Hey Y'all! It's Lona :) No, I haven't given up on 'I will follow you into the dark', but I just haven't had inspiration for that one lately. While surfing through Castle videos online, I found a clip from 'Pretty Dead' and watched as Castle's heart broke as Alexis told him that she's planning to graduate early and go to Stanford. I listened to "Get Ready, Get set, Don't Go" and thought it was a perfect song for the father and daughter :)
I also have another song towards the end called "My father was" (Not sure who it's by)
ENJOY!
Disclaimer: Does it look like I own Castle?
She's got to do what she's got to do
And I've got to like it or not
She's got dreams too big for this town
And she needs to give them a shot
Wherever they are
Castle walked down the hallway to his loft, replaying memories of Alexis growing up inside his head as he pulls out his keys. Slipping them into the lock, he quietly hummed a song he heard on the radio. Now noticing a male's voice mixing with his daughters, he turned towards the voices as he walked through the door and was surprised to see Ashley and Alexis cuddled up on the loveseat.
"Ashley! What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Mr. Castle," Ashley still spoke hesitantly, even though he has been dating the man's daughter for about 2 years now.
"Hey, dad, guess what?" His interest piqued at his daughters smiling face. Alexis hadn't been truly happy for the past week or so due to relationship issues and she definitely wasn't happy when she broke up with him.
"What?"
"I'm going to Stanford."
You could almost hear his heart cracking.
"What?"
"I'm applying for early admissions. And since I've been taking extra classes, each semester since my freshman year, I have enough credits to graduate in the fall." The horrified, yet pleased expression on Ashley's face might've been comical for Castle to witness if the words coming out of his daughter's mouth weren't breaking his heart.
The writer sat down on the nearest couch to his left and repeated the only word that came out of his melted brain. "What?"
"Yeah, this way, Ash and I will be together in January! In college!" Alexis' ecstatic face was in complete contrast to the other two men's face in the room. Ashley sported a mortified face mixed with happiness as his girlfriend held him closer, while Castle sported a look of horror, happiness, and indescribable sadness.
Once again, he said the only word he could. "What?"
"That was actually her idea, sir." Ashley squeaked out, attempting to save his own hide as he saw mixed emotions inside the blue orbs belonging to Richard Castle.
"What?"
Looks like she's all ready to leave
Nothing left to pack
There ain't no room for me in that car
Even if she asked me to tag along
God I gotta be strong
"Dadda!" A 3 month old Alexis Castle yelled as her father teased her by not giving her the spoon of applesauce that he held in his hand. 23 year old Richard Castle gaped and jumped up in excitement, grabbing his handheld camcorder that rested on the cabinet next to him.
"Lexi, tell daddy what you just said!" His wide smile filled the room with happiness as he jumped for joy, his baby girl finally saying her first word.
Her infant face was blasted upon the small LCD screen of the camcorder as he zoomed in on the red tufts that lay upon her head and her scrunched up face, aggravated as she reached out for the bowl of applesauce that laid just out of reach from her scrawny little arms.
"Uh-oh what's with the happy dance?" 22 year old Meredith Castle said as she walked into the loft and saw her husband jumping up and down with joy, doing his "happy dance".
"Mer! Lexi said her first word! She said 'dadda'!" Castle continued to film as he grabbed Meredith in a tight embrace and gave her a short, but passionate kiss, thanking her for the best thing that's ever happened to him.
An impatient toddler wasn't grateful however, when she saw that her mom and dad weren't paying attention to her and getting her applesauce.
"Dadda!" She cried out once again, trying to get his attention.
"Did you hear? Did you hear that, Mer? She said it! She said 'dadda'!" Running back to his daughter, he scooped her in his arms and covered her in kisses as she continued to squeal, protesting against his actions.
"Dadda!"
She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life
As ready as she's ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes
The prize is hers to win
She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road
"Dad, are you alright?" Alexis brings him back to the present and he looks around and notices that Ashley had left.
"What?"
