This story hasn't had a case in a while. And, well, I guess there won't be many more anytime soon.

X

Kate sat alone in the loft. She was absent-mindedly flicking through TV channels, not paying any attention to what they were playing, she just kept flicking.

Admittedly, she was a little pissed off. Not at her loneliness, exactly, and not at Martha and Alexis for not being there either. They'd had offered to take her shopping with them, but Kate felt that she simply wasn't physically apt to one of Martha's marathons. She'd made that mistake before.

No, it was Castle. Well, by extension, Castle, but since he was more easily accessible than Captain Montgomery, she chose to be pissed off at him. Earlier in the day, Montgomery had called Castle, asking him urgently to the precinct. He had, however, been adamant about the fact that Kate was not to accompany him at all, nor be informed as to why he was going.

She shut the television off in anger, throwing the remote on the couch beside her, hands running through her hair in frustration. Slowly, but determined, she managed to get herself up off the couch and made for the telephone in the kitchen. She cursed Castle's couches at being so darn soft and comfortable; it made it extremely hard for her to get up these days.

Taking a hold of the handset, she dialled Castle's cell, jamming the receiver against her ear, waiting impatiently for a reply.

"Come on, Castle, pick up the god damn phone!"

"Kate, is everything okay?"

She could hear the panic in his voice, though it didn't phase her.

"I guess it depends on what you define as 'okay'," she muttered.

Castle sighed; he knew she was disgruntled by the fact he had been called in to the 12th and she hadn't. Truth was, Montgomery had needed a bit more brainpower, and, considering what they were dealing with, Castle could see why. It was a shame the case was so dangerous, or else Kate would have been extremely helpful.

"Kate, now isn't really a good time –"

"Oh really, well when would be a good time?" she exclaimed, sounding angrier than she meant to.

"Kate…"

She huffed a sigh before she spoke, knowing her sniping wasn't necessary or warranted.

"Sorry," she spat, before taking a change of tone, sliding herself up onto a bar stool as she continued, "No, Castle, I'm not sorry. Who does Montgomery think he is to call you in when you're not even a cop, and why would you agree to it?!"

"Kate, you would have been called in too, had the case not been so risky –"

"What's so risky about desk work?" Kate cried, "What's going on down there?!"

"It's a federal case, Kate, I can't –"

"A federal case?!"

She was shouting now, "What on earth could Montgomery possibly need from you on a federal case? You're not even a cop, you're a writer!"

"Kate, please –"

"Put Esposito on, or Ryan," she demanded, "I don't believe you –"

"Kate, that's enough," Castle ordered, having now moved into the deserted break room, "believe me or don't believe me, but it's a federal case, I can't disclose information and you are safer where you are."

"Castle, if it's just brainpower you needed, you know Montgomery could have called me in."

"He thought the case might be too stressful for you –"

"Too stressful?" Kate exclaimed, "Castle, what is going on down there? And if you don't tell me, I'm coming down there myself."

"No, Kate, you won't," Castle growled, "You know the rules of a federal case, why are you being so unreasonable?"

"Me? Unreasonable?!"

"Okay, Kate, I'm sorry, calm down –"

"No, you're not sorry," she shouted, "You're not sorry now, and you weren't sorry six months ago! All you care about is yourself!"

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up, slamming the handset on the bench, stomping off back toward the living room, bypassing it on her way to the bedroom. Pulling on some decent clothes, and struggling as best she could to get her boots on, she was determined to find out what was going on down at the 12th. She didn't even care about Castle at the moment; he wanted to be a jerk, let him be a jerk. Personally, she didn't have much time for jerks.

Grabbing a coat and a scarf, she stormed out of the apartment, into the elevator, jabbing the 'L' button with force enough that it hurt, but she didn't care. The elevator took too long, in her opinion, to reach the lobby, and once it did, she was a lit cannon out of there, climbing into the nearest taxi and practically screaming the 12th's address at him.

X

It was the inside of an elevator she felt like she hadn't seen in months. It was the same as it ever was, not as clean as it should be, clanking as it went, but still managed to make it to the Homicide division. Dinging, she felt a pang in the pit of her stomach, something that was a mix of excitement and anxiety all in one. Regardless, she stepped, chin high, out into the bullpen as she always did, to find it bustling more than usual.

