Author's Notes: I do not own Castle, I am just a fan. All characters and properties belong to ABC Studios, and their parent company Disney. Also I'm trying to keep this from being a self insert mary sue fiction, but I understand if it starts seeming like one.

Chapter 1.

At 10 AM Richard Castle walked into the precinct looking like death warmed over. A cup of coffee in his hand, and his trademark purple shirt baggy and unpressed he grumbled as he half stumbled his way through the office and eventually arrived at his favorite chair near Beckett's desk.

"Rough night?" Beckett asked as she watched Castle melt into the chair. Beckett couldn't help but be a little amused. She'd seen castle function on very little sleep, as he managed to cram hours of writing, research and his various hobbies into a day without much difficulty or signs of stress. Seeing him finally defeated was intriguing.

Castle nodded his head. "Alexis had a breakdown last night, it was not pretty." Castle then chuckled "Actually it was quite adorable but still wasn't pleasant." Castle rubbed his temples and took a massive swig of coffee from his cup. "Three internships are finally catching up with her. She just sat on her bed and cried. I talked her into quitting one but she still seemed pretty down. Also it turns out she misses Ashley, that's why she's been burying herself in work lately."

This was slightly shocking to Beckett. "I almost forgot Alexis could feel stressed and lonely. She always seems so together." She remarked. Beckett had seen Alexis act emotional but only on extremely severe occasions, most memorably when Castle and Martha were trapped as hostages during a bank robbery. It made sense to Beckett that Castle would seem exhausted after dealing with Alexis actually acting like a teenager. The situation rattled him way more than it would most other parents because he almost never had to deal with it.

Castle took another enormous gulp of coffee. "As against all father logic as this sounds, I think I need to get Alexis a date."

Beckett reeled in surprise of this. Castle always had a zany form of semi logic, but deciding that he needed to set his daughter up with a boy lacked common sense on a level she thought was beyond even Castle. "You're not serious?"

Castle shook his head and then delivered a truly remarkable grin. "Think about it Kate. She's upset about losing her last boyfriend so she worked herself up with all these internships, but obviously that's not filling up the hole Ashley left. So I'll find her a boy who can occupy her time and energy until I can figure out a more permanent solution."

"Can't you just get her a puppy? I mean putting your teenage daughter on the rebound with some boy doesn't sound like a good idea to me." Beckett replied.

"I trust Alexis and if I can find the right guy for her to keep her happy all will work out." Castle answered. "Now think, where am I going to find a who's got self discipline, is smart, trustworthy, and hopefully is exciting but socially acceptable."

Beckett rolled her eyes "Sounds like you should introduce her to a local Boy Scout troop and let her take her pick."

Castle hemmed and hawed for a while before gleefully snapping his fingers. "Scouts! That's it. I'll set her up with one of the boys in the Explorer program." The Explorer program was a job training organization related to Scouting. The NYPD had several kids in their late teens learning how to be cops, through Explorers they learned police procedure and several of the skills it took to become a good police officer.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "This won't work Castle. You can't just assign your daughter a boyfriend and assume that you're going to fix her problems."

Castle's mischievous grin expanded across the corners of his mouth. "Watch me." He then turned around. "Hey Ryan?" Castle yelled to the good Irish American detective.

"Yeah Castle" detective Ryan responded politely as he looked up from paperwork.

"You work with the explorer post sometimes. Are there any good looking boys between the ages of 17 and nineteen who're single and are looking for a date?"

Ryan looked extremely confused he mouthed "what the hell" as he tried to process Castle's request.

Beckett saved Castle's dignity by explaining "He's trying to set Alexis up."

Ryan tsked his lips as he racked his brain. "what kind of guys does Alexis usually go for?"

"Tall, Smart, polite." Castle replied. "Good boy's pretty much."

Beckett sighed. "Castle, Alexis isn't going to go for her usual type right now. She'll want something different, more exciting. Someone with more of an edge."

"Let me think" Ryan relied. "Good boy but exciting…"

"But not too exciting" Castle said with haste.

"I know a kid who might work well with Alexis. Jim Walker." Ryan replied. "He's a good kid, but he's got a flair for the dramatic and has some less than safe interests."

"Such as?" Castle asked. Beckett loved watching Castle squirm sometimes. She'd never allow Alexis to be hurt, but Castle took parental protective nature to new extremes sometimes. And as much as castle presented himself as a ladies' man, and despite having the most significant people in his life be women, he still didn't understand the female mind.

Ryan nodded. "He's into MMA, and motorcycles, and has a couple of tattoos."

Castle shook his head. "No way, Nuh Ah, nope. I do not want Alexis going out with some tatted up cage fighter."

Esposito walked by and smiled. "Hey Castle why don't you set Alexis up with my nephew Jose. He's a good kid. Smart, funny, he's also an artist and an award winning salsa dancer."

"He good looking? Castle asked as he took yet another swig of coffee. Beckett could not believe he was still thinking this crazy scheme.

"Well he looks a lot like me, only more hair." Esposito explained. A grin grew across Esposito's face. "We Esposito men have always been known for our charm."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Ashley was the cultured artist type, there's no way Alexis is going to date that kind of boy without first taking a walk on the wild side."

"Tell you what Beckett. How about we make a bet about this? We have Alexis go on dates with both these young men. If she chooses to have a second date with Whatshisname than I'll give you a thousand dollars."

"And if she chooses Jose?" Beckett asked with a gleam in her beautiful eyes.

"Then you'll agree to be my date to whatever social function I so choose to attend?" Castle replied. Beckett couldn't believe what Castle said, but smiled as she processed it. this could be fun.

Ryan and Esposito started laughing. Esposito rubbed his palms together manically. Beckett gave a huge grin and extended her hand. "It's a deal Castle."

Castle smiled. "Sounds like a plan." And he firmly shook the detective's turned around to Esposito. "Come on buddy let's call your nephew and get this set up." And the two men disappeared into the break room.

Beckett meanwhile turned to Ryan. "Can you help get me that contact information for that Walker kid?"

Ryan buried his face in his hands. "Do you really think he'll go for it? Ignoring for the fact this is completely unprofessional. What makes you think that the boy will even want to date Alexis. How are you going to get them to meet, and get one to ask the other out?"

"You don't think Espo and Castle have the same problem. If I know Castle he's already making a big dramatic scheme to get Jose and Alexis together. We just have to outthink Castle." Beckett explained.

Ryan shook his head without freeing it from his hands. "I've got a bad feeling about this." He mused.