All you need is Pi

By

Natalie Elizabeth

Castle nervously watched as Pi opened the door and walked into the apartment. He sure hoped Beckett hadn't been serious about getting his daughter a pink Taser for her birthday. Taking a few steps in, he saw two lumps lying on the couch.

"Kate. Alexis."

The red-headed lump moved swiftly. She stood up, then immediately blocked his view of the brunette on the other end of the couch.

"What are you doing here, Dad? Back for round two?"

Castle tried to take a step forward to look at his fiancé who still hadn't moved, but his daughter moved in his way.

"Alexis?" he questioned.

"She's asleep Dad. Leave her alone, leave us alone."

"Al, your Dad came here to apologize," Pi told her as he walked past.

"Is that pizza?" she asked, spying the box.

"I'll put it in the fridge; you can have some after you talk with your dad."

Alexis tried to protest, but Pi was already walking out of the room. Sighing with frustration, she turned back to her father and levelled him with a glare.

"Well."

Castle sighed. "I've been a fool."

Alexis nodded. "Finally, something we agree on. Although both Kate and I used stronger language than that."

"Is she okay?" he asked, trying to get a look at his fiancée.

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest. "She was quite angry when she got here. Dad, what possessed you to tell Kate I was none of her business, and since when did you raise me the right way? Kate was just trying to help us, Dad. Help us. Not trying to drive a wedge between us. Do you remember what Gina was like?"

Castle hung his head down. "She liked it when we fought."

"Yeah, she did. She told me you didn't understand me, and maybe it would be better if I lived with my mother. Gina hated how close we were, whereas Kate is trying to make sure we keep our bond."

"I know Pumpkin, I know. I just got scared, okay. One minute, I'm your whole world, and then the next suddenly its Pi, Pi, Pi."

Alexis mouth quirked. "Dad, one minute I'm your whole world, and then the next it's all Kate, Kate, Kate."

Castle's head shot up. "I've told you Kate could never replace you in my life."

Alexis nodded. "And Pi will never replace you."

Castle stared at his daughter. Why was she so smart? Why did he have to raise such a smart daughter? She wasn't supposed to use her powers for evil.

"I just worry about you. You're my daughter."

"And I worry about you, you're my father."

"Yeah well, I am older," he challenged.

Alexis shrugged. "It just means you have wrinkles and grey hair. It doesn't mean you're smarter."

Castle gasped. "I do not have grey hair."

Alexis couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. Her father was such a girl sometimes.

"Dad, I love you, but I have to live my own life. I know I have only known Pi for a short amount of time, but it's quality versus quantity. Pi knows me better than some of the friends I've had since I was five. Six months ago, I would have laughed if I was told I'd be living with a guy I met in Costa Rica. A year ago, I would never have expected to end up in Paris under the circumstances that I did. We can't predict life, Dad, but we can make it the best one we can if people just let us."

Castle mulled over what his daughter said.. When he killed off Storm, he had no idea where his life was going to go. Then he had practically offered to sign Kate's chest, and his life changed forever. Changed in ways he never thought possible. His daughter was right, and he hated being wrong.

"If a psychic told me I'd end up with Kate as my future wife, I would have thought they were a fake."

"Psychics are fake," Beckett told him as she sat up from the couch.

Alexis turned around to look at her future stepmother. "Do you want me to throw him out?"

Kate stood up. "No. Rick, it's late. What do you want?"

"I want my family back," he told the two women.

"That's not up to us, Dad: that's up to you."

Castle nodded. "I know it is. I have already admitted I was a fool. What else can I do to fix this?"

"Not act like Pi is the scum of the universe," Alexis told her father.

"Oh, your father doesn't hate me, Al."

Alexis turned to see Pi entering the room.

"What?" she asked confused.

"He admitted that he doesn't hate me. He doesn't exactly like me, but I'm working on that. Right, Mr C?"

Castle laughed but nodded. "Right. Pi is.." he was trying to find a word that wouldn't get him into trouble. "Unusual, but I think I can work with that."

Beckett laughed. "That's funny, Castle. I thought the same thing about you when I first met you."

Castle scoffed. "Oh please, you so wanted me."

