A/N: This is an AU family story, set in S1 and will continue to move forward. Connecting Castle and Beckett through Alexis but with twist and turns. Will be using the seasons as a guidelines and certain parts will be written in the story along the way.

Disclaimer: I still haven't bought the rights to Castle.

Chapter 1

As they look at the body, listening to Lanie read off the stats.

"Male, Caucasian, 24-26, GSW to the upper chest and upper right thigh."

"Ugh boringggg."

"Stop acting like a child, Castle."

"I am not acting like a child, this is an open and shut case, making it boring," he whines.

"Good, so you can leave me alone faster."

"Oh, you know you'll miss me detective."

"You," she scoffs "yeah right."

"It's okay to let the cat out of the bag, we all know you secretly like me."

"We who? We all know that I've been planning your murder since I've met you."

The boys and Lanie are in the middle of laughing as they tell him, "it's true," "she's serious," "seriously bro, she means it."

The conversation is interrupted when he hears, "Rickkyyyyy my boy."

He doesn't have to turn around to know who it is. He can tell from the simple slur who it is. He doesn't want to believe that they're going to have to go down this road again. He doesn't want to believe that the detectives in front of him are going to see this part of him. Can nothing in life be private.

He hears it again, "Detective Rickyyy."

He hears the girls stiff a laugh and Espo suck his teeth, "You got a fan Castle."

He ignores him and turns around. When he sees that he's dragging his favorite fiery red head with him trying to get past the officers blocking off the crime scene. He walks quickly with three large steps making himself step under the tap when the little girl drops her fathers hand and runs into his arms.

"Uncle Rick," she cries. Throwing her arms around his neck. He quickly grabs her and holds her close. His hatred for the man in front of him is growing in seconds. He knows that this is the final time, this can happen. He let him get away with it enough times already.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how he got the drink –" she hiccups, and then quickly continues, "I tried to go to your apartment but you weren't there and then he wouldn't stop moving and said we had to keep moving to go meet a friend –"

He cuts her off, "Where's the cell phone I got you?" He questions.

"He took it, I don't know where he put it." Her shoulders shrinking and her head tilting down.

He picks up her chin, "Hey, this isn't your fault, you know that?"

"But –"

"But nothing, this isn't your fault. You understand me?"

She nods her head and he quickly grabs her back into a hug.

"I love you, pumpkin," he whispers against her head.

"I love you too, Uncle Rick."

He knows that the detectives are looking at him. He doesn't have to look behind to know this. He knows that they want to question him. He knows all this and all he can tell himself is that he hates this. He hates that Beckett is seeing this and is probably coming up with some theory of him doing this for the award.

He faces the detectives to look for LT. Spotting him to the side quickly. "Hey LT, you mind helping me out really quick."

He nods and walks to them. "I know this isn't in your job description. But do you mind just going with her to get an icey while I handle him?" He points to the man behind him.

"Of course," he replies with a smile.

Castle goes to pull out his wallet when LT shakes his head. "I got it."

"N –"

"Castle, handle your business. I got it."

He bends down to the little girl sending her a classic LT smile. "My names Luther everyone calls me LT though, What's your name?"

"Nice name," she smiles "Alexis Harper."

"Lets go and get you some ice cream while Uncle Rick here handles his stuff. Sound good?"

Alexis looks at him and he nods his head, letting her know it was okay to be comfortable around him. She smiles and he sees she's trying to clear the tears from her eyes. "Ok LT."

He reaches for her hand and they walk off to the guy on the corner selling iceys.

Castle takes a deep breath and turns around to finally acknowledges the man he sees. Who has somehow fell on the floor and is being helped up by another officer. He has to clench and unclench his hands from forming a fist before he tells himself that this isn't what he needs to do right now. He goes over and tells the officer, "Thank you, I got him." The officer only nods in reply.

As he helps him up, the smells of the alcohol that hits his face makes him want to throw up. But his thought is interrupted when he hears, "Rickyy my boy. What are you doing here?"

"Working, why are you drunk?"

"Got fired from my job again," he slurs in reply.

"So your next logical step was to get drunk and walk the streets with Alexis."

"Hey, hey she was the one who wanted to go outside. She said we had to go and see you," he continues to slur.

He talks a deep breath. He can't keep doing this.

"Adam, you can't keep doing this to her. She doesn't deserve it." Adam leans all his weight against him as they walk towards the nearby bench and he helps him settle down. Hoping he doesn't puke because he just can't deal with this right now.

"I know, I know. Last time I promi—"

"Don't, you said that last time."

"I mean it—"

"Stop."

"Ok," he slurs "I should get home Alexis she has to do homework."

"I'll take her. I'm going to have a uniform take you home. Get yourself cleaned up okay?"

"Is she going to be safe w—"

He doesn't let him finish. "Of course she is. You know this."

"Just stay right here." He sees that Alexis and LT are already half way done with their iceys and he wants to get him out before Alexis finishes.

He asks one of the uniforms if they can escort him home. He'll owe them lunch for two days. They quickly agree once he mentions that. He helps get Adam into the car and writes the address on a paper from one of their pads. "If you can, just make sure he gets inside and the door is locked okay."

