He knew she was on her way over shortly. She only had to finish up the paperwork at the precinct before she made her way over to the loft. It had been a long day.
"Dad?" Alexis interrupted his thoughts.
Glancing upward toward his daughter, he responded with a questioning hum.
"Are you sure you're okay by yourself? I know Gram doesn't want to be stuck in here tonight, but I don't want to leave you alone either. Not after today." The lines of worry that had been etched onto Alexis' face all day had slowly begun to fade, but still she was anxious and not quite right.
"It's fine, sweetie." Castle hoped to ease her mind. "Actually, Beckett's on her way over shortly so you won't have to worry about me stewing in my own troubles alone."
At the sound of her name, Alexis gave a terse nod and slightest hint of a grin. She couldn't hate the detective after helping save her family, but she still was not keen on the convoluted – and quite frankly, dangerous – relationship she had with her father.
"Well I'll have my phone on me in case you happen to need anything. Anything. Got it?" She fixed him with a face of sincerity and worry.
"Go have fun with your Gram. She needs this time out to relax and unwind in her own way. Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." He leaned down to place a kiss on his daughter's hairline while giving her a brief, comforting hug. "Love you, pumpkin."
"Love you too, Dad."
And with that, she left.