A/N: As per fbobs' reminder. The realities of having a new puppy:

"Rick, where's the dog?"

They were sitting on his bed. She'd brought home the case file she was working on and he was – well she wasn't really sure if he was actually working, or reading tv news.

"Ummm…" He didn't turn his head.

He'd heard her, but he didn't comprehend it until she said, "Castle!" and he finally looked at her, processing her question at last.

"The dog?" he looked around the room. "I think I saw him go in the bathroom a few minutes ago?"

"Gus," she called, in the direction of the bathroom. "Come here, Gus!"

Pretty soon, he came trotting out of the bathroom with what was as close to a smile as a dog could have, and toilet paper stuck to his beard.

"Great," she said, picking him up off the floor and plucking wet tissue from his mouth. "Gus, why?" she asked, getting up to flick the mess into a nearby trashcan. Then added, "You wanna go clean that up, Castle?" sounding a little irritated.

He was already zoned back out, looking at his laptop.

She turned, trying to get his attention with, "Rick," just as another, "Richard!" came floating through the open bedroom door.

The combination managed to break his trance and he looked up. "YES?" he called to Martha, looking at Kate with a what-is-happening face.

Her mouth flattened into a thin line that said maybe you should pay attention.

Martha's voice came from the kitchen. "Your furry friend left us a little present on the floor! I almost stepped in it."

Kate grimaced and Castle huffed, glaring at Gus.

"Don't glare at him," she reprimanded. "I told you to check on him, like half an hour ago."

"You did?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes!" She handed him the dog. "I said, 'make sure he goes potty' and you said, 'okay'."

"I did?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Go clean up the bathroom." Then turned on her heel and left the room.

"Sorry, Martha," she said, coming out into the kitchen. "I'll take care of it."

"You couldn't drag Richard away from his computer?" Martha asked, sympathetically.

Kate chuckled ironically and said, "Oh, don't worry. There's more for him to clean up in the bathroom."

Martha smiled and waved her hand with a dramatic, "The joys of a puppy!"

They shared a laugh as Kate cleaned up the yellow puddle on the floor. Then they both looked up when the front door opened.

"Oh! Alexis!" Martha chirped hurrying over to sweep her into a hug. "My darling! I didn't know you were coming over!"

Alexis hugged her back and said, "Some friends and I went to dinner and I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd stop by and say hi." Beckett smiled and waved at her and she waved back. "Hey, Kate."

"How are you, Alexis?"

"Great, thanks," she answered. "What's going on with you guys tonight?"

Martha interjected. "Gus has been keeping us all on our toes."

Alexis saw Kate throwing a wad of paper towels in the trash and said excitedly, "Gus is here?"

Just then, Castle came out of his room, holding the dog.

"Hey, Pumpkin," Castle said, giving her a hug and kissing the top of her head.

"Hi, Dad." She barely returned his hug before turning to the dog and cooing, "Hey there, Gus! Did you leave a mess all over the house? Silly boy!" She reached out for him, looking at her dad. "Can I…" she didn't even finish the question before she took the puppy and started hugging and kissing him. "C'mon Gusy, let's go play. Where's your ball?"

As Alexis walked away with the dog, Castle turned to Martha and Kate, and threw up his hands, looking aghast. "Did you see that? She doesn't even care that I haven't seen her in a week. She just wants to play with the dog." He worked up his best pout and added, "I wish I'd never gotten that dog."

Kate laughed. "Please, Castle. You love Gus."

"I know!" Castle said. "That's the problem! So does everyone in the world." He turned to Martha, thumbing towards Kate and said, "Can you believe, I brought her chocolate covered cherries the other day and she didn't even care because she was so busy giving the dog a bath."

"Yes I did," Kate defended. "I told you they were delicious. But it didn't help that the only reason you got them was because you put a short in the earbuds that I let you borrow."

Castle gasped and Martha tsked at him. Then, nudging Kate with her elbow and covering her mouth with one hand, she said, "Richard can be a little careless at times."

"Mother. I'm right here," Castle protested.

The both ignored him and Kate nodded to Martha, saying quietly, "He means well, but sometimes he can be like a bull in a china shop."

"Guys, seriously?" Castle said, frowning at them. "What is this? Gang-up-on-Castle day?"

"Oh, poor baby," Kate said mockingly, as she reached out to pat his cheek.

