I have to stop writing new stories while I have others that I need to finish. Sorry if you're reading one of my other stories, I haven't abandoned them.

This idea has been floating around my head for some time and I think this is the fourth version of chapter one that I've written, so I hope it isn't terrible.

Enjoy it,

Z

Javier moved around his kitchen on autopilot, making coffee and putting bread in the toaster. He took a sip of his coffee and went to get dressed as he waited for his toast. Just as he entered his bedroom there was a knock at the door. Javi opened the door, clad in only sweatpants, to reveal a small blonde woman.

"Hiya, Javi." She greeted happily, pushing through the door into his kitchen.

Names raced through Javier's head until the right one popped in, "Kelly? What are you doing?" It was then he noticed what she was holding. "Kelly?"

She glanced down at the bundle in her arms, "Congratulations daddy. Wanna hold him?"

Javi couldn't speak. Shock radiated through his body. Slowly he nodded, and Kelly placed the sleeping baby in his arms. Javi couldn't help a small smile play across his lips as he held the boy to his bare chest.

"Yeah," Kelly spoke, breaking Javi out of his daze. "Anyway, I'm off. Have a nice life."

Again, Kelly pushed past him and out the door. "Kelly!" Javi shouted after her. "Kelly, what the hell?"

She paused and turned to face him, her expression unreadable.

"You just gonna dump a kid on me? I gotta get to work! I can't deal with this right now!"

"Whatever, Javi. You did this to me! We had one night. That's all I wanted, one night."

"Look, Kelly. I gotta get to the precinct. You can stay here today, can we talk about this tonight?"

"I'm going, Javi. You'll never see me again."

"You just gonna walk outta your son's life?"

"I never wanted him, Javi." With that she turned and walked away.

Javi walked back inside his apartment and grabbed his phone from the counter scrolling through until he found a number that he'd never used. He hit the 'call' button and waited. After a few rings a mechanical voice informed him that this number had been disconnected. "Damn it, Kelly!" He cursed hanging up. Javi quickly dressed and, with the baby in his arms, left to work leaving his forgotten breakfast on the counter.

It wasn't a long walk to the precinct, Javi knew he would get there before most of the other Homicide detectives, so he stopped at a small coffee shop around the corner from his building. Once he arrived at the precinct, Javi walked straight to Gates' office hoping to get some personal leave.

To say Gates was surprised to see him with a baby would be an understatement. "Detective." She greeted. "What could I possibly do for you?"

"Morning, Sir." He began, slightly embarrassed. "I was wondering if I could request some personal time."

"Whose baby is that, Detective Esposito?"

"Um, he's mine, Sir."

She shot him one of her icy glares.

"Well, his momma, she um." He stammered, "I was unaware that she was expecting and this morning she showed up on my doorstep, dumped him then left." The baby woke, and stirred in Javi's arms.

The captain's look softened, "Well he sure is a cute one." She approached Javi and cooed at the little boy. "What's his name?"

"Uh, I don't know."

Gates gave him an incredulous look. "How old?"

"Not sure of that either."

"What are you sure of detective?"

"Nothing. Kelly sort of just dropped him and ran. No supplies, no details, nothing."

"Well then, I suggest you find out. I can give you two weeks leave."

"Thanks, Sir." Javi turned to leave, but stopped when Gates said his name. "Sir?"

"If you wanted to avoid an awkward conversation with your team, you missed your opportunity." She gestured through the window and sure enough, Beckett and Ryan were sitting at their desks.

"Thanks, Sir."

Javi slipped out of Gates' office and attempted to make it to the elevator unnoticed.

"Heading off, Espo?" Detective Beckett called out.

"Ah, yes actually. I have some Personal time." He turned to face his college and friend, revealing the bundle in his arms.

Whatever Beckett was about to say died on her lips when she noticed the baby in her friends arms. It was Kevin Ryan that spoke.

"Javi, did you steal a kid?"

"No, I um, he's mine. I think."

"You think?" Beckett asked him.

"Well an ex of mine, you remember Kelly?" He directed the question at his partner.

"The lawyer?" Ryan asked.

"No, that was Stacy. The Blonde."

"Wait the Dutch one?"

"No, that was Bridgette. You remember, she was the one from out of town."

"Oh yeah, the fashion columnist."

"That would be her."

"Anyway," Beckett shot pointedly, urging him to continue.

"Yeah, so she showed up on my doorstep like an hour ago, dumped this little guy then left."

Richard Castle chose that moment to walk through the doors, his usual two coffees in hand. He stopped short when he noticed that group. "Woah, who does that belong to?"

"He's Espo's." Beckett informed her fiancé, taking her coffee from him.

"Woah, I didn't know you were going to have a kid." Castle looked at the Detective.

"Neither did he." Ryan put in before Javi had a chance to respond.

Castle stared at Javi until he explained. "An ex left him with me this morning and then left."

"Ouch." Castle said, "Like, is she coming back?"

"Says she wants nothing to do with the little guy."

"Oooh. What's his name?"

"That's the thing, she dumped him and ran. I don't know his name, when he was born or if I'm even his daddy. I was gonna head down and see Lanie and see if she can answer some of my questions."