"Is that the only thing you can say now? You haven't said anything else since you walked in the loft." She bit her lip. "If you're not okay with…" She trailed off, looking at her father's eyes for any sign of a reaction.
Castle sighed and grabbed her hand. "Honey, it's your future and Stanford is an amazing school. Whatever you want to do, I will support you all the way."
"Dad, If you don't wan-" She continued, shaking her redlocks causing a strand to fall loose and cover a part of her face.
Reaching out to push it behind her ear, her father sadly smiled and pulled her closer to him. "Pumpkin, you know that I love you. No matter what you decide to do, I will support you because your IQ is most likely higher than mine and I know that you wouldn't do anything that would be detrimental to your future."
She wrapped her slender arms around her father's fit torso and hugged him close, inhaling the scent she's gotten used to growing up. "I love you too, dad. You will always be the first and last man I love, no matter who I'm with. You know that, right?"
"I know that, and I want you to know that it's mutual to me too."
She says things are fallen into place
Feels like they're fallen apart
I painted this big ol' smile on my face
To hide my broken heart
If only she knew
This is where I want to but I won't get in the way
Of her and her dreams
And spreadin' her wings
It's 10 years down the road and Castle stands just outside of the chapel hallway, fixing his tie before turning a brass doorknob into a closed off room.
His breath was instantly taken away from him as his eyes lay upon a young redhead, fixing her simple but beautiful halter chiffon side-draped beach wedding dress. Her delicate scarlet curls lay upon her head in a precisely delicate bun, some strands purposefully left to cascade down the side of her face. She turned around; smiling gently as she opened her arms nervously for her father to envelope her. He did just so and pulled her into his body, inhaling the sweet scent that is Alexis Castle, Soon to be Alexis Turner once she says 'I do' to her fiancé, Ashley Turner.
"Daddy, I love you." Looking down, he could see her blue eyes glossing over and he smiled as his eyes begin to water as well.
He just pulls her in closer and begins to hum a line of a song they shared years ago.
Who was there when I first opened up my eyes?
And who was there to heal the hurt
when I first learned to ride?
And who never missed a game
celebrate me won or loss?
Yes my Father was
When adolescent years had come who helped me understand?
and when the winning point was scored
who in victory raised my hand?
And when I hung my head in shame
who was there to lift it up?
Yes my Father was
"And I still am, Pumpkin." With a small smile, he leaned down and kissed her softly on her cheek and hugged her one last time, and grabbed her small hand in his and kissed the back of it. "Let's go, baby. There's one lucky man out there waiting to take your hand."
"Remember what I said 10 years ago dad?"
"That you were running off to Stanford with your boyfriend?" He teased her as he squeezed her hand in his as they made their way to the back of the audience. Their voices lowered considerably as they began walking down the aisle to a nervous Ashley who stood admiring his fiancé from afar.
"That…and I meant what I said. You will always be the first and last man I love, no matter who I'm with. Ashley is amazing and I love him. But you will always be the first man I ever loved and always will." Alexis was suddenly very grateful for Kate's advice about the waterproof mascara as she felt tears run down her cheeks.
They stopped at the front and he pulled her into a last hold. "I love you, baby girl."
"Love you too, Daddy."
He shook hands with Ashley and took his seat next to Kate Castle in the front row, putting on a big ol' smile to hide his broken heart. But this is where he wants to, but he won't get in the way of her and her dreams. She's spreading her wings. She's at the starting line of the rest of her life and he's back in the training area, cheering her along. That's all he can do. But in his mind, he's thinking…
Baby get ready
Get set
Please don't go
It's not angsty or anything like my other stories! I think this is the first fluffy story that I've ever written :) Hope you like it! Please review if you did, because that tells me that it's actually good! This is a oneshot songfic, but IF any of you have any ideas for a songfic but don't know how to put it in writing, put it in a review along with the idea! If I think it's something I can write, I'll private message you! Nothing makes me happier than checking my email and seeing reviews!
Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to check out my other stories as well if you haven't already!
-Lona