She looked toward her desk, at which she could see the back of Castle's head, surrounded by Ryan, Esposito, Montgomery and another gentleman she did not know. All were focused on something Kate couldn't see from where she was standing, though she didn't seem to be able to stop herself from striding over.

"Beckett!"

Esposito's exclamation caused all five heads to turn, each of them sharing a different expression. Esposito and Ryan both look concerned, though she could see Esposito was on the cusp of angry. When she looked to Castle and Montgomery, however, they had both moved right past angry, both of them fuming in her direction. The unknown man simply looked confused and a little shocked if she were honest.

"You'll have to excuse us," Castle muttered to his colleagues, before taking Kate by the arm and dragging her unwillingly down the corridor, hiding in a quiet, side area where they couldn't be heard.

"Don't treat me like a child!" Beckett growled, snatching her arm away roughly from his grasp.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't acting like one," Castle replied incredulously, "what the hell are you doing here, Kate?"

"I told you," she snapped, "I said if you wouldn't tell me I'd come here myself –"

"And I told you that it was a federal case!" he exclaimed, "I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to!"

Kate was almost laughing now at Castle's stupidity, at least, that's what she felt she was laughing at.

"You seriously think that Captain Montgomery would honestly care if you told me what was going on?" she asked, arms crossed, resting them on her stomach, which, she hadn't noticed until now, seemed lower than normal. She dismissed the thought, however, at Castle's still fiery face.

"No, but Agent Fallon would."

"Is that the other guy who was at my desk?" she questioned, "Which, by the way, is not yours."

"No, but I needed somewhere to work, didn't I?"

"You don't work here, Castle!" Kate cried, "You are not a cop! How many times do I have to explain it to you, or are you just that stupid?"

"Okay, I'm going to pretend you didn't just call me stupid –"

"Pretend all you want, it doesn't change the fact that –"

"Kate, what's going on –"

"Nothing is going on!"

There was an awkward silence between the pair, Castle's eyes still angry, yet confused and concerned as they stared into her fiercely antagonized green ones.

"I just can't believe how selfish you're being –"

"Oh, me being selfish?" Castle exclaimed, "I'm not the one who is storming around town taking it out on everyone else because I can't come to work –"

"Well it's your fault anyway –"

"How is it my fault?"

"You're the one who got me pregnant!"

"It takes two to tango, Kate –"

"Don't be so immature –"

"Well, it's true –"

" – you stupid idiot, can't even –"

" – and you won't let me get a word in –"

" – you call yourself a writer, you know what, you're just so –"

" – when you're supposed to be reasonable, you're just being –"

" – selfish!"

" – selfish!"

They stood, staring at each other for a long moment, both brimming with fury. Kate was pissed, Castle was frustrated, and neither had noticed the arrival of Esposito at the head of the corridor.

"Uh, Castle?" he started cautiously, "We're having a briefing."

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec, Esposito –"

"No!" Kate growled, "You are not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"

"Beckett –"

"Stay out of it, Esposito."

"Kate, cut it out," Castle said simply, shocking Kate momentarily, enough for her to not have a reply, "go home. I'll see you there later."

"Castle, just tell me –"

"Beckett, he can't, none of us can –"

"Esposito, its fine," Castle reassured, glaring at a fuming Kate and gesturing with his head for Esposito to leave.

"Why is it so risky for me to know?" Kate questioned fiercely, "What's going on?"

"Kate, please, I can't tell you, but –"

"No buts, just tell me what I want to know –"

"Castle."

Montgomery's voice, although not loud, reached over Kate's in the small area they were arguing in. He looked frazzled, but in that moment, seemingly calm.

"You go on out to the briefing, I'll fill Beckett in," he said, directing Castle back into the main bullpen.

Kate had thought it so; Castle was being purely selfish, knowing that he was able to be on a case that she wasn't. It was childish, really, that he thought so much out of such a little case, and saying it was a federal one at that!

She thought this until Montgomery turned to her, his eyes ablaze.

"What do you think you're playing at, Beckett?" he snarled, "I told Castle to keep you at home!"

"I'm not a common house pet!" she exclaimed, "And considering I work here, I think I have a right to know!"

"Currently, you do not work here," Montgomery said sternly, "you are on official maternity leave, Kate."

"And I'm not to be on any cases, yeah, I got it," Kate muttered, "but Castle told me he was called in for brainpower, not horsepower."

"So?"