"I don't need this," Castle said sourly, when she and Martha snickered at him. "My daughter and my dog will accept me, even if you two won't."

And with that, he plodded over to the couch where Alexis was tossing the ball for Gus.

Turning to Martha, Beckett asked, "You don't think we really hurt his feelings, do you?"

The older woman winked at her and replied, "He's got a pretty thick skin."

They turned back to watch him playing with Alexis and the dog, and Kate couldn't hide her grin. When her eyes slid briefly back over, Martha had a knowing smile, eyebrows raised questioningly.

Her cheeks colored a little but she smiled back and said, "I just forget sometimes how childlike he can be. How much innocence he's been able to hold on to."

"Because you're used him being anything but innocent," Martha said, smirking.

Kate almost choked on nothing, quickly looking away from Martha, back to Gus who was digging frantically at Castle's thigh, trying to get at the ball.

But soon, she said, "It's just that he's not so jaded. Not the way you would expect someone like him to be."

Martha nodded. "You know, there was a time when I worried that he would stop being that fun-loving kid." She laughed. "But clearly, I had nothing to worry about."

Beckett turned to her, a frown creasing her forehead, and asked, "What do you mean?" She circled her finger, clarifying. "About him losing his fun."

"He never told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Well, he didn't come out of the womb fixated on death and the macabre."

Kate frowned. "He's never told me why he was drawn to writing murder mysteries."

"Maybe you should ask him," Martha said with a shrug.

"I have," Kate assured her. "But he deflected and wove some tale."

"Ah, that's Richard, for you," Martha said, chuckling.

Kate sighed, nodding in agreement. "He likes to be dramatic and over the top about his feelings, but when it comes down to the important stuff, a lot of times I have no idea what he's thinking. I mean, I know I'm one to talk but at least he knows when something is bothering me. With him, if it's something really serious, he doesn't crack. He redirects, and half the time, I don't even know it's affecting him."

"Like the way he pretends not to care who his father is?"

"Exactly," Kate said.

"Or all the years that he pined away for you?"

Her head snapped to look at Martha. "He talked to you about us?"

"He didn't have to. I wasn't born yesterday," Martha said. "But there were nights when he would come home sulking and essentially tell me how much he loved you. Not in so many words, but I knew. I'm his mother after all."

Kate looked down, pinching the bridge of her nose, feeling awful. "I'm afraid I've done a lot of things to hurt the poor guy."

Martha put a hand on hers and said, "I'm not trying to guilt trip you, dear. I think you both needed time. All I'm trying to say is that sometimes Richard needs a little coaxing. He'll open up eventually. He always does. And you've been a good force in his life since the day you two met."

"Thank you, Martha," Kate said with a grateful smile. "He amazes me every day and I don't know how I manage to deserve him."

"Don't sell yourself short, kiddo." Martha put an arm around Beckett's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "You've got plenty to offer. I think the two of you play to each others strengths."

Just as she was about to answer, a shriek came from the floor of the living room and they both turned to look.

Alexis was reaching for Castle's phone and he was defending himself by tickling her, while Gus stood on the sofa cushion, barking at the action.

"Come on, Alexis," Castle was saying. "Your friends would love it! You were so adorable! It's just one tiny little picture."

"Why are you even friends with my friends? There's facebook etiquette, Dad!"

He held his phone as high as he could, trying to wrestle her away. "I'm the cool dad! They added me! Plus I had to vet this Nolan guy that you like."

Alexis made a frustrated, growling noise, scrambling up onto the couch, reaching for his hand, and Gus jumped onto her lap, still barking.

"Dad, seriously. If you post that picture I will be so mad."

Castle jerked his hand away and stared poking at the screen of his phone, saying, "But look at you in that bathtub! You have bubbles in your hair. You're so cute!"

"Dad, I'm topless!"

"You were three!"

"Give it!"

She finally managed to wrench it from his grasp, then jumping up, she headed for the door.

"I'm leaving. And you're not getting this back!"

He ran after her, Gus in tow, saying, "Ok! Alexis, I promise I won't post it. Don't leave! Give me my phone!"

They all three ran out the door and Martha and Kate listened as the scuffle continued, down the hall.

"Well!" Martha said, looking at Kate.

They both laughed.