They nod their heads in union and one he recognizes by the name Sanchez replies, "Got it."

"You have your keys Adam?"

"Yeah ric-," he slurs but doesn't get to finish. Castle sees his head fall back against the

seat.

He quickly closes the door relaying an "I owe you one" as he back peddles to walk towards Alexis.

As he walks he's thanking the universe that the body they were here for had already been covered because he didn't even think of it. He grabs her into his side and thanks LT with a pound of their fist together. He's getting ready to turn around to let the detectives know that he's taking his lunch he'll be back when he sees Beckett walking his way.

"Need a ride?" She questions.

He wants to say no, but he knows it be easier then catching a cab during this rush hour and taking the subway with Alexis. She hates close spaces. So does he really honestly.

"Ye-yeah I do, thanks."

She turns off to the rest of the gang telling them, "Taking lunch, be back after."

As they walk to the car with him picking up Alexis he realizes he should introduce them.

"Alexis, this is Detective Beckett"

"Detective Beckett, Alexis."

The girls smile at each other and equally reply, "Hello" "Hi" at the same time.

Beckett reaches over to shake her hand and Alexis gladly takes her hand to shake.

"You have a good grip." Beckett smiles.

He can't help smile as Alexis replies, "Uncle Rick told me it's one of the best way to make a first impression. Grip tight and let the another person see the courage."

"He's teaching you well."

The smirk in his face must be enough to increase her annoyance because he hears, "don't let it get to your head Castle." He can almost hear the eye roll.

He kisses Alexis on her head as they reach the car and he puts her into the backseat. Helping her buckle up her seatbelt, putting another kiss on her head. Knowing that she needs the reassurance, and that when they get to his house, she'll be attached to his hip asking to be held without asking for it out loud.

As soon as he gets into the car he throws her his address, "425 Broome St and Crosby." Beckett only nods her head as confirmation. She knows this already; she's been there before.

She nods her head. She doesn't know what made her come over. He's just her partner. Her annoying partner. One that drives her crazy and acts like a nine-year old on a sugar rush. She should have kept to herself. Asking if he was okay and kept moving on with the murder. But she saw herself in Alexis. Dealing with a drunken father. Her heart fell to her stomach and then jumped to her throat when she saw the way that Alexis ran up to him. The tension that released from her the minute he wrapped his arms around her.

She's never seen this side of him. Though she remembers him mentioning an Alexis. She thought that she was just another toy or bed post notch of his. She sees the girl in the back playing with her hands, her face in a slight frown. At the same time, she realizes that Castle hasn't uttered a word. Which is not only usual but highly discomforting.

"Hey Alexis, you like music?"

The girl head snaps up quickly to the mention of her name and question. She smiles, "Yeah."

"Do you have a favorite genre?"

"Ummm anything really." she shrugs.

She quickly turns on the radio looking for a song when the song Fireflies by Owl City comes on.

"I like this one," Alexis states. She can see her smiling through the mirror.

"Me too," she smiles back.

As the young redhead smile in reply and it's then she knows she's in trouble. She can feel it. She just doesn't know what's going to happen.

She can see Castle smiling slightly but looking ahead with his head leaning back against the seat.

She quickly finds herself singing along to the words. On any other normal circumstance that the world equilibrium was in fact in tact. She would not be caught dead singing along to a song on the radio with Castle next to her. She can see Alexis through the mirror singing along so she continues. It's helping breaking the tension through the car she tells herself.

"Cause I'd get a thousand hugs ,

From ten thousand lightning bugs

As they tried to teach me how to dance."

She can't help but smile and before they know it two songs later, they're already by Castle's loft. She knows she should say something but the words are stuck in her throat as they pull up.

Castle unbuckles and turns towards her. "I won't be back today, don't do all the work without me unless it paperwork of course."

"I'm sure we can manage without you, Castle," she replies with a small smile as she rolls her eyes.

She turns around to say goodbye to the red hair in her back seat. "It was nice to meet you. Make sure you don't let him drive you crazy."

"He can't help it. He drives everyone crazy. "

"Hey, you're already ganging up on me," he pouts "You've only met 15 minutes ago."

"It's a girl thing, Castle."

He opens her door to grab Alexis out.

"Yeah Uncle Rick and you know you drive all the girls crazy. Your mom says so all the time."

She can't help but laugh at that one as Rick sticks his tongue out.

"Nice to meet you, Detective Beckett."

"Have a goodnight," she smiles in reply.

He bends down to lean against the passenger door, "Until Tomorrow, Detective."

"Can't you just say, Goodnight."

"I'm a writer, Goodnight is boring, Until Tomorrow is more hopeful," he replies with a smirk as he stands straight. Taking a step back into the sidewalk.

She holds in a smirk, chewing in the inside of her cheek. She waits for them to get into the building before taking them off. She can't help wishing that she was going with them. Wait what? Stop what are you doing –. It was just Alexis. She just wants to make sure she's okay. Wants to know how Castle is Uncle Rick. She didn't know he had any siblings. That's all. She just wanted to know everything was okay.

She pretends that she doesn't know that she's lying.