Beckett let herself into the dark loft, still not totally used to the process of arriving alone. He'd given her the key in January when her apartment was fumigated, just in case she had to get in when he wasn't around while she was staying there. She'd felt awkward when she was leaving, not sure if he'd intended for it to be a temporary loan or not, but had finally offered it back to him. He'd paused for a moment, then told her to keep it. He'd looked nervous, but when she smiled broadly and thanked him he leaned in and gave her a deep kiss. The next day she'd given him a copy of a key to her own apartment while they were out for dinner. He dragged her home that night to celebrate using it.

Since then she'd been spending more and more nights at Castle's loft. Even days when he hadn't been at the precinct she'd taken to going home to him at the end of the day. A year ago she would have been eager to get to her own place and be alone after a long day, but everything was different now. Even though she knew Castle was probably already asleep all she wanted to do was curl up in bed next to him.

She entered the dark loft, kicking off her heels as she shut the door. She was about to turn towards the bedroom when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen.

"Castle? It might be easier to find a midnight snack with the lights on." But when she flipped on the lights she didn't see anyone in the kitchen. "Rick?"

"Kate?" But it wasn't Castle's voice that called out to her.

"Alexis?"

"Yeah." The young redhead popped up from where she'd been crouched behind the counter, and smiled awkwardly. "I was just looking for, um, an earring I dropped."

"In the dark?"

"I'm young, I have good vision." Alexis smiled perkily, but Beckett didn't buy it. She remembered after her shooting she sometimes got freaked by noises and dropped to the floor when her neighbor's door slammed. She hoped Alexis wasn't dealing with the same thing.

"I'm sorry if I scared you when I came in," Kate said gently. She took a seat at one of the stools on the opposite side of the counter from Alexis. "I didn't realize you'd be here."

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood visiting a friend who's home from Northwestern for her spring break. I stayed longer than I realized and thought it would be easier to just crash here and go back to campus in the morning." Alexis shifted as she talked and leaned down on the counter with her arms.

"When it's light again?" Beckett asked her, but when she saw the surprised look on Alexis's face she backed down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I'll leave you alone -"

"No, that's okay," Alexis smiled. "You're right. I just haven't liked walking around campus alone at night since...well, since Paris."

"That seems like a pretty normal reaction to me. Getting abducted is pretty traumatic. But I get not wanting to talk about something, so I really am sorry to bring it up."

"Getting abducted," Alexis repeated. "That sounds so much worse than just saying 'what happened in Paris.'"

"Sorry," Beckett shrugged. "Cops tend to use the legal terminology. Part of our training. Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"No….I guess not really. I mean thinking about it makes me uncomfortable, but saying the words don't make it any worse."

"Do you think about it a lot?"

"I try not to, but every time I'm not actively thinking about something else, that's what pops into my head. Being forced into that van, being put into a cage. It's driving me crazy actually, because I just want to move on and stop dwelling on it, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Beckett said nodding. "That's exactly how I felt after I got shot. And the pain medication after my surgery made me sleep a lot and whenever I slept I had nightmares about it. It took a long time for that to go away."

"Yeah, I had nightmares after you were shot too," Alexis told her.

"You did?"

"I had this recurring dream that when my dad tried to push you down the bullet got him."

Kate felt a huge wave of guilt wash over her. Of course Alexis would have nightmares after seeing her dad so close when she got shot. She knew Alexis resented her after Castle started shadowing her again last year, but she hadn't really connected that with the trauma of seeing the shooting.

"I'm sorry," Kate told her.

"It's not your fault you got shot." Alexis told her. That was actually a debatable point, but Alexis certainly didn't need to know the details of her investigation into her mom's death.

"Well, I'm still sorry you went through that. And about your abdu….I mean about Paris."

Alexis smiled, but didn't say anything else and Kate wasn't sure what else to add. This was really the first time she and Alexis had had a deep conversation like this since she and Castle had gotten together. They'd only been dating a few weeks when Alexis moved into the dorms at Columbia, and Alexis wasn't even aware of the relationship during most of that time. But Kate really did want to make an effort with Alexis. She had just never dated a guy with a kid before so it was slightly uncharted territory.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but have you talked to anyone about what happened?"