"So, why can't I help out?" Kate reasoned, still agitated, "I'm pregnant, not mentally challenged."

"The situation is too stressful, Kate –"

"Please, Sir," she interrupted, "if you need the help here, you know I can do it."

"I know you can," Montgomery replied quietly, "but I personally didn't want you in on this one."

"Why not?" Kate demanded, "What's so different about this one?"

"You know I can't tell you, Kate."

"Why is everyone so intent on keeping things from me?" she demanded.

"Because they care about you, Kate," he replied warmly, "and they don't want anything to happen to you or to your son."

It was the first time Kate had heard anyone refer to their baby as their 'son'. It was strange, really, when she thought about how long they'd known they were having a baby boy, but no one had said anything like what Montgomery just had.

"If this is so dangerous," Kate murmured softly, "then I want to help. Not just for me, but for everyone that I care about too."

Montgomery looked at her solemnly, his anger from moments ago still in the back of his mind for her insolence, but he could also see her own rage had quietened. She was not upset, instead determined. He had never once met anybody with as much fire in a need to help others than her.

"If I let you in on this," Montgomery began, "and don't think this is me agreeing to it, can you promise me that you won't do anything that will put yourself in any sort of danger? And when I say that, I mean I'm considering chaining you to your desk so you can't escape."

Kate let an unintended grin onto her face for a split second, before looking at the seriousness in his gaze.

"What about the federal agent?" Kate asked.

"Fallon?" Montgomery added with a chuckle of his own, "I'll spin something; I got Castle in, didn't I? But Beckett?"

Kate looked straight into his eyes, where most of the anger had seeped out to form sincere concern.

"Please, for the love of god, be careful."

X

Beckett wandered out into the bullpen, where the last of the detectives in the 12th were filling up the space in front of a whiteboard. Kate assumed they were about to have their briefing. Agent Fallon caught sight of Montgomery and Kate, and walked over, looking outraged.

"What's going on here, Captain?" he demanded, "Who's she?"

"Agent Fallon, Detective Kate Beckett," Montgomery introduced curtly, "one of my finest and brightest detectives."

"I can't have a pregnant cop on my task force –"

"She doesn't work in the field," Montgomery interjected, "she works here, runs names, leads, views surveillance, better than most. I assure you, she'll be an asset to the team."

He gave Kate a quick once over, not looking very happy at all, but nodded and wandered back over to the whiteboard, shaking his head.

"Thank you, Sir," Beckett murmured, giving him a nod and a smile, before he too moved off, closer to Fallon.

Nudging Castle on the shoulder, he looked up to see Kate staring back at him. He moved quickly from her chair, holding it as she sat down wordlessly. They did not exchange much more than that look, and nor were they interested in doing so either, as they listened carefully, moreso for Kate, who had no idea what was going on, to Agent Fallon.

"Jamal Alhabi," he started, gesturing to a photo on the whiteboard, "he had his cousin, Amir, fashion a dirty bomb, and then he killed him. He's most likely the leader of our terrorist cell. Less than twelve hours ago, he disappeared. Along with the bomb. Now, at minimum, he'd need a van or an SUV to transport it. Jamal owns a moving company. So, check his trucks. Pull traffic video. Work his financials. Folks, we live here. Our families, our loved ones, our neighbors. I don't have to tell you what's at stake. Let's find him."

Kate immediately saw what everyone had been meaning behind the risky nature of the case. It was highly volatile, and Kate couldn't help but let a hand absent-mindedly run across her stomach as she thought about what it could mean if they didn't find the bomb. However, she shook the thought from her mind for the moment, right now, she had work to do, and it seemed she hadn't come into this case a moment too soon.

"Detective Beckett?"

She turned to find Agent Fallon staring at her, his eyes piercing hers, "Yes, sir?"

"See that you get up to speed on the case," he ordered, throwing a manila file just in front of her, "and then, do your job."

She watched him walk away, wondering what could possibly make him seem so unlikeable.

"You don't know what you've gotten into," Castle murmured angrily beside her, looking darkly in her direction as she turned to face him. She couldn't help but have a smug grin on her face as he spoke to her.

"I know," she said, holding up the manila file and giving it a wiggle, "that's what I've got to find out."

X

So, I think I might leave it there for now. If you were wondering, this is set during 'Setup', closer to the end of the episode. Although Beckett wasn't there, you can assume all the case information is the same as it is in the original episode, because it is.