Castle gives that massively overblown sigh he has when he wants you to pay attention to him, but doesn't want to be too obvious about it. Kate turns around in her chair.
"What is it Castle?"
"Alexis got invited to some fancy party thing with my mother." He looks very serious, something he is most certainly not.
"So? She's going to a party. I'm sure you're used to that."
"Yeah, but I'm usually going to the parties with her. That and she wants me to go dress shopping with her." Now he looks like someone had asked him to kill a puppy; horrified, disgusted, and ashamed.
"I'll say it again, so what?"
"Kate, it's dress shopping. I'll have to give opinions on how my teenage daughter looks in a dress. And what if she wants to know about what a boy would think?" All he was showing now was pure, unadulterated panic.
"Castle, if you're really that terrified, ask Martha to go."
"I can't!" his eyes must have been the size of saucers. "She says she's teaching one of her classes." He may have been a pain in her ass, but his expressions were a pretty good reason for keeping him around.
"I'll take her." The moment the words were out of her mouth, Castle was out of his seat, crushing her in a hug, and spinning her around in front of their murder-board.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou." He pulled back. "You have no idea of the hell you've saved me from."
"I remember my Dad's face when he had to take me. I know exactly what you're talking about."
"You've saved me three hours of teenage hell. I owe you one."
"Yes, you do. Which is why I'm going to take the night off and you can do the rest of my paperwork."
"Wha- but I…"
"Nope, I'm calling in that favor now. Get to work, and I'll call you when Alexis and I've got a dress."
Kate walked away feeling triumphant, maybe a little too much. But the stupid look on Castle's face was probably the funniest thing she'd seen all week.