might do to them, but she can't keep him in the dark any longer.

"I'm pregnant," she blurts out before covering her face with her hands. She's been freaking out all day but she's managed to keep the tears at bay until now. Now that the news is out there, now that Castle knows, the emotions seem to flood into her system.

She can feel Castle's startled intake of breath, the tense of his body and he registers what she's just said, but then he reaches a hand out and rests it on her knee. He uses his other hand to gently pull her hands away from her face and when she finally looks at him he speaks.

"You're...you're pregnant?" he asks with a shaky tone.

She can only nod as she wipes at the tears that are staining her cheeks.

"When did you find out?"

She sniffs, takes a shaky breath before answering him. "I took a test this morning."

"You knew all day and you're just now telling me?"

"I'm sorry, Castle. I've been freaking out; I didn't know how to tell you or how you were going to take it. We've always been so careful, but that last night at the Hamptons, we were so desperate to be with each other that we didn't use a condom. That must have been when it happened."

"Kate, this is the kind of thing you should be able to come to me about. We're in this together."

She smiles at his answer but things still seem a little tense between them.

"So, how long have you suspected that you were?" he asks.

"My period is a little over a week late. I just thought it was stress, but I bought the test on my way home last night."

"Is that why you wanted to stay alone last night?" he asks before standing and pacing away from her. She can hear the hurt that laces his tone.

"What? No!" she stands and follows after him. "I wasn't even planning on taking the test this morning, but when I woke up I felt kind of queasy and I still hadn't started my period."

He still has his back turned to her but he finally stops walking away. She can't help but ask him her next question.

"Castle, if you don't want this right now I understand. I can figure something out."

He whirls around to face her, but he shows no signs of the anger she was expecting as he steps towards her and places both hands on her shoulders. "Kate, how can you even think that? We didn't plan this, but there's no one else that I'd rather have a baby with."

She softens at his words. "Really?"

"Of course. I've always hoped that kids would be a part of our future," he answers as he pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her waist. "Are you okay with this?"

"Honestly, I'm scared. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a mother, but even more than that I don't want this to push us apart. This thing with us is so new, Castle. Do you think we're ready for something like this?"

He hugs her tighter, offering her his reassurance through touch as well as words. "It's okay to be scared, but I promise you that I will be here for you every step of the way. I'm in this, Kate, always."

She closes the distance between them, pressing her lips against his and pouring her love into the kiss. He kisses her back, holding her against him until he's sure she knows he's happy about the news.

"So, we're having a baby?" he asks with a grin as he walks her towards the bedroom.

She grins back at him, finally feeling the weight lift off her shoulders. "Yeah, we are."

"Does that mean we can celebrate this little 'bend in the road'?" He trails his hand from her waist over the flat plain of her stomach before glancing up at her.

"A celebration sounds like the perfect way to end this day," she winks as she pulls him down on the bed with her.

And oh, what a celebration it was.

Prompt: Beckett finding out she's pregnant, freaking out and telling Castle in a panic

Would love to hear your thoughts! xo