A/N: I am so sorry this took awhile to get to you! Work was a killer this last week and my muse decided to take a leave of absence. I think she's back now though, so I hope you enjoy! It's not super long but there are some good conversations that needed to happen and it felt right to end it where I did. I'll try to not take that long for an update again. No promises though, June is going to be crazy!
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Oh the possibilities if I did. I wouldn't mind working with them legally though…wonder if I could get a job in their writer's room once I finish college…
Alexis Castle stood in the entryway that led to the kitchen of her home gapping. Her father was sitting with one Detective Kate Beckett, eating pancakes, and they seemed…more than friendly. As Alexis looked closer she was certain that Kate was wearing one of her old dresses.
"Dad?" she asked and both adults jumped in surprise at her voice, "Detective Beckett, um, hi."
"Alexis!" Rick gasped, "I didn't expect you home until after lunch! How was the party?"
He looked between Alexis, who was studying his breakfast company and Kate who had a 'deer in the headlights' look on her face. Both eying each other with uncertainty.
"It's almost one o'clock dad," Alexis answered more harshly than she had intended. "The party was great though. Lots of tears and sharing memories, all the sappy stuff."
"I'm glad you had a good time," Rick responded and got up to give his daughter a hug as she moved slowly into the kitchen. "You probably aren't hungry, but there are extra pancakes if you are. Um…"
"Hi Alexis," Kate said as she finally joined the conversation, "I hope you don't mind but your dad let me scoop out your closet for something to wear…"
"I didn't think you would mind Lex."
"It's fine," Alexis answered honestly with a smile. She didn't care that the detective had picked out something of hers to wear; she was more interested in finding out why she had needed to. "Do I even want to know what is going on here?"
"Kate and I…"
"Your dad and I…"
Both adults spoke at the same time and Alexis had to smile at how in sync they were with each other. And she surely didn't miss the look or smile that passed between them before her father turned to look at her again.
"Kate and I are a couple now," her father said simply and she turned to look at Kate who only nodded and reached out to grab her dad's hand. "I know…"
"Congratulations!" Alexis exclaimed honestly and happily. "I mean, it's great as long as your intentions towards my father are honorable. He's been hurt a lot and I don't want to see that happen again."
"ALEXIS!"
"No, it's fine Rick," Kate said, silencing Rick's exclamation. She turned towards Alexis, smiling, and answered. "My intentions towards this relationship with your dad are completely honorable. I know he's been hurt, and I know I've done some of that hurting…"
"Kate…"
"Rick, let me finish," Kate scolded gently, before turning back to Alexis, "I know I did some of that hurting, Alexis. And I'm so sorry that I did. But, but…I know now that I'm ready. Ready to be in a relationship. To accept my past and move forward and to love your dad with my whole life, because I do. And I hope you can be okay with that."
Alexis looked between the two adults before allowing a smile to grow on her face. She took several steps forward and wrapped her arms around Kate in a tight hug. "I'm very okay with that. You're good for him and you make him happy. That's all I've ever wanted."
Kate looked over the teenager's head and into Rick's eyes as she answered. "He makes me very happy too."
"Can you tell me how this all happened?"
Rick laughed, "She was just getting ready to tell me. Why don't you pull up a barstool? Sure you aren't hungry?"
"Nah, we had brunch before I left. Wait, dad you don't know how this happened?"
"Not all of it," Kate told her before smirking at Rick, "We didn't really talk too much last night."
"Oookay! Those details need to be left out," Alexis moaned, "There are some things that I just don't need to know ANYTHING about."
Rick and Kate laughed, "You got it."
"So, explain?"
As Kate explained the story both Castles sat quietly, only interrupting for a question every once and awhile when they needed more explanation. Kate explained how she felt after her talk with Castle and what him leaving did to her. She explained the lead from the DNA had given her hope that she would be able to put everything to rest once and for all and wasn't thinking about the consequences. Kate went on about finding the apartment and the files and then having the shooter get the drop on them and her chasing after him without even checking on Esposito and the guilt she had for that. She went over the fight on the roof and the how the scuffle had landed her hanging from the edge, certain that she was going to die. She explained how she called out for Castle and was certain she heard his voice, but when she was pulled to safety it was Ryan and Gates that were there.
She told them the thought process on her way to back to the precinct and how she resigned. She told them that she didn't know what was going to happen to Esposito or Ryan, but she knew she needed to call them both soon.
"I was wandering around in the rain," she said, "not sure where I was going or what I was going to do and I ended up at the swing set that we were on when we talked in September. I replayed that conversation over and over in my head and then I followed it up with the conversation yesterday night and I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life. And then I walked here."
"And I think that is where the story needs to end for me," Alexis voiced with a little smirk, her eyes still shone with sadness from hearing Kate's story. "I'm glad you're okay Kate. And I'm glad that you and dad finally have each other."
"Thank you Alexis," Kate responded and gave the girl's hand a squeeze. "That truly means a lot to me."
"So what are you going to do now?" Rick asked, his hands running up and down on her spine. "What are your plans?"
"I don't know," Kate answered with a shrug. "I didn't really have anything planned other than finding you when I made the decision. I'm sure there will be paperwork to sign and such, but…I don't know."
"Why don't you go to the Hamptons with us?" Alexis questioned. "We were going to out there at least for the weekend before we decided what my last summer before college looks like. Come with us."
"I couldn't impose on you like that…"
"It's not an imposition when we ask you to come Kate," Castle assured her with a kiss on her temple. "Come with us. It'll give us a chance to talk some more. To make some decisions."
"If you're sure…"
"More than sure," Castle responded and Kate pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. "Great! We were going to leave about four to head out there. We can stop at your apartment on the way out of town and let you pack an bag? If that works for you?"
Kate smiled and nodded again, "that sounds great. Thanks Rick, Alexis."
"You bet!" Castle exclaimed happily. "This is going to be the best weekend ever!"
He shot off and headed to his room where Kate could only assume he was packing a bag. She turned to look at Alexis who was looking intently at her.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? Because, I mean…I'd understand…"
"Kate," Alexis stopped her and smiled, "I wasn't happy with everything that went down last summer. I'm pretty sure you know that…"
Kate nodded and Alexis shrugged.
"We're protective people, us Castle's. I've watched my dad get hurt over and over again and when I saw it happening again I got angry. My dad, he's…he's a huge softy. And when he falls in love he falls hard. It's hard to see him so upset…"
"I never meant to hurt him," Kate insisted, "I hope you know that."
"I do now," Alexis assured her. "And really Kate, as long as he's happy, I'm happy. I think you two have always been the end result, it just took awhile to get there."
"Well it's not going to take any longer, I promise."
"I know," Alexis answered with a hug and a smile. "And he's going to need you once I'm off at college, even if we'll still be in the same city."
"He's going to be bugging you every chance he has."
Alexis laughed, "as long as you promise to try to give me a heads up, I think I'll be okay."
"It's a promise."
"What's a promise," Rick asked as he overheard Kate's comment as he walked back into the room and the two women just laughed. "What promise?"
"It's between us Castle," Kate answered, "You don't expect us to tell, do you?"
"Yeah dad."
Rick shook his head, "I'm never going to win again, am I?"
Kate and Alexis answered together, "nope."
A/N: It's crazy to me to think of all the people out there reading this! Thank you for taking the time and putting me on alert. Now, I hate begging for reviews, but I'm not above it! I would love to hear what you think, even if it is negative. I can't improve my writing without feedback, so please, please, please let me know what you think! I'll give cupcakes!