Beckett turned to look at Alexis. "That offer still open to throw him out?"

Alexis nodded, so Castle put his arms up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Pi is someone I should get to know a bit better first before I start passing judgment."

"You really mean it?" Alexis asked.

Castle nodded.

Alexis looked over to Pi, and he was smiling at her so she smiled too. "Okay. If Pi is willing to give you a chance despite the way you have acted, then I guess I can too."

Castle smiled. He had his daughter back, well sort of. She was never going to be his little 5 year old daughter who demanded he hold her hand when 'he' crossed the road. However, she would love him and share memories with him, no matter how old she got.

"Hug?" he asked what he now realised was a young woman in front of him.

Alexis shook her head and crossed her arms again. "Oh no, you are still in my bad books. You were a jerk to Kate for trying to help me."

Castle looked at the other woman in the room. She wasn't levelling him with a glare like his daughter was, which was unusual for Kate. She looked upset, but what was really shining through was sympathy. She understood him. Even when he was being a jerk, she still understood. Alexis and Kate were right to use stronger language than fool. He took a step forward, and this time his daughter allowed him access to his fiancé.

"Kate, I'm sorry I yelled at you. It was stupid of me. Even before we were together, I came to you for advice on how to be the best parent for Alexis. It's just from the day I got custody of her, I was worried someone would try and take her away because I was a bad parent. I trust and respect you, Kate. To hear you tell me I needed to back off caused me to panic. I knew you were right, and I hated being wrong. I hated being the bad parent. I'm supposed to be the cool Dad. The green-eyed monster reared its' ugly head. I was jealous that Alexis liked you more."

Kate smiled and slid Alexis an amused look.

"You'll always be the cool dad, Rick. There are times when you should be strict and you weren't, and there will be times like now when you need to chill."

Castle nodded. " I'm just in the refrigeration mode, not the freezer mode at the moment, but I am trying. It means a lot that you care about my daughter. I'm glad she can talk to you."

Beckett looked at Castle. She knew it was hard for him. He had been a single parent, and didn't exactly have the most ideal role model either.

"Come on, Mrs C to be. I think he means it."

Beckett looked over at Pi and nodded. "Yeah, I think he does too."

A huge grin broke out on Castle's face. "So do you like me again?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "I guess I have to. All my stuff is at your place." She then entered the arms of her husband to be. His arms surrounded her and she felt the day's stress simply melt away. Beckett looked at Alexis, and raised her brows at the young woman.

"Fine," she huffed but Beckett knew it was just for show.

Alexis walked over to them and joined the hug.

"Aww, family hug." Pi announced as he walked over to the huddle.

Castle looked up suddenly and sent a glare Pi's way. Alexis and Beckett looked at the two men. Castle, feeling the heat on his body from the glares both his daughter and fiancée were sending him, reluctantly lifted an arm up.

"Come on then. Only for a second, and it doesn't mean I like you."

Alexis and Beckett both leaned in and gave Castle a peck on each cheek.

Castle sighed. "Well, I guess I could do with a little Pi in my life."

The four hugged for a few seconds.

"Kate, when we go home can we stop at a store? Mother will kill me I she finds out I ate her ice cream."

The end.

Authors Note: I hope everyone out there has a "Pi" in their life. Someone who has shown them a world they never knew existed and has made their life better for it.

In a week I'll be celebrating 7 years of marriage to my 'Pi'.

I thought my future was a dark and gloomy one with no escape. He showed me the way out, that there was a way out. When my Pi entered my life it wasn't received well. Family and friends were apprehensive. Yet years later all those who meet us say how perfect we are for each other. How different I am compared to ten years ago. I started believing in myself. I wasn't the ugly freak myself and the people around me, made me out to be. I now smile when I look in the mirror, I am beautiful and I never knew that before. I have confidence to do extraordinary things. I have travelled overseas numerous times now. Seen lava in Hawaii. Took a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls. Snorkelled on a south Pacific island. Hiked to a glacier in Alaska. I even travelled to the US on my own to visit a friend I made through fan fiction.

I could never have dreamed that I would do such amazing things if it hadn't been for my Pi. His love and support helps me be the woman I have always wanted to be.

Thank you to the Pi's of the world.