Disclaimer: The show Castle is not mine

A/N I have no idea, why I always write sad fiction for this show. To be honest, I have considered happier ending for this one, because I'd really love to play with Castle in the role he's put in in this story. Maybe another time.

Now you'll have to enjoy this one.

Scars

Richard Castle entered his apartment like a tsunami.

"You wouldn´t believe what had happened today!" It was evening and he just came back from the police station, where he had spent most of the last week. It was usual when Beckett´s team worked a big case. Even though he might have been surprised that Alexis and even his mother were both at home and seemingly waiting for him, he didn´t give it a second thought.

"There was the nasty FBI agent. From the beginning he worked against us and tried to throw us away from the right track and when WE finally solved the case, he came like nothing had happened and claimed the prize. And do you know what Beckett did?" he was so ready to rumble further, that he ignored his small audience.

"Richard" his mother had said, but he didn´t hear her.

"She had agreed to go out with him" Castle finally spat out what had bothered him the most. This time his mother stood up and said really loudly.

"Richard!"

Martha spoke loud enough and she got to him. He took in the surroundings and most importantly his daughter´s distraught look.

"What´s wrong, what happened?" his reaction was instinctive.

In his mind, he quickly ran through the last week. When he was on case, he tended to overlook the little signals. But nothing major had happened. Of that he was sure. He vaguely recalled there was some whispering between Martha and her grandchild, but it didn´t seem anyhow important at that moment. With how-bad-it-can-be attitude he sat next to Alexis and with real concern asked.

"What is it, sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything. And trust me, I did it all and much worse" he encouraged in his usual way.

Alexis seeing his real concern started to cry. It should have warned him it was going to be bad, but he still didn´t see it coming.

"I´m so sorry dad" she whispered and hugged him, crying on his shoulder. He held her and looked questioningly at his mother.

"I….I…." Alexis tried to say something, but wasn´t able say a word through the tears "I….I can´t" and she looked at her grandmother with plead in her eyes. Richard felt the eye-connection and turned again to his mom half expecting the whole mess was somehow her doing. Martha feeling the attention turned to her shook her head, resigned.

"For god´s sake. Alexis is pregnant." she spat out with her usual drama-queen attitude.

Once it was out, Alexis seemed to compose herself a bit. She pulled out of her father´s embrace, so she could see his reaction. She wasn´t sobbing anymore, just quiet tears flew freely down her face.

For a while there was utmost silence. It seemed that even traffic outside stopped in expectation of Castle´s reaction.

First, at his face, there was honest shock. As the first surprise wore out, there was utter disbelief. He half expected his mother to start laughing. He would even be willing to admit that they have got him hanging for a while.

But it was the next reaction Alexis expected so impatiently. Once her father realized it wasn´t a bad joke, he would react for real. And on that first reaction hanged her future.

And then she couldn´t believe what she saw. There was concern in her father´s eyes and somewhere there also was annoyance, but there wasn´t even the slightest hint of disappointment. Surprisingly, the thing she noticed the most were mischievous sparks in his eyes. This time he hugged her.

"Well, kiddo" he said chuckling "It looks like you finally managed to mess up more than me".

Another wave of tears appeared in Alexis´s eyes, but this time it were tears of relief. Castle allowed the hug to last a while, then he waited till Alexis wiped the rest of tears to start the conversation.

"How did it happen?" Castle asked, but as he saw Alexis´ terrified look he realized what he had just said. "I don´t mean ´how´, but I thought we had talked about being careful"

Alexis chuckled "You mean that time I´d told you to better have a pack of condoms with you at any time?"

"My point exactly" he quickly remembered the awkward conversation his mother pushed him into and then he imagined another possibility "I hope no one hurt you?"

"Nope, dad, I was willing participant" she admitted. "And you were right. Grandma took me to see her doctor, but I didn´t want to put unnecessary hormones to my system, so I refused birth-control pills. And we used a condom, but something went wrong…" Alexis finally said.

"How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks and five days" this precise answer calmed Castle a bit. He realized Alexis didn´t sleep with everyone, but it was one time thing only.

"And who is the father?"

For the first time Alexis hesitated.

"I don´t want him anywhere near me." She answered honestly.

"He doesn´t need to be anywhere near you, but we are talking about baby here" Castle himself was surprised at his mature attitude.

"Andrew Cooper. He is from my class" Alexis admitted not exactly willingly.

"Does he know anything about that?"

"He has no idea. I haven´t talked to him since that night. It was stupid mistake, I was so sad because Ashley and I broke up so I didn´t think clearly… I have been avoiding Andrew ever since." As Alexis started to think about the child´s father the reality hit her with full force. She was going to have a baby.

"Oh, dad." She sighed "what am I going to do?"

Next: So, what is Alexis going to do?