"You mean like a therapist?" Alexis said it in a slightly insulting tone, the way most young people who lived charmed lives until now would use. But it didn't bother Kate.

"Yeah," Kate nods. "I actually saw one after I got shot and it helped a lot."

"Didn't the NYPD make you do that?"

"Yes. But I went back after I was cleared to go back to work. I realized that being okay to work didn't mean I was living the best life I could." Kate paused. "Does that sound really cheesy? I don't have your father's way with words."

"No, it doesn't." Alexis pushed up from the counter and step backwards, leaning against the stove behind her. She was studying the floor.

"Look Alexis, I don't mean to push you into anything you don't want to do. Everyone's different. But if you want tips for how to deal with nerves, or nightmares, or any of it…..I'm here to talk."

"What kind of tips?" Alexis looked up curious.

"You could take a self-defense class. I think all women should take them, actually. It makes you more confident to know some moves in case something happens. And if you have to think about Paris, focus on the positives. Remind yourself that you were taken, but you survived. You got away and you're a stronger person for that. You know that you have the ability to live through something like that."

"But I didn't really get away. I was rescued. The only reason I even got home was because of Dad and -" Alexis trails off.

"Your grandfather?" When Kate fills in the blank Alexis's eyes widened.

"You know about him?" She sounded surprised.

"Your dad told me after he brought you home."

"Oh. They just told us we weren't supposed to tell anyone about all that."

"Well, your dad doesn't exactly follow the rules." Beckett smiled, then realized that maybe that sounded flippant. "That doesn't mean he's just been going around telling everyone, or that you should be telling people -"

"I know," Alexis said sharply, but then she softened. "I guess he just thinks you're special."

Kate felt her cheeks redden slightly, not sure how to respond, but Alexis solved that problem by continuing.

"Anyway, I am a rule follower, so, don't worry me talking."

"Good to know," Kate said. "And you know Alexis, you did do a lot. You helped keep Sarah calm. You were able to pick the lock of the room you were being kept in. You got a hold of a phone and called your dad. Not everyone would have managed to do those things."

"Really?"

"Really," Beckett said assuredly.

Before she could say anything else she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Castle coming out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes.

"I thought I heard voices out here," he said approaching them. "Did my watch stop or are you two up in the middle of the night? That or having a really, really early breakfast."

"Sorry, Dad, did we wake you?" Alexis asked him.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Castle paused looking between the two women. "Everything okay?"

"Sure, we were just talking," Alexis said smiling.

"This late? What about?"

"Just...girl talk," Alexis told him. "But I think I'm going to head to bed now, I have an early class. Night guys." Alexis kissed her father's cheek, waved at Kate, then headed for the stairs.

"Shall we?" Castle reached out a hand to Kate, cocking his head towards the bedroom. Kate grabbed his hand and followed him through his office to the bedroom.

Castle stretched out on the bed watching as Kate changed into one of his t-shirts and a pair of very short, tight shorts that made him anything but tired.

"So, 'girl talk,' huh?" Castle raised his eyebrows in question to Beckett as she walked near the bed. "That's new."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Kate got in bed and turned to face him. "I just bumped into her in the kitchen when I came in and we started talking."

"Good. I mean, I'm really glad you get along."

"You raised an incredible daughter, Castle. It would be pretty hard to not get along with her."

"I'm pretty sure I just lucked out there."

"Don't sell yourself short." Kate reached up and stroked her fingers through Castle's hair. "You're an amazing father Rick, that makes a huge difference in a child's life."

"Thank you for saying that." Castle's eyes crinkled in appreciation and he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"Always," Beckett smiled back at him. After looking at each other a moment Beckett snuggled next to Castle in bed, resting her head on his chest. Castle snapped the lights off with his remote, then wrapped his arm around her body.

"Goodnight, Beckett."

"Goodnight, Castle."