Alexis and Kate

Chapter 1

"Dad," Alexis yelled going through her father's office and into his bedroom, "Gram is making pancakes, you've got to..." Alexis caught site of Richard Castle untangling himself from Kate Beckett. "stop her," she finished softly. "Sorry, I didn't know Detective Beckett was here," Alexis apologized and strode out of the room.

Castle got up, grabbing his robe, "I'll go talk to her."

Beckett grabbed his arm. "Let me," she said.

Kate found Alexis in the kitchen, dumping pancake batter down the disposal. As Kate approached, Alexis flipped the switch and the machine ground noisily to life. "Alexis!" Kate called to no response. Kate entered the kitchen and flipped off the disposal. "Alexis," she said."We need to talk about this. Is it upsetting for you to see me in bed with your father?"

Alexis turned to face Kate with fury on her face. "Upsetting to find you two in bed? No! That's probably the only place that he's safe with you. Since he's been with you he's nearly frozen to death, nearly been blown up twice, been poisoned, nearly drowned, and three days ago he was shot. If that bullet had just been a little bit higher, he'd be dead! So Detective Beckett, I wish you'd just be with him in bed and nowhere else. Maybe he'd stay alive!"

Alexis slammed the batter bowl into the sink and ran upstairs into the arms of Pi who was standing on the landing. Pi put an arm around her shoulders and led her to her room.

Castle walked into the kitchen. "Did you hear that?" Beckett asked.

"I think the neighborhood heard that," Castle replied. He wrapped his arms around Kate and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry," he said.

Kate snuggled into his warm chest. "Why should you be sorry?" she asked. "Alexis is right. Working with me you've nearly died. She doesn't want to lose her dad. I get it. I don't want to lose you either."

"Kate, That's not fair," Castle protested. You've saved my life so many times that I've finally lost count."

Kate shook her head dejectedly. "Alexis doesn't see it that way."

Castle pulled her close and murmured into her hair, "We'll work it out."

Martha came down the stairs from where Alexis had banished her to her room. "I think you had better make the happy face pancakes," Richard," she told Castle.

"Mother," Castle answered. "I don't think that will do it."

Castle and Beckett had just finished getting dressed and were catching the news on the screen in his office. The 12th Precinct was on the screen. The voice of the newscaster came,"We repeat that a bomb went off in the basement of the 12th Precinct of the NYPD. The blast occurred only minutes ago. The extent of damage and injuries is not yet know. We will stay on this story to bring you the details as they develop."

Beckett grabbed her weapon and ran for the door of the loft. Castle followed her. Beckett turned to face him "Castle, maybe under the circumstances you should stay here."

Castle looked her straight in the eyes. "Not a chance!"

Wanting as much speed as they could get, they took Castle's Ferrari. They were at the precinct in less than ten minutes, but there was no place nearby to park. Beckett took a police placard that they had used on a previous case out of the glove box and put it on the dash and they ran toward the building. Captain Gates, Ryan, and Esposito were outside. Beckett approached Captain Gates. "What happened, sir?" she asked.

"We don't know that much, but it looks like a bomb went off in the basement where the records are stored. A few people are being treated for smoke inhalation, but as far as we can tell, no one was seriously hurt. The records are a complete loss, though. The bomb disposal unit is doing a complete search of the building to see if there are any more bombs. As soon as they're through, forensics will go in. Right now, no one else is allowed in the building."

Beckett went to Ryan and Esposito to assure herself that they were all right. Beckett gave each of them a hug and Castle slapped them on the back. "It looks like we can't do anything right now," Castle said. "I'm starved. Why don't I buy you all breakfast?" They all agreed and were soon gathered around a table at Remy's. Given the lack of injuries, the mood was pretty up. Beckett completely forgot about her conversation with Alexis. The respite was not to last. Notices went out on the cell phones of everyone assigned to the 12th that the building would be closed at least until early evening. Castle and Beckett headed back to the loft.

Alexis either stayed in her room or maintained stony silence when she was downstairs. Castle decided to make pasta carbonara to cheer Alexis up. She refused to eat it, joining Pi in consuming a collection of fruit dishes. Finally Beckett's cell phone buzzed and she and Castle returned to the 12th.

Captain Gates gave a briefing. The CSU had recovered several pieces of the bomb, one of which had a partial print. It was matched to a small time con, Percy Strong, recently released from Riker's. Several marked units had been sent to arrest him at the address that he had registered with his parole officer. He wasn't there. The first priority was to track him down. Ryan examined traffic video, both around the SRO where Strong was staying and around the 12th. Esposito searched Strong's financials and flagged any credit or debit cards. Beckett and Castle went to interview Strong's girlfriend Tricia Chernik.

Tricia lived in a locked building. It was necessary to ring a bell at the front door. A tenant could then push a button to release the door. No sooner had Beckett rung the bell than she and Castle heard the distinctive grating sound of a fire escape ladder coming down. Beckett pulled her gun and approached the fire escape yelling "Stop! Police!" Castle was not far behind her. Strong jumped off the ladder going feet first into Beckett, knocking her down. Beckett's gun skittered across the sidewalk. Castle caught it and pointed it at Strong. "On your knees, scumbag!" he yelled. "Hands behind your head!" Strong looked at the gun and the fierce look on Castle's face and knelt on the sidewalk. Castle kept the gun trained on Strong. "Beckett, are you OK?" he called.

"Fine Castle," Beckett answered getting to her feet. She pulled out her cuffs and placed them none to gently on Strong's wrists.

Beckett and Castle sat across from Percy Strong in the interrogation room. "You've already got two strikes Strong. Bombing a police station, attacking a police officer, you're going away for ever," Beckett told Strong. "The only way you can help yourself is to tell us who you're working for. Give us your boss and we'll ask the D.A. to cut you a deal."

"I don't know who it was," Strong said. "I just got a phone call. He left money at a drop. I did the job."

"All right," Beckett told him. "You are going to give us your phone and anything you have from that drop including the money." Castle continued to fix Strong with the penetrating stare that he had given him after Strong knocked Beckett to the ground. Strong looked back and forth between Castle and Beckett and agreed to what Beckett asked. With the adrenaline fading, Beckett turned Strong over to Ryan and Esposito, who had been watching the interrogation through the one way mirror. She let Castle take her back to the loft.

Beckett lay back on Castle's bed fully dressed with her eyes closed. Castle ran a warm bath, adding soothingly scented bubbles. He undressed Beckett, and supported her weight with an arm around her while she climbed into the tub. Castle undressed and climbed in behind her, letting her lean against him. Bruises were blooming on Beckett's chest where she had been kicked by Strong, as well as on her back and shoulders where they hit the pavement. Beckett leaned against Castle with her eyes closed while he gently ran a warm washcloth over her body. After he felt her body fully relax, Castle helped her out of the tub and wrapped her in a fluffy bath sheet. Draped in one of Castle's t-shirts, Beckett slept in Castle's arms.