Alexis comes home from college to surprise her dad, but she's the one who gets a surprise on this night.

Alexis shut the front door to the loft quietly behind her. It was late, and while she knew her dad wouldn't really mind and that she was welcome to come home any time, but it was still strange not to actually live there any more now that she was in college.

As she slips her shoes off and sets her bag down on the table, she comes to a stop, realizing that there is already a bag sitting at the little collect-all table by the door.

Looking around now, she notices a pair of high-heeled boots tucked beneath the table.

Brow furrowed in confusion, Alexis looks around. Neither this bag nor the shoes belong to her grandmother, but they do seem like something that would belong to a certain detective her father works with.

Neither Beckett nor her father are to be seen. They could be in his office, she guesses, eyeing the closed door with curiosity. It wasn't terribly uncommon for the pair to work on a case together either here at the loft or at Beckett's place.

Shrugging, Alexis flips on the overhead light and freezes in shock. The living room looks like a bomb has exploded in someone's closet. There are clothes scattered everywhere, and, oh God, is that a lacey red bra?

She squeaks upon realizing what the mix of male and female clothing adorning the living room must mean.

It's been years since she's walked in on her Dad and one of his female friends. Actually, the only one was Gina and that was when they were married. Plus, then she didn't really understand what it was that was happening.

Oh, but now she does and it isn't a picture that she wants in her head at all.

She turns to flee the loft when the sight of that handbag and those boots stops her in her tracks once again.

Those heels, Beckett's heels. They're together?!

Alexis' head whips back towards the rest of the loft again. The door to her father's bedroom is closed and thankfully the loft is silent, so she takes a moment to think this through.

Taking a closer look at the less risqué clothing, she can't help but admit that there is a good possibility that the woman currently keeping her father company is none other than Kate Beckett. Those dark skinny jeans and that leather jacket combined with the high heeled boots? Definitely classic Beckett.

Deciding that she doesn't really need firsthand knowledge of just who the other woman in her father's life is, but she can ponder her identity just as easily back at school as she can standing in the loft, she turns to leave the loft once again.

Before she has even regained the entryway, a door clicks open behind her.

"I'll be right back I'm just going to- Alexis?"

She turns slowly, blushing red to the roots of her hair as she meets her father's blue eyes.

"Hi Dad." She mumbles, giving him a limp wave.

"W-what are you doing home? I didn't know you were coming did I?" he asks, his eyes trailing around the carnage of the rest of the loft before returning to his daughter.

"Um no, I uh, thought I'd surprise you."

"Well, um, mission accomplished?" he asks.

The two stare at each other across the loft for a moment, unsure of what to say, until a female voice echoes out of the open bedroom door, "Rick?"

"I'll, um, let you get back to, uh- yeah I'm gonna go back to school." Alexis says glancing at the door and back to her father.

Castle continues to stare at the teenager in front of him, seemingly at a loss for words as she backs towards the front door and slips her shoes on again.

"Oh, and Dad?" she asks as she grabs her bag off the table.

"Yeah?" he asks, somewhat breathlessly.

"Congratulations" she gives him a heartfelt smile, nodding towards the bedroom.

His eyes open wider in shock at her words.

"Not- no, I mean just, I know how you feel about her and…" she trails off, unsure of how not to make it seem as if she's congratulating her father for having the detective in his bed.

"Thanks Pumpkin." He says, his grin telegraphing that he understands what she's trying to tell him.

"So, I'm uh, just going to go. Night Dad." She says giving him a final smile before leaving the loft, shutting the door behind her exiting form, just as quietly as she had behind her entering one.