"Good idea." Beckett told him. "And, Espo he needs a change."

"Yeah, I should get to a shop and buy some diapers."

"Ok, you get gone, we got a body."

The group dispersed and Javi made his way to the nearest drug store and bought some diapers and a bottle and formula before changing him and heading back to the precinct to see Lanie.

"Hey Lanie?" Espo called when he entered the morgue.

"Yeah," Lanie looked up at him and stopped short. "A baby? Is this about the crime scene I'm about to head to?"

"Ah, no. This is personal."

"Personal? Is this a relative?"

"Ah, that's what I want you to find out. His momma claims I'm his father."

"Oh," Lanie seemed shocked at the revelation, but softened when the baby started fussing. "Well isn't he the sweetest thing!" She cooed. "What's his name?"

"As far as I know he doesn't have one yet."

"Oh?"

"An ex of mine dropped him on me this morning." He informed her. "I was wondering if you could do a DNA test and a blood test. To make sure he's healthy. I've gotta go upstairs and search databases for Kelly's information."

"Kelly? The columnist?"

"Yeah. How did you know about her? I didn't tell you."

"Eh, Ryan told Castle, Castle talks to Beckett and Beckett and I gossip. Word gets around." She replied as if it were obvious. "I gotta get to the crime scene so if I get samples real quick I can run them while I'm gone."

"Thanks, Lanie. You are my hero."

She mumbled something under her breath but Javi didn't catch it. She quickly took the samples she needed. "I gotta get to this morning's crime scene. I'll come upstairs when I have the results."

"Thanks, Lanie." Javi was halfway back to his desk when the baby woke again and started crying. He quickly ran to the break room to prepare a bottle.

Rocking a screaming baby in one arm, he attempted to prepare a bottle one handed but only succeeded in tipping the formula tin and making a huge mess.

"Let me help." Another detective grabbed the formula and bottle from Javi and expertly started mixing it.

"Thanks man." Javi thanked him. "Still learning the ropes, you know."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I was like that with my first. By the fourth you pretty much have it down." He finished warming the bottle and handed it back to Javi, who haphazardly began feeding it to the baby. "Didn't take you for the fatherly type, Esposito." He mused.

"Ah, well. Situations." He replied crypticly. Javi had little to do with the Detective over the years. He didn't know much about anyone outside of his team. "Thanks, man. For this." Javi gestured to the feeding infant.

"Happy to help." The older detective went back to preparing coffee.

Javi walked slowly back to his desk and sat down, shifting the small baby in his arms so he had one free hand to work his computer. He opened a search database and began imputing everything he could remember about Kelly. He had her name and occupation but beyond that he knew nothing about her. He silently cursed.

Javi was staring at his computer screen, inwardly cursing his lack of knowledge about the woman that left him a child, when Beckett and Castle walked in an hour later.

"Got anything on Kelly?" Beckett asked him, sitting down at her own desk.

"No. I mean," He paused to shift the baby to his other arm, "I know her name and her job. I don't know where she's employed, a current address or anything!"

"Surely she gave you her phone number?" Castle asked, taking his usual seat by Beckett's desk.

"It was either a fake number or its been disconnected. I tried that this morning."

"Run it. Maybe it will give you something?"

"Yeah, I'll try that." Espo replied more to himself than anybody. "Where's Ryan anyway?"

"He went to visit our vic's next of kin. Should be back soon." Beckett began writing things on the Murder Board.

"Ha! Yes!" Javi yelled out. "I have an address and a home phone number. Apparently she lives in Philly." He started writing down a number with a huge grin on his face.

"What's Javi grinning about?" Ryan asked Beckett when he walked in.

"He has an address on Kelly."

"And," Espo piped up, "A real name."

"Wait she gave you a fake name?" Ryan asked him.

"A fake last name. Now I have enough information to search for medical records."

The other detectives and Castle left him to his work and they began throwing ideas around for their murder. After a few minutes Espo had found what he needed to know: Birth records for the baby Kelly gave birth to. He printed the information and grabbed his stuff and headed to the morgue to find Lanie.

"I was just about to call you." She greeted him when he walked into the morgue.

"Hey Lanie."

"I got results." Javi gave her a look and she continued. "He's a healthy baby boy." She smiled. "And he's definitely your son, Javi."

Javi stopped dead. Sure, part of him believed the baby was his son, but hearing it confirmed was a different story.

"Earth to Javi." Javi shook himself out of his daydream and turned to Lanie. "I asked you what you found out."

"Oh, I found Kelly's address and home number. I'll call her later when I think she'll be home."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Medical records?"

"Oh. This little guy was born four days ago in a public hospital in Philly. Found a record of his birth but no name or birth certificate."

"Well I guess naming the little guy is all up to you."

"It seems."

"Now, Javi. You got some shopping to do."

"Shopping?"

"For baby stuff! You've got a lot to get."

"Surely there can't be that much?"

"You've got to get a crib, change table, car seat, formula, bottles clothes, pacifiers, diapers, not to mention creams and cloths and baby proofing!"

"I need all that?"

"That's not even all of it."

"This is gonna cost me a fortune!"

"Yeah, you've a lot to get Javi, so I suggest you get it today."

"All right. I should get going."

"You'd better."