"That was…"

Kate didn't get to finish what she was about so say before the door opened again and Castle came in holding his phone triumphantly and calling behind him, "Don't think this is over, Alexis! You think I don't back up my phone in case people like you delete stuff? Plus I have the actual Polaroid in a box somewhere!"

He was just shutting the door behind him when Kate said, "Castle. The dog."

"Oh, crap." He yanked the door back open and ran out.

When he came back in, he was out of breath but had Gus in his hand. Then, coming to a halt in front of where his mother and Beckett were still leaning against the counter, he said, "So, whatcha talkin' about?" as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

They both just looked at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked, reaching out absentmindedly to set Gus on the counter.

"Not on the counter!" they both said at the same time.

Realizing what he was doing and quickly set the dog on the floor instead.

"Oops."

He kept standing there, awkwardly looking between them, until Kate said, "You chased Alexis away."

With a shrug, he ate some of the grapes that were in a bowl on the counter and said, "She was leaving anyway. I'm glad she stopped by, though."

"So you could torment the poor girl?" Martha asked, just as the phone started ringing.

Castle picked it up from the cradle and looked at the caller ID. "Who's Harold Whitaker?"

"Oh! I'll take that," Martha said, throwing up her hands. "You kids have a good evening," she said as she hurried toward the stairs with the phone.

Kate laughed as she disappeared, then looked at Castle, saying, "The similarities are… overwhelming."

He put a hand to his chest, looking shocked. "Madam, did you just imply that I'm just like my mother?"

Shaking her head and smiling, Kate replied, "No. I didn't imply that. I said it, explicitly."

He gasped. "I'm offended."

She returned his gasp with a laugh and said, "Your mom is sweet, Castle."

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "The sweetest loose cannon you'll ever meet." She laughed again and he said, "What were you two whispering about anyway?"

Making her way around the island, to where he was standing, she smiled sweetly. "Just stuff."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Castle."

"I don't like the sound of that," he said, frowning as she slid her hand onto his chest.

She smiled. "She was just telling me all of your deep, dark secrets."

"I definitely don't like the sound of that!"

Chuckling into his neck, she said, "Calm down. We were just bonding a little."

"Do you know how my mother bonds? By telling ridiculous tales and embarrassing the people associated with her."

"Like I said. Striking similarities."

"Now you're just being mean."

"Only because you're a better kisser when you feel pressured."

She pulled her head back to smirk at him and he glared at her. "I'll show you good-kisser."

He was leaning towards her, when her eyes flicked over his shoulder and she gasped, running into the living room saying, "No, no, no, no! Gus! Hold it till the newspaper, buddy!"

Gus was just squatting when she swept him up and ran into the other room where his bathroom was. Castle followed and leaned against the door frame, watching her praise him for pooping on the newspaper.

"I think he's getting the hang of it," Castle said.

She snorted. "Not as fast as he would be if you actually checked on him when you're supposed to, instead of just leaving him to roam the house by himself with nothing to do but poop and pee all over the place."

"Whoa," Castle said, holding up a hand. "Take it easy. I only forgot the one time. Puppies have accidents, Kate. It's a brute fact."

"I know," she said, looking at him apologetically. "But it's still frustrating."

"Well, next time, I'll let him run away down the hall," Castle teased. "Maybe Mrs. Kilburn will find him and adopt him."

"Don't joke about that," she said, frowning. "You'd be devastated if he ran away."

Castle nodded. "We should really get him some tags."

"Oh!" She looked up from cleaning up the newspapers. "That reminds me. I did. I think I stuck them in my wallet. Will you go get them?

When she came back out with Gus, Castle was sitting on the couch, the contents of her purse spread on the coffee table.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett." He laughed, looking at her driver license. "Look at this! What happened to you that day? You look like a felon!"

She glared at him and yanked it out of his hand. "Castle! What the hell is wrong with you?"

While she was stuffing it back in her wallet, he laughed again and said, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone looks dreadful in their driver license picture."

"I told you to get the dog tags, not dig around in my purse."

"Well, what did you expect me to do? Not dig through your stuff?"

"Yes!"

"You know me better than that, Kate."

"I know you're about to get smacked in your fat head," she said, collecting her things and putting them back in her purse.

"Ooooo. Smacking. I could get into that."

A/N: I had to work it in after I read it on tumblr. I mean c'mon. We've all wondered about her middle name, right? :D AWM is so cool, yo.